Smoky Mountain News | January 22, 2020

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Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

January 22-28, 2020 Vol. 21 Iss. 34

Tribal Council approves $4 million broadband loan Page 3 River park efforts revived in Cullowhee Page 28

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Canton native Marc Pruett, banjo player for Balsam Range, recently released a memoir. Titled Rascally Mountain Boy, the book is constructed in three parts: Pruett’s extensive musical career, a section of personal stories and tall tales, and a wide array of his own song lyrics. (Page 18) Balsam Range photo

News Tribal Council approves $4 million Balsam West loan ............................................3 Sports betting implementation longer than expected ..............................................3 Waynesville’s cemetery policy revamp begins ..........................................................4 Pigeon community revitalization gaining steam ..........................................................5 State Treasurer job important, overlooked ..................................................................6 Candidates work for Labor Commissioner post ........................................................7 Baseball field improvements move forward at SMHS ............................................8 Cherokee retail project moves forward ........................................................................9 Twinkle Patel appointed as Maggie alderman ..........................................................10 Macon hears ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’ proposal ....................................12 Education News ................................................................................................................13

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CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789

Opinion Who says a sitting president can’t be indicted? ....................................................14

Outdoors River park efforts revived in Cullowhee ......................................................................28

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Tribal Council approves $4 million Balsam West loan

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians hopes to earn more than $1 million over 10 years by extending a $4 million loan to broadband provider Balsam West, of which it is a 50 percent owner.

“The entity identified the need to refresh its equipment and all its network infrastructure in order to support its current business operations, as well as expansion of those operations,” Secretary of Finance Cory Blankenship told Tribal Council during its Jan. 9 meeting.

Doing so would require an $8 million loan, and while Balsam West could have secured the money from the equipment vendor, that loan would have come with a double-digit interest rate, about 12 to 13 percent.

Blankenship, who serves on the Balsam West board, said that it was the partners themselves who floated the idea of acting as lenders.

“In a board meeting, the two equity partners said, ‘What if we made the loan rather than you procuring outside financing, and then you pay the partners back?’”

Blankenship told Tribal Council.

Under the agreement, the tribe will loan Balsam West up to $4 million with a payback term of 10 years at 5 percent interest.

However, that loan will be contingent upon

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Balsam West’s other equity partner, Drake Enterprises, offering an equivalent loan with equivalent terms.

Blankenship estimates interest will total more than $1 million by the time the loan is paid off and expressed his confidence that Balsam West will be able to make its payments.

“One of the things that the company is doing is expanding into other markets, and also expanding its footprint in Western North Carolina,” said Blankenship. “They have signed on a significant number of residential clients through residential development of the plateau near Cashiers, and they have a number of other projects in the pipeline that are similar in size and scope. In short, they do have the ability to repay this loan.”

Big Cove Representative Perry Shell asked how that 5 percent interest rate would stack up to the money’s current rate of return. Blankenship replied that, while the money is currently in a debt sinking fund that earns 8 percent interest, that is a diversified portfolio. Rates for the fixed-income investments in that portfolio — the category into which the Balsam West loan would fit — continue to fall.

“Your average yield right now on a fixedincome vehicle is 1.25, maybe one-and-a-half percent,” said Blankenship. “We felt like this would help balance that side of the portfolio because it essentially replaces some of the

fixed-income managers we have managing money right now.”

After listening to Blankenship’s explanation, Shell concluded that the loan would be a good investment.

“Basically what he’s saying is instead of allowing Balsam to go out and receive a loan, this would be saving us money in the long run because we wouldn’t be using operating costs, because Balsam is borrowing it from the owners,” said Chairman Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird.

So, in addition to generating interest income for the tribe, the loan would improve the financial position of a company that is half-owned by the tribe as compared to what would be the case if Balsam West borrowed the money elsewhere for a higher interest rate.

“To date Balsam West hasn’t paid a dividend to its partners, but it does have positive cash flow and it does have reserve capacity,” said Blankenship. “So it’s not necessarily what is Balsam West paying to the equity partners. The value is really in the service that’s delivered, and because we own that entity we can negotiate a much lower rate than if we bought service from Frontier, AT&T or another provider.”

Its relationship with Balsam West saves the tribe hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in service costs, Blankenship said.

No council members spoke out against the proposal, but Yellowhill Representative Tom Wahnetah, one of two members to vote against it, asked Blankenship whether the tribe has ever financed a loan before and whether anything has come of past discussions about launching a tribally owned bank.

A resolution seeking to create such a bank was discussed in January 2017, but Council voted to withdraw it.

Blankenship replied that, yes, the tribe has financed loans for two projects in the past, one being the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority’s crisis stabilization unit project.

As to the bank, it hasn’t been a recent topic of discussion.

“The capitalization of a bank would require you to have several billion in assets in order to make it solvent,” said Blankenship.

“I think a credit union is the most feasible route to explore, but I haven’t been involved in any conversations about the development of a credit union.”

“I think we need to start exploring that again,” said Wahnetah.

The resolution ultimately passed with a move from Vice Chairman David Wolfe, of Yellowhill, and a second from Shell. The sole no votes were Wahnetah and Wolfetown Representative Bo Crowe. The resolution awaits action from Principal Chief Richard Sneed.

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ensure compliance within the legal framework established.”

Once the tribe and the governor finalize the amendment, it goes to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who has 45 days to approve or disapprove it.

There’s also a possibility that action would be required from the National Indian Gaming Commission, which gets involved on the casino management contract side. Michael Hoenig, general counsel for the Commission, said that while he couldn’t speak definitively to this particular situation he could say that, in general, adding a game may or may not require a contract amendment. However, it generally would not require the agency to undertake the same process required for new management contracts.

“There’s just a lot of moving parts, but when you’re just talking about an amendment typically the things that take the most time have already been done,” he said.

Different states have legalized sports betting in different capacities following a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said the federal government can’t prohibit states from allowing it — instead, the ruling said, it’s up to each individual state to decide how to handle sports betting within its jurisdiction.

North Carolina lawmakers saw the Eastern Band as a prime candidate to manage the

Screens will be key at The Book, the new sports betting lounges planned for casinos in Cherokee and Murphy. JCJ Architecture rendering industry in North Carolina, and legislation permitting sports betting on Cherokee land passed overwhelmingly, with a vote of 90-7 in the Senate and 90-27 in the House.

Harrah’s plans to open an area to be called The Book at both its Cherokee and Murphy casinos once the red tape is cut.

Guests would be able to wager on collegiate and professional sports, as well as off-track

Smoky

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill last July legalizing sports betting on Cherokee land, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos expected to have the new offering up and running by late fall. But now it’s midwinter, and sports betting is still not available at the casinos in Cherokee and Murphy.

That’s because the governor’s signature on Senate Bill 154 proved not to be the final legal hurdle between the tribe and legalized sports betting. The tribe’s gaming compact with the state must also be amended to reflect the new offering.

In a statement emailed to The Smoky Mountain News, Principal Chief Richard Sneed said that after the bill’s ratification the tribe immediately began working with Cooper’s office on a gaming compact amendment and delivered a proposed amendment on Oct. 14, 2019. Cooper has 180 days from the date of delivery to approve or reject the compact, meaning that he must take action by mid-April.

“Conversations have since been had between the EBCI and the Governor’s Office regarding specifics of the agreement,” said Sneed. “While the EBCI has been assured the Compact will be approved, the Governor’s Office is completing their due diligence to

January 22-28, 2020

Sports betting implementation longer than expected

horse racing. The Book would offer food and beverage service, a variety of seating options and large-screen TVs for patrons to watch the games they’re betting on.

Sports wagering is expected to bring in an additional $14 million in casino revenue, accounting for 3 to 5 percent of total casino revenue. The state expects to gain $1 to $1.5 million each year in taxes.

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The Town of Waynesville will soon hold public hearings on proposed changes to cemetery maintenance policies. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Waynesville’s cemetery policy revamp begins

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER roposed changes to and clarifications of cemetery ordinances prompted by public outcry in Waynesville will soon undergo a period of public comment before possible adoption by the town’s Board of Aldermen.

“What we can do is to endeavor that nothing like that ever happens again, and the plan the Cemetery Committee came up with is a huge step in that direction,” said Waynesville Alderman Jon Feichter.

Back near the end of 2018, family members with burial plots in Waynesville’s historic Green Hill Cemetery were taken by surprise when a proscribed cleanup resulted in flowers, lights, statues and other adornments being cleared from gravesites.

“It obviously was heartbreaking, because I understood how damaging it was to so many people,” said Feichter, who first heard citizen concerns during a meeting at the VFW that he called maybe the most difficult two hours

of his first term. “We deserved every bit of frustration and anger those people voiced.”

A contentious and emotional town meeting a few days later featured extensive public criticism, so the town responded by establishing an ad-hoc committee to reassess management of the cemetery.

That committee met 13 times between May 16, 2019, and Nov. 7, 2019, — exactly as many times as the Board of Aldermen itself, Assistant Town Manager Amie Owens told Mayor Gary Caldwell and aldermen John Feichter, Chuck Dickson and Anthony Sutton during a presentation Jan. 14.

As they worked through the existing ordinance — Chapter 18 — the committee not only clarified some ambiguities, but also included some new provisions seen as a direct response to the complaints lodged in 2018.

Among them are the complete elimination of commercial tours, a reversal on previous language that banned lights and a concept called “memorial boxes” that provide a way for loved ones to leave mementoes without disrupting the efficiency of taxpayerfunded grounds-keeping operations.

“I haven’t completely gone through the changes, but based on what I’ve seen so far I’m thoroughly impressed with the work the committee did,” Feichter said.

Currently, the proposed changes remain just that — proposed. If 2018 is any indica-

Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

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Waynesville board to review homelessness task force applications

upkeep to it, the knobby plot — which may contain thousands of unmarked graves — has fallen into disrepair.

The revamped cemetery ordinance will be presented for public comment in a pair of meetings, scheduled for Jan. 28 and Feb. 11.

“I’d be dumbfounded if the room isn’t packed,” Feichter said. “I’m really looking forward to those comments sessions. I’m hopeful the people who care about this jewel of a cemetery show up and offer their input.

That’s what I’d expect.”

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Book online at:

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tion, there will be a prolonged period of debate over the many alterations and additions to the existing ordinance.

“Based on some of the comments made at the meeting last week, it seems there may be a need for increased appropriations, and I think we should look further at that but we don’t know at this time what is needed,” Feichter said.

During that same Jan. 14 meeting, aldermen also converted the “ad hoc” Cemetery Committee into a standing committee; the seven members who currently serve were appointed by application and will continue to serve until June 30, 2020, which is the end of the fiscal year.

After that, seven more members will be appointed by a process similar to every other standing committee’s, serving terms from one to three years.

The Cemetery Committee will also assume responsibility for Dix Hill Cemetery, which was historically Waynesville’s segregated African-American cemetery.

“I thoroughly support that idea,” said Feichter. “When we were discussing the parameters of what this committee would look like, I was completely in favor of including this cemetery as a way of looking at where we are, and where we’ve come from.”

Ownership of the property isn’t clear and despite the town already contributing some

The town of Waynesville’s homelessness task force has gotten off to a slow start, but things should start to move much more quickly in the coming days.

Homelessness quickly became the top issue in Waynesville’s municipal election last fall, and the candidates who were elected — including Mayor Gary Caldwell — all pledged to do something to address the problem.

During his first meeting as mayor back in December, Caldwell called for the formation of the task force, but some aldermen disagreed with the size, scope and mission of the group.

On Jan. 8, Assistant Town Manager Amie Owens issued a statement indicating an “influx” of applications that would take some time to review — 31 applications to be exact. Elected officials including Caldwell and Aldermen Jon Feichter, Chuck Dixon, Anthony Sutton and Julia Boyd Freeman expressed approval of how the process was unfolding.

At the Board of Aldermen’s most recent meeting, Caldwell said the town would likely call a special meeting the week of Feb. 3 to review the applications.

Waynesville Town Clerk Eddie Ward said the Board of Aldermen would likely set the exact date for the hearing at its upcoming regular meeting on the evening of Jan. 28.

— Cory Vaillancourt, staff writer

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development services office.

In addition to what’s being called the Calvary-Craven Park, Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague laid out plans for a “campus” of community assets in the area that includes the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, the Shelton House and the Pigeon Center.

One of the things that unites all three sites is a minor waterway called Shelton Branch, for which restoration plans are already being discussed.

Research is also underway for an application that would put the Pigeon Center on the National Register of Historic Places by the end of the year. Dix Hill Cemetery, Waynesville’s traditionally segregated African American Cemetery, could also see such a designation if all goes well.

“And of course we’re also looking at working with the state to move the utilities on Pigeon Street and improve the sidewalks, connecting it to the rest of town,” Dickson said.

The discussion over the placement of a monument commemorating the victim of a lynching in Haywood County, however, continues and doesn’t appear to be part of the plans for the Pigeon community. Dickson said the Equal Justice Initiative — the group that’s created the lynching memorials for hundreds of communities across the nation — wants to see more community support before allowing the coffin-shaped monument to leave Montgomery, Alabama.

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January 22-28, 2020

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ongstanding plans for a park near the Pigeon Street corridor are about to move forward, as are other plans designed to connect — physically and symbolically — Waynesville’s bustling Main Street with the town’s historic African American neighborhood.

“I will push for full funding for completion of the park in next year’s budget,” said newly-elected Alderman Chuck Dickson. “For too many years, the Pigeon Community has been ignored and forgotten.”

Last March, the town gave a presentation to the Haywood branch of the NAACP, explaining the feasibility of plans for a park on a parcel formerly home to a disused church. Residents, including NAACP Vice President Phillip Gibbs, were upset over what they thought was a lack of progress, despite $60,000 being appropriated in that year’s town budget.

Dickson was at that meeting, acting in his capacity as treasurer of the NAACP. At the time, he said he’d advocate for more funding before the Board of Aldermen and also added, “Remember, this is an election year.”

Just eight months later, Dickson led the ticket in alderman votes and now sits on the other side of the table, even as he sat in the Pigeon Multicultural Community Development Center on Jan. 15 for another presentation by officials from the town’s

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State Treasurer job important, overlooked

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ure, your local civic organization, athletic club or hobbyist group probably has a treasurer — the person with the checkbook who pays the bills, monitors the bank accounts and regularly reports on the income and expenditures of the bake sale, or the fishing rod raffle.

The North Carolina treasurer’s job is a bit more complicated than that. In fact, it’s about a whole lot more than money.

“If you care about public education, access to health care, the environment or a growing economy, you care about the treasurer’s office,” said Matt Leatherman, one of three Democratic candidates hoping to emerge from the March 3 Primary Election and face incumbent Republican Dale Folwell this fall. “It affects these issues in a wide variety of ways.”

Perhaps the most important function of the office is that it makes retirement benefit payments from the $100 billion pool of retirement savings assets collected over the years by investing those assets, earning a return on them and using that return to cut the checks.

If those investments don’t earn the targeted return — or, more recently, if they’re invested in environmentally or morally questionable enterprises — people are not going to be happy.

“The state treasurer is the most important job you’ve never heard of,” said Ronnie Chatterji, another of three Democrats in the primary this year. “If Dimple Ajmera we’re not responsible, improving and growing those assets, the taxpayers are going to be on the hook.”

But for Leatherman, Chatterji and Dimple Ajmera, the other Dem in the race, the most impactful way they think they can improve the quality of life in North Carolina is about more than money; the treasurer also administers health care benefits for state employees, for a number of local government employees and for educators in North Carolina, which makes it the largest employer-provided coverage system in the state.

“The biggest issue is access to health care,” said Ajmera, a Charlotte City Council Member. “We have to make sure that people have access to health care in all parts of the state, from urban to rural, from mountains to the coast.”

For Leatherman, that issue is deeply personal.

“I’m choosing to run because of the lifesaving impact that this office offered for my youngest child,” he said.

Three years ago, on New Year’s Eve, Leatherman’s wife wasn’t feeling well and became concerned about her pregnancy. She reached out to her doctors, who were unavailable, but as a public school educator, she was able to call an emergency line that was part of her state health plan coverage — and part of 6 the treasurer’s office. Leatherman and his

Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

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wife made it to the hospital just in time for baby Josie to arrive 13 weeks early and weighing less than 2 pounds. After almost five months in the NICU, Josie was finally well enough to join her family at home.

“The treasurer’s office was there to do the work it is supposed to do when my family had to make that call,” he said. “I’m choosing to run in this race to stand up for that type of benefit at a time when the incumbent is putting access to healthcare risk.”

Leatherman said that Folwell is attempting to push reimbursement rate cuts onto doctors and hospitals that are so steep that reductions or cessations of service are becoming more and more likely outcomes, especially in rural areas.

As policy director for former Treasurer Janet Cowell, Leatherman thinks he’s the candidate best positioned to steer the ship of state away from such an outcome, but Chatterji’s credentials leave little doubt that he’s probably up to the task as well.

“We don’t need a politician for this job, we need a nerd,” he said. “And I am a nerd.”

An economist and Duke University professor of business and public policy, Chatterji also served as a senior economist in President Barack Obama’s White House Council of Economic Advisers.

“I never anticipated running for public office but when President Obama hired me to work for his campaign and then in his White House as an economic advisor, it really started Matt Leatherman changing my perspective,” said Chatterji. “I realized that the person running the numbers can have tremendous influence and a positive impact. I think I bring a very different set of experiences given that’s where I’m coming from. I think that’s why I’ll do a good job for the state.”

“People like me don’t usually run for office. I’m the son of immigrants with an academic background and not a political background.”

— Ronnie Chatterji

What makes Chatterji different, he says, is that he’s also focused on issues one wouldn’t likely associate with the treasurer’s office.

“The impact of climate change or the importance of diversity and inclusion, I don’t talk about those issues as political or ideological issues. I talk about them because they are risk management issues for the pension fund,” he said. “If we’re investing in companies that aren’t planning for the impacts of climate change in their business, we’re going

Treasurer Dimple Ajmera • Age: 33 • Residence: Charlotte • Occupation: Certified Public Accountant • Political experience: Three-year member of Charlotte City Council Ronnie Chatterji • Age: 41 • Residence: Durham • Occupation: Professor, Duke University • Political experience: First campaign Matt Leatherman • Age: 38 • Residence: Wake County • Occupation: Former treasurer’s office employee • Political experience: First campaign to lose money on those investments. If we’re investing in companies that don’t have diverse points of view in terms of how they make decisions, we’re going to lose money on those investments.”

Then there’s Ajmera, who at age 33 is the youngest candidate in a very young field — Leatherman is 38, and Chatterji is 41.

That doesn’t mean Ajmera’s inexperienced, by any means. A certified public accountant, Ajmera worked for TIAA (Teachers, Insurance, and Annuity Association, formerly TIAA-CREF), a nonprofit investment and insurance services provider with more than a trillion dollars in managed assets and a legacy dating back to Andrew Carnegie’s Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

As an elected official in the state’s largest city, she’s also had her hands in managing a municipal budget upward of $2 billion.

“I’m a fighter,” said Ajmera, who came to the United States speaking no English only 16

years ago, at age 16. “I championed affordable health care for thousands of local employees and I will do that at the state level.

I have a proven record. Traditionally, this office has had a treasurer that has had experience as a certified public accountant and I have worked as a certified public accountant in actually managing the money. It’s not just a theoretical experience, it’s actually managing the money, and that’s Ronnie Chatterji what it comes down to — how well you can manage the money and protect taxpayers’ pocketbooks.”

In addition to being probably the youngest slate of candidates in the 2020 Primary Election field from either party, it’s also probably the most racially diverse.

Of all 53 candidates running for state office — governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, treasurer and commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor — the overwhelming majority are white, and male.

Both Chatterji and Ajmera are first-generation Americans of South Asian or Indian ancestry.

“Women like me, we’re not supposed to be in public office,” Ajmera said. “If you look at the treasurer’s office, you would find there has only been one woman elected to that office. I’ll tell you, there are so many women that have worked as CPAs, have worked in financial services companies, that are qualified for this office. I’ve gone from cleaning motel rooms to help pay for college to learning a multi-billion dollar budget. I’ve served on budget committee at the local level overseeing a $2.4 billion budget. I have the experience of managing the resources. It’s not so much about identity politics, it’s about qualified candidates and I

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER fter a long career in public service, North Carolina’s current Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry — who you probably know if you’ve ever stepped foot in a North Carolina elevator — is calling it quits.

Republican Berry served in the General Assembly for seven years before going on to win five terms as labor commissioner, starting Josh Dobson in 2000. During that stretch, she plastered her mug shot on every elevator inspection certificate in the state, which doubtless gave her re-election bids a significant lift.

Berry’s getting off at the top, which means there are several candidates on the ground floor pushing the button, hoping to elevate their own political careers. But the position isn’t just about regulating elevators

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“We have to make sure that people have access to health care in all parts of the state, from urban to rural, from mountains to the coast.”

— Dimple Ajmera

our police chiefs, he has invested in a company that pollutes our water and he has put his political ambition over what is right. We have to say no to that failed leadership. This is not a partisan issue. It is an issue about quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.”

There are concrete ways in which the office could improve the quality of life for everyone in North Carolina, according to Chatterji.

“We have to look at the amount of money we have in cash right now that’s sitting on the sidelines, not appreciating in the stock market,” he said. “That’s money that we could have earned that could help support our pensions. I also think we have to look at the way

Pearl Burris Floyd • Ms. Floyd was unavailable for two previously scheduled interviews.

Chuck Stanley • Mr. Stanley did not return a call for comment on this story. every shift. When accidents do happen, it’s the NCDOL that investigates.

In addition to working closely with the agricultural community, Dobson said the biggest issue in his campaign is continuing to utilize training and education to drive down accident rates, which can affect insurance rates and end up coming out of consumers’ pockets.

“I think commissioner Berry has done a great job working with businesses on the front end to get certifications, to meet safety standards and to reduce the number of accidents across the state,” he said. “That’s what

we’re negotiating with hospitals and how we’re positioned on Medicaid expansion.”

Be it Dimple Ajmera, Ronnie Chatterji or Matt Leatherman, one of them will likewise have to make those arguments not just to Democrats and Republicans, but also to the 33 percent of voters who are registered as unaffiliated.

“I think I can explain what we could do better in my opinion without resorting to the typical ‘red versus blue’ argument because there’s not really a Republican or Democratic way to run the treasurer’s office,” Chatterji said.

But like every other candidate, in every other race, in every other party, in every other state, they’ll all have to contend with the wildcard effect of President Donald Trump should they make it to November.

“President Trump’s political fortunes and who the Democratic nominee is will have a tremendous impact on our down-ballot races,” Chatterji said. “I just don’t know if I can confidently predict — as a guy who relies on data to make informed decisions — what’s going to happen. The best thing to do is understand why you’re running as a candidate, the position that you’re going for and how you can have an impact from that position. I don’t think I’ll be changing the things I’m talking about based on what’s happening in the presidential race.”

Leatherman touts Rowan County roots and a willingness to engage voters that may not support his party, but may support his principles.

“An advantage of the treasurer’s office is

that it has a very practical effect on people’s lives, and when you know it as well as I do you can meet people where they are on these issues, whether it’s being able to see the doctor or being able to turn on the tap in their house or being able to take their kids to a school fit for learning,” he said. “When you

“If you care about public education, access to health care, the environment or a growing economy, you care about the treasurer’s office.”

— Matt Leatherman

Smoky Mountain News

acing former House rep and freshman Treasurer Dale Folwell will be an uphill struggle in a big election year, but all three Democrats seem to agree that his record has given them ample arguments against.

“There is an incumbent in this office, but a very weak one,” said Leatherman. “This

incumbent has put access to health care at risk, particularly in rural areas that often are represented by Republican legislators.”

“Let me break that down for you,” said Ajmera. “Our current treasurer has gambled with over half a million lives for political points, he has disrespected our teachers and

Josh Dobson • Age: 38 • Residence: Nebo • Occupation: Four-term N.C. House representative, history teacher • Political experience: Former McDowell County commissioner

January 22-28, 2020

have the experience that people can trust.”

Chatterji, too, thinks North Carolina voters will concentrate more on ability than on antiquated racial or ethnic perceptions.

“People like me don’t usually run for office,” he said. “I’m the son of immigrants with an academic background and not a political background.”

As an example, Chatterji mentioned another guy with a foreign-sounding name who did pretty OK at the polls back in the day.

“When I worked for Obama in 2008 in North Carolina, a lot of folks thought that a person with his background and his name couldn’t win,” he said. “But what motivated me is when I went to events and other things around the state, I saw people responding to him and it wasn’t about his background, it was about having a new vision for what leadership could look like. If you would ask the question, ‘Are we ready for an African American president?’ back in 2008 — Barack Obama made people ready. Rather than anyone telling us that they’re ready, you make people ready by giving them an option and being compelling with your background and your experience.”

Commissioner of Labor Candidates

I want to continue — to run the office efficiently and be a bridge between labor and the business community, but my top two issues would be working with the agricultural sector and making sure the employees in North Carolina are safe.”

Dobson is opposed by two other Republicans, Dallas resident and UNC Board of Governors member Pearl Burris Floyd, and Chuck Stanley, of Clarendon. Neither were available for previously scheduled interviews, but Dobson touts his background as the reason he’s the candidate to choose in the March 3 Primary Election.

“Experience in the General Assembly and understanding how to govern, understanding how you have to work with a lot of different people to make government function, I’ve learned that over my last eight years in the House and two years as county commissioner,” he said. “That prepares me well to oversee a $38 million department and 350 employees.”

Whether or not he wins his primary race, Dobson believes that the seat should remain in Republican hands come November’s General Election.

“I think I take a conservative, pragmatic approach to governing, which means I will not be on a crusade,” he said. “I don’t see this office as that. I think someone on a crusade should maybe run for the General Assembly or for Congress. I see this as a managerial position to make sure that the Labor Department runs as it should and I feel like I’m best positioned to do that.”

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Candidates work for Labor post

— the Commissioner of Labor’s duties are far more wide-ranging, and affect many aspects of the daily lives of the workers that drive North Carolina’s economy.

“That’s part of the appeal of the office,” said Josh Dobson, four-term N.C. House representative from McDowell County who’s one of three Republicans seeking his party’s nomination to compete against unopposed Morrisville Democrat Jessica Holmes in November.

“The General Assembly has given the Labor Department broad authority over a lot of different areas, everything from basic things like the inspection of our mines and quarries, boiler inspections, and obviously the elevators,” said Dobson. “But it goes even deeper than that with things like migrant housing.”

Agriculture remains North Carolina’s number one economic activity, and a federal program allows migrants to work all over the state on large-scale farms, where they’re usually housed. It’s up to the Department of Labor to ensure that housing is up to code.

“You have to work closely with the agricultural community, and I think that’s one of the reasons why [Agriculture Commissioner Steve] Troxler has endorsed me,” Dobson said.

“He knows he needs a strong partner to work to make sure that we’re doing what we need to do in the agricultural sector of our state.”

Beyond that, the Department of Labor is responsible for the safety of all workers in the state, and establishes training standards to ensure they get to go home at the end of

meet them in that place, they’re ready to listen. I feel comfortable meeting people who have supported Donald Trump before and frankly may choose to support him again, meeting them on their issues and winning their vote in a practical way.”

Ajmera insists the next treasurer of the State of North Carolina isn’t going to be decided by what Trump does or doesn’t do, or what Democrats do or don’t do to him.

“North Carolinians will decide who the best candidate is for the state treasurer’s office,” she said. “I have confidence in our voters that they will make the right decision when it comes to qualifications and when comes to experience that they can trust.”

7

news

Baseball field improvements move forward at SMHS

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t will cost nearly half a million dollars to upgrade facilities at the Smoky Mountain High School baseball fields to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Jackson County Public Schools received three bids for the project at the Jan. 9 bid opening, with the architect recommending that the board accept the low bid of $463,800, put forward by Sylva-based Western Builders. The other bidders proposed base prices of $475,000 and $587,000.

A vote on a budget amendment to place funding for the project in the school capital reserves fund was on the agenda for the Jackson County Commissioners’ Jan. 21 meeting, which occurred after The Smoky Mountain News’ press time. The school board will also have to vote on the expenditure for the project to receive approval.

The improvements will include two ADAcompliant bathrooms at the field level, ADAcompliant bleachers at the field level, an ADA-compliant parking lot between the batting cages and baseball field, a road to connect N.C. 107 to the new parking lot, improved drainage at the field level due to the new paved surfaces and ADA-compliant walkways to each baseball dugout. Both the parking lot and road will need to be capable of holding the weight of a fire truck.

The project stems from a complaint lodged with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in April 2018. According to a letter the office sent to Jackson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kim Elliott in October 2018, the complaint alleged that the district discriminated against baseball game patrons on the basis of disability by failing to provide parking, bathrooms and paths to the bathrooms accessible to patrons with disabilities. As a result of the complaint, the school district signed an agreement pledging to provide the required facilities.

January 22-28, 2020

I

comes first. Safety has to come first.”

In its agreement with the Civil Rights Office, the district said that

by March 1, 2019, it would provide ADA-accessible seating, parking and portable bathrooms, all on the upper section of the baseball facility. By Aug. 1, 2019, accessible seating, parking bathrooms and paths would be in place on the field level — the improvements to be covered under the recently opened bids.

The school district met the March 1 deadline but was not able to meet the Aug. 1 deadline, largely due to administrative hurdles, said Assistant Superintendent Jake Buchanan. For instance, the Office for Civil Rights had wanted the school district’s plan to be signed off on by a person in state government who had retired but whose exact position was not going to be continued. The school district instead communicated with the employee’s former superior, who then bounced them back to local Jackson County Schools hopes to have required accessibility improvements to the baseball field at code enforcement.

Smoky Mountain High School complete by late summer or early fall. Holly Kays photo “The real biggest delay throughout the project has been need to be addressed but said that due to Commissioners discussed the project working through the different levels of the Office of Civil Rights complaint the during a work session Jan. 14, with approval, and so that’s why the Office of baseball fields have to be the top priority at Commissioner Boyce Deitz voicing frustraCivil Rights has not had a problem with the moment. tion about the overall state of some of the those delays, because they’ve been a part of “This is one that we know we’ve got to school district’s athletic facilities and with that conversation,” said Buchanan. meet, and I don’t know that we’ve got much the fact that in this instance facilities for The school district could receive the final choice,” he said. often lightly attended baseball games were go-ahead to start construction if the school In a follow-up interview, Elliott said that being addressed ahead of facilities for more board votes to accept the bid during its Jan. the district has a 10-year plan for addressing heavily attended events like football games.

28 meeting. Buchanan said work should other capital needs, including for athletics.

“I don’t see them having a plan,” said start within 30 days of that vote and that “We are aware that the issues with older Deitz. “Their plan is to do whatever they’re contractors will require about 120 days of buildings and older facilities can certainly forced to do and at the moment they have labor to complete the project. Weather and arise,” she said. “That’s why the need for the to do it.” game schedules will impact the timeline, 10-year plan, so we can strategize and prioriChairman Brian McMahan acknowlbut he hopes to see it wrap up by late sumtize those needs, and of course safety always edged that there are other deficiencies that mer or early fall.

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Cherokee retail project moves forward A

Haywood Regional Medical Center’s two Urgent Care Centers are now offering extended hours to better serve the needs of the community. Treating a variety of illnesses, including care for allergies, flu, infections, sprains, cuts and minor burns, providers are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at two convenient locations — Urgent Care-Canton, 55 Buckeye Cove Road, Canton and Urgent Care-Waynesville, 556 Hazelwood Avenue, Waynesville.

For more information about HRMC’s Urgent Care centers, visit myhaywoodregional.com/urgentcare.

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Haywood Cancer Center is pleased to welcome REBECCA ROQUES-DAVIS, M.D. Board Certified in Medical Oncology Dr. Roques-Davis has joined Jennifer Heaberlin, D.O. and Charles Thomas, M.D., F.A.C.R.O.

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS!

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Smoky Mountain News

Urgent Care offers extended hours

vention center than it is the casino, because we’re going to have a lot of people there,” said Yellowhill Representative Tom Wahnetah. “They’re going to have to have something to do, somewhere to eat. We’ve already invested so much on this we can’t stop now. We need to move ahead to ensure future generations income We’ve already invested so much on this we coming in.”

Painttown can’t stop now. We need to move ahead to Representative ensure future generations income coming in.” Tommye Saunooke, — Tom Wahnetah meanwhile, told Armstrong that she couldn’t help but be nervous about the possibiliapproved in 2018, calling the project a ty that the endeavor might fail. “retail complex” is a bit of a misnomer.

“Hopefully you can bring in these peo“It’s not a shopping mall,” he said durple, and if you don’t then we’ve lost two ing the May 2018 Budget Council meeting. more million dollars you see,” she said.

“The retail piece, that’s part of it, but it’s “That’s what my concern is. I don’t want to just a small part of it. The dining and enterlose any more, but I do want to see you be tainment is 70 percent of the makeup.” successful too.”

Councilmembers were understanding of The resolution ultimately passed with the delay and supportive of the project, three no votes from Big Cove Representative voicing the importance of having more Richard French, Wolfetown Representative shopping and dining options around the Chelsea Saunooke and Birdtown casino, especially with a new convention Representative Albert Rose. The Tribal center and hotel tower slated to open Operations Program is preparing it to presmidyear in 2021. ent to Sneed for ratification.

“This is more of a benefit for the conbe able to serve alcohol.

“In the next round you’ll see a lot more of those nationally known tenants,” said Armstrong. “They want to know that there’s activity in action here first.”

However, Principal Chief Richard Sneed told Council when the project was initially

January 22-28, 2020

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER new retail complex featuring a mix of local and national chains is expected to break ground in Cherokee this year, with Tribal Council voting this month to approve an additional $2 million for the project in return for a 5 percent equity stake.

Tribal Council initially authorized the project in May 2018, passing a resolution that pledged a total of $12 million in contributions — $9 million for a parking garage and $3 million for pre-development expenses to be incurred in the pre-development period extending through Jan. 31, 2020.

Connecticut-based Experientia Development Partners is funding and executing the remainder of the $58 million project.

“Due to several delays that are beyond Experientia’s control, including a delay in the availability of the development site, a delay in the approval of the ground lease, resolution of the Tribal ABC tax issue and the schedule for obtaining financial commitments from commercial lenders, Experientia is facing a minimum six-month gap in pre-development funding,” reads the resolution Council passed Jan. 9.

The pre-development period would extend beyond Jan. 31, and it would require more than $3 million — the company had spent $2.4 million thus far. Without an extension on the initial Jan. 31 deadline, the project would die altogether.

The bridge funding would cover expenses related to conceptual design and architecture, engineering, a tenant broker retainer fee, success fees for delivering leases, legal and advisory fees, and some smaller costs related to schematic design, marketing, printing and software.

Multiple factors have contributed to the delay, Experientia CEO Matt Armstrong told Council, but the primary obstacle was the unprecedented difficulty of getting final approval for a ground lease between Experientia and the tribe. Without a final

ground lease in place, Armstrong said, the company hasn’t been able to turn informal commitments from potential tenants into binding leases.

“I do think there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “We’ve all worked very, very hard on this project, including everybody in this room, and I would hate to see this project go away because of a silly thing like a ground lease.”

Attorney General Mike McConnell told Council that the lease is “99.5 percent finished.” It still requires approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to become final, but tenant leases can be signed before that approval is delivered. The ground lease will carry an initial term of 25 years with an extended term of 25 years following BIA approval, Armstrong said.

In return for the additional $2 million, Armstrong said, Experientia would offer the tribe a 5 percent equity stake in the project, which would yield an estimated return on investment of 164 percent. The company expects to break ground on the project by Sept. 1 and open the retail complex in March 2022.

Even at this early stage, the company has prospective tenants for about 40 percent of the space, many of them well-known names in the local area. Experientia has “commitments and active discussions” with 19 different companies slated to occupy a total of 57,000 square feet, Armstrong said.

They include 3,800 square feet for Haywood Smokehouse, 8,000 for Nantahala Brewing Company, 850 for Jack the Dipper and 2,000 for South of Philly. Other prospective tenants include Tennessee Shine, Spice & Tea Exchange, Sharper Image and U.S. Polo.

“When we sign this ground lease, we’ve got a couple of leases in here that we will literally sign immediately,” said Armstrong.

“We’ve got several leases that are under final negotiation, and we’ve got several confirmed, binding LOIs that will allow us to get to the leasing phase.”

Right now, most of the commitments are from dining outlets, and that’s by design. Dining drives traffic, Armstrong said — more shopping-oriented tenants will come once food-oriented tenants are established. Because the retail complex will be built on casino property, restaurants will

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Council approves $2 million dollars more in exchange for equity stake

49 Spicewood Dr Suite 10B • Clyde 9

news

Twinkle Patel appointed as Maggie alderman

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR fter interviewing five applicants that applied to serve out an unexpired term on the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen, the board unanimously appointed Twinkle Patel to the seat.

Patel, who has also served on the town planning board and represented Maggie Valley on the Tourism Development Authority’s 1% subcommittee, will serve out the two years remaining on Mike Eveland’s term as alderman. Eveland vacated the seat when he was elected mayor in November.

“Her family has been involved in the community for quite some time — some are second and third generation Maggie Valley residents and they own several hotels in the valley so she has the opportunity to have a good understanding of both the commercial side and as well as the residential side of things,” Eveland said when asked why the board chose Patel.

Patel was born and raised in Michigan but has lived in Maggie Valley for 14 years with her husband Mike Patel and their two children. The Patel family owns three hotels in Maggie Valley, including the Best Western, and has a management company that oper-

January 22-28, 2020

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Maggie Chamber honors dedicated volunteers

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce recognized the hard work of its many volunteers last week during its annual banquet and awards ceremony at Elevated Mountain Distilling Co. The Maggie Chamber relies on volunteers to step up to help organize community efforts like the Fall Days decorations, Winter Days decorations, painting skis and snowmen, selling beer at the Hillbilly Jam Festival, staffing the town’s ice skating rink event and several others.

“We want to take this time to recognize these folks for so generously giving their time and talents to make Maggie Valley a great place to live, work and visit,” said Chamber Director Teresa Smith. “I would be willing to bet that there’s not another small-town Chamber of Commerce around that has this kind of support. I tried to calculate in dollar amounts just how much money we are talking about that volunteers saved us and, well, all I can say is ‘ain’t no way we could afford to pay these folks.’”

But it’s about more than money for the residents and business owners in Maggie Valley, 10 Smith said, it’s about building relationships

T

ates a total of six hotels, according to Twinkle. She serves as the CEO of the company, Milestone Hospitality.

She’s seen a lot of ups and downs and changes in the valley during the last 14 years and has a vested interest in keeping the small tourism community moving in the right direction.

“Maggie Valley used to be the place to be and the place to go — I want to bring that back,” she said. “The biggest challenge we have is keeping our guests longer. A couple years ago people were staying Friday and Saturday at least and now most people are leaning toward one night only before moving on to Gatlinburg, Bryson City or Asheville. We have to compete with these other towns.”

Maggie Valley politics always seems to be a push and pull between the needs of the small town’s residents and the town businesses. While the business community is important to the town’s overall economy, a majority of business owners don’t live in the town limits and therefore don’t get a vote during elections. On the other side of the argument, residents often feel like the business community dictates what the town board does and

Twinkle Patel doesn’t do. Business owners want to see more growth so their operation can thrive, while many residents want to be sure the town grows in a smart and sustainable way without losing its small-town charm. It’s a constant struggle trying to find that balance. She said it’s important for Maggie Valley to grow its economy so that businesses can operate all year around like other towns in Haywood County instead of just seasonally.

Patel’s unique perspective as a resident

and business owner will be a resource on the board.

“I think the residents are the main priority. I know there’s been a disconnect between residents and the business community in the past but I want to bring us together and grow Maggie Valley in a way that makes everyone happy,” she said. “The only way to grow is to encourage new business and new construction and not just turn people away.”

Eveland said it’s always good to have new people getting involved in local town business.

He and Aldermen Phillip Wight and Clayton Davis have been involved for a while but will be good to have new members Patel and Tammy Wight on the board to bring fresh perspectives.

“After Saralyn (Price) retired as mayor and we lost Janet (Banks) on the board, I’m glad we have two more women joining the board. That’s never a bad thing,” he said.

“Diversity is always good.”

Patel also feels like she’ll be a welcome addition to the current board and is excited about being part of the progress happening in town.

“I do feel the board is moving in the right direction. I’ve heard government is a slow process, but I think the board has done an excellent job and we just need to build on it to better the community,” she said.

The other four people to apply for the board included Allen Alsbrooks, Jasay Ketchum, Jared Lee and Evans Duncan. Patel will be sworn in at the alderman’s February meeting.

The winners The following awards were given out by the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce • Volunteer with the Most Hours — Sue Knapko • Most Enthusiastic Volunteer — Carolyn Moncada • Volunteer of the Year — Christine Chamberlain • Spirit of Maggie Valley Award — Becky Ramey with Hillbilly Jam Festival and working together as a tight-knit unit, striving for mutual goals, moving Maggie Valley forward and having fun in the process.

The Chamber also recognized long-serving volunteers who were stepping down from the board, including Tammy Brown with 29 years of service and Joe Moody with six years of service.

New board members Dave Angel, Rose Beck and Jim Drews were sworn in by Chamber President Patty Carter.

“Joe Moody has served on the Board of Directors since 2013 and served many of those years as our President. We thank him for his many years of leadership and service and we hope that he will consider serving again sometime In the future,” Carter said. “It is difficult to say Maggie Valley Chamber and not think of Tammy. She holds a wealth of information and knowledge about Maggie Valley. We will definitely miss working with her in the near future.”

Top: Christine Chamberlain is awarded the Volunteer of the Year award by Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Teresa Smith (right) and President Patty Carter. Above: Becky Ramey, organizer of Hillbilly Jam Festival, is awarded the Spirit of Maggie Valley Award by Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Teresa Smith (right) and President Patty Carter.

Jessi Stone photos

Opening on Maggie planning board

Police investigate murder-suicide Around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, officers from the Waynesville Police Department were called to 136 Long Street in reference to two deceased individuals being found at this location.

Currently, officers are actively investigating a murder-suicide. Based upon the evidence collected and witnesses that have been interviewed, the police department stated in a press release that it was confident that this incident was isolated to 136 Long Street and that there is no active threat. At press time Tuesday, the police department was still trying to make contact with the next of kin and had not released the names of the deceased.

Talk with a doc in Macon

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The Town of Maggie Valley is seeking applications for nomination for a vacancy on the Planning Board.

The Planning Board consists of five members and meet at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. The Planning Board has a very important part in the development of Maggie Valley as well as acting as an advisory board to the Board of Aldermen.

Submit your application by visiting https://maggievalleync.gov/i-want-to/iwant-to-apply-for/ to download the application and then submit it to Vickie Best, Town Clerk at vbest@maggievalleync.gov or drop it off at Town Hall by 5 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 3.

For more information, call 828.926.0866.

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Ladies Night Out, a partnership between Macon County Public Health and Angel Medical Center, will host a program at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the cafeteria at Angel Medical Center in Franklin.

Dr. David A. Franks, an internal medicine specialist from Angel Medical Center, will be answering questions regarding mammograms, breast cancer, and hormone replacement therapy. All women are invited to attend this meeting and are asked to encourage all the women in their life, who are over the age of 13 years, to attend with them.

Donations will be collected for CareNet.

January 22-28, 2020

Mission to hold community meetings Informational meetings led by Gibbins Advisors have been scheduled in seven communities in Western North Carolina served by Mission Health.

Gibbins Advisors is the Independent Monitor hired to monitor HCA Healthcare’s compliance with the obligations it agreed to when it purchased Mission Health System. In each meeting, the IM team will discuss its role and provide an opportunity to ask questions.

All events are open to the public, and no invitation is necessary. Members of any community are welcome to attend the meeting of their choosing. Meetings will have limited seating and attendees will be welcomed first come, first serve.

Doors will open 30 minutes before each event.

Meetings will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center, 355 Frank Allen Rd, Cashiers; 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Highlands Civic Center Meeting Room, 600 N 4th St, Highlands and at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 at the Robert C. Carpenter Room, Macon County Community Facilities Building, 1288 Georgia Road, Franklin.

Indivisible Swain County NC in collaboration with IndivisibleCommonGroundWNC is hosting a public forum from 4 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 30. at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Nilofer Couture and Joan Parks with IndivisibleCommonGroundWNC will be presenting “Climate Reality Truth in Action: The Truth of the Climate Crisis and How We Solve It.” The public is invited to join Climate Crisis Leaders Couture and Parks in discussing the impacts and solutions to the climate crisis.

To combat global warming, aid reforestation and work for our children’s future, Indivisible Swain County has distributed mostly on the Qualla Boundary 250 Mountain White Oak and Short-Leaf Pine saplings, both in decline. While the current project has been positive, it has also been a learning experience. The group hopes to develop significant partnerships on the grassroots level for an expanded distribution beginning next December. Planning has already begun and others are invited to participate.

For more information about the forum, contact Mary Herr at 828.497.9498 or maryherr2017@gmail.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Climate Crisis Forum coming to Swain

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Retired teachers ask state for a raise

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR hen teachers were starting their careers in North Carolina some 30 years ago, they did so with the understanding that their health care would be covered and the money they put into their retirement fund would cover the cost of living when the time came.

Unfortunately, that promise has been broken for teachers now in the state retirement system, according to a resolution that appeared before the Macon County commissioners last week.

Macon County retired teacher Lee Berger — who also serves as president of the North Carolina Retired School Personnel — presented a resolution for the board’s consideration to support a 2 percent cost of living adjustment for N.C. retired teachers in the 2019-20 state budget.

“North Carolina teachers entered the profession, worked for the state and North Carolina students, in most cases for 30 years or more, while they contributed significant portions of their own salaries into the North

W

She said Gov. Roy Cooper recommended Carolina teacher retirement fund with the a 2 percent COLA for teachers to the expectation that the monies would not only General Assembly in his budget proposal be paid out in installments during retirebut they only approved a 0.5 percent ment but that the installments would be increase, which came in the form of a onemaintained in terms of purchasing power with regular cost of living adjustments as they had been for decades,” Berger said. “And when I joined the profession I was promised health care at no cost and today we have to pay for that now.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation has risen 18 percent since Macon County educators pack the Macon County courtroom Jan. 2009, but North Carolina 14 to ask commissioners to support a resolution to increase retired teachers have pay for retired educators. Screenshot only received three, 1 percent cost of living time $150 payment. The state still doesn’t adjustments and two one-time, non-recurring bonuses of a total of 2.6 percent resulting have an approved 2019-20 budget as Gov. in North Carolina retired teachers being more Cooper vetoed the General Assembly’s budget back in October in hopes of getting than 15 percent behind relative to inflation.

Medicaid expansion.

Unfortunately, Berger said, benefit packages for new teachers and other state employees are about to get much tighter.

Beginning 2021, new teachers will no longer qualify for state health care plans when they retire. Republican lawmakers made the change in an effort to control retirement program costs and be more streamlined with benefits offered in the private business sector. Opponents of the change say the loss of health care plans for retirees will hurt the recruitment of good teachers as well as other hard-to-fill state positions.

According to the UNC system, the enrollment for future educators has gone from 18,428 students in 2011 to 13,161 students — a decline of 28 percent. Berger said the decline can be attributed to the lack of pay and benefits for public educators.

Commissioner Gary Shields asked if there was a timeframe or if commissioners could study it and vote on it in February.

Berger said it would be great to have the resolution signed and sent to Raleigh this month, but it could be considered in February.

“I think y’all have a real argument but also it’s just the right thing to do,” Commissioner Ronnie Beale said.

Macon to consider ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’ proposal

Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR On Monday, Jan. 20, as many people were off work to honor the memory of the late Martin Luther King Jr., thousands of gun rights activists rallied at the Virginia Capitol to protest pending gun-control legislation passed in that state’s General Assembly.

Since gaining control of the House and Senate during the November 2019 election, Virginia Democrats promised firearms reforms and now that they’re close to delivering on that promise, Second Amendment supporters are fighting back. According to The Washington Post, the pieces of legislation moving through the Senate would require background checks on all gun purchases, allow law enforcement to temporarily take away guns from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others, allow weapons to be banned from certain events and government buildings and cap handgun purchases at one per month.

The legislation started a movement in Virginia to strengthen Second Amendment rights as 87 of the state’s 95 county governments have passed local resolutions to become a Second Amendment Sanctuary. The resolutions are supposed to prohibit or impede the enforcement of so-called “red flag” gun confisca-

“A Second Amendment sanctuary refers to a county’s commitment not to impede a citizen’s rights as granted to them by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that many have fought and died for,” Holden told the board. “I’m ashamed that our country has fallen as far as it has and lost liberty, humanity and common decency over the last 20 years.”

Several others attended the meeting to support Holden, but commissioners say they’ll need to review the petition — which was not presented in writing during the meeting — and have legal counsel look it over before the board can take a vote on the matter.

Commissioner Paul Higdon, who said he would be in favor of such a resolution, asked Holden to get the resolution language to the county manager soon so that it could hopefully be placed on the agenda for the Feb. 11 meeting.

“The next step is getting a resolution eliminating gun-free zones on county-owned property,” Higdon said. “We can’t do on school property, but I despise gun-free zones.”

Commission Chairman Jim Tate didn’t say he was against the resolution but reminded everyone that federal and state law supersedes anything resolution the county may pass.

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12

tion laws but are largely symbolic, carrying little actual power.

The movement has filtered out to 25 other states as well, and at least six other counties in North Carolina have passed a similar resolution in an effort to protect citizens’ rights to bear arms.

The conversation has reached Western North Carolina as well.

A group of Second Amendment activists in Haywood County are demanding county commissioners add the resolution discussion to their agenda, but so far commissioners haven’t addressed it at an official meeting. However, commissioners told The Smoky Mountain News a couple of weeks ago that while they are wholehearted supporters of the Constitution and the Second Amendment, they aren’t certain such a resolution is needed in Western North Carolina because the General Assembly hasn’t introduced any legislation to limit gun ownership.

Macon County could entertain the resolution at its next meeting in February. Seventh-generation Macon County resident Donnie Holden made a presentation to Macon commissioners during the public comment section of the Jan. 14 board meeting asking them to follow suit with other counties. Holden said Cherokee, Lincoln, Wilkes, Surry, Rutherford and Rowan counties had all passed a similar resolution.

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Education

Smoky Mountain News

13

time in the fall of 2020. To be considered for the scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time and be pursuing an associate degree. Candidates must have and maintain a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better. Preference will be given to children of Harrah’s employees.

HCC joins WCU for admission program

HCC presents service awards Haywood Community College recently presented service awards to several employees. Employees were recognized for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of service with the State of North Carolina.

Pictured left to right are HCC employees that were recognized for five years of service (left): Anita Edwards, Rachael Clark, Josh Best, Katy Gould, Danielle Harris, Elan Richards, Jessica Honeycutt and Joshua Hilbert. Not pictured are Candis Ledford, Calab Tate and Joseph Warren.

HCC employees recognized for 10 years of service (right) pictured left to right are: Donna White, Amanda Holder and Rachel Clark. Not pictured is John Weatherford.

SCC receives $400,000 grant When construction on Southwestern Community College’s new Health Sciences Building is completed in 2021, funding will be available to begin furnishing it.

A huge reason for that is a $400,000 grant award from the WNC Bridge Foundation, which has secured naming rights in the first floor lobby while ensuring students will learn and train on state-ofthe-art technology in the $20 million facility.

“Our top priority is helping our students succeed, and this grant from WNC Bridge Foundation will provide a portion of the financial resources necessary for equipping our new building,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC President. “We are extremely grateful that WNC Bridge Foundation recognizes the potential this new building has for training future generations of healthcare professionals in our region.”

The 55,000-square foot building will house many of SCC’s 14 existing health sciences programs and also allow the college to add three more, pending approval from the local board of trustees as well as from the state board. Once those new programs come online, and once the existing programs are expanded, Southwestern will have the capacity to accommodate up to 144 additional students in the first year – and up to 288 additional students in the second year.

WCU online programs nationally recognized Western Carolina University has been listed among the nation’s best providers of online degree programs in a collection of rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine put WCU at 123rd for online

bachelor’s degree programs out of 358 institutions of higher learning and 75th out of 97 institutions evaluated for best online bachelor programs for veterans. It also listed WCU as 92nd in the nation for online graduate business programs out of the 179 institutions evaluated in that category.

WCU offers online bachelor’s degree programs in birth-kindergarten education, criminal justice, emergency and disaster management, emergency medical care, engineering technology, business administration and law, and innovation leadership and entrepreneurship, plus a program allowing registered nurses to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Master’s degree programs provided online by WCU are construction management, innovation leadership and entrepreneurship, health sciences, human resources, special education, nurse educator, nurse administration, project management, school administration, and elementary and middle grades education.

More than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students are currently enrolled in WCU online degree programs. The university has been consistently ranked among the highest in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, now in the ninth year of collecting data from distance education providers.

New reporting app for students Middle and high school students in Jackson County Public Schools can now report suspicious or potentially harmful behavior using a new smartphone app.

Through a partnership between The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise, the Say Something Reporting App is available to all local school districts across the state at no cost.

Students and parents can access the system 24

hours a day, 365 days a year through the app, by email, or by phone. Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Elliott said the new system is a perfect fit with the district’s ongoing effort to maintain safety as a top priority.

“We appreciate the zero-cost tool provided by the state to help our students continue our ‘see something, say something’ initiative,” she said.

Tips and concerns submitted through the Say Something Reporting App are fielded and triaged by trained personnel at a call center in Miami, Florida. The system features two-way communication, so staff at the call center can engage in conversation with reporting parties to understand the situation better and determine if there is an immediate threat or crisis that involves life-safety.

Local law enforcement including school resource officers, emergency management and dispatchers also received training.

Harrah’s endows SCC scholarship Through support of Southwestern Community College’s annual fundraising gala and the state’s first table-gaming school, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and General Manager Brooks Robinson have become more than just partners with SCC. “They are friends,” said SCC President Dr. Don Tomas. “They are friends to our college, to our foundation and — most importantly — to our students.”

In December, the region’s largest employer made a commitment to take its support of SCC and its students to an entirely new level. Robinson and Dr. Jo Ray, Harrah’s regional vice president for community relations & employee wellness, signed an agreement on Dec. 16 to endow a scholarship through the SCC Foundation over the next three years.

The scholarship will be awarded for the first

Western Carolina University and Haywood Community College made a significant step toward a more seamless transition for students seeking additional higher education opportunities through the establishment of a direct-entry admission program.

WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and HCC President Barbara Parker signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the Catamount Navigator Program. The agreement builds upon the existing North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement governing the transfer of credits between the North Carolina Community College System and the University of North Carolina System.

The signing follows similar WCU agreements with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Southwestern Community College and Blue Ridge Community College made earlier this year. To participate in the Catamount Navigator Program, qualifying students must meet several conditions.

For more information about how to transfer to WCU, visit transfer.wcu.edu. For more information about applying to HCC, visit www.haywood.edu/admissions.

WCU searches for athletics director A 15-member committee working to help find the next director of intercollegiate athletics at Western Carolina University held its kickoff meeting Monday, Jan. 6, receiving its charge from WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and establishing an accelerated schedule designed to have a new leader of Catamount athletics named by the beginning of March.

Brown, who announced the formation of the committee on Dec. 18, asked members to work quickly and collaboratively to fill the vacancy in one of the university’s most visible positions. She asked the committee to find a leader for the athletics department who can build a team of coaches and professional staff who will help studentathletes find the same level of success in athletic competition that they have had academically in recent years.

After reviewing application materials, committee members will develop a list of their top eight candidates for discussion at its next meeting and then be prepared to select no more than six candidates for off-campus interviews in mid-February.

The committee will select one or two finalists to bring to campus for meetings later that month, with the final hiring decision resting with Chancellor Brown.

14

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Who says a sitting president can’t be indicted?

N

Keep doing what you are doing To the Editor: It is unbelievable that this quality paper can stand toe to toe with other publications and best them time after time. In fact, your news and list of events are much better than any Western Carolina paper currently published. I have lived all over the world and in a number of states but have not experienced the professionalism shown by your staff. There is writing and WRITING; you know the difference. Without your publication, we would be left out of timely news. I thought about writing this letter for some time but I finally got my thoughts in order. Keep on doing what you do so well and these Western Carolinians will continue being informed every Wednesday.

KG Watson Maggie Valley

Health care should not be about profits To the Editor: Have you a favorite president? I do, Harry S Truman (no period after the S). Truman was the first president I saw in person. In 1947 he

elderly congressional leaders were next in line.

The 25th Amendment allows the president to appoint a vice president, with the consent of both houses of Congress.

Nixon named Gerald Ford to replace the disgraced and resigned Spiro Agnew, and Ford chose Nelson Rockefeller after Ford succeeded the disgraced and resigned Richard Nixon.

The drafters also had in mind how Woodrow Wilson was severely disabled by a near-fatal stroke 17 months before the end of his term in 1921. Although he appeared to govern from his sick room, his wife, Edith, kept nearly everyone else away. Some said she made herself the president in fact if not in name.

Under the 25th Amendment, a president can certify to the Congress that is unable to carry out his duties Guest Columnist and reclaim them when he declares that “no inability exists.” If he or she is unable or unwilling to declare an inability — as, say, a president in a coma would be — the necessary step can be taken by the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet.

It can also be put in motion by “such other body as Congress may by law provide.” The Supreme Court is, logically and ideally, that “other body.”

The Justice Department’s pretext, as reiterated in 2000 when President Clinton was potentially indictable, takes passing and grudging notice of the 25th Amendment, but essentially dismisses it by saying it should not be read to “withdraw a previously established immunity.”

That was sheer claptrap. There was no “previously estab-

Martin Dyckman

o one in America should be above the law, least of all the person most responsible for enforcing it. But there he is: Donald Trump, preening and posturing and scoffing at the Constitution like some latter-day Mussolini, his conceit inflamed by the Justice Department’s policy that a sitting president can’t be indicted.

Nothing in the Constitution or any law Congress made says so.

The policy, dating to the death throes of another criminal administration — Nixon’s — contends that the indictment of a president would in effect paralyze the government. It would “impermissibly undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.”

So here’s a timely question to those running for Congress in the 11th District: What are you going to do about that?

It would have been pointless to ask that of Mark Meadows, who would have been a perfect courtier to Louis XIV, George III or anyone else asserting the divine right of kings. Meadows now having folded like the gerrymandered map that elected him, there’s a decent chance that we’ll finally have a representative who opposes an imperial presidency.

The Justice Department’s pretext could be undercut by providing another way for the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions. In fact, that way already exists. All that’s necessary is for the Congress to empower the Supreme Court to suspend a president who’s under indictment — or impeachment for that matter — and put the vice president in charge at least temporarily.

It’s in the 25th Amendment. Its adoption was prompted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which left the vice presidency vacant when Lyndon Johnson succeeded him. Two

lished immunity,” except for the Justice Department’s own outrageous policy, and even if there were, a constitutional amendment could absolutely override it.

Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russia’s efforts to elect Trump, was faithful to a fault to the policy.

Although he identified 10 instances of obstruction of justice that would have gotten anyone else indicted, he said the policy kept him from deciding whether Trump should be. He pointedly refused, however, to say that the probe had cleared him.

Taking entirely the wrong cues from that, Trump flagrantly broke the law to withhold from Ukraine money that Congress has authorized, hoping to extort that vulnerable country’s president into helping him smear Joe Biden. And, for all his boasting about his innocence, Trump has been silencing the very witnesses and suppressing the precise documents that he claims could rebut the impeachment charges.

That’s not the conduct of an innocent man. Imagine what he could do to the evidence if a criminal indictment were pending.

It’s asking too much of human nature and political reality to expect a president to suspend himself in such a situation, or for his vice president to take action instead.

That’s why the duty should be established and given to the one institution Americans trust most, the Supreme Court. By so doing, Congress would effectively erase the Justice Department’s version of “the king can do no wrong.” As the 11th District candidates come in search of money and support, I’ll be asking them about this. I hope that everyone will.

(Martin Dyckman is a retired journalist who now calls Western North Carolina home. dyckmanm@bellsouth.net )

LETTERS campaigned from a caboose in my hometown (Haverhill, Massachusetts). It was after Labor Day, school had commenced, my third-grade class was at the railroad station to greet him.

Truman became president when Franklin Roosevelt died April 12, 1945, then won the presidency by defeating Thomas Dewey in 1947. One of Truman’s accomplishments, he made a sincere effort to introduce national health insurance.

Even in Harry Truman’s time (70 years ago) the deep-pocketed American Medical Association (AMA) opposed the program, wanting to protect physicians’ superior market power and professional autonomy. Then, as now, the AMA’s national network endeavored to stir up fear of “socialized medicine.” Opponents of universal coverage have relied on variations of that playbook ever since.

This is well-documented and you can verify these facts through study of William C. Hsiao, K.T. Li Professor of Economics Emeritus at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Hsiao most recently wrote on the subject for Foreign Affairs (Jan.Feb. 2000).

Truman, JFK, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama all recognized the need of establishing effective, affordable health care. The fact remains, across the

broad spectrum of health care, Americans pay more and get less .... Why? The root of the problem (deferring to William Hsiao), as the United States became a prosperous, industrialized society in the early 20th century, it chose to treat health care as a commercial product rather than a social good, such as education. As a result, whereas government-mandated universal schooling was the norm by the 1920s, health care still remains primarily a private-sector commodity driven by the profit motive.

According to statistics (confirm them,

please) 28 million Americans are uninsured and 44 more million are under-insured, contributing to an inequality in that the top quarter of American wage-earners live 10 years longer (on average) than the bottom quarter.

Finally, the flagrant fraud, waste and abuse driving up the price of health care, tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary spending year after year. Hsiao tells us that a cottage industry has sprung up to advise hospitals and physicians how to game the claims system by fragmenting bills and “upcoding services” — exaggerating their com-

shift drastically, we’ll never achieve full and affordable health care.

However, should American values and urgencies change and we decide we’ve had enough scheming and scamming, we have only to look to Canada, Taiwan, Germany, and a few other nations for guidance with systems that work.

David L. Snell Franklin

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Smoky Mountain News

plexity — in order to maximize payments.

Large providers employ workers whose primary task is to find ways to pad charges. Some hospitals and clinics take a blunter approach: they simply file claims for services they’ve not actually performed.

It’s been going on for decades.

Some of us have experienced and reported irregularities over the years with only minimal success. Unless public attitudes

Chris Cox

A

January 22-28, 2020

s a parent, I’ve tried hard to avoid indoctrinating my children with my political leanings, spiritual beliefs, sports fanaticism, or who is better, the Stones or the Beatles. I wanted them to be free thinkers. And yet, I could find no way to avoid indoctrinating them in the gospel according to “The Andy Griffith Show.”

They’ve seen every episode multiple times, are able to recite entire scenes from memory, and can hold their own in any conversation about the show with any fan of any age.

As I write, I can feel myself beaming. Let other parents ride Columnist around with bumper stickers proclaiming their children as honors students at this school or that. Mine know the difference between Goober and Gomer. Mine have strong opinions on which of Andy Taylor’s girlfriends was best for him, and it was most certainly NOT Helen Crump!

Best of all, my children understood that when we brought home a new puppy to surprise them with on Christmas Eve — a black and tan miniature dachshund about the size of one Double A battery — there was only one possible name for him: Ernest T. Like his namesake, our little Ernest T is a wild man, feral really. He has two speeds, 180 miles per hour and dead asleep. Like his namesake, all Ernest T really wants is to be loved, but he has no idea how to go about getting it, so he wreaks havoc all over the house because he doesn’t know what else to do with all of that pent-up energy.

Indulgent parents that we are, we’ve already bought him about a dozen chew toys, but he ignores these in favor of chewing on my hands and arms, which now look as if I’ve had a terrible encounter with a ball of barbed-wire. Every night, I offer him a chew toy, which he sniffs for half a second before pouncing on my forearm, digging in with vigor.

When he’s not ripping strands from our chenille blanket, he’s peeing on it. Or maybe pooping in someone’s shoe. If he could throw rocks and break out all the

opinion

It’s me, it’s me, it’s Ernest T.

windows in the house, I’m sure he would.

But he’s mastered certain other forms of vandalism. He is relentless, and ornery.

A good friend of ours loaned us a goodsized enclosure for Ernest T to roam around in. It’s made of wire and is about four-feet high. That worked great for a short while and we figured we had a solution to keeping him under control for a precious hour or two. Then, one evening when I was in the kitchen making dinner after depositing Ernest T in his “jail,” he came sashaying into the kitchen, tail wagging on high speed.

Had our son let him out? Nope. He was upstairs doing his homework. Had he managed to find a weak link and somehow squeezed between two of the “bars” in his jail cell? Nope. I could not figure it out, so I do what I always do when I’m at a complete loss. I texted my spouse.

“Ernest T got out of the jail somehow,” I wrote. “I have no idea how.”

In five seconds, she sent me the answer: “He climbed out. He Spidermanned right out of there.”

No way. Not possible. The jail is nearly three times his height even if he stands on his hind legs. He’s a clumsy, three-month old puppy. I put him back in jail and went back to sauteeing my onions and mushrooms. Two minutes later he came back into the room, wearing a grin that said, “We can do this all day if you want to.”

I turned down the onions and mushrooms and took him back to jail, taking a seat nearby to see for myself how he was busting out. He whined for a few seconds, then stood on his hind legs, pausing just a moment as if in reflection of his crimes, then, as if spring-loaded, he climbed that fence as if he had been doing it all his life, pulling himself over, and splatting alarmingly on the tile floor below. Free.

We folded up the enclosure and put it in the trunk of the car to take back to my friend.

Like Andy Taylor, we continue our efforts to tame Ernest T, to educate him, to make him fit for company. And he continues to resist. We take him outside to go potty. He sniffs around for 20 minutes until we give up, then poops on the rug 30 seconds after we come back inside.

He won’t eat his puppy chow, preferring instead to eat the bigger dogs’ food. Our bigger dogs can’t stand him, at least not yet.

Who is this wild creature suddenly in their midst, stealing all of the attention and eating their food?

It’s me, it’s me, it’s Ernest T. You watch the show, you’ll see what I mean. The name suits him.

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

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HARMON’S DEN BISTRO 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville 828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items. Harmon’s Den offers a complete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap. Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service. Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org

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Smoky Mountain News

You can’t stop me from dreaming Bluegrass banjo legend Marc Pruett releases memoir

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t’s just after lunchtime at the Haywood County Health Department on a recent chilly afternoon in Clyde. And standing in the front window of the lobby awaiting his appointment for a sit-down interview is Marc Pruett.

Formerly the county’s erosion control officer for the better part of a quarter-century, Pruett retired some three years ago, only to be asked to come back part-time as the muchneeded development services technician (now that the erosion and planning offices have combined). His skill set and personable approach to his position have made him invaluable to those who not only work alongside Pruett, but also cross paths with him — personally and professionally.

And it’s that same intricate and analytical skill set amid his friendly demeanor and gracious nature that has also made Pruett one of the most talented and highly-sought after banjo players in the history of bluegrass and old-time music.

Born and raised in Canton, Pruett has ventured across the country and the around the world with his trusty five-string acoustic instrument. Learning his craft from some of the finest musicians in Western North Carolina and beyond, he’s considered the cream of the crop within a rich scene where giants of the genre have last names like Fleck, Brown, Vestal, Trischka, Scott-Benson, Pikelny, Munford, and so forth.

At 68, Pruett recently released a memoir.

Titled Rascally Mountain Boy, the book is constructed in three parts: Pruett’s extensive musical career, a section of personal stories and tall tales, and a wide array of his own song lyrics.

Chipping away at the book for the last decade, the work showcases Pruett’s early days holding court at the legendary Bill Stanley’s Barbecue bluegrass joint in Asheville, his time performing onstage with some of the pillars of bluegrass music (Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, among countless others), and his tenure with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, which yielded a Grammy Award in 1998 for “Best Bluegrass Album” (for Skaggs’ record “Bluegrass Rules!”).

The memoir is an ode to days long gone, but not forgotten, in Southern Appalachia. It’s not meant to look back with rose-colored glasses, but to perhaps pull wisdom and life lessons from for future generations.

More so, it’s about remembering great souls who once walked this earth, and never

I

forgetting where one came from, even if the distance — whether physical or emotional — seems too wide to bridge amid a modern era of fast technology and inconsequential priorities.

And even though Rascally Mountain Boy focuses on Pruett’s life and times in Haywood County and Western North Carolina (and other ramblings), it also brings to light his current musical endeavor — the acclaimed, marquee bluegrass act that is Balsam Range.

In recent years, the Haywood County-based act has received the industry’s highest honor, by taking home the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for “Entertainer of the Year” in 2014 and 2018. The quintet has also received “Album of the Year” (twice), “Song of the Year” (twice) “Vocal Group of the Year” (twice), “Male Vocalist of the Year” (Buddy Melton, twice) and “Bass Player of the Year” (Tim Surrett, twice).

While in the presence of Pruett, he’s warm and engaging in conversation. His sincerity is only matched by his wit, which is finely-tuned and perceptive. Marc Pruett is truly a man of his word, with his word now for all to read and immerse oneself in — a long-held literary dream now a reality for the someone whose legend echoes far and wide from our surrounding ancient mountains.

Smoky Mountain News: The book is out.

What’s it like for you to finally hold it?

Marc Pruett: I’ll tell you what, I worked on that book so long and to be able to hold it, well, it’s just a wonderful relief. It’s made me happy.

You know, it’s interesting to have something like that.

The old-timers and old farmers have a saying called “barn blind.” And that applies to a farmer that raises his own calf — he knows who the parents were, he’s fed it, took care of it when it’s sick, and it’s really special to him.

But, you know, when he goes to market, it’s just another cow. So, I may be barn blind to the book. [Laughs].

But, I’ve read some of these stories back again and just laugh and remember those times. And I grew up in a time of a really vibrant and interesting Appalachian culture — before all the big box stores, before the big four-lane roads came through. It was a time when Haywood County was all two-lane roads.

In those days, we had friends that we would just hang out with and cut up and carry on with, and kids would entertain themselves outdoors a lot.

For me, part of the purpose in writing this book was to reach back and touch those memories and give myself a little bit of a positive kick. It’s not that the memories are important or that critical, but, to me, there is value in every individual human history. Each person has things that are unique to them that can be interesting to other people. If anything, my

Marc Pruett.

Wayne Ebinger photo

kids will have something that could help them to know where they came from, what their dad was like when he was a little mountain kid, too.

SMN: This is a region of the country that’s so rich and vibrant, in terms of the arts, heritage and culture. But, at the same time, all of that is rapidly disappearing, though there are folks and organizations working hard to preserve and perpetuate it, too.

MP: Well, it all began to change with the commodification of land. As a matter of fact, I have a story in the book called “Posted.” It talks about how this guy’s grading a piece of land and he doesn’t like working on somebody else’s property that was bought from out-of-state.

And how a half-acre will cost more than the $50,000 that the farmer got for it. But, in the end, he’s feeding his family with grading land that’s posted now.

We have a dichotomous population here.

There are different cultures, where you still

have the all mountain cultures and people who actually live it. Then, you have people who preserve it. Then, you have people who do both.

And then we have people who imitate people, people who observe, and people who interact in different ways to squeeze part of it for themselves as they are motivated and feel it.

SMN: And what’s amazing is that in 2020, with all this change and sprawl, there are so many incredible real deal mountain folks that still are able to live and thrive in these mountains. What does that mean to you to see that ethos still exist?

MP: Well, if they’re happy, I’m happy, you know? Good people can exist in any socioeconomic strata. If a person has a good heart, they treat their family good, they are trying to be a good provider or a good contributor to their community — they don’t have to have money or anything. And if they enjoy the land, the culture, the folkways, it means something.

arts & entertainment Above, left: The Marc Pruett Band. Above, right: Pruett (left) onstage with Bill Monroe (center) at Western Carolina University in 1971. Lester Flatt is on guitar in the background.

“Well, the act of playing music is its own self-gratification. The better tools you have, the more it interests you. It’s like any discipline — where your love ends is where your progress ends. And I don’t know if I know where that is with this yet [in my life], which is great. I’m still learning things.”

— Marc Pruett

SMN: But, do you see any intrinsic value in realizing that? Any earned wisdom from seeing that for yourself?

MP: I do, I really do. It’s hard in a way, too, almost like — is it a blessing to know the difference?

SMN: There’s something to be said about knowing the difference, because it shows that you seek the good in wherever you are.

MP: I hope so. That’s how I feel. You know, I can’t be so lofty as to say that I’m an

SMN: And yet, you’ve spent most of your life in entertainment. But, at the same time, you’ve always had this balance of a very stable career working for Haywood County.

MP: It was by design to some extent because my mother was a very sparkling encourager and forward thinker. She was not a college graduate, but was salutatorian in 1947 at Bethel School. She was a very smart lady and she encouraged my brother and I to learn. She read to us when we were little and she gave us a freedom to be inquisitive.

And she told me that she wanted me to be the first one in the Pruett family to ever graduate from college. That was the goal or a task that I knew I had to complete. I just knew I had to go to college. I went to Western Carolina University and graduated with a degree in geology and biology.

And you know, I never saw my dad watch a ball game. But, he took me to so many wonderful places, always rock hunting in the mountains. He was an old rock hound. We went to the emerald mines and the ruby mines. I feel like I about half grew up in the sapphire mines around here. [Laughs].

SMN: Do you remember the first time you ever heard bluegrass music?

MP: I do. I was about 10 years old. I would come home from school and WHCC in Waynesville was the radio station. They had a program called “The Cornbread Matinee.”

Want a copy?

If you would like to purchase a copy of Marc Pruett’s memoir Rascally Mountain Boy, you can find it on the shelves at Blue Ridge Books (Waynesville), Mast General Store (Waynesville), Blue Rooster (Clyde), The Southern Porch (Canton) and Pigeon River Mercantile (Canton). You can also buy the book online at www.balsamrange.com.

As well, The Smoky Mountain News will be hosting a special onstage Q&A event with Pruett about Rascally Mountain Boy in the spring at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Stay tuned for more event details in a future issue of the newspaper.

And I would get home from school about 3:30 in the afternoon and listen to the show until four o’clock. Then, I would have a snack and then at four o’clock I would have to do my homework.

One day, the program featured Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys. They played “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke,” “Flint Hill Special” and “Earl’s Breakdown.” And it just flew all over me. I get chills thinking about it because when I heard that sound and that music and that banjo, it was a perfection that I’ve never really heard equaled, you know. It was one of those things in life — it was perfect.

And I asked my mother, “What’s that instrument that man’s playing?” She said, “Honey, that’s a banjo.” I said I’d love to have one for Christmas. So, they got me one for Christmas in 1962.

I had some really great Haywood County people that helped me learn how to play the banjo. French Kirkpatrick [in Iron Duff] was one of them, he was very helpful. My dad had a 1952 Plymouth and we’d go over there to French’s on Friday nights, make a pot of coffee, listen to records and play a little bit.

SMN: And you spent a lot of years playing [the now defunct] Bill Stanley’s Barbeque in Asheville with The Marc Pruett Band, right?

MP: A lot [of years]. I played music there until I was 41 years old. After I got my college degree, my brother and I opened a music store in Asheville that I stayed with about 12 years. And I also taught students the banjo two nights a week, where I had 96 students [each] week, half of which were at a Southwestern Community College [in Sylva].

S EE PRUETT, PAGE 20

Smoky Mountain News

SMN: When you look back on growing up in Canton, what sticks out most about that town and greater Haywood County?

MP: Growing up, Canton was a viable economic community. There was just so many good little stores, all of the buildings were filled with businesses. It was a safe place to be. Our mother would take us boys to town and she just turned us loose for half a day, we’d just wander the streets, go to the Army store, go to the different stores and hang out.

And maybe it’s just a nostalgic thing. It makes me sad in a way, because it’s like the great songwriter Mel Tillis wrote so wonderfully, “And we spend our lives replacing all the things we leave behind.”

entertainer, but I’ve been in entertainment to some level all my life. I wanted to write this book in a way that it would be entertaining, fun for people to read, and that there would be little catchy things that would keep pulling people through the pages. And I hope I’ve done that.

January 22-28, 2020

SMN: Which would circle back to the point of your book, reminding people of the simple pleasures of life, of family, of these mountains, and being proud of where you came from.

MP: It really does. Well, it made sense to me to make it quality, make it fun, make it entertaining. There are a lot of negative things that we hear in the news these days.

And I wanted to put stories in a book that would add uplift to a person’s day.

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arts & entertainment

PRUETT, CONTINUED FROM 19 SMN: I always hear such crazy stories about Bill Stanley’s and how incredible of a space it was for bluegrass music.

MP: It’s all true. I’ll tell you, it’s all true.

[Laughs]. It was magic. Everything about it came together — the band, the food, the place, the dancers. People came from over the world. It was a destination. Once it became known, we had the same five guys in [The Marc Pruett Band] for about nine years. We did five nights a week, and then there were times when we had catering jobs and different things. We would play sometimes seven nights a week. Other times, we played Bill Stanley’s at lunch for an hour for four days a week. It was music to the wall for me then.

SMN: Then you were with Ricky Skaggs for a period in the 1990s, which led to a Grammy Award. But, after you left Ricky, did you think you might slow down from playing and touring?

MP: Being able to play at that level [with Ricky], it was a pinnacle for me. And I was working full-time [for Haywood County, too].

I used all my company time, sick time, vacation time and weekend days to play with Ricky Skaggs all over the world.

SMN: And you then played with Whitewater Bluegrass Co. for a while. Your wife, Anita, was a banjoist in that band at one point, right?

MP: My wife was with them for over nine years. She was kind of their original banjo player.

SMN: I would surmise then that you married maybe the one person that would understand you having to pursue these things in your music career over the years.

MP: I did. I married way up. [Laughs].

She’s a great banjo and guitar player. And a great singer, too. We’ve been married since 1986. She’s the best person I know. She’s honest to a fault and totally dependable.

When I left Ricky Skaggs, I really didn’t know what to do. I did work with Whitewater Bluegrass Co. for about nine years until Balsam Range formed in 2007.

With Balsam Range, it just kind of happened very organic. I was with Whitewater and they made a personnel change. They needed a fiddle player. So, I helped bring [Balsam Range singer/fiddler] Buddy Melton into [Whitewater]. Buddy and I rode together to all the shows for a long time, and we would

Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

SMN: Why was that sacrifice worth it to you?

MP: That’s a good question. I felt like there was a reason for me to be there because I was learning, I was playing fabulous music.

I was networking with great people and I was

hoping that there might be an opportunity to record with that band, which there was [that led to a Grammy].

You know, when you climb that pinnacle and you get to a point where you’ve climbed up the cliff and you look out onto this broad plain of almost emptiness. It’s like you say, “Is this all there is to it?”

talk sometimes coming back from the shows about what it would be like to have a band at the Ricky Skaggs quality of musicians.

SMN: And this was right around the time that [Balsam Range’s] Caleb Smith, Tim Surrett and Darren Nicholson are all serendipitously back in Haywood County from their separate careers on the road with other bands, all now looking to play some music.

MP: We got together and jammed about three different times as I recall, right there in Darren’s kitchen. At the end of the third night [jamming], I had a show booked for $1,000 and didn’t even have a band. We didn’t even have a name for the band. I said, “Hey, do you guys want to go do this show?”

Then, I figured maybe we might ought to book some dates. [Laughs].

SMN: Balsam Range is another long chapter in your vast and ongoing musical career, a chapter that for many musicians would itself be considered a lifetime of success and experiences. What’s been your biggest take away from all of this with Balsam Range?

MP: Well, my big take away from it is how much I’ve learned playing with that band, and how much the creative experience has meant to me. I’m just thankful to be able to work and keep working. All of the boys [in Balsam Range] work hard. They’re all professionals in their own direction.

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Balsam Range at the IBMA awards in Raleigh.

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SMN: You’ve been playing the banjo about 57 years. What are you learning about the instrument these days?

MP: Tone and how to set up a banjo. You never quit learning. And anybody that’s a Cub Scout parent will understand what I’m fixing to say about this when you say, “How do you make the perfect pinewood derby car?” I mean, it’s a study in physics. With four little nails, four little plastic wheels in a wooden block. Now buddy, I’ll tell you what, that itself will send you deep into some study.

Well, that’s an any art form. Sheila Davis said in her book about songwriting to make sure the idea is worth writing. You can write a

song about anything, but it needs to be a specific in a universal way that touches people.

SMN: What does bluegrass mean to you these days?

MP: Well, the act of playing music is its own self-gratification. The better tools you have, the more it interests you. It’s like any discipline — where your love ends is where your progress ends. And I don’t know if I know where that is with this yet [in my life], which is great. I’m still learning things.

What bluegrass means to me is appreciating the old, recreating the old, finding the new, appreciating the new things, and giving credit to people who are creating at fabulous levels today.

And encouraging people. Everybody hears [Earl] Scruggs a different way. And I don’t know that I hear it all the way to the end of it, of what he did. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to figure it out. But, if I could help somebody to hear the music, with a fresh approach, with great tone and touch, and the right feeling, then I’ve carried that old feeling through into a new creative space.

SMN: You’ve had this life of travel and experiences, of creating and recording music, playing music onstage. You’ve met people from all over the world, and it all circles back to Haywood County and Western North Carolina. What has all of that taught you about what it means to be human being?

MP: Well, it’s taught me two of the most valuable things that you can have in life — passion and compassion. Passion for what you do gives fuel to learn as far as your love will take it. And during that effort to learn and to do, if you have compassion for other people, you can share what you do in ways that help them learn.

You know, a lot of people get caught up in competition — “Who’s doing this? Who’s doing that?” And [the hope is that] we can get beyond any sort of competitive thoughts and just being the best that we can be.

I’ll tell you who I’m in competition with today, and that is who I was yesterday.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Country music legend Ronnie Milsap will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will present the inaugural “Chili Cook-Off” from 5 to 6:30 pm. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Lazy Hiker taproom and Mad Batter kitchen in Sylva.

think the one of the hardest lessons in life is knowing when to cut bait on those who simply do not have Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host your best interests in mind The Get Right Band (rock/soul) 9:30 p.m. (family or friends).

Saturday, Jan. 25.

Throughout my entire life, The annual Burns Night will be held at 6 p.m.

I’ve struggled with always trySaturday, Jan. 25, in the Tartan Hall at the First ing to make others happy, Presbyterian Church in Franklin. and taking things so damn personal if someone either The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre winter studio doesn’t get my vibe or simply season will begin with “The Thirteen Clocks” at isn’t interested in being a 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Jan. 26 in the friend, etc. These days, I’m Fangmeyer Theater at HART in Waynesville. actively working towards not taking those things so to those folks causing havoc on your daily menheart, and just focusing on simply being a tality tend to be ones you always thought good person in my words and actions, had your back, come hell or high water from regardless of what others may think. day one. It’s a hard pill to swallow to see and Easier said than done though, am I hear your loved ones sometimes take a difright? Every single one of us, whether we ferent road and, perhaps, throw you under realize it or not, take people and situations the bus in the process. to heart so deeply that a single interaction All of this brings up the idea of “letting can put our entire day and mindset into go.” Trying to let go of the weight on your whack, our emotional state and “to do” list mind and shoulders can be very difficult, seetossed out the window and replaced by ing as it’s that exact weight of people, places overanalyzing what happened (or didn’t and things you’re afraid to unload and create happen) to the point of no return.

The saddest part is the mere fact many of an imbalance in your current (and longtime)

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January 22-28, 2020

Breakin’ ties that you’d grown, catchin’ dreams from the clouds

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This must be the place

landscape of what lies outside your front door (or within the walls of your humble abode).

Recently, I found myself in the midst of an interaction with a family member that shook me up, so much so that here I am sitting down at my desk and writing about it, seeing as putting my thoughts and emotions onto paper is what brings clarity to my existence and the eventual outcome I seek.

The family member and I have always had a touch-and-go relationship. We share the same blood, but the common ground seems to end after that. As hard as I try to bite my tongue and simply let them vent, I also don’t want to be an emotional punching bag.

The older I get, the more I really don’t care if someone views me different than I may see myself. I know I can look in the mirror and recognize the reflection, I can look into those eyes staring back at me and make sense of it, and I can sleep well at night knowing my intent and purpose in life is one of just cause.

This recent confrontation with my family member triggered memories of similar moments with others in the past. Not many folks, thankfully, but a handful of instances where I found myself at a crossroads of either standing up for myself or sweeping things under the rug in hopes of maintaining balance with all involved.

Sensing something was up in my life, a dear friend reached out this week with encouraging words and sentiments, of which he said, “Often in life we focus on the words and overlook the motives behind them. I’ve found that we rarely put forth the effort to throw words of hate without the feeling of being hurt, envious, etc. fueling it. Maybe they need you and this is the only way they know how to ask for it.”

That said, I will always have an open door, whether at my apartment or via text/phone call, to right the ship between two parties. But, the practice of “letting go” must be followed through to reach your true self. Push ahead and create the world you desire in your motives and movements.

You can cut ties with others and shift your focus towards self-care, and rightly so, but never shut people out completely from attempting to make things right. Only time will tell, and often time itself will reveal the hard truths and eventual resolution to whatever it is that may be chewing away at your sanity.

Several years ago, I found myself having to shed the weight of a lifelong friendship that resulted in a toxic relationship. The friend had been walking down a dark road for a long time. I tried to help and give everything I had within me for love and support for almost a decade, but to no avail. I finally had to walk away, as tough as it was. It’s been only recently that the friend has reached out and we’ve been able to bury the hatchet.

I wake up every day and try my best, even if I may fall short on certain occasions. I ain’t perfect. Nobody is. And yet, I will continue to push ahead in search of passion and compassion. I hold this quote (from my recent interview with banjo legend Marc Pruett) so damn close to heart these days: “I’m in competition today with who I was yesterday.”

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

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Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

arts & entertainment

On the beat

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Ready for ‘January Jazz’?

The Haywood County Arts Council will present “January Jazz” with Jazz Revolution Band at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

January Jazz is an evening of sensational music, dancing and socializing. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, a delicious dessert, a glass of wine, or hot coffee while Jazz Revolution Band performs. There will also be a cash bar.

Jazz Revolution Band is a five-piece ensemble playing the sounds of standard jazz, swing and Motown. The members of this group come from various musical backgrounds and have more than 30 years of performing experience. Hailing from Charlotte, Jazz Revolution is not only a

Jazz Revolution Band.

group of musicians but also a group of entertainers who provide medicine for the human soul.

Tickets are $50 per person (includes one glass of wine/beverage). To purchase tickets for this fun and festive evening performance, stop by the Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery at 86 North Main Street in Waynesville, purchase online through Facebook (@HaywoodArts) or online through Eventbrite ($50 plus additional fees).

Seating is limited and tickets will not be available at the door on the day of the performance. Tickets are non-refundable. A snow date will be determined if needed. www.haywoodarts.org.

Franklin welcomes Ronnie Milsap

Rock, soul act returns to Boojum

Country music legend Ronnie Ronnie Milsap will take the Milsap. stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Milsap, a six-time Grammy Award-winning American country singer and pianist, is considered as one of the most successful country artists of all time.

Born almost blind due to a congenital disorder, this virtuoso developed a keen interest in music in his childhood. He displayed remarkable musical talent at the age of seven, which led him to formally study classical music and learn various musical instruments, finally mastering the piano.

His expansive and rich body of work, spanning more than five decades, includes more than 28 records. With multiple gold, platinum and double platinum albums to his credit, Milsap was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Tickets start at $25 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

Asheville-based roots/jam group The Get Right Band will perform at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

Led by singer/guitarist Silas Durocher, the ensemble also includes Jesse Gentry (bass) and drummer J.C. Mears (drums). What stands out about this band is the mere fact that nobody around this region sounds like them. Period.

And it’s that “all” factor which puts The Get Right Band into a league of their own. It’s surprising when you stand there watching them perform, where you’re trying to figure out just how they’re able to get that much sound from a power trio.

Admission is $5 at the door. For more information, visit www.thegetrightband.com.

WCU School of Music recitals, performances Western Carolina University’s School of Music will hold a series of recitals and musical performances on campus throughout January, with all events free and open to the public.

All events begin at 7:30 p.m. and take place in the recital hall of the Coulter Building, unless otherwise noted.

The remaining performances will be as follows: • Guest artists Anthony Taylor and Andy Hudson of UNC Greensboro, Thursday, Jan. 23.

• Guest artist Nick Kenney, horn, Thursday, Jan. 30.

828.227.7242.

Haywood Choral Society spring rehearsals Haywood Choral Society will begin spring season rehearsals on Monday, Feb. 3, in the Wilson Children’s Complex at Lake Junaluska.

Registration is at 6:15 p.m. with a full chorus rehearsal from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The Get Right Band.

Rehearsals continue for 13 weeks.

The major work this season will be “Lux Aeterna,” written by American composer Morten Lauridsen. In addition, the chorus will rehearse in preparation for its spring concert scheduled for May 3 at Waynesville First United Methodist Church.

Membership dues are $30 (scholarships available upon application), which covers the cost of music and hiring instrumentalists for concert performances. All singers ages 16 and older are encouraged and welcome to join HCS; auditions are not required.

As attendance is important to learning music and becoming accustomed to performing with fellow singers, members are encouraged to attend as many rehearsals as

possible, missing no more than three, unless approved by the director. The ability to read music is not required, but is encouraged.

Kathy Geyer McNeil has been Director of the Haywood Choral Society since 2016.

She is currently assistant director of music and worship arts and organist at Waynesville First United Methodist Church.

In addition, McNeil is the organist for the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center and associate director/accompanist for the Lake Junaluska Singers.

For more information, visit www.haywoodchoralsociety.org, call Laura Schnabel at 828.557.9187 or Kathy Geyer McNeil at 973.224.1022. You can also find the group on Facebook.

On the beat

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 23 and 30. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host a bluegrass open mic every Wednesday, an all-genres open mic every Thursday and The Get Right Band (rock/soul) 9:30 p.m. Jan. 25. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.boojumbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host WinterFest all day Jan. 25 with Lost Bridge (southern rock) 5 p.m. and Positive Mental Attitude (rock/reggae) 7 p.m. Food trucks onsite. Free and open to the public. www.curraheebrew.com or 828.634.0078.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will Stone Crazy Band (classic rock/country) Saturday, Jan. 25. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host “Lovesick Karaoke” Feb. 14. All events are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, Alex Culbreth Jan. 24, Heidi Holton Jan. 31 and Mother Legacy Band Feb. 1. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Legends Sports Grill (Maggie Valley) will host music semi-regularly on weekends.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host the “Stone Soup” open mic night every Tuesday, Alec Parsons (singer-songwriter) Jan. 24, Frank & Allie Lee (Americana/folk) Jan. 25, Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) Jan. 31 and Granny’s Mason Jar (Americana) Feb. 1. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

Robert Burns.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Matt Welsh Jan. 24 and Grizzly Goat (Americana/indie) Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host Stelth Ulvang (piano for the Lumineers) and Grace Joyner 8 p.m. Jan. 30. Admission is $25 per person. The show is sold out, but other intimate gigs will also surface in the coming months. www.facebook.com/orchardcoffeewaynesville or 828.246.9264.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host singer-songwriters Fridays and Saturdays. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a Trivia w/Kelsey Jo 8 p.m. Thursdays.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday evenings. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Dylan Doyle 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 (tickets are $10). 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host Bluegrass Thursdays w/Benny Queen at 6:30 p.m. 828.743.3000.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host Bluegrass w/Nitrograss Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Hustle Souls 9 p.m. Feb. 8.

828.526.8364.

• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic Night” on Mondays, karaoke on Thursdays and semi-regular music on Fridays and Saturdays. All events at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

828.456.4750.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.

The annual Burns Night will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Tartan Hall at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin.

Scots all over the world celebrate the birth of Robert Burns, national poet of Scotland, largely noted for saving the old melodies by adding new words to wellknown tunes. Burns was beloved by many common folk for writing his poetry in Old Scots language that everyday people used.

Macon County has a rich Scottish heritage and people look forward to this time of year. It is an honor to have Burns Night on the date of his birth, Jan. 25, 1759. The celebration will have visitors and townspeople who will come together to share the life, poetry, and songs of the Ploughman Poet.

Tartan Hall will come alive with haggis, bag piping, calling of the clans, Celtic music and Scottish food catered by Martha’s Restaurant.

There are several parts of Burns Night that have common parts no matter whether in a pub, a large concert hall or a small group. One at the beginning is a roll call of the clans or the Muster Roll song, a reading

of Burns prayer “Selkirk Grace,” a vivacious recitation of “Address to the Haggis.”

Michael Waters will play the pipes and will present a toast to the “Immortal Memory of Robert Burns.” A humorous toast to the Lassies and Lads is usually done by a married couple. The evening ends as all gather in a circle and sing the beloved song of Burns, “Auld Lang Syne.”

Arthur Hayes, bard of Clan Hays, will present the “Ode to the Haggis.” Jim Gordon will the the Master of Ceremonies.

Music will be provided by the Jacobites By Name, one of the local favorites. George James is the able chairman of Burns Night as well as the Taste of Scotland and Celtic Festival, which will be held June 19-21 in downtown Franklin. There will be an opportunity to get some treasures in the silent auction and a chance to win a 50/50 cash prize.

The doors will open at 5 p.m. with dinner set to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, First Presbyterian Church and The Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center, Inc.

Open call for Greening Up There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 23rd annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in downtown Sylva.

Celebrating the new spring in the mountains, the festival has become a beloved regional event. The festival typically enjoys crowds upwards 12,000 attendees and has 175 vendor booth spaces. In addition to a variety of arts, crafts, and food vendors, attendees can enjoy a 5K run, youth talent contest, beverage arts featuring local craft breweries and live music throughout the day.

Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through Mach 15.

For more information, email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host The End of America & Highbeams (folk/rock) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22, Jacob Johnson (singersongwriter) 7 p.m. Jan. 23, Slim Gambill of Lady Antebellum (jazz/rock) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 23, Bumper Jacksons (Americana/swing) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 24, Alien Music Club (rock/folk) 7 p.m. Jan. 25, The Woodshedders & Sugar Lime Blue (Americana/country) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 25, The Levins (folk/acoustic) 6 p.m. Jan. 26 and Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions w/Damn Tall Buildings 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28. www.isisasheville.com.

Franklin celebrates Robert Burns

January 22-28, 2020

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 22 and 29, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 23 and 30. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

828.926.9464 or www.facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.

arts & entertainment

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Robert Ferguson Jan. 24, Heidi Holton Jan. 25, Andrew Chastain 4 p.m. Jan. 26, Dana Rogers Jan. 31 and Wyatt Espalin Feb. 1. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

On the street

23

arts & entertainment January 22-28, 2020

On the street

On the wall

Waynesville historic speaker series

‘Affrilachian Artist’ studio exhibit

Presented by The Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission, the 5th annual “Haywood Ramblings” will once again take place this spring.

A speaker series on the historic resources and rich cultural heritage of Waynesville and Haywood County, the events will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month in the courtroom of The Historic Courthouse in downtown Waynesville.

• Thursday, Feb. 6: “Unseen Photographs of Early Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Be among the first to view iconic images of Waynesville’s past that have never been published or viewed by the public. Many of these photographs are from the private albums and collections of Waynesville’s most influential founding families.

Smoky Mountain News

• Thursday, March 5: “The Mountaineer: History In The Moment,” presented by Kathy Ross. Unlike history books, newspapers record events from an immediate perspective, with no takebacks once they are published. This talk will take a look at some of The Mountaineer’s most spectacular, peculiar, and even painful stories of the past century as they were perceived at the time.

• Thursday, April 2: “Touching The Face of History: The Story of The Plott Hound,” presented by Bob Plott. Hear stories of the origins of North Carolina’s official state dog, the Plott Hound. From Germany to the mountains of North Carolina, the breed’s 200-year history resulted in the development of what many consider to be one of the world’s finest hunting breeds.

• Thursday, May 7: “History As Inspiration,” presented by Thomas Woltz. A world-renowned landscape architect, Woltz will discuss the role of history and culture in his designs of public spaces. Through a selection of park projects in Western North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and New Zealand, he will illustrate how his personal history inspires designs that connect people and the places they live.

Free and open to the public. In case of snow, the event will be automatically rescheduled for the second Thursday of 24 the month.

The “Affrilachian Artist Travelling Studio” exhibit will run through Feb. 29 at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville.

The showcase is designed to invite dialogue about the presence and experience of people of color in our region.

The exhibition features four African-American artists and selected work which celebrates the land or the lived experiences of Western North Carolina and the Appalachian region.

Marie T. Cochran, founding curator of the Affrilachian Artist Project will present the the work in a diverse array of media and styles from folk art to contemporary art.

Cochran is featured in the book Southern Women, produced by the editors of Garden & Gun magazine. Her artwork is included in the exhibition Appalachia NOW at the Asheville Art Museum.

Featured artists in this show are: LaKeisha Blount, Rahkie Mateen, Trey Miles, and the late Victoria Casey-McDonald. The artists

Exhibit looks at Latino life in North Carolina Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will host an exhibit by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist José Galvez on Latino life in North Carolina in the museum’s second-floor gallery at Hunter Library.

The center’s first bilingual exhibit, “Al Norte al Norte” will be on display through Friday, April 10. Admission is free.

The 51 black-and-white photos are from a 10-year project to capture images of daily life of Latinos living in North Carolina, from business owners to farmers at work, multigenerations of families at home and at church, and other candid moments.

Galvez will visit campus, with details pending, in early April in conjunction with WCU’s second annual Southeastern Latinx Student Leadership Conference. In addition to participating in the conference, he will visit WCU classes, lead tours of the exhibit and present public programs.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 8.4 percent of the state’s population is Latino.

Open call for Haywood studio tour

represent a range of ages. Some are local residents and others are alumni of Western Carolina University.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Cochran will host a gallery talk from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 15, at HCAC. As well, the closing reception will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at HCAC. www.haywoodarts.org.

José Galvez.

“I’ve been surprised by the sheer determination of people wanting to fit in, just to work, wanting to provide for family,” said Galvez, a Durham resident.

Galvez was part of a team at the Los

The Haywood County Arts Council is still seeking artisans for its annual Studio Tour, which will take place June 27-28.

There will be over 30 participating Haywood County artists from a widerange of creative mediums, including clay, fiber, wood, jewelry, glass, mixedmedia, sculpture, and two-dimensional applications.

The Gallery & Gifts of the HCAC in Waynesville will be the site of an exhibit for the Studio Tour participants. The exhibit will open on Friday, June 5, for the Artist Reception and run through June 27. The exhibit will showcase samples of each artist’s work offering the public a sneak-peak at the studios they most want to visit.

The participation fee is $100 per artist. These fees help cover the cost of printing and marketing the Studio Tour.

Deadline for application submissions is Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The Haywood County Studio Tour is sponsored by the Haywood County Arts Council. The tour is organized by a dedicated group of Haywood County artists.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday-Tuesday and ThursdaySaturday. HCAC is closed on Wednesday and Sunday.

For more information, visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Angeles Times newspaper that was awarded the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for a series on Latino life in southern California. He’s collaborated with writers such as Luis Alberto Urrea and Patricia Martin, and published a book about his childhood, titled “Shine Boy.” His current work focuses on Latino communities of the South, naturalization ceremonies and documenting the many communities he visits each year.

“Al Norte al Norte” received support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, with additional funding from the N.C. Humanities Council and the North Carolina Museum of History Associates. The traveling exhibit at WCU is made possible by the North Carolina Arts Council and the university.

Diana Bell-Kite, a curator at the N.C. Museum of History, worked with Galvez on developing the exhibit. “The photos capture a diverse community with a huge range of skills and lifestyles,” Bell-Kite said. “They are entrepreneurs and professionals, people working a variety of different jobs.”

The Mountain Heritage Center gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. For more information, call the museum at 828.227.7129.

On the wall

HCC fiber graduate awarded Penland fellowship Haywood Community College 2019 professional crafts fiber graduate Hannah Mitsu Shimabukuro was recently named a Penland School of Craft Core Fellow.

According to Penland’s website, this two-

Interested in leatherwork?

Derek Morrow sporting a leather pouch.

on contemporary Shibori using fiber dyes to make scarves. Mardi Gras masks handmade by MCAA members will be available at the Uptown Gallery after Feb. 1 up to the Mardi Gras celebration in Franklin on Feb. 22. Betsey Sloan will be teaching a class making sheep out of gourds from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 29. For more information, call the gallery at 828.349.4607 or visit www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

Innovation ‘Pottery & Pints’ There will be a special “Pottery & Pints” class held by Viva Arts Studios from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro.

Cost is $25.50 per person. For more information and/or to register for the workshop, go to Facebook, search “Viva Arts Studio” and click on the “Events” tab for the ticket link.

The Viva Arts Studio in Sylva currently offers several weekly and monthly pottery and painting classes alongside other artisan mediums.

For a full calendar of classes and more information on the studio, visit www.vivaartsschool.com, call 828.506.6067 or simply take a gander at the full schedule posted on the large garage door of the studio at 456 West Main Street.

• “Fiber Sunday” will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at Cowee Textiles in the Cowee School Heritage Center in Franklin. Bring a textile project you are working on from spinning, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, baskets, etc. For more information, contact Teresa Bouchonnet at 828.349.3878 or bouchonnet@coweetextiles.com.

ALSO:

• The Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will be hosting a Valentine’s miniature design class from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, in the library auditorium. Learn how to make cakes, candies, roses and lots of accessories. Class size is limited, pre-register by contacting Renae Dotson at 828.342.8919. Class is for adults.

• The Macon County Art Association will present encaustic classes taught by Karen Smith will begin on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon starting on Feb. 7 at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. No experience or supplies required. From 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 16, Mary Ellen Tully will host a class

• Stonehouse Pottery (Waynesville) will be doing an Open Studio Tour and Sale the first Sunday of each month to help support our local nonprofits. Each month highlights a different artist and that artists chooses his or her nonprofit.

Stonehouse Pottery and the artist then give a portion of the proceeds as a donation to that nonprofit.

• The Weekly Open Studio art classes will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville, Instructor will be Betina Morgan. Open to all artists, at any stage of development, and in the medium of your choice. Cost is $25 per class. There will also be a Youth Art Class from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. Cost is $15 per class.

Contact Morgan at 828.550.6190 or email bmk.morgan@yahoo.com.

• The Museum of the Cherokee Indian’s exhibit, “People of the Clay: Contemporary Cherokee Potters,” features more than 60 potters from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Cherokee Nation, and more than one hundred works from 1900 to the present. The exhibit will run through April.

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” adult painting class will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. There is also a class at 6:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month at Balsam Fall Brewing in Sylva. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. For more information on paint dates and/or to RSVP, contact Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560 or wncpaintevents@gmail.com.

BILL LY Y CASE

Awarded Aw

CCIM Designatiion

Certified Commercial Investment Member The CCIM designation is awarded to commercial real estate professionals upon successful completion of a graduate-level education curriculum annd presentation of a portfolio of qualifying experience. CCIMs are recognized experts in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, asset management, valuation, and invesstment analysis.

Smoky Mountain News

Congratulations to NAI Beverly-H Hanks’

January 22-28, 2020

The monthly Creating Community Workshop will feature Derek Morrow of Morrow Leatherworks at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 1, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library.

Morrow will be leading the workshop.

Participants will learn how to make a small, leather pouch. All supplies will be provided, but some hand strength is necessary for leather working. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. This program is free of charge. Call the library to register.

Morrow is a self taught leatherworker that has been working at his craft for many years.

For more information, call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

year work-study fellowship offers emerging artists the opportunity to explore artistic interests and career possibilities in a supportive artistic community while developing leadership skills. For this application cycle, 80 applicants from across the United States applied for the fellowship.

Before coming to HCC, Shimabukuro received a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Yale University. Most recently, she worked at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in the printmaking studio. Growing up in Hawaii, Shimabukuro was introduced to art through a nonprofit organization. During this fellowship, she plans to explore new media while continuing to work in textiles.

HCC’s Professional Crafts program is a two-year commitment, focusing on all aspects of becoming an independent craft professional. In addition to sharpening their technical and artistic skills in their chosen medium, students also create a marketable line of production work, plan a studio and become familiar with the craft market.

For more information about HCC’s Professional Crafts Fiber program, call 828.627.4672 or visit www.haywood.edu.

arts & entertainment

Hannah Mitsu Shimabukuro.

Billy Case, CCIM (828) 508-4527 | billycase@naibeverly-hanks.c com

25

Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

arts & entertainment

On the stage HART opens winter season The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre winter studio season will begin with James Thurber’s “The Thirteen Clocks” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART in Waynesville.

The story was adapted for the stage by Frank Lowe and tells the story of a prince grown weary of rich attire, banquets, tournaments, who then disguises himself as a ragged minstrel. He travels about learning the lives of the lowly and slaying a dragon or two, until he hears of the matchless beauty of the Princess Saralinda.

Thurber was an American cartoonist, author, humorist, journalist, playwright, and celebrated wit. He was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine. He was one of the most popular humorists of his time, as he celebrated the comic frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people. He is best remembered for his short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”

HART’s production is being directed by Micah Patt and Alaina Newell, both students from the theatre department at Western Carolina University.

To make a reservation, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322, anytime and

On the table simply leave your name, the number of tickets you need and the performance you wish to attend. Seating is general admission but reservations are recommended. You can also go online to www.harttheatre.org.

HPAC ‘Live via Satellite’ The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present “Live via Satellite” the National Theatre of London’s production William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25.

A feuding fairy King and Queen of the forest cross paths with four runaway lovers and a troupe of actors trying to rehearse a play. As their dispute grows, the magical royal couple meddle with mortal lives leading to love triangles, mistaken identities and transformations: with hilarious, but dark consequences.

Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedy was captured live from the Bridge Theatre in London. The Bridge Theatre became a forest — a dream world of flying fairies, contagious fogs and moonlight revels, surrounded by a roving audience following the action on foot.

Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, www.highlandsperformingarts.com or at the door.

Positive Mental Attitude. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)

Sylva ‘Chili Cook-Off’ The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will present the inaugural “Chili Cook-Off ” from 5 to 6:30 pm. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom and Mad Batter kitchen in Sylva.

Non-restaurant businesses can enter. Open to the public for free voting. Winners earn trophies and gift cards. There will also be a free concert by Positive Mental Attitude (rock/reggae) from 7 to 10 p.m.

For more information or to enter the chili contest, call 828.586.3555.

Bosu’s tastings, small plates Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host an array of wine tastings and small plates throughout the week.

• Mondays: Free tastings and discounts on select styles of wine that changes weekly.

• Thursdays: Five for $5 wine tasting, with small plates available for purchase from Chef Bryan’s gourmet cuisine in The Secret Wine Bar. • Wednesday-Saturday: The Secret • The second annual “Groundhog Day Baconfest” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Harmons’ Den on the campus of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The menu will be four courses. Cost is $25 per person, $45 per person with wine pairings. To RSVP (by Jan. 27), call 828.456.6322 or email harttheater@gmail.com.

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host the third annual “Battle of the Beans” chili cookoff from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

Wine Bar will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Fridays: The Secret Wine Bar will be open for drinks and small plates from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Saturdays: Champagne cocktails from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Secret Wine Bar will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m.

Dog friendly patio and front garden open, weather permitting. For more information and/or to RSVP for ticketed events, call 828.452.0120 or email info@waynesvillewine.com.

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host a “Chili Cook-Off” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at The Calaboose location. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23 and 30, and 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva.

828.631.3075.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

@SmokyMtnNews 26

Books

Smoky Mountain News

27

Keep calm, stay quiet and carry on tillness. Silence. For many people, stillness and silence are as unfamiliar — and terrifying — as zombies or Martians.

When I used to teach composition classes to homeschoolers in Asheville, we met in a Presbyterian church near the Asheville Mall.

Once a year, in good weather, I would have the students carry their folding chairs to the large parking lot behind the church.

Here I would place them in a circle facing away from one another, 20 feet or more Writer between students, and have them sit for half an hour. They were forbidden to speak, to read, to write, to use a cell phone.

The silence in that parking lot was immense. The only sounds were the occasional bird song and the whoosh of traffic on I240.

After the half an hour was up, we carried the chairs inside and wrote about the experience.

Some of the students wrote that they spent the time praying. Some were bored. Some had found their thoughts were jumping all over the place. And every year a few reported they had never spent this much time in silence.

For a few of us, silence is a companion whose presence we treasure. In my own case, I write hours every day. For the last six months, I have lived alone in a house in a quiet neighborhood. Often I go hours and hours without speaking to another human being or hearing a human voice. (And yes, sometimes I talk to myself. Amusing conversations, for the most part.) When I want human contact, I drive into town to the Happy Creek Coffee Shop, where the baristas and a couple of the regulars know me. There I work, half-listening to the voices of the other customers. I then hit the grocery store for a few supplies, and return to a house quiet as a locked church.

For the most part, silence is my friend.

In Stillness Is The Key (Penguin/Random

Jeff Minick

S

House, 2019, 264 pages), Ryan Holiday argues that we can learn valuable lessons from stillness, silence, and meditation. Stillness allows

us “To be steady while the world spins around you. To act without frenzy. To hear only what needs to be hard. To possess quietude — exterior and interior — on command.”

Holiday, author of such books as The Daily Stoic and the commendable The Obstacle Is the Way, brings the philosophy of stoicism to Stillness Is The Key. He draws, as he does in his earlier books, on philosophers

Book chronicles Smokies characters, history Journalist and author Holly Kays will host a reading and signing of new work, Trailblazers & Traditionalists: Modern-day Smoky Mountain People, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The book is a compilation of 33 feature stories written previously published in the weekly news magazine The Smoky Mountain News, where Kays works as a journalist. The book offers an intimate look into the lives of some of the diverse and fascinating people

like the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the Roman slave Epictetus.

But Stillness goes beyond the bounds of stoicism. Here Holiday uses dozens of people as examples to support his thesis that “stillness is actually the doorway to mastery,” figures who don’t fit the stoic mold: John Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis; Tiger Woods before and after his marriage disintegrated; Winston Churchill and how his hobbies, which included bricklaying and painting canvases, helped him withdraw from politics and refresh his mind, spirit, and body.

Those three human qualities — mind, spirit, body — in fact make up the sections of Stillness.

In “Part I: Mind,” for instance, we find chapters like “Become Present,” “Start Journaling,” “Cultivate Silence,” and “Find Confidence, Avoid Ego.” In “Part II: Spirit,” we have chapters urging us to feed the soul, the inner self, including the insightful “Beware Desire,” where Holiday looks at such desires as envy and lust, and advises “… Most desires are at their core irrational emotions, and that why stillness requires that we sit down and dissect

who call this mountainous region home.

Kays makes her home in the mountains of Western North Carolina. In 2017, she published her debut title, a novel called Shadows of Flowers.

Having earned 30 state and national awards during her journalism career thus far, Kays covers a range of topics for The Smoky Mountain News and is a regular contributor to Smoky Mountain Living Magazine. Originally from Williamsport, Maryland, she is a graduate of Virginia Tech’s creative writing and natural resources programs.

Trailblazers & Traditionalists retails for $15.95, with $19.95 covering shipping, fees and taxes. It is published by The Smoky

them.”

“Part III: Body” contains a couple of chapters that hit home with me in particular.

“Take A Walk” touts the idea of walking not only as a form of exercise, but as a way to clear the mind and to collect ideas. Here Holiday begins with philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who walked daily to release the stress brought on by thinking and writing.

“Kierkegaard believed that sitting still was a kind of breeding ground for illness. But walking, movement, to him was almost sacred. It cleansed the soul and cleared the mind in a way that primed his explorations as a philosopher. Life is a path, he liked to say, we have to walk it.”

Holiday’s advice in this chapter “Walk.

Then walk some more,” pushed me to add daily walks to my New Year’s resolutions.

In “Be A Human Being,” Holiday reminds us that “Work will not set you free. It will kill you if you’re not careful.” He advises moderation, being present in the moment, and knowing our limits, that “the body that each of us has was a gift. Don’t work it to death. Don’t burn it out.”

Some of us who are devoted to our work fit Edna Saint Vincent Millay’s description of a candle in this short poem: “My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends— It gives a lovely light.”

Sounds good, but after looking at my life and then reading Stillness, I think I prefer to last the night. Advice to self: Slow down.

If you’re looking for ways to fight anxiety, to live in the present rather than constantly worrying about the future, or a key to peace and even happiness, read and then use some of the many tips and ideas you’ll find in these pages.

Like The Obstacle Is The Way, Stillness Is The Key is a gold mine of good advice.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com.)

Mountain News. Order the book from Kays’ Facebook page, www.facebook.com/hollykaysauthor, send $19.95 to paypal.me/hollykays or mail a check made out to “Holly Kays Writing” to 144 Montgomery Street, Waynesville, NC.

• Monthly Poetry Reading at Panacea Coffeehouse in Waynesville. Last Saturdays every month at 2 p.m. Bring your poetry, essays and writings to share. Be sure to order drinks and snacks and tip the staff of Panacea.

For more information, contact Morella Poe at poevampyre@gmail.com.

ALSO:

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

An artist’s rendering imagines what a river park in Cullowhee might look like. Donated rendering

River park efforts revived in Cullowhee Phase one could come soon

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ork could begin on a long-awaited river park in Cullowhee sooner rather than later following completion of an N.C. Department of Transportation bridge project in the Old Cullowhee area.

“We got the new maps from the DOT of where the road configuration was, and DOT had to acquire a lot of property to swing that road around,” said Anna Fariello, a longtime member of the community nonprofit Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor, or CuRvE. “I didn’t realize how much land they actually took. We’re looking at these maps, and I was blown away.”

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WORKING TOWARD REVITALIZATION CuRvE has been working to breath new life into the Old Cullowhee area since its founding in 2007, and creating a river park on the Tuck has been a cornerstone of its plan to make that happen. In 2014, the group commissioned an

economic impact study that concluded a river park would bring $1.2 million in new spending to Jackson County each year, supporting 16 jobs, adding $375,000 in income and generating $145,000 in annual tax revenues.

Before the four-lane N.C. 107 replaced Old Cullowhee Road as the main entrance to Western Carolina University, Old Cullowhee was the front door to campus. In a previous interview, CuRvE member Rick Bennett, who moved to Jackson County in 1966, recalled the thriving community that existed there in the 1970s, boasting 17 restaurants, four gas stations and three grocery stores.

The Cullowhee of 50 years ago is a far cry from the struggling crossroads now in existence, but CuRvE members believe that it could become a vibrant community once more.

Bennett spoke to The Smoky Mountain News for a 2014 story that came in the midst of a productive season for CuRvE — the organization had received the results of the economic impact study it commissioned, as well as artistic renderings of what the area could one day be. Within the next year, a feasibility study would be completed and community planning standards passed for the Cullowhee area, also resulting in the formation of the Cullowhee Planning Council.

Activity has stalled over the past five years, and that’s been largely due to the bridge project. DOT’s efforts to replace the bridge and improve the associated intersection took place in the exact location CuRvE had been eying for a future park.

“Once the bridge started, we almost couldn’t do anything, but we worked behind the scenes with DOT,” said Fariello.

CuRvE advocated for the new bridge to include as many features as possible to make it both aesthetically appealing and functional for future recreational use. The final product, completed in September, included stamped and stained concrete resembling stonework, a conduit for street lighting, sidewalks and a height adequate to accommodate a future greenway underneath.

DOT bore the cost of these enhancements as part of a pilot program for bridge beautification, said DOT spokesman David Uchiyama. However, Jackson County and WCU agreed to jointly maintain the sidewalk, and WCU paid $82,000 for construction of additional sidewalks going up Central Drive toward campus. The project cost a total of $12.6 million including engineering, right-ofway acquisition and construction.

PLEASANT SURPRISE FROM DOT When the project concluded, CuRvE members took a look at the new property maps and realized that in the course of right-of-way acquisition the DOT had bought most of the property CuRvE had envisioned becoming part of the future park. What’s more, they

found that DOT actually prefers to turn such surplus property over to the local government rather than maintaining ownership of it.

“We kind of behind the scenes inquired of DOT and said, ‘What’s this process?’ and of course I’m thinking it’s going to be this big, long, involved process,” said Fariello. “And we get this email back and the response is, ‘Well, Jackson County just has to ask.’”

That’s why five members of CuRvE, including Fariello, attended a Jan. 14 county commissioners work session. Fariello recapped CuRvE’s history and its efforts in Cullowhee, especially relating to the river park, and asked commissioners to consider formally requesting the property from DOT. Commissioners agreed by consensus to ask county staff to move forward.

The land in question comprises seven parcels totaling 4.33 acres, with an additional 0.9 contiguous acres owned by WCU, which is supportive of the project. Much of that acreage is too steep for recreation, but it could certainly further CuRvE’s other goals — environmental preservation and conservation. In the long term, CuRvE hopes to see the area offer riverside features as well as in-stream amenities to increase the area’s attractiveness to paddlers. A connection to the existing 1mile greenway beginning at Locust Creek is also part of the dream.

But all of that will take years to develop.

For now, CuRvE is advocating for a low-key phase one using the acres hopefully coming the county’s way from DOT. That first phase would likely include a landscaping plan with simple features like a parking area, path down to the river and picnic tables or benches.

While water features and a boat put-in will certainly be goals to pursue in the future, for now the key is to get the ball rolling, said Fariello.

Besides, it would be premature to start working on any in-stream amenities before a final decision is made regarding the Cullowhee Dam. Discussions about removing the aged dam have been ongoing for more than two years, but it could take years more to make a final decision and raise the money to actually do it. Both WCU and the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority have intake structures in the pool the dam creates — while removing it would likely have environmental and recreational benefits, the entities want to ensure that doing so would not adversely impact their systems’ water supply. It would also be expensive. More study is required to make a final decision, and it will take even more time to carry that decision out.

WISHING FOR A GREENWAY CONNECTOR The Jackson County Greenway is another wild card. CuRvE and Jackson County would both like to see the greenway extended to the new bridge in Old Cullowhee, but that will be a long-term effort. Jackson County and Mainspring Conservation Trust are taking the lead on efforts to work with landowners along the approxi-

F

Join a volleyball league

The new bridge in Cullowhee features stamped and stained concrete, among other features intended to support a future river park and greenway. Donated photo

Greta the Groundhog will make a meteorological forecast and Super Bowl prediction during Groundhog Day festivities Saturday, Feb. 2, at Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County.

Groundhog Day has been a family-friendly tradition at Chimney Rock for the past 15 years. At 1 p.m. visitors can stop by the Animal Discovery Den to witness whether Greta sees her shadow or not — legend dictates that a shadow sighting means six more weeks of winter and a shadowless day means an early spring. Immediately afterward, Greta will choose the winner of Super Bowl LIV, with Chimney Rock Mayor Peter O’Leary announcing the outcomes.

After the predictions, families will be invited to particiGreta the Groundhog greets pate in festive Groundhog Groundhog Day visitors.

Day crafts, meet some of Donated photo Greta’s animal ambassador friends and enjoy a guided ration for Tom Brady has clouded her hike along the Great Woodland judgment.

Adventure, where they will enjoy several The event is included with regular interactive stations and learn facts about park admission. native critters along the trail.

January 22-28, 2020 Smoky Mountain News

tion, the finished product will be extremely well used. The current mile-long path along the Tuck is really an orphan trail, beginning and ending in the middle of nowhere.

Nevertheless, people use it, and use it frequently.

While the greenway was partly open throughout 2016, it wasn’t completed until July, with automatic counters logging 39,849 visits that year, said Jackson County Outdoor Recreation Manager Molly Neary. That number sky“It looks like this would be a rocketed to 109,020 visits in and in 2018 the number wonderful connection and enhance 2017, nearly doubled to 214,944.

While the counters began expethe use of our beautiful river.” riencing some technical issues — Gayle Woody, Jackson Commissioner in mid-summer 2019, usage between January and June of that year totaled 83,525.

That figure could indicate a dip in visitawork with Jackson County — the county tion — during the same period in 2018, government itself as well as the residents.” counters logged 120,000 visits — but it’s During the Jan. 14 work session, still substantial. Because counters are Commissioner Gayle Woody said that sevplaced at both greenway entrances, it’s poseral property owners have already agreed to sible they could be counting some visitors give rights-of-way or easements to the twice, but they are strategically located to greenway, should the project someday move catch people walking between the greenway forward. and parking lot, leaving out those who are “It looks like this would be a wonderful simply looping back to the other end. connection and enhance the use of our “I see them as totally related,” Fariello beautiful river,” said Woody. said of the greenway and river park projects.

However, there are still additional agreeWhen she envisions the future, she sees ments to be made before a continuous a beautiful and inviting riverside park set greenway can connect the two points. within a thriving community featuring Greenway projects are notoriously tricky, locally operated restaurants and shops, with involving coordination and legal agreea green-shrouded walking path stretching ments between many different parties. from the bridge all the way to Locust Creek.

Smith was hesitant to attach a timeline to It would be like a microcosm of the Blue the effort.

Ridge itself, which boasts Shenandoah “I hate to be vague, but I think if we National Park to the north and the Great work hard on it and work together, it’s Smoky Mountains National Park to the something that we could realize in that south, tied together by the Blue Ridge timeframe,” he said when asked if would be Parkway. possible to complete the connection within Except, in this case, it would all be in the next five to 10 years.

Jackson County.

If the existing greenway is any indicamately 2-mile stretch of riverfront between the greenway’s current terminus and the Cullowhee bridge.

“We are currently working with the county to expand the greenway,” said Jordan Smith, land conservation manager for Mainspring. “That’s a focus of the county, and it’s of great interest to that area. We’ve had a history of working with the greenway here in Macon County, and we’d love to

This is Greta’s fourth year making weather predictions at Chimney Rock, and her accuracy is currently at 66 percent. By comparison, the infamous Punxsutawney Phil carries a 39 percent accuracy rate.

Greta is only 1 for 3 when it comes to Super Bowl picks, but some say her admi-

outdoors

An adult volleyball league is forming in Waynesville, with an organizational meeting planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

The league is open to players 18 or older as of Jan. 1. Teams must have between six and 12 members, with the team entry fee based on the number of teams at the organizational meeting.

Donald Hummel, 828.456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

Celebrate Groundhog Day at Chimney Rock

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A half-day workshop focusing on invasive plant management will be held beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Highlands Community Building next to the baseball field in Highlands. Offered by the Coalition for Invasive Plant Management, the workshop will cater to landscapers, nursery trade personnel and herbicide applicators and has been approved by the Pesticide Section of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for three recertification credits in the categories of D, G, H, N, O and X for licensed pesticide applicators, dealers and consultants.

Johnny Randall, Ph.D., will be the principal speaker. Randall is director of conservation programs at the N.C. Botanical Garden and an adjunct faculty member in the UNC Chapel Hill Program in Environment, Ecology and Energy.

His speaking topic will be “In my lifetime: From introduction and lag phase to invasion.”

The program moderator will be Highlands Biological Station Executive Director Jim Costa, and the program will also feature demonstrations of invasive control methods from MountainTrue, Equinox Environmental and the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.

Cost is $50 for attendees seeking recertification credit, with donations appreciated from attendees not looking for credits.

Registration required at highlandsbiological.org/invasive-plants. Lunch provided.

Red wolf event a success Tea time at Nettie’s Bakery in Waynesville raised $1,350 in support of the critically endangered red wolf during the inaugural event Tea Time for the Red Wolf Saturday, Jan. 1.

In addition to the money, the event garnered 55 attendees and 49 letters in support of red wolves, which will be sent to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. All proceeds were donated to the red wolf fund at Defenders of Wildlife.

Fewer than 20 red wolves are left in the wild, an area concentrated wholly in Eastern North Carolina. That population is the result of a reintroduction effort, as red wolves were declared extinct in the wild by 1980 and remained so until the 1987 reintroduction at Alligator River.

The reintroduction has been the subject of years of conflict between wildlife agencies and environmental groups. A proposed rule released in June 2018 would have severely restricted conservation efforts and allowed red wolves to be killed with no hunting restrictions outside of a small area

of public land in Hyde and Dare counties. A final version of the rule has yet to be

Red wolves were the centerpiece of recent tea in Waynesville. Donated photo

released, however.

The event was organized by Waynesville native and red wolf advocate Christopher

Liles as part of a series of events in support of the red wolf. One such event will be an art exhibit in Buckner Gallery, with owner Jenny Buckner asking any artist interested to donate half of their profits on red wolf art to conservation. The exhibit will open Sept. 12, with the call for artists now out.

To donate to the cause, send a check to Defenders of Wildlife with “red wolf fund” in the memo line to 130 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20036.

Contact Liles with questions at christopher@wolfpark.org.

Become a naturalist at the arboretum More than 100 classes reflecting a range of subjects will be available at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville this winter, with the full catalogue now open for registration.

Upcoming classes include a mind-body wellness retreat, sparrow identification workshop, exploration of the winter night sky and more.

Taught by some of the region’s leading experts, the arboretum’s adult education classes are designed to accommodate all levels and schedules, including evening and weekend offerings. Register online at www.ncarboretum.org/education-programs/adult-education-classes or call 828.665.2492.

Smoky Mountain News

January 22-28, 2020

outdoors

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Get on the slopes without breaking the bank during one of several discounted days at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. n The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department will offer reduced-price skiing and snowboarding 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Fridays through March 6, with lift tickets $30 per day and combined lift/rental tickets available for $35.

Register online at www.rec.jacksonnc.org or for more information contact Molly Neary at 828.293.3053 ext. 9 or mollyneary@jacksonnc.org. n Homeschoolers will get special rates on lift tickets, rentals and lessons when presenting their homeschool credentials at the ticket center Tuesdays through the end of the season. Rates are $25 for lift tickets and $50 for lift, lesson and rental. A lift/rental ticket is $35. Rates apply only to day skiing from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. n Wednesdays are family days, with children 17 and under receiving a free lift ticket when accompanied by a parent purchasing a full-price adult day lift ticket. Regular rental and lesson rates apply.

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Sapphire Ski Area is offering an after-school ski program, with upcoming sessions Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and Feb. 7.

Sessions are $35 apiece, with a makeup day scheduled in case of rain for Feb. 14. Register at the Sapphire Valley Community Center or call 828.743.7663.

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January 22-28, 2020

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hether you are following a vegan or vegetarian diet or just looking for a meatless or meat-free burger option for a quick meal, you will appreciate the selection of products you can find at your local Ingles Markets.

Find them: Look in the PRODUCE section, FROZEN foods and in the MEAT department for these meat alternatives.

Labels: One of the things you’ll notice is that these products may sport a variety of different types of wording on labels from “plant-powered” to “plant-based” and from “meat less” to “beef less.”

Protein: Protein amounts on these products can vary. As their source of protein, these products often use soy protein, pea protein and vital wheat gluten.

Sodium: The sodium amounts can vary from 200mg to over 400mg. If sodium is a concern for you be sure and check the Nutrition Facts panel. Remember, these products would not need to be seasoned with additional salt.

Gluten-free: Very few of these products will be appropriate for our gluten-free customers with celiac disease. Be sure and read the ingredients and notice the allergen statement.

Cost: The price of these items can vary.

Fat: The amount of fat in these items can be from 4 grams to over 20 grams, depending on the product.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian

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January 22-28, 2020 Smoky Mountain News

George Ivey has joined the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation as the nonprofit’s new development officer.

Ivey, an Asheville native, will support community outreach and fundraising in the greater Asheville area. He has held a lifelong appreciation for the Blue Ridge Parkway, as a teenager working as a busboy at the Pisgah Inn and riding the scenic route’s entire 469 miles in 2004.

“From childhood trips up to Graveyard Fields to more recent visits for birding and hiking, I love the Parkway and all it does to celebrate and protect our natural and cultural heritage and support local tourism,” said Ivey. “I look forward to growing the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s ‘Community of Stewards.’”

Ivey holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University and is pursuing a master’s degree in parks, recreation, tourism and sports management through

N.C. State University. He has previously worked for The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Smokies and the N.C. Arboretum. He lives near Hendersonville

George Ivey.

Donated photo

with his wife and son.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the Parkway’s primary fundraising partner and recently launched the Trails & Views Forever Fund to protect Parkway amenities as the National Park Service faces continued funding shortfalls.

Take the Plunge The eighth annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Environmental Education will splash down at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Champion Credit Union Aquatic Center in Canton — and volunteers are needed to take the jump.

Haywood Waterways Association aims to raise $35,000 toward its environmental education efforts. Plungers can commit to a full-body immersion or simply dip their toes in the water, and costumes are encouraged. All plungers will receive a T-shirt, with prizes for most funds raised, best costumes and largest team. Any plunger who raises $100 or more gets a free lunch from one of three food trucks, and any school team raising $300 or more gets a pizza party for the Plunge team.

Also on site will be the Base Camp on the Go outdoor activities truck, some toasty bonfires, the Haywood Community College Timbersports Team, DJ Master P, Bona Fide bluegrass band, chair massages from Family Circle Chiropractic and everything that Canton Recreation Park has to offer.

The event will last until about 1:30 p.m.

Cost is $25 for adults and $10 for kids under 18 — or free by raising sponsorships. To donate or register, visit charity.gofundme.com/8thannualhwaplunge and click “Join”.

Hard-copy registration is available by contacting 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org. Day-of registration is also available.

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Peer into PARI’s past during a special program at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at the Learning Center at PARI’s campus in Rosman.

Director of Facilities and Security Brad McCall will lead a discussion, titled “Pisgah Nights: Space, Spies and Secrets,” on the history of PARI’s campus, which has been home to both NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. Light snacks will be available, and after the presentations guests may tour the Learning Center’s gallery and attend a planetarium show.

Reservations are required before 3 p.m. the day of the event. Cost is $40 for adults, $13 for youth 6-17 and free for children 5

The Learning Center at PARI’s 200-acre campus is located in the Pisgah National Forest at a former historic NASA tracking station. PARI photo

and under. Chelena Blythe, cblythe@pari.edu or 828.862.5554.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The largest recreational ski race program in the world, NASTAR Public Racing, will be held from 9-11 a.m. on Saturdays through the end of February in Cataloochee. Fun, competitive and easily accessible racing program that allows racers of all ages and abilities to compare themselves with each other, regardless of when and where they race, using a racer handicap system. Cost: $10 for two runs or $20 for unlimited runs. Register at the resort or nastar.com.

• The Jackson County Branch of the NAACP will offer celebration events in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, a kenote addres featuring Dr. Oralene Anderson Graves Simmons will be held from 7-9 p.m. at Bardo Arts Center on WCU’s campus. And on Friday, Jan. 24, WCU will host a day of training by the National Coalition Building Institute; registration required. 404.358.0096.

• A celebration of “Burns Night” in honor of the birthday of Robert Burns will be held starting at 6 p.m. on Jan. 25, at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Burns, the national poet of Scotland, was born in 1759. Tickets available at Franklin Chamber of Commerce, First Presbyterian Church and the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center, Inc. • The Cullowhee Planning Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 28 at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center in Cullowhee. Purpose: Cullowhee Small Area Plan draft. Info: www.planning.jacksonnc.org or 631.2261.

• The eighth-annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Environmental Education is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 at Champion Credit Union Aquatics Center in Canton. Presented by Haywood Waterways Association and the Town of Canton. Cost: $25. Info: haywoodwaterways.org/theplunge, 476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• The fifth annual Haywood Ramblings series kicks off with a session on “Unseen Photographs of Early Waynesville” presented by Alex McKay from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, in the Town Hall Board Room at 9 South Main St. in Waynesville. 456.8647.

• Tax-Aide volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filing from Feb. 3-April 14 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Service is provided by appointment from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. Appointments: 524.3600 or visit the library at 149 Siler Road.

• Bingo Night is at 6 p.m. on the second Saturday at the Fines Creek Community Center. 25 cents per game.

Info: www.fb.me/finescreekorg or 593.7042.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a seminar on “How to Start a Business” from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the college’s Regional High Technology Center, Room 3021, in Clyde. Speaker is Russ Seagle, executive director of The Sequoyah Fund, Inc., in Cherokee. Info and Registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Registration is underway for a “Steps to Financial Literacy Seminar” that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 9-11 a.m. on Feb. 20 in the College’s Regional High Tech Center, Room 3021, in Waynesville. Info and registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will be starting a monthly documentary series called “DocuWednesday” at 4 p.m. on the last Wednesday of

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. each month. The movies will be shown in the beautiful movie theater in the Community Room. At the end of each movie, the staff member who selected that documentary will lead a short discussion with the public. If you would like to know what movie will be showing each month, email Benjamin Woody at bwoody@fontanalib.org to be placed on an email list.

586.2016. www.fontanalib.org.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • “Share the Love” – a fundraiser for the programs of Haywood Habitat for Humanity – is set for 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Suggested donation: $20. Wine tasting and light hors d’oeuvres.

• A Valentine’s Dinner & Dance is set for 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Fines Creek Community Center, 190 Fines Creek Rd., in Clyde. Music by Running Wolfe and the Renegades; dancing with the Fines Creek Flatfooters. Dinner and dance: $15; Dinner only: $12; Dance only: $5; ages 6-under: Free. Proceeds go to FCCA in supporting scholarship, community needs and Manna Foodbank. www.fb.me/finescreekorg.

• Tickets are on sale now for the second annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser, held by Haywood Pathways Center, at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 at HART Theater in Waynesville.

Cost ranges from $25-40 for adults and $10-15 for children. Purchase tickets: haywoodpathwayscenter.org, at Pathways Center, 179 Hemlock St. in Waynesville or 246.0332.

• Stonehouse Pottery (Waynesville) will be doing an Open Studio Tour and Sale the first Sunday of each month to help support our local nonprofits. Each month highlights a different artist and that artists chooses his or her nonprofit. Stonehouse Pottery and the artist then give a portion of the proceeds as a donation to that nonprofit.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 23rd annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in downtown Sylva. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through Mach 15. greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

HEALTH MATTERS • The January Ladies Night Out program will feature Dr. David A. Franks, Internal Medicine Specialist from Angel Medical Center, at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Angel’s cafeteria in Franklin. Open to ages 13-up.

• Gibbins Advisors, independent monitor of HCA’s Mission Health System, will have a series of informational meetings in January and February to discuss its role and respond to questions from the community.

Following are times, dates and locations: 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center; 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Highlands Civic Center Meeting Room; and 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, in the Robert C. Carpenter Room of the Macon County Community Facilities Building in Franklin. inquiry@missionhealthim.com.

• Waynesville Yoga Center will host “Yoga for Back Care” from noon-1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Cost: $15.

Register or get more info: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• A monthly grief support group will meet from noon1:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month, with complimentary lunch provided, at Haywood Hospice Office, 43 Bowman Dr., in Waynesville. 452.5039 or Melanie.seeger@lhcgroup.com.

• Al-Anon, a confidential support group for friends and family members of alcoholics, meets at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays at Grace Episcopal Church in Waynesville.

440.724.5994.

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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

• Haywood County Health & Human Services Agency will hold a monthly night clinic from 4:30-6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at 157 Paragon Parkway in Clyde next to Tractor Supply. Annual exams, birth control, child health, lab testing, immunizations, STI/STD exams and counseling. Appointments: 452.6675.

from 6-10 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Info: 564.5133 or HCC-CPRraining@haywood.edu.

• Co-Dependents Anonymous, a support group for those wishing to create more fulfilling relationships with themselves and others, will meet from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Fridays at the Friendship House, 566 S. Haywood St., in Waynesville. http://coda.org.

A support group for persons with Multiple Sclerosis as well as family, friends and caregivers meets at 6:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the conference room of the Jackson county Public Library in Sylva.

293.2503.

• The Haywood Chapter of Survivors of Suicide Loss meets from 6:30-8 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at the Fellowship Hall of Hazelwood Presbyterian Church in Waynesville. Info: 910.528.0169.

• Nutrition counseling and diabetes education are offered through Macon County Public Health in Franklin.

349.2455.

• The WNC Ostomy Support Group will meet from 6-7 p.m. every second Monday at the Jackson County Center Cooperative Extension’s Meeting Room, 876 Skyland Dr., Suite 6, in Sylva. Group is for people living with a urostomy, ileostomy, colostomy or a continent diversion.

Facilitated by Certified Ostomy Nurses.

• “Nourishing You” – an introductory “Yoga for Cancer” class, is offered from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Fridays at the Haywood Breast Center in Waynesville. Taught by Kim Mulholland, Mindful Yoga for Cancer Duke Integrative Medicine Trainer. Info: 452.8691 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/YogaforCancer.

• A Community Acupuncture Clinic is held on the third weekend of each month at 461 Moody Farm Road in Maggie Valley. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. Sliding scale cost is $35-$55.

Offered by Barbara Dennis, a Licensed Acupuncturist and Registered Nurse.

• Jackson County Department of Public Health is offering diabetes self-management education as well as medical nutrition therapy. Info: 587.8240 or http://health.jacksonnc.org/wic.

• The Haywood County Senior Resource Center holds a dementia caregivers support group from 4:30-6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday each month in Waynesville.

356.2800 or www.haywoodseniors.org.

• “Riding the Waves of Cancer” meets from 2:30-4 p.m. on Thursdays at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. Physician referral from an oncologist or cancer doctor is required: Myhaywoodregional.com/yogaforcancer. 452.8691.

• Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) meets at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays at the Friendship House on Academy Street, behind and adjoining the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. Group of persons desiring healthy and fulfilling relationships. 775.2782 or www.coda.org.

• The Jackson County Senior Center will offer a Caregiver Education Class at 10 a.m. on the third Monday of every month in the Board Room of the Department of Aging in Sylva. 586.5494.

• The Haywood County Dementia Caregivers' Support Group meets at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). The meetings are scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday. 926.0018.

• Community First Aid and CPR classes are offered

• Western Carolina University’s student-run, Mountain Area Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic will be open from 6-8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays of each month. 227.3527.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) holds a support group for family, friends, and those dealing with mental illness at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month in the 2nd floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center.

• HIV and syphilis testing will is offered during normal business hours at Jackson County Health Department.

• A support group for anyone with MS, family & friends meets monthly at 6:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the conference room of Jackson Co. Library in Sylva. No Fee, sponsored by National MS Society. Local contact: Gordon Gaebel 293.2503.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission.

335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• A “Walk With A Doc” program is scheduled for 10 a.m. each Saturday at the Lake Junaluska Kern Center or Canton Rec Park.

MyHaywoodRegional.com/WalkwithaDoc. • Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) meets at noon on Saturdays at the First United Methodist Church Outreach Center at 171 Main St. in Franklin. 407.758.6433 or adultchildren.org.

• The Haywood County Health & Human Services Public Health Services Division is offering a Night Clinic from 4-6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month in Waynesville. Services include family planning, immunizations, pregnancy testing, STD testing and treatment. Appointments: 452.6675.

• The Jackson County Department of Public Health will offer a general clinic from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 587.8225.

• A Food Addicts Anonymous Twelve-Step fellowship group meets at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville. www.foodaddictsanonymous.org.

• Big Brother/Big Sister, a one-evening preparation class for children who are about to greet a new baby into their family, is offered for children ages 3-10 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

wnc calendar

• Mothers Connection, an ongoing social gathering for mothers and their babies, meets from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Thursdays excluding holidays at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• A support group meeting for those with Parkinson’s Disease and their caregivers will be held at 2 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2800.

• Dogwood Insight Center presents health talks at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

• Free childbirth and breastfeeding classes are available at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Classes are offered bimonthly on an ongoing basis. Register or get more info: 586.7907.

• Angel Medical Center’s diabetes support group meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the AMC dining room. 369.4166.

• A free weekly grief support group is open to the public from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at SECU Hospice House in Franklin. Hosted by Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team. 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.

SPIRITUAL • Registration is underway for “Living the Way of Love: Courageous Conversation About Diversity,” a retreat that will be held Feb. 7-9 at Lake Logan Conference Center. Register online by Jan. 25: lakelogan.org/events.

January 22-28, 2020

POLITICAL • The Democratic Women of Macon County will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Noah’s Play and Train, 486 W. Palmer Street in Franklin.

• A candidate forum with four of the five Democratic candidates running for N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Harrell Center Auditorium at Lake Junaluska.

• The Haywood County NAACP Members meeting is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Harris Chapel AME Zion, 26 Prospect St., in Canton. Begin an exercise in learning about cultural advantages.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Democratic Women of Macon County and the Macon County Democratic Men’s Club will host a Town Hall event for District 11 congressional candidates at 6 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building located at 1288 Georgia Road in Franklin.

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AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Waynesville author and Smoky Mountain News reporter Holly Kays will present her newest book, “Trailblazers & Traditionalists: Modern-day Smoky Mountain People” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Book reading at 3 p.m. www.facebook.com/hollykaysauthor or paypal.me/hollykays.

• A poetry reading is held at 2 p.m. on the last Saturday of each month at Panacea in Waynesville.

Bring poetry, essays and writings. poevampyre@gmail.com.

• Cookin’ the Books will be held at noon on the last Wednesday of the month at the Waynesville Public Library. A book club focused on cookbooks. All members choose a recipe from the book and bring it to share. The group will discuss the good and bad aspects of the chosen cookbook. 356.2507.

• Waynesville Book Club at 5:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Waynesville Library Meet to discuss books, which are chosen by each member (taking turns) and provided by the library. New members are welcome. For more information, 356.2507.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• Book Club is held at 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 • A Hand & Foot card game is held at 1 p.m. on Thursdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• Senior Sale Day is on the third Friday of every month at the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Patrons 60 and older get 20 percent off all purchases.

Proceeds benefit the Sylva Library.

• Pinochle game is played at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

Tires Brakes Alignment Road Service Tractor Tires

• Sapphire Ski Area is offering an after-school ski program with sessions on Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and Feb. 7.

Sessions are $35 each. Makeup day in case of rain: Feb. 14. Register: 743.7663 or at Sapphire Valley Community Center.

• Registration is underway for the 2020 Region 8 Western Regional Science fair, which is set for Thursday and Friday, Feb. 13-14, in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Thursday’s event is for grades 3-5; Friday is for grades 6-12. Info: sciencefair.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Sign-ups are underway for “Mardi Gras in the Mountains,” a children’s costume contest, pet costume contest and pantomime music parade that will be held on Feb. 22 on Main Street in Franklin.

Proceeds benefit Appalachian Animal Rescue Center in Franklin. For details on participation, sponsorships and volunteers: 369.0092.

• Mother Goose On the Loose early childhood curriculum will be featured in a Reading Adventures Storytime program that’s offered at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Blends rhyming with movement, storytelling, simple songs, music and sensory play. 488.3030.

• Waynesville Art School offers the Young Artist Program in the afternoons for 5-6 year old, 7-8 year old, 9-12 year old. Intro to Printmaking and Evening studies in arts is offered for 13-19 year old.

Waynesville Art School is located at 303 N. Haywood Street. Info: 246.9869, info@waynesvilleartschool.com or visit WaynesvilleArtSchool.com for schedule and to register.

• Mountain Wildlife offers wildlife education programs for schools and organizations in Western North Carolina, free of charge. If you are interested in having them visit your group contact them at blackbears66@gmail.com, 743.9648 or visit the website at www.mountainwildlifedays.com.

• Mah Jongg is played at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

A&E

• A Canasta card game is set for 1 p.m. on Mondays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FOOD & DRINK KIDS & FAMILIES • Homeschoolers get special rates at Cataloochee Ski Area by presenting their homeschool credentials on Tuesdays at the ticket center. Rates are $25 for lift tickets and $50 for lift, lesson and rental. Lift and rental ticket is $35. Rates apply only to skiing from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC. • • • • •

• Wednesdays are family days at Cataloochee Ski Area with children 17-under receiving a free lift ticket when accompanied by a parent purchasing a full-price adult lift ticket. Regular rental and lesson rates apply.

Only on non-holiday Wednesdays.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host the 3rd annual “Battle of the Beans” chili cookoff from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The 2nd annual “Groundhog Day Baconfest” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Harmons’ Den on the campus of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. The menu will be four courses. Cost is $25 per person, $45 per person with wine pairings. To RSVP (by Jan. 27), call 456.6322 or email harttheater@gmail.com.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville is offering lunch on Saturdays, “Lunch with us” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring fresh seasonal menu with outdoor seating weather permitting. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• Bryson City Wine Market offers flights from 4-7 p.m. on Fridays and from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays. Flight of four wines for $5.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Bryan’s gourmet cuisine. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• Secret Wine Bar is hosted by Bosu’s in Waynesville on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Contact for more information and make reservations. 452.1020.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Bosu Wine Shop in Waynesville. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

Bosu’s will host a Cocktails & Lunch on Saturday’s.

Serving house-made champagne cocktails from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.waynesvillewine.com • A free wine tasting will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 631.3075.

• “Brown Bag at the Depot” – an opportunity to gather with neighbors – is at noon every Friday at Sylva’s newest park at the corner of Spring and Mill Street along Railroad Ave. For info, contact Paige Dowling at townmanager@townofsylva.org.

• Graceann’s Amazing Breakfast is 8-10 a.m. every Tuesday in the Sapphire Room at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. $8.50 for adults; $5 for children.

Includes coffee and orange juice. 743.7663.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro.

Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

• The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will present the inaugural “Chili Cook-Off” from 5 to 6:30 pm. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Lazy Hiker Brewing taproom and Mad Batter kitchen in Sylva.

• A game day will occur from 2-9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games.

586.6300.

• A “Sip-N-Social” is set for 4-7 p.m. on Jan. 25, at the Bryson City Wine Market. Cost: $10 per person. For ages 21-up only.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 452.6000.

Puzzles can be found on page 38 These are only the answers.

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ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The Haywood County Arts Council will present “January Jazz” with Jazz Revolution Band at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

• The annual Burns Night will be held at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Tartan Hall at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin.

• The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present “Live via Satellite” the National Theatre of London’s production William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, www.highlandsperformingarts.com or at the door.

• Western Carolina University’s School of Music will host guest artists Anthony Taylor and Andy Hudson of UNC Greensboro, 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23 at Coulter Building. 227.7242.

Free and open to the public. Western Carolina University’s School of Music will host guest horn player Nick Kenneyhorn, 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30 at Coulter Building. 227.7242. Free and open to the public.

• The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre winter studio season will begin with James Thurber’s “The Thirteen Clocks” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART in Waynesville.

• Steve Whiddon and Angie Toomey will perform at First United Methodist Church’s Open Door Meal & Sing at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the church’s Christian Life Center in Sylva.

586.2358.

and acrylic painter Jason Woodard will have their works showing in the auditorium of the Waynesville branch library through January. The showcase is provided by the Haywood County Arts Council/Haywood County Public Library through the collaborative “Art Works @ The Library” program.

• The “Affrilachian Artist Travelling Studio” exhibit will run through Feb. 29 at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Gallery are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Cochran will host a gallery talk from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 15, at HCAC. As well, the closing reception will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at HCAC. www.haywoodarts.org.

⦁ “Bad Boys for Life” will be showing through Jan. 23 at Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville Plaza. Visit www.fandango.com or smokymountaincinema.com for showtimes, pricing & tickets. Info on Facebook or 246.0588. ⦁ “1917” will be showing through Jan. 23 at Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville Plaza.

Visit www.fandango.com or smokymountaincinema.com for showtimes, pricing & tickets. Info on Facebook or 246.0588. ⦁ “1917” will be start showing Jan. 24 at The Strand on Main in downtown Waynesville. For showtimes, pricing & tickets visit 38main.com or 283.0079 • The Second Tuesday Movie Group meets at 2 p.m. in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. For info, including movie title: 452.5169.

Outdoors

• A “Pottery & Pints” class will be held by Viva Arts Studios from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro. Cost is $25.50 per person. For more information and/or to register for the workshop, go to Facebook, search “Viva Arts Studio” and click on the “Events” tab for the ticket link. www.vivaartsschool.com or 506.6067.

• The Learning Center at PARI will host “Pisgah Nights: Space, Spies and Secrets” featuring PARI’s Director of Facilities and Security, Brad McCall, at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, near Rosman. Cost: $40 per adult, $13 per student, free for 5-under. More info: cblythe@pari.edu or 862.5554.

• An “Autonomous & Connected Vehicles Workshop” is set for 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at the NC Arboretum in Asheville.

Insights to the potential benefits and challenges.

Community discussion. Sign up: https://tinyurl.com/sfddtgs.

• Indivisible Swain County NC will host a presentation entitled “Climate Reality Truth in Action: The Truth of the Climate Crisis and How We Solve It” from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Presented

by Nilofer Couture and Joan Parks. Info: 497.9498 or marherr2017@gmail.com.

• The Jackson County Public Library offers e-services support from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. on Tuesdays in Sylva. For those with new devices or need help accessing library resources.

Appointments: 586.2016.

• The Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will be hosting a Valentine’s miniature design class from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday Jan. 27, in the library auditorium. You will be instructed on how to make cakes, candies, roses and lots of accessories. Class size is limited so you must pre-register by contacting Renae Dotson at 828.342.8919. Class is for adults.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

• The Asheville Winter Bike League will offer structured group rides at 10 a.m. every Saturday through Jan. 25. $5 donation requested. Sign up required: https://tinyurl.com/yx5byb8h.

• Sons of the American Legion will present a Turkey Shoot at 9 a.m. every Saturday through April at 171 Legion Dr. in Waynesville. $2 per round; refreshments provided. Weather permitting. 456.8691.

• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Hatchery Supported Trout Waters is open from 7 a.m. until one-half-hour after sunset until last day of February. Info: https://tinyurl.com/yae8ffqn.

FILM & SCREEN

• Country music legend Ronnie Milsap will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

to take a Wilderness First Responder Recertification class, Feb. 28 in Cullowhee and March 1 in Brevard. Registration is also underway for courses on www.landmarklearning.org.

• Chimney Rock State Park will hold its 15th annual Groundhog Day Celebration at 1 p.m. on Feb. 2. Greta the Groundhog will make her yearly spring prediction as well as her Super Bowl pick.

Included with regular park admission.

ChimneyRockPark.com.

• Landmark Learning will offer courses in Wilderness First Responder, dates: Feb. 8-16, March 7-15 and March 14-22 in Cullowhee. Info: www.landmarklearning.org.

• A program entitled “Nature 101: Bark & Branches” will be presented from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., in Highlands. Info: 526.2623.

• Jenean Hornbuckle, a landscape painter, is currently showing her works, at the Rotunda Gallery in the Sylva library. info@jacksoncountyarts.org or 507.9820.

• An opportunity to learn about winter hikes and waterfalls in Western North Carolina will be offered from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, at REI in Asheville. Registration required: www.rei.com/events.

• Acrylic and watercolor painter Linda Blount

• Landmark Learning is offering several options

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COMPETITIVE EDGE • The Cataloochee Thursday Night Race League is open to skiers and snowboarders 18 years or older from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday through Feb. 27. Individuals race against the clock on a modified GS or slalom course for the better of two runs. The top three challengers in men’s and women’s age divisions win prizes. Helmets and goggles required. $15 to race or $35 for race entry and night lift ticket. https://tinyurl.com/y9ys99hu.

FARM AND GARDEN • The Coalition for Invasive Plant Management (CNIPM) will provide a half-day workshop for landscapers, nursery trade personnel and herbicide applicators starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Highlands Community Building. Cost: $50. Registration required: highlandsbiological.org/invasive-plants.

• Registration is underway for a seminar entitled “How to Make Money on the Farm,” which will be offered by the Small Business Center at Haywood Community College from 1-4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, in the college’s Regional High Technology Center Auditorium in Waynesville. Info and registration: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• The Small Business Center at Southwestern Community College and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems will offer a seminar entitled “How to Make Money on the Farm” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Whittier Fire Station. Preregistration required: bit.ly/makemoneyonfarm.

147 Walnut St. • Waynesville 828-456-7376 • 1-800-627-1210

www.sunburstrealty.com

Catherine Proben Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809

cproben@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC

828.452.5809

I Am Proud of Our Mountains and Would Love to Show You Around!

Randall Rogers BROKER ASSOCIATE —————————————

• Registration is underway for the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s annual Business of Farming Conference, which will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Feb. 22 at the AB Tech Conference Center in Asheville. Cost: $75 if registering by Feb. 1 or $95 after. asapconnections.org or 236.1282.

(828) 734-8862

RROGERS@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

HIKING CLUBS • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-to-strenuous four-mile hike on Saturday, Jan. 25, up Rabun Bald. Elevation change of 900 feet.

Info and reservations: 524.5298.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate four-mile hike on Saturday, Feb. 1, to Siler Bald on the Appalachian Trail. Elevation change of 700 feet; 360-degree views. Info and reservations: 369.1565.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-to-strenuous seven-mile hike, with an elevation change of 900 feet, on Saturday, Feb. 8, from Long Branch to Rock Gap in the Standing Indian Recreational Area. Info and reservations: 421.4178.

Ellen Sither esither@beverly-hanks.com (828) 734-8305

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January 22-28, 2020

Employment

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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR JACKSON COUNTY REACH of Macon County and the Center for Domestic Peace are seeking a full-time Assistant Director for Jackson County. This position would report to the REACH of Macon County Executive Director and their work location would be at WKH 520& &'3 RIÂżFH located in Sylva with some travel to Franklin and throughout Jackson County. This position will be responsible for preparing and submitting grant applications; for Jackson County programmatic and annual reporting; for the supervision of Jackson County program staff and services; for direct client victim services and hotline coverage. Additionally, the AD will work cooperatively with the Board of Directors of the CDP including community outreach, constituent education, and local fundraising. A minimum of a 4 year degree or equivalent experience and an understanding of the philosophy and mission of REACH of Macon County and CDP. Please see this link below for additional information on job posting. Please submit resumes to: reach@ reachofmaconcounty. org. (828) 369-5544 reach@reachofmaconcounty.org WNC MarketPlace

TEACHER ASSISTANT -JACKSON COUNTY - An Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education is mandatory for this position, must also have the ability to assume the responsibilities of the teacher when absent, work well with parents and co-workers, good judgment /problem solving skills. Candidate must be able to work well with diverse families. Basic computer skills and 2 yrs. experience preferred. )XOO WLPH ZLWK EHQH¿WV Applications will be taken at our website www. mountainprojects.org EOE/AA

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38

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January 22-28, 2020

WNC MarketPlace

The naturalist’s corner

Juncos band together in flocks during the winter. These flocks generally number between 15 and 25 birds and have a strict hierarchy.

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Snowbirds part deaux n a past column regarding snowbirds (“Snowbirds are here”), I wrote, “No, I’m not talking about your Uncle Bernie and Aunt Esther from New York City.” But I recently learned snowbirds (dark-eyed juncos) are kinda like your northern relatives — they like to come back to the same spot each winter. It seems many of the snowbirds at your feeders this winter were probably there last winter. And like relatives, we get used to them being around.

John J. Audubon wrote about the junco, “So gentle and tame does it become on the least approach of hard weather, that it forms, as it were, a companion to every child. Indeed, there is not an individual in the Union who does not know the little Snow-bird, which, in America, is cherished as the Robin is in Europe.”

And in America, the snowbird is second in abundance to the American robin.

Population estimates range from nearly 3 million to around 6 million. Juncos nest across most of Alaska and Canada to northern California and New England and down the Appalachians to northern Georgia. It overwinters from southern Canada to north-

I

ern Mexico.

Because there are so many juncos and they are so widely distributed, their taxonomy is and has been somewhat jumbled.

At one time, at least six species of juncos were recognized in North America. Today, I believe the species count is two — dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis, and yellow-eyed junco, Junco phaeonotus. The yellow-eyed junco is predominantly a Mexican species that barely reaches southern New Mexico and southern Arizona, and the former “species” of junco like Oregon, whitewinged, slate-colored, etc. are considered subspecies and/or races of J. hyemalis.

We have a resident species of junco here in the Southern Appalachians — J. hyemalis carolinensis. Like most of the dark-eyed juncos of the slate-colored variety carolinensis is grey above and white below with conspicuous white outer tail feathers. Bird-banders will tell you it has shorter wings than most dark-eyed juncos, a trait you cannot see in the field. But there is a way to tell whether the juncos at your feeders are local or if they’re like Uncle Bernie and Aunt Esther.

Most dark-eyed juncos have pinkish bills, but the Southern Appalachian race has a bone-white or bluish bill.

As long as food and cover are adequate a flock will normally spend the winter on a 1012-acre territory.

The oldest recorded dark-eyed junco was a little over 11 years old. It was first captured in West Virginia in 1991 and was recaptured at the same site in 2001. Some other interesting tidbits about dark-eyed juncos Leucistic junco from include: mating Newfound Gap. pairs are thought to Don Hendershot photo be monogamous; to help the snowbird through winter, their winter molt contains 30 percent more feathers than summer; and probably because of the sheer numbers of juncos, they appear to have one of the higher rates of leucism (loss of pigmentation) in the bird world.

I expect many winter birders across Western North Carolina have had a burst of snow bunting adrenaline on initial sighting of a partially leucistic junco.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. His book, A Year From the Naturalist’s Corner, Vol. 1, is available at regional bookstores or by contacting Don at ddihen1@bellsouth.net)

January 22-28, 2020 Smoky Mountain News 39

January 22-28, 2020

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