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Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016 Vol. 17 Iss. 35

Haywood leaders to consider gun range moratorium Page 9 Macon explores courthouse security improvements Page 19

Weight Loss Clinic Now Open Saturdays!

CONTENTS On the Cover: After 88 years in business, Walker Service in Waynesville is closing up shop as of March 31. Owner Clayton Cathey is ready to retire at 66, even if it means letting go of a business that’s been in his family for three generations. Cathey reflects on his years spent at the service station while longtime customers are left with the daunting task of finding another mechanic they can trust. (Page 6)

News Harris Hospital expands women’s services..................................................................4 Waynesville leaders try to restore unity ........................................................................8 Haywood leaders to consider gun range moratorium ..............................................9 School report shows strong case for closing Central ..........................................10 Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs ................................................12 Charter school chairwoman steps down ..................................................................15 Tax value notices to be issued in Jackson ................................................................16 MADD advocate honored for dedication .................................................................. 17 Macon explores courthouse security improvements.............................................. 19

Opinion Central’s situation raises relevant issues ....................................................................21

A&E Go tell it on the mountain ................................................................................................24

Outdoors Race night offers community at Cataloochee ..........................................................32

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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Harris brings OB doctors under one umbrella

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER arris Regional Hospital is a powerhouse when it comes to delivering babies in the mountains, a legacy it has pledged to maintain with the symbolic merger of the hospital’s OB doctors into a single practice under the hospital’s umbrella.

Before the merger late last year, two OB practices handled deliveries at Harris. One was the privately owned practice of Smoky Mountain OB GYN. The other was the hospital-owned practice of Harris’ Women’s Care.

Last fall, the hospital acquired Smoky Mountain OB GYN and brought their providers into the fold of Harris Women’s Care.

“The staff and patients have made a great transition,” said Dr. Mila Shah-Bruce, a founding provider in Harris Women’s Care.

It’s the first time in history that all the providers delivering babies at Harris are under one roof, in the same practice, and affiliated with the hospital.

And that provides for a seamless patient experience and care, according to Harris CEO Steve Heatherly.

It also dovetails with the evolution of Harris Pediatric Care.

Until six years ago, all the pediatricians and OB doctors practicing at Harris operated standalone, private practices. Now, all four pediatricians and all three OB providers who practice at Harris are in Harris-owned practices.

“I think going forward we are going to continue to invest heavily in these two practices,” Heatherly said.

The women’s care and pediatric care providers are now more easily able to work together to provide seamless care for a mother during pregnancy and her babies once they’re born, despite mother and baby technically being patients of different practices. A new childbirth class series is one example.

“Brand new parents, who are just really kind of groping around in the dark, the classes really help them sort things out beforehand,” said Dr. Charles Toledo, the founding doctor of Harris Pediatrics.

Toledo said benefits are also realized in the hand-off of a newborn’s care from the OB provider at the time of delivery to a pediatrician.

“There is consistency. They understand us, they know us, they know our styles,” Toledo said. “There is no second guessing.

They know what we can do and how we are going to do it. There are efficiencies there that have truly improved things.”

Even once a woman and her baby are discharged, it’s the pediatrician doing the one-week check-up for a newborn who first notices things like post-partum depression or breast-feeding difficulties with the mom.

“We can just pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey can you check in to this?’” Toledo said.

“It is very integrated in that aspect,” Shah4 Bruce agreed. “It is becoming more cohesive.”

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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EVOLUTION OF HOSPITAL-OWNED PRACTICES The trend of doctors moving from standalone private practices to hospital-owned practices isn’t uncommon. Nationally, the transition has been playing out since the early 2000s.

“Physicians integrating with hospitals is a theme,” Heatherly said.

That theme was somewhat later coming to Harris.

Heatherly said the hospital didn’t push doctors to affiliate, because to him, the structure was secondary to the larger goal.

“We still believe the highest form of integration is local physicians providing high quality care closer to home,” Heatherly said.

While Harris hasn’t pressured private physician practices into affiliating or selling out to the hospital, it has launched its own practices on the side, even in service lines where there was an existing private practice.

That was the case with Harris Women’s Care and Harris Pediatrics, both of which were launched by the hospital alongside existing stand-alone practices.

The hospital wasn’t trying to compete or force them out of the market, but rather wanted to ensure that the service line was meeting the demand and needs of the community, Heatherly said.

“A private practice will at times make decisions that are perfectly rationale in the context of their business, which may or may not be the best thing for the entire service line,” Heatherly said. “The benefit of this level of integration is there doesn’t have to be a disconnect between those two things.”

Dr. Janine Keever, the owner of Smoky Mountain OBGYN wasn’t pressured to sell out to Harris, Heatherly said. Rather the hospital was there to support her in whatever decision she made.

“We were not aggressive in going to Keever and saying, ‘We have to acquire your practice,’” Heatherly said. “But we were aggressive in the idea that we wanted to be her partner in making that change, whatever change she wanted that to be.”

In fact, Keever came to Harris first.

“She was trying to figure out what she wanted to do in the long term,” Heatherly recalled. “A couple months into the discussion, she decided what was best for her was to sell the practice to the hospital to create continuity of care for her patients and for her to pursue opportunities elsewhere.”

SHIFTING OB LANDSCAPE For most of the past decade, Keever’s practice had a virtual monopoly on the OB service line. At its peak, Smoky Mountain OB GYN had seven doctors and midwives on staff, delivering more than 650 babies a year at Harris, and bringing in patients from a fivecounty area.

Keever built a spacious and well-appointed new office on a hill overlooking the hospi-

Harris Women’s Care doctors Mila Shah-Bruce and Megan Metcalf, along with Harris Pediatric Care Dr. Charles Toledo, consult on the day’s patients at the labor-and-delivery nurses station at Harris Regional Hospital, A Duke LifePoint Hospital.

Mission Women’s Care in western counties Angel Medical Center in Franklin has seen major gains in the delivery of babies at its hospital in the past year following the launch of an expanded OB and women’s care service line under the umbrella of Mission Health in late 2014.

Angel Medical Center saw a 70 percent increase in newborn deliveries from 2014 to 2015. It marks a major shift in the OB landscape in the western counties.

Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva has historically been the go-to hospital for having babies across the four western counties. But after Mission Health acquired Angel, it began investing substantially in the build-up of its women’s health and OB service line.

Mission Women’s Care brought six doctors and midwives on board and opened new offices in Sylva and Bryson City, in addition to its home base in Franklin — making a major foray into the territory once dominated by Harris.

“The feedback we’ve been receiving has been very positive. Women seem to appreciate having a choice in care providers,” said Kellett Letson, vice president and chief of women’s health for Mission Health. tal to serve the seemingly indefatigable demand for women’s health and OB care coming her way.

But Keever’s empire collapsed abruptly 18 months ago.

Half her staff left en masse to join a competing practice being launched by Mission.

Meanwhile, Harris had just launched its own women’s care practice, and she lost another physician to them, leaving her practice with only one other provider beside herself.

Her patient load dropped substantially and her new state-of-the-art OB office sat half empty.

“It is important for women to have a choice and choose what is right for them,” added Dr. Elizabeth England, with Mission Women’s Care in Sylva, Bryson City and Franklin. “Why a woman chooses one physician or office over another is a very personal decision often dependent on several factors important to them and their family.”

The increase in deliveries at Angel has led to a decrease in the volume of deliveries at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva.

Deliveries at Harris dropped from more than 600 a year on average to 490 in 2015.

But Harris is not daunted by the new competition from the Mission practice.

“We will continue to be the dominant provider of women’s and children’s services.

We feel like we are in a better position to do that,” Harris CEO Steve Heatherly said.

Heatherly added that competition is not bad.

“Choice is not bad for patients,” Heatherly said.

That’s one thing both provider practices agree on.

“We believe it is good for Western North Carolina to have so many great obstetric and gynecologic providers from which to choose,” England said.

— By Staff writer Becky Johnson

Keever’s long-standing cooperative relationship with Harris remained strong, however, even during the upheaval. She joined forces with the doctors in the new Harris Women’s Care, forging an alliance to serve patients delivering at Harris, despite being separate practices.

But the long-term viability of her standalone practice amid the competition playing out between Harris and Mission prompted soul searching in her part.

She ultimately chose a life-changing path: to close her practice here, move back home to be closer to family and spend more time as a mom.

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A $5.5 million renovation of the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will begin in March. Donated photo

Thursday, Jan. 28th

“After eleven years spent building the practice and the new facility, I have decided to focus more time on raising my son and teaching,” Keever wrote in a letter sent to existing patients last year. “I will greatly miss the relationships that I have built with my patients over the last decade. I would like to thank you for trusting me to care for you over the years.”

Harris acquired Keever’s posh medical office building and moved Women’s Care into it following the merger.

“We really needed the additional space, and everything is state-of-the-art,” ShahBruce said.

Harris Women’s Care is now comprised of three OB doctors and a nurse practition-

er. But only the OB doctors can deliver babies. They don’t currently have a midwife, which is one distinction with the Mission Women’s practice serving in the western counties.

Shah-Bruce said that Harris’ OB doctors are all women, however, and can provide the same type of natural, personal connection and natural birth options midwifes are known for.

“You can be as invasive or as least invasive as an OB as you feel comfortable,” ShahBruce said.

“The presence or absence of midwives for us doesn’t’ expand or contract the scope of services,” Heatherly said. “They offer the full gamut of care that has been offered in the community for years.”

Harris Regional Hospital will be holding free childbirth and breastfeeding classes beginning Feb. 2.

• “Understanding Birth” will be offered 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 2, 9 and 16, or a Saturday session 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March 12.

• “Understanding Breastfeeding” will be offered 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.

Classes will be offered bi-monthly on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

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Smoky Mountain News

“Duke LifePoint Healthcare is delivering on its commitment to our hospital board and our community to complete the upgrade. We’re thrilled to serve our communities with a world-class destination for families,” Heatherly said.

The New Generations Family Birthing Center will feature fully renovated delivery suites, patient rooms, nursing stations and a dedicated operating room for C-sections.

— By Becky Johnson

Classes for new moms offered at Harris

Ingles Markets — Candler, NC Sand Hill Road — 3 to 6 p.m.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

$5.5 million renovation and expansion of the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will soon be underway.

“We are modernizing the space to match the talent of our staff and physicians,” Harris CEO Steve Heatherly said. “We want to give them a state-of-the-art environment in which they take care of patients.”

It will be a busy year for Harris. A top-tobottom renovation of the emergency department will soon get underway as well.

“The construction of both projects will be happening simultaneously,” Heatherly said.

Two years ago, a renovation of Harris’ labor-and-delivery wing, along with major equipment and technology upgrades, were carried out. A private fundraising campaign for the labor-and-delivery renovation brought in $600,000, more than half of which was set aside for architectural planning and site work for the larger project involving the entire mother-baby floor.

“We’ve always known other phases of the project were of much more significance,” Heatherly said. “This is a project that has been in the hopper for some time.”

But Harris lacked the capital to take it on.

That changed when Duke LifePoint, a national for-profit hospital company, bought Harris.

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Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center

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Though it’s changed names a few times throughout the years, Walker Service has stayed in the same family for 88 years. The shop was opened in 1928 by Clayton Walker and has been handed down through the generations. Chuck Dayton photo

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Walker Service Waynesville institution to close its doors after three generations, 88 years

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR devoted customer stood at the counter at Walker Service chatting with Clayton Cathey before picking up his truck for what may be the last time.

“What’s this rumor I hear about you closing?” the customer asked.

Cathey confirmed the rumor, though it was much to the customer’s disappointment.

After running the family-owned business for 42 years, Cathey is ready to retire, leaving a third-generation Waynesville institution without a successor. It’s not easy for him to walk away from the legacy his family has built, but he hopes someone qualified will step forward to take it over.

“I’ve done this since I was 15 — I grew up in this station. I’ve had a lot of good experiences and a lot of good times here,” he said. “I’d like to lease it and sell the business to an honest fellow who will take care of my customers.”

While Cathey,66, gets to look forward to some much deserved R&R, Walker Service customers will be sad to see it go. Lynwood McElroy has been taking his vehicles for servicing at Walker’s for more than 30 years.

“I told Clayton when I picked up my car last time that I didn’t know what in the world is going to happen to us guys who 6 don’t know how to do anything other than

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start it up,” he joked. “I’m glad he’s retiring, but I’ll just be lost until I find somebody else to do my work.”

HISTORY OF GREAT SERVICE Since Walker Service was started in 1928

by Cathey’s grandfather, Clayton Walker, the full-service garage has built a strong reputation in the community that was passed down to Cathey’s father Joe Cathey and then to him.

Cathey said he still has customers that have been coming to the garage since his grandfather ran the place. He also fixes cars for the children and grandchildren of loyal costumers. Cathey says it’s no big secret what’s led to the success and longevity of his business — all it takes is trust and honesty.

“We’ve had customers that have been with us a long time,” he said. “I just try to be honest and treat them like I would want to be treated.”

McElroy said he could always depend on Cathey and his employees to get the job done at a fair price. He knew he could drop the car off and they would figure out what’s wrong with it. If he needed to leave the car there for several hours, he knew one of the employees at Walker would drive him home and then bring the car to him when it was ready.

“You can’t get that kind of service much anymore,” McElroy said. “Clayton is just a

over there in the corner in the ‘60s,” he said, pointing to the left of the shop. “All the old fellers would come by and sit by the fire and talk — it was sort of a meeting place.”

Boyd “Red” Rathbone worked at Walker Service for 40 years before retiring in 1999.

He did everything from servicing cars, pumping gas and selling tires. It was a good steady job that he was able to make a career of alongside the Cathey family.

“Mechanic work is all I’ve ever done since I was big enough to hold a wrench,” he laughed. “It’s very unusual for anybody to retire out of a service station.”

Rathbone recalled the days when Waynesville had a service station on every corner in town, but Walker Service is the only one remaining from that era. He said the business has been able to persevere through good times and bad times because of the employees’ dedication to good work and customer service.

“We gave good service to start with and we tried to treat everybody good,” he said.

“It was hard to keep up with the changes to all the car systems, but we did a good job.

Newer cars are so computer controlled now that I’m lost. I can’t even work on my own car anymore.”

MIXING MECHANICS AND METAL

person who is easy to deal with and I was Walker Service can boast great customer always satisfied with the work he did.” service, but having an art gallery attached to Located on the corner of Depot Street it has really set the business apart. and Branner Avenue, Walker Service was Clayton’s wife — acclaimed metal artist once at the center of Waynesville’s main Grace Cathey — could have opened her art thoroughfare. In many ways, Walker Service gallery anywhere in downtown Waynesville acted as a landmark to let people know they or even the River Arts District in Asheville. had arrived in Waynesville.

However, she decided to open the gallery “So many people would stop here on inside Walker Service 18 years ago. their way from Brevard and ask where they “It was my mother’s idea and everyone were that they put a sign up on the front that thought I was crazy,” she said. “But I believe said ‘This is Waynesville,’” said Grace in staying true to who you are and what you Cathey, Clayton’s wife of 32 years. are and we’ve been able to make it work.”

The building has expanded throughout the years with each generation adding its own touch to the business. It started out in 1928 as Cherokee Service Station but was changed when Clayton Walker added the additional work bays on the building. It was called Walker Esso and then Walker Exxon before it became Walker Grace and Clayton Cathey say running both of their businesses in the Service in 2004 when the business same space has worked well for 18 years. Jessi Stone photo stopped selling gasoline.

Clayton Cathey “We’ve had customers that have been said the station has with us a long time. I just try to be honest been much more than a place to get and treat them like I would want to be your car repaired.

“I remember treated.” there used to be an — Clayton Cathey old pot-bellied stove

MAKING TIME FOR RETIREMENT

Grace has made it clear she is not retiring.

She will still work from her home studio and do commissioned work. All of her pieces are available to view and purchase on her website www.gracecatheycom.

Clayton has dedicated much of his life to the family business, but he has other interests he would like to pursue, including more traveling, hiking and fishing.

“We’d like to do some more traveling, see more of the national parks and I’d like to do more volunteer work to give back to the community while my health is still good,” he said.

Grace said closing Walker Service would leave a huge void in their lives. They hate to see another mom and pop business close in Waynesville, but they hope to see someone buy the business to carry it on for another generation.

“I’ve really enjoyed all our customers and my customers are Clayton’s customers,” Grace said. “We’re so thankful they have supported us and we couldn’t have done it for all these years without them.”

Above, left: three generations of mechanics — Clayton Walker, (from left) Clayton Cathey and Joe Cathey. Above: Clayton Walker stands outside of his business Cherokee Service Station in 1928 Waynesville.

Donated photos

Walker Service customers can also peruse Grace Cathey’s art collection as they wait for their cars to be serviced. Jessi Stone photo

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Grace and Clayton have been seriously contemplating closing up shop for a while now, but it wasn’t until they were out to dinner one night that someone said something that made them think long and hard about their lives.

“They said, ‘what’s the one thing you don’t know how much of you have?’” Grace recalled. “And the answer is time.”

The Catheys finally decided they wanted to take more time to enjoy their lives while they still have their health. The gallery and the shop will be closing as of March 31, but

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Stacks of tires and old vending machines once occupied the gallery space, but now it is a beautiful room showcasing some of Grace’s metal wall hangings, sculptures and jewelry. Despite the odd juxtaposition between car repair and fine art, Clayton and Grace say it’s worked out quite well.

The gallery provides an aesthetically pleasing waiting room that most garages can’t match, plus the Catheys can operate two businesses in one location.

Clayton keeps an eye on the gallery throughout the week while Grace works in her home studio making new pieces. Many times women come to get their car repaired and leave with a fixed car plus a Grace Cathey original.

“It looks a lot better in here than it used to, but now men don’t want to leave their wives here because it could cost them more money when they get back,” Clayton joked.

Grace has also created a beautiful sculpture garden out back behind the shop. She said the garden would remain there as long as they own the property.

Smoky Mountain News 7

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Restoring unity important, say Waynesville leaders Divisive town manager firing could negatively influence applicants

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER aynesville leaders made a pact last week to work cooperatively in choosing a new town manager, despite the rift among board members leading up to this point.

The town board has been at the epicenter of a contentious, three-month debate over whether to keep or replace Town Manager Marcy Onieal. Despite the divided 3-to-2 vote to fire Onieal earlier this month, Mayor Gavin Brown said teamwork and unity is now paramount as the board embarks on a search for a new manager.

“This is a time when we really, really need to be on board together,” Brown said during a town meeting last week. “We are elected individually but we operate as a board. The vote is over and we need to go on.”

Brown turned to each of the four aldermen, calling on them by name to seal the truce.

Aldermen LeRoy Roberson, Gary Caldwell and Jon Feichter — the three who voted to fire Onieal — gave Brown a symbolic nod of agreement, as did Alderwoman Julia Freeman, who, like Brown, wanted to keep Onieal.

“We need to work together,” Roberson added.

The 3-2 vote on Onieal’s termination was out of character for the Waynesville town board. Nearly all their votes are unanimous, and in the rare instance they aren’t, those who break rank usually offer an apology of

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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AN INTERIM IN THE WINGS The town board met last week to discuss a transition plan. With Onieal’s last day rapidly approaching at month’s end, the town will bring in an interim manager to hold down the fort until a permanent manager can be chosen, a process that will likely take six months.

The town board will decide in coming weeks whether to hire a consulting firm to recruit candidates, process applications and narrow down the best fits.

In the meantime, the town board interviewed two candidates for interim manager for about 40 minutes each last week.

Despite rumors that former town manager Lee Galloway would be asked back as the interim, he is not one of the candidates.

Galloway was a well-liked town manager who had a 20-year tenure during something of a Golden Age for Waynesville.

While his institutional knowledge of the town would offer a convenient short-term fix, it could have exacerbated the strain on employees being torn by pro- and anti-Onieal camps.

Both candidates being considered have long tenures as town managers in the western part of the state but are now semi-retired, aside from various consulting and interim manager positions here and there.

“We were very impressed with both their demeanors and styles,” Brown said following the interviews, adding they are both well

qualified to be interim.

The town board will pick one of them at its meeting Tuesday night (Jan. 26.)

The two candidates being considered are: • Robert Hites, the long-time city manager of Statesville. He retired from Statesville in 2012 after 15 years there, and has served as a local government consultant and interim manager since then, including the interim manager of Monroe for 10 months.

• Michael Morgan, the long-time town manager of Weaverville. He retired from Weaverville in 2010 after 18 years there, and since then has taught local government courses for Western Carolina University’s masters pro-

“A lot of people are going to see this as controversial.

They aren’t going to want to walk into a situation that is potentially going to be controversial.”

— Gavin Brown, Waynesville mayor

gram in public affairs and has served in interim roles in Sylva, Marshall and Weaverville.

Once an interim is picked, the town board will meet Wednesday with an adviser from the N.C. League of Municipalities who specializes in town manager hiring process to get an overview of the different approaches it can take and decide on a process. (That meeting will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at town hall.)

“The folks at the League will get us kickstarted, so we’ll all be on the same playing field,” Brown said.

A public, drop-in reception for Town Manager Marcy Onieal is planned at town hall from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29. Onieal said she loves Waynesville and does not plan to leave.

Haywood to consider moratorium on outdoor shooting ranges Shooting range controversy touches on land-use planning debate

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER acklash from rural residents in Haywood County who fear an indoor shooting range proposed in their midst will disrupt their traditional way of life has got the attention of Haywood County commissioners.

“I ask you to please protect our community. Please protect us citizens. You have the right to do that,” Vicky Rogers, a representative of the Francis Farm community, pleaded to county commissioners at a county meeting last week.

While commissioners sympathized with the neighbors who have now appeared before them twice, they said they aren’t willing to swoop in and stop an indoor shooting range 8 without a full-fledged community dialogue

Smoky Mountain News

sorts before casting their dissenting vote.

The town’s reputation for sound and stable leadership has been an important ingredient in Waynesville’s success.

Brown doesn’t want to jeopardize that reputaLeRoy Roberson tion.

“I know the citizens of Waynesville and the adjoining communities look to us as a guiding light and we need to continue to be that way,” Brown told the other board members.

Brown said he feared some would-be appliGary Caldwell cants for town manager may be gun shy about the dynamic they would be walking into.

Although Onieal was smart, driven and skilled as a manager, she was rebuked for her strong management style that was off-putting to some Jon Feichter long-time employees.

The nature of Onieal’s dismissal so quick on the heels of a town election that altered the board’s majority could be a strike against the town in attracting experienced managers to apply, Brown said.

“A lot of people are going to see this as controversial,” Brown told the rest of the board Tuesday night. “They aren’t going to

want to walk into a situation that is potentially going to be controversial.”

To assuage that fear, the board needs to be unanimous in its decision of who to hire, Brown suggested.

“We need these potential applicants to know we walk arm in arm and serve this community arm in arm,” Brown said.

Brown said that’s the board’s job after all — to represent the community as a whole, not a particular constituency, special interest group or party.

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on land-use planning and zoning.

However, commissioners drew a distinction when it came to outdoor shooting ranges — which neighbors fear could also be part of the property owner’s long-range plan.

“I don’t think that is an appropriate place for an outdoor shooting range,” Commissioner Mark Swanger said. “If you have an inadvertent charge, you don’t know where it is going to end up.”

Once an outdoor shooting range comes along, however, the county would have few options to unwind it. So commissioners decided to consider a moratorium — which would enact a temporary 60-day ban on outdoor shooting ranges — in order to study the issue.

During the moratorium window, the county would decide whether to enact rules governing where outdoor shooting ranges could go, and then lift the moratorium once the protections are in place.

“A moratorium would create some breathing room to study outdoors ranges and it would give anyone considering an outdoor

range a forum to explain how they would make it safe. It would create a place for dialogue and time for dialogue,” Swanger said.

The county must hold a public hearing on the idea of a outdoor shooting range moratorium before enacting it, however. A public hearing is planned for 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1, in the historic courthouse in Waynesville.

Several members of the audience from the Francis Farm community applauded the decision to pursue a moratorium.

Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick said the risk to public safety posed by outdoor shooting ranges warrants swift action by the county.

“I don’t want to miss the boat if we aren’t doing anything proactive to prevent an outdoor shooting range in a location where it isn’t safe,” Kirkpatrick said.

For now, there’s nothing to stop anyone from building an indoor shooting range — or outdoor shooting range — wherever they please, due to the lack of land-use rules in the county.

Residents of Francis Farm are grieved by

the prospect an indoor shooting range and gun store setting up shop in their agrarian community with a long family lineage.

It was their second appeal to commissioners this month. Their comments this time played up concerns over safety for nearby children commuting to school.

“We have kids that’s traveling by this road where this proposed gun range is going to be at least four times a day on school buses within 100 feet of where the front door is going to be,” said Jim Francis. “If y’all would please take this into consideration. It needs to be looked at big time.”

INDOOR RANGE

STILL ON THE TABLE Francis Farm residents didn’t get everything they hoped, however. Ideally, they would like to stop an indoor shooting range from coming to their community as well, and

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Janie Higgins, a life-long resident of the Francis Farm community, asked Haywood County commissioners last week to protect their community from a proposed shooting range. Becky Johnson photo

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Smoky Mountain News

The debate over the shooting range has ignited a larger discussion about the lack of land-use planning and zoning in the county.

Lisa Nelson, a resident of Francis Farm, urged commissioners to take the bull by the horns and address the long overdue need for land-use planning to protect property values and the integrity of communities throughout the county.

“We don’t like change. Most of us live in an era where change is hard to deal with,” Nelson said. “It is time you all start to look at land-use planning and zoning in this area. It is time to open the dialogue now. Let’s talk about keeping the pristine communities that people come here to enjoy.”

Commissioners admitted it may be time to take up the issue.

“We haven’t had that discussion as a county as a whole. That discussion probably needs to happen,” Kirkpatrick said. “Nobody really wants to have that discussion because they know the onslaught of the people who will be here when we do try to have that.”

Commissioner Bill Upton recalled the last time the county engaged in a dialogue on zoning it didn’t go over so well.

“I recall 10 years ago we checked to see if there was anyone out there interested in land use and it failed miserably,” Upton said.

“Actually it was 20 years ago,” Swanger said. “You are aging yourself a little bit, Bill. It was 20 years ago. I remember it. It was a very contentious argument and most people spoke in opposition to it. Now granted when people show up with cow bells ringing and booing, a lot of people are intimidated and don’t speak up.”

While the idea of zoning was shot down then, sentiments may have changed, Swanger said.

“Things may have changed in 20 years. I don’t know. But this is a real life example of what happens when we don’t plan.”

“I think we can expect in the future we are going to have other things moving into communities we don’t know about that no one wants,” Upton added.

229 PENLAND STREET, CLYDE

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

hoped commissioners would step in and pass land-use rules to stop it.

“Please think about if it were you,” said Janie Higgins, who lives across the road from the proposed indoor shooting range site. “I have lived there my entire life. My family has owned the property in that community for over 150 years and I do not want to see it commercialized.”

Commissioners said they sympathized with the residents.

“Certainly I sympathize with the people who don’t want this particular thing in their neighborhood,” Kirkpatrick agreed. “But if I start establishing rules to protect certain people’s property, what am I doing to the other people by saying you can’t do this with your property? I am not really interested in telling people what they can do with their property until we discuss the whole issue as a county.”

“I agree,” Swanger replied. “We can’t pick winners and losers. That’s the problem. We can’t abuse our power by intervening in such a way that would just not be right.”

A member of the audience then spoke up, asking commissioners if they thought Francis Farm was an appropriate location for an indoor shooting range and gun store.

“I’m not saying it is appropriate. But there is nothing that prohibits it,” Swanger said.

“Appropriate? That is subjective. I wouldn’t want it next to my house. I’ll be honest with you.

But the only way I can prevent that is to have land-use planning that would prohibit certain activities or buying the land around me.”

While an indoor shooting range could comprise the community’s character and sense of place, regulations protecting those sorts of things need to play out in the context of a larger dialogue on land-use planning, commissioners said.

But when it comes to outdoor shooting ranges, where human safety is a factor, they felt intervention would be more justified.

“Outside, an inadvertent round of a .22-caliber will travel about a mile. So you don’t know where it is going to come to rest, and schools are nearby and neighbors and traffic, et cetera,” Swanger said. “So that would not seem appropriate to me at all. But I couldn’t make that same argument for an indoor range.”

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Haywood County Schools Superintendent Anne Garrett presents a feasibility report on the possible closure of Central Elementary during a principals meeting last week. Becky Johnson photo

THE STAFF

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Overbuilt?

Smoky Mountain News

Learn more, speak out

School consolidation targets Central Elementary as collateral damage

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER feasibility report on the potential closure of Central Elementary School in Waynesville was released by Haywood County Schools last week.

The report didn’t explicitly render a conclusion on whether to close Central, but the data in the report largely seemed to point toward its imminent closure.

The report frequently referenced a $2.4 million budget shortfall facing the school system as the impetus for closing Central, along with data showing all nine of the county’s elementary schools are operating well below capacity — signaling the school system has more buildings than it can justify keeping.

Central Elementary School Principal Jeanann Yates said she is very saddened by the possibility of Central closing, however, and hopes there’s a way it can be avoided.

“I am remaining hopeful that another resolution will be found,” Yates said. “However, the reality of such a huge budget deficit is very apparent. “ Although this is her first year as the principal at Central, Yates said she quickly developed a deep love for the school and its community. Central is the oldest elementary school in the county and one of the last real neighborhood schools that students can still 10 walk to.

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Junaluska Elementary School,” the report concludes.

About 115 students from Central would be sent to Hazelwood and 95 would be sent to Junaluska. If the school board votes to close Central, school officials will dive into the details of divvying up students between Hazelwood and Junaluska and reassigning Central’s feeder neighborhoods into one of the other two elementary school districts.

Hazelwood Principal Wendy Rogers said families from Central would be welcomed with open arms.

“Whether they end up at Hazelwood or Junaluska, they will be in good hands.

Because of the community we live in, I think the parents and students alike will be embraced,” said Rogers, who was the principal at Central until this year.

Rogers said Hazelwood’s students will be ready to put their training as a national Leader in Me School to work.

“It will be a great way for them to step up and use the leadership skills they have been building and make those students feel welcome from day one,” Rogers said.

If the school board votes to close Central, she said her first step would be putting together a transition team.

“Central has been such a long-standing tradition and an integral part of this community,” Yates said. “I love Central and our sweet students and can’t imagine not coming to Central every day.”

Yates expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support Central’s teachers and staff have received.

The nine-member Haywood County School board will vote on whether to close Central at its next meeting on Monday, Feb. 8. If approved, it would close at the end of this school year.

The report released last week is required under a state statute that lays out the procedure for closing a public school. The statute also requires a public hearing, which will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Central.

THE STUDENTS The report cited Central’s shrinking enrollment in recent years and predicted it would continue. It is the second smallest elementary school in the county, with just two classes per grade.

Meanwhile, two other elementary schools within a two-mile radius could easily absorb Central’s student body.

“There should be no great inconvenience or hardship of the students due to the proximity of Hazelwood Elementary School and

A public hearing on the possible closure of Central Elementary School will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the school.

It was initially planned for Tuesday, but concerns over lingering hazardous road conditions that kept schools closed Tuesday prompted Haywood school officials to bump the hearing back a day. A public hearing is required by state statue in a school closure.

Before the meeting, students and parents from Central Elementary will hold a rally and march protesting the possible closure of their school. All are invited to meet at Central at 5:30 p.m. and join the walk to downtown and back.

While the school system as a whole has witnessed a decline in students, the loss at Central is three times higher — it lost 16 percent of its student body over the past two years compared to 5 percent in the school system overall.

This decline stems from the demographic shift of in-town neighborhoods that feed it

Closing Central would save $500,000 annually — about a third of that in overhead and the rest in staff reductions.

Central has 22 teachers and staff.

“Does that mean those people will lose their jobs if we close? No, it does not,” Superintendent Anne Garrett said during a presentation of the report to school principals during one of last week’s snow days. “If you have 90 children going to Junaluska, of course you are going to have to add teachers there.”

Only nine of the 22 positions now at Central would be cut, according to the report.

But that still doesn’t spell layoffs, Garrett said.

“We think there are enough retirements creating openings each year that they would be able to keep their jobs, but at another site,” Garrett said.

THE BUILDING

The report also addressed rumors about what the school system would do with Central if it closes.

“There are a lot of rumors out there — we’ve already sold it, someone else has already moved in to it, we’ve swapped it,” Garrett said in jest.

None of those are true, and any scenario would be a long way off, she said.

School officials say they don’t know what they would do with the Central yet, and they aren’t willing to speculate since the school board technically hasn’t voted to close Central.

“We don’t know what their decision is going to be. We can guess, but until they vote, the decision is not made,” Garrett said.

Despite Central’s age — it was built in 1954 — it’s actually in good shape, according to a facility assessment. Nonetheless, routine maintenance and upgrades would be unavoidable over the next decade, from a new roof and paint job to flooring

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BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER he potential closing of Central Elementary School in Waynesville due to a massive, sudden budget shortfall for Haywood County Schools has unleashed a maelstrom of emotions in the community since the news broke two weeks ago.

While politicians swap barbs over who’s to blame for education funding cuts, and parents draw battle lines between charter school and public school camps, there’s one universal question being lobbed at Haywood County school leaders from all sides in the debate: Why weren’t we told sooner?

School officials are doomed to scrutiny no matter how they answer.

If the $2.4 million budget shortfall was a surprise and the plan to close Central was a last-minute response, then the school board looks naïve for being blindsided by the impending budget crisis.

If closing Central has been in the works a long time but kept secret until the 11th hour, then the school board looks deceitful for not sharing it sooner.

In reality, there’s no right way to break it to a community of parents and teachers that their school might close, said Haywood School Board Chairman Chuck Francis.

“We don’t want to close a school. It makes you sick to your stomach to see parents upset and kids crying because they are losing their school. We definitely didn’t want to see it happen,” Francis said.

Francis said the school system has known a budget shortfall was looming and had stretched out the use of its fund balance to cushion it as long as possible, but they didn’t know quite how bad it would be until it actually got here.

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THE UNSPOKEN STORY The report released last week was brief and mostly technical in nature. It made no refer-

ence to the process for how Central would be closed, or how the school system would help students and parents navigate the transition.

“We didn’t want to be presumptive in telling people what that would look like,” Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte said.

The most striking chart in the report shows just how much extra space there is in all of Haywood County’s schools. The nine ele-

borhoods that feed it.

Meanwhile, however, Central lost a larger percentage of its student body to the new Shining Rock Classical Academy charter school than any other elementary school in the county. That wasn’t in the report either.

Nor did the report mention that Central’s poverty rate is higher than average compared to the other elementary schools, or that its minority population is the highest, or that its test scores are the lowest, according to school statistics kept by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

In the latest school report cards, where the state dishes out a letter grade to every school, Central was the only elementary school in Haywood County that got a C. The rest got Bs, and one got an A+.

That doesn’t exactly make Central an underperforming school, however.

Comparing Central to the other elementary schools in Haywood County isn’t entirely fair, given that Haywood County is one of the top-performing public school districts academically in the state.

It ranks in the top 15 percent in academic performance, according to state test scores. And based on the latest letter grade scoring system for schools, Haywood is in the top 10 percent.

“Haywood County Schools is among only 10 of 115 school districts in North Carolina to have no D or F schools,” Nolte said in a press release two months ago when letter grades came out.

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Smoky Mountain News

and HVAC. Closing Central would avert $400,000 in maintenance costs that would otherwise be incurred over the next decade, the report found.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Central Elementary School Principal Jeanann Yates (center) talks with past Central Elementary principals Wendy Rogers, now at Hazelwood Elementary, and Trevor Putnam, now at Waynesville Middle, following a principals briefing on the possible closure of Central Elementary last week. Becky Johnson photo

mentary schools in Haywood County are only at two-thirds of their total capacity on average — with room to spare for another 1,500 students across all the elementary schools.

Ironically, Central is closer to capacity than any of the other nine elementary schools.

But Central is smaller to start with and has been losing students at a faster pace.

It lost 40 students over the past two years, according to the report. A decline would likely continue, but how much is unclear.

“One of the requirements was to estimate what the future enrollment would be. That is very difficult to do,” Garrett said. “But it is reasonable to predict the school population will continue to decrease.”

Why is another story, one the report didn’t address. While the school system as a whole has witnessed a decline in students, the loss at Central is three times higher — it lost 16 percent of its student body over the past two years compared to 5 percent in the school system overall.

That fact wasn’t included in the report, however. Nor did the report offer an explanation of why Central’s seen a larger decline.

Central used to be an arts magnet school that integrated arts into the curriculum.

Students living anywhere in the county could opt to attend Central, even if it wasn’t their assigned elementary school district. They still can, but without the arts magnet status, far fewer do.

Central’s population decline also stems from the demographic shift of in-town neigh-

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“The idea was talked about, but the problem was it would take money and time to get all that put together.”

The immediacy of the budget crisis made it clear that every option had to be on the table as the school board and central office staff looked for a solution to the $2.4 million shortfall.

“We can make it balance without closing the school, but “We were warned as a board that we were going to have a the cuts are really deep,” Francis said. big budget crunch. We knew this day was coming,” Francis So, the worst-case scenario became a reality. said. “But as a board member you are optimistic things will “It sounds quick to folks, but as soon as the board saw change and things will get better. You are sitting there trying and realized the decision needed to be made, we got it out to figure out how to make it work.” there as soon as possible,” Francis said.

Hope sprang eternal. They hoped state legislators would The possibility of closing Central has been discussed in reverse funding cuts made to the classroom. They hoped the school board finance committee meetnew Shining Rock charter school ings over the past three months. The wouldn’t draw too many students “We don’t want to close a meetings are open to the public and at away. They hoped their own demothe same time and place each month. graphic tracking and modeling would school. It makes you sick Anyone who showed up would have be wrong — that a drop in the birth theoretically heard the discussion, but rate and out-migration during the to your stomach to see no one ever comes — not even recession would not create a donut parents upset and kids reporters, despite the school system hole in the student body as feared. sending a monthly email notice to But all three came true. crying because they are local media whenever the finance By the time they realized the magcommittee convenes. nitude of the shortfall, given the late losing their school.”

Francis said the only silver lining passage of the state budget, it was — Chuck Francis, is the community dialogue and already fall.

Haywood School Board Chairman heightened public engagement surClosing a school was always in the rounding public education. back of their minds, but considered a The bad news is that if enrollment declines in the tradiworst-case scenario, Francis said. The school board didn’t tional public school system continue, Central might not be want to cause panic needlessly if it could be avoided. the only school on the chopping block in coming years.

“We are all thinking in the back of our heads we have to With a capacity for 8,000 students, but a student body do something,” Francis said. “But it’s a tough decision.” of only 7,000, there’s not enough funding coming in to jusThe school board thought about other alternatives — tify the overhead of 16 schools in Haywood County, Francis turning Central into a magnet school, or a STEM school, or said. “The reality is we have to cut somewhere. We have even a charter school under the umbrella of Haywood more infrastructure than we need,” Francis said. “At the County Schools itself. end of the day you are looking at one or even two schools “Would one of those be able to retain the kids that left to that could be closing.” go to Shining Rock? That would be a guess,” Francis said.

From worst-case scenario to sinking reality: the evolution of closing a school

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Funding for the future Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ackson County Public Schools wants more than $12 million for improvements to its facilities through 2020, but despite the big number, the requests are pretty basic, Superintendent Mike Murray told commissioners last week.

“There’s some point where you say it’s just not right to have kids sitting with buckets in classrooms,” Murray said.

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options with higher price tags and pieces of it are currently without estimates.

Having adequate sports facilities is important when it comes to offering a wellrounded education and giving students in Jackson County the same opportunities as their counterparts elsewhere, Murray said.

And in a climate of increasing competition for students — from private, charter, online and home schools — it’s becoming ever

willing to commit only $515,000 of taxpayer money to supplement the grant dollars. It would still be an expensive project, and while some community members have spoken out against the possible expenditure, Murray believes artificial turf would earn its keep by accommodating more teams more frequently than natural grass fields.

This is the second year in a row that Murray has presented commissioners with a version of the five-year plan, with the $1.6 million allocated for the current budget year included in the $12.6 million five-year estimate. The year one projects have been budgeted for, though only two — reroofing Cullowhee Valley and replacing water pipes at the School of Alternatives — have actually

ROOFS, HEATING AND ATHLETICS

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

A significant chunk of the $12.6 million ask — a number which is not final and includes projects funded through the budget approved in July — would go to replace failing roofs at five schools in the district, a $2.8 million undertaking. Most of the roofs are 20 or more years old, so given that the standard life of a roof is around 25 years, it’s time to start planning for replacements before failures happen.

In some cases, it’s been too late.

Commissioners had to appropriate $190,000 in emergency funds this year when part of the roof at Fairview Elementary School unexpectedly failed. The same thing happened at Cullowhee Valley Elementary School in 2013.

In that case, Murray said, it appears something was up with the design — the roof should have lasted longer.

“We should have got another 10 years out of that roof,” Murray said. “There’s no reason in the world that it failed when it did.”

Another big piece of the requested funding is for heating, ventilation and air conditioning renovation, accounting for $2.9 million of the five-year estimate. Looking further ahead, the school system knows it will need to renovate the system at Fairview in year six. There’s no estimate for that project yet, but it will likely come in over a million dollars. The HVAC plan is another one of those expensive but necessary improvements, Murray said — not glamorous, but vital to the function of the schools.

“We put away the wish list and looked at things to keep the roof over our heads,” he told commissioners.

Other non-glamorous items in the plan include grading, paving and gate installation for the bus garage and connection to the tribal water system at Smoky Mountain Elementary. The school district doesn’t have a hard estimate for those projects yet, but together they will cost at least $150,000, likely more.

That’s not to say that the five-year plan is strictly about roofs, heating and water. It also includes more than $3 million for athletic facilities such as tennis courts, artificial turf, a baseball field and a new track at Smoky Mountain High School. If it were fully funded, the final expense could be 12 much more, as the plan includes alternate

more important to stay a step ahead in the opportunities the public schools can offer.

But funding is never unlimited, so fixing leaky roofs and failing heating systems will always come before building new tennis courts and baseball fields, he said.

“We’re not going to be putting tennis courts in when I have a roof leaking,” Murray pledged to commissioners.

The list of hoped-for improvements is prioritized within each year, with roofs and HVAC projects always coming before athletic facilities, pointed out Assistant Superintendent Kim Elliott.

“If there’s an athletic wish in a list, it would be if the rest of the project were fully funded,” she said. The district would “frankly need to seek other funding” if it really wanted to get all the athletic projects on the five-year plan completed, she added.

One of those athletic projects could rise to the top of the priority list, however: artificial turf for the high school football field.

But that’s because the school system secured a competitive grant — one of 17 awarded nationwide — from the NFL that would put $200,000 into the project. The school system is currently waiting on the outcome of a report estimating the total cost for the project and repairs to the track, which would have to be disturbed to install the turf.

Murray has made it clear the school board is

been awarded a contract. The costs, as with the rest of the price tags attached to projects on the five-year plan, are only estimates.

FINDING THE MONEY Now the discussion involves how to fund year two.

Last year, Murray had asked for $3.3 million to replace roofs, water pipes, renovate the HVAC system at the high school and update its athletic fields. Commissioners funded only about half of that request, so most of the unfunded items from last year got shoved to the list for 2016-17.

“What we’re funding now, we’re not going to get into that list before we’re back around with another list,” said County Manager Chuck Wooten.

The county automatically funds $235,000 per year to help with general capital maintenance, something that Murray termed “a wonderful gesture,” but he made it clear that holding the line there won’t be enough to take care of the imminent capital needs facing the schools.

The county also has revenue from sales tax at its disposal to help with school needs.

About $1.4 million from that pot is available, not already committed to another project. But it’s not looking like that will be enough to get done what needs to get done,

Wooten said. He suggested that commissioners consider borrowing money or taking from their savings account to close out the school system’s list as soon as possible.

“On a pay-as-you-go basis, we’re never going to be able to get this list off the table before we have a building issue,” Wooten said.

Using the county’s savings account could be a viable option, Wooten said. The account, referred to as a fund balance, has been growing — it now holds about 25 percent of the funds needed to get through an entire year of county operations. The state mandates that counties keep at least 8 percent of the annual budget in the account.

“We could use some of that fund balance and not jeopardize our financial position at all,” Wooten said.

Another option would be to take out a loan. Over the next five years, county payments on existing debt are expected to decline by about $70,000 a year as debts are paid off. If the county paid $1.4 million toward the five-year plan outright this year, it could take out a loan for all or some of the remaining $11 million needed to fulfill the estimate for the five-year plan. The debt payments on $11 million would come out to about $1 million per year.

When Murray came to commissioners last year, he’d favored a gradual replacement schedule for the roofs to prevent the situation the district’s finding itself in now from coming around again. If you replace all the roofs at once, the reasoning went, the replacement needs will once again pile up 25 years down the road.

He’s changed his tune.

“When you’re marketing your building (to parents) and you have buckets sitting there, it isn’t good,” Murray said. “I would much rather see us catch up and set so much aside for roofs every year. That to me is a smarter way to go.”

And, as Commission Chairman Brian McMahan pointed out, the plan before them now looks only five years ahead. It could be dangerous to let things pile up too far beyond that timeframe.

“What would be the next needs beyond the five-year plan?” he asked. “Do we even have an idea of that?”

Hard to say, Murray responded.

“Across the state of North Carolina, that’s about unpredictable. I’m sure if you asked Haywood County several years ago, they would not find themselves shutting down a school,” he said, referring to the neighboring county’s vote to look at closing Central Elementary School to offset a budget shortfall.

No decisions have been made thus far about what to fund or how to fund it, with commissioners indicating they’d start discussing those choices in-depth at their February work session. But school district leaders left feeling optimistic.

“I believe that the five-phase plan has been recognized for what it is — that is, critical needs mainly focused on roofs and mechanics, and I appreciate the fact that we were heard,” Elliott said. “I believe the county commissioners will work to ensure the plan is implemented in some fashion. I left there feeling very positive.”

Free tax help available in Sylva news

Volunteers will be available to assist people of all ages with federal and state income tax preparation and filing from Feb. 1 until April 15 every Friday at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva and every Tuesday at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Senior Center hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a first-come first-serve basis and library hours will be from 3 to 6:45 p.m. by appointment. Make an appointment by calling 828.586.2016. There is no charge for this service at either location.

Taxpayers should bring picture identification, their own and their dependents’ Social Security cards or a statement from the government that includes their Social Security numbers, copies of their previous year’s tax return, and any W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, interest and dividend statements for 2015 and other documents necessary to complete their 2015 returns.

Franklin forum to discuss police protection

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

“The public and the police - where are we headed?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum to be held at 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 1, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub, located downtown at 58 Stewart Street, Franklin.

Franklin Open Forum is a moderated discussion group, meeting. Those interested in an open exchange of ideas (dialog not debate) are invited to attend. For more information call 828.371.1020.

Free mental health training available in Haywood County

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

Smoky Mountain News

A nationwide program to help young people in a mental health crisis is coming to Haywood County.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training course that gives community members useful skills to help adolescents who may be developing mental health or addiction problems, or who are experiencing a crisis. Topics include anxiety, depression, drug or alcohol use, disruptive behavior and eating disorders.

This training is free for all community members.

The class will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, at Southwestern Child Development, 1078 N. Main St., Waynesville. Participants must attend the full day to receive a certificate of completion.

828.225.2785, ext. 5125, or email michelle.tyler@smokymountaincenter.co m.

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Jackson shelter counts pennies, ponders future

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“At this point, we must have a year-round shelter.

Folks are not homeless just in the wintertime.”

— Ginger Hill, Neighbors in Need board member

quickly because we pay by the night,” Smith said. “That means we’re not able to do as much follow-up case management to ensure their success.”

Over the past couple years, Neighbors in Need has been trying to get a permanent shelter location up and running, a year-

A night of food, raffles and Elvis aims to raise $25,000 for Jackson County Neighbors in Need on Saturday, Jan. 30, in Sylva.

Charlie’s Challenge — named for the late Charlie McConnell, an advocate for those in need — will start at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Sylva. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is sponsoring the meal and entertainment, which will include an epic performance by Elvis impersonator Harold Schulz.

“It’s going to be an amazing evening, better than we’ve ever had before,” said Christina Smith, Neighbors in Need board member.

The goal is to raise enough money to get Neighbors in Need through an entire season of operating a homeless shelter, paying heating bills and weatherizing homes for those in need next winter. But with the organization running short on cash for the current season, an extra-big influx of support is needed to keep the homeless shelter open through winter’s end while still funding the following year.

Tickets are $45, with RSVPs required to Sara Goodson, goodsonb11@yahoo.com or 828.399.0508.

round place where people could seek shelter and connect with resources to get back on their feet. Last year, they approached Jackson County commissioners about leasing the old rescue squad building near Mark Watson Park, but commissioners eventually nixed the idea over concerns that Neighbors In Need wouldn’t have the financial resources to pull the project off and that the building’s location at the entrance to downtown wouldn’t be the best place to put a homeless shelter anyway. Commissioners are now discussing leasing part of the building to the American Legion and turning the rest into a community gathering space.

Finding another feasible location for a shelter has proven difficult, with renovations costly and market rate rent too expensive.

Charter school chairwoman steps down

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ested. At first, Keilberg said she turned it down, but when he asked her again, she gave it a lot of thought.

Resigning from the board will move Keilberg out of the spokesperson role for the school, but taking over as business manager will allow her to stay involved with Shining Rock. She said her many years of experience working as a financial administrator for nonprofits will be beneficial in her new position.

“Primarily I’ll be doing financial accounting and keeping the books but also doing the state required reporting, which is everything from attendance to test scores,” she said. “We hope to hire an administrative person for the front office so that would free me up to focus on the business aspect of things like researching and writing grants.”

While serving as chairwoman of the board, Keilberg has had to deal with the brunt of every charter school decision and controversy that’s popped up in the last three years.

She’s been the face of the school and has had to respond to

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ara Keilberg, a founding board member for the Shining Rock Classical Academy, has resigned from her post as chairwoman on the board of directors to become the charter school’s new business manager.

Following a closed session meeting Monday night, the Shining Rock board unanimously approved hiring Keilberg to replace Niki Irving, who is leaving to start her own business. As a founding member of the school’s board, Keilberg has spent three years at the helm of the board and said it’s time for someone else to take over.

“It’s been a long journey, a hard journey at times and I just think it’s time for someone else to take on that leadership job,” she said.

Ben Butler, Shining Rock’s school director, advertised for the business manager position when he received notice Irving was leaving and asked Keilberg if she would be inter-

criticisms and backlash from the public as Shining Rock tried to find a suitable piece of land. She said she’s ready to let go of that responsibility.

“I do think it’s important to show up and give yourself to a cause you think is valuable but not to hold onto it for so long,” she said. “I want people to think of someone else’s face besides mine when they think of the school.”

The next step will be for the Shining Rock governance committee to meet in the next week to decide on who should become the next chairperson for the board. That person would be officially appointed at the next board meeting in February. Keilberg said it would likely be someone serving on the executive committee, which includes Anna Eason and Nancy East.

The board also approved the appointment of two new board members to replace Keilberg and Diane Martinez, who resigned a couple of months ago. New members are Shannon Carlock and Jason Moody. Both have been active volunteers with the school since it formed.

“They are truly worker bees and that’s what we need on the board,” Keilberg said.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hings are coming down to the wire for Jackson County’s only homeless shelter.

Without a fast infusion of cash, Jackson County Neighbors in Need is set to run out of money in under two weeks, and winter is far from over.

“Our mission is to keep people from freezing to death,” said Christina Smith, board member and former case manager for the shelter. “If it’s like this in three weeks and we’re having to turn people away and have them live in their vehicles or under a bridge, it’s a huge concern we have. We really need the community to step up and help us.”

As of Jan. 24, Neighbors in Need had only $3,600 left to get it through the rest of the winter, an amount that Mountain Projects Director Patsy Dowling called “incredibly low” for this point in the season. The shelter is open during the winter, typically Nov. 1 to March 31, with $21,400 of the allocated $25,000 already gone. If this year’s per-night average of $280 holds steady, the shelter will be out of cash by Feb. 6.

Numbers of people served haven’t changed all that much since last winter, when Neighbors in Need finished the season with a little bit of unused cash in the account. But hotel prices have gone up, and people seeking help from the organization seem to have a higher level of need this year, according to board member Ginger Hill.

“Several folks that’s come though this year, they have had nothing except the clothes on their back,” said Hill, who is also executive director of the Jackson County

Family Resource Center. “No food, no clothing — they have really been homeless.”

Typically, that’s the situation for about half the people who come to Neighbors in Need, with the other half seeking respite from more temporary kinds of emergencies.

This year, about three-quarters of clients served — so far, 33 adults and five children — have been completely homeless, requiring a greater influx of resources to stabilize them. Neighbors in Need leaders have applauded the help that’s poured in from the community, but it’s not going to be enough to ride out the winter.

The impending financial crisis has the group thinking hard about the shelter’s future. Right now, Neighbors in Need puts its clients up in hotel rooms overnight.

That’s a costly endeavor, with room costs sitting at $65 per night.

“It’s really expensive and it’s not as effective because it’s only short-term, and we have to get people in and out of hotels very

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Homeless shelter short on cash

On top of that, opening a year-round shelter would require a year-round case manager — Neighbors in Need has historically paid its case manager through a grant from the Evergreen Foundation, but that grant pays only for the winter months.

The quest for a year-round shelter has resulted in a chicken-and-egg type of conundrum. Nobody wants to fund a building if there’s no money to staff it, and nobody wants to pay for staffing if there’s not yet a building to be staffed.

“It’s kind of a catch 22,” Smith said.

That quandary has led some to wonder if a permanent shelter is indeed the best way for Neighbors in Need to pursue its mission of protecting people in Jackson County from cold weather.

“Jackson County is not an urban county, and that sort of operation is expensive, and the comRobert Cochran missioners have to be judicious in terms of what they invest in,” said Robert Cochran, Neighbors in Need board member and county Department of Social Services director. “You want to address immediate needs like housing, but you also want to address upstream solutions like economic development and bridges from high school into sustainable employment for young people.”

Operating a permanent shelter would be cheaper on a per-person-per-night basis but require a great deal of investment and commitment up front, Cochran said. The question is whether Jackson County is ready for that.

“I don’t know that we know the answer to that,” Cochran said. “I think there’s a lot of interest in developing that, but I think we need to be smart about what we can sustain long-term.”

Not everyone shares Cochran’s hesitance, however.

“At this point, we must have a year-round shelter,” Hill said. “Folks are not homeless just in the wintertime.”

But on the flip side, that’s when homelessness hurts the most, and the folks at Neighbors in Need are just hoping to find funds to stay open until warmer weather returns.

15

news

Tax value notices to be issued in Jackson

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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Tax Administrator Bobby McMahan gives Jackson commissioners the latest on the county’s updated — and greatly decreased — valuation. Holly Kays photo limits declining just around 6.5 percent and values in Dillsboro actually increasing slightly, by about 7 percent.

However, said Jackson’s tax administrator Bobby McMahan, it’s important not to read too much into the fluctuations of smaller areas like Dillsboro and Caney Fork, which have only 163 and 814 parcels, respectively.

The remaining townships in the county have between 1,102 and 6,668 parcels.

“One or two (sales) can make a difference there,” McMahan said of smaller areas like Dillsboro — results in those areas are more easily skewed.

Though nothing has been decided yet, commissioners have voiced general agreement

that the county should hike the tax rate enough to keep revenue the same as it was prerevaluation. If the current tax rate of 28 cents per $100 of value increased by 20 percent, it would sit at 33.6 cents. That change would move Jackson County from having the lowest property tax rate in the state to the third-lowest, behind Carteret and Watauga counties.

However, McMahan said, it’s still way too early to guesstimate what the new tax rate might be. The tax department is still working out some kinks with the new values, and variables like sales tax revenue, changes in county debt and taxes on property other than real estate are yet to be pinned down.

“There’s still a lot of missing pieces to that equation,” McMahan said.

The newly issued property values are not set in stone. If there’s a problem, owners have until March 1 to come by the tax administration office to plead their case.

“We’re going to make some errors, we’re going to make some mistakes,” McMahan said. “We have 40,000 parcels. You’re going to put something in the wrong field, and those are real easy to fix.”

If some physical characteristic of the land or building is incorrect on the mailed notice, or if the value just appears too high, owners can come by the tax office and find an employee to consider their argument. However, McMahan emphasized, the in-person part of the procedure is key. The tax department

THE REVALUATION TIMELINE • Feb 1: Notices of new tax values will go in the mail. Landowners who feel there is something wrong with the value have one month to come to the tax office to state their case. Otherwise, no action is required.

• March 1: The informal appeal period ends. Decisions on reviews requested during the informal appeal period will be made within six to eight weeks.

• April/May: Hearings before the Jackson County Board of Equalization begin.

Landowners who are unhappy with the outcome of the informal appeal can go through this process. Decisions will be made within 30 days of the hearing. The Property Tax Commission in Raleigh is the last option for people still unhappy with the outcome.

• August: Bills with final property tax values will be mailed.

won’t handle cases over phone or email.

When weighing the cost-benefit of contesting, McMahan added, it’s important to calculate how much you might save if you win. Even at a 40-cent tax rate, a $5,000 difference in property value equates to just $20 annually on a tax bill.

“If it was me, I’d want it to be a

F

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ome Jackson County property owners might find themselves doing a doubletake when notice of their updated property value comes in the mail next week.

On Feb. 1, the county will mail out the numbers it’s been working to calculate for the past four years, the first time new values have been assigned since 2008, just before the bottom dropped out of the real estate market.

Overall, the property tax base in Jackson County will be likely more than 20 percent less in the coming budget year than it is right now.

That’s not to say that values will drop 20 percent across the board. Change in value depends on the location of the home or property and individual characteristics. Generally speaking, prices for high-end homes have dropped the most since 2008, with values for more modest homes seeing less fluctuation.

Mountain Township, located north of Highlands near the Macon County line, saw the biggest decline, losing 44.6 percent of its value. That’s largely because of a platted subdivision with more than 100 lots that, at the height of the boom, were valued near $375,000 each — now they’re worth more like $5,000.

Values in Caney Fork, Savannah, Qualla and Barkers Creek were the next high-water mark, with drops in value there hovering around 24 percent. Homes located in municipalities saw the least change, with values inside Sylva town

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Ellen Pitt was surprised with the news she had been inducted into The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Becky Johnson photo offenders and addressing a backlog in the state crime lab that was causing long delays in blood alcohol test results.

Most phenomenal is that Pitt is a volunteer, although she dedicates herself to her work with MADD with the zest of a seven-figure CEO. “I do what I do, but I guess sometimes I don’t even realize how much time I put into it,” Pitt said. “A lot of times I think I am going to try to ease out of it, and that’s when someone calls me at 2 o’clock in the morning and tells me someone has been hit. When they ask me for help, I can’t not do it. I don’t want anyone to go through the system blindly or feel like they have no power.”

Pitt is a part-time nurse but works only weekend shifts so she can be in court with victims during the week throughout her 17county region of MADD. Davis said Pitt is an amazing lady whose advocacy work has made a real difference across the state.

“The front page every week is filled with bad news,” Davis said. “People who do great things in the background like Ellen Pitt don’t get the recognition they deserve.”

“She has worked so hard at DWI awareness and helped literally hundreds of families in Western North Carolina. We certainly congratulate her and are proud of her,” Haywood Sheriff Greg Christopher added. tion if they’re done more frequently. But commissioners agree that it’s a good thing, as far as county budget is concerned, that they waited as long as possible to get this one done. Things are undeniably more depressed than they were before the recession hit, but it’s getting better.

“We are seeing, not a lot, but some small growth in the tax base,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan. “There are some sales happening, there is some building going on. There is some small growth, and we’re making our way in the right direction.”

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Smoky Mountain News

substantial amount — $20,000, $40,000, $100,000 — before you make that effort,” McMahan said.

After the informal appeal period ends, owners will have another chance to get their assessed values changed by requesting a hearing from the Jackson County Board of Equalization.

Going forward, it’s possible Jackson County will resume conducting revaluations more frequently than the state’s legal maximum of eight years. Typically, values increase with time, and it takes less work per revalua-

them as an employer that the system will work and do what it is supposed to,” Pitt said.

Pitt’s been behind several DWI law changes: upping the penalty for a DWI with a child in the car, expanding the prior record window from seven to 10 years for habitual

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER Haywood County woman who has dedicated the past dozen years to a crusade against driving while impaired was honored for her relentless advocacy with The Order Long Leaf Pine award in a surprise ceremony this month.

Ellen Pitt, an advocate with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, had shown up for what she thought was a regular meeting of the Haywood County DWI task force until N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, took the podium and began reading a biography of Pitt’s work before the roomful of two dozen law enforcement officers.

“Ellen Pitt is unforgettable, one of North Carolina’s tireless ambassadors for a cause she wishes did not exist. Her passion is palpable, and her commitment unflagging,” Davis said.

As the MADD representative for a 17county area in Western North Carolina, Pitt’s biggest calling is lending support and assistance to the victims of DWI wrecks.

“She shepherds desperate, hurting people through the judicial process,” Davis said.

Pitt’s first brush with MADD was 20 years ago when her own son was struggling with substance abuse. She feared for the safety of her grandchild as a passenger in the vehicle of a habitual DWI offender, and turned to MADD for help.

“She cried when the person on the other end of the line said, ‘Stay on the line. We’re going to help you bring that child to safety.’

They did, and now Pitt makes that same promise to other desperate callers,” Davis said.

Pitt also plays the role of lobbyist, working to close loopholes in DUI laws, pass laws mandating tougher sentences, and demand more resources for DWI enforcement and prosecution.

“She is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to holding perpetrators, police, prosecutors, judges and legislators accountable,” Davis said. “She keeps detailed statistics on hundreds of cases, following them through months and years of court proceedings.”

Pitt is comfortable with her reputation as a courtroom watchdog, because it’s the taxpayers like her who fund the law enforcement agencies and legal system.

“All these people in the system are employed by me and I have expectations for

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Smoky Mountain News Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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Clayton Davis to join Maggie town board retired Haywood County extension agent.

Since the board has had problems in the past with internal bickering among board members, the aldermen wanted to ensure whomever they chose could work well with others and resolve conflict in a productive way. All the candidates said they were good listeners and willing to compromise, but Davis was perhaps a bit more honest in his response.

“I’m a team player, but if I know deep down I’m right, I think I owe it to the community to state my position,” he said.

After asking each candidate a series of questions, the board voted on its top three choices, which were Davis, Pendley and Moody. Aldermen had discussed waiting for another week or so before making a final decision, but the choice seemed pretty clear to them Monday night.

Alderman Mike Eveland made a motion to appoint Davis to the board and it was approved with a 4-0 vote.

“I think he represents the community at large — he probably knows the people around here as well as he knows the names of all those trees and plants and that’s important,” Eveland said.” He doesn’t seem to have an axe to grind and would be a great addition to the board.”

Davis has been a resident of Maggie Valley for 50 years and worked for the Department

ence several years ago to assist with Maggie Valley’s beautification efforts.

“When you’ve been exposed to as much stuff as I have, I should have learned something along the way,” he said.

Davis still thinks much can be done to improve the aesthetic value of the valley, including planting more trees and shrubbery that will show beautiful colors in the fall and spring seasons.

“It could really brighten town up more and make it more attractive for tourists,” he said. “It won’t happen overnight but it’s a long-term thing.”

Mayor Price thanked all the applicants for their interest in being a leader in Maggie Valley and encouraged all of them to stay involved through attendMaggie Valley Board of Aldermen selected Clayton Davis to ing meetings and joining one fill a two-year unexpired term on the board. Pictured (from of the other town committees.

“Don’t just stop here — we left) are Alderman Mike Eveland, Mayor Saralyn Price, have plenty of boards and Clayton Davis, Alderwoman Janet Banks and Alderman would love for you all to be Phillip Wight. involved in the town in some way,” she said.

Davis will be officially sworn in at the Originally from Swain County, Davis said town’s next board meeting, which will be he has a deep understanding of mountain culture. He also used his horticulture experi- held at 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at town hall. of Agriculture before serving as a Cooperative Extension agent in Haywood County for 15 years until his retirement. Not one to toot his own horn, the board had to do a bit of prodding to get Davis to explain why he would be the best candidate for the job.

B

Swain County recently made some minor renovations in the administrative building at Letts’ request though it wasn’t as costly. While there are two courtrooms in the building, the metal detector was only placed in front of the larger courtroom on court days and the other courtroom was not guarded. The commissioners spent more than $5,000 to build a partition in the building and moved the metal detector to the front of the building to check everyone entering either courtroom.

Superior Court Judge William Coward has not made the same demands for security

long run.

“Right no we have two to three courts with officers and metal detectors at all of them,” he said. “Instead, we could just have one at the main entrance.”

Holland said he remembered a courthouse security study being done some years back that probably included a list of recommendations. None of the commissioners could recall such a report, but County Manager Derek Roland said he would try to locate it.

Higdon also brought up the fact that the courthouse and other county governmental

“I want to provide a safe work environment for employees and a safe environment for our citizens, and I don’t think we’re doing it in the courthouse.”

— Paul Higdon

improvements in Macon County, but the county doesn’t want to wait for that call.

“It would be a whole lot better to work on it proactively instead of getting an order from the bench,” said County Attorney Chester Jones.

Sheriff Robbie Holland told commissioners that any recommendations would likely include doing exactly what Jackson County did with its building. However, Holland said it might save Macon County money in the

property are designated “gun free zones.” If someone has a concealed carry permit, Higdon said they should be allowed to carry their gun onto government property.

“If you’re a concealed carry permit holder, they shouldn’t be restricted in protecting themselves,” he said. “I want to go on the record as opposing restricting employees from protecting themselves.”

Commissioner Kevin Corbin said if the county lifted the gun ban in government build-

ings for employees, then it would have to lift the ban for everyone with a concealed carry permit. As a concealed carry permit holder himself, Corbin said he respected everyone’s right to protect themselves but also sees the problems it could present. For example, the issue of allowing teachers to carry guns came up after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting a few years ago. Corbin said the problem with that is that an officer could accidentally mistake a teacher for a perpetrator and shoot them during a situation like that.

“The issue is more complex than that,” he said.

Holland, who considers himself “very pro-gun,” said not everyone with a concealed carry permit was properly qualified to safely discharge a firearm. Many people offer concealed carry classes, but he recommended everyone take the class offered through the sheriff ’s office to ensure proper training.

“I would like all of you to take our class for eight hours and see how easy you can get your handgun permit,” he said.

At the suggestion of the board, Holland said he would begin to form a committee of experts — lawyers, judges, law enforcement and other county employees — to explore ideas for security improvements and whether the county could or should allow people in the courthouse to carry firearms.

The committee will bring back recommen19 dations to the commissioners.

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR efore it becomes a mandate from a judge, Macon County commissioners are looking to make improvements to security at the courthouse.

With four unsecured entry points in the building, Commissioner Paul Higdon told the board at a recent meeting that he had concerns about the overall safety of the building.

He said he was particularly concerned about female employees working on the basement floor with the probation office next door.

“I want to provide a safe work environment for employees and a safe environment for our citizens, and I don’t think we’re doing it in the courthouse,” he said. “People can walk anywhere in this building.”

Other counties have already taken measures to better secure their courthouses and administrative buildings after receiving strongly worded recommendations from judges holding court in those buildings. For example, Jackson County Commissioners recently completed renovations to their administrative building to satisfy recommendations from Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts. In September, the building became a one-entrance-only facility with a security guard and metal detector stationed at the door. The renovations cost the county more than $300,000 plus the cost of hiring additional security to guard the door.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Commissioners look to secure Macon County Courthouse

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR After interviewing seven people Monday night, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen unanimously chose Clayton Davis to fill a two-year unexpired term on the board.

The seat was left vacant when former alderwoman Saralyn Price was elected as mayor in November. The town put a call out for applicants and received 10 applications, but two of the applicants didn’t qualify.

Robert Bradley, a longtime gunfighter at Ghost Town in the Sky, was disqualified because he doesn’t technically live in the town corporate limits.

Jasay Ketchum, who ran against Price for mayor, was disqualified because he turned his application in after the set deadline.

While the board acknowledged Ketchum did have a family emergency during that time, they agreed he had plenty of time to turn it in before that emergency occurred.

So then it was down to eight applicants to be interviewed for the job — Brad Pendley, owner of Maggie Mountaineer Crafts; Allen Alsbrooks, owner of Hearth and Home Inn; Billy Case, real estate broker; Jimmy Rice, manager of Blue Mountain Inn; Tinker Moody, owner of Ella’s Salon and Spa; Bruce Bain, a retired auto insurance claims manager; Nikki McCauley, owner of Salty Dog’s Seafood and Grill; and Clayton Davis, a

news

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Opinion Central’s situation raises relevant issues he imminent closing of Central Elementary School in Waynesville is fueling heated debate on many fronts. A small school in many ways is like a sun around which the lives of children, families, teachers, cafeteria workers and a community orbit, a center that brings purposeful togetherness to an otherwise random group of people.

That’s the human element, and most of those in that orbit are hurting badly right now. But a school is also an arm of government that is paid for by our tax dollars. That money should be spent wisely. Central is very small and losing more students each year, the economies of scale tipping out of balance as children move to other schools, as families decide to home school or go Editor to a charter school, as kids age up and go to middle school and fewer elementary age families move into the district.

There’s no other way to say this except that I want it both ways: I want small, neighborhood schools and their warm, nurturing ways to remain a viable education option. I believe our egalitarian public school system has helped shape our unique American identity. But I also don’t want to pay to keep a school open if the student population doesn’t warrant it and my tax money is not being wisely used.

That conundrum is not so easy to reconcile, but there are some conclusions that we can draw from what is happening now.

First is the need for school leaders in Haywood County and elsewhere to do more forecasting of demographic expectations and public discussion of educational options. If Central Elementary is closing and most of the other Haywood elementary schools are not at capacity, should we be planning now for another closing? And if the system is losing students to charters and private schools and home schooling, perhaps it’s time to do a marketing study. I know that is not what public schools normally do, but we need to know what people like about the school system and what would make them like it better. As school choice options grow, public schools are going to have to fundamentally change their mindset and begin to work harder to keep students. Like it or not, that’s the new normal.

Would a science and math school get some of those kids back? Is there some other cutting edge, unique educational concept that education leaders in Haywood could try? Can Haywood schools make some of the budget shortfall back by renting Central to a charter or private school?

Another takeaway from this is to hold your legislators accountable and don’t believe what they say about education, get the real story. The truth is that the GOP-led state legislature has drained our schools. Overall education spending is up since they have controlled the Legislature, but most of those increases have been eaten up by teacher pay — substantial raises for starting teachers, but only small increases for most experienced educators as medical costs and years on the job have incrementally increased salaries. Our teachers are still in the bottom three or four states in the country in terms of salary. North Carolina is anything but a bottom three or four state.

The increases lawmakers say they gave to education are, technically, real; however, those increases have been barely enough to keep up with salaries. That means per pupil spending for things like teacher assistants, textbooks, buildings, technology and other necessities has decreased. That’s the real problem.

(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

Scott McLeod

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Smoky Mountain News

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Firing talks should be open N.C.’s laws should be changed to provide accountability

BY MARTIN DYCKMAN G UEST COLUMNIST People generally don’t care to hear how things are done better elsewhere, but there are some things about North Carolina that are done better elsewhere and now is the time to talk about one of them.

The dismissal of Waynesville Town Manager Marcy Onieal is the case in point.

Had it happened in Florida the way it did here, the aldermen would have more on their minds than hiring a new manager. They’d be worrying about how to stay out of jail.

The four-hour closed meeting to vote on her dismissal would have been illegal. So would the private conversations aldermen had among themselves beforehand.

Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law, a model to the nation when it was enacted 49 years ago, contains some of the same exceptions, as for property purchases or litigation strategy, as North Carolina’s statute does. But there is no exception for personnel matters, such as hiring or firing a public employee. That’s a significant difference.

For those closed-door meetings that are allowed, the Florida law requires a transcript be kept and made public when the reason for the secrecy no

Colleagues dismayed at attacks on Lopez To the Editor: We the undersigned, Western Carolina University’s economics faculty, wish to express support for our colleague Dr. Ed López, WCU’s BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism.

Unfortunately, he has been subject to unjustified criticism in this publication.

In contrast, we who know him best have the highest, most profound confidence in his personal integrity and have no hesitation about sharing that opinion publicly.

As practicing academic economists, we also endorse the integrity, value, and relevance of his research. Only a small minority of faculty at any institution nationwide can even approach the

longer exists. That keeps the discussions from straying into forbidden territory. North Carolina’s law required only the keeping of minutes, which can be intentionally vague.

Everything was done the wrong way in Waynesville. “Positions were set in stone well before I was elected this past November,” Alderman Jon Feichter said in a prepared statement. “Most distressing was it didn’t appear to me that either side would ever change its stance. The longer this situation went on, the more intransigent each faction became. I was concerned that the division would continue and have a negative impact on our decision making going forward.”

How could it happen that the move to fire the manager was “set in stone” before the election? Why wasn’t that known to voters during the municipal election campaign? Why were only a few insiders aware of an intense quarrel of such significance?

It’s because North Carolina law bends backward to the point of collapse to shield public employees and officers from embarrassment — and from accountability for their actions.

That’s not a good purpose. Those offices don’t belong to those who occupy them. They belong to the public.

The closed-door plotting to sack Ms. Onieal is a vivid example of why it’s not a good purpose. From how Feichter has explained his vote — to his credit, he’s the only one who has — the unavoidable conclusion is that she was fired to appease veteran town employees who threatened to resign rather

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

quality, quantity, and impact of his research publications. In the few years he has been on the faculty at Western, he has made a distinguished contribution to improving the university’s public stature and intellectual climate.

Furthermore, we fully endorse his efforts to establish a Center for the Study of Free Enterprise. The Center will directly benefit our students and

than continue to accept her leadership.

The secrecy invited all sorts of conjecture — specifically, the theory that the malcontent employees simply couldn’t hack working for a woman.

Was anyone surprised when the first two potential successors turned out to be male?

According to the Digital Media Project, it is optional under North Carolina law — not mandatory — for a board to close a personnel discussion.

The aldermen would like you to think they had to close it. They didn’t have to. They shouldn’t have.

I asked Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation in Florida, how the Sunshine State’s Sunshine law would apply to the Waynesville events. The law, she said, declares that any action taken in violation is void ab initio — from the beginning — so if anyone sued, “the manger would be un-fired.

“There is the option,” she added, “of holding a cure meeting — a meeting held in full compliance with the law where, after a full and frank discussion of the issue, the manager is refired. A cure meeting will protect the action, but it doesn’t cure the violation. And the commissioners could be subject to fines and sanctions and possible prison terms if the court found an intentional violation of law.”

What happened in Waynesville could happen again, there or anywhere in North Carolina, which sorely needs a law like Florida’s. Not someday. Now. (Martin Dyckman is a retired Florida journalist. He lives in Woodfin.)

we are dismayed that misguided, misinformed, and in some cases ideologically biased voices have been raised against Professor López and his initiatives.

This is not only unjust but detrimental to the people of North Carolina, the stature of the UNC system, its commitment to academic freedom, and in the final analysis, counter-productive.

Robert F. Mulligan, Ph.D. Professor of Economics

James H. Ullmer, Ph.D. Professor of Economics

Inhuck Steve Ha, Ph.D. Professor of Economics

Zac Gochenour, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics

I

It was two or three seconds before I realized that if this had been a dream, everyone else in the house had been having the same one. As I was sitting up, trying to get my bearings, I could hear the kids scrambling down the stairs from their bedrooms on the floor above.

“What was that? What was that?

Dad, what was that?”

I had no idea.

“Tammy, did you hear that? What in the world?”

My wife is perhaps the deepest sleeper I have ever known. She had Columnist heard the noise all right, but was apparently still testing the theory that the whole thing had just been a dream after all and might be stuffed back into that box if only the rest of us would just pipe down and go back to bed like we had some sense.

An instant later, she realized the kids might be in some kind of danger. Before I could even throw on a robe, she was at the foot of the stairs giving them each a thorough physical.

As I was rounding the corner, I heard her open the front door.

“Oh, my God!” I joined her at the open door, both of us staring out in sheer disbelief. A giant tree from the neighbor’s property had fallen across our driveway and smashed into our house, gashing the roof above our front porch and tearing the gutters and siding literally to shreds, with pieces flung all over the place — in our shrubs, on the deck, and against my car, which escaped being crushed like a soda can only because I moved it the night before so our neighbor could use our

Chris Cox

was dreaming, I can’t say exactly what. It was that kind of dream you have that floats away like a birthday balloon the second you open your eyes and let go of the string. In the dream, I slipped on something and was startled awake, about 15 minutes before the alarm was set to go off.

I propped up on one elbow and pushed aside the blinds behind the bed to see if the winter storm had arrived. I could see the flakes fluttering outside, illuminated in an orange glow by the street lamp. Then I remembered: the alarm was off. There would be no school, no work, not today. We would soon be making blueberry pancakes and coffee and hot chocolate, deciding on whether we should play Clue or Scattergories while watching the snow intensify through the dining room window. Maybe there would be enough in a few more hours to build a decent snowman. Or maybe we would watch a movie together while the storm had its way with the world outside.

Best of all, there was no hurry to do any of it. It was not yet daylight, and winter had finally arrived all at once.

Watching it snow before dawn is the closest think I know to being able to see the quiet. I was the only one in the house awake, but not for long. I let out a long sigh of pure contentment, pulled the covers up to my chin, turned into my pillow, and fell back into a deep sleep.

A couple of hours later, another dream shook me.

Somewhere nearby, a fault-line gave way and the collision of tectonic plates below the earth’s surface grabbed our entire house by its collar and jerked it out of its chair as if it were a smart alecky boy, slamming it back down with such force that every loose thing rattled all at once. It was a thunderous explosion of a hundred distinct sounds — glass breaking, metal scraping, wood splintering, chimes chattering — each sound clamoring for attention above the rest.

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Smoky Mountain News

Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek

22

driveway in case he needed to get out earlier than we wanted to get up.

As I placed a call to our insurance company, Tammy suited up and went outside to get a better look from the hill above our house and to take some photographs.

“It’s not good,” she said 15 minutes later, shaking the snow off her boots. “But we are lucky to be alive.”

Yes, lucky to be alive. And lucky that the tree didn’t reach quite far enough to create a dramatic new sunroof in our living room. And lucky that my car was more than just a pile of scrap metal, albeit a pile of scrap metal with a brand new battery and a brand new timing belt.

We made our blueberry pancakes and hot coffee and hot chocolate. The snow was pouring now, maybe three or four inches and counting. We kept looking out at the tree as if it were a rude visitor who just refused to leave and could not be reasoned with.

“Can we go sledding?” my son wanted to know. Sledding?

Now? “What about Clue? You know, Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with a wrench?”

I pictured Colonel Mustard in our driveway with a chainsaw.

“I’d rather go sledding.”

So we dressed up in our sledding garb, drove five miles in the driving snow, and spent the next hour or so plunging down the hill at the fairgrounds at exhilarating speeds. I think it was actually a celebration of not being crushed by a giant tree. I think it was a prayer of gratitude disguised as fun.

Surely Colonel Mustard would understand.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County.

He can be reached at jchriscox@live.com.)

Consider spending more on our schools

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

opinion

Jonas swept in with a hammer-like hello

To the Editor: Regarding the school district’s budget shortfall, rather than the proposed drastic reductions in the public schools programs and the possible closing of Central Elementary School: why is no one talking about increasing revenue? Of all the government services we benefit from, the schools are one place where we cannot put off needed spending until another year. If a student gets behind we cannot so easily make it up next year.

It is in all of our benefits to give our students the best education possible. Better education generally equals better-paying jobs, putting more money into the economy, helping us all out. Businesses don’t move into communities with poor schools. The best schools have music programs, science enrichment, and integrated programs like the A+ program at Central Elementary. We don’t serve our students well by trying to force them all into a single learning model.

Music, sports, and A+ performance give students that might not be academically gifted a chance to shine and lead, giving them an incentive to keep working at their academics.

They also provide opportunities for college scholarships. Non-revenue sports like cross-

country give all team members a chance to compete and contribute. Haywood County Schools has held its own compared to other schools in the state in many of its programs.

Case in point, we placed multiple students in the middle school all-region Jazz Band once again last week. Let's not cut them back.

Central Elementary has a unique program: the arts integration A+ program. It used to be a school that attracted students from other parts of the district. It’s A+ program has been badly hurt by past budget cuts, losing its fulltime arts teacher/A+ coordinator, cutting back to art every other week and cutting out drama and dance specials. It’s been a testament to the teaching staff attracted to the A+ concept that it continues to be an excellent school and to perform at or above district averages most years in year-end testing.

If a school needs to be closed because the district has lost sufficient enrollment that we don’t have enough students for all of our buildings, that is one thing, but if we are thinking of closing a good school with a unique program just to save money, that is shameful. I’ll gladly pay more taxes to keep my community’s schools a point of pride and to insure the next generation has every opportunity I had growing up or more. Put increasing revenue on the table, not just cuts.

Paul Super Waynesville

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

tasteTHEmountains

AMMONS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT & DAIRY BAR 1451 Dellwwod Rd., Waynesville.

828.926.0734. Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating over 25 years.

Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert.

The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

APPLE ANDY'S RESTAURANT 3483 Soco Road, Maggie Valley located in Market Square. 828.944.0626. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Serving the freshest homemade sandwiches, wraps, and entrees such as country fried steak and grilled flounder. Full salad bar and made from scratch sides like potato salad, pinto beans and macaroni and cheese. www.appleandys.com APPLE CREEK CAFE 111 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.456.9888. Monday through Thursday

10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight. Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Home to an extensive build your own sandwich menu as well as specialty salads, soups burgers and more. With local ingredients and made-from-scratch recipes using a variety of good-for-you ingredients Apple Creek Cafe is sure to become your favorite spot.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts.

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

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

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carry out available. Located in downtown Waynesville, Bogart’s has been long-time noted for great steaks, soups, and salads. Casual family atmosphere in a rustic old-time setting with a menu noted for its practical value. Live Bluegrass/String Band music every Thursday. Walking distance of Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activities and within one mile of Waynesville Country Club.

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m. Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

opinion

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

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

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

BRYSON CITY CORK & BEAN A MOUNTAIN SOCIAL HOUSE 16 Everett St.,Bryson City. 828.488.1934.

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to

329-35

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

Mondays: $1.00 Margaritas

828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com

— Real Local People, Real Local Food — 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, North Carolina Monday-Friday Open at 11am

Tuesdays: $3.00 Well Drinks Wednesdays: 1/2 price wine & appitizers Thursdays: $3.99 WNC Craft Pints

We’ll feed your spirit, too.

$3.50 Fireball Shots

Saturday: Imported Beer Night Sunday: $3.99 Bloody Mary's $10.00 Domestic Pitchers

LIVE MUSIC TUESDAY NIGHTS! 7 - 9PM Upcoming Bands: Feb.2 Tonology Feb. 9 Southbound

Smoky Mountain News

Fridays: $2.50 Bud Light

SAGEBRUSH OF CANTON 1941 Champion Dr. Canton

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

828-646-3750 Sun - Thur 11 AM - 10 PM Fri - Sat 11AM - 11PM

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tasteTHEmountains 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day. Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. It’s winter, but we still serve three meals a day on Friday, Saturday and long holiday weekends. Join us for Breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; Lunch from 12 to 2 p.m.; and Dinner buffet from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with entrees that include pot roast, Virginia ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. And a roaring fire in the fireplace. So come enjoy mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view.

Reservations are required.

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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

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

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CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun

real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh handcut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

Breakfast is made to order daily: Gourmet cheddar & scallion biscuits served with bacon, sausage and eggs; smoked trout bagel plate; quiche and fresh fruit parfait. We bake a wide variety of breads daily, specializing in traditional french breads. All of our breads are hand shaped. Lunch: Fresh salads, panini sandwiches. Enjoy outdoor dinning on the deck. Private room available for meetings.

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000.

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

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

CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.3551. Reservations recommended.

4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday Sunday brunch 11 a.m. to 2 pm. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Chef Ed Kaminski prepares American cuisine from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com .

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

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

FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA 1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley.

828.926.6216 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern

regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817.

Winter hours: Thursday through Dunday 12 to 4 p.m. for lunch and 4 p.m. to closing for dinner. Daily luncheon special at $6.99.

World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours: Friday-Monday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites. Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel.

828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

THE LUNCHBOX CAFE 100 Spicewood Dr., Clyde, 828.246.6296 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Serving up scrumptious breakfast, lunch and dinner all made with care in a welcoming environment. Subs, salads, sandwiches and more.

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

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

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

es, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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

Family oriented business.

PAPERTOWN GRILL 153 Main St., Canton. 828.648.1455 Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Serving the local community with great, scratch-made country cooking. Breakfast is served all day. Daily specials including Monday meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Thursdays and Friday fish.

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quich-

11-3 Monday-Saturday

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TAP ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Dr. Waynesville 828.456.5988. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Enjoy soups, sandwiches, salads and hearty appetizers along with a full bar menu in our casual, smoke-free neighborhood grill.

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828.586.3555 617 W. Main St. Sylva NC

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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

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

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Waynesville tradition, the Smoky Mountain Sub Shop has been serving great food for over 20 years. Come in and enjoy the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Sub breads are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville. Using only the freshest ingredients in home-made soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County.

42 Montgomery St. Waynesville

329-56

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.668.2326. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Happily committed to brewing and serving innovative, uniquely delicious coffees — and making the world a better place.

100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor.

Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest, all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

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

TWIN MAPLES FARMHOUSE 63 North Hill Street, Waynesville.

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

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VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito.

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Smoky Mountain News

329-06

329-37

6:00PM-9:00PM

Cash bar available. Call 246-9230 or stop in.

Seating is limited so get your tickets early.

25

26

Go tell it on the mountain

Living room concert series sparks curiosity, camaraderie

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER eading west on Highway 76, the last of the warm sunshine falls behind the silent Blue Ridge Mountains. With the small town of Clayton, Georgia in the rearview mirror, your eyes aim ahead intently. At the last second, you see Persimmon Road on your right. Not enough time to place your blinker on, but just enough of a moment to tap your brakes and yank the wheel down the road, which shoots out for miles into the backwoods of Southern Appalachia.

Not much traffic on Persimmon, especially on a cold Sunday evening in mid-January. And just when you get your bearings together as to how far you must travel down the road, Grouse Mountain Trail appears in the headlights.

Pulling up the steep road, which the pickup truck barely fit onto, you start to wonder if this is the right place. Meandering up (and up) the winding path, you soon find yourself atop the mountain, in a driveway amid an array of vehicles with dirty license plates stating “South Carolina,” “Tennessee,” “North Carolina” and “Kentucky.”

You’ve arrived. Welcome to the Grouse Mountain House Concert Series.

“This is what real life should be — friends, family, good food, and real original music,” said singer-songwriter Scott Low. “Turn off the radio and the phone, and find something original.”

Low co-hosts the series with his wife, Nicole Kelley. The newlywed couple has held the monthly events at their home for the better part of the last year (since they moved in). Track down a few bands on tour passing through the area. Put the word out. Bring a dish (though Low always barbecues for the shows) and bring your own beverages if you’d like (but be prepared, Rabun County is dry on Sundays).

“As people start to pour in, I get very excited to see old friends and new faces, and I’m

H

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

A monthly celebration, the Grouse Mountain House Concert Series has become a popular event in the hills just outside of Clayton, Georgia. Andrew Klein (above) was one of the recent guests at the Jan. 17 gathering. Right: Nashville roadhouse folk-rock performer Kristina Murray and her band. Below: Hosts of the Grouse Mountain House Concert Series, Nicole Kelley and Scott Low. Garret K. Woodward photos

proud that we can provide a place for original music to be heard,” Kelley said. “It’s being part of this movement in Rabun County. Not only are we opening people’s eyes to a sense of community that has been lost because everyone is so self-serving and ‘busy,’ but we’re also making connections, getting people to feel again, to experience something totally different than what’s at the local bar.”

Stepping into the home, one is immediately greeted by any and all within reach. Big bear hugs to familiar faces, hearty handshakes to strangers who will soon become friends over a plate of barbecue or frosty beer. Folks here are as friendly as they are genuinely interested in being an active participant in the multiple conversations pulsating around the room. Topics hover around life on the road, what’s next for each musician, or simply just curious questions and responses as to how we all came to converge on the evening, seemingly from all directions as the crow flies.

“I grew up here, and there was never a place for music or for the arts,” Kelley said. “I feel like our home is a place where artists of many talents can come inspire our community as well as be inspired by the community here in itself.”

Tonight’s bill includes Louisville-based Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters, Nashville’s own Kristina Murray, and Andrew Klein from just down the road in Athens. Low dims the living room lights to signal it’s time to find a seat or beanbag chair, a corner or couch, and relax quietly into the impending showcase.

“These shows are shockwaves of music and people, where you tell someone, and they tell someone, and that someone tells someone else — that’s how the scene grows,” he said. “I’m a musician and things like this are part of how we make our living. Tell your friends. All of these people playing tonight are on the road — this is love, this is life, this is real.”

And with that, Klein launches into his halfhour set. A member of popular Athens rock act Sam Sniper, he is now by himself, vulnerable to the crowd, with just his acoustic guitar and voice to prove his talents and passion. A voice reminiscent of Roy Orbison, Klein’s lonesome prairie yodel echoes throughout the two-story

house, filling every inch of the 30-foot vaulted ceiling. The audience is silent, hanging onto Klein’s every word and guitar note, with raucous claps welcoming each release of tension between songs.

“It’s different playing to a crowd like this — it’s a lot more intimate,” Klein said afterwards.

“And that can make me a little nervous, so naturally I’ll be playing with a little more sensitivity.

I’m way more vulnerable, where everything I thought I was good at all of sudden becomes a little difficult. The audience notices that intimacy, and so do I, so the back and forth bounce grows into this beautiful, intense silence.”

Low flicks the living room lights back on. A few folks head for the bathroom, others for a quick cigarette outside. Ten minutes later, the lights get dim again, with Kristina Murray standing in front of the joyous faces. A rollicking brand of roadhouse folk-rock, Murray is a captivating singer (reminiscent of a young Bonnie Raitt), one who is perfectly complemented by her band of intricate finger pickers. Murray found out about the concert series from mutual friends of Low, who is a road warrior musician in his own right, finding himself (and Kelley) in numerous artistic circles around the southeast and greater America.

“The acoustics are great in this room. I like being able to sing and play guitar without a microphone,” Murray said following her set.

“This crowd is a listening crowd, which is very much appreciated when you play bar after bar.”

Murray noted that in a day-and-age when artists rely more on touring than record sales to survive, having house concerts (which are becoming more popular) is another vital avenue to not only create a fan base, but to also get their music directly in the hands of those

S EE G ROUSE, PAGE 29

Want to go?

The next gathering of the Grouse Mountain House Concert Series will be at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, just over the Western North Carolina border in Clayton, Georgia.

Performers will include Danny Hutchens of acclaimed Athens rock act Bloodkin, Heidi Holton (blues/folk), and The Breedlove Brothers (folk/jam). Comedian Ben Palmer will also take the stage.

Admission is by donation, with $10 suggested. Capacity is limited to 50 people, so find out ahead of time as to being in attendance. For more information, search “Grouse Mountain House Concerts” on Facebook.

770.316.4809 or lionoftheday@gmail.com.

Garret K. Woodward photo

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

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the hell I want. But, what I do now is, when I I look at enlightenment — true enlightsee it, and feel it, I’ll know. This isn’t some enment — as being able to see and embrace sappy Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan ideology, it’s the good with the bad. Happiness (and love) chemistry, and the raw sense that what you’re is the most transcendent of human emodoing — the trajectory you’re currently on — tions, with sadness a close second. They is pure, truthful, and of sound mind. both must be respected, and also held up to And so, as dear Etta vibrates through my the light in awe and intrinsic value. soul, and every cell in my body bounces And when dear Etta echoed throughout 5 Walnut, I found myself thinking about all around happily, I take the last sip of my beer and set the glass down. The sun is now a few the ups and downs of 2015, especially in degrees closer to the horizon, a few more terms of my relationships with the opposite sex. For each adventurous date and sto- degrees accurate toward my intent and rybook encounter, there were also tears shed and somber What catches my attention the feelings projected over differing perspectives on where most is the mere fact that the things were heading or if they next year will bring about more even had a shot of success right out of the gate. faces and places, emotions and Every year, we all think, “Well, I know more than I did physical changes, sidetracking last year, so I’ll be ‘go-to-go’ and rushing forward attempts at when heading into the battlefield of males versus females.” glory, than you could ever imagine.

All is fair in love and war, you see, and, “You can’t be wise desired course. Head for where the grass and in love at the same time” (Bob Dylan). grows green and the river flows by in its own Looking back on 2015, I found myself in ancient rhythm. Sleep peacefully knowing the presence of sheer magic, where everything I had “learned” was tossed out the win- that everything is something, and something will always amount to everything as long as dow the second a femme fatale caught my you never forget how lucky you are to breath eye on an otherwise typical Tuesday night at in and out, in and out. the brewery around the corner.

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

Truth be told, I really don’t know what

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

the mere fact that the next year will bring hat song — you know that song — came over the stereo and I felt my shoul- about more faces and places, emotions and physical changes, sidetracking and rushing ders relax. forward attempts at glory, than you could “At Last” by Etta James. A timeless clasever imagine. I mean, just think about all the sic. The kind of tune you want to send into people and things you crossed paths with in outer space as a melodic ambassador to the 2015. New friends, lost friends, once-in-a-lifealiens who might be curious as to just what time experiences and unforgettable tragedies, kind of species we humans are. all rolled into a single ball of energy we kick Tucked away in a corner at 5 Walnut around while trying to figure out just what it Wine Bar in downtown Asheville, I find is we’re trying to do with ourselves. myself daydreaming while observing the I, for one, shake my head in laughter, sinworld swirling by the open bay windows and cerely grateful laughter, when I try to fathom fresh air flowing in that makes this spot a safe haven for me amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

It’s January, and though the winter had finally made itself known this week, today (thankfully) is blue skies and warm sunshine Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will kissing the cheeks of all who take have a 10th anniversary party with Humps & a moment to look upward and The Blackouts (psychobilly) at 9 p.m. Saturday, appreciate the beauty that surFeb. 6. rounds us at all times.

A community benefit showcase for The Canary New Year’s Eve was a few Coalition will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, weeks ago. And though I spent it Feb. 4, at The Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. with dear friends in the maddening crowds of Brooklyn, I still O’Malley’s Sports Bar & Grill (Sylva) will host found myself — like right now The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) at 9 p.m.

— reflecting in awe of another Saturday, Jan. 30. year down, hopefully many more No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Scott Low to come in this great unknown & The Southern Bouillon (honky-tonk/outlaw we awake into each morning. country) at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29.

This is the fresh canvas, where whatever was bothering Grammy Award winner David Holt will perform you rolls down your body like at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Haywood raindrops onto the cold concrete Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. beneath your feet. While I tend to enjoy those raindrops, for what the hell happened within the last year as good or ill, some soak deeper into my I put up a 2016 calendar — fresh with promexposed skin (and heart) than others. ise and an empty schedule — up on my wall.

Ah, my dear Etta. Your songbird voice Someone recently told me that, although revved up my memory. I gaze around 5 they “like my writing,” they couldn’t read Walnut, hearing laughter, sparkling wine most of what I publish because, “it’s too sad glasses held high with unique fingerprints from joyous customers glistening in the mid- and deep.” To which, I told them that, “real afternoon sun. It is life, and in its finest hour, understanding is being able to appreciate the happiness and the sadness as all one which is here, and now. thing — the human experience.”

What catches my attention the most is

(828) 452-4747 WWW.SSS-TOPS.COM

27

arts & entertainment

On the beat

Bluegrass legend David Holt will play Waynesville on Feb. 6.

Holt brings Appalachian music to HART

Concert for The Canary Coalition A community benefit showcase for The Canary Coalition will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at The Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Live, local music will be provided by William Ritter & Sarah Ogletree, Barbara Duncan, Curt Collins, Keith Shuler, Dave & Ella Waldrop, and Avram Friedman.

The Canary Coalition is a nonprofit grassroots public health/environmental organization with a focus on air pollution and climate change. The organization is currently working on an array of legislative and regulatory public policy initiatives related to energy and the environment. The Canary Coalition also is coordinating the Solarize WNC campaign in Jackson, Macon, Swain and Haywood Counties.

To help raise money for The Canary Coalition you may become a sponsor of this event by sending a donation to P.O. Box 653, Sylva, N.C. 28779 or donating on location at the day of the fundraiser. Donations may also be made online via PAYPAL at www.canarycoalition.org.

828.631.3447 or info@canarycoalition.org.

William Ritter & Sarah Ogletree will perform during The Canary Coalition fundraiser on Feb. 4 in Sylva.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Holt is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer, dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories. He plays 10 acoustic instruments and has released numerous award-winning recordings of traditional mountain music and southern folktales. In 2002, Doc Watson and Holt won two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Folk Recording for “Legacy,” a collection of songs and stories reflecting Watson’s life story.

An evening with Holt offers tales, ballads and tunes told, sung and played on the banjo, slide guitar, guitar, harmonica, bones, spoons and jaw harp. His audiences are constantly involved, learning to play the paper bag, applauding the vitality of his clog dancing, listening to the haunting sound of a 122-year-old mountain banjo, or being spellbound by a ghost story.

The songs and tales Holt has collected for the past twenty years have become a part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Tickets are $25. www.harttheatre.org or 828.456.6322.

Smoky Mountain News

The ‘Winter Concert Series’ hosted by Balsam Range will be Feb. 6 at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. Garret K. Woodward photo

Balsam Range ‘Winter Concert Series’

Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range will continue their sixth annual “Winter Concert Series” with Grammy nominated guests Ricky Ickes & Trey Hensley at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Colonial Theatre in Canton.

Balsam Range, winner of the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association award for “Entertainer of the Year,” will also welcome Bryan Sutton on March 5 and The Studio Dream Team on April 2.

“We try to get our own musical heroes and influences to the shows,” said Balsam 28 Range mandolinist Darren Nicholson. “We

want our hometown folks to enjoy the artists that we admire and who inspire us.

Plus, these are guest artists who don’t get to play in this area very often.”

In addition to the 2015 IBMA “Vocal Group of the Year” award, Balsam Range was also honored with the “Song of the Year” for “Moon Over Memphis.” The milestone year for the band also included honors by the House and Senate of the state of North Carolina, as well as the band being inducted into the “Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” the highest civilian honor presented by the Governor of the State of North Carolina.

Tickets available at the box office or by calling 828.235.2760. www.balsamrange.com.

NETTLES SLATED FOR HARRAH’S Country star Jennifer Nettles will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Harrah’s Cherokee. Nettles headlines the Next Women of Country Tour; scheduled to appear live at the Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort Event Center. CMT launched its Next Women campaign in 2013 as a way to give more attention and airplay to emerging female country artists across all screens. Several alumnae (Kacey Musgraves, Clark, Pope and Monroe included) have achieved both commercial and critical acclaim. In 2015, CMT expanded the franchise to include its first-ever female-powered tour with Jana Kramer and Ballerini. For tickets, visit www.harrahscherokee.com.

On the beat The 2015-16 First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series will continue with Productive Paranoia at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 4, in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

The performance of bluegrass and mountain music will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate. The concerts and jam sessions will continue at the center through next spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.

Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions, which also are open to those who just want to listen.

Free.

828.227.7129.

• The Canton Armory will host “Winter Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. every first and third Friday of the month. The event includes mountain music, vintage country, clogging and dancing. www.cantonnc.com.

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host a Mardi Gras Masquerade on Feb. 9.

828.631.4795.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Chris Minick (singer-songwriter) Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, Stone Crazy Band (pop/rock) 8 p.m. Jan. 29, ‘Round the Fire (Grateful Dead tribute) 8 p.m. Jan. 30, Jack Snyder Feb. 2, Karaoke Feb. 3 and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub 4 p.m. Feb. 6.

All shows are free and at 7 p.m. unless otherwise listed. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Scott Low & The Southern Bouillon (honkytonk/outlaw country) Jan. 29, Fat Cheek Kat Jan. 30, Humps & The Blackouts (psychobilly) Feb. 5 and Red Honey (surf/rock) Feb. 6.

All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. www.nonamesportspub.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 6. All are welcome to

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) at 8 p.m. Jan. 29.

• Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Tonology (rock) Feb. 2 and Southbound (rock) Feb. 9. Shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.646.3750.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Mile High (rock) on Wednesdays. Andrew Rickman (rock) will also perform on Jan. 30.

All shows begin at 8 p.m.

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

• Tipping Point Brewery (Waynesville) will host Chalwa (roots) Jan. 29. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 828.246.9230.

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

Jan. 28. 828.293.4688.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will have Nitrograss (bluegrass) at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Charles Walker Band (Americana) Jan. 30 and Stolen Hearts Feb. 6. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will have Fat Cheek Kat Jan. 29 and a 10th anniversary party with Humps & The Blackouts (psychobilly) Feb. 6. All shows begin at 9 p.m.

Knowing you makes the difference.

Allison Johnson, M.D.

When choosing a healthcare par tner, having someone you k now by your side makes a dif ference. At Hay wood Regional Medic al Center, we are your friends, neighbors and family; and have been for nearly 9 0 years. Today, as a Duke LifePoint h o s p i t a l w e a re m a k i n g o u r c o m m u n i t y h e a l t h i e r a n d s t ro n g e r w i t h e n h a n c e d s e r v i c e s a n d n e w te c h n o l o g i e s w i t h a nationally renowned medical par tner.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 28 and Feb. 4. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• O’Malley’s Sports Bar & Grill (Sylva) will host The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) Jan. 30.

All shows begin at 9 p.m.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have James Hammel (pop/jazz) Jan. 29 and Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Jan. 30. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

come play or simply sit and listen.

The final performance of the evening, Dittmeier and The Sawdusters are a wild, well-oiled musical train, making stops in the realms of honky-tonk, outlaw country, bluegrass, and straight up rock-n-roll. A truly powerful sound, the ensemble mesmerized the audience with three-part harmonies, walking-the-dog thumping bass and a freewheelin’ attitude only found in the presence of true nitty-gritty musicianship.

Following The Sawdusters, the bands pack up their gear. The audience hugs each other goodbye. Until next time. See you soon. Time to head back out along the ole dusty trail that is the journey of life.

Frozen engines rumble to life as taillights can be seen drifting down the Grouse Mountain Trail, back home or onward to the next gig in some faraway town. The living room furniture is put back to its original place. And for those staying the night, hands grab for nearby instruments as all gather around the dining room table. There are more songs to be sung, with several hours of storytelling at their fingertips before the duties of tomorrow come-a-callin’.

“In all the years I’ve been touring ‘round and singing my songs, I’ve met and become great friends with many amazing underthe-radar players. Talent and being able to guide an audience through an artistic journey is what really matters here,” Low said.

“We open up our house, cook a bunch of food and pick all night — it all kind of just falls into place.”

arts & entertainment

Jam series welcomes Productive Paranoia

who areGsincerely interested in what she ROUSE, CONTINUED FROM 26 (and other groups) are all about — onstage and off.

“There are so many bands out there, and to be able to have people like Scott and Nicole looking for great music to showcase to people is what it’s all about,” Murray said. “And I know plenty of bands who solely do house concerts. A lot of bars and venues want live music, but the pay is so low, and a lot of times you’re just playing for a non-listening crowd in a really loud room.”

And beyond providing a platform for up-and-coming bands, the series also offers a place to stay and recuperate in a sometimes-unforgiving industry.

“I’ve traveled almost the whole United States with Scott on tour, where a clean bed and homemade food on the road are a couple of things that can restore your faith in humanity,” Kelley said. “I love being able to put fresh sheets on the spare beds and couches, cook up a ton of food, and set out the merchandise table for their wares. We want to create a safe and warm place for everyone — seasoned musicians and those who are just finding their way.”

Those are sentiments also echoed by Dittmeier.

“It’s a lot better than the bar food we’re used to,” he chuckled on the porch before his set. “Everything about this atmosphere is dialed down, where you get to play and be part of an unobstructed space. Everything becomes one single unit, of musicians and listeners. It’s a culture of listening, and of offering something of yourself as a performer.”

W h e n i t c o m e s t o y o u r s u r g i c a l c a r e, y o u h a v e a c h o i c e .

C h o o s e t h e p a r t n e r t h a t h a s a l w ay s b e e n r ig h t h e re i n Hay wood Count y, and will be ever y s te p of the way.

800.424.DOCS (3627)

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MyHaywoodRegional.com M yH aywoodR egional.com

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Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

arts & entertainment

On the street

Last Minute Productions will present speaker Teja Arboleda at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the UC Theater at Western Carolina University.

Arboleda is AfricanAmerican/Filipino-Chinese and German-Danish. He grew up in Japan and has traveled through many countries. He’s also the author of In The Shadow of Race, an account of his personal experiences as a multicultural, multiethnic and multiracial American.

As a television producer, director, writer and entertainer, Arboleda has spent 26 years creating commercial and educational programs for television and distribution, including PBS, ABC, Discovery and major corporations around the U.S. such as Verizon Wireless. He has garnered an Emmy Award and two Telly Awards.

His topic for this presentation will be RaceOff. Premiered in 2011 at the “Race – Are We So Different” national touring exhibit, this live multimedia and heavy musical beat-entrenched program is based on his wildly successful national touring video, RaceOff. This lively, interactive motivational presentation will challenge the audience to wipe away all assumptions about identity that limit us. The fundamental tenet of RaceOff is to eliminate racial categories by challenging the archaic rubric of color and feature-based designations while celebrating the cultural and ethnic premises of identity. www.wcu.edu.

Come share your Civil War ancestry The Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society will present “Our State, Our Stories: WNC People and Families in the Civil War” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Genealogical Society Library at 200 Main Street in Bryson City.

Paige A. Tester of Cherokee will be the presenter. She is one of 10 story specialists working with the N.C. Civil War History Center. She is collecting 100 stories of families and people who were in the Civil War from each of our western most counties (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Transylvania).

At the Feb. 4 meeting, she will share information about the history project, stories about North Carolina people and families in the Civil War and lead a discussion with participates to share civil war stories of their ancestors. Come prepared to share sto30 ries and pictures of your ancestors.

Smoky Mountain News

Craft beer release, dinner at Tipping Point

Arboleda to discuss race, identity issues

There will a “Beer Dinner Extravaganza” held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville.

The five-course special menu will be prepared by acclaimed Executive Chef Doug Weaver, co-owner of The Sweet Onion in Waynesville. Each course will be paired with a craft beer from the brewery, which will include two new releases. Limited tickets are $50 per person ($62.50 altogether including tax and tip). There will also be live music.

828.246.9230 or www.tippingpointtavern.com.

Waynesville historical speakers series begins in February

Celebrate Robert Burns, Scottish heritage in Franklin

The Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will begin hosting a series of speakers to inform the public on the rich and fascinating stories behind some of the historic places within the community.

The goal of “Haywood Ramblings” is to entertain and inform all ages on some of the interesting aspects of Waynesville’s long history.

Talks will be held the at 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month beginning in February at the Town of Waynesville Board Room at 9 South Main Street. There will be time for questions and light refreshments will be provided.

The programs are as follows: • “Waynesville in the 1960s” by Vicki Hyatt, Feb. 4.

• “If Rails Could Talk: Logging in Western North Carolina” by Ronald Sullivan, March 3.

• “Growing up in Hazelwood” by Mary Ann Enloe, April 7.

• “The Old Ways: Dowsing, Healing, and Knowing the Signs” by Ann Melton, May 5.

For more information contact Elizabeth Teague or Byron Hickox at the Town’s Development Services Department at 828.456.8647.

The “Robert Burns Dinner” will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, in the Tartan Hall at the Franklin Presbyterian Church.

Burns, the national poet of Scotland, is the only poet or musician that has a worldwide celebration. It is on or near his birthday, Jan. 25.

He is also known as the Ploughman’s Poet.

Burns was a farmer, but not a very productive one. His poems and songs were noted for preserving the Gaelic language and the passion he had for the everyday beauty and life of the common folk.

This year’s Burns Night will include the calling of the clans, presentation of the haggis, recitation of “Ode to the Haggis,” poetry and songs of Burns, singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” and a five-course dinner.

Entertainment will be provided by The Jacobites, a group with local ties to Franklin. Piper will be Michael Waters. The Scottish country dancing will be led by Marshall and Anne McLaughlin.

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

828.421.7771.

Information will also be available about how to submit your stories for inclusion in this project; those stories submitted will be a part of the N.C. Civil War History Center, a part of the Division of State history Museums, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

Refreshments and conversation follows the meeting. There is no admission charge and all are invited to attend.

Mountain Cooking Club in Fines Creek Chef Ricardo Fernandez will be hosting a Mountain Cooking Club “Serving Up Love” class from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Fines Creek Community Kitchen in Clyde.

Fernandez was the former coowner/head chef of Lomo Grill. The classes celebrate local ingredients and seasonal fare.

His classes combine his native Argentine cui-

sine with influences from Spain and Italy, the home of his parents.

The menu for this class will include a three-course dining experience: Thai shrimp and chicken soup, crispy chicken thighs with salsa verde, and rum walnut bundt cake.

Class fee is $65 plus a $1 Mountain Cooking Club 2016 membership fee (for those who didn’t attend the January class).

To reserve your space, mail a check (payable to Ricardo Fernandez) to Suzanne Fernandez at 3553 Panther Creek Road, Clyde, North Carolina 28721. Reservations confirmed upon receipt of payment.

828.246.7465 or chefricardos@gmail.com.

Father/Daughter dance in Sylva The ninth annual Father/Daughter Dance will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the First United Methodist Church in Sylva.

Daughters of all ages are invited to enjoy

a wonderful evening of great music, desserts and punch. Every couple will receive a complimentary photo to remember this special event. Each daughter will receive a corsage and a party favor.

The fee for advanced registration is $30 per couple and $5 for each additional daughter. The price at the door is $35 per couple and $5 for each additional daughter. Registration forms and payments should be received by Feb. 12 in order to be part of this memorable evening. Please mail these to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 296, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Registration forms can be picked up at the church office at 77 Jackson Street in downtown Sylva or filled out on the church’s website www.firstumcsylva.org.

• The Waynesville Gun Show will be held Jan. 30-31 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Lake Junaluska.

828.452.6758.

ALSO:

On the stage

Princesses, heroes and villains in Franklin The “Once Upon A Wish” interactive musical celebration of princesses and heroes will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Feb. 5-6 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

All of your favorite princesses and heroes will celebrate dreams, wishes and the excitement that comes with living in a fairytale.

Come dressed as your favorite character and enjoy light refreshments as you participate in this live, interactive stage show, but be careful, because there are a couple of villains lurking in the shadows.

Space is limited, so reservations are suggested and can be made at the theatre box office by calling 828.524.1598. This event takes place on the SMCPA stage with tables available for groups of six or less. Some smaller groups may be combined to allow the maximum number of participants. Everyone in attendance will need a ticket.

Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company. $15 at the door. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

DANCE TRIO TO PERFORM AT WCU Acrobatic dance trio Galumpha will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy and inventive choreography, Galumpha brings to life a world of imagination, beauty, muscle and merriment. The event is part of the ‘Galaxy of the Stars’ series at WCU. Tickets are $21 for adults, $16 for WCU faculty/staff, and $7 for students and children. www.wcu.edu.

A GUAR ANTEED G R E AT N I G H T O U T CMT PRESENTS

JENNIFER NETTLES

On the wall • Learn to sew with the Sew Easy Girls and the Community Association (ECA) group from noon to 3 p.m. every first Monday of the month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office in Sylva.

Refresh your skills and take on new projects. 828.586.4009.

ALSO:

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

• The live screening of the New York City MET Opera’s production of Puccini’s “Turandot” will be shown at 12:55 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. Opera’s leading dramatic soprano Nina Stemme sings the title role of the proud princess of ancient China, whose riddles doom every suitor who seeks her hand. Tenor Marco Berti is Calàf, who sings the iconic “Nessun dorma” and wins her love. Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 828.526.9047. Adults are $26, PAC members $22, and students are free.

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

• The film “Jurassic World” will be screened at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. $5. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

• The Macon County Anime Club will meet from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Macon County Public Library. Anime Club is open to from 6th graders through college age. Members share a love of everything Japanese. The club focuses mainly on watching anime movies and television shows and some group discussion, however there are often special activities and events that take place. 828.524.3600.

WITH

works from Haywood County fiber artisans. www.haywoodarts.org.

TRACY MORGAN : PICKING UP THE PIECES

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

The Women of Waynesville (WOW) are back at it again. This wild and incredible group of women will host their first fundraising event of 2016, with the inaugural Bachelors Ball for Belles taking place at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Laurel Ridge Country Club.

Ten local bachelors and 10 amazing datenight gift packages will be auctioned off to the highest bidder while guests also enjoy a hot Italian dinner, dancing, DJ and cash bar. A few of the sought after auction items including a week’s getaway to a condo in Florida, an all expenses paid three-night getaway to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Resort and a free night’s stay at the Oak Hill on Love Lane Bed & Breakfast.

All of the bachelors, who vary in age from 21 to their late 60s, are individually unique and have a special flare to them that will easily set them apart from each other. The 2016 WOW bachelors consist of an attorney, a local business owner, a fireman, a journalist, an emergency responder, a medical salesman and one that is in manufacturing.

Since the creation of WOW in January 2012, the organization has raised more than $34,000 for local nonprofits and women and children in need in the community. The Women of Waynesville is a registered nonprofit 501c3 that runs 100 percent on volunteers.

The money raised by WOW since 2012 has spread amongst this entire community stretching its impact to organizations such as REACH, KARE, Haywood Healthcare Foundation, Meals on Wheels, Big Brother Big Sisters, Heating Assistance, and many more.

Tickets cost $50 per person which includes an evening of dinner, music, dancing, cash bar, large ticket auction items and of course, the bachelors auction. Groups of six or more will receive free champagne.

Purchase tickets at the WOW website or by calling Nikki White at 828.545.6879.

WOW accepts checks, credit cards and cash. www.womenofwaynesville.com.

arts & entertainment

Bachelors Ball for Belles at Laurel Ridge

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

The Web is changing us in more ways than we know I

Gary Carden

n Reclaiming Conversation, author Sherry Turkle notes that significant changes sometimes come to our daily lives without our noticing, until someone like Rachael Carson publishes an astonishing work like Silent Spring, telling us that our advances in technology have brought a permanent change to our environment.

Now, Nicholas Carr tells us that another “silent spring” is at hand.

This time, our technology is a major part of that change. Our phones are ringing less, and we are becoming hesitant to Writer establish direct contact with others. After all, it is easier to text. It is perhaps more superficial, but we are in a hurry.

Nicholas Carr feels that the Internet is changing the way we think. In evidence of that change, he cites personal experience. A decade ago, Carr still enjoyed research and actually looked forward to gradually developing a topic through Google. He compares his former experience to strolling through a scenic environment, and gradually selecting the information that he needs.

However, that has changed. Carr now moves rapidly through his resources with a sense of urgency as he flits like a butterfly in heat from one source to another. Further, he notes that he finds this change in other areas.

“I can no longer read War and Peace,” Bruce Friedman an associate, says, noting that he has become “impatient.” Where he used to admire a beautifully written narrative, he now becomes irritable, eager to move on in his search for “relevant data.” He is constantly thinking, “Yes, yes, please get to the point.”

In essence, this is what we have sacrificed for speed and efficiency. According to Carr, we have lost (or we are losing) the ability to read

become “new” in the sense that we are evolving into a tool or a vital part of a new technology. He finds it interesting that we have exchanged roles: the Internet is no longer a tool; rather we are becoming a tool for the internet.

How did this happen? Carr says that it is not “new.” He proceeds to trace the development of writing from the Egyptian use of papyrus to “a new writing device,” a wax tablet — a development that changed the way we wrote and thought. He acknowledges that the move from parchment to the Gutenberg press required another “adjustment” in the way we think.

Eventually, we come to the Internet and another evolutionary change. Each time, we must cast away methods and techniques that have become obsolete. It is like The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by cutting loose ballast so Nicholas Carr. W. W. Norton & Publishing, 2011. 280 pages. that we many progress faster and more efficientand think deeply. The Internet encourages the ly. The question posed by this is, what are we rapid and distracted gathering of small bits of losing? Is it possibly our humanity? The very information from many sources. We have thing that makes us who we are? developed a new talent: the ability to scan and Carr is a master storyteller and tells a skim. series of stories about writers and thinkers What are we losing? Carr says we are sacri- who react to radical change with awe, fear and ficing the capacity for concentration, contemeven despair. He recounts a marvelous story plation and reflection. He builds a good case about Friedrich Nietzsche, who bought a new for this. He also suggests that we are possibly and revolutionary machine, a typewriter. As at a crossroads where we must choose to he struggled to use it, friends noted that his

Harry Potter night in Franklin The second annual Harry Potter Book Night will be at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

On Harry Potter Book Night, all in attendance will be sharing the wonder of J.K. Rowling’s unforgettable stories and introducing the next generation of readers to the unparalleled magic of Harry Potter.

Young wizards, witches and Muggles will be treated to an evening of games, activities, magic tricks and light refreshments. They are also encouraged to dress up as a Harry Potter book character for our costume contest. The venue will be decorated and serving up snacks inspired by some of the scrumptious wizard foods in the books, from Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans to Pumpkin Pasties.

You can find out more about Harry Potter Book Night and download images including the official logo at www.harrypotterbooknight.com. www.fontanalib.org or 828.524.3600.

Lockey searches for love, acceptance Mary Lockey has released her debut novel Hey! It’s Me, Putty.

The story features Putty, a young girl living in a group home that is facing closure due to budget cuts. Her closest allies are her neighbors, Anne Calvert, who along with her sister Sophie, support Putty financially and emotionally. Her other neighbor is Maggie Stephens, the new rector at St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Whatever the issue, Putty seems to shed light on the true meaning of love and acceptance and through her eyes those around her come closer to God. Same sex marriage and love, domestic violence and community action all come under the discerning eye of Putty.

The book is currently available at Blue Ridge Books & News in Waynesville and City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

writing was changing. His prose became tighter and more forceful, causing Nietzsche to conclude that this machine has changed the way that he thought.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, sitting in a quiet clearing in the woods, begins to ponder the world around him in a different way and anticipates a “transcendental moment” when the world becomes “a perfect whole,” but then, his reverie is broken by the whistle of a locomotive ... a harsh shriek of a train whistle that has no place in this moment. The spell is broken by the abrupt entrance of “the real world,” which has objectives of its own, and it is busy and impatient. Is this an appropriate metaphor for the arrival of the Internet?

There is an irony in the reaction that I had to much of the dense and heavily documented chapters of The Shallows. Like the author, I found myself “skipping and scanning,” rushing to the end of chapters in the hope that I would find some brief anecdote that would summarize this book’s purpose, perhaps by proclaiming a resounding “Yes!” After this, Carr would present his carefully reasoned conclusion, which is, “It is for the best.” Or, as the tough-talking protagonists say to a griefstricken victims in police dramas: “Get used to it.”

In actual fact, in the prologue to this book I did find that brief succinct anecdote that addresses this question: How did the Internet bring about extensive change without our being aware of it. In “The Watchdog and the Thief,” Carr relates the story of a thief who always carried a sirloin steak with him when he went to burglarize. While the watchdog was preoccupied with eating the steak, the thief removed every item of value from the house. So, while I am totally absorbed in “Game of Thrones,” the thief (somebody) is making radical changes in the way we interact with the Internet. Who is “the thief ”?

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

New Singleton story collection George Singleton will present his new collection of stories at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Calloustown, Singleton’s seventh collection, finds the author at the top of his game as he traces the unlikely inhabitants of the fictional Calloustown in all their humanity. Whether exploring family, religion, politics, or the true meaning of home, these stories range from deeply affecting to wildly absurd and back again in the blink of an eye.

Tom Franklin, author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, said, “If you read only one book this year, make it Calloustown. George Singleton is the best kind of genius, a mad one, and while his stories are acts of mad genius, they are also acts of great skill, acts of great compassion, acts of great intelligence. These are stories not to be missed.”

828.586.9499.

THE FAMILY CARE CENTER

NEW YEAR NEW YOU We can help you keep your resolutions this year at the Family Care Center.

Call 828-554-5565 to make an appointment.

77 Painttown Road (Hwy. 19) • Cherokee, North Carolina Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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bi-monthly magazine that covers the southern Appalachian mountains and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue relies on regional writers and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.

In this issue:

PLUS ADVENTURE, CUISINE, READING, MUSIC, ARTS & MORE

SUBSCRIBE:

Smoky Mountain News

Holiday Musings from Regional Writers Historic Postcards: Dispatches from the Smokies Santa Rappels Down Chimney Rock and Pigs Fly A Look at the Region’s Newest Inn Homes

www.smliv.com OR

866.452.2251

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Beat you to the bottom Race night offers competition and community at Cataloochee

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER s the sun goes down on the snow-covered mountain at Cataloochee Ski Area, anticipation spikes among the enlightened few who know what Thursday night on the slopes means.

Darkness falls over Maggie Valley, and ski race director Mark DeWolf heads out with his crew to set up gates, fences, start and finish lines. Meanwhile, the racers arrive, hitting the lifts to make a few careening runs down the mountain before 7 p.m. rolls around. As the countdown draws nearer, DeWolf scrambles to make sure the timer’s set up and calibrated, the volunteers in place and the racers’ signup sheets collected. He plugs all the information on those sheets into the computer, ready for pairing with the new times about to be logged.

Finally, the course is ready.

“You got a racer in the block?” DeWolf radios out to his colleague Rich Mead, who’s monitoring the start.

“Racer 248 in position,” affirms Mead.

“Ready for 248,” replies DeWolf.

The racer shoots down the mountain, weaving between yellow and green gates, kicking up clouds of powder as he hits the curves.

Racer 248, otherwise known as Tom Applebee, has been making the weekly drive over from his home in the Bat Cave area of Henderson County for the past two years. A skier since age 11, the 55-year-old said he settled on racing as a way to stay healthy during the winter. But with a competitive edge.

“Each time I get a medal, usually a bronze or a silver,” he said. “I’m trying to get the gold medal.”

You don’t get trophies and prizes for going to the gym, no matter how many calories you burn. Race night is an excuse get outside and hit the slopes — while also engaging in a bit of healthy competition.

According to Kelly Myhan, an Atlanta resident who’s been making the trek to Thursday night races for the past eight years, it’s gotten

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“really competitive” since he started coming.

The core group of guys who turn out week after week has steadily improved its skills over the years, and the level of competition has heightened.

But at the same time, there’s a laid-back air to the evening. When asked for his best time, Myhan could only say, “Oh, I have no idea.”

“It’s fun,” he added. “It brings out the kid

in you.”

Except, said Kent Goode, another regular, “because it’s ‘official,’ it’s OK.” “We’re all just speed junkies,” DeWolf said, kids at heart looking for any excuse to high-tail it down a mountain as fast as possible. The Waynesville resident usually takes a break from his official duties to make a couple race runs himself, though on this particular

Racers careen down the Alley Cat slope at Cataloochee Ski Area.

Above: Holly Kays photo Below: Cataloochee Ski Area photo

evening — Jan. 24 — a nasty bug had taken out too many of his staff for him to get on the slopes.

Carrie Edwards, of Asheville, puts the funto-competition ratio at 70-30. She mostly shows up just because skiing is her favorite thing to do and race night is an excuse to get her friends together for an infusion of weeknight skiing.

“I get competitive with myself,” she said, “but mostly it’s fun.”

The winners in each category, stratified by age, gender and type of run — both snowboarders and skiers are welcome to participate — do get prizes. They’re provided by Budweiser, items that Asheville resident John “Ozzie” Oswald categorizes as “silly schwag.”

Baseball caps, neon Budweiser signs, coolers, beer tents.

Oswald usually does pretty well in the races — this time he came out with the second-fastest time overall, the fastest in his age bracket — so he’s got a fair amount of that

Plenty of opportunity for adrenaline junkies Ski and snowboard racing is far from a Thursday-night-only endeavor at Cataloochee Ski Area.

During January and February, middleschoolers race on Tuesdays, high-schoolers on Wednesdays and adults 18 and over on Thursdays. Sunday afternoons are open to everyone.

“Hardcore skiers love to race,” said racing coordinator Mark DeWolf. “I’ve been skiing all over the country, and even when I was a kid I’d see these NASTAR races and I’d want to do it.”

Usually, Thursday nights attract somewhere between 20 and 30 competitors, but the middle and high school races are much bigger, often bringing 150 kids on each of the two nights. Each one makes two runs, meaning a total of 600 timed runs down the Alley Cat slope between the two weekly school team races. While a top-notch racer can complete the run in as little as 13 seconds, for kids just getting into the sport it can take as long as 90 seconds.

It can be chaotic, but the high participation is exciting, DeWolf said. Another generation of powder junkies is on the rise.

“We give this stuff to the kids,” DeWolf said. “What it does for the mountain is make lifelong skiers out of them.”

The competitive season is already underway for the middle and high school teams, but the Thursday and Sunday competitions are drop-in friendly.

On Thursdays, races go from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with an entrance fee of $15 or a combined fee for lift and racing of $35. Sunday races are held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with registration beginning at 10 a.m. The fee is $7 or $5 for racers 12 and under. While no prizes are given on Sundays, the times do count toward qualification for the annual NASTAR championships. www.cataloochee.com/learn-toslide/recreational-race-programs.

stuff at home already.

“What’s going to happen is his wife’s going to get tired of all the stuff he’s bringing home and he’ll have to throw a few races,” joked Doug MacMillan, also of Asheville.

It’s that kind of back-and-forth that keeps Hendersonville resident Joe Crowell coming back.

“You get to see the same guys, talk a little smack. There’s a whole lot of camaraderie,” he said.

Race night is essentially a juxtaposition of the individual and the communal. The race itself is individual. One skier down the mountain at a time, two shots per person to get the best time possible. You never really know what your time is until all the runs are over and everyone’s back at the bar waiting for results.

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Falcons, wolves and bears, oh my! the potential threats that can impact our ecosystems,” said George Briggs, the Arboretum’s executive director. “By hosting Wild Survival, we hope to shed light onto

And while in one sense you’re racing against the guys drinking beer beside you, in another you’re all racing against a much higher standard.

“We’re really racing against the top guy in the country,” DeWolf said.

Ted Ligety, widely recognized as the fastest skier in the U.S., sets the pace for how competitive skiers are ranked. Though

Ligety’s. The smaller the number, the faster the skier.

“Then you can compare yourself to people at resorts across the country,” DeWolf explained. You can even aim toward making the NASTAR nationals, which this year will be held in Steamboat, Colorado.

The racers like having that bit of an official dimension to their performance. But it’s not just about the slopes. After the race course is dismantled, the lifts rattle to a stop and the nighttime winds hurl chill at the mountainside, the crew is still there, sipping the last of their beers, finishing their fries and admiring this week’s take of “silly schwag.”

The real draw of race night, said John Menkes, sweeping his hand to indicate the faces at the table around him, is simple.

“It’s this,” he said.

Cataloochee’s Thursday night races are pretty laid-back, they’re also part of NASTAR, which stands for NAtional STAndard Race.

Based on their performance at Cataloochee, racers are given a handicap that’s gauged, ultimately, by how their times compare to

Donated photo

these concerns and demonstrate to visitors how animal species can reemerge through conscious planning and efforts from society.”

Sponsors include Smoky Mountain Living Magazine, Gasperson Moving & Storage and the Museum of York County. $12 parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org.

Smoky Mountain News

Holly Kays photo

Peregrine falcon.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Mark DeWolf handles the technical side of race night from the control center at the top of the mountain.

outdoors

An exhibition highlighting the return of North America’s wolves and peregrine falcons from the brink of extinction will be on display at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville through May 8.

The exhibit, Wild Survival, uses specimens, objects, video and interactive displays to showcase the biology, behavior and near demise of these species.

As recently as two decades ago, wolves were predicted to completely disappear from North America, but over the past 30 years the population in the United States has grown from less than 300 to more than 4,000. Peregrine falcons experienced a similar trajectory, with more than 6,000 of the birds now having been released through an introduction program devised to resurrect the species after it was listed as endangered in 1970.

Wild Survival also covers the repopulation efforts surrounding American black bears, American elk and the white-tailed deer.

“In recent decades, we have faced many issues surrounding our environment and

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outdoors Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

Rewards offered for poaching tips A new program rewarding people who turn in poachers aims to crack down on illegal wildlife harvest.

“Despite our constant efforts, it is not possible for our officers to apprehend all violators on their own,” said Lt. B.J. Meyer of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s law enforcement division.

“We need the guidance and support of the public to be most effective, so we rely on our citizens to assist in the reduction of wildlife crimes.”

Rewards from the Turn-in-Poachers program, or TIP, range from $100 to $1,000 depending on the severity of the crime and fines assessed by the court. All tips will remain anonymous, but the Wildlife Commission must receive names and contact information to provide an award.

The program was developed in partnership with the N.C. Bowhunters Association through a state law that established the Wildlife Poacher Reward Fund. The fund receives 10 percent of replacement and investigative costs from wildlife cases, as well as money from the restoration fees convicted wildlife violators are required to pay.

Submit tips: ■ Online at www.tipsubmit.com/webtipforms/webform.aspx?id=127&AgencyID=1304.

■ Using the free smartphone app TipSoft.

■ By texting 274637. Start the message with WILDTIP and include your name to be eligible for an award.

■ By calling 1-855-WILDTIP. Report wildlife violations other than poaching to 1.800.662.7137.

A winter wonderland

Clockwise from top left: The sun comes out over the view from Mile High Campground.

Arti and I take a break in the snow. Snow falls over the Blue Ridge Parkway sloping down to Soco Gap. Holly Kays photos

hen I transplanted myself from Wyoming to North Carolina, I assumed that part of the deal would be relinquishing access to the singular thrill of breaking powder on cross-country skis, exploring through deserted, snowcaked forests and whitewashed vistas. I’m so happy to be so wrong. Skiing through the freshly fallen snow on the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend, alone in the world but for the soft sounds of branches creaking and wind rustling — and, of course, the dog trotting along behind me — I rediscovered that purest form of exhilaration.

Snow makes me suddenly melt into an 8-

W

pare to be astonished.

I’ll be riding that feeling until the snow falls again. And in the meantime, living vicariously through the pictures I brought back with me.

— by Holly Kays, outdoors editor

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Is a Will Enough?

Smoky Mountain News

year-old child, and I’m OK with that. There’s magic in the way it blankets mundane surroundings in a soft, white canvas, inviting wonder amid the familiar. And when the blanketed surroundings in question are aweinspiring rather than mundane, well, pre-

329-30

FREE LUNCHEON SEMINAR

Feb. 10 & March 9 11:30 AM

Best Western River Escape Inn Dillsboro • Reservation Suggested

828.586.4051

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An all-day conference on the business side of farming will be held Saturday, Feb. 20, at UNC-Asheville.

Organized by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, conference goers can chose from 15 business and marketing workshops led by experienced farming, business and agricultural professionals.

Titles include “Farm Business Planning,” “The Dos and Don’ts of Selling to Restaurants” and “Making Social Media Work for You,” including new topics on legal issues and the new Food Safety Modernization Act. Networking will also be an emphasis, with buyer-grower meetings bringing buyers and producers together.

“I look forward to the Business of Farming Conference every year. Making a successful business out of a farming enterprise is by far the most challenging aspect of agricultural production. ASAP pulls together an excellent menu of local farmers to make presentations about how they are making a go of it,” said Steven Beltram, owner of Balsam Gardens. $70 early-bird registration ends Feb. 1; $90 beginning Feb. 2. A cost-share program is available to offset registration fees. www.asapconnections.org or 828.236.1282.

Nutrition Facts serving size : ab out 50 p ag es Am ount per Serving Calories 0 % Daily Value * Tot al Fat 0g

outdoors

Farming and business to meet in Asheville

0%

Reg ional New s

100%

Op inion

100%

Outd oors

100%

Art s

100%

Entert ainm ent

100%

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100%

* Percent Weekly values b ased on Hayw ood, Jackson, M acon, Sw ain and Buncom b e d iet s.

Get the low-down on fats Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

A workshop on healthy eating will break up the winter doldrums from 6 to 8 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 8, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Taught by certified health and wellness coach Sara Lewis, the class — Fats: The Good, The Bad and The Healthy — will offer information about the dangers and benefits of various kinds of fats. $15 for rec center members; $20 for nonmembers. RSVP to Lewis at 828.550.1640.

Learn how to multiply your plants Smoky Mountain News

A talk on propagating plants from someone who’s spent years researching plant breeding and genetics will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, by the Sylva Garden Club at the Sylva Presbyterian Church.

Timothy Metz, assistant vice chancellor for institutional planning and effectiveness at Western Carolina University, will give the talk, channeling his background in biology prior to his appointment at WCU. Metz was once chairman of Campbell University’s biology department with research interests in plant breeding, genetics and molecular biology.

Free. Held in conjunction with the Sylva Garden Club’s monthly meetings the first Tuesday of each month from September to May.

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outdoors

Reflections on walking the Camino Primitivo NURSING

JOB F FAIR A AIR

Wednesday, W ednesday y, February F 3, 2016 | 3 – 8 p.m.

Haywood Community College – Student Services Building | 185 Freelander Freelander Drive | Clyde, NC Attendees should complete an online application prior to the event to have the opportunity to interview that day with clinical administrators. On-site applications will also be accepted.

For more iinformation, visit F f ti i it MyHay MyHaywoodRegional.com/JobFair ywoodRegional com/JobFair or call all 828 828.452.8042 452 8042.

LifePoint Health is an Affirmative Action Employer, so all candidates are required to apply online. We are an equal opportunity employer. We believe our employees are our most valuable assets. We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age, in admission, treatment, or participation in our programs, services and activities or employment. We offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package for those who proudly join our family.

An avid local hiker will share the story of her pilgrimage along the 208-mile Camino Primitivo in Spain at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Community Room of the Jackson County Library in Sylva.

Macon County hiker Olga Pader walked the ancient path in northern Spain in the summer of 2010. It’s a walk through space but also through time that joins the walker with the thousands who have traversed it since it was first traveled in the year 840.

The journey culminates at the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of James — one of Jesus’ 12 apostles — rest.

Pader will share adventures, experiences and reflections from the journey.

Free. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Library. 828.586.2016.

Olga Pader, 13 days into the 14-day trek. Donated photo

Get a jump on the A.T. experience

“

A course aimed at preparing wannabe Appalachian Trail thru-hikers for the trek will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, at Black Dome Mountain Sports in Asheville.

It is one of several courses hosted statewide by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and will cover all aspects of a long-distance A.T. attempt.

A 30 to 60 percent increase in thru-hikers is expected this year due to the movies Wild and A Walk in the Woods.

828.357.6542 or www.appalachiantrail.org/events.

The teamwork atmosphere is most enjoyable and effective here at Haywood Regional. A family-like relationship between members of inner-disciplinary departments makes the team work smoothly.

Everyone works hard and are proud to serve our patients.

— Wendy Rector RN

”

Bikers race over snowy trail at Fontana. Donated photo

262 Leroy Leroy Geor George ge Drive • Clyde, NC 28721

Smoky Mountain News

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

329-44

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Cold & Flu Season is Here.We Can Help.

Let our pharmacist show you natural ways to strengthen your immune system.

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38

Icy and adventurous mountain bike race coming to Fontana Mountain bikers will flock to Fontana Village Resort this weekend for the return of the Icycle Mountain Bike Race, an actionpacked day of cross-country and downhill races.

The daytime races a 7-mile course including rocks, roots, creeks and wide-open passing lanes will start at 11 a.m., with expert and single-speed classes beginning at 1 p.m. A downhill race on the 1.2-mile Turkey Chute Trail — which drops 900 feet over that length — will start at 7:30 p.m. An afterparty and bonfire will follow. www.pisgahproductions.com/events/icycle.

Little League sign-ups scheduled

for the Mountaineers Little League and the Canton Little League are also underway. www.mountaineerlittleleague.org

Little League season is just around the corner, and signups for baseball and softball teams in Jackson County are planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and Feb. 13 at the rec center in Cullowhee, and on Feb. 6 at the Qualla Fire Department in Whittier and at the Cashiers Recreation Center as well. jacksoncountynclittleleague@gmail.com or 828.226.0061.

In Haywood County, spring registration

Spring baseball tryouts coming up Due to snow, tryouts for the Raleigh Baseball Institute’s spring teams have been rescheduled to Saturday, Jan. 30, at RBI’s indoor training facility in Sylva on Skyland Drive.

828.508.2339 or 828.399.0650.

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Winners of Franklin’s Annual Recognition Awards will be presented at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Installation Banquet and Annual Meeting, which starts at 6:16 p.m. on Jan. 28, at Tartan Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. 524.3161.

• “The public and the police - where are we headed?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1, at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin.

371.1020.

• Haywood Chamber of Commerce’s Issues & Eggs program, featuring Kelly Wessel and Laura Haight from BizSafe, is from 8-9 a.m. on Feb. 3, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. $13 for members; $15 for nonmembers.

• Superbowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos will be shown at The Strand on 38 Main St. in Waynesville on February 7 at 6:30, with pregame at 4:30 p.m. FREE. 283-0079.

• “Mating and Dating in the Animal Kingdom: A Gameshow Mash-Up” will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Highlands Nature Center. Valentine’s Day theme; couples will compete. Desserts and drinks available as well as a prize for the top couple. Registration required: 526.2623.

• Help with income tax preparation for seniors over age 60 will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center through March by Bruce Johnson, registered tax return preparer, in exchange for donation to the Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.

• Free tax preparation will be available from Feb. 1-April 15 at the Jackson County Public Library and Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. Library hours are 3-6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays or by appointment (586.2016). Senior Center hours are from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays on a first-come, first-serve basis. No charge.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • The Jackson County Business and Industry Advisory Committee has rescheduled its Jan. 13 meeting for 3 p.m. on to Wednesday, Jan. 27, in Conference Room A227 of the Justice and Administration Building.

• “So You Have an Idea! Now What?” is the topic of a free seminar offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from Feb. 2-3 in HCC’s 200 Building Room 204. Register or more info: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Haywood Chamber of Commerce’s Issues & Eggs program, featuring Kelly Wessel and Laura Haight from BizSafe, is from 8-9 a.m. on Feb. 3, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. $13 for members; $15 for nonmembers.

• “Fighting Back against Fraud and Cybercrime,” a free seminar is scheduled for 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, at the Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

SBC.Haywood.edu or call 627.4512.

• Bryson City Downtown Merchants Association will meet from 8-9 a.m. on Feb. 4, at the Swain Chamber Office in Bryson City.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • A community benefit for The Canary Coalition, featuring live local music and poetry, will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Feb. 4, at The Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Free. To become a sponsor, send a donation to P.O. Box 653, Sylva, NC 28779 or donate on location at the event. Donations also accepted via paypal through www.canarycoalition.org.

Smoky Mountain News

550.1640. 15 for members; $20 for nonmembers.

Register: 550.1640.

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 • Contributions are being sought for the Glenville Area Historical Society’s historical museum, which plans to open next year. historicalsocietyglenvillearea@yahoo.com or 743.1658.

• The “Wine Smackdown” benefit for ARF and The Community Table will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Jan. 31 at Evolution Wine Kitchen in Sylva. $40 per ticket, includes 12 wines, appetizers, wine deals, door and raffle prizes. Snow date is Feb. 6. Visit www.evolutionwinekitchen.com for tickets.

VOLUNTEERS • Volunteers are needed to help with a fundraiser for the Appalachian’s Women’s Museum from noon-3 p.m. on Jan. 28. Cutting and making aprons. Materials and snacks provided. Bring fabric scissors. Sign up or more info: 586.4009.

• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2816.

VENDORS • Vendor applications are being accepted for WinterFest Smoky Style, which is Feb. 26-28 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Weekend rental fee is $100. seaycharlesl@yahoo.com.

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

HEALTH MATTERS • Free childbirth and breastfeeding classes will be available starting Feb. 2 at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. The series “Understanding Birth” will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Feb. 2-16, or at a Saturday session from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 12.

“Understanding Breastfeeding” is offered from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1. It’s the first-round of classes; future classes will be offered bimonthly on an ongoing basis. 586.7907.

• Harris Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine will offer a free educational event on Total Shoulder Replacement at noon on Feb. 5, in the Harris Regional Hospital Boardroom in Sylva. 631.8894.

• A nationwide program to help young people in a mental health crisis, Youth Mental Health First Aid, is an eight-hour training course that will be held from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Feb. 5, at Southwestern Child Development in Waynesville. 225.2785, ext. 5125 or michelle.tyler@smokymountaincenter.com. www.smokymountaincenter.com.

• A workshop entitled “Fats: The Good, The Bad and the Healthy” on healthy eating will be presented from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 8, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

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

452.5039.

• A Men’s Night Out will take place at 6:30 p.m. on the topic of “Blood Pressure” on the third floor of the hospital. on the first Wednesday of each month at The Meditation Center at 894 E. Main St. in Sylva. www.meditate-wnc.org or 356.1105.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The High Mountain Squares will host their “Western Dance” from 6:15-8:45 p.m. on Jan. 29, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Stan Russell from Greer, S.C., will be the caller; rounds and lines by Mike McDonald and Debbie McClain. 342.1560, 332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• Registration is underway for a women’s volleyball league through the Jackson County Recreation Department. $175 per team. Deadline is Feb. 19; league starts in March. 293.3053.

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

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

456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

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

• A Ski Lake Junaluska youth event is scheduled for Jan. 29-31, Feb. 5-7, Feb. 12-15 and Feb. 19-21 with skiing at Cataloochee Ski Area and Wolf Ridge Ski Area.

Jennifer Martin at jmartin@lakejunaluska.com or 454.6716. www.lakejunaluska.com/ski.

• The Canton Armory is open to the public for walking from 8-10 a.m. on Monday through Friday unless the facility is booked. 648.2363.

• Pickle ball is offered from 8 a.m.-noon on Mondays through Fridays at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

456.2030 or www.waynesvillnc.gov.

39

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• George Singleton will present his new collection of stories at 3 p.m. Feb. 6, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 586.9499.

• The 2016 journal poetry and art contests open March 1 and close May 15. A separate contest is held for best cover art. www.mainstreetrag.com.

• “Stories of Mountain Folk” will be made available online by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia starting in January at www.storiesofmountainfolk.com. www.wcu.edu/hunter-library/collections/digital-collections.asp.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Learn how to make your own “Indian Cheese Paneer” at 3 p.m. Feb. 4, at the Haywood Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• A Silver Sneakers Cardio Fit class will meet from 1011 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 60 and above. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A weekly manipulation card game group is forming through the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. Michelle Claytor at mclaytor@mountainprojects.org or 356.2813.

• Senior croquet for ages 55 and older is offered from 9-11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Vance Street Park in front of Waynesville Recreation Center.

Free. Donald Hummel at 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Hand & Foot card game is held at 10 a.m. on Mondays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2813.

• 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.

• Pinochie game is played at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

• Hearts is played at 12 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

• Mah Jongg is played at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • A combined service of contemporary and traditional worship will be offered at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, at First United Methodist Church in Sylva. 586.2358.

• Winter Shabbat Services are held at 10:30 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays of each month by Congregation Bamidbar in the Fellowship Hall of Andrews Methodist Church in Andrews. 369.9270.

POLITICAL • Haywood County NAACP meets at 2 p.m. on Jan. 30, at Jones Temple A.M.E. Zion in Waynesville. Planning for year ahead.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Byron Ballard presents her new book “Asfidity & MadStones: A Further Ramble Through Hillfolks’ Hoodoo” at 3 p.m. on Jan. 30, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

586.9499.

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Raleigh Baseball Institute, founded by former Western Carolina University and Tennessee head coach Todd Raleigh, rescheduled its tryouts due to weather to Saturday, Jan. 30, for 8U, 9U, 10U and 13U spring baseball teams. Tryouts are at 4 p.m. (8U), 5 p.m. (9U), 6 p.m. (10U) and 7 p.m. (13U) at 2663 Skyland Drive in Sylva. For info, contact Chris Bowers (8U) 506.2800, Jeff Madden (9U) 399.0650, Keith West (10U) 214.901.3700 or Eric Farmer (13U) at 508.2339.

• Signups for the 2016 little league baseball and softball seasons will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and Feb. 13 at the Cullowhee Recreation Department. For boys and girls, ages 5-18. $55 signup fee; $5 discount for additional siblings. Bring child’s birth certificate.

Jacksoncountynclittleleague@gmail.com or 227.0061.

• The second annual Harry Potter Book Night will be celebrated at 6 p.m. on Feb. 4 at Macon County Public

wnc calendar

Library in Franklin. Games, activities, magic tricks, light refreshments and a costume contest. 524.3600.

• Anime Club meets from 4-6 p.m. on Feb. 4 in the Macon County Public Library Program Room in Franklin. Valentine’s theme. Open to sixth grade through college age. 524.3600.

• “Once Upon A Wish,” an interactive musical fairytale, will be presented by Overlook Theater Company at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6 and 7, the Smoky Mountan Center for the Performing Arts. Guests will participate in a live, interactive stage show with princesses and heros that will celebrate dreams and inspire wishes. Light refreshments will be served and guests are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite character. $15. Tickets at the door.

866.273.4615.

• Advanced registration is underway for the ninth annual Father-Daughter dance that will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, at First United Methodist Church in Sylva. Advance fee is $30 per couple plus $5 for each additional daughter; price at the door is $35 per couple plus $5 for each additional daughter. Forms and payments due by Feb. 12: FUMC, P.O. Box 296, Sylva, NC 28779, or pick forms up at the church office, or online at www.firstumcsylva.org.

• Storytimes are held at 10 and 10:40 a.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• The Appalachian Toymaker & Storyteller will be making wooden toys and telling tales on select dates and times at The Storytelling Center of the Southern Appalachian. www.psalmsofthesouth.com or 488.5705.

ONGOING KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS • Wednesdays in the Stacks, “WITS”, a new program for children in grades 3-6, on the third Wednesdays of

the month from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Macon County Library. WITS will include lots of fun games, prizes, and hands-on activities. This club replaces book club previous held on the third Thursdays of the month. 526.3600.

• Fun Friday, everything science, is held at 4 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Family Fun Night is at 6 p.m. on Thursdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Just Write is at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Teen Coffeehouse is at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Youth Outright meets every Sunday from 4 p.m. -6 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville for ages 14-20. Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. www.youthoutright.org.

• Youth Outright meets the third Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville for ages 11-13. Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. www.youthoutright.org.

• Rock and Read is Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.• WNC Martial Arts will hold karate classes from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Old Armory in Waynesville. For more info, contact Margaret Williams at 301.0649 or mvwilliams39@gmail.com.

• Full STEAM Ahead (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.

Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. ages

5+. 586.2016. 524.3600.

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• Children’s Yoga is at 10:30 a.m. (for ages 3-7) and noon (for ages 8-11) on the second Thursday of each month at Canton Public Library. Sign-up required: 648.2924.

• Homework Help, 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays for students in grades 2 through 6, Canton Branch Library. Former schoolteacher turned Youth Services Librarian Katy Punch offers homework help on a first-come, firstserved basis. Katy, 648.2924.

• “Plug in and Read,” a digital story time designed to help preschoolers (ages 3-6) learn early literacy skills, is held at 10:30 a.m. on the second Friday or fourth Monday of each month at Haywood County Public Library. Visit www.haywoodlibrary.org or call 452.5169 or 648.2924.

• “Baby/Toddler Sensory Play Time” is set for 10:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in the Canton Library Meeting Room. For children ages three months to four years. Visit www.haywoodlibrary.org or call 452.5169 or 648.2924.

• Anime Night is held for teens on the second Monday of each month at the Canton Library. For anime titles that will be shown, call 648.2924.

• Book Buddies for ages 0-3 is from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• Page Pals for ages 3-5 is from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• Art classes are available for kids 10 and older from 4:15-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. $15 per class. 787.2865 or www.thebascom.org.

• Art Adventure classes are taught for ages 5-10 from 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. Theme: metal. Instructor: Bonnie Abbott. $20 per month. 787.2865.

• Free, weekly, after-school enrichment classes are offered by the Bascom and MCAA from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays at Macon Middle School through a grant from the Jim McRae Endowment for the Visual Arts. To register, contact Bonnie Abbott at 743.0200.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

•A Lego club will meet at 4 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up. Free. 488.3030.

• Science Club is held at 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month for grades K-6 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Macon County 4-H Needlers club, a group of youth learning the art and expression of knitting and crochet crafts, meets on the second Tuesday of each month.

For information, call 349.2046.

• A Franklin Kids’ Creation Station is held from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at uptown Gallery in Franklin.

Snacks provided. $20 tuition. 743.0200.

• SafeKids USA Blue Dragon Tae Kwon Do School offers defense training with after-school classes Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings.

627.3949 or www.bluedragontkd.net.

Smoky Mountain News

• A Lego Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 3:30-5 p.m. at Waynesville Library.

452.5169.

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• A Lego Club meets the second Thursday of the month at 4 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• A Lego Club meets the second Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.

• A Lego Club meet the second Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library.

743.0215.

• Smoky Mountain Model Railroaders holds public viewing session from 2 to 4 p.m. the second Sunday of the month, 130 Frazier St. off Russ Avenue in Waynesville. The group runs Lionel-type 3 rail O gauge trains. smokymountainmodelrailroaders.wordpress.com.

• Teen time 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursdays at Waynesville Library. A program for teens and tweens held each week. Each week is different, snacks provided. 356-

•Teen Advisory Group, first Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. For ages 13-18. Teens can enjoy snacks while discussing popular young adult books, help plan events and displays for children and teens at the library, and participate in community service projects.

Canton Library, 648.2924.

• The American Girls Club meets at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The club meets one Saturday a month, call for details. Club is based on a book series about historical women. Club members read and do activities. Free. 586.9499.

• Teen Time, first, third, and fourth Tuesdays at 4 p.m. for ages 12 and up. Spend time with other teens talking about and sharing with each other. Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• A Teen Writing Group will meet at 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at Jackson County Library, ages 12 and up. 586.2016 • Games for kids on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at the Jackson County Public Library. Play a variety of games including AWE After School Edge Computers, board games and other fun activities. 586.2016.

• Projects and activities after school Fridays, 3:30 p.m. for school age kids at Jackson County Public Library. Get your hands dirty with science experiments, discovering animals and making easy recipes.

586.2016.

• Adventure Club on Tuesdays 3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. for grades K-2 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Culture Club on the second Wednesday of the month, 1 to 2 p.m. for K-6 graders. Guest speakers, books, photos, crafts and food from different countries and cultures. Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Crafty Kids on the second Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. Children from Pre-K to fifth grade will meet after school and hear stories, share about what they are reading, play games and get creative with a craft.

Canton Library. 648.2924.

• Children’s craft time, fourth Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215 • The Wee Naturalist program, which is for children ages 2-5 (with a parent or guardian), is held from 1011:30 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays at the North Carolina Arboretum. Age-appropriate activities such as nature walks, garden exploration, stories, crafts and visits from classroom animals $7 cost per child; $3 more for each additional child in a family. Register at: www.ncarboretumregistration.org/Wee-Naturalistsfor-Pre-K-2014-15-C264.aspx

KIDS STORY TIMES HAYWOOD • Mother Goose Time, a story time for babies and toddlers (5 months to 2 years) and their parents/caregivers, is held at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Waynesville Library. 452.5169 • Family Story Time, 11 a.m. Wednesdays at the Waynesville Public Library. Stories, songs, crafts.

452.5169.

• Movers and Shakers story time is at 11 a.m. every Thursday at the Waynesville Library. For all ages.

Movement, books, songs and more. 452.5169.

• Family storytime with crafts, second Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. at the Waynesville library. 4525169.

• Family Story Time at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays for chil-

puppet play and make a craft to take home.

488.3030.

• Mother Goose Story Time at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays for babies ages 5 months to 24 months with rhymes, songs, stories, and free play. Canton Library, 648.2924.

MACON

• Rompin’ Stompin’ Story Time, Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. for children ages 1-5 — children get to sing, dance, and get out all their energy during this movement-filled story time. Canton Library, 648.2924.

JACKSON • Baby Storytime is at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Songs, fingerplays and stories for infants through toddlers. 586.2016 • Between the Lines is held at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at Jackson County Public Library. A writing, art and creativity workshop for teens ages 12 and up. 586.2016 • Kid’s story time Saturdays, 11 a.m., all ages at City Lights in Sylva 586.9449.

• Rotary Reader Kid’s Storytime, Mondays 11 a.m. at Jackson County Public Library. A rotary club volunteer reads stories with children. 586.2016.

• Paws 4 Reading, a family story time, will be held from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Macon County Public Library. Children can read to a therapy dog. (grades K-6). 524.3600.

• Toddlers Rock, second and fourth Mondays, 10 a.m., Macon Public Library. Music, movement and instruments (Designed for children 0-24 months, but all ages are welcome).

• Family Story Time for ages 0 to 5 years is held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• Bilingual Story time – 6 to 6:30 p.m., second and fourth Wednesday. Program reads a children’s book in English and Spanish at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• Paws 4 Reading, a family story time, will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Hudson Library in Highlands. Children (grades K-6) practice early reading skills by reading to a canine companion. Info: www.fontanalib.org, www.readingpaws.org or 526.3031.

• Kids story time, Fridays 11 a.m., Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. at Jackson County Public Library. Story time includes books, puppets, finger plays, songs and crafts. 586.2016.

A&E

• Pre-school story time, second Wednesday, 11 a.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215.

• Rock and Read storytime, 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016

SWAIN • Preschool Story time, Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Marianna Black Library. After a book or two is read, the children participate in games, songs, finger plays,

FOOD & DRINK • The “Robert Burns Dinner” will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, in the Tartan Hall at the Franklin Presbyterian Church. 421.7771.

• Mountain Cooking Club will have a “Serving Up Love” class from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.

6, at Fines Creek Community Kitchen in Clyde. Chef Ricardo Fernandez, former owner/head chef of Lomo Grill, will teach the class featuring local, seasonal ingredients. Class fee is $65 plus $1 for membership dues (unless you attended January’s class). Reserve a space by sending a check to Suzanne Fernandez, 3553 Panther Creek Rd., Clyde, NC 28721. 246.7465.

• Reservations are being accepted for a Wine-DineValentine event experience that will be offered on Saturday, Feb. 13, at Grandview Lodge. $50 per person plus tax and gratuities, includes choice of appetizer, main plate and sweets with wine. Reservations available from 5-9 p.m. 246.2409.

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host a Mardi Gras Masquerade on Feb. 9. 631.4795.

• “Beer Dinner Extravaganza” held from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville. The five-course special menu will be prepared by acclaimed Executive Chef Doug Weaver, coowner of The Sweet Onion in Waynesville. Each course will be paired with a craft beer from the brewery, which will include two new releases. Limited tickets are $50 per person ($62.50 altogether including tax and tip).

Live music. 246.9230 or www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 28 and Feb. 4. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Tonology (rock) Feb. 2 and Southbound (rock) Feb. 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.646.3750.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The “World’s Best Tribute to Young Elvis” Travis LeDoyt will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for students, and $15 for ages 12 and under. www.38main.com.

• Singer-songwriter-guitarist James Hammel plays pop, jazz and original music at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• MET Opera’s production of Puccini’s Turandot will be screened live via satellite from New York City at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center in Highlands. Tickets: $26 adults; $22 members; free for students. Available at highlandspac.org, at the door or 526.9047.

wnc calendar

dren ages 1-5, themed stories, music, and a craft.

Canton Library, 648.2924.

• Joe Cruz (piano/pop) will perform at 7 p.m. on Jan. 30 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free.

452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Haywood Community Chorus will begin its new season under the direction of Kathy McNeil at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 1, First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. 550.6376.

• Last Minute Productions will present speaker Teja Arboleda at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the UC Theater at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

• Productive Paranoia will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4, as part of the First Thursday OldTime and Bluegrass Series in the ground-floor auditorium of the H.F. Robinson Administration Building at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. An 8 p.m. jam session will follow. Free; open to the public.

• The Galumpha Acrobatic Dance Trio performs as part of The Galaxy of Stars Series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.

Tickets: $21 for adults; $16 for WCU faculty and staff; $7 for students and children. Tickets available by calling 227.2479 or online at bardoartscenter.edu.

• Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt (folk, traditional music) will perform on Saturday, Feb. 6, at HART Theater in Waynesville. Tickets are $25; proceeds support the theater’s Stage II building fund. www.harttheatre.org or 456.6322.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016 Smoky Mountain News 41

wnc calendar

• Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range will continue their 6th annual “Winter Concert Series” with Grammy nominated guests Ricky Ickes & Trey Hensley at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. Balsam Range will be joined by Bryan Sutton on March 5 and The Studio Dream Team on April 2. 235.2760.

• Country star Jennifer Nettles will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Harrah’s Cherokee. www.harrahscherokee.com.

• The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville is seeking one-act plays, actors and directors for “Brief Encounters 2016.” Deadline for submissions is Feb. 7. ldv@themagnetictheatre.org. Open-call auditions are in March. www.themagnetictheatre.org. Directors can write ss@themagnetictheatre.org.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Original Drifters Valentine’s Weekend Show, which is at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, at Eaglenest Entertainment in Maggie Valley. Tickets start at $25. Box office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. 926.5000 or www.maggievalleyeaglenest.com.

• A Community Art Group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

• A writer’s group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

• Free one-on-one technology help is offered every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Hudson Library in Highlands. Call 526.3031 to make an appointment.

• Tickets are on sale for “Art and Craft,” the Southern Circuit’s fourth feature, which will be shown at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the Western Carolina University Center theater in Cullowhee. www.artandcraftfilm. www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 227.2479.

• The Canton Armory will host “Winter Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. every first and third Friday of the month. www.cantonnc.com.

• “Print and the Paradox of Nostalgia,” an artist talk with Beth Grabowski, is scheduled for 3-4:30 p.m. on Jan. 27, at Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.

• The Sew Easy Girls meet from noon-3 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office’s conference room.

586.4009.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

War.”

• Tickets are on sale now for WCU radio re-creation group’s presentation of “Blackbeard’s Ghost and the Queen Ann’s Revenge.” Tickets: $10 each. Eighth in a series of academic-based entertainment productions mounted in collaboration with three departments and two colleges at WCU. Show will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 227.3851.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

• The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will offer a free WordPress class at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27. Free. 586.2016.

• Haywood Community Chorus starts its season with registration and rehearsal at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1. Subsequent rehearsals are from 7-8:30 p.m. on Mondays. Concert is May 1. Sylvia Everett at 550.6376.

• Registration deadline for Haywood Community College’s Beginning Stained Glass classes will be Feb. 1. The first session is Feb. 8. A second session will begin April 4 with a deadline of March 28.

Creativearts.haywood.edu, 565.4240 or krrinn@haywood.edu.

• Swain County Genealogical & Historical Society meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 200 Main Street in Bryson City. Refreshments served. Paige Tester will present “WNC People & Families in the Civil

Smoky Mountain News

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

FILM & SCREEN • The film “Everest” (Jan. 28) will be screened at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. The free showings are at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. with a special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturdays. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• The film “Jurassic World” will be screened at 7 p.m.

Jan. 29 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. $5. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• A new movie with Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin.

U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their 1984 strike. 524.3600.

• A classic movie with James Cagney and Priscilla Lane will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin.

Three World War I veterans attempt to make a living in prohibitionist America. 1:46. 524.3600.

• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

• An exhibition of photography and a sculpture installation are on display simultaneously with a clothing drive through March 18 at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission and parking are free. Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

1-May 20 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

The display is in the Mountain Heritage Center’s second-floor gallery in Hunter Library. The gallery is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 227.7129.

• The “Winter Textures” fiber and textile exhibit will be displayed through Jan. 30 at the Gallery & Gifts within the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.

Outdoors • A lecture on “Ecological Well-Being” will be presented from 5-8 p.m. Jan. 28, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 227.2479.

• Macon County hiker Olga Pader will share the story of her pilgrimage along the 208-mile Camino Primitivo in Spain at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Community Room of the Jackson County Library in Sylva. Free. Cosponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Library.

828.586.2016.

• A gun show will be held Jan. 30-31 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. 452.6758. http://gemcapitolshows.com/Waynesville_Link.htm.

• Art by Marilyn-Sue Walsh (oils, water colors, acrylics and drawings) will be on display throughout January in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. 524.3600.

• A course aimed at preparing anyone hoping to thruhike the Appalachian Trail will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Feb. 7, at Black Dome Mountain Sports in Asheville.

Free. 357.6542 or cdecamara@appalachiantrail.org.

• Haywood County Arts Council will host artists from the Haywood Art Studio Tour at the Gallery & Gifts Space in Waynesville. www.HaywoodArts.org.

• “Wild Survival” exhibit featuring the return of North America’s wolves and peregrine falcons will be on display through May 8 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit

• The Mountain Heritage Center is hosting the exhibit

Center. Free; non-member guests are required to pay $12 parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org.

FARM AND GARDEN • Artists are invited to submit an application to participate in the Haywood County Arts Council’s Haywood County Master Gardeners’ Exhibit. Deadline is Feb. 1.

Exhibit marries fine art with fine gardens. Theme is “Pollinate, Propagate, Cultivate.” Visit HaywoodArts.org, click on “Artists” then “Call for Artists.” GalleryGifts@HaywoodArts.org or Info@HaywoodArts.org.

• The Sylva Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 2, at the Sylva Presbyterian Church. Afterward, Dr. Timothy Metz will speak on “Propagating Plants.” Dr. Metz is assistant vice chancellor for institutional planning and effectiveness at Western Carolina University.

Annual membership dues for the club are $20.

• Applications are being accepted through Feb. 9 for participation in the Jackson-Swain Master Gardener program. Classes are held every Wednesday afternoon for 10-11 weeks, tentatively starting Feb. 17. 488.3848, 586.4009 or www.ncstategardening.org/extension_master_gardener.

• Registration is underway for the 13th annual Business of Farming Conference, presented by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. The event is from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at UNC Asheville. $70 per person before Feb. 1; $90 after. asapconnections.org or 236.1282.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Icycle Mountain Bike Race, cross-country and downhill races, will be held this weekend at Fontana Village Resort. www.pisgahproductions.com/events/icycle.

• Pre-registration is underway for the Icycle Mountain Bike Event, which is Saturday, Jan. 30, at Fontana Village Resort. $30 for one event or $50 for two. Day-of prices are $40 and $60. Categories available for riders of all skill levels. Presented by Pisgah Productions. www.pisgahproductions.com/events/icycle.

• Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race & Walk will be held Saturday, March 26. www.lakejunaluska.com.

HIKING CLUBS • Carolina Mountain Club will have an eight-mile hike with a 1,750-foot elevation gain on Feb. 7. For more information, contact leader Stuart English at 883.2447, 684.4870 or stuengo@comporium.net.

• Carolina Mountain Club will hold a 7.5-mile hike with a 1,600-foot ascent on Feb. 10. For more information, contact leaders Ken and Carol Deal at 274.7070 or cnkdeal@charter.net.

• Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. www.friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

329-42

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“Collecting for the Community,” an exploration of the diversity and variety to be found in Western North Carolina. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

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PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS & CRAFTS

MarketPlace information:

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The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

AUCTION

Rates:

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■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

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If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

HOME IMPROVEMENT AUCTION Saturday, February 6 @ 10am, 201 S. Central Ave., Locust, NC. Cabinet Sets, Doors, Carpet, Tile, Hardwood, Bath Vanities, Windows, Lighting, Patio Sets, Birch Plywood, Trim, Appliances, Vinyl Siding, Name Brand Tools. NC Sales Tax applies. www.ClassicAuctions.com 704.507.1449. NCAF5479 JUDICIAL AUCTION Excellent Mountain Vacation Property. Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. 1 p.m. 2 Houses - 13.5 acres - Personal Property. 965 Rock Creek Lane, Sparta, NC. BOYER REALTY & AUCTION. 336.372.8888 boyerrealty@skybest.com. Col. James R. Boyer NCAL1792.

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Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

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EMPLOYMENT MOUNTAIN PROJECTS Is Now Accepting Applications for a House Manager. Four Year Business or Human Service Degree, or Two Year Degree with Five Years Related Experience Required. Must Have Two Years Supervision and Budget Management Experience; Out of Town Travel Required, Must Work a Flexible Schedule. Apply at Mountain Projects Office in Waynesville or Sylva, NC. Or: www.mountainprojects.org EOE/AA

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR To fill 2016-17 Vacancies ~ did you know over 800 teaching positions were filled by 21 Virginia school divisions? Join us on Sat, Jan 30 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. @ Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA. See www.wvpec.org (Job Fair) for details. NO FEES. Sponsored by the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium.

EMPLOYMENT THE CHALET INN AND SUITES In Anticipation of Increased Visitation to the Smoky Mountains, We are Increasing Our Staffing for the 2016 Season, and Have the Following Positions Available: Manager (BA in Hospitality, Business or Marketing or Two Years Hospitality Management Exp.), Assistant Innkeeper, Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper.

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TOM A HANDSOME FOUR-YEAR-OLD SHORT-HAIRED MALE KITTY. HE IS A FRIENDLY GUY, VERY WILLING TO ACCEPT ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY PETTING, FROM ANYONE. HE'LL BE A TERRIFIC FAMILY CAT WHEN HIS LUCKY ADOPTER DISCOVERS HIM.

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Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

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REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on an equal opportunity basis.

REAL ESTATE WANTED TO BUY WANTED: OLD BARN, HOUSE, OR Other Building to Salvage, or Tear Down, for Lumber/Building Materials; Terms Negotiable.

Licensed & Insured. Call or Text John 828.380.1232 or email: john@ashevillepropertyservices. com

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

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329-46

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329-39

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• • • • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben — cp@catherineproben.com

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find us at: facebook.com/smnews

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Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

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WANTED: OLD BARN, HOUSE, OR Other Building to Salvage, or Tear Down, for Lumber/Building Materials; Terms Negotiable.

Licensed & Insured. Call or Text John 828.380.1232 or email: john@ashevillepropertyservices. com

WNC MarketPlace

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

WANTED TO BUY

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

www.smokymountainnews.com

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

SHADY QUESTION

CROSSWORD

77 Knack 80 Lung compartment ACROSS 83 Freeway rig 1 High-school balls 84 Proofer’s marking tool 6 Give backup 89 Brutus’ lang.

10 See 90-Down 91 Capitol VIP 15 Rip — (thefts) 92 Opera great Pavarotti 19 Andrea - (lost ship) 93 Seoul soldier 20 Disappearing Asian sea 94 In the style of, on 21 Living space Italian menus 22 Poet Whitman 95 Pericles’ T 23 Award for the top spot 96 Mine outputs 26 Big West org.

97 Dully sedate 27 Caulk, e.g.

99 Lees, e.g.

28 Clumsy type 102 - Spumante 29 Thing laid by a red104 Game with Skip cards breast 105 “- for Outlaw” (Sue 31 Facilitator of stargazing Grafton book) 36 Game akin to bingo 106 Old sitcom boy Taylor 37 Ltr. writers’ after107 Frequently, in sonnets thoughts 108 Kaput 38 Little chaps 111 Flowers symbolizing 39 Suffix with Canaan constancy 40 Run up a tab 116 Habitually sullen sort 42 “Shoo!”

119 Fire waste 44 Atlantic or Pacific fill 120 Afflicts 48 Utah range 121 “Rats!”

51 Street brawl 122 New York and Hawaii, 53 Fast, two-door autos election-wise 54 Fibula, e.g.

128 Model who hosted 55 Thai pan Fox’s “More to Love” 56 Writer Huffington 129 Rips to bits 58 Oxygen, e.g.

130 Shoestring 59 Portable bed 131 Folklore fiends 60 Muppet with a major 132 T-man Eliot sweet tooth 133 Very, to Chopin 63 And others, in a list 134 Unclean stuff 65 Make less dangerous, 135 Bete - (bugbear) as a bull 67 Cranked hoisting device DOWN 68 Zellweger or Adoree 1 13-Down filename exten70 Apt question concerning sion 10 answers in this puzzle 2 King, in Paris 73 Patronage 3 NHLer Bobby

4 Beauty pageant since 1952 5 Filled fully 6 Berry of film 7 Timeline part 8 Crocodile-logo shirt brand 9 Gratifying one 10 Month after avril 11 Shortened form of a wd.

12 Neighbor of Jersey City 13 Producer of Acrobat 14 Bolshevism founder 15 Dominates 16 Mug-decorating stuff?

17 Flat paving slab 18 Does’ mates 24 Good bud 25 D.C.’s - Stadium 30 Antis’ votes 31 Obstructing object 32 Produce mother’s milk 33 Many a Ukrainian 34 Location 35 Terse question after an accident 41 User-revised Web site 43 Pileups, e.g.

45 Network for Jimmy Fallon 46 Balsa, say 47 Initial stake 49 Novelist Hoag 50 Presley’s middle name 52 Paving stuff 55 Recouped 57 Old Andean 60 Dot- 61 “... goes, - go!”

62 Rams’ mates 64 Liberal-leaning 66 Lyre relative 69 Kazan of filmmaking 71 52, to Flavius

72 Hot-linked address 74 Ruthless organization 75 “No joke!”

76 Commonly congested cavities 78 Sothern and Romney 79 “- Rhythm” 81 “For - care ...”

82 Tranquil 84 “Xanadu” rock gp.

85 Brand of packaged fire logs 86 Events with freezing rain 87 Isle of poetry 88 - approval (“yes” signal) 90 With 10-Across, Agra attraction 94 “As I Lay Dying” husband 98 They follow summers 99 Back fins 100 Four hours before noon 101 In the very distant past 103 Ology 107 Poet Nash 109 Serpent slain by Hercules 110 Arch types 112 Boat mover 113 “Be silent,” in music 114 Prefix with fit 115 Rocker John 117 Wallet wad 118 Sprite, e.g.

123 “-: Miami” 124 Hosp. area 125 Part of TNT 126 Rocket tail?

127 Compass dir.

answers on page 42

PERSONAL A CARING YOUNG Married couple (she-35/he-42) seek to adopt. Will be FT Mom and devoted dad. Financial security.

Expenses PAID. Call or Text.

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PERSONAL A CHILDLESS Married couple seeks to adopt.

Will be hands-on mom/work-fromhome dad. Financial security.

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 42

Hogs have long been an Appalachian staple Editor’s note: This column first appeared in a January 2003 edition of The Smoky Mountain News.

H

A smokehouse.

Donated photo

Most have to do with the cleverness of hogs that have escaped to become legendary rascals. The most famous no doubt is Belial, a

George Ellison

hog that Horace Kephart immortalized in Our Southern Highlanders (1913) after his friend Bob Barnett swore: “That Be-liar would cross hell on a rotten rail to get into my ‘tater patch!”

Then there was Olive Tilford Dargan, who moved to Swain County and wrote From My Highest Hill (1925). Part of her incentive in purchasing a particular plot of land west of Bryson City was the additional value attached to it of a “wild hog claim.”

Dargan devotes an entire chapter to describing the difficulties of capturing even a single hog in the rugged mountain terrain.

One of her neighbors who was capturing them for his own use remarks at the end of the chapter, “I reckon she’s got sense enough [now] to know that the woods full ‘o hogs ain’t wurth much to a woman.”

And then there is the ongoing argument among veteran hog connoisseurs as to whether the left ham or the right ham of a hog is the more tender and juicy. I’m a left ham proponent. This preference is based upon scientific observation. Watch carefully and you’ll observe that nine out of 10 hogs will lie down to rest on their right sides.

This makes that side more fibrous and tough. Always ask the butcher at your local supermarket for pork cut from the left ham.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

NEW CLASSES FOR 2016: SILVER SNEAKERS CARDIO FIT

TUES. & THURS. 10-11 A.M. An advanced exercise group ages 60 and older.

The cost for the classes is the regular admission fee to the Recreation Center for non-members or free to members.

Call for more info or email tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov

CARDIO LUNCH TUES. & THURS. 12-1 P.M.

A 45-minute fast paced class for ages 16 and older.

HATHA YOGA MON. & WED. 4:30-5:15 P.M.

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PUMP IT UP MON., WED., & FRI 6:30-7:30 P.M.

A past paced, high intensity class with few breaks for ages 16 and older.

329-24

WAYNESVILLE

Smoky Mountain News

Cherokees as a whole preferred hog to cattle.

The early white settlers brought their own hogs. A prosperous farmstead here in the Smokies region in the 19th century might have displayed a log home, barn, blacksmith shop, springhouse, root cellar, corn crib, and chicken house.

In all likelihood there would also have been a hog pen and a smokehouse, since pork was their primary meat.

Ed Trout’s Historic Buldings of the Smokies (1995) provides fascinating details regarding hogs pens and smoke houses.

Again, I summarize with a few added touches.

The hogs ranged the woods communally most of the time so that their owners had to pay them little or no mind. In order to recognize which hog was whose when rounded up, each farmer’s animals were documented via distinctive ear marks; that is, various combinations of slits, notches, and holes cut into their ears while young. Rounding them up was part of the fun. Hog calling was a practical skill that some turned into an art form. Hog callings at Old Timers Day celebrations today are but a remnant of what once was a necessary skill.

Hogs were enticed into an awaiting pen in various ways. The most expedient method was to run a trail of corn up to and inside the opening. But Mark Hannah of Cataloochee Valley told Trout about another more sophisticated method.

“First, you catch a sow,” Hannah instructed, no doubt with a wink. After placing her in a pen with holes in the sides, he “would return to it and find pigs in there with their mother. We would close the holes in the pen and have them all caught up ready to mark their ears.”

Once inside the small pens, a hog was “topped off ’ with corn or chestnuts. Not being able to move, it fattened up readily.

Trout quotes one Cades Cove farmer who claimed to have “fattened his hogs ‘till their eyes swole shut and they couldn’t stand up.’”

Trout says that the hogs were “hit in the head with a hammer and bled” before being scalded, skinned and cut up. These killings usually took place in the fall (preferably “when the moon was waxing”) so that the meat wouldn’t spoil during the processing and curing. Hams, shoulders, side meat, and

other delectable hog parts were hung in the smoke house for curing. A well-furnished smoke house would supply a family with meat for a year. It was such an important building that it was often the only one on the farmstead with a lock.

Through the years various hog-related stories and myths have inevitably arisen.

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016

og Holler, Hog Branch, Hog Camp Branch, Hog Cane Branch, Hog-eye Branch, Hogback Gap, Hogback Holler, Hogback Knob, Hogback Ridge, Hogback Township, Hogback Mountain, and Hogback Valley. In addition there are six sites in Western North Carolina named Hogback Columnist Mountain. Proof enough, if anyone required it, that hogs are an essential part of the mountain landscape.

I’m not talking about the exotic European wild boar introduced at Hooper Bald in Graham County about 1910. (I’ve written about those critters and their ongoing environmental destruction elsewhere. If you’re interested in them, go to this address (www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/5_ 01/5_09_01/back_then.shtml.)

This time around we’re going to deal with the genuine old-time mountain hog in all his glory. By the time we conclude, you’ll know more about mountain hogs than you ever wanted to know.

In his excellent study Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians (2000), Donald Edward Davis describes the history of hogs in the mountains. I have summarized Davis’ findings and added a few touches.

First there was Christopher Columbus, who brought hogs to Cuba in 1493. Then there was Hernando De Soto, that swashbuckling marauder, who brought 13 sows from Columbus’ original Cuban stock into the Tampa Bay area of Florida in 1539. By the time De Soto and his men arrived in the general area of the Smokies the following year, he was driving more than 300 swine across difficult terrain from one Indian village to next. This may seem to be an extraordinary precaution against not having pork to eat in a strange land, but it’s true.

Davis surmises that some of De Soto’s hogs probably escaped, but he also suspects that most were killed off by the wolves, mountain lions, and Indians. Instead of a few hogs escaping from De Soto and becoming the feral population of the mountains, as some maintain, Davis thinks most were derived subsequently from Spanish colonies to the south.

Traders coming up the Indian Path from Charleston and Savannah had established themselves and their animals, including hogs and cattle, in every major Cherokee village. The older Cherokee men and women didn’t approve of eating hog meat, but the younger members of the tribe thought it was just fine. Davis reports that, in time, the

BACK THEN

RECREATION CENTER

550 Vance St. • Waynesville • 828.456.2030 townofwaynesville.org

47

48

Smoky Mountain News Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2016