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February 28-March 6, 2018 Vol. 19 Iss. 40

Globe-trotting evangelist Billy Graham dies Page 6 State approves partial rate hike for Duke Energy Page 16

CONTENTS On the Cover: School safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds after the latest mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. School officials have been dealing with a number of threats made by students and on social media in the last two weeks following the tragedy, and law enforcement agencies are taking those threats very seriously. (Page 3) Cory Vaillancourt photo

News Globe-trotting evangelist Billy Graham dies ................................................................6 UNC School of Government prepares local leaders ..............................................8 Public records requests troublesome for Haywood ..............................................10 TWSA board to create policy for distributing Cashiers allocation ....................11 Deadline approaching in candidate sign-up period ..............................................12 Haywood sheriff all about customer service ............................................................13 Homeless shelter question looms in Jackson ..........................................................14 State approves partial rate hike for Duke Energy ..................................................16 Swain County responds to election director lawsuit ............................................17 Business News ..................................................................................................................19

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Clapp steps down after 14 years as WATR’s director ........................................34

February 28-March 6, 2018

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Student threats taken seriously after Parkland shooting

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he latest mass shooting on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has spurred a number of potential threats across Western North Carolina.

School officials and law enforcement officers are investigating several students who’ve made comments about school shootings while others have dealt with social media threats. Not all of the student comments have been found to be a credible or eminent threat, but local law enforcement agencies have made it clear such statements will be taken seriously.

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MACON COUNTY

dents’ welfare.

While some parents expressed concern about the lack of communication from the school during the lockdown, Swain County Schools does not send out parent notices during an active lockdown when school staff and law enforcement are working to ensure student and staff safety and accessing an ongoing situation. As soon as it is safely possible, parents are notified with information for the remainder of the day, including bus and parent pick-up details.

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ed to have made another statement, “Hey, AYWOOD OUNTY you wanna go shoot up a school?”

The SRO immediately detained the stuOn Feb. 23, a Pisgah High School student dent and requested the assistance of the sheralerted Haywood County School officials to a iff ’s office to initiate an investigation. They social media message that appeared to be a conducted interviews with various witnesses threat and warned students to stay home and with the student who allegedly from school that day. As it turns made the statements. Investigators out, it was a repost of a message in then filed a juvenile petition chargthe Tampa Bay Times about a mesing the student with “False Report sage on a school bathroom wall in of Mass Violence on Educational Florida.

Property.” Following a review of “This was about a report in a that petition, a secure order was newspaper in Florida. It was in no issued and approved by a District way connected to Pisgah High Court judge. The 14-year-old stuSchool or any other Haywood dent remained in custody until he County School,” said Dr. Bill Nolte, was transported out of the county interim superintendent. “We are to a state facility for juveniles pendvery thankful that our students ing his next court hearing. share information like this with us.

The investigation is ongoing We ask that students, staff and parand the sheriff is limited in what ents continue to talk with us during information he can due to the stuthese stressful times. We also ask dent’s age. He did confirm the two that people verify information cases are entirely separate investibefore linking the information to gations and not related to one our schools.” another.

With the recent school shoot“These two young students ing that left 17 students dead, and made very poor decisions and are the mass shootings that have come facing serious consequences for before, Nolte said it’s normal for their actions. This type of activity the community to have concerns will not be tolerated in our and questions about what the schools,” Holland said. “Both stuschool is doing to protect their students involved in the incidences dents. have not claimed bullying as the “Political forces are sharing reason they made the threats and political responses and emotional the two students during their interpeople are sharing emotional views never mentioned being bulresponses,” he said. “In Haywood lied in the past. During their interCounty Schools, we try to focus on views, both students stated that calm, reasonable and logical School officials have take extensive measures to ensure their responses to credible threats and they were not serious in the threats made against students. Both stuschools and students are safe. Cory Vaillancourt photo crisis planning.” dents had a parent present in the Haywood schools have extenroom when interviewed by law enforcement.” in his possession, but they don’t believe it had sive emergency management plans that are Macon County Schools had additional any connection to the social media threat or updated annually and annual safety trainings support services and counselors on hand after the lockdown. are held for principals, assistant principals, Additional information from area law system-level administrators, SROs and other the Parkland shooting and these incidents for students and faculty. Other schools have also enforcement provided more insight into the emergency response partner agencies. experienced similar cases of students making nature of the post, and law enforcement was After the Sandy Hook Elementary School able to clear the threat situation. SBI and shooting in December 2012, all Haywood potentially threatening comments.

Swain County Sherriff ’s Office will continue County Schools installed a video monitoring to investigate the matter. system at their main entries so all guests have WAIN OUNTY “I want everyone to know that we will to be buzzed in. Students also undergo crisis Swain County Schools were all under lock- always do everything in our power to make situation drills and SROs are located at each down on Thursday, Feb. 22, as law enforce- sure our schools are safe and our kids have a middle and high school in the county. safe environment for their education,” “Our law enforcement partners have ment investigated a threat to student safety.

Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran said Cochran said. “This is not just a law enforce- access to campus floor plans and keys for local and area law enforcement responded to ment issue, it takes the entire county being facility entry in crisis situations,” Nolte said.

“We have video surveillance and the ability to the high school around 7:10 a.m. after a involved with this.”

Once the situation was cleared by law remotely access cameras in crisis situations. social media threat was sent to the princienforcement, school administrators decided When we are aware of specific creditable pal’s cell phone.

School personnel immediately contacted dismissing school for the remainder of the threats, we promptly intervene with law the Swain County Sherriff ’s Office and Swain day would be in the best interest of the stu- enforcement assistance.”

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Smoky Mountain News

Macon County Sheriff ’s Office is investigating two separate school incidents that occurred on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15.

On Feb. 14, a Macon County high school student made verbal threats as he was exiting his school bus after arriving home. The student made more than one statement that threatened the safety and well being of fellow students, according to a press release from Sheriff Robert Holland and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Baldwin.

The bus driver immediately contacted school officials who then called in the school resource officer and sheriff ’s office to investigate. After detectives interviewed the student and witnesses and collected video from the school bus camera system, the 16-year-old student was charged with a misdemeanor for “Communicating Threats” and for felony “Making False Report of Mass Violence to a School.”

The sheriff ’s investigation will continue with the assistance of the district attorney’s office and the Macon County School System.

“The threats made yesterday were extremely serious in nature and all of our staff took the appropriate steps immediately following the statements,” Baldwin said.

“Threats of any kind against students and/or faculty will not be tolerated. These types of threats will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted if appropriate.”

Holland said the 16-year-old student was the only person involved in making the threat and has been arrested and bond set at $10,000. Following his release, the student will also be subject to disciplinary action by the school system.

At the beginning of the school day Feb. 15, a faculty member at Union Academy reported to the SRO that a teacher heard a student ask another student, “Do you want to be a school shooter?” The student was also report-

County High School was placed in lockdown status. The other schools were initially placed on perimeter lockdown but later it was recommended that those schools also go under lockdown while the threat was investigated.

“There were approximately 40 officers that were dispatched to the high school as well as the middle school and both elementary schools to make sure that students and staff were protected,” Cochran said.

Because of the timing, some buses were in route to school and were held at other locations. Local law enforcement officers were placed on all school campuses to protect students and teachers, but ultimately no weapons were found on any campuses.

During the same time frame, Cochran said law enforcement arrested a man near the middle school who had a handgun and drugs

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‘On all of our minds’ Jackson County leaders plan to prevent school violence

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen a teenage shooter shattered an otherwise normal day in Parkland, Florida, with gunfire and bloodshed, the ripples of fear and tragedy didn’t stop at the boundaries of the previously low-profile town. They spread throughout the country, ricocheting through the halls of far-away schools, homes and government buildings filled with folks asking themselves the same question — how can we make sure this doesn’t happen here?

Jackson County is no exception, with the issue of school safety making an unscheduled appearance on the agenda of a retreat county commissioners held on Feb. 20, less than a week after the shooting.

“While we’re on schools, I know this is something fresh on all of our minds right now, but do we anticipate anything on the security increase due to what just happened in Florida?” asked Commissioner Charles Elders in the midst of a discussion on school finances.

“We need to make it a priority,” agreed Chairman Brian McMahan. “If there’s some things on that list (of security projects) that need to be done and need to be done right now, we pull the money out and we pay for it to make sure we send the message that we put our kids as priority.”

The discussion concluded with a decision to plan a joint work session with school leaders and law enforcement personnel. That meeting will take place in mid-March — date to be determined — and work is already underway to ensure that Jackson County’s schools are as safe as possible going forward.

“Be assured that school safety will continue to be our number one priority,” wrote Jackson County Public Schools Superintendent Kim Elliott, Ph.D., in a press release published Monday. “JCPS is committed to addressing this issue in a comprehensive manner that includes prevention, mitigation and response.”

“In light of recent events, Jackson County deputies have increased patrols and walkthroughs at all nine of our schools.”

— Kim Elliott, Jackson County Public Schools Superintendent

“Some of these schools are just real unsafe in our county,” said Commissioner Boyce Deitz, listing various buildings with multiple, unsecured entrances that somebody could slip into, unseen.

Elliott’s plan for preventing violence in schools includes reviewing a variety of safety plans and continuing existing practices such as conducting drills and building relationships with students. She also wants to expand mental health and counseling services, improve the security camera system and teach students to tell an adult if they see something concerning.

While Elliott said that prevention is the primary goal, her plan also calls for preparations to mitigate and respond to any violent event that may happen. Mitigation may involve buying more cameras, better controlling and restricting access to campus and increasing the presence of law enforcement on school property. On the response end, partnerships with law enforcement, emergency services and counseling will be key.

“We currently have four resource officers and a DARE officer on our campuses,” Elliott said in the press release. “Sheriff Chip Hall and Major Shannon Queen have

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Back in 2014, Jackson County completed a safety analysis of its schools based on a walkthrough by the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Department SWAT Team, the Jackson County Emergency Management Department, Jackson Schools staff and a safety consultant from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

“They made some changes after that, but they’re looking at them again,” County Manager Don Adams told commissioners during the retreat.

The safety plan Jackson County leaders are at the beginning of a discussion about how to make public schools safer, but they’re not starting from scratch. Multiple safety plans and precautions exist already.

• All nine schools have a safety plan recognized by North Carolina state agencies.

• School staff receives crisis response training for natural disasters, intruders, active shooters and other potential threats.

• Four school resource officers and a DARE officer are present between the nine schools. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department requested grant funding for four additional officers three weeks ago, before the Florida shooting.

• Following the Florida shooting, law enforcement officers have increased patrols and walkthroughs at all nine schools.

However, there is room for improvement — with planning, but also with security measures. Considerations going forward could include restricting the number of entry and exit points in school buildings, upgrading security camera equipment and increasing the presence of law enforcement on school campuses.

requested grant funding for four additional officers three weeks ago. In light of recent events, Jackson County deputies have increased patrols and walkthroughs at all nine of our schools.”

However, during the Feb. 20 retreat Adams suggested that commissioners also consider hiring a consultant to dig into the safety question.

“There’s got to be resources out there that will provide assistance to the school system to help pull together the needs. None of us in this room are safety experts,” he said. “It is a reasonable discussion to start talking about do we have the appropriate resources to help us determine these needs.”

The discussion in Jackson County is taking place alongside a larger, statewide discussion following N.C. House of Representatives Speaker Tim Moore’s (R-Cleveland) announcement Feb. 20 of appointments to the new House Select Committee on School Safety. The members come from the fields of education, law enforcement and mental health and will be tasked with examining safety standards and procedures in North Carolina’s K-12 schools.

“Kids are scared, parents are scared, and I think we need to make sure we do everything we can,” McMahan said.

Elders concurred.

“We are scared,” he said.

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The nine schools in the Jackson County Public Schools system have four school resource officers and one DARE officer between them. The Sheriff’s Department has applied for a grant requesting four additional resource officers. Holly Kays photo

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Swain County High School students participate in a walkout to show solidarity with the survivors of the mass school shooting in Florida and call on leaders to take action. Donated photo

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“I love these kids, they are fierce, and I never want them to be fearful of coming to school again.”

— Annette Clapsaddle, Swain High teacher

party lines and began the conversation in solidarity,” Swain High teacher Annette Clapsaddle posted on her Facebook page.

“Yesterday, I had students checking on me during the lockdown. This morning, they came in offering hugs and gratitude. I love these kids, they are fierce, and I never want them to be fearful of coming to school again.”

Interim Superintendent of Haywood County Schools Bill Nolte said he and other school officials are aware of a national call for student-led walkouts in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, shooting and that Haywood students would have the administration’s support if they wish to organize such a protest.

“If our students want to speak in a unified fashion about school shootings, we will help them plan and schedule a safe and reasonable way to do so,” he said.

Answer: The Ingles deli cooks rotisserie chickens and then puts them in containers and they are taken to the heated display area. The chicken is allowed to stay in the heated display for 2 hours. (You will see a “time clock” on each package). When you pick out a rotisserie chicken make sure the container feels hot to you. After two hours if the chicken has not been been sold, it is removed, from the display, cooled and the meat is cut off and used to make our delicious chicken salad! Sometimes you will see the containers of rotisserie chicken stacked up, this typically happens during lunch or dinner when we sell larger quantities of chicken and they are purchased quickly. All of our stores are checked by the health department and temperatures for these areas are closely monitored by our staff and by inspectors.

Once you get the chicken home if you don’t plan to eat it immediately; you should store it

in your refrigerator and reheat it in your microwave or oven. You can reheat the whole bird or cut the chicken up into pieces.

Arrange cut pieces in a microwave safe dish. Add about 2 TBSP water (to keep it moist) and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave until hot. Cooked chicken should be eaten in 3-4 days. If you don’t think you will eat the chicken, remove the meat from the bone and store the meat in freezer bags in your freezer to use for chicken salad, soups or casseroles. https://www.ehow.com/how_7 997151_reheat-wholechicken.html

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ollowing a social media threat that led to a countywide school lockdown and an early dismissal on Thursday, Feb. 22, many students at Swain County High School staged a walkout on Friday, Feb. 23, to advocate for change.

Maggie Jackson of Swain County posted on Facebook about her experience during the lockdown as she sat in the bathroom at Bright Adventures Pre-K with 16 other people for the more than two hours.

“It was a little scary and all the kids were confused but the staff was efficient, acted quickly and were very calm. They all knew what the protocol was,” she said. “I see many people getting upset because their kids are locked in rooms and they are scared, but these educators are willingly attempting to protect our children the best way they know how. In trying times like these let’s be thankful that there are selfless people like teachers and educators who have to put aside their own fears to make sure our children are safe.”

Students and faculty were so shaken up by the event, school administrators made the decision to dismiss school after law enforcement determined all the schools were safe from the threat of a weapon on campus, which was later deemed a hoax.

It’s no wonder the high school students decided to take a stand against violence in schools by organizing a presentation Friday morning about safety before walking out of

Question: How do I know the rotisserie chickens are safe to eat? How long are they left out?

February 28-March 6, 2018

Swain High students walk out of class

class in solidarity with the Parkland students.

Swain High Principal Mark Sale said the walkout wasn’t meant to be political, but was done because the students are concerned for the safety of their friends and teachers and schools across the nation. He said he was proud of the students for calling on local, state and national leaders to take some kind of action to prevent more school shootings.

“This morning our students organized for change. Because all they want are safe schools, they stepped away from divisive

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A LEGACY FOR THE AGES Billy Graham, who made history as globe-trotting evangelist, dies at his Montreat home

BY DALE N EAL S PECIAL TO THE S MOKY MOUNTAIN N EWS vangelist Billy Graham — a spiritual guide to generations of American evangelicals, a globe-trotting preacher who converted millions to Christianity, and a confidante to presidents — died on Feb. 21 at the age of 99.

Graham personally preached the Christian gospel to more people on the planet than any other evangelist in the 2,000 years of Christianity.

Over his long life, Graham spoke before live audiences estimated at nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries worldwide. His sonorous Southern drawl delivered a message of God’s love to millions more in televised crusades that still air on cable television channels.

Although he was a pastor to presidents, he never lost his common touch. Graham knew the names of the conductors of the trains that he caught from the Black Mountain depot when he was launching his evangelist career in the 1950s. Graham made Montreat his home base to raise his family and restore his energy during a blistering pace of crusades crisscrossing first the nation and then the world.

He preached 417 crusades over his career spanning more than a half a century. The largest local attendance ever was in Seoul, South Korea, in 1973, with 3,210,000 present over five days.

Back home, he became the nation's informal chaplain, meeting with every president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama who visited the aging evangelist at his Montreat home. Donald Trump, then a celebrity developer, was among the 800 guests who feted Graham on his 95th birthday soiree at the Omni Grove Park Inn in 2013.

Glenn Wilcox, an Asheville businessman and longtime friend, first saw Graham preach at his famed 1957 crusade at Madison Square Garden, which ran nightly for 16 weeks.

Wilcox and his wife, Pauline, were then living in Boone, but made the trip to New York City.

They had plans to catch the crusade one night, then catch a Yankees baseball game, then a Giants game. Instead, they skipped the baseball and kept going back to the Garden to watch the fiery Tar Heel proclaim the gospel message and hear Ethel Waters sing.

Wilcox remembers sitting back in the rafters of the famed arena when Graham gave his invitation for people to come forward and accept Jesus Christ as personal savior. “You could have heard a pin drop. I thought this is God's Spirit moving here. Billy is doing it right. It really impressed me.”

Graham crusades ran like clockwork with 6 his team; Cliff Barrows, leading the familiar

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of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the Gospel to the ends of the Earth,” as he recounted in his 1997 autobiography “Just As I Am.” In 1934, the 16-year-old answered the call of a fiery revival preacher, Mordecai Ham, and committed his young life to Christ, a simple act of faith that he would ask others to repeat over his long lifetime. He also learned how to close the deal as a young salesman for the Fuller Brush Co., selling brushes door to door.

As a young preacher studying at Florida Bible Institute in 1937, Graham would paddle across the river to a little island and practice his preaching to "all creaThe Rev. Billy Graham, 99, died last tures great and small, from alligaWednesday at his Montreat home in tors to birds. If they would not stop Western North Carolina. Donated photo to listen, there was always a congregation of cypress stumps that could neither slither of fly away," he wrote.

The altar call he preached to small churches across the South, drawing dozens down at the end of his sermon, would become throngs of thousands in sports stadiums around the world who answered his call to come to Christ.

He joined Youth for Christ, an organization founded for ministry to youth and service members during World War II. His movie-star handsome looks helped his cause. Writer Wilma Dykeman noted Graham would become known as “The Gabardine Gabriel” and the “Barrymore of the Bible.”

That voice would win attention. Time magazine wrote of the trumpet-lunged North Carolinian in 1949, fresh from the breakout success of his eight-week crusade in Los Angeles. “His lapel microphone, which gives added volume to his deep, cavernous voice, allows him to pace the platform as he talks, rising to his toes to drive home a point, clenching his fists, stabbing his finger at the sky, and straining to get his words to his furthermost corner of the tent.”

“My theme was always the same: God's redemptive love Through the years, the message remained the same, the delivery electrifying. "My theme for sinners, and the need for personal repentance and was always the same: God's redemptive love conversion.” for sinners, and the need for personal repentance and conversion," Graham wrote.

— Rev. Billy Graham Longtime associates credited not personal charisma to Graham’s success as a speaker, In 1957, Graham introduced Dr. Martin but pointed to divine inspiration. "It's the before the crusade, Ray and other AfricanAmerican ministers met with Graham at his Luther King Jr. as a speaker at his Madison Holy Spirit that takes the word of God that Square Garden crusade. Graham and King Mr. Graham is carrying and drives those Montreat home.

“They were very gracious as Dr. Graham discussed how evangelism could bring an end words into the human condition," said David challenged us to lead the effort for a crusade,” to segregation. King urged Graham to contin- Bruce, Graham’s longtime executive assistant.

Graham would also credit his wife as a said Ray. “He brought in African Americans ue his ministry, preaching to integrated audiences in the stadiums, while King waged his crucial partner in the formation of his Billy who might have been on the sidelines."

Graham Evangelistic Association.

Dr. John White, the longtime pastor of nonviolent demonstrations in the streets.

Ruth McCue Bell was born in June 1920 to A farm boy from outside a once-sleepy Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, served as chairman of the Graham crusade Southern town, Graham answered local Dr. Nelson and Virginia Bell, medical misprayers during the Depression years “that out sionaries serving near Shanghai, China. She committee for Asheville. hymns, and a solo by famed baritone George Beverly Shea, with his trademark rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” Graham’s teams worked in advance with local religious leaders to make sure that all those who came forward at Graham’s invitation would find churches to join afterwards.

Graham staged a crusade in Asheville in 1977. The Rev. L.C. Ray, pastor and founder of WNC Baptist Fellowship Church on Haywood Street, remembers the hard work that went into staging that event in Asheville's then-new Civic Center. Well

“I think it was one of the key religious moments in our city, something that none of us will ever forget,” Ray said. “Dr. Graham really gave me a chance to see that faith is about being totally colorblind.”

Early in his career, Graham began preaching the need for racial justice and that Christians especially should demonstrate love for all people. In 1953, at his Chattanooga, Tennessee, crusade, Graham tore down the ropes separating whites from blacks. The head usher resigned in anger, but the ropes stayed down.

news Globe-trotting evangelist Billy Graham was ordained as a Baptist minister at the age of 21. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association stated that Billy Graham preached to an estimated 215 million people in his lifetime. Donated photos

“You could have heard a pin drop. I thought this is God’s Spirit moving here.

Billy is doing it right. It really impressed me.”

— Glenn Wilcox, Asheville businesman and longtime friend, on seeing Graham preach at Madison Square Garden

Some wanted Graham to run for the highest office in the land, including the presidents he counseled in the White House. One day while swimming together at Camp David, President Lyndon Johnson said in front of a group of people, “Billy, you ought to be president of the United States. If you do run, I’d like to be your campaign manager.”

Billy laughed and said, “You’re joking.”

Johnson replied, “No, I’m serious. I mean it.”

But Graham stuck to preaching, even as he counseled presidents over the past 50 years.

Graham would become particularly close with Richard Nixon, who he called his “Quaker Friend.” But the evangelist admitted he was demoralized by Watergate and Nixon’s culpability in the cover-up of the partisan-inspired burglary.

Nixon’s secret Oval Office tapes would come back to haunt the evangelist. Graham was secretly recorded in a 1972 conversation with disparaging remarks about Jews in the media. In 2002, when the tape was released, Graham said he did not recall those remarks, but apologized to Jewish religious leaders.

At his career’s end, Graham said in hind-

sight he should have stayed further away from politics. “Becoming involved in strictly political issues or partisan politics inevitably dilutes the evangelist’s impact and compromises his message. It is a lesson I wish I had learned earlier,” he wrote in his autobiography.

Graham preached his last crusade in New York, but he never considered himself retired from the calling he had been given. Wilcox recalled playing a game of golf with his friend at Biltmore Country Club, and brought up the topic of retirement. “He started wagging his finger at me. Look in the Bible and the word ‘retirement’ isn’t in there. Glenn, you have to remember that God has always used older men. He didn’t call Moses until he was 80.”

He remained popular in the public eye well after he was unable to physically lead his crusades. He was a regular fixture in Gallup’s annual polling for the 10 Most Admired Men in the World since 1948.

Graham always remained humble about his career as the most famous and well-traveled evangelist of the 20th century. In his autobiography, he wrote: “I have often said that the first I am going to do when I get to heaven is to ask ‘Why me, Lord? Whey did You choose a farmboy from North Carolina to preach to so many people, to have such a wonderful team of associates, and to have a part in what You were doing in the last half of the 20th century?’

“I have thought about that question a great deal, but I know also that only God knows the answer,” Graham wrote. “As I look back over the years, however, I know that my deepest prayer is one of overwhelming gratitude.”

That gratitude was returned by Graham’s many local friends and neighbors. “Everyone in Western North Carolina is proud that he made his home here, and raised his family,” Wilcox said.

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Smoky Mountain News

While her husband was away, Ruth Graham took to sleeping with his tweed jacket to keep her company, according to her journals.

Once when she was driving a friend up to their mountaintop home in Montreat, she hit the accelerator rather than the brake and sent the car crashing through a fence and down the mountain. Both were unharmed.

Calling long distance from California, Graham was none too happy and wanted her to surrender her driver's license. She began to argue back on the phone.

Billy fell silent on his end, then said, “I don’t recall reading in Scripture that Sarah ever talked to Abraham like this.”

Without missing a beat, Ruth fired back, "Well, I don't recall reading in Scripture that Abraham ever tried to take Sarah's camel away from her."

Ruth kept her car and license.

Mrs. Graham died in 2007 and was buried at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, where the evangelist will be laid to rest by her side.

But the Graham name will remain attached to the mountains where the couple lived, relaxed and raised their family. In Swannanoa, the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove remains a sanctuary and retreat center set in the mountain landscape that both Billy and Ruth Graham had loved.

Ruth had picked out the designs for the stonework of the chapel and surrounding native garden.

In 1996, they endowed the Ruth and Billy Graham Health Center at Memorial Mission Hospital, which later evolved into Mission’s Children’s Dental Program, providing strong healthy smiles for thousands of mountain children. And Interstate 240 winding through Asheville bears the name of the Billy Graham Freeway.

February 28-March 6, 2018

spent her childhood in China, a land she would always deeply love, before going to high school in Korea. The Bells returned to Montreat in 1937.

Ruth finished high school and enrolled at the evangelistic Christian Wheaton College in Illinois. The coed had many dates, but her eye soon settled on Graham, a strapping 6foot-2 North Carolinian, already an ordained Baptist minister at age 21. On their first date, Graham took her to hear Handel's “Messiah.”

Ruth was already filling her journals with poetry about the handsome young man.

“With quiet eyes aglow, I'll understand that he’s the man I prayed for long ago.”

But Ruth also believed she was called to be a missionary in Tibet. Graham countered that being a wife and a mother was a holy calling.

“If I marry Bill, I must do so with open eyes. It won't be easy,” Ruth wrote in her journal. “He will be increasingly burdened for lost souls and increasingly active in the Lord’s work. After the joy that I am his by rights, and his forever, I will slip into the background.”

The couple married on Aug. 13, 1943, in Montreat Presbyterian Church and they would honeymoon in the Battery Park Hotel in downtown Asheville. The couple later moved to Montreat to be close to her parents.

At first, curious onlookers would spy through their windows to see the famed evangelist.

The family later bought a more private retreat on Piney Mountain where Ruth designed their rustic Appalachian home. There, she would raise their five children: Virginia, who goes by “Gigi,” Anne, Ruth, Franklin and Nelson, known as Ned. But the couple would have little time together as Graham became a full-time evangelist for Youth for Christ and later as he started mounting his own crusades.

news February 28-March 6, 2018

UNC School of Government prepares local leaders

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER “First, congratulations. Second, why are you here?” he asked.

The airy hotel conference room fell silent, nearly 200 eyeballs glancing up from tablets, phones, laptops, coffee, muffins and bacon.

“Pull out a writing instrument and some paper, and take a couple of minutes to write down why you ran for office.”

Almost 100 elected officials — most new, some not — from across North Carolina took pens to paper. Old problems, old mistakes, new eyes, new voices, they wrote.

Carl Stenburg, the man who posed the provocative question, is the James E. Holshouser Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government at the University of North Carolina’s School of Government in Chapel Hill.

Stenburg, along with a host of other local government experts from the SOG, was in Asheville Feb. 22-23 to teach those elected officials about things like transparency, accountability and conducting local government business for the common good in a complex, litigious and ever-changing hierarchical ecosystem.

“Keep those,” Stenberg said, referring to the paper upon which the goals and dreams of dozens of towns had been written, “for when you go back home and leave a particularly bad council meeting.”

BACK TO SCHOOL

Smoky Mountain News

Since 1972, Gallup polls have consistently shown that presented the choice between federal, state and local governments, Americans overwhelmingly say that the most honest and most efficient governments are local.

Given that local government elections in North Carolina take place every two or four years in more than 600 different jurisdictions, a significant portion of those so elected have never held public office before.

Even those who’ve been reelected — retention rates nationally swing between 55 and 95 percent since 1964 — must devote considerable effort to staying up on the everchanging whims of a General Assembly that after more than a century of domination by one political party is no longer a knobbykneed fawn under the other.

It’s for those reasons that the SOG exists.

“Our job is to help you move forward in meeting those goals,” Stenburg told the group assembled in Asheville for the SOG’s two-day Essentials of Municipal Government seminar.

Since 1931, the University of North Carolina’s Institute (now, School) of Government has been a nonpartisan, policyneutral, responsive resource in carrying out its mission to improve the lives of North 8 Carolinians by helping public officials under-

UNC School of Government professor Frayda Bluestein lectures elected officials during a conference Feb 23.

Cory Vaillancourt photo

stand and improve state and local government through teaching, publishing and advising.

The SOG’s mission is unusual in that it focuses almost solely on the State of North Carolina, whereas similar schools in other states focus on the country, or the world.

Helping public officials, to SOG, means shortening the learning curve; by a show of hands, the overwhelming majority in attendance at the conference was newly-elected, but the conference is also valuable in providing continuing education for veteran elected officials as well as administrators.

The ability of governing boards to deal with competing interests in a moral way is one thing, but dealing with them in a legal manner is something else entirely.

“Most managers come with their elected officials to hear the training, especially for newly elected officials, when you can tell them how the town does certain things that instructors are going over,” said Sylva Town Manager Paige Dowling, who with Mayor Lynda Sossamon attended the conference. “I think that when both the elected officials and the managers are trained and attend trainings and talks by the School of Government or the League of Municipalities it enables them to better serve their citizens.”

Sossamon, currently in her second term as Sylva’s mayor, was pleased that her entire board had joined her and Dowling at the conference.

“It helps because we had four members of

our board here today and they know some of the things that we should and shouldn’t do, or how we should conduct business,” Sossamon said. “I think that definitely helps the residents of Sylva.”

Teaching, publishing and advising are achieved through campus lectures, blogs like the authoritative Coates’ Canons and generous access for both media and municipalities to subject matter experts in a wide variety of government-related fields.

Today, fulfilling that mission is as important than ever.

“People just don’t seem to have confidence in government anymore,” said Michael R. Smith, dean of the SOG, during the conference. Despite being an alum of the University of Michigan, Dean Smith of course made a joke about Dean Smith.

“I don’t get any better basketball tickets,” he laughed.

His work, though, is no laughing matter.

Smith’s been with the largest universitybased governmental advisory, research and training organization in the United States since 1978, and has served as its dean since 2001. Currently, dozens of SOG professors hold expertise in almost 250 separate fields, from abuse to zoning.

“Our faculty in all of these fields are available to you and all appointed officials for advising,” Smith said. “We receive literally thousands of calls and emails a year.”

Many of those are to professors like Stenburg, who spent the first two hours of the conference explaining a concept that today describes the framework of municipal government: you don’t govern alone.

Imagine an inverted triangle. At the bottom, the tiniest sliver, lies the humble alderman — or councilmember, as gender-neutral titles become more the norm.

Above that point sits the municipal government itself; above that, other local govern-

ments like counties or regional organizations; above that, state agencies, the state legislature, the governor, federal agencies, Congress and the President — all balanced atop that one humble public servant.

“You’re going to need to look at the world inter-governmentally,” Stenburg said.

“You’re going to be spending your time navigating boundaries.”

The most immediate boundary for local governments was birthed by Iowa judge John Forrest Dillon, who in the 1868 case Clinton v.

Cedar Rapids hewed out a robust argument for the supremacy of states over municipalities.

Almost all states use some form of the socalled Dillon’s Rule, which means that municipalities, generally, can do only what the state legislature has told them they can do. North Carolina is a Dillon’s rule state.

But 10 other states operate on the Cooley Doctrine, named after Michigan Judge John McIntyre Cooley, who in the 1871 case People v. Hurlbut presumed the right of self-determination, or home rule, at the most local of government levels.

Tired of bailing out cities over and over again, federal and state governments have embraced the new trend of what Stenburg said has been called “fend-for-yourself localism,” including using for-profit and non-profit entities to perform what was once the work of government.

Within this framework, elected officials must balance the often-conflicting principles of liberty and equality, or prosperity and community. For example, what do you do when a new asphalt plant bringing jobs to a poor community wants to locate near a stream and a historic neighborhood?

“Government is complicated,” said Franklin Mayor Bob Scott, a former law enforcement officer and journalist.

Scott also serves as vice chairman of the N.C. Mayors Association, an affiliate of the N.C. League of Municipalities, on whose board he serves. Both organizations were present at the conference, where Scott briefed attendees on the roles and responsibilities of governing boards.

“The only purpose we serve is conducting the public’s business,” he said. “The more we know about business as far as government agencies or units are concerned, the better we can serve the public.”

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY The ability of governing boards to deal with competing interests in a moral way is one thing, but dealing with them in a legal manner is something else entirely, especially as private citizens become public servants.

“It’s a pretty big part of the transition into your new role,” said Frayda Bluestein, the David M. Lawrence Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government at the SOG. Bluestein, along with Chief Counsel for the N.C. League of Municipalities Kim Hibbard, took the crowd through two transparency-related topics that trip up even the most seasoned public officials — conducting open meetings and providing public records.

North Carolina has a “robust” public

1. Mayors of several local municipalities meet informally and privately once a month over lunch to discuss recent trends in government, obviously without providing advance notice to the public. Is this an illegal meeting?

No. Although the gathering is of two or more public officials, the gathering was not intentionally created or appointed by a governing authority.

2. You’re an elected councilmember, and your father owns a business that stands to benefit from a matter before your board.

Can you abstain from the vote?

No. There is no direct benefit to you or your spouse.

3. A citizen makes a public records requests from a local government unit.

Can the government charge the citizen for the clerk’s time in fulfilling the requests?

No. The requestor can be charged only for copies, unless the requests involve special technical components.

4. Board members are always personally liable for the decisions they make.

No. Generally, board members are only liable for actions they take in defiance of the board’s attorney.

5. If the General Assembly hasn’t specifically prohibited a power to the state’s municipalities, municipalities may choose to exercise that power.

No. Municipalities in North Carolina operate by Dillon’s rule, and can only exercise powers specifically granted them by the General Assembly.

“The topic that was most interesting to me was to get a better understanding on when we should or should not be voting for something,” said Kristina Smith, a newly elected Canton alderwoman attending for the first time. “That was a huge eye-opener for me. One of the things I like to pride myself on is being a person of integrity, and I understand that being in this role sometimes those boundaries on when to vote and when not to vote can feel very hazy.”

A duty to vote is presumed unless an elected official has a direct, substantial, easily identifiable financial interest in zoning matters, a general “too close for comfort” relationship to certain quasi-judicial hearings like special use permits or a contract that delivers a direct benefit to the official or their spouse.

Public officials and employees are likewise prohibited from accepting gifts and favors from contractors, no matter the cost of the

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY Financially, local governments across the state usually operate between two extremes — hawking over every cent that’s spent or thinking about money only once a year, during budget time.

“You’ll have to find a place somewhere in the middle,” said Kara Millonzi, a specialist in local government finance law with SOG since 2006.

The Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act is a complex and sometimes confusing 31-page document that serves as the particular piece of legislation containing fiscal requirements local officials must follow regarding management and budgeting.

“The amount of vagueness in the way some of these statutes are written really makes it kind of scary when you’re trying to deal with, trying to understand the legalities of things like budgeting,” said James Markey, a newly elected alderman in the town of Canton who was in attendance at the conference. “Whenever you’re dealing with money it gets very tricky, just making sure we’re not putting ourselves inadvertently on the wrong side of the statutes, which sometimes are hard to understand.”

In conjunction with a balanced budget requirement, the yearly budget timeline culminates with a July 1 adoption and locks in a property tax rate for the budget year.

Property taxes are usually the largest sole source of revenue for local governments, which then use the money for general fund expenditures like law enforcement, land use planning, payroll and economic development.

Aside from general fund expenditures, public enterprise funds — typically, fee for service arrangements like water, sewer and solid waste treatments — should be self-sufficient, but aren’t always and may require contributions from the general fund to keep them afloat.

Whatever a governing board chooses to stash away — for purposes of cash flow, or emergencies — is called fund balance.

Currently, there are no established maximums, but there are established minimums, and governments that fall below those levels face preemption by the Local Government Commission.

“You need to respond when there’s red flags,” Millonzi said. “You need to continue to educate yourselves as board members as to the law, and what’s going on in your unit. Hopefully I’ve sufficiently scared you, but in a good way.

You now have the tools, so good luck.”

Stenburg offered a similar closing to attendees, who’d just been through a dizzying array of topics that didn’t seem to dampen their enthusiasm for public service, but did serve as an important reality check.

“Remember those things you wrote down,” he said. “Remember why you ran.”

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Smoky Mountain News

which case almost anyone can bring a complaint to the courts.

Although public notice requirements for official public meetings set out in statute are relatively straightforward, that doesn’t stop them from being violated, or in some rare cases completely ignored for nefarious purposes.

But perhaps the most misunderstandings occur in trying to determine what, exactly, constitutes an “official public meeting” and a “public body.”

A public body has two or more members, has to be intentionally created or appointed, is governmental in nature and exercises either legislative, policymaking, quasi-judicial, administrative or advisory functions.

An official meeting consists of a majority of the members of that board gathering simultaneously to deliberate, conduct a hearing or public business, or vote.

So if two board members of a five-member board happen to be at a neighborhood restaurant and a third randomly shows up, the common misconception that one must leave is just that — a misconception.

However, an ongoing email dialogue occurring more or less simultaneously with a majority of board members could possibly constitute an illegal meeting.

Even more misconceptions arise out of further concepts covered by Bluestein and Norma Houston, a lecturer in public law and government at SOG since 2006, during the two hours of mandatory ethics training all local government officials must receive within 12 months of each election or reelection to office.

Accepting gifts or favors and engaging in conflicts of interest are probably the easiest ways to run afoul of the law as an elected official.

“Most of these involve using your office for personal gain,” Houston said.

An elected official (or their spouse) who receives from a contract a direct benefit — defined as receiving income or commission, acquiring property or owning 10 percent of the contracted company — is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Unlike other financial conflicts, excusing oneself from voting on the contract does not absolve an elected official of responsibility. In fact, excusing oneself from a vote is complicated, too.

Two full days of instruction at the UNC School of Government would be nothing without a pop quiz at the end, right? Try to answer these five questions designed to test your knowledge of local government law.

February 28-March 6, 2018

records statute that is also very broad, according to Bluestein; any record made or received in the transaction of public business is subject to public access, unless one of several small exceptions applies.

Public records can take any form, including texts and emails, and it doesn’t really matter what email or text account is used, or who owns the devices — it’s the content that determines what is and is not a public record.

One doesn’t have to be a resident of the city, the county, the state or even the United States to request public records from a public body in North Carolina.

Accordingly, public bodies can’t even ask why the documents are being requested; theirs is but to deliver, so long as the records don’t contain sensitive personnel information, legal consultations, trade secrets or other information deemed private by statute and by courts.

“I know many of you seem to get really large requests meant only to harass,” said Bluestein. “There really is nothing you can do about that, except in cases that are really broad you can ask them to narrow focus, but that’s about it.”

Statute outlines no set time in which a body must produce requested records.

“If somebody comes and says, ‘I would like a copy of tonight’s agenda,’ that’s gonna take five minutes,” Bluestein said. “If somebody says, ‘I want copies of all the emails between the mayor and manager over this project that’s lasted three years,’ that’s going to take some time.”

Bluestein’s advice is “to have a rule about how soon you respond, and that gives you the opportunity to go back and figure out what this will mean, and perhaps how much it will cost.”

Public bodies can charge for copies, but can’t generally charge for the staff time required to fulfill those requests.

There can, however, be special service charges assessed the requestor if the request involves extensive use of information technology resources and clerical or supervisory assistance, such as in the case of someone wanting to peruse a database.

People who have been denied access to records they feel are public are the only ones who have standing to sue, unlike when governments violate open meetings laws, in

Local government pop quiz!

gift, except for honoraria, souvenirs like lanyards, meals at banquets, or small items from professional organizations like the League of Municipalities. This prohibition, however, does not extend to campaign contributions, or customary gifts from pre-existing family and friends.

On the subject of accepting a gift, when in doubt, Houston said, “do without.”

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Franklin Mayor Bob Scott shares his experience with attendees of the UNC School of Government’s Essentials of Municipal Government seminar in Asheville. Cory Vaillancourt photo

news

War of words: public records requests troublesome for Haywood County

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER espite being called “a shameful person to deal with” and “obsessed” in highly unusual comments directed at him by a county official last week, Waynesville resident Monroe Miller shows no signs of halting his crusade to dig up some dirt on what he supposes are irregularities surrounding a Haywood County earthmoving project.

Miller’s made several more public records requests since he spoke at a Haywood County Board of Commissioners meeting Feb. 19, where he asked commissioners for intervention in what he calls obstruction from Interim County Manager Joel Mashburn in fulfilling those requests.

County officials say they’ve bent over backward for Miller.

Whether or not there’s anything nefarious about the project, the war of words between Miller and the county does raise important questions about public records requests and the legal obligation of local governments to fulfill them, in a state where statutes are broad but interpretations are narrow.

D

While the frequency of the emails — nearly 70 — sent by Miller to various county officials, county employees and journalists since early January has made the complex series of requests difficult to follow, the tone of the emails apparently has generated some ill will as well.

Later in that Feb. 19 meeting, county Program Administrator David Francis laid in to Miller, who was still seated in the gallery.

“He likes to poke fun at people, to belittle them from behind the computer whenever he can, because he’s a bigger man behind the computer than he is any other place,” Francis told commissioners during the meeting.

Francis also seemed to take personal offense at Miller’s insinuations that he’d been somehow involved with wrongdoing in

requirement that one be a resident of the city, the state, the county or even the country to do so.

Such a broadly written statute also makes no limits on voluminous requests that stretch far beyond the usual small requests most governments see regularly.

“The statute doesn’t really create any [limits], and we’ve seen huge volumes of records being requested,” Bluestein said.

Some might call Miller’s requests voluminous, but that would be a subjective judgment that has no basis or definition in statute. In practicality, the 30 or so items he’s requested pale in comparison to much more massive requests that could theoretically be tendered without limit.

There’s also no specific time frame in which a public body has to respond.

“The statute allows them to provide it as promptly as possible, which takes into account that it takes a long time to provide records under a really large request, and it doesn’t take very long to get a small one, so it’s not really reasonable to have a specific time frame. I would say it’s a flexible standard,” Bluestein said.

Haywood County has a policy, adopted in September 2007 and currently under review by County Attorney Chip Killian, that promises to acknowledge requests within three days and comply in a timely manner, based on the size of the records being requested.

When records are finally produced, they can be inspected for free in the location where they’re kept. Other than that, records can be converted into different formats for a nominal fee.

“The statute allows government agencies, public agencies, to charge for actual costs, which means costs that they would otherwise not have incurred,” Bluestein said. “It really is basically the cost of copies if somebody wants paper copies. There’s not clear authority [to charge] for the time it takes employees to find the records, review the records, and determine what can be

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

WHERE’S THE LINE?

connection with the project that will move tons of dirt from the new Publix grocery store site on Russ Avenue to a parcel of county-owned land on Jonathan Creek that the county wants to see developed.

Mashburn said during the meeting that Miller had been provided with everything he’s asked for, even though he incorrectly refers to the project as the “James Weaver ‘Kirk’ Kirkpatrick III Super Duper Sports Complex” and sometimes asks for things that the county says don’t exist.

But public access to government records is a cornerstone of free societies that practice self-determination, according to UNC School of Government professor and public records expert Frayda Bluestein.

“We have taxpayers who pay the salaries of the people who work in government, and they Monroe Miller elect their officials in the democratic process, and I think the philosophy is that the people who pay the bills and choose the people have the right to know what’s happening in their decision making,” Bluestein said. “It’s just part of our democratic process.”

North Carolina, Bluestein said, has a robust yet flexible public records law that operates under the presumption that everything is public unless specifically prohibited.

Other states, and the federal government, presume that nothing is public except for things specifically designated as public.

“There are certain ones that we have to retain, but everything that is involved in the transaction of public business — whether it’s an important thing or it demonstrates some sort of policy and has some effect — every email, every text message, everything that’s created, fundamentally, because the statutory definition is so broad, is fair game.”

Anyone can request public records in North Carolina, for any reason; there’s no

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released. There is a special service fee for very, very voluminous requests that require lots of technical staff time.”

Haywood County’s policy indeed acknowledges this, but in his nearly five decades of service, Killian said he couldn’t remember anyone ever being charged.

The county has repeatedly said it has produced everything Miller’s requested.

“The staff contends that they have, and it appears to me that they have,” Killian said.

The county appears to be dealing with Miller’s requests as best it can, and according to emails between Miller and the county seems to have delivered on almost all of them — at no cost to Miller, who receives them electronically.

Some of Miller’s complaints, however, fall in a much murkier area of the law.

During the Feb. 19 meeting, Killian said some of Miller’s requests for information were also accompanied by requests for explanation, something the governments aren’t required by statute to provide.

“We will continue to provide you with documents, just as we would provide anyone here, anyone in the county with documents,” Commission Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick told Miller Feb. 19. “That’s all we’re going to do, what the law requires us to do.”

Miller’s other gripe is a technical one; the county’s own policy describes the head of a department or agency as “a custodian of public records,” and Miller has derided Mashburn in emails as “Gatekeeper Mashburn” for coordinating the requests.

The policy, however, says that requests must go through the county’s public information officer, a position that hasn’t of late been occupied in county government; it’s unclear if someone has been so designated, but it’s also hard to argue that in what is essentially a large corporation, such requests shouldn’t at some point be reviewed by Mashburn, who is ultimately its CEO. Should Miller wish to push these public records issues, his only recourse is to lawyer up, according to Bluestein.

“I would recommend that people try to work it out without having to go to court,” she said. “It’s not the best way to resolve it, but that’s the only actual legal recourse.

There’s a mediation provision that is required but the parties can waive it, but it’s also possible to just try to appeal to the jurisdiction.”

TWSA will discuss a policy to release the remaining 20,000 gallons of capacity at its Cashiers plant during its March meetings, including a work session March 13 and business meeting March 20. Holly Kays photo

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Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER new sewer treatment plant being planned for Cashiers will start allowing for growth in the mountain community before the first shovelful of dirt is turned on the project.

Currently, 90 percent of the existing treatment plant’s capacity has been allocated to various users, and the state requires that the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority hold the remaining 10 percent in reserve for emergencies, such as failing septic systems.

However, as plans for the new treatment plant move forward the state will let TWSA release that remaining 10 percent, a total capacity of 20,000 gallons per day.

“What we’re trying to do now that we have this funding from the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) is to say, ‘How can we release the last 10 percent, the last 20,000 gallons?’” Dan Harbaugh, executive director of TWSA, told the TWSA board during a Feb. 13 meeting.

He’s already been getting calls from various business owners wanting to grab hold of some of that soon-to-be-available capacity, and he’s telling them all the same thing: TWSA won’t take applications for the upcoming capacity until after its board finalizes the process for releasing it. That’s expected to happen during a meeting at 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 20.

“There are projects already that will begin to come back to us as we look at releasing allocation of that 20,000 gallons,” Harbaugh told the board.

The largest of these requests is coming from the High Hampton Inn, which wants to build 100 units of workforce housing requiring 12,000 gallons per day — as a first phase. At some point in the future, Harbaugh said, the inn will want to build an additional 100 units.

He’s also received requests from the Village Green and the Chattooga Club for expansion projects and from a restaurant requesting 3,000 gallons per day.

In addition to the 20,000 gallons likely to become available in March, once plans for the new plant are complete, TWSA can begin “preselling” allocation at the new plant. Users who want allocation once the new plant comes online would be able to reserve it, with that allocation becoming available upon completion of the plant, likely in late 2020 or early 2021.

The existing treatment plant has been near capacity for years — on paper. During the real estate boom of the early 2000s, many developers bought up significant amounts of sewer allocation to be used on homes that were never built following the stock market crash of 2008. They’ve held onto that allocation in hopes that the market will rebound and their investment will ultimately prove lucrative, but a side effect has been that — while the plant is certainly not processing at capacity — there’s no allocation available for folks wanting to start a

February 28-March 6, 2018

TWSA board to create policy for distributing allocation

member of the board.

Not possible, said Harbaugh.

“We’d be taking their allocation and selling it to someone else, which would mean we’re double-allocating,” he said.

But TWSA can be sure it will soon have 20,000 gallons to work with, and there will be plenty of knotty questions to work out surrounding that availability, Harbaugh said.

It will be up to the TWSA board to settle on a policy for giving out the 20,000 gallons.

Should the allocation be released first-come, first-served? Should a certain amount be designated for commercial use and a certain amount for residential? Should some other approach be used?

“This is not a simple issue. It’s a complex issue,” Harbaugh told the board.

There’s also the time element. The board will ultimately need to make the decision, distilling all the information and opinions at play into a cohesive policy. That can take time, but for many of those seeking a piece of the 20,000 gallons, time is of the essence.

“The only thing is being pushed because of others’ needs,” Tracy Rodes, a member of the TWSA board and mayor of Webster, said during the Feb. 13 discussion. “We are responsible for writing good policies, and that is our main job — not to rush and getting ourselves in a bind.”

The TWSA board plans to consider policies to release capacity during its March meetings, which include a work session Tuesday, March 13, and a business meeting Tuesday, March 20. Both meetings occur 5:30 p.m. at the TWSA headquarters in Sylva.

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New sewer capacity could soon come to Cashiers

new business or build a new house.

It’s a situation that’s effectively put a hold on economic development in Cashiers. No new sewer capacity means no new housing, retail and restaurants, and no way to expand existing establishments.

“If you talk to the locals in that area and the people who run businesses up there, one of the main impediments is the ability to hire staff and manage for the needs of the community in the various businesses out there,” Harbaugh said.

Eventually, that all comes back to sewer.

The new sewer plant will be built on a 16acre property TWSA purchased along the Horsepasture River in 2015. The initial phase of construction will cost $9.5 million and result in a sewer plant with a capacity of 125,000 gallons per day. The existing 200,0000-gallon-per-day plant will remain online, and two additional construction phases are in the long-range plan for the new plant — the next one is tentatively planned for 10 years from now.

Board members were glad to hear that some sewer capacity would become available even before construction begins but questioned whether there might be a way to open it up even more. If certain large-capacity allocation holders were certain they weren’t going to cash in their allocation for, say, the next three years, couldn’t TWSA just go ahead and release that amount at the existing plant?

“Can’t we have an agreement with them saying they’re going to loan it to us and we’ll give it back to them?” asked Tom Sawyer, a

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February 28-March 6, 2018

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Candidates sign up to run for office STAFF R EPORTS Candidates have until 5 p.m. today, Feb. 28, to sign up to run for office.

JACKSON COUNTY With just one day of election sign-ups to go, competition for elected office in Jackson County is heating up, with Register of Deeds Joe Hamilton, Board of Education Chairman Ken Henke and Board of Education Member Ali Laird-Large the only incumbents who will not face opposition — so far.

The Smoky Mountain News went to press Tuesday afternoon, and election filing is open through noon Wednesday, Feb. 28.

County Commission Chairman Brian McMahan, a Democrat, has filed for re-election but will see a General Election challenge from sitting Commissioner Ron Mau, a Republican. Mau’s seat is not up for election until 2020, so he will remain on the board regardless of the election’s outcome.

Commissioner Boyce Deitz, a Democrat, has filed for re-election but will see a General Election challenge from Doug Cody, a Republican and former county commissioner. Cody served from 2010 through 2014 but lost a re-election campaign to Deitz.

Commissioner Charles Elders, a Republican, has filed for re-election but must win Primary Election and General Election contests to regain his seat. Democrat Gayle Woody has filed to run for the seat, as has Republican Jarrett Crowe. Crowe and Elders will face off in the Primary Election.

Sheriff Chip Hall, elected in 2014, does not yet have a Primary Election challenger but will run in November against the winner of a Republican primary contest between Doug Farmer and Brent McMahan.

Two Democrats filed for the office of clerk of court: incumbent Ann D. Melton and challenger Kim Coggins Poteet.

HAYWOOD COUNTY In Haywood County, six candidates have signed up to run for three open seats on the board of commissioners. Incumbents Mike Sorrells and Kirk Kirkpatrick, both Waynesville Democrats, are running to reclaim their seats and will be challenged by Waynesville Democrats Danny Davis and Steven Pless, and Republicans Terry Ramey and Thomas Long.

Incumbent Bill Upton will not seek re-election.

Hunter Plemmons, who was recently appointed to the position of Clerk of Superior Court to replace June Ray, and Jim Moore have signed up so far to run for the seat.

Haywood County Register of Deeds Sherri Rogers, D-Waynesville, will be running for another term, but doesn’t have a challenger yet.

Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher, D-Clyde, has signed up to run for a second term.

Three candidates have signed up to run for Haywood County Tax Collector — incumbent Republican Mike Matthews will face challengers Greg West, D-Waynesville, and Andrew “Tubby” Ferguson, R-Waynesville.

MACON COUNTY

All three county commissioner incumbents in Macon — Robbie Beale, D-Franklin, Gary Shields, R-Franklin, and Jim Tate, RHighlands, — have signed up to run for another four-year term on the board.

So far, Republican Ron Haven is the only challenger signed up to run for District 2 against Beale. Haven served as a county commissioner for District 2 for one term before being ousted by Commissioner Gary Shields during the 2014 election. Haven ran again in 2016 but was again defeated by Commissioner Karl Gillespie.

Sheriff Robert Holland, R-Franklin, has signed up to run and will be challenged by Bryan Carpenter. Carpenter petitioned to run as an unaffiliated candidate, which means he must obtain signatures from 4 percent — or 1,018 registered voters in Macon — to be able to run against the sitting sheriff.

Incumbents for Register of Deeds Todd Raby and Clerk of Court Vic Perry don’t yet have any challengers.

SWAIN COUNTY

Three seats are up for grabs on the Swain County Board of Commissioners — Democratic incumbent commissioner Danny Burns has signed up to run for a second term.

Democrat Commissioner Roger Parsons, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy left after the passing of Commissioner David Monteith, will officially run to fill the remainder of Monteith’s four-year term.

Republican Kevin Seagle, who works in the Swain County building inspections department, and Republican Holly Bowick, who works as an investigator for the District Attorney’s Office, have also signed up to run for commissioner.

Democratic commissioner Ben Bushyhead, who is finishing up his first term, has signed up to run for commission chairman against incumbent chairman Phil Carson.

Swain’s incumbent Republican Sheriff Curtis Cochran will have competition this year. Democrat Rocky Sampson has signed up to run against him.

STATE RACES U.S. House of Representatives District 11 • Phillip Price, D-Nebo • Scott Donaldson, D-Hendersonville • (i) Mark Meadows, R-Asheville • Clifton Ingram Jr., L-Sylva N.C. House of Representatives District 118 • (i) Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville • Rhonda Schandevel, D-Canton N.C. House of Representatives District 119 • Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville • Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City N.C. House of Representatives District 120 • (i) Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin N.C. Senate District 50 • (i) Jim Davis, R-Franklin • Bob Kuppers, D-Franklin

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about why we did this, or why we did that, and I want to be able to explain what we did and why we did what we did,” said Christopher. “I want to make sure we’re real frugal with dollars. I pay taxes as well as everybody else, and I never want my tax dollars to be squandered.”

One huge victory for Christopher and his office was the construction of a state-of-theart emergency communications center housed within the detention center on Brown Avenue in Waynesville.

The $2.7 million facility was grant-funded at no cost to county taxpayers and puts the county on solid footing for the foreseeable future.

“One of the things we looked for was a way to make this to where 20 years from now, it’s still going to be a facility that is going to be able to handle the needs of our county. We didn’t want to look just at two or three years down the road. We don’t need all of these stations right now, but we will 20 years from now, whoever the sheriff is,” he said. “And whoever is operating county government, we have saved taxpayers $2.7 million by first of all receiving this grant, but secondly we hope that 20 years from now they won’t be going back to get more money because hopefully this will be something that sustains itself for years to come.”

“One of my sayings that I’ve incorporated when I’m going out into the communities is that ‘I need to know my community before I have to know my community.’

It’s the crux of law enforcement.”

— Sheriff Greg Christopher

“We also generate quite a bit of income with the sales of pistol purchase permits, and with concealed carry permits,” he said.

“This past year we sold 2,182 pistol purchase permits at $5 a piece, and then we have our concealed carry permits for which we charge $90, so we had a total of $108,000 in revenue just from the front office.”

But that customer service background is never far from Christopher’s mind; although he could, he doesn’t charge citizens for fingerprinting services, which may be required for a variety of jobs or security clearances.

“We feel that if you’re a citizen of our county, you’re a citizen paying taxes here, why should I charge another $20 for fingerprints?”

Accomplishments aside, Christopher has big plans for the next four years, should voters chose to re-elect him; as of press time on Tuesday, Feb. 27, no other candidates had filed to oppose Christopher in the upcoming election, although the candidate filing period didn’t end until noon Feb. 28.

“We have some new programs that we are getting ready to roll out that will be part of our community watch program where we actually have people who want to come in and volunteer their time,” he said, explaining that after training, these volunteers will patrol — without guns but with appropriately marked cars — in some of the county’s more out-of-the-way localities.

That, along with a recent COPS grant that will put four more deputies on the streets and the addition of two more canines, could help local law enforcement agencies combat a national problem — the opioid epidemic.

“We also want to continue to work really hard educating our public through our public information officer about the dangers of drugs,” said Christopher.

To that end, a summer youth camp for

children aged 8 to 12 is planned and a community advisory council is also in the works, based on the county’s fire districts. ”I’m going to be asking different community members to come in and serve a two-year term with us, and help us with some of the information gathering and information sharing within each of our communities,” he said. “We’ve seen this work in other counties, and sharing with some of these young men and young women at an early age may actually help that child as they continue to grow.”

That community involvement — customer service, in a sense — is what has made Christopher a popular community figure during his tenure as sheriff; he can often be found at community forums and events.

“One of my sayings that I’ve incorporated when I’m going out into the communities is that ‘I need to know my community before I have to know my community.’ It’s the crux of law enforcement. I want to put a human — a man or a woman — in this uniform, other than just being a sheriff ’s deputy with a badge and a gun. Somebody that cares about their community. Somebody that cares about their county. Somebody that really cares about the victim.”

A lot of times, Christopher said, when deputies show up to a call, it’s the only time that citizen will ever have contact with law enforcement on any level.

“People have a level of expectation from us and I have learned through the years that customer service is not only selling someone a head of cabbage, but it’s also doing my job out here. They’re looking for good service, regardless. And nowadays with the level of expectation that is on law enforcement in general, it is very, very important that we do a good job with customer service,” he said.

“It’s how I approach this job, and that’s why 13 I want to continue in this position.”

Smoky Mountain News

Christopher’s prudent financial management has also resulted in the nearly unheard of instance of a county department actually giving money back to the county.

“Something that we have really worked hard on is generating revenue over in our detention center,” he said. “This year we just gave the county back nearly $300,000 of revenue that was generated through our commissary, through our inmate phone service, and some other things that we’ve generated within that detention center.”

Christopher said it costs about $77 a day to house an inmate in the detention center, all paid by taxpayers. Other initiatives like the Pathways Center, which Christopher has championed, have reduced recidivism and set many on a path of selfsufficiency, at a cost of about $36 a night — funded solely by churches and private individual donations.

Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher will seek another four-year term. Cory Vaillancourt photo

February 28-March 6, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER rowing up in Haywood County, Sheriff Greg Christopher certainly learned the value of hard work at his family’s farm and roadside produce stand, located just off U.S. 276 between Waynesville and Bethel.

But that’s not all he learned there.

“I grew up in the customer service role of taking care of people, because that was how we made our living — having people come back to buy more from us,” Christopher said. “I learned about the value of customer service from a very young age.”

After graduating from Tuscola High School in 1979, Christopher joined the Army National Guard, serving as a military policeman for nearly 22 years, during which his unit was activated for, among other things, the first Gulf War in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

In 1986, he left the farm and went to work for the State Highway patrol, rising through the ranks from sergeant to lieutenant in Troop G, which covers the westernmost portions of North Carolina. After 28 years, he retired.

“My last day of work with the Highway patrol was on a Thursday. I was appointed sheriff that Saturday, March 2, 2013, and was sworn in March 4,” he said.

Christopher replaced the retiring Sheriff Tom Alexander, and then was elected to a full term of his own on Nov. 4, 2014, after facing no opposition on the ballot.

He’s up for re-election this year, and this time has a full slate of accomplishments he’ll bring to voters as evidence of his performance over the past four years.

“The main thing that I’m proudest of is the fact that we have established a really good relationship with the rest of the police departments and local law enforcement within the jurisdiction of Haywood County,” he said. “When we establish these relationships with the chiefs and with the officers, it really makes for a better working environment for all of us.”

Since Christopher’s been sheriff, drug arrests are up almost 160 percent in the county, something he attributes to the county’s Unified Narcotics Investigation Team, or UNIT, being able to work in conjunction with Haywood’s other law enforcement agencies.

“Those kind of relationships are what really allowed the UNIT to take off, because we put employees and officers from different agencies into the same room working in a collaborative effort to arrest people who are out here selling drugs,” he said. “It’s been very good for our county.”

The job of the sheriff, however, also includes the obligation to manage a nearly $10 million business that employs about 120 people — from administration, to detention officers, to court personnel, to staff and patrol deputies along with detectives and emergency operations center employees.

“I’m very stingy with the money, because I do realize it’s taxpayer money. At any time, a taxpayer can come in and ask me questions

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Haywood sheriff all about customer service

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Homeless shelter question looms in Jackson County leaders ponder options as winter weather dissipates

Jan. 16 work session.

There are three main options when it comes to shelter models, she said, but each contains countless sub-options that will take some doing to sift through.

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER s a startlingly cold winter lapses into a startlingly early spring, Jackson County leaders are pondering a question they’ve been struggling to answer for several years now: What is the best way to serve Jackson County’s homeless population?

A loose band of volunteers known as Jackson Neighbors in Need began operating a winter-only shelter for Jackson County’s homeless in 2010, housing clients in rooms at willing motels. But over the years, the need has grown — causing homeless advo-

SORTING THROUGH

A

THE OPTIONS The shelters the task force evaluated when doing its research fell into three basic categories: the hotel model, which is what Jackson County currently uses; the brickand-mortar model, in which clients are housed in a dedicated, dorm-style shelter building; or the hybrid model, in which most clients stay in a shelter building but those who can’t be safely housed with the general population — sex offenders, for instance — are sent to a hotel.

drug and alcohol policy? And who qualifies as homeless? Is it just people who are living somewhere not meant for human habitation, like a car or a roadside, or are transient people who have been staying with a rotating cast of friends and family included as well? And what about people who have an address but aren’t living there due to violence in the home?

To help commissioners sort through some of these issues, the task force researched best practices and conducted a survey of costs, policies and procedures at shelters in North Carolina counties similar to Jackson County. At first, the task force was looking for shelters housed in other Tier 1 counties, a state designation assigned to counties judged to be the most economically distressed.

“We found that the majority of counties

February 28-March 6, 2018

Downtown Sylva. Margaret Hester photo

AN ONGOING DISCUSSION

“It’s going to be important to do it in the right way and have the right people involved to make sure that this whole concept is done in a way that has broad-based support from the community.”

Smoky Mountain News

There were a few that had hotel vouchers in addition to their brick-and-mortar. If they served, say, single men and women they may have vouchers for families in hotels, or if they look at background checks they may have hotel vouchers for sex offenders, convicted felons.”

The majority of shelters surveyed did not receive state or federal funding, and none of them were run solely by a government entity. Half were linked to religious organizations and half were linked to general nonprofits.

The task force didn’t make any recommendations as to which model Jackson County should pursue — that wasn’t the job it was charged with — but Chamberlain told commissioners that committee members felt “overwhelmingly” that the shelter should operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that while they didn’t want to see the building closed to residents during the day as is the case at Haywood Pathways Center, they did want residents required to complete certain activities, such as going to classes or looking for a job.

“The next debate in the decision really is going to be these nuances,” said County Manager Don Adams as Chamberlain gave her presentation. “What type of shelter model, and then do we do a true low-barrier (entry) or do we do a combination? What’s right for Jackson County?”

cates to postulate that a year-round, brickand-mortar shelter might now be necessary.

County commissioners have been willing to have that discussion, appointing a task force in April of last year charged with researching the pros and cons of different approaches to serving the homeless. The task force concluded its work around the end of the year, with member Marilyn Chamberlain of the Southwestern Child Development Commission — which took over shelter management from Neighbors in Need in February 2017 — presenting commissioners with the resulting report during a 14

— Brian McMahan, Commission Chairman

The task force assigned an estimated annual cost for each model, with the cheapest being the hotel model at $241,000 and the most expensive being the hybrid model at $368,000. Estimates did not include the cost of constructing a building or purchasing furnishings.

Before any decisions are made or action taken, commissioners have a long list of questions to answer. For instance, who will the shelter serve? Adults only? Or adults with children, too? What about people with criminal histories, particularly those registered as sex offenders? What will be the

that are our size did not have any shelter whatsoever,” Chamberlain told commissioners. “Then we had to go to the next level up, and we selected the counties that are closest to us.”

By including shelters in Western North Carolina Tier 2 counties, the task force upped its list of comparison shelters from five to 11. From there, some clear trends emerged.

“Most of the shelters are open all year round,” Chamberlain said. “We did not have a single hotel model other than ours. Most of them were brick-and-mortar shelters.

Commissioners had a lot to think about coming out of that meeting, and the question is still far from resolved.

“I would think that we’ll be having a lot of discussions about it, and it will be the topic of future work sessions,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan.

“And probably we’ll look to put together some kind of committee that might be comprised of other elected leaders, members of the faith community, representatives of the faith community, other nonprofit organizations in our community to look at this as a complete picture.”

Other commissioners seem to agree that this would be a logical next step. As the task force found in its research, homeless shelters are almost never run solely through a government entity, especially when the entity in question is the government of a county Jackson’s size. So, partnerships will be key.

“I would love to see us be able to partner with somebody,” said Commissioner Mickey Luker. “I don’t know who that would be. I don’t know whether it’s the situation we’ve got right now, or is there a church group? I think there’s a lot of unanswered questions there, but I’d definitely like to see us at a minimum partner with somebody to make it a reality.”

“The more people you have involved, the better it can be, because people’s got some stake in it,” agreed Commissioner Boyce Deitz.

F

The recommendations

Officials of both Swain County and the Town of Bryson City have issued proclamations declaring the month of March as Women’s History Month.

The purpose of the proclamations is to recognize and honor the contributions that women of America have made to the wellbeing, safety and economy of our country.

Specific contributions such as the role of women in social, cultural and political activities are called out.

The proclamations are part of an ongoing effort by women and men in Swain County to raise awareness of how women have contributed to forming the American way of life.

According to spokesperson Janice Inabinett, “Too often the significant contributions to the fabric of America made by women have gone unrecognized. We are setting aside the month of March to change that perception.”

Foundation to focus on children in 2018 The Haywood Healthcare Foundation, a nonprofit organization serving the healthrelated needs of our community, has partnered with the Town of Waynesville, Waynesville Parks and Recreation and

Haywood County Parks and Recreation to focus on the needs of children.

Fundraising efforts this year will support the operation of “Base Camp on the Go,” a new program to serve children of all ages throughout Haywood County by offering day camps, afterschool outreach programs and much more throughout the year. This new camp is in addition to the existing summer camp at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Base Camp on the Go is designed as a mobile outdoor recreation program to teach children games, promote physical wellbeing, safety, healthy nutrition and the opportunity to play with others.

Be the voice for a child The Guardian Ad Litem program is currently seeking volunteers in the community to be the voice of a child in court.

The North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program thrives on volunteerism, and its vital work is made possible only by dedicated volunteers who are committed to the cause of keeping children safe from future harm.

A training class for volunteers in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. every Thursday from March 15 through April 26.

If you have an interest in becoming the voice for a child, contact Shawn at the Haywood County GAL office at 828.837.8003 or www.volunteerforgal.org.

February 28-March 6, 2018

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He added that partnership could prove a better financial decision, too, because different types of groups can draw from different types of funding streams and apply for different grants. A partnership approach could result in stronger financial support for the homeless shelter. However, McMahan added, it’s clear that the county has been leading the discussion thus far, so it’s likely to continue playing a major role in any resulting initiative.

But the question remains: what should the homeless shelter look like? Hotel, brickand-mortar, or hybrid?

Different commissioners have different takes on that question, at least as of now.

There is still plenty of thought and discussion to come before any decision is made.

Commissioners Charles Elders and Ron Mau both said they’re not yet leaning one way or another when it comes to which model would be best. “We have to do something, but what is going to be the best way to go about it?” Mau asked.

“The main thing for the rest of this season, during the winter season, we’ve got to make sure we have the money for whatever is necessary,” Elders said. “We can’t let people be on the street and freeze to death.”

Swain, Bryson recognize Women’s History Month

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Though the Jackson County Homeless Shelter Task Force didn’t offer a recommendation as to which homeless shelter model the county should pursue, it did agree on several best practices for any future homeless shelter to abide by. n The shelter should be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.

Residents shouldn’t be turned outside each day but should be required to complete activities toward the goal of achieving housing stability. n The length of stay should be 30 days with re-evaluation on a case-by-case basis. n The shelter should serve individuals and families who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in an emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they had lived for 90 days or more after living in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation. It should also serve people who are losing their primary nighttime residence within 14 days. n Unaccompanied children 17 and under should be referred or relocated to a program specializing in children, and not housed in the shelter. Children accompanied by an adult can be housed in the shelter. n Shelter should be offered to all, regardless of gender or family status. n Criminal background checks should be used to identify behaviors that put others at risk, with alternative shelter offered to those possessing such behaviors. n Drug tests should be used when use is suspected. People who continue to use drugs and can’t move toward housing stability will need to leave the shelter.

The full report is available online at www.jacksonnc.org/PDF/work-session/january-16/attachment-1.pdf.

McMahan, meanwhile, had a stronger opinion on the way forward coming out of January’s work session.

“If we’re going to be looking at being able to meet the needs of a broad range of that population and don’t exclude anybody, then I think we have to look at the hybrid model,” McMahan said.

The hotel model, currently in use, has been revealed to have a variety of shortcomings in meeting the need. But using a brickand-mortar shelter would limit the types of people who could be served, as there are safety issues in housing various groups of people of different ages and battling different issues in the same space. The hybrid model would allow most people to be housed in a brick-and-mortar shelter but would provide hotel rooms for those not able to be admitted to the shelter. The model is the most inclusive, but also the most expensive.

Luker said he’d like to at least see some type of brick-and-mortar shelter, and Deitz wondered whether it might be possible to get the benefits of a hotel and brick-andmortar shelter in one building by putting the shelter in an abandoned motel.

“It would be great if we could find something like that that was going out of use that we could buy and put in use,” Deitz said.

However, the commissioners all acknowledge that what they think is only part of the equation. If the effort is to be successful, it will require input and buy-in from groups across the county, especially because a dedicated brick-and-mortar homeless shelter would be so much more visible and permanent a fixture in the community than the temporarily rented hotel rooms used now.

“It would be something we just need to make sure that our community is ready and willing to embrace and accept and support, so that’s going to be important,” McMahan said. “It’s going to be important to do it in the right way and have the right people involved to make sure that this whole concept is done in a way that has broad-based support from the community. That is key in my opinion.”

As far as timeline, it’s not something that will happen overnight. Commissioners last discussed the issue in January, and no work session has yet been scheduled to follow up. The county is currently in the midst of planning for the 2018-19 budget cycle — the next couple months will determine whether any change will happen in time for next winter.

“I would like to see us be on track to have some kind of plan in place to where we’re looking short-term, long-term, and possibly through this next budget cycle it might be that we continue to fund the motel model as it is until we can identify locations and options and factor those costs into a budget process,” McMahan said. “I think this will be ongoing for several months and will span the rest of the year.”

“I guess we got a lot of questions,” Deitz added. “We have so many questions and so many options right now it’s not hardly even appropriate to try to say we got an answer.”

Closed Sunday & Monday 454 Hazelwood Ave • Waynesville Call 828.452.9191 for reservations 15

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State approves partial rate hike for Duke Energy Company hit with $30 million penalty

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he North Carolina Utilities Commission has issued an order granting a partial rate increase for Duke Energy Progress.

Duke initially sought to charge customers an additional $477.5 million annually — a 14.9 percent increase. In September 2017, Duke revised its request, reducing it to $419.5 million. The proposal would increase the basic monthly customer charge for residential customers from $11.13 to $19.50.

However, the commission approved only an increase in the basic customer charge to $14, which cuts Duke’s revised $419.5 million revenue request by more than half.

Duke Energy claimed the rate increase was needed primarily to pay for the modernization of its electric system; to generate cleaner power through renewable resources; to manage and close its coal ash basins; to respond to major storms like Hurricane Matthew and to continually improve service to its customers.

During a public hearing held in Franklin, residents made it clear they disapproved of Duke charging customers more money to clean up its coal ash basin mess — the utili-

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

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16

The penalty will be paid for by Duke and not by Duke’s customers. The commission further found that Duke paid too much for coal ash removal at its Asheville coal-burning plant and, therefore, denied recovery from customers of an additional $9.5 million.

The commission’s order also denied Duke’s request to increase its customer rates in order to recoup the cost of ongoing coal ash remediation efforts.

Instead, Duke will be allowed to record the coal ash remediation costs in a deferral account.

Those costs The penalty will be paid for by Duke and can then be revisited not by Duke’s customers. when Duke’s next general rate case comes before the commission. Even then, the commission consumers at risk of inadequate or unreastated those costs would be “carefully scrutisonably expensive service.” nized” to determine the extent to which In addition, the commission found that, recovery is appropriate.

“DEP admits to pervasive, system-wide The commission’s decision acknowledges shortcomings such as improper communicathat “the rate increase approved in this case tion among those responsible for oversight … will be difficult for some of DEP’s cusof coal ash management.” ties commission agreed. The commission imposed a $30 million management penalty on Duke based on its determination that the company’s handling of coal ash “placed its

tomers to pay, in particular the company’s low-income customers.”

As a part of the settlement approved by the commission, Duke will make a $2.5 million contribution from shareholder funds to the Helping Home Fund to be used for lowincome energy assistance in Duke’s North Carolina service territory.

The commission’s decision was made after nine days of a hearing in which expert witness testimony was presented by many parties to the proceeding, in addition to five hearings for public comment that were held throughout Duke’s service area in which more than 140 public witnesses testified.

More than a dozen witnesses spoke at the public hearing held in Franklin back in December, and all of them were opposed to Duke’s proposed rate hike — especially the portion going toward coal ash cleanup efforts.

The commission is also requiring Duke to file rate schedules that are consistent with the commission’s order within 30 days, and the commission will review them before the new rates become effective.

The commission’s order is lengthy — 278 pages — and addressed all issues raised during Duke’s case. A copy of the complete order and the entire record in this proceeding is available on the commission’s website, www.ncuc.net, under Docket No. E-2 Sub 1142.

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BY J ESSI STONE complaint stated.

N EWS E DITOR Finally in 2015, the commissioners notiwain County Election Director Joan fied Weeks that the county would not be Weeks finally got a response from the paying her retirement for those years. county regarding a lawsuit she filed Weeks and current Board of Elections against the board of commissioners — but Chairman John Herrin have pleaded the it was not the response she was hoping for. case in front of the commissioners many Weeks, who has served as election directimes since 2015 with little to no response tor in Swain since 1983, filed a complaint from the board members. against the county last October in an Herrin tried to explain to commissionattempt to recoup unpaid salary and retireers that the county election director posiment benefits she claims are owed to her. tion falls under the State Board of Elections, She finally received the response from the which doesn’t distinguish between a part commissioners’ lawyer Sean F. Perrin out of time and full time director and that benefits Charlotte.

As to Weeks’ breach of contract claim against the commissioners, Perrin responded to all 20 points with “Defendants lack sufficient knowledge or information to form a belief as to the allegations of the Paragraph.”

The second claim, seeking money damages for Swain County Board of Elections Chairman John Herrin Weeks and her speaks to commissioners about unpaid retirement benefits for assistant director Elections Director Joan Weeks. SMN photo Judy Allman, was also answered with the same “lack of sufficient knowledge” should have started immediately. Despite defense. the efforts to explain the matter fully to The battle to get the county to hand commissioners, the board hasn’t budged on over back pay and retirement benefits has its decision. been going on for many years. Weeks The complaint also stated that Swain claims she should have been accumulating County Manager Kevin King informed retirement benefits from the time she was Weeks that if she did not like the decision, hired in 1983. However, the county has “she could just sue them, they (the Swain claimed Weeks wasn’t eligible for those County Board of Commissioners) have benefits until 1992 when the position insurance.” became full-time with the county.

Weeks sent a form to the North Carolina According to her complaint, Weeks said Retirement System to get an estimated cost the Swain County Board of Elections and of her retirement claim. As of 2013, the estithe Swain County Board of Commissioners, mated claim was $76,497 for 7.5 years of as a condition of her employment in 1983, service. According to her lawsuit, Weeks is promised her the same benefits as any other seeking $81,725 in retirement benefits back county employee, including membership in pay from 1983-1992. the North Carolina Local Government The local board of elections has also Employees’ Retirement System. made multiple requests in its annual budgIn 2009, Weeks said then-chairman of ets for pay raises for Weeks and Allman to the Swain County Board of Elections Russell put them in line with similar counties in the Childress informed her that commissioners state, but the county has denied any Steve Moon, Genevieve Lindsey, David increase above the basic cost-of-living Monteith, and Robert White held a meeting adjustments. and agreed the county would fund her As a direct and proximate result of the retirement for the years 1983-1992 — but it county’s failure to approve salary increases never happened. for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, Weeks is “On numerous occasions after being seeking $21,894. Allman is seeking $11,682 orally promised that her retirement for the from the county for not approving pay years 1983-1992 would be funded by Swain increases for her position during the same County, the Plaintiff, Joan Carol Weeks, years. spoke to one or more members of the Swain While Weeks hoped to get the issue County Board of Commissioners and they worked out without having to go to court, indicated to her that the Board was still she said going to trial would be the next ‘looking into’ funding her retirement,” the move to let a jury decide.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, INC.

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Business

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Tia Dana joins downtown Waynesville Tia Dana, a new shop on Main Street in Waynesville, offers vibrant colors of yarn, whimsical hand-selected pieces, home décor and other handmade, American-made and Fairtrade items.

Owner Dana Davidoff describes the store as a lifestyle and home décor store that has something for everyone. This new-to-Waynesville entrepreneur is anything but new to the retail world. After 25 years and 13 stores, Davidoff has built skills and success along the way.

“With this shop, I wanted to open something that resonates with me,” she said.

“This store is a reflection of my personality and things I like.”

These include all natural fibers and products from companies that give back to the community, companies that support charities and are ethically and morally responsible.Tia Dana also offers classes to learn to knit and crochet, as well as a time set aside to meet and knit together.

Tia Dana is located at 26 North Main Street. Visit www.tiadana.com.

Bookkeeping class offered The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar “Basics of Bookkeeping 2” from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday, March 6, in Room 3021 at the HCC Regional High Technology Center.

This seminar will build on the basics covered in the “Basics of Bookkeeping” seminar.

Attendees will launch into a more in-depth study of recording financial transactions for their business.

The speaker is Tonya Snider, owner of tenBiz. Her company helps businesses realize their full potential through a layered approach of training, consulting and coaching. Snider has experience in management, marketing, lending, human resources, consulting, classroom facilitation and economic development.

Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

Diner looks to partner with businesses The Everett Street Diner in Bryson City would like to create a benefit program for its staff by partnering with local businesses.

The diner would promote the business for a given month on its Facebook page with posts and boosts at no charge. In return, the partner business would provide some sort of benefit to diner employees. It could be a direct benefit like a certain percentage off merchandise, or a gift certificate for each employee.

The diner also has a Community Partner of the Month program. During the chosen month, the

diner would post and promote the nonprofit partner on its Facebook page, and also donate a percentage of their Sunday Brunch receipts to the nonprofit.

For more information, contact owner Mike Shakar at 828.488.0123 or everettstreetdiner@gmail.com.

Maggie Valley given finance award The town of Maggie Valley was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive financial report.

The award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

WCU offering leadership certificate Western Carolina University will offer a new five-day High Impact Leadership Certificate Program from Monday, April 16, through Friday, April 20, at its Biltmore Park instructional site in Asheville.

Shawn Rhodes, an international expert in organizational performance and change management, will be the keynote speaker. Rhodes is a Tampa-based TEDx speaker, and his work studying organizations in more than two dozen countries has been featured by news outlets around the world.

The sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. The cost is $695 for those registering before March 15; thereafter the cost is $795. The fee covers registration and lunches all five days, as well as potential continuing education credits.

Visit pdp.wcu.edu and click on the link under “High Impact Leadership,” or call 828.227.3070.

Oak Hill top B&B on TripAdvisor Oak Hill on Love Lane Bed & Breakfast has been recognized as a Top 25 winner in the Bed and Breakfast category of the 2018 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards for Hotels, ranking No. 17 out of 25 in the United States.

Tony and Darlene Blankenship have been owners and innkeepers of the B&B since March 2016. The couple said, “We are so honored and proud to have been recognized for this award. It is our absolute pleasure to make this historic Waynesville home a comfortable and welcoming retreat for guests visiting the area. Waynesville is a wonderful mountain town and we are so pleased to accommodate travelers from all over the country and the world.”

The home, located on historic Love Lane, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Clyde Ray Sr. Home and is an important part of the history of the town.

19

• Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City won a second place silver medal win for its Alarka Best Bitter in the Beer Army Foundation 2018 Beer Army Beer Wars International Commercial Competition hosted

by NODA Brewing Company in Charlotte.

• Realty World Heritage Realty in Maggie Valley has changed its name to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage. Owners, Thomas and Christine Mallette are excited to bring a national name to Maggie Valley and look forward to serving Maggie Valley for years to come.

ALSO:

• The Macon County Economic Development Commission will once again celebrate BizWeek 2018 April 16-20. The weeklong series of events will feature educational seminars, networking opportunities, awards and the 2018 BizWeek Banquet with a special guest speaker. More details will be announced soon.

asm in the luxury real estate market, interest in trying new features and programs, onsite and staff understanding of the program, and inspiration of new tools.

Harrah’s Casino New manager at garden recognized Waynesville U.S. Cellular Proven Winners has announced its newest U.S. Cellular has named Hunter Sprinkles sales manager for the Waynesville store at 225 Town Center Loop.

Sprinkles leads store associates to help customers and businesses select the best plan and devices to meet their data needs. Sprinkles has five years of sales experience.

Sprinkles holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from University of North Carolina at Asheville.

He most recently served as the retail wireless consultant for the company’s Weaverville locations. Sprinkles lives in Asheville.

Beverly-Hanks wins international awards Beverly-Hanks & Associates was recently honored with four prestigious awards at the 2018 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE) Conference, held in Las Vegas.

Beverly-Hanks received the Crown of Excellence Award, the top award presented to member firms with the highest point total earned from performance ranking.

Contributing to their Crown of Excellence win, Beverly-Hanks received the Award of Excellence for Outgoing Sales Production and the Award of Excellence for Equivalent Closing Production for firms with between 250–500 associates. The company was also awarded the Luxury Portfolio Spirit Award, presented to companies for enthusi-

Signature Garden, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, which joins five other prestigious properties that hold this designation.

“For years, the exceptional grounds crew at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort has grown thousands of the latest Proven Winners plant introductions, creating some of the most exceptional garden displays in the region,” said Tom Ewing, head of Landscape Program Development for Proven Winners.

All properties selected for the Signature Garden designation must meet a strict set of criteria including high visibility, demographic synergies, marketing recognition, and a commitment to the highest quality landscape presentation.

HCC to host free business seminar The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar titled, “Employment Law Update for Small Businesses,” from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 15, in the HCC Regional High Technology Center Auditorium.

This seminar will provide an up-to-date snapshot on employment law for small business owners. The speaker will be Jonathan Yarbrough of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP. Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

20

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

The pendulum will swing — it has to W

Americans deserve better health care To the Editor: Politicians love the photo op with veterans. We celebrate the wounded warrior, but seldom praise the system that cares for him/her — the Veterans Home Administration.

The VHA cares for over 9 million veterans at 1,243 health care facilities, including 170 VA Medical Centers and 1,063 out-patient sites.

The VA may have its flaws, but its center in Oteen [East Asheville] is considered one of the best in the country. Vets come to Asheville from all over the Southeast for treatment.

Many people don’t realize the VA is essentially “socialized” medicine, whereby the government provides and pays for health care, including negotiated price controls on drugs.

Congressional leaders who claim that socialized medicine is not viable in the U.S. are being disingenuous.

Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, does not support a “single payer” health care system, which is not socialized medicine.

Some would also call this “Medicare for All,” where health care is publicly funded but privately delivered. Patients retain control over which physicians to use.

One recalls the American Medical Association vehemently opposed Medicare in 1965, when it was introduced by President

tics, and we have fundamental differences on many issues. It gets hot sometimes. But, I won’t let those philosophical differences get between all the years our families have known each other, the good times we’ve had, the pleasure that I’ve had in watching his children grow up and the friendships they have with my own kids, the solace our friendship has provided each other as we’ve navigated life’s hard times.

We feel differently about who should occupy the Oval Office and who should run the state. In some ways I guess these friendships are a reflection of the many polls that show political Editor differences have widened dramatically in the last 20 years over issues like immigration, the role of government, race, national security, the environment, gun control, and other areas. The center is much narrower.

Tribalism — which some say is natural — is in part to blame for these divisions. We tend to group with people who think like we do. And, in order not to alienate those friends and social acquaintances, we adopt their views rather than argue a

Scott McLeod

ould you turn your back on a long and meaningful friendship because of widening political differences? I won’t do it, and I don’t understand people who would.

The gun control debate is the perfect example. It’s as polarizing and divisive issue as there is, especially after what happened two weeks ago at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Those on the left want to blame the Neanderthals on the right, the right wants to blame the panty-waisted snowflakes on the left, others want to blame the power-mongers running the NRA and their sycophants in Congress, still others pin the problem squarely on the dummies at the FBI or the elected idiots who have castrated the nation’s mental health system.

Cruising around the internet reading comments from those who come down on different sides of this issue, you come across the hate and name-calling. The arguments eventually descend to nasty criticisms of someone’s intelligence, their masculinity, or their whatever. The issue become secondary to the tone of the criticism and who can make the most condescending, snarkiest comment.

Being “friends” on Facebook has cheapened the meaning of that word because, in my opinion, friends should not treat friends the way some treat each other on social media.

One of my closest friends and I always seem to argue poli-

LETTERS Lyndon Johnson and ratified by Congress.

Things change. There was a paradigm shift, and Medicare is now embraced by most Americans.

Even business leaders are now saying the current health care system is unsustainable and harmful to the bottom line — 17 percent of payroll is now consumed by health care dollars, and 62 percent of American household bankruptcies are due to medical expenses.

I would encourage Rep. Meadows to leave his comfort zone and listen to his constituents. Our nation is undergoing another paradigm shift — 60 percent of Americans now favor Medicare for all. Can North Carolina be that far behind the national trend on health care?

A real leader would be open to broadening the discussion on health care; perhaps even attend a forum on “Healthcare for All: Good for Busine$$,” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at AB-Tech Ferguson Auditorium in Asheville.

The keynote speaker is David Steil, former Republican Pennsylvania legislator and midsize business owner who supports health care for all and a single payer system. Mr. Steil will describe his personal journey to embracing single payer.

Perhaps our Congressman could learn something from Mr. Steil. Perhaps we could make America great again by providing health care for all our people, and no longer be the only industrialized democracy notto guaran-

point that might upset those in the group we hang with.

Money and capitalism are also factors in this devolution into groups defined by what divides rather than what unites.

Radio and television make millions by paying commentators who speak to a small percentage of the population and don’t make any attempt at objectivity. Political action committees attract millions of dollars in contributions to run commercials and influence politicians in their attempt divide rather than find areas of agreement. It’s an industry that grows stronger every day.

I have no idea what the future holds, but as my friends and I discuss — and sometimes argue — about politics, perhaps I should feel lucky that maybe, just maybe, we are bucking the trend. We are still friends and still disagreeing, not giving up our personal beliefs or principles, searching for common ground instead of building walls.

Call me a naive idealist, but politics moves in cycles. This current era will one day give way to a more thoughtful, more moderate tone where compromises are seen as success rather than capitulation. To get there, we’ll need political leaders much different that those we are getting today, but the pendulum will swing — it has to.

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

tee health care to its citizens. Imagine that and vote accordingly this November.

Roger Turner Asheville

President’s budget is simply immoral To the Editor: The White House budget for 2019 seems designed to hurt the elderly and people born with disabilities. An article in Forbes, a respected, traditionally conservative business magazine, titled “What Trump’s Budget Would Mean For Seniors” delivered this heart-rending news, ironically, on Valentine’s Day. The author takes the following facts from the White House budget. After each part of the budget he cites, I’ll say why I think it is morally wrong. The quotations are from the Forbes piece.

First, his budget would kill the current Medicare “cost-sharing for seniors with very high prescription drug costs.” Only in the U.S. among all “developed” nations do people have to pay huge amounts of money for medicine and medical devices. I know this for a fact because I’ve lived in the United Arab Emirates and have friends who live in Spain, France, Britain, Italy, Canada, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia. The exact same medicines, many from the exact same pharmaceutical companies as U.S. meds, cost them a few dollars while we pay $90, or thou-

sands.

Current example: an American friend in Spain, a retired Air Force officer, is being treated for a cancer of the blood that isn’t curable, but thankfully is containable. Paying about $130 a month, he gets meds and blood tests — no questions asked, no co-pays, no waiting for the insurer to OK any procedure.

No added stress.

In sharp contrast, a relative in Alabama with a bone cancer that’s also containable, but not curable, is being treated with a medication that’s been on the market since 2015.

Cost per month: $10,000. She’s terrified something will happen to force her to stop working. She has always saved much of her salary, her house in an upper-middle-class area is paid for, her kids have good jobs. But even she could go bankrupt— only in America.

And she’s one of the few people I know who’s always exercised a lot, eaten healthful foods, maintained an ideal weight, gone to church and otherwise been a paragon of living right.

Second under the President’s budget, people with limited income but high “out-ofpocket expenses” would have to pay even more before getting their prescriptions free.

Millions of older people would be spending over $8,000 in a year for medicines alone if hit with a catastrophic illness. Should they have to go hungry or lose their homes because life circumstances are such that they cannot pay the U.S. drug compa-

F

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

Susanna Barbee

I

Attitudes toward guns have changed dramatically To the Editor: I grew up in a small, rural community, one not unlike many of the small towns in Western North Carolina. Growing up in an active outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing culture was an experience I cherish to this day. And it’s why I love these mountains. Part of that experience was being around, and using, guns. My family had shotguns and rifles which were used both for hunting and target practice.

They were also on hand for personal safety, which fortunately was never necessary. We had a couple of really old guns

Smoky Mountain News

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nies’ exorbitant costs? I don’t think so.

Third, the President’s budget will slash “$236 billion over 10 years” from Medicare compensation to “doctors, skilled nursing facilities, and other providers.” As someone who visits a relative’s nursing home numerous times a year, I can testify that it is clearly making do with too little already — it especially needs more nursing staff.

Fourth, the author explains that the President’s budget allows only “very small increases in some areas, including nutrition programs such as Meals on Wheels, and would cut funding for others, such as falls prevention, elder rights support, and chronic disease self-management. The budget would cut funding for disability programs by about 30 percent.”

Clearly some Republicans in Congress are comfortable with old people getting fewer nutritious meals; with their breaking bones leading to being bed-ridden and dying slowly and painfully. I believe that most Smoky Mountain News readers are not that heartless or vengeful.

Fifth but regrettably not last, the President’s budget would also slash “food stamps” — really, a debit card program known as SNAP, which ensures minimal food for older people with low incomes.

About 75 percent of SNAP recipients live alone or have a disability. The President would also force the elderly to take half their SNAP benefit in generic canned food. Imagine the indignity as well as the danger to old people with diabetes or another disease requiring a special diet.

Clearly, Haywood County is full of caring people who volunteer or work to help people in need of all ages, including the homeless, as Smoky Mountain News Staff Writer Cory Villancourt’s December series on homelessness shows. Let us hope that enough people ask themselves if they could bear to look themselves in a mirror, or call themselves religious, if they were to do nothing to let our elected officials know that the President’s budget is just plan immoral.

Mary Curry Haywood County

too; the gun my grandfather has used in the 1800s, and a pistol we’d found on an abandoned railroad bed.

As a teen, I spent many hours at the rifle range, and although I wasn’t old enough to hunt then, was very aware of hunting in my community. One took it seriously and one respected the power of a gun. It wasn’t something to take lightly.

When guns weren’t in use, they were locked up safely and only my father had the keys. We never thought of guns they way they are perceived today, as a thing to collect and obsess over and to back up one’s beliefs about government.

We trusted our government and our law officers to protect us. There were no regular mass gun killings or school killings and the first mass killing with a gun that I remember was at a McDonald’s in California, thousands of miles away.

The thought of a gun as a killing machine used against innocents was the furthest thing from my mind then.

I wish I could say things stayed that way, a time when respect for guns was firm, but without the worship of guns and the mass killing we have today. At that time, the NRA was active as a lobbyist for hunters, a far cry of what it has become.

So what happened? Did we suddenly decide to become a blood-thirsty people?

Did the government become so threatening that we all had to take up arms? Or did the gun industry mutate into something that, in order to grow, had to create false enemies and dangers?

I get the idea that we have a right to bear arms and that it’s our Second Amendment right. But, is today’s gun culture what our forebears had in mind? Did they foresee the changes in technology that would result in guns that can kill dozens in seconds? Did they see kids collecting assault rifles to use against their fellow students? Did they see grown men raining bullets down on a crowd of innocents, killing them as if in a video game?

Did they foresee the rise of extremist politics that would demonize our own government with conspiracy theories to the extent that many gun owners are fighting some imaginary enemy? Did they foresee the mass production of weapons? I doubt it.

Guns today have mutated from what I experienced as a kid to an industry that seems hell bent on tearing America apart.

The gun industry and the NRA have completely tainted and poisoned what it is to be a gun owner. And, lest we forget, guns are an industry and all industries must grow.

So, the more guns, the more profits.

Every time there is a mass killing today, the NRA calls for more guns. It’s a maddening thought, really. If something is causing tremendous pain and destruction, do you call for more of the same? Or do you step back and look at the bigger picture. More guns, more violence, is this what we want for the future and for our kids? I’d hope we can do better.

John Tripp Waynesville 21

February 28-March 6, 2018

didn’t go to church growing up, but my parents were the godliest people I knew.

They were giving, compassionate, selfless, honest, humble and forgiving. They exemplified the true qualities of “people with faith.”

My mom is no longer here to model those behaviors for me, but my dad continues to inspire. He was the one that wanted pastors from Long’s Chapel at my mother’s hospital bedside as she struggled to hold onto to life. The prayers offered to us

by Tim McConnell, Justin Lowe, Chris Westmoreland and Chuck Wilson conColumnist tinue to offer me solace to this day.

And while we weren’t members of a church when I was young, I knew my parents believed in God. We prayed, my mom taught my sister and I the Lord’s Prayer when we were little girls, and they encouraged us to be involved with Young Life, a global faith-based youth organization.

Both my parents endured uncomfortable experiences in church, so they didn’t believe going to church twice a week equaled being a good person. As I age and mature, I become more and more thankful and appreciative for having learned this at a young age.

I know plenty of folks who attend church multiple times a week but do not live by the principles encouraged by God. My faith is raw, personal, strong and quiet. It’s not something I shout out on Facebook or push on other people, although I do try to act in a way that clearly demonstrates my hope and faith reside in a higher power and that I love people for who they are and where they are.

The first comment out of my mouth when I learned of Billy Graham’s death was, “At least now he can see Ruth again.”

Losing my mother to cancer and the subsequent grief helped me understand death better and fear it less. I feel her all around me, so I know her soul is still alive and one day I’ll see her again.

Similarly, this earth lost a great man in Billy Graham, but now he can relax in the place of his dreams with the woman of his dreams.

I’m currently reading a book called What is the Bible by Rob Bell. If you’ve never heard of Bell, he’s a progressive, liberal writer, speaker, musician and former pas-

LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM 20

opinion

My faith is both strong and unique

tor who’s most well-known for his book Love Wins. He talks about the Bible and faith in modern terms and in relation to modern society as opposed to viewing them as an antiquated piece of literature set in a time that could never resonate with us.

One of my favorite quotes by Bell is, “Often times when I meet atheists and we talk about the god they don’t believe in, we quickly discover that I don’t believe in that god, either.”

I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum and while I don’t necessarily care what people think of me, I do want others to view me as a good person. Since my marital separation, however, I’ve been pretty hard on myself and have worried about others judging me. It’s an easy thing to do in a small town.

It was weighing heavily on me the other night. The next morning I picked up Bell’s book and opened it to my bookmark.

The words on the page were these: “Worry is lethal to thriving because it’s a failure to be fully present. Worrying about something means you’re there, not here — stuck ruminating on the future, not enjoying the present.”

After reading a little in Bell’s book, I opened a second book called Jesus Calling and the words on that page were: “When you try to figure out the future, you are grasping at things that are mine. This, like all forms of worry, is an act of rebellion: doubting my promise to take care of you.”

This is how God communicates with me-through whispers and books and other human beings. Sometimes I don’t listen very well, but when I do, I feel so much better.

I can’t control how other people feel or concern myself with their opinions of my choices and me.

I’ve always heard that judging and condemning are forms of control, and as Bell states in his book, “People with a high need to control others are generally doing it as a way of dealing with the lack of control they’re experiencing within themselves.”

In knowing that, I feel sorry for these people instead of annoyed by them. I’m hopeful one day they’ll find the internal control they need to be happy.

We’re currently in the season of Lent. I didn’t really give up anything tangible this year like wine or coffee or red meat, but I am trying to give up worrying so much and being concerned about others’ opinions of my situation. I’m working hard to stay in the moment and not think too far in the future.

And in regard to my relationship with God, I don’t want my faith to be something I have to do; I want it to permeate who I am.

As Bell says, “It’s not that you have a spiritual life. You are a spiritual life.”

(Susanna Barbee is a digital media specialist for Mountain South Media, a columnist for The Smoky Mountain News and an associate editor for Smoky Mountain Living magazine. susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com)

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Events begin at 7:15pm unless otherwise noted. Dinner and Music reservations at 828-452-6000.

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

FRIDAY, MARCH 2 Daniel Shearin guitar, vocals. Americana, Originals.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 Joe Cruz piano, vocals.

Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

FRIDAY, MARCH 9 ‘Round the Fire guitar, harmonica, bass, percussion, vocals. Rock, Folk-Americana, Originals.

SATURDAY, MARCH 10 Joe Cruz piano, vocals.

Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

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 BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in handcut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

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 8:00 to 9:30am; Lunch from 12 to 2:00pm; and Dinner featuring entrees such as prime rib, Virginia ham and lime-marinated chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. And a roaring fire in the fireplace.

We also offer a fine selection of wine and craft beer. Come enjoy mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view.

Reservations are required. For more details, please call 828.926.1401.

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

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m.

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

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

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 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.

DELLWOOD FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT 651 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville.

828.944.0010. Warm, inviting restaurant serving delicious, freshly-made Southern comfort foods. Cozy atmosphere; spacious to accommodate large parties. Big Farmhouse Breakfast and other morning menu items served 8 a.m. to noon. Lunch/dinner menu offered 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Come see us.

You’ll be glad you did! Closed Wednesdays.

EVERETT HOTEL & BISTRO 16 Everett St.,Bryson City. 828.488.1934.

Open daily for dinner at 4:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday Brunch from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner from 4:30-9:30 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. 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.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA 243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

828.476.5058. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 8 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

FILLING STATION DELI 145 Everett St., Bryson City, 828.488.1919.

Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays (in October) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Locals always know best, and this is one place they know well. From the high-quality hot pressed sandwiches and the huge portions of hand-cut fries to the specialty frozen sandwiches and homemade Southern desserts, you will not leave this top-rated deli hungry.

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.

GUADALUPE CAFÉ 606 W. Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.9877.

Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews. Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood.

WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS Fri. Night 10 oz.

Prime Rib Special Served with side salad and two Firefly sides for $25!

828.454.5400 MON.-SAT. 11 A.M.-8 P.M.

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 22

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.

twitter.com/ChurchStDepot

facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

128 N. Main Street Downtown Waynesville

fireflytapsandgrill.com

Sunday: 10 to 2 Daily: 11:30 to 9 Closed Wednesdays:

Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m.

Closed Tues.

Sun. 12-9 p.m.

Sandwiches • Burgers • Wraps 32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

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

Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Takeout menu. Excellent service and hospitality.

Reservations appreciated.

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

828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 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.

LOS AMIGOS 366 Russ Ave. in the Bi-Lo Plaza.

828.456.7870. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the lunch prices Monday through Sunday, also enjoy our outdoor patio.

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

828.586.3555. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Hand-tossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies Thursday trought Saturday.

Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows.

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.

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.926.0425. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Daily specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more. Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.

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

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot.

Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies.

Various desserts.

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, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer.

Outdoor and indoor dining.

PIGEON RIVER GRILLE 101 Park St., Canton.

828.492.1422. Open Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Southerninspired restaurant serving simply prepared, fresh food sourced from top purveyors.

Located riverside at Bearwaters Brewing, enjoy daily specials, sandwiches, wings, fish and chips, flatbreads, soups, salads, and more. Be sure to save room for a slice of the delicious house made cake. Relaxing inside/outside dining and spacious gathering areas for large groups.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201 Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, JCreek area, and Lake Junaluska. Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. country buffet and salad bar from 5 to 9 p.m. $11.95 with Steve Whiddon on piano. Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8 p.m. 11:30 to 3 p.m. family style, fried chicken, ham, fried fish, salad bar, along with all the fixings, $11.95. Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com SPEEDY’S PIZZA 285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800.

Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones

MARCH 7th • 5 to 8

Real New Yorkers.

Real Italians. Real Pizza.

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

243 Paragon Parkway | Clyde Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Open Sundays Noon to 8p.m.

828-476-5058 NEW LOCATION OPEN! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m • Closed Sundays

499 Champion Drive | Canton Present this coupon and recieve:

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OFF ENTIRE MEAL

Featured Dishes: Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, Pork-chops & more

Breakfast : Omelets, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy!

Featuring Peace Family Vineyards Free tastes, $5 glasses & $2 off bottles!

3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin. 828.369.9890.

Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch

by Vito. The recipes have been in the family for 50 years (don’t ask for the recipes cuz’ you won’t get it!) Each Pizza is hand tossed and made with TLC. WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY 32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

828.246.0927. Open Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Opened in May 2016, The Waynesville Pizza Company has earned a reputation for having the best hand-tossed pizza in the area. Featuring a custom bar with more than 20 beers and a rustic, family friendly dining room. Menu includes salads, burgers, wraps, hot and cold sandwiches, gourmet pizza, homemade desserts, and a loaded salad bar. The Cuban sandwich is considered by most to be the best in town.

Dellwood

FarmHousE rEstauraNt Fresh, high-quality, homemade food. Bring your entire family! specials served daily. se rmhou Big Fa kfast a Bre 9

New Hours: Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Breakfast served all day!

ly for on

2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

1196 N Main St Waynesville NC 828.452.5187 Kaninis.com Serving lunch Monday-Saturday 10:30-2:30

$5.9

2 eggs, hash browns or grits, bacon or sausage, and pancake or waffle.

CLosED WEDNEsDaY Breakfast served Daily 8am-12pm (sat. 7am-12pm) Lunch & Dinner served Daily

Smoky Mountain News

An Authentic Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge.

Just to serve you!

Wine Down Wednesday

Daily Specials: Soups, Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

TRAILHEAD CAFE & BAKERY 18 N Main Street, Waynesville.

828.452.3881 Open 7 days a week. You will find a delicious selection of pastries & donuts, breakfast & lunch along with a fresh coffee & barista selection. Happy Trails!

February 28-March 6, 2018

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays. Dine in or take out available.

Located across from the Fire Station.

11am-8pm

2651 Dellwood road Waynesville 828.944.0010 Now Hiring Experienced Cooks!

23

24

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Graham Nash.

Amy Grantham photo

Wind on the water, carry me home A conversation with Graham Nash

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER hen you simply mention the name Graham Nash, a multitude of sounds, images, movements and ideas flood your field-of-vision. You don’t have to say much because his captivating music and whirlwind life is known the world over.

But, in conversation with Nash, what we know as fans and admirers just scratches the surface of this melodic giant that has stood tall amid British and American culture for the better part of the last half-century.

Reflecting on the extensive career of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Nash hasn’t really had a moment to sit still in his 76 years on this earth. He shot out of England with his band The Hollies (“Bus Stop,” “Carrie Anne”). But, even with the group being one of the biggest acts of the mid/late-1960s, Nash saw the writing on the wall.

The Hollies wanted to continue their success, regardless of what the message was in their music, seeing as musicians back then weren’t taken seriously, nor was the notion of making a lifelong career out of performing.

In 1968, Nash crossed paths with David Crosby and Stephen Stills during his excursions within sunny California. At that time, Crosby (The Byrds) and Stills (Buffalo Springfield) were megastars both flying solo following their tenure with two enormous rock bands. Shortly thereafter, Nash left The Hollies in pursuit of a project with Crosby and Stills.

The harmonic talent that ricocheted between the Crosby, Stills & Nash became an unbreakable triangle of voices speaking to a higher power. It was (and remains) an undeniable force that real, tangible change could be cultivated from musicians and artists atop large social platforms, radiating an honest sense of peace, hope, and change to an entire generation of disenfranchised youths.

Though the lineup of CSN (and later CSNY with Neil Young) became more of a powderkeg of artistic vision (and familiar, loved faces lost in the haze of celebrity) than a stable entity, the band’s mission reached tens of millions, songs and attitudes that still permeate the fab-

W

ric of society even today — perhaps until the end of time itself, truth-be-told.

And when you see Nash onstage these days, it isn’t a victory lap by any means. It’s a neverending process of discovery and creation, one that steers clear of any form of the term “nostalgia.”

Nash harnesses and transcends what it means to be human — a true Renaissance man within his music, photography and writing.

His presence is full of urgency, one with so much left to say and do, where his original message of compassion and compromise is needed as much now as ever before.

Smoky Mountain News: I was curious, are you optimistic about the future?

Graham Nash: I have to be optimistic about the future, because the other side is awful. I have children. I have grandchildren. I have to think that this is a wonderful world and can be brilliant and beautiful. I have to — in spite of everything that’s going on with this Trump administration. America is one of the greatest countries on earth. That’s why I became an

“I’m a hippie myself, right to this day. I still believe that love is better than hatred. I still believe that peace is better than war. I still believe we have to take care of each other, because we are all we have on this planet.”

— Graham Nash

American citizen over 30 years ago. We deserve better than what we have. I think one of the saddest things about this last election was that 48 percent of Americans that could vote didn’t, and look what happened.

SMN: You’ve spoken at-length in interviews over the years about the social responsibility of musicians and artists, using their platform for good. [Do] you see that in mainstream music [today]?

Want to go?

Graham Nash will hit the stage for “An Intimate Evening of Songs & Stories” at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.dwtheatre.com or call 828.257.4530.

GN: You can count the people that own the world’s media probably on one hand, maybe two hands. And they don’t want you disturbing the status quo. They do not want people rocking the boat. They want you to lie down, be sheep, [and] “shut the fuck up while we rob you.” That’s what’s going on here. This is bread and circuses, invented by the Romans, probably going on way before the Romans. Bread and circuses — “give them a little to eat and distract them with the Kardashians while we rob you.” And Trump, unfortunately, is a terrible example of a human being. Some of the things he’s said about dividing people, about women, about Mexicans, about black people. This man is insane, and I certainly hope that his loud mouth will bring him down. One of the things [Trump’s] done is torn the curtain between civility and violence. He’s seemed to removed that curtain and has given people who have crazy ideas an excuse to talk about their crazy ideas — this is not good.

SMN: Do you see any glimmer of hope within all this chaos?

GN: I do, and I’ll tell you why — physics.

The pendulum. It will swing back. It may take

four years, it may take eight years. I certainly hope not. It only may take another six months.

But, this pendulum will swing back. You cannot treat people like this. You cannot give them an entitlement like Medicare and Medicaid and take it away — you can’t do that.

SMN: When I hear you talk there’s that same fire within you that I saw in those clips from 50 years ago. Where does that fire come from?

GN: Being a human being. Championing the underdog. I’ve been this person all my life.

I’m going to fight until my last breath.

SMN: With all the things going on in the world, especially with the environment, I think of [your] song “To The Last Whale.” I wonder if you think about that song’s meaning when applied to today…

GN: I do. The truth is, I original wrote that for [David] Crosby. It was him people were throwing harpoons at. I love the song and I sing it every single night. I have to tell you, Garret, that I put as much passion into every single song that I sing. That’s my job. I need my audience to understand that I want to be there.

An audience can spot immediately if you’re just going through the emotions. Everything the hippies stood for I still believe. I’m a hippie myself, right to this day. I still believe that love is better than hatred. I still believe that peace is better than war. I still believe we have to take care of each other, because we are all we have on this planet.

Editor’s Note: To hear the full, free audio stream of the conversation, go to YouTube and search: “Graham Nash Garret K. Woodward.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘There’s no such thing as truth.

Everyone has their own truth.’

Margo Robbie as Tonya Harding. www.margot-robbie.com

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Smoky Mountain News

Now, let’s get this out of the way.

What happened to U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan from within the social circle of her rival, Tonya Harding, was a tragic crime. Folks went to jail for assault and conspiracy, and lives were forever tarnished on both sides of the vicious attack on Kerrigan just before the 1994 Winter Olympics.

So, when I walked into the Fine Arts Theatre in downtown Asheville this past Sunday evening, I was apprehensive of what to expect upon seeing the film “I, Tonya,” a cinematic rollercoaster into the backstory of Tonya Harding, her ruthless International Bluegrass Music Association mother and (now ex) husband — (IBMA) “Guitar Player of the Year” winner a trio that forever changed the Molly Tuttle will perform at 8:30 p.m. course of not only Olympic Thursday, March 1, at the Isis Music Hall in sports, but also American pop West Asheville. culture and mainstream media in the process, whether they realWater’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host ized it or not.

Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (Americana) at Starring Margot Robbie (“The 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 9.

Wolf of Wall Street,” “Suicide There will be an open house for the Women of Squad”) as Harding, the film Waynesville (WOW) from 6 to 8 p.m. weaves a tumultuous, haphazard Thursday, March 1, at Room 1902 on South (yet insanely true) account of Main Street in Waynesville. where the skater began, where she went, and where she ultimateThe Jackson County Public Library will host a ly ended up — no man’s land. free showing of the movie “Three Billboards Sure, the story goes through Outside Ebbing Missouri” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, her rigorous — often brutal — March 6, at the library in Sylva. training schedule (and expectaThe “Haywood Ramblings” speaker series will tions) under the heavy hand of return with the “History of Cataloochee Valley” her mother, her father abandonat 4 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Town ing her as a young child, and her Hall Board Room in Waynesville. fateful romance with Jeff Gillooly (high school sweetheart, husband, tory is shocking, to say the least. The situamastermind behind the Kerrigan attack). tion to scare and intimidate Kerrigan from But, what stands out is Harding herself, competing (so Harding could secure her someone who literally came from nothing, place “as the best”) would be too crazy to stuck it out as an immensely poor girl in a believe if it weren’t actually true. At times, rich person’s sport, only to eventually capture the world’s attention for one moment in you find yourself comparing the story trajectory to the Coen Brothers’ fictional drama time when she became the first woman to “Fargo,” a cinematic masterpiece in how ever complete a triple axel. badly things can fall apart and ended up Harding, if for a brief instant, achieved much, much worse than initially planned. the American dream — a rags to riches tale, But, beyond the story itself, the underlywhere it genuinely turned into a nightmare ing theme of the film was a cause for concern before the riches ever had a chance to surand deep thought. In the context of where face after countless years of tireless training we are today — in terms of mainstream and competing. media and celebrity culture, social stereoThe way Harding’s story spiraled out of types and storylines within a 24/7 news control and into the annals of infamous his-

MARCH WORKSHOP SCHEDULE arts & entertainment

This must be the place

cycle — one could draw a direct connection to its modern origin being the Harding/Kerrigan incident.

Although the characters portrayed and quotes given are real, one scene particularly struck me. It was when “Hard Copy” reporter Bobby Cannavale admits to the camera that his show was pure trash TV and was “a pretty crappy show that legitimate news outlets looked down on, and then became.”

That statement right there exposes how far we’ve come — or how far we’ve become lost — in our modern news consumption.

How do you fill 24 hours of live TV news each and every day? Create a plot, pick out the “good guy” and the “bad guy,” provoke those involved to react for the cameras, discuss endlessly amongst panelist and colleagues, and let the cards fall where they may, which usually feels preplanned when looking at coverage in hindsight.

Harding herself even points out how similar her and Kerrigan were, but the media picked Kerrigan as the “good girl.” So, somebody had the be the counterbalance, the “bad girl,” with Harding stating, “America. They want someone to love, but they want someone to hate, and the haters always say, ‘Tonya, tell the truth!’ There’s no such thing as truth. I mean it’s bullshit! Everyone has their own truth.”

What’s jarring is the scene where Harding (aka: Robbie) looks directly in the camera, into the eyes of the audience. A lifelong victim of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of those who (were supposed to) love her the most, only to be thrown into the national spotlight amid a catastrophic downfall, Harding said, “It was like being abused all over again. Only this time it was by you. All of you. You're all my attackers, too.”

Do I — as a member of the general public — forgive Harding for what happened? No, not necessarily. But, I do have a different perspective on what happened, and what steps led to the Kerrigan attack. I do find myself more sympathetic to Harding, and where she remains today, a victim of mass media, pop culture and societal scrutiny during the infancy and unknown territory of instant information and digital technology.

If anything, Harding’s story is a warning for those on similar paths, a route any one of us could find ourselves on under the right circumstances, or lack thereof — it really doesn’t matter anymore.

I think the most important scene in the entire film — the key visual takeaway — is when, following his court conviction and the chaos of international coverage at his doorstep (in the midst of 1994), Gillooly peers through his living-room window blinds and sees the last of the TV news trucks exiting his front yard.

And while seeing the mainstream media leave Gillooly in the rearview mirror, the television in the background of his living room is blaring news coverage of O.J. Simpson.

The image of a once-beloved athlete and actor now charged with the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her lover Ron Goldman — a media sensation to captivate the hearts, minds and, ultimately, attention of a public eye hungry for more, for the “next big thing.”

743 HAYWOOD RD • WEST ASHEVILLE

ISISASHEVILLE.COM 828.575.2737

25

arts & entertainment

On the beat Bryson City community jam A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

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

The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City.

The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — year-round. This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts.

828.488.3030.

Karaoke at HART As a part of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre “Winter Studio Season,” the theater has opened up its bistro Harmons’ Den for karaoke performance on Saturday nights.

The theater began offering karaoke in January and it has proven so popular that HART has decided to continue to offer karaoke on Saturdays beginning at 8 p.m. throughout the year. It is also open mic night.

On nights when there’s a theater performance in the Fangmeyer Theater, karaoke begins after the show is over. You don’t have to sing to enjoy being a part of the fun, and the theater atmosphere inspires a variety of musical styles, from pop to jazz to country to Broadway. www.harttheatre.org.

WCU traditional music series Sarah Elizabeth Burkey.

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

Molly Tuttle.

West Asheville welcomes guitar virtuoso The 2017 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) “Guitar Player of the Year” winner Molly Tuttle will perform at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Isis Music Hall in West Asheville.

A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and award winning songwriter with a distinctive voice, Tuttle has turned the heads of even the most seasoned industry professionals.

She began performing on stage when she was 11, and recorded her first album, “The Old Apple Tree,” at age 13. Since then, she’s appeared on “A Prairie Home Companion” and at “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,” was featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, won first place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at Merlefest, and also received a “Momentum Award” from the IBMAs. Tuttle’s lovely voice, impeccable guitar playing, and sensitive song writing make her a star on the rise. She has already received more than two million YouTube views and is currently gearing up to release her first solo EP. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day-of-show. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

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The 2017-18 First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Series at Western Carolina University continues with a concert featuring the mountain ballads of Sarah Elizabeth Burkey and Susan Pepper on Thursday, March 1.

Their performance at 7 p.m. in the ground-floor auditorium of H.F. Robinson Administration Building will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.

“A remarkable pairing of two incredible musicians, both Burkey and Pepper have delved into the deep roots of mountain song,” said Peter Koch, education associate at WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center, which sponsors the series. “Performing a special set in time for Women’s History Month, their songs reflect the vital presence of women in Appalachian life and the tradition of women

being important keepers and innovators of folk balladry in the mountains.”

Hailing from Kentucky, Burkey is a storyteller as well as singer. She has been featured on 17 albums and has performed in 19 countries. Ohio-born singer and multi-instrumentalist Pepper released an album, “Hollerin’ Girl,” in 2015 and is also a producer.

The First Thursday concerts and jam sessions will continue through spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The program on April 5 will feature Charleston Township.

The concerts and jam sessions are free and open to the public. 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.

For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.

On the beat

Bret Michaels returns to Harrah’s

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and an Open Jam with Rick 8 p.m. Thursdays.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Amy Andrews (singer-songwriter) March 2, Nick Prestia (singer-songwriter) March 9 and Frank Lee (Americana/folk) March 16. All shows begin at 8 p.m. www.facebook.com/balsamfallsbrewing.

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

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. March 1 and 8. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Daniel Shearin (guitar/vocals) March 2, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) March 3 and 10, and ‘Round the Fire (rock/folk) March 9. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

Bret Michaels.

ALSO:

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) March 3 and Redleg Huskey (Americana) March 10.

All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.curraheebrew.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Keil Nathan Smith Band March 10. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Feb. 28 and March 7, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo March 1 and 8. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (Asheville) will host Danika & The Jeb 7 p.m. Feb. 28, AmiciMusic 7 p.m.

Rock star Bret Michaels will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Michaels has been in the pop culture consciousness for 30 years now. He burst onto the scene as a hair metal superstar with his band Poison. As the lead singer of the outfit, Michaels rose to fame on the hallowed Sunset Strip in the mid-1980s.

He was a bigger-than-life character with huge hair and glam makeup.

And then there are the songs. Poison has sold more than 40 million records, has March 1, Molly Tuttle 8:30 p.m. March 1, Steff Mahan 7 p.m. March 2, Jim Arrendell 9 p.m. March 2, The Kennedys 7 p.m. March 3, Jim Kweskin 8:30 p.m. March 3, Martin Grosswendt & Susanne Salem-Schatz 5:30 p.m. March 4 and The High Kings 7:30 p.m.

March 4. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Dirty Dave Patterson (singer-songwriter) March 2, Twist of Fate (hard rock) March 3, Shane Davis (singer-songwriter) March 9 and Andalyn (Americana) March 10. There will

had six Top 10 singles and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” reached No. 1.

Michaels reinvented himself as a reality television star with the popular dating show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels."

He now delves between his hair metal classics like “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” “Something To Believe In” and “Talk Dirty To Me” and his more modern work as a country rocker.

Tickets start at $29. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.harrahscherokee.com. also be an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Rick Rushing & The Blues Strangers (blues/rock) at 8 p.m. March 17. All shows are free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. March 17. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen.

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host PMA (reggae/rock) March 17 and Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) March 24.

Both shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.586.1717 or www.soulinfusion.com.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host The Kind Thieves (Americana/jam) March 2, Say What? (funk) March 9 and Lovely Budz (reggae/rock) March 16. All shows begin at 9 p.m.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host The Kind Thieves (Americana/jam) March 3 and NW Izzard (blues/soul) March 24. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Talent March 2, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (Americana) March 9, John The Revelator (rock/blues) March 10, Andrew Rickman & The No Pressure Band (rock/acoustic) March 16 and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Tonology (rock/acoustic) March 17. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

February 28-March 6, 2018

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host All Them Blossoms (Americana/country) March 9 and The Phantom Playboys (rockabilly) March 31. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.

night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers. Free and open to the public.

arts & entertainment

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) March 3 and Stuart Fensom (Americana/folk) March 10. All shows are free and begin at 5 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Western Carolina University will host Sarah Elizabeth Burkey & Susan Pepper (oldtime/bluegrass) at 7 p.m. March 1 in the Mountain Heritage Center. The open jam will start at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public.

828.227.7129.

Smoky Mountain News 27

arts & entertainment

On the street ‘American Pickers’ return to WNC Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Western North Carolina to film more episodes of the popular television show “American Pickers.”

The show is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on the History channel. The hit show follows Wolfe and Fritz, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques.

They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections or accumulations and learn the interesting stories behind them.

The Pickers are looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure.

If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855.OLD.RUST.

February 28-March 6, 2018

‘Life and Times of D.K. Collins’ Mary Wachacha will be presenting “The Life and Times of D. K. Collins” at the next meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Swain County Regional Business Education & Training Center in Bryson City.

D.K. Collins (1844-1924) was known as a businessman in Bryson City. But, he was a man of many talents who served in the Confederate Army, was the permanent

chairman of the Democrat Party in Swain County and served at least one term as mayor. He grew up in Smokemont and in addition to his store in Bryson City, he also had a business in Yellow Hill.

Wachacha will be presenting the research that she has gathered that tells D.K.’s life story, especially his life on the Cherokee Reservation.

Wachacha continues to research the history and people who lived in this area in the 1700s and 1800s. Her roots are deeply embedded in the area and her family has been in Cherokee long before any of us can remember. In 2013, she retired after 40 years of work with the federal government having served as Division Director of Indian Health Services at IHS headquarters.

She has traveled extensively with her work as well as for pleasure.

Written directions are on the Swain County Genealogy website www.swaingenealogy.com. Conversation and refreshments will follow the presentation. This is free and open to the public.

Women of Waynesville open house Women of Waynesville (WOW) will hold an open house event for prospective new members from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at Room 1902 on South Main Street in Waynesville.

WOW is an all-volunteer organization that supports the needs of women and children in Haywood County. The meet and greet will also include wine, food, scavenger hunt, conversation, and other activities.

All are welcome. For more information, visit www.womenofwaynesville.org or call 828.550.9978.

Demonstrators participating in the Poor People's March at Lafayette Park and on Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C., 1968. Wikimedia Commons

MLK’s ‘Poor People’s Campaign’ The “Poor People’s Campaign,” begun by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1967, has arrived in Haywood County. There will be a community-wide Town Hall from 6 to 8 p.m.

Monday, March 5, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

The purpose of this event is to introduce the resurrection of the movement that was catalyzed by King, which has been rebirthed in 2017 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. William Barber II and Rev. Liz Theoharis.

Back in 1968, shortly after King’s assassination, thousands of Americans marched to Washington, D.C., where they erected a tent city in order to highlight poverty in our country. Fifty years later, the Town Hall here will highlight those who still struggle in our society.

Community members will share their stories and build a connection around their experiences with homelessness, addiction,

disability, poverty, discrimination, immigration, and more.

The event will be facilitated by community leaders including pediatrician Dr. Steve Wall and local faith leaders. David LaMotte will perform music and Megan Winnecour will share her poetry. Participants will be invited to add their own stories of hardship.

The local PPC is being led by Down Home North Carolina, with Brigid Flaherty and Chelsea White as organizers of the local movement in Haywood County. “The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival” is uniting tens of thousands of people across the country to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality.

For more information, contact Chelsea White at chelsea@downhomenc.org or 828.476.8189.

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Smoky Mountain News

Is a Will Enough?

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On the street

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices

There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva.

Celebrating the new spring in the mountains, the festival has become a beloved regional event.

Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1.

For more information, call 828.554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@ gmail.com.

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Curator of the Waynesville Archive Museum, Alex McKay, will host a conversation with Sam Wiggins, Rolf Kaufman and Nink Swift about their life and times in the 1950s and 1960s.

The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 8, in the auditorium at the Waynesville Public Library.

Working and living in the vibrant times of Dayco, Wellco and Unagusta will be the focus of this program along with ample opportunity for questions from the audience. Plan to join this once in a lifetime opportunity to revisit the past with some old friends. This event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.

Presented by The Friends of the Haywood County Public Library, a nonprofit group that raises money for the library through membership fees and the “Annual Book Sale” in July.

Programming for adults and children, furniture, equipment and numerous materials

Haywood history speaker series

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

sion. For more information, call 828.335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. March 3 and 10 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. March 3 and 10 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

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

Smoky Mountain News

ALSO:

The popular “Haywood Ramblings” series presented by the Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will return.

The speaker series will focus on the historic resources and rich heritage of Waynesville and Haywood County. Each event runs from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Room on Main Street and is free to the public.

• “History of Cataloochee Valley,” presented by Patrick Womack. Thursday, March 1.

• “Prominent Waynesville Families,” presented by Sarah Sloan Kreutziger. Thursday, April 5.

• “History of Main Street, Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Thursday, May 3.

In case of snow, the event will be automatically rescheduled for the second Thursday of the month.

February 28-March 6, 2018

are among the ways it supports the Haywood County Public Library.

• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class and will feature modern/traditional line dancing. 828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com.

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‘A Conversation about Old Hazelwood’

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host the “Day of the Dude” costume contest in honor of the film “The Big Lebowski” on the evening of March 6.

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arts & entertainment

Open call for Greening Up

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On the wall arts & entertainment

New WCU art installation

Artist Jo Ridge Kelley will participate in the Haywood Arts Council “Watercolor & Wax” exhibit.

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

Haywood Arts Council ‘Watercolor & Wax’ The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is excited to announce that the “Watercolor & Wax” exhibit will run March 2 through April 28.

The exhibit features eight local artists, including Barbara Brook, Melba Cooper, Mary Decker, Joan Doyle, Jo Ridge Kelley, Chelsea Summers, Ann Vasilik and Maureen Simon.

The exhibit will include two- and three-dimensional works of art. The juxtaposition of these two very different mediums will capture imaginations in multiple ways, with works ranging from the ethereal to the corporeal.

Leigh Forrester, HCAC interim executive director explains, “Like all of our exhibits, this one will feature several of our most talented local artists, but this show promises a great deal of variety in style and content as well.”

Visit the Haywood County Arts Council at 86 North Main Street in Waynesville to view the variety of art for sale. For more information about the HCAC, visit www.haywoodarts.org.

WCU undergraduate art exhibit The 50th annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibit” will run through March 30 in the Contemporary Gallery at Western Carolina University.

A highlight of each spring season, the exhibition is the longest running exhibition tradition at Western Carolina University.

Dr. Beth Hinderliter, Associate Professor of Cross Disciplinary Studies at James Madison University, serves as juror for this display of creative expression in a variety of media by undergraduates at Western Carolina University.

A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22. www.wcu.edu.

• The Jackson County Public Library will host a free showing of the movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at the library in Sylva. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

• Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday or from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday. Bring your own materials and join an ongoing drawing course led by gallery artists from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday.

For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 30 828.349.4607.

• The Penland School of Crafts Community Open House will take place from 1 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 3. This is an afternoon of fun and education for all ages with handson activities in most of Penland’s teaching studios. Free. www.penland.org.

• Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery. All work is for sale.

Admission is free. Children are welcome.

Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com.

ALSO:

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present, “LINING: SHEATHING” through May 4, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. April 19 in Cullowhee.

“LINING: SHEATHING” is a large-scale installation about the tactile and protective qualities of textiles by collaborators Denise Bookwalter and Lee Emma Running. This installation was developed in residencies at Penland School of Crafts, Constellation Studios, and Small Craft Advisory Press.

The focal point of the installation is a room-size tent suspended beneath a skylight. The tent is made from large printed and dyed textile panels which create a space that viewers can enter. Viewers are invited to try on one of the handmade garments and view the series of eight queen bed sized woodblock prints on handmade paper. The artists have been working together for five years, creating installations and artist books that include printed fabric, handmade paper, woodblock prints, custom garments and embroidery.

In addition to the installation and exhibition inside the WCU Fine Art Museum, Bookwalter and Running have also created a three-story site-specific window installation in the Star Atrium at Bardo Arts Center. The installation is particularly engaging when viewed during the afternoon as sunlight filters through the windows at Bardo Arts Center creating a dynamic array of shadows throughout the space. Lee Running is a

• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For the full schedule of screenings, visit www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. You can keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information.

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (March 8) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville

visual artist from Grinell College in Iowa and Denise Bookwalter is an Associate Professor of Art at Florida State University.

The WCU Fine Art Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Museum exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public.

Open year-round, the WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center features a growing permanent collection and exhibi-

tions highlighting regional, national, and international artists. The museum facilitates scholarly research and provides life-long learning opportunities for individuals of all ages by collecting, interpreting, and showcasing cross-cultural innovation in contemporary art.

For more information, jilljacobs@wcu.edu or 828.227.2505.

Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

On the stage

28 Walnut St. Waynesville

The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present a screening “Live via Satellite� the National Theatre of London’s production of the classic Tennessee William’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof � at 1 p.m.

Saturday, March 3.

On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell.

Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage.

With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real — and which will win out?

Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 828.526.9047.

‘James and the Giant Peach’ at SMCPA

Who are the “Paradise Players�?

They are musicians, dancers, vocalists and production crew destined to create exciting power performances — tributes to artists like The Beatles or Billy Joel, highenergy songs from the ‘80s, or perhaps a special theme night.

They will be working in harmony with the Folkmoot organization where they will perform variety shows and add our representation of the USA to an established international tradition. They’re in the plan-

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James happiness and great adventures. On the way home, he accidentally spills some of his gift onto a barren peach tree and a giant peach grows until it nearly reaches the size of a house.

The next day, James’ aunts sell tickets to neighbors and tourists to see the giant peach while he watches from the window of the room where he has been locked away. When night comes, James is forced to collect trash left by the crowd, which gives him a chance to take a closer look at the giant peach.

He finds a tunnel that leads to a secret room inside the peach seed where he finds a group of human-sized talking bugs. These bugs become his companions and the group embarks on an amazing adventure. The peach breaks loose and they travel through the town, over cliffs, and into the sea before they eventually end up in New York City.

Tickets are $12. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

ning stages of this power group — everyone is needed to participate.

The first meeting will take place at 4 p.m.

Friday, March 2, in the auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

This will enable them to see how many musicians, dancers, vocalists and crew are interested in pursuing this production company, and what each of you will bring to the experience. From there, they’ll plan our first performance.

Just bring your gifts along with your desire to be a part of something amazing.

All ages are welcome.

To register, visit meetup.com/paradiseplayers-at-folkmoot.

Left to right: Josh Freeman, Planning Director, Jim Kellenberger, PE, Transportation Safety Engineer, Kenny Armstrong, Transportation Planner, Candace Hladick, Planning Technician, Mark Teague, PE, CPM, Owner, Wesley Stokes, PE, Knoxville Manager, Steve McNeil, Haywood Chamber of Commerce, Patience Stepp, Engineering Technician, Denise Teague, Finance Manager

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Smoky Mountain News

‘Paradise Players’ join Folkmoot

Business of The Month:

February 28-March 6, 2018

The Overlook Theater Company will present a stage production of “James and the Giant Peach: A Magical Puppet Adventure� at 7 p.m. March 2-3 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

James is a lonely 4-year-old boy who found himself orphaned when his parents were killed by a wild rhinoceros. He is forced to live with two horrible, nasty aunts named Spiker and Sponge. They live in a ramshackle house on the top of a hill in England and James is never allowed to go out and make friends. For four years, James is forced into hard labor, fed improperly, and made to sleep on bare floorboards in the attic.

One summer afternoon after a particularly upsetting altercation with his aunts, James meets a mysterious old man who gives him a magical gift that he says will bring

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arts & entertainment

On the stage

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Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

289-80

One of the bright spots of the winter is the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre Studio Season.

Each year, HART in Waynesville presents a festival of plays in its intimate 60-seat Feichter Studio. The space is located backstage in the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House and for many this is where the region’s most exciting theatre happens.

Shows include: “Women and War” (through March 4), “Mass Appeal” (March 23-April 1) and “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play” (April 6-15).

Tickets are only $10 with general admission seating, but reservations are recommended as many shows regularly sell out.

Another cautionary note, don’t arrive late.

Once the show begins, no one can be admitted.

A complete schedule is available on the HART website at www.harttheatre.org.

Season tickets are also available for the winter season. Most shows traditionally run two weekends, but reservations are only taken one week at a time due to possible weather cancellations. Those attending can also dine at Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART prior to the show.

To make reservations or for more information call the HART box office at 828.456.6322. HART is located at 250 Pigeon Street in downtown Waynesville.

Do you like pulp fiction?

have set up semi-permanent residence in literary limbo.

Hunter's chance meeting with Amanda Hawkins, a beautiful, young pop literature professor, sets the wheels in motion for a madcap comedy where wild imaginary characters clash with real-world snobs.

Cost is $5 a person and tickets are only available at the door. Produced by special arrangement with Green Room Press. Contact Robert Jessup at FHS with any questions.

The Franklin High School Advanced Drama will present "Too Good to Say Goodbye" at 7 p.m. March 2-3 in the FHS Fine Arts Center.

Written by Jim Gustafson, the story follows Redmon Hunter. A bestselling author of pulp fiction, Hunter has created an unusual world for himself. His talent lies in his ability to make his characters come to life for his readers; they're so real, in fact, that they literally take up residence in his home while he's working on a novel.

Once the book is published, they pack up and leave him to "live in the minds" of the readers. Recently, writer's block as set in, so all the characters from his works in progress

• KIDS at HART will perform “Madagascar Jr. — A Musical Adventure” at 2 p.m.

March 10-11 and 17-18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Direct by Shelia Sumpter. www.harttheatre.org.

ALSO:

@SmokyMtnNews 32

Books

Smoky Mountain News

Sucking the marrow out of a great word Decision,” for instance, Sincero tells readers to “decide to become the person who makes quick, smart decisions

Jeff Minick

What’s in a name?

In You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness And Start Living An Awesome Life (Running Press, 2013, 254 pages), Jen Sincero urges readers to leave behind mediocrity, change their desires into decisions, and earn more money in the bargain.

According to Writer the advertisement on the book’s cover, You Are A Badass was a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller with over 1 million copies sold.

You Are A Badass is a compilation of personal anecdotes, quotations from self-help gurus and famous people, and a mish-mash of New Age philosophy accompanied by practical advice. In discussing God, for example, Sincero writes that the word is “too loaded.” She prefers words like “The Vortex” or “The Mother Lode,” and goes on to tell readers that they need to “develop an awareness of, and a relationship with, the Source Energy that’s surrounding you and within you (which is all the same energy), and which will be your best pal ever if you give it a chance.”

Along the way, Sincero serves up declarations like this one: “The things that bother us about other people bother us because they remind us of something we don’t like about ourselves.” Really? The employer who yanked the rug out from under me after making certain promises I fulfilled didn’t bother me because of something I didn’t like about myself. She bothered me because she lied to me. The man who abuses his wife doesn’t bother me because of something I don’t like about myself. He bothers me because she slaps his wife around.

How To Be A Badass does have certain strengths. Sincero engage us with lively, conversational prose, though at times we may feel as if some wired-up millennial has buttonholed us on a sidewalk to download their beliefs.

And like most self-help books, How To Be A Badass does contain some helpful ideas. Sincero’s more practical suggestions, such as “Remember that done is better than perfect” or “Decide You’d Rather Be Happy Than Right” are timely reminders of ways to bring productive change to our lives. In her chapter titled “The Almighty

and you will.” (A good point, though unintentionally humorous, as the person essentially has to decide to decide.)

So, how does such a book get to be a bestseller?

I suspect it has to do with the title, with its use of badass, a mild obscenity more naughty than offensive and now a part of the general vocabulary of many folks.

In fact, I acquired How To Be A Badass precisely because of the title.

Three years ago, a younger man described me to a relative as a “badass,” based on my appearance that day and meaning the word as a compliment. I responded by writing an essay on that incident, declaiming my status as a badass.

But here’s the thing: the book is inaccurately titled.

And here’s why.

First, though the book is written for men and women, only a man gets to be an old-fashioned badass. Online dictionaries do include definitions of a “badass girl,” but these are recent inventions that have slipped away from the original meaning of the word.

Urbandictionary.com begins its definition of badass as “the epitome of the American male.” When I think of badass public figures, the first people that pop to mind are men like Clint Eastwood in any movie he ever made or Robert Duvall in “Secondhand Lions.”

Second, a traditional badass does

not get in touch with his inner self, talk about Source Energy, or for that matter, read self-help books. Like Popeye The Sailor Man, a badass is what he is. In an online essay on smoking and cigarettes, Sarah Hoyt uses her friend John Ringo’s signature line to make this contrast between now and 50 years ago: “We went to the moon on coffee, bourbon and Marlboros. We’re not going to Mars on Evian and tofu.” A badass is the guy with the bourbon and cigarettes.

Finally, a badass does not know he is a badass. He doesn’t wake up every morning and say to the mirror, “Hello, badass.” He doesn’t walk into a party and try to look like a badass. A badass is generally an older man shaped by his experiences into a tough and sometimes intimidating character, but he doesn’t think of himself that way. No self-help book in the world will make you a badass.

Years ago, I operated a bedand-breakfast in Waynesville. One winter, a man and his wife rented one of our rooms while they were building a house near town, and we got to know each other well. Jim had served with the Marines in Korea, where he was wounded; he had worked as a policemen and detective in Chicago, where he was shot at several times; he had served as police chief in the Florida Keys. He rarely spoke of any of these things. He wore a handlebar moustache, adored my small children, and loved his wife. He also slept with a loaded pistol under his pillow and would have used that weapon in a heartbeat.

That is a badass.

English, thank heavens, is a language always evolving, always adapting, always creating words or borrowing them from foreign lands. Some of these words live only a short life (When’s the last time you heard someone say “Groovy”), some are lost and gone (we no longer use “gumflated” for puffed up), and some acquire new meanings through their usage.

Apparently, this last has now happened to badass. We have extended the definition of a word that used to mean a tough or intimidating male to include people who seek “an awesome life.”

Too bad, really. To universalize badass is to suck the marrow out of a perfectly grand word and leave only the bone.

33

Blue Ridge Books ‘March Madness’ Blue Ridge Books and the Mountain Writers of North Carolina are inviting the public to their March Madness of book signings with local authors.

The events will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. every Saturday in March at Blue Ridge Books in its new location at 428 Hazelwood Avenue in Waynesville.

The featured genres include fiction, memoir, humor, self-help, poetry and thrillers. All of the authors live in the Western North Carolina region.

Saturday, March 3 n Charley Pearson — The Marianated Nottingham and Other Abuses of the Language Pearson spent a career with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program before moving on to the right brain.

The Marianated Nottingham and Other Abuses of the Language won “Best Anthology” at the 2017 Killer Nashville writers conference.

The title piece finally tells the Sheriff of Nottingham’s side of the story, thus revealing the truth about Robin Hood.

Saturday, March 10 n Bill Everett — Red Clay, Blood River, Turnings: Poems of Transformation, Sawdust and Soul: A Conversation on Woodworking and Spirituality After retiring from his career in Christian Social Ethics, Everett has drawn on his personal experience, work in South Africa and his woodworking to explore unusual paths in poetry, fiction, and memoir.

Everett’s exploration of the theme of transformative reconciliation begins with a saga of historical fiction set in South Africa and America that is told by the Earth. His subsequent volumes of poetry and a conversation on woodworking invite readers to reflect on their own life and work.

Saturday, March 17 n Polly Davis — Stumbling Towards Enlightenment: A Wife’s ThirtyYear Journey With Her Green Beret n Tom Davis — The Most Fun I Ever Had With My Clothes On: A March from Private to Colonel Writer, author, college professor, mother of two, and world traveler, Polly has seen and done it all from skydiving to SCUBA diving never cutting slack for herself as she follows her Green Beret with her children across the planet.

Tom is a writer, publisher, and 30-year veteran who served with Special Forces (Green Berets) on four continents and 10 countries to include two combat zones. In his memoir, Tom relates his experiences during the 31 years spent in the US Army, rising through the ranks from private to full colonel.

Saturday, March 24 n Jacqui Letran — 5 Simple Questions to Reclaim Your Happiness, I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!, Unleash Your Inner Super Powers Letran is a multi-award winning author and Mindset mentor who’s passionate about helping struggling teens transform into happy, confident, and successful young adults. The “Words of Wisdom for Teens” series help teens to take control of their lives by teaching them how to take control of their thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Saturday, March 31 n Darryl Bollinger — The Medicine Game, A Case of Revenge, The Pill Game, The Care Card, Satan Shoal, The Cure Bollinger is an award-winning author of six medical thrillers. In The Cure, when the FDA denies approval for a new flu vaccine, Dr. Eric Carter desperately searches for a way to save the drug and the company. Little does he know, others are crafting a man-made virus. When the virus appears, Cater must race to find a solution before it’s too late.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

34

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Working for the watershed Clapp steps down after 14 years as WATR’s director

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t’s been nearly four decades since Roger Clapp, then a math and science teacher for a middle school in Virginia, saw his life change course.

“Earth Day happened, and it caught my imagination,” Clapp recalled.

He started going to night school, taking classes in geology and other science-related topics, eventually making the decision to enroll in graduate school. In 1983, he graduated with a Ph.D. in environmental science and hydrology, getting a job with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee to examine the movement of radioactive substances through watersheds. From there, Clapp started a consulting business and ended up moving to Western North Carolina to be closer to his business partner, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

That’s when Clapp began working with the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, then a fledgling organization just beginning the work of expanding education and volunteerism to support clean waterways in Jackson County.

“I started as a volunteer, and we were looking for a new executive director in 2003 or 2004,” Clapp said. “We interviewed a couple of people, and I finally said, ‘I think I could do this job.’ And they turned around and interviewed me.”

Clapp got the position, and since 2004 he’s become well known around the region as WATR’s educator-in-chief, sampler-in-chief and many-other-things-in-chief. But at the close of 2017, Clapp stepped down after more than 14 years at the helm, opening a new chapter in the organization’s future.

“It’s important that we get some new talent in,” said Clapp, 72. “I love doing it — I’d do it forever if I were younger.”

I

WHACK-A-MOLE IN THE WATER There was a time, not so long ago, when splashing around in Tuckasegee River tributaries like Scott Creek — which flows through Sylva and Dillsboro on its way to the river’s main branch — could result in serious sickness.

Back in the early 2000s, testing at Scott Creek showed astronomically high levels of fecal coliform, organisms found in the digestive tracts of humans and other animals that can indicate the presence of dangerous bacteria such as E. coli. In 2005, five samples taken by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality — then known as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources — yielded

an average nine times the level considered safe.

“We’ve worked with the Division of Water Quality and identified a couple of sources.

One was a clogged sewer drain here in Scott Creek not far from here, kind of back up on that hill, and then a faulty septic system,” said Clapp, gesturing to the locations in question from his perch in the pavilion at Dillsboro’s Monteith Farmstead and Community Park.

“Those were both fixed, and the numbers came down to acceptable levels.”

Roger Clapp bends down to take a water sample from Scott Creek at Monteith Farmstead and Community Park.

Holly Kays photos

A similar fix improved levels on Savannah Creek, also a Tuckasegee River tributary, with WATR identifying an abandoned house along the creek that had a malfunctioning septic system. The septic system was cleaned up, and contamination plummeted.

However, both Savannah and Scott creeks remain on the federal 303d list of contaminated waterways. They’ve been on the list since 2008, with the last official sampling in 2014 showing fecal coliform levels outside of the safe limit of 200 colonies per 100 milliliters according to the DEQ website. It’s a bit like a game of Whack-A-Mole, with another source of contamination popping up just as another one is knocked down.

While water quality has been improving overall, it’s not yet at the optimal level.

Measurements taken last summer yielded levels over the 200 limit. However, when Clapp paused the interview to take a call notifying him of preliminary results from a recent sampling effort — WATR volunteers and N.C. Department of Water Quality staff joined forces to execute it — he was pleased to learn that the numbers had clocked in well below the safe limit, with 67 colonies per 100 milliliters in Savannah Creek and 28 colonies per 100 milliliters in Scott Creek.

“Very low,” he said. “I’m not surprised with the high water.”

With lots of volume surging into the waterways as a result of recent rains, the concentration of bacteria had thinned out, resulting in lower readings — during summertime periods of low water, the levels can be much higher.

Temperature also makes a difference.

Fecal coliform are bacteria that thrive best in the guts of living animals, so in the wintertime levels tend to be low.

In the summer, WATR volunteers will measure once more.

If those measurements also come back below the safe limit, then WATR can ask DEQ to come out and take an official measurement, the results of which could have the power to take the creeks off the 303d list — or keep them on.

“We don’t know what the picture looks like now,” Clapp said.

Fecal coliform isn’t the only contaminant that threatens the Tuckasegee River watershed. Sediment is the other major culprit — dirt and other debris that washes into the stream via erosion, making the water muddy and cloudy. Sediment flares up during rain events, meaning Scott Creek was flowing fast and brown during the interview with Clapp,

Get involved with WATR’s future A meeting to determine the future for the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Sylva.

WATR’s longtime executive director Roger Clapp retired at the end of 2017, and a new director is needed. The meeting will be an overall chance to regroup and thoughtfully cocreate WATR’s future, goals and optimal structure. Participants will discuss WATR’s longterm vision, the potential of partner projects with key area organizations and the need to fill executive director and board member positions. info@WATRnc.org.

held at Monteith Park in the midst of a string of rainy days.

“I can’t really point to an erosion problem that has really been solved,” Clapp said. “The mud in the river is the biggest longstanding problem.”

Mud’s vice is that it blocks light, keeping aquatic plants and animals that depend on underwater sunlight and visibility from thriving like they would in a clearer stream. The term for the level of sediment in the water is “turbidity,” and for trout an optimal stream will have a turbidity level of 20 or below.

While they can live for a while in a much muddier creek, a stream that is muddy more often than not will likely find itself without trout at some point.

Clapp took advantage of the interview’s location at Monteith Park to draw a quick turbidity sample from Scott Creek, resulting in a reading of about 74.

“That’s muddy, but at its peak it was probably a few hundred when the water was highest,” he said.

A WORLD WHERE TOES ARE VISIBLE WATR and water health in the Tuckasegee watershed have come a long way during Clapp’s time as executive director, and as he reflects on his 14 years with the organization, there’s plenty to be proud of.

In addition to hands-on work like water sampling and litter cleanup — WATR volunteers have removed literally tons of trash over the years — the organization is heavy on education efforts.

WATR offers training for construction people, educating them on best management practices for erosion control so that they can carry out state-required measures in a way that actually has a real impact.

“There’s a world of difference between a silt fence that’s really installed properly and one that’s in place only to meet the construction plan,” Clapp explained.

The organization works with youth as well, holding an annual

F

Help stock the Pigeon Commission’s responsibility to stock the river, but having a volunteer force to help allows the fish to be dispersed more evenly along the river, resulting in a more enjoyable fishing experience.

The group will meet at a parking lot that’s past Lake Logan and before Sunburst Campground off of N.C. 215, across from the shooting range. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a rod for fishing afterward.

Ron Gaddy, tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

Cataloochee ends 2017-18 night skiing Prolonged warm temperatures have prompted Cataloochee Ski Area to cancel night skiing for the rest of the season.

The decision was made Sunday, Feb. 25. For the remainder of the season, slopes will be open 9 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tube World is closed for the season.

Cataloochee hopes to sustain daily operations for as long as possible but might have to close certain days if the warm weather continues. However, if cold weather returns for at least a few days, the ski area does plan to resume snowmaking. As of Monday, Feb. 26, three trails and two lifts were open with a snow base of 10 to 30 inches.

Check current conditions at www.cataloochee.com/the-mountain/snow-report.

Trout waters will close during March Stocked trout waters in North Carolina will be closed to fishing during the month of March, closing one half-hour after sunset Feb. 28 and reopening at 7 a.m. April 7.

During the closure, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission personnel will stock all Hatchery Supported Trout Waters in preparation for

Whirling disease found in Tennessee Whirling disease has been discovered in the South Holston and Watauga tailwaters of Tennessee, the disease’s first known occurrence in the state.

A condition caused by a non-native microscopic parasite, whirling disease affects fish in the trout and salmon family, damaging the fish’s cartilage and skeletal tissue to cause deformities in the head and spine. Affected fish can develop a black tail or display erratic tail-chasing behavior, hence the name. While the parasite might not kill fish directly, it hinders their ability to swim, eat and escape from predators.

Whirling disease was first seen in North Carolina in July 2015, when scientists found it on rainbow trout in the Watauga River near Foscoe.

February 28-March 6, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

health problems, and the only way it’s going to be solved, really, is by people taking control,” Clapp said. “It’s not going to be solved by government agencies and regulations.”

That’s why education is so important, he said. Teaching people why their waterways are important, what they can do to keep them healthy and instilling a love for the breathtaking natural environment that makes Western North Carolina unique is a vital The Discovery Trails at Monteith Farmstead and Community Park are step toward predesigned to take users on a tour of the plants, animals and ecology that serving the watermake the place tick. shed’s future.

While Clapp will be stepping down as executive director, ramp up in the year ahead. he won’t be leaving WATR — his new title “I think that setting up this park and is “volunteer scientist emeritus.” putting up the signs and teaching stream “I love it because nobody knows what it ecology and stream stewardship is easily does,” he laughed, “but the main thing is one of our biggest accomplishments,” I’m a volunteer, and I’ve amassed a lot of Clapp said. knowledge I like to share and stories I like Completed in 2012, Monteith Park is to tell people about their watershed.” operated by the town of Dillsboro, its creClapp’s departure will usher in a new era ation a collaborative effort spearheaded by for WATR as it works to find a new execuWATR. It features a pavilion and three diftive director, and Clapp hopes to see that ferent discovery trails along Scott Creek, future hold a renewed and vigorous volunwith educational signage along the way teer force of people who are excited about telling visitors how the ecosystem works and the Tuckasegee River and will work to keep helping them to identify the various types of it clean. plants and animals they might find there.

“The goal I tell people is, I want streams “The problems arise with neglect and where kids can wade in the water, see their ignorance, leaving us with trash on the toes and come home healthy,” he said. banks, significant mud in the creek and Cherokee fish harvest event at a weir that’s still in place out by Webster, and centering a variety of education efforts at Monteith Park. Clapp hopes to see those offerings

Learn how to catch striped bass and spotted bass on the Etowah River of Georgia during a presentation offered at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 6, at the United Community Bank in Sylva.

Angler Garner Reid will deliver the presentation following a dinner and raffle for a locally handcrafted fly rod. $5 for dinner. Program offered in conjunction with the Tuckasegee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s regular monthly meeting.

opening day, placing about 916,000 trout in the roughly 1,000 miles of water during that time. About 96 percent of the stocked trout will average 10 inches in length, with the remaining 4 percent longer than 14 inches.

Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters are marked with green-and-white signs. When these waters open to fishing, anglers are allowed to harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limit or bait restriction. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/ Trout/Trout-Fishing.

outdoors

Fish fans are invited to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Trout Unlimited Cataloochee chapter stock the West Fork of the Pigeon River, 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday, March 7.

Volunteers are invited to bring a clean 5gallon bucket, trash bags and friends to help stock around 1,500 pounds of fish.

Waders are also recommended. The job will take about three hours to complete, with at least 25 volunteers needed.

It’s the N.C. Wildlife Resources

Get the scoop on bass fishing

35

outdoors

Get an early start in baseball A baseball program targeting children who are still developing their basic motor skills is starting up in Waynesville this fall, open to children who were 4 or 5 as of April 1.

A parent meeting for Smart Start baseball will be held 5:30 p.m. March 29, with one-hour sessions held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center for six weeks starting April 5.

The $50 registration fee includes a baseball bat and ball set, baseball glove, two koosh balls, a mesh equipment bag, a participant manual and a T-shirt.

Smart Start Sports Development is a national sports program teaching children the skills they’ll need to participate in organized youth leagues.

Registration deadline is 5:30 p.m.

March 15. 828.456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

Become a master outdoor educator EMT students run a scenario during a class at Landmark Learning. Holly Kays photo

The Landmark Outdoor Educator Semester will return with classes May 9

through June 28, a 51-day program that yields a total of seven nationally recognized

certifications for its students.

The combination of certifications allows students to build a resume founded on national standards, making themselves marketable in the outdoor community. In addition to the seven certifications, students can earn up to 12 hours of college credit through Western Carolina University as well as three instructor-level certifications.

Certifications are: Emergency Medical Technician Intensive, American Safety & Health Institute CPR Pro, NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals, Leave No Trace Master Educator, American Canoe Association L4: Swiftwater Rescue, Starfish Aquatics Wilderness Lifeguard, American Canoe Association Introduction to Canoeing Instructor, Educator Workshop and Intro to Single Pitch Climbing.

The program offers more than 374 hours of instruction. Semester cost is $5,135. www.landmarklearning.edu.

Haywood Waterways elects new president

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

Tim Petrea, program supervisor at the Waynesville Recreation Center, has been elected president of the Haywood Waterways Association.

“We are so blessed in Haywood County to be a headwaters county — this is an amazingly special responsibility and gift,” Petrea said. “As a recreation programmer, I am thankful that we have many streams running along many of our trails in this county. These make for very relaxing hiking, picnicking, reading and other recreational opportunities. As president of Haywood Waterways, I look forward to working with everyone to help spread our reach and protect our waterways.”

Petrea has been a member of Haywood Waterways’ Board of Directors since 2015. He replaces outgoing president Lauren Bishop, who served from 2015 to 2017.

Haywood Waterways is a nonprofit that works to protect and improve surface water quality in Haywood County through education, volunteer engagement and water quality improvement projects.

36

Talk science with a Darwin expert

Jim Costa. Donated photo

Become a nature expert — for free

outdoors

A “science café” featuring Jim Costa, Ph.D., a professor at Western Carolina University and author of multiple books about Charles Darwin, will be offered 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Costa will give a talk titled “Darwin’s Backyard: Lessons from an inveterate ‘experimentiser,’” a topic covered in his latest book Darwin’s Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory.

In addition to his duties as a professor, Costa is the longtime executive director of the Highlands Biological Station.

Sponsored by the WCU Chapter of Sigma Xi.

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is a vibrant and thriving part of our community. Their events and programs throughout the year do a great job of highlighting all Haywood County has to offer. Stanberry Insurance is proud to be a member and I am proud to be involved with a team so dedicated to our community.

— John Patterson Stanberry Insurance

As March begins, so does the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center’s yearly program of free workshops.

Outdoor-related programs for people of all ages and skill levels will be offered throughout the month, with new schedules available for each month through the season’s end in October.

Topics include fly fishing, hunter education, fire-making, birding, wildlife and more. The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is located near Brevard along the Davidson River in Transylvania County.

Register and view the event list at www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/Event-Registration/PageId/EventListView.

Summer camp registration underway Registration for the Waynesville Recreation Center’s wildly popular “Base Camp” summer program will be held 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 10, with parents required to participate in one of two upcoming meetings to enroll their children. n 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. n 9 a.m. Saturday, March 3, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

A second registration date will be held April 14 if all spots are not taken March 10.

Camp dates fill up fast. For more information, contact Tim Petrea at tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

Let Me Sell Your House

“

I am dedicated to providing you with excellent services beyond your expectations.

My Customers are REAL SATISFIED

“I chose to work with Catherine Proben because I trusted that she had my best interests at heart. She was professional, knowledgeable, and added a personal touch to the entire process. She always was available by phone or text to inform me of the progress of the sale of my home.

I am so impressed with the professionalism, dedication, and innovative ways that she used to sell my home. I highly recommend her & the Waynesville office to all the sellers and buyers in the area.”

- Dr. Sherry Manburg, Waynesville, NC (Seller)

Catherine Proben

Smoky Mountain News

seasonal decorations beautifying the lobby of North Canton Elementary School. n Beth Brown of Maggie Valley for continual roadside litter pickups on the streets of Maggie Valley. n The Pisgah High School Ecology Club for removing 870 pounds of trash from the Pigeon River. Quinn Anspach will receive a certificate for his student leadership of the project. n Haywood Waterways Volunteers Les and Julie Taylor, Jack and Carol Baley and Deborah Bally for stream cleanups that removed a total 620 pounds of trash from the water. n Jonathan Yates and Bill Litty of the Waynesville Public Services Department for establishing the Serenity Garden at the Waynesville Recreation Park. Mountain View Garden Club will receive a certificate for its help and support.

Awards will be presented during an invitational luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

The CCC works throughout the year to promote environmental health in the county, with board members holding litter pickups May through October. Volunteers are always welcome.

Bill Skelton, 828.456.3575 or JoAnna Swanson, 828.452.1550.

February 28-March 6, 2018

The Commission for a Clean County has announced the winners of its 2017 Community Pride Awards, which recognizes people and groups who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to a clean environment in Haywood County.

The 14 recipients include: n The Incredibles of Waynesville Middle School for achieving total school recycling. n The Air Force Junior ROTC, masonry class and career technical education class at Tuscola High School for creating an original memorial garden with flagpoles to honor deceased students. n Town of Waynesville Public Services Department for working to beautify the area. n Home Trust Bank of Clyde for beautifying and maintaining its grounds. n Seamus Tignor of Waynesville, an elementary schooler who attended every CCC litter pickup and every Haywood Waterways Association stream cleanup. n The Haywood County Board of Commissioners for reconstructing and redesigning all county solid waste centers. n Pisgah High School and Lisa Cook’s Intensive Intervention class for their successful school-wide recycling campaign. n Grace Shoaf of Canton for her unusual

828.452.3021 Haywood Chamber.com

“

Environmental champions recognized

74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

828-734-9157 cproben@beverly-hanks.com

37

outdoors

Mel Bartholomew. Donated photo

Become a square-foot gardener Half Marathon & 4-Miler SPONSORED IN PART BY HCTDA www.VisitNCSmokies.com

5.5.18

Smoky Mountain News

February 28-March 6, 2018

www.SmokiesHalfMarathon.com BEGINS AND ENDS IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE!

{Celebrating the Southern Appalachians}

Smoky Mountain Living celebrates the mountain region’s culture, music, art, and special places. We tell our stories for those who are lucky enough to live here and those who want to stay in touch with the place they love.

allows a great yield from a small space. The program will include the foundations, fundamentals and techniques of the method as created by Mel Bartholomew.

Free, with no registration required and refreshments provided. Kathy Olsen, 828.356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

Explore the virtues of kudzu A three-day workshop exploring the virtues of a plant more often known for its vices will return to Sylva March 16-18 for the eighth year running.

Kudzu Root Camp offers hands-on training in how to eat the vine that ate the South, as well as a chance to explore other uses for this invasive species, from medicine to fiber for basketry and fabric. Participants will spend plenty of time in an actual kudzu patch, harvesting and processing kudzu roots for their highly valuable edible and medicinal starch while exploring other uses for the vigorous vine. Kudzu-based dishes will be served throughout the workshop using starch processed at the previous year’s gathering.

Free, with a freewill offering requested. Register by emailing kudzuculture@gmail.com. www.kudzuculture.net.

Fruit tree initiative kicks off A program aiming to get 1,000 new fruit trees planted in Western North Carolina has launched, with a goal of surrounding yards, parks, business centers and city buildings with delicious, edible fruit trees.

“1,000 Fruit Trees for Western N.C.” is a collaboration between Whole Tree Permaculture and Useful Plants Nursery, a permaculture-based business located in Black Mountain. The initiative will use a two-pronged approach to achieve its goal: n Landowners can invest in a fruit tree from one of the program’s partner nurseries, making a reasonable donation for

that tree to be planted in their yard. n Anybody can make donations to the crowd-sourcing campaign “1,000 Fruit Trees for Western N.C.” on www.wethetrees.com to sponsor fruit tree purchases for those unable to afford them.

WNC residents and landowners can register for the program by contacting wholetreepermaculture@gmail.com. After registration, participants can peruse the options at the Useful Plants Nursery website and make a pre-order, mentioning the “1,000 Fruit Trees Project,” by calling 828.669.6517. The pre-order phase, which includes scheduling a planting day between March and mid-April, runs through March 1. Once March arrives, trees will start to be delivered for planting.

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An introduction to square-foot gardening will be offered 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, March 12, at the Waynesville Public Library.

Hughes Roberts, a certified square-foot gardening instructor and Master Gardener Volunteer, will present this technique that

A scientist with Mainspring Conservation Trust will present his research on the 2016 wildfires and how the forests of Western North Carolina recover from their effects during a talk at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 2, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Franklin.

Kelder Monar will be discussing his thesis project studying the ability of forests to recover from fire, and he’ll also talk about Mainspring’s work to conserve farms, forests, clean waters and natural and cultural heritage in the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River basins.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. 828.524.3691.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Submissions are being accepted through March 1 for the eighth annual Healthy Snack Master Competition.

Presented by the Jackson County School Health Advisory Council and the Healthy for Life Action Team of the Healthy Carolinas Partnership. All individuals and groups in K-12 enrolled in Jackson County Public Schools can present an original recipe to their school’s cafeteria manager. Flyers with more info and entry forms are available from K-12 teachers. 586.2311, ext. 1936.

• Nominations are being accepted for the Haywood Community College Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award.

Deadline is Thursday, March 29. Recipient will be recognized at May graduation ceremonies on May 11. Info and nomination forms: 565.4165 or trobertson@haywood.edu.

• Volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filing from through April 13 in Jackson County. The service is available from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays on a firstcome, first-serve basis at the Jackson county Senior Center in Sylva. It’s also available from 3-6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays by appointment (586.2016) at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Info: 293.0074, 586.4944 or 586.2016. For tax prep sites in other counties: www.aarp.org.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Donations are being accepted to help Junaluska Elementary School as it partners with “Rise Against Hunger” to package meals for the world’s hungry at 8:30 a.m. on March 23. 456.2407 or jsollie@haywood.k12.nc.us.

• Donations are being accepted for the Southwestern Community College Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund through a fundraiser by Matt Kirby, college liaison for the Jackson County Early College, who’s competing the Georgia Death Race (70 miles) on March 31.

Student Emergency Fund helps deserving SCC students who encounter financial emergencies that might otherwise keep them from attending and completing classes.

Info: @KirbyRunsLong. Make donations: www.southwesterncc.edu/Foundation and follow listed directions.

Assistance: k_posey@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4227.

• The Canton Senior Center holds a fundraiser for operation by selling concessions during Canton’s Picking in the Armory starting at 5 p.m. on March 2, 16 and 23, and April 6. 648.8173.

• The popular “Haywood Ramblings” series presented by the Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will return in the Town Hall Board Room on Main Street. “History of Cataloochee Valley,” presented

by Patrick Womack. Thursday, March 1. “Prominent Waynesville Families,” presented by Sarah Sloan Kreutziger. Thursday, April 5. “History of Main Street, Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Thursday, May 3.

All events are from 4 to 5 p.m. In case of snow, the event will be automatically rescheduled for the second Thursday of the month.

• Sign-ups are underway for the Big Brothers Big Sisters annual “Bowl for Kids Sake” fundraiser, which is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Sky Lanes in west Asheville. 273.3601.

• “American Pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz return to Western North Carolina to film more episodes of the popular television show.” The Pickers are looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST.

• Entries are being accepted for the Feline Urgent Rescue’s second-annual Cat Photo Contest. $15 per photo. Deadline is April 7. Categories: Diva cat, funniest cat, cutest cat, laziest cat, “Cat-i-tude” and “Cats and Friends.” Instructions: www.furofwnc.org. Info: 844.888.CATS (2287), furofwnc1@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/furofwnc.

• The Town of Waynesville is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for consideration of special appropriations in the upcoming fiscal year 2018-19 budget. Applications available at www.waynesvillenc.gov/government or at the municipal building. Applications due by March 31. Info: 452.2491 or aowens@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Registration is underway for the “Casino Royale” Autism Awareness Golf Tournament, which is set for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 9, at Maggie Valley Club. $400 per foursome; single-player tickets are $100. All proceeds benefit Richie’s Alliance for Autism. Sign up: www.richiesallieance.org/event/autism-awareness-golftournament or 421.2408.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Richie’s Alliance for Autism’s “Taste” event at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, featuring the region’s top culinary talent, awardwinning wines and local craft beer. Proceeds benefit Richie’s Alliance for Autism. Silent auction, live band and dancing. VIP tickets are $100; General admission ($45) starts at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: www.richiesalliance.org/event/taste.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Western Carolina University will host an open house with activities through out the day for prospective students as the university on Saturday, March 24. www.openhouse.wcu.edu or 227.7317.

• “The Life and Times of D.K. Collins” will be presented

by Mary Wachacha at 6:30 p.m. on March 1 at the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society meeting at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East ridge Drive in Bryson City.

Collins was a Bryson City businessman, Confederate Army veteran and chairman of the Democrat Party in Swain County. www.swaingenealogy.com.

• A meeting of current and former employees of the Waynesville plant of Champion/Blue Ridge/Evergreen is held at 8 a.m. on the first Monday of each month at Bojangles near Lake Junaluska’s entrance.

• There will be an open house for the Women of Waynesville (WOW) from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at Room 1902 on South Main Street in Waynesville.

WOW is an all-volunteer organization that supports the needs of women and children in Haywood County. The meet and greet will also include wine, food, scavenger hunt, conversation, and other activities. All are welcome. For more information, click on www.womenofwaynesville.org or call 550.9978.

• A training opportunity for volunteers interested in “adopting a monitoring plot” inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be offered from 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. For info or to register: Jessica_stump@partner.nps.gov or 497.1945. Info: www.usanpn.org.

• Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will hold its annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, at the

Smoky Mountain News

39

Shelton House barn, 49 Shelton St., in Waynesville.

246.9050 or www.sargeanimals.org.

• Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

• The Shelton House is accepting applications for crafters until March 15, 2018, with selections made by March 23, 2018. Annual Crafter Showcase Program will run April through October and will feature local crafters who will display and sell their crafts to the community.

452.1551 or info@sheltonhouse.org.

• Registration is underway for vendors who’d like to participate in the Blue Ridge Wedding Pop Up Show and Bridal Marketplace, which will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at the Cross Street Center in Spruce Pine. Features wedding vendors who specialize in helping brides plan their perfect day. To reserve space, vendors can call 765.9033.

• There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1. For more information, call 554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

HEALTH MATTERS

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 Peer recovery education class that will be offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness starting March 7 in Franklin. Preregistration required: 369.7385.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Safekids USA/Blue Dragon Taekwondo School is offering self-defense classes from 9-10 a.m. on Saturdays. $5 per class. For females 14-older. Classes are at 93 Jones Cove Road in Clyde.

• Karaoke is happening at 8 p.m. on Saturdays at Harmon’s Den Bistro at HART Theatre in Waynesville.

• The High Mountain Squares will host their “Giddy Up Western Dance” from 6:15-8:45 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Western-style square dancing, mainstream and levels. 342.1560, 787.2324, 332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• A grief support group, GriefShare, will be held from 67:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through May 23 at First Alliance Church in Franklin. Topics include grief’s challenges, guilt, anger, relationships with others, being stuck and what to live for now. $15 cost covers materials; scholarships available. Register: www.franklincma.com. Info: 369.7977, 200.5166, scott@franklincma.com or www.griefshare.org.

• A “Myofascial Unwind: Release Pain + Tension” workshop will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 day of. Explore the web of connective tissue that comprises tendons, ligaments and joints while encasing muscles organs and glands. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, spearheaded by the National Eating Disorders Association, is through March 4. Full schedule: www.thecenternc.org/events. Info on eating disorders: nationaleatingdisorders.org.

• Registration is underway for a TaijiFit program, which will be presented by International Tai Chi Champion David-Dorian Ross from March 3-4 at the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center in Clyde. TaijiFit makes Tai Chi, yoga and meditation more accessible.

Info: 904.377.1527 or mattjeffsdpt@outlook.com.

• Southwestern Community College’s therapeutic massage program is offering a massage learning clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday through early May in room 135B of Founders Hall on the Jackson Campus in Sylva. 50-minute Swedish massages ($20) and chair massages ($1 per minute). Appointments: 339.4313.

• A “Pangu Yoga” workshop will be offered from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 day of. Gentle, healing fusion of yoga and qigong. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 2-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Maggie Valley Nursing and Rehab, 75 Fisher Loop in Maggie Valley.

Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) holds a support group for family, friends, and those dealing with mental illness on the 1st Thursday of each month in the 2nd floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center at 6:30 p.m.

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

• A “Project 24” program for anyone diagnosed with pre-diabetes – or who knows they’re at risk – is offered at 5:30 p.m. at Haywood County Health and Human Services. 24 one-hour classes. First class was Jan. 22.

Info and to register: 356.2272.

• The Center for Disordered Eating will host the 11th annual HEAL Conference from 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at Ambrose West, 312 Haywood Road in Asheville. Conference topics, speakers, schedule and registration info available at www.thecenternc.org.

• Preregistration is underway for the 10-week Peer-to-

• A “Knee Pain Clinic” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 day of. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• The Maggie Valley Wellness Center is offering two yoga classes from 9-9:55 a.m. on Wednesdays through March: Gentle Flow with Candra and Gentle Vin Yin with Jamie. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.

• Line dance lessons will be offered from 7-8 p.m. every other Tuesday in Waynesville. $10 per class.

Modern/traditional line dancing. 734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com.

• A wide variety of yoga classes are offered daily through the Waynesville Yoga Center. For updated, current listings, visit: http://waynesvilleyogacenter.com/class-schedule.

• Pickleball, a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong, will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Old Hazelwood Gym in Waynesville. $3 per visit, or $20 for a 10-visit card.

452.6789 or iansmith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Yoga classes designed specifically for those who have

wnc calendar

experienced trauma are being offered at the Fitness Connection in Waynesville. www.sonshineyoga.com.

• ZUMBA! Classes, are offered from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesdays, at the Canton Armory. $5 per class.

648.2363 or parks@cantonnc.com.

• Tai chi is offered from 10:45-11:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center. It’s also offered from 1-2 p.m. on Thursdays. Taught by Bill Muerdter. For info about the classes or HRHFC memberships and offerings, call 452.8080 or visit MyHaywoodRegional.com/Fitness.

• Ultimate Frisbee games are held from 5:30-8 p.m. on Mondays at the Cullowhee Recreation Park. Organized

by Jackson County Parks & Recreation. Pick-up style.

293.2053 or www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• The Wednesday Croquet Group meets from 10 a.m.noon at the Vance Street Park across from the shelter.

For senior players ages 55 or older. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Pickleball is from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday nights at First Methodist Church in Sylva. $1 each time you play; equipment provided. 293.3053.

• The Canton Armory is open to the public for walking from 7:45-9 a.m. on Monday through Friday unless the facility is booked till spring. 648.2363. parks@cantonnc.com.

• Pickle ball is offered from 8 a.m.-noon on Mondays through Fridays at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

456.2030 or www.waynesvillnc.gov.

February 28-March 6, 2018

SPIRITUAL • Registration is underway for the Interfaith Peace Conference, which is Thursday through Sunday, March 1-4, in Lake Junaluska. Topic centers around communicating with civility and respect while upholding core values and religious traditions. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders will offer lectures, worship, music, prayer and meditation. $150 per person. $60 for students. $10 for CEU credits. www.lakejunaluska.com/peace or 800.222.4930.

POLITICAL • The Macon County Republican Party Annual Convention and Precinct Meetings are scheduled for Saturday, March 3, at the Carpenter Community Building at 1288 Georgia Road in Franklin. maconrepublicans@gmail.com.

• The Jackson County Republican Party’s Precinct Meetings/Convention is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, March 16, in the Heritage Room at the Dept. of Aging Center, 100 County Services Park, in Sylva. Buffet dinner will be served. 743.6491 or check Facebook.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, in the Maggie Valley Town Hall Boardroom for the purpose

www.ThePrintHaus.com

of considering a volunteer petition for annexation of 23 Hemlock Springs Road. Oral and written comments will be accepted.

• The Haywood County Libertarian Party is now meeting at Blue Ridge Books on Main Street from 4:30-6 p.m. every second Monday of the month. These meetings will be for discussion on current events, and are open to the public.

• A lunch-and-discussion group will be held by the League of Women Voters at noon on the second Thursday of each month at Tartan Hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. RSVP for lunch: lwvmacon@wild-dog-mountain.info or 524.8369.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Author Minrose Gwin will read from and discuss her new novel “Promise” at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 16, in the Queen Auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. $20 per person. Novel is about race and relationships in the South. Tickets available at Blue Ridge Books. Each ticket includes admission, dessert, beverage and a $10 coupon toward purchase of the book.

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

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1:30 p.m. each Tuesday at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 926.6567.

• Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina – an effort to help area residents commit to a healthier lifestyle, will meet from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

• A Silver Sneakers Cardio Fit class will meet from 1011 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 60 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Book Club is held at 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 • 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. For info, contact Donald Hummel at 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Hand & Foot card game is held at 1 p.m. on Mondays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• Senior Sale Day is on the third Friday of every month at the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Patrons

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• Pinochle game is played at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2813.

• “Coco” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 2 and 6:30 p.m. on March 3 and March 9 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free.

586.2016.

• Hearts is played at 12 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

KIDS & FAMILIES • A “Super Hero Stem Night” featuring STEM activities will be held from 5:30-6:15 p.m. on March 15 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. LEGO Batman movie will be shown at 6:15. Minimum donation of $5 per person.

• Registration deadline is 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, for a Smart Start Baseball program being offered through the Waynesville Recreation Center this spring. $50 registration fee. Develop motor skills such as hitting, throwing, catching and running. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A “Nature Nuts: Owls” program will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on March 16 and March 26 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• An “Eco Explorers: Fly Tying” program will be offered for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on March 16 and March 26 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

ONGOING KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS • Crafternoons are at 2:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• Teen Coffeehouse is at 4:30 p.m. on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday at Jackson County Public Library.

Spend time with other teens talking and sharing. 12 and up. 586.2016.

• 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 Lego Club meet the second Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library.

743.0215.

• 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.

KIDS FILMS • “Darkest Hour” is showing at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 & March

• “The Justice League” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. on Friday, March 16 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• The Highlands Biological Foundation will offer a series of nature-themed films and documentaries shown at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of January, February and March in Highlands. For info on each show, call 526.2221.

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

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 for ages zero to six years old is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday at the 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 • Kid’s story time Saturdays, 11 a.m., all ages at City Lights in Sylva 586.9449.

• 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.

• 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, puppet play and make a craft to take home. 488.3030.

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MACON

• Toddlers Rock, 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 is held at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

524.3600.

• Family Story Time for ages 0 to 7 years is held at 10 a.m. on Thursdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• 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.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. www.greeningupthemountains.com. 554.1035 or greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT

• The Franklin High School Advanced Drama will present “Too Good to Say Goodbye” at 7 p.m. March 23 in the FHS Fine Arts Center. Cost is $5 a person and tickets are only available at the door. Produced by special arrangement with Green Room Press. Contact Robert Jessup at FHS with any questions.

• The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present a screening “Live via Satellite” the National Theatre of London’s production of the classic Tennessee William’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 3. www.highlandspac.org or 526.9047.

• Western Carolina University will host Sarah Elizabeth Burkey & Susan Pepper (old-time/bluegrass) at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Mountain Heritage Center in Cullowhee.

• Actress Anne VanCuren will portray “Grandma Gatewood” – the first woman to complete the Appalachian Trail – during a dramatic reenactment at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. $20 for members of the Great Smoky Mountains Association; $35 for new members.

Sign up: http://bit.ly/2o2CBke. • Bret Michaels will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.Tickets start at $29. For more information

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • “Darwin’s Backyard: Lessons from an inveterate “experimentiser” will be the topic of a Science Café event at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Presenter is Jim Costa, executive director of the Highlands Biological Station and professor of biology at Western Carolina University.

• An indoor flea market will take place every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in March at Friends Of The Greenway Quarters at 573 East Main St. in Franklin. Registration fee will go to FROG. • The Penland School of Crafts Community Open House is set for 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, in Penland. Education for all ages; hands-on activities.

Penland.org.

• A Pine Needle Basketry class will be offered by Dogwood Crafters from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Taught by Joyce Lantz. Register: 506.8899.

• Registration is underway for a Beginning Bladesmithing class that will be offered from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $300; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271 or www.JCGEP.org.

• “Is Morality Subjective?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 5, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub. Moderated discussion group; dialogue, not debate. 371.1020.

• The Poor People’s Campaign will hold a communitywide town hall from 6-8 p.m. on March 5 at the Folkmoot Center, 112 Virginia Ave., in Waynesville.

Purpose is to introduce the resurrection of the movement that was catalyzed by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Info: chelsea@downhomenc.org or 476.8189.

• A White Feather Tree Workshop will be offered by Dogwood Crafters from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, art the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Taught by Claudia Lampley. Register by March 8: 586.2248.

• “Walking the Tracks: A Conversation about Old Hazelwood-Waynesville” will be the topic of a conversation scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Featuring Sam Wiggins, Rolf Kaufman and Nink Swift.

• The Old Armory will host an indoor flea market from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, in Waynesville.

This event will be held every third Saturday. Booths are $10 each for selling items. 456.9207.

• Registration is underway for a Viking Axe Making Class, which is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 17-18 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380 (materials included). With Brock Martin from WarFire Forge. Register: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Blacksmithing Fundamentals Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 31-April 1 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Cost: $275; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

Smoky Mountain News

• HART in Waynesville presents a festival of plays in its intimate 60-seat Feichter Studio. Shows include: “Women and War” (through March 4), “Mass Appeal” (March 23-April 1) and “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play” (April 6-15). Tickets are only $10 with general admission seating, but reservations are recommended as many shows regularly sell out.

Season tickets are also available for the winter season. A complete schedule is available on the HART website at www.harttheatre.org.

• KIDS at HART will perform “Madagascar Jr. — A Musical Adventure” at 2 p.m. March 10-11 and 17-18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Direct by Shelia Sumpter. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.harttheatre.org.

February 28-March 6, 2018

• First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Series at Western Carolina University continues through spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 227.7129.

and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.harrahscherokee.com.

wnc calendar

• 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.

• Registration is underway for an “Intermediate Bladesmithing Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 7-8 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $340; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Warhammer Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from

41

wnc calendar

9 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 26-27 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $400; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Kukri Making Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 12-13 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $400; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for an “Axe-Making Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 9-10 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Beginning Bladesmithing Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 23-24 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $300; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Waynesville Fiber Friends welcomes fiber artists of every kind: crochet, knitting, cross-stitching and more, from 10 a.m.-noon on the second Saturday of each month at Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville.

276.6226.

• The Bryson City Lion meet at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month at the Iron Skillet in Bryson City.

February 28-March 6, 2018

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. every other Thursday at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

Sign up on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page (www.facebook.com/paintwaynesville) or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

• Beginners Chess Club is held on Fridays at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 8-108 invited to participate. 648.2924.

• Cribbage is at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Maggie Valley Inn. 410.440.7652 or 926.3978.

• An Antique, Vintage & Handcrafted Flea Market starts at 8 a.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3029 Soco Road in Maggie Valley. Bring your own table/tent. Spaces rent for $10 a day or $25 for all three days.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own.

Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• The Jackson Rangers Camp 1917 will hold monthly meetings at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Barkers Creek Community Center. Members are being sought to participate in honor guard graveside events and honor Confederate soldiers. The Confederate Rose, a ladies auxiliary group that supports active members, meets at the same time and location. 736.6222 or jrcamp1917@hotmail.com.

• 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. Learn how to sew. 586.4009.

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

828.526.3031.

• A writer’s group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

42

• 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.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery. All work is for sale. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com.

• The 50th annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibit” will run through March 30 in the Contemporary Gallery at Western Carolina University. Dr. Beth Hinderliter, Associate Professor of Cross Disciplinary Studies at James Madison University, serves as juror for this display of creative expression in a variety of media by undergraduates at Western Carolina University. A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22. www.wcu.edu.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present, “LINING: SHEATHING” through May 4, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. April 19 in Cullowhee. “LINING: SHEATHING” is a large-scale installation about the tactile and protective qualities of textiles by collaborators Denise Bookwalter and Lee Emma Running. The WCU Fine Art Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Museum exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public. jilljacobs@wcu.edu or 828.227.2505.

• The Franklin Uptown Gallery has opened for the 2018 Season. The artist exchange exhibit will feature artwork created by members of the Valley River Arts Guide from Murphy. 349.4607.

• Linda Dickinson’s display of black-and-white photography is being displayed at the Canton Public Library Meeting Room in Canton. Show is entitled “Waynesville and Environs, a Black & White Perspective.” 648.2924.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FILM & SCREEN • “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, and March 7 & 8 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free.

586.2016.

• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri” will be shown at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• “Thor: Ragnarok” will be shown at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 10at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• “The Shape of Water” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• Free movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Madbatterfoodfilm.com.

Outdoors • The National Park Service will host the Blue Ridge Parkway Season Preview from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 on the parkway. Behind-the-scenes look into projects and operations. www.nps.gov/blri.

• Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR) will hold a public meeting from 6-8 p.m. on March 1 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Sylva.

Discuss and shape WATR’s 2018 organization goals and longer-term plan.

• A “Fly Selection 101” class will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-noon on March 1 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• “Nature’s Ability to Recover from Forest Fires” will be the topic of an Eco Forum at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 85 Sierra Lane, in Franklin. Kelder Monar of Mainspring Conservation Trust will present the finding of his thesis project. Meet and greet at 5:30 p.m.; covered dish dinner at 6 p.m. 524.3691.

• The Tuckasegee River Chapter No. 373 of Trout Unlimited meets at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, at the United Community Bank, 1640 E. Main St. in Sylva. $5 for dinner. Garner Reid will present information on how to catch striped and spotted bass on the Etowah River in Georgia.

• Trout Unlimited Cataloochee will have its annual stocking of the West Fork of the Pigeon Delayed Harvest event at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 7. Take Highway 215 South from Bethel and go past Lake Logan; meet at the upper DH parking area on the left across from the gun range below Sunburst Campground.

• A Hunter Education Course will be offered for all ages from 6-9 p.m. on March 13-14 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• An Introduction to Fly Fishing class will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 13 and March 27 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• An easy cycling ride aiming to help people ease into a healthier lifestyle through cycling is offered Thursday mornings starting March 15 in the Canton area, typically covering 8-10 miles. Road bikes are preferred and helmets are required. Nobody will be left behind. A partnership of Bicycle Haywood N.C., the Blue Ridge Bike Club and MountainWise. For specific start times and locations: mttrantham@hotmail.com.

• An “On the Water: Little River” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 15 at the Little River in Dupont State Recreational Forest. Practice fly fishing skills and get tips.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• Registration is underway for the eighth annual Three River Fly Fishing Festival, which is April 26-28 in Highlands. Fishing competition open to men and women of all skill levels. $500 per team or $450 for those who register before March 15. Includes opening night reception at Wolfgang’s Restaurant, Friday happy hour after closing night dinner and a gift bag. All funds raised benefit the town’s scholarship fund.

Register: hilary@highlandhiker.com.

• Registration is underway for a “Mountains-to-Sea Trail” conference, which will be March 23-25 in Elkin.

Trail and town excursions; dinner Friday is included. $75; members only. Memberships are $35. RSVP by March 16: http://conta.cc/2ne6UnK. • The eighth annual Kudzu Root Camp is March 16-18 in Sylva. Hands-on training on how to eat the vine that ate the South as well as exploring other uses – such as medicine and fiber for basketry. Kudzuculture.net or kudzuculture@gmail.com.

• RSVP’s are being accepted for a pair of volunteer training sessions for stream monitors through the Stream Monitoring Information Exchange. Sessions are

from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock and Saturday, March 24, at UNC Asheville. Materials donation of $1520. RSVP required: mountaintrue.org/event/__trashed2 (for March 17) and 357.7411 or equilabstaff@gmail.com (for March 24).

• A six-week course about the Spring Wildflowers of Southern Appalachian will be offered by Adam Bigelow from March 18-April 22. Guided tours. Class meets from noon-3 p.m. on Sundays and 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays. $160 per person. Single-day walks available at $45 per person. Info and to register: bigelownc@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/BigelowsBotanicalExcursions.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for the Assault on BlackRock, a seven-mile trail race that will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, from the Pinnacle Park parking lot in Sylva. Preregistration: $25 at Ultrasignup.com. Fee is $30 on race day. More info, including registration form and course map, at Assault on BlackRock Facebook page. Info: 506.2802 or barwatt@hotmail.com.

• Registration is underway for the eighth annual “Valley of the Lilies” Half Marathon and 5K, which is Saturday, April 7, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. $40 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through March 9; $80 for half marathon and $30 for the 5K on race day. http://halfmarathon.wcu.edu or valleyofthelilies@wcu.edu.

Registration for the annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival 5K is now open. The race will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 at Mark Watson Park in Sylva, North Carolina. Registrants who enter before April 20th will receive a t-shirt. All proceeds from the race support the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. www.greeningupthemountains.com Registration ends on April 25. jeniferpressley@jackonnc.org.

FARM AND GARDEN • A square-foot gardening program will be offered from 2-3 p.m. on March 12 at the Waynesville Library.

Presenter is Hughes Roberts, a Master Gardener Volunteer. Technique shows how to get a great yield from a small space. Info: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• ASAP will hold its eighth annual Community Supported Agriculture Fair from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, at New Belgium Brewing Co., at 21 Craven Street in Asheville. Opportunity to meet farmers, browse their CSA programs and sign up as a farm share subscriber. http://asapconnections.org or appalachiangrown.org. 236.1282.

HIKING CLUBS • “Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway and Beyond” will be presented at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 on the parkway. Randy Fluharty, president of the Carolina Mountain Club, and Steve Metcalf, board president of the Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail, will discuss upcoming group hikes and their work on maintaining parkway trails. Info: 298.5330, ext. 301, or amy@blueridgeheritage.com.

• Nantahala Hiking Club holds monthly trail maintenance days from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on every fourth Saturday at 173 Carl Slagle Road in Franklin. Info and to register: 369.1983.

• Hike of the Week is at 10 a.m. every Friday at varying locations along the parkway. Led by National Park Service rangers. www.nps.gov/blri or 298.5330, ext.

304.

• Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. www.friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information: The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

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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.

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REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal guard, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowing accep tadvertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

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OFFICE HOURS:

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Phone# 1.828.456.6776 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.735.2962

Equal Housing Opportunity

74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

44

EMPLOYMENT

Equal Housing Opportunity

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your Mortgage? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner's Relief Line! FREE CONSULATION! 855.995.4199

HOMES FOR SALE HOME FOR SALE: 3/BR, 2.5/BA Home Includes 1/BR, 1/BA Cottage. 2 Miles From Downtown Highlands.

By Owner - 803.315.0715 BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

VACATION RENTALS BEACH VACATION SPECIAL Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Mention ad to receive an extra $25 off all vacation rentals. Near Myrtle Beach/Wilmington. Golf, fishing.

Family beach 800.622.3224 www.cookerealty.com

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT 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.

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

cproben@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC

828.452.5809

Berkshire Hathaway www.4Smokys.com

CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

Beverly Hanks & Associates • • • •

WANTED TO BUY - WANTED TO BUY U.S./ Foreign Coins! Call Dan

828.421.1616 FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans.

312.291.9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com

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Try it FREE. Call now 888.909.9978 18+. SAPA 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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Ann Eavenson R B A ESIDENTIAL

ROKER

SSOCIATE

ann@beverly-hanks.com

• • • • • • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com George Escaravage - gescar@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty www.beverly-hanks.com

828.506.0542

828.452.5809 office

sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com SFR, ECO, GREEN

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive

——————————————

GEORGE

ESCARAVAGE BROKER/REALTOR

—————————————— 28 WOODLAND ASTER WAY

ASHEVILLE, NC 28804

828.400.0901

• • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Landen Stevenson - Landen@landenstevenson.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

Rob Roland Realty

smokymountainnews.com

VACATION RENTAL: 3/BR, 2.5/BA Home $2,400/mo.

1/BR 1/BA Cottage $1,200/mo.

All Utilities Included, Fully Furnished. 2 Miles From Downtown Highlands.

803.315.0715

Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809

February 28-March 6, 2018

SINGLE FAMILY RANCH HOME F.S.B.O. - 57 Pasco Loop, Waynesville, NC. Less than 2yrs. old, 1400 sq. ft., 2/BR 2/BA, Vaulted Ceilings, Open Floor Plan, Lamenant/Carpet Floors, SS Appliances, 12’x12’ Outside Bldng., Mtn. Views. A Must See, Perfect Move-In Ready Home, Furniture Negotiable, 3 Miles from Maggie Valley, No City Taxes - $229,900.

For more information call 919.356.6560

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321

Catherine Proben

WNC MarketPlace

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

FOR SALE 11-HP GENERATOR New, Never Been Used Homelite #LR5500, 5 Gallon Gas Tank, 5500 Watts, HD 220/115 Cord. $475/Firm. For more info call Richard at 828.316.9557

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

GESCAR@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

CROSSWORD

www.smokymountainnews.com

February 28-March 6, 2018

WNC MarketPlace

Super

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IN HONOR OF LEAP YEAR ACROSS 1 Spanish squiggles 7 Blue Ribbon brewer 12 Places for military craft 20 Declare the truth of 21 — Brothers (“That Lady” R&B group) 22 Most rare 23 Elicit the stamp “NSF” 25 Pause with uncertainty 26 Web site facilitating job-hunting 27 In — (prebirth) 29 Credit card come-on 30 Bit of work 31 Little mistake 33 Chinese appetizer 36 Premolars, e.g.

39 Splendor 42 “Allow — introduce myself” 43 Mall come-on 44 Austrian “a” 46 Nation due south of Iran 48 Maritime plea 50 Put a flaw in 51 Hell-bent 58 Got the soap out of 59 Slalom turn 60 “— won’t!” (firm refusal) 61 Gave the slip 65 “That’s —!” (“False!”)

66 Its cap. is Boise 68 French subway 70 Beethoven’s “Fuer —” 71 Drill sgt., e.g.

72 Sky’s high arch, figu-

ratively 76 Abbr. on a rap sheet 77 “Inferno” author 79 Milo of movies 80 Hector 81 Skated 82 Nuts 84 “Whether — nobler ...”

85 Beatty of movies 87 In-house 89 Start following a trend 93 Acct. amount 96 — Paulo, Brazil 97 Spanish coin 98 Starting from 99 List abbr.

101 Lands in the ocean, to Henri 104 Leave the house 106 Sky twinklers 110 Go by plane 113 Bronze coin in Harry Potter books 115 — chi 116 Stupefy 117 Angel player Della 120 Transverse rail support 123 Courage 126 Track-and-field event 128 Tangles 129 Come next 130 Irish city near Killarney 131 Scares 132 — Park, Colorado 133 Indian lutes DOWN 1 iPad Air, e.g.

2 Cote d’— (country in Afrique)

3 Cocktail bar 4 Flashy hoops shot 5 Latin “Lo!” 6 Tool-holding buildings 7 Lawn lunch 8 Oar wood 9 Sky color, in Cannes 10 Religious branch 11 Rug rats 12 No longer sailing 13 See 73-Down 14 Univ. dorm monitors 15 BYOB part 16 Cast list 17 Froth made by waves 18 Ward of Miss Havisham 19 Pittsburgh footballer 24 Quinn who played Annie 28 Tachometer abbr.

32 Walks laboriously 34 “Who’s there?” response 35 Nary a soul 37 Uptight 38 Animal skin 40 City of Iowa 41 Tit for — 45 Gymnast Comaneci 47 Cherry with the 1989 hit “Buffalo Stance” 49 Number of deadly sins 51 Chastain of soccer 52 Tin Man’s container 53 Coalitions 54 Gives a hand at a card table 55 Mechanical learning 56 Carmen of “That Night in Rio” 57 East Indian lentil stew 62 Scripted lines 63 Inuit or Yupik lan-

guage 64 Benumb 67 Tag team, e.g.

68 Deg. for a painter 69 Female cells 72 Hot planet 73 With 13-Down, it’s risky to skate on 74 Opposite of east, in Spain 75 “By gar!”

78 Trump — Mahal 81 Elevator part 83 Send via PC 85 Stepson in “I, Claudius” 86 Thing read on a Kindle 88 Low cards 90 — sci 91 “O” in a letter, maybe 92 Essence 93 Isn’t naughty 94 Super-insect of 1960s TV 95 City near Anaheim 100 More slothful 102 Means of exit 103 That lady 105 Mothers’ brothers 107 Head Hun 108 Luise of “The Good Earth” 109 Long fights 111 Lavish meal 112 Giggly laugh 114 Wrongful acts, in law 118 Phoenix hoopsters 119 Once, old-style 121 Goa dress 122 Some jazz singing 124 Org. for pucksters 125 Mid grade?

127 Fitting

answers on page 40

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MEDICAL UNABLE TO WORK Due to injury or illness? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc., Social Security Disability Attorneys! FREE Evaluation. Local Attorneys Nationwide 1.800.371.1734 (TX/NM Bar.)] SERIOUSLY INJURED In an Auto Accident? Let us fight for you! We have recovered millions for clients! Call today for a FREE consultation! 855.324.5256

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES HAPPY JACK® XYLECIDE® Is a Fungicidal Shampoo to treat Ringworm & Allergies. For Dogs & Horses. At Tractor Supply, or: fleabeacon.com HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

SERVICES AT&T HIGH SPEED Internet Starting at $40/month. Up to 45 Mbps! Over 99% Reliability!

Bundle AT&T Digital TV or Phone Services & Internet Price Starts at $30/month. Call 1.800.950.1469 SAPA CHANGE THE WAY YOU WATCH TV Get rid of cable and get DIRECTV! You may also qualify to receive $100 VISA gift card when you sign up today- Limited time Only.

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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 40

Recaptured Carolina wren. Bill Hilton Jr. photo

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Birds in the hand he Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History in York, South Carolina, is one of the few year round banding stations in the region.

Bill Hilton Jr., executive director and master bander at the center, has been banding birds at Hilton Pond for 36 years. Every year Hilton posts a summary of the year’s effort in his online weekly newsletter, “This Week at Hilton Pond.”

According to this year’s summary 1,941 birds were banded at Hilton Pond. This is just a little above the 36-year average of 1,858. The individuals represented 65 different species, which is also about average.

Four species, American goldfinch, purple finch, house finch and ruby-throated hummingbird, made up 63 percent of the total birds banded in 2017.

This year’s banding summary plus an overview of banding through the years is available online at www.hiltonpond.org.

Some interesting takeaways from this year’s

T

efforts include a purple finch first banded on March 13, 2009, and recaptured Feb. 20, 2017, making it a tenth-year bird. One song sparrow was recaptured on Nov. 14, 2017 marking the fourth time it had been recaptured since it’s initial banding in 2010, making it an 8th-year bird — the longevity record for song sparrows is 11 years.

Another interesting recapture was a 5thyear hermit thrush first banded on New Year’s Eve in 2013. Hermit thrushes do not nest in the Piedmont so this migrant must have a regular route through the area each year.

Banding provides great insight into the travels and habits of birds. The “furthest flier” record from Hilton Pond goes to a purple finch banded at the Center in February 2004. This bird met its untimely feline demise just two months later in Monastery, Nova Scotia, 1,275 air miles away. Sixty-two of the 121 species banded at Hilton Pond have been recaptured in later years, providing valuable information about longevity and site fidelity.

The mission of Hilton Pond is to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages. The Center is established on an old farmstead and provides environmental education for school groups, college classes, organizations and individuals. Hilton Pond is designated as an

Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society and by BirdLife International. The Center is open by appointment. To find out more about Hilton Pond and/or to schedule a visit please refer to the URL above or visit their site on Facebook.

(Don Hendershot is a naturalist and a writer who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net)

ARS Construction Services Bethel Middle School Cataloochee Valley Tours Lake Logan Conference Center Sheppard Insurance Group Waynesville Middle School Waynesville Properties/Boyd Family Waynesville Rec Center Proben Enterprises Maggie Valley Puzzle Room Balsam Range Cheek Insurance Clean Sweep the Fireplace Shop Daikin Applied Dr. Jennifer Abrahams Freeman Agency General Insurance

Haywood Builders Supply Lee BarnesLand Stewardship Consulting JM Teague Engineering Natural Resources Management and Mapping Patten, Morgan & Clark Insurance

Rendezvous Restaurant Select Homes of Waynesville The Laurel of Ashevill Forest Land Mngt & Mapping Services Love Lane Flower Farm Bill Barker Construction

Smoky Mountain News

Canton Middle School Cataloochee Ranch Elizabeth Chapel UMC Haywood Community Learning Center Master P DJ Pisgah High School Tuscola High School

February 28-March 6, 2018

Haywood Waterways Thanks This Year's Sponsors

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Smoky Mountain News February 28-March 6, 2018