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March 13-19, 2013 Vol. 14 Iss. 41

Cherokee students relish status as first tribe in space

Die is cast for merger of Junaluska, Waynesville

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CONTENTS On the Cover: Western North Carolina becomes a breeding ground for competitive fly fisherman hoping to show off their talents on the world stage. (Page 26)

News Tribal Council postponed action on Cherokee County casino . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Cherokee high schoolers capture stratosphere with weather balloon . . . . . 5 Groundswell of support for Lake Junaluska to join Waynesville . . . . . . . . . 6 Long-awaited homeowner surveys tallied in Lake Junaluska debate . . . . . . 7 Fewer magistrates, more work strains legal system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Cherokee receives Presidential Disaster Designation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Haywood nonprofits struggle without county funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Haywood fairgrounds asks county to bail it out — again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 New hospital CEO listens to residents’ health care concerns . . . . . . . . . . 13 Walmart petitions Sylva to keep same-sized sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Cullowhee riverside development garners interest with caveats . . . . . . . . 15

Opinion Don’t sacrifice First Amendment for sake of the Second. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A&E Nantahala bottles ‘Trail Magic’ with new brew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Outdoors March 13-19, 2013

The Naturalist Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Back Then In the land of water and rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER herokee Tribal Council was asked to green light the construction of a second $110 million casino and hotel near Murphy last week but instead voted to table the issue for further study. The new casino could add about 800 jobs to the area and expand Cherokee’s market reach, according to projections by the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise, which is advocating for the project. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, a massive and lucrative casino and tourist destination resort in Cherokee, is located in downtown Cherokee. The second casino would be about 70 minutes away on a satellite area of the reservation in Cherokee County. Members of the tribal gaming enterprise

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Cherokee Tribal Council mulls over second casino

submitted a resolution to Tribal Council last week, asking for an endorsement and permission to proceed with plans for the second casino. The enterprise board estimated that a second casino would bring in an additional $50.7 million in profits during its first year. But Tribal Council members weren’t ready to endorse the Cherokee County casino, saying there were still too many unanswered questions. “I am not saying I am against this,” said Big Cove Representative Perry Shell, who motioned to table the resolution. “I think it is important that we do get all these questions answered.” The Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise held a series of community meetings the week prior to council, and concerns were raised about taking on more debt as well as the effect a Cherokee County casino would have on tourism in downtown Cherokee. Since attendance was limited at the community meetings, Tribal Council wanted more time to inform enrolled members about the facts and hear feedback. “The perception is we are going to do it

no matter what the people say,” said Bo Taylor, a Big Cove representative. Tribal Council member Diamond Brown initially made a motion to allow planning for the casino to proceed. Although the tribe still owes money toward the Harrah’s Casino and Resort in downtown Cherokee, it has brought in hundreds of millions to the tribe and employs many area residents, he said. “Where would we be today without that casino?” said Brown, a Snowbird representative. But, after it became apparent that most council members supported tabling the matter, Brown withdrew his motion. The council unanimously voted to hold off on further casino planning until a nighttime public meeting is scheduled. More than 12 percent of Cherokee County’s working population is unemployed, making the estimated influx of jobs from the proposed new casino welcome growth, according to its supporters. “There is a lot of support and excitement,” said Larry Kernea, an economic development leader in Cherokee County and general manager of Murphy Electric Power. “This area needs the jobs.” Kernea appeared before Tribal Council last Thursday and updated them on technical aspects of the project, including access to utilities and right-of-way onto the property. According to Kernea, there is water, sewer and electricity just off the land. A road and bridge to get to the property would need to be built, however. Kernea, who is also on the N.C. Board of Transportation, advocated on behalf of the tribe to get the state highway department to build what the tribe needs. Up until last week, N.C. DOT officials had offered a verbal commitment, but the Eastern Band wanted something more concrete. “A road that is paved with intentions is a long road,” Kernea said. So as an assurance, the N.C. DOT wrote the Eastern Band a letter of commitment last week saying if the tribe proceeded with the Cherokee County casino, the state would do the same with the bridge and road. The letter stated that DOT is “committed to fund these roadway access improvements,” meaning state taxpayer money will foot the bill for road and bridge leading to the casino property. In

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t’s 20 degrees outside and Spencer Thomas is standing on a Cherokee soccer field holding a balloon. “Hopefully, everything goes according to plan,” he said. It’s not just any balloon; it’s a weather balloon. Deemed the launched specialist, Thomas is part of Element Advertising, a group that teamed up with Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Cherokee High School to send the balloon into the stratosphere last week, thus becoming the first tribe to conduct such an event. “We’ve never done anything like this before, so hopefully we can get this off the ground and see what happens next,” said Eastern Band’s Principal Chief Michell Hicks. The 1,200-gram meteorological balloon is attached to a payload that includes three high-definition GoPro cameras (with upward, downward and sideward views). The inspiration for the science project was partly due to the sensational sky dive jump

and makes for a beautiful annual report that everyone in the community can see.” The entire contraption weight just under five pounds, which meets Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. It also includes a parachute that must be able to be shredded by a jet engine and a reflector that can notify aircraft of the balloon being within vicinity. “We’ve got a lot of balls up in the air, and it’s taken a lot of things to make this happen,” said Matt Levin, assistant art director for Element. “This really ties into the community theme this year of sovereignty by showing just how strong this community is, how much it’s expanding.” Five students from the high school were chosen as “Cherokee Space Ambassadors.” Gabby Thompson, Tagan Crowe, Bradley Welch, Cecilia Magana and Ryanne Oocumma are all in Nicole Jackson’s 11th/12th grade advanced biology class. In preparation for the event, Element brought the project into the classroom, where the students weighed each part being used and also came up with calculations of when and

Education is a big deal for tribal leadership, having built state-of-the-art, green schools for our youth. It is nice to be able to show them that we take our education seriously, too.”

Cherokee High School launched a weather balloon March 8 with GoPro cameras attached in hopes of capturing the entire Qualla Boundary and curvature of the Earth on film. The balloon was estimated to have reached an altitude of 120,000 feet and was recovered in South Carolina.

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Cherokee becomes first tribe in space Garret K. Woodward photos

involved in the experiment, as it is a learning experience across many subjects that activates critical thinking skills, deduction skills and much more. I’m so proud of these students for embracing the task.” Editors note: Watch a short video of the balloon ascending into the stratosphere is available at YouTube.com, search “Cherokee weather balloon.”

Deemed the “Cherokee Space Ambassadors,” students from the 11th/12th grade advanced biology class were given handmade “flight capes” from Amazing Caps in Asheville and helped launch the balloon. (From left) Gabby Thompson, Ryanne Oocumma, Bradley Welch, Cecilia Magana, teacher Nicole Jackson and Tagan Crowe.

the first place and avoid spending $5.4 million on property that is now tied up in litigation. “That land was available then, and we should have bought it,” said Teri Taylor, an enrolled member from Birdtown. “I am not against a casino in Cherokee County, but we have already spent $5.4 million.” A few years back, the tribe purchased 790 acres near Andrews for a casino complex. However, that land was not originally part of the Qualla Boundary, and so the tribe legally couldn’t build a casino on it. It could be home to parking lots, restaurants and

hotels, but actual gambling operations can only be built on land that was originally part of the reservation at the time of its creation. The tribe’s plan was to acquire a 200-acre tract adjacent to the larger 790-acre tract that was indeed part of original Qualla Boundary and thus could have a casino on it. The tribe met resistance when trying to acquire the critical 200-acre tract that was the lynch pin in the project, even resulting in a civil court suit. Tribal leaders said that the 790-acre tract could still be used at a later date for another project.

— Bradley Welch, Cherokee High School student

some cases, road projects undertaken purely to serve private development can require some sort of cost share. It is unclear whether the road and bridge to the casino would still have to go through the usual permitting and prioritization process for state road projects.

“trust” land that is still considered an original part of the Cherokee Reservation. If the casino project advances, the tribe would purchase the 85 acres to construct the casino and a 300-room hotel on. Palmer had previously offered to sell the Eastern Band his property a few years ago, but the tribe pursued a different tract for a casino closer to Andrews. Now, a portion of that property has been embroiled in a land dispute, and so tribal leaders returned to the tract near Murphy. Some enrolled members questioned why the tribe did not purchase Palmer’s land in

PROPERTY MUSICAL CHAIRS The tribe is eyeing an 85-acre tract owned by an enrolled member, Donald Palmer. Despite being far from Cherokeeproper, it is part of a patchwork of outlying

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where the balloon will land. As of launch time, the balloon was expected to have a 200-mile landing radius. “It was such a cool experiment, and it really represented everything the Eastern Band has accomplished over the past several years,” Welch said. “Education is a big deal for tribal leadership, having built state-ofthe-art, green schools for our youth. It is nice to be able to show them that we take our education seriously, too.” So, at 11 a.m., the balloon was released into the bright blue sky above. Cheers echoed into the nearby mountains as hands were held high in an effort to be seen by the rapidly ascending cameras. “The launch exemplifies the strength of the Eastern Band’s thriving community, and with this exercise, these high school students are taking the tribe’s sovereignty to new heights, literally,” Jackson said. “It’s exciting to see the whole school and community

March 13-19, 2013

of Felix Baumgartner, who successfully launched himself from 128,000 feet in the air as part of a promotion for Red Bull energy drink. Baumgartner had GoPro cameras setup on his suit, which made for an astounding visual experience. “His jump was really innovative, and we’re hoping to be able to capture the curvature of the Earth like he did,” said Christopher Sams, art director for Element. “The camera used to not be up to pace like it is now, and it’s much easier today to be able to do this.” The system has a parachute right under the balloon. When it pops at around 120,000 feet, the parachute will deploy and descend about 15 feet per second. This translates to about a 2.5-hour ascent and about 40 minutes for the return back to Earth. “We’ve heard that we’re the first to do this, which is exciting,” Sams said. “It’s something creative and community-oriented

news March 13-19, 2013 Smoky Mountain News 6

Survey says: Junaluska homeowners weigh in decisively on their future path BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER Murmurs swept through the packed audience of a Lake Junaluska Board of Directors meeting last week when the results of a homeowners’ survey were finally unveiled. For weeks, Lake Junaluska residents had been weighing which option they preferred — to merge with the town of Waynesville, form their own town or continue functioning as a homeowners association. Surveys were sent to all 811 property owners within Lake Junaluska. It wasn’t technically an election, but was highlyanticipated as a reflection of public sentiment on par with the voting booth itself. Surveys were treated with the same integrity as real ballots. They were locked up each night. Results were tallied in a password-protected spreadsheet. And responses were kept with their original return envelope should anyone call for an audit of the results. The response rate for surveys was high, with 492 being sent back in. Statisticians had told Lake Junaluska and polling experts not to get their hopes up — a 25 percent response would be typical for most mail-in surveys. Instead, there was an impressive 60 percent return rate. That’s more than the national voter turnout in last year’s presidential election. “That is far above a valid survey response rate and far, far above what we had dreamed for,” Lake Junaluska CEO Jack Ewing said. “The people who call Lake Junaluska home, whether seasonally or year-round, were interested and responded.” It’s a bit of a bragging right actually. The high response rate reaffirmed the stereotype of the typical Junaluska resident: more engaged, more civic-minded and more vested in community issues than the average citizen. The survey wasn’t structured as an up or down vote. Instead, each option was presented as a stand-alone question. ■ 65 percent of the property owners supported merging with Waynesville. ■ 20 percent supported forming their own town. ■ 20 percent supported staying the same, i.e. paying fees to a homeowners association for services and infrastructure. ■ 11 to 15 percent were undecided on any given choice. One member of the public criticized the style of the survey, however. Property owners were given a sliding scale, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” for each question.

It wasn’t an accurate reflection of which option people truly preferred if forced to pick one above the others. “The survey is not a vote. A sliding scale is not what a ballot is supposed to look like,” said Chris Derek, a Junaluska homeowner who is against merging with Waynesville.

Pursue Incorporation

Tide of support carries Lake Junaluska, Waynesville toward merger BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ake Junaluska homeowners and community leaders spoke out strongly last week in favor of merging with Waynesville, setting the stage for a bill to work its way through the N.C. General Assembly this summer declaring Lake Junaluska part of the town of Waynesville. The 765-home residential community with century-old roots as a summer Methodist retreat has spent the past 10 months studying the question: should it merge with Waynesville or remain on its own?

“I had hoped that with the thorough and transparent process almost everyone would come to a common conclusion,” Ewing said. “While 65 percent of respondents expressing support for one option is very good, I must admit, I was dreaming for unanimity.” Merging the 765-home community with Waynesville is seen as the safe, logical and financially sound course compared to the other two options. On its own, Lake Junaluska doesn’t have the economies of scale or critical mass to provide services and take care of its infrastructure. It would limp along, overextended and unsustainable, according to those in favor of merging.

Three votes by three official boards unfolded over the first week of March. The results of a property owners survey were also unveiled. The verdict in favor of merging with Waynesville was certainly expected. But the results are far more decisive than anyone guessed. The decision was nearly unanimous among the various boards and councils representing facets of Lake Junaluska — from the residential neighborhoods to the conference and retreat center operations. Only one person out of 45 across all three entities voted against merging with Waynesville. A survey taken of homeowners was not as overwhelming, but was definitive nonetheless. Nearly two-thirds of respondents favored merging with Waynesville. It was heartening that the majority of residents arrived at the same decision as the official decision-making bodies, said Jack Ewing, the CEO of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. But likewise, he wishes it could have been more.

Residents should brace for a “financial tsunami” if left to their own devices to pay for an estimated $10 million in infrastructure repairs needed at the Lake, according to Oscar Dowdle, a member of the Junaluska Community Council. Indeed, if money were no object, the outcome might have been quite different, at least for David Baker, also a member of the Junaluska Community Council who voted for the merger. In his heart, he wanted to stay independent, he said. “But then I got the financial projections,” Baker said. “Finances became part of the realism with which I think we are all dealing. I can’t do more. That is something you don’t like to talk about out in public. But that to me is being responsible at this point in the game.” Junaluska property owners would have to shoulder big-ticket repairs to streets, water and sewer lines among a relatively small population under a go-italone course.

Pursue Annexation

Remain Unincorporated

Oppose Support Not Sure But Susan Jenkins, a member of Lake Junaluska’s Board of Directors, defended the survey format. Property owners weren’t pigeonholed into picking just one, but instead could reflect on each choice separately, allowing for a more nuanced suite of responses. “We felt it was very important that we had a sense of how people were feeling over the whole continuum,” Jenkins said. Before the survey was sent out, a committee vetted the wording for signs of embedded bias.

LEFT BEHIND Not all Junaluska homeowners are in agreement. Opponents of a Waynesville merger made an 11th-hour rally in recent weeks, urging the decision to be postponed. They decried the loss of autonomy and an erosion of their identity as likely fallout from a merger. “Here in our 100th anniversary, we need to look back at our heritage and who we have been and who we can be,” said Chris Derrick, a Junaluska homeowner and an attorney. “I think annexation with the town of Waynesville will change everything. Annexation is irreversible. We will be stuck with this decision. It is not like a marriage that you can get a divorce from.” Lake Junaluska was founded a century ago as a summer retreat for the Methodist Church, a place of revival and Christian gatherings. The 1,200-acre campus became a

right decision, I am still turning things over in my mind,” Starnes said. While the debate playing out among neighbors in recent months has been civil and respectful despite the deeply emotional issue, feelings have still been hurt. And those against a merger now feel like they have been left behind. That motivated the Lake Junaluska Board of Directors to call for a formal reconciliation process. One option was to bring in trained mediators or counselors to lead a community-scale healing process. “We need to move forward in a Christian way and find ways to bring about reconciliation,” said Bishop Larry Goodpasture, a member of the board of directors. Some, however, accused the task force and Junaluska leadership of steering the community toward a foregone conclusion. “I think there is the feeling the train is on the track. That has been sort of the perception, that a decision was made long ago and it is just a matter of keeping the train running on the track,” said Starnes. Time was of the essence, however. The merger must be approved by the N.C. General Assembly — but the window to introduce a state bill closes in mid-March. It would not come back around for two more years. That said, it would be wrong to make a hasty decision simply to meet that deadline, agreed Ewing, the CEO of Lake Junaluska

“We should do all in our power to make sure it is the right decision. And it may be the right decision, I am still turning things over in my mind.”

Conference and Retreat Center. “One question that has been asked often is why can’t we wait. We can, we absolutely can,” Ewing said. “The reality is we have choice related to timing.” By the same token, if a merger is the best path and one the community wants to take, it makes sense to pursue it now when the political stars seem to be aligned. There’s a good chance of getting the bill passed by state lawmakers right now. Waynesville town aldermen — another lynchpin in consecrating a merger — are also supportive at present. That may or may not be the case in the future. Some Junaluska residents supporting a merger admitted to an ulterior motive: doing what they thought was best for the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Paul Young, an audience member who spoke up at a Junaluska Community Council meeting, cautioned leaders that there was more at stake than the wishes of property owners. “They have a responsibility to property owners but also the conference and retreat center, and the mission of this place all of us love,” Young said. “Lake Junaluska did not come into being with the mission of serving we property owners. I am for annexation for getting the albatross of 100-year-old infrastructure off our backs so Lake Junaluska can get back to their mission.”

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magnet for affluent families of Methodist preachers who built homes on the grounds — a lineage that still runs deep through Junaluska neighborhoods today. Several speakers pleaded with decisionmaking boards over the past week to slow down and allow for more reflection. Too many people still have emotional reservations, and that could lead to a rift in what has historically been a tight-knit community, said Jack King, a long-time Junaluska resident. “Part of what we are dealing with really is grief, grief that something is dying we have lived with so long. We have got to deal with the anger and hurt and disappointment — and hopes and dreams that maybe won’t occur now,” he said. There were nearly a dozen public meetings leading up to last week’s votes, each with ample time for audience questions. Reams of reports, mounds of studies, piles of transcripts, hours of audio and sundry other documents were online for those interested in following along. But Paul Starnes, an opponent to the merger, said the average residents just haven’t been able to digest all the information at the same pace as the task force or the leadership bodies charged with analyzing the choices. “We should do all in our power to make sure it is the right decision. And it may be the

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March 13-19, 2013

— Paul Starnes

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It would be cheaper to pony up town property taxes and let the town then take care of it. The town of Waynesville would also come out ahead in the long run. It would be a break-even proposition for the town at first as the infrastructure repairs were tackled, but within 10 years, the town would come out ahead — collecting more in taxes than it ultimately cost to provide services to the community.

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State cuts judges to keep legal system ticking BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER tate funding cuts for magistrate judges are taking a toll on rural counties and the judges themselves. Long hours, a growing workload and a shrinking workforce are changing the way this staple position in the state justice system does business. In Macon County, a part-time magistrate that was stationed in Highlands was laid off earlier this year. The change meant Macon County joined the list of about 40 rural North Carolina counties with just three magistrate judges to cover a 24/7 never-ending legal cycle of arrests, marriages, involuntary commitments, domestic violence protection orders and much more. “All rural counties are facing the same problem,” said Ronnie Beale, a Macon county commissioner, who is hoping the legislature will fund the justice system to bring back the lost rural magistrates. While most people are familiar with the judge in the black robe who sits behind a bench, the magistrate is the catch-all, workhorse in the legal system that must see to nearly every served warrant and arrested suspect, in addition to other duties like small claims court, approving search warrants and beginning the involuntarily commitment process. But despite their necessity, since 2010, the number of magistrate judges working in the seven western counties has been reduced from more than 30 to 23. The only county in the district to have more than three is now Haywood. Jackson and Swain counties have been operating short staffed for years now. “And that’s in a system that has been expanding, not contracting, in terms of cases and activity,” said Judge Richard Holt, the Chief District Court Judge for the seven western counties. Holt pointed out that in the late 1970s, Jackson County had four or five magistrate judges. Fast-forward to 2011, with more crime, population and law enforcement, when the county began operating with three magistrates following cuts from the legislature. And even though staff numbers have been reduced, that doesn’t mean magistrate hours can also be reduced. A judge needs to be on call at all times. To compensate, judges are working out of their homes and using video phones to save time on calls instead of showing up in person. Most are working 56 hours per

Smoky Mountain News

March 13-19, 2013

week, while Jackson County magistrates work three 72-hour weeks so they can have one light week to go to the dentist and take care of other regular needs. Without at least four judges per county, it is difficult to find another magistrate to cover in extenuating circumstances. “Vacations, sickness and deaths in the family really make it tough,” Holt said. In Swain County, Magistrate Judge Curt Graham said the county was cut down to three magistrates from four about two years ago. This week, he had a marathon 112-hour shift, a mix of being on call and in the office, to cover for another other magistrate who typically works weekends. Although much of that time can be spent waiting for something to happen, events can happen in a spate,

“They haven’t talked about legalizing certain crimes or stopping prosecuting types of things,” Graham said. “They want everything, but they don’t want to provide personnel to do it.”

MAGISTRATES GO VIRAL One of the key ways local magistrates have been addressing staffing cuts is with video phone technology. It is already being used in two of the seven western counties, and after receiving the necessary approval a few months ago, the program will be expanded into the others. The technology was introduced a few years ago in Jackson County to compensate for staffing reductions that had hit the year

A magistrate’s window at the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office was unmanned this week, a growing trend in rural counties as the state cuts back on magistrate positions.

“And that’s in a system that has been expanding, not contracting in terms of cases and activity.” — Judge Richard Holt, District Court Judge

and there’s no guarantee for sleep. “I was in bed asleep last night and got a call at 10:30 p.m. that someone had been arrested,” Graham said last Wednesday. “I was back home by midnight, and that was actually a slow night. Weekends are the busiest.” Although he acknowledged cuts needed to be made to the state budget, he disagreed that the justice system should take such a hit. Furthermore, he said no alternatives have been implemented which could reduce the load on the criminal justice system.

WNC Republicans holding conventions this spring There will be a two Western North Carolina Republican conventions held in Haywood and Jackson counties. Jackson County Republicans will hold their annual precinct meetings and county convention at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. The agenda includes the electing of 28 delegates and 28 alternates to the 2013 district and state conventions, in

prior, reductions that took Jackson County from five to three magistrates with no coincidental let-up in crime or duties. Albert Reagan, a county magistrate judge, remembered with distaste the long nights before the video telephones were put in place. “I didn’t get an established eight hours of sleep that entire year,” Reagan said. “It was getting pretty frustrating.” The apparatus consist of a small, Skypelike video screen attached to a telephone

addition to selecting the group’s officers for the next two years. Fourteen precinct meetings kickoff the event at 5:30 p.m. prior to the official opening of the convention at 6:30 p.m. Elected officials expected to attend are N.C. Sen. Jim Davis and Jackson County Commissioners Doug Cody, Jack Debnam and Charles Elders. A buffet dinner will be served at the convention opening. 828.743.6491 or 828.743.3057 or www.jacksoncountygop.com or jacksoncountygop@yahoo.com. Haywood County Republicans will hold the annual precinct meetings and county convention at 8:30 a.m.

receiver. The phones are placed in the houses of the local magistrates as well as local detention facilities and law enforcement offices. Because of the success of Jackson County’s test run with the new technology, in the coming months, other counties in the western region of the state could begin seeing the technology. Cherokee County has already started to use them. However, there is a catch. Unless the equipment has the support of cooperating law enforcement agencies, it is useless. It also requires know-how from agents to be able to access the state’s court system database, called N.C. AWARE, and upload files electronically so that a judge on the other end of the connection can view that paperwork. “The telephone will work based on how well people embrace the technology,” Reagan said. If functioning smoothly, they allow magistrates to be shown physical evidence from officers, swear in persons, talk face-to-face with defendants and streamline other tasks. For magistrates — who take every middleof-the-night call from arrests to involuntary commitments — the ability to handle some of those duties from home rather than making the trip into the office is a time-saver, said Reagan. Moreover, magistrates don’t receive reimbursements for mileage like other state employees, so being able to avoid an extra trip to the office reduces the chunk of money that is taken out of their salaries for gasoline and car maintenance. One night last week, Reagan received four calls. For two of them, he could use the video conferencing phone. The video system can reduce the time needed to handle each of those calls by an hour or two. However, one of them, an arrest for driving under the influence, still forced him into the office from 1 a.m. until 4:30 a.m. Those types of calls are still too complex to be handled over a video phone and act as a stark reminder that although the new technology may be helping, it is no substitute for the two magistrates lost, or compensation for the added workload. Reagan said that, in addition to the staffing cuts, all magistrates wages have been frozen for years. “(The video phones) are not the equivalent of five magistrates, where we should be, or supplementing pay,” Reagan said. “But, it’s a tremendous help.”

Saturday, March 23, at the Canton Armory. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., precinct meetings at 9:30 a.m. and the convention starts at 10:30 a.m. Elections for 2013-2015 officers and executive committee are an important part of this year’s convention. Delegates to district and state conventions will also be elected. U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, N.C. Sen. Jim Davis and N.C. Rep. Michele Presnell will be among the speakers. Refreshments will be served. If someone would like to be a 2013 delegate but cannot attend, they can get a letter of intent at www.haywoodncgop.org. 828.506.0939.

March 13-19, 2013

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians became the first tribe in the nation to receive a Presidential Declaration of Disaster for damages to tribal lands from severe rainstorms in January. The designation means that the Eastern Band is eligible for disaster relief assistance from the federal government. Previously, the state acted as a go-between for the tribe and the federal government. “That will make it more efficient,” said Michael Bolch, a federal coordinating officer for FEMA, adding that the tribe could also qualify for funding that it did not in the past. With the declaration, the federal government will pay 75 percent of the cost to repair any damages related to the four-day rainstorm from Jan. 14-17. Damages are estimated at $3 million. “It could be higher than that or it could be lower than that,” Bolch said. A slide on Mt. Noble Road will alone cost about $1.3 million to fix. But repairs mostly consist of debris clean-up and fixing torn up river banks. The January heavy rains submerged Oconaluftee Island Park near downtown Cherokee, for example. Assistance will cover repairs to tribal lands but not individual property. The deal will not include the landslide on U.S. 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which the federal government is already paying for. FEMA will have between 35 and 40 employees on the ground in Cherokee to catalog and survey damages. FEMA will set up mobile operations in the parking lot of a hotel next to the Eastern Band’s Emergency Management Center. At the end of the project once all the expenses are tallied, the Eastern Band will also receive 15 percent of the total cost to spend on mitigating future storm damage.

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Cherokee scores federal storm clean-up assistance

Where is the money? Smoky Mountain News

Swain County Manager Kevin King and County Commissioners Philip Carson, Robert White and David Monteith visited with representatives from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Service and U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan’s office in Washington, D.C. last week. The local leaders asked why Swain County has not received the settlement money that the county was promised. The Swain County leaders also met with U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, concerning debt owed on its new jail construction, why the National Park Service is not doing something about the Historical Hall Cabin and the Historical Calhoun House repair, and why the low water bridge has not been fixed on Hazel Creek. They also took time to voice their opposition to backcountry fees.

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Nonprofits struggle to win back funding BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER t’s been five years since the recession hit, and nonprofits in Haywood County are still struggling to get by after losing their monetary contributions from the county. Before the recession hit, Haywood County gave about $472,000 to nonprofits, among them the Good Samaritan Clinic, the Haywood County Fairgrounds, the Haywood County Arts Council, Folkmoot USA, Kids Advocacy Resource Effort and REACH, a domestic violence agency. However, in 2009, the county pulled the plug on nonprofits that do anything from combating child abuse to provide health care for the poor — mirroring austerity measures enacted by local governments across the nation. Although the economy continues to improve year after year, the Haywood County Board of Commissioners will not likely restore any funding to nonprofits in the coming fiscal year. “I would not envision that occurring,”

said Commission Chairman Mark Swanger. “It is up to the board, but I would not anticipate any changes from the past year. Revenue still has not recovered.” But with the budget process just kicking off, Swanger and other commissioners stated that nothing is a given until the board has a better idea of what the budget will actually look like. Commissioner Bill Upton was not optimistic that the county will see a sudden turnaround, enabling it to restore nonprofit funding. But he said the nonprofits provide valuable services that benefit residents. “If we can help them some to keep them going, we need to do so,” Upton said. “We need to keep our programs going.”

SUPPORTING ALL NONPROFITS News that county leaders may restore partial funding for the fairgrounds (see related story) has prompted other nonprofits to renew their requests with the county as well — but they are not holding their breath.

Smoky Mountain News

March 13-19, 2013

Fairgrounds seeks lifeline from Haywood commissioners, again

Haywood County leaders made sweeping, across-the-board cuts to nonprofits during the height of the recession several years ago, but one nonprofit convinced the county to bail it out — and may soon do so again. Like other nonprofits, the Haywood County Fairgrounds has struggled to make ends meet on its own without the money it previously received from the county. Haywood County used to give the fairgrounds $150,000 annually to chip away at a buildings and grounds master plan and to help cover some basic operational costs. But that funding was cut in 2009. “The fairgrounds, the county was basically their budget,” said Commissioner Kevin Ensley, a member of the fairgrounds board. The loss of county funds and insufficient profits nearly resulted in the fairgrounds defaulting on a bank loan in 2010. The loan was used to build a football field-sized covered arena and a second indoor exhibition hall. To keep it from foreclosure, county leaders agreed to pay $337,000 the nonprofit still owed. But that wasn’t the end of its troubles. The next year, the county spent $400,000 to build restrooms in the covered arena to bring it into compliance with building codes. Otherwise, the fairgrounds would have closed. Now, the fairgrounds is asking for more money — this time to help it sustain its operations. “We can’t continue the way we are going without some type of funding from the county,” Ensley said. No other nonprofits have received such treatment, but county commissioners said that

is because of one big difference. “The county, they own the property,” Commissioner Mike Sorrells said. “I think that trumps the other stuff.” Ensley updated his fellow commissioners on the state of the fairgrounds at a meeting last

“The fact of the matter is receiving funding now is getting tighter and tighter,” said Julie Schroer, director of KARE. To cover the $25,000 funding cut from the county in 2009, the nonprofit that works with abused children has reached out to community members, upped it fund-raising efforts and sought out more grants. “The faith community has really been generous,” Schroer said. Meanwhile, REACH of Haywood County, which offers emergency services to victims of abuse, opened a second thrift store in Hazelwood last year to help bolster its bottom line. Julia Freeman, executive director of REACH in Haywood County, said the additional thrift store has done well so far and helped during a time when county and state funding is still scarce. Freeman remembered the struggle back in 2009 when the county slashed its funding. The nonprofit expected $25,000 from the county that year but only received about $12,500 when county leaders told them not to count on anymore.

“That was particularly difficult that year because it happened during that fiscal year when we expected that money,” Freeman said. The money went toward basic operational expenses like paying the electric bill or salaries. Because most grant monies are dedicated for a specific use, nonprofits have to look elsewhere for funding to keep their doors open. For the last few years, REACH has not even bothered to ask for funding from the county. “We were kind of told, ‘There is no money, so don’t waste your time.’ Although not in those words,” Freeman added. But this year, the nonprofit plans to apply for county help, particularly since the board of commissioners is contemplating allocating money to the fairgrounds. “If they are going to support one nonprofit in our community, they need to support all the nonprofits,” Freeman said. Schroer came on board with KARE just 18 months ago, and so

hasn’t been a very consistent effort.” The fairgrounds board does not have the money to pay someone to actively market the venue for them, to act as a liaison at events and show people around the property. They don’t even have a maintenance man. A volunteer checks on the fairgrounds and does small repair jobs. Ensley said the fairgrounds could eventually be profitable, but the board has not had money to spend on upgrades. Just this year, the sprinkler system has broken twice, a leak developed in the small exhibit hall, and the electronic sign

Another problem is the rental fees — they are too low. After looking at other fairgrounds facilities, the board realized its rates needed to be raised and increased it by 15 percent. “We didn’t really want to go up, but we do know that we need to pay for the expenses and everything,” Ensley said. The board will incrementally increase the rental fees each year until they are on par with other facilities. On the table now is whether the county should own all of the fairgrounds — including the buildings and not just the property they sit on — and hire someone to advertise and book events. If the county owned everything, its facilities maintenance could take over care for the buildings. Commissioners said the fairgrounds is still a worthy investment and offers a public service by bringing different events to the county. “It does advance the quality of life of thousands of our residents,” said Commissioner Mark Swanger. It is also a form of economic development. When the fairgrounds hosts a weekend-long event like the annual dog show or a horse show, people travel to Haywood County, sleep in its hotels and spend money at its establishments, Swanger said. In a similar situation, Maggie Valley has a town-owned and operated festival grounds. The town subsidizes the festival grounds in the name of economic development since the venue brings in events and ultimately tourists and their wallets. But, Swanger will not say yes or no to the proposal until further into the budget planning process this spring. “I think as we go through the budget process we will have to see how it fits into our priorities,” Swanger said. “I am going to be noncommittal until we see the whole picture.” — By Caitlin Bowling

Western Carolina Dog Fancier’s Association hosts a dog show each year at the Haywood County Fairgrounds, attracting people and pets to the region. month. The fairgrounds booked 52 events during the 2012 calendar year, down five from the previous year. So far this year, 43 events are scheduled, and the fairgrounds board expects more rentals to come. But there are still event organizers who have no idea that the fairgrounds exist. “Marketing is an ongoing issue,” said Nancy Davis, treasurer of fairgrounds board. “It just

was vandalized. “Being able to just keep up with repairs and maintenance becomes an issue,” Davis said. “None of that’s cheap.” Without money for improvements, the fairgrounds will keep fighting to stay afloat. “They are still limping along because they don’t have the upgrades yet,” said Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick.

it doesn’t have the money for the salary and benefits. “We had to lose someone we really needed,” Irwin said. The arts council has “an army of volunteers,” however, that have graciously stepped

Ann Woodall helped artist Laurel Tewes hang one of her pieces Monday in preparation for an upcoming show. Caitlin Bowling photo up, Irwin said. Some are even writing grant applications, a job previously done by the executive director. “They have come through unbelievably,” Irwin said. “It’s our volunteers who are keeping us going for sure.”

HARD TIMES FOR ALL Commissioners have already said they don’t want to increase property taxes

— their only true option for bringing in more money. The county also gets a cut of the state sales tax, but the amount varies from year to year depending on consumer spending. Sales tax revenue projections for next year have yet to be issued by the state, but county leaders are not expecting a significant increase. “We are all sitting around waiting for some growth to occur in the economy,” Upton said. “The money is not flowing like it did in the past.” Without a meaningful rise in sales tax and property tax revenue, the county won’t have additional money to spend next year, leaving no room in the budget to restore funding to towns for recreation or nonprofits. “I haven’t heard that this will be the year we are going to do that,” said County Finance Director Julie Davis, citing limited change in revenues for next fiscal year. When preparing a budget, the county must first cover all the obligatory cost increases — like the higher cost of fuel and electricity or employee health insurance rates. Then it decides what nonessentials, if any, it has room for. “The commissioners will make decisions on necessity,” Davis said. “It’s typically easier to cut out the non-required.” However, when it comes to nonprofits, the question of whether something is necessary gets trickier. Nonprofits provide vital public services. Some, such as KARE and REACH, help abused children and domestic violence victims. But the county is not required to give them anything, so nonprofits ended up on

the chopping block during the recession. Nonprofits were by no means alone on that chopping block, however. Funding cuts also took a toll on the school system, the community college, recreation contributions to towns, county employee pay and the number of county staff. From fiscal year 2009 to 2010, the county trimmed $5.4 million from its annual budget. If and when recession-driven budget cuts can be restored depends on whether and when county revenues pick back up, from lagging sales tax to reduced state funding streams. “It’s premature right now because we are not seeing numbers right now, except it’s flat,” said Commissioner Mike Sorrells. “I would like to say we would be able to help, but it’s premature for that.” During the last two fiscal years, the county has reinstated a small portion of its nonprofit funds, however, on a case-bycase basis. This year, Haywood County gave $17,500 to community clubs around the county, which offer food distribution, senior activities and educational opportunities. The county also restored funding to the to the foster grandparent program, which pairs grandparents with a child at need of a nurturing adult figure in their life, to the tune of $16,000. One nonprofit in particular has been singled out by the county to get a sizeable chunk of funding during the past year. The Haywood County Senior Resources Center got $120,000 in funding for the current fiscal year for salaries, operations and programs.

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she did not realize the nonprofit ever received money from the county. She plans to ask for an allocation for this coming fiscal year, even if the chance is slim. Schroer said spreading around what discretionary funding the county does have, rather than selectively restoring funding, would ensure that everyone got at least a little help. “I would rather see some sort of funding across the board for local nonprofits. It’s hard to see one agency get something and others not,” Schroer said. Meanwhile, the Haywood County Arts Council, which previously got $15,000 from the county, has spoken to Waynesville leaders about possibly squeezing the organization into the town’s budget next year. While restored funding for the fairgrounds is justified in part as economic development, a flourishing arts community is also economic development. “If it weren’t for the arts in Haywood County, the tourists aren’t coming,” said Libby Irwin, president of board of Haywood County Arts Council. “We are becoming a destination place for art. Most of the stores on Main Street have something to do with art.” Similar to other nonprofits, the council has searched for new funding to cover what it lost from the county and elsewhere, but it’s still a strain. “We are not nearly as financially stable as we were,” Irwin said. Last year, the executive director of the arts council left, and the board has no plans to replace her anytime soon simply because

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WNC American Revolution group to meet for ‘Who’s was your daddy’s daddy?’ The Silas McDowell Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in Western North Carolina will host its regular monthly meeting at 5:15 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the Broiler Room Restaurant in Franklin. Chapter vice-president Tom Long will present the program “Who was your daddy’s, daddy’s, daddy’s daddy.” Long will be wearing the historically correct uniform of his patriot ancestor during the presentation. Anyone in Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Jackson, Macon or Swain counties with ancestors tied to the American Revolution are encouraged to attend. Monthly meetings are held at the Broiler Room Restaurant on the third Monday of each month. 828.321.3522 or tomeaglenc@aol.com.

Smoky Mountain News

March 13-19, 2013

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Academy immerses civilians in police life Classes at the Waynesville Civilian Police Academy are starting up April 4. The academy provides citizens the chance to understand the various aspects of the police department better and interact with officers. The eight-week course covers topics including operations, uniform patrol, traffic service and investigations. Participants will also get to meet the K-9 officers and take a trip to the firing range. The class is held at 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Thursday in the training room at the Waynesville Police Department. Those interested must be at least 21 and have a background check done. It is free and open to the all county residents. Applications are due March 26 and can be obtained at the records window of the police department or at www.waynesvillepd.com. 828.456.5363.

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The Haywood Regional Medical Center is accepting applications for four positions on the Hospital Authority Board of Commissioners. Two of the positions are to fill new vacancies on the board. Two current members of the board are eligible to reapply for the remaining two positions. Application forms are posted online or can be requested from MedWest-Haywood. Completed applications should be returned to Administration at MedWestHaywood, 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721 or attached to an email to Kim Jackson, Executive Assistant, at kim.jackson@haymed.org. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. March 20. 828.452.8209 or www.medwesthealth.org.

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Things we want you to know: A new 2-yr. agmt. (subject to a pro-rated $150 early termination fee for feature phones, modems and hotspot devices and a $350 early termination fee for Smartphones and tablets) required. Agmt. terms apply as long as you are a cstmr. $30 device act. fee and credit approval may apply. Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies (currently $1.57/line/month); this is not a tax or gvmt. required charge. Add. fees, taxes and terms apply and vary by svc. and eqmt. Bonus: Valid for new customers only who sign up for a family plan or business account of up to 20 lines. At least one Smartphone with applicable data plan is required on account. Smartphone Data Plans start at $20/month. To receive $300 bonus, customer must register for My Account, or if already registered for My Account, log in to My Account within 14 days of activation. Bonus redeemable online only at http://uscellular.rewardpromo.com/familyswitcherbonus. Online redemption form must be submitted by May 1, 2013. Bonus is in the form of a U.S. Cellular MasterCard® Debit Card issued by MetaBank™ pursuant to license from MasterCard International Incorporated. This card does not have cash access and can be used at any merchant location that accepts MasterCard Debit Cards. Card valid through expiration date shown on front of card. Allow 10-12 weeks for processing. Account must remain active and in good standing in order to receive bonus. Offer ends 4/1/13. 4G LTE not available in all areas. See uscellular.com/4G for complete coverage details. 4G LTE service provided through King Street Wireless, a partner of U.S. Cellular. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. See store or uscellular.com for details. Promotional phone subject to change. Applicable Smartphone Data Plans start at $20/month. Application and data network usage charges may apply when accessing applications. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited time offer available in select areas. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ©2013 U.S. Cellular

State representative to update constituents The Swain County Democratic Party will host a meeting for all constituents of the N.C. House of Representatives, District 119 at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Birdtown Community Center on U.S. 19. N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen will attend the meeting and update attendees on legislative news from Raleigh. Bring your questions and concerns. Refreshments will be served. 828.736.3470.

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER he new CEO of MedWest-Haywood is rounding on the county, asking residents about the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past performance and how to improve in the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really want to engage your community,â&#x20AC;? said Janie Sinacore-Jaborg, who came on board with the hospital late last year. Jaborg is proctoring small community input sessions around the county to gauge what the public perceives as MedWestHaywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strengths and weaknesses. Nearly 20 people showed up for one of the many listening sessions last week at the Colonial Theatre Annex in Canton. A few were past hospital employees; others were community leaders and the rest were citizens with a vested interest in the hospital. The meeting started off with a series of multiple-choice questions to collect demographics and general feedback. Questions included: Have you ever visited MedWestHaywood for outpatient services? How would you rate your experience? Would you return? Each session has brought different responses, Jaborg said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every group has had a different demographic, which is good,â&#x20AC;? she said. One of the more telling moments was the hypothetical question: what would keep you from using MedWest-Haywood? The ques-

tion was intended to ferret out the most important issue for patients â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the one thing that would make or break their choice of what hospital to go to. Nearly half said quality of care. Billing problems and reputation ranked second and third, respectively. Another question centered around emer-

MedWest-Haywood CEO Janie SinacoreJaborg talks with a hospital volunteer, a personable style she has become known for. Becky Johnson photo

gency room service. Of those whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been, would they go back? Of the few who had been, most said â&#x20AC;&#x153;no.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I appreciate your candor. This is exactly the information we need,â&#x20AC;? Jaborg said.

After the multiple-choice portion, Jaborg opened the floor for discussion, asking people what problems or jobs they would tackle first if they were CEO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a billing issue. We know that. We are working on it diligently, and we are making great strides,â&#x20AC;? Jaborg said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about the things I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know.â&#x20AC;? One man pointed to MedWestHaywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation in the county and employee turnover. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Find out what their real issues are in the exit interviews,â&#x20AC;? said John Laursen, a former Mission Hospital employee from Waynesville. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the real negativity in the community is coming from former staff members.â&#x20AC;? He added that the hospital could do little things like improve signage and other little customer service things to win Haywood County residents over. Tausha Forney encouraged Jaborg to seek out underserved minorities, people who would not typically come to sessions like that one, at their churches or community centers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people are not comfortable coming to a place like this,â&#x20AC;? Forney said. Partnership with community groups or Haywood Community College could help MedWest-Haywood reach more people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You could mobilize so much quicker than doing it yourself,â&#x20AC;? said Laura

Next week:

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MedWest asks patients: What do you want? Meet Janie Sinacore-Jaborg, the new CEO of MedWest-Haywood, in next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue.

Leatherwood, vice president of student and workforce development at HCC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go it alone.â&#x20AC;? Part of the challenge facing MedWestHaywood is that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget even the little things that irked them about a hospital stay or health care experience years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It still happened to you; you still remember it; and it still bothers you,â&#x20AC;? Jaborg said. To help ensure that administrators at MedWest-Haywood are interacting with patients and that patients have someone to voice their complaints to, Jaborg has instituted administrative rounding. Each day, administrators visit different people in the hospital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Patients know that we know they are here,â&#x20AC;? Jaborg said. Despite complaints about past care and worries about future visits, people at the session agreed that a hospital is needed in Haywood County. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we did not have MedWest, it would not be good, so we have to support it,â&#x20AC;? said CeCe Hipps, executive director of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.

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Sylva First United Methodist Church will host their annual

Brunch with the Bunny Pancake Breakfast & Easter Egg Hunt Saturday March 23, 2013 from 10am 12pm for children ages 0 12 years old.

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BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER almart has asked Sylva leaders for a pass on local sign regulations as it prepares to replace its older signs with a new design and logo. Walmartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing signs are taller and bigger than the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sign guidelines allow. They were put up before the current rules were in place, and thus were grandfathered in. Technically, if the signs are replaced they are supposed to come into compliance with the current rules. But Walmart wants to make its new signs just as tall and just as big as its existing ones that were grandfathered in. The Sylva planning board voted unanimously to deny the Walmart plea for leniency. But the final say rests with the Sylva town board. They delayed a vote until a future meeting, but at least two town board members disagreed with the planning boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation and think Walmart should get the exception. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have had the sign for 17 years,â&#x20AC;? said Town Board Member Chris Matheson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Suddenly because they want to make it look better it needs to be torn down because it does not comply.â&#x20AC;? Matheson said the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sign ordinance needs to be reviewed, in part, because it was written more than a decade ago at a time when the economy was doing better than it is now. The economic climate today should give businesses more flexibility in their sign size to help them attract customers. Sylva Town Board member Harold Hensley agreed that the ordinance may be harming the local economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not one to see us stand by and nitpick a sign,â&#x20AC;? Hensley said. The planning board began reviewing the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1998 sign ordinance last summer but has not yet completed the process. Meanwhile, Town Board Member Lynda Sossamon and the owner of Radio Shack pointed out that other businesses sought similar exemptions of the sign rules and were denied, so why make an exception for Walmart? Walmartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request for a bigger sign in Sylva isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the first to cross the desk of town planners in Western North Carolina. In 2006, Walmart requested, and was granted, permission to erect signs larger than typically allowed in Waynesville â&#x20AC;&#x201D; although Waynesville made Walmart come down significantly from its original request. In 2011, the company applied for and got similar exemptions in Franklin. In both cases, Walmart argued the size of its massive shopping complex justified the larger size. However, Sylva Town Attorney Eric Ridenour said giving breaks to certain businesses and not others may bring the Sylva board into treacherous legal territory. He said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to follow the law put in place

and let it run its course, eventually bringing all the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signs into compliance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No matter what your sign ordinance is everybody is going to want something bigger because it attracts attention,â&#x20AC;? Ridenour said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to know that Walmart is there.â&#x20AC;? Walmartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing sign along the road is about 34-feet tall. But the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current sign regulations would cap it at a maximum of 20 feet. Also, based on eyeball estimates, its sign face appears slightly larger than the allowed 64 square feet.

Walmartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sign in Sylva is taller than the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws allow. In addition to the sign in the parking lot, Walmart wants to change the signs on the wall of the building, including the flagship decal. Walmart wants the primary sign on its facade to be 298 square feet, although the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sign rules only allow a maximum of 96 square feet. It also wants three smaller ones along the face of the building. John Jeleniewski, who works as the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s code enforcer, recommended a compromise to the planning board. He suggested it hold fast on forcing the company to lower its pole sign. But he recommended granting Walmart the exemption for the signs on the face of the building. He said his recommendation, though not heeded by the board, came down to aesthetics in part. A 96-square-foot sign on a 500-foot long building would look out of place and is not the intent of the law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to reduce the eye pollution,â&#x20AC;? said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, to the other extreme, this is a very small sign on a large building â&#x20AC;&#x201D; instead of a very large sign on small building.â&#x20AC;? Walmart representatives did not attend the town meeting and did not respond to requests for comment.

Riverside development proposed in Cullowhee

“Five years ago was probably before the planning board.”

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Smoky Mountain News

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March 13-19, 2013

other public use area. Besides altering the view, Brown said that development that close to the river also raises concerns about pollution, sediment and runoff. The site is now undeveloped and consists largely of pasture and some wooded hillsides. Construction must be set back at least within 30 feet of the river’s edge because of laws protecting designated trout waters, but federal floodway regulations will actually push construction even further back than that, according to County Code Enforcer John Jeleniewski. The project appears to meet county development regulations, including the subdivision ordinance and open space requirements, according to Planning Department Director Gerald Green. There is only one

lations, particularly in the area of open space. A large portion of the 125-acre tract is being set aside as open space and not for development. Known as cluster-style development, houses and condos will be concentrated in certain areas, with the rest the land set aside as open space. The county’s development rules require 20 percent of the tract to be left as open space. Newell’s project far exceeds that. Newell plans to put the steeper slopes in conservation easements, which will help keep steep slope rules from kicking in. He said special catchment ponds will be used to protect the river from sediment and harmful runoff as well. And, although some clearing of vegetation will be done to give riverside homes a view of the Tuck, the construction will be done in earth tones and a rustic motif to mitigate the impact on the viewshed from the river, Newell said. “There is a strong demand and limited riverfront property,” Newell said. “But the idea is to make the houses and structures blend into the landscape — we last time one this big came won’t allow white trim.” The subdivision will have a riverside restaurant and boat — Gerald Green, Planning Department Director ramp, which Newell said will be an asset to river’s recreational sports exception: some proposed roads as that are because paddlers passing by and fisherman narrower than required. The project also working the stream can stop in to use the meets watershed, erosion and flood regulaboat ramp and eat at the restaurant. tions. The county’s steep slope building laws The initial investment in the developdon’t apply to the site. ment will be about $10 million — an investThe site plan does need the approval of ment that will benefit the community of the county’s planning board to proceed. The Cullowhee, Newell said. board will review the plans at its meeting However, Brown said whatever the housthis week, including road access, water and ing sector stands to gain from the developsewer availability, storm runoff systems and ment, the local economy stands to lose more other details. from the impact the project will have on the Green said it had been a while since a local natural resources and outdoor sports project this large was reviewed. Since the that attract visitors to the area. He said fisheconomic downturn, large scale projects ing, paddling and other activities could be have been scarce. adversely affected by the changing land“Five years ago was probably last time scape. one this big came before the planning “There’s a pristine area in there that was board,” Green said. undeveloped,” Brown said. “Now we’ll be Newell said the project is going above dealing with storm water runoff and sediand beyond the county’s development regumentation.”

news

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER large residential development proposed near Western Carolina University could boost Cullowhee’s revitalization movement and cater to the region’s professional crowd seeking an outdoor lifestyle, but its proximity to the Tuckasegee River has also attracted criticism from area environmentalists. The Cullowhee River Club is slated for a 125-acre tract with roughly 1.5 miles of river frontage along the Tuck just south of WCU’s campus. It would have nearly 300 residential units — a mix of condominiums, cottages, town homes and cabins. Their prices will range between $200,000 and $400,000. The comfortable accommodations close to the river and the university will draw retirees and second-home buyers — but also serve pent up housing demand among faculty and staff at WCU. He said many professors who work at WCU, actually live in Haywood and Buncombe counties and commute to work because of a lack of housing options in Jackson County. “I kept hearing there was a real need for faculty and staff housing in a nice new community with amenities near the university,” Newell said. “That just didn’t exist.” He said he has already received numerous phone calls from interested buyers. But, while a project of that scope will undoubtedly attract suitors, it will also change the landscape and river’s edge. The Tuck has been the source of lots of attention: a fly fishing trail, a string of new boat launches and put-ins, master plans for a riverside greenway, and a proposed blueways paddling trail are being leveraged to attract visitors to Jackson County. Now, houses will line about half of the property’s 1.5 miles of river frontage, impacting the experience of fishermen, rafters and kayakers that float the Tuck. Ken Brown, an active member of the Tuckasegee Watershed Association Board and the county’s chapter of the environmental group WNC Alliance, decried the change. “It’s a great loss to the community,” said Brown. “We’re losing something that’s traditionally been a pastured, idyllic setting.” Brown said the property was one of the last large plots of undeveloped low lands along the Tuckasegee and had hoped it would be developed into a county park or

Calling future cops The Southwestern Community College is accepting applications for the May North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy. Upon successful completion of the 744-hour academy, recruits are eligible for certification as a police officer or deputy sheriff throughout the state. Additionally, recruits are eligible to receive 19 credit hours towards a degree in criminal justice. 828.306.7043 or www.southwesterncc.edu.

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Don’t forget First Amendment as we debate the Second

Meadows disappointed his female constituents To the Editor: Attention women of the 11th Congressional District. How many of you know that our Representative, Mark Meadows (R-Cashiers), voted against the Violence Against Women Act? That is a fact you can check on the House website by clicking on the Votes button. He and 137 of his Republican colleagues voted “nay.” When he campaigned on his Christian family values, I did not realize that included tolerating violence against women. I know his defenders will say that Rep. Meadows does not condone violence against women. I am sure that is what his words say, but his words cannot protect me from vio-

they can’t block us from protesting against the very government that we elect. I’ll fight like hell to protect the First Amendment because that will allow me to openly debate the merits of the Second Amendment. Sheriff Keith Lovin in Cherokee County refused the request for the concealed carry permits. The newspaper made the request again, and the sheriff posted the request and his response on the sheriff department’s Facebook page. Lovin, a Democrat, wrote: “There is nothing within the statue that makes the information contained therein a public record. The mere fact that it is information gathered by this office, in and of itself, is not enough,” he contended. He’s wrong. Until a law passes that prohibits this information from being made public, it is public. Period. Even law enforcement, and in my mind parEditor ticularly law enforcement, can’t arbitrarily make decisions about what they consider a public document. In Lovin’s defense, he argued that his refusal was about protecting citizens, and he cited his support of the Second Amendment. In effect, he used the Second Amendment as an excuse to ignore the First Amendment. After it hit Facebook is when things went bad for the newspaper. An avalanche of support for the sheriff showed up on social media, and the Scout rescinded it request. The Washington Post reported that the editor and the staff received death threats. Publisher David Brown and Editor Robert Horne retracted their request for the names of all the county’s concealcarry permit holders. Here’s an excerpt from the statement published in the newspaper on Feb. 21: “We must be vigilant in maintaining the public’s right to know. We cannot give away our rights to access to public records. If we do, soon there will be no way to hold government officials accountable for their actions, which will lead to that dystopian future so many gun advocates dread. That said, this matters is not a priority with the Scout… Our readers have spoken, and we always listen to you. We are retracting our request, and the matter is closed.” As the pressure from readers continued to mount — both with Facebook postings and calls and letters to the newspaper office — the publisher issued another statement the next day, Feb. 22. He apologized for the gun permit request and for upsetting readers. On Feb. 26, Horne, a former Marine who had

Scott McLeod

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” For years I had ascribed those words to Thomas Paine, the fiery British-American writer who fanned the flames of America’s revolutionary spirit with his pamphlet “Common Sense.” A quick search, though, reveals it was penned by a littleknown (to me) British playwright in 1839, though several writers of greater fame danced around that particular wording of the phrase before Edward Bulwer-Lytton found the syntax that helped it gain a level of immortality. The phrase kept coming to mind as the story about the resignation of the Cherokee Scout editor in Murphy played itself out in newspapers and journalism blogs during the last few weeks. For those who haven’t followed this story, you may be surprised to hear that there is a connection — of sorts — between Newtown, Conn., and this small town in Cherokee County just west of here. That connection goes right to the heart of the recent national debate about gun control and the Second Amendment. It also opens up an unusual clash that indirectly pits First Amendment advocates — we in the newspaper business, in particular — against supporters of the Second Amendment. That’s where things get interesting and, in this particular case, fraught with larger implications. Here are the particulars of the story (many of the facts come from a story on the Carolina Public Press website, written by my friend Jon Elliston. You can find his news story at www.carolinapublicpress.org/13853/request-for-gun-permit-info-puts-localnewspaper-in-a-crossfire). The Cherokee Scout newspaper asked its sheriff ’s office for a list of all Cherokee County residents who had concealed-carry gun permits. These permits are issued by the sheriff ’s office in each North Carolina county and, according to state law, the information is public record. Two bills have been introduced in the state General Assembly that would make this information private, but as of now it is public record. I am an advocate for keeping the information public. Who was issued or denied a permit — and why — could be significant. What if a sheriff just arbitrarily denied a permit to someone? Besides, when arguing to keep gun control laws off the books, Second Amendment advocates talk about the need to protect themselves from the tyranny of government. But if you really want to protect yourself from the tyranny of government, don’t block the free flow of information. Don’t let government operate in secret. All of our public records laws emanate from the ideals enshrined in the First Amendment, that government can’t tell us what to write and what to think, that

lence. I need his vote to say that, and he failed the test — he actually voted no. I will also be watching how he votes on the gun violence bills working their way through Congress. I know what his words will say, but who will he be protecting with his votes? Common sense measures supported by 75 percent of voters to protect our children, or ignore voters and protect gun manufacturers’ profits? Jane Harrison Waynesville

Let’s keep politics and religion separate To the Editor: The famous psychologist and author of

served in Desert Storm, resigned as editor. According to an editorial in The Scout on Feb. 19, Horne said publicly he was not going to publish the names of the concealedcarry permit holders. The paper had received information that the sheriff may have been abusing his authority to grant the permits. It wanted to examine who had been granted permits to determine if there was any truth to this allegation. Unlike the newspaper in New York that published the names and addresses of all the conceal-carry permit holders, Horne never had any intention to do so. He was working on another story altogether. This story focuses attention on a bundle of important issues for journalism and our country. Almost as important to me, it’s also a small-town story. As a publisher, editor and business owner in a small Western North Carolina community, I won’t lob one bit of criticism at the publisher and editor for retracting their public records request. Once the lives of employees and their families were threatened, there was no choice. In another situation on a grander scale, I would argue against ever forsaking one’s principles. Not this time. The role of social media is also worth considering. Facebook helped build the firestorm of protest, and it started with the decision by the sheriff to post the records request and his denial on the department’s Facebook page. From there, the debate caught fire and spread rapidly, showing the power of social media and its dangers. Then there is the larger issue of the free flow of information, and there was more than a little irony in the way it was handled in this case. It seems some of those who support the sheriff ’s right to withhold this information and who criticized the newspaper really think it’s OK to ignore some of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment? Would it be safe to assume that most of those supporting the sheriff are also gun rights advocates? Would that also mean that some really think we would be better off with guns in our hands but not be able to access information about how our government is operating? I can promise we would not be better off in that situation. I want the right to argue — openly and freely — about what kind of gun control legislation we should have. That’s what The Cherokee Scout was indirectly supporting by its request, the concept that public information is indeed public. That’s the foundation upon which this country rests. The pen, indeed, is mightier than the sword, just as an idea is more powerful than a gun. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

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. The Art of Loving, ErickFromm, made this thought-provoking statement: “Because of the fact that faith and power are mutually exclusive, all religious and political systems which originally are built on rational faith become corrupt and eventually lose what strength they have, if they rely on power or ally them-

selves with it.” For this reason, we should not teach any single religious belief system in the public schools of America. The teaching could prove to be disastrous to an erstwhile valuable religion. In addition, this remark from Fromm is exactly why Billy Graham should never have joined in on the Mitt Romney campaign (or the Barack Obama campaign, for that matter). That single act has tainted his long-held reputation in the eyes of many people who saw him as being separate and apart from the inherent corruption of politics. Let’s hope the North Carolina Legislature will rethink the idea of honoring him with political accolades. His work should remain religious rather than political if it is to have spiritual significance. Dave Waldrop Webster

My cousin the Keynesian and his mistaken ideas I

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Kenn Jacobine

Firstly, I indicated to him that monetary inflation does lead to price inflation unless perhaps productivity keeps up with increased money supply. Just in the 20th century, one could look to the Weimar Republic and many Latin American countries from time to time. Zimbabwe is the most recent example. In fact, all of history is littered with societies that attempted to inflate their way out of depression and instead brought about hyperinflation. Secondly, I told him that personally I would gain greatly from Kaletsky’s proposal, but that it would harm the economy in the long-run and further destroy an already disappearing middle class. Given many Americans spendthrift mentality, could you imagine what would happen if they received “free” money each month from the government? First off, Uncle Sam would never be able to rescind the policy. It would be like trying to cut Social Security benefits. Beyond that, there is no doubt that, unlike the banks, leveraged to the hilt American consumers would spend all of their newfound riches on a plethora of consumer goods. The economy would experience another phony boom based on monetary inflation. Employment would improve for a while. The new money would bid up the price of goods and services thereby causing domestic price inflation. Personally, my real estate investments would increase in value, allowing me to sell them to some economically naïve person with free government money in his pockets. The value of my gold holdings would increase exponentially. I would be sitting pretty, protected from the impending economic bust that was made inevitable by the phony inflationary boom. As prices rise, so would interest rates. All the investments begun at lower interest rates would become more expensive. Many would not be sustainable at the higher cost of money. Sound familiar? It should, because this is what happen in the 1990s with the dot.com bubble and what also happened in the 2000s with the housing bubble. As defaults on loans increase, unemployment picks up and the market is thrust into another downturn. I am sure at that point Giovanni and other Keynesians will blame the free market. But, of course, the only thing that was free in all this was the money the Fed gave to consumers. Predictably, his response to my response was that I am living in a fantasy world. Unfortunately, he is wrong. The devastation that millions of hard-working Americans would experience if the above plan is enacted wouldn’t be a fantasy. It would be a tragedy. (Kenn Jacobine teaches internationally and maintains a summer residence in Haywood County. He can be reached at lovesliberty@gmail.com.

March 13-19, 2013

have this cousin, let’s call him Giovanni. He is a great guy – industrious, hospitable, great family man. He is my go to source when it comes to information and analysis about sports in general and baseball in particular. It is an entirely different story when it comes to economics. Oh, he is financially successful, but like most Americans he doesn’t understand how the market works. Now, I am not talking about the “free” market, just Guest Columnist the market, which exists everywhere and in every place. The market is the arena of commerce, and whether it is free or not depends on government allowances in the various geographic areas of the world. So, technology has made it possible for Giovanni and me to rekindle our familial relationship that was forged many years ago through the trading of Matchbox cars. Well, actually, he is so much older than I am that he made and brought them to me when his family visited ours. I told you he was a great guy. He is also good at chasing me through cyberspace by email, facebook, and on open threads of sites where I post my blog to argue economics with me. Last Friday, he emailed me an article titled “A Breakthrough Speech on Monetary Policy.” The author, Anatole Kaletsky, is an award-winning journalist. The “Breakthrough Speech” in question was delivered by Adair Turner, Chairman of Britain’s Financial Services Authority and one of the most influential financial policymakers on the planet. Clearly both men are dyed-in-the-wool )Keynesians because Turner’s speech and Kaletsky’s article both recommended that politicians and central bankers print up lots of money and dole it out to consumers in order to stimulate the economy to end the economic stagnation that the West currently finds itself in. Specifically, Kaletsky believes the Fed should take the $85 billion it is currently spending to buy government bonds from banks and instead distribute it to every man, woman, and child in America. He believes, “There can be little doubt that this deluge of free money would stimulate consumer spending and revive employment,” thus ending the West’s economic doldrums. Further, Kaletsky believes this proposal would not cause price inflation because “links between monetary financing and hyperinflation are theoretically dubious and historically unjustified.” So, after digesting this economically nonsensical article, I owed Giovanni a response.

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tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 AMMONS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT & DAIRY BAR 1451 Dellwwod Rd., Waynesville. 828.926.0734. Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating over 25 years. Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert. The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. ANTHONY WAYNE’S 37 Church St, Waynesville. 828.456.6789. Open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; open for dinner Thursday-Saturday 5 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exceptional, new-American cuisine, offering several gluten free items. BLUE RIDGE BBQ COMPANY 180 N. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.7524. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. TuesdayThursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Blue Ridge BBQ is a family owned and operated restaurant. The BBQ is slow hardwood smoked, marinated in its own juices, and seasoned with mountain recipes. All menu items made from scratch daily. Featuring homemade cornbread salad, fresh collard greens, or cornbread and milk at your request. Old-fashioned homemade banana pudding and fruit cobbler of the season. Catering, take-out, eat-in. blueridgebbq@gmail.com. BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available. BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m. Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank. HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837. Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy fresh local products, created daily. Join us in our beautiful patio garden. We are your

local neighborhood host for special events: business party’s, luncheons, weddings, showers and more. Private parties & catering are available 7 days a week by reservation only. BRYSON CITY BAKERY AND PASTRY SHOPPE 191 Everett St., Bryson City. 828.488.5390 Offering a full line of fresh baked goods like Grandma used to make. Large variety to choose from including cakes, pies, donuts, breads, cinn-buns and much more. Also serving Hershey Ice Cream. Open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Join us for cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting) and family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Our bountiful family-style meals include prime rib, baked ham, and herb-baked chicken; cookouts feature steaks, ribs, chicken and pork chops, to name a few. Every dinner is complemented with an assortment of seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts, and we offer a fine selection of wine and beer. Breakfast is also served daily from 8 to 9:30 a.m., and lunch from 12 to 2 p.m. Please call for reservations. 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. CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881. Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join us in our historic location for scratch made soups and daily specials. Breakfast is made to order daily: Gourmet cheddar & scallion biscuits served with bacon, sausage and eggs; smoked salmon bagel plate; quiche and fresh fruit parfait. We bake a wide variety of breads daily, specializing in traditional french breads. All of our breads are hand shaped. Lunch: Fresh salads, panni sandwiches. Enjoy outdoor dinning on the deck. Private room available for meetings. CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva. 828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more. Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com. CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.7179. Reservations recommended. 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green prepares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT 3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley. 828.926.1820 Open Daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service. FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA 1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley. 828.926.6216 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-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 FRYDAY’S & SUNDAES 24 & 26 Fry St., Bryson City (Next To The Train Depot). 828.488.5379. Winter hours: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thur & Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fri & Sat. Fryday’s is known for its Traditional English Beer Battered Fish & Chips, but also has burgers, deep fried dogs, gyro, shrimp, bangers, Chip Butty, chicken, sandwiches & a great kids menu. Price friendly, $3-$10, Everything available to go or call ahead takeout. Sundaes has 24 rotating flavors of Hershey's Ice Cream making them into floats, splits, sundaes, shakes. Private seating inside & out for both locations right across from the train station & pet friendly. FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Mondays. 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. Come for the restaurant’s 4 @ 4 when you can choose a center and three sides at special prices. Offered Wed- Fri. from 4 to 6. frogsleappublichouse.org. 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. J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817. Lunch Sunday noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner nightly starting at 4:30 p.m. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated. JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

tasteTHEmountains MAD BATTER BAKERY & CAFÉ Located on the WCU Campus in Cullowhee. 828.293.3096. Open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Earth-friendly foods at people-friendly prices. Daily specials, wraps, salads, pastries, breads, soups and more. Unique fare, friendly service, casual atmosphere and wireless Internet. Organic ingredients, local produce, gourmet fair trade and organic coffees.

beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoor, outside on the patio or at the bar. Reservations appreciated.

MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB 1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 828.926.0201 Bar open Monday thru Saturday; dining room open Tuesday thru Saturday at 5 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials.

MILL & MAIN 462 W. Main St., Sylva. 828.586.6799. Serving lunch and dinner. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Pizza, pasta, outstanding homemade desserts, plus full lunch and dinner menus. All ABC permits. MOONSHINE GRILL 2550 Soco Road, Maggie Valley loacted in the Smoky Falls Lodge. 828.926.7440. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Cooking up mouth-watering, woodfired Angus steaks, prime rib and scrumptious fresh seafood dishes. The wood-fired grill gives amazing flavor to every meal that comes off of it. Enjoy creative dishes made using moonshine. Stop by and simmer for a while and soak up the atmosphere. The best kept secret in Maggie Valley. themoonshinegrill.com

NEWFOUND LODGE RESTAURANT 1303 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee (Located on 441 North at entrance to GSMNP). 828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily. Established in 1946 and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Family style dining for adults and children.

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and

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 and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays. Dine in or take out available. Located across from the Fire Station.

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THE WINE BAR 20 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground cellar for wine and beer, served by the glass all day. Cheese and tapas served Wednesday through Saturday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. or later. info@classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter. VILLAGE GREEN CAFE 389 Walnut Street, Walnut Village Plaza, Waynesville. 828.550.9489. Open Monday thru Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A fun, casual lunch spot offering fresh made salads, sandwiches, panini, and soups. All meats are allnatural and we support local growers when produce is available. Free delivery in the Waynesville area and call-in orders welcome. villagegreencafe.com. Like on Facebook to view daily specials and promos.

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TAP ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Dr. Waynesville 828.456.5988. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Enjoy soups, sandwiches, salads and hearty appetizers along with a full bar menu in our casual, smoke-free neighborhood grill. THE TIKI HOUSE SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR 2723 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. 828.944.0445. Fresh seafood made to order. Oysters raw, steamed, or fried. Handcut steaks. Live music, cocktails, petfriendly patio dining with a nice fountain. Friday patio music starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday night after dinner. Live bands and a dance floor.

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Smoky Mountain News

OLD STONE INN 109 Dolan Road, off Love Lane. 828.456.3333. Classic fireside dining in an historic mountain lodge with cozy, intimate bar. Dinner served nightly except Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Signature dinner choices include our 8oz. filet of beef in a brandied peppercorn sauce and a garlic and herb crusted lamb rack. Carefully selected fine wines and beers plus full bar available. Open year round. Call for reservations.

SOUL INFUSION TEA HOUSE & BISTRO 628 E. Main St. (between Sylva Tire & UPS). 828.586.1717. Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon -until. Scrumptious, natural, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. 60+ teas served hot or cold, black, chai, herbal. Seasonal and rotating draft beers, good selection of wine. Home-Grown Music Network Venue with live music most weekends. Pet friendly and kid ready.

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March 13-19, 2013

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.

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Smoky Mountain News

Magic in a Bottle BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

If you build it, they will come. If you brew it, they will come and party. Celebrating the fourth release in their “Trail Magic Ale” series, Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City will host a weekend of music and craft beer on March 22-23. The festivities are all in an effort to showcase the adventurous spirit of Southern Appalachia and the mystical ways of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the heart of Western North Carolina. “It’s a huge party, and we never expected it to be that way,” said brewery co-owner Joe Rowland. Started last year as a way to incorporate the ideals of the brewery with the ambition and diverse charac-

ter of people hiking the entire A.T., the releases (three a year) have garnered quite a following of beer connoisseurs and nature wanderers. The first release is timed to coincide with the waves of thru-hikers — a hundred or more a day at their peak — passing through the region in late March en route from Georgia to Maine on the footpath. The events focus on the idea of “trail magic” — a random act of kindness that occurs on the trail, whether it’s providing food to a hungry thruhiker or inviting them into your home for a shower and real bed. “That whole concept of doing something totally random, an act of kindness we can tie to the A.T., just fit

Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City will be hosting their “Trail Magic Ale” release party on March 22-23. Donated photo

Want to go? The “Trail Magic Ale No. 4 Release” will take place at 6 p.m. on March 22 and noon on March 23 at the Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City. The festivities include music and the brewery’s newest creation, a Russian Imperial Stout. Music acts include Liz & AJ Nance and The Freight Hoppers, with other groups to be announced. Attendees are allowed to bring their own food (grills are provided outside). As well, if you have a limited or rare homebrew/beer to offer for sampling at the brewery, feel free to bring it. There is no cover charge for the event. All patrons must be 21 years or older. 828.488.2337 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

“Right now, there are people on the trail that have no idea they will be selected. They’re going to be picked off the trail, have a cabin setup, the whole nine yards. It’s pretty cool.” — Joe Rowland, Nantahala Brewing Company co-owner

us,” Rowland said. “So, we came up with the series, which coincides with the launch time, midway point and end of hike.” The vision for the releases came from Rowland and others at the brewery occasionally setting up shop on the trail. They would grill out for the day and provide anyone passing by with a hamburger or drink. It became something that really inspired Rowland and opened his eyes to the vastness and wide array of humanity moving along the sacred route. “People who go out and hike this trail, it’s just amazing to see the variety out there and why they’re doing it,” he said. With the trek averaging around six months to complete, the brewery kicks off the first release in late March, which is typically when hikers start to trickle through the area. The other two are scheduled to take place on June 7-8 and Oct. 11-12. Rowland said there are a handful of requirements for the beer, including that it has to be high gravity (stronger alcohol content by volume) and must contain some sort of local ingredients. The benefits of a high gravity concoction is that is ages better, meaning a year from now it will taste as fresh as it did the day it was tapped. This first release of 2013 will be a Russian Imperial Stout. It was made with local sorghum (the ingredient used in molasses) and wildflower honey, and has been aging in used Maker’s Mark bourbon barrels. “We don’t replicate any styles that we make [for the releases]” he said. “The possibilities are endless when you’re making a product like that.” Of the revenue brought in, Nantahala has partnered up with the Friends of the Smokies and the A.T. Conservancy, two groups that work to protect and maintain the trail — whether it’s the trail bed itself, the landscape it passes through or the intangible trail experience. One of the programs they support are the “ridge runners,” a vital team that spends days at a time traversing legs of the trail aiding thru-hikers. While ridge runners are found the length of the trail, they are all the more critical in the rugged and secluded section running through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where the distance between trailheads or nearby towns make hopping off to get help impossible. Ridge runners not only help educate thru-hikers but also provide them with any weather reports, supplies, medical attention or miscellaneous needs they may have while in our backyard. “This is one of the most popular

sections of the trail,” Rowland said. “And these ridge runners make sure hikers are good to go. It can be extremely remote out there, and you probably won’t have contact with anybody else except other hikers.”

TRAIL MAGIC: THE REAL STUFF But, the cherry on top is the biggest surprise of the weekend. As soon as the event begins, the brewery sends a vehicle down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center where the A.T. passes through. With the help of friends who work at the NOC, a few people are randomly selected off the trail and invited to partake in the festivities up in Bryson City. “Right now, there are people on the trail that have no idea they will be selected,” Rowland chuckled. “They’re going to be picked off the trail, have a cabin setup, the whole nine yards. It’s pretty cool.” These folks are chosen based on their humility and intent for doing the trail. Once at the brewery, they are crowned the kings and queens of the release party. From there, they are whisked away to the nearby Watershed Cabins, where they can rest and relax in some of the finest accommodations around — free of charge. “we aim for more of an older crowd, so that they won’t damage such a nice place,” Rowland said. “And we want to choose people that are serious about doing the trail.” In 2012, the brewery selected three hikers with stories as unique and astounding as the quest itself. Two were a couple that had met on the trail the previous year. She was a Type-1 diabetic (one of the first with the syndrome to complete the trail). He was a veteran and Purple Heart recipient who had lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash. They fell in love on their initial trek and decided to celebrate their engagement by doing the journey again. The third person picked up was a renowned female hiker named Yogi, who rose to wilderness fame with her cherished trail guides she wrote about the Pacific Coast Trail. And yet, for Rowland all of these people, places and things are part of the rich philosophy of why he and his comrades decided to set deep roots in Western North Carolina and create fine craft beer. “If you make a good product, people will come and find it,” he said. “Bryson City is one of the last little outposts where you can be this close to a giant wilderness area and still be able to go out there and explore it. You can’t get that anywhere else.”

A “Rawmazing Potluck Dinner” will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall in Franklin. Spring is here in attitude if not in temperature, so the monthly gathering will return to its standard raw food potluck dinner this month. Hunt for an interesting recipe on the Internet and discover the wonders of hot soup and raw food. All are welcome to bring a covered dish as raw as you want it to be. 828.524.6777.

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arts & entertainment

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Smoky Mountain News

Artists, crafters and demonstrators are being sought by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce for the 25th annual Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival on Oct. 19 in downtown Waynesville. The one-day festival is a premier arts and crafts event and celebration of all things apple. In addition, the festival includes food vendors of all types, educational and information booths, authentic mountain music and dance groups and a children’s fun area. Attendance at the Apple Harvest Festival is estimated at 40,000. The deadline for applications is Aug. 30. The festival is presented by the Greater Haywood Chamber of Commerce, Haywood County Extension Service and Haywood County Apple Growers. www.haywoodapplefest.com or 828.456.3021.

March 13-19, 2013

Artists, crafters sought for apple festival

Add to your holiday decorations with a glass Easter egg made yourself during a workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. With the assistance of local glass artist Aaron Shufelt, participants will work with molten glass to create a colorful Easter egg. The process takes about 30 minutes. No experience necessary. Ages 13-17 may also participate with parent present. Dress in cotton clothing (no polyester). Wear closed shoes and long pants. Artwork will be available for pickup 48 hours after class. There are 30-minute time slot classes available. Walk-ins are welcome. Cost is $30 per person. 828.631.0271 or www.JCGEP.org.

March 13-19, 2013

Learn to make an old-fashioned basket A basket-weaving class will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 23, in the Macon County Cooperative Extension Building in Franklin. Master weaver Joanne Nolen will teach participants how to make a medium-size egg basket, woven from narrow reed with a stationary handle and “fanny” bottom. It is sponsored by the Arts Council of Macon County. No prior experience is needed. $35 fee covers materials and instruction. Register by March 18 with the arts council at arts4all@dnet.net. This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. 828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

Mural artist evokes inspiration on a grand scale Mural artist Dustin Spagnola will speak about his art and public works at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Topics will range from Spagnola’s personal aesthetic to the communities in which he creates public murals and how the two intersect. His work has transitioned from recreating deteriorating buildings and walls to portraits of important figures in AfricanAmerican history, such as Malcolm X, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth and John Coltrane. His visit to Western Carolina University is supported by the School of Art and Design. The event is free and open to the public. 828.227.7210.

Abstract landscape painter featured in Sylva

The art exhibit “A Different View” will run from March 15 through April 9 in the Rotunda Gallery at the Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva, featuring recent paintings of Artist Dave Berry. An artist reception will be held from 5 to 7 “Chans Field,” a recent work by painter Dave p.m. on March 15. Berry, is one of the pieces that will be featured at Berry’s work pushes the boundaries of trathe Jackson County Courthouse Rotunda gallery. ditional “landscape” renderings, especially in the Western North Carolina mountains. The show exhibits a range of work from the size of a shoebox to others that are quite expansive in scale and size. The title of each landscape is taken from Jackson County and reflect Berry’s sensibility of the surrounding area: its majestic aura. Other paintings in the exhibit demonstrate Berry’s interpretation of inner logic and sense of spatial elements. The exhibit is presented by the Jackson County Arts Council. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

Smoky Mountain News

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Artist Justin Spagnola will visit Western Carolina University on March 19. He was given permission to create the image of Gandhi on an empty billboard in West Asheville.

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Want to make a glass Easter egg?

Haywood Arts Regional Theater will stage the drama “Purgatorio” at 7:30 p.m. March 15 and 16 and 3 p.m. March 17 in Waynesville. “Purgatorio” takes its inspiration from the classical figures of Jason and Media and is set in the afterlife. Two characters, a man and a woman, must face an inquisitor who forces them to address the crimes of their lives before they can move on. The question posed, “What is the worst thing a man can do to a woman?” and “What is the worst thing a woman can do to a man?” These characters are guilty of those crimes. The play is written by Ariel Dorfman, a Chilean novelist and playwright. It’s the final show in the theater’s winter studio performance series. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students. 828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.

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Show(s) subject to change or cancellation. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter casino ﬂoor and to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. ©2013, Caesars License Company, LLC.

TI ID O N C K AY S E T ,M A S AR L E CH 15

There will be an American Sign Language course offered from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays from March 14 through April 4 at Southwestern Community College’s Macon campus. At first, American Sign Language will be introduced. Students will be exposed to basic language through: introductions, basic colors, family and more. It is primarily survival level skills. The course will also cover expressive and receptive skills while minimal simple conversational signing skills are emphasized through interactive exercises. This class is taught exclusively in ASL without voice. $35 per person. 828.339.4426.

ALICIA KEYS W E DNE SDAY, M A R C H 2 7, 2 0 13

A two-day workshop entitled “A New Paradigm in Women’s Leadership” will be held March 22-23 at the Loft at Harvest Moon Gardens in Sylva. The two-day workshop will focus on helping women fulfill their greatest dreams while using their own skills and power. It will be led by Sylva social worker, business owner and community activist Marsha Crites. Women are discovering that the lessons of leadership learned at the feet of male mentors in recent decades have, in many cases, not been such a great fit, according to Crites. Rates are $150 per person, with a discount given for groups of three or more. To register go to

www.leadlikeawoman.eventbrite.com. marsha@harvestmoongardens.net.

SET THE WORLD ON FIRE TOUR

Smoky Mountain News

Workshop to focus on the modern state, power of women

A GUARANTEED GRE AT NIGHT OUT

March 13-19, 2013

HART presents battle of the sexes drama

TI ID O N C K AY S E T ,M A S AR L E CH 15

“Go, Granny D!” will be performed at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 21, at the Haywood Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. Featuring actress Barbara Bates Smith and musician Jeff Sebens, the production is about the story of Doris “Granny D” Haddock, who became a national heroine with her famous walk in 2000. She was given considerable credit for the passage of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. A 90-years-old, Haddock walked across the U.S. for election reform, touting, “You’re never too old to raise a little hell!” At 92, she registered South Miami voters and, at 94, won her debate against incumbent Judd Gregg in a run for the Senate. The event is free and open to the public. 828.452.2370.

Former Hootie and the Blowfish singer and country sensation Darius Rucker will be performing at 9 p.m. Friday, March 22, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center. Rucker is gearing up for the summer release of his third solo country album, “True Believers,” which features collaborations with Sheryl Crow and Lady Antebellum, and includes his latest single, “Wagon Wheel.” “Learn To Live,” country music’s 2008 introduction to Rucker, produced three consecutive No. 1 singles with “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “Alright,” and “It Won’t Be Like Country singer Darius Rucker. This For Long.” www.dariusrucker.com. Tickets for the Darius Rucker show are available at www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

Actress Barbara Bates Smith will be performing “Go, Granny D!” in Waynesville on March 21.

Darius Rucker hits the stage at Harrah’s arts & entertainment

Barbara Bates Smith does free performance of ‘Go, Granny D!’

DWIGHT YOAKAM F R IDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

arts & entertainment

WNC’s ‘Largest Indoor Yard Sale’ comes to Jackson County Western North Carolina’s Largest Indoor Yard Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23, in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University. There will be 100 booths selling arts, crafts and furniture. It is the 23rd year of the event, which is put on as a fundraiser by the Jackson County Arts Council. Vendors are welcome. The cost is $35 for one space and $30 for two or more. Each space comes with one table and two chairs. The event is free and open to the public. www.jacksoncountyarts.org or 828.354.0253.

on display at the museum through mid-May. Two regional cartoon artists — Brent Brown and David Cohen — will join in the discussion with Chris Cooper, associate professor and head of WCU’s Department of Political Science and Public Affairs. Brown specializes in caricatures, cartoons and graphic design, and for several years has produced a comic strip for the Mountain Xpress newspaper. Cohen is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose work has been seen on CD covers, newspapers and in magazines. 828.227.7129.

‘Beethoven Project’ to wrap up at WCU The final installment of the “Beethoven Project” will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University. Launched in fall 2012, the “Beethoven Project” is a series of five concerts featuring all 10 Beethoven violin sonatas. Performed by Bradley Martin, WCU associate professor of piano, along with violinist Justin Bruns, the

assistant concertmaster from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, each concert features two Beethoven sonatas plus significant works for violin and piano from the 20th century. During the March 18 program, Beethoven Sonatas Nos. 5 and 10 and “5 Melodies” by Sergei Prokofiev will be featured. The concert is free and open to the public. martinb@wcu.edu or 828.227.3726.

Concert of German Romantic works The Western Carolina University School of Music presents guest artists Allan Ware, clarinet, and Wolfgang Mechsner, piano, in a performance at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University. This clarinet-piano duo, based in Germany, returns to WCU with a program titled “From the Heart of the German Romantics.” The program will include music by Norbert Burgmüller, Marie Elisabeth von Sachsen-Meiningen and Carl Maria von Weber. Ware, a native of Raleigh, has lived in Germany for many years and is associate professor of clarinet and chamber music at the conservatory in Osnabrück. Mechsner is equally at home playing classical chamber music and jazz and serves as professor of piano at the conservatory in Vechta, Germany. The concert is free and open to the public. thompson@wcu.edu or 828.227.3956.

Panel discusses Southern identity in cartoons Stereotypes and Southern identity in cartoons and comic strips will be the focus of a panel discussion at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Featuring a WCU political scientist and two working cartoonists, the discussion will be held in conjunction with the exhibit “Comic Stripped: A Revealing Look at Southern Stereotypes in Cartoons,” which is

March 13-19, 2013

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Michael Waters Pipe major from Highlands, NC Bag Pipe Band. Live Music with the Scott Baker Experience @ 8pm

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

Lorca, Neruda and the beautiful game BY TED OLSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER ew Native Press, a small independent book publisher based in Tuckasegee in Jackson County, recently issued a book offering new translations of poems composed by the internationally recognized Spanish-language poets Federico Garcia Lorca and Pablo Neruda. Both of those poets have long been familiar figures to serious fans of poetry, with all of Lorca’s and most of Neruda’s work translated into English during the past half-century by various translators. That being said, this new book — featuring 18 Lorca poems and 26 Neruda poems translated by Asheville-based poet Caleb Beissert — is welcome because it possesses an admirable unity of theme and mood, and that unity is reflected in the book’s title, which is Beautiful. Indeed, the Lorca and Neruda poems selected for translation by Beissert — and the resulting translations of those poems — are all, in one way or another, beautiful. The book does not employ that sadly overused word superficially or sentimentally; rather, Beissert is interested in better understanding the true nature of beauty, and this quest constitutes the book’s underlying motivation — to understand and celebrate the beautiful game of poetry as practiced by two masters whose works took shape within the Spanish language yet which have universal meaning. Beissert’s book, though somewhat slim at 80 pages, has large, noble intentions, which is forecast in the book’s profound epigraph from Albert Camus: “Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should stretch out over the whole of time.” Even though they grew up in disparate sections of the Spanish-speaking world (Lorca in Spain, Neruda in Chile) and though their poetry was markedly different (as Beissert explains in his introduction), the two poets knew one another and were near contempo-

raries (Neruda, of course, lived 35 years longer, given the execution of Lorca by Francisco Franco’s army during the Spanish Civil War); both poets in their poetry celebrated their nation (Lorca in fact spoke primarily

The 44 original poems by Lorca and Neruda included in Beautiful (some of the poems being well known in the U.S. through previous translations by various translators, other poems being overlooked gems from those poets’ canons) bear the extraordinary philosophical heft and stylistic grace long associated with these two poets. Generally speaking, Beissert’s translations embody the spirit of the original poems without being bound by the constraints of literal translation. (Potential readers should note that, while the book does not provide the Spanish-language texts of the 44 poems, Beissert’s translations are faithful to the originals.) Beautiful includes a lucid, reflective introductory essay in which Beissert conveys his thoughts about the process and practice of translating poems. Longtime readers of modern world poetry who discover this book will already know something about Lorca and Neruda, yet those relatively unfamiliar with the two poets might yearn for more biographical information and historical context than is provided therein. Both poets led fascinating lives, and yet the book does not direct people excited by these poems to other informational sources offering additional perspectives about the poets (it Beautiful poems by Federico Garcia Lorca and Pablo Neruda wouldn’t have detracted from its translated by Caleb Beissert. New Native Press, 2013. aesthetic integrity, for example, had the book included a short for a region in Spain, Andalucia) and both bibliography mentioning, for instance, such were heavily influenced by literary modpublications as Ian Gibson’s acclaimed biogernism. Beissert succeeds in this grafting of raphy of Lorca and Adam Feinstein’s useful two separate canons because he understands biography of Neruda). these poets, their worldviews, and their stylisYet, by showcasing resonant images of oritic intentions. ental visual art on its front and back covers,

Medical mystery author to speak in Waynesville There will be a reading and book signing of Sapphire Eyes with local writer Rebekah Honeycutt at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Honeycutt has many titles — mother, paramedic and student — but has recently acquired a new label: author. Her first book, Sapphire Eyes: The Secret Society of Magical Medics, takes readers on a journey through the world of emergency medical services, while adding a twist of mystical finesse. Kyelena, the main character, is a single-mother and EMT who receives an invitation she can’t ignore. She and her best friend, Layla, are inducted into a male-dominated secret society comprised of medics throughout the globe. By accepting their offer, she unknow-

ingly creates a war within the new world she has come to love. Honeycutt began her career in emergency services as a volunteer firefighter and then worked her way through college to obtain the credentials of a paramedic. She is now working on a degree in American Sign Language, in hopes of becoming an interpreter. 828.456.6000.

Romance writer to read in WNC Contemporary romance novelist Ryan Jo Summers will read from her latest book Whispers in Her Heart at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Third-generation horse trainer, Season Moriarty, has just taken on the impossible. Hired by the notoriously difficult Ty Masters to transform his wild colt, Sky Hunter, into a legendary racehorse, she comes face to face with a threat to the horses that puts even her special gifts to the

Beautiful takes a different stance: it is a book less interested in exploring Lorca and Neruda as Spanish-language poets who worked in specific cultural contexts than it is interested in appreciating Lorca and Neruda as individual poets who were infinitely complex as singular visionaries. And what of the translations? Beissert captures their mystery (Lorca’s poems, particularly), their majesty (Neruda’s, especially), and their grace (found in the work of both poets, certainly). As an example, here is Beissert’s evocative rendering of Lorca’s poem “The Six Strings” (“Las seis cuerdas”): The guitar cries out to dreams. The sobs of the lost souls escape from its round mouth. And like a tarantula it weaves a great star to catch sighs, floating in their black cistern of wood. Is there a better poem anywhere that evokes the magical and metaphorical powers of the guitar? Well, I know of a poem that at least equals “Las seis cuerdas” in paying homage to the instrument that Beethoven referred to as “an orchestra unto itself:” a poem entitled “La guitarra,” also by Lorca. I hope someday to read an English-language rendering of that poem in some future collection showcasing more of Beissert’s sensitive, memorable translations. (Ted Olson is a professor of English and Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn. He is editor of the recent Collected Short Stories of James Still and his own book of poems Revelations, which he will be discussing and signing at Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville on Sunday, May 5. He can be reached at olson@etsu.edu.)

test. So much of Masters’ financial future rests on the colt just as so much of Sky Hunter’s future rests in the hands of Season Moriarty. 828.586.9499.

Carden to discuss play Sylva playwright and author Gary Carden will discuss his play Outlander at the meeting of the Junaluska Book Club at 10 a.m. March 20, in the Susan Todd Lounge at Lake Junaluska. Outlander is a provocative play that focuses on the famed Appalachian chronicler Horace Kephart, who moved to Bryson City and was instrumental in the eventual creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Kephart’s book, Our Southern Highlanders, is considered a classic and has been in print for decades. Carden’s play about Kephart has been published in book form, and copies will be available for sale at the event.

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Mountain anglers gain toehold in national fly fishing scene

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER ike New York is known for its basketball legends, and Texas is known for its football stars, Western North Carolina has become one the big names in a slightly less conspicuous sport: competitive fly fishing. Fly fishing was long dominated by the western territory of the Rockies and Sierras. But the sport has seen a shift in both interest and talent to the Southeast — and specifically the

Smokies. North Carolina’s competitive fly-fishing team has been the country’s top team for two years running. In individual competition, the Smokies can claim a share of high-ranking anglers. “The North Carolina team works as feeder team for the national team,” said Paul Bourcq, a competitive fly fisherman who lives in Franklin. Around here, fishermen never know who they might encounter on a stream — given that a handful of the top

Meet the Smokies’ current fly fishing greats While competitive fly fishing essentially comes down to who catches the most, biggest fish, the ways to win and roads to success are very different for each angler. The Smoky Mountain News checked with some of the top fly fisherman and asked them how they got there and what their secrets are. You don’t have to go far either, these fisherman have all competed at the highest level of competition, on the country’s national team, and represented Western North Carolina while doing it.

Josh Stephens, 35 When not fishing: owns an erosion control and dumpster business. Used to be a fishing and rafting guide and once worked for the N.C. Wildlife Commission. WNC connection: Born in Sylva, lives in Robbinsville. Also a graduate of Western Carolina University. How he started fishing: While working as a rafting guide during the summers of his college years, Stephens was looking for ways to pass the time after the rafting runs in the Nantahala Gorge ended in the early afternoon. Watching fish surface to eat bugs on the river inspired him to try fly fishing. After that it was history. “I realized I just couldn’t stop fishing,” Stephens said. How he became competitive: While representing an outfitters lodge at an outdoor expo in California, Stephens entered a fly

casting competition. His cast of more than 100 feet won him first place and qualified him for a casting tournament in Salt Lake City. There he met the coach of Team USA Fly Fishing and was asked to try out. He made the team in 2005. Key to competition success: Stephens said the key to a good tournament finish is in the small details and preparation, making sure your hooks aren’t

anglers in the country can call each other up and be on the same water in about an hour’s time. “In the Southeast, it’s a close-knit group,” Bourcq said. They certainly have an advantage when it comes to practicing and keeping their game up. While the fabled trout fishing rivers out West are covered in snow for months every winter, the Southeast is fishable year round. Bourcq, 28, began fishing competitively several years ago. He worked his way up through the tour-

rusty, your knots are tied right and your waders don’t leak. He said so much as a crumpled sock in his boot can throw his game off. “You have to make sure all your gear is in line,” Stephens said. “If I have a wrinkled sock or something feels weird in my boot I’ll take it all off. Over hours it will either wear a blister or start to hurt.” Philosophy on eating fish: “I think fish tastes nasty,” he said. “I don’t like how it tastes. I just like to catch them. Just a big old game is what it is.”

Paul Bourcq, 28 When not fishing: Works as sales and marketing director for outdoor production company based out of Canada. Also guides fishing trips and previously was a town of Franklin police officer. WNC connection: lives in Franklin. Attended Southwestern Community College and Western Carolina University. How he started fishing: Born in New Orleans, Bourcq has memories of fishing that go way back. He started out spin fishing on the southern rivers and bayous for catfish with chicken livers wrapped in pantyhose to keep the bait in a tight ball. However, he didn’t start trout fishing until he moved to the mountains at the age of seven and became a self-taught trout fisherman.

states throughout the nation — plus sundry local competitions. The local tournaments kept anglers in competitive form and built training partnerships while the open regional qualifiers provided a clear path to make the national team. The competitive N.C. Fly Fishing Team was born as well, serving as a spring board to bring together the top fly fishermen from the region. More fishermen from the Southeast began to trickle onto the national scene, about 30 years after the national fly-fishing team had been conceived. “Then you started seeing more guys from the East Coast,” Stephens said.

CASTING A WIDE NET

FROM LITTLE FISH TO BIG FISH

— Paul Bourcq, competitive fly fisherman

Although today’s Team USA is still largely comprised of western fisherman, it’s not uncommon to see anglers on the team from states such as North Carolina, which currently has two, and Pennsylvania, which has one. There may be another shift on the competitive fly-fishing scene, except, this time, it’s not geographic, it’s generational. After years on the professional, competitive fly-fishing circuit, Stephens feels his own priorities changing. His motivation is dwindling a bit — particularly given the travel expense of competing in so many tournaments. Furthermore, with his first baby on the way in May, Stephens expects things to change. “That’s going to reprioritize things for a bit,” he said. “It will cut into the fishing time.” once a year or so, but not necessarily the type he’s known for catching. “I love fish, obviously being from New Orleans,” Bourcq said. “But if I’m going to eat fish I’d rather eat fried catfish than gutted trout. I look at them more as business partners and don’t really want to eat them.”

Chris Lee, 38 When not fishing: works as a civil engineer specializing in bridges and tunnels for the N.C. Department of Transportation. Also guides fishing trips for a local outfitter. WNC connection:Lives in Bryson City and is a graduate of Western Carolina University. How he started fishing: Lee grew on Deep Creek road and was raised fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His stepfather first taught him to fly fish at 10 years old and the two still go fishing together.

How he became competitive: At the behest of a high school buddy, Lee participated in his first fly fishing competition at the age of 30 at an Outdoor Style Network hosted Southeast regional fly-fishing tournament in Georgia. He came in second place, but unfortunately didn’t win any money. “I didn’t get a penny out of it,” Lee said of a lesson about competitive fly fishing that stuck with him the rest of his career. “That’s what I’ve learned since then, it’s not for the money.” After the tournament, Lee joined the N.C. Fly Fishing Team and later made Team USA Fly Fishing in 2011. Key to competition success: Lee said the secret to catching fish in a tournament is understanding them and then making adjusting to changes such as depth and food preference, on the fly. “The biggest key is adapting to the conditions,” Lee said. “The conditions are changing constantly — the fish are always doing something different.” Philosophy on eating fish: Although Lee said he thinks about fish everyday, he doesn’t necessarily want to eat it very often. In fact, he only eats trout twice a year when he goes on backpacking trips in the Smokies. “I will catch a limit of trout and fry them,” Lee said. “That’s the only time I care to eat them — it’s one of those things.”

Smoky Mountain News

“I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t fish,” he said. How he became competitive: After being given direction from a local Franklin fly fishing guide, Bourcq participated in his first competition at the age of 21 and took second place. He first made the North Carolina fly fishing team when he was 23 and Team USA Fly Fishing in 2012. Key to competition success: Bourcq said he learned how to win by approaching other successful fisherman at tournaments and asking them what their secrets were. “I just kind of walked up to guys and asked them ‘how did you do that?’” Bourcq said. “Typically, in tournaments, most people shy away from that stuff. I didn’t shy away from it, I asked them. Sometimes they don’t tell me, but I always asked.” Philosophy on eating fish: Bourcq said he likes to eat fish

“The N.C. team works as feeder team for the national team.”

These days, Lee, Stephens and Bourcq are more interested in passing the pole to the next generation. All three are coaches of the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team. “It’s a young man’s sport,” Lee said. “Most of the top rods in the world are younger.” Team USA Fly Fishing has never medaled as a team at an international tournament. But the youth team, under the guidance of WNC anglers, won the youth world championships in Italy in 2011 and came in second in France last year. Taking children at a young age and training them for competitive fly fishing is what many European national teams have done, so by the time they are in their 20s or 30s the young anglers have had years of competitive experience. Stephens predicted that as this batch of youth fly fisherman reach maturity, the competitive fly fishing scene in the States is in for a rude awakening. “In four to five years, the competition level for the U.S. team will be outrageous,” Stephens said. The next crop of young competitors may secure the Southeast’s stake in the sport. Three out of the five anglers on the youth team going to the world championship in Ireland are from Georgia and North Carolina. As the head coach, Bourcq has gotten some flack for picking so many anglers from his neck of the woods. But the close proximity of the coaches and many of the youth anglers has given them the advantage of training together over the weekends — last week, the team gathered to practice lake fly fishing in Jackson County. Moreover, the temperate climate in the Southeast allows the team to train year-round. “I don’t waver,” Bourcq said. “I pick who can win championships.”

March 13-19, 2013

But anglers from the Southeast didn’t always have a chance. When Stephens first entered the sport of competitive fly fishing, he said it was hard to find any clear path of ascension. Back in the mid-2000s, Team USA Fly Fishing was comprised of an inside group of acquaintances. If you knew about the team and you had the resources to support your fishing habit, you had a chance of making the roster and traveling to international tournaments. If not, then you were probably out of luck. “If you didn’t know somebody who was in it, you probably wouldn’t know about it,” Stephens said. The fisherman in these competitive fly-fishing circles tended to be from out West. Stephens, one of the first to make it from WNC, stumbled on the opportunity by chance while competing in a casting competition in Salt Lake City. There he met the head coach of the national fly fishing team and was asked to try out for it. He made the team in 2005, but nonetheless started to push for changes on how members were picked. He was convinced that without a systematic approach to drawing talent from across the country, the team’s chance of ever being a serious player on the world stage was compromised. “Back in the day, it was comprised of a bunch of men who could afford to go to Slovakia for a few weeks,” Stephens said. “And we got our asses beat left and right.” Over the next few years a series of regional tournaments were organized — in North Carolina, New York and other

In the near future, Stephens may find himself off the nation’s competitive team, for the first time since making Team USA in 2005. It already happened to one top, local angler. Chris Lee, 38, made the U.S. team in 2011, but then lost his spot, following a difficult divorce and a poor season that chipped away at his qualifying chances. Despite competing in 14 tournaments in 2012, from Oregon to Georgia, Lee said he is not bent on reclaiming his spot on Team USA. “If it happens, it happens,” Lee said. “I’m not really hung up on chasing it anymore.”

outdoors

nament standings to make the Team USA roster for the first time last year. But at 28 years old, his competitive fly fishing aspirations don’t stop there. This year, he hopes to land a spot on the national team in the World Fly Fishing Competition — the sport’s equivalent of the Olympics or the World Cup. After finishing second in a regional qualifier in Brevard last month, a strong finish at nationals this fall will put him in the running. Bourcq is one of many Smoky Mountain fly fishermen to land spots on the USA national fly-fishing team — Eddie Pinkston from Asheville, Josh Stephens from Robbinsville, Bourcq from Franklin and Chris Lee from Bryson City can claim the title as well. Stephens, 35, has seen the most success on the competitive circuit — twice placing among the top three fly fishermen in the United States and landing a top 20 finish at one world championship. (He’s been to five worlds.)

outdoors

Cherokee opening day fishing tournament loads fish with cash The Cherokee Opening Day Trout Fishing Tournament will be held on March 29 and 30 in Cherokee. Opening day of trout season in Cherokee is a popular event, with fishermen lining the banks at dawn to be among the first to hook thousands of fish stocked in advance of opening day. The tournament entry fee is $5 with a chance to win from $10,000 in tagged fish. Hundreds of specially tagged fish will be stocked in the Cherokee public fishing waters. When a tagged fish is caught it can be redeemed for cash prizes ranging from $20 to $500 based on the color of the tag. The competition is open to all ages and for all legal fishing methods. Registration is necessary. www.fishcherokee.com/tagged.html

March 13-19, 2013

Whet your lines for bass classic Fontana Village Resort & Marina will host the Fontana Classic Bass fishing tournament on Fontana Lake March 16 and 17. With 238 miles of shoreline on Fontana Lake, there is ample opportunity for unforgettable bass fishing in this year’s competition. “The second temperate winter in a row has the bass action heating up a lot sooner than normal,” said Fontana Marina manager and dock master Ronnie Crisp. The tournament costs $150 to register per boat and runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. This year’s purse is $5000, with prizes ranging from $2,000 to $100. 828.498.2211 or 828.498.2129 or www.fontanavillage.com/events/

Slalom and racing in the Nantahala Top paddlers will converge on the Nantahala River March 23 and 24 for the Bank Of America U.S. Open, hosted by the Nantahala Racing Club. “Almost all of the top U.S. athletes will come to compete,” said National Team Coach Silvan Poberaj. “Their performance here gives a good indication of who will be strong this season, and who worked hard over the winter. It also gives athletes a chance to fix problems before the beginning of the team selection process.” The event will feature two types of competition, wildwater and slalom. Wildwater athletes compete in two events, a short, dynamic Sprint, through the Nantahala Falls, and an endurance race of about 3.5 miles. Nantahala Falls will provide for views of the races, as they paddle to finish at Founder’s Bridge near River’s End Restaurant. In the slalom event, competitors navigate through a series of gates set on a technically challenging stretch of whitewater. Athletes must negotiate these gates in the correct order, incurring a two second penalty for touching a gate, or a 50 second penalty for missing one. Each competitor gets two runs

Base Camp hosting trail work and kayak demos Base Camp Cullowhee will hold a trail maintenance volunteer day on March 18 to work on the nearly 7 miles of new trail located adjacent to Western Carolina University. Participants will meet at 2 p.m. at Base Camp Cullowhee in Brown Hall on the WCU campus to carpool. Tools will be distributed, and volunteers will hike between 10 and 30 minutes to a spot on the trail. Work will last until about 5 p.m. The next work day is

down the course, and the faster of the two counts as the final result. An elimination race-format will ensure drama to the very end. Participants interested in slalom racing can register to compete

at all skill levels. For a schedule, go to nantahalaracingclub.com/events/bank-of-america-whitewater-us-open.

scheduled for April 15 at the same time. wcu.edu/30290.asp or jwhitmore@wcu.edu

from brands such as Wavesport, Fluid, Pryanha, Bliss-Stick, and more. Participants also have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks from instructors with Endless River Adventures. The stretch of river the event is held on caters to a variety of skill levels, from slow moving water to a smooth surf wave, to an advanced play hole. All demo’s and advice are free, and all participants are invited back to the University Center to enjoy free pizza, door prizes, and a viewing of CONGO: The Grand Inga Project. basecamp@wcu.edu or 828.227.3633.

Test the latest kayak models on the Tuck Kayak Demo Day will be held on Saturday, March 16, at Eternity Hole on the East Fork of the Tuckasegee, a favorite spot among local paddlers. The Demo Day is in its eighth year and a way for Western Carolina University students and the community to try out the latest kayak designs

This is the time to start your own

BUSINESS Smoky Mountain News

Enter the 2013 Business Plan Contest and win up to

10,000

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For more info contact:

4 5 6 - 3 0 2 1 Supported by: Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, Haywood County Economic Development Commission and Haywood Community College - Small Business Center, Haywood Advancement Foundation.

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9 am • Pinnacle Park • Sylva 7 mile trail race 2700’+ elevation gain All proceeds benefit The Community Table of Sylva Visit us on facebook for more info Logo courtesy of SCC Graphic Design Students

All participants who finish in 101 minutes or less will receive this belt buckle

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

And now for something completely different

Swain seeks input on agricultural plan

The ongoing revisions to Jackson County’s steep slope development rules will be the subject of discourse at the monthly Green Drinks gathering in Sylva at 6 p.m. March 20. The program will include an informal discussion and update of the Jackson County steep slope ordinances, which are being comprehensively reviewed by the Jackson County Planning Board. The planning board has discussed weakening some of the stricter mountainside protections currently in place. Green Drinks is a monthly discussion group on environmental and conservation issues under the banner of the Western North Carolina Alliance and the WNC Chapter of the Sierra Club. It will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Lulu’s on Main Street in downtown Sylva. wnca.org/maconjackson-green-drinks/ or lourocturner@gmail.com.

A public meeting to collect feedback on a draft plan to support agriculture in Swain County will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, at the Swain County Senior Center in Bryson City. The draft plan includes eight strategies for improving the local agriculture industry. Funding to create the Swain County farm plan has been provided by the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. The draft was created following an initial public meeting in January. The Swain Soil and Water Conservation District hopes to finalize the plan by late April. A free dinner will be provided and county farmers, forest landowners, chefs, agency staff, non-profit staff, and other interested individuals and groups are invited. The draft plan is online at www.swaincountync.gov/SWCD.html or available in the Marianna Black library in Bryson City. Or contact amanda.buchanan@nc.nacdnet.net. 828.488.8803, ext. 3.

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facebook.com/smnews Wild South’s 2011 Gala. Wild South photo

Rescuing native plants from harms way The Tuscola Garden Club will hold a program on “Rescuing Native Plants – Saving these Natural Beauties for Future Generations” at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19, at Lake Junaluska. Debbie Savage will share how to properly identify and safely transplant endangered native plants. Saving native plants from a site slated for development can rescue species that would otherwise succumb to a bulldozer. Lake Junaluska is home to the Corneille Bryant Native Garden, a natural hillside garden that is home to a wide array of native plants. Visitors are welcome. 828.926.6387.

Smoky Mountain News

by joining Wild South’s Leadership Giving Circle with a gift of $250 or more. You can reserve online by going to https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/191 9/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_ KEY=79438 and following the “complimentary tickets” link or by calling 828.258-2667 in North Carolina or 256.974.6166 in Alabama. Whoa! $250! Calm down, take a breath and think. You and your date are going to go out in Ashevegas, partake of gourmet food, an open bar, serving the best local brews Beer City has to offer, not to mention wine, etc., hear live music plus become supporter(s) of one of the premier conservation organizations in the South. It’s a bargain! Look at the firs few paragraphs above — these people are the best hope we’ve got. Support them; party with them; get to know them. (Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

March 13-19, 2013

So what’s in the news nowadays? Any bad news for the environment? Let’s see. Wednesday, February 13, 2013, in the Smoky Mountain News – A story about the retirement of Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis noted “… he faced continuous budget cuts, which reduced the number of full-time employees at the Parkway from more than 240 to 160.” Any other bad environmental news? Well how about Mountain Express, March 5, where Margaret Williams points out a Carolina Public Press note about the move by the North Carolina Senate to remove all 19 members of the Environmental Management Commission. And look to Together NC, who points out that the state’s Natural and Environmental Resource budget will be cut by $118.8 million in fiscal year 2013. But it’s only North Carolina, right? Uh, no. Across-the-board federal budget cuts (sequestration) will take at least another $220 million from our national parks and national forests. I think I understand why Mr. Francis has had enough head-banging. That’s sad, but we have to cut the deficit, right? We dearly need to cut the federal deficit, so let’s start by taking out of that $646 billion pie spent to support outdoor recreation in the country. That’ll save us money. What? Those $646 billion generate $1.6 trillion in economic activity and help provide for more than 12 million jobs (according to the Wilderness Society.) Just think how much money we will save on feed if we kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Are you tired of the doom and gloom? Well, you know what they say — when the going gets tough, the tough go partying! And have I got a party for you. Mark you calendars. On March 22, 2013, Wild South will host its fifth annual Green (used to be tie) Gala featuring the 2012 winners of the

Roosevelt-Ashe Conservation awards. The Roosevelt-Ashe awards recognize those performing yeoman’s work in conservation across the South. This year’s nominees in five categories — Outstanding Journalist, Outstanding Business, Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Conservationist and Outstanding Youth — hail from five different states, showcasing the solidarity of those who care about the South’s wild places. The Gala will be held at Celine & Company’s “On Broadway,” 49 Broadway in Asheville. You can reserve a spot at the Gala

Steep slope rules spark Green Drinks discussion in Sylva

outdoors

The Naturalist’s Corner

outdoors March 13-19, 2013

Regional eco-festival seeks participants and experts A new festival focused on the environment and sustainability will be held in Haywood County this spring and is seeking vendors and exhibitors to set up booths. Western North Carolina EcoFest will be held Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Haywood Community College. The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is organizing the first event. The new festival is designed to provide showcase the latest environmentally friendly technology and sustainable living, with instruction on everything from soap-making to beekeeping to food preservation. There will also be music, food and games and activities for children. Exhibitors and vendors are sought for key areas that include: â&#x2013; Heritage Kitchen, which covers food preservation and canning, farm-to-table meals, milling, baking and food production. â&#x2013; Abundant Backyard encompasses squarefoot gardening, medicinal botany, animal husbandry, rain barrels, soil testing and more. â&#x2013; Renewable Energy/Sustainable Living, covering green building, alternative energy vehicles and ways to save energy costs in everyday life. â&#x2013; Wellness, including activities and

lifestyle choices for healthy living, including nutrition, yoga, health screenings and natural remedies. â&#x2013; Locally Crafted, where vendors will offer green, organic, natural, USA-made, handmade and recycled products and services.Â WNCEcoFest.com or 828.456.3021.

Ambitious trash crew seek partners to join King of the Smokies Triathlon of Lake Junaluska has adopted several highways and streams in Haywood County for trash pickup and are recruiting others to join them. Already race directors Susan and Bill Wilkins and several friends have been cleaning trash from the broad area encircling Utah Mountain in Haywood County â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Lake Junaluska, Richland Creek, Jonathan Creek Road, Coleman Mountain Road and Iron Duff Road and N.C. 209. They total 120 miles a month in their circuit. North Carolina requires â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adopt A Highwayâ&#x20AC;? sponsors to clean at least four days per year. Already, in 2013, King Of The Smokies Triathlon has cleaned more than eight days in the area. But more help is needed to maintain the 120-mile route. Currently, the group of trash collectors are meeting once a week and are provided with a florescent vest and trash gripper and safety guidelines for roadside clean up. 910.581.2758.

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Charles Hudson. Farmers market vendors can get tips on how to set up their booths at a free seminar called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Booth Display for the Farmers Marketâ&#x20AC;? from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at the Haywood Community College Student Center. Booth operators will learn tactics to attract and engage customers, visual display tips, how to close the sale, easy change and discuss credit card options and efficient ways of setting up and taking down. Charles Hudson, product development chef at Sunburst Trout, will be the presenter. For more information or to preregister, call the HCC Small Business Center. 828.627.4512.

Bird banding project and sighting tips in Franklin Franklin Bird Club will host a talk titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing Like a Birderâ&#x20AC;? will be held at 7 p.m. March 18 at the Macon County Public Library sponsored by the Franklin Bird Club. The concept is one that can be learned by anyone, can help bring structure to bird identification and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by how many birds there are. Speaker Tom Striker will also talk about getting started in birding with a review of binocular basics and adjustments and use of field guides. Also, Mark Hopey, project leader for Southern Appalachian Raptor Research, will talk about bird banding at Tessentee and Cowee Mound.

Help chart the future of WNCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national forests A sweeping revision of the forest serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guiding management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests will be kicked off with a public meeting from 6 to 9 p.m. March 19, at Tartan Hall in Franklin. The process will take approximately three to four years to complete. Technically called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;forest plan,â&#x20AC;? the guidelines serve as a road map for forest management, including what areas will be logged and how much. It designates backcountry, scenic and recreational areas that are off-limits to logging. It stipulates what types of recreation are allowed in what areas, from trail use to backcountry camping. It names creeks and rivers that should be protected. It lists species that should be safe-guarded. The plan delineates what habitat types that need restoration work. And it identifies threats to the forest and ways to combat those threats, from exotic species to over-use. Public input and collaboration throughout the revision process will help ensure that

the plan meets the needs of the wide variety of stakeholders who enjoy the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests each year. Learn more at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision.

Water samplers needed for stream monitoring Volunteers are needed to do twice-annual surveys of mountain streams to measure and track water quality. A training workshop for interested volunteers will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 16, at Haywood Community College. The regional effort, organized by area nonprofits, teaches volunteers to identify different kinds of aquatic insects and why they are important for healthy rivers and creeks. Adults will be trained in water quality sampling methods and assessment for use in a long-term monitoring project at sites. Volunteers are expected to in small groups under supervision to sample a minimum of two sites, two times per year in the spring and fall.Â www.environmentalqualityinstitute.org or 828.713.4352 graciaoneill@yahoo.comÂ

WNC Calendar • Free seminar, Business Essentials: Tax Implications, Workers’ Compensation, and Employment Issues, 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, March 13, Haywood Community College Student Center. Presenters from the NC Dept. of Revenue, Industrial Commission, and the Employment Security Commission. Register at http://dornc.com/business/smallbusseminars.html#clyd e. • Haywood Chamber Ribbon Cutting, 4 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Insight Marketing, Gateway Club Building, 37 Church St., Waynesville. • American Sign Language class, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, March 14 through April 4, room 204, Southwestern Community College, Macon Campus, room 204. Latresa, 339.4426 to pre-register. • Open House, Saturday, March 16, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. Register at openhouse.wcu.edu or call Office of Undergraduate Admission, 227.7317 or toll-free 877.928.4968. • Free 90-minute basic internet class 5:45 p.m. Monday, March 18, computer lab, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. 586.2016. • Free seminar on Booth Display for the Farmers Market 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Haywood Community College Student Center. Charles Hudson, product development chef at Sunburst Trout, presenter. Small Business Center, 627.4512. • Franklin Chamber’s Alive After Five! 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Macon County Historical Museum, 36 W. Main St., Franklin. Where Shadows Walk Tour, door prizes, refreshments. RSVP by March 18, 524.3161. • Mountain BizWorks Express Foundations business planning course 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Oak Park Inn, 196 S. Main St., Waynesville. Ashley Epling, 253.2834 x 27, Ashley@mountainbizworks.org, or course facilitator John Woods, 551.2095, johnw@mountainbizworks.org. www.mountainbizworks.org.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. spring shrubbery donated by Mountain Valley Farms in Waynesville. Suggested donation of $20. 227.2061 or rqscales@wcu.edu. • Jackson County Genealogical Society’s March program, The Structure of Traditional Cherokee Kinship, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, community room Historic Jackson County Courthouse. Speaker, WCU professor of anthropology Anne Rogers. 631.2646. • N.C. Department of Transportation informational workshop on proposed safety improvements to U.S. 23/441 east of Franklin, 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Franklin Town Hall Board Room, 95 E. Main St., Franklin. Wesley Grindstaff, NCDOT District Engineer, 321.4105 or wtgrindstaff@ncdot.gov; or Jeremy Potter, HDR Engineering, 919.232.6669 or jeremy.potter@hdrinc.com. • 2013 annual Meeting of Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, Shelton House Barn, 49 Shelton St, Waynesville. • Spring Fling’Her, 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Swain County Recreation Center. Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will face off against G-Force from Gastonia. Proceeds to benefit Big Brother and Big Sister Program of Swain County. Bring toiletry donations. Tickets $5, purchase at www.brownpapertickets.com. Children under 5 free. • Spring Car Show, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, The Barn @ Burningtown, 67 Smith Road, Macon County. Register with Teresa Holbrooks, 524.5506. • The Silas McDowell Chapter of the Sons of the American Monday, March 18, Broiler Room Restaurant, Franklin. Tom Long will present the program “Who was your daddy’s, daddy’s, daddy’s, daddy.” Dinner 5:15 p.m., meeting, 6 p.m. 321.3522 or tomeaglenc@aol.com. • Relay for Life of Franklin’s monthly Team Captains’ meeting, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, The Factory on the Georgia Road, Franklin.

• Western Carolina University history professor Gael Graham, 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee. $40, includes dinner, all sessions and refreshments. Sessions free to WCU students. Register by Friday, March 15. www.nchistorians.org and click on “Conference.”

• Self-defense class for women, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Cordelia Camp Building room 143 Western Carolina University. Offered by WCU’s Police Department and Office of Continuing and Professional Education. $25 per person. If a participant brings a friend, she can attend the class for $15. 227.3066 or visit Conferences & Community Classes link at http://learn.wcu.edu.

• Transportation Advisory Committee of the Southwestern Rural Planning Organization, 5 p.m. Monday, March 25, Chestnut Tree Inn at 37 Tsalagi Road, Cherokee. Philip Moore, coordinator of the Southwestern RPO, at phil@regiona.org or 339.2213.

• Seventh annual Pet Photography Contest to benefit Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation. Deadline: Monday, March 25. $10 entry fee per photo. www.sargeandfriends.org.

• Growing a Business in Cherokee 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, and Thursday, March 28, Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Free. Lunch included. Hope Huskey, 359.5005/ hopehuskey@sequoyahfund. • Free GED® preparation classes 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Swain Center of SCC. Test change for January 2014: current students must complete all five GED® subject tests as needed by December 2013, or start over January 2014.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Western Carolina University student teachers fundraisers: Wednesday, March 13, Jack the Dipper Ice Cream Parlor in Sylva; drawing Friday, March 15, in room 120 of the Killian Building for $450 worth of

BLOOD DRIVES Macon • Franklin Community Blood Drive, 12:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 14, First Baptist Church of Franklin, 69 Lotla St., Franklin. 369.9559.

HEALTH MATTERS • Barium Springs Lunch & Learn: Giving Them Hope Tour, noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Sylva Office, 151 Desoto Trail, Sylva. Lunch provided. RSVP the Monday before the tour. Autumn Weil, 231.5413. • Blue Ridge Holistic Nurses Chapter Meeting, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 23, West Asheville Library Community Meeting Room, 942 Haywood Road, Asheville. Enter to the right of the main entrance. Lillian Norris at brholisticnurse@gmail.com or call 734.4399.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • The Come to the Table Project, fourth regional conference series on how people of faith can relieve hunger and support local agriculture in North Carolina, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 15, Southwestern Community College. Sarah Gibson, Conference Coordinator, 919.259.5169 or sarah@rafiusa.org. • Weekly Lenten Services, noon, through March 21, Canton First United Methodist Church, 31 Newfound St., Canton. Meal available for $5 after the service.

EASTER EVENTS • PEANUTS™ Easter Beagle Express 11 a.m. departure for Dillsboro, Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, historic Bryson City Depot. 1½-hour layover on Friday and a 2-hour layover on Saturday. Join the Peanuts gang for old-fashioned Easter fun. Tickets start at $51 per adult, $29 per child 2 through 12. Infants 23 months and under ride free. Upgrades available. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com. • Maggie Valley United Methodist Church: Maundy Thursday service, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28; Good Friday service, 7 p.m. Friday, March 29; Community Easter Egg Hunt & Party, noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30; Community Easter Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 31, Maggie Valley Town Hall Pavilion, followed by a free pancake breakfast in the Community Center. Easter Worship service, 11 a.m. Maggie Valley United Methodist Church. 926.8036 • First United Methodist Church, Waynesville: Palm/Passion Sunday services 8:30 a.m., 8:40 a.m. and 11 a.m.; Maundy Thursday, communion and Faure Requiem 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28; Good Friday Cross Walk up Main Street 10:45 a.m. and Good Friday service, 7 p.m. Friday, March 29; Easter Sunday services, 8:30 a.m., 8:40 a.m. and 11 a.m., cross celebration and decoration 10 a.m., Sunday, March 31. First United Methodist Church, 566 South Haywood St., Waynesville. 456.9475 or www.fumc-waynesville.com. • English Tea, 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 30, Jarrett House, Sylva. $12 per person by reservation only. Register at Dogwood Crafters, 586.2248 or call Mary Nolan, 586.4686.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES

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 Resource Center, 81 Elmwood, Waynesville. $65 (no fee for caregivers of patients enrolled in MemoryCare) RSVP, 771.2219.

FAMILY Science & Nature • Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) public presentation on the meteor that exploded over Russia in February, featuring Dr. Bill Cooke, director of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Rogow Room of the Transylvania County Library, Brevard. www.pari.edu/about_pari/news/nasa-meteor-talkscheduled-in-brevard. • NASA Meteor Observation Workshop for teachers Friday, March 15, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), Pisgah National Forest. Registration is $15. Christi Whitworth at cwhitworth@pari.edu or 862.5554. www.pari.edu.

Literary (children) • Children’s Story time- My Lucky Day, 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016. • Family Night- End of the Rainbow, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016/ • Write On!- Tween writing program, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016. • Children’s Story time- Colorful Rainbows, 11 a.m. Friday, March 15, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016

• Barbara Bates Smith, 1 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville, 452.2370. Free.

• Children’s Story time with Miss Sally- Alaska! 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

• Overview of Dementia, MemoryCare’s Family Caregiver Education Program – taught by Dr. Lisa Verges, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, April 2 to May 7, Haywood County Senior

• Children’s Story time - Rotary Readers, 11 a.m. Monday, March 18, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

GREEN LIVING

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Computer Class: Intermediate Excel, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Jackson County Public Library. Space limited. Register at 586.2016.

Smoky Mountain News

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• Children’s Story time- The Rain Came Down, 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 19, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586-2016. • Teen Advisory Group, 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016. • Children’s Story time- Meatballs With a Chance of Cloudy, 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. 586.2016. • Third annual Peeps Diorama Contest starts Friday, March 15, Marianna Black Public Library. Create a diorama using peeps (those marshmallow treats that only come around this time of year) to create a scene from a book of your choice. Ages 4 to 16. Entries must be submitted by Monday, March 22. Judging begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 11. Amber Platt, 488.3030.

Food & Drink • Rawmazing Potluck Dinner, 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 85 Sierra Drive, Franklin. Coffee and tea provided, or bring your own beverage. Bring a covered dish as raw as you want it to be. 524.6777. • Dinner and Jazz, featuring jazz vocalist Wendy Jones, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16, The Classic Wineseller, 20 Church St. Waynesville, $34.99 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reserve a table at 452.6000 or email requests to info@classicwineseller.com, www.classicwineseller.com. • Jack the Dipper’s 37th Birthday Party, Saturday, March 16, 170 E ,Sylva Circle, Sylva. Special deals on ice cream and treats. 586.9441. www.jackthedippericecream.com.

ECA EVENTS • Extension and Community Association (ECA) groups meet throughout the county at various locations and times each month. NC Cooperative Extension Office, 586.4009. New members welcome any time.

March 13-19, 2013

• noon Thursday, March 14 – Starting Plants Indoors, Lunch and Learn ECA, conference room, Community Service Center, Sylva. • 1 p.m. Monday, March 18 – Cancer Drain Bags, Sew Easy Girls ECA, conference room, Community Service Center, Sylva. • 10 a.m. Thursday, March 21 – ECA Craft Club Workshop: Crochet Scrubbies, conference room, Community Service Center, Sylva (call Extension Office to sign up, 586.4009).

POLITICAL GROUP EVENTS & LOCAL GOVERNMENT Dems

Smoky Mountain News

• North Carolina Democratic Party annual statewide precinct meetings March 11-14. Janie Benson, chair, Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville. 452.9607 or visit haywooddemocrats.org and look under the heading Candidates.

• Swain County Democratic Party meeting for all constituents of District 119, featuring Rep. Joe Sam Queen, 10 a.m. Saturday, March 16, Birdtown Community Building, highway 19, Cherokee, 736.3470.

GOP • Jackson County Republican Party annual convention and precinct meetings 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, Jackson County Senior Center, 100 County Services Park, Sylva. U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Mark Meadows is the featured speaker. Reservations required. Chair Ralph Slaughter, 743.6491 or Jim Mueller, 743.3057 or email jacksonctygop@yahoo.com. www.jacksoncountygop.com. • Haywood County Republicans annual precinct meetings and county convention Saturday, March 23, Canton Armory, 71 Penland St., Canton. Registration 8:30 a.m., precinct meetings 9:30 a.m., convention 10:30 a.m. www.haywoodncgop.org, 506.0939.

SUPPORT GROUPS Haywood • Bereavement education and support group, 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays, through April 4, The Homestead. Robin Minick, bereavement specialist. 452.5039. • Overview of Dementia, MemoryCare’s Family Caregiver Education Program – taught by Dr. Lisa Verges, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, April 2 to May 7, Haywood County Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood, Waynesville. $65 (no fee for caregivers of patients enrolled in MemoryCare) RSVP, 771.2219.

Macon • Macon County Cancer Support Group, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, cafeteria of Angel Medical Center, Franklin. Stephany Smathers, Certified Mastectomy Fitter and owner of Pink Regalia in Clyde. 369.9221.

A&E LITERARY (ADULTS) • Author Ron Rash, 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, community room, Jackson County Public Library. To reserve a book, call City Lights Bookstore, 586.9499. • Contemporary romance novelist, Ryan Jo Summers will read from her book, Whispers in Her Heart, 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, City Lights Bookstore, 586.9499. • Author Rebekah Honeycutt, 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Blue Ridge Bookstore, 152 S. Main St. Waynesville. Honeycutt will read from her novel Sapphire Eyes: The Secret Society of Magical Medics. 456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com. • Coffee with the Poet Featuring Brenda Kay Ledford, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 21, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva, 586.9499.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Fifth annual Celtic Concert featuring Bean Sidhe (pronounced Banshee), 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Smoky Mountain Community Theatre, 134 Main St., Bryson City. $6, 488.8227, or theatre president Toby Allman, 488.8103. • Social Function, DJ Moto, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, March 15, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. • Angelina Ballerina, the Musical, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Presented by award-winning Vital Theatre Company, New York’s leading not-for-profit family theatre company. Tickets start at $16. GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615. • Purgatorio by Ariel Dorfman, 7:30 p.m. March 15-16, and 3 p.m. March 17, Haywood Arts Regional Theater’s Feichter Studio, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville. Tickets $10 adults, $6 students. For tickets call 456.6322 and leave a message on the theatre’s answering machine or order online at www.harttheatre.com. • The final installment of the Beethoven Project 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, Coulter Building recital hall, Western Carolina University. Free. Martin at martinb@wcu.edu or 227.3726. • Travis Bennett, WCU associate professor of horn, solo recital 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Coulter Building recital hall, Western Carolina University. Free. WCU School of Music, 227.7242. • Southern Circuit film tour, “Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock,” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Western Carolina University’s A.K. Hinds University Center. 227.3622 or email ledavis.wcu.edu or ace.wcu.edu.

• Guest artists Allan Ware, clarinet, and Wolfgang Mechsner, piano, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, recital hall of the Coulter Building, Western Carolina University. Free concert of German Romantic works. Shannon Thompson, WCU associate professor of music, 227.3956 orthompson@wcu.edu. • Darius Rucker, 9 p.m. Friday, March 22, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center., 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee. www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. www.dariusrucker.com. • Country singer Blake Shelton, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee. Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS • Textures, Wednesday, March 13 through Saturday, April 6, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. • A Different View, Jackson County landscape exhibit by artist Dave Berry, Rotunda Gallery, Historic Jackson County Courthouse, Sylva. Artist reception 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 15. Exhibit will run from March 15 until April 9. • Guest artist Dustin Spagnola will speak about his art and public works, 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, room 130, John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. Art department, 227.7210.

CLASSES, PROGRAMS & DEMONSTRATIONS • Panel discussion on stereotypes and Southern identity, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, auditorium at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center. Held in conjunction with the exhibit “Comic Stripped: A Revealing Look at Southern Stereotypes in Cartoons,” which will be on display at the museum through Tuesday, May 14. Mountain Heritage Center, 227.7129. • Jackson County Green Energy Park March class offerings for blacksmithing and glassblowing: Saturday, March 16, Cane Pickup (Advanced Glass) with Tadashi Torii. www.JCGEP.org or 631.0271 to sign up for a class. • Creating Stained Glass, 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through March 14, south lobby of the Cordelia Camp Building, Western Carolina University. $85, Office of Continuing Education, 227.7397 or 800.928.4968, or go online to learn.wcu.edu and click on Conferences and Community Classes. • Western North Carolina Woodturners Club meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14, Blue Ridge School, Glenville. Drive to the back of the school to the woodworking shop. Visitors welcomed. • One-day basket weaving class 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 23, Macon County Cooperative Extension Building, Thomas Heights off Highlands Road, Franklin. Led by master weaver Joanne Nolen. Adult basket makers only. $35 fee covers materials and instruction. Pre-register by March 18 with the Arts Council, 524.7683 or arts4all@dnet.net. www.artscouncilofmacon.org. • Comic Stripped: A Revealing Look at Southern Stereotypes in Cartoons, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, through Tuesday, May 14, Mountain Heritage Center, Western Carolina University. 227.7129.

FILM & SCREEN • Movie Night, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016. • Free family movie in honor of Dr. Seuss, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. Popcorn provided. 488.3030. • Classic Marx Brothers film, 4 p.m. Saturday, March 23, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. Free popcorn and refreshments. 488.3030.

HAYWOOD COUNTY • Winter Pickin in The Park, Friday, March 22, Canton Armory. Free

Outdoors OUTINGS, HIKES & FIELDTRIPS • Nantahala Hiking Club, Saturday, March 16, ninemile moderate-to-strenuous hike along Palmer Creek Trail. Meet at 9 a.m. at Waynesville Ingles. Keith Patton, 456.8895, for reservations. No pets. • Nantahala Hiking Club, Saturday, March 16, 11-mile strenuous loop to Pumpkin Town-Savannah Ridge. Meet at 8 a.m. near KFC at Holly Springs Plaza in Franklin. Don O’Neal, 586.5723, for reservations. • Nantahala Hiking Club, Sunday, March 17, easy threemile hike up Skitty Creek Trail to the Cliffside Lake loop trail. Meet at 2 p.m. at Bi-Lo parking lot Franklin. Kay Coriell, 369.6820, for reservations or for alternate meeting place if coming from Highlands. No pets. • Franklin Bird Club meeting 7 p.m. Monday, March 18, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. Speakers are Tom Striker, Mark Hopey. • Classic Hike of the Smokies, guided hike, Tuesday, March 19, Deep Creek, Bryson City. Register at 452.0720 or outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org. www.friendsofthesmokies.org.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS • Survival Skills Workshop: Basic Wilderness First Aid (1 of 3 in series), 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 16, Chimney Rock State Park. http://www.chimneyrockpark.com. • WNC Stream Volunteers training 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Haywood Community College. Environmental Quality Institute. Information and instructional videos available at http://www.environmentalqualityinstitute.org/smie-training.php. Gracia O’Neill, 713.4352 or graciaoneill@yahoo.com. $15-20 donation requested, but not required (material costs). RSVP required. • Eighth annual Kayak Demo Day, noon, Saturday, March 16, Eternity Hole, East Fork of the Tuckasegee River. basecamp@wcu.edu or call 227.3633. • WMI - Wilderness First Aid, Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17, Montreat. Landmark Learning, 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org. • Community Relief Medic, Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17, Cullowhee. Landmark Learning, 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org. • Trail Maintenance with Base Camp Cullowhee, 2 p.m. Monday, March 18, meet at BCC. Earn service hours for individuals or an organization. Josh Whitmore at jwhitmore@wcu.edu for information. • Green Drinks meeting for a presentation on Jackson County’s steep slope ordinances, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, Lulu’s on Main Street, 612 W. Main St., Sylva. http://wnca.org/maconjackson-greendrinks/ or lourocturner@gmail.com.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Third annual Assault on Black Rock trail race to benefit the Community Table in Sylva, Saturday, March 16, Pinnacle Park. For runners and hikers. Seven-mile course. $25 to preregister, $30 on race day. Registration forms and course map at http://www.communitytable.org/ under Event Calendar or visit the Assault on Black Rock Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Assault-on-BlackRock/189988924357412.

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ARTS & CRAFTS

MarketPlace information:

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

AUCTION AUCTION EXTRAVAGANZA Friday March 15th at 4:30 PM. SELLING OVER 800 LOTS!! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!! Partial Listing To Include: Guns, nice selection of pocket knives, great selection of furniture, glassware, primitives, antiques, collectables, nice selection of tools, used furniture, household, box lots & Tons More! HUGE AUCTION! DON’T MISS IT! RUNNING 2 AUCTIONEERS AT ONCE SO BRING A FRIEND! View Pictures and more details: www.boatwrightauction.com Boatwright Auction, 34 Tarheel Trail, Franklin, NC, 28734. 828.524.2499 Boatwright Auction, NCAL Firm 9231

Rates: ■ Free — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads. ■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150. ■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. ■ $12 — 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. ■ $35 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold. ■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words. ■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

2,106+/-sf 4/5BR, 2BA Renovated Farm House on 9.630+/- Acres. 1948 Lone Oak Crossing, Huddleston, VA. Absolute Auction, March 23, 10am. www.countsauction.com. 800.780.2991. VAAF93

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

SC OV ER E

ATR

INC.

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS STEVE WOODS, MANAGER

MON-FRI 7:30-5:30 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

456-5387

72607

AUCTION SATURDAY 5PM 2001 4x4 Dodge DurangoLoaded, Quilts, Cedar bedroom furniture, pocket watches, oak bookcases, stainless grill, original artwork, kitchen small appliances, NASCAR’s, quartz infrared heater, hand tools, jacks, paint sprayers, circular - scroll & sawzall's, lots more! Preview at: www.ReminisceAntiques.com Reminisce Auction, Franklin, NC 828.369.6999 Ron Raccioppi NCAL# 7866 AUCTION Construction Equipment & Trucks, March 22nd, 9am, Richmond, VA. Excavators, Dozers, Dumps & More. Accepting Items Daily. Motley's Auction & Realty Group. 804.232.3300. www.motleys.com. VAAL#16

AUCTION LARRY PAYNE AUCTION Friday March 15th, starting at 6pm - Preview at 5pm. Collectibles, Antiques, Housewares, furniture, tools old - new - in between Something For Everyone! If you are interested in selling please call 828.452.4818 Everyone Invited! 10% Buyers Fee Come On Down! NCAL# 9545 255 Depot Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 See You All There! INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT AUCTION ONLINE: Diesel Box Truck, Punch Presses, Grinders, Welders, Compressors, Powdercoat Ovens, Loaders, Forklifts, Warehouse Racking, Tools, Aluminum Coils. Photos, Dates, Bidding: EBIDLOCAL.com (ncaf#9197)

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions. Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson. Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847. TRIM CARPENTER/HANDYMAN Projects start to finish. Any job no size too big or small, Free Estimates. Painting, Tile Work Replacement/New, Kitchen Remodeling, Bath Renovation, Honey-dolist, Doggie Doors, Bookshelves, Closets. References - Toll Brothers and American Home Place. Call Harold for more info 828.456.4000.

ELECTRICAL BOOTH ELECTRIC Residential & Commercial service. Up-front pricing, emergency service. 828.734.1179. NC License #24685-U.

CARS - DOMESTIC DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 877.752.0496. TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow 800.761.9396 SAPA

AUTO PARTS DDI BUMPERS ETC. Quality on the Spot Repair & Painting. Don Hendershot 858.646.0871 cell 828.452.4569 office.

EMPLOYMENT NC PRE-K TEACHER ASSISTANT Haywood County - Must have an AA degree in Early Childhood Education, have the ability to assume the responsibilities of teacher when absent, work well with parents and co-workers, good judgment/problem solving skills, 1-2 yrs. experience in Pre-K classroom and good record keeping skills. Candidate must be able to work well with diverse families. Basic computer skills helpful. This is a 10 month position with benefits. Family Service Work - Haywood County - AA degree in Early Childhood Education preferred. Must have Child Care Credentials I and II, good record keeping, time management, judgment and problem solving skills. Candidate must work well with families and co-workers and diverse population. This is a 10 month position with benefits. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, 2251 Old Balsam Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786 or 25 Schulman St, Sylva, NC 28779. Pre-employment drug testing required. EOE/AA.

EMPLOYMENT WNC MarketPlace

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER

Part-time Bilingual Program Assistant. Motivated, reliable individual to work in our office and assist with transport and outreach. For full job description: http://haywoodspayneuter.org/ docs/jobs.pdf

EMPLOYMENT AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for hands on Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial Aid if Qualified Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 1.866.724.5403. SAPA DRIVERS... Freight Up = More $. Class A CDL Required. 877.258.8782. www.ad-drivers.com

EMPLOYMENT AWESOME JOB! Hiring 10 sharp girls and guys. Must be 18+ to apply. Lodging and transportation provided. 2 weeks paid training. For more information, call 1.800.250.8975. THE CHALET INN Recruiting Professional Housekeeper, references required. Full Time including Sundays. Call 828.586.0251.

Southwestern NC Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 13-19, 2013

PO Box 1230, Waynesville NC 28786 • www.southwesternrcd.org JOB POSTING: Executive Director POSTING DATE: February 28, 2013 APPLICATION DEADLINE: Fri., Mar. 15, 2013, 5:00 p.m.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Executive Director (ED) develops and implements initiatives to help utilize and conserve the tremendous natural resources of Southwestern North Carolina in order to benefit the people living in the area. The ED focuses on four primary areas of activity: non-profit management, fundraising, project management, and communications. The ED reports directly to the council’s board, works closely with numerous partner organizations and agencies, and supervises one staff position. ORGANIZATION SUMMARY: The Southwestern NC Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works with local communities to support resource conservation and development projects to benefit the people of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. For additional info, please go online to: www.southwesternrcd.org POSITION DESCRIPTION - For a more detailed description visit: www.southwesternrcd.org Non-Profit Management (25%) - Fundraising (40%) - Project Management (20%) Communications (10%) - Other Duties as Assigned (5%) QUALIFICATIONS • Bachelor’s degree (or higher). • At least two years work experience in non-profit management, fundraising, project management, and/or communications. • Excellent communication skills, including writing, speaking, and listening. Experience creating website and social media content preferred. • Demonstrated ability to work well individually and as a part of a team, including previous membership on a non-profit board and/or previous staff support to a non-profit board. • Knowledge of Microsoft Office programs required; knowledge of QuickBooks preferred. • Valid North Carolina driver’s license required. • Preference will be given to those individuals with: a background in resource conservation and development; experience in identifying and alleviating problems related to economic development, the natural environment, and/or rural development; and experience recruiting others to assist with planning and implementing projects. COMPENSATION The Executive Director position is currently budgeted for 25-35 hours per week at $20 per hour, with paid time off after six months and a possible health insurance stipend. The position is supported by the successful fundraising efforts of the council board and staff. Salary growth will be based on satisfactory completion of the job requirements and available funds. HOW TO APPLY Please send a cover letter, current resume, and names and contact information for two references to Southwestern NC RC&D Council, PO Box 1230, Waynesville NC 28786, or ddudek@haywoodnc.net. The application deadline is Friday, March 15, 2013, 5:00 p.m. No calls, please.

EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANT PROPERTY MANAGER Responsible for the day-to-day administration and implementation of those policies, procedures and programs that will assure a well managed well maintained property The Assistant Property Manager will be assigned to specified action areas at the discretion of the Property Manager post available Full-Part/ time Send resume to: kevin.hardy@aol.com AVERITT Offers CDL-A Drivers a Strong, Stable, Profitable Career. Experienced Drivers and Recent Grads. Excellent Benefits, Weekly Hometime. Paid training. 888.362.8608. AverittCareers.com. Equal Opportunity Employer. AVIATION CAREERS Train in advance structures and become certified to work on aircraft. Financial aid for those who qualify. Call aviation institute of maintenance 1.877.205.1779. SAPA

EMPLOYMENT

TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED Best Pay and Home Time! Apply Online Today over 750 Companies! One Application, Hundreds of Offers! www.HammerLaneJobs.com. SAPA BEAUFORT COUNTY Community College in Washington, NC is seeking to fill the positions of Staff Accountant, Programmer/ Analyst, Director of Management Information and Telecommunications Services, Grant Writer/Coordinator of Special Projects, Part-time Pharmacy Technician Instructor and a Part-time Nurse Aide Lab/Clinical Instructor. For additional information about the positions, application deadlines, and the application process, please visit our website at http://www.beaufortccc.edu/gneral/joboppor.htm. EEO/AAE A FEW PRO DRIVERS NEEDED! Top Pay & 401K. Recent CDL grads wanted. 877.258.8782. www.ad-drivers.com

COMPANY DRIVER: Solo & Team OTR Lanes. Competitive Pay. Great hometime. CDL-A with 1 year OTR and Hazmat End. Sin-On Bonus. $2000 Solo & $5000 Teams. 888.705.3217 or apply online at: www.drivenctrans.com DRIVER Qualify for any portion of $0.03/mile quarterly bonus: $0.01 Safety, $0.01 Production, $0.01 MPG. Two raises in 1st year. 3 months OTR experience. 800.414.9569. www.driveknight.com DRIVERS CDL-A $5,000 SIGN-ON BONUS For exp'd solo OTR drivers & O/O's. Tuition reimbursement also available! New Student Pay & Lease Program. USA TRUCK. 877.521.5775. www.GoUSATruck.com ADMINSTRATIVE ASSISTANT Trainees Needed! Become a Certified Microsoft Office Professional! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready ASAP! HS Diploma/GED & Computer/Internet needed. 1.888.926.6057.

Puzzles can be found on page 37. These are only the answers.

EMPLOYMENT "CAN YOU DIG IT?" Heavy Equipment Operator Training! 3 Wk. Hands On Program. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement Asst. w/National Certs. VA Benefits Eligible. 1.866.362.6497 UP TO $14.50 - $29/hr Calling small business owners and setting appointments for our sales representatives! NO Selling Required. Call Recorded Hotline 1.507726.4051.

EMPLOYMENT TANKER & FLATBED COMPANY. Drivers/Independent Contractors! Immediate Placement Available. Best opportunities in the Trucking Business. Call Today. 800.277.0212 or go to: www.primeinc.com $1,200 WEEKLY GUARANTEED, Mailing our company loan applications from home. NO experience necessary. FT/PT. Genuine opportunity. FREE Information (24/7) 1.800.279.3313 SAPA

-- JOB LISTINGS -LEAD DAY CAMP COUNSELOR

ann@mainstreetrealty.net

506-0542 CELL

101 South Main St. Waynesville Carmen - A very unique 6 month old mixed breed dog with a very pretty, soft coat that is an incredible fawn color. Carmen adores people and quickly rolls over for a belly rub. She is great with other dogs and appears to be crate trained and housebroken. She is simply delightful!!

JOB# 183442

EMPLOYER WILL TRAIN ON THE JOB, BUT MUST HOLD CURRENT CNA I W/ CURRENT NC REGISTRY.

JOB# 183313

FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT NEEDS SERVERS. SOME EXP HELPFUL, BUT NOT NECESSARY. SERVERS WILL BE TRAINED.

JOB# 183303

MainStreet Realty

(828) 452-2227 mainstreetrealty.net

Honey - Gets her name from - you guessed it being honey colored and sweet. This young gal has a beautiful long coat of fur and fluffy plume of a tail. She is waiting to meet you and sweep you off your feet.

FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT NEEDS AN EVENING GRILL COOK. SOME EXP HELPFUL, BUT NOT NECESSARY.

CUSTODIAN 1

CRS, GRI, E-PRO

JOB# 183480

CNA/ MED TECH

GRILL COOK

Ann Eavenson

72618

5 DAY SUMMER CAMP - APRIL 1 - 5; WILL WORK W/ CHILDREN K-5 IN A RECREATIONAL SETTING. MUST HAVE H.S. DIPLOMA/GED AND EXP WORKING W/ CHILDREN. MUST HAVE NCDL AND PASS NCSBI FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK. MUST BE ABLE TO LEARN CPR AND FIRST AID.

WAITSTAFF

Ann knows real estate!

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT THE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY OFFICE OFFERS ADDITIONAL JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE TO ANY PERSONS RECEIVING FOOD & NUTRITION BENEFITS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS (FORMALLY ESC) AT 828.456.6061, EXT. 201 OR 203 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.*

facebook.com/smnews

JOB# 183187

REQ INSTRUCTION THAT IS SUFFICIENT FOR SATISFACTORY JOB PERFORMANCE. REQ OVER ONE MONTH AND UP TO AND INC 3 MONTHS EXP. ADDITIONAL TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED FOR PROPER USE OF EQUIPMENT. WILL WORK 5PM-1:30AM.

March 13-19, 2013

ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER

72611

Mountain Realty

Ron Breese Broker/Owner

JOB# 182798

REQ HS DIPLOMA OR GED OR SPECIALIZED TRAINING. REQ OVER ONE MONTH AND UP TO AND INC 3 MONTHS OF OFFICE SKILLS AND WORKING W/ PUBLIC. MUST COMPLETE REQ ANIMAL CONTROL COURSEWORK AND POSSESS ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER I, ANIMAL TRANQUILIZER CAPTURE AND HUMAN EUTHANASIA CERTIFICATIONS.

2177 Russ Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

www.ronbreese.com Each office independently owned & operated.

INCOME MAINTENANCE CASEWORKER II

JOB# 182765

MUST HAVE NCDL AND ACCESS TO A VEHICLE. CURRENT DMV RECORD. MUST SHOW NO MORE THAN 3 POINT ON LICENSE. CLOSES 3/19/13.

BARTENDER

JOB# 182678

INSTALLER/ TECHNICIAN

JOB# 181752

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF TELEPHONE, CABLE & INTERNET SERVICE FROM THE UTILITY POLE INTO A CUSTOMER'S HOME, WILL SET UP MODEMS, DIGITAL EQUIPMENT, ETC. IN A CUSTOMER'S HOME AND BE ABLE TO DETECT, TROUBLESHOOT AND FIX PROBLEMS AS THEY OCCUR WITH THE SERVICES OFFERED TO A CUSTOMER.

If interested go to your local Employment Security Office or call 828.456.6061

72583

72461

WE SAVE YOU MONEY

TUPELO’S

BEST PRICE EVERYDAY

INDOOR & OUTDOOR

10-5 M-SAT. 12-4 SUN.

FURNITURE

72452

ON DELLWOOD RD. (HWY. 19) AT 20 SWANGER LANE WAYNESVILLE/MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.8778

smokymountainnews.com

FAMILY ORIENTED BAR/GRILL IN MAGGIE NEEDS 1 FULL TIME AND 1 PART TIME EXPERIENCED BARTENDER. MUST BE AVAILABLE TO WORK 11AM-11PM ANY DAY.

Full Service Property Management 828-456-6111 www.selecthomeswnc.com Residential and Commercial Long-Term Rentals

WNC MarketPlace

Pet Adoption SASSY - A 60 lb., purebred

MANNY - An 8 month old

Redtick. She is 1-2 years old. Very gentle, she will make a wonderful pet. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC. LITTER OF FOUR - Tri-color, Beagle/Feist pups. Just 10 weeks old, they are adorable. Three females, one male, will be neutered on March 18th, but could be adopted (reserved) before then and taken home on March 19th. Call foster home at 828.293.5629. LONESOME DOVE - A 9 week old, female Terrier mix. She is brindle colored, has longish hair, and will also be ready on March 19th but could be reserved before then. Call foster home at 828.293.5629. TENNESSEE - A two year old Border Collie mix. She has long hair, is sweet, loving and housebroken. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

Dachshund mix. He weighs about 20 lbs., is black, shorthaired, very friendly and active. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC. SAM - A one year old Sheltie/ Fiest mix. He weighs 25 lbs., is housebroken, gentle, and is a good climber. He is tan with white boots. Call 877.ARF.JCNC. BEN - A 5lb. purebred Chihuahua He is white and brown. He is a bit shy. No small children. Special pricing applies. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC. GIBBS - A two-year-old, purebred, male Beagle. He is tricolored, weighs 35 lbs., and is very friendly. He gets along well with other dogs, is affectionate with people, and obeys house rules. Call ARF at 877.ARF.JCNC ARF’S next low-cost spay/neuter trip will be April 8th. Register and pre-pay at ARF’s adoption site on Saturdays from 1-3.

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 13-19, 2013

ARF (HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON COUNTY) Holds rescued pet adoptions Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 (weather permitting) at 50 Railroad Avenue in Sylva. Animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots. Most cats $60, most dogs $70. Preview available pets at www.a-r-f.org, or call foster home.

EVE - Lab Retriever Mix dog –

PEEWEE - Chihuahua Mix dog –

black. I am about 2 years old and was found living in the woods with my sister. I can be shy with people at first, but a happy girl once I know I can trust you. I love toys, other dogs, and belly rubs. I’m still in a learning phase with some things like not jumping up and getting used to new places and people, but am making steady progress. I am housetrained and also learning sit and down commands. $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org. MISTER - Terrier Mix dog – white & tan. I was born in fall 2011 and I’m just the sweetest little guy! I’m smart, and very playful and exuberant and would love my new home to have a companion dog. I’m also affectionate and love to sit in my person’s lap. $125 adoption fee, ACN 828.258.4820 or animalcompassionnetwork.org.

brown & white. I am 5 years old and I’m a cute, sweet guy. I ride well in the car, and love to be held and loved on. $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

ANIMAL COMPASSION NETWORK Pet Adoption Events - Every Saturday from 11a.m. to 3p.m. at Pet Harmony, Animal Compassion Network's new pet store for rescued pets. Dozens of ACN dogs, puppies, kittens and cats will be ready to find their permanent homes. The store also offers quality pet supplies where all proceeds save more homeless animals. Come see us at 803 Fairview St. (behind Province 620 off Hendersonville Rd), visit www.animalcompassionnetwork.org, or call 828.274.DOGS.

REMAINING FURNITURE LUMBER Walnut, Butternut, Cherry. Need to clear building, $3,250 Call for more info 828.627.2342 COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

Prevent Unwanted Litters! Beat the Heat $10 spay/neuter special going on until March 31st! Hours: Monday-Thursday, 12 Noon - 5pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

FINANCIAL $$$ ACCESS LAWSUIT CASH NOW!! Injury Lawsuit Dragging? Need $500-$500,000++ within 48/hours? Low rates. Apply Now By Phone! 1.800.568.8321. wwwlawcapital.com Not Valid in CO or NC. SAPA BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company. SAPA WHAT IF YOU DIED TOMORROW? Can Your Family Survive without the Income? $250,000 Policy Just $9/month. FREE Quote: 1.800.868.7074 www.Quote50.com SAPA

FURNITURE HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price! 533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

LAWN & GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

HEAVY EQUIPMENT SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $3997.00 Make & Save Money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1.800.578.1363, Ext. 300N.

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT EVER CONSIDER A Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888.418.0117. SAPA NC MOUNTAINS Spacious 2bdrm, 2ba cabin, 1+ wooded acs w/stream $139,900. Lrg. kit open to living rm., stone fpl, screened porch, new appl, available now. 828.286.1666.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

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WEEKLY SUDOKU

Super

CROSSWORD

70 Proclaims, biblically 71 Wicked 73 High-tech greeting 75 Flurry ACROSS 76 “Friday Night Fights” 1 Dilapidated condition 10 Hawaii-born U.S. pres- airer 79 Idi of infamy ident 80 Car houser 15 Acute 82 People trying out cov20 Unlike death and ered wagons? taxes? 86 Turn to mush 21 Marsh bird 88 Hammered item 22 One healing 89 Word repeated after 23 Former Philippine “qué” president going around 90 Big name in synthesomething? sizers 25 Baseballer Pee Wee 92 HDTV brand 26 “A,” in Arles 93 Walked 27 Scriptwriter Ephron 96 Staff symbol 28 “- minute!” 98 Silky fabric worn by a 29 Mambo king Puente primate? 31 Had food 101 Stop up again, as a 32 “Who Said Gay -?” wine bottle (song from “Can-Can”) 34 Tender of Andean ani- 103 “S’il - plait” 106 Portable PC mals? 107 Be cleverer than a 37 Lummox famed candy man? 41 - -mell 110 Ivy League Philly sch. 42 Many-acred home 114 Simple card game 43 Things keeping baby 115 Spot for a mail slot sheep from straying? 116 67-Across, in poetry 47 Actor Waggoner 117 Neighbor of N. Dak. 49 Newspaper opinion 120 “- do not!” piece 121 Conveyed via a con50 Prefix that means duit “egg” 123 They’re hidden in 51 Caustic cleaners seven long answers in this 52 Zaragoza’s river puzzle 55 - buco (veal meal) 127 Pianist’s exercise 57 Spilled the beans 128 “The stage -” 59 Medusa’s activity? 129 Absolve 65 Not open 130 Turf again 67 At the acme 131 Unfeeling 68 See 132 Velodrome competi69 Cow noise SUPER CROSSWORD WILLIAM VII

60 Hokey actor 61 Wiggling fish 62 Mental pictures DOWN 63 Electric razor brand 1 Block the flow of 64 The Almighty 2 A former Mrs. Trump 66 The Beatles’ 3 More tender “- Woman” 4 Singer Ocasek 5 He played TV’s Al Bundy 70 Baglike part 71 Verb suffix 6 Old El - (taco brand) 72 Pantry raider 7 Shortened form, for 74 Vid shooter short 77 Stay with, as a deci8 Kovalchuk of the NHL sion 9 Salesperson, for short 78 Gallup 10 Response to a great 80 Aggregation retort 81 After - (kind of) 11 “- Mucho” (1944 #1 83 Fund hit) 84 Regarding 12 Meyers of the screen 85 Samms or Watson 13 Every 30 days or so 14 Hollywood’s Dickinson 87 Khaki 91 Fly ball’s antithesis 15 Young haddocks 93 Touring actor 16 Color tone 94 Bring back together 17 Hiker’s guide 95 Ink squirter 18 Paraphrase 97 Earth’s highest peak 19 Dressed up fussily 99 Tarzan actor Ron 24 Suffer 100 PC software 30 Sticky pine product 102 Relieved (of) 33 Diminish 104 Golf tourney 34 Zodiac beast 105 Kind of pony or pooch 35 Sterling silver, say 108 Pueblo builders 36 Tavern chair 109 Prior to, in poetry 38 Singer Crystal 111 Computer of the 39 Plant - of doubt 1940s 40 “Hey ... you” 112 Nick of “Affliction” 43 Ton 113 Butler on 44 Guacamole base “The Nanny” 45 Hundred cubed 117 Skirt type 46 One next to you 118 “How are you?” reply on a plane, e.g. 119 Goose of Hawaii 48 Soft throws 122 Tokyo, previously 53 Plant that flowers 124 Bear, in Madrid 54 Act of retaliation 125 Neighbor of S. Dak. 56 More cunning 126 Playtex item 58 Point tions

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bi-monthly magazine that covers the southern Appalachian mountains and celebrates the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue relies on regional writers and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.

In this issue: Mountain couple explores art in life Renowned schools and studios foster creativity Mimicking nature with hook and hair Paul Marchandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s botanical beauties PLUS ADVENTURE, CUISINE, READING, MUSIC, ARTS & MORE

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In the land of water and rock

George Ellison

ike Old Esdras in the Bible, some live in a land of milk and honey. Here in the Blue Ridge, we live in the land of water and rock. Moving water and worn stone are the predominant features in our terrain. Landscapes here were not sculpted by wind. They have been — and are being — eroded into and out of existence as the underlying rock slowly accommodates water. Our language is laden with words and phrases used to describe moving water or its effects: spring, branch, creek, fork, prong, wash, river, stream, waterway, watercourse, watershed, waterfall, eddy, run, pothole, water gap, Columnist water table, and so on. The Cherokee and the early settlers assigned these entities beautiful names: Hazel Creek, Healing Springs, Brightwater Branch and Rainbow Falls as well as rivers like Oconaluftee, Tuckaseigee and Cullasaja. We speak of rock walls and rock falls, rock salt and rock streams, bedrock and rock terraces, rock houses and rock shelters, rock faces and rock slides, and so on. We have a Rock Camp Branch, a Rock Knob

BACK THEN Creek, and a Rocky Springs. In Haywood County the two elements are combined in the elegant place name of Shining Rock Creek. There is, of course, an unavoidable spiritual association with water and rock … either alone or when combined. Mountain paths always wind down to water. And everyone has listened as the stones in a creek bed sing in praise of water. Churches bear witness in names like Carttoogeechaye Creek and Little Snowbird Creek, Holly Springs and Living Waters, Tellico and Double Springs, and so on. Near Bryson City in the national park the ancient Cherokee had what was later described as a Friendship Wall. It was situated in a gap of the lower Thomas Divide (not Deeplow Gap) between the Kituwha Mound site and Deep Creek watershed. Each time someone passed through the gap they placed a rock on the ground. The Tibetans did the same in the Himalayas. Before long there was a rock wall. It was subsequently bulldozed away by authorities. I was told it stood in the way of an improvement project of one sort or another that was itself later abandoned. In the Nantahala Gorge … I won’t say where … there are neat mounds of stone that could without exaggeration be described as

cairns. The archeologist Cyrus Thomas examined them in the 1890s and was of the opinion they predated both the early settlers and the more recent Cherokee. In Cherokee lore the “Little People” are mischievous elf-like spirits whose assigned task is finding lost children. They like to

play tricks and mind games. When they have nothing better to do ... which is most of the time ... they dig holes or construct mini-monuments of water-rounded stone. Even the Cherokee themselves hardly ever see the Little People except out of the corners of their eyes. But if you are in the right frame of mind their stonework is not infrequently encoun-

tered alongside a creek or in the bend of a river. These freestanding sculptures are always delicately balanced and carefully aligned with each stone in its proper place. Even when you don’t know the exact message … if there is one at all … they will always give you something to think about. I remember my friend, the Cherokee storyteller Kathi Littlejohn, remarking years ago that “They play tricks on you so you’ll be forever young in your heart ... because that’s the way of the Little People.” In other words they made their sculptures of waterrounded rocks to make you smile or laugh out loud at the way things are. George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees. In June 2005, a selection of his Back Then columns was published by The History Press in Charleston as Mountain Passages: Natural and Cultural History of Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains. Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at info@georgeellison.com.

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