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March 2-8, 2016 Vol. 17 Iss. 40

Meadowbrook to end its year-round schedule Page 4 Franklin group pushes for ‘Top Small Town’ Page 34

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: With the March 15 primary election quickly approaching, The Smoky Mountain News continues to provide in-depth coverage on candidates running for local and state offices to represent the western counties. Whether voters plan to cast a ballot on Election Day or during the March 3-12 early voting period, everyone should be prepared to show a photo ID to vote. (Page 6)

News Meadowbrook to end its year-round schedule ..........................................................4 Champion Credit gives $100,000 to public schools ..............................................5 Waynesville street repairs hinder local businesses ................................................12 NOC considering Dillsboro location ..........................................................................14 SMN brings home 32 N.C. Press awards ................................................................16 Referendum on sales tax increase possible in Jackson........................................ 17 Hepatitis B cases up in Swain County ......................................................................18 Higher education leaders push for bond ..................................................................19

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Emily Moss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . emily@smokymountainnews.com Whitney Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . whitney@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smliv.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Becky Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . becky@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Gary Carden (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Barbee (writing).

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585

Opinion Fortunately, the ‘ups’ outweigh the ‘downs’ ..............................................................22

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Thai fusion restaurant enters next chapter in Waynesville ....................................26

Outdoors Franklin group pushes for ‘Top Small Town’ promotion ........................................34

The Naturalist’s Corner

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After 19-year run, Meadowbrook to end its year-round school experiment

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER eadowbrook Elementary in Canton is ending its long run as a year-round school.

Meadowbrook Elementary is the only year-round school west of Asheville — a distinction it’s had for 19 years since first taking up the mantel of a year-round school calendar.

But the year-round schedule is out of sync with state testing schedules and curriculum benchmarks, and that’s become increasingly problematic, said Meadowbrook Principal Stephanie Mancini.

“Lately, we have received critical curriculum information from the state after the first quarter is already over,” Mancini said. “This leads to pacing guides being revised after we have already started our school year, teachers playing catch-up with curriculum and confusion for students and parents.”

While teachers at Meadowbrook are 100 percent in favor of switching to a traditional calendar, only half of Meadowbrook’s parents support the change, according to surveys.

The school sent home two surveys, and the results were about 50-50 each time.

Most preferring a year-round schedule liked being able to take family vacations at off times of year, or felt child care was easier without a long summer to contend with.

SUMMER SLIDE MYTH? Students on a year-round schedule don’t actually go to school any more than their August-to-June peers at other schools. They still clock in at 180 days like everyone else, but the year is divvied up differently.

Summer break is only four or five weeks — compared to 10 — with a two-week minibreak after each quarter.

Mancini said the benefits once touted by year-round school advocates — primarily preventing the so-called “summer slide” when students take an extended break from the books — haven’t been borne out.

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She has trouble getting teachers to actually take a break during the intermittent twoweek vacations every nine weeks. By the time they wrap up grading and other loose ends when one quarter is over, they shift right into planning for the next nine-week session.

“They are always there,” Mancini said.

The shorter summer break likewise doesn’t allow enough transition time for teachers. As soon as they wrap up one school year, they are already trying to prep their classes for the start of the new year in mid-July.

“Teachers are pretty fanatical of course about how their classrooms look and they want them to be just amazing,” Mancini said. “Turning around a school building is a lot of work. In order to get the building ready for teachers, custodians would come in to work at 2 a.m.”

Teachers at Meadowbrook also miss out on summer workshops because school is back in session.

This summer, two teachers plan to attend the International Meadowbrook Elementary Principal Stephanie Mancini, flanked by a team of teachers, makes a case to the Literacy Association conference Haywood County School Board to abandon the year-round calendar at her school. Becky Johnson photo with Mancini in Boston, which they couldn’t have done before.

They also miss countywide back-to-school National studies examining the pros and workshops that the rest of the county’s teachcons of year-round school have shown any Meadowbrook has 300 ers partake in. break longer than three weeks still results in students. Because of its “It is also really important to collaborate backsliding. That means Meadowbrook’s with teachers from other schools in the counfive-week summer break is still too long to unique status — being the ty,” Mancini said. prevent the dreaded summer slide. only year-round school in Meanwhile, the mini-breaks during the year pose setbacks of their own.

Haywood County — famiTHER FACTORS Meadowbrook students were out of school for a month this winter, when a threeMeadowbrook’s year-round schedule lies can opt to attend week Christmas break was followed by anothposes a logistical challenge for parents with Meadowbrook from anyer week of lost school due to snow. Making an older child in middle or high school in the matters worse, students were hit with stancounty with a traditional calendar. Many of where in the county. dardized mid-year assessments on the heels those who are against a change weren’t in of the four-week hiatus, Mancini said. that boat yet, Mancini said.

Meadowbrook went year-round in 1997. the extent predicted 20 years ago. Only 4 per“Several parents hadn’t considered that.

It was an early pioneer of year-round school, cent of public schools nationwide follow a One mom said ‘If I had one going to Canton which was being heralded at the time as the year-round schedule.

Middle and one here, I would vote differentnewest trend in education, with proponents Year-round school is also heralded as a ly,’” Mancini recounted. predicting a gradual national movement way to prevent teacher burnout, by giving Meadowbrook has 300 students. Because toward year-round school as the new normal. them periodic breaks during the year. But of its unique status — being the But the concept hasn’t gained traction to Mancini has found the opposite to be true. only year-round school in

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MassageWaynesville.com APPOINTMENTS: 9AM-6PM OFFICE 10AM-5:15PM Haywood Square | 288 North Haywood Street | Waynesville, N.C. Champion Credit Union President Jake Robinson awarded $100,000 to school superintendents from across the region who gathered at The Imperial in Canton last week. Donated photo

Champion Credit Union donation gives teachers a deserved boost

Haywood County — families can opt to attend Meadowbrook from anywhere in the county, even if they don’t live in Meadowbrook’s district.

Around 50 students currently fall in that category. Mancini said the number of students seeking waivers to attend Meadowbrook from other districts due to its year-round schedule seems to be less than it once was.

Without the draw of a year-round calendar, some families may switch schools, reverting to the school in their assigned district once Meadowbrook is no longer year-round.

However, some families who live in Meadowbrook’s district but don’t like the yearround schedule opt-out and attend another school elsewhere in the county. Mancini predicts any loss in students who leave once

Meadowbrook is no longer year-round will be offset by those coming back to Meadowbrook once it’s on a traditional schedule.

Meadowbrook held two parent meetings this year to discuss the possibility of switching to a traditional school calendar. Neither was heavily attended.

One of the meetings in early January drew only 22 parents, some of whom strongly supported sticking with the year-round calendar.

But Mancini said after explaining the rationale behind the change, most understood.

“We explained that we aren’t here for us.

We are here for these children, and we want to do what is best for them,” Mancini said.

“We love these kids. I go home and worry about these kids. You wouldn’t be in this job if you didn’t want the best for children.”

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“They realized there is a real shortage of funds for teacher development,” Garrett said.

Training is not only critical to stay current with curriculum and best practices, but also helps teachers stay energized and enthusiastic about the calling of education.

“Because of budget constraints, teachers wanting to persue continuing education have had to pay for it out of their own pocket, and we don’t think that’s good,” Robinson said.

The donation from Champion Credit Union was the culmination of its “Schooled on Savings” campaign last year.

Champion Credit Union pledged up front to give back to schools as a thank you to customers who refinanced loans and mortgages.

If Champion Credit Union reached its goal of collectively saving customers $100,000 on loan refinancing, it pledged to award $100,000 to local public schools.

“Because of our members choosing to borrow with us, we are investing back into their communities,” said Noralynn Gudger, marketing manager with Champion Credit Union.

March 2-8, 2016

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER hampion Credit Union donated $100,000 last week to nine local school systems in the communities it serves — including Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

“Given the recent struggles of the North Carolina public school system, we felt like this was the perfect time to interject and show our support for them,” said Jake Robinson, president and CEO of Champion Credit Union.

Haywood County Schools Superintendent Anne Garrett said the donation means a lot — not only in the tangible benefits but also as a pick-me-up and morale booster, affirming to those who work in education they are appreciated by the larger community.

“What a nice thing for a bank to do for a school system,” Garrett said.

Champion Credit Union earmarked the contribution for teacher training and development.

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news

Republican reboot on tap for House 119 primary Aaron Littlefield and Mike Clampitt to square off once more

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he March ballot might feel a bit like déjà vu for Republican voters in N.C. House District 119, as Aaron Littlefield and Mike Clampitt once again face off for the chance to run against incumbent Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, in November.

The two men are both Republicans who favor eliminating the personal income tax, voter ID laws and school choice. But beyond that, the similarities dry up.

Littlefield is a 23-year-old graduate of Western Carolina University who calls Jackson County home, substitute teaching in its public schools, but grew up in Concord.

Clampitt is a 61-year-old Bryson City native and sixth-generation mountaineer who retired 11 years ago from a career with Charlotte’s fire department. It’s Clampitt’s third time running for the House seat, and Littlefield’s second.

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EDUCATION

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

Start talking policy, and the differences become even starker.

Education, for instance.

“I think the leadership of the legislature has been phenomenal for maintaining, increasing education for every year they’ve been in office,” Clampitt said.

Littlefield disagrees. If it had been up to him, he said, quite a few decisions regarding education funding would have turned out differently.

“I am the only candidate in the race willing to criticize members of my own party,” Littlefield said. “Many Republicans have dropped the ball and they want to use recession-level spending by Democrats as a standard for success.”

For Littlefield, teacher salaries are at the forefront of the debate. Salaries have gone up in recent years, with the starting salary now sitting at $35,000, but North Carolina is still at the bottom of the barrel for teacher compensation. Someone who has gone to college for teaching, Littlefield said, should expect at least $40,000 as a starting salary, and people with master’s degrees should receive more.

Teachers in North Carolina no longer get a salary bump for holding a master’s degree, but Littlefield would want to reinstate it.

“As a conservative, I find it fiscally irresponsible for us to be spending money training some of the best educators in the state here at Western Carolina University and then not have the appropriate policies and infrastructure in place to make sure we can retain 6 that talent here,” he said.

Littlefield also said that issues with education funding go beyond teacher salaries.

Many school districts — especially Jackson County — are in dire need of capital repairs, for instance. Many counties fund teaching positions outside of what the state provides from their local dollars, meaning that teacher salary increases can be hard for local budgets to absorb. Littlefield said he’d be entirely for increasing the percentage of the state budget that goes to education if that’s what’s necessary to meet educational needs in the state.

“We need to make sure we’re providing the best opportunities, and as far as what percentage that looks like in the budget, I’m not sure,” Littlefield said.

Online coverage Visit www.smokymountainnews.com to read more primary election coverage, including races for: • • • • •

Swain County commissioners Macon County commissioners Haywood County commissioners Jackson County commissioners N.C. House District 118

Pick up a copy of next week’s paper for more coverage on the N.C. House race between Rhonda Schandevel and Reese Steen.

Clampitt sees things a little differently.

Education is just one of many responsibilities given the state government in its constitution, he said, and the school system is not the only entity in need of tax dollars.

“Fifty-seven percent of the budget is currently spent for K-12 to start with,” he said.

“At what point do we say enough is enough?”

The legislature has increased overall allocations to public education over the last four years, Clampitt contended, so there’s no need for the state to look at upping its contribution.

Since 2008, state education funding has jumped by $60 million, but much of that increase has gone toward teacher salaries, and the statewide student population has jumped by 44,000, according to a report from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Funding for classroom activities has dropped by $1 billion.

Clampitt does believe that the state should take a hard look at the N.C. Education Lottery, a moniker that he sees as a misnomer.

“I say if we’re not going to use the money for the education as originally designated to fill in the gap that the state and counties can’t afford, change it to the N.C. State Lottery,” Clampitt said.

When instituted, the lottery was presented as a mechanism to provide supplemental education funding, but the proportion of lottery revenues actually going to education has

Meet the candidates Aaron Littlefield • Residence: Cullowhee • Age: 23 • Professional background: Currently a substitute teacher for Jackson County Schools, Littlefield graduated from Western Carolina University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

• Political experience: Littlefield ran for N.C. House in 2014 and has been active in the local Republican party.

• Reason to run: “I’m offering people a choice between bold, fresh leadership or business as usual with Raleigh insiders and career politicians, and that’s the same message in March as it is in November. People are ready for a change.”

Mike Clampitt • Residence: Bryson City • Age: 61 • Professional background: Clampitt retired 11 years ago from a career as a firefighter. His last position was fire captain for the Charlotte Fire Department.

• Political experience: This is the third time Clampitt has run for N.C. House, progressing to the General Election in 2012 and 2014.

• Reason to run: “I feel like I am the best qualified candidate to represent Swain, Jackson and Haywood counties since I am an original mountaineer from the area and my life has been committed to public service.”

The winner of the March 15 primary will face incumbent Rep. Joe Sam Queen, DWaynesville, in November. District 119 includes Swain, Jackson and most of Haywood County.

dropped dramatically from its original levels.

While Clampitt said he would greatly prefer that the education contribution ratchet back up to its promised amount, if that’s not going to happen he believes the name should change.

Littlefield said that he supports the lottery and would want to take a look at where fat can be cut in its operation. However, he said, it pays to remember that having a healthy pot of winnings — which comes from the lottery revenue — is important if people are to keep playing.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The candidates also diverge in their stances on the western counties’ infrastructure needs. Specifically, Corridor K. Corridor K refers to a nonexistent road that was originally proposed in the 1960s as part of a new highway system through the Appalachian Mountains. The four-lane road would connect Bryson City to Andrews, a route now traversed only by a narrow-two lane road through the Nantahala Gorge. The road would be expensive, estimated at $800 million, and cross environmentally sensitive habitats. But it would also provide better access to education and health care for residents of North Carolina’s most remote mountain counties.

For Clampitt, the question — to build, or not to build — is a no-brainer. If companies are to ever create significant job opportunities in the far west counties, they’ll need better access to make it happen.

“That access would be very much considered positive when it comes to commercialization of businesses who locate and have nonsmokestack industries,” Clampitt said.

Littlefield, meanwhile, sees Corridor K as an expensive and antiquated answer to the region’s struggles.

“Corridor K is a 1960s solution to a 1960s issue,” he said. “I think we need to look at 21st-century solutions to current issues. The issue is they don’t have access to state-of-theart medical facilities, they don’t have access to higher education.”

For $800 million, he said, you could build a hospital or a community college satellite campus. Meanwhile, the roadwidening and tunnel drilling required to build the road would ruin tourism dollars, Littlefield said, in “a county renowned for its pristine streams.” And who’s to say the $800 million figure would hold steady?

Littlefield points to the R-5000 project connecting N.C. 116 and N.C. 107, whose price tag has exploded from conception to execution.

“If it’s starting out at $800 million, I don’t want to even think what it would look like,” he said.

However, both candidates agreed that Western North Carolina’s infrastructure issues extend beyond roads. The region needs better cell service and high-speed Internet if it is to thrive in the 21st century.

“In this day and age you wouldn’t move to a house that doesn’t have cell phone service or high-speed Internet,” Littlefield said.

“That is a very important thing that we need to establish to get the businesses into Western North Carolina is having good Internet capacity,” Clampitt agreed.

To get there, Clampitt said, the state should perhaps take a more active role in developing Internet infrastructure. The state could “have a vested interest” in expanding Internet service, he said, and things could also be moved along by “stepping away from some of the restrictive boundaries” and permit requirements he sees as hampering improvement to phone and Internet access.

S EE HOUSE 119, PAGE 8

Rep. West’s retirement leads to Republican primary tussle

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EDUCATION

Meet the candidates Kevin Corbin • Residence: Franklin • Age: 54 • Professional background: Owns Corbin Insurance Agency, which employs eight people full-time.

• Political experience: Corbin has served as chairman of the Macon County Commissioners since 2012 after being appointed to now-Senator Jim Davis’ empty seat in 2010. He sat on the Macon County Board of Education from 1985-2005, serving as chairman for 16 of those years. Rep. Roger West, District Attorney Ashley Welch and 17 of the district’s 20 county commissioners have endorsed him.

• Reason to run: “I really do enjoy being a county commissioner, but I have a reputation for getting things done and I think there’s a lot of things that can be done at the state level that I’ll have the skill set to do.”

Elliott Southworth

The winner of the March primary will face Democrat Randy Hogsed of Andrews. N.C. House District 120 includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon counties.

CONNECT N.C. BOND REFERENDUM Corbin extends his support of public education to the bond referendum that will be included on the March 15 ballot. Voters will

have the chance to approve or deny the state government’s desire to take out a $2 billion bond to support a variety of capital projects, including state universities, community colleges and state parks.

TAX ISSUES Both Corbin and Southworth have promised that, if elected, they’d work to lower taxes. However, they each have different plans for how to do so.

“Having a progressive rate tax favors some groups and not others,” Southworth said. “I prefer tax neutrality.”

Southworth would like to see North Carolina adopt a flat tax, getting rid of the personal income tax and instead funding its government primarily through sales tax income. That’s the fairest way to go, Southworth said, because that way everybody pays the same rate — no favoritism.

“Sure, low-income people are going to pay something, those on welfare and food stamps are going to pay something for the first time perhaps, but they can’t keep sucking our system dry and lobbyists can’t keep having legislators pass bills that favor a particular industry and have the system succeed,” Southworth said.

Corbin also believes that economies do best when people pay fewer taxes and said he’d be willing to support a flat tax.

However, he’s running on the idea that the state should lower its personal and corporate tax rates.

“We have people who live — especially in our region — who live her year-round and they claim to live in Florida or they claim to live in another state, and they do it because

S EE TUSSLE, PAGE 8

Smoky Mountain News

• Residence: Murphy • Age: 63 • Professional background: Southworth is an entrepreneur, originally from Massachusetts, who has launched seven different businesses, including Green Sheets coupon magazine.

• Political experience: While living in Massachusetts, Southworth served as member and chairman of the finance committee to review and oversee town department budgets. He is a self-described conservative activist.

• Reason to run: “There are big issues that need to be addressed and aren’t being paid attention to the right way.

They’re given lip service instead of support, and they kick the can down the road or pass the buck to voters.”

The biggest single project in the bill is a $110 million science building for Western Carolina University, and the bond would also include millions in funding for Haywood Community College, Southwestern Community College and Tri-County Community College — leaders of those schools have thrown their support behind the bill.

“Because they are (for it), I would say I was for it,” Corbin said.

Western North Carolina will get “our share, maybe more than our share” of funding from the bill, and the resulting improvements to higher education in the region would result in increased job opportunities and indirect economic benefit to the area, Corbin said.

Southworth sees it differently.

The bond represents an unjustifiable increase in debt, he said, that is tantamount to encumbering the state’s children with debt for their future. Furthermore, he believes the bill that wound up being passed is a large departure from the document that was originally filed, not capable of achieving the goal that it was designed to address. He also sees the bond’s placement on the March 15 ballot as an act of cowardice, charging that the legislature should have voted it up and down or at least placed it on the November ballot, when voter turnout is higher.

“There’s a lot of kicking the can down the road and passing the buck to the voters,” he said.

March 2-8, 2016

For both Corbin and Southworth, education-related legislation will be at the top of the to-do list if elected. Both have some connection to the school system — Corbin, from his 20 years on the Macon County School Board, Southworth through coaching elementary and middle school shooting club and his wife’s career as a public school speech pathologist — and both see a problem with the way things are being run right now.

Both Southworth and Corbin want to see teacher pay increase, and both want to see the Common Core State Standards done away with.

“If I were elected, one of the first things I would do is pull that bill out of the file cabinet, the original language from 2011 and refile it and try to hold everyone’s feet to the fire to repeal Common Core,” Southworth said, referring to a bill that had been filed at one time to repeal Common Core outright.

The state had created a committee to look at alternatives to Common Core, but this winter the committee came back with a recommendation that the standards stay in place.

For Corbin, the priority where education is concerned is getting counties out of the business of paying teachers. In North Carolina school systems, state dollars are supposed to cover salaries while county dollars provide facilities. However, many counties are footing the bill for some teaching positions out of local taxes because they don’t think the state-provided positions are sufficient. Locally funded teachers have to be paid the same as state-funded teachers, so state

pay raises mean the county’s bill for teaching positions hikes even higher.

The reason locally funded teachers are so common in rural counties, Corbin said, has to do with the state’s reliance on studentteacher ratios when deciding how many positions each county gets.

“That works really well in Wake County and Mecklenberg when you have large numbers of people and it’s flat,” Corbin said. “It doesn’t work well in the mountains, because kids don’t come in pockets of 24.”

Take, for example, Macon County’s K-12 Nantahala School. Maybe the second grade has only 10 kids in it, but those 10 kids still need a teacher — even if state formulas say a class should have 24 kids.

“The first week I’m there (in Raleigh), I plan to take a topo map into the speaker’s office and show him our communities and where we live and why that system doesn’t work for everybody, and I will introduce legislation to do that,” Corbin said. “I already talked to (Sen.) Jim Davis (R-Franklin), and he’s willing to do the same.”

While the two candidates both have ties to public school, they’re also both in favor of school choice — meaning the array of public, online, charter and scholarships to private schools now available through state dollars.

However, they see the matter somewhat differently.

For Southworth, it’s a proven fact that charter schools are good for students and should invariably be supported. He points to New Orleans and the prevalence of charter schools there after Hurricane Katrina wiped out existing infrastructure. These days, 90 percent of students in the city attend a charter school. The change coincided with a jump in proficient scores on statewide assessments among students in the Recovery School District, from 23 percent in 2007 to 56 percent in 2015, according to a report by Forbes Magazine.

“The statistics show that charter schools are doing a great job and on average scoring higher than the state-funded schools,” Southworth said.

For Corbin, it’s not that black and white.

He sees charter, public and private schools as complimenting each other rather than competing and says that the dynamic is somewhat different in the mountains than in urban areas.

“The schools here are good,” Corbin said.

“That’s not true everywhere in North Carolina. There’s places where if I lived I would look at sending my kid to a private school.”

“I’m very much a believer in public education because I believe it works, but I do believe in school choice,” he said.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ep. Roger West’s, R-Marble, announcement that he wouldn’t be running for re-election left a void in N.C. House District 120, and two Republicans are vying to fill it.

One, Kevin Corbin, is a well-known politician in Franklin with decades of experience on the Macon County school and commissioner boards — who West hand-picked to run for the empty seat — and the other, Elliot Southworth, is a Murphy businessman for whom a win would represent his first experience holding an elected position.

According to Southworth, Corbin is a “career politician,” whose “uber-progressive agenda” makes it surprising to find a “red R after his name instead of a blue one.”

Corbin, meanwhile, maintains he has “a proven conservative record” — keeping taxes low and paying down debt during his time in county government — and says that through decades of involvement with local politics, he’s developed the relationships he’ll need to find success in Raleigh.

“Whoever winds up replacing Roger, there’s going to be a loss of seniority for this region, so you need to send the person who is best qualified to hit the ground running,” Corbin said.

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HOUSE 119, CONTINUED FROM 6 Littlefield suggested that state leaders think creatively to find solutions. For instance, some parts of Africa are now getting 4G cell service via balloons in the atmosphere. In the mountains, where peaks and valleys make quality coverage difficult to achieve, perhaps that could be a solution.

CONNECT N.C. BOND

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

REFERENDUM One issue where Littlefield and Clampitt find common ground is that they’re both opposed to the state bond referendum that will join them on the ballot — but for different reasons.

If passed, the state would take out a $2 billion bond to provide for capital projects including colleges, universities, water and sewer systems and state parks throughout North Carolina. The biggest project in the package would be a $110 million science building at WCU, with WNC’s community colleges to get a hefty chunk of funding as well.

“I love barbecue, but I would hate getting a big box of barbeque with a bunch of sardines packed in it,” said Littlefield, by way of explaining his opposition. The bond package has a lot of good projects in it, he said, but also its fair share of pet projects — “sardines.” He believes each project should have been debated and voted on its own merits.

To Clampitt, the bond package is mostly sardines, with very little barbecue involved.

“This bond package is just a Pandora’s box of spending that’s not needed,” Clampitt said. He called it a “Christmas present to the UNC and college system” and contended that school chancellors should have been ensuring their buildings were properly maintained all along so they wouldn’t need new ones now.

“I think the expenditures should have been (voted on) line by line,” he said.

Littlefield agrees with that, calling out the legislature’s decision to put responsibility for the decision on voters’ backs. But he disagreed with Clampitt’s assessment that the package is full of extraneous spending.

In particular, he voiced strong support for the WCU science building. The aging building now in place simply not capable of training the science, technology, math and engineering grads needed to make WNC successful, he said.

“If the bond fails, I would definitely push to make sure Western can get their science building,” he said. “They need it.”

TAX SYSTEM

Both candidates voiced support for shifting from a state budget based on personal income tax revenues to one based on sales tax revenues. But they don’t see eye-toeye on how it should be done.

“I would love a simpler tax code, but 8 things aren’t quite that simple and I think

as a representative you have to be able to weigh the consequences of your actions,” Littlefield said.

On paper, said Littlefield, it would work to get rid of the personal income tax altogether and replace it with a 8.5 percent sales tax. But when you change one thing, invariably something else shifts as a result, so numbers don’t always work out as neatly as you’d plan. He also acknowledged that a tax based completely on consumption has the potential to hurt people living on low or fixed incomes.

“I would be in favor of a flat tax, but it’s going to take piecing apart all the sources of revenue and income that we have in North Carolina and seeing what we need and making the adjustments there,” he said.

Littlefield also pointed to North Carolina as having the highest gas tax in the Southeast. It would only benefit the state to push it down, he said.

“You’ve got to be able to bring people in,” Littlefield said. “The way to bring people in is to have cheaper gas. People look for an excuse to go to South Carolina because their gas is cheap.”

Clampitt is not shy about declaring himself in favor of eliminating personal income taxes and relying instead on sales tax revenue.

“We have a lot of folks that would be year-round residents,” Clampitt said, who lives here only part-time due to North Carolina’s higher tax rates. Florida, for example, doesn’t have a personal income tax at all.

“I would be a proponent to do away with the state income tax to entice those people to come here and live here year-round,” he said.

Clampitt also supports doing away with emissions standards, which currently apply to only 48 of the state’s 100 counties. He called the standards and “enormous burden for the businesses” that’s “a cash cow for the state.”

“I think we ought to make it uniform or do away with it,” he said.

SUMMARIZING THE CHOICE When Republican voters face the ballot on March, they’ll have a choice. Clampitt and Littlefield, define that choice differently.

According to Clampitt, a vote for him is a vote for a born-and-raised mountaineer with a “lifelong resume” of public service.

Clampitt is “committed to doing public service and being the best representative I can for the counties of Swain, Jackson and Haywood,” he said.

Littlefield sees the dichotomy a bit differently, emphasizing that his willingness to criticize his own party when necessary sets him apart from Clampitt. He believes voters should judge him on the strength of his policies rather than on “the day that God chose I should be born or where my mother chose to live when I was born.”

“I’m offering people a choice between career politicians and politics as usual versus someone who is willing to go against my party,” he said.

TUSSLE, CONTINUED FROM 7 we have an income tax. That hurts us,” Corbin said.

The state is predicting a $900 million budget surplus for this year, which to Corbin shows that there’s room to look at lowering taxes.

Corbin points to his record in Macon County to show that he’s the man for the job.

Macon County has the fourth-lowest property tax rate in the state, but in his six years on the county commission its debt load has plummeted from $60 million to $39 million.

REGULATION Along with lower taxes, Corbin is for less regulation.

“Government tends to make too many rules and regulations,” Corbin said. “When you have rules and regulations, they need to be for when you’re protecting people from danger or loss of some kind.”

However, he said, he’s committed to looking at things on a case-by-case basis rather than espousing a blanket no-regulations philosophy.

For example, Corbin can’t say for sure he would have voted to allow hydraulic fracturing in the state. Because it has been deemed unlikely that the western counties contain enough deposits to ever interest an energy company, he hasn’t studied up on the issue as much as on some others, but says he doesn’t think he “really like(s) the idea (of fracking) because there’s some danger of contaminating groundwater.”

On the other hand, Corbin stands by the Macon County Commissioner’ resolution opposing additional wilderness on the national forest lands in its boundaries, saying that while he’s a fan of all the governmentowned green space in the county — “this place being a beautiful place is the reason people come here” — he wouldn’t want to see all the use restrictions accompanying wilderness designation come into play.

Southworth also opposes additional wilderness — though that’s not an issue a state legislator would likely be asked to weigh in on — and generally believes that regulations should be kept as minimal as possible.

“I think environmental protection is important and the existing laws are ample,” he said. “I think that the federal mandates that are unfunded, that have been thrown on every state, should be resisted. We don’t need the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) telling North Carolina what to do with water.”

Along with federal regulation, Southworth opposes federal “middleman” organizations like the Southwestern Commission, a regional agency that dispenses federal funds locally through grants. The organization covers the seven western counties, providing technical assistance for local governments to work toward regional goals.

According to Southworth, the Southwestern Commission “promulgated regulations similar to Agenda 21” and the money it dispenses is “big money out of Washington, D.C.” with “strings attached.”

Agenda 21 is a 1992 United Nations action plan promoting sustainable development that some conservative groups oppose as the epitome of big government overreach.

Corbin calls that summary of the Southwestern Commission “ludicrous” and added that “nobody in the four-county region agrees with that, and all the counties and the towns are members of the Southwestern Commission.”

One of Southworth’s regulation-related campaign platforms has to do with professional licensure. He believes that the state has its fingers in the licensure of professions it has no business regulating and that the licensure requirements are often nonsensical. If elected, he’d work to reduce those regulations.

“I don’t think it’s right that a barber has to spend 1,528 hours to be a barber while an EMT that has a right to stick a needle in my arm or cut me open in a crisis only requires 150 hours,” Southworth said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Corbin said he wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to legislation consolidating or reducing licensure requirements but doesn’t see it as an issue he’d take up personally.

INFRASTRUCTURE

In the mountain counties, infrastructure is always high in the list of priorities.

For Corbin, achieving universal highspeed Internet for the western region is the priority in that category. Macon County is right now working on a map to show which parts of the county have high-speed Internet and cell service and which don’t.

“Then we’re going to go to the surrounding companies and try and find private solutions out there,” Corbin said. “Our goal is to have 100 percent of Macon County with highspeed Internet and cell phone service.”

He’d like to take the same concept to the state as a whole.

“I think that the number one infrastructure thing we can do is help facilitate 100 percent high-speed Internet and cell phone service,” Corbin said.

For Southworth, the main infrastructure issue is the lack of a four-lane highway anywhere west of Swain County. He’d push to get Corridor K — a four-lane highway that’s been under discussion since the 1960s to stretch from Stecoah to Andrews — completed and connecting Graham County to the rest of the state.

“It’s been a great idea for years, and they just never get the money to get it done,” Southworth said. “I think somebody has to go to Raleigh and stand up and say that it’s wrong. We pay our taxes but we get next to nothing in return for services as compared to more densely populated parts of central or eastern North Carolina.”

Corbin said he’s also in favor of Corridor K. “I think it’s important, especially for Graham County,” he said.

LONG LIVE THE POSSUM DROP

One, thing, however, Corbin and Southworth can agree on: the Possum Drop should live on.

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Voting begins March 3

Haywood County locations • Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville • Clyde Municipal Building, 8437 Carolina Blvd., Clyde • Canton Public Library, 11 Pennsylvania Ave., Canton • Weekdays — 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, March 5, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 12, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Congressional primary moved to June 7

Swain County locations: • Swain County Board of Elections office, 1422 U.S. Hwy. 19 South, Bryson City. • Birdtown Recreation Center, 1212 Birdtown

For more information about voter ID laws, visit www.voterid.nc.gov.

drop takes place — and then the entire state from laws pertaining to possums around New Year’s Eve. The issue is still playing out in the courts.

The possums are impeccably cared for and the event a community cornerstone, Corbin and Southworth agreed. “If the possum knew what was going on, they’d probably volunteer for it,� Corbin said.

• Jackson County Board of Elections Office, 876 Skyland Drive, Sylva • Cashiers Recreation Center, 355 Frank Allen Road, Cashiers • Cullowhee Recreation Center, 88 Cullowhee Mountain Road, Cullowhee • Wolfetown Community Gym, 28 Long Branch, Cherokee • Thursday and Friday, March 3-4, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, March 5, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Monday through Friday, March 7-11, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, March 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

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Smoky Mountain News

The two-decade-old New Year’s celebration in Brasstown has come under fire over the last few years from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which contends that the slow lowering of a possum in a Plexiglas container at midnight amounts to animal cruelty. The outgoing Rep. West led the charge to preserve the Possum Drop with bills to exempt first Clay County — where the

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Voters must show photo ID

March 2-8, 2016

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR orth Carolina will now have two primary elections in 2016 as lawsuits challenging the state’s districting maps continue to play out in court.

The March 15 primary election will continue as planned for local, state and presidential races, but the congressional races will be moved to a June 7 primary election. The additional election will cost North Carolina taxpayers more than $9 million.

The North Carolina General Assembly drew new legislative and congressional district maps in 2011 and held elections under those maps in 2012 and 2014. Those maps are being challenged in four different lawsuits claiming Republican legislators gerrymandered the maps. The state Supreme Court upheld the maps twice but federal judges threw out the 1st and 12th congressional districts on Feb. 5.

The state then received a federal trial court order to suspend the current congressional election, and on Feb. 19 the North Carolina Senate passed legislation establishing the new date for the congressional primary.

To make things more confusing, some state leaders are telling voters they should still cast a vote for U.S. representative candi-

dates on March 15 since the names will still be on the ballot. The legislature has requested a stay of the trial court’s decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. If granted, the stay would allow the March 15 primary to go forward for all races including for U.S. House, as originally planned.

Casting ballots in this election will ensure North Carolinians’ votes are counted despite the uncertainty created by the trial court’s order. “While we wish North Carolina voters didn’t have to deal with the chaos, confusion and costliness associated with a federal trial court’s 11th hour changing of the current primary election, we hope this legislation will at least bring some clarity and order back into the process,� said Senate Redistricting Committee Chairman Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg) in a press release. “It is vitally important that all voters continue to cast ballots in every race to ensure their voices are heard no matter what the courts ultimately decide.�

The new primary legislation also says the filing period for congressional candidates will reopen from March 16-25 and runoffs will not be held in order to save money. If the state is not granted the stay, congressional votes for candidates in the March 15 race will remain confidential.

Currently there are two candidates running for District 12 U.S. Representative in the primary election — Rick Bryson, DBryson City, and Tom Hill, D-Zirconia. The winner of the primary will face off against incumbent Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, in the general election in November. Meadows is currently serving his second consecutive two-year term in Congress since first being elected in 2012.

• Board of Elections Office, 5 W Main St., (first floor basement level) Room 127B; weekdays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays —9 a.m.-1 p.m. • Highlands Civic Center, 600 N 4th St., Meeting Room 1; weekdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

New voter identification laws are in effect for the 2016 elections, meaning voters should be prepared to show a valid form of photo identification at the polls during the March 15 primary election. The following forms of photo ID are acceptable: • NC driver’s license, learner’s permit or provisional license • Special ID card (N.C. DMV ID card) • U.S. passport • U.S. military ID (retired, active, dependents and civilian) • U.S. Veterans ID issued by Veterans Affairs • Tribal enrollment card issued by federally recognized tribe • Tribal enrollment card issued by a N.C. recognized tribe • Out-of-state driver’s license, only if the voter registers to vote in the county within 90 days of the election.

Jackson County locations North Carolina State Legislative Building. Donated photo

Macon County locations:

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The 2016 Primary Election will be held March 15 and polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Early voting for the primary will be held March 3-12.

Road, Cherokee • Weekdays, 8 a.m-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

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Meet the candidates in Haywood County’s commissioner primary

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ver the past two weeks, The Smoky Mountain News has explored where Haywood County commissioner candidates stand on education, economic development, land-use planning, the county’s direction and partisan labels.

This week, we asked candidates to tell us a little about themselves and why they are running. Two of the five seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners are up for election this year.

A collection of past articles can be found under Special Coverage at www.smokymountainnews.com.

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Democrats: pick two ROBIN BLACK, 53, ACCOUNTANT

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

Black said knowing how to navigate budgets and finances would be one of her strengths as a commissioner.

“I would be able to hit the ground running,” said Black, who has audited numerous local government entities and nonprofits. “That 10-digit number code for each line item means a lot of different things. It is all well and good to get up there and say you are going to cut spending, but if you don’t Robin Black understand the difference between mandatory spending and discretionary spending and how to pull that out, you won’t get very far.”

Black didn’t promise to cut the county budget, but questions some of the spending priorities she’s seen.

“It’s not that the projects haven’t been good ideas. But it’s a choice. The consequences of funding this thing cuts this other initiative out,” Black said.

Finding money to spend on economic development would be her top priority.

“We can’t do economic development without money, and if we have already cut everything we can, we have to explain to the voters that either some money has to come from somewhere or we don’t do it,” Black said. “I think you do have to invest some money in order to save money.

Sometimes you got to think outside the 10 box.”

See it yourself A forum featuring Haywood County commissioner candidates and candidates for N.C. General Assembly will be shown on the Haywood County government channel between now and the primary election on March 15.

The forum will air on Charter channel 193 and Carolina Mountain Cable channel 2 at the following times: 7 a.m., noon and 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The forum was sponsored by The Mountaineer newspaper.

While some tout the harmony and unanimous decisions by the current board as a sign of good governance, Black suspects dialogue and debate leading up to the decisions is happening behind the scenes.

“Nobody else has a different opinion? It seems there has obviously already been discussion. That discussion between the board members needs to happen in the board room,” Black said. “I would like to see more open debate, public debate.”

Black, who lives in Beaverdam, said it is important to get more representation from the eastern side of the county. Black also noted there aren’t any women on the board.

“I hope people will actually read my qualifications and not decide to vote for me just because I am a woman, but I think women do see things differently,” Black said.

Black served on the Haywood County School Board from 2004-2008, serving as finance committee chair during that time.

Her grandfather, Carl Green, was a county commissioner in Haywood.

Black has been a CPA for 17 years, and now owns her own firm. She was also the office manager of the Waynesville Public Housing Authority for four years, overseeing a $1 million budget.

STEVE BROWN, 62, NONPROFIT DIRECTOR Brown believes he is the most qualified and most experienced of the Democratic candidates.

“I am good at building consensus and working with groups to achieve a common goal,” Brown said.

That’s largely due to the past 20 years he’s spent in the nonprofit foundation and philanthropy sector — he’s served as the executive director of the Haywood County

Schools Foundation, of the Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation and currently for the Arc of Haywood County, a nonprofit that serves developmentally disabled adults.

But the first half of his career was as the part owner of Cline-Bradley Hardware store in Waynesville, and he hasn’t forgotten what life is like as a businessman.

“Running a small business you have to make hard decisions every day. It is a full gamut. Doing the things it takes to run a small business, you got to get in there and work,” Brown said.

In the nonprofit world, Brown has always reported to a board of directors and has become adept at navigating group dynamics, including bringing people together around a Steve Brown common vision.

“You have to learn to build a team and put the pieces together to be successful,” Brown said. “You learn how to build consensus.”

Brown said people have suggested he run for office and get involved in politics for years now.

“But I felt like I was really making a difference working behind the scenes. I love to jump in there and give 110 percent. I really like to make a difference and was doing successful things,” Brown said.

But a sense of obligation got the better of him.

“I need to step up and protect the same great life experiences we had when we were growing up,” Brown said.

Coming from the do-good, feel-good nonprofit world, Brown said he is not accustomed to the strife and criticism that sometimes goes along with being in local politics.

“When I am elected, I know that every decision you make some people are going to like and some people aren’t, but you are doing what you think is good for the community and what is right,” Brown said.

His top issue is education, and he said would do what he could to provide as much money for the local school system as possible.

Brown, who often talks about the importance of his faith, is a church leader with First United Methodist in Waynesville. Brown grew up in Waynesville as the son of a doctor. His brother, Gavin, is the mayor of Waynesville. He’s been involved in many civic groups including Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, REACH and Rotary Club.

TERRY RAMEY, 61, RETIRED TOWING AND AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS Ramey is proud of his blue-collar roots and background, but also sees himself as an influential mover-and-shaker who can move easily between realms.

“I have made lots of money and I’ve been busted. I know both sides of the fence. I got real good friends that don’t have nothing, and real good friends that are rich,” said Ramey, who wore a T-shirt to a televised candidates’ forum last month, said, “I don’t want people to look at me as trying to act like something I’m not.”

Ramey said people who don’t understand how the political system works come to him for help navigating their issues.

“I am one of those people, if people got issues, they come to me for some reason.

They know I don’t quit. If I get on to something, I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” Ramey said. “It gives me a bad name sometimes for trying to help people.

But I’m an advocate for the people, more or less. You aren’t going to get nowhere if you don’t try. I just don’t have no quit in me.”

Ramey believes the current board of commissioners isn’t open enough about its decision-making process, witnessed by their unanimous votes all the time.

“It seems like the decision has already been made before they come out and vote on it. I don’t think they discuss stuff enough,” Ramey said. “If they were up front with the people you wouldn’t have near as many problems.”

If the tables were turned, and Ramey was on the receiving end of the peanut gallery that camps out in the audience of commissioners Terry Ramey meetings, he knows just what he would do.

“I would say, ‘Get your ass in here and help us then. Don’t just sit out there and criticize us.’ I feel like I could get these people to work with us instead of against us,” Ramey said.

Ramey said if elected he would “give people a voice” but he also said “if I think something is right I will stick to it to the end.”

Ramey worked at Dayco for 17 years, most of them on the graveyard shift so he could devote his days to his towing business. He eventually went into towing fulltime, with a special niche for big-rig towing of tractor-trailer trucks on I-40, even setting up his own mechanic shop and motel catering to the broken-down truckers.

CHARLES BOYD, 67, OWNER OF WNC LANDSCAPING Boyd did not participate in an interview for The Smoky Mountain News election coverage, but here’s a little about him. Boyd has served on the Haywood Community College board for seven years.

Charles Boyd Other than his landscaping business, he has taught horticulture

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Republicans: pick two

munity a better place to live, work and raise a family, but wants to make sure that spending is focused on things that matter in people’s lives.

“I want to be a voice for the people. For the common core guy like myself trying to raise a family in the county, I want to make a difference and be a voice for them,” Rogers said.

BRANDON ROGERS, 44,

KEVIN ENSLEY, 54,

BUSINESSMAN AND FORMER

LAND SURVEYOR

PLANT MANAGER

GREG BURRELL, 44, CONTRACTOR Burrell is moving out West and won’t be around to take office if elected — something he didn’t realize when signing up to run last December — but still wanted to participate in the campaign coverage in order to put his issues on the table.

Burrell is highly conservative, with a limited government philosophy that borders on Libertarianism.

“Our taxes are way Greg Burrell too high. There is going to have to be some penny pinching done to get this county back on track,” said Burrell. He thinks property valuations are flawed, that the landfill deals have been shady, that the emergency management ordinance is totalitarian — just to name a few issues he has with county government.

Burrell has never been a fan of big government, but his views about bureaucracy hardened after an epic battle with social workers 10 years ago, which ultimately led to his children being taken away and put up

for adoption.

Burrell, who had severely whipped his 10-year-old with a belt, said the social workers cracked down on him mostly because he stood up to their accusations and didn’t kowtow.

“I didn’t intend to whip him like that.

That was a lesson learned for me,” Burrell said. “I felt like it was a family matter.

Don’t think my wife didn’t climb my frame about it. I told my son ‘I didn’t intend on hurting you son. I intended to get your attention and make you do what was right.

No means no — no ifs ands or buts.’ The next time I told him to do something he would do it.”

He and his wife fought the case in the social work system and in court for almost three years.

“The judge even told her ‘If you don’t leave him you won’t ever see your kids again.’ But we made a choice to fight this together and stand up for what we believe in,” Burrell said.

He said God was the only thing that kept him from going insane with grief and anger.

Burrell was initially charged with assault with a deadly weapon, the weapon being the whip, but a jury found him guilty of a lesser abuse charge.

He did five months in prison for the conviction, and all three children were put up for adoption. That was 10 years ago.

“I never voted before all this. After that, it was an eye opener as to how much crookedness is in this county and how entrenched it was,” Burrell said.

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Rogers believes his conservative values, Christian faith, devotion to family and fiscal sense make him a good choice for county commissioner.

Rogers, a native of Bethel, was the production manager of Day International plant in Buncombe County. He started out on the graveyard shift at $7.30 Brandon Rogers an hour out of college, but ended up running the plant — managing 85 employees, a multi-million budget, quality oversight and production efficiency.

Today, however, Rogers owns and runs Rogers Express Lube and Tire in Canton, which he started with his dad a little over 10 years ago. Even though Rogers had a great job — he even got to travel, being sent by corporate to check up on plants in other counties — his father had been laid off from the Evergreen paper mill and needed something else to do. Rogers loved cars and always wanted his own business, but more so liked the idea of building a family business in his hometown.

“Family is extremely important to me.

The way my parents raised me, we have always been a close family,” Rogers said.

Rogers and his wife have three children — ages 15, 17 and 18 — and live in Bethel.

Rogers had been approached about running for office by people in the community and was praying about what to do. That’s when a sermon by his pastor in church one Sunday spoke to him.

“He said us as Christians, we need to get involved in our local communities and our local governments,” Rogers said. “I feel like too many times we say ‘We need to do this and need to do that,’ and too often we don’t get off the couch and do anything about it.”

His top two issues are education and economic development.

“I feel like those are the two biggest issues we have in the county. And that ties back in to my family. From an economic development standpoint, if we have jobs we can keep our kids here, and if my kids stay here they are going to have kids attending our schools, so that’s why it all ties together and is important to me.”

Rogers is a conservative, traditional Republican, upholding all the core tenets of the party’s platform. But he also believes government has a role in making the com-

Ensley has been a county commissioner for 12 years, and is the only current commissioner running for re-election. Ensley has been on the board during something of a golden era — not because times were easy.

The recession wreaked havoc on local governments and forced major adjustments in how business is done.

Despite that, the long-serving team of commissioners has enjoyed unrivaled cooperation, cohesiveness and unity, which in turn has allowed the county to move forward without the distraction of personality wars or power struggles.

“We have had a stable, calm, common sense government throughout this financial turmoil,” Ensley said. “It’s like a basketball team. If you have someone throwing the ball out of bounds all the time, you aren’t going to win.”

The record of accomplishments is too long to list here, but Ensley named a few.

• The county budgKevin Ensley et has been lower than 2008 levels until it inched ahead this year, but adjusting for inflation, it’s still lower than seven years ago, a hallmark of his belief in a “low-cost, efficient government.”

• Debt is lower than it was in 2008.

• Capital needs of the county have been met so that the next generation won’t be burdened by today’s leaders kicking the can down the road. They include a new sheriff ’s office, historic courthouse renovations, new election office, new senior center, new health and human services department, new emergency services headquarters and new 911 center.

• The county has forged partnerships to address community issues, such as the creation of the Haywood Pathways homeless shelter and rehab center.

• The county has adeptly navigated would-be challenges to the best possible outcome, from the sale of Haywood Regional Medical Center to addressing longstanding environmental violations at the county’s old landfill.

Ensley said he did a lot of soul searching when deciding whether to run again. People came out of the woodwork asking him to run again, but it was his wife and his prayers to God that finally convinced him it was the right thing to do.

Ensley deflected criticisms from challengers that the board isn’t open enough.

“What do we do that is not transparent

or not open? I don’t know what we could do to be more transparent. It’s as transparent as it can be,” Ensley said. “I feel like the board is more professional, too.”

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and agriculture at HCC, Blue Ridge Community College and in high school. He has been involved with the Jonathan Creek Fire Department and Haywood Soil and Water Conservation.

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Murphy’s Law turns simple water line repair into quagmire

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER esidents and business owners in Hazelwood have grown increasingly frustrated by the slow pace of waterand-sewer line work that has left their street torn up and blocked off since December.

The drawn-out repair has inched forward almost imperceptibly. Some digging here, some scratching there — but little sign the project undertaken by Waynesville’s water and sewer crews is advancing to the finish line.

“Hindsight being 20-20, they would have been much better off hiring a contractor to come in and get it done,” said Joe Beasley, owner of Haywood Smokehouse, which is on the street. “I don’t feel like they are able to handle a project of this magnitude.”

Those who live and work on Elysinia Avenue have become adept at skirting the heavy machinery and dodging the yawning crevices, even off-roading through each other’s yards to reach their own driveways

Residents and business owners along this torn-up street in Hazelwood are perplexed by the duration of protracted water and sewer line repairs. Becky Johnson photo ting the town’s entire water-and-sewer department on the project.

“Let’s run the red flag up and pull the rip cord so we don’t leave the crew out there in a bind,” Foster said. “What we are going to do is supercharge the crew.”

Foster appeared before the town board of aldermen last week to explain why the project was taking so long, and the redoubling of efforts now underway to get it finished.

“We’ve gotten into a quagmire, and I appreciate the plan to try to get ourselves out of it,” Mayor Gavin Brown said.

Interim Town Manager Mike Morgan sympathized with people who live on the street.

“There is no joke about it, it is a muddy mess,” Morgan said.

But when each passing day means lost revenue, another six

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when equipment is blocking the way. But they’re ready for it to be over.

Business at the mouth-watering Haywood Smokehouse is down 30 to 40 percent compared to last winter. Waitresses and cooks who rely on tips are suffering, too.

“This is a big, big hit on us financially. It has hurt,” Beasley said. “I don’t think they intended to do anybody harm, but I think they got in over their heads. What we are looking for now is a solution.”

It was supposed to be an in-and-out project to replace an old, corroded water pipe that was too narrow to meet current water demands.

There’s a long list of reasons why it hasn’t been as simple as expected — weather delays, discovery of a rotten sewer line, a gravel supply issue, emergency line breaks diverting the crew’s attention and a stubborn layer of river rock.

But Public Works Director David Foster pledged last week to take the bull by the horns. He has doubled the manpower by put-

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“This is a big, big hit on us financially. It has hurt.

I don’t think they intended to do anybody harm, but I think they got in over their heads.

What we are looking for now is a solution.”

— Joe Beasley, owner of Haywood Smokehouse

WHAT WENT WRONG

CALLING IN THE CAVALRY The Elysinia Avenue project is being tackled by the town’s new in-house water-andsewer capital construction crew.

While the town has always had a waterand-sewer crew to tackle routine leaks, the addition of a dedicated capital construction crew was aimed at saving money on outside contractors.

“We didn’t know there would be a quarter-mile of rotten sewer down there that we would be obligated to fix.”

— David Foster, Waynesville Public Works director

“We were clicking off at $600,000 to $800,000 a year for private contractors,” Foster said. The four-man in-house crew costs the town only $210,000 a year in salaries, plus another $100,000 or so in materials — a net savings to the town of $300,000 a year.

“It is a bargain,” Foster said.

But the side effect is that the project’s taken longer. Unlike an outside contractor with more manpower at its disposal, the town’s in-house crew has only four guys, pre-

cluding the idea of a second shift who can work into the evening or on weekends.

The crew works an 8-hour day, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break.

Had the job been contracted out, the town would have faced major cost over-runs when they realized there was a rotten sewer line that needed replacing in addition to the water line, Foster said.

“If you were bidding 1,000 feet of water line and then say ‘Now I need you to fix 1,000 feet of sewer line,’ that would have been a premium change order,” Foster said.

But thanks to the in-house crew, the town’s only cost is additional supplies and materials.

Foster said the project is the largest one the new in-house capital construction crew has taken on since its launch last summer.

Beasley questioned whether it was more than the town’s crew could handle in-house, however.

“I don’t think it was necessarily planned out correctly, and I don’t think they invested the proper resources into getting it done,” Beasley said.

Beasley said the town’s mayor, public works director and interim manager have all paid him a visit in the past couple weeks to express condolences and convey the new game plan to get the work done, but Beasley wonders if it’s time to cut their losses and hire the rest of the job done.

“I think they have been genuinely concerned to try to look for solution, but I don’t think they have hit the right button yet,” Beasley said.

Vote for Democrat Rhonda Cole Schandevel From and For Working Class Families Haywood County School Board Member Lifelong resident of Haywood County

Smoky Mountain News

Foster is the first to admit the project got a rocky start — literally.

When crews dug up the street to replace the water line, they discovered the subsurface was comprised of large chunks of river rock.

It was too rocky to compact properly and would cause too much wear and abrasion on the pipe.

So instead of digging up the line, replacing it, and burying it again, truckloads of the old rock had to be hauled off and new gravel brought in for fill — significantly adding time to the job.

Getting gravel has been complicated by truncated winter hours at the nearby Allens Creek quarry.

“The odd wintertime hours of the quarry made it difficult to get stone,” Foster said.

The project started out as a mere water line replacement. The 1.5-inch galvanized steel pipe running down Elysinia Avenue was chocked with corrosion and too small for modern demands.

When the waterline was unearthed, crews discovered the sewer line was pocked with leaks and had to be replaced as well.

“We didn’t know there would be a quarter-mile of rotten sewer down there that we would be obligated to fix,” Foster said.

Environmental regulations prohibit the town from simply covering the sewer pipes back up once they know they are leaking.

Weather has been a major factor, with January marked by a plethora of snowy, icy or wet days that forced work to a halt.

Meanwhile, the crew has occasionally been pulled off the job to fix emergency leaks that spring up as a matter of course, Foster said.

“Winter is not the best time to have a water crew tied up because that’s when your leaks happen,” Foster said.

Now, they have marching orders to stay on the job regardless what else pops up.

Ironically, the timing for the project during winter months was an effort to accommodate the businesses, who specifically requested the

town wait until the fall tourist season was over before starting.

March 2-8, 2016

town from the bypass.

“One of the main exits coming into Waynesville is essentially disabled,” Seth said.

Beasley questioned if there would be a greater sense of urgency had the same street work been happening near downtown Waynesville instead of Hazelwood.

Rather than tear up the whole street at once, crews have tackled a 100-foot section at a time, digging up the street, unearthing the water and sewer lines, replacing them, covering them back up and then moving on to the next 100-foot section. As the crew works its way down the street, it has to disconnect each house from the lines and put in new water and sewer taps, tearing up the sidewalks and tunneling under the curbs in the process.

Bach said he watched the pit’s slow march toward their dog grooming and daycare business, and as it closed in, he and his wife decided to take a mid-winter break and closed last week. He called his neighbor every day to check on the progress of the pit, however.

“He would tell me ‘They are past your first driveway,’ and I would call back and he would say ‘They are in-between your two drive-

ways,’” Bach recounted.

Bach said the pace has definitely picked up. But not enough.

A bigger road crew would have two shifts with more manpower, working weekends and nights. But the town crew knocks off for an hour at lunch and shuts down by 3:30 p.m. every afternoon.

“One reason it has taken so long is they don’t work on weekends and don’t work extra hours,” Bach said.

As luck would have it, with the big pit squarely in front of his business Monday — even blocking him in after he came to work — a hydraulic hose on the digging machinery broke and work halted while workers went off in search of parts and turned their attention to fixing the machinery.

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weeks of street work — the latest projected completion date — is six weeks too many for Seth and Patty Bach, the owners of Animal Magnetism dog grooming, boarding and day care.

“I know we are taking a hit. No one can get to us,” Seth said.

The torn-up street has posed a challenge for clients trying to drop off their dogs for grooming or daycare.

“Some of our clients are elderly or they have two or three dogs. They are trying to carry one and walk two on a leash and trample through a construction site,” Patty said.

“Or, if you have a dog and are in your dress shoes trying to drop off your dog and get to work, it is a huge inconvenience.”

Irritation spread beyond Elysinia Avenue to the surrounding neighborhood. The street is a vital cut-through for getting around Hazelwood. It’s a corridor to the Hazelwood shopping district, a commuter route to local schools, and a main outlet into

@SmokyMtnNews 13

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NOC considering Dillsboro location Outdoor company discussing lease on county land

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER f discussions between Nantahala Outdoor Center and Jackson County continue to move forward, the outdoor recreation giant could start work this year on an adventure park and outfitter store in the tiny town of Dillsboro.

“If it should come to pass, it would be wonderful for us,” said Mike Fitzgerald, Dillsboro’s mayor.

It’s all a big “if ” at this point, with no agreement yet signed and several variables concerning lease payment, water/sewer access and the land’s flood designation still floating.

“While the outlook for potential development remains optimistic, we currently have no formal agreements in place, thus it is premature to make any announcements or to offer further comment at this time,” Jackson County Economic Development Director Rich Price said in a written statement.

Price originally approached NOC last year about the possibility of building an outfitter location along the Tuckasegee River. The piece of land in question is a 17.65-acre county-owned parcel that covers both banks of the river near its intersection with U.S. 441.

When the Dillsboro Dam was still in existence, Duke Energy owned the property, but when the dam came down in 2010 it gave the property to Dillsboro. In 2014, Jackson County purchased the land for the appraised market value of $350,000.

Nothing is set in stone, but the deal NOC and Jackson County had been discussing

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

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involved a 10-year lease in which NOC would pay $1 per year for the first three years and a percentage of its revenues — perhaps something like 3 or 5 percent — thereafter.

On the now-vacant property, NOC would likely have an outfitter store, a restaurant or some type of food service, rentals for water sports like kayaking and tubing, and potentially even a zipline, said County Commission Chairman Brian McMahan. Besides being economically advantageous to Jackson County, the location would compliment NOC’s primary location on the Nantahala River Gorge.

The company also has retail and trip-booking locations in Gatlinburg and Asheville.

By the end of the lease, NOC would create $5.8 million annually in direct spending, $8.6 million in ripple-effect spending and $372,000 in revenue from sales and property taxes.

“The problem is that it (the Nantahala River location) is mainly toward people who are older in age and can get into that river that moves pretty swift and is pretty cold,” McMahan said.

“At Dillsboro, the water is much warmer. It’s much slower and it will lend itself to activities that families can also take part in.”

Outfitters in the Nantahala Gorge require rafting customers to weigh at least 60 pounds due to the river’s strength, while outfitters on the Tuckasegee require children to weigh 40 pounds.

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The Tuckasegee River’s route through Dillsboro is already a popular spot for paddlers, including providing a location for this swiftwater rescue class from Landmark Learning (above). The property under discussion spans both banks of the Tuck (below) near its intersection with U.S. 441. Holly Kays photo • Jackson County website graphic

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Smoky Mountain News

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March 2-8, 2016

That opens up a lot more trips for families with younger children.

Regardless of what happens with the NOC deal, the county has some work ahead if it wants the property to be used for any kind of economic development.

One side of the river has sewer access, and one side has water access, but it would take some doing to get both utilities on both sides.

Further, the property contains both a floodway and a floodplain. While floodway development is more restrictive than floodplain development, both designations cause complication for construction projects.

However, those designations go back to the days of the Dillsboro Dam, which caused water to back up and pool much more than it does now. The county will need to have a hydrology study done to determine if that designation should change.

“All that is going to happen regardless of what happens down there (with NOC),” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan.

With a population of less than 300, Dillsboro’s claim to fame had long been its status as home base for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. When the train moved its headquarters to Bryson City in 2008, it took with it the ready-made foot traffic that had filled Dillsboro’s streets and shops. Jumpstarting the town’s economy — whether by bringing the train back or getting some other anchor back in — has been a frequent topic of conversation since. While the town is doing much better now than in the years immediately following the train’s departure — storefronts on Front Street will be full this year, Fitzgerald said — there’s still plenty of room for upward motion.

“Anything, whether it’s what was reported or any other entity that has a lot of money or a lot of draw, is good for the county,” Fitzgerald said.

According to an economic impact study completed by Steve Ha of Western Carolina University, if the NOC project came to pass it would provide a significant injection of visitors and spending to the area. The study projects 5,535 visitors in the first year, with visitation rising to 33,113 by year 10. By the end of the lease, NOC would create $5.8 million annually in direct spending, $8.6 million in ripple-effect spending — called multiplied spending — and $372,000 in revenue from sales and property taxes.

“It sounds like a very promising venture,” McMahan said.

NOC was set to finalize the deal with the county in a special-called meeting March 3, but officials cancelled that meeting after media reports last week that made the negotiations public. After the story published, NOC contacted the county asking to cancel the meeting. The company told the county that there was still more work and negotiation to do before signing on the dotted line.

“It was a premature announcement, and we still have some details to iron out,” McMahan said.

While the meeting is cancelled, that doesn’t mean the deal is off. McMahan is hopeful that it will move forward with a rescheduled time sometime in the next couple of months.

“Assuming this project goes forward, and I have no reason to believe it’s not, they want to start work sometime this summer,” McMahan said.

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he Smoky Mountain News won more awards in the large circulation, nondaily newspaper category than all but one newspaper in the state during the recent N.C. Press Association Advertising and Editorial Contest.

SMN’s staff won 17 advertising awards (including five first-places) and 15 news awards (including six first-places).

Among the awards were two for magazines SMN produces for local organizations: the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s magazine, Experience Haywood, and Beverly Hanks Real Estate’s magazine, Welcome to Western North Carolina, were both winners in the niche publication category.

Also of note, SMN won an investigative reporting award in 2015 for its coverage of a bear poaching sting in Swain and Graham counties, making this the 12th straight year going back to 2004 that the newspaper has won an award in the investigative reporting category.

The newspaper’s website, www.smokymountainews.com, also won an award in the general excellence for websites category.

This year’s awards from the N.C. Press Association include:

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Advertising First place • Best Black and White Institutional Ad — Amanda Bradley, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Use of Color — Whitey Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Innovative Concept/Wild Card — Whitney Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Retail Ad in a Niche Publication — Hylah Birenbaum, Travis Bumgardner.

• Best Shared Page in a Niche Publication — Staff.

Second Place • Best Motor Vehicle Ad — Hylah Birenbaum, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Innovative Concept/Wild Card — Whitney Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Small Ad — Whitney Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Real Estate Ad in a Niche Publication — Hylah Birenbaum, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Restaurant/Entertainment Ad in a Niche Publication — Whitney Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

Third place • Best Food Ad — Whitney Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Home Furnishings/Appliances Ad — Whitney Burton, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Black and White Institutional Ad — Amanda Bradley, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Newspaper Promotion —

Travis Bumgardner.

• Best Small Ad — Amanda Bradley, Emily Kepley Moss.

• Best Niche Publication — Staff • Best Real Estate Ad in a Niche Publication — Hylah Birenbaum, Emily Kepley Moss

Editorial and News First Place • Arts and Entertainment Reporting — Garret K. Woodward • Education Reporting — Becky Johnson • Election/Political Reporting — Holly Kays • City/County Government Reporting —

Holly Kays • Best Lede — Holly Kays Second Place • General News Reporting — Holly Kays • News Enterprise Reporting — Becky Johnson • Lighter Columns — Garret K. Woodward • General Excellence for Newspaper Websites — Travis Bumgardner • Best Niche Publication — Staff • City/County Government Reporting — Jessi Stone Third Place • General Excellence — Staff • Investigative Reporting — Katie Reeder (intern) • Beat News Reporting — Becky Johnson • Beat Feature Reporting — Becky Johnson

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Commission. Preference Preference for Tr Tribal ibal membe members. rs. This pro property perty is oowned wned by the Eas Eastern tern Band of the Cherokee Cherokee Na Nation, tion, m managed anaged bbyy C Caesars aesars EEntertainment. ntertainment. TThe he H Human uman R Resources esources De Department partment accepts applications applications M Mon. on. - Thur Thur.. ffrom rom 88am am - 4:30pm. Call 828.497.8778, or ssend end rresume esume to Human Resources Department, Department, 777 C Casino asino D Drive, rive, C Cherokee, herokee, NC 28719 or or fax fax re resume sume tto o 828.497.8540 828.497.8540..

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Left to right: Garret K. Woodward, Jessi Stone, Holly Kays and Scott McLeod. Richard Gorberg/NCPA

Your Y our o R Roadmap to Success Begins Here!

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

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How about them apples?

the athletic expenditures out of the package, they’d likely be able to make the yearly loan payment using the sales tax revenue they already receive that’s earmarked for school system needs.

But faced with requests from SCC as well, commissioners began discussing the potential of a tax increase. The revenue stemming from that extra quarter-cent would be earmarked for education projects, providing a constant stream of revenue to keep roofs from leaking and classes from being held in falling-down buildings.

Haywood and Buncombe counties have both adopted the quarter-cent sales tax to fund education, and Henderson County has the question on the ballot for November. In 2012, Swain County voters voted 3 to 1 against adopting such a tax.

Another wildcard in the mix is the Connect N.C. bond referendum, on the ballot for March 15. If passed, the $2 billion bond would make $7.1 million available for capital projects at SCC, to be used in any of the three counties the college serves.

Commissioners will vote on a resolution to place the sales tax question on the ballot at their regular meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at the Jackson County Administration Building.

— Holly Kays, staff writer

Franklin forum to meet March 7

members. Fee includes instruction in Lifeguard Training, CPR, AED and First Aid training.

Participants must be 15 years or older and minors must have parental permission in order to take part in this course.

828.452.8056 or www.myhaywoodregional.com/fitness.

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“Ignorance or evil, what ails us?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum to be held at 7 p.m. Monday, March 7, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub, located downtown at 58 Stewart Street, Franklin.

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

828.371.1020.

Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center will be holding an American Red Cross Lifeguard Training certification course beginning Thursday, March 17 through Sunday, March 20.

The class will be held from 4-9 p.m.

Thursday, March 17; 4-8 p.m. Friday, March 18; 9-6 p.m. Saturday, March 19; and 1-6 p.m.

Sunday, March 20. The course fee is $235 for fitness center members and $255 for non-

Compassion International, which works to release children from poverty globally, will be bringing its tour, “The Compassion Experience,” to Franklin on March 11-14. The event will educate visitors about the realities of life in poverty as well as provide an international experience to visitors.

The four-day event will be set up in the parking lot of Biltmore Baptist Church: Franklin Campus at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin. There, visitors will be invited on a self-guided journey where they will be immersed in the lives and stories of two children living in the Philippines or the Dominican Republic. www.compassionexperience.com.

also find that you can benefit from tax-free investments, such as some types of municipal bonds and a Roth IRA. (Your Roth IRA contributions are not tax-deductible, but your earnings grow tax free, provided you’ve had your account at least five years and you don’t start taking withdrawals until you reach 59½.)

• Growth – At different times in your life, you will have various goals – purchasing a first or second home, sending your children to college, enjoying a comfortable retirement, and so on. While these goals are diverse, they all have one thing in common: To achieve them, you’ll need some growth potential in your investment portfolio.

The nature and the extent of the growth-oriented vehicles, such as stocks and stock-based instruments, in your holdings will depend on your specific goals, risk tolerance and time horizon – but growth opportunities you must have.

• Protection – You can’t just invest for your future – you also have to protect it. If something were to happen to you, would your family be able to remain in your home? Would your children still be able to go to college?

To help ensure continuity and security in your family’s lives, you’ll need to maintain adequate life and disability insurance. Also, you will need to protect your independence in your retirement years, as you no doubt would want to avoid burdening your grown children with any financial burden. To attain this type of freedom, you may have to guard against the potentially catastrophic costs of long-term care, such as an extended nursing home stay. A financial professional can suggest ways of meeting these expenses.

• Income – Income-producing investments, such as bonds and dividend-paying stocks, can help supplement your earned income during your working years and provide you with a valuable income stream when you’re retired. Plus, bonds and other income-producers can help balance a portfolio that might otherwise be too heavy in growth vehicles – which, as you know, are typically higher in risk.

• Legacy – After working hard your whole life, you’d probably like to leave something behind to your children, grandchildren, other family members and possibly even charitable institutions. To create the legacy you desire, you will need to create a comprehensive estate plan. Because such a plan may involve a will, living trust and other complex legal documents, you will need to work with your legal and tax advisors.

• Taxes – Taxes will always be part of the investment equation. Whenever possible, you’ll want to take advantage of those accounts that let you make tax-deductible contributions and that provide the opportunity for taxdeferred growth, such as a traditional IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. You may

Try to put these pieces together to help complete your financial “puzzle” – when you do, you may well like the picture that emerges.

What are these pieces? Here are the essential ones:

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Jack C Bishop Jr, CFP Financial Advisor

Jack Bishop III AAMS® Financial Advisor 209 Walnut Street, Waynesville, NC 28786

828-452-4048 www.edwardjones.com

Smoky Mountain News

Haywood Regional offers lifeguard training

Interactive tour gives glimpse into poverty

January 29 is National Puzzle Day, with puzzle celebrations and events taking place at museums, libraries and other venues across the country. Why this date was chosen – or why National Puzzle Day even exists – is something of a mystery. But as an investor, you can find value in the concept of a puzzle – specifically, in putting together the pieces of your financial puzzle.

March 2-8, 2016

ackson County Commissioners will vote this week on whether to approve a referendum vote for a quarter-cent sales tax increase to appear on the June 7 ballot for the U.S. House of Representatives primary.

They’re considering the tax as a way to pay for substantial capital funding requests from Jackson County Schools and Southwestern Community College. The school system has asked for more than $12 million to replace failing roofs, water and HVAC systems, also including about $3 million for athletic facilities. Meanwhile, SCC just completed a master plan that calls for $32 million of capital improvements to its Jackson County campus over the next 20 years or so, including a $16 million health sciences building.

A quarter-cent sales tax would produce an estimated $1.1 million each year.

“It puts it in the hands of the people. The people are going to decide,” Chairman Brian McMahan said of the potential referendum vote. “We recognize these projects are a need, and we’re going to meet them either way.”

Commissioners have expressed support for fully funding the school system’s request — though perhaps sans the $3 million for athletic facilities — and have considered taking out a loan to meet the need. If they cut

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Referendum on sales tax increase possible in Jackson

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Higher education leaders push for Connect N.C. bond

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ith $120 million at stake, higher education leaders in Western North Carolina have taken every opportunity in the last month to educate people about the Connect N.C. Bond proposal.

North Carolina residents will be asked to vote yay or nay on a $2 billion infrastructure bond package when they go to vote in the March 15 primary election. If approved, community colleges and state universities will receive large chunks of funding to complete new construction and renovation projects on campus.

Specifically, Western Carolina University would receive $110 million to construct a new science building, Haywood Community College would get $2.83 million for renovation projects and Southwestern Community College stands to gain $7.17 million for renovation and/or new construction projects.

HCC President Barbara Parker, SCC President Don Tomas and WCU Chancellor David Belcher have been presenting a united front in spreading the word about the bond.

They’ve visited chambers of commerce, Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, county commissioners meetings and other civic organizations in their coverage areas to spread the word about what the bond will do for their respective institutions.

“This has definitely been a boots-on-theground type of campaign, and anything we can do to collaborate we’ve been trying to do that,” Tomas said.

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

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CONSTITUENT CONCERNS Overall, they said the response has been encouraging.

“When people hear about it and have an opportunity to ask questions about it, we’re

our students at SCC become WCU students.”

Some people are just untrusting of the government. Even though the state says it’s paying off debt so quickly that the $2 billion bond won’t impact its credit rating or increase taxes, some people aren’t buying it.

Parker said some people in Haywood County have asked her why other community colleges — including SCC — are slated to receive more money than HCC. She has explained that HCC has a much smaller coverage area than SCC. While HCC serves mostly Haywood County with one campus, SCC has campuses in Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

“We’re a one-county service area,” she said. “The other thing is we learned over 50 percent of the (funding) formula was based on our 2015 commerce tier designation.

Haywood County was a tier 3 in 2015 and it hurt us. We’re back to a tier 2 this year.”

Each year the N.C. Department of Commerce gives every county a tier ranking of 1, 2 or 3, with tier 1 WCU Chancellor David Belcher (second from left) receives being the least prosperous and tier 3 being the most prosperbuttons and flyers promoting the upcoming Connect NC ous. That ranking determines bond referendum developed by students for a WCU public which counties will be given relations campaign class project. WCU photo by Mark Haskett first dibs on state grant money.

Jackson, Macon and Swain were all designated as a tier 1 county in tion projects. With so much debate lately 2015. over public education funding, it’s a reasonBelcher said his biggest concern with the able question, but that doesn’t mean the college presidents have a definitive answer to it. bond issue is awareness. It’s been difficult to get good coverage for the bond when every“My response is we’re all in this together one is so wrapped up in the presidential prifrom an education perspective — what helps mary candidate campaigns. On the other us will help our future students coming from hand, he hopes all the presidential primary K-12 to have nice facilities to improve their educational goals,” Tomas said. “And most of excitement will get more people to the polls. getting very positive feedback,” Belcher said.

Republican Gov. Pat McCrory was the one to propose the bond, but it has since garnered support from legislators on both sides of the aisle. Even with bipartisan support, there have been a few criticisms of the bond — some people we’re disappointed when funding for transportation projects was taken out of the bond, while others don’t think the state needs to increase its debt load.

Tomas said the number one question they have been asked is why the bond doesn’t include any funding for K-12 educa-

WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO The top priority in education right now is preparing students for careers in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math. WCU’s project to construct a new state-of-the-art science building would meet that current need.

The current science building is no longer suited to accommodate the university’s needs. It was constructed 40 years ago when WCU had 15 nursing students and no engineering or technology programs. Today, WCU has about 400 undergrad nursing students and about 600 students in other science and technology programs.

“If we stop growing we can’t produce any more nurses or engineers, and we need more of those in the west,” Belcher said.

The $110 million price tag may seem high to some, but science technologies are expensive and the construction process will be more complex than usual because of the building’s location on campus. The new building will have to be built in the same exact location as the current one, which means WCU will have to construct half of the new building, move everyone in that side before tearing down and rebuilding the other half.

The community colleges haven’t yet decided on exactly what projects their money would go toward. SCC recently completed master plans for its three campuses and has a list of possible projects that need to be funded. The Swain campus — located in the old Almond School building — needs more than $2 million in upgrades to maintain current SCC operations. As far as new construction, SCC needs a new health science building, maintenance building, library and public safety training building. Most of these structures are more than 30 years old and need to be replaced.

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The bond proposal has a caveat for community colleges in tier 1 communities wanting to spend their funding on new construction projects. Tomas said the county would have to match a quarter of the project cost.

Parker said HCC’s board of trustees has voted on completing renovation projects but hasn’t identified which buildings will receive the money. She said there is a good possibility the money will go toward upgrading the 36-year-old building that houses biology and chemistry classes.

The western portion of the state often feels shorted when it comes to getting state funding, but the Connect N.C. bond would send more than $220 million of the $2 billion to projects in the western region, not only for education but for improvements to rural water and sewer systems, state parks and public safety programs.

“Our region and Haywood County has a lot to gain by the passage of the bond,” Parker said.

Tomas agreed that the bond is not just about funding for higher education — it’s about infrastructure needed to have an educated workforce, which is turn attracts new

Breakdown of funds ■ National Guard and Public safety — $78.5 million (4 percent) ■ Parks and zoos — $100 million (5 percent) ■ Agriculture — $179 million (9 percent) ■ Water/sewer and local parks — $312.5 million (16 percent) ■ Community colleges — $350 million (17 percent) ■ UNC System — $980 million (49 percent)

industries to the area. He said it was important to note that North Carolina’s population has grown by 2 million people since the 2000 census, making North Carolina the ninth most populated state in the nation.

“That’s like moving the entire state of Nebraska to North Carolina,” Tomas said.

“This is an infrastructure bond to meet the growing needs of the state.”

Belcher said WCU would continue to work with the community colleges to provide the programs students need. For example, HCC is going to begin offering an associate’s degree in engineering so students can easily transfer to WCU’s fouryear program.

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March 2-8, 2016

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he Swain County Health Department is concerned about the number of Hepatitis B cases confirmed in 2015.

In a report to the county commissioners, Clinical Services Director Amber Frost said the health department had 21 reported cases of Hepatitis B in 2015 compared to only two in 2014.

“We’re worried about it, and the state is also worried about it,” she said. “Once you get it, you have it forever. There’s not a lot that can be done, so prevention is a big thing.”

The reality is if Swain County Health Department saw 21 cases in 2015, there are probably many more cases that are going unreported. Frost added that Hepatitis B can also be passed from mother to baby.

“Most people don’t know they have it so they can pass along to others,” she said.

“People only go to the ER when they’re sick, so they’re passing it around without knowing. There’s no telling how many cases go unreported.”

Unfortunately, Frost said there is probably a strong correlation between the increase in Hepatitis cases and the drug problems plaguing Swain and other communities.

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hep B is transmitted when

blood, semen, or another body fluid from a person infected with the Hepatitis B virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through sexual contact; sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or from mother to baby at birth.

The virus can affect people differently — some people have an acute, or short-term, illness but others can get a long-term, chronic infection. Risk for chronic infection is related to age at infection. The CDC reports that about 90 percent of infected infants become chronically infected, compared with 2 to 6 percent of adults. Chronic Hepatitis B can lead to serious health issues, like cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Since it is considered a sexually transmitted disease, Frost said the subject can be considered taboo, but it’s important information people need to protect themselves.

“It’s a touchy subject, but we need to have a conversation about it,” she said. “We need to educate the public.”

Most children under age 5 and newly infected adults show no symptoms, but 30 to 50 percent of people over the age of 5 have initial signs and symptoms within an average of 90 days after exposure. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, jaundice, abdominal pain, point pain or clay colored bowel movements.

According to the CDC, chronic HBV infection results in an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 deaths per year in the United States.

There are several antiviral medications for persons with chronic infection but there is no cure. The good news is there is a vaccine to prevent the Hepatitis virus and it is offered at the health department.

To make an appointment to get a vaccine or be tested for Hepatitis B, call the Swain Health Department at 828.488.8672.

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Swain sees Hepatitis B cases skyrocket

Gary Caldwell 828/226-8876

gcaldwell@oneclearchoice.com 2 Westside Dr. | Asheville, NC 28806 | 828/254.1432

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Our Sylva Office Has Moved!

SYLVA OFFICE 1196 Skyland Drive

FRANKLIN OFFICE

We’re excited to announce we have moved to our beautiful new Sylva office located at 1196 Skyland Drive. Trust your eyes to the experts at Asheville Eye Associates. For more than half a century, Asheville Eye Associates been known throughout Western North Carolina for leading edge eye care, for all types of eye diseases and conditions including routine and pediatric eye exams to cataract surgery, macular degeneration, retinal tears and detachments, or eye plastic surgery and glaucoma management.

Please call today to schedule your appointment at our new Sylva office at (828)258-1586 or our Franklin office.

At Asheville Eye Associates, Our Mission is Your Vision.

144 Holly Springs Park Dr.

828.258.1586 800.531.EYES (3937) Ashevilleeye.com

Frank A. Killian, M.D. SYLVA & FRANKLIN OFFICES

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March 2-8, 2016

828.258.1586

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THE FAMILY CARE CENTER

Take Control of Your Health We can help you build a custom nutrition plan at the Family Care Center.

Call 828-554-5565 to make an appointment.

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77 Painttown Road (Hwy. 19) • Cherokee, North Carolina

Health

Smoky Mountain News

Haywood regional adds new pediatrician Haywood Regional Medical Center has hired Dr. James Guerriere to begin seeing patients at Mountain Pediatric Group.

Guerriere is a graduate of University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed his Pediatric residency at the University of South Alabama Children’s Hospital.

Guerriere is accepting new patients.

828.452.8878.

Swain Family Care adds new staff

AMC honorees At a recent “Giving Back the Love” celebration, Angel Medical Center recognized 10 employees for their dedication to providing excellent patient care to the people of the Franklin area. Hollis Whitehead, RN, received the Mission Leadership Award for all of Mission Health. Hollis is the manager of AMC’s emergency department.

Several employees were nominated for Mission Health’s Martin Luther King Award

for their commitment to providing superior healthcare to everyone. Betsy Roper, RN, was honored for giving over 35 years of her life to providing care for patients and Loretta Cloer, RN, was also honored for her over 40 years of dedication to patient care.

Shown here are some of the recent honorees who were recognized for their commitment to providing superb healthcare to patients at AMC: Bonnie Peggs, Donna Walker, Loretta Cloer, Kimberlee Farmer, Hollis Whitehead, Stephanie Crabtree, Betsy Roper, Ashley Pennington-Tripp and Evy Brow.

Hospital construction prompts detour Construction on the new 18,000-square foot emergency department at Harris Regional Hospital is underway and expected to continue through the late summer. Access to the physician offices located behind the hospital will be available throughout construction of the new Harris Emergency Department. Harris Pulmonary and Sleep Center and Mission Children’s – Sylva physician practices may be accessed by turning off Asheville Highway at the Medical Park Loop/Lower Level Parking at Mountain Regional Cancer Center and the Medical Park Loop/Upper Level Parking. Both entrances are marked with blue monument signage. After turning off Asheville Highway, follow Medical Park Loop to the back of the hospital.

New leader selected for Angel Medical Center Angel Medical Center and Mission Health will welcome a new leader on March 7 when Karen S. Gorby takes over as president/chief nursing officer at Angel Medical.

Gorby is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). For nearly three decades she has served hospitals and health systems in Ohio, most recently as administrator and chief nurse officer at Mercy Memorial Hospital in Urbana, Ohio.

F.I.R.S.T. receives $15,000 grant A $15,000 grant awarded to F.I.R.S.T. by The Fund for Haywood County will be used to provide services to youth that have a mental health diagnosis.

The grant was awarded as part of The Community Foundation’s People in Need

grant cycle and was funded by The Fund for Haywood County, the Janirve Legacy Fund and CFWNC fund holders.

The Fund for Haywood County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, is a permanently endowed fund to meet local needs. www.fundforhaywoodcounty.org.

New physician joins Harris Hospital Harris Regional Hospital has hired board certified family physician Gray Erlacher, MD, to take on new patients at Harris Medical Associates located at Harris Medical Park.

Originally from North Carolina and a graduate of Western Carolina University, Erlacher received his medical degree from Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University after completing post-graduate courses in pre-med at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital chose pediatrician Brooke Budde and Physician Assistant Vicki McCormack to join the staff of Swain Family Care.

Brooke Budde Budde and McCormack are taking appointments now and will begin seeing patients on March 21 at Swain Family Care located inside Swain Community Hospital.

828.488.4205.

Harris, Swain hospitals earn accreditation Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital have successfully earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for hospital accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards.

The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing effective patient care.

Grief support available in Franklin A free weekly Grief Support Group is open to the public from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Thursdays, at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple Street, Franklin.

Hosted by the Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team, the group offers a safe, welcoming gathering for persons who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

828.692-6178, or email mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

Mission recognized for surgical achievements Mission Hospital was recently recognized by the American College of

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Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2014.

ACS NSQIP has recognized 52 of 517 hospitals participating in the adult program; participating hospitals are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and then analyze their results. Only one other hospital in North Carolina was among the 52.

• Red Cross will hold the following blood drives in March: March 17 — 12:30-5 p.m. at First Baptist Church Franklin, 69 Iotla St., Franklin.

March 21 — 2-6 p.m. at Center Pigeon Fire Dept., 2412 Pisgah Drive, Highway 110, Canton; 2-6 p.m. at Jonathan Valley Elementary School, 410 Hall Drive, Waynesville.

March 31 — 1:30-6 p.m. at Colonial Theater, 58 Park St., Canton.

March 30 — 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Haywood County Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville.

• Free childbirth and breastfeeding classes have been launched by Harris Regional Hospital on a rotating schedule, offered as a series of weeknight sessions or as an allday Saturday session. The next upcoming session of “Understanding Birth” will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 12.

ALSO:

• The Haywood County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill a position on the Adult Care Homes Community Advisory Committee for Long Term Care. Application forms are at www.haywoodnc.net. Deadline is Wednesday, March 9. 828.452.6625.

• Mission Hospital has been listed by Becker’s Hospital Review in the 2015 edition of its “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Women’s Health Programs.” Hospitals and health systems were selected for inclusion based on national rankings and awards from several institutions.

• Haywood Regional Urgent Care Clinics in Waynesville and Canton offer sports physicals for $30 from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. seven days a week. Call Canton clinic at 828.648.0282 or Waynesville clinic at 828.452.8890.

• CarePartners Home Health Services recently received a 5-star patient satisfaction rating from Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. CarePartners offers in-home healthcare in nine counties in Western North Carolina.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Fortunately, the ‘ups’ outweigh the ‘downs’ ometimes I forget why I love it so much. The truth is that newspaper work is partly satisfying, partly frustrating. Just ask any of my co-workers.

Luckily, the satisfaction that comes from helping a small business gain new customers and find success, from a story well-told, and from making a small difference in the way an important issue is decided is what sticks, making up for many of the frustrations.

While we never do our jobs thinking about awards, having your colleagues recognize that you are doing good work does help keep the flame Editor burning. That happened last week at the N.C. Press Association annual award’s banquet in Chapel Hill, but more on that later.

I got to thinking about the payoffs of journalism when I heard that “Spotlight” won the Academy Award for Best Picture. I immediately wondered how far Hollywood had to resort to its magic to make interesting the story of the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize winning investigation into the Catholic priest sexual molestation scandal.

As a newspaper person for most of my life, I know that much of what we do is very mundane. Most stories, important though they are, aren’t going to win any awards or praise. We still, however, have an obligation to cover them.

That’s the business of local news.

The Boston Globe has a proud reputation for being a topnotch local paper, and it touts that “local” legacy. Even though it covers a huge metro area, it does not try to focus on national politics and international stories like the N.Y. Times, Washington Post or Wall Street Journal. It covers its core area, so in many ways it is similar to small newspapers

Scott McLeod

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Wording change on Statue of Liberty

like ours.

On Monday, I heard a National Public Radio interview with Walter Robinson, the veteran reporter and editor who led the investigative team — Spotlight — that worked on the sex abuse scandal. Here’s his description of the movie’s depiction of what actually occurred at the newspaper leading up to the publication of the stories:

“Most films about journalism don’t get it right. I’m just delighted, as are my colleagues, that this film just nailed it.

What we actually did is so accurately and genuinely portrayed in this film, the reporting steps we took, how making the sausage isn’t always a pleasant task to watch, how reporters disagree with one another, how we stumble around in the dark, how sometimes we find the most important things quite by accident. It’s all there, how we make mistakes in our reporting and how we double back, but always, and certainly in this case, with the mind, ‘We have to get this story, and we have to get it out.’”

Obviously the impact and fallout from this story goes far beyond anything our newspaper has ever reported on. But the internal making of a good story or of working your way through the impediments to getting information are not that different. It’s more like ditch digging — repetitive, like asking the same question, attending another meeting or reading through the same document — than rocket science.

And then there is the presentation of that story. That’s where the designers and art folks on our staff come in, and I know their work is just as critical to the success and impact of a story. It’s all difficult work, and as an editor and publisher I don’t tell our staff how much I appreciate the difficult work they do everyday.

I try to emphasize that in this small newspaper world of

To the Editor: I have recently learn was told that the wording on the base of the Statue of Liberty has been changed. It now reads: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses — any who will undergo a two-year wait, a background check, a blood test, a cavity search, and pay a substantial fee, and provided they are white, Christian, speak fluent English, can climb a wall, and avoid the Border Patrol."

The additional phrases are too long to appear on the statue's face, so to view them one must go behind it and lift the hem of Lady Liberty's skirts.

Doug Wingeier Waynesville

Imagine, if only there was a candidate who represents the interests of all the people and not just the wealthy and powerful.

Imagine, if there was only a candidate who doesn’t accept money from and isn’t influenced by large corporate campaign contributors who expect their interests to be protected in return for their donations.

Imagine a candidate who believes it’s better to invest in education than in prisons. It’s better to provide health care for all. It’s better to address climate change than to ignore it.

It’s better to provide a living wage than to force working people to seek public assistance.

You don’t have to imagine it any longer.

His name is Senator Bernie Sanders. He’s running for President. The primary election in North Carolina is on March 15.

Avram Friedman Dillsboro

Sanders would be a refreshing change

Senate needs to do its constitutional duty

To the Editor: Imagine, if only there was a viable candidate for President who for decades has spoken with honesty, integrity and consistency regardless of who or where the audience is.

To the Editor: I understand that our Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The majority Republican members of the committee are

writing and designing, every now and then an opportunity comes along that begs for more time, for more creativity, for writing that sings and dances across the page. Recognizing those moments — when you have the opportunity to do something special — is fundamental to putting out a quality paper.

When you have a chance to influence policy, to help a worthwhile cause or give voice to someone who has been treated unjustly, it can’t be rushed. For our newspaper, getting a story right is much more important than breaking a story.

So let’s get back to the recognition for our newspaper at the state contest that was judged by newspaper folks in three other states. The Smoky Mountain News staff took home more awards in the large circulation, non-daily newspaper category than all but one newspaper in the state. Our designers and advertising sales staff won 17 awards (including five first-places) and our reporters won 15 news awards (including six first-places). Among the awards were two for magazines we produce for local organizations: the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s magazine, Experience Haywood, and Beverly-Hanks Real Estate’s magazine, Welcome to Western North Carolina, were both winners.

Also of note, SMN won an investigative reporting award in 2015 for its coverage of a bear poaching sting, making this the 12th straight year going back to 2004 that the newspaper has won at least one investigative reporting award (for a complete list of this SMN year’s awards, see the story on page 16).

Call this column a self-indulgence if you will, and I’m OK with that. I don’t say it often, but I take a little pride in what we do. It ain’t easy.

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

LETTERS opposed to vetting any nominee for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court that may be nominated by President Obama. I believe that Sen. Tillis’ position and that of the majority members of the committee in this matter are wrong.

Article II Section 2 of the U. S. Constitution states that: “… he (referring to the President) shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... judges of the Supreme Court… .” The President should confer with the Senate for advice then nominate a candidate. The Judiciary Committee’s job is to do the preliminary vetting before passing it the Senate.

I know of no incidence in recent history when this process has been circumvented and sidetracked for political reasons. True, Robert Bork’s nomination was sent to the Senate floor with an unfavorable recommendation, but it was still sent to the floor. The nomination of Clarence Thomas was sent to the floor with only one nay vote and was sent without recommendation of any kind on the second vote of the Judiciary Committee. Scalia’s nomination was forwarded with a unanimous vote of 18-0 with all minority Democrats as well as the majority Republicans on the committee

voting to move the nomination on to the Senate.

To deny a hearing of a nominee and forwarding that nominee on to the Senate for purely political reasons is to deny the President the ability to do his job. Perhaps, that is what this is about.

Our governmental system is currently gridlocked and fairly inoperative. To hamper the function of the Supreme Court by withholding the proper process as outlined by the Constitution is unconscionable. Let me be perfectly blunt. I am not a Democrat. I am registered to vote in the North Carolina as unaffiliated. But I do vote, and I have since Richard Nixon was President. For the Judiciary Committee to not take this up means that the Judiciary Committee is abrogating its job and function. That would mean that Sen. Tillis, as a member of that committee and being in agreement with the Republican majority position, would be remiss in doing his job as a senator.

Sen. Tillis, if you cannot or will not do your job, get out of Washington and come home. As a taxpayer, I do not wish nor need to pay your salary for you to ignore your duty and responsibilities in this matter.

Luther Jones Sylva

Love, marriage ... and a sharp paring knife

Susanna Barbee

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Smoky Mountain News

eymoons and vacations.

But real life.

Gritty, honest, raw, beautiful married life.

Over the past 11 years of being together and eight years of marriage, we have had extraordinary peaks and extreme lows.

We’ve gone to the edge and back.

I recently read a quote from one of my favorite authors and speakers, Cheryl Strayed.

She says, “Our most meaningful relationships are often those that continued beyond the juncture at which they came closest to ending.”

I couldn’t agree more. When a marriage is crumbling and both people commit to salvaging it, amazing things can happen.

Having “the edge” as a point of reference is very helpful in the fight. No one wants to end up on the edge twice.

It takes effort, vulnerability, compromise, kindness, respect, understanding, communication and compassion. We often give these intangible gifts to our parents, our children, our friends. Do our partners in life not deserve the same?

I’ve finally figured out that they do.

Remember the 1980s movie “Dirty Dancing’? We listened to the soundtrack the other night and had a kitchen dance party.

We told the boys about the movie and reminisced about different scenes in this classic flick.

Later I said, “If that movie was reality, you would have been the guy with the bullhorn ensuring everyone was at the correct extracurricular activity and I would have been hanging out with Penny and Johnny and the other dirty dancers.”

He laughed and said, “That is so true.

How did I end up with a dirty dancer?”

I think I have the answer.

Sometimes I wish my husband was more of a thinker or more spontaneous or more complicated. I wish he would listen more intently or “get” me. Blah, blah and more sappy girly blah, blah.

But in truth, one dirty dancer with another dirty dancer never ends in happily ever after.

This girl needed the guy with a bullhorn to rein her in and foster a sense of peace and comfort. And my husband definitely needed a dirty dancer to chill him out and offer some adventure to his life.

Love and marriage isn’t easy. It isn’t simple. It isn’t predictable.

But then again, what great things in life are?

(Susanna Barbee lives in Haywood County and can be reached at susanna.barbee@gmail.com.)

March 2-8, 2016

he other night I cut a skin tag off my husband’s face with a really sharp paring knife and some tweezers. I used peppermint essential oil to numb and rubbing alcohol to cleanse. Our 7-year old held a flashlight so I could see and our 4-year old looked on in amazement.

That skin tag has been driving me crazy for years, and I was so happy to get it off. He looks 10 years younger without it.

This is love and marriage, my friends.

A young girl can’t fully perceive what Columnist her life will be like once she is married.

An immature brain can’t really envision anything past the wedding day because life is messy and complicated while a wedding is easy and predictable.

When I first met my husband 11 years ago, we were both working at Canton Middle School. He asked me to attend a Robert Earl Keen concert at The Orange Peel in Asheville. I had never heard of this Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter. At the time, I was listening to a lot of Iron & Wine, Coldplay, Radiohead and other depressing music.

Before the concert, we decided we should go on a regular date. I was living in West Asheville with two roommates so after driving to my house, he and I walked to Westville Pub on Haywood Road. We talked and giggled and awkwardly brushed arms, not really sure if we should physically touch quite yet.

A couple of weeks later we went to the Robert Earl Keen concert. My eyes were opened to this very talented musician and I’ve been a fan ever since. We still play his music all the time. His distinctive voice was the one that crooned as we danced our first dance as a married couple.

Often times, if we’re fighting or going through a rough patch, I listen to his music to bring me back to center and transport me to a time when we were first falling in love.

We married at Chip’s Chapel out at Camp Daniel Boone. As an Eagle Scout and lifelong member of Boy Scouts of America, this is a special place to my husband. I wanted to get married outside so this location was perfect.

We fancied up the rustic atmosphere and the camp ranger (also an ordained minister) married us.

We went to Charleston for our honeymoon.

Then we came home as a married couple.

And that’s when life really began. Not a life flavored with concerts and festivals and hon-

Sponsored in part by the Smoky Mountain News, Clark & Leatherwood, Inc., The Mountaineer, Sheppard Insurance Group, Wells Fargo, Champion Supply, RCF Construction Company, Haywood Ace Hardware, Haywood Builders Supply 23

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

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

Smoky Mountain News

March 2-8, 2016

APPLE CREEK CAFE 111 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.456.9888. Tuesday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Home to an extensive build your own sandwich menu as well as specialty salads, soups burgers and more. With local ingredients and made-from-scratch recipes using a variety of good-for-you ingredients Apple Creek Cafe is sure to become your favorite spot.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

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

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

Magazine. Set in a distinguished atmosphere with an exceptional menu. Extensive selection of wine and beer. Reservations honored.

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

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

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

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

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day. Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000.

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

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

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

828.926.1820 Open Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is

not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

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

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

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

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

Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews.

Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood.

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

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

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

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours: Friday-Monday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country

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APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

SPONSORED BY SIGMA XI (WCU CHAPTER) FEATURING DR. BRIAN BYRD

Visit Us and Discover

Mosquitoes & their Diseases: Exotics and Endemics in Western North Carolina

MARCH 9TH 6:00 PM

Dr. Byrd is a North Carolina native, residing in Haywood County. Dr. Byrd currently teaches at WCU. His research focuses on domestic and mosquito-borne diseases, specifically La Crosse encephalitis.

He is a member in many professional organizations including the American Mosquito Control Association.

828.586.3555

Located in Beautiful Downtown Sylva, NC

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Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activities and within one mile of Waynesville Country Club.

www.MadBatterFoodandFilm.com

MEDITERRANEAN & ITALIAN CUISINE

828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com

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

1863 S. Main Street • Waynesville 828.454.5002 Hwy. 19/23 Exit 98 LUNCH & DINNER TUES. - SUN.

www.pasqualesnc.com

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Café

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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.

PAPERTOWN GRILL 153 Main St., Canton. 828.648.1455 Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Serving the local community with great, scratch-made country cooking. Breakfast is served all day.

Daily specials including Monday meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Thursdays and Friday fish.

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday. Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoors, outside on the patio or at the bar.

Reservations appreciated.

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.

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

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

Deli & So Much More

restaurant. Locally owned and operated.

Family oriented business.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400.

Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Waynesville tradition, the Smoky Mountain Sub Shop has been serving great food for over 20 years. Come in and enjoy the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Sub breads are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville.

Using only the freshest ingredients in homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County.

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.

TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com .

Now Re-Opening

Sunday!

Sunday!

Sunday!

Every Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Now taking reservations for our traditional St. Patrick's Dinner Call for info Monday - Friday 8-3 Sunday 9-3 6147 Highway 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) breakingbreadcafenc.com • 828.648.3838

TWIN MAPLES FARMHOUSE 63 North Hill Street, Waynesville.

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

March 2-8, 2016

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.

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

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

100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor. Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest, all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

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style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites. Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

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

LIVE MUSIC TUESDAY NIGHTS! 7-9 P.M.

Open for Breakfast 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com

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MON.-SAT. 8 A.M.

Upcoming Bands: MARCH 8: Kevin Fuller MARCH 15: Mile High Band MON.-SAT. 11 A.M.-8 P.M.

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

Smoky Mountain News

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SAGEBRUSH OF CANTON 1941 Champion Dr. Canton

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

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Where East meets West Thai fusion restaurant enters next chapter in Waynesville

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t’s lunchtime in downtown Waynesville.

Hungry bellies wander up the sidewalk in search of nourishment. It is the calm before the storm for Julie Katt as she awaits the midday rush.

“The key thing is the people,” she said. “You have to like to deal with people, to have patience with people, and for us, that’s what it’s all about.”

Co-owner of Blossom on Main, a Thai fusion restaurant on Main Street, Katt rushes around the cozy space, making sure every detail is taken care of, from seating customers to taking orders to placing meals on the tables, all the while engaging in conversation with friends and those soon-to-be friends.

“Service is so important,” she emphasized.

“There are so many great places to eat around town these days. And we came into this knowing that we needed to be consistent — for the convenient hours of operation, for the great service and for the quality food.”

Katt, her husband (Harry) and their good friends (business partners and couple) Keith Zipielewski and Beth Owen-Zipielewski purchased the location a little over a year ago.

When the former Thai Spice came up for sale, the foursome decided it was the right time to pursue a longtime dream of owning a business together.

“Keith and Beth own a successful restaurant in Florida and have tons of culinary experience to feel comfortable in launching Blossom on Main,” Julie said. “And when this place came on the market, we knew it was something we wanted to do.”

I

“Thai food is real fresh, which works great with all the local farm-to-table produce and ingredients we have around this area.”

— Preston McClure, Blossom on Main head chef

Top: A “trout curry wrap” featuring Sunburst Trout from Haywood County. Right: Thai coconut shrimp with curry sauce, peppers and vegetables. Garret K. Woodward photos

Julie herself is no stranger to the food and beverage industry. A native Floridian, she spent many years during college working in restaurants, and also in the newspaper industry where she was an ad representative (where the skills of accommodation and hospitality go hand-and-hand). Following graduation, she started a family with Harry, to which they found themselves in Haywood County in 2008 to join Julie’s parents who relocated to Western North Carolina.

Eventually, with her kids headlong into the local school system, Julie found a position at The Swag, a renowned getaway (of rest and recipes) high up in the mountains above Jonathan Creek. It was at The Swag that Julie worked her way up to director of guest services, a career move that justified her enjoyment of people and place, especially in terms of fine dining.

Want to go?

The 12th annual Melange of the Mountains culinary weekend will be March 10-13 around Haywood County.

The event is the county’s premier culinary kickoff for the spring tourism season. It is a uniquely local epicurean partnership of innovative chefs, sustainable producers, crafty microbrewers and local farms. The culinary gala will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. As well, there will also be an array of special restaurant events and tastings through the weekend.

Participants include Apple Creek Café, Balsam Mountain Inn, Blossom on Main, Copper Pot & Wooden Spoon, Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat, Laurel Ridge Country Club, Selu Garden Café, The Farm Kitchen, The Swag, Sunburst Market and the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa. There will also be tastings provided by Boojum Brewing, The Classic Wine Seller, Frog Level Brewing and Tipping Point Brewing.

Tickets for the gala are $35 for chamber members, $40 for nonmembers and $60 for VIP. For more information on the gala and about other culinary events throughout the weekend around Haywood County in celebration of Melange of the Mountains, click on www.haywoodchamber.com (search the “Signature Events” under the “Events” tab).

And for Blossom on Main, Julie’s main objective is shifting the perceptions folks might have about Thai food.

“Offering Thai in Western North Carolina presents it’s obstacles,” she chuckled. “A lot of people in this area hear ‘Thai food’ and they automatically think everything is either spicy or fried, when, in fact, Thai is about fresh vegetables, steamed rice and delicious meats. And everything that’s produce is handcut in house. None of that frozen stuff or something from a bag.”

And it’s that misconception that Head Chef Preston McClure also aims to correct.

“Spicy can simply just refer to spices, and not heat,” he said. “It’s about getting people to know that Thai is about sweet and sour and savory, all kinds of ingredients and styles.”

A 29-year veteran of the culinary industry, McClure crossed paths with Julie and Co. when they worked together at The Swag, where he was a chef. For McClure, it’s the creative component in his kitchen (alongside Chef Marcelo Prieto) that makes the difference.

“That’s the whole point. If you don’t have a kitchen that’s enjoying what they’re doing and are passionate about the food, then it’s just a job,” McClure noted. “Food is the only thing we do that involves all five senses — hearing, seeing and smelling the food, touching and tasting the food. And, for us, having that ‘clean slate’ to create

Blossom on Main co-owner Julie Katt and Head Chef Preston McClure. Opened for just over a year, the restaurant specializes in Thai fusion, which combines tradition Thai recipes with local farm-to-table produce and ingredients. The business will be one of the many Haywood County participants at the upcoming Melange of the Mountains culinary celebration March 10-13. Garret K. Woodward photo

and change up the menu makes everything that much better.”

McClure points to the flourishing farm-totable scene in Western North Carolina as another prime example of how intimate, flavorful and succulent the dishes in restaurants have become around the region. In terms of Blossom on Main, they’re in the process of utilizing seasonal ingredients and iconic local brands into their selections. It’s where the idea of “Thai fusion” really comes to the forefront, as seen by the recent addition of a “trout curry wrap” that features meat from just a hop, skip and a jump down the road at Sunburst Trout.

“Thai food is real fresh, which works great with all the local farm-to-table produce and ingredients we have around this area.”

McClure said.

And for Julie, seeing her vision come to fruition has been a surreal and rewarding experience.

“We all live here, and the support for the community, and out-of-town visitors, has been overwhelming,” she smiled. “It’s great to see our friends, neighbors and those new to the area really enjoy what we’re doing here.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

INFORMATIONAL OPEN HOUSE EVENTS MARCH 2ND, 8TH, & 15TH

TWO SESSIONS 5:30 & 6:30 (CHOOSE ONE ) THESE EVENTS ARE DESIGNED FOR PARENTS TO LEARN ALL ABOUT OUR UPCOMING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN.

DAY CAMP PROGRAMS

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP CAMP:

SPRING BREAK CAMP APRIL 4 - 8

WEEK 1: MAY 31 - JUNE 3 WEEK 2: JUNE 6 - 10

SPORTSMANSHIP & PLAY MATTERS CAMP

BASE CAMP EXPLORE DAY CAMPS:

JUNE 13 - 17

SESSION ONE: JUNE 20 - JULY 15 SESSION TWO: JULY 18 - AUGUST 12

PLEASE NOTE PARENTS WILL NEED TO COME TO ONE OF THESE OPEN HOUSES AND FILL OUT THE PROPER PAPER WORK BEFORE THEIR CHILD IS ALLOWED TO REGISTER AT OUR FRONT DESK!

For more information, call the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department at 456-2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

WAYNESVILLE

PARKS AND RECREATION 828.456.2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

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Smoky Mountain News

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

March 2-8, 2016

Boo yah.

That was my exact response (loudly) when I was informed last week I’d won a few awards from the North Carolina Press Association There will be a celebration of Indian food and that were handed out at their annual dance at 6 p.m. Friday, March 11, at the banquet in Chapel Hill. First place Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

“Arts & Entertainment Reporting,” The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will be second place “Columns,” and third cranking it up with 80s and 90s theme trivia at place “Niche Publication.”

7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at No Name Sure, in essence, awards are just Sports Pub in Sylva pieces of paper that signify one group’s opinion on someone or Andrews Brewing Company will host Heidi something. But, for me, I look at Holton (blues/folk) at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 6. those three pieces of paper as milestones, a moment to stop and look back at all this trials and tribulaAuthor David Joy celebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of Where All Light -tions it took to get to this spot, and also looking ahead to what tomorTends to Go with a reading of new works at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at Innovation frow will bring.

Brewing in Sylva. f First place “Arts & Entertainment Reporting.” It’s a Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Kevin notion that immediately sends a Fuller (singer-songwriter) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, flood of memories speeding across March 8. my field of vision. Winning the award doesn’t make me smile, per cigarettes and drinking cheap beer at midsay, but thinking about all those people, night, all while watching (for the hundredth places and things that have culminated into time) the films “Almost Famous” and “The this recognition sure does .…

Song Remains The Same.” We’d view those two flicks in sheer excitement, always saying, • Aly Richardson: One of my best “Someday, I’m going to do that, to travel, to friends from college, Aly came into my life write, to see live music, to conquer the like a whirlwind, a glorious bull in a china world.” Aly sparked a fire of creativity and shop, if you will. Senior year at Quinnipiac curiosity within me that burns brighter and University. When we crossed paths that first brighter each day. And in those rare night in some sticky floor dive bar, we were like magnets. Music obsessed, with a hunger moments of vulnerability, where I find myself questioning the cosmos, she remains, for the writings of Hunter S. Thompson and someone who once told me, “It’s never too Jack Kerouac, we became fast chums, thick late at night to call.” as thieves. It was smoking Parliament Light

• Andrew Wyatt: My brother-in-arms.

There isn’t a single soul on this earth who knows me better than Mr. Wyatt. When I took my first reporting gig in the Grand Teton Mountains, I became acquainted with Andrew over a hearty game of horseshoes in the back of some honky-tonk bar on the Eastern Idaho prairie. He was a music freak photographer in need of a writer. I was a music freak writer in need of a photographer. Following the economic collapse of 2008, he and I, each still trying to find stable

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

ground in our careers, hit the open road for the next three years, covering dozens of festivals and traversing a total of 37 states together. Thousands of miles and countless hours traveling, sleeping on hardwood floors or in the cold truck, and also immersing ourselves in the sincere kindness of strangers far and wide. We saw the country together, and also our potential in this crazy industry that is journalism.

The three names above represent the basis for who I am today. Back then, I was a wet-behind-the-ears kid with this stubborn and unrelenting aspiration to write, to wonder and ponder, to seek and discover, all in utter amazement of what lies around the next, unsuspecting corner. Aly, Mike and Andrew are a handful of faces within the innumerable folks I’ve been lucky enough to not only befriend, but also orbit around their bountiful lives. It’s hardscrabble blacksmiths and mad scientist craft brewers, hummingbird fluttering bluegrass pickers and backwoods moonshine grinners, wildfire culinary maestros and poignant old-time veterans, gung-ho trail runners and front porch rocking chair sitters. It’s America, and by god, ain’t it grand?

All I’ve ever wanted to do is tell stories. I want to track down characters, either known and unknown, and dive deep into what makes them tick. I want to open up the world right outside your door, a place of wild things and pure beauty that can be seen, heard and touched, just as long as your willing to reach for the stars.

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

• Mike McKinley: Towards the end of my time at Quinnipiac, I was dire need of an internship. Initially, I’d wanted to be on TV or radio, some kind of music personality who would interview all the latest bands and such. And yet, I couldn’t find any traction anywhere. Low and behold, I ran into Mike at a concert one cold night in 2006.

He offered me a spot at his publication, the beloved (now defunct) State of Mind Music Magazine. I didn’t know the first thing about writing. All I knew was that I wanted to be around music, around arts and entertainment — that “buzz” I’ve always sought after. Mike taught me how to listen, which is quite possibly the most important thing about being a journalist.

It’s about truly letting your subject blossom and expand, where you’re simply there to nurture and explore the conversation. He also taught me how to write, in that if you aren’t honest with yourself and what you want to say, then how can your readers believe in you?

27

arts & entertainment

On the beat ARE YOU READY TO ROCK? Acclaimed regional rock/jam act Porch 40 will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, March 11 at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva.

They will be joined

by Urban Soil. Free.

828.586.2750.

AMERICANA, FOLK AT SAGEBRUSH Acoustic singer-songwriter Kevin Fuller will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at Sagebrush Steakhouse in Canton. Free.

828.646.3750.

WNC GETS THE BLUES March 2-8, 2016

Popular blues/folk singer Heidi Holton will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at Andrews Brewing Company. www.andrewsbrewing.com. Holton will also play at 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 12, at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. www.nonamesportspub.com. Both shows are free. www.heidiholton.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• Andrews Brewing Company will host Heidi Holton (blues/folk) March 6 and Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) March 12.

Both shows are free and begin at 5 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

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

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have ‘Round the Fire (Grateful Dead tribute) March 4, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) March 5 and 12, and the Robinson Waters Duo March 11.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• The Elks Lodge (Waynesville) will have Stone Crazy Band (rock/pop) at 8 p.m. March 4. Free.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Karaoke March 2 and 9, Scooter Haywood (singer-songwriter) March 11 and Mark Keller 28

(singer-songwriter) March 12. All shows are free and at 7 p.m. unless otherwise listed.

828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night March 2 and 9, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo March 3 and 10. There will also be performances by Oliver Padgett March 5 and Shotgun Gypsies March 12. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

ALSO:

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Karaoke on March 5 and The French Broads (rock/jam) March 12. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Colby Dietz (Americana) March 4, PMA (funk/reggae) March 5, D.B. Rouse (hobo/folk) March 6, Joseph Huber Trio (Americana/folk) March 9, Porch 40 (funk/jam) and Urban Soil March 11 and Heidi Holton (blues/folk) March 12.

Musical tribute to Civilian Conservation Corps Author Bill Jamerson will present a music and storytelling program about how the Civilian Conservation Corps camps improved the surrounding area as well as the lives of the young men and their families at 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 12, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Many local young men worked at CCC camps in Western North Carolina starting in 1933 during the Great Depression. CCC camps in the area included those built near Franklin, Bryson City, Smokemont, Aquone, Cowee and Topton.

On May 28, 1933, a CCC Camp Neorakada opened two miles south of Franklin. The enrollees spent about $5,000 a month in Franklin, which was a boast to the local economy during the depths of The Great Depression.

The Franklin Press reported that 108 young men arrived in Franklin on a special train from Fort Bragg. “Clad in army shirts, fishing hats, blue denim and khaki work pants and carrying dunny bags loaded with bedding and personal belongings, the boys looked like they were starting out on a vacation camping trip. Jesting and jostling each other good-naturedly, they were happy over the prospect of working in the Nantahala National Forest instead of staying at home in Piedmont North Carolina vainly hunting for jobs that do not exist.”

Thirty men from Macon County had been accepted in the Civilian Conversation Corps and were undergoing 22 days of intensive training at Fort Bragg. Two weeks later, 24 of the local men arrived at the camp, and the C. C. Camp Boys had defeated Cowee in a baseball game. The camp quota of 200 men was

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

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. March 5. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

• Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) March 8 and Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) March 15.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.646.3750.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Mile High (rock) at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Andrew Rickman (rock/acoustic) will also perform on Saturdays. All events begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic with Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Friday” with Bud Davis at 7 p.m. on Fridays

filled by June 15. In addition to a mess hall and other camp buildings, a baseball field, basketball court, volleyball court, and boxing arena were constructed at the camp.

This program is co-sponsored by the Macon County Public Library and the Macon County Historical Museum.

Open call for student music, poetry recital

The Haywood County Arts Council will present the annual Student Honors Recital at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

Open to students in Haywood County and counties west of Haywood, this non-competitive music and poetry recital is open to students selected by their music teachers.

Teachers are asked to choose excellent students to encourage young artists in our region.

Participating students must be at least 9 years old, and the max grade level is a high school senior. In the past, the Student Honors Recital has hosted performances of harp, oboe, drums, violins, bluegrass music and poetry. These have included vocal duets, solos, and instrumental ensembles. Any style music/poetry may be performed: baroque, classical, romantic, popular, folk, jazz, etc. A student, teacher, or other adult may accompany or play duets with a performer.

Interested students should speak with their music teacher if they would like to participate.

If you are a music teacher and would like to submit a student, the application is available at http://haywoodarts.org/special-events.

Applications, including a $10 fee per student, are due to the Haywood County Arts Council (P.O. Box 306, Waynesville, N.C. 28786) by March 16. The mandatory Rehearsal this year will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

and Isaish Breedlove (Americana) at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host acclaimed Nashville songwriter/storyteller Antsy McClain and South Carolina guitarist Jacob Johnson at 7 p.m. March 11.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 day of show. www.38main.com.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range (bluegrass/Americana) at 7 p.m. March 3, Somebody’s Child (Americana) 9 p.m. March 4 and Chris Williams (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. March 5. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• Western Carolina University will host a Mountain Winds concert on March 7, the United Sound Recital 7 p.m. March 8, the Horn Studio Recital March 9 and a Faculty Flute Recital March 15 in the Coulter Building. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.wcu.edu.

On the street

Casey Lance Brown photo

Indian food, culture at Folkmoot Center There will be a celebration of Indian food and dance at 6 p.m. Friday, March 11, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

The evening will feature Meaghann Lynne of Waynesville Belly Dance, sharing and leading a Rajasthani Dance. There will also be traditional Indian games and a history lesson, a henna station, Indian food and live music.

Tickets are $5 for kids between 4 and 18 years old, $10 for adults and $30 for families. To reserve your spot, click on www.folkmootusa.org/celebrate-dance-food-india.

Call for artists for International Festival Folkmoot is seeking professional artists and community craftspeople to host booths at the 33rd Annual International Festival Day that will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 30 on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

Makers and producers of handmade arts, crafts and foods are encouraged to apply.

Application packets can be downloaded or entered electronically at www.folkmootusa.org.

Vendors who prefer to receive packets by mail can call the office at 828.452.2997. The deadline for applications and fees is 5 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Applications will be juried and selected vendors, notified by May 15.

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

The goal of “Haywood Ramblings” is to entertain and inform all ages on some of the interesting aspects of Waynesville’s long history. Talks will be held at 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Town of

Waynesville Board Room at 9 South Main Street. There will be time for questions and light refreshments will be provided.

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

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

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

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

New Civil War center, story collection “Our State, Our Stories” is the name of the Jackson County Genealogical Society’s program that will be held at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 10, in the Community Room of the Historic Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva.

The speaker will be Paige Tester, story specialist for the North Carolina Civil War History Center and Cultural Heritage Coordinator of Wild South. Tester will talk about the new North Carolina Civil War History Center and its story initiative. She is working to collect 100 family Civil War stories from each of the following counties: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania.

All JCGS events are free of charge and the public is welcome. For more information visit us on Facebook or call 828.631.2646.

• Evolution Wine Bar & Kitchen (Sylva) will open a second location in Dillsboro. BCNC Investments in Bryson City recently announced the successful execution of a lease of a portion of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad space on Front Street in Dillsboro. The business is expected to open this spring. 828.342.2060.

• The Happy Wanderers, a local senior social group, will be meeting for a free movie at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, at the Waynesville Public Library. Popcorn and soda will be served.

There will also be cornhole and table tennis at 10 a.m.

Monday, March 7, at the Old Hazelwood Gym next to the Folkmoot Center. There will be a “Lunch Brunch” at 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, March 8, at The Southern Boot in Waynesville. The group is coordinated by the Haywood County Recreation & Parks Department. 828.452.6789 or recreation@haywoodnc.net.

ALSO:

• A pinochle class will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays March 8-29 at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. The class is for beginners and players who want to brush up on their skills. Joy Teetsel will lead the class. Free. 828.356.2800.

• The Waynesville Public Library is partnering with Haywood County 4-H and will be having yoga classes for kids. The class will meet from 3 to 5 p.m. March 10 in the auditorium. This class is based on curriculum created by the Arkansas 4-H and designed for ages 5 and up, although younger children are welcome. Children are invited to bring a favorite beach towel and water bottle. Free.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m.

March 5 and 12 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. March 5 and 12 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

Smoky Mountain News

Chef Ricardo Fernandez will be hosting a Mountain Cooking Club “Winter Warm-Up” class from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Fines Creek Community Kitchen in Clyde.

Fernandez was the former co-owner/head chef of Lomo Grill. The classes celebrate local ingredients and seasonal fare. His classes combine his native Argentine cuisine with influences from Spain and Italy, the home of his parents.

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

Class fee is $60 plus a $1 Mountain Cooking Club 2016 membership Ricardo Hernandez fee (for those who didn’t attend the January class). To reserve your space, please mail a check (payable to Ricardo Fernandez) to Suzanne Fernandez at 3553 Panther Creek Road, Clyde, North Carolina 28721. Reservations confirmed upon receipt of payment.

828.246.7465 or chefricardos@gmail.com.

The North Carolina Science Festival and Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, in Charlotte, are bringing some science excitement to the at 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Science LIVE! is a live interactive science demonstration that bring current scientific discoveries to life. Watch as Morehead Planetarium and Science Center outreach educator, Nick Eakes, performs exciting experiments before your eyes. Each show is unique, with new “audience assistants” encourage at each performance.

The North Carolina Science Festival is a major initiative of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. Since launching the Festival in 2010, Morehead has developed a statewide network of partners and sponsors to help stage the event every spring. The North Carolina Science Festival is a multi-day celebration showcasing science and technology. The festival highlights the educational, cultural and financial impact of science in our state.

Through hands-on activities, science talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits and performances, the Festival engages a wide range of public audiences while inspiring future generations.

828.488.3030.

Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

Brown is the assistant site manager for the Bentonville Battlefield Historic Site.

There will also be a discussion on a recently discovered Confederate mass grave. www.wcu.edu.

March 2-8, 2016

Mountain Cooking Club in Fines Creek

Science LIVE! at Marianna Black

arts & entertainment

There will also be a schools program and dance instruction from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and 11 to 11:45 a.m. at the center. Folkmoot alumnus Aparna Keshavia is a classical Indian dancer and scholar who will teach a variety of folk dances from northern India. $5 per child.

Teachers, bus drivers and supervising parents are free. Indian appetizers will also be served.

Reservations required. www.keshaviah.com.

Thanks to Best Western Smoky Mountain Inn and the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina for supporting Folkmoot’s yearround programming initiatives. Questions can be directed to Folkmoot staff by phone, 828.452.2997 or email info@folkmoot.org. www.folkmootusa.org.

Civil War roundtable to discuss Bentonville, mass grave

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

March 2 and 9 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 828.452.6000.

The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table will host a presentation by Derrick Brown at 6 p.m. March 14 in the

• There will be a “Tasty Tuesday: Winter Seasonals” at 7 p.m. March 8 and 15 at Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden. 29

arts & entertainment

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Roller girls fundraiser at No Name

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828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

March 2-8, 2016

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Natural bodybuilding competition in Macon

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The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will be cranking it up with 80s and 90s theme trivia at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva.

The cost to register a team is $10 for a team of four people. The trivia game will consist of general knowledge, pop culture and a lot of fun questions from the 80s and 90s decades. Proceeds from the trivia game will benefit the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls to help with derby season travel related expenses.

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls have a tradition of donating proceeds from their ticket sales to local charities since their debut sold out bout in 2012. The 2016 season is no exception with bout proceeds benefiting the local Life Challenge organization.

SMRG has also donated funds to other organizations such as Hawthorne Heights, Qualla Safe House and Big Brothers and Big Sister of Swain County in the past. The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls used the Bryson City Christmas Parade as an opportunity to collect canned food items to donate to Community Table's food bank.

Smoky Mountain Roller Girls is a nonprofit all women’s flat track derby team from Swain County, North Carolina. Skaters from Swain, Jackson, Haywood and Macon counties comprise the team. Women ages 18 and up are encouraged to come out for practice on Sunday and Wednesday evenings from 6

Clay Nations photo

to 8 p.m. Men and women are invited to join the team as non-skating officials, referees and volunteers.

Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will host their season opener the following weekend at 4 p.m. Saturday March 12, with a double header against Palmetto State Roller Girls of Myrtle Beach at the Swain County Recreation Center in Bryson City. www.smokymountainrollergirls.com.

On the stage

Enter the 2016

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SUPPORTED BY: Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, Haywood Economic Development Council, Haywood Community College Small Business Center, Haywood Advancement Foundation.

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On the street

The second annual Western North Carolina Natural Bodybuilding & Physique Federation Competition will be at 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 12, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

NBPF is an all-natural Christian organization that believes the human body is the holy temple. Placement and overall winners will be awarded with prizes and limited sponsorship.

Tickets for the event start at $20.

866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

A new take on ‘Hamlet’ A modern remix of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,� the stage production of “The Fall of a Sparrow� at 7:30 p.m. March 4-5 and at 2 p.m. March 6 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The classic story was remixed by UNC School of the Arts Graduate Henry Williamson, which began life as a thesis project for Williamson, who last season

brought audiences an exciting production of Anton Chekov’s “The Sea Gull.�

The next stage production will be “12 Angry Men,� which will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 11-12 and 18-19 and at 2 p.m. March 13 and 20.

Tickets for both shows are $10 for adults, $6 for students.

Tickets can also be purchased online at www.harttheatre.org.

• The Darrah Carr Dance troupe will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. The stage show is mixed-style modern, basic ballet and a touch of tap — all with an Irish step dance brogue. The evening is part of the Arts and Cultural Events Series. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public. ace.wcu.edu or 828.227.2612.

ALSO:

• Comedian Eric Mina will perform at 7 p.m. March 10 in the UC Illusions at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

On the wall

PHOTOGRAPHER RECEPTION AT MACON LIBRARY There will be an artist reception for photographer Rosemary Southerland from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 5, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

828.524.3600 or www.fontanalib.org.

Haywood 4-H’ers Arielle Carpenter, Joanna Carpenter, Delilah Jenkins and Grace Sawyer participated in the North Carolina Make it with Wool Competition in Cabarrus County.

The Sew Cool 4-H club members completed a wool garments to participate in state level competition. Arielle Carpenter of Clyde made a blue poncho with a front pocket and hood.

Johanna Carpenter of Clyde made a long maroon skirt to wear to church. Jenkins made a flared skirt and peplum blazer. Sawyer of Waynesville made a knee length skirt with zipper closure. Arielle and Johanna Carpenter, and Sawyer received participation ribbons and Jenkins won third place in the preteen category.

The Sew Cool 4-H club invites new members, ages 9 years old as of Jan. 1, to join the club for 2016. The club meets on Fridays after school from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 11.

828.456.3575.

An “Empty Bowl” fundraiser will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. March 12 in the dining hall at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown.

First, select a handcrafted bowl from a collection donated by area potters (extra bowls may be purchased at the event). Next, fill your bowl with a hearty meal of soup, salad, bread and dessert.

Enjoy live music by the Dog Branch Cats. Take your bowl home with you to keep as a reminder of hunger in our local and global communities.

Don’t forget the incredible Brown Bag Raffle for one-of-a-kind artworks. Raffle tickets are $1 each, and you can buy as many as you wish.

Tickets for the “Empty Bowl” are $30 and are currently available at the Craft Shop, Cherokee County Chamber and the United Community Bank of Hayesville. All proceeds from this event will go directly to the Clay and Cherokee County Food Banks. www.folkschool.org.

• The film “Alvin & The Chipmunks” will be screened at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. March 12 at The Colonial Theatre in Canton. Admission is $3. www.cantonnc.com.

• The film “Spotlight” will be screened at 7 p.m.

March 2-4, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 5, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. March 6, 7 p.m. March 8-10, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 12 and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. March 13 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. There will also be a free screening of the The Good Dinosaur at noon and 2 p.m. March 5 and 12. www.38main.com.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. March 10 and 17 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 828.538.2054.

ALSO:

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

• The films “Creed” (March 3-4), “Hotel Transylvania” (March 5) and “The Peanuts Movie” (March 10-11) will be screened at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Screenings are at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with a special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturdays. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

There will be two upcoming craft workshops to be held at the Wild Fern Studio in Bryson City.

• Create your own mini garden from scratch from 10 a.m. to noon March 5. $20 with all materials included.

• The foundations of medicinal herbs workshop will be from 10 a.m. to noon March 12. Learn how to create basic tinctures, rubs and poultices utilizing herbs. $20 with all the materials included.

To register, call 828.736.1605.

334-29

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Smoky Mountain News

Folk School ‘Empty Bowl’ fundraiser

Natural lotion, mini garden workshops

March 2-8, 2016

Haywood 4-H’ers attend NC competition

A remake of the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing” will be partially filmed in Cashiers this May thanks to a grant from the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant program.

This is the second major motion picture slated to film this year in Jackson County. The other film, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” will star Oscar-winning actress Francis McDormand and will be filmed in downtown Sylva. This independent film also received a state grant of about $3.1 million.

“Combining those major projects with a third season of ‘Anglers & Appetites’ (which we are also filming for TV this spring) that marks three film projects for us in a six-month window.

This will go a long way to position the county favorably,” Nick Breedlove, Jackson Tourism Development Authority director, said in an email.

The “Dirty Dancing” remake will be a three-hour TV special produced by Lionsgate Television in association with Allison Shearmur Production and will air on ABC. The special will star Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin,

Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing and singer, dancer and actor Colt Pratte.

The production will also take place in Buncombe County, eligible for a grant up to $4 million.

The North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant provides financial assistance to attract productions that will stimulate economic activity and create jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet direct instate spending requirements to qualify for grant funds.

arts & entertainment

Hollywood movies to film in Jackson County

366 RUSS AVE. • WAYNESVILLE (BiLo Shopping Center)

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

A few nuggets from books only partly read ooks brought home from the library: The Art of Grace; Keep It Fake; The Churchill Factor; The Fellowship; South Toward Home; The Conservative Heart; The Road To Character.

Books now due at the library: All of the above.

Books read in full: The Road to Character and The Churchill Factor.

Books read in part: The Art of Grace; Keep It Fake; The Conservative Heart.

Books I Intend to read: South Toward Home; The Inklings.

This review will examine “Books Read in Part.”

To review unfinished books may Writer strike readers as unfair of me towards both readers and authors. I disagree. I have offered full disclosure of the fact that I never finished the books. Let me add to that disclosure that I did tinker with them enough to know that 1) I would not read them cover to cover and 2) they had some good to offer various readers.

In Keep It Fake: Inventing An Authentic Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015, 226 pages, $25), Wake Forest University professor Eric G. Wilson believes that not only have most Americans become phonies, but that remaking ourselves into the people we want to be is a positive good. As he says, “If we can’t break through our fictions to knowable fact, we can at least fabricate facts through invigorating fictions.” These fictional facts,” as he calls them, can serve as our new identity.

A few years ago, I read — and reviewed positively for The Smoky Mountain News — Wilson’s Against Happiness. It was a lucid warning against our constant yearning for “happiness.”

Jeff Minick

B

Keeping It Fake brings a different reaction.

The personal and historical anecdotes in this book make for great reading, but then come sentences such as this one: “Global capitalism might well enclose us in a self-contained system whose antinomies only appear to be sub-

stantially different but are actually just arbitrary terms that keep the drama moving.”

The point of Keeping It Fake eludes me. At the end, for example, Wilson urges us to “build your own artifice out of the rubble, maybe a sphere expansive as the universe, or perhaps a single ball, apple size.” Don’t most of us do that anyway, creating ourselves, shaping ourselves through everything from our reading to plastic surgery?

Sarah L. Kaufman’s The Art of Grace: On Moving Well Through Life (W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 2016, 310 pages, $24.95) emerges next from the pile. Kaufman, a dance critic and herself a dancer, defines grace as “a

David Joy reading at Innovation Brewing City Lights Bookstore and Innovation Brewing are teaming up to help David Joy celebrate the oneyear anniversary of the release of Where All Light Tends to Go. To commemorate the anniversary and celebrate the paperback release, Joy will read new work at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva. The paperback will be available for sale during the event.

To reserve copies, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

Memoir by WNC restaurateur Donna Tiernan Mahoney celebrates the experiences, challenges and specialties that have been essential ingredients to her well-known family’s business in the memoir, Seduced by Gorgonzola: Reflections of a Reluctant Restaurateur.

Mahoney describes the feasts — garlic bread, Gorgonzola cheese salad, shrimp cocktail, steak with onion rings and a huge potato — that would accompany celebrations, like pregnancies, engagements,

poised and relaxed body, smooth and efficient motion, attentiveness, compassion. There is a contented silence to grace; it avoids what is loud and intrusive, and what offends the eye.”

With much justification, Kaufman takes to task our present society, criticizing everything from the posture of its citizens to their awful clothing, crude behavior, lack of manners, and general poise. (Let me add that Kaufman herself possesses too much grace to rant about such things.)

In contrast to our age of slouching and mumbling, Kaufman juxtaposes various dancers and movie stars, especially Cary Grant.

Well, we’d all like to be Cary Grant. Even Cary Grant once famously said that he’d like to be Cary Grant. Now that I think of it, Grant neatly segues into Keep It Fake. Grant was born Archibald Leach and worked for his first 30 years to transform himself into a model of sophistication and grace.

What most impressed me about The Art

of Grace was a short section on posture.

Kaufman tells us how to attain good posture.

Stand with your back to a wall, she counsels.

Your buttocks, shoulder blades, and the back of your head should touch the wall. Step away, and according to Kaufman, you exhibit good posture.

I tried this technique, stepped away from the wall, and felt two inches taller and like a king surveying his court. Aware of how much I slump as I sit beating the keys of my Mac, I will try harder to follow her advice.

The Conservative Heart: How To Build A Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America (HarperCollins, Publishers, 2015, 247 pages, $27.99) surprised me. Because so many other books on conservatism have passed over my desk the last 30 years, I knew from the start I wouldn’t read Arthur Brooks’ book in its entirety.

Nonetheless, The Conservative Heart did offer insights that if applied would change not only conservative or for that matter, liberal hearts, but our political dialogue in general.

As the frontispiece blurb, Brooks calls for policies ground in family, faith, community, and meaningful work. He recognizes too the importance of government and its role in providing a safety net for its citizens.

Most of all, however, Brooks gives us in his last chapter advice that if followed might do away with much of the rancor and imbroglio we call politics. He recommends, for example, that we “fight for people, not against things,” that we make an effort to talk with others whose opinions differ from ours, that we “get happy,” i.e., develop a sense of humor.

Brooks follows his own advice. The tone of The Conservative Heart is calm and rational.

The examples provided aptly support the case Brooks attempts to make. The Conservative Heart serves as a pointed reminder that our own political circus might benefit from Kaufman’s ideas of grace.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher.

He can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.)

birthdays and anniversaries, and tragedies, like deaths and firings.

Mahoney is a third-generation restaurateur, a theologian, seminar presenter, author and counselor.

She lives with her husband, Tim, and splits her time between Manero’s Restaurant in Palm City, Florida and J. Arthur’s Restaurant in Maggie Valley. She is also author of Touching the Face of God.

Calling on writers to pen artistic tributes Writers from all walks are invited to reflect on artwork in Jackson County over the next two months during the “Words on Works” project.

A free writing workshop with poet Brent Martin will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The workshop will help you get those creative juices flowing. Or, simply stop in to the Rotunda Gallery at the library and write a poem or short piece about the works you see. The piece can be about a singular work or the entire gallery. It could also be about what art means to this community.

Hosted by the Jackson County Arts Council.

706.540.9238.

March 2-8, 2016

Smoky Mountain News

33

Outdoors Residents promote Franklin as outdoor destination 34

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ranklin residents have taken it upon themselves to get the word out about the town’s recognition as the “Top Small Town” by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine.

Since the award was announced in November, the big question has been how to capitalize on the designation and bring more visitors to town. Because the award is given out each year, time is of the essence to spread the good word.

Members of the Appalachian Trail Community Committee in Franklin were the ones pushing people to vote for Franklin during the online contest, and now they are eager to keep the momentum going. But some feel the town leaders aren’t doing their part to promote it.

“The Appalachian Trail Community Committee worked hard to drive the contest home, and to see the town leadership do nothing in response is disappointing,” said Matt Bateman, co-chair of the committee. “I

F

would have hoped they’d take initiative on this.”

Venture Local Franklin — a citizen group committed to improving Franklin — has asked the town of Franklin what it plans to do about promoting the award, but town officials said it already promotes Franklin as an outdoor destination through Tourism Development Authority spending. As it was not a town-led initiative, Mayor Bob Scott doesn’t think it would be appropriate for the town to spend tax dollars on promoting the award.

“The town doesn’t have a role in promoting that award,” he said.

The issue has been broadcast on social media and town leaders have been accused of not cooperating with the grassroots effort.

Scott said the town has done everything in its power the last few years to promote Franklin as an outdoor destination, by hosting a number of outdoor festivals like Franklin Trail Days and working to improve its parks system. Scott said one of his next goals is to turn the former

F

Venture Local Franklin, a citizen group committed to improving Franklin, takes a tour around town with a banner promoting Franklin’s award in Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine for ‘Best Small Town.’ Donated photo

Getting around town

Get involved

Franklin focuses on making town more walkable

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR Franklin has sidewalks, bike trails and a beautiful greenway to encourage residents and visitors to walk or bike around town, but those assets aren’t as valuable unless the town can find a better way to connect them.

More than 50 Franklin residents gathered together last week at the first Bike Walk Franklin workshop to begin discussing the possibilities for building new infrastructure and connecting the resources already in place.

“People want to be able to walk and bike more, but it doesn’t seem like the pieces are put together enough,” said Kristy Carter, a transportation planner who facilitated the workshop.

With the guidance of transportation planners and project engineers, community members literally mapped out the challenges people may face when trying to get from point A to point B in town.

Franklin was one of 10 towns in North Carolina to receive a $36,000 grant from the Department of Transportation last year to create a bicycle and pedestrian plan. Once the plan is in place, it will be used to guide future investments in transportation and pedestrian projects.

“The team here is not going to build sidewalks, but you’re going to help us know where sidewalks and bike lanes can go — you all can carry the plan forward,” Carter said.

So why should Franklin focus on making the town more accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists? Carter says the benefits are endless — improving quality of life, a healthier community, improved safety and economic vitality.

Franklin Mayor Bob Scott said the long-range planning to make the town more pedestrian-friendly is just one more thing the board is doing to make Franklin an outdoor destination.

“Unfortunately, most towns were founded on moving auto-

Franklin Town Manager Summer Woodard (right) works with several other residents in identifying the challenges of getting around on foot in town during a Bike Walk Franklin workshop. Jessi Stone photo mobiles around — not people,” he said. “But now that trend is changing a bit as more people are concerned about their health and getting outdoors. Walkability and biking is becoming as important as moving vehicles.”

■ A Bike Walk Franklin event will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 12, when the team of planners will lead a community walk around town in order to pinpoint some problem areas. Meet at Town Square.

■ A community bike ride will be held Saturday, April 2. Visit the Bike Walk Franklin website for more event details and also an interactive map of Franklin. Residents can add routes and point out areas of concerns using the Wikimap, which will then help the planners identify where improvements need to be made. www.bikewalkfranklin.wordpress.com.

When prioritizing a list of projects to improve the walkability of town on a limited budget, Carter encouraged residents to look at where current infrastructure could be better connected.

For example, there are spots in town with sidewalks on one side of the street and a crosswalk to the other side but then no continuing sidewalk. There are sidewalks without handicap accessible ramps, which makes it unsafe for disabled residents using wheelchairs. Carter said the goal should be to meet the 880 principle — designing infrastructure that is safe for elderly and children.

“If we plan for children and elderly, the rest of us can take care of ourselves,” she said.

While Franklin could definitely benefit from new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, Carter said the town also needed to look into the other proponents of successful planning, including educating people on the resources already in place and enforcing rules of the road to make it a safer environment for walkers and bikers.

This is just the beginning of the planning process and it isn’t too late for residents to get involved. Residents are encouraged to complete an online survey that will allow the transportation planners to prioritize the needs in Franklin.

More than 300 people have already completed the survey and it will be available for another month at www.bikewalkfranklin.wordpress.com.

Report delivers bad news for drought prognosis regions of the country will become drier, with most experiencing more extreme variations in precipitation. Different scenarios exist for the Smokies region, making its future more difficult to predict than that of the western part of the country, but the area will likely experience more extreme variations in precipitation.

■ Warmer temperatures will likely amplify drought effects, even if current drought patterns don’t worsen.

■ Risk of large wildfires and insect outbreaks might increase as a result of drought and warmer temperatures.

■ Habitats might change in favor of drought-tolerant species as less tolerant trees and shrubs die. The value and quality of forest-based products might decrease. www.fs.fed.us/sites/default/files/DROU GHT_book-web-1-11-16.pdf.

outdoors

Drought has gotten bad in the United States over the past 15 years, and the combination of the dry weather and warmer temperatures in the future is likely to keep things volatile, according to a new report released by the U.S. Forest Service. The collaborative effort of 77 scientists from federal agencies, research institutions and universities across the country, the report examines ways to understand and mitigate effects of drought on forest and rangeland.

“Among the many benefits of having this solid baseline data is the improved ability to identify where restoration work can help forests adapt and prosper while minimizing the threat and impact of future wildfires,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Major findings from the report include: ■ Drought projections show that some

Farmland preservation meetings planned Landowners interested in learning more about how to keep their farmland safe from development are invited to a slate of meetings planned by the Jackson County Agriculture Advisory Board.

The meetings will be held: ■ 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at the Tuckasegee Trading Company in Cullowhee.

■ 7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at the Balsam Fire Department.

■ 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the Savannah Fire Department.

The meetings will discuss the Farmland Preservation Program, which encourages the voluntary preservation and protection of farmland from nonfarm development.

Barry Stevens or Jane Fitzgerald, 828.586.5465.

Smoky Mountain News

one small group.”

Scott said the town has also been criticized for not prominently displaying the award on the town’s website, but he would argue that tourists don’t frequent a town government website. He said the proper place is on the town’s tourism website, discoverfranklinnc.com.

The award is now the first thing you see when you visit that website and there is a link to the full story in Blue Ridge Outdoors, but Bateman said the award wasn’t on the website at all until he called Town Manager Summer Woodward and asked her to post it.

“The Tourism Development Authority is a town entity charged with marketing the town of Franklin to put heads in beds. I can’t imagine a better campaign to lead with than the top small town in the Blue Ridge,” Bateman said.

He said he would be attending the next TDA meeting on March 8 to try to convince the board to have a major advertising campaign in the major cities within a couple of hours of Franklin.

Not satisfied with the town’s response, Venture Local Franklin has taken it upon itself to promote the award. Those following the #franklinforward hashtag on social media have recently been bombarded with photos of Venture Local folks taking photos with a “Best Small Town” banner all over Franklin. They travel around to any business in Franklin willing to participate to take photos with the banner to post online.

March 2-8, 2016

Whitmire property into some kind of park area with pedestrian and bicycle trails. The town purchased the 11 acres on the east side of town about 10 years ago but hasn’t done anything with it yet.

“The board has been as friendly to the outdoors as any other board we’ve had,” Scott said. “We’re backing any outdoor activities we can here because this is going to be the future of Franklin and Macon County.”

Venture Local folks could take advantage of the town’s new banner policy that allows a promotional banner to be hung up over Main Street, but the banner could only stay up for only a couple of weeks.

Bateman, a driving force behind Venture Local, said the group was turned down when it asked the town if a “Best Small Town” banner could hang over Main Street when no other events were being promoted.

The town’s banner policy allows only a “nonprofit or community event” to be promoted on a banner over Main Street, and it’s questionable whether the Blue Ridge Outdoors honor fits into either of those categories.

Scott said the town had to stick to its policy or change it to accommodate the request to keep it up longer. With so many nonprofit and volunteer groups in the county, he just doesn’t think it would be fair to make an exception for one group.

“For years the town banished banners.

We worked hard to get the policy in place, and everyone had an opportunity to vote on it,” Scott said. “We can’t show favoritism to

35

outdoors March 2-8, 2016

Mountain waterway issues to be explained A state of the waters address from one of Western North Carolina’s fisheries experts will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at the Rendezvous Restaurant in Maggie Valley.

Powell Wheeler, district fisheries biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, will give an overview of the current issues facing WNC’s cold-water Powell Wheeler. resources, Donated photo including whirling disease, gill lice and didymo algae. An avid angler since his teen years, Wheeler understands the impact of these issues from both a personal and scientific perspective.

Arrive starting at 5:30 p.m. to eat dinner beforehand. The program is part of the Trout Unlimited Cataloochee Chapter’s monthly meeting. tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

Local farmers land grants to expand Farmers with innovative ideas are getting a leg up through the WNC Agricultural Options grant, which this month doled out $177,000 to 33 farm businesses in Western North Carolina for projects ranging from

Citizen “scientists” wanted to explore the Smokies Volunteers to help collect data on plants and animals in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are wanted, with a training session scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the entrance to the park near Cherokee.

After training, volunteers will be assigned a plot to collect data — on metrics such as flowering dates for plants and the presence of migratory birds — multiple times throughout the season. The information will go to a national database that helps answer climate questions, such as how earlier springs followed by cold snaps affect mountain forests.

Plots are located near parking areas around Deep Creek, Fontana Lake, Oconaluftee, Purchase Knob, Cataloochee, Clingmans Dome, Newfound Gap, Davenport Gap, Greenbrier and Twin Creeks.

RSVP to Chrissy Cochran, Christine_Cochran @partner.nps.gov or 828.497.1945. www.usanpn.org.

Volunteers learn how to collect tree data for an ongoing study in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Donated photo

cold storage for an urban farm to improving Fraser fir seedling production to deter root disease.

One farmer in Haywood County and two in Macon were among the award recipients.

■ Chestnut Hill Farm in Haywood County received $6,000 to promote grass forages and wildlife preservation.

■ Blue Ribbon Farms in Macon County got

Diane E. Sherrill,, Attorney

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Smoky Mountain News

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farms grow and remain profitable.”

Since 2004, WNC AgOptions has awarded $2.1 million to 456 farm projects to help off-set financial risk to farmers as they try something new. The funding comes from tobacco settlement money to help replace the staple cash crop in formerly tobaccodependent areas. www.wncagoptions.org.

Sheila Gahagan, CPA Specializing in Audits, Reviews & Tax Preparation.

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$3,000 to begin sorghum syrup production.

■ Carringer Farms in Macon County got $6,000 for its bee operation.

“The WNC AgOptions program has proven success stories,” said Bill Teague, Chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, which funds the grants. “We continue to be amazed at how these producers utilize these funds to ensure their family

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A network of pollinator pit stops will begin spreading across the state with the launch of the Butterfly Highway Campaign, a program of the N.C. Wildlife Federation.

The statewide initiative aims to restore habitats for butterflies, bees and birds, creating a network of green spaces and pollinator gardens that will thread throughout North Carolina. It’s free to join and register a garden or green space as pollinator-friendly habitat.

“We began the Butterfly Highway project with several Charlotte communities that wanted to beautify their environment through planting gardens. Through the project, the communities transformed community gardens, backyard gardens, public spaces and park fragments into new pollinator and wildlife habitats,” said Angel Hjarding, director of pollinator and wildlife habitat programs. www.butterflyhighway.org.

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March 2-8, 2016

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outdoors

Science LIVE!, an interactive science demonstration on tour for the North Carolina Science Festival, will come to the Marianna Black Library at 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, in Bryson City.

Nick Eakes, outreach educator for Morehead Planetarium and the Science Center, will perform exciting experiments with the help of “audience assistants.”

The North Carolina Science Festival, launched in 2010, is an initiative of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to showcase science across the state through hands-on activities, talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits and performances.

828.488.3030.

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37

outdoors

Scenic views a-plenty in Nantahala trail race A challenging trail race that zips past waterfalls and stunning Smokies views in the Nantahala River Gorge will return Saturday, April 2, to Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County.

The Nantahala Hilly Half Marathon’s 13.1-mile route begins at the Nantahala River, continues downstream to Townhouse Falls and then tackles the steep ascent to Flint Ridge Trailhead, using a combination of single-track trail, U.S. Forest Service roads and pavement. $50. www.ultrasignup.com, or day-of registration beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Presented by Run Bum Tours. www.runbumtours.com

New trail race to take on Fontana

March 2-8, 2016

A trail run for the brave of heart will launch Saturday, March 5, from Fontana Village Resort in Graham County.

New this year, the Fontandango will feature 10-mile, 50K and 50-mile options, with the route following a 10-mile loop of well-maintained single-track trail traversing a mixture of rolling hills and short, steep climbs. Scenic views of Fontana Dam and the surrounding mountains will provide reward along the way.

Part of the Foot Rx Winter Trail Series.

Discounted overnight lodging available.

Registration from $60 to $85. www.footrxasheville.com.

Wesley Miller, of Asheville, navigates a snowy descent in last year’s race. Michael Henson photo

Assault on BlackRock coming up One of the hardest trail races around is set to return Saturday, March 19, taking competitors up the cruelly steep trail from Pinnacle Park in Sylva to raise money for Jackson County Neighbors in Need.

Assault on BlackRock climbs the mountain for the sweeping view from Black Rock before descending again for a total of 7 miles. $25 through www.active.com or using the registration form at the Assault on BlackRock Facebook page.

Jackson County Neighbors in Need works to provide shelter and heat to those facing housing difficulties.

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Arti the hardy hiker wonders what all this snow is still doing here.

Holly Kays photo

The trail from spring to winter Bright sunshine? Sixty-degree weather?

In February?

There was no question that I would be hitting the trail Sunday afternoon, and from the trailhead at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, nothing felt better than setting off uphill in shorts and a T-shirt, making tracks over the dried leaves covering the trail.

As the trail climbed — the Pinnacle sits more than 2,000 feet above the parking lot — things changed. First, the path got

mushy, deep mud the result of newly melted snow. And further up, especially in pockets tucked away from the sun, the snow hadn’t melted at all. White stuff carpeted the ground beneath rhododendron thickets, a reminder that winter is still alive and well. I pulled some extra layers from my pack.

But the top of the Pinnacle? Well, that was just a piece of sunny bliss.

— By Holly Kays, outdoors editor

Explore Rough Creek Watershed A hike exploring Rough Creek Watershed outside Canton will focus on tree identification and watershed ecology, starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 19.

Blair Bishop, lead forestry instructor at Haywood Community College, will share his expertise in tree identification, while Eric Romaniszyn, Haywood Waterways Association’s executive director, will discuss watershed ecology over the course of the 5.5-mile hike.

Rough Creek Watershed once served as Canton’s drinking water supply. In 2002 it was protected as a conservation easement through the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The 870-acre area contains a diverse community of plants and animals similar to those found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Part of Haywood Waterways’ “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor hikes, lectures and paddle tours. Free for HWA members and $5 for nonmembers.

RSVPs required by March 16 to Christine O’Brien. christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667.

Smoky Mountain News

,K\JH[PVU!

38

Open house to explain Waynesville’s camp offerings

Personal

Appointments maymay be be made 828.456.3511.

Appointments madeby bycalling calling 828.235.3023

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Parents hoping to get their kids in spring and summer day camps with Waynesville Parks and Recreation must attend an open house meeting before enrolling, with sessions planned for 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on March 2, 8 and 15.

Upcoming day camps will feature some new-this-year offerings, with the schedule including: ■ Spring Break Camp, April 4-8. Open to students in pre-K through seventh grade, camp activities will include water safety, hiking, outdoor skills training, open gym

play and team building. $95.

■ Environmental Stewardship Camp, May 31-June 6 and June 6-10. $80.

■ Lifetime Sports — Sportsmanship and Play Matters Camp, June 13-17.

■ Base Camp Explore, two sesssions from June 20-June 15 and July 18-Aug. 12.

Activities include hiking, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, environmental education, drama, music and field trips. $375-$450, depending on registration date.

“There will be a great deal of physical exercise involved in our camps,” said Tim Petrea, program supervisor for the rec department. “The open house is a good opportunity to explain our product.”

828.456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • REACH of Macon County will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and drop-in Open House from noon-4 p.m. on March 3 in Franklin.

• Local author Curtis Blanton will present “Authentic and Original Tales of Western North Carolina” at a meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society at 6:30 p.m. on March 3 at the SCGHS Library in Bryson City.

• A hospitality and tourism job fair is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. on Monday, March 7, at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. Employers are looking to fill full-time, part-time and seasonal positions. Michael Despeaux at 339.4212 or m_despeaux@southwesterncc.edu..

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Registration deadline is March 4 for the 2016 Waynesville Civilian Police Academy. Applicants will have a background check completed on them. The academy starts on March 15 at the Waynesville Police offices, and it meets from 6:30-9 p.m. on eight consecutive Tuesdays. Must be 21 years of age and a Haywood County resident. Free. Applications are accepted in the main lobby of the police department on South Main Street. Info: 456.5363 or wpdcpa@outlook.com.

• An interview skills workshop will be offered from 10 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, March 8, at the Waynesville Library. Free. Sign-up required: 356.2507.

• A free advanced WordPress class will be offered at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 90 minutes. Taught by Jim Geary; assistance from Laura Chapman. Register at 586.2016.

• Registration deadline for an Event Security Planning course is 5 p.m. on March 9. The course is presented by the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 23-24, at Harrah’s Casino Conference Center in Cherokee. Register at http://terms.ncem.org/TRS. Info: 919.825.2261 or bill.chamberlain@ncdps.gov.

• “Our State, Our Stories” is the name of the Jackson County Genealogical Society’s program that will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Community Room of the Historic Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva. 631.2646.

• A pharmacy technician certification program will be offered from 6-9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Thursday, March 10, at Western Carolina University’s Cordelia Camp Building in Cullowhee. Cost is $999 with all materials included. Register or get more info at pdp.wcu.edu or by calling 227.7397.

• Registration is underway for an American Red Cross Lifeguard Training certification course that runs from March 17-20 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. Course fee is $235 for members and $255 for nonmembers. Instruction in lifeguard training, CPR, AED and First Aid. Earn a two-year lifeguard certification and two-year CPR/AED/First Aid certification. Must be 15 years old. Register and get more info by visiting the fitness center or www.myhaywoodregional.com/fitness or by calling 452.8056.

• Registration is underway for a workshop entitled “Building a Memorable Brand,” which will be offered by Western Carolina University from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, March 18, at WCU’s location at Biltmore Park in Asheville. $89 per person. learn@wcu.edu.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will host an 80s and 90s

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. themed trivia event at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Registration fee is $10 for a team of four people. Proceeds will help the Roller Girls with derby season travel-related expenses.

• A seed money fundraiser is underway to benefit the new Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The library furnishings fund receives 50 percent of sales receipts for each packet sold directly or 25 percent sold at SowTrueSeed.com; use the code MBL2016. 488.3030, ext. 128, jdelfield@fontanalib.org.

• An “Empty Bowl” fundraiser will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. March 12 in the dining hall at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. Bowls cost $30 and Raffle tickets are $1 each to win one-of-a kind artworks and you can buy as many as you wish. www.folkschool.org.

• The New Library Campaign Committee for Marianna Black Library is hosting a fundraiser at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, at Pasqualino’s Italian Restaurant in Bryson City. Tickets are $20 per person and include a meal of chicken parmesan, pasta, dessert and coffee/tea (tips not included, no carry out).

Tickets on sale at Marianna Black Library and at Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Info: 488.3030 or jdelfield@fontanalib.org.

VOLUNTEERS • Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers are recruiting volunteers to adopt a phenology monitoring plot in areas throughout the park. Tracking this phenology data across the park allows scientists to better understand how plants and animals might be influenced by seasonal variations in climate. To participate, volunteers need to attend a phenology monitoring training session from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. To sign up, contact Chrissy Cochran at Christine_Cochran@partner.nps.gov or 497.1945. Info: www.usanpn.org.

Smoky Mountain News

ing in the Philippines or Dominican Republic. www.CompassionExperience.com. More info at www.compassion.com.

POLITICAL • The Jackson County Republican Convention, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4, will feature Honorable Chief Justice Mark Martin of the N.C. Supreme Court as guest speaker. The event is at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. Registration is at 5 p.m. Buffet dinner will be served. 743.6491 or jacksonctygop@yahoo.com.

• The annual convention of the Macon County Republican Party is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at the Bloemsma Farm in Franklin.

RECREATION AND FITNESS

• An eight-week exercise program designed to help reduce pain and stiffness, maintain or improve mobility build muscle strength and improve everyday ability to function will start March 7 at Sylva First Baptist Church. Classes are from 10-11:30 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Cheryl Beck will lead the program.

369.6909 or cheryl_beck@ncsu.edu.

• Line Dancing Classes are offered at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, March 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Each class is one hour. No partners needed. Arrive 15 minutes early on your first night to register. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Compassion International, which aims to release children from poverty globally, will bring its tour: “The Compassion Experience” to the region from March 1114 at Biltmore Baptist Church’s Franklin location. Selfguided journey into the lives and stories of children liv-

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

• City Lights Bookstore and Innovation Brewing are teaming up to help David Joy celebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of Where All Light Tends to Go.

in Waynesville. Open to students in Haywood County and counties west of Haywood, this non-competitive music and poetry recital is open to students selected by their music teachers. Teachers are asked to choose excellent students to encourage young artists in our region. Participating students must be at least nine years old, and the max grade level is a high school senior Interested students should speak with their music teacher and music teacher should submit an application online at http://haywoodarts.org/special-events.

Applications, including a $10 fee per student, are due to the Haywood County Arts Council (P.O. Box 306, Waynesville, NC 28786) by March 16. The mandatory Rehearsal this year will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

Joy will read new work at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva. The paperback will be available for sale during the event. 586.9499.

• Dr. Seuss birthday party during storytime on Thursday, March 3 at 10 a.m. at the Macon County Public Library.

524.3600.

• Author Joy Resor will present her book Go in Joy! An Alphabetical Adventure at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 586.9499.

• Science LIVE! – an interactive science demonstration that brings current scientific discoveries to life – will be on display at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 488.3030.

• A forum featuring Haywood County commissioner candidates and candidates for the N.C. General Assempbly will be shown at 7 a.m., noon and 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday through March 15 on Charter Channel 193 and Carolina Mountain Cable Channel 2.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS

• The 2016 journal poetry and art contests open March 1 and close May 15. A separate contest is held for best cover art. www.mainstreetrag.com.

• Author Bill Jamerson will present a music and storytelling program about the Civilian Conservation Corps from 11 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 12, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Info: 356.2507 or http://billjamerson.com.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • High Mountain Squares will host their Mardi Gras Dance from 6:15-8:45 p.m. on Friday, March 4, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Marty Northrup from Columbus will be the caller. Westernstyle square dancing, mainstream plus levels. All are welcome. 371.4946, 342.1560, 332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

39

• The Happy Wanderers, a senior social group coordinated by the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department, will watch a free movie at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, at the Waynesville Library.

452.6789 or recreation@haywoodnc.net.

• The Happy Wanderers, a senior social group coordinated by the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department, will play cornhole and table tennis at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 7, at the Old Hazelwood Gym in Waynesville. 452.6789 or recreation@haywoodnc.net.

• The Happy Wanderers, a senior social group coordinated by the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department, will meet for food and fellowship at 11:30 a.m. on March 8 at the Southern Boot in Waynesville.

452.6789 or recreation@haywoodnc.net.

• Pinochle game is played at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

• A pinochle class will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays March 8-29 at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. The class is for beginners and players who want to brush up on their skills. Joy Teetsel will lead the class. Free. 356.2800.

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Haywood County Arts Council present the annual Student Honors Recital at First United Methodist Church

• A youth swim refresher course will be offered from 6:25-7:15 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, March 7-9 and March 14-16, at Western Carolina University’s Reid Gymnasium in Cullowhee. Cost is $59.

Classes will be taught by Michael Creason, a retired WCU faculty member who’s been a swimming instructor for 34 years. 227.7397 or http://swim.wcu.edu.

• Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department’s Base Camp will host several required open house meetings for upcoming day camp programs on March 8 and 15.

Two sessions each day: 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Pre-screening process for each potential camp participant.

456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Wonder program presented by the Children’s Craniofacial Association and based on the book “Wonder” by R. J. Palacio will be hosted at the Macon County Public Library on Wednesday, March 9 at 2 p.m.

524.3600 • Yoga classes for kids will be offered through a partnership between Haywood County 4-H and the library on March 10 in the Waynesville Library Auditorium.

356.2512 or lhartzell@haywoodnc.net.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. March 10 and 17 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. 538.2054.

• The Haywood County 4-H Livestock Club will have a kickoff meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, at the Extension Center. Open to youth between ages off 5 and 18. 456.3575.

• A “Nature Nuts: Wood Ducks” program will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on March 11 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• An “Eco Explorers-Fish Tales” program will be offered for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on March 11 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

wnc calendar

KIDS MOVIES • “The Good Dinosaur” will be shown for free at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturdays through March 19 at The Strand in Waynesville. 38main.com or 283.0079.

• “Hotel Transylvania 2” will be shown for free on March 5 at 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. 586.3555 • A family movie will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Movie is a live action military drama about a military dog adopted by the family of his trainer, who was killed in Afghanistan. For info, including movie title, call 488.3030.

• “The Peanuts Movie” will be shown for free on March 10 and March 11 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. 586.3555 • An animated movie about a group of rodent friends will be shown at 2 and 5 p.m. on March 12 at Colonial Theatre in Canton. Admission is $3. For info, call 648.2363 or email lisa@cantonnc.com.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

March 2-8, 2016

• Folkmoot is seeking professional artists and community craftspeople to host booths at the 33rd Annual International Festival Day that will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 30 on Main Street in downtown Waynesville. Application packets can be downloaded or entered electronically at www.folkmootusa.org.

Vendors who prefer to receive packets by mail can call the office at 828.452.2997. The deadline for applications and fees is 5 p.m. Thursday, March 31.

Applications will be juried and selected vendors, notified by May 15.

FOOD & DRINK • Chef Ricardo Fernandez will be hosting a Mountain Cooking Club “Winter Warm-Up” class from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Fines Creek Community Kitchen in Clyde. Class fee is $60.

246.7465 or chefricardos@gmail.com.

• The 12th annual Melange of the Mountains – a culinary gala – will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 10 at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

Info or purchase tickets at www.haywoodchamber.com or by calling 456.3021 or email: kwyatt@haywoodchamber.com. Tickets are $35 for chamber members or $40 for nonmembers.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “The Fall of a Sparrow” – a “remix” of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” – will run from March 4-6 at HART Theater in Waynesville. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on March 4-5 and at 2 p.m. on March 6. Reservations: 456.6322. Tickets: www.harttheatre.org. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $6 for students.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will host a Trombone & Euphonium Studio Recital at 7:30 p.m.

March 4 in the Coulter Building. The Artist in Residence concert with the Asheville Symphony and WCU students will be at 7:30 p.m. March 3 at the Bardo Arts Center. www.wcu.edu.

• “If Rails Could Talk: Logging in Western North Carolina,” part of the Haywood Ramblings speaker series, will be presented by Ronald Sullivan from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, at the Town of Waynesville

JOIN US FOR ARTS EVENTS AT WCU OPEN THRU MAY 6 | 10AM-4PM| FINE ART MUSEUM | FREE

Exhibit: Color + Theory : Past + Present MAR. 3 |THUR. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | $

Concert: Artist in Residence w/ Asheville Symphony MAR. 4 | FRI. 7:30PM | COULTER | FREE

Smoky Mountain News

Concert: Trombone & Euphonium Studio Recital MAR. 5 | SAT. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | $

Comedy: Parents Night Out SAVE THE DATE: MAR. 17 | THUR. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | $

RADIO SHOW: BLACKBEARDS GHOST VISIT THE FINE ART MUSEUM FOR ONGOING EXHIBITS | FINEARTMUSEUM.WCU.EDU

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Board Room. Sullivan is a hiker and historian; Snow date is the following Thursday. Light refreshments.

Additional series dates are April 7, and May 5.

456.8647.

• The 2015-16 First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series will continue with The Freight Hoppers at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. The performance of bluegrass and mountain music will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate. The concerts and jam sessions will continue at the center through next spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. 227.7129.

• A live via satellite screening of the Met Opera’s new production of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” will begin at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center in Highlands. Tickets are $26 for adults, $22 for members and free for students.

Tickets available at highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 526.9047.

• Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range will continue their 6th annual “Winter Concert Series” with guests Bryan Sutton at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. The Studio Dream Team on April 2. 235.2760.

• Country legend Dwight Yoakam will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at Harrah’s Cherokee. Tickets are available at www.harrahscherokee.com or by calling 800.745.3000.

• Jim Colliton and Karen Morgan bring their comedic views on marriage, parenting and family in “Parents Night Out,” which comes to Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 in Cullowhee, as part of the Galaxy of Stars Series.

Tickets are $21 for adults; $16 for WCU faculty and staff and $7 for students. Tickets available at the Bardo Arts Center box office or by calling 227.2479.

• Hotel California, a tribute band, will present “A Salute to the Eagles” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets: 866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.

• Paul Taylor 2 Dancers, a professional dance company, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. The group is also giving master classes at Western Carolina University and will perform for students at schools in Highlands and Cashiers. Tickets for the March 5 performance are $15 for adults; free for students.

Highlandspac.org or 526.9047.

• Western Carolina University will host a Mountain Winds concert on March 7, the United Sound Recital 7 p.m. March 8, the Horn Studio Recital March 9 and a Faculty Flute Recital March 15 in the Coulter Building.

All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.wcu.edu.

• The Darrah Carr Dance troupe will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. The stage show is mixedstyle modern, basic ballet and a touch of tap — all with an Irish step dance brogue. The evening is part of the Arts and Cultural Events Series. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public. ace.wcu.edu or 227.2612.

• Comedian Eric Mina will perform at 7 p.m. March 10 in the UC Illusions at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

• The Darrah Carr dancers will perform mixed-style modern, basic ballet and a touch of trap with an Irish step dance brogue at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. Tickets are $5 for students with ID and $10 for all others. Info and tickets at ace.wcu.edu or by calling 227.2612.

• The Honey DewDrops will perform at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 11, at the Strand Theater in Downtown

Waynesville. DewDrops are guitarist Jacob Johnson and songwriter/storyteller Antsy McClain. Tickets: $15 in advance or $18 on the show date.

• Tickets are available now for “India: World School Program and Community Dinner,” which will be presented by Folkmoot on Friday, March 11. The Schools programs are at 10 and 11 a.m.; the community dinner and Indian dance are from 6-8 p.m. $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 5-18 or $30 for a family of four or more. Sponsored by Best Western Smoky Mountain Inn. Reservations: 452.2997 or www.FolkmootUSA.org.

• The 2nd annual Western North Carolina Natural Bodybuilding & Physique Federation Competition will be at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• Tickets are on sale now for WCU radio re-creation group’s presentation of “Blackbeard’s Ghost and the Queen Ann’s Revenge.” Tickets: $10 each. Eighth in a series of academic-based entertainment productions mounted in collaboration with three departments and two colleges at WCU. Show will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 227.3851.

• Tickets are on sale now for Folkmoot’s spring barbecue and music showcase featuring the Darren Nicholson Band plus Whitewater Bluegrass and Lillian Chase. The event is at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Dinner catered by Haywood Smokehouse. Tickets are $20 in advance at http://tinyurl.com/zja85oy or $30 at the door. www.folkmootusa.org or 452.2997.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • Create your own mini garden from scratch from 10 a.m. to noon March 5 at the Wild Fern Studio in Bryson City. $20 with all materials included. To register, call 736.1605.

• A kickoff event for the Words on Works celebration of the Jackson County Arts Councils’ 40th anniversary will feature a writing workshop with poet Brent Martin from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library.

Free; open to the public. Celebration culminates at 6:30 p.m. on April 26 with the council’s membership meeting. 507.9820 or info@jacksoncountyarts.org.

• A blacksmithing fundamentals class with Brock Martin will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 5-6 at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Cost is $175 (materials included) due at registration.

631.0271 or visit www.JCGEP.org.

• Penland School of Crafts will hold its community open house from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, in Mitchell County. Education, hands-on activities. Free.

765.2359 or penland.org.

• “Ignorance or Evil, What Ails Us?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 7, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. Those interested in an open exchange of ideas (dialog not debate) are invited to attend. Info: 371.1020.

• Introduction to mindfulness workshops will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, March 8-22, at 166 Branner Ave., Suite C, in Waynesville, across the street from the courthouse parking garage. Each session is $15 per person or $25 per couple. 703.609.9107.

• The Western North Carolina Woodturners Club will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Blue Ridge School in Glenville. Visitors welcome.

• Penland School of Crafts has open spaces in a number workshops in its second summer session available at half tuition to residents of the following Western North Carolina counties: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison,

wnc calendar March 2-8, 2016

Smoky Mountain News

41

wnc calendar

McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey. Regular room and board charges apply, but students are not required to stay on campus. The session runs from March 13 through May 6 with spaces in books and paper, clay, glass, iron, metals, textiles, and wood. Complete information is available in the classes section of the Penland website: www.penland.org. To enroll, call the Penland registrar at 765.2359, ext 1106.

• A foundations of medicinal herbs workshop will be held at 10 a.m. on March 12 at the Wild Fern Studio in Bryson City. $20 with all materials included.

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

To register, call 736.1605.

• The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table will host a presentation by Derrick Brown at 6 p.m.

March 14 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.www.wcu.edu.

• Registration is underway for a bladesmith symposium that’s scheduled for March 18-20 at the Haywood Community College campus in Clyde. Fee is $75 for the weekend. 400.7815.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

March 2-8, 2016

• A photography reception for Rosemary Southerland is scheduled for 2:30-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin.

524.3600.

• “Spotlight” movie will be showing through March 13 at the Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. See website for times at 38main.com or call 283.0079.

• A new movie starring Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room.

Movie’s about a salesman who discovers a sister he never knew while settling his recently deceased father’s estate. PG-13; 1:54. 524.3600.

• “Creed” will be shown on March 3-4 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

586.3555

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 926.7478.

• A classic musical will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 4, in the Macon County Public Library’s Meeting Room in Franklin. On an island during WWII, love blooms between a nurse and a Frenchman who’s being courted for a dangerous mission. 2:37. 524.3600.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will partner with LIFESPAN for their March exhibit that will open Thursday, March 3 at the arts council’s Gallery & Gifts in downtown Waynesville. An artist reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 11 at the gallery. www.haywoodarts.org.

• A new movie starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, in the Macon County Public Library meeting room in Franklin. A manic-depressive mess of a father tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters. 524.3600.

• An exhibition of photography and a sculpture installation are on display simultaneously with a clothing drive through March 18 at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

Admission and parking are free.

Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

• A classic movie starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 11, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. A couple’s big dreams give way to a life full of unexpected sadness and unexpected joy. 524.3600.

• The artwork of Cherokee sculptor John Julius Wilnoty is on display through March 25 at Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee. Display is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays, with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

Digitalcollections.wcu.edu or 227.7211. fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

• Artists Maureen Simon (photographer) and Bruce Brennan (painter) are exhibiting their work through March 31 at the Haywood County Public Library in Canton. (www.ofifoto.photography). (www.rbrucebrennanfineart.com). HaywoodArts.org.

Smoky Mountain News

FILM & SCREEN

Outdoors • The Lake Junaluska Clean-Up Day is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 5. Severe weather date is March 12. Meet at Kern Center. Limited number of tshirts will be given out. 452.2881.

• “Tie a Fly for a Veteran” - A fly-tying event that will benefit military veterans - is scheduled for 1-6 p.m. on

1,000 feet. RSVP: 456.2030 or in person at the Waynesville Recreation Center. www.waynesvillenc.gov/hiking-opportunities.

• An “Introduction to Fly Fishing” class will be offered for ages 12 and up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 8 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3 – equipment, knots and casting will be covered.

• Friends of the Smokies’ first Classic Hike of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, in the Little Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 6.6 miles; moderate in difficulty; elevation gain of 1,400 feet. Led by outdoor enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein. $20 for existing members; $35 for new members. All 10 hikes in the series are $160, which can be mailed to Friends of the Smokies, 160 S. Main Street in Waynesville, NC 28786. Hike.friendsofthesmokies.org.

• “On the Water: Little River” - a fly fishing course will be offered from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 9 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3 • A hunter education certification course will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on March 15-16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Free. Must be present both days. Offered by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• A Hunter Education course will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on March 14-15 at Haywood Community College’s Building 3300, Room 3322 in Clyde. Offered by HCC’s department of arts, sciences and natural resources and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Must attend both evenings. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

FARM AND GARDEN • The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association plant sale is underway.

Edibles and native plants are available. Orders due by March 15; edibles available for pickup on April 9, and native plants on May 21. Order forms available at the Cooperative Extension Office in Waynesville or by calling 456.3575 or by email: mgarticles@charter.net.

• “Planting for Pollinators” – part of the Gardening in the Mountains lecture series – is March 17. Info: 255.5522 or http://buncombemastergardener.org.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race & Walk will be held Saturday, March 26. www.lakejunaluska.com.

• 5K Run and Walk will be held starting at 9 a.m. on April 23, at Mark Watson Park through the Jackson County Parks & Recreation as part of the Greening up the Mountains. $15 pre-registration fee through April 16. Register online at www.imathlete.com or stop by the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Race day registration begins at 8 a.m., and the cost will be $20.

HIKING CLUBS • A five-mile hike of John Rock Loop will be offered through the Waynesville Recreation Department on March 4. Departure is at 9 a.m.; return is at 5:30 p.m. $5 members; $7 for non-members. Elevation gain of

• A 1.4-mile hike of Moore Cove Falls will be offered through the Waynesville Recreation Department on March 10. Departure is at 9 a.m.; return is at 4:30 p.m. $5 members; $7 for non-members. Elevation gain of 160 feet. RSVP: 456.2030 or in person at the Waynesville Recreation Center. www.waynesvillenc.gov/hiking-opportunities.

• Registration is underway for a guided hike in the Rough Creek Watershed. The hike is March 19 and hosted by Haywood Waterways Association. Moderateto-strenuous 5.5 mile hike. RSVP to Christine O’Brien at Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667.

• Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. www.friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

• Nantahala Hiking Club based in Macon County holds weekly Saturday hikes in the Nantahala National Forest and beyond. www.nantahalahikingclub.org • High Country Hikers, based out of Hendersonville but hiking throughout Western North Carolina, plans hikes every Monday and Thursday. Schedules, meeting places and more information are available on their website, www.highcountryhikers.org.

• Carolina Mountain Club hosts more than 150 hikes a year, including options for full days on weekends, full days on Wednesdays and half days on Sundays. Nonmembers contact event leaders. www.carolinamountainclub.org • Mountain High Hikers, based in Young Harris, Ga., leads several hikes per week. Guests should contact hike leader. www.mountainhighhikers.org.

• Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, located in East Tennessee, makes weekly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as well as surrounding areas. www.smhclub.org.

• Benton MacKaye Trail Association incorporates outings for hikes, trail maintenance and other work trips.

No experience is necessary to participate. www.bmta.org.

• Diamond Brand’s Women’s Hiking Group meets on the third Saturday of every month. For more information, e-mail awilliams@diamondbrand.com or call 684.6262.

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Sunday, March 6, at Rendezvous Restaurant in Maggie Valley. Flye-tyers are invited. Fearnofishbob@att.net or 246.8015.

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Puzzles can be found on page 46.

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PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS & CRAFTS

MarketPlace information:

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

AUCTION

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

597+/-ACRES LAND AUCTION Duplin County, NC, Excellent Cropland & Prime Merchantable Timber, 40 minutes from Wilmington, 6 miles off I-40, Tuesday MARCH 8 at 2 p.m. @ Country Squire Restaurant. www.HouseAuctionCompany.com 252.729.1162.

NCAL#7889 ABSOLUTE AUCTION 6 Houses & 1 Mobile Home. Scotland County. Salesite: Jerry’s Deli & Grill, Laurinburg, NC. Saturday, March 12, 11AM. Damon Shortt Real Estate & Auction Group, 877.669.4005. NCAL7358. www.damonshorttproperties.com

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

ABSOLUTE AUCTION Thursday, March 10, 10am. 111 S. Sycamore St. Pageland, SC. Complete Liquidation of Farmer's World Temco Tractor/Parts Dealer, Tractors, Implements, New Parts.

704.791.8825.

NCAF5479/5508/SCAL2893r. www.ClassicAuctions.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

R

DI

SC OV E R E

ATR

PE

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

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

334-37

AUCTION EXTRAVAGANZA This Weekend & Next, Fri. & Sat. 6 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

A Complete Inventory Liquidation Home Furnishings & Decor; Classic & Vintage Apparel including Formal Wear, Winter Wear, Children’s Wear & Western Items; Millinery & Shoes. Located Dodie’s 482 W. Main St, Downtown Sylva. 828.586.3634, www.dodieallen.com ‘The More You Buy the Better the Deal’ AUCTION: BID ON-SITE & ONLINE! Construction, Excavating & Utilites Contractor. Excavators, Loader, Dozers, Road Tractors, Dumps & More! 3/8 @ 9am, Charlottesville, VA. www.motleys.com (Partnered w/CRG) 804.232.3300x4.

VAAL#16.

BUILDING MATERIALS

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

CARS DOES YOUR AUTO CLUB Offer no hassle service and rewards? Call American Auto Club (ACA) & Get $200 in ACARewards! (new members only) Roadside Assistance & Monthly Rewards. Call 800.867.3193.

SAPA

ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The Affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for FREE DVD and brochure.

DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck Or Boat To Heritage For The Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1.800.416.1496 SAPA

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control.

FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 FIND THE RIGHT CARPET, Flooring & Window Treatments. Ask about our 50% off specials & our Low Price Guarantee. Offer Expires Soon. Call now 888.546.0135 SAPA SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

CARS -

CAPITAL CLASSIC CARS Buying All European & Classic Cars. ANY Condition. ANY Location.

Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar & More!

Top Dollar PAID. CapitalClassicCars.com Steve Nicholas 1.571.282.5153 SAPA

MOTORCYCLES CRAZY BOB’S BIKER STUFF Jackets, Chaps, Vests, Helmets, Rain Gear, Saddlebags, Sissy Bar Bags, Tool Bags, Stickers, Patches. We also got you covered with 50 Sizes of Tarps: Heavy Duty Silver, Brown & Green, Blue & Silver, Blue & Camo.

1880 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville 828.926.1177

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ATTENTION FACEBOOK & TWITTER Users! Earn 3K+ per month for just using what you already use for free! For details follow this link: tinyurl.com/MoneyOnSocialMedia SAPA $500 - $1000 DAILY Returning Phone Calls! No Selling.

No Explaining! Not MLM! Call 1.866.854.1068 SAPA HUD INSIDER Reveals how to buy houses for pennies on the dollar. Best-selling book tells all. Free for limited time.

Get yours now. Visit us at: HUDCAROLINA.COM

R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

BE A PART OF THE TEAM THAT BRINGS BACK STEAM IN 2016!

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City is getting ready for the season and currently hiring for Customer Service Rep’s, Show Conductors, Concession Staff, Crown Hosts, First Class Servers, Runners, Rear Brakemen and Special Event Staff for PEANUTS Easter Beagle Express.

Earn train passes, retail & food discounts, passes to area attractions and more! Full details of all positions can be found at: www.gsmr.com/jobs

DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE OFFICE Seeks Full Time Licensed P&C Sales Producer; Life and A&H a Plus, but not Necessary. Must be able to Generate Leads, Have Consistent Follow-up System, Excellent Customer Service Skills and be a Team Player. Competitive Hourly Pay, Plus Commissions & Potential for Significant Bonus if Goals are Meet. Some Preliminary Training Req. Prior to 6/01/16 Start Date. Serious Inquiries Only. 828.776.2483

CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy Equipment Operator Career!

We Offer Training and Certifications Running Bulldozers, Backhoes and Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. VA Benefits Eligible!

1.866.362.6497.

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 2-8, 2016

NUTRITIONIST II/WIC DIRECTOR At Macon County Public Health.

See Full Posting at: http://maconnc.org/job-listings. html

FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Paramedic Instructor-Continuing Education. Automotive Systems Technology Instructor (10-month contract). Systems Administrator.

Data Management Technician. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu.

An Equal Opportunity Employer.

HIGH-TECH CAREER With U.S. Navy. Elite tech training w/great pay, benefits, vacation, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34.

Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419

MOUNTAIN CREDIT UNION Career Opportunities in WNC for Experienced Financial Services Professionals! See Current Openings at: mountaincu.org Branch Manager, Loan Officer, or Member Service Representative.

Seven Locations to Serve Our Members.

NOW HIRING Class A CDL Drivers! - Free Healthcare! Regional & OTR positions open. Pay starting at 40cpm. 1yr. experience required. Call 864.649.2063 or visit Drive4JGR.com. EOE. NURSE PRACTITIONER Part-Time - Employee Health and Primary Care Provider at Macon Co. Public Health. Must be Licensed in North Carolina.

Supervision Provided On-Site by Medical Director. See Full Posting at: www.ncapha.org AVIATION GRADS Work With Jetblue, Boeing, Delta And Others - Start Here With Hands On Training For FAA Certification.

Financial Aid If Qualified. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 SAPA

EMPLOYMENT THE CHALET INN AND SUITES In Anticipation of Increased Visitation to the Smoky Mountains, We are Increasing Our Staffing for the 2016 Season, and Have the Following Positions Available: Assistant Innkeeper, Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper.

References Required; Weekends & Holidays Req. Call 828.586.0251 to Schedule an Interview.

THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Is recruiting for a Social Worker in Child Protective Services. This position investigates reports of child abuse and neglect and provides services to families where needs have been identified. Requires limited availability after hours and on weekends on a rotating basis. Salary will be commensurate with candidate qualifications; the minimum starting salary is $41,276.54.

Minimum qualifications include a four year degree in a Human Service field. Preference will be given to applicants with a Master's or Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and/or experience providing Social Work services.

Applicants should complete a NC State application form (PD-107) and submit it to the Sylva branch of the NC Division of Workforce Solutions (formerly ESC).

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

GREG A STUNNING NINE WEEK OLD KITTEN, WITH APRICOT AND CREAM THICK, FLUFFY FUR. SWEET AS HE CAN BE, HE PURRS LIKE CRAZY AND LOVES TO CUDDLE. HE'LL PROVIDE LOTS OF LAUGHTER AND LOVE TO HIS NEW FAMILY.

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

Mountain Realty

Ron Breese Broker/Owner

www.ronbreese.com

Each office independently owned & operated.

- HOUSEKEEPING Full Time or Part Time: Maggie Valley Cabin Resort Seeks an Energetic & Experienced Housekeeper. Valid Driver’s License Required. Call 828.926.1388 THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES Is Recruiting for a Social Services Director. For more information regarding this position, recruitment standards, salary, and application process; Please see “Employment Opportunities” at: www.jcdss.org ATTN: DRIVERS $2K Sign-On Bonus. Love Your $60k+ Job! We Put Drivers First!

Pet & Rider. Avg $1200 Weekly.

CDL-A Req. 877.258.8782. www.drive4melton.com CIRCLES OF HOPE COORDINATOR Jackson County - BS Degree in Human Services related field preferred. Experience working with Diverse Populations. Up to 24 hours per week, must be flexible. For Job Description see Mountain Projects web page.

Apply Online: www.mountainprojects.org or Mountain Projects, Inc. 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville or 25 Schulman St. Sylva.

EOE/AA

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

334-33

EMPLOYMENT

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

DAISY A BLACK & TAN COONHOUND FEMALE ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS OLD. SHE IS YOUNG, PLAYFUL AND AFFECTIONATE, AND WILL LOOK GREAT CURLED UP BY THE FIRE IN THE WINTER, OR NEXT TO THE PORCH ROCKER IN THE SUMMER.

2177 Russ Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com 44

EMPLOYMENT

333-23

MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

Thomson ROKER/R /REALTOR EALTOR®® BBROKER

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on an equal opportunity basis.

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

REAL ESTATE WANTED TO BUY WANTED: OLD BARN, HOUSE, OR Other Building to Salvage, or Tear Down, for Lumber/Building Materials; Terms Negotiable.

Licensed & Insured. Call or Text John 828.380.1232 or email: john@ashevillepropertyservices. com

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

FINANCIAL BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA SELL YOUR STRUCTURED Settlement or annuity payments for CASH NOW. You don't have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1.800.316.0271.

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.670.4805 to start your application today! SAPA

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

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 SAWMILLS From only $4397.00- 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

VIAGRA!!

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147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

EMERSON ——————————————

GROUP

George Escaravage BROKER/REALTOR PO BOX 54

george@emersongroupus.com

Jerry Smith 828-734-8765 jsmith201@kw.com

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321 CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

WANTED TO BUY

CASH PAID For Unexpired, Sealed Diabetic Test Strips - Highest Prices! Shipping prepaid. 1 DAY PAYMENT. 1.888.366.0958. www.Cash4DiabeticSupplies.com SAPA

• Margie MacDonald - margie@4smokys.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates • • • • • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - AnnEavenson@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group • George Escaravage — george@emersongroupus.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey — sunburstrealty.com Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com Keller Williams Realty

334-28

434 Russ Ave. • Waynesville

Office: 828-926-5155 kellerwilliamswaynesville.com 214-64

kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Sam Hopkins — samhopkins.kwrealty.com

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

LIFE ALERT. 24/7. One press of a button sends help FAST! Medical, Fire, Burglar.

Even if you can't reach a phone!

FREE Brochure. Call 800.316.0745.

FOR SALE

46 SOUTH MAIN STREET

828.400.0901 • 828.456.7705

XARELTO USERS Have you had complications due to internal bleeding (after January 2012)? If so, you MAY be due financial compensation. If you don’t have an attorney, CALL Injuryfone today! 1.800.531.0529 SAPA A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. CALL 1.800.319.8705 SAPA

|

WAYNESVILLE, NC 28786 | WWW.EMERSONGROUPUS.COM

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lifestyle Properties — vistasofwestfield.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Great Smokys Realty

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Marilynn Obrig

Residential Broker Associate

(828) 550-2810

mobrig@Beverly-Hanks.com

www.Beverly-Hanks.com 334-32

Mike Stamey mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

828-508-9607

74 NORTH MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC

www.beverly-hanks.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty • • • • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben — cp@catherineproben.com

smokymountainnews.com

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS Or Alcohol? Addicted to Pills? Talk to someone who cares. Call The Addiction Hope & Help Line for a free Assessment. 800.511.6075 SAPA

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

March 2-8, 2016

SERIOUSLY INJURED

By A Truck or Commercial Vehicle?

Get Justice! We’ve Recovered Millions. No money out of pocket! Call Our Attorneys for a Free Consult 1.866.803.2781.

SAPA

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1.800.265.0768 SAPA

SFR, ECO, GREEN

334-41

maggievalleyselfstorage.com

SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB: Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included.Call 800.701.9850 for $750 Off. SAPA

WNC MarketPlace

CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE FOR YOU

MEDICAL

The Seller’s Agency — listwithphil.com • Phil Ferguson — philferguson@bellsouth.net

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 2-8, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

CROSSWORD

67 State-of-mind missions, in military slang 70 Riddle, part 4 ACROSS 74 Diving result 1 Sag down 6 “Your Business” chan- 75 Not casual 76 Lead role in “La Cage nel aux Folles” 11 Solo seen with 77 End in - (finish evenChewbacca ly) 14 Snapshot 78 Oceano filler 19 Meet with fellow 80 Thai language grads 82 Little peeve 20 Classic name in 83 Part of DOJ: Abbr. arcades 84 Riddle, part 5 21 Santa - Zoo 91 Certain poem 22 Biblical king in 92 Check casher, say Matthew 93 Kicker Groza 23 Start of a riddle 26 “I come from - down 94 Seeks some answers 95 Brand of brake fluid under” (1981 hit song 96 “Greetings” lyric) 98 Calyx part 27 English king called 102 End of the riddle “the Conqueror” 110 Firework part 28 Sunrise side 111 City near Giza 29 Concerning kidneys 112 Holy likeness 30 Airline to Lod 113 Prehensile-tailed 31 Riddle, part 2 fish 36 1987 NFL MVP John 115 Fight 38 Some tournament 116 Riddle’s answer rounds, informally 120 Nobel winner Joliot39 “There - god!”

Curie 40 Comply with 121 Immense time span 43 Ore- - (maker of 122 Subparts Crispers!)

123 Penetrating 44 Sticky stuff 124 Was nervy enough 47 Vainglory 125 007, for one 50 Riddle, part 3 126 Ballerina’s skill, in 55 Down time Paris 56 “Eh” grade 127 Actress Witherspoon 57 Very old Olds 58 Choir female DOWN 59 High-school grad, 1 Bank in a check transe.g. action 60 Stick (to) 2 Replenish the stock of 63 Catch sight of PERFECT PRESENTATION

3 Make illegal 4 “He’s a priest,” per Ogden Nash 5 Gilpin of “Frasier” 6 Molten rock 7 Giant step 8 No, in Ayr 9 Lingerie garment 10 Op. - (abbr. in a footnote) 11 Responses to jokes 12 “- of robins in her hair”: Joyce Kilmer 13 Three-nation pact of ‘94 14 Old Jewish sectarian 15 Capital of Montana 16 Bornean ape, briefly 17 Relating to musical pitch 18 In an unusual way 24 Spa reaction 25 100-yr. stretches 32 Ballet bend 33 Verdi work 34 Apple option 35 - and kin 37 Kobe cash 41 Florida birds 42 Driver’s peg 44 Medusas’ counterparts 45 At a boat’s back 46 “It’s hard to - Trane” 47 GOP symbol 48 Fights noisily 49 Have title to 50 Bankbook ID 51 Put back on the roster 52 Certain organ part 53 Bygone bird 54 Long-eared leapers 59 Little city

61 Qualified 62 By means of 64 Hang in there 65 Prized violin, for short 66 Fidel’s friend Guevara 68 Pabst beer 69 “- -haw!” (rodeo cry) 71 Of ill repute 72 Golfer Sandy 73 Film terrier 77 Big whoop 79 “Shucks” 81 Sly-fox linkup 84 Bought the film rights to 85 Performs like Snoop Lion 86 Makeup of Hawaii 87 Noodlehead 88 Waikiki wiggling 89 Accepts 90 Send in troops, e.g.

95 Holy place 96 Innuendo 97 Inceptions 99 Chase 100 Frozen or liquid things 101 “Joan of Arc” star Sobieski 102 Pungent 103 Dr. of radio 104 Winter coat feature 105 Hill helpers 106 Inside story 107 Singer Bono 108 Tantalize 109 Snead of golf 114 Frosty coat 117 “Slung” stuff 118 - steady basis 119 Wine, in Paris

answers on page 42

PERSONAL MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call now 1.888.909.9978 18+. SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com A CHILDLESS Married couple seeks to adopt.

Will be hands-on mom/work-fromhome dad. Financial security.

Expenses PAID. Lucy & Adam 1.844.275.0355.

SAPA A CARING YOUNG Married couple (she-35/he-42) seek to adopt. Will be FT Mom and devoted dad. Financial security.

Expenses PAID. Call or Text.

Veronica & Adam 1.800.790.5260 SAPA

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION AVIATION GRADS Work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification.

Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.441.6890.

EARN YOUR High School Diploma at home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure. 1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA

ENTERTAINMENT

SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, Open 10am- 5pm, Mon - Sat. Come & let us find your Scottish Connection!

828.584.7472 or visit us at: www.scottishtartans.org.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

FREE HUNT!! ENTER TO WIN! Hunt Some of the Biggest Deer in the Country! 30% Off Packages While They Last! $4900.

1.330.763.3301 www.BestDeerHuntOHIO.com SAPA

SERVICES 19.99/mo. DIRECTV HD Channels + Genie HD DVR + 3 months FREE HBO, SHOW, MAX & STARZ + FREE NFL Sunday Ticket!

Call Now 888.437.6598 SAPA

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New Customers Only. Don’t settle for cable. Call Now 1.800.371.5352 SAPA AT&T U-Verse Internet starting at $15/month or TV & Internet starting at $49/month for 12 months with 1-year agreement. Call 800.992.1743 to learn more.

(Not Valid in Virginia). SAPA DISH NETWORK New customers save up to $1000!

Free Hopper Upgrade. TV starts at $19.99/mo. Bundle Internet & Save! Call Today 888.283.8693 SAPA DISH TV 190 Channels plus Highspeed Internet Only $49.95/mo! Ask about a 3 year price guarantee & get Netflix included for 1 year! Call Today 1.800.351.0850 SAPA EMERGENCIES CAN STRIKE At any time. Wise Food Storage makes it easy to prepare with tasty, easy-to-cook meals that have a 25-year shelf life. FREE sample.

Call: 800.621.2952 SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.371.1734 to start your application today!

WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 42

Monarch roost. creative commons photos

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Hooray for the orange and black he monarch butterfly is known for its amazing annual spring and fall migration — from wintering grounds in Mexico in the spring northward across North America then reversing in fall and returning to Mexico, a trip of more than 2,000 miles (one way) for many of these hardy bugs. This migration is a biological mystery.

Most adult butterflies live about a month or so. Their primary function is to propagate the species. It has often been said that a butterfly is just the breeding stage of a caterpillar.

But the last emerging monarch of the summer doesn’t fit this mold. It is not sexually mature when it leaves the chrysalis.

Instead, it turns south and heads for Mexico. It will not become sexually mature for six to eight months, when it leaves Mexico in the spring and heads back to North America, where it will emerge from reproductive diapause and begin the common cycle of breeding, egg-laying and then the adult will go to that happy butterfly garden in the sky, while the egg hatches, the

T

caterpillar grows, then pupates and the chrysalis opens to reveal another generation of monarch butterfly.

The other part of the migration mystery is maybe, even more, intriguing. The animal that eventually turns south, towards Mexico, is as many as four (or more) generations removed from the animal that left Mexico in the spring. How this creatures finds its way back to the same area in the mountains of central Mexico every fall is a wonder.

The monarch population took a big hit just a few years ago. The 2013 winter population in Mexico was estimated at about 33 million, the lowest number ever recorded.

There is no way to be sure about what caused this precipitous decline but scientists believe the major culprits were habitat loss and/or degradation and the widespread use of herbicides and pesticides.

This winter, things are looking up.

Overwintering monarchs in Mexico covered about 10 acres of forest. The number was estimated to be about 140 million butterflies, tripling last year’s numbers. Scientists are pleased with the uptick and are cautiously optimistic that a monarch recovery may be underway.

But there is still a ways to go. A summit

held in 2014 set a target of 15 acres (6 hectares) of overwintering monarchs by 2020. While scientists think this would provide a stable population of monarchs it is only a third of the area covered in orange and black back in 1996 – 1997.

One simple thing that everyone/anyone can do to help monarchs is plant milkweed.

It doesn’t take a stand of acres and acres – add a few plants to your wildflower garden or backyard habitat – it really makes a difference, as milkweed is the primary host plant of the monarch. Planting different species of

milkweed that mature at different times helps ensure there will be available plants when monarchs need them.

There are other ways to help the monarch too – like recording and reporting migrants. Some websites that show how individuals can help include www.monarchwatch.org and http://monarchjointventure.org or just Google monarch butterfly.

We need to help fill the skies with black and orange.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist.

He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

March 2-8, 2016

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