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March 7-13, 2018 Vol. 19 Iss. 41

McCoy pleads guilty in marriage fraud case Page 3 Swain sheriff’s eligibility for office questioned Page 12

CONTENTS On the Cover: In the spirit of togetherness, people of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith came together last weekend at Lake Junaluska to discuss the ever-growing divisiveness in the world and answer the simple question, “Can we talk?” during the annual Interfaith Peace Conference. (Page 6) Attendees of the Interfaith Peace Conference attended a religious service at the Islamic Center in Asheville. Lake Junaluska photo

News McCoy pleads guilty in marriage fraud case ..............................................................3 Swayney honored for life of service to tribe and country ........................................4 Agreement axed for Dillsboro river park ......................................................................5 Last-minute candidates added to election roster ......................................................9 Libertarians in it to win it in 2018 ................................................................................10 Swain sheriff’s eligibility for office questioned ........................................................12 Green Energy Park revival discussed ........................................................................14 Ken Howle named new director of Lake Junaluska ..............................................15 WCU celebrates $5 million scholarship gift ............................................................16 WCU head basketball coach resigns ........................................................................19

Opinion Your everlasting summer. You can see it fading fast ..............................................20

A&E A conversation with Flaming Lips front man ............................................................24

Outdoors

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March 7-13, 2018

Long-distance run will raise money for SCC students ........................................34

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McCoy pleads guilty in marriage fraud case FBI investigation of McCoy will continue into other matters

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“According to the motion, McCoy had given the government some more information following her guilty plea … The document says that McCoy’s most recent statements have generated new leads for the government to pursue.”

NARROWING THE DEFENDANT LIST

gration case — in exchange for a fee.

Publicly available court documents do not elaborate on why Taylor’s case was dismissed.

That leaves two more defendants whose case could still go to trial — Ofir Marsiano, of Pigeon Forge, and Golan Perez, of Cherokee. The indictment alleged that McCoy and Perez would work with Marsiano to connect U.S. citizens with noncitizens who hoped that marriage to a U.S. citizen would improve their immigration status. Marsiano faces one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and four counts of marriage fraud; Perez faces one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and three counts of marriage fraud.

Before McCoy’s plea, she, Perez and Marsiano were to stand trial jointly, but as the court date grew nearer Perez and Marsiano began to protest this plan, filing motions to sever their case from McCoy’s.

The court ultimately ruled in favor of that motion to sever, giving an order on Feb. 28, the day before McCoy filed her intention to plea guilty, which the court accepted following the March 2 hearing.

According to court documents, Marsiano and Perez were worried about standing trial

ernment stated its intent to introduce into evidence a confession that McCoy apparently made to law enforcement at some point.

Marsiano’s motion said that using the confession would violate his Sixth Amendment right of confrontation if McCoy chose to exercise her Fifth Amendment right to silence when the confession was used at the trial where they were both defendants.

The government hotly contested this interpretation of the situation in an opposing brief, but the court ultimately ruled in favor of the motion to sever. This decision was rendered moot, however, when McCoy decided to plea guilty.

NOT OVER YET Marsiano and Perez, in a motion joined by the prosecution, are now asking the court to continue the trial until the May 14 term of court.

According to the motion, McCoy had given the government some more information following her guilty plea, and the content of those statements meant that the defense needed more time to prepare.

“This morning Defense counsel were able to review statements made by McCoy to the Government within the last 24 hours. These statements contained numerous allegations towards these defendants that came as a complete surprise,” the document reads.

Bradley filed Oct. 30, 2017. “The Defendant knew that to be true well before the Grand Jury indicted this case, and in fact knew the nature and scope of the Government’s broader investigation of her while the particulars of this case were still being nailed down.”

FBI interest in Cherokee has been ongoing since 2016, when former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert provided that agency with the results of a forensic audit he’d commissioned looking into government dealings.

When the audit was first completed, Lambert told Tribal Council that it revealed “clear fraud, wrongdoing, crimes and a failed system of checks and balances within this tribal government.”

Later that year, the Qualla Housing Authority was notified that the FBI was investigating it and that it was required to preserve all documents associated with Qualla Housing doings, or face federal charges. In February 2017, the FBI raided the Qualla Housing headquarters after, according to Lambert — still principal chief at the time — there had been at least three reports of document shredding there.

Arrests in the marriage fraud case were made June 21, 2017. The BIA placed McCoy on paid leave from June 28 through Sept. 12, with her access to the agency office and information systems revoked during this time. On Sept. 13, 2017, she was put on indefinite suspension with no pay. McCoy submitted her resignation March 1, the same day she filed her intention to plead guilty. A BIA spokesperson repeatedly ignored emails requesting McCoy’s salary information.

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The marriage fraud conspiracy involved four U.S. citizens — Jessica Marie Gonzalez, Kaila Nikelle Cucumber, Jordan Elizabeth Littlejohn and Kevin Dean Swayney, all of Cherokee — all of whom have pled guilty to one count of marriage fraud. At least some of those pleas contained provisions stating that the defendants would cooperate with the prosecution as witnesses following the plea deal, according to court documents.

The case against five more of the 12 defendants was dismissed in a Feb. 19 court order. Four of the five were the non-citizens who allegedly participated in the fraudulent marriages — Ilya Dostanov, Ievgenii Reint, Shaul Levy and Yana Peltz. According to court documents, the government believes that at least three of the four are currently in Israel, and extraditing them — especially for charges that, in case of conviction, would result in a relatively short sentence followed by deportation back to the country of extradition — would be difficult.

“The dismissal does not affect the ability of the United States to prosecute those same fugitive defendants for the same crimes if and when they are ultimately apprehended,” U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray wrote in a

“These allegations must be investigated in order to fully, adequately and properly represent the defendants herein.”

The document says that McCoy’s most recent statements have generated new leads for the government to pursue. This will take time to do, and the results “could be relevant to the charges herein.”

Previous court documents have made it clear that the marriage fraud case is far from being the only legal issue McCoy might face in the future.

“As the Defendant (McCoy) is well aware, the United States is investigating the Defendant in connection with charges that go beyond what the Grand Jury alleges in the present indictment,” reads a document that Assistant United States Attorney Daniel

March 7-13, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER uth Marie Sequoyah McCoy, former deputy superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Cherokee agency, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud during a hearing at the U.S. District Court in Asheville Friday, March 2.

The plea came just days before a scheduled March 5 trial, when McCoy was to defend against three counts of marriage fraud in addition to the conspiracy charge. If convicted on all four counts, McCoy would have faced sentencing against a maximum legal sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge she pled guilty to is five years in prison.

McCoy is a key figure in an FBI investigation that resulted in federal charges against 12 people last summer for an alleged attempt to circumvent U.S. immigration law by pairing U.S. citizens with non-citizens to participate in fraudulent marriages. The U.S. citizens participating in these marriages were paid for their cooperation and did not have any romantic relationship with the non-citizens involved, according to both the indictment and admissions in previous guilty pleas.

together with McCoy because their defenses would be “antagonistic” to each other.

“Both Perez and Marsiano will be utilizing some form of defense that blames the alleged criminal conduct on McCoy and denies their involvement,” reads Marsiano’s motion. “McCoy, on the other hand, is believed to be defending on a theory that she was Ruth Marie Sequoyah McCoy. Facebook photo set up and that she was not involved. This puts the defense team in antagonistic positions in relation to one another and these defenses cannot be reconciled.”

In a sealed order filed Feb. 28, the gov-

court document.

However, the fifth defendant to have the case dismissed was Timothy Taylor, who at the time of the alleged crime was married to McCoy. According to the indictment, Taylor and McCoy would allegedly act as sponsors for the non-citizens to support their immi-

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‘Spirit of the Cherokee woman’ Swayney honored for life of service to tribe and country

March 7-13, 2018

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Kina Swayney stands (above) as Warren Dupree of the American Legion Steve Youngdeer Post 143 reads a certificate during a 2011 ceremony honoring female veterans. Kina Swayney’s husband Doug (right in right photo) shakes hands with Principal Chief Richard Sneed while holding the newly approved resolution honoring her as a Cherokee Beloved Woman.

Scott McKie B.P./Cherokee One Feather photo • Holly Kays photo

expected you to do and give a report back,” agreed Vice Chief Alan “B” Ensley.

“Lt. Col. Swayney embodied the spirit of the Cherokee woman,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed. “She was strong, but she was not overbearing. She was courageous, but she was not harsh. She represents everything that we believe strong Cherokee women should be. She was a leader who led with love and compassion for her community.

She was a warrior in her time of service to the nation. When she came back and saw the carnage that was occurring here because of substance abuse, she came back and was a warrior here.”

Swayney was in the Army for 24 years before retiring in December 2010 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, serving deployments in Bosnia/Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan,

Egypt and Kazakhstan and earning a long list of commendations and honors — the Army Achievement Medal, the Defense of Meritorious Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Medals, two Army Superior Unit Awards, four Army Commendation Medals, five Meritorious Service Medals and several Superior General Coins. She also received the Straight Arrow Award and was honored with outstanding service during two terms as Company Commander of the 765th Transportation Battalion.

She served as the commander of troops for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Battalion in Belgium representing the United States at NATO, and was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Anny Forces

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“She was a good person, and for those who missed out on the opportunity to know her, you missed a great person, but I’m pretty sure you see her love through the work that she done,” said tribal member Lea Wolfe, battling tears as she talked about Swayney.

“She fought hard, and if I had my way she’d still be here, but I can’t be selfish. I know the Creator had plans for her.”

“It never ceases to amaze me

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER courageous leader. An empathetic caretaker. A driven taskmaster. An intelligent, resilient and love-driven organizer. A person who had no trouble telling other people what they ought to be doing, and who conversely had no trouble pouring herself out to help other people do better.

The many strengths of the late Kina Swayney — U.S. Army Lt. Col., Cherokee tribal member and crusader to help those battling addictions — gushed out full-force in Tribal Council March 1 as family members, elected officials and community leaders joined together to bestow upon her the title of Beloved Woman.

“She was a warrior, she was an ambassador, she loved her community, she was tenacious in fighting for the rights of people who were oppressed or afflicted or just didn’t have a voice as a result of addictive disorders,” said Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority CEO Casey Cooper, presenting the Beloved Woman resolution on behalf of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Patient Family Advisory Council, of which Swayney had been a member.

Cooper said he’d known Swayney was special since reading an article The Cherokee One Feather ran about her upon her return home from the Army.

“I thought, I have to get to know this woman,” he said. “She is absolutely amazing.”

However, he laughed, “I didn’t get a chance to know her until she submitted legislation directing me to do things.”

“She didn’t call and ask if you could do something. She’d call and tell you what she

Strategic Command and the Space and Missile Defense Command in 2008. Swayney was the only American Indian serving as head of the U.S. delegation to the U.S. Army while deployed to Kazakhstan in 2009.

When she came home, she didn’t stop working for her people.

In 2015, Swayney created the Cherokee Civil Action Team, a grassroots community organization to promote ethical leadership in tribal government, strengthen local laws and policies to combat the drug crisis and advocate for American Indian rights. The group was instrumental in bringing a variety of policy changes and community events to fruition, especially related to addiction issues. Swayney also led a coalition of tribal members to support the Standing Rock Sioux in their protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Meanwhile, Swayney was battling serious illness. She passed away on March 4, 2017, at the age of 56, leaving behind a husband and two children.

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“I expected at some point in her life when she came back she would be here, or in those offices over there,” said Councilmember Perry Shell, of Big Cove, pointing in the direction of the chief ’s offices. “I expected that, and I’m sorry that it never happened.”

Needless to say, the vote to add Swayney to the growing but small list of Cherokee Beloved Women was unanimous, with all councilmembers and the audience as a whole rising in recognition of her example.

“She would have been humbled by all of this, and if any one thing can come from this, it’s more commitment to the betterment of our tribe in all aspects, dealing with the issues that face us now and in the future,” said Doug Swayney, Kina Swayney’s husband of 39 years. “God bless us all.

Thank you very much.”

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how I continue to grow as a person because of her, even when she’s not here,” added Kim Smith, Swayney’s niece. She also told Tribal Council that she wants to see the tribe develop some initiative to ensure that the lives of these Beloved Woman are not forgotten and that their stories are told throughout the tribe and the country.

This was the second time Swayney’s name had come up in Tribal Council connected with a Beloved Woman designation. In April 2017 a resolution from the American Legion Auxiliary Steve Youngdeer Post 143 and thenCouncilmember Anita Lossiah sought the honor, but the family asked that Tribal Council hold the resolution until May to allow more time for them to grieve Swayney’s passing. However, the matter didn’t return to Tribal Council’s agenda until now.

nity using an attraction that would showcase the natural beauty of the region.

It wasn’t the first time that the county had tried to use the property for such an amenity.

Before Custer approached them, commissioners had been in discussion with the Nantahala Outdoor Center about creating an outpost in Dillsboro. However, that deal eventually fell through.

Jackson County Economic Development Director Rich Price said that he’ll keep looking for the perfect use for the property.

“We’ll continue to explore the river park option, but the commissioners will certainly keep an open mind for whatever it’s determined that the highest and best use of that property would be,” Price said.

Dillsboro Mayor Mike Fitzgerald said that he’s disappointed to hear that the latest agreement is dead but expressed confidence in Dillsboro’s future, regardless.

“Because we have made recovery in Dillsboro now since the recession, we’re not as dependent on the river as we once were, but the river is still there, the property is still there, the opportunity is still there,” he said.

“We just don’t know who will seize the opportunity. Sooner or later someone with the right fit will talk to the county.”

In the meantime, Fitzgerald said, things are going great in Dillsboro. Except for a few buildings that are for sale, he said, retail space downtown is just about at full occupancy. Parking areas are getting improvements, and the N.C. Department of Transportation will soon be replacing the bridge between Dillsboro and Sylva. In addition, a discussion between Dillsboro, Jackson County and Western Carolina University about possible future improvements to the Jackson County Green Energy Park, located in Dillsboro, has just begun.

“Everything’s coming together right now for us,” Fitzgerald said.

March 7-13, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER leven months ago, the Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve development of a river park on county-owned land along the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro.

After a closed session discussion March 5, they voted unanimously to terminate that agreement.

According to a statement from Chairman Brian McMahan, the decision was necessary because the development company, WNC Outdoor Development, LLC, wasn’t able to secure funding in a timely manner.

Terminating the agreement would also help safeguard the county’s relationships with organizations that have offered grant funding for development of the property.

WNC Outdoor Development, owned by Jackson County businessman Kelly Custer, had planned to build an adventure park offering rafting, fishing, camping, retail, concessions, a greenway and additional components such as a zipline, climbing wall or ropes course. The 10-year agreement would have given Custer use of 7 acres of county-owned property along the Tuckasegee and would have required him to meet certain benchmarks for creating tax revenue and jobs.

“We are grateful to Mr. Custer for his diligence in keeping the county abreast of the circumstances that have led to this decision, and for his concurrence as to the direction being taken at this time,” McMahan said. “We wish him much continued success as a valued member of the local business community here in Jackson County.”

The river park idea had drawn widespread support from the community, with a public hearing in March 2017 drawing about 75 people, 20 of whom gave public comment. By and large, Jackson County residents saw it as a way to draw tourism traffic to their commu-

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Agreement axed for Dillsboro river park

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Finding civility in a polarized society A Quran, the holy text of Islam, is displayed along with ceremonial candles during the Interfaith Peace Conference at Lake Junaluska.

Donated photo

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

Peace conference brings people of conflicting faiths together

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR lobalization has made our big world seem much smaller, but it’s also pushed us farther away from one another.

Instead of focusing on finding common ground with those who have opposing religious or political views, society segregates itself with others who believe the same way they do.

“We’re living in a culture where people can’t talk to each other anymore,” said retired Methodist Minister George Thompson.

“Sociologists say people used to move to live closer to family, but now they move toward their political comfort level.”

It’s that kind of division that led the Interfaith Peace Conference executive committee to choose polarization as the theme for this year’s conference at Lake Junaluska.

In the spirit of togetherness, people of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith came together last weekend on the grounds of a Methodist retreat center to answer the question “Can we talk?”

Based on what most Americans see on the television or read in the news, you may assume such a discussion would be heated or hostile, but it wasn’t. Attendees and speakers engaged in respectful discourse with one another while perhaps breaking down certain stereotypes and learning new aspects of a culture that is foreign to them.

“We’re trying to demonstrate in a little place like Haywood County how Jews and

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Muslims and Christians can meet together and share our differences and find commonalities and have civility,” said Thompson, who serves as chairman of the planning committee. “We chose polarization for obvious reasons, but nine months ago when we started planning this conference it was not quite as imperative as it is now. As we moved closer to the conference we realized we chose the right theme.”

Thompson said he’s aware many Christian churches in Haywood County probably hold the opinion that there’s no sense in talking to Muslims because they don’t think they have anything in common with Islamic beliefs — some calling it an “evil religion” based on the acts of terrorism committed by extremists.

“But our conference planners would say unless we’re talking with Islamic people we don’t have a clue about how we can build peace in the world,” Thompson said. “If we don’t know the difference between Shiites and Sunnis or don’t acknowledge the people of peace within the Muslim world, you don’t have a clear picture of how to create peace.”

At the end of the day, Thompson and the rest of the planning committee believe that the world will benefit by people of different faiths coming together to focus on the key human values of peace and understanding.

“We view people of all faith and of no faith as children of God, and we need to learn how to talk to one another with civility,” he said.

The Peace Conference wasn’t a huge event — some 200 people attended the keynote speaker address and the workshops — but Thompson hopes the people who did attend take what they’ve learned back to their own congregations and communities in an effort to spread the word of peace.

“We realize we’re not a big attraction — we’re not changing the culture by what we do — but we also believe with all the faiths represented, a small group of people who have influence over others, will have a rippling effect,” he said. “People can go back to their own areas and find a way to use what they’ve learned.”

DR. SPEARS’ VISION This was the ninth peace conference held at Lake Junaluska, a project started by the late Dr. Wright Spears.

In 2006, with America deeply involved in war and with other violence permeating the world on many fronts, Junaluska resident Dr. Spears spoke of the need for the church to speak up boldly for the cause of peace, and he called on his friends to help. “Where better for that voice to be raised than here at Lake Junaluska?” he asked. “My greatest thought and prayer is that there will come in the world a change called peace.”

The first conference was held in 2008 when Spears was 96 years old. The theme was “Finding the Church’s Voice in a Violent World.” It was a bold topic, but not one unfamiliar to the southern Methodist minister who led the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina in the 1950s and led Columbia College to be one of the first integrated schools in the South during his presidency.

Spears decided at the end of the first peace conference that the search for world peace had to be an interfaith mission, which is why the conference has included the three Abrahamic faiths ever since. Spears continued to be a guiding force of the conference up until his death at the age of 102 in 2015.

Meet the speakers Juliane Hammer, Ph.D. — An associate professor and Kenan Rifai Scholar of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in the study of American Muslims, contemporary Muslim thought, women and gender in Islam, and Sufism.

She is the author of Palestinians Born in Exile: Diaspora and the Search for a Homeland (2005) and American Muslim Women, Religious Authority, and Activism: More Than a Prayer (2012), as well as the co-editor of A Jihad for Justice (with Kecia Ali and Laury Silvers, 2012) and the Cambridge Companion to American Islam (with Omid Safi, 2013).

T. Anthony Spearman — Pastor of St. Phillip African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Greensboro, serves as the President of the North Carolina Council of Churches and was recently elected as President of the North Carolina NAACP. Spearman has been a constant participant with the Historic Thousands on Jones Street Peoples’ Assembly Coalition over the past 10 years; is recognized as a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ community; a consultant with Faith in Action and Equality N.C.; was one of the first organizational plaintiffs in the Voter Suppression Lawsuit against Gov. Pat McCrory and the state, and was one of the first 17 people arrested during the Forward Together Moral Monday Movement.

Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Ph.D. — An associate professor of religious studies and the founding director of the Department of multi-faith studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where she was ordained in 1982. She also holds a masters degree from Yale Divinity School and a doctorate from Temple University. With support from the Henry Luce Foundation, Nancy has pioneered innovative community-based learning opportunities for rabbinical students and their Christian and Muslim peers. Her current project, “Campus Chaplaincy for a Multi-faith World,” brings together Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Humanist chaplains serving college campuses. Nancy is a founding board member of the Interfaith Center of Philadelphia.

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE The Rev. T. Anthony Spearman hadn’t even started his talk from the Christian perspective, and already there wasn’t a dry eye in the Harrell Auditorium. More than 200 people listened intently as a black man on the projector screen sang “Make Them Hear You” from the Broadway musical “Ragtime.”

“Go out and tell our story. Let it echo far and wide… how justice was our battle and how justice was denied… And say to those who blame us for the way we chose to fight, that sometimes there are battles that are more than black or white ...”

If people govern their lives based on the manifestations of Jesus’ peace, he said, “valuing persons over property, valuing public concern over private interest, valuing equity over elitism, valuing wellbeing over productivity, valuing human dignity over competence,

of waiting for God to intervene, Spearman said to act first and trust in God. “We must get wet just like he got wet before God steps in right on time and parts the waters of polarization we’re seeing today,” he said. “Swallow your fears of being ostracized and step into the waters of hate and fear.”

MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE While Spearman’s talk began with a song and a prayer, the Muslim perspective led by Dr. Juliane Hammer was preceded with a meditation and centering ritual. The room was still as Hakim Ilyas Kashani, liaison for the Muslim community during the conference, led everyone on a brief inward journey to find inner peace despite what’s happening in the outside world.

Hammer began her talk with a couple of clear disclaimers — though she is a Muslim convert, she would not be a defender, apologizer or a spokesperson for all Muslims.

And unlike the other keynote speakers, Hammer does not hold any kind of authori-

ty position within the Muslim community — she described herself as a scholar, teacher and activist.

“We live in a country and in a world that is permeated by anti-Muslim hostility and prejudice,” she said. “You all — open minded or not — have heard things about Islam and Muslims, and I walk into this room with you already having certain ideas, and I can’t dismantle some of the negative ideas that many people in the U.S. have of Muslims in one talk, so I’m not going to try.”

Instead, Hammer talked about her research on modern Muslims living in the U.S. and the “intersectionality” of oppression with religion, race, economic class and gender. While the theme of the conference was “Can we talk?” Hammer encouraged people to start with interfaith action that can serve as a catalyst for talking.

For example, Hammer mentioned Feminist Studies in Religion, an interfaith group of women founded 30 years ago that comes together to explore their religious

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“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful. I’m leaving you at peace. I’m giving you my own peace. I’m not giving it to you as the world gives. So don’t let your hearts be troubled, and don’t be afraid.”

Abraham Jam (top), a group of Christian, Jewish and Muslim musicians, performs at the Interfaith Peace Conference. Part of the Interfaith Peace Conference included a field trip to the Islamic Center in Asheville to attend a service (above). Lake Junaluska photo

March 7-13, 2018

Even though the president of the North Carolina NAACP was speaking before a room of mostly Christians, his message probably wasn’t one they commonly hear in their churches.

Some may even consider Spearman radical in his stance for social justice — he’s been arrested many times as he stood alongside his predecessor Dr. Rev. William Barber when they organized the Moral Monday protests before the General Assembly in Raleigh.

In his introduction, conference chairman George Thompson warned that Spearman, who also serves as the president of the N.C. Council of Churches, speaks the language of honesty — and sometimes the truth hurts.

“He’s impatient with Southern politeness — he calls it a form of veiled manipulation,” Thompson said. “When he served on the school board and was a pastor in the city of Hickory, he critiqued white Southern speech on the board of education as a form of gentile apartheid.”

But Spearman said it’s that kind of brutal honesty and uncomfortable conversation that is crucial to changing the deeply ingrained prejudices that obstruct peace.

“In order that we embody the kind of wholeness and freedom and justice that the world does not recognize or even know exists, it’s imperative that we strive to obtain the multi-faceted attribute called peace,” he said.

Spearman argued that our main purpose here on Earth is peace, and he quoted Jesus’ words in John 14:27 from the Bible:

seeking power for the oppressed, and seeking right-mindedness for the fragmented,” there are plenty of opportunities for “Meeting the Other” and having a dialogue across religious, racial, political and social barriers.

“When you aspire to his peace you will bear fruit the world does not like and you’ll come to understand at the same time that a blessed peacemaker is also a status quo breaker,” Spearman said.

Even in a world of increasing polarization and divisiveness, he warned that people shouldn’t let fear rule their heart and their head because it’s that fear that keeps people of different religions, social classes and ethnicity from talking to one another.

“Where there is fear, there can be no peace,” Spearman said. “And where there is no peace, meeting the other becomes virtually impossible.”

Spearman said the churches can be a force of good or they can reinforce the systematic problems that keep people from communicating and addressing these issues of racial and social inequality.

“Things cannot be settled permanently unless they’re settled right, and things cannot be settled right unless they are settled in the spirit of the master. Mankind must be brotherized or it will be brutalized,” Spearman said.

He said it will take a willingness to educate ourselves on the histories of our religions and the history of white supremacy that has plagued North Carolina before we can begin to heal and move forward.

“One thing I learned from the Moral Monday Movement is we won’t get far in our effort to meet the other and build bridges and repair the breaches that European colonialism and slavery created unless we get real — I mean real — with one another,” he said. “We have to learn about the terrible moments in our history — look at them square in the face and talk about them as an act of respect for the truth and African Americans.”

When politicians attempted to split the African American and LGBTQ voters in the last election, Spearman said he and Rev. Barber traveled the state urging people not to fall for those divisive tricks. While his devotion to Jesus was questioned by fellow male clergy, he said he learned a valuable lesson on the importance of taking a political risk even when it’s hard because it’s simply the right thing to do.

“I learned more about the LGBTQ community than I ever thought I would. It has made me love Jesus more, read the Holy Book more, read the Quran with brand new eyes and made me more empathetic,” he said.

While a majority of Christians still believe it was Moses who parted the Red Sea, Spearman told conference goers to read the story again. He said it was actually another man, Nachshon, who stepped into the waters up to his neck while Moses was on his knees scared and praying to God for help. Instead

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Speakers call on interfaith work for social justice

S EE I NTERFAITH, PAGE 8 7

I NTERFAITH, CONTINUED FROM 7

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

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scriptures and histories. These women seek to dismantle the patriarchal structures in their religions through their religion. That’s somewhat of a radical idea, she said, considering a majority of U.S. feminists are secular and believe religion is part of the problem and cannot be part of the solution.

“Gender justice is what holds this project together,” Hammer said. “The idea here is to create spaces for women to be full members of religious communities. There’s no attempt to align their religious traditions — it’s clear they’re all separate from each other — but they’re doing interfaith work.”

Hammer also talked about her work studying modern American Muslims who are combatting domestic violence within the community. When questioning these activists about their motivations, she said she expected them to point out verses in the Quran or refer to something Muhammad said, but she was surprised to find that their motivation was from either witnessing domestic violence in the surroundings or from experiencing it firsthand. Hammer called this an innate “ethic of non abuse.” It’s something most people have — a sense of right and wrong and a sense of justice — without guidance from their religious text. That’s where these interfaith actions can begin.

“Their work was motivated by recognizing intuitively that this is wrong. Then they turn to the text for support rather than the other way around,” she said.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, Hammer said, there’s an interfaith coalition against domestic violence that is a perfect example of interfaith action that leads to conversations and education. The coalition works together and shares resources to combat domestic violence. Part of the program includes sending clergy to offer pastoral care to domestic violence victims across religious lines. A rabbi on call might provide care and guidance to a Christian or Muslim.

“It didn’t matter their religion because he was offering them resources. They also educated each other on offering resources that tapped into their own religious beliefs,” she said. “These are all examples of doing interfaith work that’s not primarily about what we believe or how we believe or the nature of God, but what we’re doing in this world and our work in the world.”

Similar to Spearman’s plea, Hammer also stated that there’s no peace without justice.

She said it’s extremely important in a society that is often asked to be peaceful first and then have to beg for justice.

“And that’s just not how it works,” she said.

“That’s not how it’s going to come about.”

Hammer said she struggled with whether she wanted to bring the Quran with her for her talk. While it’s an important text in her life, she said it’s a contested text just like the Bible. As an activist and a feminist, she said the Quran has a complicated presence in her life because of the patriarchal interpreters can do with it.

“I sometimes do read it for inspiration, but it also frustrates me,” she said.

She read a couple of verses from the Quran 8 translated in English that in her opinion show

that justice is central in the religion.

“So as long as longing for justice and recognizing injustice are part of our fitrah (Arabic for human nature), then the purpose of our presence in this world is to strive toward justice,” Hammer said. “This in turn makes social justice activism incumbent on Muslims with the explicit goal of ending suffering and establishing justice in society.”

Participants take home renewed faith

JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR t’s easy to grow weary in a world that is deeply divided and when efforts to reach out to the other side prove futile.

Elizabeth Andrews of Chapel Hill said hearing a man’s personal story about emigrating to the U.S. from South Africa in the 1970s had a profound impact on her during the conference.

“He said when he flew out of his country he’d felt he could breathe again, that he could be free because he was so stifled by the apartheid there. But now he said he feels that same kind of stifled feeling here because we are no longer living in a free

What do you get when a rabbi who is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and has a doctorate in religion from Temple University walks into Lake Junaluska?

A joke, of course.

That’s how Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer began her March 1 remarks in Lake Junaluska’s Harrell Auditorium, where she’d come as part of the Interfaith Peace Conference held March 1-4.

“A reconstructionist rabbi noticed that her congregants were falling asleep during her sermons,” Kreimer started in on the yarn; consulting an evangelical pastor friend who told her to “listen for God,” the rabbi decided not to prepare for Yom Kippur and in silence listened in the pulpit until she heard a voice speaking directly to her.

“You should have prepared,” it bellowed.

Kreimer, who started Temple’s program in multi-faith initiatives, said that the joke was indicative of Judaism’s willingness to talk across differences in a polarized world.

“The answer from Judaism is yes,” she said. “But you must prepare.”

Preparation, in this case, amounts to the adoption of four grounding virtues of good conversation that she says come from Jewish tradition but are recognized by all faiths.

The first, which Kreimer called watchfulness, involves being aware, present and mindful of the conversations both around you, and inside you. The second, humility, isn’t about becoming small, but rather is about taking up just the right amount of space. The third, Kreimer said, was loving kindness.

“To love your neighbor as yourself means your neighbor is your self, or there’s a part of you that’s them, and a part of them that’s you — because the piece that’s the same is God,” she said.

The last of Kreimer’s four virtues is equanimity, or the ability to remain calm in the midst of the storm. It is especially helpful in sparking the interfaith dialogues she’s had from the Appalachian Mountains to the Arabian Peninsula.

“It’s not about losing it, it’s about recovering, quickly,” she said.

There are many ways to cultivate these virtues, according to Kreimer, including traditions common to the Abrahamic community like prayer and being part of a community.

“But the way to cultivate these virtues is only through disciplines,” she said.

“Disciplines that we do exactly when we least want to do them.”

Spirituality, Kreimer said, is merely the discipline that helps us show up for others.

“This is probably where we as religious people have the most to teach our culture,” she said. “We all have different language, but we’re all heading in the same direction.”

I

tions with people of different beliefs — religious, political and social.

“Our country is very divided — that’s not a political statement, it’s just a fact — and the purpose of this conference is to reach out by example,” he said. “To find a tiny scrape of common ground and begin talking through it — don’t challenge them that they’re wrong and not to be superior or think you have the right answer but to listen to their side of things.”

Andrews said the lack of communication isn’t just between people of different faiths but can be within our own families.

Families now shy away from discussing things like religion and politics because they fear it will turn into a fight.

“You love your family and they’ve tried to communicate some of their ideas but it causes such tension you’ve decided it’s better not to discuss it because you don’t want to destroy the whole family,” she said. “But I know that in the past when I’ve changed my position on things it’s because of my own observations of people around me not because of what someone told me.”

Conference attendees had time to discuss issues during break out sessions. society or the kind of culture he came into when he moved here,” she said. “He said we no longer believe in the message on the Statue of Liberty. That was such a sad commentary to hear. I think we all feel sad about where our country is right now.”

However, the South African man also said being around like-minded people during the conference gave him a new sense of hope.

The Interfaith Peace Conference also sought to send believers back home with a renewed sense of purpose. In between each keynote speaker, attendees split into discussion groups to talk about what they took away from the speeches and how they could turn that talk into action within their own communities.

Charles Foskey, also visiting from the University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, said people in the discussion groups really wanted pointers on how to have productive and respectful conversa-

In his closing address, the conference chairman George Thompson said people often leave these types of events by saying, “it’s time to go back to the real world.” But he discouraged attendees from looking at it that way.

“This is the real world,” he said, and everyone needs to find a way to metastasize it into the rest of the world.

That was the inspiring message Andrews, Foskey and others took back home with them — to have those uncomfortable conversations in a respectful and open-minded manner while also leading by example with interfaith actions.

“As Rabbi Nancy (Fuchs Kreimer) told us, you can rehearse some things if you see a potential confrontation and you can go into it focusing on what is true — focus on facts and know that you and the other person may have fear, but that never works,” Foskey said.

(Staff writer Cory Vaillancourt contributed to this story.)

REGIONAL Three-term incumbent Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, has a number of challengers this year, including one from his own party. Buncombe County Republican Chuck Archerd says he’s only running in case Meadows accepts a job in the Trump administration.

But Democrats Phillip Price, D-Nebo, Scott Donaldson, D-Hendersonville, and Steve Woodsmall, D-Pisgah Forest, all seek Meadows’ seat, as does Sylva Libertarian Clifton Ingram.

N.C. Senator Jim Davis, R-Franklin, will face opposition this fall from Bobby Kuppers, D-Franklin.

A pair of rematches will determine who goes on to represent the county in the General Assembly’s next session; incumbents Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, and Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, will again face Rhonda Cole Schandevel, D-Canton, and Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, respectively.

JACKSON COUNTY

In Haywood County, seven candidates have signed up to run for three open seats on the board of commissioners. Incumbents Mike Sorrells and Kirk Kirkpatrick, both Waynesville

Democratic incumbent Ronnie Beale and Republican incumbent Gary Shields are both signed up to run for their District 2 seats and will face challenges from Democrat Betty Cloer Wallace and Republican Ron Haven.

Incumbent Republican Commission Chairman Jim Tate is seeking another term and will be challenged by fellow Republican John Shearl.

Sheriff Robert Holland, R-Franklin, has signed up to run and will be challenged by Democrat Eric Giles and Bryan Carpenter.

Carpenter petitioned to run as an unaffiliated candidate, which means he must obtain signatures from 4 percent — or 1,018 registered voters in Macon — to be able to run against the sitting sheriff.

Republican Linda Herman will challenge incumbent Register of Deeds Todd Raby, a Democrat, and Clerk of Court Vic Perry will run unopposed.

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

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

Republicans Kevin Seagle, Holly Bowick, Carolyn Bair and Vance Greene III, and Democrats Wayne Dover and Jack Parton, have also signed up to run for commissioner.

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

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

Two Democrats — Misti Jones and Deborah Smith — are running for Clerk of Court.

— Staff Reports

Smoky Mountain News

HAYWOOD COUNTY

MACON COUNTY

March 7-13, 2018

With election sign-ups complete, Jackson County will have at least two contenders for all local offices — except for register of deeds, with incumbent Joe Hamilton running unopposed — and three offices are on track for a primary election.

Jackson County will have two Republican primaries and one Democratic primary. Two Republican candidates have filed to represent District 1 on the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners — incumbent Charles Elders and challenger Jarrett Crowe.

Two Republicans have also filed to challenge incumbent Democratic Sheriff Chip Hall — Brent McMahan and Doug Farmer. On the Democratic side, Kim Coggins Poteet will challenge incumbent Clerk of Superior Court Ann D. Melton in the primaries.

The last 24 hours of filing saw two new candidates: Abigail Blakely Clayton will challenge incumbent Board of Education chairman Ken Henke, and Brian E. McClure will challenge incumbent Board of Education Member Ali Laird-Large. School board races are nonpartisan. Margaret M. McRae, who currently holds the third Board of Education seat up for election, will face a challenge from James Stewart-Payne.

In the General Election, County Commission Chairman Brian McMahan, a Democrat, will face a challenge from sitting Republican Commissioner Ron Mau. Former Commissioner Doug Cody, a Republican, will challenge sitting Democratic Commissioner Boyce Deitz. Democrat Gayle Woody will face the winner of the Elders-Crowe primary contest.

Democrats, are running to reclaim their seats and will be challenged by Waynesville Democrat Danny Davis. Republicans Thomas Long, Steven Pless, Terry Ramey and Phillip Wight, a Maggie Valley alderman, will also vie for the seats. Incumbent Democrat Bill Upton has decided not to seek re-election.

Hunter Plemmons, who was recently appointed to the position of Clerk of Superior Court to replace June Ray, will face fellow Democrats Jim Moore and Eddie West in a primary, with no Republican challenger.

Three candidates have signed up to run for Haywood County Tax Collector — incumbent Republican Mike Matthews will face Andrew “Tubby” Ferguson, R-Waynesville, in a primary, after which one of them will face Waynesville Democrat Greg West in November.

Haywood County Register of Deeds Sherri Rogers, D-Waynesville, Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher, D-Clyde, and 43rd District Attorney Ashley Welch, R-Franklin, face no opposition at all.

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Several last-minute candidates added to election roster

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Libertarians in it to win it in 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER or the first time in a decade, citizens in much of Western North Carolina will have the chance to vote for a Libertarian congressional candidate in the November General Election.

The impressive tally of Libertarian candidates across the state this year speaks to the growth of the party, even resulting in the rare phenomenon of a contested Libertarian Party primary in the state’s 4th Congressional District.

That growth has inspired Sylva Libertarian Clifton Ingram to join three Democrats and one Republican in trying to unseat three-term incumbent and Asheville Republican Rep. Mark Meadows; Ingram knows he’s facing an uphill battle, but insists he’s not just here to make a political point — he’s here to win.

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LESS GOVERNMENT, MORE FREEDOM

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

Founded in 1971 in the Colorado home of political scientist David F. Nolan, the Libertarian Party emerged during a time of great disillusionment over seemingly ceaseless American military campaigning and some unorthodox economic decisions by then-President Richard M. Nixon.

The ideas behind the Libertarian Party didn’t start there, though. Republican beliefs can currently be called conservative, while those of Democrats are classified as modern liberalism. Libertarians, however, espouse a classical liberalism that can be traced to the work of English philosopher John Locke, Scottish economist Adam Smith and American novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand.

Those ideas, very generally, combine some of the best — or worst, depending upon one’s perspective — ideas from the two pre-existing major political parties.

“Basically, we just want smaller government,” said Windy McKinney, former chair of the Haywood County Libertarian Party.

“There’s a wide range of beliefs within that, from anarchist to Republican-lite, so it is hard to make an actual definition.”

Less government and more conservative fiscal management are balanced in the Libertarian platform by a laissez-faire social policy that calls for the legalization of drugs and has supported same-sex marriage since the party was founded.

“Being fiscally conservative and socially liberal would be right up my alley,” said Ingram.

Born in Pilot Mountain, Ingram was a four-sport athlete at East Surry High School, played in the band, and was also elected student council president.

Following a family tradition, he then went to Auburn University, spending a year on the football squad after walking on, and spending the next three as a cheerleader 10 while studying management information

juana legalization, and our flat lands could systems. After working as a software conbe growing hemp and doing all kinds of sultant for IBM, he began working as a genindustrial things with it. Instead, our goveral contractor. ernment has taken something that God’s “To me, [fiscal conservatism] means not given us to use and is demonizing our own having ‘big brother’ big government, whatever you want to call it, running everything,” citizens over it, and incarcerating people.”

Recreational marijuana obviously rests he said. on a slippery slope; where then, do similar That stance permeates expansive federal “my body my choice” philosophies lead in programs, like Social Security and the regards to seemingly similar instances like Appalachian Regional Commission.

“If we gave people more of a choice in how their money was spent, it would be an adequate check-andbalance instead of just giving the Republicans and Democrats all of our money to fight over the way that they do,” said Ingram. “The Appalachian Regional Commission I’m sure does a lot of great things, so I’m not Voters will see Libertarian candidates on the ballot in almost 70 (in purple) of North Carolina’s 100 counties philosophically opposed to during the 2018 election cycle. Cory Vaillancourt photo illustration anything that’s doing someSource: N.C. Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement thing great for people.”

No one is; however, since the dawn of representative government, there’s always been an argument over how much a government should serve its citizens, if at all.

“In a Libertarian utopia, people would be taking care of each other, and that’s also what I feel like some of our nonprofit businesses and our churches could be tackling, instead of relying on our government,” he said. “We should be taking care of our elders. We should be taking care of our homeless. Does that need to rest on the taxpayers? No, not Congressional candidate necessarily. Right now it does, Clif Ingram, L-Sylva, hopes to but we can change things. That’s capitalize on recent growth in the the beautiful thing about our Libertarian Party. Donated photo country — Libertarians are here to change it.” recreational cocaine?

The Libertarian Party is also generally “The prescription drug industry has kind pro-gun and believes that the government of a lockdown on all of this and so does lawshouldn’t get involved in abortion. enforcement, but it’s not stopped the prob“That is the typical Libertarian response lem,” he said. “We’ve got to look at people — it is my body, it is my choice,” Ingram more respectfully.” said, adding that men should be more involved in the issue than they are currently.

“Obviously they’re involved in procreation, HADOW ARTISANS but they should be involved in contraception as well … right now, [contraception] all Despite becoming the third largest major lies in the female’s hands and sometimes in U.S. political party, the Libertarian party the state’s hands, and that’s not where we ranks a distant third. want those types of choices.”

In North Carolina, almost exactly half a That de-facto permissiveness also percent of registered voters identify as extends to recreational drugs — especially Libertarians; there are slightly more than cannabis reform. average in Haywood and Jackson counties, “It’s about time, at the federal level, that slightly less in Macon County, and far less this gets reclassified. There are millions of — 32 people, or about a third of a percent people that are impacted by it being illegal, — in Swain County. and that’s changing at the state level all over In those same counties, registered our country. It could change for North Democrats range from 26-38 percent, regisCarolina as well. The mountains could be a tered Republicans from 27-40 percent, and very rich area especially in regard to mariunaffiliated voters from 31-37 percent.

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However, 2016 Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson got far more than half a percent of the vote, as might be statistically expected.

Johnson’s total in Jackson County was 3.97 percent, in Swain 3.92 percent, in Macon 2.63 percent and in Haywood 2.95 percent, meaning a good number of what WCU Political Science professor Dr. Chris Cooper calls “shadow partisans” — unaffili-

ated voters with a solid party preference — voted Libertarian.

In fact, votes for Libertarian presidential candidates have increased 282 percent in Haywood County from 2008 to 2016, beginning with 235 in 2008, and growing to 898 for Johnson in 2016. In one precinct, Center Waynesville, Johnson topped out at a not-soinsignificant 6.35 percent of the vote.

The last Libertarian candidate to run in what is now the 11th Congressional District — Keith Smith — earned similar returns, with 2.21 percent of the vote in a 2008 election that saw incumbent Bryson City Democratic Congressman Heath Shuler defeat Buncombe County Republican Carl Mumpower 62-36.

With names like Shuler and Meadows bandied about the district over the last decade, Ingram would have big shoes to fill and a large learning curve to negotiate in the unlikely event he wins.

“People say you’re skipping a bunch of steps by going to the federal level, but I have ideas that are big,” he said. “Some people say ‘go big or go home’ and I’m going big.”

Now 41, Ingram hasn’t run for anything since his successful student council election back in high school, but is savvy enough to realize the challenges ahead.

“I’m going to have to run my campaign differently, and it’s not going be about mudslinging or bitter politics like it will probably be between the Republican and the Democrat,” he said. “I’m here to uplift my citizens in my country and give them an honest choice, different choice.”

Ingram thinks his Libertarian ideology might play well with voters in Haywood County, a deeply red county where all federal and state legislators are Republican and Hillary Clinton won but a single precinct in 2016.

“They’re anti-establishment and

SCC offers free estate-planning seminar

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., introduced legislation to supplement counties that have expended local taxes on federal land for services like fire protection, police cooperation, or longer roads to circumnavigate federal property.

Counties are not allowed to tax federal lands.

The bipartisan PILT and SRS Certainty Act would reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools Program (SRS) for five years and extend and provide funding for Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for five years at an annual level of $465 million.

“Counties across North Carolina’s 11th district rely on SRS and PILT funding, and I am proud to join my colleague, Rep. Jared Polis, in re-introducing this important piece of legislation. This is a commonsense bill that ensures the federal government fulfills its commitments to rural counties across the country,” Meadows said.

Typically, the federal government provides PILT and SRS payments on an annual basis to hundreds of counties across the country in order to supplement reductions to their local property tax bases, due to a large presence of federal land. But for the past few years, both PILT and SRS have been in jeopardy due to Congress’s failure to reauthorize them on a long-term basis.

Mandatory funding for PILT expired in Year 2013 and SRS program payments expired at the end of 2015.

Nearly 1,900 counties across 49 states receive PILT funding to compensate for lost

Sen. Davis honored as Legislator of the Year

Libertarians are somewhat anti-establishment too,” he said.

Although there is an intersection of sorts in the Republican and Libertarian platforms — if not ethos — McKinney cautions that the chair of the House Freedom Caucus remains a popular figure amongst almost everyone to the right of center.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are sympathetic to the [Libertarian] cause.

They may not be activists and they may not come to meetings,” she said, “But lot of those people really like Mark Meadows.”

Competing financially with the Republican and the Democratic nominees will be challenging as well; Meadows is sitting on a pile of several hundred thousand dollars, and could likely call in many millions in a very short time if need be; any credible Democrat will need a quarter-mil-

lion just to make a splash.

“Voting is free,” Ingram said. “I can’t compete as it is right now with that type of money in that type of campaign, so I’m going to have to be creative and run a different campaign, and use news agencies and social media and things like that to get my name out there.”

While Ingram is focused on beating all comers, getting his name out there may just be a win in and of itself, according to McKinney.

“I say if we get the message out and have more people waking up and hearing an alternate message to the two-party system, that’s a win,” she said. “We’re not going to have a sweeping victory any time soon, but having a candidate available for us to vote for is an important step in the right direction.”

The North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors recently honored State Senator Jim Davis of Macon County as Legislator of the Year.

“We are pleased to recognize Senator Davis for his service to the people of North Carolina,” said Dennis Joyner, President of the NC Association of Local Health Directors. “He is a true hero to the public health community.”

The Award was created to recognize legislators who have made significant contributions to the advancement and promotion of public health in North Carolina.

Davis, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, was recognized for his long standing support of statewide public health issues, as well as his service to the public health community at the local level.

“Senator Davis is a true public health advocate representing not just the seven far western counties of his district, but the interests of all 100 North Carolina Counties,” said Jim Bruckner, Macon County Health Director, who nominated Davis for the award. “Senator Davis makes time to talk with public health leadership and has been very supportive of many of our legislative requests.”

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tax revenue due to the large amounts of federal lands in their counties, which are untaxable according to federal law. A breakdown of the payments by state and county can be found here.

March 7-13, 2018

Meadows’ bill to reimburse counties with federal land

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Diane E. Sherrill, a Southwestern Community College graduate and local attorney, will present an estate-planning seminar at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, in Room 102D of the Burrell Building on SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.

The seminar entitled “Is A Will Enough?” is free of charge and will provide participants with a comprehensive view of wills, will substitutes and trusts. Health care directives, powers of attorney and other areas of concern such as Medicaid, VA benefits, taxation and charitable gifting will also be discussed.

Attendees will be provided with a free worksheet for use after the seminar in gathering the personal, financial and other information necessary to start estate planning. A complimentary light lunch will be provided.

For more information and to RSVP, call Denise Waltz at 828.586.4051.

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Swain sheriff’s eligibility for office questioned Granite, Quartz & Marble

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Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran walks into the Board of Elections Office with his attorney David Sawyer. Jessi Stone photo

Challenger arrested following board of elections meeting March 7-13, 2018

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ars lined the sides of U.S. 19 in Bryson City Monday night as people tried to find their way inside the small Swain County Board of Elections office to attend a public hearing regarding Sheriff Curtis Cochran’s eligibility for office.

Just after Cochran signed up again to run for another term in office, Swain County resident Jim Lowery filed a candidate challenge alleging that Cochran may not be qualified to serve in the position. Though he doesn’t have any concrete evidence, Lowery claims some 200 people in the community have told him that Cochran was dishonorably discharged from the military. His candidate challenge asserts that a dishonorable discharge from the military is equivalent to a felony charge, which would make him ineligible to run for sheriff.

“It is the belief of the challenger, Sheriff Curtis A. Cochran failed to disclose his Dishonorable Discharge and is in fact concealing his military for DD-214 to keep this information from being disclosed and himself from being disqualified as Sheriff and removed from office,” the challenge form stated.

Such a challenge prompts a quasi-judicial hearing process by the county board of elections. According to Patrick Gannon, a spokesperson for the State Board of Elections, the law states that the candidate being challenged has the burden of proof and must show by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she is qualified for the office sought.

The Swain County Board of Elections called a hearing for Monday, March 5 — both

Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, Haywood Economic Development Council, Haywood Community College Small Business Center, Haywood Advancement Foundation

Lowery and Cochran were present. Lowery didn’t seem to bring along much support but Cochran had his attorney David Sawyer present and packed the room with his deputies and community supporters. Cochran said he had no comment for the media and let his lawyer do a majority of the talking.

The shoulder-toshoulder crowd quietly waited as the elections board began the public hearing. In his challenge, Lowery asked that a district or state elections board hear the challenge since the Jim Lowery three-member Swain County board currently has one vacancy. That leaves the Chairman John Herrin and Secretary Bill Dills — both Republicans — to hear the case. Cochran is also a Republican.

“There’s no Democrat on this board — y’all are all Republicans,” Lowery told the board. “I don’t think I’d get a fair and partial deal.”

Herrin assured Lowery that their politician opinions would not sway their decision, which has to be made based on North Carolina law.

“North Carolina has specific laws governing elections and all situations related to it — we have no choice but to abide by it,” he said.

Lowery agreed to proceed with allowing the local board to hear the case.

Cochran’s attorney David Sawyer said his client did not have possession of the military discharge certificate in question, but that he had requested the document from the federal government and asked that it be expedited.

Herrin then asked if Sawyer would turn over the document for public review without a subpoena or if one would need to be issued.

Sawyer said he would advise once he

FIREWORKS AFTER THE MEETING Surrounded by law enforcement officers and community members, Lowery was arrested by Swain County Sheriff ’s deputies when he exited the Board of Elections office.

Apparently, Lowery had an outstanding warrant out of Jackson County from 2008 for obtaining property under false pretense.

“Curtis is running scared because he knows

Federal order won’t allow Swain board to hear challenge

he can’t produce nothing. I didn’t understand the charges, but they dug up an old warrant — didn’t even give me a copy of it,” Lowery said Tuesday morning. “Curtis had his deputies serve the warrant and arrested me.”

Swain deputies transported Lowery to the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Office right after the meeting, but Lowery said he paid his $5,000 bond in cash and went home. He found it suspicious that he’s lived in the same address in Bryson City for 25 years and Jackson deputies never served the warrant during the last 10 years.

“Curtis wants to get the attention off of himself and make me look bad — he’s just trying to weasel his way out of this,” Lowery said.

As an independent voter, Lowery said he voted for Cochran the first time he ran for sheriff in 2006. However, after hearing people in the community talking about his alleged dishonorable discharge, Lowery said he decided to go straight to the source to ask when it came time for him to run for another term.

“I went to his office and asked him face to face, man to man,” he said. “I told him to show the discharge papers and get it out of the way and he turned red looking at me and he couldn’t answer. The third time I asked him he sat there like a puffed up frog and said, ‘I’m already the sheriff and I will be the sheriff again.’”

Lowery said he didn’t have any personal grudges against Cochran that led him to file the challenge.

“I’m definitely not backing off of this now after that trick he pulled against me last night in front of everybody,” he said.

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March 7-13, 2018

MARCH 20-24

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR round the same time people were packing into the board of elections office in Swain Monday afternoon, a three-judge panel issued an order that will prevent the two-person elections board in Swain from hearing and making a ruling on the candidate challenge against Sheriff Curtis Cochran.

State Board of Elections’ spokesperson Patrick Gannon said the judges’ order stems from Gov. Roy Cooper’s legal challenge to change the state board of elections’ composition of equally appointed Republicans and Democrats. Cooper went to court against the Republican-majority legislature to keep the governor’s party power to appoint a majority of the board members.

In the meantime, the state hasn’t had a board of elections in place and county boards are lacking their state appointment, leaving about 25 local elections boards with only two members, including Swain’s board.

While the issue was working its way through the court system, Gannon said a temporary order allowed those two-member boards to continue to operate. That temporary order was revoked around 4:20

p.m. Monday, which means the Swain Board of Elections actions after 5 p.m. are null and the March 12 hearing won’t occur.

“As Deputy General Counsel Katelyn Love indicated yesterday evening, the trial court’s final judgment … has revoked a temporary order that had allowed twomember boards to conduct business while that case moved through the courts,” Jason Lawson, general counsel for the State BOE, wrote in a press release. “Know that if the Governor chooses to initiate a new challenge or file additional proceedings, we will again seek a stay to enable your boards to act until new members are appointed. As of yesterday afternoon, however, two-member boards cannot conduct business.”

Normally, a candidate challenge appeal could be taken to the state board following a local ruling, but that can’t happen either since there’s no state board in place right now. The last option is for the person filing the challenge to get his or her own lawyer and petition the Wake County Superior Court to hear the challenge.

“If your board has pending challenges and protests, it is important that you notify the parties that the county is unable to take action on the filings at this time,” Lawson wrote. “The parties may choose to seek judicial review in the courts, but county boards and your staff are not their lawyer and should not attempt to play the role of legal advisor to the protestor/challenger.”

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received the document. However, he doesn’t think the content of the document has any bearing on Cochran’s eligibility to serve as sheriff.

“I do reserve the right to argue the relevance of it under the statute,” Sawyer said, adding that he also reserved the right to depose Lowery in the future to “further investigate the allegations.”

While Sawyer was prepared to present his evidence in the case Monday night, he said he understood the statute that allows time for discovery.

Herrin said evidence would have to wait until a hearing set for 5 p.m. March 12 at the Swain County Administration Building, but that he would allow Sawyer and Lowery to have a sidebar conversation away from the public hearing in an effort to resolve the issue if they wished.

“I’d rather for it to be here before the board and the community,” Lowery said.

The meeting was recessed until 5 p.m.

March 12 when the hearing will be continued.

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Green Energy Park revival discussed Plan would merge art, education and innovation

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Jackson County Green Energy Park has long been a topic of conversation in Jackson County — various boards of commissioners have debated whether it should be funded as much as it is, whether it should be funded more, whether it’s due for upgrades and renovations and improvements — but a team from Western Carolina University unveiled a new concept for the property during a March 5 joint meeting of the Jackson County Commissioners and Dillsboro Board of Aldermen.

WCU — and in particular Acting Chancellor Alison Morrison-Shetlar — has been interested in using the property as a campus of sorts, a joint venture between the county and the university, said County Manager Don Adams. Last spring the county and WCU decided to contract with a pair of WCU business professors to conduct a study of the possibilities there.

“We really wanted to get a feel for the challenges that are going on currently, what’s associated with it, how do people describe it,” said Wendy Cagle, director of WCU’s Small Business and Technology Development Center.

“We asked 25 people to describe the Green Energy Park and we probably got 25 answers.”

The Green Energy Park captures methane gas from the old landfill next door and uses that gas to fuel a series of artisan studios, making everything from blown glass to pottery.

“People who know about the Green Energy Park really had great things to say about the park, but a lot of people really didn’t know,” said Yue Hillon, an associate professor in WCU’s College of Business who worked with Cagle on the study.

Through their research and interviews, a variety of ideas and concepts for the property emerged.

“The biggest idea in here was establishing an innovation and design center,” Hillon said.

The center could feature a “maker’s space,” offering students and community members a place to create, combining art with engineering and design.

“This could be a living laboratory and design center for the county,” said Arthur Salido, an associate professor of analytical chemistry at WCU. “This space would reflect the interaction of art and design with the school’s business to advance contemporary Appalachian culture and regional innovation.”

It would be used for college classes, but also for community outreach and K-12 education.

Adams said the agreement would likely work similarly to that between counties and community colleges — the county supplies

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the brick-and-mortar infrastructure and buildings, while the school takes care of staff, supplies, equipment, programming and other operational aspects.

However, Adams stressed, the proposal isn’t just about one program or one building.

The conversation is really about turning the property now housing the Green Energy Park into a true campus, with multiple, complementary uses housed right there. Reclaiming the capped landfill would be part of that endeavor.

A frontrunner idea right now would be to locate a new animal shelter on the property and use the reclaimed landfill area as a green space for a dog park and walking trails.

“The vision here is to stop thinking in terms of these are separate operations, because at the end of the day these are all county functions,” said Adams.

But if they were all housed together, he said, the place could have a true campus feel, and the different organizations involved could benefit from what the others are trying to accomplish.

“The top choice for students to engage in service learning is with animals, so I can imagine that the service leadership group would have plenty of students that would love to volunteer to help with this animal rescue center,” Cagle said.

The March 5 meeting was mostly informational, with the WCU professors presenting their vision and research for Dillsboro and Jackson County officials to absorb. Both

A frontrunner idea right now would be to locate a new animal shelter on the property and use the reclaimed landfill area as a green space for a dog park and walking trails. groups will likely discuss the concept further before taking any action. However, Adams said, next steps — should the boards decide to move forward — would require the Dillsboro board making zoning changes to allow the suggested uses to take place on the property and Jackson commissioners authorizing Adams to move forward with hiring architects and engineers.

Should the boards decide quickly that they’d like to pursue this option, Adams said, it could be done within two years.

Deeper discussion is yet to come, but during Monday’s meeting the leaders of both boards indicated that they’re favorable to the idea.

“I think it’s a win for everybody, and I’m excited about exploring the options and just to see how we can continue these ideas and go down the road of potentially working to bring something to reality,” McMahan said.

“From our personal experience working with WCU — Wendy (Cagle) was there when we started years ago during the recession — they cover all the bases when there’s things to think through,” added Dillsboro Mayor Mike Fitzgerald. “They’re always Johnny-on-theSpot. They’re wonderful people to work with.”

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Ken-gratulations: Howle to head Lake Junaluska

I

Lake Junaluska Executive Director Ken Howle (second from left) stands with members of the Lake’s executive team (from left) Rob Huckaby, Mitzi Johnson and Jack Carlisle.

Lake Junaluska photo

Lake as well as in the county itself through his service on the TDA’s board.

“The TDA board is the background of our hospitality promotion,” Howle said.

“They manage Haywood County’s brand, and we’re a big part of that brand, so by being there at the table with other leaders it’s exciting that Lake Junaluska can be a part of moving the whole county forward from a tourism and hospitality perspective.”

He also serves on the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s board, placing him squarely in the middle of three of the county’s major economic drivers.

“We’re in the center of Haywood County, and we want to be connected to and immersed in everything in this county,” he said. “We’re one of Haywood County’s greatest assets and we can only be that through the partnerships we have with people in the county.”

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But when Ewing took the job in 2011, he did so with the knowledge that the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church had already decided to slash funding the Lake relied upon.

Ewing got the ball rolling on a more financially sustainable operation that would still preserve its spiritual mission to serve as a place of Christian hospitality, a task that continues to this day and that Howle — with his hospitality background — appears well suited to address.

“We’ve gone through the process of changing apportionments, and we’ve lived into the new model,” said Howle. “We’re headed in the right direction now, we’ve just got to continue down the path that we’re already on, to move faster with continuing to invest in infrastructure here, adding more value to the guest experiences that are available.”

This year alone, Howle explained, the Lake will invest heavily in improvements, including to the historic Lambuth Inn, which will reopen in May after substantial renovations.

The swimming pool, tennis courts and bathrooms at the Weldon gym are also slated for renovation, and some sections of the walking trail will see enhancements as well.

New piers overlooking the lake itself round out a spate of attractions that many residents of Haywood County utilize, for free, on a regular basis.

“People love Lake Junaluska,” he said.

“We are able to turn every gift that comes in right back to improve this place to the benefit of everybody.”

Attracting visitors from outside the gates has never been a problem for Lake Junaluska, nor has getting them to stay overnight. If the Lake is to continue to prosper, however, offering experiences people are willing to pay for has to be a top priority.

“We currently have a lot of opportunity to grow our occupancy,” he said. “We have a lot of people that come — 50,000 overnight guests year. We have the capacity to probably double that number if we wanted to, and we’ve got to continue to work through developing the right programs the right marketing approaches.

The economic impact of recent improvements at the Lake has already begun to manifest itself in numbers reported by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

During the second half of 2017, room occupancy tax receipts from the Lake were well up from the previous year, and the new Balsam Range Art of Music Festival — held during what is normally the slowest month of year — hasn’t even demonstrated its full potential yet.

Howle’s been heavily involved in fostering a fertile climate for tourism both at the

March 7-13, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER n keeping with the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center’s transformative efforts to remain a thriving spiritual and economic hub in Haywood County for generations to come, officials there wasted no time in naming a successor to the recently retired Executive Director Jack Ewing.

“The search committee met in person and by phone several times since October.

We posted the position nationwide and hired a consulting firm to help vet candidates,” said Board Chairman Mike Warren in a statement provided by Lake Junaluska.

“We received many excellent applications from people living in 12 different states.

They presented interesting and varied experiences and backgrounds. After extensive discussion, we realized that we had the right person here amongst the staff.”

Director of Advancement Ken Howle, who’s been at the Lake for 14 years, has “the right experience, knowledge and vision” and a “passion for Lake Junaluska,” according to Warren.

Warren said last November that the process to replace Ewing, who left after serving for seven years, would likely take six to nine months; instead, it took less than five.

“I come here already with a deep understanding of both the region and the hospitality industry,” Howle said March 3. “I’m a hospitality industry professional, and I came through the attractions industry, originally through the Nantahala Outdoor Center.”

Howle spent 13 years at the popular outfitter, serving as VP of sales, general manager, board chair, bike program manager and marketing and public relations manager after working his way up from a store clerk position while earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

“That’s how I wound up here at Lake Junaluska,” Howle said. “They were one of our biggest customers at the time, and I would come over every week and actually meet with groups here. I fell in love with the place.”

When a marketing position opened up at the Lake in 2004, Howle, wife and young daughter in tow, headed east.

“The outcome of that could not be better,” he said. “The public school system here in Haywood County is phenomenal, and I love being here.”

Howle’s background differs significantly from that of his predecessor; Ewing became executive director of Lake Junaluska after serving in high-level university administration positions.

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Leading the Way WCU celebrates $5 million gift; aims for $60 million by 2019

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER xcitement and purple attire filled the second floor of A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University March 1 as students, administrators, faculty, staff and trustees alike gathered around a pop-up TV studio set to broadcast the good news — the launch of a massive scholarship fundraising effort, occurring simultaneously with announcement that WCU had received a $5 million scholarship gift, the largest ever in its 129-year history.

Western Carolina University launched the “quiet phase” of its effort to raise money for endowed scholarships in 2014, aiming for $50 million by the end of fiscal year 2021. But, by the end of February gifts and pledges had surpassed $46 million — that total didn’t include the $5 million — and as the March 1 public phase launch date drew nearer WCU decided to increase the fundraising goal and shorten the timeline.

The university is now aiming to raise $60 million by spring 2019.

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

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A LEGACY THAT LASTS That goal leapt closer with the announcement of a $5 million estate gift from Mickey Charles Hughes, a Falls Church, Virginia, resident who made the pledge in honor of his mother, a WCU alumna named Velma “Leone” Hyde Hughes Ray. Born in 1919 on a farm in Graham County, Ray was the fourth of eight children and came of age during the height of the Great Depression. She wanted to go to college, and she was determined to realize that dream.

Originally, said Hughes, his mother wanted to be a nurse — but at the time that would have required going to Knoxville, and Ray’s family told her she couldn’t go away from home without a chaperone. Her older brother Arnold was a Western student — he would later become a member of the Board of Trustees — so Ray moved to Cullowhee to enroll in Western’s teaching program.

“I think she thought the place gave her an opportunity she wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Hughes, who was Ray’s only child.

Ray paid her own way through school, becoming the first woman in her family to attend college. After graduating, she

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returned home to teach elementary school for six years in Robbinsville before moving to Maryville, Tennessee, where she taught for 34 more years.

Hughes originally created the Leone Hyde Ray Endowed Scholarship Fund for aspiring teachers in 1998, following his mother’s death in 1996. The $5 million gift will substantially expand the fund’s ability to help future teachers hailing from Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Once Hughes’ estate is settled, the university will rename its School of Teaching and Learning as the Hyde Hughes School of Teaching and Learning to honor Ray’s legacy and Hughes’ philanthropic support of future educators at WCU. The Hyde family has also previously established the Marshall A. Hyde Scholarship Fund in memory of Ray’s brother, who was killed in action during World War II in Italy.

Give to Western To make a gift or learn more about the Lead the Way campaign, visit LeadTheWay.wcu.edu.

$50 million for scholarships, but if you know Chancellor Belcher, his goal was far higher than $50 million,” Donna Winbon, a 1980 WCU graduate and chair of the Lead the Way campaign steering committee, said during the March 1 broadcast. “He has great expectations of all of us, the Catamount Nation. And he’s right.”

Though Belcher has stepped down as chancellor of WCU due to an ongoing battle with brain cancer, he and his wife Susan were both there March 1, and his vision was very much alive throughout the event — down to the purple banners hung throughout the University Center building, which

David and Susan Belcher (seated) watch the live broadcast launching Lead the Way in the A.K. Hinds University Center, surrounded by members of the Catamount Nation. Holly Kays photo “Dozens of students have benefited from his (Hughes’) original gift,” said Lori Lewis, WCU vice chancellor for advancement. “This future gift will benefit thousands more. Any student in Western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee will be eligible for scholarship funds through Mr. Hughes’ estate. It is a legacy that will last for decades to come.”

INSPIRED BY THE BELCHER YEARS That word — “legacy” — is at the core of the endowed scholarship concept. When enough money is put together, the annual interest payments are enough to fuel scholarships, allowing the principal to remain untouched and generate scholarship dollars in perpetuity.

“Dr. (David) Belcher’s goal was to raise

said, in giant white letters, “Lead the Way: A Campaign Inspired By the Belcher Years.”

The subtitle was appropriate not only due to Belcher’s decision to make scholarship fundraising a top priority during his tenure, but also because of the example that he and Susan set the Catamount community.

In October, the Belchers announced a $1.23 million scholarship gift to the university, a combination of cash and estate gifts that joined the two scholarships they’d already established to serve WCU students.

When announcing that gift, Susan Belcher made it clear that it was not intended to be a standalone instance of generosity — she and David Belcher expected others in the Catamount community to step up and do the same.

“We share this with you, not to put ourselves in the spotlight, but

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to lead by example,” she said at the time.

“And, we are looking for partners to join us.”

That charge seems to be working.

Just 16 days after the Belchers’ announcement, former WCU Trustees Chairman F. Edward Broadwell Jr. and his wife Donna Allsbrook Broadwell announced a scholarship gift of $1 million, which they said was inspired by the Belchers’ donation.

In February, longtime WCU contributors Jack and Judy Brinson followed suit, announcing a $1 million commitment to fund scholarships for students in the WCU Honors College.

And now, Hughes’ $5 million gift has joined the growing swell of scholarship donations.

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A snowballing number of other, smaller gifts has also contributed to Lead the Way’s impressive total. In fiscal year 2017, WCU processed more than 11,000 Lead the Way gifts. During the second annual “I Love WCU” February, Lead the Way secured 750 gifts, up from 593 in February 2017, and 42.5 percent participation from faculty and staff, compared to 23 percent in 2017.

“I think it’s a great signal about the positive feelings people have about the place they live and where they work,” Lewis told trustees during a March 1 committee meeting.

She believes that momentum will only continue building as 2018 moves forward.

“I’m predicting that in fiscal year 2018 we’ll bring in gifts and pledges, the largest single amount we’ve ever done in one year for the university,” she said.

For the Belchers, now watching from the sidelines but still very much part of the university’s life, that’s the best news possible.

“David is fond of saying that higher education is the stuff of the American Dream,” Susan Belcher said to Claire Lemke, recipient of one of the Belchers’ existing scholarships, during pre-taped comments for the Lead the Way launch broadcast. “We believe — we know — that education can change lives. It can change your life, students’ lives and by extension education can change your family’s lives, your communities, even the world. So what we do here at Western, in educational institutions, matters. It matters because students matter.”

Not everybody can be directly involved in teaching and mentoring students, she said, but for those who have the means, financial gifts can yield real-world results for years to come — allowing students to concentrate on studying hard, pursuing internships, conducting research, traveling abroad and capitalizing on all the other educational opportunities available at Western, rather than worrying about earning a paycheck while going to school.

“Even though we’re not going to be here, Western will be here. Students will be here.

The American Dream will be here, and through our endowed scholarships and other endowed scholarships that other people can and will give to Western, we can all be a part of your dream, of the American Dream, of Western’s dream — and that is a great joy,” Susan Belcher said.

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WCU basketball coach steps down after 13 seasons spent at least 10 years at the NCAA Division I level.

Among active NCAA head coaches, Hunter currently ranks eighth in overall career victories with 702.

"Sometimes when you've been at one place for a number of years, it's just time for new leadership, a new voice," said Hunter in a statement on Sunday morning. "In the 13 years that I've been associated with Western Carolina University, I've seen a tremendous positive change at both the university and within the athletics department — and it's been fun to be a part of some of that change.

With regards to the men's basketball program, I was brought here to add some stability and do things the right way. I feel during my time in Cullowhee, we’ve done just that.

But, at this time, I feel that it's time for some new team leadership."

A national search for Western Carolina's next men's basketball head coach will begin immediately.

School safety discussion launches in Jackson

nity as the formation of a drug culture.

The event is co-sponsored by WCU’s Honors College, College of Health and Human Sciences, and departments of Philosophy and Religion, and Anthropology and Sociology.

The talk is part of the Jerry Jackson Lecture in the Humanities series. For more information, contact Amy McKenzie in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at 828.227.3852 or amckenzie@wcu.edu.

Lecture to focus on 'ritual remedies'

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority wants to remind the community that the April 1 deadline for festival and event advertising grant applications for the 2018-19 fiscal year is fast approaching.

TDA grants are used to assist with advertising events and projects that generate overnight visits and increase tourism along with enhancing visitors’ experiences to Jackson County. Funding comes from occupancy tax collected in Jackson County that is reinvested in the local communities through the grant program.

Various requirements have changed for this year’s grant process, so it is to start the process early so that the deadline is met. If assistance is needed for the application process, applicants are encouraged to contact Tourism Development Authority Executive Director, Nick Breedlove.

Applications must be received by April 1 for consideration in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. Copies of grant applications, guidelines and submission details are available online at www.JacksonCountyTDA.com.

For more information, contact Breedlove at 828.848.8711 or director@discoverjacksonnc.com.

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A Bucknell University faculty member will visit the campus of Western Carolina University to deliver a lecture titled “Ritual Remedies: Drugs and Medicine in Early Christianity.”

John Penniman, assistant professor of religious studies at Bucknell, will speak at 5 p.m. Monday, March 12, in WCU’s Niggli Theatre.

During his talk, Penniman will consider early Christian rituals as “medical events,” emphasizing the pharmacological effects attributed to the substances employed in ritual practices such as anointing with oil, drinking wine and eating bread. He will examine what it might mean to think of the development of the early Christian commu-

Deadline nears for Jackson tourism grants

INDOOR FLEA MARKET AT THE OLD ARMORY March 7-13, 2018

Students and community members in Jackson County will come together in a forum to discuss school safety at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 14, in the auditorium of Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva.

The Jackson County Board of Education and Jackson County Public Schools Superintendent Kim Elliott will attend and listen to comments from those in attendance.

The following day, the Board of Education and the Jackson County Commissioners will hold a joint meeting to discuss improvements to school safety at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 15, in the Heritage Room of the Jackson County Department on Aging. Part of that meeting may be closed session in order to prevent any sensitive security information from becoming public.

Larry Hunter. WCU photo

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Larry Hunter recently announced that he is stepping down as the Western Carolina head men's basketball coach with the completion of the 2017-18 season.

Hunter, who just wrapped up his 13th season at the head of the Catamount program, was named the head coach of WCU men's basketball in April 2005.

"We are so very grateful and thank Larry for his hard work and dedication to our men's basketball program during his career in Cullowhee," said WCU Director of Athletics Randy Eaton.

With over 700 career victories on his coaching résumé, Hunter's 38-year head coaching career spanned three different universities with each stop featuring 12-plus years of service. He is just one of 40 NCAA men's basketball coaches all-time to eclipse the 700-career win plateau, doing so this season in a convincing, 88-71, home win over Samford on Feb. 3, 2018. Hunter is one of just 29 head coaches on that list that

Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News 828 | 452 | 4251

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

‘Your everlasting summer. You can see it fading fast’

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against the other two, curled up in one corner of the elevator in a fetal position, her book fanned out in her lap like some exotic pet made from paper. The elevator is equipped with a stereo, but when you turn on Steely Dan or John Coltrane, your three follow travelers spring to life in one motion, like synchronized swimmers, showering you with complaints — and more Disney lyrics.

“Can you turn that down? This music is stressing me out!”

“Can you see that I am trying to sleep over here?”

Columnist “When a mermaid comes to Ursula, she always gets her man!”

Even though I am bored out of my gourd, at least we are making good time. It has been nearly an hour, and nobody has asked to…

“Oh good, there’s an exit. I need to pee.”

“You absolutely do not. You could have gone on sleeping like that for another three hours at least.”

“Well now I’m awake. And now I need to pee.”

“Your bladder is the size of a walnut. No, a Grape-nut.

Can’t you just go back to sleep?”

“Yes, right after I pee.”

“Dad, can we go through Taco Bell?”

“No, Jack!” His sister turns on him, as if he’d just suggested that we move to Saudi Arabia. “It is MY turn to pick and I pick Chick-fil-A.” “It’s not even 9:30 yet,” I say, attempting to restore order.

“Eat a breakfast bar.”

“We forgot to bring them. How about some Gummy Worms?”

We pull into the service station and everybody but me piles out. No need to top off the tank — the needle isn’t even down to three-quarters yet. I get out to see if the bungee cords are holding firm and the tires all look like they are inflated to regulation pressure. An older couple in matching T-shirts comes out of the store holding matching cups of coffee, taking note of

Chris Cox

alf the battle is just getting out of the house and on the road. Whenever we travel, we all understand that if we need to leave at 8 a.m., we will pretend that we really have to leave at 7 a.m. so that we can actually lave by 8:45 a.m.

We set the alarm clock an hour earlier than any sane person would deem necessary, more than enough time to pack the car, eat a nutritious breakfast, run through the checklist of things that need to be turned on and things that need to be turned off, water the plants, leave a note for the house sitter so excruciatingly detailed that it resembles a manuscript, and say ‘goodbyes’ to our pets in a fashion that is so cute and so urgent that they seem confused, and probably alarmed, at what is unfolding here in front of them.

“Does anybody need to pee?” I say as members of the family file by clutching their paperbacks and headphones. “I swear if anyone asks me to stop to pee before we get to Old Fort, I’m going to pull my hair out.”

“Too late for that,” my son Jack says.

“Then I’ll pull yours out,” I say. “Get back in there and pee right now. All of you, march back into that house and pee, even if you think you don’t need to. And grab some breakfast bars. We are not — and I repeat NOT — stopping for at least two or three hours.”

I might as well admit that I hate stopping when we travel.

Yes, I see you reaching into your basket of clichés — “stop and smell the roses”; “it’s about the journey, not the destination”; “be present in every moment” — but you have not traveled in close quarters with these people, these people who I love more than the heights my soul can reach yada yada yada, but who nevertheless are specialists in making me utterly crazy when we spend somewhere between four to 14 hours confined in a space that is no bigger than the average elevator.

Would you want to spend eight to 10 hours with the same three people in such close quarters? Now imagine that one of those people spent two consecutive hours singing songs from Disney movies. Imagine another one periodically screaming epithets at his phone, profoundly angered by some injustice inflicted on him by one of his apps. Imagine the third person, the one you turn to for protection (“shelter from the storm”)

our packed car.

“Where y’all headed?” the man asks.

“Edisto Beach,” I say.

“Whew, you got a ways to go,” he said.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

I figure conservatively that our pit stop should take somewhere between six to eight minutes, and that’s allowing for moderate traffic in the women’s restroom and a couple of people in front of them at the register. I can envision my daughter weighing the merits of various packs of gummy things, my son working his mom like a carnival barker for a slushy and maybe a hot dog. At 12 minutes, I resolve to stop counting, smell the damn roses, turn on some Steely Dan, and lean the seat back.

“But you wouldn’t know a diamond If you held it in your hand.”

Just when I’m about to reel in the years, the doors are yanked open on all sides all at once. More groans issue inside, contaminating my Steely Dan cocoon.

“Can you turn on some good music at least?” says my daughter, who wouldn’t know a good song if she held it her hand.

“Or how about some quiet? I’d like to read a while, I think.”

My son pays no attention. He is already finding another game on his phone, fishing around for the charger with one hand and holding his slushy with the other.

I merge back onto I-40 East. With any luck, we might get near Columbia before stopping for lunch. To humor myself, I start forming words out of the signs.

“Morganton.” Grant. Torn. Rant…

“Honey, I think I left my purse back at that convenience store. I think there’s an exit just a little ways up. You love me, right?”

Moat. Gnat. Ram. Art. Smell the roses, smell the roses. It’s all about the journey.

“Your everlasting summer, You can see it fading fast.

So you grab a piece of something That you think is gonna last.”

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher. jchriscox@live.com)

Psychologists, counselors and nurses will make schools safer

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shooting in Florida, we must also revisit our need for school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers. We have one school counselor for every 375 students; this is 50 percent more than the recommended ratio of one counselor for every 250 students. The nationally recommended ratio Guest Columnist for school psychologists is one for every 700 students. Currently, the North Carolina ratio is one for every 2,100 students — each one is serving three times as many students as

Virginia Jicha

was in the process of writing about the need for school nurses when the Parkland school shooting happened on Valentine’s Day. As the President of the North Carolina Parent Teacher Association and an educator, I know that we have too few nurses per students — leaving many schools with a nurse one day a week or less and with teachers and administrators needing to respond to health emergencies and manage the daily needs of our children’s many chronic health needs.

Each school nurse in the state serves an average of 1,112 students, serving far more students than the federally recommended ratio of one nurse per 750 students.

We need more school nurses and it is a worthwhile investment, but after the school

is recommended for comprehensive services.

There are also far too few school social workers serving far too many students; the state average is one school social worker for every 1,719 students, nearly five times the national recommendation of one for every 250 students.

When there are not enough nurses, counselors, psychologists, and social workers in our schools, teachers and principals inevitably fill those roles to the best of their abilities. They are not professionals in these areas, and time spent providing these ancillary services is time not spent teaching our children and preparing them to be curious and innovative forces in our state’s future.

Without enough nurses, counselors, psychologists, and social workers in our schools,

there are simply not enough professionals keeping our students healthy and safe.

NCPTA is the state’s oldest and largest volunteer organization advocating for the education, health, safety and success of all children and youth while building strong families and communities. As we discuss class sizes and school safety, let’s discuss the role of these professions in allowing educators to teach, students to learn, and schools to be safe. As we discuss what successful schools, strong families, and healthy communities look like, let’s discuss fully funding and staffing these important jobs in our schools.

Our children deserve it.

(Virginia Jicha is president of the North Carolina Parent-Teachers Association. virginia@ncpta.org)

online at: smokymountainnews.com or facebook.com/smnews

Liberals have lost touch with reality

Our senators are bought and paid for

Time to take back the NRA

Saturday, March 17, 4:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Downtown Franklin-Start and Stop Anywhere on the Trail Must purchase a $5 Trail Bundle to participate 9 Awesome Participating Businesses: Currahee Brewing Co., Freedom Taxi, Lazy Hiker Brewing Co., Mixers Bar & Nightclub, Motor Co. Grill, Mulligans Bar & Grille, Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub, Rock House Lodge, and Root + Barrel Kitchen

*Catch the Shamrock Shuttle around town from 8 p.m.-11p.m. *Food & drink specials *Exciting raffle prize, valued at $160 *Starting March 13, visit the Rathskeller to purchase your $5 Trail Bundle For additional info, check out the St. Patrick's Day Beer Trail event on Facebook.

1-800- V I S I T

Smoky Mountain News

To the Editor: I would like to add some additional comments to Martin Dyckman’s guest column in the Feb. 21 Smoky Mountain News.

It is true that the National Rifle Association executives and official “spokespersons” drive the debate on common sense gun regulation.

However, it is a sad commentary on the quality of leadership of the NRA and the politicians they have “bought” that the most irrational opinions on how to prevent another mass shooting in our schools were made by Wayne LaPierre, NRA president, and other spokespersons for the NRA. It should be particularly embarrassing to the 66 percent or so of the rank-and-file members of the NRA that support common sense gun regulations that the most articulate and common sense comments have come from the teenagers who survived the latest incident at Parkland School, and not their organization’s leadership.

It is clear that the leadership of the NRA speaks for the gun manufacturers and not the majority of sportsmen who make up the rank-and-file membership. It is also clear

constituents. Show up at town halls and visit their local offices and tell them the same thing.

Third, you need to follow the voting record of both your state and federal representatives in government. We have known at least since Columbine that our representatives talk a lot and offers prayers and sympathy but they only vote the money. Follow how your representatives vote and ignore what they say. It is how they vote that gets action. All votes have to be recorded and are public record. You can look them up the Senate and House websites. Do the work to be informed about their actions not their newsletters and photo ops and promise to hold them accountable in future elections.

Vote your conscience, not your fear, for the safety of all our children. Most of all vote! It is the most powerful thing you can do to protect our children.

Jane Harrison Haywood County resident and former social studies teacher

March 7-13, 2018

To the Editor: Our state’s senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, have consistently opposed event he most modest form of gun reform.

As reported in The Charlotte Observer, Burr received nearly $7 million from the National Rifle Association while Tillis received $4.5 million. Only one other U.S. senator received more from the NRA than Burr.

Only three, including Burr, received more than Tillis. Both have A+ ratings on legislation supported by the NRA. These are our guys in the Senate. Bought and paid for.

Robert Michael Jones Sylva

that our congressional delegation also votes the money and not the wishes of their constituents.

If you believe in the Second Amendment, you believe in sensible gun regulation, just like the Founding Fathers who wrote it did.

Here is the full text of Second Amendment as written in our Constitution: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (look it up if you think I am lying). Clearly, the authors of this amendment thought that having regulations did not “infringe” on your right to own guns. Even Justice Antonin Scalia, like the Founding Fathers, believed the “right to bear Arms” was not limitless.

If you are a hunter of any sort, you also believe in sensible gun regulations. All states have rules that regulate hunting in the interest of public safety, safety for those hunting and for sustainable game numbers so future generations have something to hunt. All states have rules that regulate: • The time of year, the time of day, the places you can hunt and the daily limit you can have in your possession and the type of license you must have.

• The type of weapon you can use to hunt various game, the number of rounds in the gun and the type of bullets you can use-no military type weapons and exploding bullets.

• How you can use dogs in the hunt, what type “call” can be used to lure game and what if any type of “baiting” can be done.

If you duck hunt for example, you can only use a shotgun with a limit of three shells in the chamber at a time, the pellets in the shell have to be non-toxic and there is a daily limit of six birds in specific combinations. Extended magazines or exploding bullets are not permitted for any game. Has anyone come to take your gun because of these rules?

My question for NRA sportsmen is why are you willing to follow these regulations for things like ducks and deer but you are not willing to give our children the same kinds of protective regulations? Why does LaPierre freak out if anyone mentions regulations on assault style weapons as a violation of the Second Amendment rights but does not say a word about hunting regulations infringing on your Second Amendment rights?

I know why LaPierre does it. He speaks only for the gun manufacturers’ money, but uses your membership to claim he is speaking for all NRA members. He is usurping your votes to leverage power for the gun makers while turning your NRA organization into a fringe element.

If you are a member of the 66 percent of rank- and-file members supporting common sense gun regulation to protect our children and public safety in general, there are three things you need to do right now to support the latest teenage victims’ call to action.

First, you need to begin today to organize the 66 percent to take back your organization from the executives owned by the gun manufacturers. Vote anyone support-

ing manufacturers out of office and elect executives that will take the NRA back to its original mission of promoting responsible gun ownership, gun safety for all, education and responsible shooting sports, many of which are Olympic events.

Sixty-six percent is a two-thirds majority of the membership, which should be enough to vote the current executives out but you need to speak out and get actively involve. How many more children have to die to move you to action?

Second, you need to be calling your state and federal senators and representatives at least weekly demanding they vote for common sense gun regulations to give your children and grandchildren at least as much protection as ducks and deer. Remind them that you are part of the 66 percent of rankand-file NRA members who want common sense gun regulations and will only vote for people that support those measures. Tell them to quit going for the money and do their jobs of representing the will of their

opinion

To the Editor: In reference to a recent article I read in The Smoky Mountain News, maybe if you took time to listen to Fox News it would educate you some. Common sense, instead of fake news, would help you realize President Trump loves our country, our flag and bringing back companies to America for jobs.

Liberals like yourself must be out of touch with reality. Trump will drain the swamp. It’s a disgrace what has happened to our country that we are so full of hatred to each other. Sad. We are living in a lost world because of Washington, D.C., liberals. Shame on you, too.

Nan Smith Waynesville

LETTERS

Discover the state you’re in.

NC

W W W. V I S I T N C . C O M .

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WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

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

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

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 twitter.com/ChurchStDepot

facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

Retail Restaurant LIVE Music

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

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

March 7-13, 2018

SATURDAY, MARCH 10 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16 James Hammel guitar, vocals.

Jazz, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 Retail OPEN, 10am-6pm.

Restaurant CLOSED SATURDAY, MARCH 24 Retail OPEN, 10am-6pm.

Restaurant CLOSED

Smoky Mountain News

828-452-6000 • classicwineseller.com 20 Church Street, Waynesville, NC

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. It’s winter, but we still serve three meals a day on Friday, Saturday and long holiday weekends. Join us for Breakfast from 8:00 to 9:30am; Lunch from 12 to 2:00pm; and Dinner featuring entrees such as prime rib, Virginia ham and lime-marinated chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. And a roaring fire in the fireplace.

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

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

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

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh hand-cut fries.

Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

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

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

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

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet.

Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

DELLWOOD FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT 651 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville.

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

You’ll be glad you did! Closed Wednesdays.

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

Open daily for dinner at 4:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday Brunch from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner from 4:30-9:30 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials. Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our

chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA 243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

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

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.

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St., Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

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

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

Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

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

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

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

828.586.3555. Open Monday through

Fri. Night 10 oz.

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

Sunday: 12pm-6pm Tue-Thurs 3pm-8pm Fri-Sat: 12pm-9pm Monday: Closed AT BEARWATERS BREWING

101 PARK ST. CANTON 828.492.1422

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

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.

PIGEONRIVERGRILLE.COM

828.454.5400

128 N. Main Street Downtown Waynesville

fireflytapsandgrill.com

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

Join us Sat., March 17 for St. Patrick's Day fun!

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

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

Closed Tues.

Sun. 12-9 p.m.

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

tasteTHEmountains Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch.

Beer and wine. Free movies Thursday trought Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows.

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

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

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

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

PIGEON RIVER GRILLE 101 Park St., Canton.

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

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

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201 Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, J-Creek area, and Lake Junaluska.

Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. country buffet and salad bar from 5 to 9 p.m. $11.95 with Steve Whiddon on piano.

Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8 p.m. 11:30 to 3 p.m. family style, fried chicken, ham, fried fish, salad bar, along with all the fixings, $11.95.

Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com SPEEDY’S PIZZA 285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800.

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

RESTAURANT

& GIFT SHOP

Featuring a Full Menu with Daily Specials

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.

3589 SOCO RD. MAGGIE VALLEY

828.926.1820

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY 32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

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

Joe Cat 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com

monday - chicken pot pie Tuesday - meatloaf Thursday - chicken & dumplings Friday - Fried Fish eaT KidS e e r Fn TueSdaySyinG o pa d per 1 cHil adu lT

Breakfast Served daily 8am-12pm (Sat. 7am-12pm) lunch & dinner Served daily 11am-8pm cloSed WedneSday 2651 dellwood rd.

Waynesville 828.944.0010 now Hiring experienced cooks!

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT Daily Specials: Soups, Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

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

Breakfast : Omelets, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy!

Real New Yorkers.

Real Italians. Real Pizza.

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

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

Breakfast served all day!

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

For palatable results!

Live Music Featuring

Homemade daily SpecialS

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

Just to serve you!

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

Open Sundays Noon to 8p.m.

Advertise here.

Smoky Mountain News

828.452.4251 www.smokymountainnews.com

828-476-5058 NEW LOCATION OPEN!

Smoky Mountain News

MARCH 10th • 7 to 9

reSTauranT

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.

PRIVATE DINING ROOM AVAILABLE FOR EVENTS Monday-Sunday 7:00-2:00pm Closed Tuesday

FarmHouSe

March 7-13, 2018

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Smoky Mountain News

The gold in the mountain of our madness A conversation with Wayne Coyne

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER or the last 35 years, the Flaming Lips have gone from a fringe rock act in Oklahoma to a highly-sought-after entity in mainstream musical circles. The live performances are utterly mesmerizing, encompassing a euphoric sense of vaudeville theatre and a rekindling of one’s childlike wonder.

It’s not that the band and its front man Wayne Coyne changed what they were doing to appeal to flash-in-the-pan trends and changing tastes. It’s that the center of the melodic universe has become increasingly closer to wherever Coyne & Co. stand sonically.

Onstage, the Lips, through a life-altering visual experience, represent the intersection of the human condition, where you as the listener are posed with the timeless question — do you choose love or do you choose hate?

In a modern world seemingly gone mad, Coyne stands in front of the microphone as a beacon of truth and consequence, his vulnerability radiating outward amid the moments shared between the musician and the audience. It’s an eternal connection aimed at creating positive change once the show comes to a close and we all head back into our own separate realities, now brought that much closer together in a society where common ground will outweigh division.

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Smoky Mountain News: What are your thoughts since [the Parkland, Florida] shooting?

Wayne Coyne: It seems like a year now we’ve all said, “Someone should do something.” Nobody wants to stand up and change anything.

And we realize there’s two freedoms that are battling each other here — the freedom to be as insane as you want and the freedom to have your guns. And the parallels between the two, the idea that these insane people can get these guns, we’re running into the dilemma. And the dilemma of policing people’s mind, we’re never going to be able to that. The worst nightmare that could of ever happen because of these stupid gun laws that we have is already happening. There’s nothing to fear, it’s all here now. Don’t fear the future — it’s as bad as it could be.

SMN: When placed in the modern context, [the Lips’ 2006 album “At War With The Mystics”] doesn’t gather any dust [politically speaking]…

WC: Music is a great place to sort of put your frustration into. I think it does allow us all to have a great thing to sing about. Part of it is that music doesn’t really change this “higher, aggressive thing.” Music is really meant for us passive, sensitive people to share an idea with. But, passionate, sensitive people aren’t the ones out there that need to be changed. We know that, we know the difference between singing songs about our frustration and then actually doing something about it. We were making, what we thought at the time, was ridiculous protest music, which is what I thought a lot of original hippy protest music was like. It sounded so cool, sounded so aggressive, sounded so freaky, that it would take you a lot of listens to understand that something like “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath is an anti-war song — it was so genius. But, whoever [“War Pigs”] was turning on, wasn’t going out and stopping the [Vietnam War]. They were having a war inside their minds [if] they were “loving.” But, I think we were making music in the same way. This frustration was being vented, yet it added to the frustration because you’re singing about something you can’t stop, singing about something you don’t understand. If you’re listening to Flaming Lips music, I’m not that concerned that you’re out there changing the world in a bad way.

SMN: And once it’s released it’s out of your hands of how it’s interpreted…

WC: Exactly. Most of our music gets interpreted for the better, makes us seem smarter, kinder and everything probably more than we really

Wayne Coyne, lead singer of Flaming Lips. George Salisbury photo are. And occasionally, it probably makes us seem more shallow and stupid than [we] are. It’s usually somewhere in the middle.

SMN: What has a life immersed in music and creating, in traveling the world and meeting people, taught you about what it means to be a human being?

WC: For me, growing up thinking of being a painter or an artist, my personality was a lot more introverted. I was lucky that little-by-little I would be able to go against this desire to be by myself or to make art in solitude. And I think without being in a group that got to travel the world and had to confront all kinds of things and meet all kinds of people, I probably would never have been open to it, and even seen it. All of these experiences, if you’re lucky, can really change you into having a great understanding and empathy of everything in the world.

Something great happens to someone, you go, “Oh man, that’s wonderful.” And something horrible happens, [you go,] “I can relate to it.” You don’t sit there in jealousy or sit there and not be concerned, because everybody is sharing the same life as you — that’s what you find out if you travel and are open to it, try[ing] to really understand what you’re doing in the moment.

Editor’s Note: Flaming Lips will be performing on Friday, March 9, at The Orange Peel in Asheville. For more information, visit www.theorangepeel.net. To listen to the full, free audio stream of this conversation, go to YouTube and search: “Wayne Coyne Garret K. Woodward.”

“All of these experiences, if you’re lucky, can really change you into having a great understanding and empathy of everything in the world.”

— Wayne Coyne

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Rock/pop act Modern Strangers will perform during a special “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva.

When you’re young — full of Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host confusion about the ways and John the Revelator (rock/blues) at 9:30 p.m. means of a “stable adulthood,” Saturday, March 10. amid a hazy sense of what and who you are (or hope to become) A celebration of the late, iconic singer, “Ricky — the idea of clarity is someNelson Remembered” will hit the stage at thing you desperately want to 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Smoky find and obtain.

Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in What “they” (elders, respectFranklin. ed or a lack thereof ) don’t tell Journalist Holly Kays will host a reading for her you is that clarity is a doublebook Shadows of Flowers at 6:30 p.m. edged sword — you got the Thursday, March 15, at the Jackson County answers (the results and so on) Public Library in Sylva. to hard truths, but usually to internal questions you didn’t Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Redleg know about or were to Huskey (Americana) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, afraid/oblivious to ask.

March 10.

There’s something about this time of the year that kick starts meates through the music. my thought process. The weather is transiThe tune wafted through my apartment, tioning from the depths of a lonely, cold winlike a crisp early spring breeze on a day ter into the inevitable rebirth of the new when the only warmth is found while standyear, at least in terms of the schedule/calening directly in the afternoon sunlight, “And dar that Mother Nature follows. ain’t it hard / To find a sound that suits a When the song “Talkin’ to John About northern town / When it’s not snowing? / And the Weather” (Eastbound Jesus) came over the stereo this week, the melody evoked such ain’t it hard for you to sing / About the whiskey that you drink / When it’s not flowing? / And a deep sentiment of time and place within ain’t it hard down in the dirt / When you’re me. The Upstate New York group is the epitburied in the herd / And you’re trying to find a ome of a North Country band, where the word just to show it? / And ain’t it hard to keep notion of a constant survival mode and on rolling?” pride in “getting by, hell or high water” per-

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March 7-13, 2018

‘Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again’

MARCH SCHEDULE arts & entertainment

This must be the place

Ah, that feeling when you know you’re at a crossroads in your life, eh? It happens every so often to all of us. You try to not think about it or acknowledge it. But, it’s always there, in the back of your head, seamlessly creeping into your thoughts when the drive home takes a little longer than usual, and yet you’re in no hurry to get on with your “regularly scheduled program.”

So, I did what anybody else would do in this situation — I took off. Come Friday afternoon, once “my ducks” were in order in our Waynesville newsroom, I snuck out, jumped into the truck, and bolted for the horizon (aka: my best friend’s house in Knoxville).

In the last year, my “brother-from-another-mother” got married, bought a house, and is now settling into a great life with his incredible wife, also a dear friend. I got ordained and married the two of them, which I was reminded off amid the numerous happy wedding photos around their home, tucked away in the hills of suburbia just outside the bright lights of “The Marble City.”

I hadn’t seen them since around Thanksgiving. We caught up on “this, that, and the other.” We went out for dinner and drinks, crossing paths with an array of familiar, beloved faces from my years of running around Knoxville. It was good to chat and interact with those folks, where I was constantly reminded of just how important it is to surround yourself with sincere people who radiate good vibrations, hopefully that complement your own.

A subconscious long-time tradition, my best buddy and I found ourselves face-toface in a back-corner booth at a nearby Waffle House on Saturday morning. It was a meeting of the minds, myself laying down the cards of what was currently bothering me or, at least, keeping me up at night.

Living up to the job description of “best friend,” he looked at the deck I was holding and — like clockwork — put together the puzzle while taking a bird’s eye view of my existence. It never ceases to amaze me how you can seemingly solve all of the world’s problems (or yours at least) over coffee and eggs enjoyed in gusto, in the presence of those who know you the best and love you the most.

Perhaps a cosmic coincidence, my CD of Bob Dylan’s greatest hits found its way into my hands, ultimately my truck stereo, when I rolled out of Knoxville Monday morning. I let the album spin in its entirety, each melody somehow a plotted point of youth, adolescence, young adulthood and plain ole adulthood thereafter, as only Dylan himself could write and sing.

Rocketing down Interstate 40 West, back to Haywood County, back to my humble abode, the majestic Great Smoky Mountains appeared like a vision. And it was in that moment Dylan’s immortal “Tangled up in Blue” echoed out the speakers, “Don’t know how it all got started / I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives / But me, I’m still on the road / Headin’ for another joint / We always did feel the same / We just saw it from a different point / Of view / Tangled up in blue…”

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

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

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

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

Haywood Community Band rehearsals

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

The new season of free concerts by the Haywood Community Band will begin on May 20 at the Maggie Valley Community Pavilion.

For the performers though, rehearsals start at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at Grace Episcopal Church on Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville.

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The community band, founded in 2002, is open to all residents who played a band instrument in the past. There are no auditions.

If you are interested in playing with the band, call Band President Rhonda Wilson Kram at 828.456.4880 or email her at www.stonecottageshoppe@hotmail.com.

Modern Strangers to rock Innovation

Celtic Concert in Bryson City The Smoky Mountain Community Theatre will be presenting its 10th annual “Celtic Concert” with Bean Sidhe at 7 p.m.

Friday, March 16, in Bryson City.

Bean Sidhe (pronounced Banshee) plays traditional Celtic tunes and ballads using acoustic instruments covering a broad range of folk music from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

The group organized in 1998 and is the only Celtic band in Western North Carolina that has continued to play together for that long. Bean Sidhe was started out of a desire to study and explore the uplifting traditional music that came to America with our ancestors. It’s an attempt to keep alive the musical heritage that influenced much of our contemporary music, especially bluegrass and country.

Tickets are $8 each. For information, call 828.736.3921 or 828.488.8227.

Asheville-based rock/pop act Modern Strangers will perform during a special “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” at 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 17, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva.

A four-piece combo of journeyman musicians, the band takes its varied influences and form them into a “jangle pop juggernaut.” They often draw comparisons to The

The Nelson twins.

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

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

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

Tickets start at $29. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.harrahscherokee.com.

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Tribute to Ricky Nelson A celebration of the late, iconic singer, “Ricky Nelson Remembered” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Nelson was an American rock star, musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. For more than two decades, he was idolized for his per-

newsdesk crafts

arts & entertainment

On the beat

Beatles, Barenaked Ladies, REM, Elvis Costello, Violent Femmes, and The Kinks.

Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night, whether they’re playing originals or quirky covers.

The show is free and open to the public. www.modernstrangers.com or www.innovation-brewing.com.

formances of popular songs such as, “Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart),” “Bye Bye Love,” “Dreamlover,” “Travelin Man” and “I Will Follow You.” In December 1985, Nelson and his band left for a three-stop tour of the Southern United States. Nelson dreaded flying but refused to travel by bus, so the group departed out of Guntersville, Alabama, headed for Dallas, Texas.

Tragically, on New Year’s Eve, the plane crashed northeast of Dallas in De Kalb, Texas. Seven of the nine passengers, including legendary Nelson, were killed.

Nelson left behind four children. His twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, have created a unique multi-media event where they perform some of Ricky Nelson’s hits and share never before seen video footage of their family.

Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets or to find out more information about this or any other show at the center, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

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On the beat

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Nick Prestia (singer-songwriter) March 9, Frank Lee (Americana/folk) March 16, Trippin Hardie (Americana) March 24 and Alma Russ (Americana/folk) March 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. www.facebook.com/balsamfallsbrewing. • Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. March 8 and 15. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host ‘Round the Fire (rock/folk) March 9, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) March 10 and 17. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

Shane Davis (singer-songwriter) March 9, Andalyn (Americana) March 10, The Edwards Brothers March 16 and a “St. Patrick’s Dayâ€? celebrating w/Gopher Broke March 17. There will also be an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Rick Rushing & The Blues Strangers (blues/rock) at 8 p.m. March 17. All shows are free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com. • The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. March 17. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia. • Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers.

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

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Redleg Huskey (Americana) March 10. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.curraheebrew.com.

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

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

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

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

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Bohemian Jean (singer songwriter duo) March 9 and Keil Nathan Smith Band March 10. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

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

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host

Rock legend Alice Cooper will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

The godfather of modern shock rock, Cooper paved the way for future rock acts like KISS and Marilyn Manson. His countless hits include “School’s Out,� “No More Mr. Nice Guy� and “I’m Eighteen.�

For ticket information, call 800.745.3000 or visit www.harrahscherokee.com.

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• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host NW Izzard (blues/soul) March 24 and Shane Meade & The Sound (Americana/rock) March 31. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. • Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (Americana) March 9, John the Revelator (rock/blues) March 10, Andrew Rickman & The No Pressure Band (rock/acoustic) March 16, a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Tonology (rock/acoustic) March 17, DJ Kountry March 23, The Cannonball Jars (Americana) March 24, Chicken Coop Willeye (Americana/bluegrass) March 30 and Modern Strangers (rock) March 31. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Isis Music Hall (Asheville) will host The Sea The Sea 7 p.m. March 7, Beppe Gambetta 7 p.m. March 8, Revelator Hill w/Virginia & The Slims 8:30 p.m. March 8, Brian Ashley Jones 7 p.m. March 9, Big Sound Harbor & Brother Roy 9 p.m. March 9, Ellis Dyson & The Shambles 7 p.m. March 10, Sezessionville Road 5:30 p.m. March 11, Jeff Thompson 7:30 p.m. March 11, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions 7:30 p.m. March 13, Brian Dunne Trio 7 p.m. March 14 and Sammy Miller & The Congregation 8:30 p.m.

March 14. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host Say What? (funk) March 9, Lovely Budz (reggae/rock) March 16, The Maggie Valley Band (Americana) March 23 and Siamese Sound Club (R&B/soul) March 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m.

Harrah’s welcomes Alice Cooper

March 7-13, 2018

ALSO:

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night March 7 and 14, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo March 8 and 15. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

arts & entertainment

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Seriesâ€? with Stuart Fensom (Americana/folk) March 10, 12th Fret (folk/acoustic) March 17, Blue Revue March 23, Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) March 24, Tom Edwards March 30 and Bill Vespian March 31. All shows are free and begin at 5 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

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arts & entertainment

A G U A R A N T E E D G R E AT N I G H T O U T

On the street

Cherokee to open first brewery S COT T Y M CC R EERY M AY 4

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Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

Show(s) subject to change or cancellation. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter casino floor and to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. ©2018, Caesars License Company, LLC.

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In keeping with the long tradition of women within indigenous cultures crafting fermented beverages, Seven Clans Brewing is born.

A female-majority owned business of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian members, will be debuting their “MotherTown Blonde Ale” on Saturday, March 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Wanting to create a refreshing and approachable beer that could be enjoyed by those new to craft beer and enthusiasts alike, “MotherTown” is a malt-forward medium bodied American Blonde Ale, featuring a light floral presence, crisp effervesce, and easy drinkability.

“Our first creation, ‘MotherTown Blonde Ale’ was inspired by our Cherokee homeland and the legendary Cherokee woman, Selu. We are Cherokee, so it’s natural that our artwork and branding reflect a love for our culture and engages our customer with a type of storytelling,” said Morgan Owle-Crisp, president of Seven Clans Brewing. “While this is a contemporary approach to sharing culture, we

endeavor to respectfully and authentically peak the curiosity of our consumers so that they will ultimately seek out their own personal experience with our vibrant Cherokee people and culture.”

Initially, Seven Clans Brewing will be focused on product development and strengthening its brand during the spring of 2018. Seven Clans Brewing has contracted with BearWaters Brewing in Canton to facilitate the brewing process of its recipes until the Seven Clans Brewery is constructed.

“We are thrilled that Harrah’s Cherokee Casino was immediately interested in our beer and it only feels fitting, as a Cherokee owned business, to have our beers on tap there first,” said Collette Coggins, vice president of Seven Clans Brewing.

“MotherTown Blonde Ale” will be available on tap and in cans at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort following the release and Seven Clans Brewing invites you to be part of their story by trying “MotherTown Blonde Ale” beginning March 10.

Follow Seven Clans Brewing on Facebook or visit www.7clansbrewing.com.

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

Celebrating the new spring in the mountains, the festival has become a beloved regional event. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1.

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

On the street

‘American Pickers’ back in WNC

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

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

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

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva.

Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission. For more information, call 828.335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

ALSO:

• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. March 10 and 17 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. March 10 and 17 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

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

March 7-13, 2018

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

The show is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on the History channel. The hit show follows Wolfe and Fritz, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections or accumulations and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.

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

The Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will hold its annual meeting at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 14, at the Shelton House barn on 49 Shelton Street in Waynesville.

Social activities start with refreshments at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting to follow.

Attendees will hear an update from board vice president Jed Lambert on Sarge’s 2017 progress in saving dogs and cats in Haywood County, as well as a report on Sarge’s financials and a preview of events planned for 2018.

The guest speaker will be Doyle Teague, Haywood County director of animal services, who has been instrumental increasing the save rate of animals in the county shelter and helping the county shelter achieve “no kill status,” with a 91 percent live release rate.

Teague will give an update on the new Haywood County Animal Shelter, nearing completion. The meeting will include the election of Sarge’s board members to new terms.

For more information, call 828.246.9050 or visit www.sargeanimals.org. Like Sarge’s on Facebook to see all the happy pet adoption news.

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

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

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

arts & entertainment

Sarge’s annual meeting

Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe.

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Is a Will Enough?

March 14 • 11:30 A.M.-1 P.M. South Western Community College Burrell Building, Sylva NC Reservations Suggested

828.586.4051

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nctrustlawyer.com Wishing You A Happy New Year!

@SmokyMtnNews

28 Maple St. • Sylva

29

arts & entertainment

On the wall

New Franklin art exhibit

HCAC local artist demo As part of Winter Arts Smokies Style in downtown Waynesville, the Haywood County Arts Council will welcome colored pencil artist Patty Coulter to host a demonstration from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 17, in HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.

Coulter, received her BED majoring in Art and her Masters in Art Education from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Chris, and son Chad, stayed in the Athens, Georgia, area where she taught High school art for over 20 years. They retired to Waynesville and built a house here in 2013.

The couple has been active in the Haywood County Arts Council for the last five years, with Patty joining the HCAC Board of Directors in January 2018.

For more information, call 828.452.0593, email info@haywoodarts.org or visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Haywood Arts Council ‘Watercolor & Wax’

March 7-13, 2018

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

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

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

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

• Carol Rollick and Pat Menninger will discuss the process of “Paint Pouring” at 1 p.m. Monday, March 12, at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. The Macon County Art Association general meeting will follow the presentation. This event is open to the public and refreshments will be provided.

For additional information, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.

• Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery. All work is for sale. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com.

Smoky Mountain News

ALSO:

• The Uptown Gallery will hold an “Easter Egg Gourds Workshop” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 17, in Franklin. Cost is $14 for members and $18 nonmembers and includes all materials. For additional information, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.

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

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• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second

Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. You can keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information.

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (March 8) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

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

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

• Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday or from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday. Bring your own materials and join an ongoing drawing course led by gallery artists from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday. For information contact the gallery on 30 East Main St., at 828.349.4607.

An art show by painter Gosia Babcock, “Bold Menagerie” will be on display in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room during the month of March.

“My love of painting started early in life.

Born in Poland, I was raised on a farm, where I took pleasure in caring for the animals. When I was 10, my family moved to America,” Babcock said. “I began painting, and it became my ‘happy place.’ When I painted, I could escape for hours as I found ways to communicate non-verbally. When I painted animals, I could feel them, and give them life. I took comfort in the beauty of

nature that surrounded me.”

Babcock went on to add, “As I have gotten older, I have continued to use painting as my place to relax and lose myself. It is my therapy. Being semi-retired has given me even more opportunities to discover the wealth of subjects and materials available. I love expressing myself on canvas and look forward to sharing my vision of God’s creations including animals, people, scenery and even breathe energy into inanimate objects.”

For more information, contact the artist at gojo818@yahoo.com.

New WCU art installation

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

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

Open year-round, the WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center features a growing permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting regional, national, and international artists. The museum facilitates scholarly research and provides life-long learning opportunities for individuals of all ages by collecting, interpreting, and showcasing crosscultural innovation in contemporary art.

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

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

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

The focal point of the installation is a room-size tent suspended beneath a skylight.

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

On the wall

Want to make Viking axes?

The “Viking Axe Making Class” with Brock Martin will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 17-18 at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

This course is designed to introduce students to axe making using hand tools while learning the metallurgy behind producing a quality tool/weapon. No prior experience required.

Topics covered will include: forging v. stock removal, heat treating and tempering, temperature control v. hammer control, posture, limitations of workability, filing, sanding, sharpening, and more.

They will discuss misconceptions associated with the art and how to fortify proper technique. Students will walk away with a high carbon (high quality), bearded axe akin to those used popularly by Vikings.

Students must wear closed toe shoes (preferably leather), long pants, and cotton clothing, and should bring a lunch. Cost is $380, materials included. To register, call 828.631.0271 or visit www.jcgep.org.

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

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

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

A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 22. www.wcu.edu.

Shelton House ‘Crafter Showcase Program’ The Shelton House in Waynesville has already made plans for its 2018 season, which promises to be filled with events and opportunities for crafters and the community alike.

The second annual “Crafter Showcase Program” will run April through October and will feature local crafters who will display and sell their crafts to the community.

arts & entertainment

Brock Martin

The Shelton House.

The Shelton House will be accepting applications for crafters until March 15, with selections made by March 23.

For more information, visit www.sheltonhouse.org.

Interested in woodcarving?

The next meeting of the Western North Carolina Woodturners Club will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Bascom in Highlands.

Drive across the covered bridge into the parking lot, and come into the main entrance near the covered patio. There will be directions on how to get to the wood turning studio.

Visitors are always welcome. The club meets in Highlands the second Saturday of every month.

March 7-13, 2018

Thursday March 22nd 5:30-7:30pm Laurel Ridge Country Club Smoky Mountain News 31

arts & entertainment

On the stage Boost immunity with elderberry syrup products.

We carry them at Kim’s!

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

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366 RUSS AVE. WAYNESVILLE BiLo Shopping Center

HART winter season continues

One of the bright spots of the winter is the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre Studio Season.

Each year, HART in Waynesville presents a festival of plays in its intimate 60-seat Feichter Studio. The space is located backstage in the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House and for many it’s where the region’s most exciting theater happens.

Shows include: “Mass Appeal” (March 23-April 1) and “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play” (April 6-15).

Tickets are only $10 with general admission seating, but reservations are recommended as many shows regularly sell out. Another

cautionary note, don’t arrive late. Once the show begins, no one can be admitted.

A complete schedule is available on the HART website at www.harttheatre.org.

Season tickets are also available for the winter season. Most shows traditionally run two weekends, but reservations are only taken one week at a time due to possible weather cancellations. Those attending can also dine at Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART prior to the show.

To make reservations or for more information call the HART box office at 828.456.6322. HART is located at 250 Pigeon Street in downtown Waynesville.

Highlands ‘Live via Satellite’

Ildar Abdrazakov, and Ryan Speedo Green complete the stellar cast. Love, secret identities, revenge and assassination take to the stage in this story from ancient Babylon.

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

The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present the MET Opera’s production of Rossini’s “Semiramide: Live via Satellite” at 12:55 p.m. Saturday, March 10.

Beverly Wichman will lead a pre-opera discussion beginning at 12:30 p.m. This masterpiece of dazzling vocal fireworks makes a rare Met appearance — its first in nearly 25 years — with Maurizio Benini on the podium.

The all-star bel canto cast features Angela Meade in the title role of the murderous Queen of Babylon, who squares off in breathtaking duets with Arsace, a trouser role sung

by Elizabeth DeShong. Javier Camarena,

• KIDS at HART will perform “Madagascar Jr. — A Musical Adventure” at 2 p.m.

March 10-11 and 17-18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Direct by Shelia Sumpter. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.harttheatre.org.

ALSO:

facebook.com/smnews 32

Books

Smoky Mountain News

33

Horrific twister is catalyst for insightful novel t was April 5, 1936, Palm Sunday, about nine o’clock in the evening. People were tidying up their kitchens, strolling home from church services, sitting in the local movie theaters, listening to their radios, talking to their neighbors. Just another ordinary spring evening.

Then, nature unleashed hell on Tupelo, Mississippi.

The tornado roared into Tupelo like a freight train, its winds estimated between 261 and 318 miles per hour, and leveled 48 city blocks, about half the town. This monster funnel of wind and rain left behind more than 200 dead and between 800 and 1,000 people injured.

Because officials did Writer not record many of the deaths of black residents, it is likely that the casualty figure was considerably higher. (The one-year-old Elvis Presley was a survivor.)

It was the fourth deadliest tornado in American history.

Some of the events of that day beggar the imagination. The wind caught up an 8-yearold black girl, swept her out of her neighborhood, and threw her dazed but unharmed through a window and into the attic of a house a mile away. Pine needles were driven like nails into the trunks of trees. There were accounts of flying cows. The savage winds carried some of the wreckage into Tennessee.

This horrific event serves as the background for Minrose Gwin’s latest novel, Promise (William Morrow, 2018, 387 pages).

We see this storm through the eyes of two women. Dovey Grand’homme is an aging black laundress who has washed the clothes

Jeff Minick

I

and sheets of white people in the town since she was a child. Though married to Virgil, a good man, Dovey has seen hard times. The worst of her misfortunes has to do with Charlesetta, their only child. After an argu-

ment about her future with Virgil, Charlesetta runs away from home to become a singer in New Orleans, but instead dies there in childbirth. Dovey raises Dreama, her daughter’s child, a bright girl who seems destined for college until she is raped by Son McNabb, a vicious, soul-rotted young white man from a prominent family. Dovey then helps Dreama

A novel about race and relationships in the South Blue Ridge Books, the Haywood County Public Library and Folkmoot are hosting the author Minrose Gwin for a reading and discussion of her new novel, Promise (see accompanying review).

The event will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 16, in the Queen Auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville.

Like the characters in her latest novel, Gwin grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. She began her writing career as a newspaper and wire service reporter in cities throughout the Southeast. Her civil rightsera novel, The Queen of Palmyra, was a “Indy Notable Selection” and a finalist for the John Gardner Fiction Book Award.

Her memoir, Wishing for Snow, tells the story of her mother’s descent into mental illness.

Wearing another hat, Gwin is also the author of cultural and literary studies books that focus on racial injustice. In Remembering Medgar Evers: Writing the Long Civil Rights Movement, she writes of the reverberating impact of the Civil Rights leader’s martyrdom.

with her infant son, Promise, the product of this sexual attack.

Jo McNabb, Son’s sister, provides our other set of eyes. Jo is a teenager who has also faced her share of adversity. Her brother is abusive, her father, a judge, is distant, and her mother, a schoolteacher, suffers from post-partum depression and bouts of insanity after the birth of her baby, Tommy. Jo spends more and more of her time before the storm caring for her mother, helping with the baby, and trying to avoid her brother and his sadistic friends.

The tornado forever changes the lives of these two women and their families. Blown into Gum Pond (many bodies were found here after the tornado, and some were never recovered), Dovey makes her way to shore, finds her house completely destroyed, and sets out through the city in search of her husband, daughter, and grandson.

A slight woman hardly bigger than a child, Dovey again and again faces terrible physical challenges: the disorientation brought by the leveled streets, the corpses, and the shrieks of the wounded and dying, her own wounds, and the racism of certain doctors. As Dovey desperately tries to collect her family, we come to admire her undaunted spirit and her love for Vergil, Dreama, and Promise.

Jo, too, finds herself altered in the wake of the storm. Terribly wounded by a shard of glass in her forehead, largely left to her own devices by her father, Jo fights to keep her mother alive and to care for the baby she has found beneath one of her mother’s crepe myrtle bushes. (Minrose Gwin’s grandmother lived in Tupelo during the tornado and found a dead baby beneath a crepe myr-

tle bush.) Jo wards off an assault from some of her dead brother’s friends, tends as best she can to her mother’s horrible broken leg, and tends to the baby whom she thinks is Tommy.

In her struggles to find milk and to keep the baby warm and dry, Jo grows from a teenage girl to a young woman hardened by her fierce battles on behalf of her infant charge.

In addition to its reflections on race, courage, despair, and grit, Promise gives readers an incredible inside look at the damage this tornado did to Tupelo. Gwin writes of this storm with authority — she has clearly done her research — and couples her knowledge with a fine imagination to give us the devastation wrought by the tornado. At the back of Promise, Gwin includes 15 pages of photographs of Tupelo taken in the wake of the tornado. It is often said “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but in the case of Promise, it is Gwin’s words that truly recreate this disaster. Here, for example, she recounts Dovey’s trek from Gum Pond to her house: “She got up and began to make her way through the dark. Buckets of rain and darkest dark. There was no finding the street and without the street, there was no finding the house. Not a single house left standing … Not a single measly tree neither, just big old holes filled with water where their roots had been. She caught herself just before falling into one.”

Unless we ourselves have lived through a disaster like this one, we forget that the survivors must often struggle to find food, water, shelter, medical care, and safety. Gwin’s accounts of the hunger and privation in this tornado’s aftermath vividly bring home these realities.

Highly recommended.

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

She is also a co-editor of The Literature of the American South and has taught as a professor at universities across the country, most recently the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased at Blue Ridge Books. The price of the ticket includes admission to the event, dessert and beverage, and a $10 coupon toward the purchase of the book.

unexpected friendship, but her life remains paralyzed until a crisis in the wind-swept Wyoming wilderness forces her to confront the past and choose her path into the future.

Shadows of Flowers retails for $12 and is available online at www.paypal.me/hollykays for a $16 payment that includes shipping. www.facebook.com/shadowsofflowers.

Journalist releases debut novel

New book on Transforming Grief

Set amid the windswept prairies of Wyoming and rounded mountains of southwest Virginia, Shadows of Flowers is a debut novel about love, loss and the power of place from award-winning Smoky Mountain News journalist Holly Kays.

Kays will host a reading at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the reading.

It follows the story of Virginia native Dana Stullman, whose world turns upside down when her boyfriend dies in a car accident.

At 22, she finds herself moving across the country to escape reminders of the tragedy and the life that preceded it. Becoming lonelier than she could have imagined, Dana finds solace in an

Clinical psychologist, Dr. Jane Williams will present her book Mysterious Moments: Thoughts That Transform Grief at 3 p.m.

Saturday, March 10, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The book contains 10 stories based on real life experiences of loss. These diverse stories all culminate in the grievers, despite their suffering, experiencing moments of transformative thinking, allowing them to reframe their grief.

Williams has worked with individuals who have suffered trauma, life threatening illnesses and grief for over 25 years. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA and Harvard Medical School.

To reserve copies of Mysterious Moments, call City Lights bookstore at 828.586.9499.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Matt Kirby is now running about 40 miles a week in preparation for the 72-mile Georgia Death Race March 31. Donated photo

ONE MILE AT A TIME Long-distance run will raise money for SCC students in need

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he first time Matt Kirby attempted the 72-mile Georgia Death Race, he almost didn’t finish.

“I had a friend who was at the last aid station,” Kirby recalled. “She had probably pulled out every little carrot that she could to get me out of that aid station and moving again. I think I would have probably quit if it weren’t for my friend being there and pushing me so hard.”

T

He didn’t quit, though. He kept moving, pushing through the “soul-sucking” final 9 miles, dodging basketball-sized boulders and culverts as he ran in the dark, finally crossing the finish line after 28,000 feet of elevation change and 23.5 hours of running.

RUNNING FOR A CAUSE That was last year. And in 2018, Kirby will appear at the starting line once again.

“My time wasn’t what I wanted it to be, so

The Plott Balsam Runners pause for a photo in front of frozen Cullowhee Falls this winter. Donated photo

Join the Plott Balsam Runners This group of runners centered in Jackson County meets weekly for group runs at various trails around the region. The runners typically meet at 1 p.m. and carpool to the trail, arriving back to the meeting place by 5 p.m. The group is open to runners of all ability levels, with more information online at www.plottbalsamrunners.com.

me signing up again — it was more about redemption,” he said.

Redemption for himself, and also for others. This year, Kirby’s running the race to raise money for the Southwestern Community College Student Emergency Fund, which helps students meet unforeseen financial emergencies that could cause them to drop out of school. Last year, the fund disbursed $4,000 — Kirby is hoping to raise $5,000 through his race.

“If they didn’t have this fund, they (the students) might have to drop out, and that’s them not achieving their goal,” Kirby said. “I think the beauty of a community college is it’s all about community.”

Kirby is well acquainted with that mission, having worked with SCC for six years as college liaison for the Jackson County Early College, helping early college students with the transition from high school to higher ed.

“The mission of SCC is to change a life, and working with the early college students I see that there’s a value in education,” Kirby said. “Really, getting an education can set you on a different path.”

In that way, running and education are in a sense analogous. Each new success builds on the ones that came before it, creating a new horizon of possibility.

Five years ago, for instance, Kirby wouldn’t have even considered attempting something like the Georgia Death Race. While he’s been a runner in some capacity or another most of his life, it’s only been in the past several years that he’s started to get really serious about the sport — to the point that over the past three years it’s felt like he’s almost always training for some race or another.

“When my son was born, I’d just got out of grad school, and I sort of focused on being in grad school and had not been in shape,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with a general fit-

ness level, but it sort of morphed into doing crazy things like running long distances.”

And that’s how, in 2017, Kirby found himself crossing the finish line of the Georgia Death Race after nearly 24 hours of constant motion. While most people would consider the mere completion of such an endeavor to be success, Kirby was disappointed. He’d been hoping for a faster finish, and this year, he’ll try again.

“My running mileage was good, but I think the hardest part for me was just how exhausted my mind was,” he said. “It wasn’t so much physical exhaustion. It was just mentally, I was just tired.”

He’s got a goal in mind for the finish line this year, though he wasn’t willing to say exactly what that goal is for fear of psyching himself out of achieving it.

“I will be happy if I finish in 20 hours,” Kirby said. “I have another idea of what I would like to do, but I’d like to keep it close to my chest.”

GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE While Kirby is certainly competitive with himself, always looking to increase his levels of fitness and endurance, he reminds himself that finishing is an admirable goal in and of itself, and that’s the lesson he wants his 6year-old son to learn as he watches his dad train.

“A fitness level, challenging myself, these are kind of normal answers,” he said, “and there’s another side of me that wants to model a stick-to-itiveness for my son. My son sees me training for these races and sees me finishing them, so I’m hoping I’m imparting this idea of sometimes things are hard, sometimes things are miserable, but you keep going and you just get to the finish line.”

Kirby also is working to get others to that

Plant sale continues in Haywood

Donate to the cause Support Matt Kirby in his fundraising run to help Southwestern Community College students facing financial emergencies by donating at www.southwesterncc.edu/Foundation.

Contact Kathy Posey for assistance at k_posey@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4227.

finish line. Last January, he founded the Plott Balsam Runners, a group of runners in and around Jackson County that gets together for weekly Sunday afternoon runs.

second group, the Sole Destroyers, is an after-school running club for SCC students.

“We don’t have sports at our school unfortunately. We’re working on that, but these are all active kids that tend to like to run or play other sports like ultimate, so we started this up to fill that void,” he said.

For Kirby, doing without running would certainly create a void. As the March 31 race draws closer, he’s doing everything he can to fit in as many miles as he can in preparation for the grueling run. His average has been 40 miles a week — lower than what one might expect given the length of the race, but in training Kirby goes for qual-

Matt Kirby’s son accompanies him through the finish line during the Pineland Farms 50K in Maine. Donated photo

A proposal to add two weeks to the bear-hunting season in North Carolina’s Mountain Bear Management Unit didn’t pass muster during an N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission meeting held Feb. 28 in Raleigh.

However, the Commission did decide to enact several changes to deer hunting rules.

“Throughout the public hearing process, the Commission received passionate, well-articulated concerns from constituents regarding the cultural and traditional impacts of proposed deer season changes,” reads a press release from the Wildlife Commission. “Commissioners carefully weighed those comments along with biological information.”

In the end, the Commission decided to enact the following deer season changes:

n Implement a statewide bag limit of two antlered and four anterless deer. n Restrict the Bonus Anterless Deer Harvest Report Card to the Urban Archery Season only. n Allow Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) participants to retain harvest flexibility. n Shift either-sex days to the beginning of the Introductory, Conservative and Moderate Gun Either-Sex Seasons. n Move Polk, Rutherford and Cleveland Counties to the Northwestern Deer Season, and retain the Moderate Gun Either-Sex Season.

The Commission also adopted rules to align bear hunting seasons in the Coastal Bear Management Unit with the five bear hunting zones with one modification: moving Pamlico County into Zone 5 of the coastal unit.

A table of upcoming season dates, approved by the Commission, is online at www.ncwildlife.org/blog/changes-in-regulations-for-2018-2019.

outdoors

The ordering deadline is approaching for the annual plant sale sponsored by the Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association, with all manner of edible and native plants available by advance order.

Offerings include berries, asparagus, fruit trees, nut trees and native plants including perennials to attract pollinators, sold at prices the association describes as “exceptional.” Due to popular demand, perennial plants will be significantly larger than in previous sales, with most in one-gallon containers.

Order forms are available at the Haywood Extension office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville, by calling 828.456.3575 or via email to mgarticles@charter.net. Orders are pre-paid and due by March 16. Edibles will be available for pickup April 7 and native plants will arrive May 19.

Proceeds will fund education-related horticulture projects in Haywood County.

Wildlife Commission votes on management changes

Franklin community garden taking applications Garden space is available in Franklin, with the Macon County Community Garden Committee now taking applications for plots in the 2018 Community Garden.

Spaces are tilled and 500 square feet each. Gardeners must supply their own fertilizer, seeds and plants, with a request that each gardener donate a portion of his or her produce to Macon County Care Net. The community garden is in its seventh season and has grown to 24 spaces from an initial 16 spaces. Plots will be available by May 1.

For an application, call the Macon County Cooperative Extension Center at 828.349.2046.

March 7-13, 2018

ity of miles over quantity. He looks for sharp uphills accompanied by severe downhills, with strength training thrown in to further work those muscles.

“Having a family and a full-time job makes that about as many miles as I can squeeze in, but I try to make them quality miles,” he said.

Forty miles is a lot of miles, as is 72 miles or 50K or any of the other formidable distances Kirby has found himself covering.

And while he enjoys the challenge, he’s quick to say that being the fastest or the strongest or the toughest runner isn’t the most important goal.

“It’s not about that,” he said. “You’re outside — that’s what matters.”

Smoky Mountain News

Since the group began, its membership has grown to about 40 people, with about half of those what Kirby considers to be active members.

“It just sort of happened,” Kirby said of the group. “And it was great. I had a plan and I had a vision, but to see it come through was kind of amazing.”

Runners of all different ability levels make up the group — ultra runners and mid-distance joggers, road runners and trail pounders. This year, the group is organizing its first race, a half marathon scheduled for Dec. 1 in Panthertown Valley, near Cashiers.

And that’s just one of two running groups that Kirby launched in 2017. The

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outdoors

Learn to swim An upcoming series of classes will provide both adults and children with the chance to learn to swim. Classes will be held Monday through Wednesday, March 12-14 and March 19-21, at Reid Gymnasium pool at Western Carolina University.

Mike Creason instructs a young swimmer.

March 7-13, 2018

WCU photo

n A swim refresher class for children will be offered each night from 6:30 to 7:20 p.m., geared toward beginning to advanced swimmers who are at least 5 years old. n A class for adults will be offered 7:30 to 8:20 p.m. each night, with instruction appropriate for adults who want to overcome fear of water and those who have minimal swimming skills but want to learn proper techniques and develop survivor skills.

Instructor Michael Creason is retired from WCU’s health, physical education and recreation faculty and is an American Red Cross-certified instructor. He has taught swimming for more than 40 years. $59 for each class series with a pre-registration deadline Friday, March 9. Register at 828.227.7397 or www.swim.wcu.edu.

Contact Creason with class content questions at 828.293.5364.

Cycle Sylva

Smoky Mountain News

A weekly 25-mile cycling ride covering the back roads from Sylva to Balsam will start for the season on Tuesday, March 13.

The ride leaves weekly at 6 p.m. from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Sylva. The route includes 1,600 feet of elevation gain.

Organized by Motion Makers.

828.586.6925.

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Hike a waterfall A 6-mile hike along the gently sloping Big Bend Falls Trail to one of the most impressive waterfalls in South Carolina will be offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 17, through the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.

The wooded trail follows the Chattooga River to Big Bend Falls with an elevation gain of 1,056 feet. Participants should come prepared with appropriate clothing, water and food for the journey. $5 includes transportation from the rec center. Open to ages 8 and up. Register at rec.jacksonnc.org.

Walk among the wildflowers

Environmental ed groups win cash

Hiker found dead near Waterrock Knob A missing person search along the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend ended when Jackson County emergency responders found the body of Ralph Brady, 55, of Bryson City, about 30 yards from the Parkway near Waterrock Knob.

Brady was in the area collecting ramps outside the marked park boundary, according to the results of a preliminary investigation by the Parkway. His death was likely related to a medical incident related to diabetes, compounded by nighttime temperatures that fell to 17 degrees with high winds.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office took the report during the early morning hours of Saturday, March 3, when Brady failed to meet a scheduled pickup Friday night. The situation fell under the jurisdiction of Parkway law enforcement, and rangers requested assistance from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Balsam Fire Department, Qualla Fire Department, Cherokee Fire Department and Jackson County Rescue Squad. Jackson County rescuers found the body later that morning in an extremely steep area at Milepost 452 Autopsy results are pending.

{Celebrating the Southern Appalachians}

March 7-13, 2018

Three area organizations landed a collective $6,000 to support youth environmental education following an online voting contest hosted by Diamond Brand Outdoors, of Asheville, in partnership with Patagonia. n The ecoEXPLORE program at the N.C. Arboretum earned the top spot with 1,749 votes of 3,825 votes cast, winning $2,500 plus a $500 gift card. The program combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to encourage kids to explore the outdoors while participating in citizen science. Kids earn badges and prizes as they help scientists learn about wildlife in the kids’ backyards, parks and libraries. n The Youth Environmental Leadership Program at Asheville GreenWorks came in second with 1,174 votes, winning $1,500 and a $250 gift card. YELP introduces young people of color to environmental fieldwork through a six-week paid internship that allows them to work alongside professionals to gain firsthand experience in a variety of environmentally oriented careers. n Third-place K-12 Watershed Education through RiverLink garnered 902 votes, winning $1,000 and a $250 gift card. The program uses hands-on, fun experiences to give kids the skills and knowledge needed to care for their watershed.

A series of events to discuss the future of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests will kick off with a panel discussion 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Hosted by MountainTrue, the four planned events will feature a panel of experts representing a diverse group of conservation, recreation and business interests to discuss the issues at play in creating a new forest management plan for this public land.

Confirmed guests for the Sylva forum include Josh Kelly of MountainTrue, Tommy Cabe of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ forestry program, Bill

Kane of the N.C. Wildlife Federation and Andrea Leslie of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, with the discussion moderated by Jack Igelman of Carolina Public Press. Each event will feature a different list of panelists.

Subsequent events will be held 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the following dates: n Thursday, March 22, at the Watauga County Public Library in Boone. n Tuesday, March 27, at the Transylvania County Public Library in Brevard. n Thursday, March 29, at the Andrews Community Center in Andrews.

Work to create a new forest management plan for the Pisgah-Nantahala has been underway since 2014, with a draft plan and plan alternatives expected to be released this summer. www.mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar

outdoors

A six-week course giving a hands-on overview of spring wildflowers in Southern Appalachia will begin the week of March 18.

Horticulturalist Adam Bigelow will lead the sesAnenome acutafolia. Adam Bigelow photo sions, covering basic techniques for identifying wildflowers with ID guides and keys, the stories behind plants’ names and uses, and plants’ relationship to each other and the world around them.

Students will put this information to use during field portions walking gently among the flowers.

Two sections of the class will be offered: noon to 3 p.m. Sundays and 9 a.m. to noon Mondays.

Classes run March 18 through April 22, with additional sessions offered afterward through October. Cost is $160 per person for the series or $45 for a single walk.

Register by emailing Bigelow at bigelownc@gmail.com. www.facebook.com/bigelowsbotanicalexcursions

Discuss the forest’s future

Help visitors experience Clingmans Dome

Smoky Mountain Living celebrates the mountain region’s culture, music, art, and special places. We tell our stories for those who are lucky enough to live here and those who want to stay in touch with the place they love.

Smoky Mountain News

interpretation and working with the public.

Trainings for people interested in volunGuest speakers will share unique biological teering at the Clingmans Dome visitor staand historical information to help voluntion in the Great Smoky Mountains teers learn more about the Clingmans Dome National Park will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday, March 16, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 30, at the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg.

Volunteers will work one fourhour shift each week, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., during the season April 1 through Nov. 30, with openings available each day except Thursday. The work includes educating visitors Clingmans Dome Information about the park, giving them direcCenter. NPS photo tions and helping them plan their stay. Volunteers work alongside paid staff with the Great Smoky area.

Mountains Association.

RSVP for the trainings to Florie Takaki, New volunteers must attend both orien828.497.1906 or florie_takaki@nps.gov. tation sessions, which will focus on resource

Subscribe or learn more at smliv.com MAGAZINE

37

Clean up Lake Junaluska outdoors

ticipants with coffee and snacks, as well as Lake Cleanup Day, 8:30 a.m. to noon supplies such as garbage bags, litter sticks Saturday, March 10, at Lake Junaluska, will and gloves. be an opportunity for all who enjoy the Volunteers are encouraged to bring their lake’s grounds to help keep it beautiful.

The lake drawdown, which began in January, has resulted in lowered water levels ideal for picking up debris that has collected along shorelines and at the lake’s bottom. During the last Lake Cleanup Day, volunteers removed 7 tons of trash.

“It gives families the opportunity to help educate their children on the value of taking care of our environment, and, personally, I A volunteer picks up enjoy the spirit of comtrash during a previous munity and friendship Lake Cleanup Day. during the cleanup,” Donated photo said Ken Zulla, a member of the Junaluskans own equipment when possible, with adult and Lake Junaluska resident who has chaperones required to accompany youth helped organize the event since 2001. “I like volunteers. All work will be done outside, counting those orange bags at the end of with potentially muddy conditions in the the day and seeing the job accomplished by lake. so many people working together.”

Sign up to volunteer with Rachel The event is organized by the Watkins, rwatkins@lakejunaluska.com or Junaluskans in conjunction with Lake 828.454.6702.

Junaluska staff. The group will provide par-

March 7-13, 2018

Make way for the greenway Volunteers are needed to help clean up land that will soon become part of the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Franklin, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 15.

Mainspring Conservation Trust purchased the 13.9-acre property off Siler Road in April 2017.

Bordering Southwestern Community College, Macon Early College and the Macon County Public Library, the land includes 1,200 feet of Cartoogechaye Creek and was identified in multiple planning documents as an important tract for extending the greenway closer to the Macon County Recreation Park.

Contact Dennis Desmond to join the cleanup, ddesmond@mainspringconserves.org.

Smoky Mountain News

Pier under construction at Lake Junaluska

HEY, LOOKY THERE.

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Chapel parking lot.

The pier is expected to be complete by Easter, providing a place for meditation and reflection with incredible lake views.

Funding was given in memory of Erle and A new meditation pier that will extend Mary Peacock, former Lake Junaluska summore than 40 feet into the water and seat mer residents, by their family.

The Peacocks served as grand marshals in the 2008 Independence Day Parade at Lake Junaluska and established an endowment for maintenance of the lake’s tennis courts. Mary was a United Methodist minister and Erle The new meditation worked in education, medicine pier will extend and law throughout his career. about 40 feet and is A dedication is planned for expected to be June.

Over the years, charitacomplete by Easter. ble gifts have allowed for Donated photo countless improvements to the lake and grounds at Lake Junaluska. Donate at eight people is under construction at Lake www.lakejunaluska.com/support.

Junaluska on the south end of the Memorial

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Seven Clans Brewing, the first brewery in Cherokee, will debut its “MotherTown Blonde Ale” on Saturday, March 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. www.7clansbrewing.com.

• The Beaverdam Community Center will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on March 12. Guest speaker is Anthony Price, executive director of the Haywood Christian Ministries.

• Nominations are being accepted for the Haywood Community College Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award. Deadline is Thursday, March 29. Recipient will be recognized at May graduation ceremonies on May 11.

Info and nomination forms: 565.4165 or trobertson@haywood.edu.

• Volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filing from through April 13 in Jackson County. The service is available from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays on a firstcome, first-serve basis at the Jackson county Senior Center in Sylva. It’s also available from 3-6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays by appointment (586.2016) at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Info: 293.0074, 586.4944 or 586.2016. For tax prep sites in other counties: www.aarp.org.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

War Round Table at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 12, at the HF Robinson Auditorium at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Optional meet-and-greet at 5 p.m. at Bogart’s in Sylva; social hour at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium’s lobby.

• The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the HF Robinson Auditorium at the Western Carolina University Campus in Cullowhee.

• Western Carolina University will host an open house with activities through out the day for prospective students as the university on Saturday, March 24. www.openhouse.wcu.edu or 227.7317.

• Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance also available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• A meeting of current and former employees of the Waynesville plant of Champion/Blue Ridge/Evergreen is held at 8 a.m. on the first Monday of each month at Bojangles near Lake Junaluska’s entrance.

• The popular “Haywood Ramblings” series presented by the Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will return in the Town Hall Board Room on Main Street. “History of Cataloochee Valley,” presented

by Patrick Womack. Thursday, March 1. “Prominent Waynesville Families,” presented by Sarah Sloan Kreutziger. Thursday, April 5. “History of Main Street, Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Thursday, May 3.

All events are from 4 to 5 p.m. In case of snow, the event will be automatically rescheduled for the second Thursday of the month.

• One-on-one computer lessons are offered weekly at the Waynesville and Canton branches of the Haywood County Public Library. Lesson slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Canton and from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Library. Sign up at the front desk of either library or call 356.2507 for the Waynesville Library or 648.2924 for the Canton Library.

• “American Pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz return to Western North Carolina to film more episodes of the popular television show.” The Pickers are looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST.

• Folkmoot will host an African Friendship Dinner from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. In partnership with Western Carolina University. Cultural sharing, activities and food from Nigeria, Liberia, Zambia, Kenya, Togo, South Sudan, Ghana and Ethiopia. Tickets: $15 for adults; $10 for students; $40 for families of two adults and two children. www.folkmoot.org, 452.2997 or info@folkmoot.org.

• The Town of Waynesville is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for consideration of special appropriations in the upcoming fiscal year 2018-19 budget. Applications available at www.waynesvillenc.gov/government or at the municipal building. Applications due by March 31. Info: 452.2491 or aowens@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Cruise in Maggie Valley event is held from 1-5 p.m. every Sunday at 2771 Soco Road. Vendors: $10 per space. Cruising@MaggieValleyAntiques.com.

• Qualla Boundary Historical Society meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Everyone is welcome.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Jerry Jackson, a Bucknell University faculty member, will deliver a lecture entitled “Ritual Remedies: Drugs and Medicine in Early Christianity” at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 12, in Western Carolina University’s Niggli Theatre in Cullowhee. 227.3852 or amckenzie@wcu.edu.

• US Navy Commander (retired) Dwight Hughes will present a talk on the “Rebel Odyssey: The Cruise of the C.S.S. Shenandoah” to the Western North Carolina Civil

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS

• Donations are being accepted to help Junaluska Elementary School as it partners with “Rise Against Hunger” to package meals for the world’s hungry at 8:30 a.m. on March 23. 456.2407 or jsollie@haywood.k12.nc.us.

• Donations are being accepted for the Southwestern Community College Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund through a fundraiser by Matt Kirby, college liaison for the Jackson County Early College, who’s competing the Georgia Death Race (70 miles) on March 31.

Student Emergency Fund helps deserving SCC students who encounter financial emergencies that might otherwise keep them from attending and completing classes.

Info: @KirbyRunsLong. Make donations: www.southwesterncc.edu/Foundation and follow listed directions.

Assistance: k_posey@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4227.

• The Canton Senior Center holds a fundraiser for operation by selling concessions during Canton’s Picking in the Armory starting at 5 p.m. on 16 and 23, and April 6.

648.8173.

• Tickets are on sale now for a fundraising gala to support Western Carolina University’s University Participant Program. The event is set for Saturday, April 7, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. $50 for students; $100 for all others. Program addresses the need for inclusive services beyond high school for individuals

Smoky Mountain News

39

with disabilities. For info or tickets: 575.6495 or upgala2018@gmail.com.

• Registration is underway for the “Casino Royale” Autism Awareness Golf Tournament, which is set for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 9, at Maggie Valley Club. $400 per foursome; single-player tickets are $100. All proceeds benefit Richie’s Alliance for Autism. Sign up: www.richiesallieance.org/event/autism-awareness-golftournament or 421.2408.

• Entries are being accepted for the Feline Urgent Rescue’s second-annual Cat Photo Contest. $15 per photo. Deadline is April 7. Categories: Diva cat, funniest cat, cutest cat, laziest cat, “Cat-i-tude” and “Cats and Friends.” Instructions: www.furofwnc.org. Info: 844.888.CATS (2287), furofwnc1@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/furofwnc.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Richie’s Alliance for Autism’s “Taste” event at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, featuring the region’s top culinary talent, awardwinning wines and local craft beer. Proceeds benefit Richie’s Alliance for Autism. Silent auction, live band and dancing. VIP tickets are $100; General admission ($45) starts at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: www.richiesalliance.org/event/taste.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • Sign-ups are underway for participants and volunteers for “Walk MS: Fletcher,” a fundraising walk for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event is set for April 15 at Bill Moore Park. Info or sign up: walkMS.org, 855.372.1331 or fundraisingsupport@nmss.org.

• Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will hold its annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, at the Shelton House barn, 49 Shelton St., in Waynesville.

246.9050 or www.sargeanimals.org.

• Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

• The Shelton House is accepting applications for crafters until March 15, 2018, with selections made by March 23, 2018. Annual Crafter Showcase Program will run April through October and will feature local crafters who will display and sell their crafts to the community.

452.1551 or info@sheltonhouse.org.

• Registration is underway for vendors who’d like to participate in the Blue Ridge Wedding Pop Up Show and Bridal Marketplace, which will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at the Cross Street Center in Spruce Pine. Features wedding vendors who specialize in helping brides plan their perfect day. To reserve space, vendors can call 765.9033.

• There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1. For more information, call 554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

• The Good Samaritan clinic of Haywood County seeks volunteers to help uninsured patients receive medications, vision care and other health and spiritual-related services in Waynesville. Clinic is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday. 454.5287 or crocco@gcshaywood.org.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: karl_danforth@nps.gov.

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals '■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings • Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.

• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County.

828.400.4940.

• Volunteer Opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center today and get started sharing your talents. 3562833 • Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2816.

HEALTH MATTERS • A new monthly health series on “Mind and Body: Health, Nutrition & You” will start with a presentation on “Nutrition 101: Your Body and Your Health” at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 2-6 p.m. on March 19 at Jonathan Valley Elementary School in Waynesville. Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• The Coalition for a Safe & Drug-Free Swain County will host the Medicine Abuse Project on Tuesday, March 20, at the Bryson City Methodist Church. 863.698.4417 or medicineabuseproject.org.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on March 21 in the Burrell Building at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• A grief support group, GriefShare, will be held from 67:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through May 23 at First Alliance Church in Franklin. Topics include grief’s challenges, guilt, anger, relationships with others, being stuck and what to live for now. $15 cost covers materials; scholarships available. Register: www.franklincma.com. Info: 369.7977, 200.5166, scott@franklincma.com or www.griefshare.org.

• Registration is underway for a program entitled: “Fats: The Good, the Bad and the Healthy” that will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at the Waynesville Yoga Center. Learn practical tools and tips to eat for optimum health and weight. Cost: $35 in advance or $40 on the event day. 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• Southwestern Community College’s therapeutic massage program is offering a massage learning clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday through early May in room 135B of Founders Hall on the Jackson Campus in Sylva. 50-minute Swedish massages ($20) and chair massages ($1 per minute). Appointments: 339.4313.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 2-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Maggie Valley Nursing and

wnc calendar

Rehab, 75 Fisher Loop in Maggie Valley.

Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) holds a support group for family, friends, and those dealing with mental illness on the 1st Thursday of each month in the 2nd floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center at 6:30 p.m.

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

• A “Project 24” program for anyone diagnosed with pre-diabetes – or who knows they’re at risk – is offered at 5:30 p.m. at Haywood County Health and Human Services. 24 one-hour classes. First class was Jan. 22.

Info and to register: 356.2272.

• Preregistration is underway for the 10-week Peer-toPeer recovery education class that will be offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness starting March 7 in Franklin. Preregistration required: 369.7385.

• A support group for anyone with MS, family & friends meets monthly at 6:45 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the conference room of Jackson Co. Library in Sylva. No Fee, sponsored by National MS Society. Local contact: Gordon Gaebel 828-293-2503.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission. 335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

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

MyHaywoodRegional.com/WalkwithaDoc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Safekids USA/Blue Dragon Taekwondo School is offering self-defense classes from 9-10 a.m. on Saturdays. $5 per class. For females 14-older. Classes are at 93 Jones Cove Road in Clyde.

• Karaoke is happening at 8 p.m. on Saturdays at Harmon’s Den Bistro at HART Theatre in Waynesville.

• A “Pangu Yoga” workshop will be offered from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 day of. Gentle, healing fusion of yoga and qigong. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• A “Knee Pain Clinic” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 day of. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

POLITICAL • The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, in the Maggie Valley Town Hall Boardroom for the purpose of considering a volunteer petition for annexation of 23 Hemlock Springs Road. Oral and written comments will be accepted.

• The Bryson City 1 & 2 precincts will hold their March meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, at the Swain County Technology & Training Center, 45 W. Ridge Dr., in Bryson City. Guest speaker is Elizabeth Gillespie McRae, a history professor at WCU and author of the new book “Mothers of Massive Resistance.” Her presentation will be on “Women and Politics.” 488.1118.

• The Swain County Democrat Whittier/Cherokee

monthly precinct meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 15 at the Chestnut Tree Inn, 37 Tsalagi Road, in Bryson City. Guest speaker is candidate Joe Sam Queen. 488.1118.

• The Jackson County Republican Party’s Precinct Meetings/Convention is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, March 16, in the Heritage Room at the Dept. of Aging Center, 100 County Services Park, in Sylva. Buffet dinner will be served. 743.6491 or check Facebook.

• The Haywood County Libertarian Party is now meeting at Blue Ridge Books on Main Street from 4:30-6 p.m. every second Monday of the month. These meetings will be for discussion on current events, and are open to the public.

• A lunch-and-discussion group will be held by the League of Women Voters at noon on the second Thursday of each month at Tartan Hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. RSVP for lunch: lwvmacon@wild-dog-mountain.info or 524.8369.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Dr. Jane Williams, clinical psychologist, will present her book “Mysterious Moments: Thoughts That Transform Grief” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Book contains 10 stories based on real-life experiences of loss. 586.9499.

• Holly Kays will hold a reading from her new novel “Shadows of Flowers” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• Author Anna Fariello will sign and discuss her new pictorial history book “Images of America: Cherokee” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at City Lights in Sylva.

Book includes 200 photos from the 20th century; mostly 1930s-1960s. 586.9499.

• Author Minrose Gwin will read from and discuss her new novel “Promise” at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 16, in

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

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

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

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

Half Marathon & 4-Miler

40

5.5.18

www.SmokiesHalfMarathon.com BEGINS AND ENDS IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE!

SPONSORED IN PART BY HCTDA www.VisitNCSmokies.com

Bladesmith.” Registration fee: $75. Info: 400.7815.

• 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. www.greeningupthemountains.com. 554.1035 or greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT

KIDS & FAMILIES • Science Club will be held for grades K-12 from 44:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Engineer a ball launcher.

524.3600.

• Swim classes will be offered Mondays through Wednesdays from March 12-21 at Western Carolina University’s Reid Gymnasium in Cullowhee. Cost is $59. Preregistration required by March 9. Info about hours for different age groups: 293.5364. Register: 227.7397 or swim.wcu.edu.

• Jackson County Public Schools will hold a “Student Forum for School Safety” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, in the Smoky Mountain High School Auditorium in Sylva. Dr. Kim Elliott, superintendent, and the Board of Education will be present. cfields@jcpsmail.org or 586.2311.

• The Crazy 8s Math Adventure Club for Grades K-2 will meet from 4-4:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Lazer Maze; first 16 attendees receive a toy laser. 524.3600.

• A “Super Hero Stem Night” featuring STEM activities will be held from 5:30-6:15 p.m. on March 15 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. LEGO Batman movie will be shown at 6:15. Minimum donation of $5 per person.

• Registration deadline is 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, for a Smart Start Baseball program being offered through the Waynesville Recreation Center this spring. $50 registration fee. Develop motor skills such as hitting, throwing, catching and running. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

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

• The 10th annual Celtic Concert will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. With Bean Sidhe.

Tickets: $8. Info: 736.3921 or 488.8227.

• A celebration of the late, iconic singer, “Ricky Nelson Remembered” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

• Rock legend Alice Cooper will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Tickets: 800.745.3000 or www.harrahscherokee.com.

• Rock/pop act Modern Strangers will perform during a special “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” at 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 17, at Innovation Brewing in Sylva.

• First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Series at Western Carolina University continues through spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 227.7129.

• HART in Waynesville presents a festival of plays in its intimate 60-seat Feichter Studio. Shows include: “Mass Appeal” (March 23-April 1) and “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play” (April 6-15). Tickets are only $10 with general admission seating, but reservations are recommended as many shows regularly sell out. Season tickets are also available for the winter season. A complete schedule is available on the HART website at www.harttheatre.org.

• Bret Michaels will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.Tickets start at $29. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.harrahscherokee.com.

• KIDS at HART will perform “Madagascar Jr. — A Musical Adventure” at 2 p.m. March 10-11 and 17-18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Direct by Shelia Sumpter. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.harttheatre.org.

March 7-13, 2018

• An “Eco Explorers: Fly Tying” program will be offered for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on March 16 and March 26 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• The MET Opera’s production of Rossini’s “Semiramide” will be shown live via satellite at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center in Highlands. Tickets: www.highlandspac.org or 526.9047.

wnc calendar

the Queen Auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. $20 per person. Novel is about race and relationships in the South. Tickets available at Blue Ridge Books. Each ticket includes admission, dessert, beverage and a $10 coupon toward purchase of the book.

• Guadalupe Café (Sylva) will host Folks’ Songs (world/fusion) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Fridays.

KIDS FILMS • The Highlands Biological Foundation will offer a series of nature-themed films and documentaries shown at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of January, February and March in Highlands. For info on each show, call 526.2221.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • The 10th annual “Great Smoky Mountain HammerIn” is scheduled for March 23-25 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Sponsored by HCC and the American Bladesmith Society. Activities include: Knife-making demonstrations, hands-on blade forging, knife show, auction and “Battle of the

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • A White Feather Tree Workshop will be offered by Dogwood Crafters from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, art the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Taught by Claudia Lampley. Register by March 8: 586.2248.

• “Walking the Tracks: A Conversation about Old Hazelwood-Waynesville” will be the topic of a conversation scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Featuring Sam Wiggins, Rolf Kaufman and Nink Swift.

• The Western North Carolina Woodturners Club will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, at the Bascom in Highlands.

Smoky Mountain News

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• Open Mic Night is from 7-9 p.m. on Saturdays at The Strand on 38 Main in Waynesville. 283.0079 or www.38main.com.

• Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild will host a program

by Maxine Ramsey at 10 a.m. on March 12 at Tartan Hall, 26 Church Street, in Franklin. Social time at 9:30 a.m. www.smokymtnquilters.org.

• Diane E. Sherrill, a Southwestern Community

41

wnc calendar

College graduate and local attorney, will present an estate-planning seminar entitled “Is a Will Enough?” at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, in Room 102D of the Burrell Building on SCC’s Jackson Campus. For info and to RSVP: 586.4051.

• Colored pencil artist Patty Coulter will offer a demonstration from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. 452.0593, info@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society will hold a Genealogy Workshop from 10-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 24, at the Waynesville Library.

Learn how to research ancestors through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and the Family Search at the Family History Center.

• An indoor flea market will take place every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in March at Friends Of The Greenway Quarters at 573 East Main St. in Franklin. Registration fee will go to FROG. • The Old Armory will host an indoor flea market from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, in Waynesville.

This event will be held every third Saturday. Booths are $10 each for selling items. 456.9207.

• Registration is underway for a Viking Axe Making Class, which is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 17-18 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380 (materials included). With Brock Martin from WarFire Forge. Register: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

Smoky Mountain News

March 7-13, 2018

• Registration is underway for a “Blacksmithing Fundamentals Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 31-April 1 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Cost: $275; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for an “Intermediate Bladesmithing Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 7-8 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $340; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Warhammer Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 26-27 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $400; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Kukri Making Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 12-13 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $400; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for an “Axe-Making Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 9-10 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Beginning Bladesmithing Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 23-24 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $300; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

• Carol Rollick and Pat Menninger will discuss the process of “Paint Pouring” at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 12, at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. The Macon County Art Association general meeting will follow the presentation. This event is open to the public, and refreshments will be provided. For additional information, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 42 349.4607.

• The Uptown Gallery will hold an “Easter Egg Gourds Workshop” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 17, in Franklin. Cost is $14 for members and $18 nonmembers and includes all materials. For additional information, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.

• An “On the Water: Little River” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 15 at the Little River in Dupont State Recreational Forest. Practice fly fishing skills and get tips.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• An art show entitled “Bold Menagerie” featuring the paintings of Gosia Babcock will be on display throughout March in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Gojo818@yahoo.com.

• A panel of experts will discuss the future of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 15 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Panelists include Josh Kelly (MountainTrue), Tommy Cabe (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Andrea Leslie (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission); and Bill Kane (N.C. Wildlife Federation).

Mountaintrue.org.

• Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery. All work is for sale. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com.

• The 50th annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibit” will run through March 30 in the Contemporary Gallery at Western Carolina University. Dr. Beth Hinderliter, Associate Professor of Cross Disciplinary Studies at James Madison University, serves as juror for this display of creative expression in a variety of media by undergraduates at Western Carolina University. A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22. www.wcu.edu.

FILM & SCREEN • “Thor: Ragnarok” will be shown at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• “The Shape of Water” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• Free movies are shown at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Madbatterfoodfilm.com.

Outdoors

• Volunteers are being sought to staff Clingmans Dome Information Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Training will be required. A training session is set for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 16 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cullowhee. 497.1906 or florie_takaki@nps.gov.

• The eighth annual Kudzu Root Camp is March 16-18 in Sylva. Hands-on training on how to eat the vine that ate the South as well as exploring other uses – such as medicine and fiber for basketry. Kudzuculture.net or kudzuculture@gmail.com.

• RSVP’s are being accepted for a pair of volunteer training sessions for stream monitors through the Stream Monitoring Information Exchange. Sessions are from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock and Saturday, March 24, at UNC Asheville. Materials donation of $1520. RSVP required: mountaintrue.org/event/__trashed2 (for March 17) and 357.7411 or equilabstaff@gmail.com (for March 24).

• Jackson County Outdoor Recreation will offer at Big Bend Falls Trail Hike from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 17. 12-mile round trip; 1,056-foot elevation gain. For ages 8-up. Fee: $5. 293.3053 or rec.jacksonnc.org.

• A “Fly-Tying for the Beginner” class will be offered for ages 12-up on March 19 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

funds raised benefit the town’s scholarship fund.

Register: hilary@highlandhiker.com.

• Registration is underway for a “Mountains-to-Sea Trail” conference, which will be March 23-25 in Elkin.

Trail and town excursions; dinner Friday is included. $75; members only. Memberships are $35. RSVP by March 16: http://conta.cc/2ne6UnK. • A six-week course about the Spring Wildflowers of Southern Appalachian will be offered by Adam Bigelow from March 18-April 22. Guided tours. Class meets from noon-3 p.m. on Sundays and 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays. $160 per person. Single-day walks available at $45 per person. Info and to register: bigelownc@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/BigelowsBotanicalExcursions.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for the Assault on BlackRock, a seven-mile trail race that will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, from the Pinnacle Park parking lot in Sylva. Preregistration: $25 at Ultrasignup.com. Fee is $30 on race day. More info, including registration form and course map, at Assault on BlackRock Facebook page. Info: 506.2802 or barwatt@hotmail.com.

• Registration is underway for the eighth annual “Valley of the Lilies” Half Marathon and 5K, which is Saturday, April 7, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. $40 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through March 9; $80 for half marathon and $30 for the 5K on race day. http://halfmarathon.wcu.edu or valleyofthelilies@wcu.edu.

Registration for the annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival 5K is now open. The race will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 at Mark Watson Park in Sylva, North Carolina. Registrants who enter before April 20th will receive a t-shirt. All proceeds from the race support the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. www.greeningupthemountains.com Registration ends on April 25. jeniferpressley@jackonnc.org.

FARM AND GARDEN

• Volunteers are being sought to help clean up Lake Junaluska starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 10.

Sign up: rwatkins@lakejunaluska.com or 454.6702.

• A “Fire Making and Shelter Building” program – part of the “Outdoor Skills Series” – will be offered for ages 12-up on March 19 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• A square-foot gardening program will be offered from 2-3 p.m. on March 12 at the Waynesville Library.

Presenter is Hughes Roberts, a Master Gardener Volunteer. Technique shows how to get a great yield from a small space. Info: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• A Hunter Education Course will be offered for all ages from 6-9 p.m. on March 13-14 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• A “Tackle Rigging for Fly Fishing” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-noon on March 20 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• Franklin’s Appalachian Trail Community Council meets at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, at the Macon County Public Library’s Board Room in Franklin. tinyurl.com/y84zz4el.

• A “Casting for Beginners: Level I” program will be offered for ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 21 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• ASAP will hold its eighth annual Community Supported Agriculture Fair from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, at New Belgium Brewing Co., at 21 Craven Street in Asheville. Opportunity to meet farmers, browse their CSA programs and sign up as a farm share subscriber. http://asapconnections.org or appalachiangrown.org. 236.1282.

• An Introduction to Fly Fishing class will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 13 and March 27 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• An easy cycling ride aiming to help people ease into a healthier lifestyle through cycling is offered Thursday mornings starting March 15 in the Canton area, typically covering 8-10 miles. Road bikes are preferred and helmets are required. Nobody will be left behind. A partnership of Bicycle Haywood N.C., the Blue Ridge Bike Club and MountainWise. For specific start times and locations: mttrantham@hotmail.com.

• Volunteers are being sought to help clean up land that will soon become part of the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Franklin. Cleanup is set for 9 a.m.-noon on Thursday, March 15. To join, write ddesmond@mainspringconserves.org.

• A Birding Hike will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-noon on March 23 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn.

• Registration is underway for a “Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop” that will be led by certified trainers Jayne Fought and Danielle Matthews from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at Headway Outfitters Outdoor Adventures in Rosman. Reservations required: 877.3106 or info@headwatersoutfitters.com.

• Registration is underway for the eighth annual Three River Fly Fishing Festival, which is April 26-28 in Highlands. Fishing competition open to men and women of all skill levels. $500 per team or $450 for those who register before March 15. Includes opening night reception at Wolfgang’s Restaurant, Friday happy hour after closing night dinner and a gift bag. All

• Local farmers can stop by the Cooperative Extension Office on Acquoni Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every fourth Friday to learn about USDA Farm Service Agency programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Info: 488.2684, ext. 2 (Wednesday through Friday) or 524.3175, ext. 2 (Monday through Wednesday).

• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd, Open to the public. 369.3916.

HIKING CLUBS • Nantahala Hiking Club holds monthly trail maintenance days from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on every fourth Saturday at 173 Carl Slagle Road in Franklin. Info and to register: 369.1983.

• Hike of the Week is at 10 a.m. every Friday at varying locations along the parkway. Led by National Park Service rangers. www.nps.gov/blri or 298.5330, ext.

304.

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

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $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.

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March 7-13, 2018

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Full-time or Part-time Work Available. Competitive Salary & Flexible Schedule. Send Resume: spadirector@balsamspa.com DRIVE WITH UBER. No experience is required, but you'll need a Smartphone. It's fun and easy. For more information, call: 1.800.655.7452

EGGS - CAME INTO THE COUNTY SHELTER WITH HIS PLOTT COMPANION, CALLED BACON. EGGS IS A BLUETICK APPROX. 4 YEARS OLD. HE'S ALREADY HANDSOME BUT WILL LOOK & FEEL BETTER ONCE HE ADDS SOME WEIGHT. A SWEET BOY, & ENJOYS PLAYING WITH OTHER DOGS IN OUR PLAY GROUPS. HE'LL BE A GOOD FAMILY DOG FOR HIS LUCKY ADOPTERS. SUNNY - A YOUNG ADULT, LONG-HAIRED ORANGE TABBY BOY. HE TESTED POSITIVE FOR FIV, FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS. FORTUNATELY THIS IS NO LONGER AS SERIOUS AN ISSUE AS ONCE BELIEVED. HE'S A FINE KITTY, ONLY 1 OR 2 YRS OLD, DESERVES A GOOD HOME, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FIV, JUST GIVE US A CALL AT 828.246.9050.

BROWN TRUCKING Is looking for COMPANY DRIVERS and OWNER OPERATORS. Brown requires: CDL-A, 2 years of tractor trailer experience OTR or Regional in the last 3 years, good MVR and PSP. Apply: driveforbrown.com.

Contact Brandon 919.291.7416.

SAPA GOT CANDIDATES? Find your next hire in over 100 newspapers across the state for only $375. Call Wendi Ray at NC Press Services for more info 919.516.8009.

HOME WORKERS!!

Easy Legitimate Work, Great Pay! Assemble Products At Home And Other Mystery Shopping Opportunities Galore - No Experience Needed.

For More Details, Send $2.00 With A Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope to: Publishers Market Source, P.O. Box 1122, Merrillville, IN 46411

Steve Mauldin

828.734.4864

smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

828.452.5809

beverly-hanks.com

FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Welding-Pipe Fitting Instructor & Industry Training Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer LOCAL DRIVERS WANTED! Be your own boss. Flexible hours.

Unlimited earning potential.

Must be 21 with valid U.S. drivers license, insurance & reliable vehicle. Call 855.750.9313

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal guard, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowing accep tadvertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

LOTS SALES AND NEW HOMES CONSTRUCTION & MANAGEMENT COMPANY Self-Starter or Existing Company. Sales Experience & Home-Construction Knowledge for Final Development Phase in Fully Amenitized 2nd Homes Gated-Communities in Nantahala. Sell Remaining Inventory and Launch HomesConstruction & Management Company to Assist Owners in Turnkey Homes Building: From Vision to Completion, Rental and Maintenance. Unique Long-Term Opportunity.

Social Media Marketing Knowledge Desirable. Resume, Salary History (Terms If Applies) & Cover Letter to:

info@mystic-lands.com

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Offering 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $420.00

We Are Offering 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting From $465.00

Section 8 Accepted - Rental Assistance When Available Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS:

OFFICE HOURS:

Tuesday & Thursday 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.

50 Duckett Cove Road, Waynesville, NC 28786

Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm 168E Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.456.6776 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.735.2962

Equal Housing Opportunity

Equal Housing Opportunity

COMPLETE HOME INSPECTION SERVICES

74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

44

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification.

Approved for military benefits.

Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.724.5403 SAPA

EMPLOYMENT EARN $500 A DAY: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Wants Insurance Agents • Leads, No Cold Calls • Commissions Paid Daily • Agency Training • Life License Required. Call Now 1.888.713.6020

Moving or Buying?

Let Us Help You.

HAYWOOD HOME INSPECTIONS

828.734.3609 | haywoodhomeinsp@gmail.com

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your Mortgage? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! FREE CONSULTATION 844.359.4330

HOMES FOR SALE HOME FOR SALE: 3/BR, 2.5/BA Home Includes 1/BR, 1/BA Cottage. 2 Miles From Downtown Highlands.

By Owner - 803.315.0715 BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

VACATION RENTALS BEACH VACATION SPECIAL Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Mention ad to receive an extra $25 off all vacation rentals. Near Myrtle Beach/Wilmington. Golf, fishing.

Family beach 800.622.3224 www.cookerealty.com

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

FOR SALE 11-HP GENERATOR New, Never Been Used Homelite #LR5500, 5 Gallon Gas Tank, 5500 Watts, HD 220/115 Cord. $475/Firm. For more info call Richard at 828.316.9557 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

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

www.4Smokys.com

Bill Thagard REALTOR, BROKER

205-410-6750 BillT@4smokys.com WAYNESVILLE OFFICE:

Great Smokys Realty

WANTED TO BUY

828-564-1950 www.4smokys.com

36 S. Main St. Waynesville

FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans.

312.291.9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com

- WANTED TO BUY 828.421.1616

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• • • • • • • • • • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com George Escaravage - gescar@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

PERSONAL

MEDICAL

Beverly Hanks & Associates

ERA Sunburst Realty

U.S./ Foreign Coins! Call Dan

MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks.

Try it FREE. Call now 888.909.9978 18+. SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

Berkshire Hathaway

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

Mike Stamey

Lakeshore Realty

828-508-9607

Mountain Home Properties

mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

74 NORTH MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC

www.beverly-hanks.com

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 71 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

• • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Landen Stevenson - Landen@landenstevenson.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

Rob Roland Realty

smokymountainnews.com

VACATION RENTAL: 3/BR, 2.5/BA Home $2,400/mo.

1/BR 1/BA Cottage $1,200/mo.

All Utilities Included, Fully Furnished. 2 Miles From Downtown Highlands.

803.315.0715

KILL BED BUGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT Complete Treatment System. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com

March 7-13, 2018

SINGLE FAMILY RANCH HOME F.S.B.O. - 57 Pasco Loop, Waynesville, NC. Less than 2yrs. old, 1400 sq. ft., 2/BR 2/BA, Vaulted Ceilings, Open Floor Plan, Lamenant/Carpet Floors, SS Appliances, 12’x12’ Outside Bldng., Mtn. Views. A Must See, Perfect Move-In Ready Home, Furniture Negotiable, 3 Miles from Maggie Valley, No City Taxes - $229,900.

For more information call 919.356.6560

SFR, ECO, GREEN

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

WNC MarketPlace

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

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

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

CROSSWORD

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 7-13, 2018

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

OH GEE! ACROSS 1 Pres. Lincoln 4 Bar mitzvah officiant 9 Placed a burden on 14 Broke, as a horse 19 Fake signatures 21 Billy Joel’s “— Extremes” 22 Rock’s Cooper 23 “The Golden Girls” co-star being a rascal?

25 Bit of gossip 26 Conical-bore woodwinds 27 Winslet and Middleton 28 Source of great wealth 30 Make juice of 33 Mean beasts wearing disguises?

35 Burg 38 Life story, for short 40 Suffix with cloth or cash 41 With 45-Down, place for paternity testing 42 “Sad to say ...”

43 Record of the years 47 Serpentine fish 49 Unearthly 53 Stared creepily at a group of wolves?

56 Long deli sandwiches 58 Pretend to be 59 Mythical man-horse 60 Red chapter heading, e.g.

62 Ancient French region 64 In re 67 Minerva, to the Greeks 69 Comes out on top

70 “Make no edits to those script lines!”?

76 Sleek, informally 77 How some freelancers work 78 Bellyache 79 Iditarod Trail animal 81 Very spirited 84 Swiftly 89 Brand of fruit drinks 90 Notion, to Luc 92 Heavy work shoe filled with currants?

95 Comedian Smirnoff 97 Apr. clock setting 99 Countdown expression 100 Manila money 101 Lively spirit 103 Smidge 105 Phys ed class 106 Epochs 107 Airport area that’s only an illusion?

114 Stair unit 116 Mexican revolutionary Zapata 117 Oasis beast 119 Capital of the Beaver State 123 Poe’s bird 124 Evil poet Nash?

128 Belgian port 129 Wise up 130 Aggressively defiant 131 — Domingo 132 Unable to relax 133 Composer Erik 134 “Prob’ly not” DOWN 1 “Hair” style 2 — tube (TV) 3 Therefore 4 Actress Witherspoon

5 Equip for war 6 Razor brand 7 Radio host Glenn 8 Koran’s faith 9 Tablecloth material 10 Tennis great Andre 11 Shout on “The Simpsons” 12 Curio display stands 13 Giving type 14 Late state 15 Female grads 16 Copy closely 17 Low-cost, in product names 18 Freedom from govt. control 20 Brown-and-white cow 24 Get from — B 29 ‘60s drug 31 Blind as — 32 Ho Chi — 34 Golf peg 35 New Mexico ski spot 36 Bond girl Kurylenko 37 Drawer Disney 39 Burdensome 44 Storekeeper on “The Simpsons” 45 See 41-Across 46 Try to harm with claws 48 Angola’s capital 50 Cosine, e.g.

51 Cake topper 52 JFK guesses 54 “Blast!”

55 Kin’s partner 57 Linda of “The Exorcist” 61 “— -ching!”

63 Hole tool 65 Stomached 66 Used a tool to grab,

as an ice block 68 Engraved work of art 70 Screenwriter Ephron 71 Big name in vacuums 72 “Yes” signal 73 EMS skill 74 Tune in to 75 On — with (similar to) 76 Pasty 80 Enters headfirst, as a pool 82 Cup edge 83 “So far — know ...”

85 Any of six pontiffs 86 Wine ripener, e.g.

87 House, south of the border 88 Son of Seth 91 Female hormone 93 Van —, Calif.

94 Cellar, in apt. ads 96 Luxurious 98 Piper’s cap 102 School gp.

104 Kitchen choppers 107 Arctic floaters 108 Large city in Nebraska 109 Established fact 110 — Gay (warplane) 111 Tot watcher 112 Latin “I love” 113 Some jabs 115 Suffix similar to like 118 Pre-euro Italian money 120 Security claim 121 Italian peak 122 Tall tale 125 “Gimme —!” (rude demand) 126 Granola bit 127 Here, in Lyon

answers on page 40

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OXYGEN Anytime. Anywhere. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds!

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Call 855.969.8854 SAPA MEDICARE DOESN’T COVER All of your medical expenses. A Medicare Supplemental Plan can help cover costs that Medicare does not. Get a free quote today by calling now. 1.877.212.8839 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

MEDICAL UNABLE TO WORK Due to injury or illness? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc., Social Security Disability Attorneys! FREE Evaluation. Local Attorneys Nationwide 1.800.371.1734 (TX/NM Bar.)] SERIOUSLY INJURED In an Auto Accident? Let us fight for you! We have recovered millions for clients! Call today for a FREE consultation! 855.324.5256

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES HAPPY JACK® XYLECIDE® Is a Fungicidal Shampoo to treat Ringworm & Allergies. For Dogs & Horses. At Tractor Supply, or: fleabeacon.com HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

SERVICES AT&T HIGH SPEED Internet Starting at $40/month. Up to 45 Mbps! Over 99% Reliability!

Bundle AT&T Digital TV or Phone Services & Internet Price Starts at $30/month. Call 1.800.950.1469 SAPA CHANGE THE WAY YOU WATCH TV Get rid of cable and get DIRECTV! You may also qualify to receive $100 VISA gift card when you sign up today- Limited time Only.

CALL NOW! 855.901.5470 CHEAP FLIGHTS Call Now! 1.844.787.9808 SAPA DISH NETWORK. 190+ Channels. FREE Install. FREE Hopper HD-DVR. $49.99/month (24 mos) Add High Speed Internet $14.95 (where avail.) CALL Today & Save 25%! 1.877.920.7405 HUGHESNET Satellite Internet: 25mbps for just $49.99/mo! Get More Data FREE Off-Peak Data. No phone line required! FAST download speeds.

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 40

The woodcock — secretive, rotund and acrobatic BACK THEN prehensile bill and suck the critters right in.

“Because of its mud-probing foraging technique, the woodcock’s rather large eyes are set high and back on its head,” writes Jim Clark in an article entitled “The Tumbling Timberdoodle” that appeared in “Birder’s World” magazine.

“This placement not only helps keep mud Columnist and debris out of the eyes, but also provides an additional advantage in protection.

“Its field of vision completely encircles it, enabling the bird to see directly behind itself, much to the dismay of a predator or researcher trying to capture and band it.”

Their “nuptial” rituals involve a “fallingleaf ” aerial descent performed over established “singing grounds.”

“If the winter has been mild, these vocal and non-vocal sounds (the bird produces a twittering sound with its wing primaries as it spirals downward) may be heard as early as the first week of January and will continue into April,” notes ornithologist Fred Alsop in Birds of the Smokies (1991).

George Ellison

W

hile walking stream banks or lowlying wetlands, you have perhaps had the memorable experience of flushing a woodcock — that secretive, rotund, popeyed, little bird with an exceedingly long down-pointing bill that explodes from underfoot and zigzags away on whistling wings and just barely managing bat-like to dodge tree limbs and trunks.

My wife and I used to jump woodcocks on a fairly frequent basis-especially this time of the year along a trail that no longer exists due to development on neighboring property. The trail led through a rocky wooded area just across the footbridge leading to our house. In the soft mud along the creek, it was easy to locate “poke holes” — the numerous round openings woodcocks leave wherever they’ve been searching for earthworms.

In order to locate worms, woodcocks sometimes perform a “foot stomping” routine that causes the prey to move underground. These birds have keen hearing, with ear openings located below and ahead of the eyes that are ideally situated for “earthworming.”

Once movement is detected, the woodcock plunges its bill into the mud. A normal bird would at this point have difficulty opening its bill so as to grasp and ingest. But there’s no such problem for the woodcock, which can open the flexible tip-end of its

564 High Output Dancing-Fyre™ The 564 HO GS2 is a breakthrough fireplace offering you the choice of three different burners; the high performance EmberFyre burner with the choice of ceramic brick or stone liners, the entry level Dancing-Fyre burner with black painted interior, or the contemporary Diamond-Fyre burner with the choice of black painted, stainless steel or black enamel liners. This fireplace features 564 square inches of high quality, high clarity tempered glass that comes standard with the 2015 ANSI-compliant invisible safety screen, increasing the overall safety of this unit for you and your family.

The 564 HO comes standard with the revolutionary GreenSmart system, making it one of the most “green” fireplaces to own and operate.

Smoky Mountain News

The 564 HO GS2 is sure to keep things warmed up year round with a heat output of 35,000 BTU’s and the ability to heat up to 1,400 square feet. The high efficiency fireplace offers a turndown ratio of up to 71% (NG) or 79% (LP). The fireplace also features close clearances to the mantle by incorporating “film cooling” technology. This allows for a more balanced look to the fireplace.

after sundown, especially on those nights when the temperature is mild and there is little wind ….The ‘peent’ note given on the ground may remind you of the call of a frog or the common nighthawk.”

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

March 7-13, 2018

One of the most "green" fireplaces to own & operate.

“The best places to look are overgrown fields, wet seepage areas, and woodland edges where the bird quietly spends the day and where its staple food of earthworms can be found. Locate your ‘spot’ during the day and return at just about sunset. Most of the singing and display begins about a half hour

Grills, Fire Pits, & Outdoor Living Design & Installation

828-202-8143 CleanSweepFireplace.com 47

MARCH 23 & 24

APRIL 13

APRIL 21

APRIL 28

MAY 4

March 7-13, 2018

MARCH 16

Smoky Mountain News

UPCOMING SHOWS:

48

Tim Hawkins.............................................................................. May 18 Taylor Mason...............................................................................June 8 Leader of the Pack, The Musical.................................June 22, 23, 29, 30 The Isaacs with Ricky Skaggs.........................................................July 6 The Isaacs with Larry Gatlin.......................................................... July 7 Mountain Voices.........................................................................July 13 The Sock Hops.............................................................................July 27 Slippery When Wet: The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute.................... August 3 The Swon Brothers.................................................................August 11 An Evening with Jeanne Robertson.........................................August 17 Michael Bolton...................................................................... August 23 The Four Freshmen............................................................September 1

The Foreigner, the Hilarious Comedy.....................September 14, 15, 21, 22 The Willis Clan...........................................................................October 13 Mark Twain’s The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaverus County..............................................................October 19, 20 The Bellamy Brothers............................................................ November 16 A John Berry Christmas..........................................................November 24 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever......................................... December 6 - 8 A Christmas Together: An Evening of Stories, Songs, & Family.........................................................December 18 A Rocky Mountain Christmas Featuring Jim Curry & the Music of John Denver......................................December 21

And more to come!