SMN 03 21 18 by Smoky Mountain News

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March 21-27, 2018 Vol. 19 Iss. 43

Jackson students talk safety with school board Page 9 Regional commission completes broadband study Page 17

CONTENTS On the Cover: Seven Clans Brewing, a new business launched by a pair of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal members, has received criticism from some in the community who feel like the name of the brewery and the name of its first beer are disrespectful to Cherokee history and culture. (Page 6)

News Haywood County revises public records policy ........................................................3 Major hotel looking toward Maggie Valley ..................................................................4 Sylva approves increase to apartment complex’s size ............................................5 Jackson students talk safety with school board ........................................................9 Weather prevents WNC students from national walk out ..................................11 Religious community opposes Jackson Brunch Bill ..............................................12 Former educator now leading Bryson City ..............................................................13 MLK’s ‘Poor People’s Campaign’ revived in WNC ..............................................14 Macon sheriff now able to seize digital forfeitures ................................................16 Regional commission completes broadband study ..............................................17 Education News ................................................................................................................19

Opinion

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Kevin Fuller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kevin.f@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Barbee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Gary Carden (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Barbee (writing).

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Outdoors

March 21-27, 2018

Fifth-grade science project spurs real-world change ............................................34

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Can’t we just talk about gun legislation?....................................................................20

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Budget gap $3 million for Haywood County BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER lthough it’s still early in the budget process, Interim Haywood County Manager Joel Mashburn told commissioners that requests for the FY 2018-19 budget already total more than $3 million over projected revenues. “Most of the requests have come in very close to what they are in the current year,” said Mashburn, who last week began the process of interviewing the heads of some of the county’s smaller departments to vet their requests. Those requests will then go before commissioners, who will in turn decide what gets funded, and what doesn’t. Mashburn, who has only been on the job since October and will serve until a permanent county manager is hired in the next few months, said that in talking with county Finance Director Julie Davis, he learned the situation has been much more drastic in years past. Requests of about $83 million will be balanced against projected revenues of almost $80 million, Mashburn said, noting also that

a goal of the board last year was to hold or reduce the property tax rate. “Being $3 million out of balance right now, we’ll be lucky to hold that,” he said. Currently at 58.5 cents per $100 in assessed property value, Haywood County’s tax rate is up from 56.65 cents the previous fiscal year. It’s also one of the highest rates in Western North Carolina — Buncombe’s current rate is 53.9 cents, while Jackson, Macon and Swain counties to the west are three of the five lowest rates in the state, hovering well under 38 cents. The statewide average is 67 cents. But that’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison; tax rates vary widely based on population and local circumstance, and are also dependent on prudent financial decision-making by elected officials. On that same note, Haywood’s rate is down from a high of 61 cents in 2002, and the county’s fund balance — up from a dangerous low of just 8 percent a few years back — is now the largest it’s ever been, right around 32 percent. Fund balance can be appropriated to fill

budget holes, but it’s mainly meant to insulate county operations against unforeseen calamities that could interrupt revenue collection, or, alternatively, to help out with cash flow.

Currently at 58.5 cents per $100 in assessed property value, Haywood County’s tax rate is up from 56.65 cents the previous fiscal year. Too high a fund balance, however, means taking more than absolutely necessary from taxpayers and maintaining a rate that’s less competitive with neighboring counties. Liquidating some of that fund balance is a topic that was broached last year, but owing to the tax increase, went nowhere. This year could be a different story, however. Commissioner Bill Upton, who declined

to stand for re-election to his fourth term on the board this year, is taking part in his last county budget process and took the opportunity to make an official budget request during a commission work session March 19. “I haven’t spoke up strongly about anything in my 12 years,” Upton said, to chuckles from the board. Upton wanted $150,000 for Mountain Projects that would be used to help renovate the local social services agency’s new facility on Old Asheville Highway, because Jackson County pledged to match the funds; Mountain Projects provides some services in Jackson. Instead of adding it to the $3 million overage, commissioners decided instead to offer up a budget amendment in mid-April and pay the entire amount with fund balance, this budget year, thus keeping the request out of competition with other wants and needs for next year. Davis, who was also at the work session, said she felt very comfortable with the request. Mashburn said that commissioners be presented with a clearer picture of other 2018-19 budget requests in a month or so.

Haywood County revises public records policy

New guidelines are now in place for the production of public records in Haywood County. File photo

sation, including benefits. “We don’t question the public’s right to know, but we also don’t have someone that’s designated just for that purpose,” said Mashburn. “So any request we get has to become part of someone’s responsibility.” If the records request is estimated by the county to cost more than $25, the county can now request a 75 percent deposit prior to fulfilling the request; in any case, if the requestor doesn’t pay for the records, the county says it can deny future requests from the requestor.

Smoky Mountain News

by fax, mail, email or hand delivery and must be made to the county manager so they can be tracked. Previously, Miller told commissioners he felt Mashburn was obstructing his requests. The custodian of the records, or the county manager, is supposed to respond to the request within three days, and at that time will provide an estimated time frame for completing the request, as well as a cost estimate — all new safeguards to ensure that everyone’s on the same page. Public records have always been available for inspection in person during normal business hours at no cost, but a two-hour limit now applies to the duration of that meeting. Some county departments, like the register of deeds or land records, already have a schedule of fees for the production of documents or electronic records, but for those that do not, a schedule of fees delineating costs will now apply. Paper copies will be provided at 8 cents per page; there is no cost for email attachments less than 10 megabytes, but compact discs cost a quarter, and flash drives range from $5 to $10 each. One new provision explains that the county will begin assessing a “special service charge,” of $18 an hour for requests that “require an extensive use of information technology resources,” a reason specifically allowed by N.C. General Statutes. That figure is based on the approximate cost of an administrative assistant’s compen-

March 21-27, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER flurry of contentious public records requests by a longtime local government watchdog has prompted Haywood County officials to revise and update internal policies on how those requests are handled. “We just saw some areas where it was unclear,” said Haywood County Attorney Chip Killian. “We just wanted to be sure it was consistent with the statutes.” Since the beginning of the year, county resident Monroe Miller has made almost 30 separate requests for documents related to an earthmoving project underway on a piece of county-owned land. The back-and-forth email chain between Miller and county employees, including Interim County Manager Joel Mashburn, became complicated and difficult to follow as it grew upwards of 70 emails and replies. The discussion grew testy at times, with Miller dubbing Mashburn “Gatekeeper Mashburn” and resulted in County Project Administrator David Francis directing pointed, highly unusual comments directed at Miller, who he called “a shameful human being” during a commission meeting Feb. 19. The county’s existing policy, originally adopted in September 2010, was revised and adopted March 19, and directly addresses issues raised regarding Miller’s requests. Now, requests must be made in writing

The revised policy explicitly states that the county is not obligated by public records laws to explain or otherwise debate or discuss records that have been produced. Public records, very generally, are materials made or collected by governments and can include information presented in any form, including paper records, electronic files or even audio recordings. Several types of communications are not considered public record however, like many personnel records, criminal investigation records and some legal communications. 3

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Junaluska to invest in youth facilities Lake Junaluska has recently received more than $400,000 in charitable donations to upgrade youth and young adult facilities. Upgrades will begin in late spring. The first round of upgrades begin this spring and summer in each room of Mountainview and the Lake Junaluska Apartments — the two lodging buildings most often used for youth. Initial improvements include all new beds, mattresses, bedding and lamps, with additional fresh touches through the end of the year. Lake Junaluska will plan additional renovations at a later date. The $400,000 in gifts is a culmination of support from the Lake Junaluska Associates, Chairman of the Lake Junaluska Board of Trustees Mike Warren and his wife Anne, the Warren Family Foundation, the Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation, and Bernie and Snookie Brown. To learn more about youth and young adult events at Lake Junaluska, visit www.lakejunaluksa.com/youth.

Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

HRMC offers free lung cancer webinar Lung Direct, an enterprise software for customizable support to lung screenings, announces a free webinar “Improving Lung Cancer Survival in the Community Setting: Nodule Management, Screening and Program Development” featuring Scott Skibo, pulmonologist with Haywood Regional Medical Center, at 1 p.m. Friday, March 23. “I am thrilled with where we have come in the program. Beating the odds, finding cancer earlier, and building a program to fully support our patients, has been a remarkable process to be a part of,” Skibo said. To register for the webinar, visit lungdirect.com/webinar/. For more information about lung cancer screenings at Haywood Regional, visit MyHaywoodRegional.com/LungScreenin g or call 828.452.8929.

Major development looking toward Maggie

A 5.9-acre parcel on Soco Road in Maggie Valley (in blue) may soon be home to a national chain hotel. Haywood GIS photo BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER major hotel could be coming to Maggie Valley sooner rather than later after the town recently passed a pair of amendments to its design guidelines to allow for taller buildings. Developer Craig Woolmington, who has owned a 5.9-acre plot located just west of Elevated Mountain Distilling Company on Soco Road for more than eight years, asked the town’s planning board to consider raising the maximum height of buildings constructed in a floodplain from 55 feet to 65 feet. In January, the planning board voted unanimously to recommend the request, as well as another request by Woolmington that would allow buildings over 15,000 square feet to have flat roofs, as opposed to the town’s current requirement for pitched roofs. The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved both requests during its Feb. 13 meeting. “This is the result of serious discussions going back about a year. We feel that this can be new construction for Maggie Valley and

it’s something that’s needed, especially if a buyer came in and wanted to put in something. We want to be hotel-friendly,” said Maggie Valley Alderman Dr. Janet Banks. “We bought it to try to do something special for Maggie Valley,” Woolmington said. “It would be great to utilize all that creek frontage, and we’ve been exploring lots of different concepts over the past eight years.” Evidence of Woolmington’s efforts lies in a website created in 2015 — the URL www.woolmingtonsmith.com redirects to a site called www.smokymountainscreeksideresort.com. While he was exploring that unrealized concept, Woolmington said he was approached by a national hotel chain that had another idea — hence the two amendments, both of which seem tailored to maximizing the use of available space on the parcel. Raising the roof on floodplain construction has led to speculation that the hotel could be as many as five stories high, and flat-

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tening the roof allows for mechanical equipment to be situated there, and also eliminates the need for an additional 15 to 20 feet of pitched roof to be placed atop the structure. Currently, the Dollar General in Maggie Valley has a variance allowing for a flat roof, but that mechanical equipment must still be hidden from view, which is why the structure has a false peak crowning the front of the store. The proposed hotel would likely have a similar feature. Banks added that Woolmington, who was active in shopping center management, leasing and development in California, is adamant about preserving access to Jonathan Creek, which marks the northern border of the parcel. Across Soco Road to the south lies a sports bar, but the eastern border of the parcel abuts Maggie’s Gift Shop, a private home and the rearmost section of Elevated Mountain’s parking lot. Situated there is a small picnic area overlooking the creek that’s referred to as Elevated Park, owned by distillery proprietor Dave Angel. Angel spoke in favor of the amendments and said March 19 that he is excited about the prospect of new development within walking distance of his facility. He guesses it will be a $15-20 million development and thinks it may be the largest investment in tourism infrastructure in all of Haywood County since renowned museum Wheels Through Time opened in 2002. He also confirmed Banks’ statement that Woolmington supports the extension of Elevated Park from where it meets Angel’s property westward along the creek through the length of his parcel; because of setbacks and a sewage right-of-way, Woolmington’s property isn’t buildable close to the creek anyway. Banks said the expansion of the park would also fit nicely into her desire to see a creek-side walking trail that runs the length of Maggie Valley. Woolmington said the amendments were but the first step in development, for which he gave no timeline. The hotel chain he’s involved with operates only franchises. Woolmington said that in the next month, he’ll begin looking for local investors or hospitality partners that want to invest in what he said would be “the nicest thing in Maggie Valley.”

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The planned workforce housing complex would have 60 apartments housed in three buildings, in addition to a community clubhouse. Donated graphic

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The ‘Swiss Army Knives’ of Foods

Do you have a Swiss Army Knife or a Multi-purpose tool that serves a variety of functions? There are also foods like that! Here are just a few that I thought of — what are your “Swiss Army Knife” foods? MILK: 1. Use milk to make a smoothie 2. Milk makes a delicious cream soup or ice cream. 3. Enjoy milk added to your cereal or a hot cup of milk at bedtime to help you sleep.

CANNED BEANS: 1. Make your own hummus or a bean salad. 2. Rinse and add to soups, stews or salads. 3. Use in place of some or all of meat in tacos or tortillas.

PLAIN GREEK YOGURT: 1. Stir in some granola, nuts and fruit for a breakfast parfait. 2. Use it in place of sour cream to make a dip or top a potato. 3. Add some plain Greek yogurt to your smoothie to add protein and calcium.

NUTS: 1. Add nuts to your cereal or granola to add fiber and protein. 2. Make your own trail mix with nuts, cereal, and raisins (or low sugar dried cranberries). 3. Toast nuts and add to salads.

Smoky Mountain News

If awarded, the tax credits would be sold to an equity investor, allowing rents to be set at levels affordable to the target demographic. KRP will then move “very quickly” to get the rest of the financing together — Perry hopes to use conventional financing and funding from the state’s Workforce Housing Loan Program — and complete final construction plans. Construction would then start in spring 2019 with leases starting October 2019. The $8.3 million complex would include three three-story buildings holding up to 60 units, some with one bedroom, some with two and some with three. It would also include a clubhouse featuring an exercise room, laundry room, computer room and multi-purpose room where a variety of classes and community events could be held, Perry said. In similar projects she’s worked on, opportunities such as budget classes and exercise classes have been offered as well. “We try to forge and build a community within a community,” she said. Plans also call for a playground and covered picnic area, as well as a significant amount of green space. The development is set to take up only 8.1 acres of the 17-acre property. John Jeleniewski, senior planner for Jackson County who handles Sylva’s planning issues, told commissioners that he’d recommend approval of the request with just a couple conditions. KRP should submit final construction plans to ensure that they fully comply with Sylva’s zoning ordinance, and the company should be encouraged to use downward-facing outdoor lights to prevent light pollution. He found that the proposal met all requirements for being granted a conditional use permit and noted that the 107 planned parking spaces exceed the required 90 spaces. The complex would be located at an existing traffic light, making traffic issues easy to manage. The town board, sitting as the Sylva Board of Adjustments, voted unanimously to approve the request.

Authorized Motor Fleet Management Maintenance

March 21-27, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER wo years after Sylva leaders first cheered a proposal for a workforce housing complex across the road from Harris Regional Hospital, not a shovelful of dirt has been turned on the 17-acre property. But plans for the Village Overlook Apartments are not dead — in fact, they’re getting grander, with town commissioners approving a request during a March 8 Board of Adjustments meeting to increase the size of the planned complex from 54 units to 60. “I think this will be great for Sylva,” said Commissioner David Nestler as the board prepared to vote on the conditional use permit request. “If you’re below that income threshold, there’s a shortage of quality housing in this town, so I think this is a great solution.” The complex would set rents at a level deemed affordable given Sylva’s median household income, with some apartments open to people making at or below 40 percent of the area median income and others open to those making 60 percent or less. However, residents would be allowed to stay at Village Overlook should their incomes rise above the threshold for admittance over the course of their time there. “That’s one of the beautiful things about the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program,” said Karen Perry, owner of the development company KRP Investments. “You step up. As people start to get raises, get a better job, whatever, they still have a place to stay.” However, Village Overlook will become a reality only if KRP’s application for a LowIncome Housing Tax Credit is granted. It’s applied for the program twice before and been denied both times. Perry is hoping that this year, third time will be the charm. “The full application is due in May, and then we wait and we wait until August, on baited breath,” Perry told town commissioners. “Hopefully this year we will have this success.”

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Request to increase future Sylva apartment complex’s size approved

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A beer by any other name

March 21-27, 2018

Seven Clans owners Collette Coggins (left) and Morgan Crisp hold up glasses of fresh-brewed MotherTown blond ale. Seven Clans Facebook photo

Brewery’s naming choices cause protest in Cherokee

Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ver the past decade or so, the craft beer explosion has ricocheted throughout Western North Carolina, bouncing through the valleys and over the peaks to find its way into even the most remote mountain towns. But one community has remained staunchly absent from the ever-increasing list of towns boasting hometown breweries. That could soon change. Seven Clans Brewing, a new business launched by a pair of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal members, has just released its first beer using the brewery equipment at BearWaters Brewing in Canton, with plans to construct a building as the brand is established. The Tribal Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission granted the business a malt beverage wholesaler permit following a Feb. 15 vote. Seven Clans launched its MotherTown Blonde Ale March 10 during a release party at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino that coincided with a concert by musician Bret Michaels, and it will be on tap there going forward. While Harrah’s has other local breweries represented on its taps, none of them are run by tribal members — Seven Clans is a first in that regard. “Our rollout was great. We had a huge 6 outpour for it. No negativity,” said Collette

Coggins, the brewery’s vice president and coowner. “Everything was just — it was really good. The casino got excellent feedback on it. We got excellent feedback on the case, the product. Every bit of it was just a positive step forward.” Coggins co-owns the business with enrolled member Morgan Crisp, who serves as its president, and Crisp’s husband Travis Crisp, who is the operations manager. “We also have other local brands from Bryson City and several from the Asheville area, so it’s a local product,” said Harrah’s Regional Vice President of Marketing Brian Saunooke. “We’re happy to support and help them.”

‘BEER ON A GRAVE’ While the Seven Clans owners are excited to see what the future holds for their burgeoning brewery, there’s a contingent of the Cherokee community that is not so enthusiastic. Anti-alcohol sentiment runs high in Cherokee, but many tribal members are particularly upset about the names that the brewery’s owners have chosen for their business and its debut beer. “The words that they’re using are very specific,” said Jatanna Feather, 31, who has been a staunch opponent of the brewery. “And we use these words to describe our way of life, our history, our culture and heritage and their significance and their parallels to how our spirituality works. As natives we’re not taught to misuse those.”

“Seven Clans” refers to the way that Cherokee people trace their genealogies. Cherokee is a matrilineal society, with clanship passed down through the mother’s side. For a Cherokee person, knowing the name of your clan, and the names of your parents’ and grandparents’ clans, is key to understanding who you are and your place in the tribal community. “I have four clans. And that is how I identify my mother’s mother, my father’s mother, my mother’s father and my father’s father,” Feather explained. “That is exactly who I am and where I come from.” Naming the business “Seven Clans,” added Lea Wolfe, another opponent of the brewery, implies the buy-in of the tribe as a whole when that’s not necessarily the case. “It’s like saying the whole of Cherokee agrees with you,” she said. “And they didn’t ask my opinion. They didn’t ask how I felt. It’s disrespectful. It dishonors the name of who we are.” The term “Mother Town” — used to name Seven Clans’ debut beer, the MotherTown Blond Ale — is also a meaningladen word. “Mother Town” refers to Kituwah, the Cherokee civilization’s place of origin, located outside of present-day Bryson City. Archeologists have dated the site’s use back to 10,000 years, according to the tribe’s tourism website. The village center was Kituwah Mound, a 15-to-20-foot-tall mound of earth that was a central point for governmental, spiritual and cultural functions. It was also one of the places of the “eternal flame,” a fire that tribal keepers of medicine would keep burning in the councilhouses placed atop the mounds, symbolizing the Creator’s presence, the site says. Today, the mound stands only about 6 feet tall, and there is no village surrounding it. But it still occupies an honored place in the minds of the Cherokee, who will sometimes go there to worship and pray. Seeing this place become the brand name for an alcoholic beverage — even one created and distributed by a fellow tribal member — is intolerable to Feather. “That is a healing place. That’s where people go to pray. They go there to speak to our ancestors, and we protect that,” said Feather. “As far as what she (Coggins) is doing, this corporation is throwing beer on top of that, and that’s not something you would do. You wouldn’t throw beer on a grave, so to speak.” Wolfe agrees. Whether or not someone practices traditional spirituality or what that person thinks about alcohol is immaterial, she said. “People say, ‘That ain’t my culture,’ or ‘That’s not how I live and that’s not what I practice,’ but you know what? If I go to anybody’s church, I’m going to go with the utmost respect because that’s your religion,” she said. “That’s your way of praying, and how they or I or anybody can come upon where you pray and disrespect it — how dare anybody do that.” Feather feels so strongly on this point that she decided to start a petition, asking that the names be changed to something that doesn’t draw Cherokee words and symbolism into the sale of alcohol. Launched two weeks ago, the online petition had 357 signatures as of press time Tuesday,

“I feel that they (tribal leaders) are numb to how it affects native self-imagery in our children and how we play into the stereotypical roles of natives.” — Jatanna Feather, tribal member

“Every time the people have said no, but still we have this few, small group of people who somehow their opinion, their wants and their needs outweigh the voice of the whole people, and that’s just beyond me,” Birdtown community member Becky Walker told Tribal Council in February. Others, however, point to the fact that the tribe has its own ABC Commission — the only one in North Carolina outside the state commission — as evidence of increasing tribal sovereignty. Besides, they say, prohibiting alcohol sales on non-casino tribal land isn’t preventing anybody from drinking. All it’s doing is keeping profits from alcohol sales in the hands of surrounding counties rather than in tribal coffers.

— Morgan Crisp, Seven Clans co-owner, commenting on Facebook

with six or seven paper petitions circulating in the community as well. In addition to asking that Seven Clans and the MotherTown blonde be rechristened, the petition also names Bryson City-based Nantahala Brewing Company and its Spearfinger black IPA. The word “Nantahala” is a place name that comes from Cherokee, and “Spearfinger” is a figure in Cherokee lore. “This petition will ask the EBCI council to take immediate action toward the ‘7 Clans Brewery,’ ‘Nantahala Brewing Company,’ and

any other establishment that uses culturally offensive Native American products,” the petition reads. “In keeping with being culturally sensitive, we respectfully ask that Giduwa (Cherokee) historical sites, names, language and people will remain protected under any future provisions.” “I’m pretty sure we’re going to have all (the signatures) we need,” said Wolfe, who has been working with Feather on the petition effort. The goal is to use those signatures as a

“Talk to anybody in commerce, and they will tell you that if we’re going to continue to diversify, we’re going to have to have alcohol sales in restaurants,” Principal Chief Richard Sneed told Tribal Council in February. “You may not like that. You don’t have to go there and spend your money.” Alcohol has long been a contentious topic on the Qualla Boundary — for the religiously centered reasons that have made it such a lightning rod in other mountain communities, but also for a brand of sentiment unique to Cherokee. Cherokee people knew how to make fermented drinks before European contact in the 1700s, but those drinks were substantially weaker than the hard liquor introduced by the settlers, and the soberness required to participate in traditional ceremonies meant that there were some real limitations on how often a person could imbibe while still taking part in those ceremonies. “If you’re doing those and practicing those ways, you wouldn’t have time to drink. You wouldn’t have time to promote drinking,” said Jatanna Feather, a tribal member who says she practices the traditional ways and staunchly opposes alcohol.

To people like Feather, the inundation of alcohol into tribal communities that came with European colonization is just another way in which Native American people were victimized by the white settlers. Alcohol was a way to subjugate and inhibit the native people, they say, a tool of colonization and oppression. “They felt that we were stupid and they could just take advantage, and they did,” said tribal member Lea Wolfe, who has also been vocal in opposing alcohol. “They came in here, they saw what they wanted and they took it. That includes human lives.” People like Wolfe see alcohol as a scourge ravaging Native American communities and say that allowing it to proliferate on tribal lands now, when the tribe has more sovereignty and political clout to call its own shots than ever before in modern history, is a slap in the face to Cherokee ancestors. Alcohol abuse and the negative stereotypes associated with it, they say, is something that must be combated rather than encouraged. “I feel that they (tribal leaders) are numb to how it affects native self-imagery in our children and how we play into the stereotypical roles of natives,” said Feather.

springboard to have Tribal Council consider legislation establishing guidelines for how and when and by whom Cherokee cultural terms can be used in business activities. Wolfe said she hopes to introduce the resolution as early as the April Tribal Council session.

vibrant Cherokee people and culture.” When asked about the other perspective, the one that Feather and Wolfe hold, Coggins said that she doesn’t really see any validity there. “I talked to community members. They know what our plan is, the Chief (Richard Sneed) knows what our plan is, and we are just moving forward,” she said. “I’m not really focusing on anything negative, and the haters group I don’t really give any validity to. I don’t really give any comment to what that part of the community has to say.” “I’ve spoken with the chief and I’ve spoken with a couple other community members about the name and we’re dealing with it appropriately,” she added. Seven Clans declined an opportunity for a full interview about the brewery, the beer and the vision for the business going forward

AN EXPRESSION OF CULTURE The folks at Seven Clans see the issue differently. Brewing is their craft, Crisp said, and the names seek only to honor Cherokee culture through the lens of that craft. “We are Cherokee, so it’s natural that our artwork and branding reflect a love for our culture and engage our customer with a type of storytelling,” Crisp said in a press release. “While this is a contemporary approach to sharing culture, we endeavor to respectfully and authentically pique the curiosity of our consumers so that they will ultimately seek out their own personal experience with our

Smoky Mountain News

“We value our right as individuals to freely express ourselves as we allow others to express theirs. Beer is our craft. It is a handcrafted quality product made by Cherokee Women.”

Cherokee’s Tribal Alcohol Beverage Control Commission was established in 2009. Holly Kays photo

March 21-27, 2018

referendum vote asking enrolled members to approve a tribally owned package store and ABC store selling beer, wine and liquor will be held Thursday, May 31, following a recent announcement from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Board of Elections. Voter registration will close Tuesday, May 1, and absentee ballot requests will be accepted through Wednesday, May 16. Absentee ballots must be received no later than 4 p.m. Monday, May 21. The announcement follows months of debate, beginning with legislation Councilmember Lisa Taylor, of Painttown, introduced in October seeking to end the issuance of permits to a handful of off-casino restaurants. Her resolution asked Tribal Council to approve a referendum vote asking tribal members whether they approved of alcohol sales on tribal land other than the casino. A no vote, she said, would end issuance of the permits while a yes vote would allow for a broader array of permits to be granted. The controversial permits were given pursuant to a state law — known as the “Blue Ridge Law,” which pertains to tourism establishments within 1.5 miles of a Blue Ridge Parkway onramp — listing permit types not subject to a referendum. They have elicited sharp dissent from some members of the community. When Taylor introduced her legislation, she was told by attorneys for the tribe and for the Tribal ABC Commission that undoing these permits would require action on the state’s part, rather than just the tribe’s. That analysis angered some people who felt that tribal sovereignty should outweigh any agreement with the state and that

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Alcohol referendum scheduled

the people had spoken on the issue of alcohol sales outside the casino. Over a series of months, the resolution shifted from its original intention to hold a referendum giving tribal members the chance to end Blue Ridge Law permits to a form that would give tribal members the chance to approve a tribally owned package and ABC store but not provide opportunity to reduce alcohol availability from the current level. The controversy over alcohol’s place on Cherokee land has been playing out for years, especially since the casino was built in 1997. Tribal members eventually voted to allow alcohol sales on casino property — in 2009, 12 years after the casino opened — but have staunchly rejected subsequent referendum questions seeking approval for offcasino sales.

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Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

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B REWERY, CONTINUED FROM 7 — as well as their alternative perspective on the appropriateness of the names — but referred The Smoky Mountain News to previous press releases, Facebook posts and a recent article The Cherokee One Feather published after Seven Clans’ owners interviewed with that publication. In The One Feather article, the owners said that they’d been working on the brewery idea for about four years. They chose to start by contract brewing with BearWaters rather than building their own facility right out the gate in order to get their product to market quicker and reduce upfront costs. Coggins told The One Feather that Seven Clans will build a production facility down the road as profits from beer sales build and laws become more favorable. Possible locations for the production facility include Cherokee, surrounding counties and even Tennessee. A possible location for a distribution warehouse is the old Cherokee Fun Park, which Coggins, who also owns the Cherokee Bear Zoo — that establishment is currently the subject of a federal lawsuit dealing with alleged mistreatment of endangered grizzly bears — had secured to build a new, more humane bear sanctuary for animals at the bear zoo. Coggins told The One Feather that the 25-acre property is plenty large to hold both a bear sanctuary and a distribution warehouse for Seven Clans. In the One Feather interview, Coggins and Crisp both insisted that the names chosen weren’t meant to be disrespectful at all — in

fact, the intention was the other way around. The words “Mother Town” and “Seven Clans” are meant to display Coggins’ and Crisp’s pride in their culture and in their craft, but to simultaneously avoid commercial use of any Cherokee language words. “I was just trying to pinpoint where are we from, where did we start, what was our first town,” Crisp told The One Feather. “I didn’t want to use our Cherokee word for that because I knew that it would be controversial and I didn’t want to share that word with everybody, so I used ‘Mother Town.’” In reply to critical comments posted to Seven Clans’ Facebook page, Crisp further clarified her position, saying that while legislation seeking to protect Cherokee people from seeing their culture monetized by outsiders could be “helpful,” any such legislation should also respect the rights of individuals to express themselves. “As Cherokee women and mothers, we cannot deny this inspiration,” she said, referring to Mother Town and Selu, the first Cherokee woman. “We value our right as individuals to freely express ourselves as we allow others to express theirs. Beer is our craft. It is a handcrafted quality product made by Cherokee Women. Because it is alcohol and people have their own opinions about that, are we suddenly not able to be and express who we innately are?”

COMMUNITY REACTION Comments included on the petition represent only the point of view of those who

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The 7 Clans Brewing insignia is displayed draped over a branch in the Smoky Mountains.

Seven Clans Facebook photo

“It feels like exploiting culture for a buck and shows a lack of true awareness. Especially when the people have voted against alcohol so many times. It’s adding insult to injury.” — Billie Jo Rich, commenting on The Cherokee One Feather Facebook page

believe that the names are inappropriate — there is no opposing petition rallying those who support the brewery. That means that reading through comments on the petition gives a one-sided view of the issue. However, a recent question posted on The Cherokee One Feather Facebook page drew comments from both sides, and if the distribution of perspectives listed there is any indication, those who believe the names should be changed are in the majority. The question was “What do you think about the use of Cherokee cultural names and references on products like beer and wine?” Of 50 comments posted as of Monday afternoon — this analysis does not include replies to comments or subsequent posts from people who commented more than once — eight people said they thought such use was appropriate, while five commenters didn’t explicitly state which side they took. The remainder — 37 commenters — said they did not agree with these names being used to sell beer and wine. “To allow your culture, religion and language to be used in any such manner is disrespectful and is a prostitution of your heritage and legacy,” wrote Wilson Johnson. “Please do not allow anyone to disgrace or make fools of who you are.” “It feels like exploiting culture for a buck

and shows a lack of true awareness,” agreed Billie Jo Rich. “Especially when the people have voted against alcohol so many times. It’s adding insult to injury.” However, not everybody felt that way. “It’s OK to sell artwork, crafts, stories, pottery, music, dance, etc., using Cherokee culture to profit from them,” wrote Taylor Parks. “Somehow it’s not OK for these two Cherokee women to do the same with their craft? No one has told any artist that their contemporary Cherokee art can’t be sold because, well, it’s contemporary or that they can’t dance because it’s not traditional. Let’s move past this crazy delusion and hypocrisy.” Others were more even-keeled in their comments. “I think it is disrespectful and careless. Cultural appropriation is a real problem and there have been actions made trying to stop this when used by outsiders, but I think because these are enrolled members they are within their legal rights to do so,” wrote Tamara Thompson. “I don’t support their choice of names personally and I would respectfully ask that those who did this would reconsider their choices. I think they are doing great to explore new areas of enterprise and I would be happy to see their success. However, they could be more considerate of the types of products that are inappropriate to tie our culture to.” While it’s the brewery that’s brought that issue to a head, both Feather and Wolfe say that the commercial use of Cherokee culture is an issue that’s long needed addressing. From the costumed “chiefs” in bright-colored headdresses and garb of a sort never worn by any historical Cherokee person to the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, Native American culture has long been used and misused in a spectrum of marketing schemes as wide as the United States itself. “It’s going to be a long way to fix that, but I don’t have much to do in kidney failure, so I’m willing to tell that story (of Cherokee culture) as well and help along that story,” said Feather. “I’m sure there are plenty of others that are willing to help tell that story as well.”

Jackson’s high school students share insights

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School safety talks spur spending

swiftly to address the school safety issue in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting, with the Jackson County boards of commissioners and education scheduling a joint meeting Thursday, March 15 — the day after the forum at Smoky Mountain High School — to discuss the issue. After that initial discussion, they recessed the meeting to continue the following Monday, and when commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday night, they approved $560,000 in spending for new security cameras, safetyrelated architectural design and equipment for additional school resource officers. “This is just one more area that we’re trying to take care of so that parents can feel safe and our kids when they walk up and down the hall can feel safe,” said Ken Henke, school board chairman. With the funding approved, the school system can start work right away, said Superintendent Kim Elliott. They’ve already priced the equipment they plan to purchase, so once it’s in hand they can begin installation. Commissioners approved $133,000 for school resource officers through the end of the fiscal year in June. Of that, $98,000 will be for equipment such as police cars and uniforms, with the remaining $35,000 sufficient to fund three deputies through the end of the fiscal year. Funding those positions for a full year would cost $140,000, and commissioners are discussing ultimately adding more than just

S EE SAFETY, PAGE 10

three positions. The three new positions would allow one deputy to be stationed at each school in the Jackson County system, but adding four would mean that two could by stationed at Smoky Mountain High School. A juvenile detective position has also been discussed, as has a school resource officer for Summit Charter School in Cashiers. Commissioners are also considering some significant capital outlay. During their March 19 meeting, they approved $400,000 to purchase security cameras and monitors for all nine schools, as well as $27,000 for architectural designs from Cort Architectural related to safety issues. Though no engineering work has yet been done on these proposals, the county currently estimates it would cost $741,000 to carry them out. Funding for capital improvements will come from the county’s School Capital Reserve. However, finding the money for recurring expenses like deputy positions could be more difficult. For fiscal year 2018-19, the school system is hoping for more than just deputy positions. They’re asking for a director of safe and healthy schools position at $70,000 and $366,000 to hire seven additional school counselors. If fully funded, the request would total $692,890 in recurring expenses. According to County Manager Don Adams, commissioners are discussing whether they should raise taxes to fund the request. An increase of 1 cent on the tax rate would bring in an extra $917,000 based on 2018-19 tax values. “They didn’t say they were going to raise taxes,” Adams said. “They started discussing whether there was going to be a need.”

Smoky Mountain News

t y e . d y e d s

March 21-27, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ours after students in schools across the nation walked out of their classrooms to protest gun violence in American schools, students leaders in Jackson County’s high schools walked into the auditorium of Smoky Mountain High School to deliver their thoughts on the topic to a gathering that included the entire Board of Education and Board of County Commissioners. “I think it’s so important, because we are here in this school every day, and we know . what’s going on with our fellow students, so o thank you for that,” Smoky Mountain junior Holly Miller said to the elected officials in d the room. e Students offered ideas ranging from s buzz-in systems in all school buildings to increased mental health services to more education as to how to stay safe should an , active shooter situation arise. e “I’m all for prevention, but you can prer vent and prevent and prevent, and that’s not o r r d y s ” School and county leaders have moved r

going to stop every bad person from doing every bad thing,” said Elizabeth Sellers, a senior at Jackson County Early College. In her view, the new reality is that a school shooting is something that can happen anywhere, so Jackson County students should be prepared for that eventuality in starkly practical ways. And, while fire drills happen routinely, Sellers says she has not been involved in a lockdown drill since middle school. “If there’s an active shooter in your school, what do you do?” she asked. “For me that’s the biggest fear, getting into that situation and having no idea how to handle it, what to do. What is the best way to protect yourself and those around you?” Other Jackson County Early College students expressed concern over the size of their campus, saying that it’s so small that, should someone with ill intent enter, there would be nowhere for anybody to hide. More police officers in the schools are needed as well, the students said. Smoky Mountain and Blue Ridge School both have one officer apiece already, but the students said there should be two in each building.

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Students talk safety

Gracie Ruebel addresses the Jackson County Board of Education in front of an audience at Smoky Mountain High School that included all five county commissioners. Holly Kays photo

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SAFETY, CONTINUED FROM 9 Smoky Mountain is a big building that also includes Catamount School, and Blue Ridge is actually two schools, containing an elementary school and a high school — Blue Ridge Early College — meaning that one officer can’t truly cover the whole campus. Improved counseling services were another big topic of conversation. Existing counselors at the schools are great, the students said, but there aren’t enough of them. Their days are mostly filled with helping students navigate scholarship and college application processes, the students said, with little time left over to help kids deal with hard personal situations. “Really there’s no one saying, ‘Here I am to talk to you about your problems,’ or ‘Here I am to discuss if you have an issue with bullying,’” said Abby Spiro, junior class president at Smoky Mountain. “If you have something that’s going on in your life that you don’t want to talk about with your parents, there’s really no one to go to for that.” There is a counselor from Meridian Behavioral Health Services that comes on campus, she said, but seeing that person requires involving parents and insurance. Sometimes, that ends up prohibiting access, she said. It’s important for students to have help

Jackson County Board of Education Chairman Ken Henke thanks students for their input during a forum at Smoky Mountain High School March 14. Holly Kays photo

dealing with small problems before they snowball into big ones, added Maya Sterling, a student at the early college. “Everything builds up and we don’t know how to deal with it, and we wait until we’re about to explode before we go to an adult to deal with our problems,” she said. From that standpoint, even doing better about advertising the counseling and mental health resources that are available could

prove very important, said Gracie Ruebel, a junior at Smoky Mountain. “I think it would really help and maybe bring kids out that weren’t willing to speak and say what’s on their minds,” she said. Professional development for teachers surrounding bullying — all the online channels kids use to do it and how to intervene — should also be a focus, said Madison Page, senior class president at Smoky Mountain.

“Teachers’ words matter,” she said. “You can make or break a student emotionally.” High school students aren’t the only ones affected by recent tragedies, added Miranda Pavey, senior class vice president at Smoky Mountain. Her younger brother, a 12-yearold at Scotts Creek Elementary School, is just one of those younger kids who is scared to go to school due to tragedies like Parkland and Sandy Hook. Older students should be involved in reaching out to the lower grades, Pavey said. “We feel like we would be able to relate to those kids on a level teachers may not be able to,” said Pavey. “We want to encourage the administration to ease their fears so kids like my brother can go to school, know they’re safe and that as a community we can do everything within our power to protect them.” The adults present were impressed with what the students had to say, assuring them that they were listening closely, taking careful notes and planning to implement these ideas as soon as possible. “We’re listening to you,” said Ken Henke, school board chairman. “We’re going to try to do as many different things as we can. Some may not be all at once. It may take a while with the help of our commissioners, who help us in terms of funding different things. I’m sure we’ll come to a reasonable resolution on this.”

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ast week, students across the country walked out of classrooms to acknowledge the 17 people shot to death at Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida. Several Western North Carolina counties saw similar student activism — including Swain, Jackson and Haywood — and although weather dampened the events for some students, it didn’t dampen their desire for change. “I was terrified,” said Molly Dorgan, a Tuscola High School sophomore, of her reaction when she learned of the events at Stoneman Douglass. “I thought about my sister, and how she’s going to be in ninth grade next year, and how that could’ve been her if that was our high school. What if that was our school? What if that was me? What if those were my friends?” The Feb. 14 shooting was followed almost immediately by an outpouring of activism, as students from the Florida high school became the focus of national media attention. Swain County High students held a walk out and school safety presentation Feb. 23 to advocate for change after the entire school system experienced a lengthy lockdown and early dismissal Feb. 22. Students also held a meeting with Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, to talk about what can be done to improve safety. And they weren’t alone in that activism — on March 14, one month to the day after the shooting, schools across the nation and across the state saw walkouts by students concerned about school safety. In Jackson County, weather shuttered schools and scuttled a planned Wednesday gathering on the football field, but according to Jackson County Schools’ Cora Fields, a student forum on school safety was still held at Smoky Mountain High School later that night (see page 9). Wintry weather also forced the cancellation of school in Haywood County, where students from Pisgah and Tuscola high schools had planned to participate in the walkout. “I was definitely disappointed,” Dorgan said. “Usually, students are excited to have a snow day but we were really looking forward to spreading awareness for this important topic, and I was kind of disappointed we didn’t get to do that.” Grace Feichter, a Tuscola junior, served on a student board specifically created to engage in a dialogue with administrators and discover the desires of students; with Dorgan, Feichter and other students helped organize the Tuscola event. “After I heard about the shooting at Parkland, I was devastated. We had a discussion about the national walkout and if we would be interested in having one at our school, and everybody said absolutely yes,”

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WNC students speak out on school safety L

Tuscola High School students (left to right) Molly Dorgan, McKenzie Yazan, Grace Feichter and Harper Schwab say they’re ready for changes in school safety. Cory Vaillancourt photo

What if that was our school? What if that was me? What if those were my friends?” — Molly Dorgan

tion between students, faculty, lawmakers and the community, multiple solutions will come of that.” Even though the event didn’t happen, Schwab said that after the cancellation he and other students met with school administrators, who pledged to help them move forward with planning another.

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Feichter said. Although some schools across the country discouraged walkouts or promised disciplinary action for participants, Haywood County Schools took the step of sanctioning the walkouts, not as a political gesture, but as a way to provide a safe and organized forum for students to voice their opinions on school safety. “I began communicating with our principals, in particular our high school principals on the 23rd [of February] and they begin shortly thereafter meeting with some of their student leadership,” Interim Haywood Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte told the Haywood Board of Education during a meeting March 12. “They’re like us. We have freedom of speech rights and they wanted to talk about the people who passed away, and express their feelings about what we should do to improve the school safety situation in the country.” But as officials across North Carolina consider a plan to place armed volunteers in schools, 15 year-old Tuscola student McKenzie Yazan says more guns aren’t the solution. “I think that it’s definitely not more guns in schools,” she said. “Personally I think that we need to have more reforms and background checks for people wishing to buy a gun.” Gun control measures proposed by N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper and additional funding for school resource officers proposed by Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, are among the immediate steps that have been taken, but they certainly can’t be looked upon as the end of the problem. Whatever the solution is, Tuscola freshman Harper Schwab thinks that communication will help them find it. “I don’t think there’s one exact direct solution,” he said. “I don’t directly believe that more guns will necessarily solve the issue. I think that with heavy communica-

“I’m very appreciative of their outreach and their help for us to create this platform,” Schwab said. “I think it’s great. It’s an opportunity to speak our minds and let all the other students and faculty know what we want to happen, and the reforms we want.” So what, exactly, is it these students want? “We want to see change,” Feichter said. “We’re tired of being afraid to go to school.” “Change starts with people in schools,” said Yazan. “I think we need to be more connected as a society, as a nation, to make sure that nothing like this happens again.”

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Religious community opposes Jackson Brunch Bill Public hearing speakers overwhelmingly anti-alcohol

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER f the two Jackson County commissioners considering a “yes” vote on Sunday morning alcohol sales were looking to the community to encourage that point of view, the crowd that turned out for a public hearing on the issue March 19 certainly didn’t deliver. The commissioners’ boardroom was near capacity Monday night, with about 75 people sitting in the 105 available chairs, nearly all of them members of one of the area’s many Baptist churches opposed to alcohol consumption. In more than an hour of public comment, only one of the 24 speakers spoke in support of Sunday morning sales, a measure known as the Brunch Bill. “When people say there’s no harm in passing this law, think about the folks who have lost someone to alcohol,” said Mark Stiles, pastor at Trout Creek Baptist Church, following an account of a church member who was killed by a drunk driver on his way home from church in 2016. “You’re putting more people on the road with alcohol in their body at an earlier time of the day. It’s time we as Christians stood and let our voice be heard.” Like many of the night’s commenters, Stiles included a Bible verse from Proverbs in his comments, in his case Proverbs 20:1 — “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Each anti-alcohol speaker was met with applause from the audience, and often by a standing ovation, with exclamations of “Amen!” and “Speak it, brother,” common as remarks were delivered. To many of those in attendance, the issue boiled down to the value of money over the value of human lives and respect for the county’s large religious community. “Please remember that before there were any alcohol sales in Jackson County, the budget was covered without alcohol tax revenue,” said Rebecca Whitmire Fowler. “It was covered by the citizens, not just business owners, and many of those citizens were nondrinkers.” Several speakers voiced their doubt as to how much expanded alcohol sales would even improve the region’s economy, citing studies that seemed to show otherwise and pointing out that increases in alcohol-related crime and social issues would bring with them increased costs for law enforcement and health care. “Our ER is full and running over. Our jailhouse is full and running over,” said Amy Buchanan, a registered nurse and member of the Baptist church. “I ask you to prayerfully consider this.” Through tears, Amanda Buchanan told commissioners how hard it is to raise her daughter up right when, seemingly everywhere they go, alcohol is there. Jackson County 12

Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

was a dry county until 2012 — before that, any restaurant outside town limits wasn’t allowed to sell it. Now, that window before noon on Sundays remains a brief time that folks who are offended by alcohol consumption can go out and not have it right in front of them. “When we go out to eat at a restaurant, there’s almost always a table beside us of college kids, somebody drinking drinks, and my 5-year-old asks, ‘Mom, what are those drinks?’” Buchanan said. “Some of them look like slushies and she wants one, and I have to explain to my 5-year-old that those drinks are not good, that us as Christians we don’t drink those drinks. It might not seem like nothing, like a little thing to pass, but it’s much bigger than what y’all think.” Commissioners also heard from a large number of former alcoholics, or family members of alcoholics, who asked them to consider the strain on the family when there’s no rest from wondering if a loved one is about to go on a bender. They described Sunday morning as a relief from that worry, as it’s the one time when alcohol isn’t available for sale. “The times when there was nothing open for him to go to were the only times my grandmother could ever relax,” said Fowler, recalling her experience growing up with a severe alcoholic. At times, the comments got personal, with Shane Danner of Cullowhee Valley Baptist Church asking each commissioner in turn to name the place where they attend on Sundays.

Johnny Ray Davis criticizes Commissioner Mickey Luker for selling beer in his store. The alcohol issue brings tears to Chastity Buchanan’s eyes (below). Holly Kays photos

Second public hearing planned A second public hearing taking input on whether to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales in Jackson County starting at 10 a.m. — a policy known as the Brunch Bill — will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 16, at the Albert Carlton Cashiers Library in Cashiers. Anyone is welcome to speak for up to three minutes. “Now the word on the street is that there’s three of you that want to vote against this. Two of you don’t know where you stand. Let me encourage the two of you,” said Danner. “If you were a member of my church, Cullowhee Valley Baptist Church, and you voted for this, the leadership of the church would drag you out by the earlobe and excommunicate you, period, simply because you went against the church covenant and what God’s word says.” Commissioners Charles Elders and Boyce Deitz, as well as Chairman Brian McMahan, have said they are opposed to Sunday morning sales. Commissioners Mickey Luker and Ron Mau have indicated they might vote in favor. Johnny Ray Davis followed Danner’s comments by singling out Luker, whose business Caney Fork General Store sells beer. “I want you to tell me, are you a Christian or not?” Davis asked Luker.

“I think I am,” said Luker. “I don’t think you are,” replied Davis. “If God saved you, you’ll go up there tonight, and I’ll tell you what you’ll do,” Davis continued later in his comments. “You’ll go up there and you’ll lock them doors and you won’t sell another can to nobody. If you’re any kind of man at all, you’ll go up there and lock them doors.” While the anti-alcohol crowd was definitely the majority in the commissioners boardroom that night, there was one voice in favor of expanded Sunday sales — that of Bernadette Peters, owner of City Lights Café in Sylva. Sylva has already passed the Brunch Bill, and Peters’ restaurant has been serving alcohol with Sunday brunch since September. “Have any of you ever been to brunch in Sylva at any of the restaurants?” she asked commissioners. “I would first invite you guys to go to one of the restaurants in Sylva where the Brunch Bill has been passed. It would be a good way to see for yourselves.” The brunch scene, she said, is far from the binge-drinking, stupor-causing, alcoholisminduced free-for-all the other in attendance fear. Rather, she said, it’s “families, friends, gathering to eat breakfast, brunch or lunch,

enjoying a mimosa or beer, typically one drink per person, maybe two.” She also pointed out that in 2012 voters opted to legalize alcohol sales in Jackson County, indicating that public support for the Brunch Bill might be quite a bit higher than what was represented in the room that night. If commissioners wanted to put the question out for a vote, she said, she’d be in full support of that. Peters also took issue with the characterization that watching adults imbibe corrupts minors. “Minors who witness responsible consumption of alcohol in an environment like a meal are less likely to abuse alcohol,” she said, to laughter from the audience. “If you look at other countries, you see that.” While Peters was vastly outnumbered March 19, it’s possible that the ratio will be drastically different April 16, when a second public hearing will be held in Cashiers. Business owners in Cashiers have the most to gain from passage of the Brunch Bill, as the economy there is highly tourism-driven and the unincorporated community is at the mercy of county policy, unlike incorporated towns like Sylva and Dillsboro.

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Mathis has been on the job for about two weeks now and is learning the ropes with the help of the town staff. She says she looks forward to working with the people of Bryson City and plans to have an open door policy for employees, residents and business owners. “I love the interactions with the people and so far the employees here have been absolutely amazing — the ladies in the office are my trainers,” Mathis said. “And the previous managers have done a great job in laying out timelines and things that need to be done.” With a fairly comprehensive outline laid out for her, Mathis said her first year would be spent just following in those footsteps and following through with plans put in place to meet the infrastructure challenges the town is currently facing. Bryson City is in the process of making major repairs to its aging water and sewer system and also striving to keep up with repaving streets at the same time. “Our biggest challenge is getting our infrastructure in order. We’re always working to better our water and sewer infrastructure but we can’t do it all at once,” she said. “We’re setting priories and figuring out what we need the most.” Mathis had just started her job when town aldermen and the county commissioners held a joint meeting to discuss some ongoing issues. She said the meeting was beneficial for everyone involved as a way to work together on important projects and both boards decided to make the joint meetings a bi-annual event. “It was so beneficial for everyone to hear the same information and try to get on the same page,” she said. “We came up with some great solutions that wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t all met. I think it will help better the town and the county in general.” The town and county are close to reaching an agreement for the Bryson City Police Department to lease office space inside the federal building, which the county acquired earlier this year. The county also plans to move its administrative offices into the federal building to free up space at the county administrative building for the court system. The town and the county also jointly own the buildings now occupied by the police department and the fire station. They decided it would make more sense for the town to solely own the police department building and for the county to own the fire station. Lastly, a committee that was formed in the 1970s started the Swain County Recreation Center, but there’s no clear deed to the county or the town, which has made it difficult to go after grant funding to improve the rec park. The town and county decided to work toward a resolution making the county the sole owner. Mathis will receive a starting salary of $68,000. To reach her, email her at rgmathis@dnet.net.

Is a Will Enough?

March 21-27, 2018

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR fter a 30-year career in public education, Regina Mathis is trying her hand in public administration as the new Bryson City town manager. Originally from Sylva, Mathis has lived in Swain County for 14 years. She served as the assistant principal for Swain Middle and was principal at Swain High for several years before moving to the administrative office where she served as associate superintendent for four years and as the director of human resources for another eight years. While the careers seem very different, Mathis said she feels her experience in the school system will lend itself well to her new position. “I feel like some of Regina Mathis my skills I already gained from being in education — managing and leading people and the budgeting things I’m responsible for — will transfer over to this position well,” Mathis said. “After 30 years in education, I thought this was a great opportunity to do something different so I just kind of took the leap.” Mathis was hired by the town to replace former manager Chad Simons who went home to become the town manager in Murphy. Mathis is the third manager Bryson City has had to hire since longtime manager Larry Callicutt retired in 2015. Bryson City was able to steal Josh Ward away from his planning director position in Highlands only to lose him a year later when he returned to Highlands to serve as its town manager. Then the town hired Simons, who had been serving as town clerk in Franklin, but again, after a year Simons took the position in Murphy to cut down on his commute. One factor the Bryson City board considered this time around was hiring someone who would stick around longer. With roots in Swain County, Alderman Janine Crisp said she thinks Mathis will be with the town for a while. “We are thrilled to have Regina working as our town manager. She is enthusiastic, intelligent and a people person. Her years in public education have served her well in developing important traits, characteristics and skills that will, no doubt, lend themselves to her success in this position as well,” Crisp said. “We are all well aware of the learning curve that Regina will have to master, but I am confident that she can and that she will. Also, I believe our town will have a much better chance of keeping her as town manager for hopefully much longer than the two town managers before her as she is a resident of Bryson City.”

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney news

Former educator now leading Bryson City

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MLK’s ‘Poor People’s Campaign’ revived in North Carolina

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER wo weeks ago marked the 53rd anniversary of a watershed moment in the civil rights movement — the Selma to Montgomery marches, where civil rights leaders including current Georgia Congressman John Lewis were badly beaten by Alabama State Troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. That week also marked resurgence in the Poor People’s Campaign, begun by Rev. Martin Luther King in 1967 to address social and economic injustice among all races — and as a recent gathering in Haywood County showed, the need is as great as it ever was. More than 50 years after MLK began the Poor People’s Campaign calling for “a radical redistribution of economic and political power,” that power has indeed been redistributed — but probably not in the way King intended. As America’s middle class shrinks, the rich are growing richer while others end up in poverty; Haywood County’s unemployment lingers near 4 percent, even though more than 17 percent of the county lives below the poverty line. But the causes of poverty now reach across racial, social and economic lines more than ever, prompting the revival of King’s campaign by former North Carolina NAACP head William Barber and Rev. Liz Theoharis of the Kairos Center at Union Theological Seminary in New York. On March 5 in Waynesville’s Folkmoot Friendship Center, several progressive groups gathered for the Poor People’s Campaign Town Hall, meant to draw awareness to the interconnectedness of these issues, according Chelsea White, an organizer with the event’s sponsor, Down Home North Carolina. “This is meant to address all of the interconnecting issues of poverty,” said White. “Poverty includes issues with housing, issues with ecological degradation, issues with the war economy, and issues with not valuing our families and our workers.” Ecological degradation is what prompted the genesis of the Canary Coalition, which started off focused on air quality issues but quickly found out just how interconnected those issues are, said Executive Director Avram Friedman. “You can’t just isolate air quality issues from every other environmental issue, but also social and economic issues,” he said. “Very often, people who are living in poverty suffer the worst consequences from environmental issues.” 14

The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival will host another town hall in Sylva; the meeting is free and open to the public. • Date: Saturday, March 24 • Time: 3 to 5 p.m. • Location: Community Table, 23 Central Street, Sylva the poor are opioid users. And where there are users, there will be pushers. “A lot of people don’t have anything else to do as far as work is concerned, so when they find somebody with drugs, drugs is easy money. It’s an idea of, ‘If I just do this for little while, maybe I can get out of this situation I’m in,’” he said. “That little while just tends to go on, and on, and on.” Child abuse survivor Connie Jean Conklin also spoke at the event and told the crowd of over a hundred people how circumstances beyond her control sentenced her to a life of poverty. Conklin says the emotional trauma

Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of major social issues that transcend race to include environmental issues of a different sort. One speaker at the event, Samuel Malone, grew up predestined, in an environment that was beyond his control from the very beginning. “I was born addicted to drugs,” Malone said. “I’m 38 years old. I’m just now getting on the longest span of my life being clean, I’m 15 years sober from methamphetamines, I also have had an opioid addiction and I’m still in the methadone clinic for that, and I’m actually working my way out of that now.” A 2011 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that overdoses were higher in states with higher poverty levels, suggesting that a greater percentage of

Poor People’s event in Jackson County Saturday

related to her abuse has made it hard for her to keep a job, or lead a stable existence. “We’re struggling to fit in and know how to work within the system,” Conklin said. “We learn a dysfunctional way of coping, because that’s what worked in our home. It doesn’t work out in the real world. I’ve been homeless I can’t tell you how many times. As I’m older, it’s harder.” Addiction, abuse, discrimination, pollution — all of them contribute to and help perpetuate poverty, but all are gargantuan and complex issues of their own. Still, the Canary Coalition’s Friedman was clear on what he thinks people can take away from the revival of Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign. “Well, I think it’s a greater awareness that we do have the power to fight together,” he said. “That’s exactly what we have to do.” Initial actions planned by the group, including civil disobedience and rallies, will begin on Mother’s Day and continue for 40 days. Fighting a fight from 50 years ago is probably something King didn’t anticipate, either. But so long as poverty continues to affect people due to circumstances beyond their control — like the color of their skin, or the poor choices of a parent — King’s campaign will fight on.

Alice Lowery (foreground) speaks to the crowd at the Poor People’s Town Hall while event organizer Chelsea White looks on from backstage. Cory Vaillancourt photo

“We’re struggling to fit in and know how to work within the system. We learn a dysfunctional way of coping, because that’s what worked in our home. It doesn’t work out in the real world. I’ve been homeless I can’t tell you how many times. As I’m older, it’s harder.” — Connie Jean Conklin

Clampitt to hold Bryson City town hall news

Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, will hold a town hall meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at the Swain County Administrative Building, located at 101 Mitchell Street, in Bryson City. “This will put a finish on the first go-around of town hall meetings for 2018,” Clampitt said. “The purpose of the meeting will be for peoMike Clampitt ple to ask questions about what our office is working on, ask questions about the General Assembly, and to share any concerns they may need assistance on.”

Haywood Dems to host county convention

Franklin to hold march Saturday

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A local “March for Our Lives” will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in Franklin. The march will begin at the Big Bear shelter at the Little Tennessee Greenway on East Main Street and end in front of the courthouse on Main Street. The march is being held in solidarity with the Parkland, Florida, students and young people across the country who demand that their lives and safety become a priority, and that legislation be passed that will help reduce gun violence in schools and communities. For more information, visit marchforourlives.com.

March 21-27, 2018

Haywood County Democrats will gather Saturday, March 24, at the USDA Center, 589 Raccoon Road, in Waynesville for the 2018 County Convention. Registration for convention delegates will begin at 8 a.m. A pancake breakfast will be served beginning at 8 a.m. and the business session will be called to order at 9 a.m. Candidates running for the U.S. House and N.C. General Assembly will be speaking during the breakfast. Candidates running for Haywood County offices will be recognized to speak during the business session. For additional information, contact the Democratic Headquarters at haywooddemocrats@gmail.com or 828.452.9607. The headquarters is located at 734 N. Main Street, in Waynesville and is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

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Franklin trying out new traffic pattern

March 21-27, 2018

The town of Franklin will begin a 90-day trial of a new one block long parking plan for Main Street from town hall to the town square beginning March 26, depending on the weather. Using a temporary type of parking tape and signage, town Planner Justin Setser and Town Engineer Nathanael Moore will lay out the new parking scheme, which will keep angled parking on the south side of Main Street but change to parallel parking on the right side. Town officials hope the public will respond to the new plan and provide feedback on how it’s working. Comments can be submitted by emailing contactus@franklinnc.com, calling 828.524.2516 or by filling out a comment form at the front desk of town hall. Following the temporary tests and feedback, there may be other changes to the town’s parking patterns. During the initial test, there will be additional loading zones put in place.

Macon sheriff now able to seize digital forfeitures BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR rug dealers are constantly finding new ways to protect their assets and the Macon County Sheriff ’s office is trying to keep up with the latest trends. “When we’re trying to dismantle these drug organizations we have to look at multifaceted ways of how they operate,” Narcotics Deputy Josh Stewart told Macon County commissioners last week. “With new technology, drug dealers aren’t going in with a bag of cash … they’re using crypto-currency and prepaid Visa cards.” While deputies can seize cash associated with a drug bust investigation, they can’t get their hands on the increasing amounts of “digital currency” associated with the drug operations. “We need to take their drugs and the proceeds from those drugs so they can’t use the money they have to get out of jail and go buy more drugs to sell,” Stewart said. To be able to access those digital drug proceeds, the Macon County commissioners approved entering into a contract with ERAD (Electronic Recovery and Access to Data). Using a handheld device, the ERAD program will allow law enforcement to swipe prepaid cards and seize the fund balance.

The county will pay a $300 annual licensing fee to use the ERAD program and 7.7 percent of the forfeitures the sheriff ’s department collects. Stewart said the federal government is also entitled to a percentage of civil forfeitures. He said the federal government typically gets about 30 percent of forfeitures.

“With new technology, drug dealers aren’t going in with a bag of cash … they’re using cryptocurrency and prepaid Visa cards.” — Josh Stewart, Macon County narcotics deputy

“It costs money to seize money,” said Sheriff Robbie Holland. “Eventually this will be mainstream and then they’ll look for another way.” Civil forfeiture has been a controversial issue in recent years, as some law enforcement agencies have found a way to abuse the

system for their own financial benefit. According to the ACLU, forfeitures were originally presented as a way to cut off the resources to large-scale criminal enterprises but are being used today to pad the tightening budgets of enforcement agencies. “For people whose property has been seized through civil asset forfeiture, legally regaining such property is notoriously difficult and expensive, with costs sometimes exceeding the value of the property,” the ACLU states. “With the total value of property seized increasing every year, calls for reform are growing louder, and CLRP is at the forefront of organizations seeking to rein in the practice.” The U.S. Department of Justice has guidelines regarding how forfeiture funds can be used — investigations, training and education, costs associated with law enforcement or detention facilities, equipment, service contracts, travel costs, law enforcement awards or memorials and drug and gang education awareness programs. Funds may not be used to pay salaries or overtime for deputies. Sgt. Don Willis said the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office has used forfeiture funds to purchase surveillance equipment, vehicles and to assist in investigations of criminal activity. In 2015, the Macon Sheriff ’s Office seized $3,683 in state forfeiture funds; $9,000 in state forfeitures and nearly $24,000 in federal forfeitures during 2016; about $21,000 in state forfeitures and $6,243 in federal forfeitures in 2017; and $2,774 so far in 2018.

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Private-public partnerships needed to improve internet service

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local governments from being internet providers. Several projects are already under way in the region, where an unserved area has been identified, grant applications for federal infrastructure funds have been submitted and private providers have been engaged in conversations around providing service. By assisting with the cost of the infrastructure, a local community can more easily entice a provider to the table. Thompson said she is already in the process of working with the ARC to secure some infrastructure grant funds that are available only for designated economically distressed counties like Swain and Graham. Meanwhile, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians already has a broadband expansion project in the works that could soon benefit portions of neighboring Swain County. Back in 2003, Harrah’s Casino and Drake Enterprises in Franklin were experiencing internet outages, which can cost those big businesses millions of dollars. The inconsistent coverage led EBCI and Drake to join together to create Balsam West and work began to create a 400-mile ring

fiber optic network. With that “middle-mile” service now in place, the last mile is still needed to get service out to individual residences. During a meeting last summer about broadband, EBCI representatives told Swain residents that they planned to expand into Swain County once they’ve reached their goals of covering everyone on the Qualla Boundary. “Cherokee’s project is very promising, especially since the tribe has more economic and budgetary resources than our county governments,” Thompson said. Another challenge is a lack of competition among providers. While residents in Haywood County might have a choice between service through Charter Communications, AT&T or a wireless provider like Skyrunner, the only provider available in Swain County is Frontier Communications. During the same meeting

March 21-27, 2018

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ith the results of a regional broadband survey now available, leaders have expansive data on the underserved areas in their counties and can seek out public-private partnership opportunities in an effort to expand high-speed internet service. The lack of fast and reliable broadband service in Western North Carolina has been a high priority for the last few years with no easy solution in sight to serve such sparsely populated mountain communities. Providers have been unwilling to install new infrastructure in areas where they are unable to get a return on their investment, leaving many communities without reliable service or with no service at all. Internet service used to be a luxury but now it’s a necessity for economic development and public education. Many counties already have broadband committees in place and some have even completed their own surveys, but this survey and assessment of internet availability covers the seven western counties and also included training for county officials. The Southwestern Planning and Economic Development Commission conducted the assessment in partnership with Mountain West Partnership with the help of an Appalachian Regional Commission grant. For the assessment portion of the project, the commission used ECC Technologies’ “Broadband Assessment and Aggregation Tool” and an online survey targeted residents and businesses in the region. Those without internet at home could take the survey on a smartphone or submit a paper survey. Nearly 5,000 residents and businesses in WNC responded to the survey, which Southwestern Commission Director Sarah Thompson said was a good sample. “The more the better and it varied county to county, but being able to engage 5,000 people in a rural region is a success and it showed what a pressing issue it was,” she said. Business owners and residents were asked about availability of current internet services, to identify actual speeds available through a speed test, and what level of service they actually need. The data collected was laid out onto maps of each county to illustrate the pockets where better service is needed — like the

Nantahala community of Macon County or the Fines Creek community of Haywood County. “The actual response data is related to specific dots on the map and now each county can use that data and work with their GIS department to delve into the neighborhoods that are underserved or unserved and start to develop projects,” Thompson said. Though the data is a major tool toward improving broadband services, it’s still going to be a slow process that is dependent on the region’s ability to secure grant funding and work in partnership with private internet providers since North Carolina law prohibits

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Regional commission completes broadband study

with Swain residents, Frontier’s Director of Governmental Affairs Susan Miller tried to explain the complications of expanding services in rural mountain terrain. Installing expensive infrastructure that may only serve a handful of people just isn’t a profitable investment for a private company, but Frontier is getting some assistance from the federal government to better serve its rural monopoly. As an incumbent provider, Frontier is receiving Connect America Funds that are specifically for new broadband infrastructure. Thompson said CAF funds are usually used on the “low hanging fruit,” adding new customers in communities adjacent to existing infrastructure, or adding equipment to improve service to existing customers. She said each county can work with Frontier to determine the best use of those funds to improve service — though Frontier admits parts of Swain will be the most costly. Thompson said the good news is that our region is in a good position to receive any grant funding that becomes available for rural broadband efforts, but those funding opportunities are still limited. In the meantime, the Southwestern Commission will continue to keep the regional players engaged in the process. “We want folks to understand we’re doing everything we can. Each county is very engaged in this. If there was an easy solution we’d already be there — it’s impossible to make promises but it’s definitely a high priority for the counties,” she said. The full Region A Broadband Assessment report can be read at www.regiona.org.

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March 21-27, 2018

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Education Haywood teacher to study in China Traci Brooks, a fifth grade teacher at Hazelwood Elementary School, has been named the 2018 James G. K. McClure Award recipient from Haywood County Schools. Brooks will serve on a travel delegation of teachers from North Carolina. The teachers will travel to China this summer to study. The McClure Award is part of Go Global NC. The award will subsidize the cost of participation in Go Global NC’s Global Teachers-China 2018 professional development program. China is the world’s second largest economy and North Carolina’s third largest trading partner. The Global Teachers-China 2018 program is designed to allow North Carolina program participants the opportunity to learn about the unique challenges facing China as it strives to educate a country of 1.4 billion people as well as lessons that can be learned for use in our schools. Participants will experience China’s unique history, culture, and environment first-hand while collaborating with other group members on ways to incorporate these experiences into their classrooms.

Womansong scholarships available at HCC The Haywood Community College Foundation now has scholarships available for female students interested in completing the High School Equivalency (formerly known as GED) exam thanks to funding from Womansong’s New Start Program. In 1988, Womansong, under the leadership of founding director Linda Metzner, created the New Start Program designed to provide financial assistance to women in need in Western North Carolina. The High School Equivalency credential helps graduates find employment, increase their wages and attend college. It is accepted by virtually all colleges and employers in the country. Classes and materials are provided free of charge at HCC. For more information about Womansong New Start Scholarship funds, High School Equivalency classes or to register for orientation, call 828.627.4648 or visit www.haywood.edu.

Kindergarten orientations in Macon The following Macon County Schools will hold orientation days for students enrolling in kindergarten: n Cartoogechaye Elementary — 9 a.m. April 13 n East Franklin Elementary — 9:30 a.m. April 27 n Iotla Valley Elementary — 8:30 a.m. April 19 n Nantahala School — 8:30 a.m. May 3 n South Macon Elementary — 9 a.m. April 13 n (Highlands School held orientation on March 13).

HCC seeking alum nominations Haywood Community College presents the annual Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award to a HCC alumnus who has attained distinction and success in his or her career field or through community service. The college is now seeking nominations for this award. Nominations are due by Thursday, March 29. To be considered for the honor, a 2018 nomination form must be filled out. Previous nominees are eligible with a new completed form. The final selection will be made by the Alumni Committee and will be approved by the HCC president. The recipient will be recognized at the May graduation ceremonies to be held May 11. To receive a nomination form or for more information about the Outstanding Alumni Award, call 828.565.4165 or email trobertson@haywood.edu.

WCU recognized for Fulbright Program With a trio of Western Carolina University faculty members currently engaged in individual research projects around the world through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, the university has landed on a just-published list recognizing the program’s “top-producing institutions” for 201718. Colleges and universities across the U.S. with the most faculty members receiving Fulbright Scholar awards and with the highest number of student recipients of Fulbright grants

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were highlighted in the Sunday, Feb. 18, online edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education. WCU is among a group of eight schools in the Carnegie “master’s” classification that have the most faculty members receiving Fulbright Scholar awards. The trio of WCU faculty members who received Fulbright Scholar awards consists of Mimi Fenton, professor of English; Turner Goins, the university’s Ambassador Jeanette Hyde Distinguished Professor of Gerontological Social Work; and Paul Worley, associate professor of English and director of graduate programs in English.

SCC instructors now textbook reviewers When only 50 reviewers are listed nationwide in a textbook, it is rare for any college to have one faculty member listed, but Southwestern Community College’s nursing program has three. SCC nursing instructors Kimi Walker and Wendy Buchanan, along with SCC nursing program coordinator Barbara Connell, were listed in the Pearson “Nursing: A Concept-Based Approach to Learning” textbook as reviewers of volumes 1 and 2. Buchanan recently found out she was listed again in volume 3. For more information on SCC and its nursing program, visit www.southwesterncc.edu.

Jackson names assistant superintendent The Jackson County Board of Education has named Jacob Buchanan as the assistant superintendent of Jackson County Public Schools. Buchanan earned his bachelor's degree in history from King College in 1999. He earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education social studies in 2001 and a master’s in school administration in 2009 from Western Carolina University. In 2017, he received his education specialist degree from Clemson University and will complete his doctorate in educational leadership from Clemson University in 2018. Buchanan began his educational career teaching social studies at Smoky Mountain High School. He became Assistant Principal at Scotts Creek School in 2010 and served the district as director of secondary education prior to becoming principal at Smoky Mountain High School in 2013.

Research celebrated at WCU showcase The research prowess and creative work of Western Carolina University’s undergraduate and graduate students will be showcased during the annual Research and Scholarship Celebration, with oral and poster presentations, keynote speakers and receptions scheduled across campus over a two-day period — Wednesday, March 21, and Thursday, March 22. WCU’s undergraduate students will be giving oral presentations all day during both days of the

• Haywood Community College registration for summer and fall semesters is underway March 20 through April 27 for both new and continuing students. With a variety of associate, diploma, and certificate programs to choose from, students can take the first step in realizing that education changes everything. Career counseling services are available for guidance. For more information, 828.627.4500 or visit www.haywood.edu.

ALSO:

• The Macon County Academic Foundation will hold an Academic Auction at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at Cartoogechaye Elementary School. The fundraising event will include a live auction, raffles, food and games. $5 wristbands are available for children to play in the bounce house. • Prospective students will have a chance to learn about the ins-and-outs of college life as Western Carolina University holds Open House starting at 8:15 a.m. Saturday, March 24. Register at openhouse.wcu.edu or by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions tollfree 877.928.4968. Research and Scholarship Celebration, and on March 22, graduate students will present oral presentations about their research from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at A.K. Hinds University Center. More information, including detailed presentation schedules, is available online. To learn more about the Graduate Research Symposium, visit graduatesymposium.wcu.edu. For more information about the Undergraduate Expo, visit honors.wcu.edu, click on “Undergraduate Research” in the menu items, and then click on “Research and Scholarship Celebration.”

SCC and Mother Town join forces Southwestern Community College’s Educational Opportunities department has partnered with the Mother Town Healing Project through the Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) of the Qualla Boundary to provide employability skills training, career opportunities and additional support to tribal members recovering from addiction. The Mother Town Healing Project is a TERO initiative aiming to provide recovery support, personal growth, skill-building opportunities and community to those in need. These efforts are centered around giving a second chance to tribal members recovering from addiction. TERO partnered with SCC’s Human Resources Development program to provide workforce preparation classes that include numerous activities and chances for professional development. All 10 students in the inaugural class are Cherokee residents who participated in all aspects of the program overseen. For more information about SCC, visit www.southwesterncc.edu.

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Can’t we just talk about gun legislation? L

Commander in chief is too fond of Russia To the Editor: Article 11, section 2 of the Constitution says “The President shall be the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.” The safety and security of the country is his primary responsibility. Since the end of WWII, through the Cold War, the fall of the Soviet Union and now into the rule of Putin, Russia has been our principal adversary. From the despotic rule of Joseph Stalin to the kleptocracy/oligarchy of today’s Russia, it has always stood for one man rule and against true democracy in any form. Every intelligence agency of our government has confirmed that Russia has attacked and is still attacking our country. The weapons in this war are cyber bots, Facebook posts, Twitter rants, hacked email accounts and now confirmed attacks on our infrastructure. “The Trump administration accused

really just a question of where to draw the line in the types of guns that citizens need. Does anyone need more than a double barrel twelve-gauge shotgun for self-defense? I haven’t seen any proposals to eliminate those. Does anyone really need an assault rifle to hunt deer, rabbits, or quail? Aren’t there literally hundreds of guns to choose from for target shooting? Why does anyone need any type of gun capable of firing a hundred rounds in less than two minutes? Why does anyone need an assault rifle, or any military grade weapon? What are they good for, other than for gun fetishists to get their jollies owning or shooting them? They exist for only one other practical reason — to kill the maximum number of people when someColumnist one decides to take that dark path. Talking Point 3: We need our guns in case we have to go to war with the government. Now here is a curious bit of right-wing theater. A ragged band of “freedom fighters” wearing “Molon Labe” T-shirts battling Apache helicopters, army tanks, and drone strikes with their AR-15 rifles. You couldn’t get Bruce Willis or Nicolas Cage to read that script, much less be in the movie. Talking Point 4: The Second Amendment guarantees me the right to have any gun I want. If we are going to insist on a “purist” interpretation of the Second Amendment, then just give every household a musket rifle and call it a day. Our civil liberties all come with some common sense restrictions, some of which have evolved over many decades of debate, deliberation, and social change. The Constitution is an elastic document subject to the interpretation of the courts, and even the most cursory review of history demonstrates that interpretations have varied wildly. A great many people once felt that denying blacks freedom and women the right to vote was constitutionally sound. Not many people feel that way now. One of these days, our children’s children will look back on this age and find the courts’ interpretation of the Second

Chris Cox

ast week, a United Airlines flight attendant forced a passenger with a small dog to put the dog in an overhead storage bin during a flight, even though there were no vents for the dog to breathe. The dog did not survive the flight, and in less than a week, legislation was introduced into Congress to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The bill is called the WOOFF Act — the Welfare Of Our Furry Friends. When a defenseless puppy dies on an airplane, Congress is almost instantly roused to action. Why then, are our legislators so reluctant to provide the same level of care and concern for our children, when we have already lost so many to gun violence? How many mass shootings will it take before we see some meaningful legislation that could begin to turn the tide and make our schools, theaters, malls, and other public places safer? Rather than allowing the National Rifle Association and its proponents to shut down any discussion of possible solutions, we need a real conversation in America about what meaningful legislation would look like, and we need a critical assessment of some of their key talking points, as follows: Talking Point 1: Gun laws will only hurt law-abiding gun owners since criminals will not abide by them. If you follow the logic in this argument, it would be pointless to have any laws at all since some people will not abide by them. Since some people will rob, should robbery be made legal? How about speeding? We do not pass laws based on whether some people are going to break them anyway. That is absurd. The question is whether the laws make sense and might make a difference. In what ways are law-abiding gun owners “hurt” by sensible gun legislation? Talking Point 2: People who are in favor of gun control want to take all of our guns. This may be the crown jewel in NRA propaganda, because it gins up the fear, anger, and paranoia of its constituency. The vast majority of people I know who support some form of gun control do not want to take away everyone’s guns. This is one area where the most progress could be made, if only we could get past the paranoia and propaganda and discuss it rationally. We already have some types of gun control in place, so it is

Russia on Thursday of engineering a series of cyber attacks that targeted American and European nuclear power plants and water and electric systems, and could have sabotaged or shut power plants off at will,” wrote the N.Y. Times in is March 15 issue. Let’s be clear, there is now a button on Putin’s desk that can turn off our water, electric and cripple our internet. How long do you think it would take for this country to descend into total chaos if our smart phones were turned off? No need of nuclear bombs, or thousands of tanks and million man armies, just turn off our power. What could the world’s most powerful Navy do to protect us from that? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has increased its spending on our cyber defense and issued the above statement as a warning. Real progress in this cyber war must come from the Commander in Chief, and so far nothing. When the State Department refused to spend the $80 million to counter Russian propaganda, the President was pleased. When the Secretary of State strongly criticized the Putin government for

Amendment foolish and bewildering. Talking Point 5: It makes sense to arm teachers since the only way to combat a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. I’ve been a teacher for 30 years and was a student for another 18 years prior to that. Among the dozens and dozens of teachers I have known, I can’t think of a single one who would either want to be armed in class, or one who I would want to see armed. The very idea of Tombstone-style shootouts in the classroom is so ridiculous that it is hard to believe that grown-ups have actually been talking about this for the past few weeks. But here we are. Talking Point 6: Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. Guns are just a tool. Right, people do kill people. And they almost always do it with guns. The narrative that always follows is that some people are just evil, while others are mentally ill. I agree, so doesn’t it make sense that we do everything we can to limit the scope of the tragedy as much as possible when they act out? Does it really make sense to make semi-automatic weapons so readily available? Don’t some guns kill a lot more people than other guns? Let’s put the talking points aside for a moment. Instead, imagine a scenario in which we could somehow remove the politics and the propaganda from the discussion. Imagine a group of people sitting down and trying to balance the interests of self-defense and responsible gun ownership with the interests of the safety of their communities. If we could start over, what choices would make sense? In that scenario, can you imagine someone making a rational argument for a weapon that can fire a hundred rounds in less than two minutes? Do we need that in our community? What else do we need, or not need? What limits make sense? If we can pass legislation to protect puppies on airplanes, can we at least have a real conversation about protecting children in schools and making our communities safer places to live? (Chris Cox is a writer and teacher. jchriscox@live.com.) Will Studenc

using a chemical weapon to attempt to kill a Russian spy, he was fired within 24 hours. Donald Trump has vaguely criticized the Russian government but he has never said an unkind word about Vladimir Putin. He fawned over Putin when he put on his Miss America pageant in Moscow. During the campaign, he sent his business associates to try to

contact Putin so he could build “Trump Moscow.” He has admired Putin’s strong leadership and his disdain for a free press. He has spoken glowingly about Putin over 80 times from through Feb. 16 2017, and he continues to do so to this day.

S EE LETTERS, PAGE 21

Don’t rely on fake Fox News

Norman Hoffman

To the Editor: This is in response to Nan Smith’s “Liberals have lost touch with reality” in the March 7 edition. On Feb. 2, I read an online article from www.psychologytoday.com entitled “7 Steps to Becoming a Dictator” by Mark van Vugt, Ph.D. Trump has accomplished four of the seven steps. Does this make you happy, Ms. Smith? Perhaps it is YOU and other Trump loyalists who are out of touch with reality. I fear we are way down the path to a Trump dictatorship. The signs are staring us in the face. It’s almost too late to do anything about it, so if we’re going to stop a Trump dictatorship, we need to do it NOW. Janice Workman Bryson City

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

To the Editor: The mice in the Old School Antique Mall on 441 South are heading for the hills because on April 1 The American Museum of the House Cat will open for the 2018 season. Last year the museum attracted 5,560 visitors from all over the world. Some came because they knew the museum was there, but the majority were just driving along U.S. 441 and saw the signs and the paintings of large cats, had the feline fever, and made a U-turn to visit. Had the museum not been there most would have driven on through Dillsboro and might have gone up the hill to Bryson City, Ashville, or Tennessee. The cat museum has become a little net that catches

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Smoky Mountain News

On the way to a Trump dictatorship

Cat museum preps for 2018 opening

March 21-27, 2018

industry, there will actually be few jobs created by a tariff on steel. What the tariff is more likely to do is cause job losses in industries that use steel by raising the price of steel. But in the end, it is likely that as with a lot of Trump productions little, if anything, will actually happen. Then there is the famous “swamp draining” that Trump promised. Instead he has filled key positions with people with potential conflicts of interest and flat out incompetence. Almost all of the cabinet positions have been filled by rich white guys, who have interests that may be served by their position in government. Some of the judicial nominees for jobs as lifetime federal judges have never actually worked as a lawyer — much less have any judicial experience. The State Department is essential to keeping up with what other countries are doing and thinking. Experience here is key, but we have lost a host of experienced people with no replacements. What Trump has done is drain the federal government of people who know what they are doing. Then, there is the issue of whether Trump and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, are selling out the US to Russia and/or other foreign interests. If there is nothing nefarious going on, why have they lied about all those meeting they had with Russians who answer to Putin? One of the first things Trump did was blow the cover of an Israeli operative by giving classified information to the Russian ambassador. Kushner has reportedly been trying to get huge loans from the Chinese and Arabs to bail out his failing business. Being so desperate for money is one reason he probably does not qualify for a security clearance. Finally there is the constant lying. During the campaign, Trump claimed he has no business interest in Russia. However, the evidence clearly shows that he was involved in trying to get Russian investments in his businesses from at least 2013 to 2016 while he was running for president. The fact checkers have found that Trump has racked up more than 2,000 flat out lies per year. How can you run a country when you can’t believe a thing the president says? Conservatives need to wake up to the real reality and not rely on Fox Fake News. (Hoffman lives in Waynesville.)

The head of the U.S.’s cyber operations recently said the country’s response to Russia’s hacking provocations have “not changed the calculus or the behavior” of the Russians and that “they have not paid a price.” Only the President can give the order to counter this attack, and he has not. Our Commander in Chief cannot defend us in a cyber war when he seems blinded by his fondness for the leader of the enemy forces. Louis Vitale Franklin

tourists from out of town and gives them a reason to stop in Jackson County. Once they visit the museum most of them visit other things in the area. People are always asking us where to eat or what else is there to do here? We hope to attract as many or more visitors than last season. The museum grossed just under $35,000.00 in 2017, but cost for rent, a full-time museum guide, and the cost to set up with improvements the rooms we occupy exceeded income and the year ended with a deficit. All income from admission tickets and sales benefit the Catman2 cats’ only shelter in Cullowhee and its low-to-no cost spay and neuter program for residents of Sylva and some surrounding areas. I take no salary or other form of income. In 2017 and so far in 2018, Jackson County has not euthanized a healthy adoptable cat. With help, the Catman2 Shelter and now its Cat Museum can help keep Jackson County a safe haven for cats. Please help us with your donations, private or business, to Catman2 Inc., a not-for-profit 501 3 tax exempt corporation that operates the cat shelter and museum. We could also use volunteers at both venues. Helping us will help put Jackson County on the map and in turn help local business. Harold Sims, Founder and President of Catman2 Inc. Since 1996. Find both the Museum and the Catman2 shelter on Face Book or see us at www.catman2.org. For informaton about visiting the Cat Museum call 828.476.9376 or email hsims@catman2.org.

opinion

t is truly amusing to see an apparent “conservative” say that liberals are out of touch with reality because they don’t watch Fox News. I tend to watch several networks and frequently have found that what Fox talking heads are saying does not match the facts. Not only do they tend to have a strong bias to saying what conservative want to hear, their “facts” are often wrong or distorted. As to the writer’s other statements about the country, let’s consider the following. The writer Guest Columnist complained about the hatred. Remember, it was the Tea Party activists that made harassing public officials and name calling an art form. President Trump has fueled the hatred by calling Mexicans rapists and all Muslims terrorists. Almost every statement from him is a “we vs. them” theme. His slogan of “Make America Great Again” is really “Make America White Again” by getting rid of all those brown people. The hate in the U.S. is fueled primarily by the right-wingers and the white supremacists. When anyone pushes back on their hate speech and demonstrations it is they who get labeled as haters by conservatives. As to bringing back jobs, there has been more smoke and mirrors than any real results from Trump. Remember the big production about the Carrier plant in Indiana where he claimed to save a thousand jobs? But the reality is that 800 of those jobs have gone to Mexico and most of the rest will be gone by now if they are not already vanished. The big production about bringing back coal mining was another example of promotion over performance. The few coalmining jobs that might have been produced are minute compared to job growth in the areas of wind and solar energy. Coal for energy production is not cost competitive to natural gas or even renewable sources. All the hype just gives false hopes to those in coal mining areas. Most recently, there are the theatrics about steel production. With the automation of the steel

LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM 20

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

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

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 hand-cut, 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.

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Retail Restaurant LIVE Music

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.

Events begin at 7:15pm unless otherwise noted. Dinner and Music reservations at 828-452-6000. FRI. AND SAT. MARCH 23-24 FRI. AND SAT. MARCH 30-31 Retail OPEN, 10am-6pm. Restaurant CLOSED FRIDAY, APRIL 6 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

March 21-27, 2018

SATURDAY, APRIL 7 “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Music from the award-winning film featuring Dulci Ellenberger (guitar, vocals) and Kevin Williams (piano, vocals).

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More. THURSDAY, APRIL 19 Wine Pairing Dinner + Jazz, $49.99++ per person. Dinner features four beautiful wines and four delicious courses by Master Chef Michelle Briggs. Jazz piano by Richard Shulman at our Steinway. Music begins at 6:30pm, reservations required.

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

Smoky Mountain News

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.

FRIDAY, APRIL 13 Musical Tribute: Carole King Living Room Tour. Sheila Gordon piano, vocals.

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CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh hand-cut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining.

facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot. 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 WiFi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com. THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly prepared small plates, tapas, charcuterie, desserts. Enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night at 7pm. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter. COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT 3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley. 828.926.1820 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. 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

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tasteTHEmountains appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95. GUADALUPE CAFÉ 606 W. Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.9877. Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews. Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood. HARMON’S DEN BISTRO 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville 828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items. Harmon’s Den offers a complete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap. Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service. Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817. Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Takeout menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM 617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva. 828.586.3555. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 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 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. 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 SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE 1941 Champion Drive, Canton 828.646.3750 895 Russ Ave., Waynesville 828.452.5822. Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available. Sagebrush features hand carved steaks, chicken and award winning BBQ ribs. We have fresh salads, seasonal vegetables and

scrumptious deserts. Extensive selection of local craft beers and a full bar. Catering special events is one of our specialties. SPEEDY’S PIZZA 285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800. Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays. Dine in or take out available. Located across from the Fire Station. TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com. TRAILHEAD CAFE & BAKERY 18 N Main Street, Waynesville. 828.452.3881 Open 7 days a week. You will find a delicious selection of pastries & donuts, breakfast & lunch along with a fresh coffee & barista selection. Happy Trails! VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin. 828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito. The recipes have been in the family for 50 years (don't ask for the recipes cuz’ you won't get it!) Each Pizza is hand tossed and made with TLC. You're welcome to watch your pizza being created. 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.

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Friday. March 23rd

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Smoky Mountain News

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

March 21-27, 2018

JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

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.

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Smoky Mountain News

Hard times, come again no more An evening with Scott Ainslie

share, how does that history make sense of where we are today as a society, and where we’re going ultimately? Scott Ainslie: It was Mark Twain who has been credited with saying that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” The United States of America today is a very, very strange and strained place. But, think of 1963. Vietnam. The Klan bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church killing four little black girls, one of whom was decapitated. The assassination of JFK. We’ve seen worse. People have to keep this in mind. We have to buck ourselves up, take note of the crises presenting themselves to us, without becoming numb or apathetic about the imperatives immediately before us. We have a country to save.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER iterally and figuratively, the idea of “listening” is somewhat of a lost art in our digital world. When a voice begins to share a point-of-view, usually a louder voice interrupts with a “more important” counterpoint or immediate distain for the sentiment before the initial thought can place a period at the end of a full sentence. That, and many-a-time folks simply have forgotten what it means to listen with intent and purpose. It’s that fleeting moment where SMN: Why is it important that this music you’re soaking in the words, emotions and mannerisms of another human being, in a sin- and the history behind it not only survive, but cere effort to make sense of the world within also continue to thrive in the 21st century? SA: I look on the work of the artist in socieyour head and outside your front door. And when singer-songwriter Scott Ainslie ty in a fairly traditional way. Not unlike the stood in front of a sold-out audience at the Shaman in a traditional society. Our job is to Boone-Withers House in downtown know our history and create experiences that Waynesville last Saturday evening, a hush fell the community can have in common. We are over the living room while Ainslie (a renowned all besieged by our screens — cell phones, Delta blues and American roots musicologist) captivated all within earshot “Depth and, fearing the words, about the trials and tribulations — emotional and traditional known and unknown — of our ancestors in this supposed land of the free. authenticity require submission to The Vermont-based performer has the tradition and the song. Before crisscrossed the southeast for several decades, cultivating stories, songs and you change it, it should change — most importantly — experiences he weaves together and shares with listenyou. This transformational ers around America and abroad. property of music and arts is a Ainslie spun his melodic web for the better part of two hours under the roof of worthy target.” the Boone-Withers House. He mean— Scott Ainslie dered through the hardships and triumphs of suppressed blacks and poor whites in the South, many of which were alive iPads, computers. Digital media can separate a when the wood was new, the paint fresh and the married couple on a date, each absorbed in the long-gone faces once young in the black and immediacy of the media possibilities, and white photographs adorning the walls of the ignoring the personal connections sitting right next to them. The arts have the ability to unite 19th century Victorian-style mansion. The power of Ainslie lies not only in his us, to help heal us, to lower barriers between haunting presence, but also in his depth of people. This is increasingly critical work. The musical and historical knowledge, more so his Shaman, and to my mind the artist, holds up bird’s-eye-view perspective on our society as a our history, what has made us who we are, like whole — making sense of where we came from, a mirror for the community. And then we say, “This is who we are. This is what we’re doing where we’re at, and what lies ahead. now. Are we happy with this? Does this honor Smoky Mountain News: In terms of the who we are?” It may seem a high bar, but for musical and cultural history you study and me it is the entry level question that opens to

Scott Ainslie performing on March 17 at the Boone-Withers House in Waynesville. Garret K. Woodward photo the stage. People tend to think the arts are about self-expression, when I actually think they are about community expression, with the self as a critical part, but as selflessly involved as possible. SMN: What has surprised you the most about your immersed studies and intimate performances of this music and its history? SA: Musically, I believe in apprenticeship. When you love something or someone deeply, you will be changed. We are not static, but malleable and love is a catalyst for human beings. I firmly believe that you should allow yourself to be changed by the music, before you change it. Traditions naturally morph as they are passed

Want to know more? To learn more about the music and travels of Scott Ainslie, visit www.cattailmusic.com. For more information on upcoming events at the Boone-Withers House, visit www.facebook.com/boonewithershouse.

The Boone-Withers House. Garret K. Woodward photo

from hand to hand and heart to heart. A song must fit in your mouth. But, learning that song by heart and immersing yourself in what we have received is critical. Depth and, fearing the words, emotional and traditional authenticity require submission to the tradition and the song. Before you change it, it should change you. This transformational property of music and arts is a worthy target. Acknowledging the power and possibility of that is far more important than how much money one is going to take home at the end of the night. The older I get, the less I measure my success by money, fame, or the size of an audience. There is a different currency, if you will. And we all should be paying attention to that and honoring it.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Ellen Cherry and Andrew Grimm at the Twin Maples Farmhouse. Garret K. Woodward photo

There’s a reason you should care, seriously

Singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale will perform during a benefit for the Lloyd Johnson Foundation at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Isis Music Hall in West Asheville.

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Smoky Mountain News

itting in a chair on a front lawn late Sunday afternoon, the sun had already disapThe Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will open the peared behind the mountains, a 2018 home season with bouts starting at 4 crisp air settling into the impendp.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Swain County ing night. Just about a block Recreation Center in Bryson City. down the hill from Main Street in Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will Waynesville, a handful of folks host Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) at 7 p.m. gathered in front of the Twin Saturday, March 24. Maples Farmhouse for an impromptu live performance. “The Liars Bench” will return at 7 p.m. Passing through from Thursday, March 22, in the Mountain Heritage Baltimore, Maryland, singerCenter auditorium at Western Carolina songwriters Ellen Cherry and University. Andrew Grimm stood in front of the microphones telling their stoBalsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Trippin’ ries. Finishing up an extended Hardie (Americana) at 8 p.m. Saturday, tour that took them as far away March 24. from home as Oklahoma, the duo found themselves in town due to try to understand fame. Are they going to a good friend who could house them for the live forever? Will people remember their evening, perhaps even gather some other names?” the series explores the idea of fame friends for a gig somewhere, anywhere. It’s and why it’s important that good music sunny out, might as well, eh? At one point during the set, Cherry spoke (good art, in general) thrive and survive. What Cherry said really stuck with me, about the importance of supporting indeas did what I heard and felt the prior pendent musicians and artisans, how it’s the evening during the Scott Ainslie performcraft of those individuals that helps people ance at the Boone-Withers House in heal, illuminate hard-earned truths and, Waynesville. A renowned musicologist, maybe, attain a sense of justice in a someAinslie kept mentioning between songs the times-unjust world. importance of having an attentive audience Cherry briefly mentioned just how much (smart phones stashed away) to share the it takes (financially, physically, emotionally) intimate experience of live music and storyjust to break even on a shoestring-budget telling. It’s a rare thing these days, he said, tour, which to many is considered a success and in some ways it’s “a rebellious act in our — just to make it back home not in debt. modern world.” What also caught my attention was their And there’s a reason you should care new podcast/website, “Why Aren’t You about what they both said. Seriously. Famous?” With the tagline, “Two musicians

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This must be the place

I reflect deeply about the likes of Cherry and Ainslie, and also folks like Appalachian musicologist David Holt. And whoever stands in front of an audience and shares their music, knowledge and life experiences, trying to make a sincere connection with a stranger or group of strangers. Making that connection is one of the true forms of beauty we have in this wild and wondrous universe of ours. These performers are presenting a history, of themselves and of our country, showing you what they saw and heard, and also how whatever happened in the past still applies to where we are today, how history and those who make and break it set the tone for whatever comes thereafter — hell or high water. Our existence today is cluttered — at home, at work, at play. We try to squeeze so much into so little (time, space, etc.) that what we’re left with is a blur of a life experience when push comes to shove. And you’re seemingly only left with a string of Instagram photographs and Facebook posts to remember the good time you had after you had it, rather than immersing oneself in the moment of when it happened in real time. Now, I’m as guilty as anyone in terms of social media indulgence. But, I try — honestly — to curb that as I’ve gotten older as a millennial in the digital age. That said, I’ll be the first to point to the importance of putting the devices aside and putting your attention towards another human being. But, the biggest takeaway from this past weekend was the simple notion of time and place. When you watch a performer with a simple acoustic guitar and a bit of history inside their voice and chords, you’re able to picture the folks they sing about, the trials and tribulations of those that came before you and I, those who will undoubtedly walk this earth in the coming centuries long after we’re gone, many of which making the same mistakes and same solutions to the problems that will forever remain the bane of human existence. With regards to Ainslie, what you walk away with at one of his shows is a staggering notion of time being all one moment we’re all lucky to be part of. With a twinkle in Ainslie’s eye, the listener heads home with a refreshed sense of self, a new perspective on the capabilities of humanity, where evil does rear its head like clockwork, but good will prevail in the hearts of those who never question the power of common ground and mutual respect in uncertain times. Not only should we support these kinds of house concerts and casual get-togethers, we should find the ways and means to do it ourselves. Decide on a place, get hold of some friends and family, and find the time (no, make the time) to rekindle those connections, especially in the presence of live music. Towards the end of the Cherry/Grimm gathering, my good friend leaned over to me and whispered, “We need to do this again.” Gazing around the peaceful property, a slight mountain breeze winding through the large maple trees overhead, I had but one response, “Yes, yes we do.” Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

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arts & entertainment

On the beat

Maggie Valley Band at O’Malley’s CASUAL FINE DINING WITH LIVE MUSIC COVERED PATIO LATE NIGHT MENU

Popular musical act The Maggie Valley Band will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at O’Malley’s Pub & Grill in Sylva. A blend of old-time mountain, Americana and psychedelic folk music, the Haywood County group is fronted by the siblings Whitney and Caroline Miller. The duo has gone through several changes since they first set out on their melodic adventure several years ago. But, what remains is the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, something that’s become a stronghold — and strong suit — in what it will take to break into the next level of their promising careers. Admission is $3.

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Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

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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 styles, from pop to jazz to country to Broadway. www.harttheatre.org.

One woman show at Sylva library The Jackson County Public Library will host singer-songwriter Susan Pepper at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in the Community Room at the library in Sylva. In this one woman show, Pepper will present songs and stories from ballad singers with an emphasis on older women singers

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Voices in the Laurel will be hosting its third annual “Bingo Night” fundraiser at 7 p.m. Friday, March 23, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. The evening includes a Voices in the Laurel performance by the Treble Makers, Concert, and Chamber Choirs. Tickets are available by calling 828.564.3310. $20 each includes admission, 20 games of bingo, coffee and a dessert, and a chance to win door prizes. There will be prizes for each bingo winner.

from whom she learned directly. Funny songs, love songs as well as hymns have been important to this region for centuries. Pepper will share a variety of these old songs and perform on old time banjo, guitar and dulcimer. Slides of some scenery and singers she learned from will accompany her live music and storytelling. This program is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

Additional cards for the 20 games can be purchased for $10 with three “Special Games of Bingo” — $2 each card or all three for $5. You may reserve a table of eight with advance ticket sales — tickets will also be available at the door pending availability. Gift baskets for game prizes include: Chocolate Lovers, HART Theatre Night Out, Hazelwood Soap Company, Balsam Spa, Gardeners Fun, Coffee Lover’s, Vera Bradley Bags, and more. Food truck concession by Doc Brown’s BBQ will be available. The premier sponsor for the event is Steven Gore, MD, FACC of Western Carolina Cardiology. They also have multiple business partners in the community including John Highsmith DDS, Emily E. Hall, DDS, MPH, PA, Suzy Bernardi, Gina Kinder and Yvonne Kolomechuk, Brokers Keller Williams Great Smokies Realty, Forga Rentals, Amanda and Ben Hill, Brokers Beverly Hanks Real Estate, SFBernardi Construction and Sheppard Insurance Group. Voices in the Laurel is a Haywood County based nonprofit choir for young people ranging from first grade through 12th grade from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties under the direction of Martha Brown. Laurel Strings is the string ensemble directed by Sarah Smith. The ensemble is open to students in grades 3-12 in area counties who are currently taking private lessons in violin, viola, cello or bass or have taken at least two years of lessons in the past and successfully audition. First and second graders may join without an audition. Singers in third through 12th grades must pass a musical audition. For more information, visit www.voicesinthelaurel or find them on Facebook. Tickets available at the door or reserve by calling 828.564.3310.

On the beat

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host 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 22 and 30. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Joe Cruz (piano/pop) April 6 and Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams doing music from the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” April 7. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

ALSO:

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host James Poe (singer-songwriter) March 24. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.curraheebrew.com.

Heidi Holton (blues/folk) March 23, Tea 4 Three March 24 and The Ramcats March 31. There will also be an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Somebody’s Child (Americana) March 24 and Twelfth Fret during its “One-Year Anniversary” party March 30-31. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com. • Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Travers Brothership (rock/soul) March 23, King Corduroy (rock) March 24, Shane Meade & the Sound March 30 and Rhyan Sinclair March 31. All shows are free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com. • O’Malley’s Pub & Grill (Sylva) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/folk) March 24 and Humps & The Blackouts (psychobilly) March 31. All shows are $3 and begin at 9 p.m. • 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.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Todd Hoke (singer-songwriter) March 24 and Darren Nicholson (bluegrass) March 30. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

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

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night March 21 and 28, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo March 22 and 30. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) March 24. Both shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.586.1717 or www.soulinfusion.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host

Lauderdale to headline music benefit 28 albums of imaginative roots music, encompassing country, bluegrass, soul, R&B and rock. Other performers will include Sarah Burton, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and numerous special guests. All proceeds will go the newly established Lloyd Johnson Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to honor the memory of music lover Lloyd Johnson. Tickets are $20 per person in advance, $25 day-of-show. Purchase tickets at www.isisasheville.com.

Legendary singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale will perform during a benefit for the Lloyd Johnson Foundation at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Isis Music Hall in West Asheville. Two-time Grammy-winning singer and master songwriter Jim Lauderdale is both a "songwriter's songwriter," who's written/co-written many modern classics for iconic artists, as well as an intuitive sideman, who's enhanced the music of a bevy of esteemed musicians. As a solo artist, since 1986, he's created a body of work spanning

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• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana) March 23 and Siamese Sound Club (R&B/soul) March 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m. • 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 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 (West Asheville) will host Laura Rabell & Gracie Lane 7 p.m. March 21, Random Rab & Push/Pull 9 p.m. March 21, Carrie Morrison w/Matt & Amanda Gardner 7 p.m. March 22, Ripe w/Los Elk 8:30 p.m. March 22, Hanneke Cassel & Mike Block 7 p.m. March 23, Amy Steinberg w/Heather Mae 8:30 p.m. March 23, Jacob Johnson 7 p.m. March 24, Sol Driven Train 9 p.m. March 24, Paul Brock Band 5:30 p.m. March 25, Jesse Barry 7:30 p.m. March 25, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions 7:30 p.m. March 27 and a benefit for the Lloyd Johnson Foundation w/Jim Lauderdale 8 p.m. March 29. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

Americana icon Jim Lauderdale will play March 29 in Asheville.

March 21-27, 2018

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

• 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.

arts & entertainment

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with 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.

arts & entertainment

On the street Smoky Mountain Roller Girls.

Smoky Mountain Roller Girls return

Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls’ junior league — the Lil’ Nemesisters — and the SMRG will open the 2018 home season with an adult invitational and a junior bout on Saturday, March 24, at the Swain County Recreation Center in Bryson City. Proceeds from the ticket sales for this event benefit Swain Cancer Support, Inc. Swain Cancer Support, Inc. started from the Relay for Life Group and raises money to help people of Swain County who are battling cancer. The junior team takes on

Nashville’s Junior Roller derby team and SMRG is inviting skaters from all over the southeast to join them for an invitational. The adult invitational is for skaters who are freshly assessed through B-level. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the first whistle blows at 4 p.m. to start the Lil’ Nemesisters’ game. The adults play at 6 p.m. Purchase tickets presale from your favorite skater for $5 or get them at the door for $7 (ages 7 and under are free). Meet both teams at a family friendly after party located at Nantahala Brewing in downtown Bryson City. www.facebook.com/smokymountainrollergirls.

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The Swag changes hands

Annie and David Colquitt. David and Annie Colquitt of Knoxville, Tennessee, are purchasing The Swag, a popular mountain retreat near Waynesville. The Swag is located on 250 acres abutting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Its award-winning accommodations, fine dining and spectacular mountain views at an elevation of 5,000 feet make The Swag a one-ofa-kind getaway, one that is familiar to many residents of this region. “Annie and I went there on our honeymoon seven years ago,” said David. “And we realized what a special place it is. When we recently found out the owners were interested in selling The Swag, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity. We are excited to be part of The Swag’s future.” The Swag consists of 14 rooms in cabins made of hand-hewn logs and decorated with antiques, regional artwork and handmade quilts. Most rooms have a private balcony, wood-burning stone fireplace and steam shower.

Guests also can enjoy hiking trails, lectures, massages, racquetball, badminton, croquet and a treehouse, among other activities. The Colquitts bought The Swag from Dan and Deener Matthews. He is a retired Episcopal priest who once was dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Knoxville. The Matthews bought the property in 1969 and, over time, have added rooms, cottages, outdoor programs and fine dining, turning The Swag into an award-winning retreat. Last year, Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards named it one of the “Top Resorts in the South.” “Our intention is to preserve what the Matthews have built,” Annie said. “The Swag has been a special place for my family for decades.” For more information, visit www.theswag.com. The sale of The Swag is expected to close prior to the start of the 2018 season on April 20.

Easter fundraiser for MANNA

Open call for Greening Up

There will be a special fundraiser for the MANNA Foodbank from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Fines Creek Community Center in Clyde. The event will include an Easter egg hunt, ham dinner, and other activities. All proceeds and donations will go to MANNA for the communities of Fines Creek, Panther Creek and White Oak. Admission is $7 for adults, $3.50 for children under age 12 and free for children under age 4. For more information, visit www.mannafoodbank.org.

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

Haywood history speaker series

• An “Easter Egg Hunt” will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville. Egg hunts and numerous other activities. For more information, call 828.479.3364. • 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

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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 24 and 31 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

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• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. March 24 and 31 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075. • Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

Smoky Mountain News

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. • “Prominent Waynesville Families,” presented by Sarah Sloan Kreutziger. Thursday, April 5. • “History of Main Street, Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Thursday, May 3.

Driveways Parking Lots Gravel Hauling Curbing Roadways Subdivisions Patching/Repair Grading Site Work

March 21-27, 2018

Western Carolina University’s Cherokee Language Program and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian will co-host the second annual Undergraduate Cherokee Language Symposium focusing on the topic “Language Revitalization and New Technologies” beginning Sunday, March 25, and continuing through Tuesday, March 27, on the campus in Cullowhee. • Events on Monday, March 26, are open to the public and will be held in Room 204 of WCU’s Health and Human Sciences Building. Four expert panelists will present on technology and language revitalization topics and a keynote address will be delivered by Mohawk language activist Marion DeLaronde. • Events scheduled for March 25 and 27 are open to currently enrolled college students, Cherokee language instructors and members of the Cherokee community. Attendees will spend March 25 visiting Cherokee sites and engaging with members of the Snowbird community. On March 27 at the museum located in the town of Cherokee, participants will be treated to panel discussions involving teachers and students, a lunchtime talk by bilingual expert Lauren Cadwallader Stolte, and a conversa-

Serving All of Western North Carolina

arts & entertainment

WCU Cherokee Language Symposium

tion with Robert Daugherty, director of community and cultural outreach for the Cherokee Nation, and Joe Byrd, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Students and instructors from WCU, University of North Carolina Asheville, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Northeastern University in Oklahoma, Stanford University and Elon University will be among those attending. “This symposium is important because it allows collaboration and communication between all the various constituencies of university-level Cherokee learners in North Carolina and beyond,” said Benjamin Frey, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. “We’ll get to visit with one another and see that we’re not alone in this incredibly important work, and we’ll be able to be inspired by what each other is doing.” Fifteen students from Stanford University, led by Constance Owl of the Eastern Band and Grace Young, will be attending the symposium as part of a Stanford spring break travel course titled “Rewiring the ‘Electric Brain’: Exploring the Role of Tech in Language Revitalization.” WCU’s Cherokee Language Program offers courses in Cherokee studies and Cherokee language and linguistics while engaging in collaborative community efforts to revitalize the Cherokee language. The symposium fee is $5 for attending Monday, March 26. For more information, contact Sara Snyder, assistant professor in WCU’s Department of Anthropology and Sociology, at slsnyder@wcu.edu or 828.227.2303.

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

arts & entertainment

On the wall Ed Kelley photo

Paint & Sip at Bosu’s Acclaimed painter Jo Ridge Kelley will host a relaxing afternoon of painting colorful tulips, wine sipping, laughter and creativity from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 31, at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville.

Dillsboro ‘Airing of the Quilts’ March 21-27, 2018

Jackson ‘Arts Night Out’

Jo Ridge Kelley.

The mountain tradition of “Airing of the Quilts” will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at the Appalachian Women’s Museum in Dillsboro. The public is invited to be a part of this special day by exhibiting quilts — old or new. Register quilts online at www.appwomen.org/quilts by April 2. Include a photo of your quilts and as much of the his-

Interested in blacksmithing?

Step-by-step instruction with palette knife, no experience necessary and all professional supplies are included to craft your own masterpiece, a four-by-four cradled wood panel/mini-bookshelf painting. Fee is $45, which includes small plates featuring gourmet cheeses. Cash wine bar and non-alcoholic beverages. To register, call Bosu’s at 828.452.0120.

Appalachian Women’s Museum.

tory of your quilts as you know. For more information, contact Cheryl Beck at 828.421.3820.

$275 (materials included), and is due at registration. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 828.631.0271. www.jcgep.org.

Smoky Mountain News

There will be a “Blacksmithing Fundmentals Class” with Brock Martin from WarFire Forge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 31 • The Uptown Gallery will offer a “Paint Pouring Workshop” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and April 1 at the Jackson County Green Saturday, March 24, at the gallery in Energy Park in Dillsboro. Franklin. Fluid acrylic This course is designed to introduce stupaints will be poured dents to the art of blacksmithing. directly onto surfaces. Fundamental techniques that will be covered: Cost is $25 and general shaping/squaring/drawing out, scrollincludes all materials. For more information ing, twisting, planishing, the relationship and/or to signup, call 828.349.4607. between heat and force of striking, and more. Students will make simple decorative pieces (such as wall hooks) while incorporat- • Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a ing these techniques in a progressive manner. show of his personal work at the Jackson After the first project is complete, students County Public Library Rotunda and his art can choose their next project from various collection at the gallery. All work is for examples provided. Expect to learn about sale. Admission is free. Children are welmetallurgy, misconceptions associated with come. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours the art, and how to develop proper technique. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Students must wear closed toe shoes Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. (preferably leather), long pants, and cotton 30 clothing, and should bring a lunch. Cost is art@gallery1sylva.com.

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Historical Society, and Dillsboro Merchants, The Jackson County Arts Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is proud to just to name a few. The JCAC have provided supplements to announce its second annual “Arts Night Jackson County Public School Art Teachers Out” event. This event will happen throughfor supplies, sponsored and promoted the out Jackson County at participating restauJunior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) prorants on Thursday, March 22. gram for the youth in Jackson County, conEach restaurant has agreed to donate at ducted monthly Artist Talks at the library, least 10 percent of their sales to JCAC. hosted theater workshops, and helped sponParticipating restaurants are as follows: Balsam Falls Brewing Co (10 percent dinner), sor eight individual artists in the City Lights Café (10 percent dinner), The Cut Cocktail Lounge (10 percent 5 to 10 p.m.), Guadalupe Café (10 percent 7 to 9 p.m.), Jack the Dipper (10 percent all day), Library Kitchen and Bar in Cashiers (15 percent dinner), Mad Batter Food & Film (10 percent 6 to 9 p.m.), The Papermill Lounge and Theater (15 percent 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.), Sazon Mexican Cuisine (10 percent 4:30 to 9 p.m.), Soul Infusion Tea House and Bistro (10 percent 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), Tucks Tap & Grille (10 percent 5 to 9 p.m.) and The Well House (10 Library Kitchen percent dinner). and Bar in Cashiers. The mission of the JCAC is to promote individual artists, region. They have also purchased a Baby foster appreciation of the arts, provide art Grand Piano for community use at the education and inspire creativity in Jackson Jackson County Library Complex's County. So far in 2017-18, the Jackson Community Room. County Arts Council has provided sponsorIf you would like to be a sponsor next ships to numerous organizations and groups year or make a donation, contact the JCAC such as the WNC Pottery Festival, The Play at 828.507.9820 or by email at Sanctuary, The Cullowhee Community info@jacksoncountyarts.org. Garden, Cashiers Senior Program, Glenville

• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For the full schedule of screenings, visit www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com. • The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. You can keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information. • “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (March 22, April 5 and 19) 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. For more information, 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 on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.

On the wall

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.

arts & entertainment

WCU undergraduate art exhibit

‘Great Smoky Mountain Hammer-In’

March 21-27, 2018

Haywood Community College and the American Bladesmith Society will present the 10th annual “Great Smoky Mountain Hammer-In” March 23-25 on the HCC campus in Clyde. The event will include Knife Making Demonstrations, Hands-on Blade Forging, Knife Show, Auction, Battle of the Bladesmith (the original Forged in Fire) and much more. This year, they will have three former Forged in Fire contestants in the Battle. Saturday afternoon is open free to the public. Beginning with a knife show from 12:30 till 2 p.m. At 2 p.m. the Battle of the Bladesmith begins. In this event, four bladesmiths will have three hours to make a knife, starting with a bar of steel. At the end, the audience will determine the which smith made the best knife. At 5 p.m. these knifes and other items made during the weekend will be auctioned off to raise money to help cover the cost of the event. The registration fee is $75. For more information, call 828.400.7815.

Want to make a toothbrush rag rug? Smoky Mountain News

The monthly Creating Community Workshop will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Artisan Nancy McShane will be teaching the class who to make toothbrush knotted rag rugs. These rugs are a great way to relive the past and continue a tradition from long ago. McShane has been knitting and crafting since she was a child and is especially happy to share her knowledge with others. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. Call the library to register. This program is free of charge. For more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. www.fontanalib.org.

WCU presents hard-hitting drama Students and faculty from Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen will be staging the hard-hitting drama “Really Really” March 22-25 in the Studio Theatre of WCU’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Written by New York-based playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, the fictional story centers on the consequences of a big party at an elite university, when a female student accuses a male member of the school’s rugby team of an act of sexual aggression. In a 2012 article for The Washington Post, Jessica Goldstein wrote that Colaizzo’s play “occupies the intersection between violence and intimacy, perhaps the most terrifying crossroads imaginable.” The plot, Goldstein wrote, “hinges on an allegation of a sexual nature that may or may not be true, because everyone involved has memories of that night that are foggy, blurred by beer and sleep and, perhaps, a subconscious desire to forget.” Performances at WCU are set for 7:30 p.m. March 22-24 and at 3 p.m. March 25. The play is intended for mature audiences only and includes a scene with a graphic depiction of rape that some audience members may find disturbing. The play is not

March 21-27, 2018

arts & entertainment

On the stage

Highlands ‘Live via Satellite’ The Highlands Performing Arts Center will screen “Live via Satellite” the National Theatre of London’s encore production of Shakespeare’s classic “Hamlet” at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the title role. As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralyzed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state. Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 828.526.9047. All students will be admitted free of charge.

Smoky Mountain News

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suitable for younger audiences. The production, part of the School of Stage and Screen’s Mainstage theatre season, will be directed by Colin Wasmund of the school’s faculty. Tickets are $15 for WCU faculty and staff, and seniors, and $20 for all others. For tickets or more information, call the Bardo Arts Center box office at 828.227.2479 or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

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‘Liars Bench’ returns to WCU A program devoted to preserving, promoting and performing materials dealing with Appalachian heritage and culture, “The Liars Bench” will return at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in the Mountain Heritage Center auditorium at Western Carolina University. According to Gary Carden. Gary Carden, the founder of “The Liars Bench,” “Western North Carolina contained some of the best material in the region since it has gifted storytellers and popular musicians. We also have the best folklore.” The opening program on March 22 will include “Knoxville Girl” by Paul Iarussi; “Lost Indian” by Bill Crawford; Cherokee storytelling by Lloyd Arneach; “500 Miles” and “Big Ole Tree” by William Ritter; a story

by Mark Twain. The last part of the show will be devoted to Ila Hatter who will be given all the time she needs to discuss herbs and edible plants. The program will conclude with the “passing of the hat.” Admission is free. Additional information is available from Carden via email at gcarden498@aol.com.

The ‘Mass Appeal’ of HART As part of the “Winter Theater Festival,” the drama “Mass Appeal” by Bill C. Davis will hit the stage March 23-25 in the Feichter Studio at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. The comedy-drama focuses on the conflict between a complacent Roman Catholic pastor and the idealistic young deacon who is assigned to his affluent, suburban parish. The play was written in 1980 and was championed by Geraldine Fitzgerald, who went on to direct the Broadway production. HART’s production is being directed by Wanda Taylor and will star Stephen Gonya

‘The Day He Wore My Crown’ A stage production of “The Day He Wore My Crown” will be held at 7 p.m. March 23-24 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Years ago, David T. Clydesdale had a vision to arrange some of the greatest Easter songs ever recorded that could tell the complete story of the Resurrection. Audiences are sure to be moved by lyrics that take every heart on a journey from the crowds crying out, “Hosanna!” to the passion of Christ on the cross, and finally to the glory of His resurrection — all in a beautifully crafted musical that includes songs written by iconic names such as Bill and Gloria Gaither, Lari Goss

and Adam Lentini in the lead roles. The play will have performances at 7:30 p.m. March 23-24 and 2 p.m. March 25, with hold over performances the following weekend. Tickets to the winter Studio are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Reservations are encouraged as seating is limited and productions often sell out. Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART is also opening with a new menu on March 23, and will feature karaoke on Saturday night after the performance. To make reservations for the show and the Bistro call 828.456.6322 or go online to www.harttheatre.org. and Phil Johnson. Come and experience the majesty of the everlasting King with live drama, a full choir and heart-changing songs. Staged by the Overlook Theatre Company. Musical direction by Kathi Graham. Tickets are $8 for students, $15 for adults. For more information and/or to buy tickets, call 828.524.1598 or visit www.greatmountainmusic.com. • There will open auditions for a production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors” at 6:30 p.m. March 23-24 and 2728 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. All are welcome. For more information, contact jbdhayes88@yahoo.com.

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

Short book provides intelligent insight “History is a field of human intentions, deeds, acts. We need to look a little more closely at this field of human intention: for upon it hangs, as if by a silver thread, the concept of the Living Being.”

the ways in which these ideas have disrupted our concept of our own history and severed our relationship with the past, a break which changes how we view not only the past, but

n Stewards of History: A Study of the Nature of a Moral Deed (RoseDog Books, 2012, 126 pages), Caryl Johnston, author of the above passage, does indeed “look a little more closely” at history. She begins with one of her ancestors, Virginia General John Hartwell Cocke, friend of Thomas Jefferson and one of the founders of the Writer University of Virginia. For most of his life, Cocke called for the emancipation of slaves and sought ways to free his own servants, conducting for a time an experiment in Alabama in which he and others would teach slaves the rudiments of reading and writing and how to make their way in the world before attaining freedom. With Cocke’s death in 1866, we look next to the history of his descendants, particularly those caught up in the racial strife of 1960s Birmingham, Alabama. Johnston here recounts the struggles of her parents, particularly her liberal father, an attorney, as they battle the prejudice and segregation of that time. Johnston concludes her book with reminiscences of other family members and with a meditation on the meaning of history, covenant, honor, and family. Here she discusses such turns in philosophy and history as deconstructionism and postmodernism, and

the present and future as well. Johnston writes that “My father had the morality of the colt without the honor; his parents had gained the honor without the moral deed. Thus there was, in my family line, something that led to a sense of vexation and incompleteness; of things not quite achieving their appointed goals; of opportunities not so much missed as misinterpreted.” Though a short book, Stewards of History

Jeff Minick

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offers much to ponder. Some of the author’s thoughts on race relations from the 1960s until today are, I believe, unique, especially one of her points about the Birmingham Bombings and the use of police dogs and fire hoses on peaceful protesters. Those who remember that time when Martin Luther King was calling for a non-violent civil rights movement and Freedom Riders were coming into the South to support that cause will recollect that the marches, sitins, and protests involved white and black participants. “After Birmingham,” writes Johnston, “no longer could the struggle for civil rights be seen as a common struggle of white and black. From Birmingham on, inevitably, it was white against black.” Johnston goes on to examine the split between men like King and Stokeley Carmichael. King examined questions regarding the moral worth of Western civilization for people of color and “provided a spiritually-affirming answer to them.” Carmichael, who popularized the term “black power,” turned away from King’s vision and embraced force as a more effective tool for change. Questions of race play a part in Stewards of History, but the main point of the book lies in the title word stewards. Johnston, a Baby Boomer, writes, “As far as I was concerned, the Sixties were about spiritual search, which came as the result of the experience of discontinuity.” Discontinuity and our lack of stewardship I read as the overarching theme of this book. Technological development, the growth of cities in the last seven score years, the electronic world in which many of us spend so much of our time, the breakdown of the family and its place as the repository for biography, story, and tradi-

tion, the much-diminished belief in the value of Western civilization: these and other changes have cut us loose from the anchors of our past. And I’m not sure most of us are aware that we are adrift, that many of us, as Johnston reminds us, take our civilization for granted. Fifty years ago, the growing sense in the West of “alienation” received attention from moviemakers, psychologists, and novelists and philosophers like Sartre and Camus. Today I rarely hear that word spoken, and can only surmise, after reading Stewards of History, that we in America, Europe, and elsewhere have grown so accustomed to feeling alienated from our culture, our past, our fellow human beings, and even from ourselves that we are no longer aware of its existence. We have adapted and moved on. Stewards of History is not an easy read. It is neither a conventional biography nor a screed touting the political left or right. Frequently, in telling of General Cocke or of other members of her family, Johnston will pause to examine larger questions of history, theology, politics, and philosophy. When she discusses Cocke setting out for Alabama intending eventually to free the slaves he is bringing with him, Johnston then for two pages discusses Harriet Beecher Stowe, historian Stanley Elkins, William the Silent, the Holy Grail, and Christianity. Some might be put off by such intrusions, but if the reader will slow down and make the connections offered by Johnston, that patience will be rewarded with insight and wisdom. Stewards of History once again proves the truth of that old saying: Good things come in small packages. (Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com.)

• The Haywood County Public Library Staff would like to invite the public to a reception welcoming our new Library Director Kathy Vossler. The reception will be held upstairs at the Waynesville Library from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 21. Light refreshments will be provided by the Library Foundation.

Blue Ridge Books ‘March Madness’ Blue Ridge Books and the Mountain Writers of North Carolina group invite you to join them for their March Madness of book signings with local authors. The remaining events will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. every Saturday in March at Blue Ridge Books in its new location at 428 Hazelwood Avenue in Waynesville. Mountain Writers of North Carolina is an informal group of creative writers. Monthly programs feature editors, publishers, and authors. Other times members read their own work. Membership is open to anyone interested in honing their writing skills, regardless of experience. Meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings are held at 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Trailhead Cafe & Bakery in Waynesville. The featured genres include fiction, memoir, humor, self-help, poetry and thrillers. All of the authors live in our local area. The Mountain Writers held their meetings at Blue Ridge Books’ previous

location and the book store is happy to be able to continue to promote the work of the group and their authors by co-sponsoring this series of events. • Saturday, March 24 Jacqui Letran — 5 Simple Questions to Reclaim Your Happiness, I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!, Unleash Your Inner Super Powers Letran is a multi-award winning author and Mindset mentor who's passionate about helping struggling teens transform into happy, confident, and successful young adults. The “Words of Wisdom for Teens” series help teens to take control of their lives by teaching them how to take control of their thoughts, feelings, and actions. A must-read for any teens looking to create a positive and powerful mindset needed to be happy and successful. • Saturday, March 31 Darryl Bollinger — The Medicine Game, A Case of Revenge, The Pill Game, The Care Card, Satan Shoal, The Cure Bollinger is an award-winning author of six medical thrillers. In The Cure, when the FDA denies approval for a new flu vaccine, Dr. Eric

Carter desperately searches for a way to save the drug and the company. Little does he know, others are crafting a man-made virus. When the virus appears, Cater must race to find a solution before it’s too late. 828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

New southern cookbook Cathy Cleary will present her book The Southern Harvest Cookbook at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The book is designed for food from the garden or farmer’s market and offers recipes for all four seasons. Beautiful photography by Katherine Brooks accompanies the scores of wonderful southern recipes. In addition to growing and cooking food, Cleary is also an advocate. Fifty percent of the author’s proceeds will go to nonprofit organizations working on issues of food justice, sustainable agriculture, food security and edible education initiatives. To reserve copies of The Southern Harvest Cookbook, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

Smoky Mountain News

The sediment spotter Fifth-grade science project spurs real-world change hile elementary, junior high and high school students from across the region offered a plethora of good ideas during last month’s 2018 Region 8 Western Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Western Carolina University, one entry in particular caught the eye of judges and university officials alike. Liam Tormey, a fifth-grader at Cullowhee Valley School, conducted a study of Tuckasegee River water quality at test sites above and below the Cullowhee Dam, which is owned by WCU — and he found that during recent rainstorms sediment coming from university property at a source point below the dam increased the concentration to levels unacceptable for trout habitat. “You could see dirty water entering the river, right there,” Tormey said during a visit to the site, pointing to an area adjacent to a boat ramp and immediately downstream from the dam. “Some of it appeared muddier

Liam Tormey shows off his science fair medal with the Cullowhee Dam in the background. WCU photo

Western Carolina University senior Brittany Timpson shows an inquisitive group of elementary students in the Watershed Moments program a macro invertebrate. Liam Tormey has been an avid participant in the program.

Outdoors Clean up the Tuck The 34th annual Tuckasegee River Cleanup is coming to Cullowhee Saturday, April 14, giving people across the region a chance to help keep Jackson County’s largest waterway clean and healthy. Volunteers can pick up trash by foot or by boat. Registration will run 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the University Center lawn at WCU, with volunteers issued a life jacket and paddle, as well as transportation to the river. At the main put-in, volunteers will listen to a safety talk and pick up trash bags in preparation for two or three hours navigating the rapids, enjoying the scenery, and filling the raft with trash. After the cleanup, volunteers are invited back to the UC lawn for a free cookout, live entertainment, yard games and door prizes from local businesses. All rafters must weigh at least 40 pounds and wear shoes that won’t come off in the water. No coolers or alcohol allowed. No preregistration is allowed, but the first 500 volunteers will receive a free T-shirt. The Tuckasegee River Cleanup was first organized 33 years ago by students and staff from Western Carolina University’s Outdoor Program, drawing a small group of volunteers who recognized the need to clean up the river. It has since grown into the nation’s largest single-day effort to clean up a river, drawing more than 1,000 volunteers annually. Organized by Base Camp Cullowhee. Kay Tufts, event coordinator, 828.227.8804.

and that runoff was coming from a gully on the hillside and into a culvert.” Faster-flowing water quickly dispersed the murky water, but in Tormey’s eyes it was still a problem. “Not just for trout, but animals like the bald eagles we’ve seen by the river, and blue herons and an osprey,” he said. “And not just birds, but bears and raccoons and a lot of other wildlife. The river is important to them and us.” Sediment is one of the biggest water quality issues affecting the Tuckaseigee River. When rain washes loose soil down into the river, it not only carries pieces of Jackson County for permanent deposit elsewhere, but it clouds the water and makes it less hospitable for the many animals that require clear streams to thrive. Among those animals are trout, which have proven a substantial tourism draw in recent years. Keeping the water clean has economic as well as environmental implications. Lauren Bishop, WCU’s chief sustainability officer, said the university was immediately interested in Tormey’s findings. “This campus does everything we can to support clean and healthy waterways in the region,” she said, noting that WCU was in compliance with both EPA regulations and the state’s riparian buffer guidelines. “There are situations where

Run Lake Junaluska

A class for aspiring beekeepers will be offered 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville. “Beekeeping 101: Basic Information for the Beginner” will cover what new beekeepers need to get started, estimate first-year expenses and more. The workshop will include plenty of “show and tell” items such as a hive, a protective suit and honey to taste. Presented by the Haywood County Beekeepers Association with refreshments from Friends of the Library. Registration required with Kathy Olsen, 828.356.2508 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

The Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race will once again start Easter weekend off right the morning of Saturday, March 31, at Lake Junaluska. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m., starting at the Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym to follow a scenic loop around the lake boasting fantastic views. A kids’ fun run with the Easter Bunny will follow at 9:45 a.m. After the run, Lake Junaluska will host a children’s Easter egg hunt near Stuart Auditorium starting at 11:30 a.m., featuring more than 10,000 eggs and open to kids 1 through 12. The egg hunt is free with no registration required and lunch available for purchase. The 5K, now in its 11th year, will raise money to support the Lake Junaluska Walking Trail, one of the most popular

Sign up for seed trays Signups to grow seed trays in Waynesville’s Old Armory greenhouse will be available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 2 through April 7 at the Old Armory. The Old Armory provides trays, dirt, water and the greenhouse, with growers supplying the seeds. The greenhouse is open anytime the center is open for growers to water and check on plants. $5 per tray with five-tray limit per person. 828.456.9207 or oldarmory@waynesvillenc.gov.

Lifeguarding course offered in Waynesville

is a physics instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University and a technical consultant for the TV shows “MacGyver” and “MythBusters,” addressed the students. Tormey will now advance to the state Science and Engineering Fair, set for March 23-24 at N.C. State University in Raleigh. There he’ll compete against winners from the seven other regions in the fair. While Tormey worked hard on his project, he’s had some help along the way, growing up with scientists as parents and participating in an aquatic ecology club at his school. Tormey is the son of Cheryl WatersTormey, head of WCU’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources, and Blair Tormey, a coastal research scientist with the university’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Even before becoming a fifth-grader, Tormey got his feet wet in aquatic ecology with Watershed Moments, an afterschool activity led by the WCU Department of Biology and the Highlands Biological Station. Launched in March 2016, the program is funded by a three-year, $160,000 grant from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. Students in the project meet after school to examine levels of sediment and velocity of water flow in Cullowhee Creek, also gauging the health of aquatic life and examining the impact of land use on the creek. The goal is to improve their understanding of the global implications that the health of a small backyard stream can impart, allowing students to have fun and be creative in the process. “Liam is dedicated to nature and supporting conservation,” said Lora Cox, a science teacher at Cullowhee Valley School. “He is particularly engaged with Watershed Moments and motivated by it, and the science fair project further reflects that.”

Lake Junaluska photo

$250,000 annually. $30 for adults; $18 for students and free for kids 10 and under participating in the fun run. www.lakejunaluska.com/run.

Adventure through spring break A new spring break adventure camp is seeking kids excited to spend some time outside April 9 through April 13. The Piked Antler Project’s Spring Adventure Camp will include hiking skills, map and compass navigation, geocaching, fire building, swimming, photography, campfire cooking and more. It’s open to kids ages 6 through 14, with morning drop off starting at 7:30 a.m. and afternoon pickup running through 5:30 p.m. Space limited. For more information and pricing, call or text 828.558.1004 or 828.989.0209. pikedantlerproject@gmail.com.

Smoky Mountain News

you want to be at the maximum level of stewardship. Liam showed us a way to get there.” So, the university added buffers and reinforced existing stormwater runoff prevention, strengthening its defenses against erosion in the face of torrential and extended rainfall. “This was an ‘over and above’ for our grounds crew, who appreciate the outdoors and activities on the Tuck, and responded immediately to help put improvements in place,” said Bishop. “I am always impressed with the quality and care of their efforts. They are one of the main reasons we have such a beautiful campus.” Tormey’s project accumulated a list of honors and awards at the science and engineering fair, including first place in the third- through fifth-grade category, an award for the best biodiversity project, a special award in the geosciences category and a first-place recognition from the N.C. American Water Works Association and N.C. Water Environmental Association, which includes a $50 prize. “In the science fair, kids have to have a curiosity and solve a problem to be successful,” said fair organizer Kelley Holzknecht Dinkelmeyer, an instructor in chemistry and physics at WCU. “Liam did both with his project. A neat aspect of this story is how his project led to a push that helped improve the local environment, an actual outcome of an action resulting from his data.” The fair was held at WCU’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center, with 137 projects created by students from schools in 14 mountain counties. With a theme of “Superhero Science,” it was the year’s largest regional STEM event for pre-college students. Guest speaker Rhett Allain, who

A father-daughter team runs during a previous Friends of the Lake run.

March 21-27, 2018

An American Red Cross lifeguarding course will be offered at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Bookwork for the certification will be done online and skill sessions will be conducted in the rec center pool. Successful candidates must

pass a swim pretest on the first day, which requires swimming 300 yards continuously, treading water for two minutes using legs only and a timed brick dive. They will then be given a link to access the online portion of the course. After passing the online portion and exam, candidates will return to the rec center to complete the final skills session. Minimum age is 15 years. $200 course cost. Luke Kinsland, 828.456.2030 or lkinsland@waynesvillenc.gov.

privately owned recreation areas in Western North Carolina. All race profits will go toward improvements and maintenance of the trail and other lake recreation areas, which cost more than

outdoors

Begin beekeeping

outdoors

Explore Chimney Rock month by month A monthly series of guided hikes at Chimney Rock State Park will kick off at 9

A group searches for wildflowers at Chimney Rock State Park. Donated photo a.m. Saturday, March 24, with a moderately strenuous ridge hike uncovering the seasonal changes that emerge with early

spring. The hike will wrap up by 1 p.m. Each month in 2018 will feature a different adventure in the Naturalist Niche series, from birdwatching to tree identification to wildflower hunts. This year’s series features several hiker favorites, including two new hikes — one exploring the ecology of Chimney Rock and another exploring Fall Creek. Space is limited. Costs include admission — $24 for adults, $13 for youth 5 to 15, $8 for annual passholders and $6 for Rockin’ Discovery passholers. Advance registration required at www.chimneyrockpark.com. Full schedule is online at www.chimneyrockpark.com/events.

Easter on the Trail returns

March 21-27, 2018

The Nantahala Hiking Club will continue its tradition of spreading Eastertide “trail magic” to Appalachian Trail hikers with Easter on the Trail, beginning 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 31, in Franklin. The group will meet at 8:30 a.m. to prepare bags of goodies — fruit, nuts, hardboiled eggs and candy — and then head out to various points on the A.T. to distribute them. Trail distribution areas will be assigned according to personal preferences sand the ability to hike or travel. To volunteer, contact Elena Marsh at 828.369.8915 or marsh67@frontier.com.

A March 2015 hike in Rough Creek Watershed reveals some leftover snow. Donated photo

Get to know Rough Creek A hike exploring the Rough Creek Watershed in Canton will embark at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, with the 5.5-mile walk concluding by 3 p.m. Eric Romaniszyn, director of the Haywood Waterways Association, will lead the hike and discuss watershed ecology along the way. Pioneers settled the 870-acre property in the 1800s, with many leaving by the early 1900s, when Canton designated it a protected area. Remnants of the settlement are visible throughout the trail system, and the watershed contains a diverse

Discover WCU history A historic walking tour emphasizing odd and little-known facts about the yesteryears of Western Carolina University will be offered at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 25, on WCU’s campus. WCU graduate student T.J. Peck will lead the tour, beginning at the Mountain Heritage Center in Hunter Library. Participants will walk about 1 mile while visiting the sites of WCU’s original structures, the location where the former university mascot “Satan” is said to have resided and the site of the old college farm. While passing through the heart of campus, participants will visit an area that hundreds of years ago was the site of a Cherokee village and ceremonial mound. Originally from Hendersonville, Peck graduated from WCU in 2016 with bachelor’s degrees in history and social sciences education. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in higher education student affairs. Mountain Heritage Center, 828.227.7129.

Smoky Mountain News

Walk through time on the Bartram Trail

plant and animal community similar to what exists in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rough Creek is now protected under a conservation easement and remains a backup water supply for Canton. The event is part of Haywood Waterways' “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor hikes, lectures and paddle tours. Free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Yearly memberships start at $25. Space limited. RSVP to Christine O’Brien by March 22 at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

A moderate 5-mile hike along the Bartram Trail in Macon County will give participants a chance to gain some historical insights along the way Thursday, March 29. William Bartram experts Brent Martin and James Kautz will lead the trek, starting at Jones Gap on the Fishhawk Range and walking about 2.5 miles to Whiterock Mountain for outstanding views of the Little Tennessee River Valley before returning to the gap. Kautz and Martin will discuss Bartram’s time in the Little Tennessee Valley during May 1775 and that visit’s significance to local and global history. Free. Carpool options available. RSVP to Martin at info@ncbartramtrail.org or 828.524.7400.

Hike Indian Creek Gap An easy to moderate hike through the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, beginning 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 30, will offer a chance to learn the history of those laid to rest in the five cemeteries lying along the 6-mile route. Led by professional guide Chris Hoge, the Indian Creek Gap Trail will offer up scenic streams, waterfalls and spring wildflowers along with a history lesson and time to break for snacks. Organized by the Great Smoky Mountains Association as part of its Hiking 101 series of outings exploring the park. $20 for GSMA members; $35 for nonmembers. Space limited. Register at http://bit.ly/2FGixzi.

WNC author debuts wildflower guide outdoors

MARCH 20-24

LECONTE CENTER, PIGEON FORGE

Panel discussions on the future of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are planned for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at the Transylvania County Public Library in Brevard, and Thursday, March 29, at the Andrews Community Center in Andrews. Hosted by MountainTrue, each event 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. 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.

More than 500 quilts on display and 60 onsite vendors

Free Admission ————————————————————————

No Parking Fee

Classes offered by internationally-recognized quilting instructors Silent auction supporting the families affected by the Great Smoky Mountains wildfire

Smoky Mountain News

Discuss the forest’s future

March 21-27, 2018

Swain County guidebook author Jim Parham will present his newest title, Wildflower Walks & Hikes: North Carolina Mountains, during three upcoming readings in Western North Carolina. n 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 30, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva n 10 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at Diamond Brand Outdoors in Asheville n 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City The full-color guidebook boasts 59 routes ranging from easy strolls on quiet walkways to longer backcountry treks, all on public lands and complete with maps, driving and hiking directions, color photos and information on wildflowers likely to be spotted on each hike. Flip to the back for a separate section featuring 13 different forest types and the flowers that thrive there, advice for hikers just starting out and more than 300 color wildflower photos. “My goal was to go beyond a basic wildflower guide,” said Parham, a North Carolina native. “I wanted to delve into the different forest types, which are the key to understanding where wildflowers thrive and when they bloom — from grassy balds and rich coves to spruce-fir forests and high-elevation rock outcrops — and show hikers how to get to them. If you know where to go and when, it’s almost impossible not to see wildflowers at their peak.” Parham was written more than a dozen trail guides covering the Southern Appalachians. A recognized regional trail expert, he draws the distinctive maps for his own guidebooks and for books by other Milestone Press authors. He lives in Swain County at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Visit mountainquiltfest.com for more information 37

outdoors

Rove Oconaluftee Volunteers are wanted to help park visitors roving the Oconaluftee River Trail, Mountain Farm Museum and fields along Newfound Gap Road near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, with a training planned for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Volunteers give visitors much-needed information about park rules, wildlife safety and cultural and natural resources in the area, also helping park rangers with traffic management when elk are in the fields. After training, they typically work one four-hour shift per week from mid-April through midNovember. Register with Kathleen Stuart, 828.497.1914 or Kathleen_stuart@nps.gov. Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located along U.S. 441, just north of Cherokee.

‘Luftee Rovers’ take a break from their duties to pause for a photo. NPS photo

Smokies starts spring openings

Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

Spring is coming to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with many seasonally closed facilities reopening for warmer weather.

{Celebrating the Southern Appalachians}

Volunteers remove 8 tons of trash from Lake Junaluska

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.

Subscribe or learn more at smliv.com MAGAZINE

Already open: Elkmont Family Campground, Cades Cove Campground, The Chimneys Picnic Area, Smokemont Family Campground, Deep Creek Picnic Area, Greenbrier Picnic Area, Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area Opening March 23: Cataloochee Campground and Horse Camp, Cosby Campground, Cosby Picnic Area

Opening March 30: Big Creek Campground and Horse Camp, Big Creek Picnic Area, Deep Creek Campground, Anthony’s Creek Horse Camp, Round Bottom Horse Camp, Tow String Horse Camp, Collins Creek Picnic Area, Twin Creeks Picnic Area Opening April 1: Clingmans Dome Road Opening April 13: Smokemont Group Campground Opening April 27: Abrams Creek Campground, Elkmont Group Campground Opening May 18: Balsam Mountain Campground Opening May 26: Heintooga Picnic Area and Heintooga Road

people love this place.” The lake drawdown, which began in January, resulted in lowered water levels ideal for picking up debris that had collected along shorelines and at the lake bottom. Now that the cleanup and dredging are complete, the lake is being refilled and should be completely full by Easter on April 1.

More than 100 volunteers congregated at Lake Junaluska for Lake Cleanup Day Saturday, March 10, removing more than 8 tons — 16,000 pounds — of trash from the lake. Trash ranged from tiny pieces of plastic to bulky tires and pipes. “This is the largest turnout we’ve had in recent years,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska. “We are thankful for the volunteers who came from all parts of Haywood County to participate. This outpouring of A volunteer picks up trash from Lake Junaluska property. support and teamwork shows how much Lake Junaluska photo

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Overdue books with any Fontana Regional Library location in Macon, Jackson or Swain Counties can be turned in with a non-perishable food item by March 24 and have your fine forgiven. All food collected will be donated to CareNet. 524.3600. • A “March for Our Lives” will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, in Franklin. The march begins at Big Bear shelter at the Little Tennessee Greenway on E. Main Street. March is aimed at reducing gun violence in schools and communities. Info: marchforourlives.com. • A reception to honor new Haywood County Public Library director Kathy Vossler is scheduled for 5-5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, at the Waynesville Library. • A “Poor People’s Campaign” will be presented from 35 p.m. on March 24 at the Community Table in Sylva. Afternoon of listening and empowerment. • The 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War will be commemorated with a ceremony at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 29, in front of the Haywood County Courthouse. Vietnamwar50th.com. • 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. • 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.. “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. • 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.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Deadline to submit an abstract for presentation for an upcoming “Molecules in the Mountains” science conference is Friday, March 23. Work must involve at least one molecule. Registration deadline is Friday, April 6. Event is from 9 a.m.-4:50 p.m. on April 12 at Western Carolina University’s A.K. Hinds University Center in Cullowhee. 227.2203. • Evening classes for anyone wanting to obtain a high school equivalency diploma are offered from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays at Haywood Community College in Clyde. 627.4648. • Registration for summer and fall semesters is underway through April 27 at Haywood Community College. 627.4500 or haywood.edu.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. • Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will sponsor a series of free “Historic Walking Tours” to emphasize odd or little-known facts about the university’s history at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 25 for local residents. 227.7129 or 227.3741. • Western Carolina University’s Cherokee Language program and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian will cohost the second-annual Undergraduate Cherokee Language Symposium focusing on the topic “Language Revitalization and New Technologies” from Sunday through Tuesday, March 25-27 in Cullowhee. $5. Info: slsnyder@wcu.edu or 227.2303. • Research and creative work by Western Carolina University’s undergraduate and graduate students will be showcased during the annual “Research and Scholarship Celebration” on Wednesday and Thursday, March 21-22, in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee. Opens with remarks by Brandon Schwab, WCU associate provost for academic affairs, at 4 p.m. • The Franklin Chamber will hold its Chamber Mingle from 5-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, at 98 Hyatt Road. Financial Services advisors will be available to show how they can assist with financial planning. Network and mingle with other businessmen and businesswomen. RSVP: 524.3161. • An American Red Cross Lifeguarding course will be offered at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. A blended course with bookwork done online and skills sessions at the rec center’s pool. Cost is $200 upon completion. Must be 15 or older. 456.2030 or lkinsland@waynesvillenc.gov. • 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. • “Marketing Your Business with Google” will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, at the AB-Tech Enka Campus, Small Business Center, Room 2046 in Candler. Info: www.inkedin.com/in/marcczarnecki. Register: http://conta.cc/2zZp6tS. • Registration is underway through April 6 for a job fair that will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library. 743.5191. • Registration is underway for a workshop on “Sales & Use Tax Workshop” offered by the N.C. Department of Revenue from 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10, in Room 303 of the Burrell Building at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. • Registration is underway for a two-day seminar on financial reporting for public higher education at Western Carolina University’s instructional site at Biltmore Park in Asheville. Led by Marty Fischer, professor of accounting at the University of Texas at Tyler. Open to accounting staff from public colleges and universities. Seminar is from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 23-24. Cost: $249 for those registering by April 1; $349 after April 1. Includes lunch each day. Pdp.wcu.edu and click on “Financial Reporting for Higher Education” or 227.3070.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • An “Arts Night Out” event is scheduled for Thursday, March 22, at participating restaurants in Jackson

Smoky Mountain News

County. Ten percent of sales will go to the Jackson County Arts Council. Info: 507.9820, https://tinyurl.com/ycmxyndg or info@jacksoncountyarts.org. • 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. • Voices in the Laurel will host its third annual Bingo Night fundraiser at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 23, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds. Performance by the Treble Makers, Concert and Chamber Choirs. $20 includes admission, 20 games of bingo, coffee, dessert and a chance to win door prize. www.voicesinthelaurel.org, 564.3310 or find Voices in the Laurel on Facebook. • The annual Casino Night fundraiser for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Casino Night features table-style casino games — including craps, black jack, poker and roulette — with all the fun but none of the risk. The evening will feature music, dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and prizes for top players. All proceeds from the event will support the launch of a youth outdoor recreation program called Base Camp on the Go. Base Camp on the Go will offer free two-hour, outdoor-themed camp experiences at mobile locations around the county five days a week in summer, with additional outreach programming throughout the year. 452-8343 or haywoodhealthcarefoundation.org. Tickets are $100 each and include $5,000 worth of chips for playing. • There will be a special fundraiser for the MANNA Foodbank from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Fines Creek Community Center in Clyde. The event will include an Easter egg hunt, ham dinner, and other activities. All proceeds and donations will go to MANNA for the communities of Fines Creek, Panther Creek and White Oak. Admission is $7 for adults, $3.50 for children under age 12 and free for children under age 4. www.mannafoodbank.org. • Donations are being accepted for the Southwestern Community College Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund through a fundraiser by Matt Kirby, college liaison for the Jackson County Early College, who’s competing the Georgia Death Race (70 miles) on March 31. Student Emergency Fund helps deserving SCC students who encounter financial emergencies that might otherwise keep them from attending and completing classes. Info: @KirbyRunsLong. Make donations: www.southwesterncc.edu/Foundation and follow listed directions. Assistance: k_posey@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4227. • The Canton Senior Center holds a fundraiser for operation by selling concessions during Canton’s Picking in the Armory starting at 5 p.m. on March 23, and April 6. 648.8173. • Maggie Valley United Methodist Church will hold its ninth annual pancake breakfast from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 24, at the fellowship hall. $8 for adults; $3 for children. 926.9794. • 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 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:

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 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. • Tickets are on sale now for Feline Urgent Rescue of WNC’s WineTasting and appetizer buffet, which is from 5:30-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, at HART’s Daniel & Belle Fangmeyer Theatre in Waynesville. Tickets: $35 per person; includes three wine tastings or beers. Sponsorships are $125. www.furofwnc.org.

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. • 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. • There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1. For more information, call 554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

HEALTH MATTERS • A support group for persons with Multiple Sclerosis as well as family, friends and caregivers meets at 6:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the conference room of the Jackson county Public Library in Sylva. 293.2503. • 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. • The ninth annual Healthy Living Festival is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 24, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. www.healthylivingfestival.weebly.com or 587.8238. • An interactive “Strollin’ Colon” will be on display from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 24, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. In observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. 12-foot long, 10feet high, 10-feet wide inflatable colon that teaches visitors about colon health and reducing the risk of cancer. 587.8238 or janellemesser@jacksonnc.org. • Nutrition counseling and diabetes education are offered through Macon County Public Health in Franklin. 349.2455.

March 21-27, 2018

POLITICAL • The Haywood County Republicans will host their convention on Saturday, March 24, at Canton Colonial Annex, 53 Park Street in Canton. Paid reception ($20) is at 1 p.m.; convention starts at 2 p.m. www.HaywoodCountyRepublicanParty.com. • The Haywood County Democratic Convention is scheduled for 9 a.m. on March 24 at the USDA Service Center, 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville. Pancake breakfast and presentation by candidates at 8 a.m. www.HaywoodDemocrats.org. • The Haywood County Republic Party will hold its precinct meeting and convention on Saturday, March 24, at the Canton Colonial Theater Annex. Registration is at 11:30 a.m.; precinct meetings start at 12:30 p.m.; reception event is at 1 p.m. and convention starts at 2 p.m. • Jackson County Republican Party will have a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 26, at Ryan’s in Sylva. Dinner at 5:45 p.m. Discussing district and state conventions. 743.6491.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 27 at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• The Macon County Democratic Women will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, in Courtroom A of the courthouse in Franklin. Speaker is Judge Roy Wijewickrama.

• A Women’s Circle in Conversation: Awareness will be offered from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, at Waynesville Yoga Center in Waynesville. Opportunity for growth, connection and loving yourself. $44 in advance or $49 day of. Register: 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.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Smoky Mountain Roller will open the 2018 home season with bouts starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Swain County Recreation Center in Bryson City. • Pickleball is offered from 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays,

Smoky Mountain News

• 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. the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or www.waynesvillnc.gov.

• A combined “Ladies Night Out” and “Men’s Night Out” will be held at 5:30 p.m. on March 27 in the cafeteria of Angel Medical Center in Franklin. Program will be entitled “If the Shoe Fits” by guest speaker Steve Crocker.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 8:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m. on March 28 at Swain County High School in Bryson City. Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the Old Armory in Waynesville. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A candidates forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, in the Jackson County Public Library Community Room, 310 Keener St., in Sylva. Featuring three individuals who’ve filed to run to represent District 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives (Robert Woodsmall, Phillip Price, David Scott Donaldson). • The Otto Business Alliance meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, at the Otto Community Center.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Cathy Cleary will present her book The Southern Harvest Cookbook at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of The Southern Harvest Cookbook, call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499. • Blue Ridge Books and the Mountain Writers of North Carolina group invite you to join them for their March Madness of book signings with local authors. The events will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. every Saturday in March at Blue Ridge Books in its new location at 428 Hazelwood Avenue in Waynesville. Saturday,

Puzzles can be found on page 46. These are only the answers.

Saturday, March 24, Jacqui Letran, “5 Simple Questions to Reclaim Your Happiness, I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!, Unleash Your Inner Super Powers” and Saturday, March 31, Darryl Bollinger, “The Medicine Game, A Case of Revenge, The Pill Game, The Care Card, Satan Shoal, The Cure”. 456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com. Mountain Writers of North Carolina meetings are held at 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Trailhead Cafe & Bakery in Waynesville.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Sign-ups are underway through March 30 for the Haywood County Arts Council’s “Mind the Music!” piano classes for ages 55-up. Classes run from April 9-May 7. director@haywoodarts.org or 452.0593.

KIDS & FAMILIES • A “Nature Nuts: Owls” program will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on March 26 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn. • An “Eco Explorers: Fly Tying” program will be offered for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on March 26 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn. • Science Café will be held for all ages at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016. • Registration is underway for a Spring Break Adventure Camp for ages 6-14. Camp is scheduled for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on April 9-13 at the Piked Antler Project in Waynesville. Hiking Skills & Safety, map and compass navigation and more. Pricing info: Find Piked Antler Project on Facebook or call 558.1004 or 989.0209.

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • Raymond Fairchild’s Bluegrass Jam is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, at Elevated Mountain Distilling Co. in Maggie Valley. www.facebook.com/events/134987257332802. • 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.

EASTER • Glow in the dark Easter egg hunt will be held at 6:45 p.m on Saturday, March 24 at Lake Hills Church Haywood campus. Infants to 5th grade invited. Free meal to be served at 5:30 p.m. ahilbish@lakehillslife.com or 456.5813. • An “Easter Egg Hunt” will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville. Egg hunts and numerous other activities. For more information, call 479.3364. • Easter Egg Hunt will take place at noon Saturday, March 24 at Lakeview Church – The Nazarene in Lake Junaluska. • Lake Junaluska will host a children’s Easter Egg Hunt at 11:30 a.m. on March 31 near Stuart Auditorium. Easter Bunny will be available for photos. • Easter Egg Hunt will be held in Cruso at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 at Cruso United Methodist Church.

KIDS FILMS • “Justice League” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• An Easter Sunrise Service is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on April 1 in the Maggie Valley Pavilion next to Town Hall on Soco Road with a pancake breakfast to follow. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association.

• “Ferdinand” will be shown at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• First United Methodist Church of Sylva will hold its Easter Sunrise Service at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 1, in front of the church. 586.2358.

• “Star Wars The Last Jedi” will be shown at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, 6:30 p.m. April 6 & 7 p.m. April 7 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• Lake Junaluska will host a sunrise service at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 1, at the amphitheater near the Lake Junaluska cross. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/easter.

• 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 March in Highlands. For info on each show, call 526.2221.

• Lake Junaluska will host an Easter Sunday Lunch Buffet from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on April 1 at The Terrace. Reservations required: 454.6662. $29.95 for adults; $13 for ages 4-11; free for ages 3-under. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/easter.

newsdesk crafts

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• The Haywood Health Authority Board meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, in the second floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde.

4. #3 - free flier

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT

• The Jackson County Public Library will host singersongwriter Susan Pepper at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in the Community Room at the library in Sylva. In this one woman show, Pepper will present songs and stories from ballad singers in Western North Carolina with an emphasis on older women singers from whom she learned directly. Funny songs, love songs as well as hymns have been important to this region for centuries. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org. • Students and faculty from Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen will be staging the hard-hitting drama “Really Really” March 2224 at 7:30 p.m. and March 25 at 3 p.m. in the Studio Theatre of WCU’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for WCU faculty and staff, and seniors, and $20 for all others. 227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu. • A stage production of “The Day He Wore My Crown” will be held at 7 p.m. March 23-24 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets are $8 for students, $15 for adults. For more information and/or to buy tickets, call 524.1598 or click on www.greatmountainmusic.com. • 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.

• Legendary singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale will perform during a benefit for the Lloyd Johnson Foundation at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Isis Music Hall in West Asheville. Tickets are $20 per person in advance, $25 day-of-show. You can purchase tickets by clicking on www.isisasheville.com. • Magician Tom Hoghes, Professor Whizzpop will be performing at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 30 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. $1 admission, reservations recommended. 586.2016.

• 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. 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. www.harttheatre.org.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • The Liars Bench, a program devoted to preserving, promoting and performing materials dealing with Appalachian heritage and culture, will return starting at 7 p.m. on March 22 at the Mountain Heritage Auditorium. Storytelling, music and dramatic presentations. GCarden498@aol.com.

• The monthly Creating Community Workshop will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. Please call the library to register. This program is free of charge. 586.2016. www.fontanalib.org. • 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 every third Saturday. Booths are $10 each for selling items. 456.9207. • The Uptown Gallery will hold an “Paint Pouring Workshop” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in Franklin. Fluid acrylic paints will be poured directly onto surfaces. Cost is $25 and includes all materials. For more information and/or to signup, call 349.4607. • 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. • Rock the Paint with Zoller Hardware and Hurricane Creek is from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, at Cashiers Commons, Highway 107 North, in Cashiers. • Deadline to submit quilt applications for the Appalachian Women’s Museum Airing of the Quilts is April 2. The event is from noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. Register: appwomen.org/quilts. Info: 421.3820. • A Paint & Pour is being hosted by Appalachian Art Farm at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. $25. 586.2016. • Winter Song Community, an acapella choir, will have its spring term from April 4-May 30. Sing world music in the oral tradition. No audition; no music to read. 524.3691. • 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.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

Smoky Mountain News

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Somebody’s Child (Americana) March 24 and Twelfth Fret during its “One-Year Anniversary” party March 30-31. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• 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.

March 21-27, 2018

• The Highlands Performing Arts Center will screen “Live via Satellite” the National Theatre of London’s encore production of Shakespeare’s classic “Hamlet” at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 526.9047. All students will be admitted free of charge.

• 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 Bladesmith.” Registration fee: $75. Info: 400.7815.

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• There will open auditions for a production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors” at 6:30 p.m. March 23-24 and 2728 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. All are welcome. For more information, contact jbdhayes88@yahoo.com.

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (March 22, April 5 and 19) 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.

• 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. • 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

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is for sale. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com. • The 50th annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibit” will run through March 30 in the Contemporary Gallery at Western Carolina University. Dr. Beth Hinderliter, Associate Professor of Cross Disciplinary Studies at James Madison University, serves as juror for this display of creative expression in a variety of media by undergraduates at Western Carolina University. A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22. www.wcu.edu. • The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present, “LINING: SHEATHING” through May 4, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. April 19 in Cullowhee. “LINING: SHEATHING” is a large-scale installation about the tactile and protective qualities of textiles by collaborators Denise Bookwalter and Lee Emma Running. The WCU Fine Art Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Museum exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public. jilljacobs@wcu.edu or 828.227.2505. • The 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. Visit the Haywood County Arts Council at 86 North Main Street in Waynesville to view the variety of art for sale. www.haywoodarts.org. • The Franklin Uptown Gallery has opened for the 2018 Season. The artist exchange exhibit will feature artwork created by members of the Valley River Arts Guide from Murphy. 349.4607.

March 21-27, 2018

• Linda Dickinson’s display of black-and-white photography is being displayed at the Canton Public Library Meeting Room in Canton. Show is entitled “Waynesville and Environs, a Black & White Perspective.” 648.2924.

FILM & SCREEN • “Lady Bird” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 29 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016. • “Tomb Raider” will be shown at 7 p.m. on March 2526 and 7 p.m. on March 21-23 & March 26-29 at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. See www.38main.cc for ticket prices. • Macon County Public Library will screen “myATstory” – short films of inspiration from the Appalachian Trail – at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, and at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, in Franklin. 524.3600.

Smoky Mountain News

• “Ready Player One” will be shown at 7 p.m. on March 30 & April 2-5 and 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. on March 31April 1, and 7 p.m. April 2-5 at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. See www.38main.cc for ticket prices. • “The Shape of Water” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

Outdoors

• An Introduction to Fly Fishing class will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on 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 in the Canton area, typically covering 8-10 miles. Road bikes are preferred and helmets are required. Nobody will be 42 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.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

• A Turkey Hunting Seminar will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, at the Haywood Community College auditorium. Preregistration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

• Friends of the Lake 5K is at 9 a.m. on March 31 at Lake Junaluska. Registration: $25 (by March 16); otherwise $30. Student rate is $15 (ages 18-younger). www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/easter.

• 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.

• The third-annual Go Tell It On the Mountain 5-K run and 1-mile walk is set for Saturday, March 31, in Otto. Registration at 9 a.m. $30 for runners before March 20 or $35 on race day. $20 for walkers before March 20 or $25 on race day. Proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. bringittolife@gmail.com or 342.5047.

• 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. • Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to provide informational tours of historic Mingus Mill. A mandatory training for new volunteers is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday, March 23, at the Oconaluftee Administration Building near Cherokee. Info: 497.1906 or florie_takaki@nps.gov. • 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. • A “Thru-Hiker Chow Down” will be hosted by the Nantahala Hiking Club from noon-3 p.m. on March 24 at the Lazy Hiker Brewing Company in Franklin. Chili dog lunch with home-baked goods and fresh fruit for thru-hikers. 369.1983, lazyhikerbrewing.com or search for Lazy Hiker Brewing on Facebook. • A panel of experts will discuss the future of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, at the Transylvania County Public Library in Brevard and on Thursday, March 29, at the Andrews Community Center in Andrews. Mountaintrue.org. • A “Reading the Water” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 28 at the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. Info: https://tinyurl.com/bo4zckn. • A “Walking Home” program will be presented by Appalachian Trail section hiker Bill Van Horn at 6 p.m. on March 28 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. www.facebook.com/events/136206057048744. • Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to assist park visitors by roving the Oconaluftee River Trail, Mountain Farm Museum and fields along Newfound Gap near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. A mandatory training for new volunteers is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3, at the Oconaluftee Administration Building near Cherokee. Info: 497.1914 or kathleen_stuart@nps.gov. • Veterinarian Elizabeth DeWandeler will make a presentation entitled “Hiking With Dogs” at 6 p.m. on April 4 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. www.facebook.com/events/136206057048744. • Bartram Author Philip Lee Williams will offer a presentation on “The Flower Seeker” from 6-7 p.m. on April 5 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. www.facebook.com/events/136206057048744. • Volunteers are being sought for a spring clean-up of campgrounds on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Deadline to sign up is April 6. Clean-up is the morning of April 21 at a number of campgrounds including Mount Pisgah (mile marker 408.8). Sign up: 348.3419 or BLRI_Volunteers@nps.gov. • Currahee Brewing will host a Hiker Bash on April 7 in Franklin. www.facebook.com/curraheebrew. • “Hiking: Just Getting Started” will be presented by 900-mile hiker Joey Holt from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. $69. https://tinyurl.com/ya3uvm7g.

• Registration is underway for the eighth annual “Valley of the Lilies” Half Marathon and 5K, which is Saturday, April 7, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. $40 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through March 9; $80 for half marathon and $30 for the 5K on race day. http://halfmarathon.wcu.edu or valleyofthelilies@wcu.edu. Registration for the annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival 5K is now open. The race will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 at Mark Watson Park in Sylva, North Carolina. Registrants who enter before April 20th will receive a t-shirt. All proceeds from the race support the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. www.greeningupthemountains.com Registration ends on April 25. jeniferpressley@jackonnc.org.

FARM AND GARDEN • A Fruit Tree Workshop will be offered by NC Cooperative Extension Service from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, at the Swain Extension Center in Bryson City. 488.3848 or clbreden@ncsu.edu. • The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will hold a program on “Untangling Food Safety in Shared Use Facilities and Food Businesses” from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Drive, in Mills River. Register by March 19: https://tinyurl.com/y7lzhxea. • A workshop on “Managing your Home Orchard” will be offered by the NC Cooperative Extension Service at the following dates and locations: 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, at the Swain Extension Center in Bryson City; 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva; and from 10:15 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, April 3, at the Cashiers Library. Register: 586.4009 (Sylva), 488.3848 (Bryson City) or clbreden@ncsu.edu. • The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Macon County Center will host a Farm Safety Day starting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 23, at the Macon County Fairgrounds. Topics include tractor rollover, PTO safety, ATV and hunter safety and more. Register or get more info: 349.2046. • The Asheville Orchid Festival is scheduled to be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 24-25 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. $5 per person; free for children 12-under. Additionally, $14 parking fee. • A Fruit Tree Workshop will be offered by NC Cooperative Extension Service from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva. 586.4009 or clbreden@ncsu.edu. • “Beekeeping 101: Basic Information for the Beginner” will be offered from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, March 29, at the Waynesville Library. Registration required: 356.2508 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net. • A Fruit Tree Workshop will be offered by NC Cooperative Extension Service from 10:15 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, April 3, at the Cashiers Library. 586.4009 or clbreden@ncsu.edu. • Sign-ups for seed trays will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on April 2-7 at the Old Armory in Waynesville. $5 per tray; limit of five trays per person. 456.9207 or oldarmory@waynesvillenc.gov. • The Jackson County Farmers Market will add a Wednesday evening market from 4-7 p.m. starting April

4 in the Bridge Park Paved Lot. Opening market celebration is from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, April 7. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

HIKING CLUBS • Haywood Waterways Association will host a moderate-to-strenuous, 5.5-mile hike in the Rough Creek Watershed on Saturday, March 24. Guided by Eric Romaniszyn, Haywood Waterways’ Executive Director. $5 donation for nonmembers; free for members. Memberships start at $25. RSVP by March 22: Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667, ext. 11. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous, 5-6 mile hike on Saturday, March 24, to the junction of three state boundaries (N.C., S.C. and Ga.) at Ellicott Rock. Info and reservations: 743.1079. • A Chimney Rock Naturalist Niche Hike off the beaten path is scheduled from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. Moderately strenuous. $23 per adult; $8 per annual passholder; $13 for ages 5-15 and $6 for “Rockin’ Discovery” passholders. Advance registration required: www.chimneyrockpark.com. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy twomile hike on Sunday, March 25, on Lakeside Drive Trail, to visit gardens maintained by the Macon County Master Gardeners. Info and reservations: 369.7352. • A moderate, five-mile hike on the Bartram Trail in Macon County with Bartram experts Brent Martin and James Kautz is scheduled for Thursday, March 29. To RSVP or get more info: info@ncbartramtrail.org or 524.7400. • An easy-to-moderate hike is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 30, through the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. $20 for members of the Great Smoky Mountains Association; $35 for nonmembers. Register: http://bit.ly/2FGixzi. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will continue its tradition of spreading “trail magic” to Appalachian Trail hikers with “Easter on The Trail” starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, in Franklin. To volunteer: 369.8915 or marsh67@frontier.com. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate, sixmile hike with an elevation change of 800 feet on Saturday, April 7, on a section of the Appalachian Trail in the Standing Indian area. Info and reservations: 524.5298. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate, three-mile hike with an elevation change of 800 feet on Sunday, April 8, in Tellico Valley. Info and reservations: 524.5234.

OUTDOOR CLUBS • The Jackson County Poultry Club will hold its regular meeting on the third Thursday of each month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for adults and children and includes a monthly meeting with a program and a support network for those raising birds. For info, call 586.4009 or write heather_gordon@ncsu.edu. • The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments, will be offered through May 15. The program is offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Free for members; daily admission for nonmembers. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov. • An RV camping club, the Vagabonds, camps one weekend per month from April through November. All ages welcome. No dues or structured activities. For details, write lilnau@aol.com or call 369.6669. • The Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited meets the second Tuesday of the month starting with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Rendezvous restaurant located on the corner of Jonathan Creek Road and Soco Road in Maggie Valley. 631.5543.

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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. ■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

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

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20’x20’ $

160

AUCTION Colt & Browning Guns - Ammo Gold & Silver Coins - CaseXX Knives. Saturday March 24 @ 12:00 NOON. 9497 N NC Hwy150 Clemmons, NC 27012. LEINBACH AUCTION & REALTY, LLC. 336.416.9614 NCAL#5871AUCTIONZIP.COM ID#5969 COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS & LOTS In Norwood, NC, Online Auction w/ Bid Center, Bid Center at Norwood Town Hall, ironhorseauction.com, Phone# 704.997.2248, NCAL 3936 HOME IMPROVEMENT AUCTION Saturday Beginning at 10am. 201 S Locust Ave. Locust, NC Cabinet Sets, Doors, Carpet, Tile, Hardwood, Bath Vanities, Windows, Lighting, Patio Sets, Trim, Appliances, Name Brand Tools. Check our website for details. Phone: 704.507.1449; ncaf5479 www.ClassicAuctions.com INTERNATIONAL ROAD TRACTORS, Cobalt Boat, Minivans, Cars, Zero Turn Mowers, Street Sweeper and More sold at Auction, Online Only, Begins Closing 3/27 at 12pm, Visit: www.ironhorseauction.com, or call us 800.997.2248. NCAL 3936

AUCTION 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 $375 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

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

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ONE MONTH

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DOWNSIZING ESTATE SALES CLEAN OUT SERVICE • COMPANY TRANSFER • DIVORCE • LOST LOVED ONE

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Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

HELPING IN HARD TIMES

WE ARE KNOWN FOR HONESTY & INTEGRITY 828-734-3874 18 COMMERCE STREET WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28786 WWW.FROGLEVELDOWNSIZING.COM

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PAINTING JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all your pressure washing needs and more. Specialize in Removal of Carpenter Bees - Cedar or Log Homes or Painted or Siding! Call or Text Now for a Free Estimate at 828.508.9727

WNC MarketPlace

CARS -

A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR For Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Foundation Education, Prevention, & Support Programs. Fast Free Pickup -24 Hr ResponseTax Deduction 855.701.6346 AUTO INSURANCE Starting At $49/ Month! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save! Call: 855.970.1224 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! Top Dollar Offer! Free Towing From Home, Office or Body Shop. All Makes/Models 2000-2016. Same Day Pick-Up Available! Call Now: 1.800.761.9396 GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1.855.617.2024 SAPA PAYING TOO MUCH FOR Car Insurance? Not sure? Want better coverage? Call now for a free quote and learn more today! 888.203.1373 SAPA

DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pick-up. Call Now for details. 855.972.0354 SAPA

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EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT DOG SITTER NEEDED Overnight in our Maggie Valley home. One week in late April, and Occasional Other Days. Call 832.567.1113

- HOUSEKEEPING Full Time or Part Time: Maggie Valley Cabin Resort Seeks an Energetic & Experienced Housekeeper. Valid Driver’s License Required. For more info Call 828.926.1388

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

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 Online at: driveforbrown.com. Or Contact Brandon at 919.291.7416. SAPA

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

EMPLOYMENT 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

EMPLOYMENT

MAD BATTER In Downtown Sylva is Seeking Full-Time Line Cook/Food Truck Team Member. Ideal Candidates will have High Volume Line Exp. & Be Service Oriented. Candidate Must be 18+ & Have Reliable Transportation. Stop by Between Tuesday - Thursday 2:00-4:00pm or Email Your Resume to: madbatterevents@gmail.com No Phone Calls Please 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 Zip Code 46411. SAPA 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 [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

March 21-27, 2018

BUSY DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE Insurance Agency Seeking Career-Oriented Licensed P&C Sales Agent. Full-Time, Competitive Pay, Commission, Incentives & Bonus. Must Posses Excellent Customer Service Skills, be Confident, Friendly & Professional. Email Resume to:

oggiejonny@gmail.com BARNABAS - A UNIQUE BLEND OF BREEDS THAT PRODUCED AN UNUSUAL LOOKING BOY ABOUT 1-1/2 YEARS OLD. WE THINK HE'S WONDERFUL EVEN IF HE IS A BIT OF AN ODDBALL! HE'S FAIRLY LARGE, STILL A PUPPY, SO HE'LL PROBABLY DO BEST IN A HOME WITH OLDER KIDS AND ADULTS. BARNABAS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WELL CARED FOR AND HAS SOME SKILLS, SUCH AS "SIT" AND "SHAKE".

www.smokymountainnews.com

SIMON - A SWEET BOY KITTY ONLY ABOUT 11 MONTHS OLD. HE IS AN UNUSUAL BUFF COLOR WITH DARK EYES, GIVING HIM A VERY STRIKING APPEARANCE. HE IS QUITE COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE, AND LOVES ATTENTION.

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS 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:

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

Steve Mauldin

828.734.4864

smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

828.452.5809 44

GOT YOUR EARS ON? Find your next driver by advertising statewide in over 100 newspapers for only $375. Call Wendi Ray at NC Press Services for more info 919.516.8009. SAPA

beverly-hanks.com

Equal Housing Opportunity

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your Mortgage? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! FREE CONSULTATION 844.359.4330

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112. HOME IMPROVEMENT AUCTION Saturday, March 17th @ 10am. 201 S Locust Ave. Locust, NC Cabinet Sets, Doors, Carpet, Tile, Hardwood, Bath Vanities, Windows, Lighting, Patio Sets, Trim, Appliances, Name Brand Tools. Check our website for details. Phone: 704.507.1449; ncaf5479 www.ClassicAuctions.com

LOTS FOR SALE

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778. HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price! 533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240 KILL BED BUGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT Complete Treatment System. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com SAPA

www.4Smokys.com

Dan Womack BROKER

828.

243.1126

- WANTED TO BUY -

Beverly Hanks & Associates • • • •

U.S./ Foreign Coins! Call Dan

828.421.1616

MOUNTAIN REALTY

71 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC

828-564-9393

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

The Real Team DICKINSON-DONLEY-HOCOTT

Real Experience. Real Service. Real Results.

828.452.3727

PERSONAL 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

MEDICAL A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. CALL 1.855.401.6444. MOBILEHELP, America's Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You're Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1.877.293.5144.

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RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

71 N. Main Street Waynesville

——————————————

GEORGE

ESCARAVAGE BROKER/REALTOR

—————————————— 28 WOODLAND ASTER WAY

ASHEVILLE, NC 28804

828.400.0901

GESCAR@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

• • • • • • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com George Escaravage - gescar@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

BROOKE PARROTT BROKER ASSOCIATE 828.734.2146 bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Visit beverly-hanks.com/agents/bparrott

to see what others are saying!

RE/MAX Executive

• • • • •

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

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

smokymountainnews.com

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160. Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

WANTED TO BUY FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. 312.291.9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com

Berkshire Hathaway

March 21-27, 2018

EXECUTIVE HOME SITES Waterfront or View- Improved Home Sites, By Owner, State Rd., Gated, Sites are Prepped, Well, Electric, 3/BR Septic In, Dock, Southern Exposure & Private. For More Information Call 828.788.6879

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

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

WNC MarketPlace

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots! Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

FOR SALE 11-HP GENERATOR New, Never Been Used Homelite #LR5500, 5 Gallon Gas Tank, 5500 Watts, HD 220/115 Cord. $475/Firm. For more info call Richard at 828.316.9557

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

CROSSWORD

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 21-27, 2018

WNC MarketPlace

Super

BROOCH THE SUBJECT ACROSS 1 Ritchie Valens hit 8 Store up 13 Credit (to) 20 Black keys, informally 21 Air raid alert 22 Percussion pair 23 Very tidy sort 24 Musical pace 25 Airplane trips 26 Viola or cello 29 Tulip chair designer Saarinen 30 Always, in an ode 31 Eucalyptus-eating “bear” 35 “Deck the Halls,” e.g. 39 Outlet insert 45 “Anne of Green Gables” town 48 Sounds of wonderment 49 London brew 50 Mlle. who’s canonized 51 Where a ball rolls in an alley 53 Nero’s 251 55 Luau dish 56 Swing in the breeze, say 57 Round bread of India 58 Place to par 61 Lyricist Lorenz 62 Jeweled crown 64 Misprint list 65 Gracefully limber 69 It may include spools and thimbles 72 Dada artist Max

73 Teeming, as with bees 75 Makes mad 76 Title for a lady 78 Figure in black magic 80 Dollar bit 81 Irishwoman, e.g. 85 Cubs’ and Eagles’ org. 86 Vehicle ding 87 Wartime “pineapple” 90 Rat-a- — 91 Wiggling fish 92 Balkan native 93 Some pianos and motorcycles 94 Contest on a mat 99 Door knocker’s response 100 Gelatin dish 101 Winning line in tic-tac-toe 102 Abba of Israel 105 Theme of this puzzle 115 Hard to catch 118 “Pal Joey” novelist John 119 Red apple variety 120 Purifies, as ore 121 Wild, as an animal 122 Secrete mother’s milk 123 In a group of 124 Oto or Ute 125 Moved stealthily DOWN 1 Camera eye 2 Aid in evil 3 Male swine 4 Prefix with 61-Down

5 Actress Liza 6 Light brown 7 Questioner 8 Bubbly wine 9 Personal manner 10 Weaponry 11 Octets minus one 12 Loud sleeper 13 Like most radios 14 Shop lure 15 Crease 16 Convertible auto 17 Einstein’s “I” 18 Slugging club 19 Ending for lion 27 Female gerbil 28 Mystifying Mr. Geller 32 Race loser 33 Many troubadours 34 Grow mature 35 Hailed rides 36 State frankly 37 Line of seats closest to the stage 38 Part of SRO 40 Bank offer 41 Myriad years 42 Friend of Fidel 43 Wee cow 44 Faye of film 46 City in Sicily 47 Petri dish gels 52 Not right now 53 Wine stopper 54 Declared 55 Cat sound 58 Comic’s bits 59 City east of Utah Lake 60 Break a fast 61 Lionhearted type 62 Money tray 63 Suffix with 61Down

65 Water closet 66 Some weather lines 67 Polka relative 68 — cow (flipped out) 70 Droop, as from heat 71 Piquant 74 Catwalk user 77 Big name in razors 79 Sub shop 80 “Squawk Box” network 81 Annoying fly 82 Partners of 48Across 83 Mild cheese 84 — majesty 87 “... made — woman”: Genesis 2:22 88 Gallery work 89 High rank 90 Old Delta rival 91 Drawing with acid 92 Cover thickly 95 Acts as a sub (for) 96 Yuletide drink 97 Get mushy 98 Sly laugh part 103 Really cries 104 Of birds 106 Burl of song 107 104-Down hangout 108 Spy Mata — 109 Bahraini, e.g. 110 Folklore bit 111 Antifur gp. 112 Writer Dinesen 113 Rap’s Dogg 114 Zipped along 115 Timeline part 116 Old NASA moon lander 117 ET’s craft

answers on page 40

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MEDICAL UNABLE TO WORK Due to injury or illness? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc., Social Security Disability Attorneys! FREE Evaluation. Local Attorneys Nationwide 1.800.371.1734 (TX/NM Bar.)] SERIOUSLY INJURED In an Auto Accident? Let us fight for you! We have recovered millions for clients! Call today for a FREE consultation! 855.324.5256

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES HAPPY JACK® XYLECIDE® Is a Fungicidal Shampoo to treat Ringworm & Allergies. For Dogs & Horses. At Tractor Supply, or: fleabeacon.com HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

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VACATION RENTALS

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

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 SAPA

YARD SALES 3-FAMILY YARD SALE: In Front of Commercial Bldng. on Jonathan Creek, Waynesville. Something for Everyone! Signs Posted. Saturday & Sunday 24 & 25 from 8a.m. to 4p.m.

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

Old-time dentistry just plain hurt BACK THEN come out with that first lick a feller just went plumb crazy and had to be hog-tied till the job was finished.’ “‘The only time I ever heard of Uncle Eli havin’ any trouble was once when the feller sneezed just as he started a lick with his hammer. The hammer missed the chisel and struck the feller right on the nose. The feller rose up out of the chair Columnist like he’d been stung by a whole passel of wasps. He forgot all about his achin’ tooth and said he was too tore up inside to go on with tooth-jumping.’ “‘To jump a tooth,’ the old man explained, ‘the chisel was placed against the ridge of the tooth, just under the edge of the gum, and given a quick but hard lick with the hammer. When the chisel was placed just right and the hammer lick made just right, the tooth would jump out like it was shot out of a rifle.’” Parris records that the only antiseptics his great-uncle used were salt packed into the tooth hole and “peartening juice” (alco-

George Ellison

ld-time dentistry as practiced here in the Smokies region wasn’t pretty. All of the descriptions I have found make it seem just about barbaric, but, then again, when you’ve got tooth problems you’ll resort to just about any remedy. John Parris, in a chapter titled “‘Tooth-jumpin’ With A Hammer” in his book These Storied Mountains (1972), provides these insights in regard to a great-uncle who practiced homespun dentistry. “Folks came from miles around to get him to jump a tooth. He used a hammer and a chisel. The chisel, as my grandfather described it, was about the size of a big nail. It was forged by hand. When Grandpa talked about his uncle’s tooth-jumpin’, there was something akin to awe in his voice. “‘If a tooth-jumper got the least bit careless,’ he said, ‘he could break a feller’s jaw or bust a whole mouthful of teeth. It took a steady hand and a keen eye and a knowin’ tap of the hammer on the chisel … There was other tooth-jumpers hereabouts besides my uncle. But they didn’t make a business of it like he did. They weren’t as good either. But them that really knowed how to toothjump could pop a tooth out of a feller’s head before you could wink an eye. It was just that quick. It had to be.’ “‘If one lick didn’t jump the tooth out it was all-night-ice-em. For if the tooth didn’t

recites a neighbor’s recollections as follows. “‘You take a cut nail (not one o’ those round wire nails) and place its squar p’int agin the ridge of the tooth, jest under the edge of the gum. Then jump the tooth out with a hammer. A man who knows how can jump a tooth without it hurtin’ half as bad as pullin’. But old Uncle Neddy Cyarter went to jump one of his own teeth out, one time, and missed the nail and mashed his nose with the hammer. He had the weak trembles.’ “‘I have heard of tooth-jumping,’ said I, ‘and reported it to dentists back home, but they laughed at me.’ “‘Well, they needn’t laugh, for it’s so,’ said my neighbor. ‘Some men git to be as experienced at it as toothdentists are at pullin’. They cut around the gum, and then put the nail at jest sich an angle, slantin’ downward for an upper tooth, or upwards

ThankYou TO ALL OUR

SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS!

First United Methodist Church of Waynesville

for a lower one, and hit one lick.’ “Will the tooth come at the first lick?’ “‘Ginerally. If it didn’t, you might as well stick your head in a swarm o’ bees and fergit who you are.’ “‘Are back teeth extracted in that way?’ “‘Yes, sir; any kind of a tooth. I’ve burnt my holler teeth out with a red-hot wire.’ “‘Good God!’ “‘Hit’s so. The wire’d sizzle like fryin’.’ “‘Kill the nerve?’ “‘No; but it’d sear the mar so it wouldn’t be so sensitive.’ “‘Didn’t hurt, eh?’ “‘Hurt like hell for a moment. I held the wire one time for Jim Bob Jimwright, who couldn’t reach the spot for hisself. I told him to hold his tongue back; but when I touched the holler he jumped and wropped his tongue agin the wire. The words that man used ain’t fit to tell.’” These old-time accounts are worth thinking about the next time you visit your dentist and are subjected to very little, if any, pain. Some things have come a long ways. (George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

March 21-27, 2018

2018

hol) administered to the patient just before the tooth was jumped. Yet another account of regional dentistry was recorded by Horace Kephart in Our Southern Highlanders (1913), wherein he

Smoky Mountain News 47

The Vistas at Castle Creek 2BR, 2BA, $239,000 #3369824

Hayfields - 3BR, 2BA $269,000 #3368094

Mountain View Park - 8BR, 4BA $275,000 #3369204

Evergreen Landing - 3BR, 3BA $324,900 #3368166

Thads Woods - 3BR, 3BA $339,000 #3364857

4BR, 3BA, 1HB $350,000 #3369188

Quail Ridge - 3BR, 3BA, 1HB $399,000 #3369146

Waynesville - 3BR, 2BA $420,000 #3366485

Waters Edge - 3BR, 3BA, 1HB $489,000 #3368768

Villages Of Plott Creek 4BR, 3BA, 1HB, $539,000 #3367950

Soco Falls - 3BR, 3BA, 1HB $630,000 #3364299

Smoky Mountain News

March 21-27, 2018

Junaluska Heights - 3BR, 2BA $219,000 #3369247

DISCOVER COMMUNITIESâ&#x20AC;¦ AT HOME AND ON THE GO! beverly-hanks.com Get details on any property in the MLS. Go to beverly-hanks.com and enter the MLS# into the search.

bev beverly-hanks.com everly-hanks.com 48

Villages of Plott Creek 3BR, 4BA, 2HB $1,125,000 #3370077

74 North Main Street (828) 634-7333

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY Y