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May 25-31, 2016 Vol. 17 Iss. 52

Haywood real estate market gets back in the game Page 6 Cheap tuition proposal could cost WCU millions Page 16

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Parkside communities in Western North Carolina have a long and not-so-harmonious relationship with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The decision to start charging fees for backcountry camping three years ago prompted one of the more explosive rounds of disagreement and mistrust, with some fee opponents now saying they don’t believe the park is reporting the resulting statistics honestly and park staff maintaining that they’re seeing the use they say they’re seeing and using the money the way they said they’d use it. Both point to the numbers to prove their respective points. (Page 38)

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News Wrong bear euthanized in Smokies incident ..............................................................3 Jackson to vote on tax for education projects ............................................................4 Haywood real estate market gets back in the game................................................ 6 New president settles in at Angel Medical ..............................................................13 EMS costs cause Jackson to ponder hospital contract ......................................14 Cheap tuition proposal could cost WCU millions.................................................. 16 Cherokee communities debate representation ........................................................18 Community Almanac ........................................................................................................21

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Opinion Trying times for school leaders in Haywood ..............................................................22

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Wrong bear euthanized in Smokies incident DNA tests show 400-pound bear did not bite hiker on May 10

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Spence Field Shelter. NPS photo

Be safe in the backcountry Bears are numerous in the Smokies, but aggression toward humans is rare. To minimize the risk: • Travel in groups of three or more. If you are hiking alone, be sure to make noise frequently to alert any bears in the area that you’re coming their way.

• Carry bear spray where it will be easy to grab and know how to use it.

• When camping, hang all food, toiletries and anything else with an associated scent on a tree branch or bear cables. Even better, hang your whole pack. Cook food in a different area from where you pitch your tent.

• Stay at least 50 yards away from any bear you see.

“That’s the kind of ability we have not had in the past.”

The two-day timeframe is even faster than the turnaround last year. In 2015, the park had sent its DNA samples to a lab in Pennsylvania that has extensive experience with bear DNA, surprised to find the turnaround time shrink to just one week when it used to take multiple weeks. But now they’re working with Western Carolina University to process the DNA, sending samples to both labs to see if they get the same results. The two labs did come out with matching results, and WCU was able to deliver results just two days after the sample was taken from the second bear.

Soehn said WCU’s performance was “outstanding” but allowed that the park may continue to send to both facilities, as the Pennsylvania lab’s extensive library of samples could still prove helpful. It costs $225 to get a sample processed there.

Though the May 10 incident is the one that’s gotten all the press, it’s not the only human-bear encounter that has occurred in the park this year. It’s just the only one that’s resulted in a human injury. Bears have been rustling for food in campsites across the park over the course of the last month or so and will likely continue to do so until berries ripen in July and their food prospects expand.

“Historically we see more aggressive bear behavior during the months of May and June,” Soehn said.

Lea, however, takes issue with terms such as “aggressive” and “predatory.” In his view, the May 10 incident was just a case of

a bear doing what a bear does — looking for an easy meal. And not one that involves human flesh.

“Regardless of nearly every precaution you could possibly take, to a bear’s sensitive sense of smell there are going to be some odors associated with a backpacker and his or her clothes or equipment,” he said.

To the bear, Lea said, the presence of Veeder’s leg and the man’s subsequent scream was likely a frightening surprise when all he’d wanted was a taste of some trace smell in the tent. The fact that the bear returned later to ravage an empty tent is, to Lea, proof that the attack was non-predatory — the bear took a bite, got scared by what was between his jaws, and then came back later to sniff out what he was really after.

In the end, though, Lea doesn’t take issue with the decision to euthanize the bear responsible — just with the fact that the wrong bear suffered and attack was labeled as predatory.

“I understand the need to deal with the situation, but don’t mislabel bears as being a predator when they’re seeking food from the smell of food and not trying to kill people to eat them,” he said.

Soehn defends the predatory label but says the park will continue looking for new ways to spare bears that haven’t yet been proven guilty.

“We continue to try to develop these different types of technologies and techniques that help us reduce that risk that we’re going to euthanize an uninvolved bear,” she said.

“Fortunately it is a rare occurrence.”

Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he case of a 400-pound bear euthanized after a hiker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was bitten in the leg appears to have been a wrongful conviction. DNA results delivered Monday (May 23) showed that the bear that bit 49-year-old Bradley Veeder, of Las Vegas, on May 10 and the one that park staff euthanized May 13 were two different animals.

“Every bear, like every dog, like every cat, like every human, has his or her own unique personality,” said Bill Lea, a longtime nature photographer who’s spent thousands of hours photographing bears in the park. “It just saddens me when we lose an individual life like that. Especially when being executed for something that he or she didn’t do.”

It is a shame that the wrong bear died, agreed Superintendent Cassius Cash, but in this case it was unavoidable. Park staff made the best decision they could with the information they had but unfortunately wound up having the wrong bear.

“Bears are iconic symbols in the Smokies and a decision to euthanize an animal is not made lightly,” Cash said. “Park staff have worked diligently over the last year to develop viable alternatives to euthanasia.

“Regardless of nearly every preUnderstandably, these options won’t be appropriate responscaution you could possibly take, to es for every bear incident.” a bear’s sensitive sense of smell The incident occurred after 11 p.m. on May 10 when there are going to be some odors Veeder was asleep in his tent, about 200 yards from the A.T. associated with a backpacker and shelter at Spence Field and his or her clothes or equipment.” nearby a number of other backpackers also using the — Bill Lea, nature photographer shelter. His food and toiletries were properly hung on bear Superintendent Cassius Cash said aftercables in an odor-trapping bag, and while his ward that he’d want to look at building new pack was in his tent with him, all it conprotocols to hold bears suspected of violence tained was an umbrella, water filter, down until DNA tests could be returned. The vest, cell phone, book and a 1-ounce, unopened container of sunscreen. He’d done process is now much faster than it used to be, so it’s feasible to humanely hold bears everything right, food storage-wise. while waiting for results.

The bear approached the tent and bit The solutions park staff had come up Veeder’s leg through the canvas, resulting in with didn’t help in the case of the euthasignificant puncture wounds. The hikers nized 400-pounder, but they did allow a camping in the area gathered in the back200-pound bear captured May 20 to be country shelter for the rest of the night, spared. The bear, found near the site of the with the bear returning later to tear incident, was tranquilized, fit with a GPS through Veeder’s tent and another vacant collar and released. DNA results cleared this tent nearby. bear, as well.

In the morning, Veeder was taken out of “Putting the GPS collar on the bear the backcountry on horseback to Blount allowed us enough time to get the DNA Memorial Hospital and has since been analysis back in two days,” Soehn said. released.

May 25-31, 2016

The park then closed the shelter and began monitoring the area. Three days after the incident, the 400-pound bear was tranquilized, and eventually euthanized. Though nobody camping that night had actually seen the bear, it fit the profile, said the park’s management assistant Dana Soehn — it had returned to the site, so it probably called the area home; it had dental injuries consistent with what had happened to Veeder’s leg; and large, dominant male bears are usually the culprits in these circumstances.

Lea takes issue with that last justification, saying that in his experience large, male bears are usually the ones most likely to be afraid of people.

“I always find that the bears most likely to misbehave are more the yearling bears who are just kind of like a teenager, just learning what life is all about,” he said.

The euthanized bear was too big to transport out of the backcountry — Spence Field is six miles from the nearest road — and its neck was so large that fitting it with a GPS collar to find it later was impossible, Soehn said, like trying to put a collar on a coat.

However, park personnel have been working to improve their response to these kinds of incidents ever since something similar happened in the Hazel Creek area on June 6 of last year. A teenage boy sleeping in a hammock was attacked by a bear, and the bear park personnel put down afterward turned out to be the wrong one.

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Jackson to vote on tax for education projects

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen the polls open June 7, Jackson County voters will have a choice to make — whether to OK a small sales tax increase to provide additional funding for Jackson County Public Schools and Southwestern Community College.

The referendum question won’t mention education specifically, however. The question will simply ask voters if they’d support increasing the local sales tax by one-fourth of a penny.

However, the Jackson County Commissioners passed a resolution in March stating that, if Don Tomas the increase is approved, the money will fund capital projects at SCC and Jackson Schools. Ever since, leaders of the two organizations have been campaigning for the referendum’s passage.

“This is a win-win because it’s not resting on Mike Murray the shoulders of the property owner only, but everyone,” said Don Tomas, president of SCC. “That steady income will help us accomplish some of those things we’d like to see accomplished,” agreed Mike Murray, superintendent of Jackson Schools. “It won’t pay for it all, but it will allow us to do some longterm planning.”

The one-fourth-cent sales tax would bring in an estimated $1.2 million per year. The extra money would be charged on everything that sales tax currently applies to — but not gas or groceries.

“That’s a good thing,” said Commissioner Mark Jones of the exclusion for groceries and gas. “It doesn’t put as much burden on our families that are in need in Jackson County.”

Currently, 27 of 100 counties have adopted the additional quarter-cent sales tax, including Haywood County. The board of commissioners voted unanimously to place the question on the June ballot, but the decision has certainly stirred up some opposition as well.

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PROS AND CONS For Ron Mau, a councilmember for the Village of Forest Hills who is running for commissioner against incumbent Vicki Greene, much of the criticism has centered on the timing of the vote.

“If the goal of a vote is to hear the opinion of the people of Jackson County, recent data from the last two presidential elections in 2012 and 2008 suggests the tax increase

should be a ballot issue for the November general election, not the June secondary primary,” Mau told commissioners before they voted on the matter in March.

In 2012, 17,000 Jackson County residents voted in the November General Election, but only 1,029 voted in the second primary.

“In my opinion, five months is a small price to pay in order to provide a better and more transparent opportunity for the voters to make their statement,” Mau said.

Supporters of the referendum, however, say that it might actually be a good thing to have the sales tax vote held in June, separately from the crowded November ballot.

“We wanted people’s votes to be focused on the one-fourth-cent sales tax as opposed to the turmoil, controversy that is part of the voting (in November),” Greene said.

Opponents of the referendum also contend that the county has enough money in its reserves to get going on needs at Jackson Schools and SCC. Even if a sales tax increase becomes necessary down the road, they say, Jackson isn’t at that point yet.

“This a tax that will never be removed, and I think number one the county has got enough money that if they will watch it instead of spending like they are, that they can do what they need to do without this tax increase,” said Ralph Slaughter, chairman of the Jackson County JOP. The county currently has a savings account that is $8.3 million above the amount that the

In March, North Carolina voters approved a $2 billion infrastructure bond that included $7.1 million in capital funding for SCC. Using the money requires a match from counties.

state requires counties to maintain, and the school district has a fund balance of $2.8 million. Of the sales tax the county currently takes in annually, $2.65 million is earmarked for education, and the county recently approved a plan to borrow $8.9 million so that Jackson County Schools could take care of its more pressing needs, like failing roofs and heating systems.

But schools aren’t the county’s only funding responsibility, said Jones, and the county’s overall property tax rate is quite low. It’s currently the lowest in the state and after the new budget is adopted in June will likely be the sixth lowest.

Commissioners are currently debating plans to address a host of expensive capital projects, from the Health Department building to the animal shelter to a renovated Justice Center.

“That $8 million that we have in our fund balance is literally spent before we blink an eye,” Jones said.

Frank Burrell, chairman of the Jackson County Democrats and a former school superintendent in the county, is familiar with that reality and supports the referendum as a way to give the schools some ability to get the things done that always get shoved to the back of the list.

“It seemed like you never got around to doing some of the things you’d really like to see done,” he said, reflecting on his time with the school system. “This would enable the school system and SCC too to better plan and be involved in preventative maintenance.”

A second primary will be held Tuesday, June 7, for congressional primary candidates, with Jackson County voters also considering a referendum on a one-fourthcent sales tax increase to fund education capital projects. The increase would not apply to gas or groceries.

Early voting will be held Thursday, May 26 through Saturday, June 4, with May 30 excluded due to Memorial Day. Voters can request absentee ballots through Tuesday, May 31. Sick and disabled voters can request absentee ballots from June 1 to June 6. worth on its Jackson campus alone, according to a recently completed master plan.

In fact, the college’s Board of Trustees has already decided what it would like to see tackled first, if the sales tax vote comes back with a yes and if commissioners from the three counties the school serves get behind the plan.

In March, North Carolina voters approved a $2 billion infrastructure bond that included $7.1 million in capital funding

for SCC. Using the money requires a match from counties, but if Macon County Commissioners release funds and if the sales tax vote is approved, SCC would like to see $1.4 million go to a new burn building and $300,000 to repave the driving course range — both in Macon County — but the remaining $5.4 million spent on a new health sciences building in Jackson County.

“It (the existing building) was built for four programs and we now have 14 health sciences programs,” Tomas said. “We’ve just kind of utilized every niche and corner and cranny that we could get space out of. We’re just in need of expansion and growth.”

In fact, if SCC had more space, it could accept 100 more students per year into its health sciences programs without hiring more instructors, Tomas said. Teaching those 100 additional students would bring in another half million dollars in revenue to the college.

But the health sciences building wouldn’t come cheap. It’s ballparked at $16.5 million.

The plan, Tomas said, would be to pair $5.4 million from the bond money with funds from a loan that would be serviced using revenue from the sales tax increase.

Regardless, it’s a big bill. Which is why Tomas and Murray are in support of approv-

ing the quarter-cent sales tax increase as soon as possible.

“Every month that you wait to get that money flowing is time that you lost, that you can’t recapture,” Murray said.

Slaughter, meanwhile, takes issue with planning to use the money for debt service rather than paying for purchases outright. In his view, the $9 million loan that commissioners agreed to give Jackson Schools is a perfect example — the projects should have been paid for upfront, out of fund balance if necessary, rather than purchased with a loan.

“They’re going to turn around and borrow this money and we’re going to have to pay interest on the full $9 million plus what they borrow,” Slaughter said.

In the end though, the question will be up to the voters, and proponents of the referendum say they’re hopeful it will pass.

“I don’t want good enough to be good enough when I’m the one that they may be picking up and throwing in the ambulance,” Tomas said of his health sciences students. “I want to know that that was a great education.

We’ve been doing a lot really well with limited resources. Now we’re just asking to think about how much more we could do if we had adequate space and adequate resources.”

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PLANS FOR THE FUNDING Murray says that, if the sales tax were approved, he’d expect SCC to get first crack at the funding. Jackson Schools did just receive nearly $9 million to address some of its critical needs, as well as $950,000 for an artificial turf football field and, just four years ago, $13.2 million for a fine arts and gym. The school system still has an additional $20 million in identified needs, he said — the list includes water upgrades, a new softball field and a regulation size track to replace the existing one, which isn’t competition-worthy — but SCC has needs as well, $32 million

Go vote

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Southwestern Community College’s health sciences programs are outgrowing their home in the Balsam Center, but the school’s leadership is hoping that voters will approve a one-fourth-cent sales tax increase to help fund a new building, among other education projects. File photo

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Stuck in a holding pattern Haywood’s central office move contingent on fate of old hospital

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER aywood County School officials could be ousted from their central office by early spring 2017 to make way for an affordable housing project.

Where the school system’s central office will relocate to — and who will pick up the tab — will unfold in negotiations between the school system and county leaders in coming months.

Typically, it would be the school system’s responsibility to find and pay for a central office location. However Haywood County promised the school system rent-free office space over three decades ago, and has been making good on that promise ever since by putting them up in the “old hospital” in Waynesville.

The county now hopes to convert the old hospital into low-income apartments, rendering the school system without a home and posing a quandary when it comes to that long-ago promise of office space.

Since 2010, the county has been trying to unload the old hospital — an antiquated, run-down behemoth that dates back to the 1920s and ‘50s.

“It was known we would eventually have to move,” said Pat Smathers, attorney for the

May 25-31, 2016

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Haywood County School Board.

The question, however, was when.

Occasionally, county officials would traipse through the central office to show prospective buyers the building. But those prospects were few and far between, and at times, it seemed like the county would never find a taker.

Nonetheless, the school board began a thorough hunt for a new central office location, vetting close to 30 sites over a four-year period in preparation for a move if need be.

“It has been a slow-going process because as of today the board has not been asked to vacate this facility,” Smathers said.

The school system’s exhaustive search of new locations for a central office is catalogued in notes from school board building and grounds committee meetings dating back to 2010.

From sundry vacant tracts to empty strip malls and old decommissioned schools, from Canton to Bethel to Hazelwood, the school board’s building and ground’s committee weighed the pros and cons and price tags of various options.

“Some sites were very quickly eliminated because the price people were asking was too great or the construction price was too great,” Smathers said.

Armed with what was still a fairly long “short list,” the school board has remained in a prolonged holding pattern, refreshing the list every so often but content to stay where they were as long as they could.

“It was all contingent on if the board was asked to move. And the county still hasn’t asked us to move,” Smathers said earlier this month. “If the project doesn’t go through, we don’t have any intention to move. They won’t move us from here unless their deal goes through.”

The lack of information coming out of the county has made it difficult for school officials to start making contingency plans.

This is the second time a project has been on the table to convert the old hospital into affordable apartments. Four years ago a similar project fell through. The potential developers decided it would cost too much.

Smoky Mountain News

Contract commits county to pay for central office move

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER little-known contract crafted in 1980 will take center stage in coming months as Haywood County school officials and county leaders sort out who owes who what if the school system gets the boot from its central office location.

For 35 years, the county has housed the schools’ central offices rent-free in the old hospital on the edge of Waynesville. That ride is poised to end, however.

The school system could have to move out of its central office digs by early spring 2017 if a plan goes through to turn the old hospital into an affordable apartment complex called 6 Brookmont Lofts.

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However, school officials are pointing to a 1980 agreement that obligates the county to provide them with a substitute space if they have to leave the old hospital.

“If the school system is asked to vacate its premises at the old hospital, the county would provide comparable office space to the school board,” School Board Attorney Pat Smathers said while giving an overview of the 1980 agreement at a school board meeting this month. “The cost of comparable office space was to be born by the county.”

The infamous agreement dates back to a game of musical chairs that played out in 1980. At the time, the school’s central offices were located in an annex behind the historic courthouse in downtown Waynesville.

Haywood County Schools could soon be kicked out of the old county hospital to make way for Brookmont Lofts, posing a quandary about where it will move to. File photo This time is different, however. Last fall, a game changer came along in the county’s quest to unload the old hospital. The state reinstated historic preservation tax credits and changed the eligibility criteria for low-income housing tax credits. Those two tax credits working in tandem could make a renovation of the old hospital financially viable after all.

So the county courted Landmark Development, which has a robust portfolio of turning shuttered historic buildings into lowincome housing, to take on the project.

Even though the county is essentially giving away the old hospital for nothing to facilitate the deal, it would be a win-win on several fronts, according to David Francis, the county’s special project director.

It would provide much-needed affordable housing for seniors, aid with community revitalization, generate property tax revenue for the county and preserve a historic landmark.

Last but not least, the county would rid itself of a costly maintenance burden.

However, there are a limited number of lowincome housing tax credits available statewide each year, and projects must go through a rigorous, competitive selection process.

The county won’t know until mid-August whether the project will be selected for the tax credits, but county leaders believe the chances are quite good, very good in fact, based on preliminary ranking.

“We will not find out until August if the tax credits and other pre-requisites for the project to go forward will occur,” County Manager Ira Dove said.

If the pieces fall into place, the school system would have until spring 2017 to be out.

As for where they will go?

“We are exploring options and discussing what will happen if the project moves forward as we hope,” Dove said.

The county wanted that space to expand its own administrative offices.

So the county negotiated a deal with the school system to move into the old hospital — recently vacated following construction of a new hospital — and thus freeing up the historic courthouse annex for it own use.

“The county wanted that building. So they entered into an agreement with the school system that the school system would move into the current location in the old hospital,” Smathers said.

Now, 35 years later, the contract has been dusted off and is being mulled over by both sides, each trying to figure out what the county’s obligation is should it kick the school system out of the old hospital.

School leaders have maintained publicly that the county has to provide them with a substitute location for central office — per the 1980 contract. Here’s what the agreement says: “If for any reason the Haywood County commissioners should, at a later date, termi-

nate this contract, or cannot for any reason provide that portion of the hospital building…(the county) will promptly furnish and provide the (school system) with comparable quarters,” the contract states.

The comparable quarters must be large enough and be suitably designed “to meet the needs and requirements” of the school system, “in other words ‘equal offices,’” the contract states.

The county didn’t exactly promise to provide the school system with “equal offices” in perpetuity, however.

The agreement was initially good for 10 years. After that, it automatically rolled over another 10 years, and then another 10 years, and another — but with a caveat.

“This lease will automatically renew and extend for additional 10-year periods until notice is given by either (party) of its intention not to renew said lease,” the contract states.

The escape clause seems fairly simple. The county doesn’t have

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The Haywood County School Board listens to parents and teachers of Central Elementary beg for their school to remain open at a public hearing on whether to close the school in January.

Becky Johnson photo

The county once again has a prospective taker for the old hospital, but the school system still lacks clear direction from the county on how to proceed.

“The school board has not been notified informally or officially of any deadline to vacate its premises,” Smathers said as of two weeks ago.

Among the unknowns: what is the moveout timeline, how will the 1980 contract be handled, does the county intend to provide office space to make good on the contract, or will it settle it with a monetary pay out, and if so, how much?

“There has been very little discussion about it,” School Board Chairman Chuck Francis said. “If we are going to be relocated we need to make a decision as soon as possible where that would be. If there needs to be remodeling done, where would the funding come from for that?”

Swanger attempted to quell any nervousness on the school’s part about the ticking clock.

“We have the capacity to move rapidly.

There would be ample time for an orderly transition,” Swanger said.

Swanger said the county isn’t intentionally keeping the school system in the dark on where it stands, but it is speculative to make

Superintendent Anne Garrett said central office staff has started asking with increasing frequency where and when they might be moving.

800-POUND GORILLA The impending relocation of Haywood County School’s central offices has paralleled the impending closure of Central Elementary School in Waynesville. The school board voted in February to close Central Elementary School and consolidate its 230 students into other schools as a cost savings measure.

A lawsuit filed this month, however, alleges that the school board engaged in a “secretive plan to close Central Elementary under the false pretense of necessity due to a budget crisis,” when in fact the school system just wanted Central Elementary School for its own central offices.

The school system has disputed the notion of an ulterior motive.

“It is unfortunate that the site relocation issue for central office, which may or may not occur, is being arguably conjoined with the separate issue of decreased enrollment and funding for the purpose of alleging a secret agenda for the school board. It is simply not true,” Smathers said.

That said, Central Elementary School has indeed appeared on the list of possible sites to move central offices to.

“Yes, Central was considered as one of 28 sites,” Smathers said. “Although it was never a high contender.”

Central Elementary first shows up in public documents chronicling the school system’s search for a central office location in early 2015. That’s also the same time school officials began talking amongst themselves about the possibility of needing to close a school, Smathers said.

Central was later removed from the list of central office contenders, however, after county commissioners indicated they weren’t willing to pony up the estimated $750,000 needed to retrofit it for central offices, according to school building and grounds committee minutes from April 2015.

“The commissioners said we don’t have the money to move you to Central Elementary even if it were available. It has been a dead issue since then and it hasn’t even been considered,” Smathers said.

However, by January of this year, Central was back on the list and was indeed being considered. During a school board discussion in early January, talk of closing Central Elementary was laced with references to the urgent need for a new central office location.

“I think we’re going to have to do this because we’re going to have to think of a place that we’re going to go, where administration is going to go,” School Board Member Lynn Milner said when the idea of closing Central was brought up. “I think we’re going to have to look about going to Central.”

“If you are going to close the school this is prime time,” Superintendent Anne Garrett said during the school board work session.

Garrett acknowledged that it would look bad for the school system to close Central Elementary and then announce plans to move its own offices there.

“We don’t want it to be that we’re taking Central just so we can have a location to move. I think that would really give us a black eye,” Garrett said at the meeting.

If the decision to move central offices to Central Elementary was announced at later time, however, then it would appear that the school system was being fiscally responsible by moving into an empty building no longer in use, Garrett said.

Moving into Central Elementary would certainly make the county’s obligation to provide the school system with “equal offices” should it be forced to leave the old hospital.

But Garrett postulated that the county would owe the school system a monetary compensation in that event, which in turn could be used to pay for the move, according to discussions at the school board work session in January.

School Board Member Walt Leatherwood then spoke up.

“When it comes to that point the commissioners want us out of this building, I think we ought to be able to move to Central on an open check book in my opinion because they owe us, and they’ve tried to put us in every hole in the whole county to be honest with you, and we’ve talked about it, and we need to stick by our guns,” Leatherwood said.

7

Smoky Mountain News

It is unclear whether the school system and county have established an open line of communication about the impending central office boot.

This is the second time the school system has faced the prospect of a forced evacuation from its central office quarters. Five years ago, the county was entertaining a buyer for the old hospital that would have forced the school system to be out by the end of 2011.

School officials presented the county with several options and cost estimates of new central office locations early in 2011, but had trouble getting a clear answer from county leaders on what they were willing to commit, according to correspondence records.

“At this point, we do not feel adequate progress has been made about relocating Haywood County Schools Central Office,” the school board wrote in an open letter to county commissioners in early 2011.

While two commissioners had met with school leaders to review options, school

firm decisions until the Brookmont Loft deal is a sure thing.

“A lot of our discussions haven’t been overly serious because until we know, it is all conjecture,” Swanger said. “We can’t go out and secure something right now because if the hospital deal falls through we would have wasted a boatload of taxpayers’ money.”

The school central office currently houses 30 administrative staff, including the superintendent, human resources, finance and accounting, curriculum advisors, and coordinators for everything from busing to testing to services for migrant students, special needs students and the academically gifted program. It is also home to copious volumes of records that have to be preserved in any move.

May 25-31, 2016

CLOSE TO THE VEST

officials wanted a parley between the entire school board and entire board of commissioners.

“We have made previous requests to meet with both full boards. To date those requests have not been honored,” the school board wrote. “We feel the relocation of Haywood County Schools Central Office will have longterm financial and strategic implications. We want to ensure the decision-makers in this matter consider all potential ramifications before a final decision is rendered.”

The deal to sell the old hospital fell through that time, however, giving the school board some breathing room to launch a more exhaustive search of options.

Now, five years later, the school system seems to be in the same spot again.

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to meet any sort of criteria to get out of its promise to provide office space for the school system other than declaring it wants out.

The county has never said it wants out, however, so the agreement has simply rolled over every decade — each time extending the county’s commitment for another 10 years by default.

The last rollover was in 2010, leaving the county on the hook to provide central office quarters for the school system through the end of 2020.

“We do recognize that we have a lease agreement with the school system,” County Manager Ira Dove said.

Dove said the county will uphold its obligations, but “what that will look like is still being developed,” Dove said.

Haywood County Commission Chairman Mark Swanger said it would be premature to speculate, but hopes the two parties will come to a meeting of the minds.

“We want what’s best for the school system so I think we would negotiate as best we could to still satisfy their needs and be responsible to taxpayers,” Swanger said. “I would be shocked if there were not good faith negotiations on both sides.” f School officials have informally floated various options to the county over the past few years, but were rejected by the county as just too expensive, Swanger said. Likewise, the county has floated ideas of its own on where central office could go, but those were rejected by the school system as inadequate.

“Some of the options out there they don’t view as acceptable,” Swanger said. “When you get down to brass tacks then things get more serious.”

However, the county wouldn’t necessarily have to provide the school system with physical office space in order to live up to its agreement. A breach of contract can often be legally settled with a monetary payment in lieu of fulfilling the contract terms — under that scenario the county would pay the school system market value for four years worth of office space, in effect buying out its remaining obligation under the agreement.

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finally able to catch their breath and see a way forward.”

The phoenix rises

— Lisa Brown, association executive for the Haywood County Board of Realtors

Haywood County’s real estate market gets back in the game

Real Estate

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

May 25-31, 2016

A

fter years of a sluggish real estate recovery, the home market in Haywood County is on a noticeable upward swing.

Houses are selling quicker, the inventory glut is finally shrinking and home prices are inching upward again. Second-home buyers and retirees are returning, and overflow from the red-hot Asheville real estate market is leading younger buyers to Haywood’s doorstep to boot.

Is real estate back? The Smoky Mountain News checked in with a panel of real estate experts this week to reflect on where the real estate market has been and where it’s heading.

Data contained in this article is derived from North Carolina Mountains Multiple Service.

Smoky Mountain News

“I always tell my clients I hope you find the home of your dreams. Once you do, stop looking.”

REBOUND Meet the pundits “I don’t think we ever lost appeal. People just had to put their dreams on hold for a little while. They had to buckle down like all of us did for a few years and are now trying to revive that dream.”

— Amy Spivey, ERA Sunburst Realty

“There is no question the market has changed. If you need to sell your house, you can probably sell your house now. Whereas in the past you just didn’t know if you could.”

— Brian Cagle, Beverly-Hanks & Associates, president of N.C. Mountains Multiple Service

“It is not that everybody is yee-hawing around and waving flags. But everybody is

— Patrick McDowell, Keller Williams, president of the Haywood County Board of Realtors

“I remember having conversations with other Realtors at open houses before the crash saying, ‘We can’t sustain this.

We can’t sustain these price increases. Something is going to have to give.’”

— Tom Mallette, Realty World-Heritage Realty, president of Haywood County Multiple Listing Service

“The real estate market has certainly improved. We are seeing that domino effect.”

— Catherin Proben, RE/MAX Mountain Realty

“Everybody starts comparing everything to the boom and someone comes up to them and asks ‘How’s business?’ and they say ‘Well, it isn’t as good as it was.’ But I think it is a very positive market.”

— Bruce McGovern, McGovern Property Management

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Everyone wanted to be a Realtor in the mid-2000s. “The market was crazy you just showed up and you got business,� Mallette said.

The number of Realtors operating in Haywood County rose exponentially through the mid-2000s. “I couldn’t process them fast enough, they were joining so fast,� said Brown with the Haywood Board of Realtors.

But when the bust hit and sales dried up, scores of Realtors were forced to exit the industry. “You can follow the boom and bust of the real estate market just by looking at the number of Realtors in the industry,� Brown said. “If you didn’t know we had a recession and just looked at those numbers it would tell you ‘Wow, something good was happening in 2006 and something bad happened after that.’�

Many who got out were Johnny-comelatelys to the party anyway, those who were moonlighting or dappling in real estate for the easy pickings.

Number of Realtors belonging to the Haywood County Board of Realtors 2006: 460

2016: 275

DRIVING DEMAND Realtors don’t keep demographic data on their buyers and sellers, so it’s impossible to say for sure what sector is fueling the real estate comeback.

“There is no way to statistically capture that,� McDowell said.

But based on anecdotal evidence, the market is seeing an uptick across the whole gamut — first-time buyers, families moving up to a larger house, retirees from out-of-state, and second-home buyers. “I personally have a lot of clients buying their first home or moving up. I can list any number of clients under 30 who are getting married, buying a house and starting families here,� McDowell said.

Many are seeing a return of second-home buyers. “We’ve had a lot of retirees,� Mallette said. “We are seeing folks who are have always had a dream of living in the mountains and are moving here.� “We are seeing people looking for that magical mountain retirement home again,�

Cagle agreed.

Another factor driving demand is the dearth of affordable rental homes. “We have buyers who are paying $800 to $900 a month for rent who realize they can buy something and pay less in mortgage payments,� Mallette said.

McDowell citied the “unreal� low mortgage rates as another factor spurring firsttime buyers. “You think about how many millennials are living in their parents’ basement still waiting tables somewhere because they couldn’t get a job,� Mallette said.

As the job outlook improves, “The millennial population is our next segment to buy homes,� he said.

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Smoky Mountain News

“The long-time Realtors were glad those were gone because they were just nibbling at the edges and reducing the size of the pie,�

Brown said.

But for other Realtors, the recession posed a heart-wrenching crossroads in their chosen career. “It was like a psychiatrist office in here,�

Brown said. “They were having conversations about ‘Do I stay in this business?’� Brown said. “It was a long slog for those who survived and are still making a living at what they are doing.�

For those who stuck it out during the downturn, it took grit. “When you aren’t working you go out and work harder to find more business, not sit back and cry the blues,� McGovern said.

The go-to saying in real estate has been turned on its head in Haywood County over the past year.

It’s no longer “all about location.�

Instead, it’s all about price.

Homes priced under $200,000 are going like hotcakes and Realtors can’t get enough of them to meet the demand.

Over the past six months, 64 homes in the $125,000 to $150,000 range have sold — compare to only four homes over $750,000 in the same period. “Anything before $250,000 is pretty much gone if it is decent as soon as it goes out there because that’s the price point,� Proben said. “If you look at the average wages of two common jobs in this county, a mill worker and a school teacher, that’s all they can afford.�

Proben said there is getting to be a serious shortage of homes in that range. “The demand in those lower price ranges is so high we are selling stuff above asking,� Cagle said.

The median selling price of a home in 2015 was $191,000, compared to a high of $209,000 in 2007 — back when there were more high-end home sales in the mix.

But as demand for homes has increased, the median sale price has crept up as a result. Median sale price bottomed out at $151,000 in 2012-2013 and has been climbing ever since.

May 25-31, 2016

2013: 227

Price point

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Real Estate

REBOUND

on the market.

Inventory is one number Realtors actually like to see go down — and indeed inventory has been steadily falling, meaning houses aren’t sitting on the market as long and demand is increasing.

“Homes that are prepared for the market properly and are priced for the market will sell very rapidly,” said Cagle.

The average length a home sat on the market has dropped from 207 days in 2014 to 189 days in 2015 — an 8 percent improvement in one year.

During the downturn, a glut of inventory kept home prices depressed. Buyers had so many options and so little competition, they had their pick of the litter and could name their price.

“I was showing buyers 15 to 20 homes that all met their requirements because the inventory was so high,” said Proben. “Now

Spring cleaning In•ven•to•ry /

Inventory of homes on the market

/

May 25-31, 2016

in real estate terminology, how long it would take to sell every home on the market at the current sales pace, if no more homes were listed.

April 2015 ..................15-month inventory April 2016 ....................8-month inventory

The number Realtors watch more than any other is known as inventory: how many homes are on the market and how quickly are they selling?

Inventory is a critical indicator of supply-and-demand, which in turn is a harbinger of how the market will do over the coming year. It essentially means how quickly you would run out of homes, based on the current pace of sales, if no more were put

you are probably showing them anywhere from six to eight.”

As inventory is cleared out, supply declines, and home values start to inch back up.

“If there’s not as much out there, it is telling me that home prices might be going up,” said Brown.

With eight months of inventory, the real estate market is still slightly in buyers’ favor, but is more balanced than it’s been in years, with six months’ inventory being considered a “balanced market” between buyers and sellers according to the National Association of Realtors.

Slow and steady wins the race

Smoky Mountain News

2006: $254 2011: $92.93 2012: $124.9 2013: $134.8 2014: $139.2 2015: $171

worth — at least now that everyone’s playing by the rules.

“It takes a while for the values to push up, because they are held captive to the past 12 months of comparable sales,” Proben said.

On Haywood’s doorstep, Asheville is defying this trend with run-away prices and unprecedented demand from people wanting to move to Asheville.

“We aren’t seeing the huge price increases that Buncombe County is seeing which is fine with me because I think that is unsustainable,” said Spivey, who admits she still lives in fear of the last recession.

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Volume isn’t the only thing going up.

Values are going up, too. The definition of “up” is markedly different from what it once was, however.

“Granted the real estate market is never going to return to 2006 levels. We hope not. It didn’t need to be that high,” Brown said.

Values aren’t doubling and tripling overnight like they seemed to in the mid2000s — but Realtors say that’s a good thing.

“We are growing at a steady pace, instead of a rapid run up, which gives me comfort that this is something that can continue for a while,” McDowell said. “The average price is not spiking like it was previously. It got out of whack and we were appreciating very high. We had a reset because of this bubble — and now homes are appreciating again.”

The wild appreciation of home and land values a decade ago were largely driven by the out-of-state second home market, particularly from Florida, where real estate had gone through the roof, giving them plenty of dough to plow into that mountain house they always wanted.

“There was a euphoria in the early 2000s from people in other parts of the country making so much from the sale of their homes there, they drove the prices up rapidly,” McDowell said.

One thing keeping the breaks on home values is lenders insisting on solid appraisals.

Appraisers base values on historical sale prices over the past year, and banks in turn lend only the amount an appraiser says it’s

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The Asheville factor

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Perhaps the biggest story playing out in the Haywood real estate market today is the Asheville factor. The real estate market is so red-hot in Asheville, homes are selling above asking price the day they hit the market.

Due to steep inflation in home prices, Asheville was recently ranked the sixth most unhealthy real estate market in the country.

That’s good news for Haywood, however.

“The people who are getting out-priced to live in Asheville are going to come here,” Proben said. “Asheville is getting a lot of exposure, and it has started moving this way.”

Indeed, Asheville’s status as the new Austin is attracting people in droves.

“Every time you look, Asheville’s won some kind of award. Eventually some of that will bleed over to Haywood County. It is impossible that it would not,” Brown said.

“The law of averages says we are going to pick up some of it.”

Mallette said the majority of showings for his listings are coming from Asheville real estate agents.

“They can’t find their buyers what they are looking for in Asheville,” Mallette said.

“All the accolades that Asheville has gotten are a great draw for the region, but you can buy in the outlying counties and it is much cheaper and much prettier.”

Canton’s proximity to Asheville has made it ground zero for spillover.

“In Canton you can sell a house just like that right now,” Cagle said. So much so, inventory of moderately prices homes in Canton has begun to dry up, Cagle said.

“We have been saying for years that one day Canton will be discovered and it seems to be happening,” Spivey said.

McDowell said Haywood County isn’t necessarily picking up Asheville’s scraps, but is being discovered as a desirable alternative.

“People who thought they wanted to live in Asheville realize they like the lifestyle in Haywood County. It is not a compromise to chose Haywood County but they decide Haywood County better suits their lifestyle and demands,” McDowell said. “I don’t see people settling. I have never had a client say ‘I want to be in Asheville, but because I can’t I am coming to talk to you about Waynesville.’”

Real Estate

REBOUND

2004: 905 2005: 1,133 2006: 1,089 2007: 814 2008: 544 2009: 510 2010: 496 2011: 531 2012: 722 2013: 779 2014: 781

Smoky Mountain News

The number of homes sold in Haywood County has increased steadily after hitting bottom in 2010, and as sales increase, a selffulfilling prophecy plays out. When someone is able to sell their home — whether they want a larger house, better view, closer to town, bigger yard — that seller becomes a buyer themselves. Whoever they buy from goes from a seller to a buyer, and it creates a chain reaction — the very essence of why it’s called a market.

Stagnating home prices have hampered that movement over the past few years, however. Homeowners could once count on their home appreciating, and periodically plowed the equity they’d built up in their existing home to purchase something better.

That wasn’t happening during the downturn. Home values were flat, so even if someone could sell their home, they had no equity in it. Rather than rebuy something else in the same price range they already had, they stayed put, Cagle explained.

“What we are seeing now is that people once again have equity in their house, and it has dawned on them they can do something different,” Cagle said. “That is a big deal. That starts to create mobility in the market where there wasn’t any.”

Cagle said Beverly-Hanks has seen a 40 percent increase in their sales volume this year — the firm has closed 134 deals in Haywood so far this year compared to 95 during the same period last year. A similar 40

Number of homes sold by year May 25-31, 2016

Closing the sale

2015: 892

percent increase in volume was witnessed between 2014 and 2015.

11

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Another positive trend in the real estate market is the slow return of second-home buyers.

“Before the downturn, probably 95 percent of the buyers we had at our firm were from Florida and were buying a second home,” said Tom Mallette with Realty WorldHeritage Realty. “That’s probably 20 percent now.”

It’s lower than what it was during the boom, but better than it was during the bust, when second-home buyers seemed to evaporate.

“As Florida has recovered, they are buying again, so we are seeing that domino effect,” Proben said.

Realtors report a lot of activity coming from Texas. Realtor Bruce McGovern just sold a mountaintop home to couple from Texas.

“They just absolutely love the area. They fell in love with it,” McGovern said.

While the second-home market was on hold for a while, Haywood County’s appeal is timeless.

“We live in such a wonderful, beautiful place,” said ERA Sunburst Realtor Amy Spivey.

Those second-home buyers aren’t making major forays into the high-end, luxury home market, however.

“The luxury market was hard hit,” Proben said. “Those homes have been harder to move, because there isn’t enough demand for houses over $400,000.”

One problem is buyers in that price point can afford to be particular.

Sales of million dollar homes by year 2004 ........................................................4 2005 ........................................................5 2006 ......................................................10 2007 ........................................................7 2008 ........................................................4 2009 ........................................................3 2010 ........................................................2 2011 ........................................................1 2012 ........................................................0 2013 ........................................................0 2014 ........................................................2 2015 ........................................................4 “They have cash and they are very picky and they look at a house and say ‘Hmm that’s not really what I want. I’ll just build me a house,’” Cagle said.

There are some signs of movement, however.

“We went a couple years without a sale over a million dollars,” Mallette said.

But last year, four homes in the milliondollar range sold.

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Lessons learned The real estate frenzy that captivated the mountains during the mid-2000s was driven in part by speculators trying to get rich on the wildly inflating home and land prices.

“People were treating the housing market like day trading,” McDowell said.

When the new normal hit, Realtors had to rethink their business model. Mallette reflects on the rise and fall every time he looks at the row of plaques hanging on his wall, chronicling his total sales by year since 2004.

“I still look at that number and say, ‘How the heck did we survive?’” Mallette said, pointing to 2009.

Mallette, who runs his real estate firm with his wife, Christine, spent hours agonizing over how to trim overhead. They started cleaning the office themselves instead of paying someone to do it, and canceled their water cooler service.

“I thought ‘Why am I paying $40 a month for water when I have great artesian spring water at my house?’” Mallette recalled.

He also spent a lot of time praying.

“After work, we would take the family and go to church and ask God for guidance,” Mallette said.

;Y` :VTL[OPUN +PɈLYLU[

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

The second-homers and high rollers

Real Estate

REBOUND

Realtors weren’t the only ones who struggled. Attorneys and appraisers had to readjust as well.

“In 2006, you could tell the market was hot because you would call to get an appraiser and it was 3 to 4 weeks down the road before you could get one. Home inspectors were the same way. You would call and ask for a home inspection and they would be two weeks out,” McGovern said. During the downturn, home inspectors were waiting around for calls and attorneys’ calendars were wide open. Now, as testiment to the turning real estate tide, they are getting harder to schedule.

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ABOUT ANGEL MEDICAL Angel Medical Center is a not-for-profit critical access hospital under the Mission Health umbrella. As a rural health facility, AMC can only have 25 inpatients at any time and employs about 250 people. The full-service hospital serves Macon County and surrounding areas. Because of its isolated location and large aging population, Gorby said AMC plays a vital role in the community.

“Our population is the second oldest population in Western North Carolina and with that comes a lot of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, which means people are more prone to having strokes,” she said.

Gorby was pleased to report a major accolade AMC recently received that tells her the hospital is moving in the right direction. iVantage recently included AMC in its list of Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation. It was only one of three North Carolina hospitals to make the list.

“That looks at our market penetration, our quality patient experience and financial performance,” Gorby said. “With 700 other critical access hospitals in the country, it’s really an honor.”

Gorby said the community has been very supportive of Angel Medical, but she has fielded many questions about Mission’s role in the local hospital. While the Asheville-based health system operates AMC and five other hospitals in the region, Gorby said Mission gives AMC the flexibility to make local decisions that are best for the community.

“Mission is our foundation. They help us do what we need to do for the community and enable us to make sure we have the tools to provide high-quality care,” she said.

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FORGING AHEAD Before she even arrived in Franklin, Gorby said she came up with a 90-day plan for her new position. The first thing on her list was getting to know her staff at Angel Medical and getting out in the community to connect with other leaders and health care providers.

With the rapid changes happening in the health care industry, she said it was important to be aware of the services available in the community and figure out what the opportunities are.

“Our goal is to keep people healthy, but we don’t want to duplicate other services in the community,” she said. “We want to look

at how we connect with those organizations to keep people healthy and educated.”

Another goal was to work on some recruiting for a more permanent nursing team as opposed to traveling nurses. With one more nursing manager joining the team this month, Gorby said that goal is close to being accomplished. Having a permanent team will help with continuity and also build more trust in the community.

“That will be key in moving forward and continuing to elevate the quality of care,” she said. “There’s been a lot of change here and we need to get back to having permanent people here to stabilize the leadership team.”

One of AMC’s strengths, Gorby said, is the staff already in place. She has found everyone to be engaged and committed to learning new ways to do their job even better.

But even the staff has been a little hesitant over whether Gorby is here to stay or just passing through like the others before her.

When asked by a staff member whether she would be staying in Franklin, Gorby quickly said, “Yes, I already bought a house.”

May 25-31, 2016

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR or someone who has spent most of her life in Ohio, moving to the mountains of Western North Carolina has been a dream come true for Karen Gorby.

“I absolutely love it. It’s great to wake up and see the mountains,” she said. “I think my family is getting sick of me posting pictures on Facebook all the time.”

Gorby moved to Franklin about two months ago to continue her long health care career at the helm of Angel Medical Center.

As the new president and Chief Nursing Officer, she is responsible for overseeing patient and nursing care at the rural hospital. It’s a role she is quite familiar with after working at large health care systems in Ohio. Most recently, she served as the administrator and Karen Gorby CNO at Mercy Memorial Hospital, which is the largest health care provider in the Ohio.

Gorby received her nursing degree from Saint Josephs College in Maine and her master’s in business administration from Wright State University in Ohio. As the oldest of five children, she said nurturing others was always something that came naturally for her — making a career in nursing a perfect fit.

“Anytime someone got hurt, I was the one to help them,” she said. “I never wanted to do anything else. To be a nurse you have to have that passion and it has to be what you’re meant to do.”

While nursing was her first passion, she found being a hospital administrator allows her to have a larger impact. While a nurse can have an enormous impact on a couple of patients at a time, an administrator can have a larger influence over the health care system.

“As a leader, you can look at the system and at how you can affect change for the entire patient population and a community,” Gorby said.

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New president settles in Thank you for at Angel Medical your service to this great country!

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Increases cause Jackson to ponder EMS contract County renews contract, considers options for the future

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen a funding request for Emergency Management Services came in for more than double what Jackson County is paying now, commissioners were taken pretty far aback, asking lots of questions about the justification for the $821,000 leap and setting the issue aside for a few weeks to investigate the options.

Ultimately, they decided to fund most of the $1.4 million request from Harris Regional Hospital — $1.16 million a $568,000 increase — as well as the full $1 million request from the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad. The increases required a property tax hike of 1 cent per $100 of property value.

It’s a lot of money, commissioners were quick to acknowledge, but they felt stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place when deciding whether to come up with the extra money or deny the funding requests.

“I think we would be criticized more if we didn’t approve the additional requests than if we left them alone and didn’t

May 25-31, 2016

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approve them,” said Commissioner Vicki Greene.

The request from Harris stemmed from a three-fold cause. First of all, the EMS unit’s vehicles were getting old and in need of replacement, so Harris had asked for $450,000 to move all seven vehicles to a leasing system that would bring new vehicles to the squad.

Secondly, no ambulance was stationed in the Qualla area, and Harris CEO Steve Heatherly told commissioners that current call levels warranted stationing a vehicle there to improve response times. Finally, after Harris gave all employees raises last year — including the paramedics — staffing costs increased. The hospital needed more money to pay its employees, as well as to add four full-time positions to go with the new truck in Qualla.

“It’s meant to do our job in terms of notifying the county as far as where there may be an opportunity to improve services, and we all together have to weigh the costs and benefits of doing so,” Heatherly said of the

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request. “To me that discussion is no different than if the county were operating EMS and the EMS director said, ‘These are my observations.’”

Rather than operate its own EMS department, Jackson County contracts with Harris to provide ambulance service alongside the hospital’s medical transport service. It’s a win-win for the two organizations, with

Jackson getting ambulance service for a cost markedly lower than what neighboring counties budget to operate their own and Harris enjoying a greater ability to operate the medical transport side. Given the rural nature of Jackson County, it’s questionable whether the economy of scale would be there to make hospital transport financially feasible without col-

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ty-funded positions offer state retirement, health care and 401k match benefits.

“They come here, get some experience and then they go elsewhere,” Wooten said.

Commissioners pondered whether a county-run ambulance service could address that issue.

Paramedic pay in Jackson, however, is currently a good deal higher than what it was a year ago. After Duke LifePoint purchased Harris, it adjusted pay for all employees and then handed out a second round of pay raises to paramedics, who LifePoint found to be still underpaid compared to similar positions in the region.

But that decision was largely responsible for the $164,000 budget shortfall Harris realized in its EMS services last year.

In the future, commissioners said, shouldn’t the hospital consult them before handing out pay raises that would ultimately affect what the county is asked to pay?

“I understand the reasoning behind the shortfall, but in some ways the shortfall was self-inflicted because they gave raises,” McMahan said. “The shortfall would not have existed if they had not given raises.”

Going forward, McMahan said, the hospital should present major spending increases like the raises to commissioners before making the final decision.

“We ought to have some voice in that,” McMahan said, “because in essence they’re going to make those expenditures and we’ll have to pay for it.”

In a way, Wooten said, the hospital did

only do what it had to, as the organization was in a “state of turmoil” before Duke LifePoint took over.

“The only way to retain them (paramedics) was to pay them,” Wooten said.

“Should they have come to us?

Absolutely.”

Another part of Heatherly’s request had included a yearly “true-up,” in which the hospital and the county would sit down to compare revenues and expenditures for the year. The agreement is designed to come out break-even for the hospital, Heatherly said, with the county’s contribution plus revenue generated from ambulance and medical transport offsetting expenses. To carry out that intention, the two parties should review the books each year, he said, with the county paying for any shortfall and the hospital handing back any profit.

Keeping it break-even should indeed be the goal, Wooten said, but that policy should include protections for the county.

“My only concern there is I think we ought to cap expenditures because I don’t want to give somebody a blank check,” he said.

Perhaps a better arrangement would be for the hospital and the county to split any money that’s left over at the end of the year, giving the hospital incentive to curb spending.

“That seems to be a better approach than sitting here figuring out expenses and revenues and if there’s a shortfall we just write them a check,” Wooten said.

Glenville-Cashiers Rescue to add a crew At the same time that Harris Regional Hospital is saying the ambulance service needs an extra $568,000 to do the job, the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad is asking for a $379,000 increase to its budget to add a second ambulance crew.

According to Jeremy Stewart, the rescue squad captain, the second crew would alleviate overtime spending — which this year came in at $111,000 — while also allowing the rescue squad to move to a scheduling system similar to surrounding counties, making it easier to secure part-time help.

Adding the second crew would also improve call times, as now so much of the slack has to be picked up by on-call employees who might be 20 minutes away when they get the call.

“If that happens to be a heart attack call, there’s not that much we can do when we get there,” Stewart said.

For now, Stewart is planning to house the second crew at the existing rescue station. However, the rescue squad is in the process of planning and fundraising toward a new substation in Cashiers. Ultimately, the second crew would move there.

“All of it will come from donations,” Stewart said. “We’ll do some fundraising and get that word out as soon as we know our goal.”

The project is currently in the pre-planning stage, with no design or ballpark cost yet decided on. However, Stewart is hoping to see the project completed within a year or so.

May 25-31, 2016

Changing Employers?

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laboration with the county.

Commissioners recognize they’re getting a deal through their partnership with Harris but discussed what they could do going forward to protect themselves from unnecessary costs.

“We’ve got a pretty good service out there now,” said County Manager Chuck Wooten. “It’s just we need to continue that service.”

“The other option is to do it ourselves,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan. “And the cost to do that — we don’t know what the cost is.”

It’s looking like commissioners are going to try to find the answer to that question. Rather than renewing their contract with Harris for five years, as they’d done before, they signed it for four years, which is the same length of time that the ambulance leases will last. Commissioners expressed interest in spending the interim looking at how much it would cost for the county to run EMS. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re hoping to do it more cheaply than the hospital does. Jackson’s neighbors, Haywood and Macon counties, both operate their own EMS services and pay much more than Jackson’s contract with Harris — $4.6 million and $3 million, respectively.

There could be benefits to a county-run service beyond pure cost, however. For instance, it’s not uncommon for newly hired paramedics in Jackson to move across county lines to Macon County once they get some experience, where the coun-

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Cheap tuition proposal could cost WCU millions

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ow would you like to pay a mere $500 a semester to attend Western Carolina University?

That is what Sen. Tom Apodaca, RHendersonville, and other legislators are pushing to do during this year’s short session in Raleigh with the proposed Access to Affordable College Education Act. While only $500 a semester sounds like a dream come true for college students and their families, higher education leaders say the devil’s in the details. The cheap tuition provision is only one of many mandates included in the bill and it wouldn’t even apply to all colleges and universities within the state system — only five of them.

Western Carolina University found itself included in the bill along with state universities that have traditionally served minority populations — African Americans at Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, and Winston-Salem State University, and Native Americans and African Americans at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

With more than 20 co-sponsors, the bill has garnered a good amount of support in the Senate, but critics are hoping changes can be made to the proposed law before it goes up for a final vote.

Educators say the idea of an affordable and accessible college education sounds great in theory, but they are concerned the bill as written could result in unintended consequences for their respective institutions.

The WCU Faculty Senate held a campus forum Monday to discuss the bill and decide whether the faculty should take an official position on the legislation. While the bill is complicated in nature, Faculty Senate Chair David McCord said he was concerned about how it was being oversimplified in the media.

“It’s a seven-part bill and it’s very complicated,” McCord said. “The intent behind it has not been transparent, but the impact

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

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could be indescribably huge … it could severely cripple us.”

The stated purpose of the bill is to address the high cost of education and decrease the debt burden on college students by offering a fixed tuition rate for incoming freshmen, decreasing student fees, providing extremely low tuition at the five chosen universities and offering a limited number of scholarships for students attending North Carolina A&T in Greensboro and North Carolina Central University in Durham.

WCU faculty members said they supported the goal of making college more affordable, but they aren’t convinced the state has the funding to offset their costs for the foreseeable future. If passed, McCord said, the state would have to come up with about $65 million to implement the new plan — and that’s only for the first year. About $26 million of that money would be needed to offset WCU’s costs.

“It’s a seven-part bill and it’s very complicated. The intent behind it has not been transparent, but the impact could be indescribably huge … it could severely cripple us.”

— Dr. David McCord, WCU Faculty Senate chair

“If we knew it would be funded in the long term we wouldn’t have a problem, but we don’t know who will be elected years from now,” said Brian Gastle, professor of English.

As WCU has experienced continued cuts in state funding, faculty members are worried WCU and the other universities could be vulnerable to more financial uncertainties if the state has a tighter hold on the purse strings. And where will that money come from — the general

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828.456.3211 smokymtneye.com

What you need to know Provisions outlined in the proposed Access to Affordable College Education Act • Students entering the state college system would be assured a fixed tuition rate for four years.

• Student fees would be reduced by 10 to 25 percent below 2016 rates.

• Tuition would be lowered to $500 a semester for in-state students and $2,500 a semester for out-of-state students at four minority campuses and Western Carolina University.

• Directs the UNC Board of Governors to consider raising the current enrollment cap of 18 percent for out-of-state students.

• Directs UNC to evaluate the current institutional names.

• Creates a number of scholarships for students at NCATSU and NCCU. Read the entire Senate Bill 873 legislation at http://www.ncleg.net/ fund or cuts from other parts of the budget?

“If the state has $26 million just lying around, then why are we struggling so bad to get funding?” asked Dr. Laura Wright, head of the English department.

Another question that kept coming up was “Why WCU?” McCord said he could think of several factors Apodaca and other champions of the bill might point to, including WCU’s remote location and a projected decline in potential students in the next five years.

Since Apodaca is a WCU alum, McCord said he could have pushed to include his alma mater in the proposed bill.

“Apodaca is a champion of our school — maybe he wanted WCU on the list because he saw this as a windfall for the university,” McCord said.

Either way, WCU is the obvious odd man out in the group of five universities selected to offer the deeply discounted tuition. Critics have called the measure a “bigoted bill” that aims to dismantle historically black colleges and universities by creating an unsustainable funding model.

On the other hand, McCord said the intent could be to help those institutions improve their enrollment and academic per-

formance by encouraging more students to attend those struggling schools.

“Maybe it’s a pathway to save that school and keep it a black institution instead of merging it with a white school,” he suggested.

While McCord tried to think optimistically about the intent of the bill, others were more skeptical of legislators’ motives behind selecting the schools.

“If they believe a college education should be free, then it should be all schools in the system — not just these five schools,” Gastle said.

Accepting that the reasons may be irrelevant at this point, the group of about 30 faculty members tried to focus on how they could persuade the General Assembly to alter the bill language to give them more confidence in the outcome. McCord reviewed a public statement and legislation analysis released by the UNC system Faculty Assembly.

Stephen Leonard, chairman of the UNC system Faculty Assembly, sent a letter to UNC President Margaret Spellings expressing concerns about the proposed legislation. He said the legislation interferes with the UNC Board of Governors’ authority to govern state universities and also compromises the universities’ ability to sustain high-quality educational opportunities. Leonard said provisions in the bill could result in a change in admissions eligibility, the alteration of a university’s historical identity and even campus closures.

“The UNC Faculty Assembly urges members of the North Carolina General Assembly, Governor McCrory and the UNC Board of Governors, to carefully consider the implications of this legislation for further damaging the quality and reputation of public higher education in this state,” Leonard wrote.

As an alternative to the lower tuition mandate, McCord said, some had suggested using that $65 million to create a massive merit scholarship fund to assist low-income students attending any state university. It would allow universities to remain in control of their tuition prices and fees while also moving toward the goal of offering more affordable education for all. WCU faculty members seemed agreeable to that alternative. McCord said he would spend the next few days gathering feedback from faculty before trying to come up with a final statement from the Faculty Senate.

Apodaca was not available for comment before press time and his office did not respond to emailed questions regarding the bill.

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Just in time for flip flop season!

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May 25-31, 2016 Smoky Mountain News 17

May 25-31, 2016

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Wachacha. Both live in Snowbird, not Cherokee County.

Some councilmembers voiced support for the referendum, pointing out that council’s vote wouldn’t actually change any laws — it would simply allow the tribe as a whole to weigh in on the recurring issue.

“We’re not voting on anything. So we need to not use those words,” said Councilmember Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove.

“I do not feel bad raising my hand to let the tribe vote on this issue.”

But Rattler’s pitch also resulted in some stiff opposition. Though Jones eventually voted with McCoy’s move to table in favor of a more lengthy discussion with more input from residents of both communities, his initial move was to kill.

Jones felt that Rattler had been insinuating that his leadership doesn’t treat the two communities he represents equally and directly addressed the undercurrent that’s long existed between tribal members in Snowbird and Cherokee County. Cherokee people in Snowbird tend to have a higher percentage Cherokee ancestry than those in Cherokee County, and that fact has sometimes made unity between the two communities difficult. Jones said that splitting the votes would only deepen that rift.

“This drives a wedge between the two communities,” he said. “It’s hard to represent both communities, it truly is, because there is such a difference in the demographic, but you know what? I can do this and I can do it openly and honestly, without bias.”

Jones also took issue with the fact that Rattler was coming to council after having lost her campaign for the seat he now holds.

Though she won in the Snowbird community, she lost in Cherokee County during the 2015 elections.

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Tribal member Mary Crowe addresses council during a discussion about splitting representation for two Cherokee communities. Holly Kays photo “You win in Snowbird, but you can’t win in Cherokee County, so then you try to come in and change the code to serve your purpose,” Jones said.

“I felt like we all run a good race between all of us, so I’m sorry you feel that way,” Rattler replied, adding that blood quantum was not her motivation for bringing in the resolution.

“When I made that comment, I was upset and angry,” Jones apologized. “It was an unfair statement, but I do feel like a lot of the resentment between the two communities comes from that (blood quantum).”

Wachacha, the other Snowbird representative, also spoke against the proposal. Votes on council are weighted, with the tally between all 12 councilmembers always adding up to 100. Votes from representatives

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of more populous areas of the Qualla Boundary get more pull than those from representatives of less populous areas.

Wolfetown and Birdtown are the most powerful, with their representative getting 12 votes each, while Painttown and Snowbird/Cherokee County are the least powerful, getting only six votes each.

Splitting two communities would “basically tie our hands,” Wachacha said, with tribal members whose representatives used to have 12 votes between them being limited to one representative with six votes.

Add into the equation that population in the township has been trending downward — it’s moved from 1,000 to 900 over the last three years, Jones said — and it’s likely that when the tribe completes a new census the Snowbird/Cherokee County town-

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FRANKLIN IN BLOOM

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER request to change the way tribal members in the westernmost reaches of the Qualla Boundary are represented on Tribal Council led to a heated discussion in Cherokee this month. The legislation was ultimately tabled, but the issue could well return to the floor.

“My community, right now they want to vote for their own councilmember and Cherokee County to vote for their own councilmember but still remain as one township,” said Janell Rattler, a tribal member from the Snowbird community in Graham County.

As it stands now, Cherokee Tribal Council has 12 members, two from each of six townships. Many of those townships include more than just one community, but because Snowbird and Cherokee County are so different and geographically distant, Rattler said, it would make sense for them to each have their own representative instead of jointly voting for two. The communities are about an hour apart.

“Cherokee County and Snowbird is very day and night,” said Louise Reed, a tribal member who lives near Robbinsville.

“Our needs and Snowbird’s needs are very different.”

Rattler’s requested that Tribal Council hold a referendum vote on the issue. It’s not the first time such a request has come to the floor. It was brought up in 2006 and then again in 2009 but shot down each time.

Rattler said she didn’t support the split back in 2009, but after running a campaign for Tribal Council last year, she heard from a large number of Snowbird community members who wanted a split. Rattler wound up losing the election, coming in behind councilmembers Brandon Jones and Adam

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Cherokee communities debate representation

A Family-Oriented Garden Festival In Downtown Franklin

9 a.m.-3 p.m. Each Day Saturday, June 4

Garden Tours Gardening Demonstrations Wild Flower Self Guided Hikes Fairy Houses Dividing & Propagating Plants Bee Pollinators Reading In The Garden Worm Vermiculture Container Planter Station Activities For Children

Saturday, June 11

Garden Tours By The Macon County Master Gardeners See Franklin’s Gardens Up Close And Personal

Saturday, June 18

The Otto Garden Club Plant Sale

Lovely Plants To Enhance Your Gardens

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Garden Arts And Crafts For Sale

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Hosted By: The Franklin Garden Club, Macon County Master Gardeners, & Otto Garden Club Franklin In Bloom Is Made Possible By A Grant From The Tourism Development Authority Of The Town Of Franklin And The Franklin/Nantahala Tourism Development Committee

Free sports physicals offered May 26

Haywood Pathways dedication is June 4 Since it opened 18 months ago in a former state prison facility, the Haywood Pathways Center has become an integral part of the community, helping change lives one at a time.

To celebrate the successes, an open house will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. June 4 at the facility in Hazelwood. The June 4 dedication will offer tours of the facility, light refreshments and entertainment. The Haywood Pathways Center is a faith based nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, a halfway house for men and women recently released from prison, a short-term residential program for individuals seeking life transformation and a community kitchen. www.haywoodpathwayscenter.org.

American Legion Post 104 will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at noon Monday, May 30, at the Veterans Memorial Fountain at the foot of the stairs leading down from the Old Jackson County Court House in Sylva.

Post Vice Commander Roy Burnette will act as Master of Ceremonies and has arranged for Post member Kim Shuler to begin the program by singing the national anthem.

In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in the American Legion Hall at 915 West Main Street.

Haywood Chamber to host annual awards

voiced his agreement with that perspective.

“I trust our people to make the right choice,” he said.

Council ultimately wound up voting to table the resolution, planning to spend some time hearing from more people in the Snowbird and Cherokee County communities and also to figure out the legalese of any referendum they did approve. The biggest question would be whether enacting it would require a change to the Cherokee Charter and Governing Document.

If it were a charter change, getting the question on the ballot would require a petition signed by 33 percent of registered voters.

Then, at least 51 percent of registered voters in all communities would have to show up to the polls and a majority would need to vote in favor of the change. If the referendum were determined to not require a charter change, council could vote to put it on the ballot and passage would require a majority vote in favor with at least 30 percent of registered voters casting a ballot.

For now, however, the issue is on pause.

“If it’s possible for us to hear from other people in the community, both sides, that would be a good thing,” McCoy said.

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ship will have even less weight to its vote.

Split the representation, Jones said, and “Our voice is basically so small you don’t really have a voice.”

On the other hand, proponents of the legislation said that the request to split is the people’s voice and that granting the referendum would be the equivalent of listening to that voice.

“I would just highly encourage and ask you guys to give us a referendum,” said Brenda Norville, a former councilmember.

“This has been an issue that I know of the last 15 years. I’m not ever going to run for council again, so it’s nothing pertaining to me.”

“Don’t deny them what they’re asking for,” agreed Amy Walker, a tribal member from the 3200-Acre Tract community. “If the people in Cherokee don’t want this, then they can always vote no. But I bet you there may be some people in Snowbird who don’t want it either.”

“If they say they want something and they want to basically hear the voice of all the people, I think it is my personal opinion that you should hear what they have to say,” concurred tribal member Charles Penick.

Councilmember Bo Crowe, of Wolfetown,

HWY. 441 S. FRANKLIN (2887 GEORGIA RD.)

May 25-31, 2016

A guided discussion of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande, will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday,

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American Legion Memorial Day ceremony

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards ceremony will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at Laurel Ridge Country Club, 49 Cupp Lane in Waynesville.

Recipients of the Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Ambassador of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Distinguished Service awards will be announced. The winner of the Business Start Up Competition will also be named and the 2016 Leadership Class graduates will be recognized.

To purchase a ticket, call 828.456.3021.

Hospice doctor to lead book discussion

Franklin’s Finest 55+ Community

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Free sorts physicals for the 2016-17 school year will be offered from 5:45 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 26, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center 75 Leroy George Dr., Clyde.

Contact your school for a registration packet and bring the completed packet to the physical.

It is not necessary to sign up for an appointment, just come any time during your school’s allotted time frame.

Co-sponsored by Haywood Regional Medical Center and Haywood Regional Sports Medicine.

May 26, in the auditorium of the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library at 678 S Haywood St. in Waynesville.

Leading the discussion will be Michael Pass, MD, Medical Director of Haywood Hospice and Palliative Care and the Homestead and William Everett, PhD, Ethics Professor Emeritus at Andover Newton Theological School.

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May 25-31, 2016

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Community Almanac Recently K.G. Watson, (left) Maggie Valley author, donated a 2001 Ford Escape to Duke’s Animal Haven owner Helen McLeod to help the organization with transporting animals for adoption.

need for a new shelter and to raise funds to support this goal, to assist the local government in planning the new shelter, to raise public awareness of animal needs, and to fund other projects deemed appropriate for animal welfare in Haywood County.

To make a donation, visit www.hcasfriends.org.

Duke’s Animal Haven receives transportation

Donated photo

Cruso thrift shop and library to open The Cruso Community Center’ thrift shop and library will open again on May 27.

The library is one of the last remaining honor system libraries in North Carolina and yearround and summer residents in the Cruso area are welcome and encouraged to use it. There are books for most every interest and for all ages.

Many people in the Cruso area who are in need benefit throughout the year from the proceeds of the thrift shop. The community center assists with food, heating bills and other crisis situations. The Center operates entirely with volunteer.

The Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesdays through Saturdays.

828.235.9354.

Blue Plate special for Community Table A Blue Plate Special fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, to support The Community Kitchen in Jackson County.

Kosta’s Family Restaurant in Dillsboro will provide a choice of spaghetti with meatballs or vegetarian spaghetti, served with salad. The Community Table will provide bread and dessert. Heinzelmannchen Brewery root beer will be available. A minimum donation of $7 is recommended. Dine-in or carryout. Proceeds benefit The Community Table’s mission to provide nutritious meals to the community.

Call in orders at 828.586.6782.

Students assist Haywood emergency management Students in Haywood Community College’s Information Systems Technology Capstone

Smoky Mountain News

Project Course recently completed the design of a system to help Haywood County emergency management employees.

The Haywood Multi Agency Coordination System (HAYMACS) can be used by police, fire, rescue, sheriff ’s office, EMS, information technology, and health and human services employees to maintain contacts for both planned and unplanned events.

The Capstone Project course is designed for students to develop a product to benefit a local nonprofit. Students complete the project over the span of a semester. Joey Webb, Jr., Haywood County information technology network administrator, suggested this year’s project.

Registration open for youth lock-in The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department will be having a Summer Kick-Off Youth Lock-In from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, June 10, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center.

This is for anyone in grades fourth through eighth. The fee is $10 and will include pizza, snacks and drinks. Space is limited to the first 30 to register. Activities will include gym games, Wii games, basketball, scooter games, pingpong, movies, board games, etc.

828.293.3053, ext. 2.

Fundraising efforts begin for animal shelter The Friends of Haywood County Animal Shelter will kick off its fundraising campaign in June with the goal of raising $1 million for a new animal shelter.

The money will be used to furnish the interior of the building with essential equipment and items to make the shelter more welcoming and efficient. Donation jars will be distributed throughout the county.

FOHCAS’ mission is to raise awareness of the

Recently K.G. Watson, an author living in Maggie Valley, donated a 2001 Ford Escape to Duke’s Animal Haven, a no-kill animal shelter in Waynesville.

“We are so grateful for the support of Duke’s with this much needed vehicle,” said Helen McLeod, President of Duke’s Animal Haven.

“We transport dogs and cats to PetSmart for adoption days, take them to Asheville to Humane Alliance for spay/neuter and drive them to Atlanta’s Humane Society and Common Sense for Animals (CSA) in New Jersey for adoption. Sometimes there is more than one dog or cat at a time that has to be taken to the veterinarian. Having the Escape will cut down on the number of trips we need to make to accomplish these tasks. ” Duke’s is a 501©3 organization so any donations are tax deductible. www.dukesanimalhaven.org or dukesanimalhaven@yahoo.com.

Shelton elected president of Cattlemen’s Association Lisa Shelton of Waynesville has been elected president of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.

Shelton joined the executive committee of NCCA when she was elected vice president as the nominee of the western region of the association in 2013. Farmers throughout the state have looked to her for guidance in numerous areas for many years. Shelton will continue to make a difference for the association and the cattlemen, cattlewomen and youth we represent through her enthusiasm, knowledge and positive example. Shelton has a way of working with folks regardless of their background, knowledge level or experience to offer help and encouragement to do the best for their animals and the industry.

Franklin forum to discuss standard of living "Standard of living - how do you measure it?" will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum to be held at 7 p.m. Monday, June 6, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub, located at 58 Stewart Street, Franklin.

Those interested in an open exchange of ideas (dialog not debate) are invited to attend.

828.371.1020.

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• The Gathering Table, which provides free healthy meals to folks in the Glenville community, has a brand new mobile kitchen, which will allow them to serve hot meals from 2 to 8 p.m. every Thursday in Glenville. They also plan to serve in Highlands monthly.

The nonprofit still needs to raise $20,000 to pay off the mortgage. www.gatheringtablenc.com.

• United Christian Ministries will hold a fundraiser from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 26-27.

Make a $10 donation and receive at 50 percent off any one item at Krismart Fashion, 56 E. Main St., Sylva.

828.586.8228.

• STAR Rescue Ranch has immediate openings for new volunteers. Opportunities range from helping with horse care, to fundraising events, barn maintenance and more. Children between the ages of 11-18 are welcome with parents.

Orientation and training are offered. 505.274.9199.

ALSO:

• Main Street Mercantile, Downtown Waynesville’s newest Gifts & Accessory Shop, 101 South Main Street is donating 10 percent of its sales in May to REACH of Haywood County, a local nonprofit that aids survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse.

828.246.6176.

• The Macon County Democratic Women’s Club once again held its annual Potato Supper Extravaganza on April 21.

Democratic Women’s Club events create visibility for candidates, educate voters, and get out the vote, often while making sure there is plenty of great food available in a social setting.

• Carole Larivee was recently presented the 2016 Liston B. Ramsey Service Award by Haywood County Democratic Party Chair Myrna Campbell for her outstanding efforts to activate Democratic voters and increase turnout during the 2015 municipal election and the 2016 Primary election.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Trying times for school leaders in Haywood

aywood County Schools has been a part of my life for 24 years now — as a journalist, the husband of a teacher, and the parent of three children who were each students for 13 years in the system — and never has there been a time when I have heard more criticism about its leadership.

I sort of get it — you close a school, that’s what happens. Understandably, people get emotional. But the larger, more important issue for parents and taxpayers, though, is whether the school system is in good hands. Is there any validity to the voices critical of Superintendent Anne Garrett and the Editor school board’s leadership through these trying times?

By my estimation, administrators and school board members were too worried about controlling the spin associated with the closing of Central Elementary School and the possibility of using the soon-to-be-vacated school as its new central office.

Despite what some think and what a lawsuit filed against the system claims, the closing of Central had nothing to do with the need for new administrative offices. The school administration will soon be forced to vacate its offices because the building is likely being turned into a senior housing project, so the timing of Central’s closing and the need for a new central office just happened to align.

Still, a video of a January 2016 school board work session reveals that Garrett and others were more than a little concerned that the community might not see it that way, that they would think the school was being closed to make way for administrative offices. “… we also don’t want it to be that we are taking Central just so we can have a location to move, because I think that

Scott McLeod

H

Bryson is best choice to challenge Meadows To the Editor: On June 7 citizens of the 11th Congressional District will be asked to vote again. Because of redistricting, Rick Bryson from Swain County and Tom Hill from Zirconia are your Democratic choices against Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers.

I’ve known Rick Bryson for 20 years. He has the knowledge, passion and vision that it will take to lead Western North Carolina into a successful future.

He wants to put North Carolina back on top in education, bring back jobs to WNC with a Research Triangle West. He has had this innovative idea for five years.

He sees that we are losing our best and brightest teachers to other states because of the actions of our government in Raleigh and Rep. Meadows.

He supports our veterans and not only their health care but everyone’s right to affordable health care. He will make sure Social Security stays secure!

Rick has an unexplainable love for WNC;

would really give us a black eye,” Garrett told staff and school board members at that January work session.

In reality, the need for a new central office didn’t beget the closure of Central. But Garrett was clearly worried the two issues would be connected in the public’s mind. She suggested keeping quiet about the possibility of moving central office to Central Elementary until the school closure blow-back blew over.

“We need to hold it for a while …. don’t tie the two together until maybe come springtime,” said Garrett.

“Then we can say, oh, by the way, we are going to go to Central …. that way we look good, and it looks like we are being very conservative because we own the building,” Garrett added at that January meeting.

Some might call it wise, even savvy to plan for the public reaction. The truth is that this fallout from Central’s closing was never going to be anything but loud and angry, regardless of what happens in the search for a central office. School officials were worrying so much about the public reaction to the closing, they made the mistake — by my estimation — of rushing the closure of Central.

They announced it as a possibility in January, and in February they voted to close. Should the public have been involved in the study that went into making that decision? I would argue yes, and that the months of study internally that led to the decision to close Central should have been open. But they weren’t. The study was done mostly at the staff level and kept quiet.

School officials disagree that the public should have been involved. School Board Attorney Pat Smathers, in response to the lawsuit, said closing a school is such a heart wrenching and emotionally wrought decision that it didn’t seem right to run it up the flagpole if it wasn’t a real possibility.

“You think about it, you can informally discuss it, but you don’t put something out formally that you are going to close a school unless it is something you have really got to do,”

it is part of his heart and soul. He loves the very dirt. So I know he will work hard to protect our environment and infrastructure. At the same time he will fight for the settlement money from the North Shore Road agreement.

So I urge you to vote for Rick Bryson for Congress on June 7.

Barbara Robinson Bryson City

Vote for Rick Bryson in June 7 primary To the Editor: Rick Bryson is running as a Democrat for the congressional seat currently held by Republican Mark Meadows. Rick is a native of Swain County who like many people had to move away from his beloved mountains years ago for employment. Upon retirement, Rick returned to Bryson City and became involved in the community serving as a town alderman among other things.

Rick wants to bring about change in Congress to improve its current 7 percent approval rating by the American people. Rick

Smathers said.

I would argue that Central Elementary belongs to the citizens of Haywood County, and that they should have been more involved in the decision, whether that school or perhaps another school closed. Even if the end result had been the same, the messy process of opening up the discussion would have shown more respect for taxpayers. Citizens and former school officials argued this exact point, but it fell on deaf ears.

And then there is the businessman side of me who wonders why this decision wasn’t made a few years ago. Declining student numbers and several schools that are well under capacity has been the reality for some time now in Haywood County.

But all of a sudden, lightning-bolt like, a decision to shutter Central occurs.

The monetary savings from closing Central Elementary — and perhaps even another elementary school — are absolutely necessary for a system like Haywood that has had a decade of declining enrollment. The numbers don’t lie.

But worrying a bit too much over controlling the public perception of the decision, a conscious decision not to involve the citizens and parents who own the schools, and not seeing the writing on the wall earlier could all be seen as leadership shortcomings.

Finally, school officials and the county seem to be doing some kind of dance around the decades-old agreement whereby the county is supposed to make good on paying for a new central office. What seems apparent from the words being used from both sides is that the relationship is more strained than it should be given that a former superintendent and two former school board members serve on the county board.

As I said earlier, these are trying times for public school leaders, both for superintendents and elected school boards. It seems this is especially true right now in Haywood County.

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

has a plan to bring new industry to the mountains called WNC Generation Now. Rick has four daughters and is a firm believer in women’s rights, including equal pay for women. Rick believes in a stronger voice for our veterans and that we should have a voice in our government.

Rick knows the mountain and Cherokee people and understands the needs here far better than his Republican opponent. He has worked hard to get his message out in the 11th Congressional District.

Due to a court case and redistricting, there will be a special election on June 7 for members of Congress in our district. If you voted for Rick in the May 15 North Carolina Primary, you need to vote for him again on June 7.

If you did not vote for Rick on May 15, you are encouraged to vote for him on June 7. We need a voice in Washington to speak for us and our needs, not someone who shut down the government several years ago costing our district an estimated $23 million in lost wages and tourism revenue and great inconvenience for many.

Mary A. Herr Cherokee

a website to take you to places where there are no websites.

Log on. Plan a getaway. Let yourself unplug.

The bugle never stops

Susanna Barbee

O

Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 APPLE CREEK CAFE 111 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.456.9888. Tuesday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. We are excited to be on Main St. serving lunch and dinner with a full bar.

Our menu includes items such as blackberry salmon, fettuccine alfredo, hand-cut steaks, great burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. Join us for live music every Friday and Saturday nights. Friday 6 to 9 p.m. live piano music. Saturday 6 to 9 p.m. live jazz music. No cover charge.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997.

Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts.

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available.

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m.

Closed on Sunday. We specialize in handcut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables.

Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers. We use 1st quality fresh not pre-prepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free items. Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 am to 9:30 am

346-44

MEDITERRANEAN

May 25-31, 2016

ITALIAN CUISINE

Dine on Our Pet-Friendly Patio

BREAKFAST & DINNER DAILY SUNDAY LUNCH by reservation

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

www.pasqualesnc.com

456.9498 • www.balsaminn.net 346-10

Lunch, Dinner & Sunday Brunch Free Movies Thurs-Sat

Phillys Pizzas Wraps Steaks Scratch-made, local organic ingredients

Check out this week's movies at madbatterfoodfilm.com

828.586.3555 Beautiful Downtown Sylva

Smoky Mountain News

ne day recently as I was walking through Afflicted with the sins and misfortunes the parking lot at Waynesville Middle Of life, struggling against the trials and School, a car slowly pulled up beside me. I Temptations of the world; turned, and when the driver rolled down his Inspired by the motives, purposes window, I saw that it was an elderly gentleman And hopes of time and eternityin a World War II uniform.

This book is dedicated.

I smiled at him and said hello.

— Paul J. Willis He said, “Miss, can you tell me how to get to Frank Pollifrone’s I felt the goosebumps on my arms. I looked eighth-grade social up. As I watched Mr. Willis pull a Nazi flag out studies classroom?” of his bag, I noticed how proudly he still wore “Let me just show his uniform, possibly thinking of helping to you,” I said. take down Hitler’s regime.

I walked around to His mind was in a different land. the passenger side and Over the next hour, Mr. Willis told us his slid in. I had a fleeting story. Born in 1920 in Hope, Arkansas, Willis thought that I was diswas one of six children in a farming family. regarding all safety Columnist When he was a teenager, the family moved to precautions but “cute Canton, where he would live for the remainder old man” and “WWII veteran” are my top two of his life. In 1943, Willis married Evelyn criteria for falling in love with a person immedi- Blythe, his bride for 72 years. Also in 1943, he ately, so I was confident all would be fine. was drafted and after basic training, was If you’ve ever been to Waynesville Middle, assigned to Company G, 329th Regiment, 83rd you know it’s a bear to navigate. While the man Infantry Division. Platoon Sgt. Willis went on appeared more spry to fight in the hedgerows than most 30-year-olds , of Normandy, the Rhine Silence at Arlington I wasn’t sure I could River, Battle of the Bulge,

By Paul Willis explain how to get to and battles in Brittany, Surrounded by the graves at the other side of camLuxembourg and the Arlington, pus, park, enter the corHurtgen Forest. He was The sentry about-faces. rect building, stay on awarded the Purple Heart There before the unknown soldier’s the first floor and find for injuries sustained durtomb he Mr. Pollifrone’s room. ing the Battle of the Paces: for a moment the music of As I sat in the car, I Bulge.

Far off bugles sounds. had to move a stack of After the war, he A vision of waving flags above thin paperback books resumed his work at the Each risen mound. Down through and the war memorabilpaper mill within a couThe corridor of time the ages flow. ia. I noticed that he was ple of days. He and The muted breeze moves across wearing combat boots. I Evelyn raised their two Each silent row. wondered if they were sons in Canton.

Then the bugle blows, the haunting the same pair he wore His talks was straightAir above each marble stone. long ago. forward, but in his writStill the sentinel walks his twenty-one “What’s your ing you could feel the torSteps alone; name?” He asked me. ment, anguish, pride, As music in the nighttime gives its “Susanna Barbee.” honor and regret.

Last refrains.

“The writer?”

Mr. Willis asked Now across this sacred ground “Yes. Wow, how did some of us to read several you know?” of his poems aloud. He “I read your column in The Smoky said it was hard for him to read his writing Mountain News,” he said. because of his breathing, but I wondered if it’s “You do? Thank you. That means so much hard because of the memories. to me. It really does. What’s your name?”

After finishing the poem he asked me to “Paul Willis. I’m a writer too.” read, I looked over at him and could see him I looked at the stack of books and read the fighting the tears. cover. Reflections of a World War II Veteran: The pain that our veterans feel is so real, so Poems about War and Life, by Paul J. Willis raw. While many of us think about their battles From our two-minute car ride and conversa- sparingly, only on Veteran’s Day or Memorial tion, I was utterly intrigued with this man. He Day, the veterans carry the burden always. informed me that he was 96 and while he felt I only work at Waynesville Middle part great mentally, “this ol’ emphysema had taken time, so how lucky I feel to have crossed paths hold” of him about three years ago and it prewith such an individual. vented him from “walking too far.”

For Paul Willis, 73 years have not dimmed I directed him to a secret parking spot right recollections of his time overseas. And for me, a outside Mr. Pollifrone’s room and walked him serendipitous meeting and time spent reading in. He was visiting to speak to a group of eighth- poetry written by an old hand with a sharp graders about his time at war. He asked me if I mind opened my heart in a new way. would stay and listen. Of course I would.

Thank you, Mr. Willis, and to all the other As he spoke with Mr. Pollifrone and soldiers, living and gone, for your sacrifices and unpacked his things, I sat at a student desk and bravery. opened a copy of Mr. Willis’s book.

Susanna Barbee lives in Haywood County.

Reach her at susanna.barbee@gmail.com.

To my fellow beings old or young

tasteTHEmountains

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

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

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tasteTHEmountains – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch every day from 12:00 till 2 pm. Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays, featuring steaks, ribs, chicken, and pork chops, to name a few. Bountiful family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. The evening social hour starts at 6 pm, and dinner is served starting at 7 pm. So join us for milehigh mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

Breakfast is made to order daily: Gourmet cheddar & scallion biscuits served with bacon, sausage and eggs; smoked trout bagel

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plate; quiche and fresh fruit parfait. We bake a wide variety of breads daily, specializing in traditional french breads. All of our breads are hand shaped. Lunch: Fresh salads, panini sandwiches. Enjoy outdoor dinning on the deck. Private room available for meetings.

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000.

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

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

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

828.926.1820 Open Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to

your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

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

GANKO EXPRESS 1896 S. Main St., Waynesville 828.246.9099 Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Serving a variety of Hibachi, Chinese, Thai and Sushi dishes.

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

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

THE LUNCHBOX CAFE 100 Spicewood Dr., Clyde, 828.246.6296 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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

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

828.586.3555. Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies with showtimes at 6:30 and 9 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Visit madbatterfoodandfilm.com for this week’s shows.

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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

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

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

tasteTHEmountains

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

Family oriented business.

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE 1941 Champion Drive. Canton 828-6463750 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. Local acoustic music on Tuesday nights.

SMOKEY SHADOWS LODGE 323 Smoky Shadows Lane, Maggie Valley 828.926.0001. Check Facebook page for hours, which vary. Call early when serving because restaurant fills up fast. Remember when families joined each other at the table for a delicious homemade meal and shared

REEKSIDE COYSTER HOUSE & GRILL

stories about their day? That time is now at Smokey Shadows. The menus are customizable for your special event. Group of eight or more can schedule their own dinner.

2 OFF

$ 00

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.

DAILY LUNCH SPECIAL DINE IN ONLY. EXPIRES 6/30/16.

O PEN TIL 10 P. M . T UES .-T HURS .

O PEN UNTIL 11 P. M . F RIDAYS & S ATURDAYS O PEN TIL 9 P. M . S UN. • C LOSED M ON.

828.586.1985

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.

Grab a bite & take home dinner.

Cottage Pie, Sausage Rolls & More!

Available all week from our kitchen

(828) 452-7837 Wed. & Sat. in the HART Parking lot

438 Skyland Drive • Sylva

Exit 85 to Skyland Dr., two blocks from McDonalds

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.

Come see us at the Historic Farmers Market

WaynesvilleCatering.com

Café

Deli & So Much More

We’re Open All Weekend!

Italian Family Style Dinner Sat. 6/4 6pm

$25.95 per person

Reservations by 5/30

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Smoky Mountain News

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

From the North Country to the back country

GKW: Eric O’Hara? I know him. Wasn’t he in the band Zip City?

EG: Yes. Eric got us hooked on Flatt & Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, John Hartford, Tony Rice, and Seldom Scene. We started doing some local festivals, like in Jericho, New York, as you know. Then we started going to fiddler contests, and there are lots of fiddlers over the border in Quebec, and they took us in because we were close enough. It all kind of grew from there.

GKW: People always ask about how I know so much about bluegrass being from Upstate New York, and I say because it’s not just a Southern thing, it’s a rural thing.

EG: I think you’re right. Bluegrass is never far from the mountains, and nor were we up there in the foothills of the Adirondacks.

That, and people are just people everywhere we go, so why wouldn’t we like bluegrass? It’s great music.

GKW: With bluegrass, a lot of it derives from the British Isles, with many of those immigrants coming into America through the St. Lawrence Seaway, settling in Ontario or Quebec, and ultimately pushing down into Upstate New York.

EG: And, that’s our story. Some of our songs talk about that exact story, of our ancestors doing just that. And a couple of them ended up joining the Union Army, which, I’m pretty sure, is how our family ended up with the farmland we grew up on.

An acclaimed bluegrass outfit from Upstate New York, The Gibson Brothers will perform at the Cherokee Bluegrass Festival on June 2. Brothers Eric (banjo) and Leigh (guitar) Gibson have been performing together since 1987.

The Gibson Brothers to headline Cherokee Bluegrass Festival

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER The beauty of bluegrass lies in its transparency.

Whether you’re having a good or bad day, those emotions will filter through your voice and fingertips. You can’t hide behind the music — you are vulnerable to the listener, to yourself, and to the cosmos above. It’s a rare and beautiful thing to come across such honesty, pure intent and genuine face-to-face interaction that the music conjures in a modern, fast-paced world.

For renowned bluegrass group The Gibson Brothers, their journey began on a small dairy farm in the rural landscape of Ellenburg, New York. Tapping into the wellspring of storytelling and string music that runs deep in the ancestry of North Country folks (who immigrated to the area from the British Isles via the St. Lawrence Seaway), the siblings strapped on their instruments and hit the road.

And in their almost 30 years together, Eric and Leigh Gibson have steadily risen into

upper echelon of the genre, ultimately receiving a slew of awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, including “Emerging Artist of the Year” (1998), “Song of the Year” (2010, 2013), “Vocal Group of the Year” (2011, 2013), “Album of the Year” (2011), “Songwriter of the Year” (2013), and “Entertainer of the Year” (2012, 2013).

Bluegrass is the soundtrack of our country and its people — past, present, and future.

With one foot in tradition and the other in evolution, it is as timeless as it is vital to the perpetuation of humanity.

Garret K. Woodward: Myself being from rural Upstate New York, I discovered bluegrass through The Gibson Brothers. But, how did you discover bluegrass?

Eric Gibson (banjoist/singer): My father and mother liked listening to it on the radio.

There was this local station that played it on Saturday nights, and we’d occasionally see it on “Hee Haw” and “Austin City Limits.” Dad always wanted to play, but he didn’t because he’d been working like a man since he was 9 years old. But, there were instruments around our house, pieces he would pick up at an auction or whatever. And when I was 11, Leigh and I started taking lessons at Dick’s Country Store & Music Oasis [in Churubusco, New York] from Eric O’Hara.

GKW: My ancestors came from Ireland, down the Seaway, through Alexandria Bay and into Clinton County. Storytelling and music has been part of that culture forever — it’s in our blood.

EG: Yeah, exactly. I actually have the truck of my ancestors that came on the boat from Scotland. It’s right under my bed.

GKW: What about the North Country landscape and how it affects the music?

EG: First of all, it’s just so beautiful up there. I think a lot of the country, and the world, isn’t aware of just how beautiful it is.

And it can get very isolated up there, where you kind of get a chip on your shoulder. I used to hear people say things like, “Well, ‘so and so’ is a good baseball player or a good musician, but he can’t be that good because he’s from here.”

Why does it matter where you’re from? You can be from small towns and achieve your dreams.

Find what you love and give it everything you’ve got. It’s not always easy, but when you love something enough, and truly know you’re supposed to be doing it, it never feels like work.

I also never take any of this for granted. It could be gone at any moment, so we just keep pushing ahead.

GKW: What is it about bluegrass that sets it apart from other forms of music?

EG: There’s something so beautiful about bluegrass when it’s done well, those close harmonies and high notes — that high lonesome sound. And it’s hard to make it sound right.

GKW: Like making it look easy shows the most skill, right?

EG: Yeah. With bluegrass you can’t hide behind anything, no effects or anything. And, so many of the people in the audience are great players, too.

GKW: And with the modern era, it seems more and more folks are gravitating towards bluegrass, where it represents something real and authentic.

EG: I hope you’re right. Every so often, I get scared, thinking, “Is this music going to survive?” or “Are enough people coming along to keep it going?” And I think there will be, and already are, in many aspects. Where we are on the spectrum, some folks say we’re not blue-

“There’s something so beautiful about bluegrass when it’s done well, those close harmonies and high notes — that high lonesome sound. And it’s hard to make it sound right.”

— Eric Gibson

Want to go?

The Cherokee Bluegrass Festival will run from June 2-4 at the Happy Holiday RV Village & Campground, located at 1553 Wolfetown Road in Cherokee.

Among the numerous acts to hit the stage, headliners include The Gibson Brothers (June 2), Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers (June 4), Rhonda Vincent & The Rage (June 3), Gene Watson (June 3), Balsam Range (June 4), The Grascals (June 4), and more.

In advance, one-passes are $40, with three-day passes $90. For more information on tickets or the festival schedule, click on www.adamsbluegrass.com or call 706.864.7203.

grass, but, “We like yah,” and then other places they go, “Well, thank god you play real bluegrass.” [Laughs].

GKW: And you still keep pushing down the road.

EG: We’ve met so many incredible people.

And I think what if I had done something different? What if there was no banjo to pick up?

What would Leigh and I have done? I guess it was just meant to be. You know, the longer I’m in this, the less scared I am just to be myself, where it’s going out there, when you can just breathe, and be you. Not everybody will love you, but the ones that do, they do, and that’s good enough for me.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Clinton County, New York.

Garret K. Woodward photo

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Smoky Mountain News

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Urban Vapor

May 25-31, 2016

You never forget where you came from.

For me, that was the tiny Canadian border town of Rouses Point, New York. On the The Downtown Waynesville Association shores on Lake Champlain and a Memorial Day weekend “Block Party” will be stone’s throw from Vermont, it held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 28, on was Main Street USA in a nutMain Street. shell, as was greater Clinton Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden County, which cradles the end(Waynesville) will host a Memorial Day less farmland of the Champlain celebration with live music all day on Saturday, Valley and northern Adirondack May 28. Singer-songwriter Hunter Grigg will Mountains. perform at 3 p.m., with A.P.E. (rock) 5 p.m., I think of it often, in the Redleg Huskey (Americana) 8 p.m. and Chris depths of my dreams, and in my Williams (singer-songwriter) 11 p.m. daydreaming. I suppose to make sense of where you currently are, The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series will and the steps that led to the kickoff the 2016 season with Lyric (funk/pop) at “here and now,” one must make 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at The Village sense of the soil by which the Green in Cashiers. seed of you was planted and nurtured.

The “Trail Magic Ale #14” release party will be And though I took off from June 3-5 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Clinton County when I graduatBryson City. ed high school, it never left me.

No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Fat At 31, I spent the first 18 years of Cheek Kat (funk/rock) at 9 p.m. Friday, my life in that cow town, a place May 27.

I can see atop the dashboard and through the windshield of my truck when I’m drifting down evening. I conducted an interview with bansome back road in Southern Appalachia, just joist/singer Eric Gibson for a feature article I wondering and pondering. had in mind. Within our conversation, we Then, there are those days when everytouched on the notion of just how long the thing from back there seems to just come to road to your creative dreams is from the the forefront, even if faces and situations are Northern Tier, and also the ancient magic of thousands of miles away, or thousands of the people and landscape we hold dearly. miles away from home.

And as I finished our chat, I walked away Sunday afternoon. The Gibson Brothers, thinking about home, only to feel a vibration an acclaimed bluegrass group from just in my pocket. It was a text message from a down the road in Clinton County, were to childhood friend, one who grew up on my play The Grey Eagle in Asheville that street. She informed me that a mutual friend

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

of ours had tragically passed away the night prior. I froze. Dozens of memories of time well spent, amid and in pursuit of shenanigans, flooded my mind.

During the economic downturn of 2008, I returned to Clinton County for a period, of which I found myself in a social circle of innumerable folks my age in the college town of Plattsburgh, a wide spectrum of friendly faces, all recent college graduates, all trying to find footing in the 21st century.

And within that circle was the recently deceased, a genuine soul of kindness and mischief.

Driving to The Gibson Brothers gig at The Grey Eagle, I kept thinking about those wild and foggy nights, running around downtown Plattsburgh, ricocheting around bars and house parties, every one of us trying to grasp onto any sense or chance, of well, anything that would, perhaps, love us back. We didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but, we were damn glad to be within the presence of those who not only were in the same boat, but also knew us the best, and appreciated what we brought to the table of life.

When you’re 25, you find yourself in this weird “between a rock and a hard place” kind of space in your existence. To old to go back to the nonsense and chaos of college, yet too young to sit at home and clean out your DVR. So, you find solace and common ground in folks in your age/career bracket, those trying to gain traction in the game of life — a game, in essence, that can’t be won, but can be enjoyed immensely as long as you never lose the will to compete.

Since our friend left this earth, I’ve been in contact with a handful of old chums who were also part of the downtown Plattsburgh social scene. Like any college town, the scene shifts and evolves. Sure, it’s bars changing hands and new hot spots, but mostly it’s the transition of faces in the crowd, faces new to the scene, but ready to conquer it.

And with Plattsburgh, there’s always been a tight knit bond between all of those souls, even if they disappear from the scene, for a short time or forever. Some of us took off, for Pittsburgh or San Francisco, or Waynesville, but it doesn’t matter how far we go, because we can always feel that place, and those people, hovering over our shoulder, waiting for us to turn around and wave back, in solidarity, and in the mere fact that hometown ties are never severed, just frayed from time-to-time, like an old pair of sneakers you have to look down and remember to tighten up.

Sitting in the front row of The Gibson Brothers, I watched and listened to them as they sang of my native North Country, telling stories of their parent’s dairy farm mere miles from my childhood bedroom, and of that ancient magic that resides in us all from there. I thought of my family, of our late friend, and how the circle of community will never be broke as long as we never forget to remind each other of the love that is shared between us.

“Long live Clinton County,” I shouted out from the audience, to which the band tipped their hats in my direction.

To View Pictures: www.EJ-Auction.com 27

arts & entertainment

On the beat

The Freeway Revival. Laura Sparks photography

Hall of Fame member George Morgan.

Lorrie made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage at age 13, singing “Paper Roses” and was later honored with induction into the Opry cast when she was just 24. Through a series of ups and downs, Morgan's own experiences can be felt as her heart-stopping music hits every emotional core, evident in the albums, "Leave the Light On," "Something In Red," and "Watch Me." Tickets are $25. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

‘Concerts on the Creek’ returns The seventh annual “Concerts on the Creek” series will kickoff the 2016 season with The Freeway Revival at 7 p.m. Friday, May 27, at the Bridge Park Pavilion in Sylva.

Other shows are as follows: Bobby Sullivan Band (classic rock) June 3, Sundown (rock) June 10, Whitewater Bluegrass Company (bluegrass) June 17, Terri Lynn Queen & The Stingers (rock) June 24, Dashboard Blue (rock) July 1, Colby Deitz Band (Americana) July 8, Robertson Boys (bluegrass) July 15, PMA (reggae/rock) July 22, Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 29, Buchanan Boys (rock) Aug. 5, Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana) Aug. 12, Porch 40 (rock/funk) Aug. 19, surprise band on Aug. 26, and Erica Nicole (country) Sept. 2.

Concerts are free, with donations accepted. Chairs and blankets are allowed. www.mountainlovers.com or 828.586.2155.

Lorri Morgan.

Country star to hit Franklin stage

Acclaimed country singer Lorrie Morgan will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Morgan is one of the most eloquently emotive country vocalists of modern times and was the first woman in her genre to begin her career with three consecutive platinum albums. A Nashville native, Morgan has been around great songs all her life partly due to 28 the fact she is the daughter of Country Music

Lyric.

GET DOWN AT MAD ANTHONY’S ‘Groovin’ on the Green’ has the funk The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series will kickoff the 2016 season with Lyric (funk/pop) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at The Village Green in Cashiers.

Other performs include Joe Lasher Jr. (country/rock) June 3, The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) June 10, Bo Spring Band (folk/roots) June 17, Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues (rock/blues) June 24, Jackson Taylor Band (country/rock) July 1, Hurricane Creek (rock/blues) July 8, Colby Deitz Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 22, Miss Kitty & The Big City (pop/rock) July 29, Erica Nicole (pop/country) Aug. 5, The Buchanan Boys (country/rock) Aug. 12, Julie Gribble (Americana) Aug. 19, Rockell Scott (pop/piano) Aug. 26 and Hurricane Creek (rock/blues) Sept. 2.

All shows are free and open to the public. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

Sylva gets the blues Popular blues/folk singer Heidi Holton will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Holton began young, leaving Murphy to play in rock bands in Athens, Georgia, and New Orleans before the blues came a-calling.

She studied under the great Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane) and then disappeared to Alaska’s arctic interior to perfect her craft.

She has recently moved back to Murphy and is touring around the Southeast.

This program is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. www.heidiholton.com.

Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden (Waynesville) will host a Memorial Day celebration with live music all weekend. Sandra Hess (singer/songwriter) will perform at 7 p.m.

May 27. Singer-songwriter Hunter Grigg (pictured) will perform at 3 p.m., with A.P.E. (rock) 5 p.m., Redleg Huskey (Americana) 8 p.m. and Chris Williams (singer-songwriter) 11 p.m. on May 28. Sandra Hess will perform at 6 p.m. May 29 and Chris Williams will perform at 4 p.m. May 30. 828.246.9249.

Fiddler wins youth competition ViolettesbyBecky.com, a musicthemed gift company, held its third annual Youth Composition and Songwriter Competition for ages 10 through 18, with scores and recordings submitted online.

The competition is national, with 17year-old Alma Russ of Whittier taking third place. Russ is enrolled at Jackson County Early College and is on track to receive both her high school diploma and associate of arts degree next year.

She loves singing, playing fiddle and writing music.

She first became interested in fiddle when she discovered Alison Krauss and started taking lessons at age 12.

Originally from Oxford, Florida, she moved to Western North Carolina at 13, and has taken lessons from a number of instructors including most recently, Bobby Hicks. She has two bands, The Colby Deitz Band and Dogwood Winter. She also sometimes plays in other bands where fiddle is needed such as Ol’ Dirty Bathtub, The Breedlove Brothers. She recently

recorded fiddle for The Maggie Valley Band’s upcoming album. She also sings and plays claw-hammer banjo. She hopes to have writing as a career in one form or another in addition to a music career.

Volunteer judges are music professionals, who review the students’ entries not only for prize placement, but with an aim to provide encouraging constructive comments. The competition is divided into two categories, Composition and Songwriter, each with a junior and senior division. www.violettesbybecky.com.

On the beat • Rendezvous Restaurant at The Maggie Valley Inn will host Stone Crazy Band (rock/pop) from 6 to 9 p.m. May 28 at the outdoor tiki bar. In case of inclement weather, the show will be moved indoors from 8 to 11 p.m. 828.926.0201

• Apple Creek Café (Waynesville) will host an evening of piano music on Fridays and jazz on Saturdays. Both events are free and run from 6 to 9 p.m. 828.456.9888 or www.applecreekcafe.com.

• Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Smokerise (rock/acoustic) May 31. All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.646.3750.

• BearWaters Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host its anniversary party at 5 p.m. June 4 with The Colby Deitz Band at 7 p.m.

828.246.0602 or www.bwbrewing.com.

• The Bryson City Train Depot concert series will host The Katts (Americana) June 4 and Frank Lee (bluegrass) June 11. All shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

ALSO:

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host and James Hammel (Americana) May 27 and Joe Cruz May 28 and June 4, which are each free and begin at 7 p.m.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• The “Friday Night Live” concert series at the Town Square in Highlands will host The Johnny Webb Band May 27 and The Tallulah River Band (Americana) June 3. Both shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana) 8 p.m.

May 28. All shows are free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night May 25 and June 1, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo May 26 and June 2. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host The Remnants (rock) May 28. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will hold community music jam from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 2. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic with Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Friday” with Bud Davis at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Isaish Breedlove (Americana) at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Sneak E Squirrel Brewing (Sylva) will host the “Funk to What?” open jam every

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will host Redleg Husky (Americana) at 9 p.m. May 27 and The Dirty Soul Revival (rock/blues) 7 p.m. May 28. Both shows are free. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host a “Bluegrass Mix-Up” night at 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host a weekly Appalachian music night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays with Nitrograss. 828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host My Brother Bear (folk/rock) May 27 and Fat Cheek Kat (funk/rock) May 28. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750.

unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. Free. 828.488.3030.

• Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (folk/rock) May 27, The Mike Rhodes Fellowship (Americana) May 28. Fireside Collective (Americana/folk) June 3 and Soldier’s Heart (Americana/rock) June 4. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Fat Cheek Kat (funk/rock) May 27, My Brother Bear (folk/rock) May 28, The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) June 3 and Viva Le Vox & Mike Farrington (swing/blues) June 4. All shows are free and begin at 9:30 p.m. www.nonamesportspub.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. June 4. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

Smoky Mountain News

• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will host Lyric (funk/pop) May 28 and Joe Lasher Jr. (country/rock) June 3. Both shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

The Red Gingham Country Store will have their grand opening May 28-30 at their location at 1880 Dellwood Road in Waynesville. Live music will be provided

by The Ross Brothers (pictured) and the J-Creek Cloggers from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday; and Gene & The Sea Notes 1 to 4 p.m. and Mile High Band 6 to 9 p.m., Monday. Barbecue by Smok’n Jayz BBQ from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on all three days. 828.944.0665.

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host a jazz evening with the Tyler Kittle & Michael Colling Duo (with special guests) every other Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. with the next performance on June 7. www.soulinfusion.com or 828.586.1717.

May 25-31, 2016

• The “Concerts on the Creek” series at Bridge Park in Sylva will host The Freeway Revival May 27 and The Bobby Sullivan Band (classic rock) June 3. Both shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlovers.com.

BBQ and bluegrass grand opening

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

Thursday at 8 p.m. 828.586.6440.

arts & entertainment

• Andrews Brewing Company will host Andrew Chastain (singer/songwriter) 6 p.m. May 27, Blue Review 7 p.m. May 28, Aly Jordan (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. June 3 and Blue Revue (Americana) 7 p.m. June 4. All shows are free. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• The “Pickin’ On The Square” concert series will continue with Sundown (oldies/Motown) on May 28 and The Johnny Webb Band (country) June 4. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. A community jam begins at 6:30 p.m. www.franklinnc.com or 828.524.2516.

• The Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Gary Allan (singer-songwriter) May 27, Nick Prestia (singer-songwriter) May 28, Dave Stewart (singer-songwriter) June 3 and The Ozone Spiders June 4.

All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

@SmokyMtnNews

29

May 25-31, 2016

arts & entertainment

On the street Cherokee bonfire opens for summer The ceremonial Cherokee bonfires will kickoff the summer season on Friday, May 27, at Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee. The bonfires run from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday from May 27 through Oct. 1.

Spend an evening with the Cherokee people by a roaring fire.

Listen as Cherokee storytellers in period dress from the 17th century spin tales of days gone by, myths and mysteries passed down through the ages and talk of the history. Learn Cherokee survival skills and experience

the dance. Your hosts will provide light refreshments, which include marshmallows for roasting and drinks. Guests sit by the fire near the Oconaluftee riverside enjoying a unique and entertaining experience.

The events are free and open to the public. www.visitcherokeenc.com.

Americana/rock act Soldier’s Heart will perform on June 4 at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City. Garret K. Woodward photo

Breaking Bread Italian dinner

Bryson City celebrates Appalachian heritage

There will be a special Italian themed evening at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the Breaking Bread Café in Bethel.

The family style seating will include: salad with house dressing, stuffed shells, chicken marsala, pasta fazooli, calamaria marinara with angel hair pasta, broccoli sauté, canola cake, with sweet or unsweet tea and coffee available.

Seating is limited to 28, with reservations required.

828.648.3838.

The 22nd annual Swain County Heritage Festival will be May 27-28 at Riverfront Park in Bryson City.

The festival will feature an array of live music, including gospel, country and bluegrass. Dozens of crafters and vendors will be on hand to sell their products, with plenty of activities for children. Friday night entertainment runs from 6 to 9 p.m., with Saturday acts from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public.

828.488.3848.

Smoky Mountain News

The “Trail Magic Ale #14” release party will be June 3-5 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City.

On Friday at 6 p.m. they will be tapping the first keg of the 14th Trail Magic Ale Release at the Tap Room. At 8 p.m. there will be a bottle swap/beer geek party in the brewery, with Fireside Collective (Americana/folk) taking the stage.

On Saturday, beginning at noon there will be a limited bottle release Trail Magic Ale bottles. A portion of the proceeds of the bottle sales will be donated to the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program via the Friends of the Smokies organization. At 8 p.m. there will also be a performance by Soldier’s Heart (Americana/rock). www.nantahalabrewing.com.

Join Cataloochee’s ‘Way Back When’ dinner The “Way Back When” trout dinner will continue at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley.

The dinner showcases a recreation meal, music, storytelling and atmosphere of a 1930s Appalachian trout camp. Enjoy a wagon ride across the ranch property amid the authentic re-creation of Mr. Tom and Miss Judy Alexander’s first fishing camp.

Cost is $39.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The dinner will also be held June 24, July 15 and 29, Aug. 12 and 26, and Sept. 2 and 16.

To RSVP, call 828.926.1401 or 800.868.1401 or www.cataloocheeranch.com.

Blue Ridge Big Band Live!

FREE ARTIST WORKSHOPS:

Saturday May 28th

NEW SPACES:

7-10

30

‘Trail Magic’ returns to Nantahala Brewing

Courses to Help Arts Businesses Thrive Digitally and IRL 10 a.m. to Noon

5/26 New

PARTY Main Street Rockin’ Block Party

Downtown Waynesville Swing Dancers • Classic Cars • Photo Booth • 828.456.3517

Places

6/2 New

Presence

6/9 New

Outlook

Gallery Submissions & Sales

Websites/Online Marketing

Galleries/ Merchandising

at Haywood County Arts Council

at Haywood Community College

at Haywood County Arts Council

Register at: haywood.edu/small-business-center/upcoming-seminars SPONSORS:

On the street

The Downtown Waynesville Association Memorial Day weekend “Block Party” will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 28, on Main Street.

Tipping Point Brewing will host The Dirty Soul Revival (rock/blues), who will play on the north end of Main Street. The Blue Ridge Big Band, an 18-member Swing Band, returns to the south end of the street. Merchants on that end invite everyone to join the Gatsby Gold party. Come see the classic cars and join the swing dancers. The 96.5 House Band will return to the center stage.

The “KIDS on MAIN” Art & Craft Hour will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Main Street closes to vehicle at 4:30 p.m. for setup. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• A “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train” will be departing at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad depot in Bryson City. The dinner features slow-cooked barbecue prepared fresh and beer tastings showcasing Nantahala Brewing Company.

The train travels to the Fontana Trestle and arrives just around sunset for a spectacular view, then arrives back to the depot at 9 p.m. The event is ages 21 and over. Tickets start at $69. Additional beer will be available for purchase onboard the train.

800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

A Great Show for a Great Cause

Saturday, June 25th 4 to 8:30 pm the Bloemsma Barn 1145 Patton Rd. Franklin

• Walk-Ins Welcome •Color •Cuts •Styles •Highlights For Tickets & More Info:

HAIR & NAILS

828.349.3200

300 N. Haywood St., Waynesville

FRANKLIN OFFICE

CULLOWHEE OFFICE

226 E. Palmer St.

4699 Little Savannah Rd.

828-452-2115

smpccpartners.com

arts & entertainment

Get down in Waynesville at the ‘Block Party’

BLUE MOON

(includes $2 Handling Fee)

FRANKLIN & JACKSON COUNTY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Adams Bluegrass, LLC Presents:

CHEROKEE

SHERRY BOYD M.C.

SOUND BY

BLUE RIDGE SOUND

BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL JUNE 2, 3 & 4, 2016

A FAMILY FESTIVAL

1553 Wolfetown Road Cherokee, NC 28719

Happy Holiday RV Village and Campground CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA “King of Bluegrass Soul”

NO AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING

Located 4 miles East of Cherokee on U.S. 19 North “2010 Country Legend of the Year”

“Queen of Bluegrass”

ALSO:

THE GIBSON BROTHERS

MIKE SNIDER

LARRY SPARKS & THE LONESOME RAMBLERS

“Grand Ole Opry”

(Thursday, 2nd)

(Saturday, 4th)

RHONDA VINCENT & THE RAGE (Friday, 3rd)

(Saturday, 4th)

GENE WATSON

May 25-31, 2016

“2012-2013 - IBMA - Entertainer of the Year”

& The Farewell Party Band (Friday, 3rd)

• The Smoky Mountain Shrine Gem’s annual yard sale will be held all day on June 3 at the Shrine Building on Church Road in Franklin. All proceeds go to the Shrine Hospital. 828.342.7535.

BALSAM RANGE

THE LITTLE ROY & LIZZY SHOW (Friday, 3rd)

(Thursday, 2nd)

(Thursday, 2nd)

(Saturday, 4th)

GOLDWING EXPRESS

LORRAINE JORDAN & CAROLINA ROAD

“Celebrating 25 Years” (Saturday, 4th)

(Saturday, 4th)

CODY SHULER &

THE SPINNEY BROTHERS

PINE MOUNTAIN RAILROAD

(Thursday, 2nd)

(Friday, 3rd)

AUDIE BLAYLOCK & REDLINE

MARTY RAYBON & FULL CIRCLE

(Thursday, 2nd)

(Friday, 3rd)

SHOWTIMES: Ticket Prices Do Not Include Camping ADVANCE: AT GATE: THURSDAY, 12 Noon ‘til 10:30 p.m. (Open Stage 11:00 a.m.)................$40.00 ..........$45.00 FRIDAY, 12 Noon ‘til 10:30 p.m. (Open Stage 11:00 a.m.)..................... $40.00 ..........$45.00 SATURDAY, 11: am ‘til 10:30 p.m. (Open Stage 10:00 a.m.)................ $40.00 ..........$45.00 3-Day Advance (Weekend Ticket Special)* ............................................. $90.00 ..........$95.00 Children Ages 7-13, $15.00 per day, ........................................ 3-days $45.00 ..........$50.00 Children Under 7 ...................................................................................FREE with Parent

*Order Tickets Online at : adamsbluegrass.com *

(Thursday, 2nd)

Tickets not mailed: processing fee on credit cards: ($3.00 per 3-day ticket, $2.00 per 1-day ticket)

FOR CAMPING RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL 828-497-9204 OR 1-877-782-2765

MUSIC RAIN OR SHINE

TENT PROVIDED LIST OF MOTELS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

www.adamsbluegrass.com

FOR TICKETS CONTACT: ADAMS BLUEGRASS, LLC P.O. Box 98 Dahlonega, GA 30533 Phone: (706) 864-7203

BIG COUNTRY BLUEGRASS (Saturday, 4th)

THE CROWE BROTHERS (Friday, 3rd)

PLEASE BRING LAWN CHAIRS NO HIGH BACK OR LOUNGE CHAIRS

...........................................................

Security Guards On Duty NO Alcoholic Beverages or Pets Allowed in Concert Area

- Strictly Enforced WE RESERVED THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ADMISSION TO ANYONE

.............................

FLATT LONESOME

HOT FOOD / CONCESSIONS

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.

May 25 and June 1 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 828.452.6000.

BAND OF RUHKS

“ IBMA - Entertainer of the Year 2014”

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

May 28 and June 4 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. May 28 and June 4 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

(Saturday, 4th)

SPBMA - 7 Time Bluegrass Gospel group of the Year CGMG - 4 Time Country Gospel Quartet of the Year

Smoky Mountain News

• There Sneak E Squirrel Brewery (Sylva) will have a kitchen takeover by gourmet Cajun Chef Kelly Theriot Bye on Saturday, May 28.

For more information, call 828.586.6440.

THE MARKSMEN

THE GRASCALS “ IBMA - Entertainer of the Year 2006-2007”

.............................

• A bingo night will run at 5:45 p.m. on Thursdays from May 26 through Sept. 1 at the Maggie Valley Pavilion. Cash prizes and concessions by Moonshine Grill. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association.

828.926.7630.

Tickets Available At The Gate During Festival

...........................................................

31

arts & entertainment

On the wall Open call for veteran portrait tribute The Macon County Art Association will honor local veterans by painting their portraits.

Submissions for candidates of the “Veterans Portrait Tribute” are due by July 4. Families interested are asked to submit a good quality clear photo and a brief biography to the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. The project culminates in a presentation ceremony and community showing of the portraits on Veteran’s Day in November.

828.349.4607 or karen@programservices.org.

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

Open call for festival interns Dozens juried artists will travel from across the country to paint the landscape and lifestyle of the Blue Ridge Mountains during the Cashiers Plein Air Festival, which runs July 9-16 at The Village Green.

The festival will select five students interested in an internship. To be considered for this unpaid position, students must be available from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

July 9-16.

During the week, the students will perform a variety of hospitality, organizational and service tasks. They will be scheduled and monitored. At the conclusion of the festival, students will receive an exit interview, letter of recommendation and this internship will provide valuable service for their resumes.

A vehicle is not a requirement; however students must have transportation to and from The Village Green each day of the festival. Interns will receive two festival shirts to wear when they are working. Students will also be provided a meal if their scheduled work overlaps with lunch or dinner.

Interested students should submit an application by June 1, and if selected will interview with the volunteer coordinator for The Village Green. Interviews can be conducted via Skype if students are not in residence.

Artists will set up their easels in various locations to paint in a variety of mediums.

Residents and visitors will have many opportunities to watch them paint as well as buy their original art. To submit an application, visit www.cashierspleinairfestival.com.

HCC crafts graduate show

The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program of the Business and Industry Department will exhibit their best work at the 2016 Graduate Show. The show is 32 going on now through Aug. 7 at the

QuickDraw at Laurel Ridge

Illustrator showcase at HART The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) welcomed Rod Whyte to the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) Rodwell Gallery. The exhibit opened in conjunction with the “Legally Blonde” show on the Performing Arts Center Main Stage. The exhibit will run through June 28.

Whyte is an illustrator, graphic artist, painter and art teacher who lives in the mountains near Mount Pisgah.

He is an art teacher at Fairview Elementary School in Fairview. He has also taught Computer Art at AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College. Whyte is an artist that looks for contrasts in life and the world around us, which he shows in his work through the use of light and color. Still very much a painter, he now utilizes technology to paint using his computer. To view his work, visit www.rodwhytedesigns.com. www.haywoodarts.org.

Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville.

This year’s show has work in clay, jewelry, fiber, metal and wood. This exhibit marks the professional debut for many exhibiting craftspeople. The college makes involvement in the installation, organization, and publicity of this exhibit part of the coursework for HCC professional crafts students.

The HCC Professional Crafts Program is a two-year commitment, focusing on all aspects of becoming an independent craft professional. In addition to sharpening their technical and artistic skill in their chosen medium, students also create a marketable line of production work, plan a studio, and become familiar with the craft market. Mandatory coursework includes photography of finished pieces for gaining entrance into craft shows, creating a business plan, and designing and building a studio tailored to fit production needs.

The Folk Art Center is open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Admission and parking are both free.

828.565.4159.

The WNC QuickDraw will be from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

The cocktail social will include an hourlong QuickDraw Challenge, silent auction and refreshments. Live artists will be working in the public eye, creating timed pieces, which will then be auctioned off.

• 4:30 p.m. — Cocktail Social. Register your bidder number and watch artists prep before the shotgun start.

• 5 to 6 p.m. — Artist Stopwatch Challenge. Hour of live creation.

Stroll and marvel at the motivated live-action artists painting to beat the clock. Stroll and chat with demonstrator artists using fiber, clay, metals, glass, wood and more, all process-intensive mediums that enable them to work and talk. Each demo artist offers a finished original work at silent auction while they showcase techniques on a piece in process.

• 6 p.m. — Breather. Snacks and conversation and live music while artists frame the pieces and set up the auction preview.

Art teachers show off student works.

• 6:30 p.m. — Live Art Auction. Bid on fresh, original art, ready to hang. Become a collector who saw the artist make

it. Team with artists to inspire students and creative classrooms, put supplies on teacher shelves, and send kids to college.

The featured item of the auction will be a South African vacation for two.

• 7:30 p.m. — Heavy Hors d'oeuvres Meet & Greet. Meet your artist over delicious food and monitor your silent auction bids.

Tickets are $60 per person. Proceeds go to art teaching in local schools. www.wncquickdraw.com.

Renowned colored pencil artist Teresa Pennington will one of the artists creating works live at the WNC QuickDraw event on June 4 in Waynesville.

New public art piece to be dedicated The Waynesville Public Art Commission will hold a dedication ceremony at noon Saturday, June 4, in front of the Old Armory building, on Boundary Street in Frog Level for the latest public art piece entitled “Waynesville – Always Ready.”

A barbecue lunch will also be served.

The public is invited to attend and donations for the lunch will be accepted.

“Waynesville – Always Ready” was sculpted by Stefan Bonitz, an artist who is Part of the public art piece by artist Stefan very familiar to citizens and visitors to Waynesville as another of his pieces, “Old Bonitz that will be dedicated on June 4 in Time Music,” has become one of the most Frog Level. Donated photo recognizable images of the town.

Bonitz is a metal sculptor who uses found objects and traditional fabrication for his large assemblages. This newest artwork was crafted as a bench to allow for a more interactive yet functional piece. With its strong ties to the military and the National Guard, the old Armory is the ideal location to allow the public to come, sit, enjoy and reflect on the dedication of those who serve.

828.452.2500.

On the wall

The Shady Ladies, a quilt group in Haywood County, will host its 13th annual show “Quilt Art By The Shady Ladies” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 3-4 and noon to 5 p.m. June 5 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center located in the Historic Hazelwood

• Learn ink drawing and zentangle fundamentals with artist Damaris Pierce from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, 11 and 18 in East Waynesville. Take one or all, $45 each.

Open to beginners and seasoned artist.

Small groups, all materials included.

Registration and information at www.artoflife.com.

ALSO:

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. May 26 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included.

828.538.2054.

• The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Supplies are provided, or bring your own. Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 828.524.3600.

• After-School Art Adventure will be on from

• “Stitch,” the community gathering of those interested in crochet, knit and needlepoint, meet at 2:30 p.m. every first Sunday of the month at the Canton Public Library. All ages and skill levels welcome. www.haywoodlibrary.org.

• The film “Brooklyn” will be screened the May 25-29 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Show times are 7 p.m. on weekdays, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sundays. There will be a free screening of “The Lion King” at noon and 2 p.m. May 28 and June 4. For more information or to purchase tickets, click on www.38main.com.

• The films “How To Be Single” (May 26), “Zoolander 2” (May 27) and “The Finest Hours” (May 28) at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Fridays; and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Saturdays. All screenings are free. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

• The “Movies on Everett” summer film series will screen “The Lego Movie” on June 3 and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” June 10. All films are free and start at 8:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

• The Spring Into Summer Craft & Art Show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 27 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 28 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. Over 25 local crafters. Free admission and parking.

Donations of Friskies or 9 lives cat food will be accepted for the Catman2 No Kill Shelter. www.franklin-chamber.com or 828.349.4324.

3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Bascom in Highlands. For ages 5 to 10, Art Adventure is a class that explores the creative process of drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, sculpture, fiber art, and crafts by utilizing a variety of media. The students will investigate some of the most popular techniques and theories in art history and will be exposed to contemporary as well as folk art traditions. Tuition is $40 for a fourclass package. www.thebascom.org.

May 25-31, 2016

• The Macon County Senior Center’s watercolor class will have works on display during the month of June at the Macon County Public Library. There will be an artist reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the library. reesaboyce@gmail.com.

arts & entertainment

Shady Ladies quilt show comes to Waynesville

School in Waynesville.

The newly renovated gymnasium will be filled with over 100 quilts. Many quilts will be for sale and the boutique will feature quilting-related items made and provided by the members.

The highlight of the show will be a special exhibit “The Barns of Haywood County.” As an artistic tribute to the rural heritage of Haywood County, each Shady Lady has created an 18-inch square fabric depiction of a barn of her choice. Visitors to the show will recognize many beloved Haywood County structures such as the Shelton House Barn, the Cataloochee Ranch horse barn and all three historic barns in Cataloochee Valley.

Proceeds from the $5 per person admission will be donated to Folkmoot. In addition, each year the Shady Ladies combine their talents to create a quilt to raffle off at the show. This year raffle ticket proceeds will be given to Broyhill Children's Home and Hospice of Haywood. www.folkmootusa.org.

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On the wall

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34

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This is the centennial year for the National The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina Park Service. In 1916, President Woodrow University is presenting an exhibition of images of the Great Smoky Mountains that in Wilson signed the act creating a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior to turn helped inspire the creation of the maintain parks and monuments. In celebranation’s most visited national park. tion of that milestone, the National Park Through June 30, the museum will disService has launched an initiative to promote play “Vision and Vistas: Great Smoky community connections to public lands, natuMountains,� with collected photos from the pre-park period by a veritable who’s-who of early 20th-century regional photographers, such as professionals like George Masa, Jim Thompson and George Grant, and accomplished amateurs like Herbert Pelton and Nace Brock. Pencil drawings by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees Irving Fromer, J.D. Chaffin and Alan Youngblood also are Images from legendary photographer George Masa will be on display on display. at WCU through June 30. George Masa photo Great Smoky Mountains National ral resources and cultural heritage.

Park was established in 1934 and formally The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt weekdays, with extended hours on Thursdays in 1940. The 530,000-acre park is located in to 7 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Western North Carolina and eastern fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or Tennessee, receiving as many as 10 million 828.227.3591. visitors annually.

Haywood Arts Council seeks pieces This July, the Haywood County Arts Council invites its artist members to participate in its annual Artist Member Show. The show is a celebration of our community of artists, allowing them to share their great work at the height of the summer season. It will be a show filled with variety, including local painters, potters, jewelers, and much more. The show will run from July 1-30.

To participate, member artists should pick out two to three pieces of work that they would like to feature in the show. Then, download a show contract/inventory sheet from the Haywood County Arts Council website or pick one up from HCAC Gallery & Gifts. Email completed forms to gallery@haywoodarts.org or mail to P.O. Box 306, Waynesville, North Carolina 28786. The actual number of pieces shown per artist may vary, depending on space and number of participants.

If you are not current member but still want to participate, there’s still time to join.

For a $40 annual fee, artists get all the benefits of membership: participation in the member show, an artist page on the HCAC

website, first calls for work to artists, and more. Artist membership information can be found on the website. www.haywoodarts.org.

Cherokee showcases gourd crafts

Gourd artists from around the world will again be 'gathering' at the annual Gourd Artists Gathering & Art Festival June 2-5 at Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds.

Throughout the weekend, hundreds of gourd artists will be participating in dozens of scheduled workshops, demonstrations, mini-workshops, presentations and Q&A sessions. Gourd art Instructors and nationally acclaimed artists from around the country have teamed up to provide a wide variety of techniques from their areas of expertise.

In addition to a variety of finished gourd art for sale, many art and craft supply vendors will be on hand with a variety of tools, books, patterns, accessories and other supplies which are used in many art forms, and not only gourd art.

The festival is free and open to the public.

410.392.0003.

On the stage

Unto These Hills opens its 2016 season on May 28.

The Unto These Hills outdoor drama will run at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday from May 28 to Aug. 13 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee.

The acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world.

General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 5. Reserved tickets also available.

866.554.4557 or www.visitcherokenc.com.

To make reservations, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit www.harttheatre.org.

The summer kicks off with the Broadway musical smash “Legally Blonde the Musical” at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The production is based on the popular 2001 film that made a star of Reese fWitherspoon as the quintessential sorority girl Elle Woods. She enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. Woods discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke fWyndham in a murder trial. Throughout the show no one has faith in Woods, but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. May 2728 and June 2-4, 9-11, and also at 2 p.m. and May 29 and June 5,12. Special discount tickets are available for the Thursday performances and special discount tickets are also available for all performances for students.

Show to benefit local missions “Ms. Patti’s Entertainment Tonight” production will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Patti McClure is putting together a variety show to support local missions. A host of talented entertainers are scheduled to participate, including Blue Ridge, Susan Pons, Scotty and Nikki Corbin, Grady, Mark and Ren Corbin, David Beam, Brandon Scruggs, Ed Hill, Jay Baird and Limited Distance, Teddy Burnett, Shawn Burrows, H2O Cloggers, Mountain Voices, Arphea Brimmer, Ilana Lubitsch and David Moffitt, and Rhonda and Luke Bateman.

Tickets are $10. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

HART receives grant The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre was awarded $5,000 to support a new youth drama program at the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House. The grant was awarded by The Fund for Haywood County and the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund. The Medford Fund supports beautification, streetscape improvements and other public amenities in Waynesville.

“We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to help address a diverse set of needs and opportunities in Haywood County, from cultural and natural resources to recreation and people in need,” said George Ivey, chair of the Advisory Board of The Fund for Haywood County. “We remain forever grateful to our past and present donors, whose gifts make our growing grant program possible.”

The Fund for Haywood Country, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, is a permanently endowed fund to meet local needs. Taxdeductible gifts are added to the principal, which is preserved and invested. The returns are used to make grants to support nonprofits in Haywood County. Since 1994, The Fund for Haywood County, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded 99 grants totaling $859,243.

To make a tax-deductible donation to The Fund for Haywood County or the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund, visit www.fundforhaywoodcounty.org or mail to The Fund for Haywood County, P.O. Box 627, Waynesville, North Carolina, 28786.

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit serving eighteen counties in Western North Carolina. www.cfwnc.org.

35

Smoky Mountain News

HART presents ‘Legally Blonde’

May 25-31, 2016

Unto These Hills opens for summer

Western Carolina University has a new free outreach program called WCU Road Works that will present theatrical, music, film and visual arts events to organizations and communities throughout the region.

“To host, all anyone needs is a place for us to perform and to promote the event in their community or with their membership,” said George Brown, dean of WCU’s College of Fine and Performing Arts and director of the program.

This summer, the first offering will be a family-friendly production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged and Revised,” a parody of the Bard known for comically shortened scenes, pop culture references and occasional audience participation.

The production is completely self-contained and available to be performed either indoors or outdoors, Brown said.

Performances can be scheduled any afternoon or evening on unscheduled weekdays in June.

“WCU Road Works is an exciting way to share with communities across our region the great talents of our student artists,” Brown said. “It also serves as another example of Western Carolina University being a dynamic part of Western North Carolina, as well as to promote the College of Fine and Performing Arts and our upcoming performance season.”

Brown said “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged and Revised” features three student actors — Sarina Montgomery in the role of Daniel, Sarah Luckadoo as Jess, and Libby Rounds as Adam — for an “irreverent, fast-paced romp through all of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.”

Any interested community or organization that wants to book a production should select a date and contact the College of Fine and Performing Arts at 828.227.7028 to receive a confirmation sheet to detail information about the performance site. Once confirmed, the group will receive additional support materials to help with marketing of the event.

The show will be presented live at 6:30 p.m. June 2-3 on the University Center lawn at Western Carolina University. The event is free and open to the public. www.wcu.edu.

arts & entertainment

Shakespeare program available to organizations, communities

Books Data shows that we are becoming more religious I 36

Smoky Mountain News

Jeff Minick

n recent years, we have seen a stream of books and authors promoting atheism.

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; comedic columnist Dave Barry; J.G. Ballard author of numerous works of science fiction; the Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci; John Fowles, author of The French Lieutenant’s Woman; Christopher Hitchens, renowned columnist and author of God Is Not Great: these are only a few of the late 20th century writers who have spoken or written of their disbeWriter lief in a god. These writers, and many millions of others, including your reviewer, assumed that societies around the globe were becoming more secular and less religious.

Baylor University Professor and writer Rodney Stark disagrees.

In The Triumph Of Faith: Why The World Is More Religious Than Ever (ISI Books, 2015, 260 pages, $24.95), Stark examines the state of religion around the world. Stark looks not just at Christianity, which is expanding rapidly in place like sub-Sahara Africa and China, but also at Islam, Hinduism, and the other major world religions. Using data and statistics from dozens of sources, Stark demonstrates to readers that a belief in some sort of god and commitment to religious practices is not shrinking. On the contrary, faith in some sort of power outside themselves is expanding among human beings around the planet. “The deeper one digs into the data,” Stark writes, “the clearer it becomes: the popular notion of an increasingly secularized world is not merely wrong but actually the opposite of what has been taking place.”

Using that data, statistics collected by a variety of groups, The Triumph Of Faith examines the growth of religious faith around the globe, ranging from Turkey to Japan, from the United States to China. Unlike many others who have addressed the decline of organ-

ago. He shows readers why sub-Saharan Africa is swinging heavily toward Christianity and why certain countries in Latin America have more devotedly embraced their traditional Catholic faith.

One fascinating chapter — The “Unchurched” Japanese — particularly drew my attention.

Previous investigation had convinced me that Japan was, as Stark puts it, a “post-religious society,” yet The Triumph Of Faith reveals that the Japanese hold to both Shintoism — “the way of the gods” — and Buddhism. Few of them claim membership in an organized religion, yet the vast majority of Japanese “use” Shintoism to ask blessings from the gods, to remember their dead, and to pay homage to their ancestors.

Stark concludes his chapter on the Japanese by citing statistics wellknown to all familiar with today’s Japanese culture: the high suicide rates, the low birth rates, the aversion even to sex among large numbers of Japanese. He concludes his picture of the Japanese with uncharacteristic criticism regarding religious influence when he states that the highly individualistic systems of Japanese The Triumph Of Faith: Why The World Is More Religious Than Buddhism and Shintoism Ever by Rodney Stark. ISI Books, 2015. 260 pages. “… offer no social support against loneliness and but who nevertheless belief in a higher power. despondency.”

Stark is an academic — among other He reveals that “Agnostic” Europe is a myth. accomplishments, he serves as Distinguished He digs into the fervency of Muslims regardProfessor of the Social Sciences at Baylor — ing their faith compared to 60 and 70 years ized religion, a decline that is real in some mainline American Protestant churches, Stark includes the “unchurched” in his study, those who don’t formally belong to a religious body

City Lights holds writer open mic Carden to spin Appalachian yarns The NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network will host an open mic night at 7 p.m. Friday, May 27, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Folks are encouraged to bring their poetry or short pieces to share. The North Carolina Writers' Network connects, promotes, and serves the writers of this state. They provide education in the craft and business of writing, opportunities for recognition and critique of literary work, resources for writers at all stages of development, support for and advocacy of the literary heritage of North Carolina, and a community for those who write. www.citylightsnc.com or 828.586.9499.

Storyteller, playwright, author and artist Gary Carden will host “An Evening of Stories” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at the Swain County Genealogical & Historical Society Library in Bryson City.

Carden is an award-winning Appalachian author, playwright and folklorist. He was written several books, including the Appalachian Bestiary, which details some of the creatures featured in Appalachian lore, and Outlander, which tells the story of Horace Kephart.

In recent years, Carden also received the North Carolina Award for Literature, the state’s highest honor, for his body of work, which includes poetry, short stories and plays.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

but his prose and his citations are eminently readable. Like How The West Won, Stark’s myth-busting account of the development of Western ideas reviewed last year in The Smoky Mountain News, The Triumph of Faith challenges much of what we accept as true regarding religious faith, not through polemics but through careful diagnosis. It is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the place of religion in today’s world.

On a lighter note, Michael P. Foley’s Drinking With The Saints: The Sinner’s Guide To A Holy Happy Hour (Regnery Publishing, 2015, 487 pages, $29.99) gives us reason to seek both the Holy Spirit and holy spirits.

Here is a book that serves several levels of “spirituality,” ranging from brief and often humorous histories of the saints to several hundred drink recipes. Drinking With The Saints is aimed at both the pure of heart and the delight of the spirit — or spirits.

Take the entry for June 4 as an example.

This is the feast day of St. Francis Caracciolo, a holy man unfamiliar to me. Saint Francis C. battled a rare skin disease as a young man, and was renowned for preforming lowly duties “such as sweeping floors and washing dishes.” For this saint, Foley urges us to raise a glass of a brandy cocktail called “Lizard Skin.”

He also directs us toward wine from the province of Chieti, where St. Francis Caracciolo lived.

Though clearly aimed at Catholics, Drinking With The Saints should appeal to anyone who enjoys cocktails, wine, beer, or history. Foley clearly is a master of mixology, ranging, for example, in just a few pages from the taste of wine from Italy’s Veneto region to a brief history of Drambuie, from various cocktail concoctions to quotations from Shakespeare and the Old Testament. In addition to these attractions, Drinking With The Saints is handsomely bound and contains hundreds of illustrations, and Foley’s wit, crisp as a properly made martini, provides continual amusement.

Three cheers for both these books.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. He can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.)

• The Sylva Friends of the Library annual meeting will be at 5 p.m. June 2 at the home of Polly Davis.

President Patricia Cowan will pass the gavel to Allison Tomas during the short election. Bring your spouse and a dish, if you’d like. 910.476.2544 or pollybdavis@yahoo.com.

ALSO:

• Western North Carolina writer Monica Collier just released her new book, Unbecoming, a military romance fiction. There will be a party for the new book from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Books Unlimited in Franklin. www.monicacollier.com.

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A strained relationship Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t’s been three years since a vigorous debate about charging for backcountry camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ended with the park’s decision to charge backpackers a $4 fee, but for the fee’s most stalwart opponents, the issue isn’t yet in the rearview mirror.

Southern Forest Watch, a group that formed expressly to fight the fee, filed suit against the National Park Service soon after the fee was approved in February 2013. The public had overwhelmingly decried the proposal, SFW said, arguing that the park hadn’t followed correct procedure when approving it and contending that the assertion that the existing backcountry system was inadequate, crowded and causing complaints — necessitating the fee — was unfounded.

The courts didn’t agree, ruling against SFW in 2015 and again in March of this year when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit gave its decision on the group’s appeal.

SFW is now waiting on a response to the last card yet to play in the legal battle — a request that the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit decide the appeal case as opposed to the three judges who delivered the March 23 decision.

“After the Sixth Circuit denies this motion, I expect this entire legal battle will be finished. Kaput,” wrote Myers Morton, SFW’s attorney. “An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court will probably be prohibitively expensive and a waste of time to boot.”

(below) Backcountry camping is a popular pastime in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Micah McClure photo (right) Hikers ascend the trail at Andrews Bald. Warren Bielenberg photo

I

SOMETHING NEFARIOUS? But skepticism on the part of fee opponents is anything but kaput. They’re convinced that there were some shady dealings behind the Park Service’s initial approval of the fee — many people voiced opposition to it — and that the Park Service is now slanting the story on backcountry visitation.

For Mark Cooke, a frequent Smokies backpacker who lives near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, that skepticism resulted in a yearlong project to audit the park’s statistics on backcountry visitation.

“We started seeing that the numbers didn’t match up,” he said. “I’d go in on a beautiful day. It (the reservation website) would say there was supposed to be 12 (campers) and there were only three of us, our three. The other nine wouldn’t even be there.”

At the same time, Cooke saw the park’s reported backcountry usage rise considerably after the fee, set at $4 per night, per person, went into effect. Along with the fee, the park had instituted an online reservation system, giving each backcountry campsite a set capacity. In 2012, before the fee, the park reported 75,791 overnight stays in the backcountry. The number was 74,510 in 2011 and 72,244 in 2010. By contrast, once the fee was instituted overnight stays went up to 77,422 in 2013 — a year which included a 16-day government shutdown during peak season — and continued rising to 86,153 in 2014 and 97,629 in 2015.

“For them (the National Park Service) to say that we start charging and it increased our backcountry activity, I have a hard time with that,” Cooke said.

So, in January 2015 Cooke established a new nighttime routine for himself. Before going to bed each night, he checked the backcountry reservation website — going campsite by campsite, all 104 of them — and tallied how many spots had been reserved for

the night. With few exceptions, he’d make his counts between 11:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., after most people had made their reservations but before the system flipped over to the next day at 2 a.m.

After a full year of doing this, Cooke arrived at a discrepancy.

“For the 2015 calendar year the NPS says that there were 97,629 backcountry campers,” he wrote in an explanation of the data.

“According to my count there were 84,256.

That is 13,373 less than what they have published. That is 13.7 percent less than what they are reporting.”

To Cooke, the conclusion is clear.

“I think absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt, these numbers are being manipulated for their (the NPS’) benefit,” he said.

“I think there’s something nefarious, yes,” agreed Jim Casada, a Swain County native who resides in South Carolina and is SFW’s executive director. “I think there’s a lot of nefariousness on an ongoing basis.”

EATING AND SLEEPING NUMBERS Like with most topics involving park management, the storyline told by folks like Cooke and Casada differs greatly from that related by park personnel.

“We’re not making up data,” said Christine Hoyer, backcountry specialist for the park. “We’re taking in the money that we say we’re taking. We’re using it for the purposes that we said we’d use it for and we’re doing really great things in the backcountry with it.”

In 2015, the park took in $386,442 from backcountry permits. Of the 97,629 camper nights recorded, 17,145 came from Appalachian Trail thru-hikers — park statistics assume that each hiker takes five nights to get through the park. The math shows that these reported numbers roughly line up with the park’s fee intake — at $20 per permit for A.T. hikers (a number reached by dividing the total number of thru-hiker nights by five) and $4 per permit for other hikers, you could estimate that the park would

OBSERVATIONS ON THE GROUND

“If I had done all the nefarious things that I was accused of doing as a manager in the National Park Service, there would be no question where I’d be going when I died. I have no incentive to do those things.”

— Kevin FitzGerald, retired deputy superintendent

In fact, their second choice site didn’t have enough spaces left for a third person who’d been considering coming along. But when they showed up for the night, only four people total wound up sleeping at the site, which had a capacity of either eight or 12 people — McCarthy couldn’t remember for sure.

But while Cooke and Casada say that’s evidence of the Park Service’s tampering with the system, McCarthy attributes it to circumstance and changes in plans.

“I think it’s all full because people book it and then they change their minds and don’t do the process of going back and canceling,” she said — kind of like when you make a reservation at two restaurants but don’t can-

APPLES TO ORANGES The new system results in different overall use numbers than the previous one did.

The numbers not only capture people who will actually camp where they said they’d planned to camp, but also those who started planning a trip and lost interest, or who were all ready to go but got deterred by rain, or who started out as planned but then met some challenge that caused them to change course.

It’s true that the park’s counts of overnights in the backcountry are substantially higher than the numbers before the fee and reservation system were instituted. The figures increased 13.7 percent from 2012 to 2014, and 28.5 percent from 2012 to 2015.

Smoky Mountain News

A smaller number of people hike the trail from north to south each year, hitting the Smokies in late summer or early fall, outside of the timeframe during which the park anticipates space for thru-hikers. Other people do section hikes, not attempting the whole trail in one season but embarking on a large enough chunk to meet the park’s definition of “thru-hiker” — a person who starts and ends their hike at least 50 miles outside park boundaries.

After seeing Cooke’s calculated discrepancy, Hoyer said, “I’ve been eating, sleeping and dreaming these numbers.” At the end of the exercise, she said, “I sit here in my office even more confident in the calculations of our numbers.”

May 25-31, 2016

It’s difficult to say exactly how many thru-hikers reach a given benchmark on the trail in a particular year, as they’re not required to sign in or register anywhere. But undoubtedly more than 998 people hike through the Smokies each season. According to Morgan Sommerville, regional director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, about 3,000 people attempted a northbound hike in 2015, with the number estimated at around 3,900 for 2016. About half of those hikers make the halfway point in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, each year, so it’s safe to assume that well over 1,000 northbound thru-hikers walked through the Smokies in 2015.

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have collected $390,396 in fees. While slightly off from the actual collections, the rough math doesn’t take into account factors such as administrative permits — permits issued to park personnel who use sites for work purposes and don’t pay a fee.

Similarly, Hoyer said, there are reasons why Cooke’s numbers, no matter how carefully he catalogued them, would not match park records.

Thru-hikers permits, she said, are the biggest piece of that. While most people camping in the Smokies backcountry have to reserve a spot at a specific site, thru-hikers apply for a different permit, a $20 purchase that entitles them to camp at any shelter along the Appalachian Trail’s path through the Smokies for up to seven nights. Going through the site-specific reservations for the 104 sites listed, Hoyer said, Cooke couldn’t have captured those numbers.

Plugging the thru-hiker permits in nearly erases the discrepancy. Cooke recorded 13,373 fewer camper nights in 2015 than the National Park Service reported, but according to Hoyer that year contained 17,136 thru-hiker nights. That is to say, the unaccounted thru-hiker nights plug the gap.

But Cooke did not ignore the presence of thru-hikers in his calculations. His numbers include the four spots per campsite per night that the Park Service sets aside for thru-hikers during the height of the northbound hiking season. During that timeframe, extending from partway through February to the end of May, those spots are assumed to be taken by a thru-hiker and not reservable online.

The allocation Cooke incorporated into his data allows for a total of 4,992 thru-hiker nights over the 96-day thru-hiker season.

Divide it by the typical five nights per hiker to complete the mountainous 71-mile stretch, and that’s 998 hikers.

In addition to his data collection issues, Cooke’s skepticism of the Park Service’s numbers also has to do with anecdotal experience.

Though he lives in Kentucky, Cooke makes it to the Smokies 10 to 15 times in any given year, mostly to camp in the backcountry. He’s been doing that for 40 years. Since the new reservation system came online, simultaneously with the fee being instituted, Cooke has noticed a disconnect between the number of sites listed as available online and the actual traffic upon arrival.

“There have been many reports and discussions on how hikers note certain numbers do not match up in the backcountry,” Cooke wrote. “The permit site shows one thing and when they get to the campsite/shelter it is much less.”

For example, he said, on a five-day hike his nephew took along the Appalachian Trail during a string of “perfect weather” days in October, the reservation site said that a total of 40 permits had been granted for the shelters where his nephew stayed each night. Of those 40 permitholders, 21 never showed.

“It just validated what we’d been seeing,” Cooke said of the observation, “and we’d been seeing it over and over and over again.”

People associated with Southern Forest Watch aren’t the only ones who have observed a discrepancy between reservations listed on the website and actual occupancy.

Sharon McCarthy, a Charlotte resident who’s hiked all 900 miles of trail in the Smokies as well as the entire Mountains-toSea Trail, said she’d observed the same thing on a Memorial Day Weekend hike she planned after the new reservation system went into effect.

“We were not able to get the site that we wanted, which in the past wouldn’t have been a problem, so we did change the plan that we made and stayed at a different site,” she said.

cel either one. Four dollars isn’t a lot of money to most people, McCarthy reasoned, so changing plans at the last minute might seem like a low-stakes decision — especially if the weather is iffy.

“When you get over 100 inches of precipitation a year, I’m pretty sure that if you’re out on a three- or four-day trip, you’re going to get rained on at least once,” agreed Kevin FitzGerald, retired deputy superintendent at the park who lives in Waynesville. “Not everyone wants to camp in the rain.”

Then there are the injuries, the overestimated capabilities, the unforeseen circumstances that can happen in the backcountry, keeping hikers from making it to the site where they’d anticipated staying.

“You’ll have shelters that there’s twice the number of people camping there than actually have a reservation,” FitzGerald said.

“That was happening long before the permit system that the park came up with came into effect because people overestimate their capacity, they run into weather, they get injured, they get sick, they get all those things that kept them from making their appointed rounds from site to site.

Overestimating their capacity is more than often the reason.”

Sure, Cooke said, but it seems like it happens a lot.

“It’s hard to imagine with over 20 documented hikes that there are that many hikers paying to stay, and then not showing up,” Cooke wrote. “No shows are very commonplace with this new reservation system.”

Before the online reservation system, backcountry sites in the park — except for a select few, which did require a reservation — were open to whomever, no reservation needed. A backpacker pulling up a trailhead would be greeted with a sign requesting him or her to fill out a permit and drop a piece of it in a nearby box. There was no way for the hiker to know whether the 12-person site they were headed toward would have 20 people bedding down or none at all.

The new system aims to correct that issue, a goal it accomplishes. Though based on observations from hikers like McCarthy and Cooke, it seems that it might be erring on the other side of the spectrum, with noshows taking up slots that are then not able to be reserved by more gung-ho hikers.

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That sudden rise has had the folks at Southern Forest Watch crying foul. In what world, they asked, would it make sense for use of a previously free resource to increase once a fee was placed on it?

For one thing, Hoyer pointed out, overall park visitation has also increased over the same time period, rising from 9 million in 2011 to 10.1 million in 2015.

And more importantly, she said, comparing pre- and post-2013 backcountry use levels is basically comparing apples to oranges.

“We don’t think there was an actual true increase in use per say between 2012 and 2013,” Hoyer said, “and we try not to compare those because, again, we’re tracking it differently now.”

Before the online reservation system came into play, park staff calculated visitation numbers by pulling the paper permits dropped off at trailheads throughout the park and counting them up. That count captured only the people who actually showed up at a trailhead and filled out a permit, not those who’d been planning a trip and changed their minds at the last minute, and not those who set out to hike but for whatever reason just didn’t fill out a piece of paper.

And even the counting itself didn’t always happen regularly or thoroughly.

Between 1994 and 2014, the backcountry visitation counts entered online were estimates, not the actual numbers — after taking her current job as backcountry specialist, Hoyer had the paper permits gathered up and the online counts trued. The month-bymonth counts online are impossible to change at this point, but the year-to-date reports now have the correct information.

FitzGerald also noted an issue with the record-keeping during his tenure at the park, in an email dated July 26, 2011, pointing out that the backcountry camping numbers for 2011 and 2010 were identical.

“Naturally, this is cause for concern with several of us in that the proposal (to charge backcountry camping fees) is based upon known and anticipated use figures,” FitzGerald wrote. “Are these numbers accurate?”

Cooke sees that exchange as proof that the Park Service had known of its numbers’ inaccuracy, purposely founding its policies on faulty information.

But when asked about it, FitzGerald shrugged the email off.

“When you have humans involved, you have human error,” he said. “There was no conspiracy.”

Before the online reservation system came on board, dispatch was responsible for counting the permits. In between, that is, answering emergency calls and coordinating with search and rescue crews and running license plate numbers and everything else.

In this particular case, he said, the paper permits got misplaced somehow, and at the time the employees didn’t know a fee was being considered — because no funding hinged on the numbers, they seemed a lowlevel concern. Visitation levels between 2010 and 2011 weren’t that different, so they just 40 plugged in the same numbers.

Wildflowers make the backcountry colorful in the springtime. Warren Bielenberg photo if we charge more, more people will come,” Cooke said. “That’s hard for me to fathom.”

FitzGerald said he’d have a hard time believing anything of the sort is going on. A national park is the public’s property, as are the paper records of its employees. Park Service employees who try to pull a fast one thinking no one will know typically find themselves in for a rude awakening.

“Well guess what, there are no secrets,” FitzGerald said.

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

A BEDROCK OF MISTRUST

Thru-hikers team up to wash their dishes along the Appalachian Trail’s route through the Smokies.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy photo

WHAT’S THE MOTIVATION? When confronted with Cooke’s tabulations and charges that the Park Service has been fiddling with the data, FitzGerald has just one question: Why? What motivation would the Park Service have to do something like that?

“If I had done all the nefarious things that I was accused of doing as a manager in the National Park Service, there would be no question where I’d be going when I died,” FitzGerald said. “I have no incentive to do those things.”

Cooke has a few ideas about incentive.

“I think they’re doing it because they want to prove a point,” he said.

For a park that’s completely free to use, the backcountry fee proposal created quite an uproar when announced, during public hearings and after the decision was made to adopt it. Cooke believes that proving the fee was successful — that is, that it didn’t exclude people from participation — would be incentive to inflate the numbers.

“If you have to pay and the numbers go up then eventually they will charge more because there’s a precedence there that says

It may be that the park has reasonable explanations for why Cooke’s numbers don’t match park records. And the discrepancy between the number of people who reserve campsites online and the amount that actually show up in the backcountry might just be natural attrition. And FitzGerald’s assessment — that there’s just no incentive for Park Service employees to skew the numbers and mislead the public in the manner charged — may be true.

But it’s undeniable that there’s a longstanding bedrock of mistrust between parkside communities and the federal government.

“I was born in ’46, so I came along a few years after the park established,” said David Monteith, a Swain County commissioner and native of the county. “In the 30s, when the first park came in, my dad lived on Bear Creek right at the falls. My dad was just a little boy, but they disrupted him and they had to move.”

The family moved 6 miles downriver to re-establish a homestead and build a grocery store. But then the newly formed Great Smoky Mountains National Park expanded, and in 1943 the federal government came knocking once again, forcing the family to leave their business behind and move again.

Around the same time, the Tennessee Valley Authority was formed and began moving families out

Cash, who took on the superintendent’s job in February 2015, says it’s a priority to change that sentiment. to change that feeling.

“The park is comprised of the land from two states, but together, we are one great park,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to listen and work together in hopes of chipping away at this perception.”

Michael Skinner holds a red-tailed hawk. Donated photo outdoors

of the Fontana area so they could dam the river, creating electricity.

“They told the people that they had to move out. We want it for a war effort. We want to end World War II. We want to bring your husbands, your family home and end this war. Don’t you want to be part of that?” Monteith said, reciting the pitch made to families living there.

The promise was that the region

THE ROAD FORWARD A STRAINED be easy to harbor suspicion RELATIONSHIP whenIt can it comes to a large organization

See birds of prey up close An up-close glimpse of creatures such as the Eastern screech owl and Northern bald eagle will show birds of prey in their full glory at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 26, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Michael Skinner, executive director of the Balsam Mountain Trust, will give his hour-long “Birds of Prey” program, educating visitors about the birds and letting them

witness their beauty first-hand.

Balsam Mountain Trust is a Jackson County nonprofit within the Balsam Mountain Preserve development. The Trust aims to steward the natural and cultural resources of the region through land management, research and education.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is on U.S. 441, 2 miles north of Cherokee.

828.497.1904.

Start summer under the stars A family campout will kick off summer in Jackson County June 11-12 at the county-run Ralph J. Andrews Campground.

The event will start up with check-in at 3 p.m. June 11, with an evening full of games, stargazing, a hike and campfire with s’mores — and perhaps some sleep — until check-out at 10 a.m. June 12. $10 per family, with $2 per person for groups larger than five. Fee includes campsite, dinner, breakfast, snacks and any equipment needed. Organized by Jackson County Parks and Recreation.

RSVP required at Jackson’s county recreation centers, 828.293.3053 or 828.631.2020.

See the birds A hike in search of Western North Carolina’s migrant songbirds will traverse the Ivestor Gap Trail on Saturday, June 4, searching for the species who spend summer in the high elevations.

The group will meet at 8:30 a.m. to begin the 3-mile hike, concluding around 12:30 p.m. John Parris, fish and wildlife management technology instructor at Haywood Community College, will lead the hike alongside leaders of Haywood Waterways Association.

Free for HWA members and $5 for nonmembers. The event is part of HWA’s “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation activities designed to raise awareness of Haywood’s natural beauty.

Space is limited. RSVP by June 1 to Christine O’Brien, christine.haywoodwater-

ways@gmail.com 828.476.4667. The Ivestor Gap Trail is accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway, on the HaywoodTransylvania county line. www.haywoodwaterways.org.

Bird the plateau

Smoky Mountain News

like the National Park Service, especially amid the my-land-my-rules culture of Western North Carolina. But FitzGerald maintains that Park Service employees, by and large, are hardworking people trying to do the right thing.

“My experience has been that the vast majority of people that I worked with all around the country in this agency — the Park Service — are hardworking, dedicated, passionate, honest and truly public servants who do what they do not because of the money,” FitzGerald said.

“They do it — we did it — because we cared about the mission of the Park Service.”

At the same time, FitzGerald said, the to do list can grow miles longer than what it’s actually feasible to accomplish.

And when dealing with people who already suspect they’re getting the short end of the stick, the reality that time is short can exacerbate the relationship.

“You’ve only got so many hours in a day,” FitzGerald said. “I used to describe my job as being a mile wide and an inch deep. That’s how far you can delve into each issue that comes across your desk or your computer or your phone on a given day. It’s a challenge to meet all of those expectations on a daily basis.”

Compared to other National Park units of comparable size, the Smokies have less funding to work with due to the fact that the park can’t charge an entrance fee. If it could charge visitors to enter, its budget would grow by tens of millions of dollars — but as of now, the park runs mainly on a yearly federal allocation of $18 to $19 million, give or take.

Staff can be spread thin.

Casada doesn’t disagree that the Smokies’ workforce is full of good people working hard to do their job the best they can. But he also believes that goodwill peters out the higher up the pyramid you go.

“I have and have had some wonderful friends pretty much over all my life who are park personnel, but in the upper echelons I don’t trust them,” Casada said.

Going forward, Cash hopes to reverse that perception.

“I’m proud of some of the things we’ve recently been able to accomplish together such as our Visitor Center partnership in Bryson City,” Cash said. “I believe that our best ideas in taking care of the park will come from working together.”

May 25-31, 2016

would get electricity, the North Shore Road would be rebuilt once flooded for the dam project and the war effort would get a boost. But Swain County families didn’t wind up getting electricity from the dam. And 75 years later, the North Shore Road has not been rebuilt and the federal government has forked over only $12.8 million of the $52 million it promised Swain County in exchange for reneging on the road project.

“That’s why the people mistrust the park is because of what took place,” Monteith said.

In the present day, Monteith still finds plenty of fault with the Park Service. He feels that grass isn’t kept mowed in the Swain County portion of the park like it is elsewhere. Trails aren’t taken care of as well and historical structures like cabins and copper mines aren’t celebrated like they would be if they were located elsewhere in the park.

“They’re just not managing the park here like they do other places in the park,” he said. “That’s another reason the people get upset. Because the park is not treating Swain County fairly.”

FitzGerald doesn’t deny that a portion of the parkside population tends to be pretty unhappy with park management. But from his perspective, having worked at National Park units across the country in addition to his time in the Smokies, the overall sentiment is more positive than someone like Monteith might give credit for.

“If you were to go and talk to people from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Maryville — even the relationship in Haywood County during the time I was there and still today — I think it’s pretty good,” FitzGerald said. “When you think about the number of descendents who are in Haywood County, who came out of Cataloochee years ago, the potential for animosity for that is pretty great … There’s a general appreciation for this park that is not felt in a lot of other places.”

Still, said current Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash, the relationship certainly has it challenges.

Especially in North Carolina.

“We have a past that includes many hard stories,” he said, “and there has been a lingering perception that North Carolina communities are less important to park management than those in Tennessee.”

A chance to go birding with an expert will be offered at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 4, at the Highlands Biological Station.

Barbara Ballentine, an ornithologist at Western Carolina University, will lead the outing. She’s also involved with the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society’s nest box project to monitor how area birds respond to bird boxes of various hole sizes.

Free, with loaner binoculars available.

Meet at Founders Park in Highlands.

Organized by the HPAS. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org or 828.526.1939.

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outdoors

Help make Big Bear beautiful Big Bear Park in Franklin will get a facelift with a “spring cleaning day” 8 a.m. to noon Friday, June 3.

Volunteers are wanted to help reclaim the landscaping along the park’s interface with Main Street, and all are invited to bring some gloves, tools and join in on the weed pulling and trimming.

Organized by Friends of the Greenway.

Meet at Big Bear Shelter. 828.369.8488.

Cashiers gets second farmer market

May 25-31, 2016

A new farmers market will launch in Cashiers this week, providing a weekly supply of local foods from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through the end of the growing season at the Village Green of Cashiers.

“The goal of the market is not only to provide increased access to healthful, locally grown food but also to create a space to foster meaningful community connections,” said Ann Self, executive director of The Village Green.

Vendors will offer local produce, meat, dairy products and homemade foods for sale.

Interested vendors should contact 828.743.3434 or info@villagegreencashiersnc.com.

Cashiers has a second farmers market as well, from 1-5 p.m. Wednesdays at the United Community Bank on N.C. 107 South.

facebook.com/smnews

Park Service archives get new home

Old-time remedies explained

A new home for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s collection of artifacts and archives recently opened its doors in Townsend, Tennessee.

The National Park Service Collections Preservation Center will hold 418,000 artifacts and 1.3 million archival records pertaining to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — as well as Andrew Johnson National Historical Site, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and Obed Wild and Scenic River.

The 14,000-square-foot building cost $4.2 million, funded through a $1.9 million donation from the Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Association, with the rest picked up by National Park Service line item construction funding. The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center donated the land.

Park Superintendent Cassius Cash called the project a “testament about partnerships and what we can accomplish by bringing together public and private interests towards a great purpose.”

The collection contains a wide range of items dating back 8,000 years. Items may also be temporarily loaned to facilities for display in public museum exhibits.

See old-time remedies in action with a demonstration by Smokies naturalist Ila Hatter, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 28, behind the historic courthouse in Bryson City.

Hatter, whose intimate knowledge of Southern Appalachian plants and their traditional stories and uses has earned her the title of “wildcrafter,” will also speak about

A series of adventures off the beaten path around Highlands will kick off with a walk exploring the area’s diversity of native ferns, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 3, leaving from the Highlands Biological Foundation.

Tom Goforth, a fern expert, will lead the walk, covering identification, habitat requirements and propagation of various species.

Other programs in the Friday Forays series will be a hike to Whiterock on the Bartram Trail June 10 and a float down the Little Tennessee River June 17.

The fern program is $15 for Foundation members and $35 for nonmembers. 828.526.2221 or highlandsbiological@gmail.com. www.highlandsbiological.org/forays.

Hikers take a break atop Charlies Bunion.

Donated photo

A high-elevation hike will take in the view at Charlies Bunion and head down Kephart Prong Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tuesday, June 14.

Guided by outdoor enthusiast Danny Bernstein, the 10-mile shuttle hike includes a total elevation gain of 1,200 feet, traveling past scenic views and backcountry shelters on the Appalachian Trail.

Organized by Friends of the Smokies, the hike costs $20 for members and $35 for nonmembers, which includes a one-year membership. Donations fund trail rehabilitation through the Smokies Trails Forever Program.

Register at www.hike.friendsofthesmokies.org.

346-70

Is a Will Enough?

FREE LUNCHEON SEMINAR Smoky Mountain News

her role in the creation of Women of the Smokies. The book, by Gatlinburg writer Courtney Lix, tells the stories of 19 moun-

Friend a fern

Hike Charlies Bunion

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

June 15

11:30 AM Best Western River Escape Inn Dillsboro • Reservation Suggested

828.586.4051

nctrustlawyer.com 42

Ila Hatter. Holly Kays photo

tain women whose skills and accomplishments have shaped the region’s culture and history. The book contains a chapter on Hatter.

Free. www.smokiesinfo.org or 828.898.9102, ext. 325.

28 Maple St. • Sylva

Let your love of animals live on Your life-long love of animals can become part of your legacy. Yes, you can make a lasting difference in the lives of Haywood County’s pets by considering the Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation Bequest Program.

Leaving a bequest to Sarge’s, when planning a will, supports Sarge’s mission of saving dogs and cats — far into the future.

Bequests to Sarge’s will give comfort and safety to homeless animals right here in Haywood County. Let your love of animals live on through Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation.

For the Bequest Program information: Call 828-246-9050 or email Laura Ivey, Sarge’s Executive Director, at sargeexecdir@gmail.com.

Trout waters open open these stocked streams to harvest under hatchery-supported regulations before stream conditions get too warm,” explained David Deaton, the Commission’s fish production supervisor.

Trout are abundant in Western North Carolina waters. File photo

Delayed-harvest trout waters are posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs. Through Sept. 30, anglers can keep up to seven trout per day with no bait or size limits. www.ncwildlife.org.

Kids can fish for free without a state fishing license during a statewide offering of kids’ fishing events over the next few weeks. Equipment is provided in most cases for those who don’t have their own pole or bait.

■ 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Cullowhee Creek in Jackson County. Open to kids 7-12. Richard Conley, poopaw3@yahood.com or Jackson County Parks and Recreation, 828.557.0618. .

■ 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Cliffside Lake near Highlands. Open to kids 15 and younger with registration onsite the day of the event. Richard McClure, rmcclure02@fs.fed.us or 828.524.6441, ext. 421.

■ 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Max Patch Pond on the Haywood/Madison county line. Open to kids 12 and under. Brandon Jones, 828.682.6146 or brandonjones@fs.fed.us.

■ 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 21, at the Haywood County Test Farm in Waynesville. Tanya Poole, tanya.poole@ncwildlife.org.

Free. Unless otherwise noted, RSVPs

are required with the contacts provided.

Organized by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. At the end of June, the Commission will conduct a prize drawing, with prizes including a lifetime sportsman’s license, a lifetime freshwater fishing license and a variety of fishing equipment. www.ncwildlife.org.

outdoors

Delayed-harvest trout waters will open for the summer on Saturday, June 4, giving anglers the chance to catch a dinner from the state’s 34 streams and two lakes falling under the designation.

For the first six hours — from 6 a.m. to noon — the waters will be open to youth under 16 only, with waters opening to anglers of all ages afterward.

Though fishing is allowed for most of the year in delayed-harvest waters, it is catch-and-release only except during the open season that runs through Sept. 30.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocked 370,000 trout this year from March to May, with stocking happening again in October and November.

“In early summer, when some streams become too warm for trout to survive, we

Kids fishing day is back

Reel in big bass to help kids in need A bass tournament will pull some big ones out of Lake Chatuge near Hayesville Saturday, June 4, with all proceeds supporting the Jackson County Shop With a Cop program.

Sign-up will begin at the Ledford Chapel Boat Ramp at 5 a.m., with a 7 a.m. blast-off sending boats out to catch the largest five fish they can by 3:30 p.m. All fish will be released afterward with deductions for dead fish.

The Shop With a Cop program pairs children from low-income homes with officers for a shopping trip to Walmart to buy gifts for themselves and their families. $60 entry fee per boat with no more than two adults and one person under 16 per boat. Kim Hooper, 828.586.1384.

@SmokyMtnNews

Spigot turned on for paddling the upper Tuck May 25-31, 2016

A whitewater release from Glenville Dam in Jackson County will turn the upper West Fork of the Tuckasegee River into a challenging paddling run on Saturday, June 4, as well as provide good viewing of High Falls at the base of the dam.

Experienced kayakers will launch from the base of High Falls for a wild ride down the West Fork of the Tuckasegee River, making for a good show. But hikers and anglers should take the release into account when planning outings that day.

The upper reaches of the Tuck don’t usually have enough water for paddling except following major rains, but Duke Energy must provide public recreational benefits in exchange for harnessing the river for hydropower. Federal permits require Duke to periodically release water from dams on the upper Tuck and upper Nantahala for paddlers to enjoy.

Get the update on Jackson’s water quality

Smoky Mountain News

Since 2006, the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River and the N.C. Division of Water Quality have been collecting data on the two Jackson County creeks, showing fluctuating levels of bacteria that Data on the fluctuating water quality in sometimes vastly exceed the safe limit for Scotts Creek and Savannah Creek — as well recreational use.

Roger Clapp, executive director of WATR, Kimberlee Hall, professtands in Scotts Creek. Holly Kays photo sor at Western Carolina University’s Environmental Health Program, will present the data and summarize WATR’s plans to assess water quality indicators across the Tuckasegee River watershed, including Swain County. The organization is also recruiting volunteers to sample their own neighborhood creeks and to adopt nearby creeks.

The event will begin with socializing at as a call to volunteer toward a cleaner future 5:30 p.m. and last through 7:15 p.m. with — will be presented at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May refreshments and door prizes offered.

31, in the community room of the Jackson 828.488.8418 or info@watrnc.org.

County Library.

43

outdoors May 25-31, 2016 Smoky Mountain News 44

WCU tops ‘best-of’ list for outdoors colleges come in first, this year beating out 31 other schools.

“WCU truly embraces its rural mountain environment and ability to access natural resources by emphasizing outdoor recreation as a part of our university culture,” said Shauna Sleight, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness.

From its multi-use trail system to Base Camp Cullowhee, an outdoor programming unit that works to get students outside, the university encourages students to explore the outdoors. Its proximity to the plethora of public lands in Western North Carolina means that there’s plenty to explore. WCU even has a new “hammock hanging” lounge in Students zoom down Western Carolina University’s 7-mile multi- store, where students use trail system. WCU photo can string their hammocks to study outside yet still have access to device charging readers vote on the question each year, and and plug-ins. it’s the third year running that WCU has Western Carolina University came in on top in an online magazine poll looking for the region’s premiere outdoor adventure college.

Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine has its

Local runners take top spots in half marathon Runners from up and down the East Coast converged on Waynesville this month to try their stride at the Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon, but local runners came out on top once all 110 runners crossed the finish line May 14.

• First place: Jared Berry of Powell, Tennessee • Second place: Sarah Beth Lee of Waynesville • Third place: Kevin FitzGerald of Waynesville FitzGerald’s third-place finish was particularly notable. The runner came in first place last year but has been busy since July recovering from a bicycle accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury, hundreds of stitches and staples, and many broken bones.

Kids get creative with waterways Haywood County’s young artists got some recognition for the T-shirt designs they dreamed up to celebrate Kids in the Creek, an annual feet-in-the-water education experience for eighth-graders.

■ First place: Molly Dorgan, Waynesville Middle School ■ Second place: Caitlin Suttles, Canton Middle School ■ Third place: Maddi Gosnell, Canton Middle School Kids in the Creek, a program of Haywood Waterways Association, has gotten nearly 12,000 Haywood County eighthgraders exploring their waterways since its inception almost 19 years ago. As the con-

Molly Dorgan earned first prize for her design celebrating the Kids in the Creek program. Donated photo test winner, Molly Dorgan will see her design appear on 800 t-shirts given to participants in this fall’s 19th annual Kids in the Creek program.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • A groundbreaking ceremony for the Haywood County Emergency Medical Services/Emergency Management base is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, at 141 Hemlock St. in Waynesville.

• Bingo is scheduled for 5:45 every Thursday from May 26 through Sept. 1 in the Pavilion next to Maggie Valley Town Hall. Cash prizes, including a $50 coverall prize each week. Concessions by Moonshine Grill. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association. 926.7630.

• The ceremonial Cherokee bonfires will kickoff the summer season on Friday, May 27, at Ocoaluftee Island Park in Cherokee. The bonfires run from 7 to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday from May 27 through Oct. 1. Guests sit by the fire near the Oconaluftee riverside enjoying a unique and entertaining experience. The events are free and open to the public. www.visitcherokeenc.com.

• American Legion Post 104 will provide a Memorial Day ceremony at noon on Monday, May 30, at the Veterans Memorial Fountain at the foot of the stairs leading down from the Old Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva.

• Sylva Friends of the Library will hold their annual meeting at 5 p.m. on June 2 at the home of Polly Davis.

910.476.2544 or pollybdavis@yahoo.com.

• The Cruso Community Center Thrift Shop and Library open May 27. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. 235.9354.

• Macon County Art Association will honor local veterans by painting their portraits. Submissions for candidates of the “Veterans Portrait Tribute” are due by July 4; submit a clear, good-quality photo and brief biography to Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Community showing and presentation is on Veterans Day in November.

349.4607 or karen@programservices.org.

• Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award, an honor bestowed annually on one individual and one organization playing a prominent role in researching, preserving and/or interpreting Southern Appalachian history, culture and issues. Nominations for the awards will be accepted through Thursday, June 30. Nomination letters may be hand-delivered to the Mountain Heritage Center at its new location in the Hunter Library building, Room 240; mailed to Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723; or emailed to Pam Meister at pameister@wcu.edu.

• Western Carolina University has a new free outreach program called WCU Road Works that will present theatrical, music, film and visual arts events to organizations and communities throughout the region. The first offering this summer will be a family friendly production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged and Revised.” To book a production, call 227.7028.

• Coloring Club will be hosted on the second Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. at Canton Library.

Color pencils and color pages supplied. For ages 8 to 108. 648.2924.

• Beginners Chess Club is held on Fridays at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 8-108 invited to participate. 648.2924.

• Oconaluftee Indian Village is now opened for the 2016 season, located next to the Oconaluftee Visitors Center in Cherokee. Witness the challenges of Cherokee life at a time of rapid cultural change. The village is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. www.visitcherokeenc.com.

• Qualla Boundary Historical Society meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Everyone is welcome.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

Smoky Mountain News

(586.5050) in Whittier or Dillsboro River Company (586.3797) in Sylva.

VOLUNTEERS BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Issues & Eggs is set for 8-9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Guest speaker is Tonya Wilson Snider, owner of TenBiz. Topic is “Customer Service is not a Department, It’s an Attitude.”

• Applications to serve an internship at the Cashiers Plein Air Festival are due by June 1. Applicants must be available from July 9-16. Unpaid.

Cashierspleinairfestival.com, click on links and look for “Plein Air Festival Intern Application.” Complete schedule of festival activities also available on the same website. Info: volunteer@villagegreencashiersnc.com.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • United Christian Ministries is holding a fundraiser from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 26-27, at Krismart Fashions in Sylva. Make a $10 donation and receive $50 off any one item at Krismart. Refreshments.

Purchase tickets at UCM or at Krismart Fashion.

586.8228.

• Art for a Cause, Rotary Club of Cashiers Valley’s annual spring event and fundraiser, is set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 28-29 at The Village Green in Cashiers.

Ironwork, woodcraft, hand-thrown pottery, handstitched textiles, homemade cakes, pies, jellies and jams. Live performances by classics singer Steven Johannessen. www.cashiersrotary.org.

• A salad buffet fundraiser is scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, at Clyde Central United Methodist Church. Sixty percent of the money raised will go toward local work; 40 percent is for international missions. Info, or to purchase a ticket: 646.7667, prask4@yahoo.com or 627.2287.

• WNC QuickDraw is scheduled for 4:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. QuickDraw challenge, silent auction and refreshments. Live artists create timed pieces in the public eye; items will then be auctioned off. Tickets: $60. Proceeds go to art teaching in local schools. www.wncquickdraw.com.

• “Ms. Patti’s Entertainment Tonight” production will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets are $10. Proceeds benefit local missions. Available at www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

• An Italian-themed evening is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at Breaking Bread Café in Bethel. A fundraiser for the Community Table. Reservations required: 648.3838.

• The Smoky Mountain Shrine Gem’s annual yard sale will be held all day on June 3 at the Shrine Building on Church Road in Franklin. All proceeds go to the Shrine Hospital. 828.342.7535.

• A seed money fundraiser is underway to benefit the new Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The library furnishings fund receives 50 percent of sales receipts for each packet sold directly or 25 percent sold at SowTrueSeed.com; use the code MBL2016. 488.3030, ext. 128, jdelfield@fontanalib.org.

• United Christian Ministries is hosting a rafting fundraiser from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday June 5 in Sylva and Whittier. For 10 cans of food, each person can get a rafting trip from Smoky Mountain River Adventures (586.5285) or Tuckasegee Outfitters

45

• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County.

505.274.9199.

• Volunteer Opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center today and get started sharing your talents. 3562833 • Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2816.

VENDORS • The town of Dillsboro will be hosting arts and craft shows open to vendors from the surrounding region.

Saturday, Aug. 20 — The Dillsboro Summer Arts & Crafts Market showcases local art and fine crafts, with a focus on family and children activities. Application due by June 1. Saturday, Oct. 1 — The 8th annual ColorFest will line Front Street with colorful art and fine crafts. Application due by July 1. Vendors may apply for these shows by downloading an application from the town’s website, www.visitdillsboro.org or directly from www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html. For more information, call Connie Hogan at 586.3511.

HEALTH MATTERS • Participants are being sought for a clinical trial for those overweight with knee pain. Directed by Dr. Kate Queen of Mountain Medical Associates. wecan@wfu.edu or 558.0208.

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 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at The Meditation Center at 894 East Main Street in Sylva.

Info: www.meditate-wnc.org or 356.1105.

• Dogwood Insight Center presents health talks at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

• Free childbirth and breastfeeding classes are available at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Classes are offered bimonthly on an ongoing basis. Register or get more info: 586.7907.

• Angel Medical Center’s diabetes support group meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the AMC dining room. 369.4166.

• A free weekly grief support group is open to the public from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at SECU Hospice House in Franklin. Hosted by Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• A monthly grief processing support group will meet from 4-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care in Clyde.

452.5039.

• A Men’s Night Out will take place at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the hospital.

• A Ladies Night Out program on “Looking Good” is scheduled for 4 and 6:30 p.m. on May 24 at Angel Medical Center in Franklin.

on the first Wednesday of each month at The Meditation Center at 894 E. Main St. in Sylva. www.meditatewnc.org or 356.1105.

• A men’s Night Out program on “Everything You Want to Know About Physical Therapy” will be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 24 at Angel Medical Center in Franklin.

• A free, weekly grief support group will meet from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at the SECU Hospice House in Franklin. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• A guided discussion of “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” by Atul Gawande from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville. Led by Dr. Michael Pass, medical director of Haywood Hospice and Palliative Care and the Homestead, and William Everett, Ph.D., ethics professor emeritus at Andover Newton Theological School.

• “ECA on the Move!” – a walking program organized

by Jackson County Extension and Community Association – meets from 9-10 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. It’s an effort to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 10,000 steps per day. 586.4009.

• National Cancer Survivor’s Day Celebration is scheduled for 11 a.m.-noon on Thursday, June 2, at the Macon Cancer Center in Franklin. Refreshments and activities for survivors and their family members.

277.9706 or dwwillis@shallc.net.

• A presentation on arthritic knees and knee replacement is scheduled for noon on Friday, June 3, in the Harris Regional Hospital boardroom in Sylva. Lunch will be served. Leading the presentation will be Dr. Lawrence Supik of Harris Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

• National Cancer Survivor’s Day Celebration is scheduled for 11 a.m.-noon on Friday, June 3, at the Haywood Cancer Center in Waynesville. Refreshments and activities for survivors and their family members. 277.9706 or dwwillis@shallc.net.

• A monthly grief support group sponsored by The Medaitation Center meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at The Meditation Center at 894 East Main Street in Sylva. Info: www.meditatewnc.org or 356.1105.

• Inner Guidance from an Open Heart will meet from 6-

• A Tuesday Meditation Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • An organizational meeting for a summer adult coed kickball league is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. League runs on Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings in June, July or August. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The second annual Unified Special Olympics vs.

Faculty/Staff flag football game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3, at their stadium in Waynesville.

400.2195.

POLITICAL • A lunch-and-discussion group will be held by the League of Women Voters at noon on the second Thursday of each month at Tartan Hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. RSVP for lunch: lwvmacon@wild-dog-mountain.info or 524.8369.

wnc calendar

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • First United Methodist Church in Sylva will offer a combined contemporary/traditional worship service at 10:20 a.m. on Sunday, May 29. 586.2358.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Author Miriam Herin will read from her book “A Stone for Bread” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• Franklin author James Kautz will read from his inspirational work Digger at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 586.9499.

• Western North Carolina writer Monica Collier just released her new book, Unbecoming, a military romance fiction. There will be a party for the new book from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Books Unlimited in Franklin. www.monicacollier.com.

• Storyteller, author, playwright and teacher Gary Carden will present “An Evening of Stories” at 6:30 p.m. on June 2 at the Swain County Genealogical Historical Society Library in Bryson City.

KIDS & FAMILIES • Smoky Mountain Sk8way is offering a nine-week summer camp The summer camp is for kids ages 6 to 13 years old with a daily drop in or weekly schedule.

Camp hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with drop off times on Tuesday and Thursdays by 9:30 a.m. to make the bus for field trips. Daily attendance is $30 a day or week 4-5 days $110. The camp staff is made up of local teachers, experienced coaches and returning counselors. For more information, visit www.smokymountainsk8way.com or call 246.9124.

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

• Registration is underway for summertime swim

classes will be offered for children from ages six months to teenagers through Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education. First session for all levels is Monday, June 13. Cost is $75 for ages 6-up and $44 for children under 6. For info or to register, call 227.7397.

• Annual sports physicals are available on Thursday, May 26, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. Times are 5:45 (Waynesville Middle); 6:30 p.m. (Tuscola High), 7:15 p.m. (Canton & Bethel Middle) and 8 p.m. (Pisgah High). Contact your school for a registration packet.

basics. Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• Kids Zumba four-week class is at 3 p.m. on Thursdays June 2-23 at the Jackson County Recreation Center. Register by May 31. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers. 293.3053.

• Kids Introduction to Fly Fishing will be offered to ages 8-13 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 3 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/ Pisgah/EventRegistration.aspx.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. May 26 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 828.538.2054.

• Kids Learn to Fish Day is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, through the Jackson County Recreation Department. Guardian must be present.

Register: 293.3053.

• A SciGirls program called “Habitat Connections” is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on May 24 at the Transylvania County Extension Office in Brevard. Learn about bird habitat. Co-hosted by the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) and the Transylvania County 4-H. $10 participation fee per student. Info and register at www.pari.edu/programs/students/scigirls.

• A Nature Nuts: Fishing program will be offered to participants ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on June 6 and June 18 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/ Pisgah/EventRegistration.aspx.

• Family Fly Fishing for participants ages 8-up is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon on May 27 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• Nature Nuts: Life Cycles is scheduled for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on May 28 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Learn about the life cycles of various critters. Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/ EducationCenters/Pisgah/EventRegistration.aspx.

• Eco Explorers: Archery is scheduled for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on May 28 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Learn the

• A program entitled “Journey Through the National Parks of the South” will be offered from 7-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at Asheville REI. RSVP at www.rei.com/learn.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • The 22nd annual Swain County Heritage Festival will be May 27-28 at Riverfront Park in Bryson City.

Friday night entertainment runs from 6 to 9 p.m., with

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• The Downtown Waynesville Association Memorial Day weekend “Block Party” will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 28, on Main Street. The “KIDS on MAIN” Art & Craft Hour will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Please note, Main Street closes to vehicle at 4:30 p.m. for setup. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• The Cherokee Bluegrass Festival is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, June 2-4, at Happy Holiday RV Village and Campground in Cherokee.

Event starts at noon on June 2 and runs until 11 p.m. each day. Performers include IBMA award-winners Flatt Lonesome (Thursday), the Gibson Brothers (Thursday), The Crowe Brothers and Rhonda Vincent (Friday) and Balsam Range (Saturday). Advance adult tickets are $40 per day or $90 for a three-day ticket.

Tickets for children ages 7-13 are $15 per day or $45 for three days in advance. Tickets cost $5 more at the gate. Advance tickets available at www.adamsbluegrass.com. Info: 706.864.7203.

FOOD & DRINK • A “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train” will be departing at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad depot in Bryson City. The event is ages 21 and over. Tickets start at $69. Additional beer will be available for purchase onboard the train. Admission to the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum is included with ticket purchase. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

• Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden will host a Memorial Day celebration with live music all day on May 28 in Waynesville. Singer-songwriter Hunter Grigg will perform at 3 p.m., with A.P.E. (rock) at 5 p.m., Redleg Huskey (Americana) at 8 p.m. and Chris Williams (singer-songwriter) at 11 p.m. 246.9249.

• The next “Way Back When” trout dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Cataloochee Ranch

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• The “Trail Magic Ale No. 13” release party is scheduled for June 3-5 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City. The first keg will be tapped at 6 p.m. on Friday. Fireside Collective (Americana/folk) will perform at 8 p.m. A limited release of Trail Magic Ale bottles will go on sale at noon Saturday. Soldier’s Heart (Americana/rock) performs at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Liam Matthews (piano) performs jazz, pop and easy listening at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• Karen “Sugar” Barnes and Dave Magill will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Tremont Institute will host an open house from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, May 27, to kick off bird banding season. http://www.gsmit.org/CitizenScience.html.

• Tickets are on sale now for a show by Rascal Flatts, which performs at 9 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Event Center.

800.745.3000.

• James Hammel (guitar, vocals) performs jazz, pop and originals at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000 • Voices in the Laurel will wind up its 20th season with festivities from May 27-29 in Waynesville. The spring concert is at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, at First Baptist Church of Waynesville. www.VoicesintheLaurel.org or 734.9163.

• Joe Cruz performs music of the Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor and Simon & Garfunkel at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• The Unto These Hills outdoor drama will run at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday from May 28 to Aug. 13 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee.

866.554.4557 or www.visitcherokenc.com.

• Singer-songwriter Heidi Holton will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Presented

by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

586.2016.

• A family friendly production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged and Revised” will be presented at 6:30 p.m. on June 2-3 on the University Center lawn at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

• Country singer Lorrie Morgan will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets are $25. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

• The “Friday Night Live” concert series at the Town Square in Highlands will host The Johnny Webb Band May 27 and The Tallulah River Band (Americana) June 3. Both shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.

• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will host Lyric (funk/pop) May 28 and Joe Lasher Jr. (country/rock) June 3. Both shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

• The “Pickin’ On The Square” concert series will continue with Sundown (oldies/Motown) on May 28 and The Johnny Webb Band (country) June 4. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. A community jam begins at 6:30 p.m. www.franklinnc.com or 524.2516.

• The Bryson City Train Depot concert series will host The Katts (Americana) June 4 and Frank Lee (bluegrass) June 11. All shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own.

Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

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Bill Morris will be talking about bioidentical hormone replacement for men and women Oct. 15, 7 p.m. at Kim’s Pharmacy.

Call to reserve a spot — 452.2313.

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WAYNESVILLE 828.452.0911 www.kimsrx.com

• The Gem and Mineral Society of Franklin meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Chris Tacker, Ph.D., P.G., Research Curator, Geology from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences will speak about the acquisition of 10 new diamonds from North Carolina.

• The Spring Into Summer Craft & Art Show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 27 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

May 28 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin.

Over 25 local crafters. Free admission and parking.

Donations of Friskies or 9 lives cat food will be accepted for the Catman2 No Kill Shelter. www.franklin-chamber.com or 349.4324.

• The Cashiers Rotary Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 28-29 at The Village Green. Entrance to the Cashiers Rotary Arts and Crafts Shows is free to attend, but all donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. All funds raised go to benefit the Cashiers Rotary Club Charities fund. www.cashiersrotary.org.

• Haywood County Arts Council is inviting artist members to participate in its annual Artist Member Show.

Download a show contract/inventory sheet from www.haywoodarts.org. Send completed forms to gallery@haywoodarts.org or P.O. Box 306; Waynesville, N.C. 28786.

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• Gourd artists will be featured in the annual Guard Artists Gathering & Art Festival from June 2-5 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. 410.392.0003.

• The Shady Ladies quilt group will host its 13th annual quilt show from June 3-5 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in the Historic Hazelwood School. $5 admission donated to folkmoot. A quilt will be raffled off to benefit Broyhill Children’s Home and Hospice of Haywood. Info: look for Shady Lady Quilting Group on Facebook. Info on Folkmoot: FolkmootUSA.org.

• Doreyl Ammons Cain will offer a basics of pastel painting class from 2-5 p.m. on June 4 at the Hooper Homestead in Tuckasegee. Topic is outside wildflower pastel painting. 293.2239.

• Learn ink drawing and zentangle fundamentals with

Eric Gaddy, CRPC ®

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Smoky Mountain News

General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 5.

Reserved tickets also available.

• The “Concerts on the Creek” series at Bridge Park in Sylva will host The Freeway Revival May 27 and The Bobby Sullivan Band (classic rock) June 3. Both shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlovers.com.

May 25-31, 2016

• A Memorial Day Weekend outdoor rock concert and street dance featuring C-Square (1950s to pop music era) is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the Franklin Town Square Gazebo, weather permitting.

Sponsored by the Arts Council with support from the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Arts4all@dnet.net or 524.ARTS.

346-18

SUMMER SERIES

wnc calendar

in Maggie Valley. The dinner showcases a recreation meal, music, storytelling and atmosphere of a 1930s Appalachian trout camp. Enjoy a wagon ride across the ranch property amid the authentic re-creation of Mr. Tom and Miss Judy Alexander’s first fishing camp. $39.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The dinner will also be held June 24, July 15 and 29, Aug. 12 and 26, and Sept. 2 and 16. To RSVP, call 828.926.1401 or 800.868.1401 or www.cataloocheeranch.com.

461 East Main Street Sylva, NC 28779 Affiliated with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC. Securities offered through Capital Investment Group, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. 100 E. Six Forks Road, Set. 200, Raleigh NC 27609 (919)831-2370. Investment products are subject to risk and may lose value. There are no assurances that strategies will meet their objectives.

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Creekstone - 3BR, 3BA $289,000 #3174352

Hills Of Cataloochee - 3BR, 3BA, 1HB $299,000 #3174358

Strawberry Hill Farm Estates 3BR, 2BA, 1HB • $300,000 #3176900

Waynesville - 3BR, 3BA $349,900 #3177724

Canton - 3BR, 2BA, 1HB $355,000 #3174382

Waynesville - 4BR, 2BA $450,000 #3174367

Springdale Estates - 4BR, 4BA $462,500 #3176930

Fisher Ridge - 3BR, 2BA, 2HB $485,000 #3174228

Villages Of Plott Creek 3BR, 3BA, 1HB • $498,000 #3176871

Highlands Of Haywood 3BR, 2BA, • $499,000 #3176424

Waynesville - 4BR, 4BA, 1HB $529,000 #3174604

Smoky Mountain News

May 25-31, 2016

Rolling Hills - 3BR, 2BA $275,000 #3167208

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Ridgewood Estates 4BR, 4BA, 1HB $982,629 #589353 346-65

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• Doreyl Ammons Cain will offer a basics of pastel painting class from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on June 7 at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus.

Topic is outside wildflower pastel painting. 293.2239.

• A Paint and Pour event presented by Ant Farm is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at Sneak-E Squirrel in Sylva. $10 of sales will be donated to Art Farm. Musician Jason Galaydick will perform.

Preregister: http://tinyurl.com/jglc6px.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • An art reception featuring work from the Macon County Senior Center’s watercolor class is scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, in the Macon County Public Library’s meeting room. Refreshments and an opportunity to meet the artists.

• The Waynesville Public Art Commission will hold a dedication of its latest public art piece entitled “Waynesville – Always Ready” at noon on Saturday, June 4, in front of the Old Armory Building on Boundary Street in Frog Level. BBQ from Bogart’s served; donations accepted. Artwork was sculpted by Stefan Bonitz. For info about the commission, call 456.9918.

• An exhibit by artist Rod Whyte will be on display through June 28 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre Rodwell Gallery in Waynesville. www.rodwhytedesigns.com. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Macon County Senior Center’s watercolor class will have works on display during the month of June at the Macon County Public Library. There will be an artist reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the library. reesaboyce@gmail.com.

• The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s professional crafts program is exhibiting exhibit class members’ best work at the 2016 Graduate Show, which runs through Aug. 7 at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville. Work includes clay, jewelry, fiber, metal and wood. The center is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Acrylic paintings by 94-year-old Denise McCullough and photographs by Helen Geltman are on display through August at the Canton Library’s Visual Arts Exhibit. www.haywoodarts.org.

• An art exhibition by James Smythe is on exhibit through June 9. at Signature Brew in Sylva.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FILM & SCREEN • The film “Brooklyn” will be screened through May 29 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Show times are 7 p.m. on weekdays, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sundays. www.38main.com.

• A new documentary entitled “The Sad & Beautiful World of Sparklehorse” will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, in the Macon County Public Library’s Meeting Room. Film is about former Hayesville resident Mark Linkous, singer-songwriter and founder of the alternative rock band Sparklehorse.

524.3600.

• A classic World War II drama starring Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 2:57. While her husband is away during the war, Anne Hilton copes with problems on the homefront. 524.3600.

• The flim “Zoolander 2” will be screened at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on May 27 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. All screenings are free. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

• The film “The Finest Hours” will be screened at 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on May 28 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. All screenings are free. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

• A new comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Robert de Niro will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Movie is about a 70-year-old widower who becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site. PG-13; 2:01. 524.3600.

• A classic 1940 romantic thriller will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 3, at the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Movie is about a young reporter trying to expose enemy agents in London on the eve of World War II> Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. 524.3600.

Outdoors • An Emergency Medical Technician and WMI Wilderness Upgrade for the Medical Prrofessional will be offered June 13-17 – as well as July 11-30 and Aug. 1-5 - in Cullowhee. Register: 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.edu.

• A Pesticide Collection Day for residents of Macon and surrounding counties is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, at the Macon County Environmental Resource Center. Offered by N.C. Cooperative Extension in Macon county in cooperation with the N.C. Department of Agriculture. 349.2049.

• The Franklin Bird Club will have a bird walk along the greenway at 8 a.m. on May 25. Meet at Salali Lane. 524.5234.

• A STIR (Socialize, Talk, Interact, Remember) event is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at Lazy Hiker Brewing Company in Franklin. RSVP by May 23: 586.2155 or 524.3161.

• A Birds of Prey program is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 26, at the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room near Cherokee. Presented by Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Balsam Mountain Trust. Led by Michael Skinner, executive director of the Balsam Mountain Trust. 497.1904 or www.nps.gov/grsm.

demonstrate “Appalachian Home Remedies and Wildcrafted Herbs” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, at Bryson City’s National Park Visitor Center and Heritage Museum.

• Jim and Ellen Shelton will lead a bird walk at 8 a.m. on May 27 in the Walnut Gap area. Meet at Bi-Lo parking area to carpool. Sponsored by the Franklin Bird Club. Sign up: 524.5234.

• A program entitled “Skins and Skulls of Gorges State Park” will be offered at 2:15 p.m. on Monday, May 30, at Gorges State Park in Sapphire. Ranger McGraw will show and discuss the skins and skulls of rarely seen creatures at the park. 966.9099 or ej.dwigans@ncparks.gov.

• In-depth Organic Pest Management seminars are scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on May 26 at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva and from 10 a.m.-noon on May 27 at the Swain Extension Center in Bryson City.

586.4009 or 488.3848.

• Cherokee’s Memorial Day Trout Tournament is May 27-29. $11 entry fee plus $10 per day permit to compete for $10,000 in tagged fish in rivers on the Qualla Boundary. 788.0034.

• “Salamander Meander,” an opportunity to find salamanders roaming on the forest floor, is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the Highlands Nature Center. $5 per person. Advance registration required: 526.4123.

• A Smoky Mountain Field School Course entitled “Historic Cataloochee Valley, Smoky Mountain Elk & More” is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. Instructor is Esther Blakely. $79. Register: www.smfs.utk.edu or 865.974.0150.

• “Bogs, Bugs and Beavers” guided walks along the Pink Beds Trail will interpret the natural history of beavers, their wetland-creating activities and the changing habitats they create at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 28 at the Cradle of Forestry’s Forest Discovery Center. $5 for ages 16 and up. Free for youth. www.cradleofforestry.org or 877.3130.

• The Sylva Pool will be in operation from May 28-Aug. 21. 586.3565 or 631.2022.

• Naturalist, author and storyteller Ila Hatter will

• A presentation about fluctuating levels of bacteria in Scotts Creek, Savannah Creek and the Tusckasegee River is scheduled for 7-8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Led by Dr. Kimberlee Hall, first-year professor in the WNC School of Public Health. 488.8418 or info@WATRnc.org.

• Marci Spencer will discuss her book “Clingmans Dome: Highest Mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Bryson City’s National Park Visitor Center and Heritage Museum. www.SmokiesInformation.org or 888.898.9102, Ext. 325, 222 or 254.

• The Franklin Bird Club will have a bird walk along the greenway at 8 a.m. on June 1. Meet at Big Bear Shelter parking area. 524.5234. www.SmokiesInformation.org or 888.898.9102, Ext. 325, 222 or 254.

• Fern expert Tom Goforth will demonstrate the wide diversity of fern species native to highlands from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday, June 3, in Highlands. $15 for members; $35 for nonmembers. www.highlandsbiological.org/forays.

• Spring cleaning day at Big Bear is from 8 a.m.-noon on Friday, June 3. Landscaping. Bring gloves and tools and meet at Big Bear Shelter.

• A birding event will be presented by Highlands Plateau Audubon Society at 7:30 a.m. on June 4 at the 346-82

MOUNTAIN SOUVENIRS • Canned Possum • Bear Poop • Shot Glasses • Bean Shooters • Postcards • Corn on the Cob Toilet Paper • & Much More!

Smoky Mountain News

• An exhibition entitled “This is a Photograph: Exploring Contemporary Applications of Photographic Chemistry” is on display at Penland School of Crafts near Spruce Pine. 765.6211 or penland.org/gallery.

• The film “How To Be Single” will be screened at 7:30 p.m. on May 26 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. All screenings are free. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

Jackson County Airport. Opportunity to view Mars at its nearest approach to Earth until July, 2018. Viewing will be canceled if skies are overcast. 227.2718 or egomez@wcu.edu.

May 25-31, 2016

• The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University is presenting “Vision and Vistas: Great Smoky Mountains” - an exhibition of images of the Great Smoky Mountains that in turn helped inspire the creation of the nation’s most visited national park through June 30. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. www.fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. Call for title of movie.

586.2016.

wnc calendar

artist Damaris Pierce from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, 11 and 18 in East Waynesville. Take one or all, $45 each. Open to beginners and seasoned artist.

Small groups, all materials included. Registration and information at www.artoflife.com.

• Western Carolina University’s Department of Chemistry and Physics is hosting a telescope viewing party beginning at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the

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Highlands Biological Station. Led by Dr. Barbara Ballentine, an ornithologist and scientist from Western Carolina University.

• A bass tournament is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, at Lake Chatuge near Hayesville. All proceeds support the Jackson County Shop with a Cop program, which pairs children from low-income families with offers for a shopping trip to Walmart to buy gifts for themselves and their families. $60 entry fee per boat, with no more than two adults and one individual under 16 per boat.

Info: 586.1384.

• Women’s Introduction to Fly Fishing will be offered to participants ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 4 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pi sgah/EventRegistration.aspx.

• Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will hold a potlock dinner at 6 p.m. on June 6 at the Highlands Civic Center. Following dinner will be a presentation on “Avian Communication” by Young Harris College’s Dr. Olga Melinkaya, a nest box investigator.

• Boating Safety courses will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences, and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission from 6-9 p.m. on June 6-7 at the Haywood Community College campus, Building 3300, Room 3322 in Clyde. Additional courses are scheduled for July 13-14. No age limits. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

•Introduction to Fly Fishing will be offered from 9 a.m.3 p.m. on June 7 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pi sgah/EventRegistration.aspx.

• The Franklin Bird Club will have a bird walk along the greenway at 8 a.m. on June 8. Meet at Salali Lane.

524.5234.

May 25-31, 2016

• A cycling ride for beginners starts at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday at Macon Middle School in Franklin with a goal of working up to an 18-mile roundtrip to the waterfall on Ellijay. Organized by Smoky Mountain Bicycles.

369.2881 or info@smokymtnbikes.com.

• A cycling ride leaves at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays with alternating starts at Smoky Mountain Bicycles and South Macon Elementary School in Franklin. Rotes vary.

Road bikes only. A no-drop ride. Organized by Smoky Mountain Bicycles or info@smokymtnbikes.com.

• An easy ride aiming to help people ease into a healthier lifestyle through cycling leaves at 9:30 a.m.

Thursdays from the Canton Recreation Park, covering 8-10 miles. Road bikes are preferred. Nobody will be left behind. A partnership of Bicycle Haywood N.C., the Blue Ridge Bike Club and MountainWise. Michele Trantham, mttrantham@hotmail.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• A 25-mile ride covering the back roads from Sylva to Balsam leaves at 6 p.m. Tuesdays from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Sylva. The route includes flat stretches, lots of climbing and a descent on the return of the out-

Drive in Waynesville (behind Bogart’s). 456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net.

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 and-back ride, which includes 1,600 feet of elevation gain. Organized by Motion Makers, 586.6925.

• Beginning bikers can always find help from the folks at Bicycle Haywood N.C., which has members willing to arrange one-on-one instruction. Bob Clark, bobclarklaw@gmail.com.

• A beginner-friendly social ride will begin at 6:15 p.m.

Mondays from the Bent Creek Ledford Parking Lot in Asheville, covering 5 to 8 miles of mountain bike trails.

Organized By Motion Makers Bicycle Shop. 633.2227.

• A training ride for women who know how to handle a mountain bike but want to go faster will start at 6:15 p.m. Wednesdays from the Ledford parking lot at Bent Creek in Asheville. The rides will cover 8 to 12 miles and use more technical trails than the beginner’s ride.

Organized by Motion Makers Bicycle Shop. 633.2227.

• Nantahala Area Southern Off Road Bicycling Association is still finalizing its schedule of spring offroad rides. Up-to-date information will be posted at www.facebook.com/NantahalaAreaSORBA/?fref=ts.

• The ‘Whee Farmer’s Market is open from 4 p.m. to dusk every Tuesday at the corner of the N. Country Club Drive and Stadium View Drive in Cullowhee, behind the entrance to the Village of Forest Hills off Highway 107 across from Western Carolina University.

476.0334.

• Franklin Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon every Saturday at 203 E. Palmer Street in Franklin. Info: collins230@frontier.com.

• The Cashiers Tailgate market is open from 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. on Wednesdays starting June 1 at the United Community Bank on N.C. 107 South. 226.9988 or blueridgefarmers@gmail.com.

• The Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.noon on Saturdays on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software in Franklin. 349.2049 or alan_durden@ncsu.edu.

• Cowee Farmers Market is open from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays starting May 24 at Old Cowee School located at 51 Cowee School Drive. ediescookies@mail.com or www.coweefarmersmarket.com • Swain County Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays starting May 6 through Oct. and Tuesdays starting June 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Aug. 16 at the barn on Island Street in Bryson City. 488.3848 or Christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

FARM AND GARDEN • Rain barrels are on sale for $90 apiece at the USDA Agricultural Service Center in Waynesville. 476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd,.

Open to the public. 369.3916.

FARMERS MARKET • A community tailgate market for local growers is open from 3-7 p.m. every Wednesday at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers. 734.3434, info@villagegreencashiersnc.com or www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

• Haywood Historic Farmers Market is held from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the parking lot of HART Theatre in Waynesville. 280.1381 or haywoodfarmersmarket@gmail.com or waynesvillefarmersmarket.com • The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 171 Legion

COMPETITIVE EDGE • The second annual Run for the Park 5K is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 28, in Highlands to benefit Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park and local athletic scholarships. Sponsored by Mountaintop Rotary and the Highlands Roadrunners Club. Register at www.active.com; race-day registration starts at 7:45 a.m. Pre-registration: $30 for adults, $20 for students 13 and older and $10 for 12-under. Race day cost is $35, $25 and $15. Info: 526.4280 or stmas4280@gmail.com.

• The Path to the Breakaway, a group for women 18 and older, meets regularly in preparation for the Blue Ridge Breakaway on Saturday, Aug. 20. Offered by BicycleHaywoodNC. Registration for the race is $41 (by Aug. 1) for the shortest route while other routes are $46 through May 31 with prices rising later. www.blueridgebreakaway.com or bobclarklaw@gmail.com.

• Blood-covered zombies will give racers a reason to run at the Zombie 5K and Fun Run, beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Kituwah/Ferguson field

HIKING CLUBS • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 6mile hike, with an elevation change of 600 feet, to Park Creek – Park Ridge on Saturday, May 28. Call leader Mary Stone, 369.7352, for reservations. Visitors welcome, no dogs please.

• The Haywood Waterways Association will present a birding hike along Ivester Gap Trail at 8:30 a.m. on June 4. Leading the walk will be Josh Parris, fish and wildlife management technology instructor at Haywood Community College. $5 donation for nonmembers; free for members. Memberships start at $25. RSVP by June 1 to Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667.

• On National Trail Day, the Nantahala Hiking Club will take a strenuous eight-mile hike, elevation change of 1,100 feet, on the Appalachian Trail from Deep Gap to Raven Rock Overlook on Saturday, June 4. Call leaders Bill and Sharon Van Horn for reservations at 369.1983.

Visitors welcome; no dogs.

• Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. www.friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

• Nantahala Hiking Club based in Macon County holds weekly Saturday hikes in the Nantahala National Forest and beyond. www.nantahalahikingclub.org • High Country Hikers, based out of Hendersonville but hiking throughout Western North Carolina, plans hikes every Monday and Thursday. Schedules, meeting places and more information are available on their website, www.highcountryhikers.org.

• Carolina Mountain Club hosts more than 150 hikes a year, including options for full days on weekends, full days on Wednesdays and half days on Sundays. Nonmembers contact event leaders. www.carolinamountainclub.org • Mountain High Hikers, based in Young Harris, Ga., leads several hikes per week. Guests should contact hike leader. www.mountainhighhikers.org.

• Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, located in East Tennessee, makes weekly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as well as surrounding areas. www.smhclub.org.

• Benton MacKaye Trail Association incorporates outings for hikes, trail maintenance and other work trips.

No experience is necessary to participate. www.bmta.org.

• Diamond Brand’s Women’s Hiking Group meets on the third Saturday of every month. For more information, e-mail awilliams@diamondbrand.com or call 684.6262.

346-15

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’ $

92

20’x20’ $

160

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828

50

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will be on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon at Bridge Park located in Sylva. Info: 393.5236. jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com or website jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

in Cherokee. The run, now in its second year, aims to raise money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, which is involved in childhood brain tumor research. $15 kids; $20 adults, with prices increasing $5 day of.

Amorie Gunter, 788.3367.

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Puzzles can be found on page 54.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

AUCTION

MarketPlace information:

78+/-ACRES LAND AUCTION Carteret County, NC, Excellent Timber & Waterfront Tracts, offered divided, frontage on Dumpling Creek, abundant highway frontage, OnLine Bidding May 13 - May 26. www.HouseAuctionCompany.com.

252.729.1162. NCAL#7889

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:

ONLINE AUCTION W/ BID CENTER, Waterfront Lake Murray Residential Lots, Chapin, SC in Lexington County, Begins Closing 6/4/16 at 2pm, Bid Center On Site, Iron Horse Auction Company, Inc. www.ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248.

NCAL3936. SCAL1684.

■ 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.

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

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

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DI

SC OV ER E

ATR

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INC.

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EMPLOYMENT

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R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT REAL ESTATE - SALES Part time hours • Full time pay!

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May 25-31, 2016

NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experience Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122

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Financial Aid If Qualified. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 SAPA B.H. GRANING LANDSCAPES, INC Now hiring for the position of crew member - the grass is growing and so is our business come join our team. Full-time year round work, competitive wages, good work environment.

Please call 828.586.8303 for more info or email resume to: roger.murajda@bhlandscapes. com

EMPLOYMENT ADULT SERVICE POSITIONS AVAILABLE We are currently recruiting for the following positions in Adult Services: • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) • Psychiatric Nurses, Vocational Specialist, and Clinicians for ACTT Services (Assertive Community Treatment Team) • Employment Support Profes sionals and Employment Peer Mentors for Supported Employment Services • Clinicians for REC Services (Recovery Education Center) • Peer Support Specialists for PACE (Peers Assisting in Community Engagement) • Clinicians for Integrated Care • Clinicain/Team Leader for CST (Community Support Team) Please visit the employment section of our website for further information about any positions listed and apply directly by submitting an application and resume. www.meridianbhs.org FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Certified Nursing Assistant Instructor- Con. Ed. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com /. Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

EMPLOYMENT

CHILD SERVICE POSITIONS AVAILABLE We are currently recruiting for the following positions in Child Services: • Clinicians for Outpatient Services • Clinicians for Day Treatment Services • Clinicians for Intensive In-Home Services • Qualified Professionals for Day Treatment Services • Qualified Professionals for Intensive In-Home Services Please visit the employment section of our website for further information about any positions listed and apply directly by submitting an application and resume. www.meridianbhs.org SPECIAL OPS U.S. NAVY. Elite training. Daring missions.

Generous pay/benefits. HS grads ages 17-30. Do you have what it takes? Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419.

CIRCLES OF HOPE COORDINATOR HAYWOOD COUNTY BS Degree in Human Services related field preferred. Experience working with diverse populations. Up to 30 hours per week, must be flexible. For Job Description see Mountain Projects web page. Apply online at: www.mountainprojects.org or Mountain Projects, Inc. 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville or 25 Schulman St., Sylva.

EOE/AA

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BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

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EXPERIENCED AUTO MECHANIC Wanted for on-site Motor Repair.

Applicant must have Tools. Up to $12.50 per hour based on exp.

Labor Rate Bonus available for experienced person. Please call 828.631.1957 FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Associate Degree Nursing Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/. Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu.

An Equal Opportunity Employer.

THE CITY OF ALBEMARLE Is accepting applications for Information Systems Business Analyst.

Open until 6/10/16. Visit the ESC or NCWorks.gov for more info.

EOE. PART TIME STORE CLERK Register experience and Saturdays a must, some heavy lifting req.

Apply in person at Second Blessing Thrift Store - 828.456.9069 DRIVER TRAINEES Paid Cdl Training! Stevens Transport Will Cover All Costs! No Experience Needed! Earn $800 per week! Local CDL Training!

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www.smokymountainnews.com

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329 MAX - A HANDSOME DOBIE MIX BOY ABOUT 1-1/2 YEARS OLD. HE IS A BIG STRONG DOG, AND ALTHOUGH VERY WELL BEHAVED, WOULD DO BEST IN A HOME WITH OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS. HE LOVES TO ROMP AND PLAY, ESPECIALLY THE GAME OF TENNIS BALL FETCH. SISSY - ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD. SHE IS SWEET AND AFFECTIONATE, BUT DOES HAVE DEFINITE IDEAS ABOUT BEING HELD, AND SHE APPRECIATES HER PEOPLE ALLOWING HER TO CALL THE SHOTS. SHE IS PLAYFUL AND FUN, AND WILL BRING A LIFETIME OF ENJOYMENT TO HER NEW FAMILY.

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:

52

FINANCIAL

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

SELL YOUR STRUCTURED Settlement or annuity payments for Cash Now. You don't have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1.800.316.0271.

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.670.4805 to start your application today! SAPA STRUGGLING TO PAY THE BILLS? FDR could reduce your CC debt.

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FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

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REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. NATIONAL FOREST FRONT Liquidation! 5 Acres $9,900! This Pristine Preserve Property Borders The Country’s Best Trail System!

Call Today For A Preview Showing 1.888.270.4695.

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

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

WANTED: OLD BARN - HOUSE To Salvage Rough Cut Lumber, Flooring, Antiques, Vintage Materials, Etc. Terms Negotiable.

Licensed & Insured. Call or Text John at: 828.380.1232 ashevillepropertyservices.com

VACATION RENTALS

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

ROOMMATE

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE FOR YOU 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

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aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lifestyle Properties — vistasofwestfield.com

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Ann Eavenson R B A ESIDENTIAL

ROKER

SSOCIATE

ann@beverly-hanks.com

www.beverly-hanks.com

828.506.0542

828.452.5809 office

• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com $GM GMMD DFHQ QW WR :D :D\QHVVY YLOO OOOHH &RX XQWU\ QWU &OXE X 9LLLVVX 9LVXDO 9 XDO D 7 7RRXU DW 7RXU D VVKDPUR VKDP KDPURFN FRP RRFN FRP

Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Boarder - sunburstrealty.com Haywood Properties - haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox - info@haywoodproperties.com

0/6 0 / 6

Keller Williams Realty

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kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Sam Hopkins - samhopkins.kwrealty.com • Phil Ferguson - listwithphil.com

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

ROB ROLAND

Mountain Home Properties

RROLAND33@GMAIL.COM

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

828-400-1923

Find the home you are looking for at www.robrolandrealty.com

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Marilynn Obrig

Residential Broker Associate

(828) 550-2810

mobrig@Beverly-Hanks.com

www.Beverly-Hanks.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell - smokiesproperty.com

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty • • • • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson - ncsmokies.com The Morris Team - maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team - the-real-team.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben - cp@catherineproben.com

smokymountainnews.com

Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400

• • • • • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - AnnEavenson@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Beverly Hanks & Associates

May 25-31, 2016

ROOMMATES WANTED: Coolest house in Cullowhee on the river. Looking for 2 great people to share 3/BR, 1.5/BA next to WCU. Lots to offer for $500/mo. plus electric, 3 month minimum. Prefer 2 women but will consider couple.

Available May 8th. Call or Text John at 828.269.3050.

A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. Call 1.800.319.8705 SAPA

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA Oceanfront Vacation Rentals Tripadvisor Award, Furnished Studio, 1-2-3 BR’s, Full Kitchen, WiFi, TV, Pool. Seasonal Specials 1.386.517.6700 or www.fbvr.net SAPA

MEDICAL

HOMES FOR SALE

SFR, ECO, GREEN

346-35

REAL ESTATE WANTED TO BUY

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.

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

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 53

www.smokymountainnews.com

May 25-31, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

Super

54

2-FOR-1 #1 HITS

CROSSWORD

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1 Month after Adar

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answers on page 50

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Answers on Page 50

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Canucks amongst us ou’re hiking streamside through a rhododendron tangle when you hear a short, musical trill – it kind of mimics the riffles in the stream. I know, you’re in a hurry – got a lot of hiking to do. But if you have a minute to track this little chorister down you won’t be disappointed. What you’re hearing is a Canada warbler.

This little warbler (about 5 inches) is common in Western North Carolina, in brushy (often rhododendron) habitat, mainly above 3,500 feet. It seems to prefer streams, springs and/or bogs and seeps, but water is not a deal breaker as long as the understory is dense and the forest is cool and dark. The Canada warbler is quite active often taking insects on the wing. This habit led to a couple of colloquial monikers from the North Country – Canadian flycatcher and Canadian flycatching warbler.

The Canada warbler is bluish gray above, no wing bars but a complete white eye ring makes it look “big-eyed.” It is bright lemon yellow below and the male has a dark black necklace across its chest. The female is similar, just more muted with a pale necklace.

And while it is a denizen of the tangled

Y

understory, it is often easy to spot.

First, as mentioned above, it is a quite active forager so you can usually catch the movement and follow it until it comes to rest momentarily, perhaps to wolf down a moth it just caught. Second, they respond pretty well to phishing – you know that weird sound birders make that is half way between ppssssttt and whoosh.

The bird’s common name refers to the fact it was discovered in Canada. And the majority of the North American nesting population still calls Canada home. Around 65 percent of the population nests in Canada’s boreal forests. They can also be found around the Great Lakes, New England and down the spine of the Appalachians to north Georgia.

While they are common at higher elevations in the moist woods of Western North Carolina, if you want to see one you should probably get out soon — they don’t linger.

They are one of the latest Neotropical migrants to arrive on nesting territory and one of the earliest to leave. Because we are near the southern end of their nesting range, Canada’s are with us for three to four months. In Canada they may be on nesting territory for only two months. They normal-

Male Canada Warble. Don Hendershot photo ly raise only one brood per year and are often back on their wintering grounds in South America by September.

There is currently some confusion regarding the population status of the Canada Warbler. They have been listed as threatened in Canada since 1998 and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative lists them as a “Highest Priority Landbird.” But the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists

them as a species of “least concern.” Like most woodland species, loss of habitat and continued development are its greatest threats.

So when you hear the tinkle of fairy laughter coming from that tangle of rhododendrons be on the lookout for our resident Canuck, eh.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist.

He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

May 25-31, 2016 Smoky Mountain News 55

Cataloochee Ski & Sports May 25-31, 2016

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