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Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016 Vol. 18 Iss. 18

Corbin, Hogsed face off to win open House seat Page 3 Nantahala Brewing launches restaurant Page 28

CONTENTS On the Cover:

u l F t e G n o t o sh y a d r Satu

After being labeled as “Missing in Action” since 1968, Master Sgt. James Holt’s remains were finally laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery and his daughter, Rebecca Holt of Clyde, finally has closure. A ceremony was held at Clyde Fire Department to present Rebecca with the Order of St. George on behalf of the U.S. Cavalry and Armor Association. (Page 6) Cory Vaillancourt photo

News Corbin, Hogsed face off to win open House seat ....................................................3 Upcoming candidate forums ............................................................................................5 Ten candidates vie for school board seats ..................................................................8 WCU seals deal on $1.8 million Koch gift ..............................................................10 Jackson unveils new tourism ad campaign ..............................................................14 TVA houseboat policy scrutinized in Congress ......................................................16 Canton improvements on the horizon ........................................................................19 Community Almanac ........................................................................................................21

Opinion Pound your chest and punch your neighbor..............................................................23

A&E Nantahala Brewing launches restaurant, open-air taproom ................................28

*Bring your ID + Insurance Card or form of payment

Outdoors Waynesville Parks and Rec master plan seeks input ............................................42

The Naturalist’s Corner Big and wild ........................................................................................................................55

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

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

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Education and infrastructure key issues for House candidates Corbin, Hogsed face off to win open seat

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TACKLING EDUCATION Corbin has already talked with Speaker of the House Tim Moore about the legislation that would be his first priority if elected — an adjustment to the per-pupil formula that governs education funding in order to benefit small school systems, like those found in the mountain counties.

The existing per-pupil structure puts small schools at a disadvantage, Corbin said, because in those situations the big-ticket costs of running a school must be divided among fewer students. For example, per-

S EE CANDIDATES, PAGE 4

Kevin Corbin • Residence: Franklin • Age: 55 • Professional background: Owns Corbin Insurance Agency, which employs eight people full-time.

• Political experience: Corbin has served as chairman of the Macon County Commissioners since 2012 after being appointed to now-Senator Jim Davis’ empty seat in 2010. He sat on the Macon County Board of Education from 1985-2005, serving as chairman for 16 of those years. He currently chairs the Southwestern Commission Board of Directors, which includes elected officials in the seven westernmost counties.

• Reason to run: “I truly think I can make a difference for far western North Carolina.

With my experience as a school board member and as a county commissioner, I think I have what it takes to represent our district.”

Randy Hogsed

Smoky Mountain News

haps the second grade class at Macon County’s K-12 Nantahala School has only 10 kids, compared to the state’s assumption that a class have 24 students. But those 10 kids still need their own teacher and their own classroom, so each of those kids will end up costing more to teach than in the state as a whole.

“I plan to introduce a bill in the first month that I’m there that would bring increased funding to small schools,” Corbin said, adding that Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, has promised to introduce an identical bill into the Senate if he wins his re-election bid.

Hogsed also places education issues high on his list of legislative priorities. Having a solid education system — both K-12 and community college — is vital if economic opportunity is to return to the far western counties, he said.

“We have to put together a quality skilled certification system that is meaningful to business and industry today,” he said.

“That’s a certificate that a student can earn in high school and in our community college system that is quality and that businesses,

industries can look at and say, ‘This person has the skillset and the knowledge we need to operate our business.”

Between Graham, Clay and Cherokee counties, there’s only one community college, and Hogsed doesn’t believe it’s being funded the way it needs to be if it’s to fulfill its mission.

Hogsed and Corbin agree that, when it comes to education, more and better funding is needed. They’re both on board with the idea that lottery funding needs to be restored to pay for school capital construction, as promised when the program was set up.

Teacher pay needs to continue improving. A recent study from WalletHub ranked North Carolina the eighth-worst state for teachers, based on parameters such as salary, studentteacher ratio and per-pupil spending.

According to Corbin, that increased funding could happen rather painlessly if legislators prioritize education as the economy continues to grow.

“We have more people working, more people paying income tax, more people paying sales tax, so that should look good for North Carolina,” Corbin said.

“As we realize those increased funds, I think most of it should go to education.”

However, Hogsed said, that could prove a dangerous bet, as shown by the economic collapse of 2008. There’s no guarantee that the economy will continue to increase indefinitely. And in the meantime, he believes, there’s plenty of opportunity to cut existing education expenditures to benefit public schools — the state should get rid of private school vouchers.

“Let’s build our public school system up to such a high quality that nobody wants to go anywhere else,” Hogsed said. “Our public schools need to be the very best schools available. We don’t need to be funding private schools.”

Between the Opportunity Scholarship Program’s 2013 launch and the end of the 2015-16 school year — the program gives low-income students scholarships of up to $4,200 to pay for private school tuition — more than 22,000 applications were received. This summer, the program was expanded to pave the way for nearly 36,000 students per year to receive scholarships by 2028-29, adding up to a total appropriation of $144 million. For 201617, the plan is to appropriate $24.8 million for 6,200 scholarships.

From where Hogsed sits, it’s unacceptable for the state government to be shelling out those dollars to private institutions

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t’s been 17 years since voters in North Carolina’s four westernmost counties have chosen a new representative for the state House of Representatives, but following the retirement of Roger West, R-Marble, that will change on Election Day. Voters will decide whether to send an experienced local politician to take West’s place or to trust a political newcomer with the charge of representing Macon, Clay, Graham and Cherokee county’s interests in Raleigh.

“I don’t care if it’s the Democratic Party, the Republican Party or the Pajama Party,” said Randy Hogsed, of Andrews, who is running on the Democratic ticket. “I want to be a representative and I want to represent us.”

As Hogsed sees it, the Republican candidate Kevin Corbin was handpicked by West to carry on the mantle of “party politics.” He bills himself as the candidate who would best listen to the people, find collaborative solutions and bring those ideas to fruition.

“I don’t see anybody out there fighting for us,” Hogsed said. “We’ve got some people working locally, but people in the state House are fighting over who goes to what bathroom.

They’re fighting over voter ID. They’re fighting over issues that really don’t concern the day-to-day life of people right here who are struggling to keep their families above water.”

Save for a single term on the Andrews town board, Hogsed has no political experience. Corbin, meanwhile, has decades of involvement with local politics — as well as a career in the insurance business — to his name. After 20 years on the Macon County Board of Education — 16 as chairman — Corbin was appointed to the Macon County Board of Commissioners in 2010. He’s remained there since, serving as chairman since 2012, and is also the current chairman of the Southwestern Commission’s board of directors, which is composed of elected leaders in the seven western counties.

All 20 of the county commissioners inside House District 120 — their number includes Republicans and Democrats — have endorsed him, a fact Corbin points to as proof that he’s not the party politician Hogsed would paint him.

“It’s clear that I can work across party lines and work with everybody,” he said, adding that he sees his political experience

as a plus for his chances of making a difference as state representative.

“When you go to Raleigh, if you haven’t been involved in local government to some degree you’re going in blind,” he said. “I understand the process. I have the contacts.”

• Residence: Andrews • Age: 53 • Professional background: Real estate broker with experience in construction and deliveries.

• Political experience: Served one term on the Andrews town council.

• Reason to run: “I’m running to represent the working families in Western North Carolina. I want to bring jobs to the mountains. I want to build roads we need. I want to build the educational system we need.”

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CANDIDATES, CONTINUED FROM 3 while public schools struggle to make ends meet. But Corbin sees the issue differently.

“Both my kids went to public schools and I’m very much a believer in public schools,” he said. “But when you’re talking about being a legislator you have to look at the bigger picture. In some areas of this state the public schools are not as good. I do think parents should have a choice.”

But at what cost, Hogsed asked? Is it fair to shortchange the public schools to the benefit of private businesses?

Corbin, meanwhile, maintains that it’s not an either-or decision, especially in an increasing economy.

“You can fund different kinds of school systems and help them all to thrive,” he said.

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

APPROACHES TO TAXATION As far as how to fund a government, Corbin and Hogsed have very different ideas.

For his part, Hogsed decries Raleigh’s recent changes to tax policy as detrimental to working families.

“They were going to close tax loopholes, which sounded great until you saw what some of the tax loopholes were,” Hogsed said.

“When you sent your students back to school, you didn’t get a tax-free weekend did you, unless you went across the state line.”

High-earners are now paying less in income tax, Hogsed said, while lower earners are paying more. Sales tax has expanded to apply to a wider variety of items, such as car repairs and concert tickets and mobile home purchases.

“I believe in a graduated tax structure, and that’s what they’re trying to eliminate in North Carolina,” Hogsed said.

Corbin, meanwhile, sees a shift from income tax to sales tax as the way to go. Sales tax is “the most fair tax there is,” he said, and he’s in favor of the current legislature’s efforts to drop income tax rates for both individuals and corporations.

“As they drop those rates, it’s good for business. It’s good for consumer spending,” he said.

Even better, sales tax captures revenues from dollars spent by tourists and part-time residents. Plenty of people from Florida, for example, will keep their residency in that state for as long as possible, even if they live

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much of the year in North Carolina, because Florida charges no income tax but maintains a higher sales tax — if the North Carolina sales tax rate went up as income tax went down, the state would realize a greater share of taxes from that population.

However, Corbin declined to criticize the individual tax policy changes the legislature has made in recent years.

“As legislator I know you’ve got to look at the whole picture, and I have not been in a position to do that,” he said.

CONNECTING ROADS, CELL TOWERS AND BROADBAND For political leaders in the furthest west reaches of North Carolina, finding new ways to fuel job growth, infrastructure and a healthy economy is always a key concern, and Corbin and Hogsed are no exception.

House District 120 covers some of the most rural areas of North Carolina — business growth can be sluggish. When just one large employer pulls out — as in the case of Stanley Furniture, which left Graham County in 2014 and caused unemployment to skyrocket to nearly 15 percent by the end of the year — the effects can be devastating.

Both candidates agree that improved infrastructure will be key to growing opportunities in the future, and both see Corridor K as a key part of those needed improvements.

Under discussion since the 1960s, the stillunbuilt four-lane highway would stretch from Stecoah to Andrews.

“Corridor K is probably the top priority,” Corbin said. “It’s the route that needs to be improved the worst.”

“I’ve driven in 48 states, and there’s roads through all kinds of mountains, over all kinds of woods and rivers,” Hogsed said. “There’s no reason we can’t build a road here that doesn’t comply with every environmental law there is.”

Hogsed continued to say that he’d work to get the transportation priority formula changed to reflect the higher cost of building in the mountain regions. Maybe fewer people use the roads, he said, but the roads are still needed and they cost more to build. Perhaps a multiplier could be introduced into the formula to account for the higher cost per mile in mountainous regions.

In addition, he said, he’d reach across state lines to make things happen.

“Many of our road problems are across the state line, so we have to be able to work with people in Tennessee and Georgia and South Carolina,” he said. “When are we going to build a road from Franklin to Nantahala?”

Roads are important, Corbin said, but in 2016 cell and internet service are equally so.

In Macon County, they’ve been working on a project to fill in the gaps where that’s concerned. Corbin believes that he could expand the undertaking to other areas of the state if elected to the legislature. Macon created a

“When you go to Raleigh, if you haven’t been involved in local government to some degree you’re going in blind. I understand the process. I have the contacts.”

— Kevin Corbin

color-coded map of the county to show areas of strong, weak and non-existent cell and internet service. Next month, he said, commissioners will be meeting with representatives from the various internet carriers to talk about how they might reach those dead areas.

“Macon County is leading the way in that,” Corbin said. “We’re trying to find answers to how we can expand those because that’s huge for economic development. We have such a wonderful place to live. If we had internet and cell service everywhere, it would be even more desirable to live here.”

That’s a sentiment with which Hogsed agrees.

“A lot of people want to live here, but they look at issues like, ‘I can’t even get internet at my home. How is my business going to operate here?’” Hogsed said. “These are issues we’re going to have to work on to have any hope of recruiting quality jobs.”

Hogsed also favors collaboration to solve such issues. If elected, he said, the first thing he’d do is put together a group that’s he’s dubbed Team 120. The group would be made up of people from all walks of life — largely, but not elusively, composed of people who

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live in the district — who would meet to come up with pragmatic solutions to issues affecting the district.

“Let’s develop a plan. Let’s find ways to fund it and put it into action and bring it to fruition,” Hogsed said. “Let’s finally get things done in the mountains.”

HB2 AND VOTER ID LAWS

According to Hogsed, high-profile issues— such as HB2 and voter ID laws have been mostly side shows, issues demanding a disproportionate amount of time and money to enact and defend from legal challenges in comparison to their actual import to the most pressing issues facing North Carolinians — the opposite of “getting things done in the mountains.”J Passing HB2, for example, cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars to convene a special legislative session. The result was a law that’s dominated discussion of North Carolina politics ever since.

“My personal feeling is if a business decides they want to provide restrooms for

“People in the state House are fighting over who goes to what bathroom. They’re fighting over voter ID. They’re fighting over issues that really don’t concern the day-to-day life of people right here.”

— Randy Hogsed

transgendered folks, that’s their business, and if a business does not want to, that’s their business — let customers vote with their feet,” Hogsed said. “Right now we have businesses and athletics that are deciding to vote with their feet because they’re leaving North Carolina because of the way this issue was handled.”

Corbin’s thought on the matter isn’t too far off of that.

“HB2 needs to go away,” he said. “It’s creating a problem where there wasn’t one before.”

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Jackson County

Southwestern Community College will hold a series of political forums beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, with Jackson County Board of Commissioner candidates — Democrat incumbents Vicki Greene and Mark Jones and Republican challengers Ron Mau and Mickey Luker.

Candidates for N.C. Senate — Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and challenger Jane Hipps, D-Waynesville — will debate at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 11. N.C. House candidates Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, and Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, will debate at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 25.

All debates will take place in the Burrell Building Conference Center.

Western Carolina University’s Public Policy Institute and Department of Political Science and Public Affairs will sponsor a series of candidate debates in the next two months.

Candidates in the N.C. House of Representatives District 119 race — incumbent Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, and challenger Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City — will debate at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Candidates for the N.C. Senate District 50 seat — incumbent Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and opponent Jane Hipps, D-Waynesville, will debate at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27.

All three debates will be held in Room 204 of the Health and Human Sciences Building on WCU’s West Campus. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

The Macon County League of Women Voters is holding a forum for Macon County

The Mountaineer will be holding a forum featuring candidates for state legislature and Haywood County commissioner on Thursday, Sept. 29, and a forum for district judge and school board candidates on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Both forums will be held in the Haywood Historic Courthouse in downtown Waynesville. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the event will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

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Smoky Mountain News will host a candidate forum for Haywood County Commission candidates and state legislature candidates on Thursday, Oct. 20, at The Folkmoot Friendship Center in Historic Hazelwood. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a meet and greet with all the candidates and tours of the Folkmoot Center. The forum begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

Swain/Cherokee A Jackson County commissioner candidate forum will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3 and Swain County commissioner candidates will speak at 8 p.m. at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center at Cherokee Middle School, 150 Ravensford Drive, Cherokee.

A second forum will be held at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 13, to give residents a chance to question their state-level candidates running for the Senate District 50 and House District 119 seats.

Questions originating from members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee will be given first priority and as time permits questions from the general public will be presented.

not being caught so we don’t know how much of it there is,” Corbin said. “To me the voter ID makes sense because it at least give you a relative sense you’re not having voter fraud.”

THE POSSUM DROP LEGACY There’s a lot to consider when deciding on a candidate, but when it comes to Roger West’s replacement there’s one particular question on everyone’s mind — what about the Possum Drop?

West had earned a reputation as champion of the New Year’s Eve event in Brasstown, which involves the slow lowering of a possum-containing cage at midnight. The tradition had aroused the ire of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which engaged in a legal dance with the legislature that is still playing out in court. West had been at the forefront of the effort to let the Possum Drop continue on.

Corbin and Hogsed both said they’re fans of the event — Hogsed even has the T-shirt — but neither has plans to make the Possum Drop the cornerstone of his legislative history.

“I think Roger has protected it,” Hogsed said. “It’s there, it’s not going away. The Possum Drop to me is a nonissue.”

Frozen vs Fresh Question from a Customer: “I often buy fresh pineapple and cut it up to store it in the freezer. I was wondering if it is still considered nutritious to do that? I like to make smoothies and I just wanted to know if it is worth my time to freeze the fruits or just continue to buy them fresh.”

Answer: It’s great to be eating fruit period…no matter what form, fresh, frozen, canned or even dried. From the moment you harvest a fruit or vegetable the nutrients start changing.

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Smoky Mountain News

Hogsed likens the HB2 issue to the voter ID law. Both pieces of legislation, he said, are solutions in search of a problem, causing unnecessary and unproductive dissention in state government. But while Corbin would be perfectly happy for HB2 to disappear, he believes the voter ID law should stay.

“I’ve always supported the idea of voter ID,” Corbin said. “As far as saying it’s a racial issue, I truly do not think it is because I can’t imagine anybody that couldn’t have access to getting an identification. You have to have identification for anything in life.”

Hogsed, however, sees voter ID as an unfunded mandate that sets out to fix a problem that doesn’t exist — the number of voter fraud cases prosecuted over the past decade has been negligible, he said. To put the cherry on top, he said, a full panel of judges recently determined that the law targeted African Americans “with almost surgical precision.”

“Voter ID fraud was not a problem in North Carolina,” Hogsed said.

But, Corbin said, it’s hard to say for sure.

If there’s been no system in place to check whether someone is who they say they are, it stands to reason that actual prosecutions would be few and far between.

“If people are voting fraudulently, then it’s

Haywood County

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Macon County

commissioner candidates at noon Thursday, Oct. 20, at Tartan Hall in Franklin.

Democrat candidates Bobby Kuppers and Charlie Leatherman and Republican challengers Karl Gillespie and Paul Higdon will all be attending.

news

Upcoming candidate forums

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news Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016 Smoky Mountain News

THE WAIT OF WAR

saw her father sometime just before her fifth birthday.

“I don’t remember him much, just a few things,” Rebecca said.

On Feb. 8, 1968, Holt — a combat medic in Company C, Detachment A-101 of the 5th Special Forces Group of the United States Army — found himself and his fellow Green Berets in imminent danger.

Days earlier, the Tet Offensive caught U.S. and South Vietnamese forces completely by surprise; as the largest military operation of the war up to that point, the offensive succeeded in taking the city of Hue and besieging a U.S. Marine Corps base at Khe Sanh.

Both were important impediments preventing the North Vietnamese Army from threatening the heavily populated, clearwater coastal areas of South Vietnam.

The situation in Khe Sanh left Holt and his comrades — who occupied nearby Lang Vei Special Forces camp — isolated and exposed.

Rebecca Holt (center) accepts the Order of St. George from Lt. Col. Matt Kristoff (ret.) (left) and Haywood County Directory of Veterans Affairs Director Cpt. Stephen J. Allred (right). Cory Vaillancourt photo

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER It is known by many names.

Some call it the Second Indochina War. Some call it the Resistance War. Some call it the American War. Whatever it’s called, the Vietnam War — as Americans call it — was still a war with winners and losers and losses. And those losses — the human toll of combat — can leave family members waiting generations for emotional scars to heal.

But one local woman born at the height of the war who never really knew her father got a small bit of closure last week, almost 50 years after he went missing in combat in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.

THEY SEND YOU DOWN TO WAR

As the world recovered from the ravages of World War II, the globe’s only two nuclear powers became locked in an ideological conflict whereby neither could use their weapons of mass destruction against the other without the mutual assurance that they too would be destroyed.

Thus the Soviet Union and the United States engaged in a series of proxy wars pitting their allies and their puppet, client and satellite states against each other while avoiding direct conflict that could lead to 6 outright thermonuclear Armageddon.

From 1946 on, Vietnamese guerillas — backed by the Chinese, backed in turn by the Soviets — fought to erase a 100-year French presence in Southeast Asia.

By 1954, their success in that endeavor split Vietnam between communist north and capitalist south, and as the 1950s drew to a close, Viet Cong insurgencies in the U.S.-backed south caught the eye of Senator (soon, President) John. F. Kennedy.

Beginning in 1960, U.S. troop commitments to the region began to increase; in 1960, just 900 soldiers were stationed in the theater of operations, but that number swelled to more than 23,000 in 1964.

As the North Vietnamese Army stepped up its conventional attacks in concert with the asymmetrical actions of the Viet Cong, American air superiority was no longer enough to stem the red tide of North Vietnamese territorial acquisition, and the conflict entered a deadly new phase.

The old military credo “you don’t own it if you can’t defend it” demanded boots on ground.

After a 1965 skirmish in the Gulf of Tonkin — during which a Vietnamese swiftboat engaged an American destroyer — a major shift in public opinion swept through Washington, and troop levels increased by a factor of six to more than 180,000.

That number doubled the next year; the year after that, another 100,000 troops were

added until the American deployment in Southeast Asia peaked at 536,000 troops in 1968, most of them directly involved in or supporting the type of seek-and-destroy infantry missions commonly depicted in movies like “Platoon” and “Full Metal Jacket.”

But it was nasty business. The Viet Cong and NVA were clever and formidable adversaries who had been fighting on their home turf for more than 20 years by 1968. The region’s lush foliage and swampy lowlands provided them innumerable choke points and ambush opportunities that nearly rendered American technological superiority useless.

Fighting was brutal, bloody and sometimes hand-to-hand, which is why by the time American military involvement in Vietnam ceased in 1975, more than 153,000 Americans had returned wounded, more than 55,000 had returned in thick black zippered bags and more than 2,600 hadn’t returned at all.

Master Sgt. James Holt was one of them.

STAR-SPANGLED EYES James William Holt was born in Hope, Arkansas, two months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The youngest of seven, Holt grew up on a farm.

“He was a fighter, you know, he had to get through all them older brothers,” laughed Holt’s daughter, Rebecca. She last

Master Sgt. James W. Holt. Donated photo

“Frankly, he performed to the standard that the very best tankers and cavalrymen perform. His actions spoke for themselves.”

— Lt. Col. Matt Kristoff (ret.)

Just 2,000 yards from the Laotian border in northwest South Vietnam, Holt’s camp was located on Highway 9, which entered Vietnam from Laos and had been used by the Viet Cong as a surreptitious way to supply guerilla forces in the south.

Just after midnight, Holt and his squad mates were astonished to see two Sovietbuilt North Vietnamese T-76 light amphibious tanks rolling through the wire of their southern perimeter, and rightfully so — it was the first time during the war that Americans had ever faced NVA tanks.

Holt destroyed them both.

Manning a breech-loading single-shot

— Rebecca Holt, daughter of Order of St. George medallion recipient Master Sgt. James Holt

Cory Vaillancourt photo

106 mm anti-armor cannon, Holt saw more tanks grinding their way past the flaming husks of the first two, and proceeded to destroy a third.

Holt, who by this time had been joined by the unit’s intelligence sergeant, then ran to the ammunition bunker searching for more rounds, escaping only moments before his weapon was destroyed by return fire.

It was the last time anyone saw him alive.

“He volunteered for all of this,” Rebecca said. “He wanted to be a doctor.”

NO FORTUNATE ONE

Carved on row 63 in panel 27W of the glossy black stone wall that buttresses a small hill at 5 Henry Bacon Drive NW in Washington, D.C., is the name Fredrick M. Hall, Waynesville’s only Vietnam-era MIA. Born in 1943, Hall served with the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 366th Tactical Fighter wing of the 7th Air Force. A weapons system officer, First Lt. Hall went missing after his F-4 Phantom departed Da Nang on a bombing run April 12, 1969, not far from where the borders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia come together.

Crewmen on two other aircraft that were also part of the mission reported seeing Hall’s Phantom enter a cloudbank and disappear. Hall was promoted to captain while missing, and declared legally dead in 1978.

Neither Hall’s nor pilot Ernest Desoto’s remains have ever been located.

Desoto’s name is carved on row 62 in panel 27W of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, not far from Hall’s, among 58,193 others.

As of May 2016, more than 1,600 families still wait for word that their Vietnamera loved ones have been located, identified and repatriated, just like Rebecca Holt did for 48 years.

“It was because I didn’t understand,” she said of the anger and dismay she’d held on to all those years.

In the mid-‘70s Holt’s family left Fayetteville for Florida, in part to escape the heavily militarized atmosphere surrounding the most heavily populated military base on Earth, Fort Bragg.

Rebecca mostly grew up there, and all that time she waited for definitive word on her father’s fate.

And when it finally came, the grief — which was not just a single event but rather an ongoing occurrence — finally gave way to a revival of the achievements, the honor and the honors of her late father.

“I was bitter for many years,” she said.

“But now I’m proud.”

Franklin attorney to speak at SCC Jeff Gillette, a criminal defense attorney from Macon County, will speak to an American Government class at 8 a.m.

Oct. 6 at Southwestern Community College’s Macon Campus. The public is invited.

Gillette will discuss Miranda warnings, Sixth Amendment rights, Fourth Amendment protections and legal cases that impact every American citizen.

Gillette is owner of the Gillette Law Firm, PLLC, and has extensive experience in criminal defense, family law, real estate transactions and appeals.

Contact Dr. Belinda Petricek at 828.306.7017 or b_petricek@southwesterncc.edu.

WCU to hold panel discussion for stroke patients The College of Health and Human Sciences at Western Carolina University will host a panel presentation on stroke treatment and recovery, with multiple opportunities for open dialogue and interaction between participants.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 4 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 29, in Room 204, Health and Human Sciences Building, 4121 Little Savannah Road, Cullowhee.

The event will include short presentations from nine speakers on different areas of care, round table discussions and a 30-minute question-and-answer session. Refreshments and information on assistance available to family and caregivers of stroke victims also will be provided.

828.227.3381 or pjparker@wcu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

“He was a very young man when it happened — 26 years old,” Rebecca said. “And he laid in the ground for all them years.”

So from 1989 on, his anonymous remains rested in “respectful storage” at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii.

“DNA technology tends to make major leaps about every five years or so,” said Matt Kristoff, a retired lieutenant colonel with the United States Army who currently works in the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Holt’s remains were finally identified in 2014 thanks in part to new technology and procedures discovered during his repose in Hawaii, and in 2015 Holt finally took his place among this nation’s honored dead in Arlington National Cemetery.

WAVE THE FLAG

The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “Marketing Your Business,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Room 3021 at HCC’s Regional High Technology Center.

Participants will discover how to most effectively use the many marketing tools available. The seminar will teach how to gain insights to understand and reach customers, analyze your industry and business environment and differentiate between branding, advertising and grassroots marketing techniques.

Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 to register.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

It had been presumed that Holt was killed in the ammunition bunker, unseen by any who survived the Battle of Lang Vei, which ended up being a decisive North Vietnamese victory.

But no one really knew for sure, and Holt’s wife and family held out hope, waiting for him to one day return.

Around 1975 as Americans exited the region for good, they realized that James Holt — husband, father, Green Beret — wasn’t among the prisoners released by the NVA. In fact, at the time 2,606 other American soldiers were unaccounted for and classified as MIA — Missing in Action.

Hailing from all walks of life and all corners of the country, some of the American dead were unidentifiable, some were given a decent burial by locals, and some, like Holt, simply remained where they were felled.

In North Carolina, 26 MIAs have since been accounted for, leaving 39 still missing to this day; of those, 18 are suspected to have been killed in action, and the other 21 — like Waynesville’s Frederick M. Hall, the only known Vietnam-era Haywood County MIA — are presumed dead.

Little transpired between Holt’s final day in 1968 until the late 1980s, when a thaw in U.S.-Vietnam relations precipitated a series of unilateral transfers of remains from Vietnam.

Among those remains were bone fragments from Holt, but with the technology available at the time, they were unidentifiable.

FRED HALL: WAYNESVILLE’S MISSING MAN

HCC to hold business marketing workshop

news

“I was bitter for many years. But now I’m proud.”

Although burial at Arlington was among the highest honors Holt received, it wouldn’t be his last.

Kristoff travelled from Arlington, Virginia, to the Clyde Volunteer Fire Department on Sept. 24 to present Holt’s daughter Rebecca with the Order of St. George on behalf of the U.S. Cavalry and Armor Association.

According to legend, St. George was a member of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s personal protection unit. When Diocletian ordered the suppression of the still-nascent Christian faith around 302 A.D., George tore down public notices of edicts, and was executed and later canonized for it.

St. George is the only Christian saint depicted mounted atop a steed and thus has been for centuries the patron saint of cavalrymen and, since the industrial revolution, armored units like tanks. His colors — red and white — have likewise found their way into armored regiments across much of the Christian world.

Based in Columbus, Georgia, the U.S. Cavalry and Armor Association seeks to “preserve and foster the spirit, the traditions, and solidarity of the Cavalry and Armor in the Army and Marine Corps of the United States,” according to their website.

But Holt wasn’t a “tanker,” as they say. So how did he come to receive posthumously that lustrous bronze medallion slung from a red-and-white ribbon?

“It’s an award that’s really only for cavalry and army guys,” Kristoff said. “And he was an infantryman but more specifically he was Special Forces — a Green Beret. So it’s highly unusual for this award to be approved from somebody outside of our branch.”

Kristoff said that when the board of directors of the USCAA learned of Holt’s conduct during the Battle of Lang Vei, they took just one day to approve his “unprecedented” award.

“Frankly, he performed to the standard that the very best tankers and cavalrymen perform,” Kristoff said. “His actions spoke for themselves.”

7

news

Candidates seek school board seats

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER n Tuesday Nov. 8, voters in Haywood County will decide from amongst a slew of candidates seeking election to the Haywood County Board of Education in a non-partisan race.

Board members must reside in a particular district, but are voted on by the county as a whole; there are basically three separate races this year in which voters will have to make a decision.

Longtime board Chairman Chuck Francis seeks reelection and is being challenged by Craig Messer of Canton.

Two open seats in the Beaverdam district are being sought by three candidates — Walter Leatherwood chose not to run again for his seat, and Rhonda Cole Schandevel gave up her seat to run against State Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, for her General Assembly seat. Richard Lance, Ronnie Clark and Scott Smith each hope to fill one of those vacancies.

Likewise, two seats in the Waynesville district are up, including that of incumbent Jim Harley Francis, who hopes to return to the board this fall. Lynn Milner is not running to retain her seat, meaning voters will have to choose from among Francis, Pam Martin, Kay Miller, Ann Barrett and Rebecca Benhart for those two seats.

In an effort to learn more about the people who want to help make the decisions that will shape the lives of Haywood County children, The Smoky Mountain News surveyed candidates for basic biographical information, their political intentions and their view of current board dynamics.

Candidates Craig Messer, Scott Smith and Pamela Martin did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

O

Smoky Mountain News

County Board of Education Chairman CHUCK FRANCIS

Age: 60 Town of residence: Waynesville Professional background: Born and raised in Haywood County, Francis grew up on his parents’ farm. He graduated from Tuscola High School in 1974, and North Carolina State University in 1978 with a degree in horticultural science and a minor in business before joining Monsanto Agricultural Products Company in 1979 as a sales representative. In 1982, he left Monsanto to farm with his father, and then joined Kaiser Estech in 1990 as a fertilizer sales representative.

Eventually, he was given the additional responsibility of managing the company’s fer8 tilizer facility, located in Hazelwood. In 1999,

he left the fertilizer plant to work for United Agri Products in Hendersonville as a sales representative, and in 2009 joined Coastal AgroBusiness where he now manages the Flat Rock facility. He and his wife Vicki have been married since 1980 and have three children, one of whom is a teacher in the Haywood County system.

Political experience: After serving as president of the Junaluska Elementary PTA and Waynesville Middle School PTO, Francis decided to become more involved in public education by running for the Haywood County Board of Education in 2000. He was elected and served four years as a Waynesville representative and in 2003 was named vice chair. Elected chairman in 2004, Francis has served in that role ever since, and in 2011 he further served as president of the North Carolina School Boards Association. He continues to serve on that board of directors.

Why are you are running for office? “I am running for office because I want Haywood County Schools continue to improve. During my tenure we have moved from 40th to 11th in student achievement, which currently places Haywood County in the top 10 percent of the 115 districts in the Chuck Francis state. I want to seek ways to improve our teacher pay and be an advocate for our employees, parents and students.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? “Our board currently has an excellent working relationship with our administration, as evidenced by our continued success. We have worked diligently together historically to accomplish many goals, including student growth and our facilities. The board has established good policies that allow our administration to achieve excellent results but with proper oversight by the governing body. The administration provides the board with concise and accurate information so we can make decisions that affect our students and are fiscally sound. We work together well to provide an excellent education for our students and continue to be good stewards of taxpayer monies.”

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or why not? “I have a tremendous respect for our current administration. (Superintendent) Dr. Garrett has done an excellent job. She has accomplished this by surrounding herself with high-performing and dedicated employees. Our administration includes some of the hardest-working folks I know. They wear many hats and have taken on more and more responsibilities as funds have become more scarce. The board and administration have

worked hard to move Haywood County Schools from 40th in the state up to 11th out of the 115 school districts in North Carolina. This has been accomplished by a team effort that includes our teachers, staff, parents, students, administration, county commissioners and community.”

County Board of Education Beaverdam District (choose 2) RICHARD LANCE Age: 67 Town of residence: Canton Professional background: Lance earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in psychology from Western Carolina University and another master’s degree in criminal law from Rollins College. After his studies, he went to work in the children’s protective services field, and then began teaching at Haywood Community College in 1979. After that, Lance transferred to Southwestern Community College, where he has taught in the Psychology Department for the past six years. Lance has also served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve for 35 years, retiring in 2008 as a senior combat medic.

Political experience: None Why are you are running for office? “My goal in serving as a school board member is to help build a school system that enables all children to be successful so that they may achieve their dreams.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? “The relationship between the administration and board is only partially relevant. Both entities have historically been preoccupied with school ratings (which are quite good).

Unfortunately, student assessment shows a different picture. In this state and in many others in the country, students who are college-bound make good grades, get accepted to college and then find themselves thrown into

remediation for a year or more, as college expectations are much higher. The result is parents paying many thousands of dollars for education that they have paid for already. The State University of New York (SUNY) and others are developing tests to be administered in grade 11 to ensure basic competencies necessary for college success so Richard Lance that the senior year in high school can be used to remediate, whereas presently it is often wasted. Our school board can become a leader in the region by embracing this reality.”

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or why not? “I have known and worked with several board and administrative members through the years on various committees. There is no reason to expect that these people are not willing to give their very best to their profession. We are simply facing systemic challenges both in local and state governments, but with a progressive and knowledgeable school board in place, I expect great things.”

RONNIE CLARK

Age: 48 Town of Residence: Canton Professional Background: Clark’s parents never finished high school, which motivated him to earn an associates degree in applied science in business administration and then a bachelor’s degree in management. He joined the military but was Ronnie Clark honorably discharged after an injury, whereupon he began a small-dirt moving operation and Christmas tree farm as well as working part-time as a loan officer. Eventually he found full-time employment at Evergreen Packaging and now serves as a shift manager.

Political Experience: None

County Board of Education Waynesville District (choose 2) JIM HARLEY FRANCIS III

KAY MILLER

ANN BARRETT Age: 65 Town of residence: No answer given.

Professional background: Part-time office manager Political experience: No answer given.

Why are you are running for office? “I have been asked to run again by people I know, (and) I want to be sure that the children in Haywood County get the best education that they can.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? No answer given.

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or why not? “The members of the board have a good working relationship and they all care about the children of this county.”

REBECCA BENHART Age: No answer given.

Town of residence: Waynesville Professional background: Benhart has experience as a Guardian ad Litem, has worked with the literacy council, served as a substitute teacher and postal worker and spent 35 years as a Girl Scout leader and director.

Political Experience: None.

Why are you are Rebecca Benhart running for office? “I intend to be a change maker for the benefit of the hard-working students and teachers in Haywood County.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? “The relationship of the board and administration does not appear to be adversarial.”

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or why not? “I don’t agree with several of their current positions. My proposed changes: limited homework, increased teacher supplements, adequate supplies provided and not paid for by the teachers, seat belts on buses.”

74 North Main Street, Waynesville

I would like to share my excitement with you about my new professional home. I've moved to Beverly-Hanks & Associates, but you, and the people you refer to me, will still be provided the same warm and professional service as always. Please update your address book with my new contact information. And if someone you know is thinking of buying or selling, please let me know. I will provide them with the best service imaginable.

e n i r e h t Ca Proben

Smoky Mountain News

Age: 56 Town of residence: Waynesville Professional background: Miller holds an MBA from Texas Christian University and is a former director of administration for the St. Louis Symphony Community Music School, where she was responsible for the daily operations of seven branches and 4,000 students. She also Kay Miller spent more than eight years as the executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council, where she worked with school administrators and teachers to bring art, poetry and music residencies, as well as live orchestra and dance performances to children. She is a member of the New Covenant Church in Clyde, and co-owner of The Classic Wineseller and Church Street Depot in downtown Waynesville.

Political experience: None.

Why are you are running for office? “I’m running for office because I want to: 1) Grow communication between the school board and the community it serves; 2) Improve teacher morale, credit teachers with a major role in Haywood County achieving Top 10

percent of school systems in N.C.; and, 3) Rebuild the school system’s fund balance.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? “I’ve attended multiple school board work sessions, board meetings and a finance committee meeting. I’ve met twice with school administrators and one-on-one with several current school board members. My observation is that the current board’s relationship with the current administration is one that is professional and respectful of differing opinions.”

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or why not? “I’m confident in both the current school board and the administration because I have watched the interaction at meetings, I know that varying points of view are welcomed, questions are raised and disagreements are discussed in a respectful manner.”

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Age: 45 Town of residence: Waynesville Professional background: Francis attended Junaluska Elementary School, Waynesville Middle School and Tuscola High School before earning a BSBA in risk Jim Francis management and finance from Appalachian State University, where he was also a member of the Gama Iota Sigma Insurance Fraternity. He served as a communications specialist for the North Carolina Department of Insurance from 1994 through 2000, as an educational trainer and instructor for Insurance Education Systems from 2000 through 2004, was an insurance agent for State Farm Insurance in 2004 and 2005, and currently works as the North Carolina Marketing Representative for Southern Mutual Church Insurance.

Political experience: Francis says he became interested in community and political issues in high school and has remained so, serving as chair and vice-chair of the Haywood County Red Cross. An active member at the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, Francis serves on the leadership team, teaches Sunday School and volunteers at Junaluska Elementary School as well as Waynesville Middle School. He’s also served as the Waynesville representative on the Haywood County School Board since 2011.

Why are you running for office? “Coming from a strong family of educators, I have

always been taught to help and serve others.

Having had a grandfather as a teacher and principal, a mother that was a teacher, a sister that is a middle school teacher and numerous relatives that are teachers, I understand how important an education is and how it contributes to one’s success in life. Also being a product of the Haywood County school system and most importantly being a parent with two children in the Haywood County school system, I want to see our schools continue to grow and be the best they can be.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? “I personally feel like the relationship with the current board and administration is good. The board as well as the administration has been faced with many tough issues in the past couple of years. We have had to work very closely together in order to resolve those issues for the best of our school system. I would like to see the board and administration continue to work closely together to make the Haywood County school system the very best it possibly can be. Despite the obstacles we have been faced with our school system continues to show growth.”

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or why not? “Yes. Running a school system is a very difficult job. There are a multitude of moving parts that you must keep up with at all times.

You must keep track of students, teachers, personnel and parents. Also, there are continuous changes in the laws and regulations on federal, state and local levels. Community involvement is also a very important responsibility with sports and other events taking place throughout our county. The administration is responsible for all of this on a daily basis, which is not an easy task.”

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Why are you running for office? “As a parent, I know our children need a strong future. I will use my business education and work experience to make our school system strong again.”

How do you see the current board’s relationship with current administration? “I have watched several of the board’s work sessions, which are available on YouTube. I have also watched or attended several of the board’s regular meetings. I do not wish to downgrade the work they have already done, but I also believe that there is always room for improvement.”

Do you have confidence in the current school board administration? Why or Why not? “Though I do not want to marginalize anyone’s work, I know there is always room for improvement. I don’t ever want our county to experience another Central Elementary situation. It is my hope that our community can begin to feel informed on current issues facing our schools and potential future issues. I will use my extensive business experience to provide input to help overcome obstacles and help plan for the future needs of our schools, children and teachers.”

Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809

cproben@beverly-hanks.com 9

news

WCU seals the deal on $1.8 million Koch gift Faculty hope safeguards will prevent undue donor influence

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER year in the making, Western Carolina University has sealed a deal with the Charles Koch Foundation for a $1.8 million gift to set up an economic research center on campus with a focus on economic development and free market ideas.

The controversial gift became a lightning rod for WCU when the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise was floated last fall.

Heated discussion ensued on campus and beyond about whether the money from billionaire activist Charles Koch was tainted.

Namely, would the center churn out libertarian economic ideology — a brand of unfettered free-market capitalism Koch dogmatically supports?

The gift agreement signed last week takes a stab at ensuring that won’t happen, thanks in part to a five-member faculty task force that has been vetting the terms since August. The committee never had direct contact with the Koch Foundation, but WCU’s Assistant Attorney Shea Browning took on the task of massaging the committee’s philosophical goals into tangible language for the agreement.

“I think Shea Browning did a great job listening to us, and really listened to what our deliberations were,” said Dr. Bill Yang, chair of the faculty senate and an engineering professor.

The committee’s top concern was ensuring the Koch Foundation wouldn’t have undue influence on curriculum or academic freedom.

“That was kind of the starting point. The gift agreement categorically excludes that,” Yang said, citing the opening clause of the contract between WCU and the Koch Foundation.

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

A

Between the lines: what WCU’s Koch gift says, and doesn’t say

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER Few if any universities have made the Charles Koch Foundation jump quite so many hurdles before opening its wallet as Western Carolina University has.

More than 50 universities have Kochfunded centers that operate as de facto think tanks within the halls of academia.

Ralph Wilson, a research analyst with the watchdog group UnKoch My Campus, has read dozens of Koch’s donor contracts that spell out the expectations that come with 10 taking the money. A pact between WCU and

A gift agreement — spelling out the terms of how the donor wants their money spent — is common for any university donation. What those terms look like, and how much academic control the donor expects in exchange for the gift, can vary widely.

“There are always strings attached when you get gifts from outside parties, but we want to minimize any strings on how they want their money to be spent and make sure there were not requirements on our faculty or students we weren’t aware of,” said Dr. John Marvel, a professor of management in the College of Business.

But it was impossible to make the gift agreement specific enough to stipulate everything faculty was concerned about, Yang said.

KOCH MONEY

“The center will take a multidisciplinary approach to the study of free enterprise and its implications for economic development in Western North Carolina and across the state, with the involvement of faculty and students from across the academic disciplines.”

— WCU Chancellor David Belcher in a written statement following the signing of the Koch Foundation gift agreement.

“We can’t look at every scenario we don’t want and insert it into the agreement. We were told that is not the practice,” Yang said. “So what we can do is to put down these very categorical constraints and prohibitions in there.”

Minutes of committee meetings reflect a recurring theme of how to ensure a broad range of viewpoints are represented by the center — rather than one brand of economic philosophy.

“There is a lot implicit here that may pose a danger to academic freedom as well as hidden or open-ended curricular implications,” according to minutes from meetings of the gift vetting committee.

For example, what are the criteria for picking student research Koch money will underwrite?

“Are they handpicked? Do they have to take certain classes or prescribe (sic) to one school of thought?” the gift committee posed in the minutes.

Among the uses of the Koch money will be to send students to conferences and seminars. But the committee wondered how those would be picked.

“Are they Koch-sponsored conferences?

Will it end up mattering? If the donor is not

happy with having money go to send people to a particular conference, that could influence the center to only support certain approved venues, which goes against academic freedom,” the minutes state.

Another conundrum was the type of speakers funded with Koch money.

For several years, the Koch Foundation has paid for a free enterprise lecture series at WCU, to the tune of $12,000 to $14,000 a year. Nearly all the speakers brought in with Koch funding have had ties to the Kochfunded academic network and share a libertarian worldview.

The gift-vetting committee didn’t want students to be steered toward a certain school of thought by virtue of the conferences they attend or speakers they’re given extra credit to hear.

Minutes from the committee meetings show members were concerned about such an outcome: “Sometimes the curriculum impact comes into play when selecting speak-

the Koch Foundation signed last week — providing $1.8 million over five years for the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise — is the least egregious he’s seen.

“It has perhaps the most thoughtfully constructed governance mechanism of any Koch center in the country. It is a triumph of faculty making the best of corporate and administrative overstep,” Wilson said.

WCU not only resisted ceding control to the Koch Foundation in the gift agreement, but will also set up an oversight board to keep the center from being co-opted by the libertarian brand of economics and unfettered capitalism that Koch promotes.

“I think what could have made a difference here was a lot of faculty chimed in early on. Really it is because of those faculty voices that we had this very robust process and were able to have an impact,” said Dr. Bill Yang, chair of the WCU faculty senate and

an engineering professor. “The whole administration nurtured the idea of faculty input and really holds the same values we do on shared faculty governance.”

A gift-vetting committee comprised of five faculty has been meeting since August to wordsmith the gift agreement from the Koch Foundation, and hopefully to prevent undue donor influence from creeping into WCU’s curriculum.

“Having a curricular impact does not automatically make a gift deniable. What are the impacts? Are they acceptable? If not, what could the remedies be? Does it fit with our mission? Is it going to benefit our students?” Yang postulated. “If it somehow limits or restricts academic freedom, then, of course, no, we cannot accept that.”

All Koch’s gift agreements insist on academic freedom.

But WCU’s gift agreement stipulates aca-

ers and even the conferences they go to. That is one of the things we talked about. How will they solicit proposals? How will they review proposals? How will they fund projects?”

Ultimately, those were things the gift vetting committee couldn’t shoehorn into the gift agreement. So the committee drafted an addendum — a summation of concerns that couldn’t be articulated in the gift agreement itself — and penned them in a letter to WCU Chancellor David Belcher.

“Curricular impact extends beyond the walls of the classroom including exposure to invited speakers, seminars, student organizations, conferences and faculty research. The University must be diligent in ensuring the quality and integrity of curricular experience in the broader University mission,” states the letter signed by the five faculty on the gift vetting committee.

Dr. Darrell Parker, Dean of the College of Business, said the process for doling out Koch money will be inclusive.

“The call for proposals will be shared across campus,” Parker said. “The specific process will be developed with the first faculty who choose to be involved and mature each year.”

The tent will be a big one, he assured. Any professor, from any discipline, could try to land Koch money to fund a research project, sabbatical, or conference presentation, as long as they can make a pitch that the subject dovetails with the center’s mission.

The same is true for students seeking stipends for internships, conferences, fellowships and the like.

“We expect students from a variety of majors to benefit from the opportunity,” Parker said.

LINE OF DEFENSE

To Dr. Erin McNelis, a math professor who served on the gift-vetting committee, it would be ideal to spell out exact details of the center’s operations in the gift agreement itself, but it wasn’t practical and potentially not even possible.

F

demic freedom in a better way than the boilerplate language found in other Koch contracts, Wilson said.

“A particularly excellent aspect of the new agreement is the removal of the Koch foundation’s false definition of academic freedom, replaced instead by the academic freedom policies of the UNC System. That is an important win, even if it is more symbolic than other potential changes,” Wilson said.

WCU’s gift agreement also cites the need to protect the “integrity of the university.” A reference to academic integrity is something not typically seen in other agreements.

PUBLIC RECORD Another difference that makes WCU’s gift agreement different from the norm involves

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CANDIDATE FORUM

Thursday, October 20th at the Sam Love Queen Auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Avenue, Waynesville

RECEPTION

FORUM

6-7 p.m.

7-9 p.m.

Mingle with candidates.

Candidates for the General Assembly have

been invited to speak for five minutes.

Tours of the renovated

Folkmoot Friendship Center by Folkmoot board members & staff.

Light hors d'oeuvres.

County Commissioner candidate forum

begins after legislative candidates speak.

Commissioners will answer questions developed by The Smoky Mountain News staff & questions submitted via social media.

Haywood County School Board hopefuls

Moderated by Cory Vaillancourt, The Smoky Mountain News

and candidates running for every office on the Haywood County ballot have been invited to attend the reception and forum so attendees will have the chance to meet those candidates.

Sponsored by The Smoky Mountain News in cooperation with Folkmoot USA.

Smoky Mountain News

What happens next has been an elusive question.

All eyes have been focused on the gift contract, wondering if and when Koch and WCU would agree to each other’s stipulations.

With that now done, Dr. Edward J. Lopez, BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism and the visionary behind the center, is ready to roll up his sleeves. There’s a lot still being hammered out on how the center will operate.

The $1.8 million gift will be spread over five years. The gift agreement contains four broad budget lines, but no details yet.

“Now that we are funded we can develop a budget based on the actual gift, honoring the categories specified in the gift agreement,” Parker said.

The gift-vetting committee wasn’t particularly happy with the lack of detail on how money would be spent.

“The lack of details … hinders the committee’s ability to determine the potential curricular implications. The committee would have not done its job right if the agreement were recommended with loopholes that could allow unforeseen curricular implications to creep in later,” the committee’s minutes state.

Over five years, the gift would provide $500,000 for salaries and center personnel;

for only

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

OFF AND RUNNING

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Instead, the committee invoked the importance of the center’s advisory board to take up that mantle.

“That level of detail wouldn’t be appropriate for the contract, but what is appropriate is for the contract to reference the advisory board,” McNelis said. “The advisory board is dynamic, and they can meet needs as they arise rather than being in a fixed document.”

A lot of stock is being placed on the advisory board to act as a defense against “curricular creep” of the Koch gift, a phrase that appears often in the meeting minutes of the gift-vetting committee.

“They will need to be vigilant and do their job. They will need to hold in paramount importance the academic freedom and integrity of those affiliated with the center and the entire faculty,” Yang said of the advisory board.

The gift-vetting committee wanted to insert a reference to the advisory board’s role into the gift agreement but were told by Browning that wouldn’t work.

Browning said a certain level of trust is required — trust in the center’s leadership, trust that the advisory board will function as intended and trust that bylaws yet to be developed will ensure internal oversight.

“It was pointed out that given some of the questionable past practices, everyone will need to be eternally vigilant and these trusts will need to be earned,” the committee minutes state.

Ultimately, the gift-vetting committee is proud of its final product.

“With all those fail-safes in place, the idea is that hopefully we won’t be concerned. Any system that you set up in anything, not just universities but anywhere, is not going to be foolproof. But I think we have enough safeguards that they should be alleviated,” Marvel said.

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if the center strays from its mission. The gift won’t come in a lump sum, but will be doled out annually for five years.

Each year, the university will have to reapply for its next installment. Part of that process includes an annual report justifying how funds were spent and that the center’s mission is being carried out as expected.

That’s problematic, according to Ralph Wilson with UnKoch My Campus, a national student group that’s fought Koch monetary influence in academia.

Going hat-in-hand to the Koch Foundation every year is a slippery slope that puts the Koch Foundation in the driver’s seat to indirectly influence curriculum.

The gift-vetting committee didn’t particularly like the idea of the center having to prove its mettle very year to unlock the next round of funding.

“That could impact choices … if the donors don’t like a conference students went to, that would mean we don’t send students to that conference,” according to the gift-vetting committee minutes.

Charlie Ruger, the director of the Koch Foundation’s university investments, said the Koch Foundation will pull the plug if a university spends the gift in a way that wasn’t intended.

“If it does anything else with it, you know, best of luck but the next check isn’t coming,” Ruger said during a panel discussion at the Association of Private Enterprise Education in Las Vegas this April.

In fairness, Ruger was referring to a university siphoning money to sports or wrap-

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DEAL, CONTINUED FROM 11 $200,000 to fund research reports on timely economic development policies; $300,000 for student stipends; and $800,000 to host speakers and seminars, publish and distribute reports and fund travel to outside symposiums.

Of the $500,000 set aside for salaries, the only faculty salary being paid with Koch money is Lopez’s.

Lopez currently makes $139,000 a year, plus benefits. He will get an extra stipend of $30,000 from the Koch money to serve as the center’s director.

Edward J. Lopez The rest of the salary line item will go toward administrative support for the center, but the types of positions and the job descriptions aren’t determined yet, Parker said.

Early on, plans for the center called for Koch money to fund the salary of 1.5 economics professors. But that was struck based on faculty concerns about Koch money buying professor lines and controlling the hiring.

By backing out professor salaries from the gift, more money had been freed up to fund faculty research projects, Parker said.

CUTTING THE CORD

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

The Koch Foundation reserves the right to suspend or halt its payments to the university

versity and say ‘Here’s our position, you can sign it or we’ll walk, and our money walks with us,’” Ruger said.

Instead, it’s about coming up with a “mutual vision for what we wanna accomplish together.”

While Koch reserves the right to terminate a gift in its contracts, that’s never the desired outcome, “They will need to be vigilant and Ruger said.

“We’re not just gonna cut do their job. They will need to hold off funding, because these proin paramount importance the grams create value. They’re important,” Ruger said. academic freedom and integrity of While the funding pledge from the Koch foundation is those affiliated with the center and only for five years, that doesn’t the entire faculty.” mean the university will pick up the tab for the center’s oper— Dr. Bill Yang, chair of the faculty senate, ations when five years is up. on the duties of the advisory committee A press release last week about the gift called the $1.8 “It allows us to build sort of a framework million from the Koch Foundation “seed to channel these resources without saying funding.”

“The center is expected to be self-suffiexactly what everyone has to do, and when it has to happen,” Ruger said. “We wanna say, cient and to identify other sources of funding ‘Go build a center, hire some people, start for its continued operation,” the press release doing things, see what works and what stated.

Lopez believes the Koch gift could unlock doesn’t. Stop doing the stuff that doesn’t work. Scale up on the stuff that does, and let’s additional donors. Indeed, many Koch-funded university centers have leveraged big money get this thing going for the long term.’”

Ruger talked specifically about crafting from additional donors.

“We can be proud of forging this agreegift agreements during the session, calling it a ment with the Foundation, and we will move “long, involved process.”

“The way we think about this is not to the Center forward in building a broad base come up with the perfect grant contract and of grants and gifts, similar to other centers sort of go and throw it on the table at the uni- and institutes on campus,” Lopez said. ping the gift into the university’s general budget. But Ruger also cited “regime change” in university leadership, like a new dean, that could threaten the center’s mission.

Ruger said leaving the annual funding open-ended — and something that has to be reapplied for — is aimed at flexibility.

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A baker’s dozen

LINES, CONTINUED FROM 10

NAMING THE DIRECTOR Yang said the gift-vetting committee was pleased with the final result WCU and the Koch Foundation arrived at.

“What we end up with is a good agreement. And we are halfway there to do a good job. The other half is in the hands of the peo-

“The money is at the control and supervision of the center director and we want that person’s name in the agreement,” Ruger said during a panel discussion at the Association of Free Enterprise Education in Las Vegas this April, which was secretly recorded by activists with UnKoch My Campus. “We find that to be a pretty effective way to protect these investments.”

The message, Ruger said, is that if anyone else “ends up in control of these funds, the next check is not going to be on the way.”

“We want to empower people with the ideas. We want to empower academic entrepreneurs,” Ruger added.

But WCU’s gift agreement doesn’t name the director for the center — a stark difference from most.

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PROFESSOR SALARIES Koch money for university centers is usually earmarked to pay professors salaries, in hopes of upscaling the economics department with free enterprise economists who subscribe to Koch’s classical liberalism worldview. Gift agreements often give the Koch Foundation control over who’s hired with the money.

An agreement with West Virginia University in 2009 to hire a cadre of free market economists specified who to hire by

KOCH MONEY

That doesn’t mean the director is up in the air. Dr. Edward J. Lopez, the BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism, is the visionary for The Center for the Study of Free Enterprise. As the one who courted the Koch gift, he will obviously be the center’s director.

Lopez is named as the director in the WCU Board of Trustees vote to approve the center last December.

Dr. Darrell Parker, Dean of the College of Business, said WCU has “already specified Dr. Lopez as the Director, and saw no need to stipulate it in the gift agreement.”

But it might not carry the same weight as naming Lopez as the director in the gift agreement itself, at least legally.

“The written words in the gift agreement should be considered as the key terms of the gift. Attached or related documents, while instructive, may not be considered binding,” said Shea Browning, WCU’s assistant general counsel.

Parker credited Lopez for making the center, and the money, a reality.

“The foundation was impressed by the vision of Dr. Lopez to foster cross-disciplinary student and faculty research projects on the subjects of economics, free enterprise and economic development,” Parker said. “We appreciate the foundation’s ongoing support of Dr. Lopez’s leadership and look forward to future research on timely and important topics related to economic development through the lens of faculty and staff scholars from a wide variety of disciplines.”

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

disclosure of the gift agreement itself.

Gift agreements to launch Koch-funded free enterprise centers at the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville last year both contained language that limited the public release of the gift agreement.

Despite being a public record, the Koch Foundation told the universities “not to disclose the existence or contents” of the gift agreement unless forced to do so by law. And in that event, the Koch Foundation wanted advance written notice that it was being disclosed and to whom. The gift agreements for both are now readily found online, however, thanks to local newspapers that requested the gift agreements and posted them.

In a gift to Ball State earlier this year, the agreement tries to prevent the university from disclosing terms “without express written approval” from the Koch Foundation, even it was legally required to do so under “a public records request.”

However, WCU’s agreement specifically recognizes that the gift agreement is “a public document as defined by the North Carolina Public Records Act” and “shall be made available to the public upon request.”

name. The Koch Foundation said it would pull the plug on funding if the positions were offered to anyone else, unless they could agree on “satisfactory replacements.”

A pledge to fund five professors’ salaries at Utah State in 2008 came with an equally overt caveat: the Koch Foundation had to approve individual hires. If the university hired a professor it didn’t approve of, the funding would be pulled.

The Koch Foundation repeatedly scored this type of veto power over hiring decisions, until recently. Universities have been tightening up on their willingness to hand over the hiring reigns to the Koch Foundation, perhaps due to the national outcry over academia for sale.

When the University of Louisville launched its Center for Free Enterprise last year, the gift agreement merely stipulated that any faculty hired with Koch money “must have demonstrated a track record that is supportive of the Center’s Mission or show promise of developing such a record.”

At WCU, Koch money was initially going to fund 1.5 professor salaries. That plan was scrapped due to faculty concerns that Koch would influence curriculum by buying professor slots.

Now, no Koch money will fund professor hires at WCU, but instead will go to research stipends for specific student and faculty projects, publications, conferences and other activities.

ple running it,” Yang said. “We can have all the robust process and policies and agreements in there, but there are still caveats that really boil down to the people who are going to carry the ball.”

The Koch Foundation seems to agree. It usually names the professor who will serve as the center’s director — always someone with outside ties to the Koch academic network.

Naming the director of the center in the gift agreement is an important strategy to ensure the donor’s mission and intent are upheld, according to Charlie Ruger, the university investment director of the Koch Foundation.

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The $1.8 million gift to house a free enterprise center on WCU’s campus is the largest gift the university has ever received.

But for the donor, it’s less than a box of Krispy Kreme donuts — relatively speaking.

Charles Koch is the fifth richest man in America with a net worth of more than $50 billion, according to Bloomberg this month.

The average net worth of an American is roughly $180,000.

Comparatively, Koch giving $1.8 million is on par with that average American giving $6.48.

Forbes Magazine recently called Charles Koch the nation’s most “politically influential billionaire” who’s on a “crusade for smaller government and economic liberty.”

Now 80, Koch is running out of time to realize the societal change he’s been pushing for — a libertarian utopia where government gets out of the way and a pure capitalism system means everyone can reach their own potential. Free markets are the path to the greater good.

While Koch’s political spending rivals that of the two major parties, Charles Koch called

the return on his investment in the federal political arena “disappointing” in an interview with ABC’s John Karl earlier this year.

“At the federal level, we haven’t in any way changed the trajectory of the country,” Koch said.

That might be why Koch is ramping up his university giving — not only direct giving to universities, but to the affiliate think tanks and policy institutes that carry the ideas out of academia into society.

Funding university centers is critical to the Koch Foundation’s strategy to shift the American landscape toward a libertarian economic system.

“We’re not in it because of electoral politics,” said Charlie Ruger, director of university investments for the Koch Foundation.

Ruger explained the mission behind Koch’s university giving at a national summit for free enterprise professors this spring.

“It’s not about getting certain people elected. We’re in this because we think freedom improves people’s wellbeing and the only way we can do that in the long term is through culture change,” Ruger said. “We’re trying to save the world here. Our mandate… is to change the culture.”

He lamented, however, “we’re losing now.”

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Drawing in the tourists

JCTDA photo

Jackson unveils new ad campaign, celebrates upward tourism trend

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER fter months of talking, planning and producing, Jackson County is set to unleash a new ad campaign and website showcasing the county’s best to a deep bench of potential visitors, and tourism director Nick Breedlove is enthusiastic about the results.

“I think it’s going to really double our effort in terms of bringing more people here,” he said.

The concept is to sell Jackson County to people across the Southeast as “The Great Escape.” The campaign will frame Jackson as a magical mountain getaway, a place full of adventure and relaxation sufficient to last a day, a week or longer.

The ad campaign features vibrant, action-packed photographs taken on-site at some of Jackson’s best-loved places, paired with enticing slogans such as “Welcome to the Tuck — she’s been waiting on you” or “Others have streams. We have a trail. Let’s go fishing.” There’s a video, too, featuring a sequence of clips including chirring mountain bike wheels, kids leaping for a swim and

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Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

A

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A family explores Silver Run Falls in Cashiers.

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water pouring down a falls.

“We believe that adventure is what you make of it,” the narrator says. “In Jackson County, the opportunities are endless. All you have to do is jump right in.”

“It’s always nice when the execution is as good as the anticipation of the concept itself, and I really feel like this gets it,” said Patrick Rhyne, creative director for the ad agency Rawle Murdy. “We feel like a lot of these pictures are a really good summary of what this county’s about.”

SHOWING AN AUTHENTIC JACKSON The pictures were taken over a three-day period in August, during which South Carolina-based Rawle Murdy — which the TDA engaged in July — traveled to produce a plethora of photographs and video footage for future advertising use. When the campaign goes live, Breedlove said, residents will recognize their favorite local places as well as their favorite local faces in the ads — rather than pay actors to come smile on camera, Breedlove rounded up 60 of his friends to

model their county.

“It’s authentic and it’s truly Jackson County at its best,” Breedlove said. “It uses some of the most scenic and stunning imagery that you’ve seen, and all of that is just here waiting for tourists to experience.”

The TDA board appeared to agree.

“We are very impressed with your work,

and we’re excited about the possibilities that are coming forward and moving forward as we go into the next year,” Chairman Robert Jumper told the Rawle Murdy representatives in attendance.

The feeling in the room was a lot more positive than the one that had emanated last September, when

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Features will include detailed information on outdoor recreation, such as GPS directions to trailheads, and a comprehensive database for Jackson County’s accommodations. Accommodation owners will be able to log in to add or change information, including supplementary materials such as photos and videos, giving prospective

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the board’s previous ad firm Brandon Agency had come to give its marketing report. The TDA contracted with Brandon from January 2014 through June 30 of this year.

“Our earlier creative spoke to assets that we have here, but it didn’t really do a good job at showcasing them,” Breedlove said.

“We had used in some earlier creative cam-

“It’s authentic and it’s truly Jackson County at its best. It uses some of the most scenic and stunning imagery that you’ve seen, and all of that is just here waiting for tourists to experience.”

— Nick Breedlove, Jackson County TDA

guests a more complete picture of what’s available.

“It will be a fully featured portal where tourists can come in and see photos of the property and accommodation process without having to leave the website,” Breedlove said.

TOURISM THRIVING

WCU to host leadership studies dean Western Carolina University’s Free Enterprise Speaker Series returns on Monday, Oct. 3, with a program on modern views on economics rooted in 18th-century philosophies.

Sandra J. Peart, dean of Jepson School of Leadership Studies at Richmond University, will present a talk titled “Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand: 21st-Century Reasons for Optimism and a Caution” at 4 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of A.K. Hinds University Center. The talk is open to the public free of charge.

Peart has written on leadership, ethics, higher education and economic themes for The New York Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education¸ USA Today and the Washington Post.

Call Dr. Edward Lopez at 828.227.3383 or email ejlopez@wcu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

Even with the new advertising materials yet to launch, Jackson County’s tourism numbers are looking good. They’re up, and not just slightly — room tax collections have been up by double digits over the previous year.

“Tourism has been up, not just in Jackson County but throughout the region, and we’re excited to see those trends continue,” Breedlove said.

Between fiscal year 2014-15 and fiscal year 2015-16, Jackson’s room tax collections rose by 13.8 percent, with the trend continuing upwards through the beginning of the new fiscal year — July and August collections are sitting 11.5 percent higher than those for July and August of last year. For the one-month period ending Sept. 10, a report from Smith Travel Research showed hotel occupancy in Jackson County to be up 19 percent over the same period last year, and the TDA’s website saw record visitation during the month of August — at 9,619 visitors, it had more hits than any other month in the past two years.

In addition to factors affecting the entire region, such as an improving economy and lower gas prices, Breedlove attributes the promising numbers to a more strategic advertising approach and better coordination within the Jackson TDA recently.

Before Breedlove was hired in January, the TDA didn’t have a paid director to manage those interactions.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

paigns some stock photography, which is not uncommon in this business because it’s really expensive to go out and conduct a photo shoot, but to push our marketing to the next level we needed something more.”

Shooting and post-production for the new photos and video cost the TDA $19,000, with the three 12-14 hour days of shooting involving two videographers, two photographers, four Rawle Murdy representatives, Breedlove and various combinations of the 60 models being on set at any given time. The shoot covered 12 different locations.

According to Breedlove, the undertaking was a bargain.

“We were able to keep that cost affordable and make the best use of funds by working with local talent and also shooting photography and video at the same time on each location,” he said.

Hired models could have cost the TDA an additional $15,000 to $20,000, Breedlove said, so finding locals willing to volunteer their time saved a pretty penny.

The resulting images will be used in all manner of marketing, public relations and social media efforts, benefiting Jackson County tourism for years to come, Breedlove said. Currently, advertising efforts are targeting Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Southwest Florida and Birmingham — those priorities are based on state tourism office statistics, TDA visitor research and website/social media analytics. Digital media buys will fill in the gaps to capture travelers who don’t necessarily fit into that geographic area.

The TDA is also anticipating the launch of a new website — www.discoverjacksonnc.com — on Oct. 17.

“We’re very excited about the new website,” Breedlove said. “It will be a portal of information not just for tourists but also for

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news

Raked over the coals TVA houseboat policy scrutinized during congressional hearing

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he Tennessee Valley Authority leadership fielded some tough questions from members of Congress last week in Washington, D.C., during a Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing.

There were some questions TVA wasn’t able to answer regarding its recent board decision to get rid of 1,800 houseboats on its 49 reservoirs within the next 30 years. Even though more than 3,700 people have signed an online petition opposing the TVA’s decision to sunset all floating homes, TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson couldn’t tell the committee how many complaints it received regarding houseboats staying on the lakes.

Johnson said TVA staff studied the issue for more than two years and held numerous Bill Johnson public hearings before issuing its recommendations to the board.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, who also chairs the subcommittee, told Johnson that a decision to displace 1,800 families who invested thousands into their homes usually isn’t made lightly. After closely examining the legislation that created the TVA as a federal corporation in 1933, Meadows also said he thought the TVA was overstepping its authority and was punishing many homeowners when the TVA hasn’t enforced its own houseboat regulations since 1978.

“Now, I’ve said this before, and I will say it again — this is yet another example of the federal government getting involved without seriously evaluating the consequences placed on taxpaying families,” he said. “And as we will hear in testimony today, those impacted — some of whom have lived on these reservoirs for generations — feel genuinely outraged and misled.”

The fact that Johnson and his chief of staff couldn’t give a definitive answer on how many complaints it received didn’t sit well with some subcommittee members.

“We’re a complaint-based system and you don’t know how many complaints TVA has had?” asked Congressman Gerald Connolly, D-VA. “Bad policies are made over reacting to a few complaints.”

Johnson said he would find out the number of complaints and send it to the subcommittee.

Before the TVA board voted on the new houseboat policy in May, the board heard almost three hours worth of public comments from people — a majority were against the sunset provision while only two people spoke in favor of it. Meadows and other con16 gressmen representing Western North

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

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Carolina issued letters of opposition to the TVA regarding the sunset in an effort to reach some kind of compromise, but Johnson made it clear the board wasn’t going to budge.

Meadows said the provision would affect more than 350 houseboats on Fontana Lake alone. The loss of revenue from personal property tax and sales tax would be devastating for Swain and Graham counties’ economies, which rely heavily on tourism and outdoor recreation. Marina operators say they would lose at least half of their business if the houseboats were forced off the lakes.

“I am very concerned that with the public outcry I’m hearing, that other congressmen are hearing, and that you’ve seen, that this was an arbitrary decision that was not based solely on the number one priority you have to produce low-cost energy for the region and to create jobs — if anything this is a jobs killer,” Meadows said to Johnson at the hearing. “It seems to me to be very poor decision-making.”

WHY THE SUNSET? The TVA board adopted new houseboat policies in May to ease safety and environmental concerns on its lakes. Under the new guidelines, houseboat owners will have to meet more stringent standards and pay new permit and enforcement fees to the TVA. While houseboat owners have been amenable to meeting new standards and even paying more fees to stay on the lake, they’ve had a hard time understanding why the TVA had to go so far as to sunset their homes in 30 years and force them to remove their homes at their own expense.

Houseboats have been permitted on TVA lakes all over the Southeast since the early 1940s. In 1978, the TVA prohibited the permitting of new houseboats and grandfathered in the existing 900 or so structures.

However, TVA’s lack of enforcement for the last 30 years has resulted in proliferation of these floating homes on TVA lakes.

With more than 900 houseboats that are not permitted, Johnson said the issue needed to be addressed before it gets worse. He admits that TVA did not enforce the rules for many years before he took the helm in 2012 and referred to the problem as one of many “legacy issues” the TVA was trying to resolve.

“It did not develop overnight and cannot be fixed overnight,” Johnson said during his opening remarks. “But TVA and the TVA board have a responsibility to address difficult issues on behalf of the nine million people we serve in seven states.”

TVA’s main priorities are to provide affordable electricity to the region and create jobs, but Johnson said TVA legislation also states the federal corporation has a responsibility to be a good steward of the natural resources entrusted to it.

Johnson said TVA staff has heard numerous complaints about the environmental and safety issues that floating homes pose on its lakes, but TVA staff particularly became concerned when they started seeing marketing materials for a proposed 200-home subdivi-

TVA CEO Bill Johnson, (from left) houseboat owner Laura Sneed, Swain County commissioner David Monteith, Tennessee Valley Floating Homes Alliance President Michael Wilks and Tennessee Wildlife Federation CEO Michael Butler are sworn in to speak before Subcommittee on Government Operations. Screenshot

“I am very concerned that with the public outcry I’m hearing, that other congressmen are hearing, and that you’ve seen, that this was an arbitrary decision that was not based solely on the number one priority you have to produce low-cost energy for the region and to create jobs — if anything this is a jobs killer. It seems to me to be very poor decision making.”

— Congressman Mark Meadows

sion to be constructed on one of its Tennessee reservoirs. The bottom line, according to Johnson, is that allowing houseboats on TVA lakes creates an issue of allowing private ownership of a public resource.

“There are many differing viewpoints of this issue. We acknowledge it is a personal and emotional experience for many,” Johnson said. “The TVA board, using its authority in the TVA Act, believes it has struck a balance in approving a policy that represents the varying interests and seeks to protect the natural resources entrusted to TVA’s care.”

Michael Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, also testified at the hearing in support of TVA’s sunset on houseboats.

Butler said allowing private ownership of a houseboat on public water impeded the public’s ability to access those waters and can also

pose health and safety problems when not installed or maintained properly.

“While some may argue that wastewater and electrical safety can be adequately regulated, the sheer fact that hundreds of these structures were located on public reservoirs without any permitting or oversight, over a handful of decades, in direct violation of federal rules, is a clear statement that many of the Michael Butler people building these structures are not concerned with following the rules and regulations that govern them,” Butler said during his testimony.

WNC STAKEHOLDERS TESTIFY

Laura Sneed of Cherokee and her family own two pre-1978 permitted floating homes on Fontana Lake. As the driving force behind a grassroots effort to get the TVA to rethink the sunset provision, Sneed was asked to testify before the subcommittee.

She said her family went to great lengths to make sure they were following TVA guidelines by purchasing homes grandfathered in and properly permitted through the TVA. They spent thousands of their savings to renovate the homes and bring them up to current standards for septic. After all that work, Sneed said the TVA board’s decision left her in complete dismay.

“I was completely shocked and devastated as I never imagined we would lose our floating homes, especially since we followed the rules, paid $1,000 in fees and received Section 26a permits from the TVA,” she said.

Sneed said she wasn’t against reasonable regulations and even paying more fees. While her family can afford an increase, she said the new fees and permitting process would have a greater impact on other lake families who can’t afford it. Despite stereotypes of rich people living on the TVA lakes, Sneed said Fontana was different.

“These floating homes afford

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everyday people the ability to enjoy the lake regardless of their income status,” she said.

“The floating home community is a unique collection of owners, including an EMS worker, a North Carolina State Trooper, a registered nurse, a school bus driver, a chemical engineer, a college professor, tribal employees of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, retirees, numerous former members of the United States military and many others.”

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Laura Sneed, a houseboat owner on Fontana Lake, testifies before a congressional hearing.

And despite the TVA’s assertion that houseboats are polluting the lakes with raw sewage, Sneed said TVA has shown no water quality testing to prove that is true in Fontana Lake. As part-time residents on the lake, she said she and fellow owners take great care of the lake.

“As a loving and protective mother I would never allow my children to swim in the lake if it was not safe,” she said.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

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Smoky Mountain News

Swain County commissioner and native David Monteith also traveled to D.C. to testify before the subcommittee and give them a brief history lesson of what the federal government has taken away from Swain County throughout the years.

Swain County has lost more than 44,000 acres with the creation of the national park, causing thousands of Swain residents to lose their homes.

“Today 86 percent of Swain County is federal land, meaning the counDavid Monteith ty must rely on diminished territory — only 14 percent of the total county — to fund the schools, roads, emergency responders and other functions of county government,” Monteith said.

The TVA took another 11,000 acres from Swain and Graham in the midst of World War II to build Fontana Lake. People were told power from the dam would be used to help build a bomb that would help the U.S. win the war.

“Yet again, the citizens of Swain County were forced off of their land through a combination of social pressure and legal action, even

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TVA, CONTINUED FROM 17 when they were unwilling to sell their property,” Monteith said. “District Court Judge Edwin Yates Webb ruled that it is illegal for one branch of the federal government to condemn land in order to give that land to another branch of the federal government, yet the federal government proceeded anyway.”

If houseboats are removed, Monteith said, Swain County would lose $3 million in valuation and more than $12,000 in annual tax revenue. He said that’s a lot to give up considering the TVA doesn’t provide low-cost electricity or flood control to Swain or Graham County.

MORE PRESSING ISSUES

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Meadows said he just couldn’t understand why TVA would focus so much time on the houseboat issue when it had so many other pressing matters to address.

“Instead of focusing on this policy, the TVA, in my opinion, should focus its energies on its critical priorities. For example, providing electricity for business customers and local power distributors serving nine million people in southeastern states,” he said in his opening comments. “Instead of displacing homeowners, perhaps TVA should be focused on its current effort to sell a nuclear plant, which by some public accounts is being sold for $36 million despite having cost $5 billion. Or, for example, continuing to clean up the Kingston Plant coal ash spill that contaminated the drinking water of over one million people.”

Meadows wasn’t the only committee member who took issue with the TVA’s decision to do away with all houseboats.

Subcommittee Vice Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, said lakes in Michigan allowed houseboats and created reasonable regulations to avoid environmental and safety concerns. He also took issue with the TVA’s other problems that he said should take priority over houseboats. With $6 billion in unfunded retirement pensions and heavy debt, Walberg asked how the TVA could pay its top executive 15 times more than President Obama’s salary or 30 times more than the Secretary of Energy makes in one Tim Walberg year.

“TVA has a staggering amount of debt, which as a federal government corporation has contributed to the federal deficit as well,” he said. “Taking that into account, wouldn’t you consider a million dollar compensation package for TVA executives excessive?”

As the largest utility provider in the country, Johnson said it was necessary to pay its leaders well.

“We operate seven nuclear plants. We’ve got to get the talent and to do that, we have to pay them,” he said.

At one point during the hearing, Meadows asked Johnson how much he made annually including bonuses.

Johnson said he made $4.5 million a year

in his position with the TVA. He added that all corporations have unfunded liabilities and that TVA was in good financial shape.

“Look at the last couple years, we’ve made tremendous improvement — I’d put our performance up against any utility in the country,” he said.

As a government entity, Walberg said the salaries were still too high considering the amount of debt the TVA has accumulated.

While he doesn’t support unlimited personal freedom for the folks who purchased houseboats, he said he expected “some type of reasonable care for the personal liberty we all believe in,” especially for those houseboat owners who have a legal permit from the TVA. Meadows also said he was surprised with

“Swain County and Fontana Lake residents have independently taken great steps to preserve their lake, and I would hope that these positive and proactive actions are not met with a mandate that residents abandon their homes,” Monteith said.

Meadows said TVA should take Swain and Graham’s model and make it a requirement on all TVA reservoirs.

“Let’s identify the barriers to fix the problem and dispense with pontification of what might happen in the future,” Meadows said to Johnson.

Johnson said there was still the issue of allowing private use of public resources in perpetuity by not putting a sunset clause on houseboats.

Since the TVA already leases space to the marina owners, who then manage the houseboats within its harbor, Meadows argued that the TVA is already allowing private use of public resources. What makes the houseboats any different?

Butler said the difference was that houseboats were permanent residents — though Meadows countered that no one lived in S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, asks the Tennessee Valley their houseboat on a Authority tough questions about its decision to sunset all house- full-time basis. boats in 30 years. Screenshot Meadows threw out the idea of exempting the TVA’s attempt to sell 1,600 acres of river- Fontana Lake from the TVA’s sunset policy or front property with no regard to how the buyer even getting rid of the sunset provision altomay use the property in the future. The TVA gether and letting local counties manage the invested $5 billion on the nuclear plant prop- health and safety of these lakes. erty and is willing to accept a minimum bid of “Is it not a reasonable request to do this only $36 million. If TVA is so concerned about for the benefit of floating house owners or do being environmental stewards, Meadows you have such a burr in your saddle that you questioned why TVA wasn’t as concerned want to get rid of them no matter what?” about potential pollution into the river.

Meadows asked.

J Johnson said a large buffer along the river “I just don’t like the permanence of (floatwas not included in the property for sale. ing homes),” Johnson replied.

Connolly agreed no one has permanent rights to public waters and floating homes OT A ONTANA ISSUE out of compliance should be forced to leave.

Houseboat supporters argued many of the He encouraged the TVA to figure out a way to issues TVA is concerned about don’t even assert its public use principle without harmapply to Fontana Lake — and Johnson ing people.

In closing, Meadows emphasized what agreed. When asked by Meadows if he had seen any safety or environmental issues when the sunset would mean for depressed counhe visited Fontana six weeks ago, Johnson ties like Graham and Swain.

“The population doesn’t grow because said, “No. Fontana is the best as far as anchorthere’s no new jobs and you’re talking about age safety and environmental issues.”

Monteith led a charge about 15 years ago taking more jobs and when that happens in through the Fontana Lake Waste Recovery my backyard what you experienced today is Organization to improve the water quality on just the beginning,” Meadows said to Fontana. The organization was able to secure Johnson. “I’ve got to stand up for the people I $700,000 worth of grants through several represent.”

He then asked Johnson if the TVA planned agencies, including the TVA, to purchase pump-out boats and waste tanks for all the to compensate floating homeowners when marinas. Since Swain and Graham counties they have to remove their homes in 30 years, both passed ordinances requiring houseboat especially since the TVA has failed to enforce owners to have a septic pump-out contract, its own regulations.

“I doubt that will be the case,” Johnson multiple water tests show the water quality has vastly improved. They are also responsi- said.

“Yeah, I doubt it too,” Meadows said ble for paying county taxes, unlike some before adjourning the hearing. houseboat owners on other TVA lakes.

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Growing “Great Smiles” Closer to Home A new location to serve you in

The plan also serves a larger purpose — not just an internal one, but also an external one.

“For grant funding, you have to have a capital improvement plan,” Burrell said.

“They want to see that you’ve thought about this project far enough in advance that you‘ve got a good handle on it.”

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

“I think the capital improvement plan is just putting everything on paper, but I think, too, the projects are representative of the vision and goals of the board and staff in terms of progressing.”

— Jason Burrell, Canton assistant town manager and economic development director

Most granting agencies view such plans as a basic competency check reflective of the town’s leadership, organization and ability to pull off large-scale projects (see Recreation master plan story, p. 42); such plans also assure grantors that their funding will go to the most qualified entities, and not just those who apply for funding simply because it’s available.

Some of the more expensive projects originate in the Water and Sewer Department.

For example, a failing water line that serves

S EE CANTON, PAGE 20

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER he town of Canton has scored several small victories of late in its effort to diversify its economic base and improve services and amenities available to residents.

Now, a recently completed capital improvement plan will make it even easier for members of the town board to prioritize future upgrades and expansions in eight town departments or divisions.

“Basically it’s more or less a planning document for what type of projects we have going on, or what we’ve discussed,” said Jason Burrell, Canton’s assistant town manager and economic development director.

Burrell, a Candler-area native with a political science degree and master’s of public administration from Western Carolina University authored the plan, “pecking away” at it over the course of a month. The board formally adopted it Sept. 22.

“It’s more of a tool that can be used and looked at moving forward, especially around budget time,” he said.

Burrell hopes the document can serve as definitive information for Canton’s decision makers, who will have the ultimate say as to whether or not projects are prioritized or funding is allocated.

“So next year, come budget time, we can go, ‘OK, these are things we’ve talked about doing or implementing — do we still want to do that, or not?’”

The plan is broken down by departments. A few of the town’s departments have their own capital improvement plans — wish lists, basically — that are less formal than Burrell’s document, but compiling the capital improvement plan allows town officials to get a bigger picture of the town’s needs and decide accordingly.

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USDA loan hang-up: Blessing in disguise?

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER nother of Canton’s highly anticipated capital improvements on the horizon is a new municipal pool to replace the leaky aging one that has served residents for more than 70 years.

The complex 10-part financing package town leaders created to pay for the $2.2 million pool includes private donations, municipal funding, a $350,000 grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and a $1 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But that loan, which was supposed to be one of the more easily attainable components of the financing package, is now in jeopardy because of Congress’s decision to defer funding to the USDA’s rural development program that administers such loans.

Although that funding may reappear in the future, for now it’s not an option, and it may not be an option in the future, either, if the town is to open the new pool in time for next summer’s busy season.

Early reports on the loan situation revealed a “chicken little” syndrome, with some predicting the demise of the project altogether, but Canton Assistant Town Manager Jason Burrell doesn’t share in the pessimism; in fact, this may be the best thing that’s happened to Canton in some time.

“I think in terms of the USDA loan not being an option at this point to keep along with the time frame the board is trying to get the pool completed — I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Burrell said. “The financing will come.”

Canton’s best option is to seek financing through commercial lenders, who offer a term significantly shorter than the USDA’s 40-year length. Of course, the shorter term from a commercial lender would come with a slightly higher interest rate, but could result in a cost savings anyway.

“Probably it’s theoretically better to do a 25-year loan, as opposed to 40. The interest

rate isn’t that different — I think there is some savings doing a conventional financing loan,” he said.

And it may just be easier to accomplish; working with local commercial lenders is easier than dealing with an expansive federal agency.

“The USDA is a good resource, and a good option for funding, but the process is so slow,” he said. “Not so much the application process, but just the federal government part of it is so slow.”

CANTON, CONTINUED FROM 19

Regardless of what board members do — or do not — choose to pursue, Canton’s capital improvement plan foreshadows improvements the town hopes will continue to attract businesses like the recently recruited Western Carolina Freightliner and BearWaters Brewing.

“I think the capital improvement plan is just putting everything on paper, but I think, too, the projects are representative of the vision and goals of the board and staff in terms of progressing,” Burrell said. “At the end of the day that’s what it boils down to — I think we provide a very high level of service for what people pay in terms of property tax and everything else. At the same time, how can we focus on adding value to that at the same time not going up on property taxes?”

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six customers on Warner Drive could cost up to $20,000 to replace, but consolidation of the Crossroads Hills Water Association into the town’s water system could cost up to $2.3 million without grants.

“Water and sewers is where you get into that far-reaching infrastructure expansion,” Burrell said. “But I think recreation is good because we’ve been focusing on and the board’s been focusing on how to better develop our recreational assets.”

Improvements to Camp Hope, the Rough Creek Watershed and the IP Sports Complex could run as high as $930,000 without grant funding and present board members with some hard choices about where, exactly they wish to expend their political capital.

Burrell went on to recount a situation that illustrates why waiting on the USDA is a bad idea.

“A couple of years back, we were looking at putting in a new fire truck. We were trying to get a USDA loan for that and we had to — something with EPA was changing on newer trucks, so we had to move relatively quickly to get this truck or it was going to be like $40,000 more for some emissions thing,” he said.

The USDA holds its cards close to its vest with regard to who gets funding and who doesn’t — either you’re in, or you’re in limbo, Burrell said.

“That’s where we were with that fire truck. We had to make a decision. So we had to pull the trigger, and I think we did that through BB&T, the financing,” he said. “The truck was ordered, we got the truck, and it had been on the road for like three months and then the USDA came back and said, ‘Hey, your loan’s approved!’”

Community

Smoky Mountain News

orandum of understanding before receiving the list of private providers. Also, the Department on Aging continues to accept candidates for the in-home list. Those wishing to work in the community providing home management, personal care, or respite services are encouraged to sign-up for the list. Candidates will be required to sign a MOU complete a background check and training. Payment arrangements are made between the candidate and families.

For more information, call Phyllis Phillips at 828.631.8039.

Movie screening for mental health awareness

Waynesville honor guard John Pyndus, a 9/11 survivor, (middle) is pictured with the Waynesville Police Department Honor Guard during the 2016 Laps for Life event in Charlotte. Donated photo

Police Honor Guard travels to Charlotte

Macon 4-H Sharp Shooters go to regional tourney

The Waynesville Police Department Honor Guard was invited to present the colors at the 2016 “Laps for Life” event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The event began three years ago as a way to remember 9/11 victims, their families and all of those impacted by the tragic events of that day. Laps for Life was organized to not only remember the sacrifices made on Sept. 11, 2001, but to also provide the opportunity for people to give blood, the gift of life.

“We are very proud of the commitment, hard work, and dedication that the men and women of the Honor Guard regularly demonstrate. The Honor Guard represents our agency and the town in a very professional manner. We appreciate them very much”, said Waynesville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed.

The speaker for the event, John Pyndus, escaped the towers on Sept. 11. He emotionally recounted the events of that day and how they shaped his decision to become a Red Cross volunteer.

The Macon 4-H Sharp Shooters competed against more than 150 other 4-H marksmen at the Regional 4-H Shooting Tournament.

The Sharp Shooters had three juniors: Wyatt Browning, Bryson Geoghagan and Samuel Phillips that competed in Air Rifle, Air Pistol and Archery competition. The team received second place overall in Air Pistol and received individual awards in Air Rifle. Senior Gabrianne Ivey received first place in Air Rifle, sixth place in Recurve Archery and second in Open Sight Rifle. Each of them are qualified to go on to State 4-H competition in September.

Southwestern Commission receives $26,500 The Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging has been awarded a $26,500 grant from the Evergreen Foundation to use in its ongoing efforts to raise awareness to issues related to the protection of elders from abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

The grant will be applied to the costs involved in the production and distribution of printed materials, the creation and promotion of special events, the development and facilitation of community educational programs and the expansion of partnerships with community groups and agencies that include the protection of elders from mistreatment.

The Southwestern Commission serves Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties.

Clampitt to discuss Battle of Deep Creek Mike Clampitt, a Swain County native, will be presenting “The Sawyer Family in WNC in the Confederacy, and The Battle of Deep Creek” at the Oct. 6 meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society.

The Sawyer family was one of the pioneer families in the area. Key in this presentation will be the story of six Sawyer brother ancestors who fought in the Confederacy in the Civil War. Two of those brothers were a part of Thomas’s Raiders. Included in the presentation will be the history of the Battle of Deep Creek.

The presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East Ridge Drive, Bryson City.

In-home provider list available for families The Department on Aging is offering an in-home list to families searching for someone to hire to provide inhome services.

The family or person will be required to sign a mem-

A new drama starring Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room.

NAMI Appalachian South, a local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is partnering with the Macon County Public Library during Mental Illness Awareness Week. This movie is loosely based on the book “Touched with Fire” by Dr. Kay R. Jamison, and is a window into the reality of bipolar disorder.

As a compliment to this showing, there will be a book display and information about mental illnesses and resources available in our community in the library during the month of October. Rated R for language, a disturbing image, brief sexuality and drug use.

Library to host free memory workshop A free memory improvement workshop will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The workshop, facilitated by Valerie Harrison, is intended for people aged 45 and older. Participants will look at new scientific data regarding the brain and memory and learn new techniques to improve their ability to retrieve stored experience, and learn techniques to increase memory.

This program is free of charge. Register at 828.586.2016.

Regional leaders meet with Chinese chamber Members of the Carolinas Chinese Chamber of Commerce recently met in Franklin with economic development professionals throughout the region. The meeting was by invitation from Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin, who had traveled to China with members of the CCCC last November.

“American products and services are viewed by the Chinese as having value, quality, and prestige. Many Chinese entrepreneurs are searching for investment opportunities in the U.S.,” Davis said. “I invited leaders of the Carolinas Chinese Chamber to attend the forum to expose them to some of the possibilities present in Western North Carolina. Some contacts made at the event are already bearing fruit.”

The lunch was hosted by the Mountain West Partnership, a coalition of economic development entities in the seven western counties of North Carolina.

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• A walk-in flu clinic will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 1, at Waynesville Family Practice. This clinic is open to current patients and the general public.

Bring your ID and insurance card or form of payment. 828.456.3511.

• Cullowhee Fire Department and the VFW will host “Shop with a Cop” from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at the VFW Post in

ALSO: Tuckasegee. Barbecue and hotdog supper with all the fixings. Bring a cake for the cake walk.

• Macon New Beginnings will be holding its next volunteer meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 3, at the Carpenter Community Building in Franklin.

These meetings are held every other month to discuss issues, processes and homelessness awareness. www.maconnewbeginnings.org.

• Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont has opportunities for volunteers who are committed to helping girls develop courage, confidence and character. To learn more about starting a Girl Scout troop, contact local membership manager Jenna Jackson at 828.210.9029 or email jjackson@girlscoutsp2p.o rg. www.beagirlscout.org.

• The Fund for Haywood County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, elected Christine Mallette as the new chair of the Advisory Board. Mallette and her husband Tom own Realty WorldHeritage Realty in Maggie Valley.

828.734.0570 or www.FundforHaywoodCo unty.org.

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Opinion

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Pound your chest and punch your neighbor T

We need a senator who is for the people To the Editor: Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, has unleashed a series of negative flyers against his opponent, Jane Hipps. His flyers are full of lies and halftruths. His claims about her raising taxes are obviously fabrications; can you believe any politician would stand before a white male audience to tell them she will raise their taxes by 15 percent? This is shoddy defamation by a shoddy politician, but unfortunately, it is shoddy political rhetoric we endure almost daily.

As to the Davis claim of cutting taxes for the middle class, he is really just shifting your taxes. You now pay sales tax on labor charges and other areas that you did not pay before. If you get your car serviced, the largest portion of the bill is usually for labor; now that labor will cost you 7 percent more under the Davis sales tax. Your license plate tags now cost you almost double, as will your driver’s license renewals, and the list goes on and on. What little you save on income tax will cost you double in other taxes and higher fees.

Davis is a puppet of ALEC, the organization that promotes government to the highest bidder. He has voted to gerrymander much of North Carolina; voted to allow fracking in Western North Carolina; voted to deny federal extensions to Medicaid, a serious loss to our community; voted to allow private financing of student loans for our two-year colleges, costing students millions by opting out of federal loan assistance; voted to limit damages for medical malpractice; and voted to reduce healthcare options for teachers. Still, the senator feels compelled to use deception to win the game. To find the real truth, check with the

ing himself some expensive Scotch, only to shift his thoughts to when his tee time was the following morning by the time he needed a refill.

And then there’s the American public, which is playing out like some modernday version of “West Side Story.” On one side The Sharks, an ethnic gang, on the other The Jets, the white gang. Both groups taunting each other, both posturing with scowls and aggressive finger snapping, all dancing around in an effort to scare and, perhaps, convince the oppoColumnist nent who the real boss is that rules the streets. It’s about territory and power, rather than actual solutions to everyday problems.

The sad part is, the only difference between these films and our current political and society landscape is that Hollywood and the silver screen isn’t real — but we are. And what are we going to do to ensure a civil discourse and a common ground by which to navigate our tattered ship in such rough and hostile waters? I say, look to the past — you know, that thing called history? — so that we won’t repeat it. Look to the

Garret K. Woodward

here were two primetime spectacles Monday evening. One was the first presidential debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The second immediately followed the debate, when John and Jane Q. Public took to their smart phones and computers to spout their political opinions, many of which seemed as if the couple ran out onto their front yards across America, ripping off their clothing in a state of madness and confusion, pounding their chests and howling up to the heavens, in hopes of being loud enough that the neighbors would hear, turn on their porch light and say, “What the hell is going on over there?”

Say what you will about Clinton and Trump, there isn’t much left that hasn’t already been plastered or dumped onto the world spotlight. Watching the debate, Clinton resembled Tracy Flick from the film “Election,” poised and ready for any curveball thrown at her, but also seemingly perfect and untouchable to a fault, something voters can’t seem to swallow when deciding who to cast a ballot for.

Trump seemed to take a page directly out of the “braggadocios” bravado of Steff McKee (“Pretty In Pink”), where, even if he lost, you knew he’d just jump into his sports car, peel out of the school parking lot and retreat back to his mansion, pour-

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

Democrat Men’s Club in Franklin or with Jane herself; then go to votesmart.org, a bipartisan vote site, to check on Davis’ voting record.

Sen. Davis is not originally from North Carolina, while Jane Hipps is a native North Carolinian with a long history in Western North Carolina as a teacher and pediatric nurse. She has observed the political arena of District 50 first hand through the political career of her husband and as a resident for many years. I hope you noticed her recent endorsement by Aaron Martin, a former North Carolina Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency.

Since 2009 and 2010, North Carolina has undergone a strategic makeover called Redmap: a plan designed by Art Pope to turn North Carolina red by gerrymandering, large infusions of money, and by orchestrating a right-wing smear campaign on Democrats.

But I know you will agree with me that politics should not be a get-rich-quick forum for billionaires. Be informed: check out this article

by Jane Mayer in The New Yorker, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/10/ state-for-sale.

With a large turnout in the 2016 elections by a well-informed electorate, we can return to a better North Carolina, especially Western

national troubles of 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980 and onward. Not much has changed, in terms of issues and solutions, so let’s make actual headway in 2016, and every year beyond that.

Want to know the truth? The presidential election doesn’t matter. It might, in terms of a physical face for international diplomacy, but the real power is in the Senate and House of Representatives, and especially at the town and regional levels.

You think President Obama was ineffective? Hell, I doubt his successor will have better luck. Sure, you can name the presidential candidates, or maybe all the members of the Kardashian family, but can you name all of your county commissioners or who is on your school board? Have you ever even been to a town meeting or participated in community affairs?

The real movement is right outside your front door, that same place where now resides ripped fabric you once called a shirt, a dress, and your last shred of dignity as a once educated electorate, or at least one who used to respect the opinions of others, for the true freedom of democracy is diverse ideas, not punching your neighbor in the throat when the “wrong” candidate is displayed on their bumper.

(Garret K. Woodward is a staff writer for The Smoky Mountain News. garret@smokymountainnnews.com)

North Carolina, more focused on the needs of the middle-class.

Ruth Ballard Hayesville

Editor’s note: The flyers attacking Jane Hipps — Sen. Jim Davis’ opponent — are from the N.C. Republican Party and state that they are “not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”

Yes, there are some bikers for Clinton To the Editor: I am a female motorcyclist who actually rides my motorcycle across the country, not one who hauls it around, and I support Hillary Clinton for President. Since January of this year, I have ridden to 42 of the 50 states. I have met people who actually ride and are supporters of Hillary. We, motorcyclists, are a mixed cross section of the country, and I know many do support Trump, and a few who are Libertarian, but there are Hillary supporters in the biking community as well.

I have been riding my own motorcycle for 15 years, but was a passenger and around the biking community for 35 years before that.

While Mr. Immerman has not met or seen any bikers who support Clinton, we do exist.

Bridgett Britt Aguirre Haywood County

Sen. Jim Davis raised taxes on farm families To the Editor: If you are like many residents of Western

North Carolina, you probably cut hay, raise a few head of livestock, grow a good-sized garden, or keep bees. Mountain people grew up doing these things. These wholesome, enjoyable activities are our birthright and rural heritage.

These farming enterprises also supplement incomes in a region where quality of life is outstanding but good-paying jobs can be scarce.

If you’re one of these hardworking people who sells a few calves, honey, or fresh produce, you’ve probably noticed that you are paying a lot more taxes on your farm supplies.

A few years ago, farm-related expenses such as fertilizer, feed, seeds, beekeeping supplies, and even tractors were exempt from sales taxes. Then, in 2013, the legislature passed House Bill 998, eliminating the exemption for farmers with a gross farm income under $10,000. That’s right — larger producers still have the exemption, while lower income farmers got a tax hike. Effective July 1, 2014, the legislature levied a 6.75 percent surcharge on every farm purchase you make to help pay for a 40-percent tax cut for huge corporations like Duke Energy.

And where did our local state senator, Jim Davis, R-Franklin, stand? He chose to stand with Raleigh and against his constituents. He voted to increase taxes on family farmers. Perhaps Davis agrees with Raleigh politicians who consider our small mountain farms insignificant. Well, maybe a couple thousand dollars in supplemental income doesn’t sound like much to an orthodontist, but for mountain families that income can mean a nice Christmas for our kids. It can mean paying off the truck, or even the house, a few years early.

This November, we have an alternative to

S EE LETTERS, PAGE 24

or a week I’ve been thinking about what to write in this week’s column, and very little clarity came until today.

Traditionally, I love writing about anything. A new business in town, my son’s homemade Halloween costume, a great book I’m reading, the crispness of orchard apples, an upcoming trip.

I’m typically a very chipper, talkative, adventurous person, but since my mother passed away, I feel I’ve been stripped down to my vulnerable core. It seems every thought and emotion I have is magnified tenfold. If you’ve experienced significant grief, you know what I mean.

Before I move on, I want to thank you for reading my columns Columnist over the past month even though the prevalent themes have been sad and depressing. I’m trying my hardest to find some light in my world, and I occasionally see a brief shimmer here and there but before I know it … poof! It’s gone.

Brainstorming helps me hone in on what’s making me feel happy or sad or angry or alone. This morning I sat down with a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down the first five things I could think of that’ve brought a smile or happy thought to my life over the past week. It was actually a really good exercise. I recommend it if you’re feeling melancholy.

After reflecting upon my list, I decided to share it in today’s column, so here goes.

My dad grew up riding horses but stopped when he met my mom because she wasn’t the most agile person. She went rollerskating one time as a child and broke her arm.

She never played sports and felt most comfortable in the audience cheering my sister and me on as we twirled batons, danced, and ran track.

Recently, my dad mentioned riding horses again. He feels like it may be therapeutic for us. I couldn’t agree more.

His birthday and mine are both in October, so mid-month, we’re heading to Biltmore for an afternoon of horseback riding. I can already feel the tranquility.

Last Thursday, I went to The Lumineers concert in Nashville. I went with one of my closest friends and her husband. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always comfortable as the proverbial third wheel. It doesn’t bother me one iota.

All three of us are huge fans of this band, so there was a

F

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Susanna Barbee

opinion

Pockets of happiness have become lifelines

Smoky Mountain News

LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM 24 Jim Davis. Jane Hipps is running to be our next state senator. Jane is a retired public school teacher, tends a flock of sheep on her farm in Haywood County, and won awards for gardening and food preservation as a girl in 4-H. Let’s elect someone who supports our mountain values. On November 8, I’m voting for Jane Hipps to represent us in the North Carolina Senate. I hope you will, too.

Aaron Martin Hayesville Former North Carolina State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency

Sen. Jim Davis’ mailers make false claims To the Editor: Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and his surro24 gates in Raleigh recently sent out a series of

Thai and sushi, so I was mutual appreciation thrilled to find out they and respect among us. carried these culinary The experience was favorites of mine. My incredible.

Pad Thai was absolutely Everyone has their delicious. The boys “go-to band” in times ordered fried rice, of need. The hibachi steak, and miso Lumineers are mine. soup, all also delicious.

As we listened to When I was waiting on them all the way to our food, I watched a Tennessee and at the gentlemen make sushi. It concert, I felt emolooked very fresh. I’m tional in so many planning to try that ways, good and bad. next.

Lately, I’ve been There are some chilfalling asleep to their dren who are born with music. The band origitheir bottle half full. nated when Josh They come out of the Fraites, the brother of womb with a positivity one band member to be admired. My 4and best friend of the year-old is one of them. other, died of a drug While my older son can overdose at 19. be stoic, intellectual, They’re beyond talentand analytical, my little ed, but more imporone wants everyone to tantly, I can feel the smile and be happy. For understanding of grief in the lyrics and in Happy children enjoying ice cream time at The Strand Theater such a tiny person, he’s extraordinarily skilled their voices. in downtown Waynesville. at finding the good in Before we left for everything. My friend has a little girl who’s basically his Nashville, I got a knock on the front door by a Fed-Ex man. female clone. Yesterday we took the two of them for ice He left a huge, heavy box. At that very moment, my sister sent me a text that said something like, “You’ve got a box at cream at The Strand. The entire time they giggled and flirted in a coy, adorable preschool-type fashion. It’s impossible the door. It’s from me. Love you so much.” I lugged the box in and cut the top open to find a case of really good wine. It to be sad around the two of them. If only I could carry them around in my purse. made me smile because while she and I are fans of good In happy times, we look forward to big events like a trip wine, I rarely justify spending the money to buy bottles to to Disney or a girls spa weekend or buying Christmas gifts. keep at home. She knows this about me but also knows I But I’ve found when life’s beating me down, I don’t even may need a glass these days. I found my wine rack in the have the capacity to think about the big things. It’s the basement so I could finally stock it. small fragments and moments, the seemingly inconsequenThis past weekend I felt like take-out food but didn’t tial experiences that make an impact. want to drive all the way into town, so we decided to try out I’m not sure what that means, but I feel there’s a big life DA Asian Kitchen in the Food Lion shopping center in Clyde. lesson in there somewhere.

I thought they only offered Chinese cuisine, but it’s actually an Asian fusion restaurant. I can’t tell you how excited this (Susanna Barbee is a writer who lives in Haywood made me. I don’t enjoy Chinese food all that much, but I love County. susanna.barbee@gmail.com.)

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786. expensive glossy mailers claiming that Jane Hipps was planning on raising your taxes when she gets to Raleigh. According to Sen. Davis, this pronouncement occurred at a Democratic Men’s Club in Franklin. As current president of the Men’s Club and having attended every meeting when Jane Hipps was speaking, I can declare that Davis’ claim is simply not true.

The claim is eerily similar to a tactic

employed by Sen. Davis in his contest against John Snow in a previous campaign, even to the tacky graphics used in the mailer and his claim that he had no knowledge of the mailer and its false claims.

If you are really concerned about tax increases, examine Davis’ voting record since he’s been in Raleigh. The income tax cuts that he voted for benefitted only the highest income brackets and corporations. In order to make up the difference in state revenue, he voted for massive increases in sales taxes and eliminated deductions that benefit middle- and lower-income citizens .

You now pay new taxes on everything from movies and concerts to your oil change.

Taxes on mobile and modular homes went up — a lot. Davis eliminated the Earned Income Tax Credit that helps low-income families who work rather than collecting welfare. You no longer get a tax break for putting aside money to send your children to college. But don’t worry, when you buy your next yacht or

jet, your taxes on those haven’t changed.

If you make less than about $70,000, you are now paying more in taxes than you did before Sen. Davis took office. You may not notice it because it’s coming out of your wallet every day rather than once a year when you figure your income tax. You still have less money to spend.

It’s time for Sen. Davis and his surrogates to begin telling the truth rather than peddling false information. It’s an insult to his constituents — you and me.

John Gladden President, Democratic Men’s Club Franklin

Sen. Davis and reverse Robin Hood tactics To the Editor: The N.C. Republican Party sent out a flyer stating Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin,

$80,000 per year will pay 9.1 percent of their income to the state in taxes while those making over $376,000 per year will pay only 5.3 percent of their income per year in taxes (Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy).

In summary, Davis has raised sales taxes and fees resulting in poor and middle class families paying higher total taxes while at the same time given massive tax breaks to the wealthiest citizens who can most easily afford to pay higher taxes. This is a classic example of a reverse Robin Hood effect: taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy. Western North Carolina deserves someone who represents all our citizens, not just his millionaire buddies.

Ed Morris MD, PhD Franklin

Haywood School Board trying to help teachers To the Editor: The Haywood County School Board is to be commended for showing the teaching staff appreciation by seeking ways to increase the salary of our teachers. The school board realizes that to obtain adequate funding for the increase in salaries decisions must be made by the county of possible means. The board is going to a larger community organization of school shareholders: parents, leading representatives of teachers, school staff and Haywood business, professional and civic leaders across the county.

Haywood County students have shown their decision by increasing the proficiency rating of our schools. The citizens now have the opportunity to support the students by taking steps to keep and retain the best teachers.

We must give education the financial support it requires to take these steps.

Doris B. Hammett, MD Asheville

tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 AMMONS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT & DAIRY BAR 1451 Dellwwod Rd., Waynesville.

828.926.0734. Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating over 25 years.

Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert. The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

BLOSSOM ON MAIN 128 N. Main Street, Waynesville.

828.454.5400. Open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Mild, medium, to hot and spicy, our food is cooked to your like-able temperature. Forget the myth that all Thai food is spicy. Traditional Thai food is known to be quite healthy, making use of natural and fresh ingredients, paired with lots of spices, herbs, and vegetables. Vegetarians and health conscious individuals will not be disappointed as fresh vegetables and tofu are available in most of our menu as well as

wines and saki chosen to compliment the unique flavors of Thai cuisine.

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. Call-ahead seating 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 5 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-Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Café

Deli & So Much More

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

voted for a middle-class tax cut exempting the first $17,500 of income from taxes.

What he voted for was an increase in the exemption from $15,500 to the $17,500 exemption currently in place, resulting in a couple who makes $44,000 saving $115 per year.

He also voted to require new sales taxes to be paid on service contracts for appliances and cars, oil changes, flooring and appliance installation, kitchen remodeling, and admission charges to movies and sporting events. He eliminated the earned income tax credit for the working poor, eliminated medical expense deductions (which has a serious impact on seniors), and deductions for retirement income, child care expenses, and college savings 529 plans. He also increased “fees” (another name for a tax) for the Division of Motor Vehicles by 30 percent, resulting in much higher costs for driver’s licenses and registration fees.

According to the N.C. Justice Center’ Budget and Tax Center, taxpayers making under $67,000 will, on average, see their taxes increase under the tax changes Davis voted for. These changes will result in an additional $640 million in revenue from increased sales tax and an additional $153 million from DMV fees. The vast majority of these tax and fee increases will come from low- and middle-income citizens.

Meanwhile what has Davis done for his ultra-rich friends like Art Pope who spent $1 million to help get Davis elected?

Davis voted to drop the income tax rate for the top 1 percent (income over $376,000) from 7.75 to 5.75 percent. This change in income tax rates will reduce income to the state by $2.1 billion this year, according to the N.C. Budget and Tax Center. The vast majority of this huge tax cut goes to the multi-millionaire top 1 percent.

So how does this reflect on the share of all state and local taxes paid as a percentage of family income? Those making less than

Savory Sausage Gravy Served Over Buttermilk Biscuits Breakfast - Lunch - Coffee - Donuts & More Monday - Saturday 7-4 | Sunday 9-3 18 N Main St. in the heart of Waynesville

828-452-3881

FRIDAY, OCT. 7 | 7 P.M. Smoky Mountain News

You Get It All! Weiner Schnitzel Beer Bratwurst Spaetzel Potato Pancake Apple Sauce Red Cabbage Dessert & Beverage $19.95/person (BYOB) 28 seats available on a first-call basis, so don’t wait to make your reservation!

Open Seven Days A Week Monday-Saturday 8-3 & Sunday 9-3 r

|

visitnc.com/parks

6147 Highway 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) breakingbreadcafenc.com • 828.648.3838

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tasteTHEmountains 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.

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

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day.

Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 am to 9:30 am – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pan-

Friday, September 30th 7:00 pm

Live Music with

Joe Cat 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

Smoky Mountain News

www.CityLightsCafe.com

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

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

7-9 P.M.

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 everyday but Tuesday 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

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

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

Monday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed

Let us take care of your Thanksgiving Dinner this year

Traditional Fare To Go Call today to place your order

(828) 246-9815 (828)452-8737

WaynesvilleCatering.com

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

LIVE MUSIC TUESDAY NIGHTS!

Visit Us and Discover

Upcoming Bands: Oct. 4 & 11 Kim Smith SAGEBRUSH OF CANTON 1941 Champion Dr. Canton

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

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cakes, 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 mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

MEDITERRANEAN & ITALIAN CUISINE

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde

828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com Monday-Friday Open at 11am

Real Local Families, Real Local Farms, Real Local Food

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

www.pasqualesnc.com

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

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Open daily 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., closed Thursdays. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966.

Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites.

Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Closed Tues.

Sun. 12-9 p.m.

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

TRAILHEAD CAFE & BAKERY 18 N Main Street, Waynesville.

828.452.3881 Open 7 days a week Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You will find a delicious selection of pastries & donuts, breakfast & lunch along with a fresh coffee & barista selection. Happy Trails!

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito.

Mild, Sweet or Spicy

Introducing our New Fusion Menu

Rocky Horror Picture Show

COSTUME CONTEST featuring

es PrizBest r fo ssed Dre

CLASSIC PAD THAI

Thursday September 29th Doors @ 6 & 8:45 p.m.

NO COVER CHARGE!

Costume Contest @ 9 p.m. showing MOVIE IS FREE; RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

617 W. Main St. Beautiful Downtown Sylva, NC MadBatterFoodFilm.com 828.586.3555

WINE • BEER • SAKE Open Daily 11:30-9:00 (828) 454-5400

BlossomOnMain.com

WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

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.

THE HEALTHY WAY 284 A North Haywood Street, Waynesville.

828.246.9691. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Welcome to the healthy way! Shake it to lose it!! Protein shakes, protein bars, teas and much more.

Our shakes and protein bars are meal replacements.

128 N. Main St., Waynesville

Proudly Supporting Haywood County Education MON.-SAT. 11 A.M.-8 P.M.

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

Thursday night 4PM - close

10% OF SALES at the Waynesville Location will be donated to Jonathan Valley Elementary School

DINING ROOM NOW OPEN!

10% OFF ANY MEAL

Smoky Mountain News

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

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections.

Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

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

Mon.-Thurs.

11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

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.

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.

Monday - Friday before 5pm

NFL Ticket

We've got your football needs covered.

3567 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley 828-926-9105 11-11 Sun. – Thurs.

11 – Midnight Fri. & Sat.

895 Russ Ave. • Waynesville

828-452-5822

Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Tapping into your tummy Nantahala Brewing launches restaurant, open-air taproom

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER Surrounded by piles of debris, old wood and gravel, Joe Rowland sees opportunity.

“This is the inevitable next step for us,” he said.

Co-owner of Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City, Rowland wanders around a four-acre lot at the end of Depot Street, less than a block from the flagship brewery. Purchased by Rowland in early 2016, the property consists of an abandoned warehouse (formerly the RC Cola bottling company) and large open field.

Initially, the 11,000-square-foot building was going to be used for Nantahala’s equipment storage, barrel aging program and bottling line. But, as time went along, an idea for the remaining 3,200 square feet of unused space crept into the minds of Rowland and Co. — a restaurant and indoor/outdoor brew pub.

“We’ve always wanted to be able to serve food, but didn’t have enough space in the brewery,” Rowland said. “And when we looked at using part of the warehouse for a kitchen, we figured if we’re going to build that kitchen, we

might as well construct a full-on brewpub.”

But, though Rowland is a known businessman, running a restaurant is a whole other animal, especially in terms of cost and risk. And it wasn’t until two faces came into the fold that put the restaurant on the fast track to becoming a reality — Al Parsons and Chef Meredith Watson.

Currently the general manager for Nantahala, Parsons previously ran the popular Brio Tuscan Grille at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, and also spent many years working within the corporate managing areas of Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Ohio.

“Having a business that will be going from 25 employees to around 50, we wanted to make sure we had the right person to lead this next chapter, and also not lose sight of our culture and brand at the brewery — Al is that person,” Rowland said.

A Bryson City native, Watson has worked her way up the culinary chain, where she found herself in high-end/high-volume kitchens like Ruth’s Chris Steak House and other spots in Washington, D.C., before returning to Western North Carolina.

“The kitchen will feature an ‘upscale southern’ menu, with everything in terms of meat and produce being sourced from local farms within 60 miles of the brewery,” Rowland said. “Meredith is endlessly creative, and we’re excited to be able to offer something new, and something much needed, in Bryson City, especially in terms of vegetarian and vegan options, which aren’t really found in this part of Western North Carolina.”

Wandering the warehouse, Rowland points out the enormous amounts of reclaimed wood from the almost 100-year-old structure, all now finding new uses as wall coverings and trim.

The floor, which was dirt just a few months ago, is now fully tiled as new kitchen equipment trickles in. Taps, doors and bathrooms are

being installed, all while the sounds of hammers, drills and buzz saws echo into the hills.

“What’s really crazy is that we recently found out this building used to bottle beer right after Prohibition ended in 1933,” Rowland said of the warehouse. “RC Cola would bottle ginger ale for beer companies like Schlitz and Ballantine so they could stay in business during Prohibition. And when it ended, they showed up with trucks of beer to bottle for this region — it’s a real full circle kind of thing for us.”

Plans are already in the works to take the large open yard and transform it into an outdoor music venue, a long-held dream by the company. It’s something they’re finding foot-

Nantahala Brewing brewmaster Greg Geiger and co-owner Joe Rowland.

ing in as they tap the shoulders of their friends at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain for advice on how to ideally run an entertainment space in hopes of attracting big name acts.

Atop its expansions at home in Bryson City, Nantahala is also increasing its brand outside of Western North Carolina. With products found on shelves and on taps from Swain County all the way to Raleigh, Nantahala also launched in Tennessee, covering upwards of 87 percent of the state. Their craft beer can also be found during Carolina Panthers football games at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Rowland noted the brewery is currently in talks to push brews into Georgia and South Carolina, atop other NFL teams like the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.

With a mid-October opening planned, it’s all hands on deck for Rowland and Co. as they ready themselves for the change on the horizon — an curious attitude of business and chance that’s remained at the core of the brewery since its inception some six years ago.

“It’s great because we’ve spent the last few years tying up all the loose ends of what our customers wanted,” Rowland said. “And now that we’ve done that, this was the last gap we’d yet to fill — the next step is here, and we’re ready for it.”

Less than a block from its flagship brewery on Depot Street in downtown Bryson City, Nantahala Brewing will be opening a restaurant and indoor/outdoor taproom within the next few weeks.

Garret K. Woodward photos

BRYSON CITY WELCOMES SECOND BREWERY With the former brewmaster for Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin), Noah McIntee, at the helm, Mountain Layers Brewing is expected to open its doors in November on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City.

“The building construction is nearly complete with brewhouse floors being finished this week.

The electrical, plumbing, insulation, and sheetrock are all completed and in final paint and trim stages,” McIntee said. “Equipment is scheduled to arrive this week and will be unloaded and brought into the building with the help of our friends down the road at Nantahala Brewing who are letting us borrow their forklift for the day. Cold side equipment is scheduled or ordered, including glycol lines, basement beer cooler, and draft setup.”

McIntee said the system is a seven-barrel

brewhouse with four seven-barrel fermentors. By the end of 2016, they’ll be pouring their own creations from upwards of 12 taps being installed. Though they hope to sell their products at other establishments, most of what will be brewed will be sold and consumed onsite.

“As the brewery is taking shape, we believe the rooftop deck overlooking Everett Street will be a main draw,” McIntee said. “Aside from the view, our guests and patrons will take away an experience of an authentic and independent brewery with the brewhouse at the very heart of the operation.” www.mtnlayersbeer.com.

“I have home brew supplies, beer, wine, meads and ciders. I also have some taps coming in,” said owner Thomas Anastasia. “I’m hoping to have more of the things people can’t find in

WAYNESVILLE HOMEBREW SUPPLY, TAPROOM

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The grand opening of Anastasia’s Ales will be Saturday, Oct. 1, at 428 Hazelwood Avenue in Waynesville. Live music will be from 7 to 9 p.m.

BREWS NEWS: Waynesville, and turn it into more of a comfortable place that you could bring a date or group of friends to have a draft. I’m also looking for more of a gallery feel as I have a few local artist hanging some work, with more on the way.”

828.246.9320.

As one of the fastest growing breweries in Western North Carolina, Boojum Brewing in Waynesville is in the midst of expanding its

Dellwood brewery and downtown taproom.

In terms of the taproom, Boojum took over the Hunter Banks Fly Fishing space next door (Hunter Banks is now in the former Haywood TDA building), and the downstairs space. The need for the extra room came simply from long lines out the door and a lack of tables to accommodate local residents and tourists alike.

According to the owners, the hope is to make the new Main Street level space a taproom and waiting area (with an outdoor back deck onto Wall Street), with the downstairs a possible game room and/or music venue.

Down the road in Dellwood, there will be a groundbreaking on the new brewery expansion in early November. Currently at 3,000 square feet, the brewery will more than double in size to around 6,500 square feet. It’s a move that will ease the increasing demand on the brewery, which has risen to the top of the “Best of” lists for craft beer lovers and critics. www.boojumbrewing.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

get backstage and shake hands with the same hand that plays the same guitar that echoed out of my childhood stereo, healing my internal wounds in ways my parents or medicine or a sunny day might not be able to — at least not back in that time, in that small town.

I write because it’s, in all honesty, the only thing I know how to do, or the only thing I can get paid enough money doing to make sure my electricity doesn’t get shut off or I don’t get evicted from my unassuming one-bedroom apartment. It’s the ways and means I’ve been able to avoid being detected by the rest of the world as someone who can’t pull their weight. I might not pull physical weight for profit, but the emotional heaviness sure is worth something, at least to those who think I might have the solution to a problem they are afraid to ask aloud or within a room of people you know personally, but can’t connect with, at least not on the levels of what you need to get out of bed tomorrow.

I write because of you out there, who, for reasons beyond my own reasoning, open our paper each week, curious as to just what in the devil I might lasso as my next subject of introspective and retrospective analysis. It is you, darling, and also you, kind sir, that keeps finding and breaking off sticks within your own forest of thought and confusion, that are ultimately handed over to me to throw onto my fire, illuminating the high branches and midnight sky that I’m more than happy to share with you the warmth of.

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

Blue Jean Ba

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Why do you write?

I write because I was told at a very young age, at some point in elementary school, that “there was something wrong” Acclaimed bluegrass singer-songwriter Claire with me, and that I lacked the Lynch will perform on Sunday, Oct. 2, at skills to not only concentrate Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley. but also contribute to society. I Renowned Southern Appalachian writer Ron vividly remember a nun at my Rash will be hosting a book reading and Catholic school, situated on the signing for this latest novel, The Risen, at frozen Canadian border in 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at City Lights Bookstore Upstate New York, telling me in Sylva. that I’d “never amount to anything as an adult” because I The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will talked too much in class, interhost The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/ rupted a lesson because I was bluegrass) at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30. too excited to contain myself or the answer I knew before my The 42th annual John C. Campbell Folk peers ever had a chance to raise School’s Fall Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 their hands. p.m. Oct. 1-2 in Brasstown.

I write because I want to put No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Russ T. an end to medicating, and to Nutz (rock/country) w/Sex Knuckle (hard rock) show that creativity shouldn’t be at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30. stifled. There’s nothing wrong with you, you just haven’t found people. I want to never forget the way my what your purpose is. And, when you do, late grandfather talked or how that girl I there will be the brightest of explosions, of thought I’d marry someday looked at me possibility and of yourself, that will come to from across a table at a Greek restaurant pass once you realize your true calling. I took pills because I was told to as a kid. And that no longer exists. It’s the way the cold air of a silent night on the Eastern Idaho those pills (Ritalin) made me a zombie prairie felt as I went for a sunset jog, all when all I wanted was to walk out of the door and chase down the ends of the earth. I bundled up and wondering if what I was searching for could be found in the shadow threw away the pills, and also the scorn of the looming Grand Teton Mountains. from adults standing above my youthful It’s the way the pristine white sand stuck to transgressions, and started walking toward my fingers and toes, sitting down and listhe horizon. tening to the unassuming ocean waves I write because it is the only thing in my crash atop the secret beach only my family existence — besides listening to music (or and close friends know of on the rural cute girls) — that holds my attention for a coast of Maine, far away from the “10 Tlong period of time. For someone unable to shirts for $10” plastic tourism of sit still their entire life, I can sit down and Kennebunkport or Old Orchard Beach. write, and zone out for hours at a time, only I write because, perhaps selfishly, I to resurface and breathe, high on the newly want to prove all those ex-girlfriends created story, as if three hours was three wrong in pursuing this profession of writminutes — 180 seconds or 180 minutes to ten word. Maybe someday, in some city find and immerse oneself in the ultimate of we’d never been to when we’d dated, she’d freedoms, your own. pick up a newspaper and see my name in I write because I want to remember

“For someone unable to sit still their entire life, I can sit down and write, and zone out for hours at a time, only to resurface and breathe, high on the newly created story, as if three hours was three minutes.”

2016

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

the “byline” and think how foolish she was to (actually) say to my face, “So, when is this writing phase going to end?” or “Why don’t you become a prison guard or insurance agent and make some real money?”

And yet, there’s only really one femme fatale I wish to prove this to. She knows who she is, and someday I hope to look at her across a table with that same glance she’d notice and say, “Nobody has ever looked at me like the way you do.”

I write because it is a vehicle to transport me into the deepest aspirations of mine within the cosmos. When I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was go to rockn-roll shows, meet the musicians and ask them questions about what and why they, well, do what they do. I’d do whatever it took (as some baby-faced 16-year-old) to

442 WALNUT ST. WAYNESVILLE (828) 452-9699

29

On the beat arts & entertainment

Claire Lynch to play Cataloochee Ranch Acclaimed bluegrass singer-songwriter Claire Lynch will perform on Sunday, Oct. 2, at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley.

Long recognized and praised as a creative force in acoustic music, Lynch is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre. In 2014, she won “Song of the Year” for “Dear Sister” at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards. She also won the IBMA for Female Vocalist of the Year in 2013 and was a

2012 recipient of the United States Artists Walker Fellowship. Her career has been decorated with many other accolades, including two Grammy nominations and previous IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards in 2010 and 1997.

Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Music begins at 8:30 p.m. Tickets, which include dinner and the performance, are $75, and reservations are required. This show will sell out.

828.926.1401.

.38 SPECIAL TO ROCK HARRAH’S

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Classic rockers .38 Special will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

Known for their smash hits “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up in You” and “If I’d Been the One,” the band was a recording and touring success through the 1980s and 1990s, selling millions of records along the way. In 2008, they hit the stage with Trace Adkins for CMT Crossroads, and have recently opened for REO Speedwagon, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd and Styx. For tickets, call 800.745.3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Franklin welcomes Charley Pride

Free Ronnie Milsap concert

Country legend Charley Pride will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Pride is known for his hits “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.”

Tickets start at $48. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

Country superstar Ronnie Milsap will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in Murphy.

Milsap is best known for his signature combination of R&B, bluegrass and country music.

The outdoor show is free and open to the public.

Claire Lynch will perform Oct. 2 at Cataloochee Ranch on Oct. 2. Donated photo

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Smoky Mountain News

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On the beat

• BearWaters Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host live music at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. www.bwbrewing.com. • The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Ray Biscoglia & Grant Cuthbertson (jazz) Sept. 30, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Oct. 7 and Sean Bendula Oct. 8. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. There will also be a performance with The Russ Wilson Trio (jazz/swing) at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 1, with tickets $34.99 per person, which includes dinner.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com. • Derailed Bar & Lounge (Bryson City) will have music at 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

828.488.8898. • The “Friday Night Liveâ€? concert series at the Town Square in Highlands will host Mountain Dulcimers (bluegrass/mountain) Sept. 30 and Johnny Webb Band (classic country) Oct. 7. Both shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Sept.

29 and Oct. 6, Johnny Appleseed Oct. 1 and Trippin Hardy Oct. 8. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com. • Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host The Remnants (rock) Oct. 1. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Music in the Mountains (Bryson City) concert series will host Sleepy Andy Tracy (Americana) Oct. 1 and The Josh Fields Band Oct. 8. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com. • Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will host Redleg Husky (Americana) Sept. 30 and Fritz Beer & The Crooked Beat (rock/Americana) Oct. 7. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 1. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia. • The “Pickin’ On The Squareâ€? (Franklin) concert series will continue with The Band Intermission (bluegrass) Oct. 1 and Blue Ridge QT Oct. 8. 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.

ALSO:

• The Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Twelfth Fret (Americana/folk) Oct. 7 and Sweet Charity Oct. 8. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

828.456.3211 smokymtneye.com Dinner with a Doc Series

Dinner with a

DOC

• Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company (Sapphire) will host a jazz brunch with Tyler Kittle & Friends from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sundays. 828.743.0220. • Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hourâ€? and an open mic with Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Fridayâ€? 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. • The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Sidewalk Prophets (gospel/rock) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. www.greatmountainmusic.com. • The Stompin’ Ground (Maggie Valley) is now open for live mountain music and clogging at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

828.926.1288. • 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. • The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 30. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750. • Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will host a trombone and euphonium studio recital at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Coulter Building. Free. www.wcu.edu.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host a community music jam from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. Free. 828.488.3030.

Call today to learn more about your specific coverage

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Bethel’s Neighbors Bandâ€? Oct. 8. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Russ T. Nutz (rock/country) w/Sex Knuckle (hard rock) Sept. 30, Lorin Madsen & The Hustlers (outlaw country) Oct. 1, Derek & Marcus of Cutthroat Shamrock (folk/blues) Oct. 7 and Positive Mental Attitude (reggae/rock) Oct. 8.

All shows are free and begin at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.nonamesportspub.com.

arts & entertainment

• Andrews Brewing Company will host Heidi Holton (blues/folk) Sept. 30, Gauge Persuaders Oct. 1, Troy Underwood (singersongwriter) Oct. 7 and an Oktoberfest at 2 p.m. Oct. 8. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

We are proud to accept insurance plans from these local employers:

MyHaywoodRegional.com 31

On the beat arts & entertainment

The Strand presents Blue Highway Acclaimed bluegrass act Blue Highway will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

Blue Highway has earned 25 collective International Bluegrass Music Association awards, two Grammy nominations as a band, plus two Grammy Awards among its current members. They were also voted the “Favorite Bluegrass Artist of All Time” by the readers of Bluegrass Today in April 2016.

Tim Stafford received honors as 2014

IBMA “Songwriter of the Year” and 2015 SPBGMA “Guitar Player of the Year.” Shawn Lane was nominated as 2015 IBMA “Songwriter of the Year,” while Gaven Largent was recently nominated as 2016 SPBGMA “Dobro Player of the Year.”

Their recent album, “The Game,” topped charts at number one including reigning at No. 1 for seven consecutive months on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart, and was named the No. 1 “Bluegrass Album of the Year” by critic Daniel Mullins in his end of the year “Top 20 Albums of 2014” list in Bluegrass Today.

Tickets are $40 per person, and are available at www.38main.com.

CITY LIGHTS ‘WOMEN OF THE SMOKIES’

Blue Highway.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Nashville Americana/folk duo Butterfly Rose will perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. They will play songs from their “Women of the Smokies” album, which tells the story of 10 influential women of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Copies of “Women of the Smokies” will be available at the show.

To reserve a copy, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

188 W. Main Street Franklin, NC

Smoky Mountain News

828.349.BEER September 30

Karaoke with T&J Entertainment

October 1

The Remnants

October 7

Ashley Heath 32

LazyHikerBrewing.com

On the beat arts & entertainment

Branford Marsalis Quartet at WCU

Branford Marsalis and Kurt Elling.

Smoky Mountain News

Journalist Association eight times in that same span.

The Oct. 2 performance will be the fall membership concert of WCU’s Friends of the Arts, which provides scholarships and programming support for the College of Fine and Performing Arts. Since its founding six years ago, the organization has raised about $1 million and has established the Friends of the Arts Endowment, valued at about $200,000. Membership has blossomed from 81 to 465 members.

“Western North Carolina is a region rich in the arts, and the College of Fine and Performing Arts is proud to take a lead role in nurturing the lives and talents of the young artists who join us here,” said George H. Brown, dean of the college. “Membership in the Friends of the Arts makes a tremendous difference in the lives of these talented students.”

More information about joining the Friends of the Arts or renewing membership is available by calling 828.227.7028 or visiting foa.wcu.edu.

Concert ticket prices are $35 orchestra, $30 club, and $25 balcony. To find tickets, click on bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or call 828.227.2479.

The concert is sponsored by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, Pepsi and The Ascent Partnership. The partnership is a collaboration involving WCU, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital that is working to ensure access to quality health care for residents of North Carolina’s westernmost counties.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

The legendary Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Marsalis gained critical acclaim as a saxophonist early in his career, and since then has expanded his talents as a musician, composer, bandleader and educator. He has received numerous prestigious honors, including three Grammys and, together with his father and brothers, a citation as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

A native of New Orleans, Marsalis began performing with local bands as a teenager and formed his own quartet in 1986. Music critics have hailed the Branford Marsalis Quartet as the standard to which other jazz ensembles are measured. The group’s most recent recording was named “Best Instrumental Jazz Album” on iTunes.

Marsalis’ first solo concert, recorded at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, is documented on his latest recording, “In My Solitude.” When it comes to other public stages, Marsalis spent a period touring with Sting, collaborated with The Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby, served as musical director for “The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno” and has hosted National Public Radio’s syndicated “Jazz Set.” Grammy winner Kurt Elling will join the quartet on stage. Elling is considered by critics to be among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists and won the DownBeat Critics Poll for 14 consecutive years. He was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz

33

arts & entertainment

On the street Cashiers festival celebrates fall The annual Leaf Festival will be held Oct. 7-9 at the Village Green and Commons in Cashiers.

Held each year as the leaves begin to change in this beautiful mountain village nestled at 3,487 feet in elevation, the event features more than 100 artisans and merchants scattered throughout the Village Green and Commons Park.

Visitors will find unique handcrafted wood, pottery, jewelry and much more on display and available for purchase throughout the weekend.

Live music will also be held on two different stages. Most of these performers are local and regional acts, ranging in genre from singer/songwriters to jazz, blues to Americana, as well as bluegrass, rock, soul and funk.

Event sponsorships, volunteers and vendor opportunities are still available for artisans, merchants, nonprofits and more. The festival is put on by The Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association (GCAMA).

Free. www.visitcashiersvalley.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Indian Fair returns for 104th year The annual Cherokee Indian Fair will run from Oct. 4-8 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds.

The fair features an array of the usual country fair offerings, from carnival rides

• The “Hunter’s Mountain Ride” will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, starting at The Factory in Franklin. A benefit for the Men’s Teen Challenge of the Smokies, the poker run is for trucks, Jeeps, 4x4s and motorcycles.

Entry fee is $25 in advance, $30 day of the event. To register, email bringingit2life@gmail.com.

• The annual Macon TRACS Blue Jean Ball will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin.

Barbecue, live music, silent auction and more. Proceeds benefit the Macon TRACS operation expenses. 828.349.6262 or www.macontracs.org.

• The “Highlands on the Half-Shell” oyster roast and live jazz will be held from 4:30 p.m. until dark on Sunday, Oct. 2, at The Meadow behind the Valentine House in Highlands. Benefitting the Highlands Biological Station, the oyster and gumbo feast will also feature live music from the Firecracker Jazz Band and a bloody Mary bar.

All proceeds go to the station, a nonprofit center and botanical garden. $75 for members, $100 nonmembers. www.highlandsbiological.org/half-shell.

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to amusements, live music and craft/food vendors. There will also be nationally known entertainers and the numerous competitions.

It’s over a century old. It’s a cornucopia of sights and sounds — a treat for all your senses. It’s a carnival and an agriculture show. It’s an art show and a game show.

There’s food, music and rides. It’s pure, unfiltered fair entertainment with that unmistakable Cherokee touch: a Ferris wheel, fireworks, and stickball.

Stickball has long been known as the “Little Brother of War,” and you’ll find thrilling demonstrations of it mixed into all the traditional fair fun and food. There will also be an array of authentic Cherokee culture, including archery and blowgun demonstrations, local art, dance, music, and more.

Admission is $10 per adult. Under age 5 is free. www.visitcherokeenc.com or 800.438.1601.

Glenville Leaf Festival The Glenville Leaf Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, in Lake Glenville.

The event opens with a Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Glenville Community Center. A rededication of the Glenville Community Center and mural recommission ceremony is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All day events include the Glenville Area Historical Society Museum open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as hot dogs and burgers served at the Glenville Community Center.

• Bark in the Park will be from 1 to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 2, at Mark Watson Park in Sylva. Dog activities include sheep herding, agility demonstrations, K-9 bingo, costume contest, games, vendors, canine massages, raffles, “Ask the Vet” booth, nail trims, pet photographer, and more.

Sponsored by the Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association and the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department. Free. www.wcdfa.org.

ALSO:

• The Autumn Leaves Craft Show will be held Oct. 6-8 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. Unique handmade crafts and other vendors. Times are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday. If possible, bring a can of cat food for the Catman 2 Shelter. Free admission and parking. www.franklin-chamber.com or 828.349.4324.

• A “German Dinner” will be held at 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 7, at Breaking Bread Café in Bethel. A complete German meal, with weiner schnitzel, beer bratwurst, potato pancake, spaetzel, and more. $19.99 per person.

BYOB. To RSVP, 828.648.3838.

Fall at the Folk School

The 42th annual John C. Campbell Folk School’s Fall Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1-2 in Brasstown.

This popular celebration of Appalachian culture features over 240 juried and non-juried craft exhibitors, selling items such as jewelry, pottery, wood, metalwork and baskets. More than 40 artisans will demonstrate traditional and contemporary crafts including weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, and pottery.

Throughout Fall Festival weekend, music will flow through the trees from two performance stages. The spacious Festival Barn stage, and the intimate Shady Grove stage near the Craft Shop, will showcase diverse music and dance performers. Talented regional musicians will share old time, country, bluegrass,

gospel, Celtic, French, and blues songs with the audience. Appalachian cloggers and Morris dancers will also hit the stage with their intricate footwork.

Children can enjoy pony and wagon rides, as well as a drum circle. Local community and nonprofit groups will offer tasty foods like barbeque, assorted wraps and sandwiches, ribbon fries, kettle corn, ice cream, and fried apple pies.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for ages 1217 and free for children under 12. Parking is free, but donations will be accepted by/for students from the Tri-county Early College, who will supervise the lot.

For a full schedule of events, visit www.folkschool.org/fallfestival.

$5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.586.6300.

• The High Mountain Squares “Hospice Dance” will be held from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 30, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. All styles of dancing — western, main/stream and plue levels. Everyone is welcome. 828.342.1560 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 and 8 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• The Peanuts Pumpkin Patch Express will depart at select times Oct. 7-9 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad train depot in Bryson City. Peanuts characters in costume, children’s activities, and more. For more information, call 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

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

• The Fall Festival at Mason Mountain will start at 9 a.m. Oct. 8 at the Cowee Gift Shop and Mason Mountain Mine in Franklin.

828.524.4570 or www.tjrocks.org.

• The ceremonial Cherokee bonfires will run from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 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. The events are free and open to the public. www.visitcherokeenc.com.

• The Darnell Farms Corn Maze will be open through Nov. 1 on U.S. 19 at the Tuckasegee River Bridge in Bryson City. Besides the maze, there will also be a pumpkin patch, picnic area, farm fresh products, hayrides, and other activities. 828.488.2376.

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

Oct. 1 and 8 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva.

arts & entertainment

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Smoky Mountain News

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arts & entertainment

On the wall

Keri Kelley Hollifield and Jo Ridge Kelley.

Tina Masciarelli photo

New Waynesville art gallery, reception

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Photo by Wayne Ebinger

Downtown Waynesville is home to a new gallery and working artists’ studio at 163 South Main Street. Celebrated contemporary plein air painter Jo Ridge Kelley and precious metal jewelry artist Keri Kelley Hollifield have combined their talents in

one historic and creative space.

“It’s the perfect marriage of gallery and working artists’ studio,” Kelley said. “We’re looking forward to interacting with the public to discuss collections and techniques. That interplay really inspires our work in new ways.”

Kelley is well known for her landscapes captured beautifully on canvas through the plein air technique she has mastered over a lifetime. By setting up her easel and capturing the immediate mood or drama of the moment, Kelley’s paintings truly draw viewers into the experience.

Hollifield, of Earthstar Studio, has been making sterling silver and gold jewelry for more than 15 years. Her designs are greatly inspired by her love of the natural world.

Each piece is crafted by hand using techniques such as forming, hammering and soldering, creating a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Visitors will find a colorful collection of Kelley’s landscapes on display as well as intriguing abstracts and bold new works in progress. Kelley’s original paintings are held in private and corporate collections throughout the country and across the globe. Kelley and Hollifield will also be offering demonstrations, workshops and one-on-one consultations.

Both artists will host a “Grand Opening” celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, the same evening as Art After Dark. Light refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited.

Claire Lynch Band ~ Sunday, October 2 Part progressive bluegrass, part traditional folk o , at the crossroads of country, pop and pure Americana, the music of Claire Lynch is delightful to listen to. This is an artist who continues to blaze her own trail – a trail that has led her to two Grammy nominations e . and her crowning as IBMA 2013 Female Vocalist of the Year Join us for o a memo memorable night of music, food o and fun on Sunday night, October 2. Dinner begins at 7:00 pm,, fo ollowed by the perfo ormance at 8:30 pm. Tickets for o dinner and the show are or reservations. $75. Just give us a call at (828) 926-1401 fo

Cataloochee Ranch 36

11 9 R anch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC 28751 • w w w.CataloocheeR anch.com

Craft students win national awards Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Fiber students Abigail Ahlberg and Tony Embrey both were recently recognized with national awards.

Ahlberg won a woven design scholarship

Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Fiber students Abigail Ahlberg and Tony Embrey each received national awards.

Aaron Mabry photo

based on her portfolio of first year work at the college. The $3,000 award is from the Handweavers Guild of America and is called the Dendel Scholarship. Embrey won second place in the Design Competition Award from

Fall, art comes alive at ColorFest The eighth Annual “ColorFest: Dillsboro Fine Arts & Crafts Fair” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in downtown Dillsboro.

Within the festival, over 40 juried artisans will line Front Street. The artists will be located only a short walk from the entertainment stage. Live Appalachian music will also be scattered throughout the celebration.

ColorFest is produced by the Dillsboro Merchants Association, in partnership with Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. This project received support from the Jackson County TDA, Champion Credit Union, and the Jackson County Arts Council, North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. www.visitdillsboro.org.

Church Street Art & Craft Show returns The 33th annual Church Street Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 8, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

Held during the height of the color season in the Great Smoky Mountains, the show attracts more than 20,000 visitors. Over 100

Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association. The prize is a $750 scholarship.

Both of these students competed against mostly four-year colleges and universities.

This is the fourth time a student from HCC has won the Dendel Scholarship in the past six years with only one winner in the nation in the textile design category.

Ahlberg came to HCC with a Bachelor’s degree in studio art and women’s studies.

When trying to decide whether to pursue her master’s degree, she opted to come to HCC because of the reputation of fiber instructor Amy Putansu and the affordability of the program. In fact, she got married and moved here the next week from Ohio just to attend HCC. Embrey came to HCC after retiring from the military as a civilian. After going to work straight out of high school, one of his life goals was to get a degree. He admits that before coming to the fiber program, he couldn’t even thread a needle and didn’t know how to sew. He moved to Buncombe County from Southern California in 2013.

He learned about HCC’s Professional Crafts Fiber program when he took a basic weaving class in the River Arts District from a graduate of the HCC Fiber program.

For more information about HCC’s Professional Crafts Fiber program, call 828.627.4672.

artists, crafters and food vendors from the southeast transform Main Street Waynesville into an art and craft marketplace for this oneday event. The celebration is regarded as one of the finest juried art shows in the region.

Patrons will discover a variety of art and crafts, including pottery, jewelry, woodworking, watercolors, photography, fiber art, candles, quilts, and more. Live entertainment from two stages features traditional mountain music, clogging and Scottish pipes. Face painting and balloon twisting art for the kids.

Downtown shops and restaurants are open and numerous festival food vendors offer a variety of eats and treats. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

Waynesville’s Art After Dark

Art After Dark will continue from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in downtown Waynesville.

Enjoy a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street.

Festive Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries, including the Haywood County Arts Council Gallery and Gifts, Burr Studio, Earthworks Gallery, The Jeweler’s Workbench, Studio SG, Twigs & Leaves Gallery, TPennington Art Gallery, Cedar Hill Studios, Moose Crossing Burl Wood Gallery, and the Village Framer. www.downtownwaynesville.com or www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

On the wall Artist Melba Cooper will be exhibiting her stunning series of paintings, “POLLINATION,” at Cullowhee Mountain Arts’ (CMA) Studio in downtown Sylva. There will be an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and an artist talk with demonstration

Cold wax artist Melba Cooper will be exhibiting her work in Sylva. Donated photo

• Paint Nite Waynesville will be held at 7 p.m. on Fridays at the Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden. Grab a pint of craft beer and get creative. $20 per person. Group rates available. Sign up at Mad Anthony’s or call host Robin Smathers at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• The next meeting of the Western North Carolina Woodturners Club, Inc. will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Alternative School in Sylva. The school is located on Skyland Drive. Drive to the back of the school to the woodworking shop. Visitors are always welcome. The club meets the first Tuesday of every month.

• The “Photography of Bayard Wootten” exhibit will be on display through Nov. 23 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Wootten was a female pioneer in the field of photography from the early 1900s to 1950s, when men dominated the field. All 35 photographs in this exhibition are of North Carolina sub-

• There will be a “Moccasin Making” workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Materials fee applies.

• Leslie Ferrin will host a discussion at 5 p.m.

Oct. 3 in the Large Lecture Hall at Western Carolina University. Ferrin is a gallerist, curator and author, and will give a visual presentation and overview of market trends in the USA for ceramics in context of contemporary art, studio craft and modern design at fairs, galleries and museums. With ceramics suddenly on view everywhere, Ferrin’s travels to studios in China, Europe and the USA have resulted in curated exhibitions that contextualize the trends taking place with an emphasis on means of production and concept, “Made in China,” “Glazed and Diffused,” “Ceramic Top 40” and “Covet.” www.wcu.edu.

ALSO:

• 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 828.524.3600.

• “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.

RONNIE

MILSAP FREE BIRTHDAY BASH OUTDOOR CONCERT Saturday, October 1 at 7pm Open to all ages.

Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the show!

No coolers please

Smoky Mountain News

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will host live music, hors d’ouevres, wine and newly unveiled art collections. Artists featured from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 30 are Jo Ridge Kelley, impressionist painter; and Brian Hannum, fine art photographer. Kelley will return Oct. 7 with painter Marilyn Horsch. $25 per couple, which can be applied toward purchase of $100 or more. www.greatsmokies.com.

jects, which are on loan through from North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

• The “Octoberfest Arts & Crafts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Highlands United Methodist Church. Live demonstrations, artisan crafts, food vendors, and more. All proceeds go to the church’s new Faith & Fellowship Center.

828.526.3376.

of oil and cold wax medium, the process she uses in her paintings, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 8. Both events will be held at the studio directly above Hollifield Jewelers.

The exhibit “POLLINATION” invites you into Cooper’s abstract intuitive paintings inspired by the honeybee.

“The “plight of the honeybee’ captivated my attention in the past several years.

Expressing my felt energy of the interior of the hive is central to my current series of paintings,” Cooper said.

This is the first of four CMA “Up in the Studio” fall events: • 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22: Costume Armor Workshop with Olivia Mears.

• 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4: Cork & Canvas with Susan Lingg.

• 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5: Two Artists: Holiday Show & Sale Artist Jewelry

by Deb Higdon, Mixed Media Paintings by Norma Hendrix.

Exhibits and Art Talks are open to the public — classes require pre-registration. For more details, www.cullowheemountainarts.org/ up-in-the-studio-events or 828.342.6913.

arts & entertainment

CMA art exhibit, classes

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37

arts & entertainment

On the stage Donated photo

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Folkmoot Serbian performance, dinner

38

Bolz-Weber to speak at Lake J

Talija Art Company from Serbia.

Folkmoot is pleased to announce the return of Talija Art Company from Serbia. This lively dance ensemble will bring a taste of Serbian culinary arts and dance culture for a performance from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Talija will prepare a traditional Serbian meal of salad bread and cevapi, a traditional sausage. Following dinner, the Talija will provide an enthusiastic performance with live music and 15 dancers in the Sam Love Queen Auditorium. Tickets for this event can be purchased in advance, $15 for

adults, $10 for kids, at www.folkmoot.org or by phone 828.452.2997. Tickets will also be available at the door, $18 for adult, $10 for kids.

School and community performances will be scheduled during the day. Interested groups should contact Folkmoot’s programming staffer Elizabeth Burson for details.

Folkmoot’s year-round programming initiatives have been made possible by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

Folkmoot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating many cultures in one community. The center is located in the Historic Hazelwood School at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville.

Celebrated author and speaker Nadia Bolz-Weber will visit Lake Junaluska during their weekend conference Oct 7-9.

Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran pastor, former stand-up comedian and founding pastor of House for all Sinners and Saint in Denver, Colorado, a church with a mission to minister to “outsiders.” She is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Pastrix: the Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint and Accidental Saints: Finding God in all the Wrong People.

With trademark sleeve tattoos, closecropped hair and standing at 6-foot-1, BolzWeber is likely not what one thinks of when they picture a Lutheran pastor. She’s a recovering alcoholic and drug abuser who felt the call to ministry in 2004 and was ordained in 2008 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

She will speak three times over the weekend. The event will also include worship, communion and a book signing.

“Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber is one of the leading voices of Christianity today. She beckons her audience to encounter God’s grace in the most unlikely of people,” said Jennifer Martin, who is organizing the event. “We are extremely fortunate to have Nadia share her insights from the Lake Junaluska stage.”

Bolz-Weber will be joined by the Roots Revival Band — a singer-songwriter group from Winston-Salem — whose lead singer, Martha Bassett, has opened for Lyle Lovett, Tony Bennett and The Avett Brothers.

The event is part of the Lake Junaluska

‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ flies into Clyde

Highlands goes to Broadway The Phat (Phantom) Pack will perform at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

Can you imagine three Broadway tenors, all from “Phantom of the Opera” on the same stage, at the same time? The Broadway performers (formerly with “Phantom of the Opera” in Las Vegas) will sing the great music of Broadway, American Standards, as well as original comedy material, and also share stories from their personal lives and careers.

The group will perform in concert, followed by a gala dinner at 7 p.m. at the Highlands Falls Country Club. Tickets are available at www.highlandspac.org or by calling 828.526.9047.

A junior version of the classic “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” will hit the stage Oct. 7-8 at the MusicWorks! Studio of Performing Arts in Clyde.

Based on the 1968 hit MGM motion picture and featuring original music from the film, this junior version is a pilot premiere created by iTheatrics and Music Theater International, who work to transform Broadway favorites to a scale and running time suitable for family theater and young performers. Lynne Meyer, director of the production and the owner of MusicWorks, was contacted by executives at MTI in the spring and asked to consider taking on the task of piloting their recent junior work.

“It’s been such an honor to be one of the first directors in the country to work with this new junior musical,” said Meyer. “I loved the movie as a child and I felt like it was a show that would challenge my students, so there really wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation before I agreed to premiere the work!”

The MusicWorks production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Junior” features a cast of 48

Nadia Bolz-Weber. Alex Baker Photography Signature Series, which brings leading Christian voices to Lake Junaluska for spiritual enrichment.

The event is open to all. The program fee is $100 per person. Lodging and meal packages are available at Lake Junaluska. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/signature-series or call 800.222.4930.

talented singers, dancers, and actors between the ages of 8-17. In addition to the cast of performers, parents and volunteers have also gotten involved in the production with creating some of the costumes, sets, and numerous props, including “Chitty” herself.

Within the story, an eccentric inventor, Caractacus Potts (Nate Hannah), sets about restoring an old race car from a scrap heap with the help of his children, Jeremy (Walker Giusti) and Jemima (Kavia Dills). They soon discover that the car has magical properties, including the ability to float and take flight.

Trouble occurs when the evil Baron Bomburst (Javan Delozier) desires the magical car for himself. The family joins forces with Truly Scrumptious (Beth Borst) and batty Grandpa Potts (Eric Meyer) to outwit the dastardly Baron and Baroness (Cameron Robinson) and their villainous henchman, the Child Catcher (Kyrstin McClure).

The show runs Oct. 7-8 with performances on both evenings at 7 p.m. and also a 3 p.m. matinee on Oct. 8. All performances are being held in the “Out of the Box” Theater at MusicWorks! Studio of Performing Arts, 99 Kingdom Hall Drive in Clyde. Tickets are $10 and can only be purchased online at www.smallvenueticketing.com/23379.

On the stage Issues of race and class status in New York City at the turn of the 20th century will be explored as Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen presents “Intimate Apparel” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5 through Saturday, Oct. 8.

The second production of WCU’s 2016-17 Mainstage theater series, the play will be staged in the studio theater of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The play tells the story of Esther, an AfricanAmerican seamstress who sews intimate apparel for clients ranging from socialites to prostitutes.

As the years pass, she fears she may never marry, but then she begins receiving love letters from a Caribbean man named George, and she opens her heart to the possibilities of romance and a future of happiness.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, “Intimate Apparel” was the winner of the 2004 New York Drama Critics Circle Award.

Tickets are $16 for adults; $11 for WCU faculty and staff, and seniors; and $7 (advance) and $10 (day of show) for students. Tickets are available online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or by calling 828.227.2479.

Staged reading of Clancy play

SMCPA to host open house

“Middletown,” an acclaimed new play by the Obie-winning playwright Dan Clancy, will receive a staged reading at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in the meeting room of the Cashiers library.

Andrew Prine, award-winning actor of stage, screen and television, and a new resident of Highlands, with over 180 credits to his name, has graciously agreed to join the ensemble cast comprised of some of the area’s finest actors: Adair Simon, Michael Lanzilotta and Lauretta Payne.

As part of the New Play Development Project at Lynn University in Florida, the staged reading of “Middletown” received standing ovations and has already been booked into other Florida theaters for next season with an option for it to be performed in New York. It tells the story of a friendship between two seemingly unlikely couples spanning 33 years, with all its joys and sorrows, betrayals and forgiveness.

Sponsored by Friends of the Albert Carlton Cashiers Library, there is no charge to attend the performance, but donations are most welcome.

For more information, call Ellen Greenwald at 828.743.1802.

The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts will host a “Nothing Less Than Sensational Open House” and 2017 kickoff on at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the center in Franklin.

Guests will enjoy refreshments, live entertainment, lots of fun, and great prizes.

An exciting season lineup, which includes several theatrical productions, concerts, holiday performances, and more, will be announced, with advanced specials on tickets for upcoming events also available. Those interested in becoming a Patron Club member are encouraged to attend to find out more about membership benefits. There is no cost to attend and everyone is welcome.

The SMCPA is a modern 1,500-seat facility featuring a state-of-the-art, concertgrade sound system. The center showcases artists from Western North Carolina and the surrounding areas and seeks to nurture the development, understanding, and appreciation of the arts throughout the community and the region.

To purchase tickets, get more information, or to see a schedule of coming events, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

arts & entertainment

Play deals with race, class

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Wednesday October 19th Jeopardy!

Wine Tasting & Game Night with Prizes Call to reserve spaces

7PM October 11th or 13th

Call to reserve spaces

7PM Thursday October 27th

Banking...

Chef Jackie's BYOB Dinner

Smoky Mountain News

24th Annual Columbus Day Wine Dinner

Call to reserve spaces

138 Miller Street (828)452-0120 WaynesvilleWine.com

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40

Books

Smoky Mountain News

Burke spins complicated tale full of violence n House Of The Rising Sun (Simon & Schuster, 2015, 435 pages, $27.99), James Lee Burke tells the story of Hackberry Holland, a retired Texas Ranger, and his son Ishmael, their separation since Ishmael was a small boy, and the wars they fight against various enemies to try and find each other again.

Their epic attempts to reunite run from the battlefields of World War I to the bloodthirsty skirmishes of factions during the Mexican Revolution, from the brothels and Writer gambling joints of Texas cow towns to the fancy hotels and mansions of San Antonio.

Several hundred characters, most of them minor, most of them “bad guys,” populate the canvas of House Of The Rising Sun, and many of them wind up dead or badly beaten by the novel’s end. (I lost count of the bodies about a third of the way through the book).

Arnold Beckman, an Austrian-born arms dealer who is evil incarnate, wants to supply the world with weapons following the Great War, and becomes Hack’s opponent when their paths cross in Mexico. Also opposing Beckman, at one time or another, are a former voodoo priest from Haiti and three women: Maggie Bassett, a former prostitute who marries Hack (she doesn’t have the stereotypical heart of gold of that profession, but a heart for gold); Beatrice DeMolay, a brothel madam who provides the link to the House of the Rising Sun; and Ruby Dansen, Hack’s lover, mother of Ishmael, and a leader in the labor unions of that time.

Thrown into this complicated arrangement is the Holy Grail. When Hackberry destroys some weapons belonging to Beckman, he also takes a chalice that Beckman believes is the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper. Believing that the cup will bring him immense power, Beckman goes to any lengths — bribery, intimidation, kidnapping, and murder — to recover the

Jeff Minick

I

of some of the “Harlem Hellfighters,” a highlydecorated AfricanAmerican unit fighting against the Germans in the final days of the War. For this reviewer, Burke’s vivid treatment of these men provided a miniature history lesson.

Burke frequently brings the past into play as he spins out his tale.

The Alamo, George Custer, heroes and villains of the Mexican Revolution: all arise for discussion. In one scene, when Ishmael is facing death at the hands of an abductor, he House Of The Rising Sun by James Lee Burke. Simon & Schuster, 2015. 435 pages. revisits in his mind the chalice.

Mediterranean of the Middle Ages: James Lee Burke is highly regarded for his powers of description, his characters, and his “Acceptance of his fate did not mean he should storytelling. In House Of The Rising Sun, he be passive about it. For just a moment, as though demonstrates this power through his he were looking through a third eye in his evocation of everything from the setting of a forehead, he saw a medieval fortress on the shores Texas sun to the inside of a grim field hospital of Malta and Crusader Knights in chainmail and in France. At one point, Ishmael has command white tunics with red Templar crosses, surrounded

by their Saracen enemies. Their death was a foregone conclusion, but rather than surrender, they executed their prisoners and used catapults to fling the decapitated heads over the walls into the Saracen line and went down to the last man, their swords ringing.

“Could he be as brave and defiant as they?”

House Of The Rising Sun is not without its flaws. Despite being the “hero,” Hackberry seems to thrive on violence and confrontation.

Though a former Ranger, he rarely resorts to the law, preferring instead to beat anyone to a pulp who crosses him or his loved ones.

Arnold Beckman is supposed to be a sophisticated man of business, but like Hackberry prefers maiming or killing people who get in his way.

Sometimes, too, events occur in House Of The Rising Sun that make little sense. When Beckman wants to kidnap Ishmael, why does he go about that kidnapping in such a convoluted way? Why at one crucial point of the story does Hackberry, who has never operated an automobile, insist on driving and almost destroying Beatrice DeMolay’s REO? Why at the end of the book does Hackberry not finish off his vendetta with Beckman?

Why again does Maggie Bassett, when taking her vengeance against a man who has wronged her, choose such a complicated path of revenge?

Finally, after all that transpires in this novel, after all the twists and turns, the ending seems rushed. In particular, the final fate of the Holy Grail — and by novel’s end we are led to believe this chalice is the genuine article — seems absurd. Men have fought and died both to steal and to protect this chalice, yet Hackberry leaves it with a certain man because “I saw a mess of children playing out in the street.”

These are not quibbles, but in spite of the imperfections, House Of The Rising Sun brings a good deal of pleasure, especially in the fine prose. Because I did a good bit of driving this past month, I listened to about a third of the novel as narrated by Will Patton, whose skillful reading along with to Burke’s gift for the English language only increased that pleasure.

City Lights joint reading Darnell Arnoult and Keith Stewart will host a joint reading at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Arnoult has written two collections of poetry, including her most recent, Galaxie Wagon, the novel Sufficient Grace and was featured in the short story anthology, Appalachia Now. She teaches at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.

Stewart will present his collection of essays, Bernadette Peters Hates Me: True Tales of a Delusional Man. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in the journals Kudzu and Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel. His strange adventures usually occur near his Appalachian hometown of Hyden, Kentucky.

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• A “Theme Team Book Club” is now being offered by the Waynesville Public Library.

The group meets quarterly from 2 to 4 p.m. on the first Friday of the month. The next meeting is Oct. 7, with the theme “supernatural/paranormal.” Pick any book you would like to read for the theme.

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Rash to present new novel

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Renowned Southern Appalachian writer Ron Rash will be hosting a book reading and signing for this latest novel, The Risen, at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Rash demonstrates his superb narrative skills in this suspenseful and evocative tale of two brothers whose lives are altered irrevocably by the events of one long-ago summer — and one bewitching young woman — and the secrets that could destroy their lives. To reserve copies, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

The author of New York Times Bestsellers Serena and The Cove, Rash is the Western Carolina University Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Culture. A two-time finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, he also has received the Frank O’Conner International Short Story Award.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Parks and Rec master plan seeks input

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER rea residents who avail themselves of Waynesville’s recreational facilities and programs have a chance to shape their respective futures — but only for a few more days.

“Bottom line, this is about what the public would like to have,” said Rhett Langston, director of Waynesville’s Parks and Recreation department. “We have ideas ourselves in Parks and Recreation, but the bottom line is, it has to come from the public.”

The Town of Waynesville establishes and sustains a network of athletic fields, parks and recreational facilities that play host to a variety of athletic, cultural, historic and recreational programming.

With a 2016-17 budget of $2.5 million, the Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for maintaining six different parks — Chestnut, East Street, Sulphur Springs, Hazelwood, Vance Street and Recreation Park — spread out over 29 acres. It also runs the Old Armory and Waynesville Recreation Center, where residents can enjoy such diverse activities as swimming, weightlifting, cornhole, clogging, karate and quilting.

“At the Waynesville Recreational Center, we typically have around 140,000 visits a year.

I would say that’s a very conservative number,” Langston said, noting that a lot of people who simply stroll through the parks or relax outside them aren’t counted.

While such activities are clearly popular, putting together a master plan for the town’s recreational assets will allow the department to establish priorities and ensure that it can continue to offer activities that not only appeal to the residents of today, but also of tomorrow.

“We don’t want to take the plan and put it on the shelf and collect dust,” Langston said.

Public Meeting

A

The final public meeting for the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department’s 2016 Comprehensive Master Plan will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, at the Waynesville Recreation Center, 455 Vance Street; it is a “drop in” format, meaning that those interested can stop by at any time to learn more about the department and leave suggestions with the staff.

Online Survey For those who can’t make it to the public meeting, an online survey on the Town of Waynesville’s website stands ready to collect input for the plan, but only until Friday, Sept.

30. To take the survey online, visit www.waynesvillenc.gov/online-survey.

Brooke Palay photo

“I think it’s always very good to know which direction we’re going to go. This is a 10-year plan, and for grant applications, this is the way you’re supposed to go about doing it.”

Applying for state and federal grants or loans can be an onerous process (see CANTON, p. 19), but grants are often the only way many municipalities can afford projects that would otherwise be too expensive to fund.

“When you apply for a grant, it’s kind of like building a court case,” Langston said.

“You want to do things the proper way, which in this case is having a master plan and getting the feedback.”

Feedback from the public gives the department insight into who uses what services, and

Residents leave messages for Waynesville Parks and Recreation staff at a public meeting held Sept. 22. Cory Vaillancourt photo

where; it also gives granting agencies a sense of the competency, thoroughness and vision of specific projects the town may wish to undertake.

“We started a survey not too long ago – online and hard copy — and that will be available to the general public until Sept. 30,” Langston said. “As of this moment today we have received over 400 responses, which is really good. The more the responses, the better, because that really establishes the bedrock of the entire master plan.”

Robust public input assures the department that it is following the wishes of those who use it most, and also demonstrates to grantors that such projects are not merely capricious, arbitrary ventures put forth by politicians to score points with voters, but instead are the result a desire to serve the public’s will.

Both the online survey and the public meetings are designed to gather specific information from the public — aside from some basic demographic information, the department hopes to get a better idea of how many times people have visited department facilities in the past 12 months (or why they haven’t), and what else they’d like to see, including BMX or skateboard parks, and rock climbing walls.

Central to these plans — figuratively and geographically — is a much talked-about greenway from the Waynesville Recreational Center to Lake Junaluska that would also one day unite disparate segments that exist in Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley.

Greenways are often listed near the top of the public’s wish list in areas where jogging, road cycling or mountain biking frequently occurs; greenways are noted as economic driv-

More information Questions? Comments? Concerns? Call 828.456.2030 or email rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov.

ers that attract outdoor enthusiasts and enhance the quality of life that woos entrepreneurial development.

Jackson County approved a $1.1 million greenway in 2013, financed in part with a grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund — exactly the type of grantor that wants to see a comprehensive plan as part of a grant application.

After some cost overruns, Jackson’s greenway opened in 2015 and has experienced increasing usage as residents and visitors have gotten used to having it around. The county hopes to see additional greenway mileage added in the future.

Regardless of whether or not Haywood County residents desire such a feature, Langston said he’d compile the results of the two public meetings and the online survey and then present them to Charlotte-based engineering and consulting firm Alfred Benesch & Company, which would be responsible for putting together the final plan.

“We’re hoping to have it ready by February,” he said. “We’ll first present it to an advisory commission, and if they approve the plan we’ll present it to the board of aldermen.”

Again, Langston stressed the importance of receiving as much input from the public as possible to ensure the quality of the final plan, which ultimately translates to continuing public satisfaction with the Parks and Recreation Department.

“Whatever the public would like to have,” he said, “we’ll do our best to get it.”

Lumberjacks to face off in the Pisgah

Congressman Mark Meadows, RCashiers, will hold a listening session with wilderness supporters at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Historic Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville. Participation will be invitationbased, but the public is welcome to sit in.

In August, Meadows held a pair of listening sessions on the topic with county leaders from Mark Meadows across his district but drew criticism when citizens who supported additional Congressionally designated wilderness in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests were not allowed to attend. Meadows said that decision was made so that county leaders — who had requested the meeting but

were also overwhelmingly opposed to additional wilderness — could have a more meaningful discussion with their representative than would have been possible in a fuller room. However, he quickly moved to schedule the Oct. 4 meeting to hear from people holding a different view of wilderness.

Wilderness has been at the forefront of debate surrounding the revision process for the Pisgah-Nantahala forest management plan. Designating new wilderness starts with a recommendation from the Forest Service and requires an act of Congress to become official.

Meadows has said that, as it stands now, he would not plan to introduce legislation to designate additional wilderness.

A full story on the issue is available at www.smokymountainnews.com/news/ite m/18356-wilderness-advocates-criticizecongressman.

The Forest Service has been holding open houses to take input on the forest management plan over the past month, with the final one in the area planned for 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the Pisgah Ranger District Office in Brevard.

Portions of the draft plan completed thus far are online at http://bit.ly/1TI6AEz. Send written comments to NCplanrevision@fs.fed.us with the subject line “Summer building blocks” or mail to Attn: Plan Revision Team Leader; National Forests in North Carolina; 160 Zillicoa St. Suite A; Asheville, N.C. 28801.

An intro to hunting workshop will give participants a grounding in hunting ethics, safety, methods, skills and species identification, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

The day will start with classroom instruction and then move into the field for practice with a variety of simulated hunting situations from upland bird hunting to big game like deer. No firearms will be used and participants should not bring weapons with them.

Free, with space limited. Open to participants 12 and older. Register at www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/EventRegistration.aspx.

Lee Sherrill, 828.877.4423 or lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.org.

Accept the Healthy Haywood Challenge

ARTAFTER DARK:

OCT. 7 6-9 P.M.

JEWELRY ARTIST

BECKY BURNETTE

Smoky Mountain News

The Healthy Haywood Fitness Challenge, an annual opportunity to get in shape by trying out gyms and training centers throughout Haywood County, will kick off Monday, Oct. 3.

The program will run through Nov. 14, giving participants six weeks to visit the 16 participating venues up to 24 times — for a price of only $10. Each venue has its own rules for what is available to Healthy Haywood members, but all allow some opportunity to experience what is offered.

Five sign-up opportunities will be given: ■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, at the Waynesville Recreation Center, with free water bottles handed out. A special kickoff will be held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. that day, with free jump ropes.

■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Waynesville Wellness, with free Frisbees.

■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center.

■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at Urban Athletic Training Center, with free jump ropes.

■ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at The Fitness Connection.

All freebies are on a while-supplies-last basis.

Participating venues are Angie’s Dance Academy, Blue Ridge Natural Health, Body Lyrics Belly Dance, Body Sculpting & Fitness Studio, CrossFit Haywood, CrossFit Yona, Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, Maggie Mountain Fitness and Massage, Maggie Martial Arts, Sweet Circle Hoops — Hoop Dancing and Fitness Class, Smoky Mountain Sk8Way & Fun Zone, The Fitness Connection, The Old Armory Recreation Center, Urban Athletic Training Center, Waynesville Recreation Center and Waynesville Wellness.

828.356.2272 or mhauser@haywoodnc.net. www.healthyhaywood.org.

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 18 YEARS IN DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Hone in on hunting

outdoors

from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and old-fashioned A lumberjack competition and showcase wagon rides will be offered from 11 a.m. to of traditional crafts ranging from wood 2 p.m. A shuttle will run between the Cradle carving to weaving will take over the Pink and Pink Beds from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Beds Picnic area next to the Cradle of and food and drink will be available for purForestry in America on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Forest Festival Day and the John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet — featuring Haywood Community College and Western Carolina University along with eight other colleges and universities — will start Lumberjack competitions come with off at 9 a.m. with their fill of log chopping, axe throwing tree identification and crosscut sawing. File photo and archery competitions, with the chase. day packed through 5 p.m. with contests Organized by HCC and presented by from pole-felling to axe-throwing to crossStihl. The Cradle of Forestry in America is cut sawing. located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah Throughout the day, exhibitors, crafters National Forest, about 35 miles south of and entertainers will congregate along the Waynesville. nearby Biltmore Campus Trail. Festival$6 for adults, $3 for youth under 16 and goers will get to cut a tree “cookie” with a free for children under 4, with America the cross-cut saw, see a portable sawmill in Beautiful and Golden Age passes accepted. action and learn the fine art of cutting and 828.877.3130 or properly drying wood. www.cradleofforestry.com.

Falconry demonstrations will be held

Congressman to hold listening session on wilderness designation

“WHERE ART DANCES WITH NATURE” 98 NORTH MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC • 828.456.1940 MON.-SAT.10-5:30 • SUN.1-4 • WWW.TWIGSANDLEAVES.COM

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outdoors

Watch top-tier paddlers navigate the Nantahala

Trout tourney coming to Cherokee Thousands of dollars in prizes will swim through tribal waters during the Cherokee KOA Fall Fishing Tournament, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, in Cherokee.

Open only to KOA campground guests, the competition will involve catching tagged, stocked fish redeemable for prizes. Cherokee fishing permits, which cost $10 and are available at a variety of tribal businesses, are required for all anglers 12 and older. www.fishcherokee.com.

828.497.9187.

Elite paddlers from across the country will converge on the Nantahala Outdoor Center for the 2016 USA Canoe and Kayak Slalom Nationals, Friday to Sunday, Oct. 7-9.

Youth, teen and adult divisions will compete in a variety of slalom races, with registration still open for those who would like to participate and spectators welcome to watch the show for free from the U.S. Forest Service walkway along Nantahala Falls, which affords excellent views of the course.

A full schedule and registration information are available online. www.noc.com/events/2016usack-whitewater-slalom-nationals.

Cast a line in Bryson A celebration of angling heritage will take over Fry Street in Bryson City, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

The Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing Festival will offer rod and fly tying demonstrations, local flies and vendors selling all manner of fishing-related equipment.

Oct. 1 is the first day of Delayed Harvest Trout Water regulations for the season, meaning that the waters flowing through Bryson City will be open to catch-and-release fishing only.

Tuckaseegee Fly Shop, 828.488.3333 or tuckriverclub@gmail.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Fish-raising explained

44

From egg to creek, the modern fish hatchery operation will be explained at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the United Community Bank in Sylva.

Bill Bartells of the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Brevard will give the talk, which will follow the regular monthly meeting of the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Dinner will be served for a $5 fee. www.tuckaseigee.tu.org.

The country’s best paddlers will chop through whitewater on the Nantahala River Oct. 7-9.

Donated photo

Delayed Harvest fishing rules begin Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations will go into effect Saturday, Oct. 1, staying in place through June 2, 2017.

Under Delayed Harvest rules, anglers can’t harvest or possess trout in Delayed Harvest waters and may use only artificial lures with a single hook to catch fish — no natural bait. Artificial lures may not be treated with any substance to attract fish with taste or smell.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks Delayed Harvest waters from fall to spring. Diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs mark the affected waters, which are popular locations for catch-and-release fishing while the regulations are in effect.

Delayed Harvest Trout Waters locations, stocking dates, information on regulations and trout fishing maps are online at www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/Trout/TroutFishing.aspx.

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outdoors

A monarch stops for a rest at a previous Migration Celebration event. Donated photo

Engage in migration season The banding and tagging help scientists to better understand the populations and their movements.

Free. Equipment is provided, all ages are welcome and no experience is necessary.

Organized by Mainspring Conservation Trust, which owns and conserves the Welch Farm tract. Event will be cancelled in case of rain.

Welch Farm is located along U.S. 74, 3 miles west of Andrews and 2 miles east of the Marble intersection. Signs will direct participants to the parking area.

828.524.2711.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

Join migrant birds and butterflies with a Migration Celebration from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Welch Farm near Andrews.

The morning will begin with efforts to capture, band and release migrating songbirds in partnership with nonprofit Southern Appalachian Raptor Research. At 10 a.m., naturalist Jason Love, of the Coweeta Long-Term Ecological Research Program, will lead participants in capturing and tagging monarch butterflies as they head south to overwinter in Mexico.

Tuck your garden in right Learn the best practices for putting the garden to bed for winter with a program 2-3 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Waynesville Public Library.

Sarah Scott, horticulture extension agent with Haywood County Cooperative Extension, will lead the discussion about techniques such as pruning, mulching and planting cover crops. She’ll also take questions.

Free. Sponsored by Haywood County Extension and Friends of the Library. 828.356.2507.

Local acres were among those covered by $3.8 million the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded to protect farmland and agricultural enterprises across the state.

The funds will make conservation easements possible on 117 acres on three Haywood County farms.

■ A $214,000 award to the Southwestern North Carolina Resource Conservation and Development Council will allow 50 acres on the Smart Farm beef cattle operation in Waynesville to be preserved in perpetuity.

■ A $78,000 award to the Haywood Soil

and Water Conservation District will allow 21 acres on the A.K. and Sons Farm beef cattle and hay operation in Clyde to be preserved in perpetuity.

■ A $173,000 award to the Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District will allow 46 acres on the Swanger Farm beef cattle grazing operation to be preserved in perpetuity.

The ADFP’s mission is to encourage preservation of agricultural, horticultural and forested land to support family farms — agricultural conservation easements contribute to that mission by paying landowners to give up their rights to future development of the property for non-agricultural purposes such as subdivisions, industry and mining. www.ncadfp.org.

Come enjo enjoyy all the crafts craafts fr from om oover ver 200 vendors.

Theree will be 40 demon demonstrations, vendors. Ther strations, music stages,, and gre great mu sic & dance on two stages eat food. It’ll be a fun time for the whole family.. See the entertainment schedule at family FFolkSchool.org/FallFestival. olkSchool.org/FallFestival.

Smoky Mountain News

Grant dollars protect Haywood farmlands

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Explore autumn with a ranger Fall is here and ranger-guided programs aplenty are underway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, helping visitors discover the most colorful season of the nation’s most visited national park.

■ “Longing for the ‘Good Ol’ Days,” a look back at what life was like for the mountain folk who once farmed the land, will be held at 11 a.m.

Saturdays and 2 p.m.

Sundays, featuring a walk through the Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The 45-minute program is handicappedaccessible.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located along U.S. 441, just north of Cherokee.

■ A Junior Ranger program celebrating Smoky Mountain elk will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sundays at the Palmer House in Cataloochee Valley, located in Haywood County. Children will learn about the history of elk through show and tell activities and will have the chance to watch elk come into the fields as evening falls. The 45minute program is handicapped-accessible.

■ “Salamanders of the Smokies,” a 30minute program held at 2 p.m. Mondays on the Oconalufee Visitor Center porch, will reveal why the Smokies are considered the salamander capital of the world.

Handicapped-accessible.

■ The Smokemont History Walk will tra-

verse the Smokemont Nature Trail at Smokemont Campground at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays. The one-hour program will explore the early 1900s in the Smokemont area.

■ “Logging in the Smokies” will involve a half-mile hike along the Smokemont Nature Trail at 1 p.m. Wednesdays. During the one-

Ranger Emily Guss leads s park program. Donated photo

hour program, participants will uncover the logging industry’s place in Smokies history.

■ The Junior Ranger River Ramble will step off from the Oconaluftee River Trailhead at 1 p.m. Thursdays, giving kids the chance to stroll along a mountain stream without straying too far from the parking lot. The one-hour program is handicapped-accessible.

■ A Junior Ranger Porch Program will show kids what makes the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so special at 1 p.m. Fridays on the Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch. Topics will vary, so repeat attendance is encouraged. The 30-minute program is handicapped accessible.

All programs are free and will run through Saturday, Oct. 29. 828.497.1904.

Smoky Mountain News

Walk through time

PROGRAMS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY • DAY PASSES AVAILABLE 264-224

WAYNESVILLE

RECREATION CENTER 550 Vance St. • Waynesville • 828.456.2030

46

A two-hour stroll through Bradleytown will show participants how the area transformed from a forested haven to a barren wasteland and back again, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 1, 15 and 29.

Park Volunteer Dick Sellers will lead the walk, starting from Smokemont Baptist Church near the entrance to Smokemont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Afterward, visitors will have a chance to hike with Sellers to Bradley Fork Cemetery.

Free, with walking shoes and water bottle recommended. 828.497.1905.

www.waynesvillenc.gov

Give fall a wild welcome The 40th annual Hey Day Fall Family Festival will showcase all the best parts of autumn in the mountains, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 8, at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville.

The festival will feature live wild ani-

mals, educational programs, games, crafts, food vendors and entertainment from Idea Factory Dancers, Mountain Thunder Cloggers, Garnet Ridge Ramblers, Asheville Performing Arts Academy and Professor Whizzpop.

Free with general admission, which ranges from $5.95 to $10.95 and is free for kids 2 and younger. www.wildwnc.org.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Darnell Farms Corn Maze will be open through Nov. 1 on U.S. 19 at the Tuckasegee River Bridge in Bryson City. Besides the maze, there will also be a pumpkin patch, picnic area, farm fresh products, hayrides, and other activities. 488.2376.

• The Jackson County Public Library and Fontana Regional Library will join with the American Library Association to celebrate Banned Books Week Sept. 25 to Oct. 1. The annual observance honors the freedom to read and highlights cases in which that freedom has been challenged or limited. www.fontanalib.org.

• Haywood Library’s 125th birthday will be observed from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Maggie Valley Library. Cake, refreshments and raffle.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Hunter Safety courses will be offered by Haywood Community College and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 17-18 and Nov. 1415 at HCC’s Campus, Building 3300, Room 3322, in Clyde. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

• Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

• “Mingle on Main” will be presented by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce from 5-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the downtown gazebo. Hot dogs, chips and drinks as well as networking, displays and doorprizes.

524.3161.

• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a seminar entitled “Marketing Your Business” from 6-9 p.m. on Sept. 29, in Clyde. Part of the Business Startup Series. 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

• “Ask a Small Business Attorney Day” is from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center in Waynesville. Chase Wells of M. Chase Wells, PLLC, and the HCC Small Business Center will provide 30-minute, one-on-one appointments for small businesses. Pre-registration required: 627.4512 or kmgould@haywood.edu.

• A program entitled “Leading in the 21st Century” will be offered from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Waynesville Library. Led by local author and business consultant Ron Robinson. Sign-up required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• An Emergency Medical Technician & WMI Wilderness Upgrade for the Medical Professional class will be offered through Landmark Learning from Oct. 5-24 and Oct. 26-30 in Cullowhee. Provides certification in NC EMT-Basic and National EMT-Basic. Last five days will provide WMI Wilderness Upgrade for the Medical Professional and WEMT certification. 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.edu.

• “The Sawyer Family in WNC in the Confederacy, and the Battle of Deep Creek” will be presented at the Oct. 6 meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society. Meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center in Bryson City.

• A Fall Hiring Fair featuring more than 20 area employers is scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Southwestern Community College’s Macon Campus in Franklin. Info: 339.4212 or m_despeaux@southwesterncc.edu.

• A conference focusing on the intersection of the environment and economy in Western North Carolina is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, in A.K.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Cost: $50. Register at 8 a.m. leadwnc.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a seminar entitled “Your Small Business Taxes” from 3-5 p.m. on Oct. 11, in Clyde.

Part of the Business Startup Series. 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Drive Away Hunger & Blue Plate Special fundraiser is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Andy Shaw Ford in Sylva. Each test drive nets $30 for the Community Table. Choice of chicken or pork barbecue from Harrah’s available for $7 donation. ctofjackson@gmail.com.

• A fundraiser for Marianna Black Library’s new library campaign fund is scheduled for 5-10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at Zaxby’s in Sylva. Ten percent of sales in that span will be donated to the fund.

• A Middle Eastern Friendship Dinner will be offered by Folkmoot and Western Carolina University’s Office of International Programs and Services from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, in the Folkmoot Cafeteria in Waynesville. Meal will prepared by students from countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libya and Iraq.

Advance tickets: $15 adults; $10 kids. Available at folkmoot.org or by calling 452.2997. Tickets at the door: $18 adult; $10 kids. Info: info@folkmoot.org.

• Cullowhee Fire Department and the VFW will host a “Shop With A Cop” fundraiser from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the VFFW Post in Tuckasegee. BBQ and hot dog supper with all the fixings, cake walk.

Funds support Jackson County children shopping with local law enforcement agencies.

• The annual Macon TRACS Blue Jean Ball will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. BBQ, live music, silent auction and more. Proceeds benefit the Macon TRACS operation expenses. 349.6262 or www.macontracs.org.

• Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is now offering smaller, single replicas quilt trail blocks for purchase. The blocks are priced at $65 each with 85 percent of the proceeds being donated to raise funds to build the new Haywood County Animal Shelter.

944.0761 or stop by 1110 Soco Road in Maggie Valley.

• A Serbian Friendship Dinner is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10, at Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Serbian meal and dance by Talija Art Company. Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for kids in advance. 452.2997 or info@folkmoot.org. At the door, tickets are $18 for adults; $10 for kids.

HEALTH MATTERS • Acupuncture clinic for Haywood County veterans are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 28 at Blue Ridge Natural Health in Waynesville. First come, first served.

356.5577 or www.blueridgenaturalhealth.com. www.facebook.com/WesternRegionalRecoveryRally.

• “The Healing Oils of the Bible” program will be offered on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in Maggie Valley.

Register: 508.0904.

• Alan H. Lockwood, MD, will speak at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.

He is lead author of “Physicians for Social Responsibility” report on coal’s adverse effects, which

Smoky Mountain News

47

was the basis for his book “The Silent Epidemic: Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health.”

• The College of Health and Human Sciences at Western Carolina University will host a panel presentation on stroke treatment and recovery, with multiple opportunities for open dialogue and interaction between participants from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Health and Human Sciences Building in Cullowhee. Info or to pre-register: 227.3381 or pjparker@wcu.edu.

• Anger Management will be the subject of a program sponsored by the NAMI Appalachian South (National Alliance on Mental Illness) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept.

29, at Memorial United Methodist Church in Franklin.

369.7385.

• A “Cancer Transitions: Moving Beyond Treatment” program will be offered from 1-3:30 p.m. on Fridays starting Sept. 30 through the end of October at Harris Regional Hospital. Register: 844.414.DOCS. • A walk-in flu clinic is scheduled for 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Waynesville Family Practice. Bring ID and insurance card or form of payment. 456.3511.

• A Memory Improvement workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Intended for people ages 45 and older. Learn techniques to improve ability to retrieve stored experience and learn techniques for improving memory. Register: 586.2016.

• GriefShare, a Grief Support group, meets from 1-3 p.m. starting Thursday, Oct. 6, and will meet weekly for 13 weeks, at First Alliance Church in Franklin. $15 cost covers materials; scholarships are available. 369.7977 or scott@franklincma.com. Online registration: www.franklincma.com.

• A Women’s Wellness Day will be offered from 1-6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9. Maternity and Beyond class is at 1 p.m.; Sound Healing Concert at 3 p.m.; followed by tea time talks, chair massages, sauna time, guided stretching and dance. $10 preregistration or $15 at the door. 283.0173 or waynesvillewellness.com.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The High Mountain Squares will host a “Hospice Dance” from 6:15-8:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Western Style Square Dancing, mainstream and levels.

342.1560, 332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• Haywood County Recreation Department will offer its 14th annual Fitness Challenge starting Oct. 3. Cost is $10 per person for a total of 24 visits to any of 16 fitness locations in the county. Kickoff event is from 5:306:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Other opportunities to pick up the passes are Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Waynesville Wellness; Oct. 5 at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde; Oct. 6 at Urban Athletic Training Center in Canton and Oct. 7 at the Fitness Connection in Waynesville.

• Waynesville Wellness offers a wide variety of classes on a weekly basis. Fitness Challenge eligible. http://waynesvillewellness.com/classes or 283.0173.

• A Ballroom Dance Class will meet from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from Oct. 11-Nov. 1 at the Qualla Community Building in Whittier. $10 per person per class or $35 for the four-week session. Proceeds go to the Qualla Community Club for maintaining the building. 497.9456.

POLITICAL • Candidates for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners will participate in a debate at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. SCC students in Dr. Bucky

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 Dann’s Social Problems class will ask questions of the candidates. Other upcoming debates at SCC will feature candidates for the local N.C. Senate race (Oct. 11) and N.C. House race (Oct. 25). www.southwesterncc.edu.

• Candidates for Jackson County and Swain County Boards of Commissioners will participate in issue forums on Monday, Oct. 3, at the Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center at Cherokee Middle School. Jackson County candidates are featured from 6-7:30 p.m.; Swain County candidates are from 8-9:30 p.m. Broadcast live on 540 AM WRGC in Sylva and 1590 AM WBHN in Bryson City.

• “Why Vote? And, is NOT voting a political statement?” is the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3, at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. Dialog, not debate. 371.1020.

• Congressman Mark Meadows (R-Cashiers) will hold a listening session with wilderness supporters at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Historic Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville. Portions of the forest management plan available at: http://bit.ly/1TI6AEz. • Issues & Eggs community program is scheduled for 8-9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Candidates for Haywood County Commissioner will discuss their platforms and answer questions. $15 admission for members of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce; $17 for nonmembers. www.HaywoodChamber.com or 456.3021.

• Macon County Democratic Men’s Club will hold a fundraiser breakfast from 7-10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at FATZ Café in Franklin. Tickets are $7 each; three for $20 and $4 for ages 12 and under. 349.3113.

• A pre-election open house lunch is scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Sylva Republican Headquarters at 60 West Sylva Shopping Center. Hot dogs, burgers and fixins.

• Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor has coffee and an open public discussion with Highlands residents from 11 a.m.-noon on the last Friday of each month at Hudson Library in Highlands. www.fontanalib.org or 526.3031.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Celebrated author and speaker Nadia Bolz-Weber will visit Lake Junaluska during their weekend conference Oct 7-9. The event is part of the Lake Junaluska Signature Series. The event is open to all. The program fee is $100 per person. Lodging and meal packages are available at Lake Junaluska. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/signatureseries or call 800.222.4930.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • The Theme Team Book Club will be presented by the Waynesville Library from 2-4 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. Pick any book from a chosen them; each participant gets a chance to discuss his/her book. Signup required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

wnc calendar

• Cookin’ the Books will be held at noon on the last Wednesday of the month at the Waynesville Public Library. A book club focused on cookbooks. All members choose a recipe from the book and bring it to share. The group will discuss the good and bad aspects of the chosen cookbook. 356.2507.

• A youth photography program will be offered for ages 12-16 on Tuesday afternoons in September and October at The Bascom in Highlands. Private lessons are also available. For complete listings of dates, times and topics, or to register, click on www.thebascom.org or call 526.4949.

• Tim Barnwell follows up his popular book, Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas, with Great Smoky Mountains Vistas, which will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

• “Art Beats for Kids” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City.

A new project every week. $20 per child, with includes lesson, materials and snack. To register, call 828.538.2054.

• Renowned Southern Appalachian writer Ron Rash will be hosting a book reading and signing for this latest novel, The Risen, at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

• Darnell Arnoult and Keith Stewart will host a joint reading at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Doreyl Ammons Cain will offer Still Life Pastel Painting class from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Sylva Senior Center. 293.2239.

• The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1:30 p.m. each Tuesday at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 926.6567.

KIDS & FAMILIES

Smoky Mountain News

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

• Community Fall Fest hosted by Clyde Elementary PTA from 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29. More than 20 local vendors each hosting games, DJ, inflatables, cake walk, prizes/candy and games covered by $15 wristband per student. Book fair. For purchase: raffles, dunk tank, food, face painting and photo booth. All the community is invited.

• Registration is underway for the Haywood County Youth Recreation Basketball League. Age groups range from 5-6 to 11-12. Age cut-off is Aug. 31. Games start Dec. 17. Registration is $60 per child and $55 per sibling through Oct. 14. Late fee of $10 after Oct. 14. Register anytime at the HCRP office in Waynesville or from 10 a.m.-noon on Oct. 1 at the Central Haywood Football field in Clyde or from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Canton Rec Park pavilion. 452.6789 or drtaylor@haywoodnc.net.

• Deadline to register for Smart Start Basketball program (ages 4-5) is 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Waynesville Recreation Center. Mandatory parent meeting is at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. $50 registration includes mini-basketball for dribbling, teslon basketball for passing, catching and shooting and t-shirt.

Program starts Oct. 18. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov. Register at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

• The Theme Team Book Club meets quarterly from 24 p.m. on the first Friday of the month at the Waynesville Library. On Oct. 7, the topic will be “Supernatural/Paranormal.” On Jan. 6, the topic is “biography.” Everyone gets a chance to discuss their book. Sign-up required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• A “Nature Nuts: Nocturnal Animals” class will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on Oct. 8 and 17 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

• An “Eco Explorers: Mountain Habitats” program will be offered to ages 8-up from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 8 and 17 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

• A Tuesday Library Club for ages 5-12 meets at 4 p.m. each Tuesday (except for the fifth Tuesday on months that occurs) at the Canton Library. Hands-on activities like exercise, cooking, LEGOs, science experiments and crafts. 648.2924 or 48 kpunch@haywoodnc.net.

KIDS MOVIES • A family Halloween movie will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Movie’s about a spindly king of Halloween town who kidnaps Santa Claus. Info, including movie title: 488.3030.

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

• Family story time for ages zero to six years old is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday at the Canton Library. 648.2924.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • Fall Harvest Festival is from Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Music and activities. Lodging packages and individual concert tickets available: www.LakeJunaluska.com/fallharvest or 800.222.4930.

• The “Octoberfest Arts & Crafts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Highlands United Methodist Church. Live demonstrations, artisan crafts, food vendors, and more. All proceeds go to the church’s new Faith & Fellowship Center. 526.3376.

• The annual Barnaroo fall music festival will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Franny’s Farm in Leicester. The celebration is a grassroots youth-inspired music festival perpetuating the support, growth and development of local/regional music. Tickets are $20 for a day pass, $75 for a weekend pass with camping. Children under the ages of 12 are admitted free. www.ashevillebarnaroo.com.

• Forest Festival Day and John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing Festival, a celebration of angling heritage, is from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, on Frye Street in Bryson City. It’s the first day of Delayed Harvest Trout Water regulations.

Catch-and-release only. 488.3333 or tuckriverclub@gmail.com.

• The eighth annual ColorFest, Dillsboro’s Fine Arts & Crafts Fair, is from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 1, in Dillsboro. 586.3511 or www.visitdillsboro.org.

• The 43th annual John C. Campbell Folk School’s Fall Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1-2 in Brasstown. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for ages 12-17 and free for children under 12. Parking is free, but donations will be accepted by/for students from the Tri-county Early College, who will supervise the lot. www.folkschool.org/fallfestival.

• The 104th annual Cherokee Indian Fair is Oct. 4-8 in Cherokee. angehern@nc-cherokee.com or 359.6473.

Admission is $10 per adult. Under age 5 is free. www.visitcherokeenc.com or 800.438.1601. Parade will be held on Oct. 4.

• Art After Dark will continue from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in downtown Waynesville. www.downtownwaynesville.com or www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

at 7 p.m. at the Highlands Falls Country Club. Tickets available at highlandspac.org or by calling 526.9047.

• The 33th annual Church Street Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• Country superstar Ronnie Milsap will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in Murphy. Milsap is best known for his signature combination of R&B, bluegrass and country music. The outdoor show is free and open to the public.

• The Glenville Leaf Festival opens with a pancake breakfast from 7-10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Glenville Community Center. Rededication of the center is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and events are held all day. Hot dogs and burgers served.

• Grammy nominee Claire Lynch (singer-songwriter) will perform bluegrass at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, at Cataloochee Ranch. Dinner served at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include dinner and the performance.

Reservations required: 926.1401.

• The annual Leaf Festival will be held Oct. 7-9 at the Village Green and Commons in Cashiers. Free. www.visitcashiersvalley.com.

• An afternoon of jazz featuring the Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. Tickets range from $25-35 and are available at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 227.2479. Info: 227.7028 or foa.wcu.edu.

• The Fall Festival at Mason Mountain will start at 9 a.m. Oct. 8 at the Cowee Gift Shop and Mason Mountain Mine in Franklin. 524.4570 or www.tjrocks.org.

• The 40th annual Hey Day Fall Family Festival is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville. General admission prices range from $5.95-$10.95. Children 2 and younger get in free. www.wildwnc.org/news-andevents/hey-day-festival-october-8-2016.

FOOD & DRINK • There will be a “Secret Wine Bar Night” and small plates by Chef Jackie served from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville.

• The Secret Wine Bar at Bosu’s will host Chef Jackie’s “BYOB Dinner” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27 ($50, by reservation). www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• Highlands on the Half-Shell will be presented from 4:30-dark on Oct. 2 in the meadow behind Valentine house the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands. $75 for members; $100 for nonmembers. www.highlandsbiological.org/foundation or 526.2221.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “Tzakbu, The Red Queen” will be featured at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, as part of the Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Play is written, directed and produced by Hiram Marina, a Mexican playwright and director. $24 for adults; $20 for WCU faculty/staff and $8 for students/children. Tickets can be purchased at the Bardo Center box office or at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• As part of the Haywood County Art Council’s “Young Artist Concert Series,” renowned young pianist Ji will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Tickets are $25.

Proceeds will benefit programming at the HCAC. To purchase tickets, call 452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Nashville Americana/folk duo Butterfly Rose will perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. They will play songs from their “Women of the Smokies” album, which tells the story of 10 influential women of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Copies of “Women of the Smokies” will be available at the show. To reserve a copy, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

• “Middletown,” a new play, will receive a staged reading at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, in the meeting room of the Cashiers Library. 743.1802.

• Country legend Charley Pride will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets start at $48. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• The Highlands Performing Arts will present “The PHAT (Phantom) Pack” at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Highlands. Event will be followed by a GALA Dinner

• The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts will host a “Nothing Less Than Sensational Open House” and 2017 kickoff on at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the center in Franklin. Guests will enjoy refreshments, live entertainment, lots of fun, and great prizes. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

• Highly esteemed bluegrass band Blue Highway will be on stage Friday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. $40. 283.0079.

• .38 Special will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Harrah’s Cherokee. www.harrahscherokee.com.

• A “junior” version of the classic “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” will hit the stage Oct. 7-8 at 7 p.m. and also a 3 p.m. matinee on Oct. 8 at the MusicWorks! Studio of Performing Arts in Clyde. Tickets are $10 and can only be purchased online at www.smallvenueticketing.com/23379.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • A “Knot Tying 101” class will be offered Sept. 29 at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.

293.3053, 631.2020 or www.facebook.com/jacksonrecreationandparks.

• The Mountain Artisan Series resumes at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Waynesville Library.

Experience the talents of local artists and performers.

356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• The Gem and Mineral Society of Franklin will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, September 29, at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building on US 441 South.

Installation of Officers will be followed by a covered dish dinner.

• Leslie Ferrin will host a discussion at 5 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Large Lecture Hall at Western Carolina University. Ferrin is a gallerist, curator and author, and will give a visual presentation and overview of market trends in the USA for ceramics in context of contemporary art, studio craft and modern design at fairs, galleries and museums. With ceramics suddenly on view everywhere, Ferrin’s travels to studios in China, Europe and the USA have resulted in curated exhibitions that contextualize the trends taking place with an emphasis on means of production and concept, “Made in China,” “Glazed and Diffused,” “Ceramic Top 40” and “Covet.” www.wcu.edu.

• The Autumn Leaves Craft Show will be held Oct. 6-8 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. Unique handmade crafts and other vendors. Times are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. If possible, bring a can of cat food for the Catman 2 Shelter. Free admission and parking. www.franklin-chamber.com or 349.4324.

• Applications for Regional Artist Project Grants are due Oct. 7. Open to individual artists and small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists. Must be resident of the area for at least one year to be avail-

able. Info: http://haywoodarts.org/regional-artist-project-grant.

• There will be a “Moccasin Making” workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Materials fee applies.

• Submissions are now being accepted for the 2017 edition of Milestone, the biennial art and literary review published by Southwestern Community College.

First- and second-place cash prizes will be awarded in three categories: Poetry, Prose (short story or nonfiction works) and Visual Arts, including photography.

In addition, one cash prize will be awarded for Cover Art. Open to residents of Jackson, Macon, Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary – as well as SCC students and alumni. Info and submissions (by Dec. 5): tknott@southwesterncc.edu or bkeeling@southwesterncc.edu. Info: 339.4314 or 339.4325.

• The N.C. State Fiction Contest is accepting entries for its 2016 competition. The contest, is free to enter and open to all North Carolina residents. Writers have until Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016, to mail their work to N.C. State Fiction Writing Contest, Campus Box 8105, English Department, N.C. State University, Raleigh, N.C., 27695-8105. go.ncsu.edu/fictioncontest.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Susan Robert will host the gallery talk “The Life and Times of Herbert Creecy, Abstract Expressionist Artist (1939-2003)” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at The Bascom in Highlands. Tickets are $10. 526.8811 or www.thebascom.org.

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will host live music, hors d’ouevres, wine and newly unveiled art collections.

Artists featured from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 30 are Jo Ridge Kelley, impressionist painter; and Brian Hannum, fine art photographer. $25 per couple, which can be applied toward purchase of $100 or more. www.greatsmokies.com.

• A touring exhibition of work by artist Wendy Maruyama is on display at the Penland Gallery in Penland. www.penland.org.

• Haywood County Arts Council will host several artists from the WNC Design Guide through Oct. 2. The WNC Design Guide is an exclusive collection of curated artists from the Western North Carolina region whose work focuses primarily on creating fine craft and fine art pieces for homeowners who enjoy elegant mountain living.

• Artist Melba Cooper will be exhibiting her stunning series of paintings, “POLLINATION,” at Cullowhee Mountain Arts’ (CMA) Studio in downtown Sylva. There will be an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and an artist talk with demonstration of oil and cold wax medium, the process she uses in her paintings, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8.

Both events will be held at the studio directly above Hollifield Jewelers.

Exhibits and Art Talks are open to the public — class-

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FILM & SCREEN • “Don’t Breathe” will be showing through Sept.29 at 7 p.m. at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

283.0079.

• A screening of the documentary entitled “Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot” is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• A new documentary entitled “Dream On” will be shown at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, in the Macon County Public Library’s Meeting Room in Franklin. Documentary is about a political comedian named John Fgelsang who retraces the journey of Alexis de Tocqueville and interviews undocumented immigrants and community organizers about hopes, dreams and daily struggles. 1:39. www.pppdocs.com/dreamon.html.

• “Masterminds” will be shown at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1 and again at 12:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m., and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2. Also playing during the week at 7 p.m. Oct. 3-Oct 6. at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. 283.0079.

• In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week, the movie “Touched With Fire” will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Movie’s about two poets with bipolar disorder whose art is fueled by emotional extremes. 524.3600. www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMIBlog/January-2016/Touched-with-Fire-Offers-a-Lookinto-the-Often-Dif. • In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week, the movie “Touched With Fire” will be shown at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Jackson County Public Library.

Movie’s about two poets with bipolar disorder whose art is fueled by emotional extremes. 586.2016.

Outdoors

• A seminar on lure techniques is offered at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Dream Catchers Fishing Supply at 21 Steeple Road in Sylva. 443.890.5014.

• Comments are now being accepted through Oct. 14 by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission on proposed elk depredation rule changes. The proposed amendment requires landowners who take a depredating elk without a Commission-issued depredation permit to report the take to the Commission within 24 hours of the kill. Proposed amendment is available at www.ncwildlife.org/Proposed-Regulations. Send comments to: regulations@nc-wildlife.org or Kate Pipkin, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1701.

• A bird walk along the greenway is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Sept. 28 in Franklin. Meet at Salali Lane.

Sponsored by Franklin Bird Club. Franklinbirdclub.com or 524.5234.

Smoky Mountain News

• Downtown Waynesville is home to a new gallery and working artists’ studio at 163 South Main Street.

Celebrated contemporary plein air painter, Jo Ridge Kelley, and precious metal jewelry artist, Keri Kelley Hollifield, have combined their talents in one historic and creative space. Both artists will host a “Grand Opening” celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, the same evening as Art After Dark. Light refreshments will be served.

• 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.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

• The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University will host a reception for its exhibit “The Language of Weaving: Contemporary Maya Textiles” from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. Exhibit runs through Nov. 11. Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

• The “Photography of Bayard Wootten” exhibit is on display through Nov. 23 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

wnc calendar

• Arts and Crafts show will be held at The Mill located at Haywood Community College on Saturday, Oct. 8. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. crystalwoodstudio@gmail.com.

es require pre-registration. For more details, www.cullowheemountainarts.org/up-in-the-studio-events or 342.6913.

49

wnc calendar

• A women’s introduction to fly fishing program is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Open to female participants 12 and up. www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah or 877.4423.

• A two-hour stroll through Bradleytown will show participants how the area transformed from a forested haven to a barren wasteland and back again, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 1, 15 and 29. Led by park volunteer Dick Sellers. 497.1905.

• A “Migration Celebration” is scheduled for 8 a.m.noon on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Welch Farm near Andrews. The property is owned and conserved through Mainspring Conservation Trust. Biologists will be capturing, banding and releasing migrating songbirds.

Opportunity to tag migrating monarch butterflies.

• Delayed Harvest Trout Waters open on Oct. 1. Under regulations, no trout can be harvested or possessed from these waters through June 2. Applies to 36 trout waters in 20 WNC counties. Info: www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/Trout/TroutFi shing.aspx.

• An introduction to Tenkara (traditional Japanese fly fishing) will be offered to ages 14-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

• An introduction to Fly Fishing class will be offered to ages 12 and up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

• Bark in the Park is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, at Mark Watson Park in Sylva. K9 Bingo, a performance by Disk Dogs and owners Bob and Donna Bradley. Demonstration by gun dog and more. www.wcdfa.org.

• A Leave No Trace - Trainer class will be offered through Landmark Learning on Oct. 3-4. Introductory class designed for educators, guides, agency employees or other outdoor folks. 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.edu.

• The Tuckaseigee River Chapter No. 373 of Trout Unlimited meets at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at United Community Bank in Sylva. Dinner is $5.

• Franklin Bird Club will have a bird walk along the greenway at 8 a.m. on Oct. 5 in Franklin. Meet at Macon County Public Library parking area. 524.5234 or https://franklinbirdclub.com.

• “On the Water: East Fork French Broad” will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 6 through the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Practice fly-fishing skills under the supervision of experienced instructors. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

Smoky Mountain News

• “On the Water: Little River” will be offered to ages

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 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 6 through the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Practice flyfishing skills under the supervision of experienced instructors. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

• An Advanced Fly Tying program will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-noon on Oct. 7 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

• The USA Canoe and Kayak Slalom Nationals are scheduled for Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Full schedule, registration info: www.noc.com/events/2016-usack-whitewaterslalom-nationals.

• An “Intro to Hunting” workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Open to participants 12 and older. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah<http://www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah.

• A program entitled “Camping in the Old Style” is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.

• The Cherokee KOA Fall Fishing Tournament is from 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, in Cherokee.

Open only to KOA campground guests. www.fishcherokee.com or 497.9187.

• A Hunter Education course will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 11-12 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx or 877.4423.

• “Looking for the ‘Good Ol’ Days,’” a ranger-guided program, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sundays through Oct. 23, at the Mountain Farm Museum at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.

$

92

20’x20’ $

160

• Local farmers can stop by the Cooperative Extension Office on Acquoni Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every fourth Friday to learn about USDA Farm Service Agency programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Info: 488.2684, ext. 2 (Wednesday through Friday) or 524.3175, ext. 2 (Monday through Wednesday).

COMPETITIVE EDGE • The Cherokee Harvest Half Marathon and 5K will be Saturday, Oct. 1, starting at the Acquoni Events Center in Cherokee. $30 for 5K; $50 for half marathon.

Register at www.imathlete.com through Sept. 29.

• The “Hunter’s Mountain Ride” will be at 10 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 1, starting at The Factory in Franklin. A benefit for the Men’s Teen Challenge of the Smokies, the poker run is for trucks, Jeeps, 4x4s and motorcycles. Entry fee is $25 in advance, $30 day of the event.

To register, email bringingit2life@gmail.com.

• The Bethel Half Marathon and 5K will send runners through the rolling farmlands of Bethel on Saturday, Oct. 8. The race is sanctioned by the Asheville Track Club with race times submitted to the ATC Grand Prix Series. $25 for the 5K and $40 for the half-marathon, with prices rising $5 for day-of registration. Register

by Sept. 20 for a guaranteed t-shirt size. www.imathlete.com.

• The Naturalist Trail Race will challenge runners with 25K and 50K distances along the Bartram Trail on Saturday, Oct. 8. Organized by Outdoor 76, the race will begin in downtown Franklin and head to Wallace Branch to climb Wayah Bald. The 25K race involves 7,000 feet of climbing and the 50K route climbs more than 10,500 feet. $65 for the 25K and $80 for the 50K with registration limited to 100 racers total. www.ultrasignup.com.

• The Parker Mathis 5.1K Run/Walk will take off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, from Iotla Baptist Church in Franklin, raising money for the Parker Mathis Memorial Scholarship Fund. $25, with day-of registration available at 9 a.m. www.active.com.

• A ranger-guided Smokemont History Walk is offered at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays through Oct. 25, near Cherokee.

• A “Logging in the Smokies” ranger-guided program

• The Conquer the Mountain Half Marathon will be held

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 50

FARM AND GARDEN • “Putting the Garden to Bed,” a program about the best practices for preparing your garden for the winter months, is from 2-3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, at Waynesville Library. 356.2507.

• The Pumpkin Run 5K will provide a mid-fall run at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, on the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin. Held in conjunction with the same-day PumpkinFest downtown, the run will benefit the Macon/Jackson County Habitat for Humanity. $20 online registration, with day-of registration beginning at 8 a.m. www.active.come.

• “Porch Talk – Salamanders of the Smokies” – a ranger-guided program – is offered at 2 p.m. on Mondays through Oct. 24 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Porch near Cherokee.

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

is offered at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays through Oct. 26 at the Smokemont Nature Trail in the Smokemont Campground.

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Saturday, Nov. 5, from the Tassee Shelter of the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center to fund medical needs at SMPCC clinics and other needs to allow the organization to carry out its mission. $45 or $60 for a two-person team. David Linn, 828.421.7637 or briningit2life@gmail.com.

HIKING CLUBS • A hike from Bradleytown to Campground will be led by rangers at 9 a.m. on Oct. 1, 15 and 29, at the Smokemont Baptist Church. Easy two-hour stroll.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 3.5mile YOGA Adventure hike on Oct. 1 on the Appalachian Trail to Siler Bald. Elevation change is 500 feet. Call leader Chris Federico (772.233.7277), for reservations. Visitors welcome.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 13-mile hike with a 2,300-foot ascent on Oct. 5 at Deep Creek – Sunkota Ridge. For info or to sign up, contact leader Janet Martin at 502.494.9309 or jaykaymartin@msn.com.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate seven-mile hike, with an elevation change of 400 feet, on Oct. 8 along Fishhawk Ridge on the Bartram Trail with spectacular views from White Rock Mtn. For info or reservations, call leaders Irene Brewi (772.263.3478) or Bill Schultze (970.692.3865).

Visitors welcome.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a nine-mile hike with a 3,000-foot ascent at Black Mountain, Buckhorn Gap and Twin Falls on Sunday, Oct. 9. For info or to sign up, contact leaders Michael and Kathy Cornn at 458.1281 or mcornn@aol.com.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 5.3-mile hike with a 960-foot elevation gain on Oct. 9 at Slate Rock Creek-Pilot Cove. For info and to sign up, contact leader Dick Zimmerer at 989.0480, 674.3631 or dd1zz@yahoo.com.

OUTDOOR CLUBS • The Jackson County Poultry Club will hold its regular meeting on the third Thursday of each month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for adults and children and includes a monthly meeting with a program and a support network for those raising birds. For info, call 586.4009 or write heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

• The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments, will be offered through May 15. The program is offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Free for members; daily admission for non-members. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• An RV camping club, the Vagabonds, camps one weekend per month from April through November. All ages welcome. No dues or structured activities. For details, write lilnau@aol.com or call 369.6669.

Puzzles can be found on page 54.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

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

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS 2 ESTATES - 1 LOCATION Lower Building at Haywood Co. Fairgrounds, 758 Crabtree Rd., Waynesville. Oct. 1st 7am - 1pm.

Antiques, Furniture, Tools, Decor and Everything In Between!

Presented by Frog Pond Estate Sales & Downsizing TRUCKLOAD MATTRESS SALE 50-80% Off Retail, ALL NEW & NC MADE, Financing & Delivery Available.

Call or Text 828.552.0955

AUCTION AUCTION, Online Only, Gourmet & Specialized High End Kitchen Equipment, Mebane, NC - Alamance County, Begins Closing September 28th & 29th at 10pm each day, Iron Horse Auction Company, Inc., ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL3936 INDUSTRIAL AUCTION Bid On-Site & Online! Construction Equipment & Trucks 10/4 @ 9 AM, Richmond, VA Have Equipment/ Trucks to Sell? Accepting Consignments through 9/30. www.motleys.como 804.232.3300 x4 3600 Deepwater Terminal Rd. VAAL#16 YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $375 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

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BUILDING MATERIALS

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The Affordable Solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & Save. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for FREE DVD and brochure.

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control.

FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217 BATHTUB REFINISHING Renew or change the color of your bathtub, tile or sink. Fiberglass repair specialists! 5 year warranty.

Locally owned since 1989. CarolinasTubDoctor.com. 888.988.4430.

DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

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CRAZY BOB’S BIKER STUFF Jackets, Chaps, Vests, Helmets, Rain Gear, Saddlebags, Sissy Bar Bags, Tool Bags, Stickers, Patches. We also got you covered with 50 Sizes of Tarps: Heavy Duty Silver, Brown & Green, Blue & Silver, Blue & Camo.

1880 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville 828.926.1177

CARS -

A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR For Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Foundation Education, Prevention, & Support Programs. Fast Free Pickup - 24 Hr Response - Tax Deduction 855.306.7348 SAPA CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!!

Top Dollar! Free Towing From Home, Office or body Shop. All Makes/Models 2000-2016. Same Day Pick-Up Available! Call Now: 1.800.761.9396 SAPA HIGH RISK DRIVER? Had a DUI? Stop paying too much for R-22, FR-44, or similar HighRisk Car Insurance! Call our FREE hotline today & SAVE money!

888.591.1852 STOP PAYING FOR Expensive Auto Repairs! Get discounted warranty coverage from the wholesale source, and don’t pay for expensive covered repairs!

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FINANCIAL

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA LOWEST HOME MORTGAGE Rates & Fast Approvals by Phone!!!! Programs available for Good & Bad Credit. Call 910.401.3153 Today for a Free Consultation.

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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WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT 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

www.smokymountainnews.com

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification.

Approved for military benefits.

Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.724.5403.

EMPLOYMENT FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Senior Financial Aid Technician, Associate Degree Nursing Instructor, Automotive Systems Technology Instructor (10-month contract).

For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer NUCLEAR POWER Paid Training, great salary, benefits, $ for school. Gain valued skills. No exp needed. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419.

DAX - A SUPER SWEET LAB/HOUND MIX BOY ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD. HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE SOMEONE'S BEST FRIEND--GO FOR WALKS, HANG OUT ON THE PORCH, OR WATCH TV TOGETHER. COME MEET HIM IN PERSON AT THE ADOPTION CENTER AND SEE HOW SWEET AND EAGER TO PLEASE HE IS. CHROME - A YOUNG BOY KITTY, NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD YET. HE IS A BEAUTIFUL SILVER TABBY. BEST OF ALL IS HIS PERSONALITY--HE IS A FRIENDLY, CONFIDENT AND SWEET CAT, SURE TO BE A WONDERFUL FELINE FRIEND TO HIS LUCKY ADOPTER.!

EMPLOYMENT

AVAILABLE POSITIONS • ADULT SERVICES Meridian Behavioral Health is currently recruiting for the following positions in Adult Services: • Psychiatric Nurses and Clinicians for ACTT Services (Assertive Community Treatment Team) • Employment Support Professionals for Supported Employment Services • Clinicians and Peer Support Specialists for REC Services (Recovery Education Center) • Peer Support Specialists for PACE (Peers Assisting in Community Engagement) • Peer Support Specialist for Early Recovery Team • Clinician for Integrated Care • Clinician/Team Leader for CST (Community Support Team) • Community Partner Clinician • Clinician for Early Recovery Team (ERT) 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 AVAILABLE POSITIONS • CHILD SERVICES Jackson County Psychological Services is now partnered with Meridian Behavioral Health Services. 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 • Clinicians for DJJ population • 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

EMPLOYMENT CNA’S NEEDED Canton Area. Monday - Friday 8a.m. - 4p.m. and Monday - Fri. 4p.m. - 8p.m. In-Home Care.

Sign-On Bonus. For more info 828.524.6444 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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Get Trained - Get Certified - Get Hired! Bulldozers, Backhoes & Excavators. Immediate Lifetime Job Placement. VA Benefits.

1.866.362.6497 FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Accounting Technician-Accounts Receivable For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IN BRYSON CITY Is currently hiring! We currently have vacancies for Retail Sales, Train Car Host, First Class Server, Line Cook, Parking Attendant, Reservationist, and Special Event Staff.

Earn train passes, retail & food discounts, passes to area attractions and more!

Full Job Descriptions and Applications are Available at: www.gsmr.com/jobs You may also get an application from the Bryson City Depot.

HIGH-TECH CAREER With U.S. Navy. Elite tech training w/great pay, benefits, vacation, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34.

Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419 MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEED Dr's & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experience Needed!

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HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. careertechnical.edu/nc 1.888.512.7122

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Marilynn Obrig

Residential Broker Associate

(828) 550-2810

mobrig@Beverly-Hanks.com 52

www.Beverly-Hanks.com

EMPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE NAVIGATOR PERMANENT PART TIME CLAY & MACON COUTIES Mountain Projects is currently accepting applications for a Health Care Navigator to assist consumers with eligibility & enrollment assistance on the Health Insurance Market Place.

Bachelor’s degree with experience in Human Services, and /or Health Care preferred. Applicants must have reliable transportation, valid NC driver’s license. Must be willing to work flexible hours. Out of area travel may be required. Must pass 20 hours on-line certification training. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc., 2251 Old Balsam Road. Waynesville, NC 28786, 25 Schulman St. Sylva, NC 28779, or you may download an application on line at: www.mountainprojects.org Pre-employment drug testing required. EOE/AA. HEALTH CARE NAVIGATOR TEMPORARY PART TIME HAYWOOD & JACKSON COUNTIES (1) Haywood County (1) Jackson County. Mountain Projects is currently accepting applications for two (2) Temporary Part Time positions to assist consumers with eligibility & enrollment assistance on the Health Insurance Market Place. Bachelor’s degree with experience in Human Services, and /or Health Care preferred. Applicants must have reliable transportation, valid NC driver’s license. Must be willing to work flexible hours. Out of area travel may be required. Must pass 20 hours on-line certification training. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc., 2251 Old Balsam Road. Waynesville, NC 28786, 25 Schulman St. Sylva, NC 28779, or you may download an application on line at: www.mountainprojects.org Pre-employment drug testing required. EOE/AA.

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

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

LAWN AND GARDEN BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321 SAWMILLS From only $4397.00- Make & Save Money with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com.

1.800.578.1363 Ext.300N

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

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

NEAR TRYON, NC EQUESTRIAN Center, 7.84 acres of pasture, creek frontage, partially fenced $59,900. Also Mtn View acreage w/paved access starting at $24,900. 828.286.1666

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

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• • • •

Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group • George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com

EXP Realty • Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

Haywood Properties - haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox - info@haywoodproperties.com Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Sam Hopkins - samhopkins.kwrealty.com

Catherine Proben Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809 cproben@beverly-hanks.com

74 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC

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Find the home you are looking for at www.robrolandrealty.com

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com • Mieko Thomson - ncsmokies.com • The Morris Team - maggievalleyproperty.com

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Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

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WNC MarketPlace

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• The Real Team - the-real-team.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

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TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 53

www.smokymountainnews.com

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

Super

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CROSSWORD

CREATING A MAIL SLOT

Obamas 130 Uses needle and 58 Kind of lettuce 70 Comment when a surthread 59 De-intensify ACROSS face only allows for a glossy 131 Gym class, briefly 60 “Eh” marks 1 Mails a dupe to finish?

132 Some hosp. cases 62 Little birdie 4 Peak in the Cascades 75 — Friday’s restaurant 63 Big bang producer 10 1975 shark thriller 76 Dot in la Seine DOWN 67 Prefix with valent 14 Lost intensity 77 Off-limits acts 1 Bread seed 70 Contaminate 19 “You — here” 78 Wad of gum, e.g.

2 With 47-Down, snow 71 Furthermore 20 — -Davidson 79 Carrie’s “Star Wars” role cone’s base 72 Cell stuff 21 Saab of fashion 80 Prefix with soul 3 Promgoers 73 Energy 22 Stare angrily 81 Beer head 4 “— La La” (1964 hit) 74 Boozer 23 What planes are in 82 Fashionably stylish 5 Writer of 104 symphonies 79 Many oz. when they’re taking off and grain husk?

6 The long — the law 82 Slay landing?

87 Big boo-boo 7 Replay view, briefly 83 Rodeo miss 25 “Heck!”

89 Tactics 8 Actor Lange 84 MS-to-MI dir.

26 MetLife rival 91 Writer Nin 9 Mate’s “yes” 85 Lac liquid 27 Nepal locale 92 Spiced tea brewed in a 10 Sci-fi knight 86 Grow mature 28 — Perignon business workplace?

11 “Sadly ...”

88 Investigation discover29 Climb a rope right after 95 Multi-vehicle crash 12 Telegrams ies waking up?

97 Church bench 13 Hill bigwig 90 Philosopher — -tzu 31 “Which of you is good at 100 Fed. crash-probing 14 “Holy moly!”

93 Morales of film copying signatures?” agcy.

15 Sneeze response 94 Scott Pelley’s milieu 35 Poker pro Ungar 101 Tear-eliciting vegetable 16 Take a soak 96 Shiba — (dog breed) 36 Beholds 103 “Nowhere Road” singer 17 Bert’s pal 97 Preceding 37 Houston hockey team Steve 18 University bigwigs 98 Bow-making material until 2013 105 Nailed 24 1993 Texas standoff site 99 Software running in 38 Ancient Aegean land 108 Happy — lark 29 Toon pal of Stimpy browsers 41 So-so 110 Ensnared by a tree 30 Zap, in a way 102 Tenet 43 Furlong divs. branch?

32 Black — (very dark) 104 Keep — on (don’t 44 Spectral hue 114 Bit of gear used by a 33 Oil field sight reveal) 48 Big tree branch used to videography student?

34 Boo-boos 105 Turn to try for a homer decorate a shop?

118 Simple tune 39 Nile goddess 106 Small oil container 53 Big computer of the 119 Ames’ state 40 P.R.’s ocean 107 Have home cooking 1940s 120 John Belushi catch42 Wear down 109 Side (with) 54 Frustrates phrase 45 Small peeve 111 Actress Rigby 56 Delhi coin 121 Flubs it up 46 Lah-di- — 112 Eagles’ kin 57 Tame some mean dogs? 122 Apt phrase spelled by 47 See 2-Down 113 Actress Rich 61 “— girl!” the deleted ends of this 49 Honshu port 115 Zilch 64 Uno + uno puzzle’s theme answers 50 Software reviser, e.g.

116 Work group 65 Anniversary unit 125 “It’s — of the times” 51 Peach State 117 Pleads, e.g.

66 AQI monitor 126 Seven days 52 Wiesbaden native, e.g.

122 Track unit 67 Four of — 127 Parthenon goddess 53 Vase handle 123 Verb suffix in the Bible 68 Skill, to Cato 128 Trump 55 Like some citrus tastes 124 “Gnarly!”

69 Law degs. held by the 129 Antsy 57 “Goodness me!”

answers on page 50

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 50

Shinning Rock Wilderness Area. creative commons photo

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Big and wild Big and wild can’t be big and wild if your mind and heart are small.

A “real” public meeting — as in announced and on the docket — took place in Asheville on Sept. 20 as Buncombe County Commissioners listened to pros and cons regarding the proposed Craggies Wilderness Area and Big Ivy. The result was a resounding success for the local “Friends of Big Ivy” group and a diverse assemblage of environmental groups and local citizens who love “their” wilderness.

It was a kind of about-face from other county commissioners’ meetings across Western North Carolina regarding wilderness areas and the new Nantahala and Pisgah forests plan revisions. One wonders what the difference could be.

The first thing that pops into mind is that there are undoubtedly more Prius-driving, bike-riding, citified folks in Buncombe County who would rather pet a deer than shoot it. But if you look at the membership roster of Friends of Big Ivy and look at the “bios” of those who spoke at the Buncombe County Commissioners meeting, you might see a different cross-section.

Several counties across Western North Carolina, through their elected commissioners, have passed resolutions decrying “wilderness” designations. I wasn’t present at all those commissioners’ meetings but I did make one and from what I can tell it followed closely the modus operandi of the others — no public hearing announced — a motion placed and then a vote at the same meeting.

The one I attended was in Haywood County on Feb. 2. Without a single person to speak fer or agin, that august body unanimously approved a “non-binding” resolution that opposed all of the Pisgah National Forest Land Management Plan Revision — nothing like covering all your bases.

Surprisingly, when people are notified beforehand and public hearings are called and both sides are guaranteed a platform, outcomes are often different. There is nothing wrong with people having different opinions, but it is important when actions called for will impact all users that all users have the opportunity to voice their opinions.

Wilderness is one of those amorphous terms that give people pause when it comes to forming opinions. What is a wilderness?

What does it mean? Can I go there?

Well, to start with, of course you can.

Most activities that don’t require a vehicle like hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, horseback riding, birding, photography and more are allowed. And wilderness regulations can be waived for a multitude of reasons: to fight wildfire; search and rescue; insect control; restocking of threatened fauna; livestock grazing and the use of motorized vehicles to support such activities plus many uses that were “grandfathered” in, in certain areas before they became wilderness.

So there’s no lock it up and throw away the key. That paradigm should be filed in 13

along with the made-up concept that environmentalists and/or wilderness aficionados view wilderness as some kind of transcendental nirvana, untrammeled by humans, which should remain free of all human contamination.

Most wilderness enthusiasts I know want to be there — want to recreate there, maybe in a more intimate setting than 4X4s and RVs — but they want wilderness around, not only so they can enjoy it but so their children and their children’s children can enjoy it.

Wilderness is real. Wilderness is to be touched; to be breathed in; to be reveled in.

It is not some kind of esoteric, unattainable ideal. To understand wilderness is to understand what Thomas Berry meant when he said, “The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.” Wilderness enhances that communion.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist.

He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016 Smoky Mountain News

Smoky Mountain Indian Motorcycle 82 Locust Dr, Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 452-7276 - WWW.SMSH.CO

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Smoky Mountain News Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2016