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October 7-13, 2015 Vol. 17 Iss. 19

Recycling company coming to Haywood County Page 31 Local acts receive bluegrass awards Page 36

CONTENTS On the Cover: Women climbing the corporate ladder or owning their own businesses is nothing new, and in fact North Carolina is among the nation’s leaders in this area. Still, those we interviewed for a series of stories on women in business say they sometimes face unique challenges as they move toward an era where the playing field is more level than ever before. Garret K. Woodward photo ■ Women of Waynesville make their mark ..............................................................4 ■ Michele Rogers: Self-made, self-reliant and self-driven....................................6 ■ Slusser’s spends career in a male-dominated industry....................................9 ■ Macon Furniture Mart marches on ......................................................................16 ■ Serving up Southern cuisine and camaraderie ................................................18

News Jackson passes climate change resolution ............................................................21 Haywood chairman won’t seek re-election ............................................................22 Waynesville candidates go on the record ..............................................................24 Tribal Council pay raise issue will go to court ......................................................26 New task force to address elk issues ....................................................................28 Recycling company opening in Haywood ..............................................................31

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

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789

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America’s ‘culture of me’ has got to change ..........................................................32

A&E Local acts win big at IBMAs ......................................................................................36

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

October 7-13, 2015

Smokies unveils new energy-efficient equipment ................................................48

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015 Connecting a community Women of Waynesville make their mark

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER urning onto North Hill Street in downtown Waynesville, you’re immediately greeted by overhanging maples sporting the latest in fall colors.

Pulling into the Twin Maples Farmhouse, the picturesque property is silent, peaceful, as if pulled from some sort of Norman Rockwell painting.

And just as you take a seat on the tranquil porch an array of vehicles slide into nearby parking spaces.

Numerous people soon appear, many holding plates of food, perhaps a bottle or two of wine. Before you can even get up to welcome these newcomers, they get to you first, offering a hearty handshake with a confidence and style akin to only one organization in Haywood County — the Women of Waynesville.

“This is truly a congregation of women,” said Nikki White, president of WOW. “Once you get to know these women, you’ll discover all these different parallels and depths — everything that makes them who they are.”

Started as a simple idea in 2011 between White and co-founder Michelle Briggs (who also runs Twin Maples), the nonprofit has taken on a life of its own.

With roughly 50 members (30 to 35 who consistently attend their first Thursday of the month meeting), WOW brings together female business owners, entrepreneurs and community activists. It is the crossroads of empowerment and change, where actions speak louder than words, and these women can be heard from mountaintops far and wide.

“The women in this group are feisty and scrappy, they’re go-getters,” said Kristen Delliveniri, a WOW member and co-owner of Phil+Kristen Photography.

“They don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, they make things happen. They believe in value and purpose — it’s hard to be around women like this and not feel empowered to take over the world.”

In a club where the age range is 22 to 74, Delliveniri is one of the youngest. At 32, she joined WOW a year ago as a way to not only network and get her name out there, but to also truly connect with other women in business and around the community on deeper, more meaningful levels.

“I like being able to talk to women I respect within

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A recent meeting of the Women of Waynesville (WOW) at the Twin Maples Farmhouse in Waynesville. The nonprofit organization raises monies for women and children charities around greater Haywood County, with over $30,000 being collected and donated in the last three years.

Garret K. Woodward photo

Want to go?

The Power of Pink fundraiser will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Haywood Regional Medical Center Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

In an effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, the Pink Relay will kickoff at 9 a.m., with the 5K at 10:30 a.m., one-mile honor/memory/survivor walk thereafter. Proceeds go to breast cancer detection and providing mammograms for underserved women in Haywood County. Help WOW and the Haywood Healthcare Foundation eradicate breast cancer by celebrating and remembering those individuals who have battled this disease by supporting and participating in this event held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since 2007, 742 women in Haywood County have received these life-saving cancer screenings.

To register for the races or to donate to the cause, call 828.452.8343 or click on www.haywoodhealthcarefoundation.org. To learn more about Women of Waynesville, go to www.womenofwaynesville.com.

the community, who have their own busi“A lot of members ness, who are movers and shakers, who are here are either a few steps ahead of new to town or me,” she said. “I can ask them what those moved here from next steps are like, what to expect in somewhere else a those next phases of while ago. WOW life and your career — it inspires me.” brings them into At the WOW our community meeting on Oct. 1, numerous conversaand makes them tions swirl in the air.

To the left, a handful want to work for of members are disthe community.” cussing the upcoming elections and their — Michelle Briggs, thoughts on the Twin Maples Farmhouse issues. To the right, a few are showing pictures of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, sons and daughters. You soon pick up the notion that WOW is more than just an ensemble of women, it’s a social club, support group and all-around positive influence on all who decide to swing by Twin Maples and see what all the fuss is about.

“To me, it’s incredible to see what we’re created, it’s

“For the last few years, we were trying to drive this vehicle that is WOW, but now we were driving it with 66 people onboard,” White said. “And we couldn’t continue to do that, so we decided to get to know each other better, to find out what this army of ours is truly made of before we pushed ahead any further.”

As they call their meeting to order, White takes center stage. Soon, a freeflowing forum emerges, where hands are raised if they have a piece of news to note or perhaps a suggestion for the group to pursue. Some ask for prayers with recent health concerns, others throw an idea out for a future fundraiser. It’s a dialogue that is as open and honest as the voices that offer up whatever it is that’s on their minds.

“We’ve all become friends. We’re not just a group of touch-and-go women,” Briggs said. “A lot of members here are

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almost like a monster of women who want to do good for Haywood County,” Briggs said. “When you look out there, every single one of those women wants to be part of this because we do immense things for the county.”

And “immense” is the key word. In the last few years, WOW has raised over $30,000 for various charities around greater Haywood County. With a keen focus on women and children oriented charities, they’ve given to the Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (KARE), Resources Education Assistance Counseling Housing (REACH), and Big Brothers, Big Sisters, among others. In their most recent fundraiser, they presented a check for $10,000 to the local chapter of Meals on Wheels. They’ve also been the chair of the Power of Pink for the last three years, a breast cancer awareness event and fundraiser in part-

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The Women of Waynesville board of directors are (from left) Laura Wehking, Michelle Briggs, Nikki White, Katie Higgs and Linda Chovan. Garret K. Woodward photo nership with the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, which will once again take place on Oct. 24 at the Haywood Regional Medical Center & Fitness Center in Clyde.

“It’s really important for WOW to not only provide a place for women to come and do something powerful within their community, but also be an impact in helping those in need,” Kristen Delliveniri Delliveniri said.

And yet, within the last year, WOW had to dial it back, but just a tad. With a somewhat rolling membership, the group swelled from 23 members this past winter to over 60. In an effort to keep balance amid ever-expanding numbers and priorities, they began focusing more on developing friendships within the organization and fleshing out key objectives in moving forward.

either new to town or moved here from somewhere else a while ago. WOW brings them into our community and makes them want to work for the community — they get to truly feel part of Haywood County.”

“There’s a platform established here by people that either found this place or were already here and knew how incredibly unique Haywood County is,” White added. “And now we have this physical platform where there isn’t a glass ceiling over women, where we’re in this place where you can come, create, and you’ll be supported by the community.”

When asked if what WOW has become is what White had initially envisioned, she pauses for moment, with a sly grin soon rolling across her face.

“If you plant a seed, and if you’re a believer in manifestation, this kind of thing organically happens,” she said.

“You don’t need to dissect it, you ride the wave — this is exactly why the women that are here have continued to be pillars within the community.”

She has been in business 25 years and gives due credit to her husband “Thanks to my husband, who does all of my administrative work, I have been able to work on sales and service over the years.”

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“I love being in sales, I meet new people everyday and enjoy helping promote their business.”

She encourages women entrepreneurs to take advantage of online opportunities, pointing out “I am able to retain much of my Florida business thanks to modern technology.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Self-made, self-reliant and self-driven Michele Rogers turns whatever life deals her into a winning hand

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ichele Rogers had no job, no college degree, no husband and no place of her own when she pulled up stakes in her hometown of Norfolk, Va., and headed for Haywood County in the winter of 1996.

“I rolled into town with a car, a little bit of furniture and two little kids,” Rogers recalled. “I literally had to start from the ground up.”

But Rogers was full of grit and optimism, a winning combination for a self-made businesswoman.

In a 15-year span, Rogers climbed the ladder in the business world from a desk clerk at Maggie Valley Country Club to the owner of a prominent rental home company, Select Homes.

Rogers had an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time — and winning over the right people — in her career journey.

Like most business success stories, Rogers still remembers the turning point that catapulted her from sales foot soldier to small business owner. She was a Realtor at the time and was shooting the breeze in her boss’ office — griping about the souring real estate market as she recalls — when an unexpected call came through.

It was Bruce Totty, the owner of Select Homes. She was short-staffed and wanted someone to pinch-hit as a temp worker.

“She said ‘Do you know anyone smarter than the average bear who can come in here and help me for a few weeks?’” Rogers recalled.

Ron Breese, the owner of ReMax Mountain Realty, swiveled to Rogers and asked her if she wanted to pick up some extra work.

Rogers had been a Realtor for less than three years and was knocking it out of the park.

“I did very well. I was a very hard worker for one,” Rogers said. “I have always been an over-achiever.”

But by 2008, the market had slowed dramatically.

“I love to work. I didn’t like sitting in my cubicle. I thought, ‘It will give me something to do instead of sitting here and the phone not ringing for eight hours.’ I thought I was going to do it two or three weeks.”

Rogers would ultimately come to own the business.

“I have truly loved every job I had, and that’s the truth. But I have never loved a job like I love property management,” Rogers said. “I knew after I was here two months this was my niche.”

Still, Rogers was torn over returning to real estate and

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Michele Rogers’ office pays homage to pay homage to her love of old LPs, autographed guitars and concert memorabilia. “It is a great ice breaker when meeting new clients,” she says.

Becky Johnson photo

staying in the rental management business. But Totty kept asking her to stay.

“Bruce and I hit it off,” Rogers said.

Of course, that’s true of just about anyone Rogers ever meets.

Rogers’ outgoing and open personality has been one of her greatest strengths in her business endeavors. She has the rare ability to find a personal connection with everyone she encounters. From the second she meets you, she’s an open book, and that translated to her sales approach.

“Whether it was on the phone or in person, I always tried to find a way to connect with that person,” Rogers said. “I make it more about a conversation.”

That knack for building relationships in a heartbeat made her a perfect fit for the world of property management.

“I love it. I love the interaction with the owners and the tenants, I love finding people somewhere to live,” Rogers said.

Totty began turning more and more of the business operations over to Rogers, until Rogers was essentially running Select Homes.

“I just came out and said ‘Are you interested in selling?’” Rogers said.

Rogers has steadily grown the business since becom-

ing the owner in 2010, more than doubling the number of rental properties that Select Homes manages.

“Two hundred and sixty-five, as of today,” Rogers said.

The growth of Select Homes can’t be chalked up solely to Rogers’ charisma, but is the result of tireless networking in the business and real estate community.

And while her upward career trajectory might look like luck, it was anything but.

Whether it was taking night classes for her real estate license or studying landlord-tenant law when the rest of her family was asleep, Rogers worked tirelessly to position herself in the path of opportunity.

Perhaps most importantly, when doors opened for her, she had to be brave enough to go for it. It’s certainly been a motto in her life, going back to that early decision to strike out on her own as a 25-year-old single mom to start the next chapter of her life following a divorce.

“I can remember making the decision. I remember thinking the big city is not for me. I love the mountains and thought ‘I will give it two years,’” said Rogers.

Rogers inherited her independent streak from her mother, who taught her the virtues of tenacity and selfreliance as a child. Her father was diagnosed with lifealtering cancer when she was a child, and it was up to her mom to make a living to support the family.

“I know this is cliché, but I attribute a lot of my suc-

Carla Youse has been shopping at consignment stores as long as she can remember. Just recently, she became the new owner of Pocketsaver.

Carla offers much of the credit for her strong desire to repurpose and reuse to her Mother. “As a divorced single mom she taught me how to repurpose items someone else no longer wanted. She was very creative and her fashion sense was ahead of it’s time.”

As a result Carla has developed an eclectic style; “It’s fun to have a store that represents my style. My family and friends say that I’m in my element, and I’m excited to come to work everyday.”

1507 South Main St, Waynesville

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

handle it,” Rogers said.

She knew she had to temper her own drive, but didn’t quite know how.

Rogers’ salvation came from her husband, who quit his job and came to work with her at Select Homes. She had two employees but needed a managementlevel broker.

“You grow to a certain point and know you need someone else. It was a huge leap of faith because we were giving up his salary,” said Rogers.

They’d been married for nearly 10 years but had known each other much longer. They’d met when Rogers worked at Maggie County Club, where Rick was in accounting.

Rick’s as easygoing as Rogers is outgoing. He’s not only Rogers’ business partner and husband, but her best friend.

Rogers is a die-hard Steelers fan and country music nut, and quickly converted Rick. And Rogers took up deer hunting — they are in a hunting club together — and staying at a camper at the lake on weekends. She even listens to his ‘90s music.

“We go to listing appointments together. We ride to work together every day. We are one of those lucky couples that truly get along that well,” Rogers said.

“Whether it was on the Most of the time, that is.

“We have a joke that I fire phone or in person, I always him occasionally,” Rogers said. tried to find a way to connect Even with Rick on board, it was hard for Rogers to let go of with that person. I make it the wheel.

“I am very type A and felt more about a conversation.” like I had to have my hand in — Michele Rogers, Select Homes everything. It really was an epiphany. I thought, ‘What am I doing? I have the best possible team I Mountain Realty. could have. I have got to let it go,’” Once again, Rogers made the right Rogers said. connections, teaming up as partners The business was growing and needwith another agent, Scotty Schulhofer, ed more space anyway. So Rogers who had vast connections as a local.

The two shared all their listings, mar- expanded the office — located one block off Main in downtown Waynesville — keting costs and commissions — based and set up her own work space in an on a “handshake deal” that gave Rogers adjacent office suite with a shared lobby. forays into the real estate world it would “I can’t hear what is going on over have taken years to build up otherwise.

“Scotty knew everybody and I did the there and I can’t stick my nose in it. I am able to focus on my job,” Rogers said. work. That was our joke,” Rogers said.

It also gave her a chance to redecoRogers’ enthusiasm that got her rate. Rick moved into her old office — where she is today isn’t something you which was decked out in Steelers colors can simply turn off, and that proved one and paraphernalia — giving Rogers a of her biggest challenges as a business new office canvas to work with. owner.

She decided to pay homage to her When Rogers bought Select Homes, love of old LPs, autographed guitars and she was working until midnight, and concert memorabilia, including framing back again by 7 the next morning. Her and displaying dozens of records from sons were grown by then, and her days her collection. as a self-described baseball mom were “It is a great ice breaker when meetover, freeing her up to throw herself ing new clients,” Rogers said. headlong into her work.

Not that Rogers needs any help in “I had zero life. I was so afraid something was going to go wrong. I was a new that department.

“I have never met a stranger,” she business owner and felt like I needed to know everything going on and needed to said. cess to my mother. I grew up in an era when the majority of my friends had a stay-at-home mom,” Rogers said. “It wasn’t that she was a feminist, she was just like you never know what is going to happen in your life.”

Like Rogers, her mother started at the bottom and quickly came up through the ranks.

“My mother was a go-getter. She started as a secretary and kept getting promoted,” Rogers said.

Rogers’ story is similar. After arriving in Haywood County, she landed a job at the front desk at Maggie Valley Country Club but didn’t stay at the post long — only three months — before being promoted to sales and marketing manager.

Her boss hand-picked her as the perfect fit to sell the country club as a resort destination to golf groups, a job that included traveling to golf trade shows all over the country.

“Because I am so outgoing,” Rogers said. “She saw that sales quality in me and she took me under her wing.”

She later migrated to a similar group sales position at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, before making another leap into real estate, landing an agent position with ReMax

Consignmentwnc.com

Cassidy Morgan Lance has been in the tattoo business for nine years.

Working with her husband revealed a need and interest in permanent makeup in the area and the change fell directly in line with her cosmetology career. Many of her makeup clients suffer from failing eye site, allergies or alopecia and Cassidy loves the instant change it offers them.

She says her favorite part of the job is “making that difference, giving something to someone that they have never had before, something that makes them feel normal.” Cassidy Morgan Lance is also a hairdresser at Blue Moon Salon.

292 N. Haywood St. • Waynesville (828) 452-2133 ForbiddenColorTattoo.com

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

M

organ Fisher, Co-owner of Apple Creek Café began work remodeling the café in February and opened the doors at the beginning of April of this year.

Fisher has always been interested in going into business for herself, taking courses in college to head in that direction but after college she says, “I chickened out.”

When the opportunity to take over at Apple Creek Café came up, Fisher said “I knew it was time to take the chance.

Everything happens for a reason.”

She talks about the restaurant business fondly, “I was a hostess at The Sweet Onion in college and I loved the atmosphere, I think maybe that’s why I started heading in that direction in college.”

We talked about challenges women face in the workplace and Fisher told us “The main challenge I have had is for people to take me seriously. I’m a woman and I’m only 25.

Once people saw that I was making an effort and working hard it changed their minds. I have definitely had to stand up for myself and put my foot down but it’s worth it.”

Fisher feels strongly that women need to support each other “It’s important for women in business to never back down. Don’t let anyone run over you just because they think they are better than you.”

“Unfortunately, I have had a few jobs where the women were worse than the men. I believe as women we should stick together and prove that we are just as knowledgeable and capable as the men we work with.”

Managing Apple Creek Café “has become a breeze since we got all the right people in place.”

“I have a wonderful general manager and front of the house manager that make my job very easy. They consult with me for the final say so with major decisions but have really taken ownership in their jobs and I trust them to do the right thing without me micromanaging. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Locals Love Apple Creek Café!

Beginning Saturday & Sunday October 17 & 18 Apple Creek Cafe Will Open on the Weekends!

TRADITIONAL LUNCH MENU Monday–Friday 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

FAMILY STYLE DINNER Monday–Saturday 4:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

FAMILY STYLE LUNCH Sunday Only 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

32 Felmet Street off N. Main St. Waynesville TO GO ORDERS: 828-456-9888

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www.AppleCreekCafe.com

Slusser’s spent her career in a maledominated industry

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ost people don’t kick off their retirement by becoming president of a company, but Nicki Slusser is not most people.

In an era when women rarely ventured into engineering fields, Slusser — now at the helm of Jackson Paper Manufacturing as president and chief operating officer — finished a degree in mechanical engineering and, after graduating in 1979, went to work for the male-dominated paper industry. At the time, she was the only woman there who wasn’t in an office job.

For some, walking into a company full of men as the only woman in the room would have been intimidating. But not to Slusser.

“Not really,” said Slusser, shrugging her shoulders when posed the question. “I didn’t have any doubts that I could do it. I had something to prove, I think, when I first started, but that took about a month to prove to everybody.”

It was the guys she worked with who had the questions — “can she do this, can she do that, can she get dirty, can she last all those long hours, all those things that you get tested with,” Slusser recalled — so she just had to show them the answer was “yes.”

“I’m sure there’s all these glass ceilings and that kind of stuff out there, and did I run up hard against any of those? I can’t say that I did,” Slusser said. “I’m sure there was some prejudice out there, but I never felt like it really got in the way of my career.”

In some respects, she said, her gender may have helped. She entered the workforce around the time that industry was recognizing the dearth of women in the workplace. Some companies were actively recruiting women to take on leadership roles. At the very least, being a woman made you a minority, so whatever you did — good or bad — people noticed.

That’s not to say that discourse at the paper mill was always polite or delicate, but that’s the nature of the business.

“Did you have to be kind of thick-skinned, especially working around a lot of men and construction workers? Of course you did,” she said. “You had to dish it out just like you had to take it, but I don’t know that’s all that different than anything else. I feel pretty fortunate in that I was in an industry that was willing to accept women into it and was willing to look for opportunities to give you a chance.”

Slusser quickly moved from engineering to operations, rising through the ranks to work for International Paper, Champion and Mead in a variety of management roles, including managing the International Paper Mill in Cantonment, Florida. She became the first woman to

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serve as president of the Paper Industry Management Association, and she also joined the board of directors for the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry.

In many ways, her career mirrored that of her father Jim Stewart, who was also in the paper business. Like Slusser, her dad started out as an engineer and moved up in the operations side of things, eventually managing multiple paper mills in the course of his career. Slusser’s childhood was defined by the paper business, with the family moving from paper mill town to paper mill town as she grew up.

“He was a huge mentor for me,” she said of her father.

As a college student, Slusser found herself a shoe-in for co-ops and internships at paper mills. She wasn’t really planning on following in her father’s footsteps to make

Did you have to be kind of thickskinned, especially working around a lot of men and construction workers? Of course you did. You had to dish it out just like you had to take it, but I don’t know that’s all that different than anything else.

— Nicki Slusser, president, Jackson Paper Manufacturing

it a career. It just kind of happened.

“I liked the people, liked what was going on, liked the excitement,” she said. “So when I got out of school I was like, ‘This is a pretty good industry and I actually know something about it.’”

But success didn’t come for free.

“It required a lot of time. A lot of weekends, nights and part of that’s because it’s a 24/7 operation, so when there’s problems going on or issues, you can’t say, ‘Oh, I was planning on playing golf today,’” she said. “You drop what you’re doing and address whatever the issues are.”

Slusser’s career eventually took her to Memphis, where she held high-level positions in the corporate offices of International Paper. She was there for eight years, but as she entered her late 50s, she started to get burned out. The job involved a lot of bureaucracy, a lot of traveling, a lot of stress. Her husband was having health problems, and she wanted to be there for him.

She decided to retire. The Slussers had purchased a house near Lake Logan in Haywood County, intending to spend at least part of the year there during her retirement.

She’d barely announced her decision when the phone rang. It was Tim Campbell, CEO and majority stockholder of Jackson Paper, wanting to know if Slusser might want to hang in the business for a little longer.

Campbell was a longtime family friend and had started the business in 1955 with Jeff Murphy, who became Slusser’s brother-in-law. Around the time Slusser moved to Western North Carolina, Murphy sold his shares and headed for Florida.

“It started out as doing some consulting work,” Slusser said of her talks with Campbell. “I wasn’t going to be working all the time.”

The job soon became more than that, with Slusser taking over operations responsibilities in January 2013. She and Cambell worked it out so she could do the job while still enjoying the vacations she’d planned for her retirement — though, as is necessary with a 24/7 business, she’s always reachable by phone.

Slusser’s grateful for the opportunity. It was high time to step back from the hectic pace of corporate America, but quitting the business cold turkey wasn’t quite what she wanted.

“When this came along, it was just a perfect fit for me wanting to retire but still keep my fingers in the business,” she said.

The comparatively small, family-owned paper company is a more flexible, less bureaucratic place to work. She can bring her dog to work. It’s a good fit.

And it’s still a paper job. Because, for all the challenges and unexpected crises it brings, Slusser loves the paper business — its ever-changing dynamics, the good people it attracts, the security it provides to families and towns — and she wants to be a part of that world for a good while longer.

“I didn’t really necessarily want to retire 100 percent,” she said. “I don’t know what I’d do with my time. I don’t think I could play golf five days a week.”

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

A passion for paper

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Kim’s Pharmacy was established in February 2008 WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

by Kim Ferguson, a graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy.

After completing her degree in 1990, Kim returned to her hometown to serve her community as a pharmacist. She is a lifelong resident of Waynesville and has deep roots in the community. Kim is also actively involved with Altrusa of Waynesville, DSS Christmas and Foster Child Program, and Relay for life.

Kim’s Pharmacy is proud to have been selected favorite pharmacy by the readers of The Mountaineer 6 years running and is grateful to the residents of Haywood County for patronizing an independent pharmacy in this age of big box chain stores. Kim’s Pharmacy is honored to have been selected 2013 Business of the Year by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce.

As the only compounding pharmacy west of Asheville, the pharmacy’s patients range from newborns to geriatrics and everything in between. It does a lot of compounding for vets in the area, and the animal patients range from cats, to dogs, to horses and squirrel.

“We take care of the whole family,” said Kim. 366 RUSS AVE. (BiLo Shopping Center) | WAYNESVILLE

828.452.0911 Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/kimscompounds

Since 1981 Dr. Coy Brown and his staff have been a close-working team of professionals dedicated to providing high quality personalized eye care for the whole family.

We value our patient relationships and strive to improve your quality of life and vision wellness through uncompromised service and state-of-the-art technology.

When you visit our office, our goal is

that you will leave completely satisfied and confident with our doctor, staff and services!

Voted Best Optometrist Haywood County year after year, nothing is more important to us than your vision.

From Hwy. 19/23 take Exit 104 towards Lake Junaluska; continue 1/2 mile to Haywood Medical Park on the left. NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

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828.456.3211

www.smokymtneye.com

MEDITERRANEAN

ITALIAN CUISINE

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

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asquale’s MediterraneanItalian Restaurant has been in business since 2001.

Deb Hermida and her husband Jose have been in the restaurant business for years and it was always a dream of Jose’s to have his own place. While Jose takes the lead in the kitchen cooking up scrumptious meals, Deb takes pleasure in running the dinning room.

Over the years she has enjoyed getting to know her regulars. She speaks of families coming in over the years and watching children grow up with a fondness that shows how much passion she has for her job.

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When asked what advice she would give to women just starting out in business she said, “Make sure you find the balance between personal and professional early on and pay attention. It’s the details that count.”

1863 SOUTH MAIN STREET • WAYNESVILLE, NC 828.454.5002

“Don’t be afraid to take on the risk and challenge of owning your own business.”

Eileen Corbin has been working as a Certified Fitness Trainer for almost 2 years.

After fracturing both of her wrists Eileen was diagnosed with osteoporosis “That was when I realized how important a consistent body weight exercise program would be to change my physical well being.”

Eileen began working out with a trainer and “After 6 years of working with a personal trainer, my bone density tests improved and I wanted to become involved in helping others.” During that time she discovered the TRX system she trains on now; a suspension system that leverages your own body weight.

“I love helping folks work through their challenges and find a good path towards healthier and more functional lives.” — EILEEN CORBIN Schedule your appointment with Eileen, CFT

828-421-8566 fitnesstrainingblast.com

313-21

THE FITNESS

athy Sheppard, president of Sheppard Insurance has worked in the insurance industry since 1982 after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill. She bought the agency in 1992.

“Every account presents unique challenges. I enjoy the analysis and creativity that goes into putting together the appropriate insurance protection for my clients. I also am blessed to have the most wonderful customers who have been with us a long time,” Sheppard said.

Sara Sheppard Pacifici, vice president of Sheppard Insurance, began working for the agency in 2009. Speaking on what drew her to the business Sara said: “I have always had a passion for helping people and that is just what this business does. We help people make the right decisions for their families or their business, and if something happens, we help them through very difficult times in their lives. It is a very rewarding career.”

Kathy says she is so proud to be part of a business owned and operated by women.

“Don’t even think about your gender in deciding on your career,” she said. “Women can accomplish anything. Also don’t be afraid to take on the risk and challenge of owning your own business.”

CONNECTION

WAYNESVILLE

6792 CAROLINA BLVD., CLYDE • (828) 627-2826 4 WALL ST., DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE • (828) 226-2715

www.sheppardinsurancegroup.com

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

the roost!

The Rooster may crow, but these Chicks rule

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

— Real Local People, Real Local Food — Mary Catherine Earnest, a Haywood County native, has been proudly serving her guests for five years at the Blue Rooster Southern Grill. Mary is a graduate of A-B Tech's culinary program and Montreat College where she earned her bachelor's degree in Business Management. Mary has worked in the food service industry for more than twenty years.

"We want to THANK the many wonderful and talented women who have helped us over the years at the Rooster. These team members are also moms, grandmothers, artists, students, community volunteers, foster parents, church youth leaders, award winning scholars, and competitive athletes. We are truly proud to know and work with each one of the ladies, who each- in their own way make the Blue Rooster so special."

- Mary Earnest and Steve Redmond

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, North Carolina

|

828-456-1997

|

blueroostersoutherngrill.com | Monday-Friday Open at 11am

We Carry Antiques, Furniture, Gifts, Jewerly & Lots More

Tammy Fuller Owner for 2 years

T he fun place to shop!

Sassy Frass is over 12,000 sq ft & offers 3 shops in one ...it's truly a unique experience 12

Enjoys finding & decorating unique items.

“What I love most about my job is the people! I love my employees, vendors, consigners, & customers - we are like one big family at Sassy Frass!“

- Tammy Fuller

Sheppard Insurance is a mother-daughter, all-woman affair

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER hen Kathy Sheppard got her start in the insurance world 30 years ago, she was a pioneer in a male-dominated profession.

Some clients were taken aback — and even made snide remarks — when a woman showed up as their claim adjuster following a lightning strike or tree falling on their house.

But Sheppard was good at it and proved her mettle, enough so to join the elite network of catastrophe claim adjusters for the national insurance firm, Maryland Casualty.

When her daughter was a toddler, she found herself flying around the country to hurricanes, hail storms, crop freezes and even the San Francisco earthquake.

“They had a pool of storm troopers as they called them,” said Sheppard, who was once again in the minority as a woman.

That’s not true anymore, however. Today, Sheppard owns her own insurance firm, Sheppard Insurance of Clyde, and all her employees and agents are women.

“I am surrounded by very smart women, and it doesn’t take long for people to realize we know what we are talking about,” Sheppard said. “Our business comes from good old-fashioned relationship building and referrals. We know our community, we personally know our clients. When someone comes here we don’t know, we get to know them.”

Sheppard’s transition from insurance agent to business owner came early in her career and rather out of the blue. She was approached by Ed Brock, owner of what was then Brock Insurance, with an offer to sell the firm to her.

“It is one of those opportunities that presents itself and you either step out on faith and take a big risk and do it or you don’t,” Sheppard said. “He had seen what I was already accomplishing in the insurance business and it opened a big old door that I took the chance to walk through.”

While Sheppard knew insurance, that was only half the battle when it came to owning her own insurance company.

“You empty the trash cans and make the coffee and decide when it is time to paint the building,” Sheppard

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said. “That’s what it is for any small business owner — you don’t have an IT person so I am the one in the floor hooking up the new computer.”

Sheppard Insurance is a rarity. There aren’t many woman-owned insurance firms, but with Sheppard’s daughter, Sara Sheppard Pacifici, now part of the business, it’s likely to remain that way for another generation.

Sheppard never suspected her only child would join the business one day. Pacifici was working in Raleigh after college in the political arena, but she had slow periods when the legislature was on break.

“I said ‘Why don’t you take a week off and get licensed in insurance just to have something to fall back on?’” Sheppard recalled. “A few years later she said ‘I think I want to come back to the mountains and give insurance a try.’”

“It is one of those opportunities that presents itself and you either step out on faith and take a big risk and do it or you don’t.”

— Kathy Sheppard, Sheppard Insurance

Pacifici, who lives in Asheville, is helping to grow the business in a new direction. They have opened a second office in downtown Asheville, where Pacifici has been particularly successful in writing policies for the burgeoning entrepreneur scene in Asheville.

“It’s not something you can call an 800-number for,” Sheppard said. “We try to be problem solvers for people and customers appreciate our counsel and advice.”

But Pacifici’s first contribution to the company was convincing her mom to change the name of the firm.

Sheppard was still operating as Brock Insurance, even though she’d been the owner for more than two decades.

“Sara joined the business and said, ‘Mom, it’s time,’” Sheppard laughed.

Sheppard is the fourth owner of the business, which dates back to the late 1800s. Each time the insurance firm sold, it was renamed by the new owner, who kept it for several decades before retiring and once more selling it.

The stage is already set to continue the firm's legacy well into the 21st century with Pacifici now leading its expansion in Asheville.

“The most important lesson I learned from my mom is that women can do anything and also have a family.

She ran a very successful business and was also involved in the community, yet she never missed a moment of my childhood,” said Pacifici. “She instilled in me an entrepreneurial spirit that I am so grateful for.”

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ack in 1990, Hanneke and George Ware’s odds for success were long. A pair of non-locals living in what was then an even more remote corner of the state than it is now, they’d just purchased a 23-acre property between Dillsboro and Whittier with the hope of creating a sought-after bed and breakfast destination.

“It was quite a challenge,” Hanneke said. “That’s the understated word of the year.”

But in the years since its launch, the Chalet Inn has seen success and its reputation has grown, largely through word of mouth. Hanneke is proud of what she and George have built, saying that division of labor has been key to their success.

“We go with our strengths and our weaknesses and our little idiosyncrasies, and you work with that,” she said. “It’s all about teamwork.”

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Building a legacy

Hanneke Ware: Making a home in the mountains

Hanneke Ward (left) poses in front of the inn with one of her guests. Donated photo Hanneke is originally a city-dweller from the Netherlands; she met Ohio native George Ware in the 1980s during his Army days when he was stationed at NATO headquarters. George had fallen in love with Western North Carolina during an earlier visit, and after he retired the couple moved to the mountains, intending to open an inn.

As both a woman and a foreigner in a community that, especially in the 1990s, was largely populated by male-run businesses and composed of families with strong roots in the area, Hanneke was definitely not a “traditional” businessperson. But she — as well as George — jumped in with both feet. Hanneke served six years on the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in the earlier years of the business, and George has served three terms on the county’s Travel and Tourism Board of Directors.

There have been difficulties — misunderstandings, setbacks and lots of hard work — but overall Hanneke has nothing but good things to say about the place she’s chosen to call home and the people she shares it with.

“It’s all an amazing difference, how you do business, how you conduct yourself, how you talk to people,” she said, comparing WNC to Europe. “I found this area to be really low-key, really friendly. Of course you have your aberrations all over the world, but I felt reasonably accepted. Good experiences.”

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Women weave talents into successful yarn store

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR hree women in Franklin have been able to weave their multiple talents together to run a successful downtown business.

As a longtime weaver, co-owner Virginia Murphy brings her creative talent as well as her sales abilities to her shop Silver Threads and Golden Needles.

Her daughter and co-owner Kristin McDougall is a graphic designer who is responsible for maintaining the website, social media and other technical support needs.

Amy Murphy — no relation — who joined the business in 2011, retired from the banking industry and uses her financial expertise to guide the small business.

“We each have a different skillset we bring to the business,” Amy Murphy said. “I bring the financial skills, Virginia and I are both good at customer service but Virginia is the best at sales, and Kristin is great at graphic design and other computer skills.”

Virginia moved to Franklin from Alabama to retire, but it wasn’t long before she needed something to keep her busy. She purchased the store on Main Street in 2008.

As a close-knit family, McDougall decided to follow her mother to Franklin and join the business.

“The first thing I did was design our new logo … and the second thing I did was learn to knit,” McDougall said.

It may have been a small fiber store under the previous owner, but Virginia, Amy and McDougall have turned into so much more. The store now has more retail space and offers a number of classes for members of the community, including knitting, weaving and crocheting.

Customers are greeted with a rainbow of colors stacked from the floor to the ceiling as they walk into the fiber store. The fibers come from as close as Skyview Ranch alpaca farm in Franklin and as far away as China.

In addition to supplies, the shop also carries woven, knitted and crocheted gifts — hats, scarves, baskets, jewelry, handbags and sweaters.

“Virginia bought the store for a number of reasons — I think mostly she wanted to breathe a little life back into

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Lisa Potts: Every day is Christmas

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER or Lisa Potts, Christmas isn’t just a holiday — it’s a way of life. Potts owns Nancy Tut’s Christmas Shop in Dillsboro, an occupation that means she spends every day surrounded by Christmas paraphernalia of all sorts.

“For 20 years,” she said, “I’ve been in Christmas world.”

Potts didn’t set out to own a Christmas shop. It just kind of happened. While in college, her sister Amanda was working at the shop — a 114-year-old home full of Christmasy items — part-time under its previous owner, Betty Hamilton. When Amanda heard that Hamilton was thinking about selling, she started to bend her sister’s ear.

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Business partners and friends Amy Murphy (left) and Kristin McDougall own Silver Threads and Golden Needles fiber store in downtown Franklin along with McDougall’s mother Virginia Murphy. Jessi Stone photo downtown and she and Kristin wanted to do something together,” Amy said.

McDougall said working alongside her mother has been a great experience that has also given her the freedom to work from home while raising two children of her own.

“I thank God we’re the best of friends and get along so well,” McDougall said. “And it was a blessing for Amy to come along — she’s become immediate family as well.”

Silver Threads and Golden Needles became Amy’s goto place for knitting supplies after she moved to Franklin in 2002 and then became a partner in the business after Virginia and Kristin bought the business.

All three of the women truly enjoy being a part of the downtown Franklin business community. Amy said it’s no longer a rarity to find women-owned businesses in Franklin. She can look outside the shop and point to many other female-owned businesses doing well for themselves.

Amy admits being a woman in some industries may still be a difficulty, but she feels fortunate to be in a creative and artistic industry where women are the rule and not the exception. That wasn’t always the case in the banking and financial industry that Amy worked in or the manufacturing industry Virginia retired from.

“Retail is a much kinder experience, and Franklin has

a wonderful textile community — we have great quilters, potters and other artistic mediums,” Amy said. “People travel here for those reasons, and I think we benefit from that.”

The challenges they face aren’t necessarily because they are women — it’s just the typical challenges that come with being a small business owner. Many downtown business owners somehow manage their businesses on their own, but Silver Threads is fortunate enough to have three owners to help carry the load.

“Owning your own business is fun but really challenging because it takes a lot of time,” Amy said. “But it’s much better if you have a good partnership — it becomes more fun and less difficult.”

Even with the challenges, McDougall said the small fiber shop has been thriving.

“Every year gets better and better,” she said.

There are a few men who visit the store, take part in the classes offered and even a few who teach the classes, but the store is typically full of women. With a flurry of conversation and laughter and a lot of creative projects being made, the atmosphere at Silver Threads is fun and laid back.

“The yarn shop is a happy place,” Amy said. “Lives are stressful enough — we do this because it’s a peaceful fun experience.”

“She mentioned to Betty that I was interested, and Betty’s a very good salesperson,” Potts said.

So, Potts entered the Christmas business, with her husband Mike, a Realtor, in support as her “silent partner.” She’s enjoyed each of the 20 years that have passed since, building relationships with customers and seeing their children turn into adults, and those adults turn into parents who come back with their own children.

As a female business owner, she’s in good company in Dillsboro, with plenty of other successful businesswomen lining the streets of the small town. She said she’s never felt

any sense of exclusion or hardship resulting from her gender.

“I didn’t feel unique or anything being a woman in Dillsboro, because there were already women here,” she said.

Instead, she’s been able to focus on what she enjoys about her job — which is to say, almost everything.

“I enjoy making my own decisions and doing all aspects of the business,” she said. “I do the bookwork, I do the buying, I do all that stuff. On the flip side, that’s almost the most challenging part too. When you own a business and you run it by yourself, you’re committed to being there all the time.”

But Potts wasn’t naïve as to the commitment that business ownership entails. Growing up, her father Kelly Bradley owned Harold’s Supermarket in Sylva, and she witnessed firsthand the dedication that went into his care for the store.

“I always grew up thinking, ‘I would like to do that myself,’” Potts said. “My dad was definitely a business inspiration for me.”

Affairs of the Heart

————————————————————————————— 120 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC • 828.452.0526

Champion Credit Union

Empowering Women for Business Success for Over 83 Years

Champion Credit Union was founded in Haywood County in 1932, with its first employee, Mary Alice Roberts, being a woman.

Over 83 years later, women continue to play an important role.

ChampionCU.com Find us on Facebook. Federally Insured by NCUA

Women make up 88% of the workforce at Champion Credit Union, with 67% of the management team being women. They balance their jobs with [OLPY SP]LZ" ZVTL ÄUPZOPUN JVSSLNL THU` YHPZPUN MHTPSPLZ HUK V[OLYZ LUQV`PUN their grandchildren. We are blessed at Champion Credit Union to have a KLKPJH[LK Z[HɈ ^OV ^VYRZ OHYK MVY V\Y members and the community.

Miss Judy on Target, 1938

When women take over the reins: Three generations of the Alexander family at Cataloochee Ranch.

“Women run this place,” says Mary Coker, the current manager of Maggie Valley’s venerable Cataloochee Ranch.

And she should know. When Mary’s grandparents, Tom and Judy Alexander, opened the first Cataloochee Ranch in 1933, it was her grandmother, affectionately known to both family and guests as “Miss Judy,” who took on the responsibility of creating the Ranch’s now-legendary tradition of hospitality.

By the time of Tom Alexander’s death in 1972, the second generation of Alexander women and their husbands had assumed the day-to-day management of the Ranch. Today, under Mary’s third-generation management, her mother Judy “Juju” Coker still greets guests every day at breakfast, her aunt Alice Aumen is there to greet them at dinnertime, and both help out with

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Patricia Miller has owned and operated Affairs of the Heart on Main Street in downtown Waynesville since March of 1996.

Her motivation to open the retail store was simple: she wanted a local place to sell the crafts she and her mom made together. When she made the decision to open her own store, her mom was at her side to offer moral support.

Today Patricia and her sister Roseann work side by side in the store. They pride themselves on having good products at good prices. They love meeting the customers and providing great service.

other duties on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Mary’s sister Judy B. Sutton manages the barn and pitches in wherever else she’s needed.

Although her duties had been taken over by her daughters (and ultimately by her granddaughters), Miss Judy continued

Ranch general manager Mary Coker with sister, Judy B. Sutton, manager of the Ranch barn.

to be a gracious hostess at the Ranch until her death in 1997.

And, for the women of her family, she left some enduring footsteps to follow.

Cataloochee Ranch 119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC (828)926-1401 www.CataloocheeRanch.com

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Family pride and persistence Macon Furniture Mart marches on

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ike many women, Karen Buchanan Bacon loves to shop. She loves skimming through Pottery Barn and Southern Living magazines looking for home décor pieces that mesh together to create the perfect room.

“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an interior designer,” Bacon said.

Growing up in her father’s business allowed her to realize that dream — in a roundabout way. Macon Furniture Mart has been serving Western North Carolina since 1954, and Bacon has spent the last 27 years learning the ends and outs of the business.

She took over ownership of the company in 2007 when her father Branch Buchanan retired. While some kids are reluctantly groomed to take over the family business, Bacon happily stepped into the role because she loves every aspect of it.

“I love to go to the market and I love to buy all the different things for the store — setting up displays and helping people create a room,” she said. “From a blue print to a finished product, I just love seeing it come together and the idea of creating something.”

Bacon enjoys what she does, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy career. She lives, breathes and dies to keep the furniture store going — perhaps at the expense of a personal life — but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love it, but I work hard. I’m here six days a week,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle, not a job.”

The industry has changed over the years and the economic downturn in 2008 forced Bacon to make some tough decisions just as she was taking over the business.

Macon Furniture Mart once had three locations in the area but is now consolidated into one building on Depot Street in Franklin. A franchise that once employed more than 50 people is now down to about seven employees.

Letting employees go that have been like family for many years was one of the most difficult things she’s ever had to do.

“Talk about laying awake at night and crying,” Bacon said. “But I see it rebounding now — we’re having a good year so I think it’s starting to turn around.”

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WHAT WOMEN WANT

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The economy isn’t the only challenge Bacon has overcome during her tenure at the furniture store. She’s spent years trying to earn the respect of many customers who expect the store to have a man at the helm.

“When I first started, people would come in and ask, ‘Where is the man in charge?’” Bacon said. “It’s gotten better as time has gone by. I feel more respected than I did years ago and also I think the clientele has changed.”

At one time, men made more of the large purchasing decisions in the household, and a majority of furniture store sales employees were male. These days she’s found that women are now the primary shoppers in the family, especially for home furnishings.

The sales team at Macon Furniture Mart reflects that changing trend — two of Bacon’s best sales people are female.

“I think women in business are more respected now than they used to be,” she said. “Even our sales reps coming in are women now — the La-Z-Boy sales rep is a 26year-old woman and that has always been a male-dominated business.”

The image of a stereotypical, aggressive male salesman hounding customers as they walk in the store is something Bacon has tried to overcome. She doesn’t want her customers to feel pressured when browsing the wide selection at the store. In her experience, Bacon said her female clients feel more comfortable with a female salesperson.

“Women enjoy colors and making a house a home while men are more functional — they want to sell you something by how well it will hold up — and there’s nothing wrong with that,” she said. “But women sales people want to know if you have kids and how good something will look. They are just more artistic and nurturing.”

KEEPING CUSTOMERS IN MIND Bacon always keeps her customers’ needs in mind when purchasing items for her store and even with how items are displayed in the showroom. She does a lot of research before making purchases and tries to offer a variety of price points to make her furniture obtainable for anybody’s budget. During the economic recession, she purchased mostly inexpensive furniture because she knew her customers weren’t able to invest in expensive pieces.

Bacon sets up her 22,000-square-foot showroom much differently than her father did during his tenure with Macon Furniture Mart to accommodate the new age of home décor shoppers. The store is setup to show customers the design possibilities using the furniture as well as distinctive touches using decorative pillows, lamps and other home décor.

“I make it more of a lifestyle store with different rooms styles displayed instead of trying to see how many brown chairs I can cram into the store,” she said. “We also try to keep everything modern. We just installed more energy efficient lighting in the showroom.”

Every little detail is important to keep up with her

competition. It’s become increasingly difficult to keep up with the big chain stores even though Macon Furniture Mart carries many of the top brands — Ashley Furniture, La-Z-Boy, Simmons Beauty Rest and solid wood Amish furniture.

To keep a competitive edge, Bacon said she offers custom design furniture, upholstery services, financing options and even delivers furniture for free within a 50mile radius — something a majority of her competitors no longer do.

Bacon said her sales staff does not work for commis-

Karen Buchanan Bacon, owner of Macon Furniture Mart, shows off one of her favorite bedroom suite designs, displayed in the Franklin showroom. Jessi Stone photo

sion, which she believes makes all the difference in the customer service experience and employee morale.

“To me, you get better service because people are not looking after themselves,” she said. “They’re getting the customers what they want and it also helps employees get along better too. It’s not dog-eat-dog like at other places.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY Bacon’s leadership skills have been learned during her on-the-job training at the furniture store. She said there is a reason many of her employees have been with the company for more than 15 years. Having a level playing field is what makes Macon Furniture Mart’s employees feel more like a family.

“My employees feel like I’m a friend, but they also respect me,” Bacon said. “They’re good employees and they work hard.”

One of her employees is her son and store manager Andrew Alligood. When she retires someday, she is happy to know the business will stay in the family for another generation.

“My son is third generation and he loves it as much as I do thank goodness. I brought him to work with me as a baby so he grew up here too,” she said. “He has a 5month-old son, but I guess it’s too soon to know if he’ll take over one day.”

Bridges balances career and motherhood as casino executive

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER If you’d asked Leeann Bridges 20 years ago what her ideal career would look like, she probably wouldn’t have told you she hoped to become a marketing executive at a casino.

But here she is, 14 years into employment at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and 10 years into the marketing department, and Bridges, the casino’s vice president of marketing, couldn’t have more good things to say about her job.

“I like that it’s very dynamic,” she said. “It’s not boring. There are new challenges every single day.”

In her tenure at Harrah’s she’s been part of a master planning process. She’s been part of a casino expansion.

She’s helped launch the Valley River Casino and Hotel in Murphy, which opened Sept. 28. And at 45, she’s likely to conquer many more mountains in the course of her career.

“Did I ever think I would end up in marketing?” she said. “Absolutely not. But I had a mentor who saw something in me that I certainly didn’t see.”

She took the plunge, and that landed her here, head of a division of 130 people.

Rewind to the era of Y2K, and Bridges, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was pretty sure she’d left the Qualla Boundary for good. After earning her bachelor’s in anthropology from Western Carolina University, she moved to Raleigh to pursue a master’s of business administration from Meredith College, at the time believing that’s where she wanted to be.

But then homesickness struck. She missed her family, and she missed the mountains. She finished the degree, but afterward she drove back west to take part in a job development program the EBCI had instituted for tribal members. That’s how she came to work at Harrah’s Cherokee, then just two years into its existence.

She hasn’t regretted the move. From speaking with Bridges, it’s clear she believes in the mission of the casino — to provide jobs for people, especially Cherokee people — and is excited about the sheer breadth of marketing efforts she’s involved with, ranging from event promotions to mailers to media relations.

It’s also clear that she appreciates business’ professional atmosphere.

“We’re all on one hallway, so there’s a lot of yelling back and forth to each other about different ideas we may have, an upcoming event, an upcoming concert,” Bridges said.

It’s congenial and collaborative. And according to Bridges, it’s also pretty equal-opportunity. When she first came to Harrah’s in 2001, most upper-level positions

were held by men, but now it’s about a 50-50 split. She says she’s never felt demeaned or ostracized from leadership based on her gender.

“One thing that I experienced was just a willingness to help by everyone, across the board,” she said. “For me it never felt like a very exclusive boys’ club at all.”

The influence of Cherokee culture might have something to do with that. Increasingly, enrolled members are taking on the casino’s highest-level positions, and because Cherokee is traditionally a matrilineal society, there’s a degree of inherent respect for female leaders.

“We all have big personalities,” Bridges said of the Cherokee women on the casino’s management team. “We all speak what’s on our minds.

Perhaps those are traits that got us where we’re at, but being raised in an environment where girls are encouraged to speak up and you don’t have to stay in the background — it’s being raised by strong women. We have a lot of that in this community.”

For Bridges, the main challenge of being a woman in professional leadership comes from the conflict between performance in the workplace and being a good mother to her 9-year-old son, a responsibility she takes seriously.

“If I let it, it can get really out of balance, and I don’t want that to happen, but at the same time I want to give

“I like projecting that strength and that determination for my son, and hopefully he’ll emulate that.”

— Leeann Bridges

my child everything that I didn’t have,” she said. “For me that’s the what I struggle with the most because I don’t want to miss anything with my son, but sometimes I need to be here and I need to be focused on what is going on here at the casino.”

Though divorced, Bridges says she has the most ideal situation possible under those circumstances, as her son’s dad lives in town and is very involved in the parenting.

Still, it’s hard, and she’s grateful to have a boss who’s supportive.

“He was sick last week. I took a day off,” she said —

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Taking on the challenge

“last week” entailing some of the final days before Harrah’s opened its new casino in Murphy, a jam-packed week in Bridges’ world. “Probably not the best day to take a day off, but that’s life.”

Bridges constantly amazes herself at what she’s able to juggle when it comes to career and motherhood, making it work in ways she would have thought impossible before becoming a parent. When you have to make it work, she said, you make it work.

“You get it done,” she said. “And sometimes it’s really tough. But it’s very rewarding.”

Rewarding, she hopes, for her son as well as for herself.

“I like projecting that strength and that determination for my son, and hopefully he’ll emulate that,” she said. “I want him to know you don’t get anything for free. You have to work hard for everything that you do. You have to take care of yourself.”

Taking care of others is also a mark of success. Over the years, Bridges has seen her management team shift and change, the people under her move up or move along toward goals of their own. When that happens, she counts it as an accomplishment — because, a decade ago, she was one of those workers in need of a mentor to show her the path to the top.

“For me, that means I’ve done my job pretty well if I see people advance or go into new roles, whether it’s in my own area or somewhere else,” she said.

“It’s great helping people get to where they want to be.”

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Serving up Southern cuisine and camaraderie

BY B ECKY JOHNSON When Earnest was 20, she enrolled in the elite and STAFF WRITER reputable culinary school at Asheville-Buncombe Tech. here was little fanfare in 2010 when Mary Earnest “It was very tough,” said Earnest. “If you wore the opened the Blue Rooster, a Southern diner in a strip wrong color neckerchief, you were excused for the day. It mall past its prime. was survival of the fittest.”

“The day we opened, we pulled the paper off the windows and unlocked the door and waited Owner of The Blue Rooster to see what was going to happen,” said Earnest, in Clyde, Mary Earnest. a native of Haywood County. “We wanted folks Becky Johnson photo to find us gradually.”

Its following was anything but gradual, however. The Blue Rooster in Clyde found an instant fan base, one that continues to build five years later judging by the lines out the door. It’s hard to say what draws people more — Earnest or the menu.

“I tell folks we are just like church. It has nothing to do with the building but the people inside the building that make it special,” Earnest said.

Since she was a teenager, Earnest dreamed of owning her own restaurant.

“I love to cook. And I thought I was pretty good at it,” Earnest said.

In hindsight, it’s not surprising that the culinary arts captured her imagination. Earnest’s mother was an amazing cook, defying the canned-soup crock-pot rage that had paralyzed the dinner tables of housewives in the ‘70s.

It all started with a copy of Julia Childs’ first cookbook, a strategic present from her father to her mother.

“If my mom had a book on how to build a rocket, she could fly to the moon,” Earnest said.

“So she started reading.”

And soon, she was cooking like Julia Childs.

It was also a male-dominated world, one that Earnest “I am a little girl and she is boning a duck. We ate learned to navigate well, thanks in part to her arresting crazy food for Waynesville in those times,” Earnest said. personality. She had a knack for disarming the competi-

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Diane Cutler Co-owner Bryson City Bicycles Board Member – Nantahala Area SORBA (SORBA: Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) www.brysoncitybicycles.com Smoky Mountain News: What do you think about being part of the female business sector?

Diane Cutler: You know, I never really think of it as anything special. Whether it’s female-run or male-run, it’s still hard work, something I’m going to do, and do it to the best of my ability.

Like for most people coming up to our area these days, it’s about starting a business and creating your own life here.

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SMN: What do you think when you look at the landscape of mountain biking these days?

DC: There’s a big push to get more female riders. The bike industry, off-road and on, is mostly men. They’re male-dominated sports. When we attended a mountain bike industry confer-

tive nature of her male peers.

“I was like, ‘Your knife can be bigger than mine, I am perfectly good with that,’” Earnest said. “I don’t know what they thought of me. I think that was questionable.”

The boot-camp culture of culinary school took no

prisoners, however. Instructors were mean by design — one even spit her food out during her final exam, simply for effect.

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ence recently in Las Vegas, women probably made up one in 10 in the crowd. In terms of the business side of things, I’d say about 10 to 20 percent of our customers are female.

But, it’s also a great time to be a female rider, because we’re really seeing the scales tip in female involvement.

DC: Recently, we did a casual survey and found that most women didn’t ride either because they were busy raising their children or they felt intimidated riding with men. But, with these female rides, we’re changing that. I had a woman come through our doors not just because we’re a bike shop, but because there was a woman working behind the counter, and that gave her the confidence to realize biking is something she can do. To me, that makes it all worthwhile, that just my physical presence gets women out riding.

SMN: Being part of the local SORBA chapter, you’re also doing a lot of work to attract female riders.

Diane Cutler.

DC: We have a weekly Garret K. Woodward photo women’s ride on Wednesdays, where we switch between the trails at the Tsali Recreation Area and the trails behind Western Carolina University. The rides are growing, where we now have up to 12 riders or more each week.

SMN: And what does that say to you, that increasing interest?

SMN: Any advice about starting your own business?

DC: I think when it comes to business in general, some might say, “Oh, you don’t want to run a business,” as if only a special type of person could run a business. As they say, there’s no secret to success. It’s a result of planning, hard work and learning from your failures. If you can do that, anybody can do it.

It’s hard work, period.

Editor’s Note: Bryson City Bicycles recently won “Best Mountain Bike Shop” at the 2015 Interbike Award Show in Las Vegas.

— By Garret K. Woodward

Monica Brown

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do anything.

— By Garret K. Woodward

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

the door on weekends — her partner Steve Redmond is a competitive bass fisherman so it was Innkeeper – Fryemont Inn, Bryson City often the case, but mostly, she thought it was a cute sign. One Monday morning, an angry customer Chairperson – Smoky Mountain Host who’d tried to come eat over the weekend was waitBoard Member – Swain County Tourist Development ing for her when she opened up.

Authority “He said I must not be a serious business person if I would just go off and close for a day to go fishwww.fryemontinn.com ing,” Earnest said. “I told him we were serious about our business but we were also serious about At a glance: In her 25th year working at the storied 92-year-old our families.”

Fryemont Inn, Monica Brown aims to continue the proud family busiShe decided to retire the “Gone Fishin’” sign, ness, which was first purchased by her in-laws, George and Sue however.

Brown, in 1982. The business is now entering its third generation Cultivating a loyal work force stems in part from with Monica’s children, Kathryn and Tyler, also working alongside Earnest’s own loyalty to her employees. their parents and grandparents. At age 16, Kathryn, an accom“You can’t drag people in off the street and do plished student at Swain County High School, looks forward to one what we do,” Earnest said. “We are professionals. It day taking over the inn, with her work ethic and business sense takes a lot of skill.” coming from those strong women before her.

Earnest pays her employees higher than the service industry average, but routinely tells them Monica: A strong component to innkeeping is knowing everywhen she hands out paychecks “it’s not what you’re thing, from the top to the bottom. You’re got to know everything from worth.” plumbing to payroll. Our kids have seen us have a hands on experi“I wish I could pay them more, because you ence with every aspect of it, and they’re grown up around it, spendcan’t pay someone enough to make them care, but ing most of their lives on this property. that’s the most important thing, is that someone cares. That is something that has to come from inside,” Earnest said.

Earnest hasn’t pulled off the Blue Rooster alone. It has been a team effort every step of the way with her partner, Steve Redmond.

Redmond knows his way around a kitchen as well, but he lets Earnest lead. He agreed to the role of supporting actor when they opened.

“He said you just have to show “I tell folks we are just like church. It has nothing me once how to to do with the building but the people inside the make it and what is it supposed to building that make it special.” look like and how to do it,” Earnest — Mary Earnest recalled.

Monica and Kathryn Brown.

But Redmond Garret K. Woodward photo has some of his own recipes on the menu, and kitchens in the Waynesville area. had long shared the dream of running a restauWhile Sysco is the largest restaurant food disrant. tributor in the country, the Waynesville territory Kathryn: My mother and grandmother are both huge influences Earnest said her biggest learning curve with the had just three accounts when Earnest came on on me. If it hadn’t been for seeing them constantly working and board in 2003. Seven years later, Earnest was gross- Blue Rooster was the ins-and-outs of administradoing what they can to improve the business, I never would have tion. ing $4 million in sales. But building a client base had that confidence and drive to participate in student government “The business aspect — from payroll to taxes to from the ground up was work — especially with a and other organizations. I’ve seen my mother do so many great ‘what the heck is QuickBooks?’ — it was like how young child and no husband. things on the boards she’s currently on, and my grandmother do so do you do this?” Earnest said.

“I was a single mom. I put my daughter to bed many extraordinary things, that it makes me want to pursue and do Now, with a robust following, Earnest faces the at night and I worked. Because that’s what we do,” more within my own community, and within our business. tough decision of whether and how to grow.

Earnest said, citing the sacrifices of working moms She’s been burned once, in a failed attempt to who live with a foot in two worlds.

Monica: Kathryn has such an outgoing personality and the add breakfast to the lunch and dinner lineup. The guests love to see her, love to see the continuation of our family’s Blue Rooster gave it a noble try for over a year. story with running this business. Our guests share their families UILT ON LOYALTY “It was an attempt to grow and it never clicked. with our family, where it’s all about that communication that means Blue Rooster’s 32 employees are incredibly loyal It was a big loss,” Earnest said. “The money we the most to us. were making on lunch and dinner we were using to for the typically fickle food service industry. fund breakfast, until we realized we couldn’t do “We have folks who were with us the day we Kathryn: I love seeing the joy that the Fryemont brings to others, this any more.” opened. We are so proud of that,” Earnest said. because it’s such a huge part of my life. I love this town, it’s so Earnest is now at a crossroads once more, facing Earnest can’t point to a single factor that keeps inviting, family-based and beautiful here. And being a woman in a monumental decision of whether to take a leap of her employees around. But she wagers a big part is business, it’s not just about playing the host, it’s about getting your faith and expand the restaurant. that they aren’t open on weekends. hands dirty. You’re dealing with all sides of the business, not just One thing is certain, however, that the Blue “We only work five days a week here and that the relations part. It’s about being passionate in what you’re doing.

Rooster will continue to remain a signature in the has been part of our culture,” Earnest said. “That Haywood County restaurant economy for years to has been our decision thus far, to sacrifice that revMonica: And when I think about my mother-in-law, I think of come. enue in favor of family time and a quality work someone who can and does everything, from stitching the curtains “My mom always told me I could do anything I environment.” to tile work, painting to cooking breakfast for our guests. She’s a wanted to do,” Earnest said.

Earnest used to hang a “Gone Fishin’” sign on great role model for us, and for women, in that she shows us we can “I would cry,” Earnest said, recalling how tough it was. “But I am not a quitter. I just kept coming and kept coming. It was a life-changing experience.”

Ultimately, she was one of only a handful who graduated from her initial class of 114.

It’s not surprising that Earnest would dig in and persevere. She comes from a long line of strong women. Her mom went to prestigious Emory University in Atlanta on a National Merit Scholarship, not a common path for a Haywood County girl in the late 1950s. After graduating, she got a job with the Peat Marwick accounting firm in Atlanta — not as a secretary, but as an accountant.

“Her daddy was a business person and her granddaddy was a business person and she wanted to be a business person,” Earnest said.

Her mother ultimately returned to Haywood County and helped her father start Haywood Pediatrics, the first group pediatric practice in the county. Her mom ran the business side of the practice for years.

Her mother hasn’t changed, announcing recently that she planned to go to Mount Everest next year.

“She said ‘I’m not saying I am going to the top, but I’m going to base camp,’” Earnest said.

After graduating from culinary school, it would be nearly two decades before Earnest would open the doors of the Blue Rooster, however.

Earnest took a detour, spending eight years as a commercial food distributor for Sysco, a job that took her behind the scenes of dozens of restaurant

It’s Your Life ... Live it in Health!

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Dr. Tara Hogan DC has been in practice as a chiropractor since May 2011 Using digital X-ray, palpation examination and neurological tests, she evaluates the spine for misalignments causing nervous system stress which can cause numerous symptoms. After an exam she delivers patient specific, safe, gentle, and effective adjustments to the spine. This adjusting will, over time, realign the spine for more optimal biomechanical and nerve function. This relieves the nerves of stress and irritation so the brain can better tell the body what to do and the body can tell the brain what it is doing.

“I graduated with an English degree and I had no idea what to do next. Numerous signs pointed me towards chiropractic care and I dropped everything to go back to school and complete my science prerequisites. Once I entered Chiropractic school I was pain free and feeling great. I knew I was headed in the right direction with my career.

Association which I have already completed all classes for. I would like to be more involved with all the exciting research going on in our field. I also have my eyes on writing a natural parenting book and want to be doing some more speaking engagements, but I will always be in the office seeing patients because that is the really fun part.

I love what I do so much because I never know who is going to show up in my office. Will it be a pregnant woman with a breech baby? An infant with colic? Or an old lady who has had vertigo for 20 years? I have seen miraculous results with each of these types of cases and it totally fires me up. I just love being able to help people in our community enjoy a better quality of life. Most days I feel like I have the best career in the world.

I think a huge challenge most women face in the workplace is balancing home life with work.

It can be overwhelming with all that there is to do. Women have to be able to switch gears quickly and stay really focused on being in the moment. I am always having to work at this.

Keeping myself in shape and eating right really help keep me on track.

Looking to the future of Blue Mountain Chiropractic Tara says: "I will be attaining my pediatric diplomate from the International Chiropractic Pediatric

My advice to women just starting out in business is to stick with what you are truly inspired by and passionate about. Don't settle. You must know what you want and make it work. Believe in yourself. We all can accomplish so much more than we sometimes think is possible, especially when we prepare. The more we prepare, the luckier we get!

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Jackson passes climate change resolution

chasing some electric vehicles for county use.

“I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be doing that,” he said. “The cost of those vehicles has been coming down significantly over the years, and it just makes sense to try to lead by example.”

Energy-efficient construction in new buildings is another place McMahan believes the county could make a pro-environment difference. For instance, commissioners are currently discussing building new animal shelter and health department buildings at some point in the not-too-distant future — “we want to make sure we’re doing those in a way we’re using environmental technology to keep down heating and cooling costs,” McMahan said.

In the scheme of populations and operations contributing to air pollution, Jackson County accounts for only a very small portion. But, McMahan said, “a small difference is still a difference,” and he would like to leverage Jackson’s example to encourage other, larger, populations to take action as well. He’s hoping that, as a member of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners’ environmental steering committee, he might be able to do just that.

“I’m hoping to get to go to their next meeting at the end of October and help steer some of the discussion about the environment and see if this is what’s happening in other counties and encourage other counties to take a similar action,” he said.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Jackson County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution last week that’s likely the first of its kind for the far western counties — a resolution declaring the reality of global climate change and Jackson County’s commitment to leading by example when it comes to energy conservation.

“We may be just one little small part of the overall puzzle, but you got to start somewhere,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan, who introduced the resolution.

McMahan sees the resolution as more than just a sheet of environmental platitudes. As the county commission starts thinking about the 2016-17 budget, he wants to see climate considered as a key factor in spending decisions.

For one, he’d like to finish work on the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro, which captures methane from the old town landfill to fuel a variety of artist studios.

“There’s a whole bunch of stuff we can do to add to the green energy components,” McMahan said. “Not just methane gas, but add solar electricity to that whole park.”

He’d also like to bring alternative energy to other county buildings, installing charging stations for electric vehicles and possibly pur-

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Question: I have diabetes, are sugar alcohols safe for me to consume?

Answer: Sugar alcohols can be found in many sugar-free and no sugar added products like candy, cookies and cakes. Despite their name they are not a sugar or an alcohol. Sugar alcohols can be found naturally in some foods like artichokes and when you look at the ingredients list you might see a word with an -ol ending like sorbitol or xylitol — those are sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols are safe for those with diabetes, but a few things to remember: ■ Some sugar alcohols have fewer carbohydrates than sugar but they may still have some calories so they can still affect your blood sugar.

■ Sugar alcohols are poorly digested in your gut so you may have side effects like gas, bloating and diarrhea.

■ Typically "sugar-free" products made with sugar alcohols still have carbohydrates from other sources so you still need to check the portion size and "count" the carbohydrates.

You can find more information on sugar alcohols and carbohydrate counting by going to the American Diabetes Association website www.diabetes.org.

Smoky Mountain News

Macon County Sheriff ’s deputy Derrik Jones said he had been outside the North Carolina Justice Academy’s indoor gun range without hearing a sound coming from inside where there were people shooting in 15 to 20 lanes. He said having an indoor firing range inside the city limits would be much more convenient for law enforcement officers and safer than having people driving out to Dirty John Shooting Range near Nantahala — more than an hour round-trip drive for most residents.

Cliff Cyphers, who teaches Macon County 4-H students how to shoot rifles and pistols, said Dirty John was too far out and many parents wouldn’t drive their students out their more than once.

“I’d like to see an opportunity for them to train here instead of just going to a tournament,” he said. “I’m in favor of having one closer than what we have.”

No one spoke against allowing indoor gun ranges. Henning wanted to make it clear that the board’s action to amend the ordinance did not automatically approve a specific project like the one proposed by Wang.

Franklin Town Planner Justin Setser said anyone wanting to open an indoor gun range would still have to go through the process of requesting a special-use permit, which requires a quasi-judicial hearing before the board of aldermen to make sure it meets all the requirements.

What’s in your personal care products?

October 7-13, 2015

BY J ESSI STONE News Editor ranklin residents may soon have a closer and safer place to practice their shooting skills now that indoor gun ranges will be allowed in the town limits.

The board of aldermen unanimously approved an amendment to its Unified Development Ordinance on Oct. 5 that will allow for indoor gun ranges within commercial districts inside town limits.

The Franklin Planning Board began looking into the issue in July after Jeff Wang, owner of Jeff ’s Ammo & Arms, requested to construct and operate an indoor gun range at 245 Carolina Mountain Drive in Franklin.

Town Attorney John Henning Jr. said the town’s development ordinance didn’t address indoor gun ranges at all in the allowed land uses. However, there is a police power ordinance that makes in unlawful for anyone other than a law enforcement officer to discharge a firearm inside the town limits.

Adding the amendment to the development code will specifically allow for the land use.

The Franklin boardroom at town hall was packed with people interested in the issue but only a handful of people spoke during public comment — all of the speakers were in favor of allowing an indoor gun range under certain circumstances.

New Class Monday, Oct 12th 6:30 news

Franklin makes way for indoor gun range

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October 7-13, 2015

news

Long-time Haywood commissioner plans to not run again

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER aywood County Commission Chairman Mark Swanger publicly announced this week that he plans to retire from elected office next year and won’t be on the ballot when his seat comes up for election in fall of 2016.

It’s no secret that Swanger planned to step down from public life when his elected term was up next year. He’s been saying it for three years, making it clear during his last election in 2012 that it was his last.

But Swanger wanted to go on record in a public way so people would know it isn’t merely a rumor.

The definitive news of Swanger’s retirement from elected office will touch off a scramble of political maneuvering over the next two months. While the election itself is more than a year away, the sign-up window for candidates is rapidly approaching.

The filing period for candidates planning to run in 2016 is in December — a month earlier than normal now that the state has moved the primary up from May to March.

Swanger said his decision is completely a personal one — not driven by his wife wanting him to quit, an illness, or a desire to spend more time with grandchildren. Nearing 65, he simply wants a chance to live his own life.

“I have been doing public service since 1996 and it is just time to experience a little more freedom and a little bit less responsibility,” Swanger said.

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Swanger served as school board chairman from 1996 to 2002, and as a county commissioner since 2002.

As chairman, Swanger plays an incredibly active role. He’s not the sort who simply shows up to meetings and dials in his votes.

“To make good decisions you have to have good information and be sure of the accuracy of the information. At that point, the decision making becomes just a matter of judgment,” said Swanger, who’s a glutton for research and analysis.

But Swanger’s in-the-trenches style of leadership allows little time to peruse his own life.

His bucket list includes a trip on the TransSiberian Railway and a road tour across Canada from Nova Scotia to Lake Louise.

Swanger has led the county through many milestones during his long tenure as commissioner, including eight years as chairman.

He’s steered the county through painful budget cuts and staff reductions during the recession. He helped ensure the viability of Haywood Regional Medical Center by taking part in negotiating its sale to a larger hospital network. He’s taken proactive steps to insulate the county from exorbitant costs it would have otherwise faced to close out its landfill by negotiating a transfer of landfill operations to n private waste management company. And he’s upheld support for education, making Haywood County’s school system one of the better funded and, in turn, better performing public school systems in the state.

But it’s the routine county business that makes his role as commissioner a full-time job despite only a modest stipend of about $14,512 per year, with a $100 a month technology allowance and $200 a month travel allowance.

“There is a lot more to it than attending bi-monthly meetings and hearing what is going on,” Swanger said.

Mark Swanger.

Swanger’s not been without opponents, some of whom equated his hands-on style to micro-managing. But most of his past critics have come around over time, admitting he’s done well by the county, even donating to his last campaign.

When Swanger was first elected commissioner in 2002, the county board was often in the crosshairs, with large turn-outs at county meetings and public distrust These days, few pay much attention to what the commissioners do anymore, which Swanger reads as a vote of confidence in how the county does business. He chalks up the

shift in sentiment to transparency guidelines the county now follows.

“I think we have earned the trust of the citizens,” Swanger said. “You can look at our agendas and it is very clear what we are doing. People don’t assume bad motives automatically any more.”

While there’s been a marked absence of widespread controversy surrounding county government over the past decade, Swanger and his fellow commissioners have been vexed by a new breed of opponents: a small but persistent club of conservative activists, who Swanger equated to “anarchists” on a mission to “burn things down.”

“Some of the crazies, if government is for it, they are automatically against it. But you just have to navigate that,” Swanger said.

Swanger has been asked — begged even — not to step down, fearing a wide open race for his seat could set the stage for the anti-government faction to get a toehold on the county board.

But Swanger said it’s time. Two of the five commissioners seats will be up for election next year. Swanger’s seat is one of them. The other seat up for grabs is held by Kevin Ensley, a moderate Republican.

The other three seats on the board aren’t up for election until 2018, and Swanger said he has faith that those commissioners will stay the course no matter what the election outcome is in the short term.

“We have institutionalized good government,” Swanger said.

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October 7-13, 2015

Smoky Mountain News

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Friendly but formidable forum puts Waynesville town candidates on record

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER andidates for the Waynesville town board faced off in a forum last week before a packed crowd in the Haywood County historic courtroom.

Nine candidates took turns giving prepared stump speeches and answering impromptu questions on the spot. It was during this pop quiz portion of the forum that the most notable differences among candidates emerged.

Five of the nine candidates are entering the race as challengers. The other four are on the board already and running for re-election.

Few of the challengers have ever been to a town board meeting and admitted not being on the board put them at a disadvantage in talking knowledgeably about town affairs.

“People running for aldermen are kind of on the outside looking in,” said Challenger Kenny Mull.

Only two challengers — Jon Feichter and Phillip Gibbs — have started going to town board meetings the past couple months, after declaring their Gavin Brown candidacy.

But that didn’t stop a couple of the challengers from complaining about the lack of transparency and access to the decision-making process.

Jonnie Cure, a challenger for mayor, in particular talked about Jonnie Cure apathy as a plight that needed to be addressed.

“There is an apathy in our community regarding government. We have to fight that apathy,” Cure said.

Cure said she would like to see town government more inclusive and open.

“An exclusive know-it-all attitude is old school,” Cure said.

However, Cure has not attended town meetings or town public hearings herself.

Mayor Gavin Brown said his philosophy is indeed one of inclusion and collaboration, countering Cure’s dig with one of his own, targeting Cure’s reputation as a rabble-rouser.

“In my 17 years on the job, I have learned the most important characteristic you can have is the ability to get along. If you expect somebody who is going to be your mayor to stick their finger in your chest or thump their own chest, don’t vote for me,” Brown said. “We have a pluralistic community. We all have to come to the table and accommo24 date each other.”

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October 7-13, 2015

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Town board challenger Jon Feichter has been more plugged in to town affairs than some, due to his role on the town planning board, but also noted a disappointing level of apathy. He recalled an undertaking in 2011 to rewrite the town’s development ordinances line-by-line, a year-long process that culminated in a public hearing.

“I would have thought given the critical nature of this issue we would have people lined up out the door to comment on this.

Guess what? That’s not the way it was,” Feichter said.

Feichter offered a solution to bridge the divide.

“I would like to make us more active in seeking out public input, and I think one way we can do that is to go out in the field and engage our citizens. Why don’t we go to the public where they are?” Feichter said, suggesting town hall meetings held in Frog Level or the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville.

Mull seemed to share Cure’s opinion that town hall has an ivory tower mentality.

“I am tired of people running for elected office and then they get in there and promote their own agenda and don’t listen to people and y’all know what I am talking about,” Mull said. “If the majority of people feel one way about it, that’s the way I want to go. If someone has a concern I want them to come to me.”

KNOWING THE BUDGET ROPES

“We had three budget hearings announced in the paper, we went over the budget several times, sometimes on specific items,” Roberson said.

Mayor Gavin Brown also countered the idea of the budget being a tightly held secret.

“You want to see it? Just go online. You can see every item that’s in there,” Brown said.

Jonnie Cure, challenger for mayor, said there is a difference in making the budget available and making it understandable.

“I would insist that budget be expressed in laymen terminology so the common people can understand where their money is being spent. It is in accounting language that many of us cannot understand so it keeps us from asking important questions,” Cure said.

Brown disagreed.

“It is not in Greek ladies and gentleman, it is in English,” Brown said. And if you have

Brown the day before the forum to learn more about the budget, but had just started to dig into it.

Challenger Anthony Sutton was the only newcomer in the game who aced the budget question.

“The budget is 314 pages long, and I have read it from front to back,” Sutton said. He proceeded to break down the six major categories of the budget.

“I have read it from end to end. That’s what I do for a living,” said Sutton.

For the record, a hard copy of the budget is indeed on display at town hall, and a digital version on the website under the “finance” tab.

A similar theme emerged when candidates were asked to reflect on Waynesville’s 2020 plan, which proved difficult for some.

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Last week’s Waynesville candidate forum was hosted by The Mountaineer newspaper and moderated by the editor, Vicki Hyatt. You can watch it on The Mountaineer’s website at www.themountaineer.com.

When it came to questions about the town budget, responses ended up being less about the budget, and more about where you could get ahold of the town’s budget.

Challenger Kenny Mull said a copy of the budget should be available for anyone to see at town hall.

“That’s a public record I understand. You should have a copy of the budget available and put it on the desk at town hall so everyone can see it,” Mull said. “So everybody can look at it and know exactly where and what it is going to. It would make a lot of people happy and stop a lot of this stuff from going around.”

Alderman Leroy Roberson countered the accusation.

“The budget has always been available to anyone who ever wants to go by town hall,” Roberson said.

Roberson said the budget process isn’t a secret.

a question, “You can ask me, you can ask our finance director, you can ask our town manager, you can ask any department head.”

Brown ticked off major areas of the budget, citing police, fire, streets and so on.

Alderman Gary Caldwell said the budget isn’t a flash in the pan affair.

“We really research it for months and months. I think we have all done a good job.

I have to comment for all my guys that’s on the board, we have always been great for watching out on the town’s behalf for the budget,” Caldwell said.

Challenger Jon Feichter admitted that it is difficult to fully understand the decision-making process “as somebody who is not on the board, a little bit on the outside looking in.”

But he has availed himself of the open invitation Mayor Gavin Brown has extended to the challengers to go over the town’s budget any time, and had sat down with

Voter registration deadline approaching The voter registration deadline for the 2015 municipal election is Friday, Oct. 9.

The board of elections must receive your voter registration form by 5 p.m. on Friday for you to be eligible to vote.

Oct. 9 is also the deadline to update any information on your voter registration, including political affiliation and change of address.

Visit www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/updatingregistration to print off a registration form and turn in a completed form to the county board of elections office.

Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 22, and runs through 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

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Smoky Mountain News

“They are our frontline responders who “I don’t know much about it, but if I am elected, I will learn more about it,” Mull said. serve this community, and they are topnotch in the state,” Freeman said.

Challenger Phillip Gibbs made a similar Since challengers obviously couldn’t pledge. answer what accomplishment they were “I hope to be on the board one day so I most proud of, they were instead asked what can study it in detail,” Gibbs said. issue they would tackle if elected.

Challenger Jon Feichter had the best To a person, each of them cited the need working knowledge of the 2020 plan, given to be more business friendly, criticizing the his role on the town’s planning board. town for a reputation of being unaccommo“The 2020 plan is our stock and trade. It dating. Several believe the town’s aesthetic is essentially one of the things I think is standards for new businesses are too arduimportant to understand and revisit,” ous and want to see the regulations loosened Feichter said. to varying degrees.

He made a noble attempt to give a crash “We need to relax the restrictions that course on the original 2020 plan and subsecause people to come in here. We should not quent revisions to it in the short allotted deter. We should draw, we should make time he had to answer the question. way,” said challenger Phillip Gibbs.

Challenger Anthony Sutton said he had Challenger Jonnie Cure was the most critread the entire Waynesville 2020 plan — as ical of town development ordinances as he had the entire town budget — and supports it. It dovetails with his campaign slogan of “making Waynesville a better place to live, work and play.”

However, he said the next board All five seats on the Waynesville town board, should update the plan. including the mayor, are up for election. Nine Alderwoman Julia Freeman agreed. candidates are running for five seats on the “The work that went into the 2020 Waynesville town board this November: seven plan is incredible. But the plan is candidates for aldermen and two for mayor. All becoming outdated,” Freeman said. the current office holders are running for re-elecexcept one, Alderman Wells Greeley.

ORE TO COME tion Candidates include: • Mayor Gavin Brown, attorney Candidates who are currently alder• Mayor challenger Jonnie Cure, real estate men were asked to name the accom• Alderman Gary Caldwell, printing industry plishment they are most proud of.

• Alderman Leroy Roberson, retired optometrist Roberson had to think a moment, • Alderwoman Julia Freeman, nonprofit director and then pontificated on the imporof REACH tance of negotiating a new wholesale • Alderman Challenger Jon Feichter, owner of power contract.

New Meridian Technologies “As you know, the town of • Alderman Challenger Phillip Gibbs, retired Waynesville is going to be changing its from the Canton paper mill wholesale power provider,” Roberson • Alderman Challenger Kenny Mull, owner of said. “This new contract has the potenBob’s Sports Store tial to save quite a bit of money and • Alderman Challenger Anthony Sutton, increase the funds that will be available accounting manager at Biltmore Farms, an for the town.”

Asheville-based development firm.

Its importance is undeniable — the town makes a $1 million profit off the electric system to fund town operations. That cash cow was at risk in the face of being a business deterrent.

“That unspoken, undefined, unfriendly rising wholesale power rates, making it critiattitude they feel when they come here must cal to shop around and negotiate a more absolutely be eliminated,” Cure said. favorable wholesale power contract.

“Government must get out of our way. Let us But citing that as the town’s biggest win this game and other businesses will accomplishment was likely lost on much of come automatically and seek our success.” the audience, except the most astute of town Alderman Leroy Roberson said the town’s government followers.

Alderman Gary Caldwell named a crowd- regulations actually help ensure business success and keep the community vibrant. pleaser when it was his turn.

“I have seen what happens when you “Everybody knows what I am going to say. It’s going to be the skate park. It took me have no controls. It is called cancer. If you have no controls and let it go down a lot of 10 years, but we got it done,” Caldwell said, things can happen that can be a flash in the pumping his fist in the air to a rousing pan and then you can start ending up with round of applause. dead areas and vacancies,” Roberson said.

Caldwell said he didn’t do it alone, citing Challenger Jon Feichter said the anticommunity support and the rest of the business perception is a conundrum the board agreeing to fund it.

Mayor Gavin Brown later pointed out just town must address.

“I think in some ways that perception is how much the town’s cost was — more than $350,000 — during a debate on the merits of perhaps unfounded. But I will say in a lot of ways perception is reality,” Feichter said. cutting town expenses versus cutting taxes.

The theme will be explored thoroughly in Alderwoman Julia Freeman said one of upcoming coverage of the town election in her proudest accomplishments on the board The Smoky Mountain News between now has been providing adequate support to the and Election Day. town’s police and fire department.

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Lawsuit filed against former tribal leadership Council pay raise issue will go to court

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he day after Cherokee’s new chief and vice chief took their oaths of office, a lawsuit naming nearly all the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ elected leaders from the previous term found its way to the courthouse.

The lawsuit — which names nine of the 12 members of the 2013-15 Tribal Council, former Principal Chief Michell Hicks, former Vice Chief Larry Blythe, Deputy of Finance Kim Peone and four members of the 2011-13 Tribal Council — takes issue with the salary increases council voted itself last year. From the outset, the five-figure raises and back pay checks had aroused the ire of tribal members, prompting a group of them to band together to do something about it, under the name EBCI for Justice and Accountability.

“The illegal pay raises contributed to a climate of distrust of our Tribal Council and Executive Branch,” said Lea Wolfe, a member of the organization. “Tribal Council disregarded our laws as though they didn’t exist. They need to be held accountable.”

According to the tribe’s Charter and

October 7-13, 2015

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Governing Document, council can vote itself a pay raise, but members can receive the extra money only after the next election takes place and the new council is seated.

However, in October 2014, Tribal Council voted 9-1 to enact a budget that included raises of more than $10,000 apiece for councilmembers — effective immediately — as well as back pay for the years when they supposedly should have already been receiving the extra money. Some of the back pay checks totaled more than $30,000, and some of them went to former councilmembers who no longer held their seats when the raises were approved. Hicks and Blythe also received back pay checks.

Hicks, who was principal chief at the time and introduced the budget ordinance, told council that the raises were legal, as they were not technically raises but rather “pay adjustments” to comply with a 2004 ordinance that said council pay should increase at the same rate as that for tribal employees. Council hadn’t gotten a raise since 2007 when, incidentally, the sitting council had voted itself a $10,000 raise.

Council pay needed adjusting to comply with Cherokee code, Hicks said.

Interim Attorney General Hannah Smith had agreed with that point of view in council chambers, but a memo she wrote to Peone and Hicks in September 2014 said the oppo-

Who’s named in the suit?

■ Councilmembers from 2013-15: Terry Henry, Bill Taylor, Gene “Tunney” Crowe, Jr., Alan “B” Ensley, Albert Rose, Tommye Saunooke, Perry Shell, Adam Wachacha, David Wolfe, all named individually.

■ Councilmembers from before 2013-15: Diamond Brown, James, Owle, Michael Parker, James Taylor, all named individually.

■ Tribal employees: Kim Peone, in her official capacity as deputy of finance.

■ Chiefs: Former Principal Chief Michell Hicks and former Vice Chief Larry Blythe, named individually.

with members of Tribal Council to “violate Cherokee Code 117-15 (a) and the Charter and Governing Document.”

The suit requests a preliminary injunction on payouts of the hiked salaries — councilmembers now receive $80,600 per year, with higher salaries for the chair and vice chair — and reversal of the portion of the budget ordinance allowing the pay increases, as well as a return of salary raises and back pay already paid out.

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“Section 117-15 (a) of the Tribal Code states that the pay increases for Tribal Council members shall not exceed an amount appropriated in that fiscal year for tribal employees and that the pay increase shall not take effect until the next elected legislative body is seated,” she wrote.

Meghanne Burke, attorney with the Asheville-based firm Brazil & Burke, has been working with members of EBCI for Justice and Accountability to file a lawsuit since this spring, but the group decided to hold off on filing until after the tribe’s newly elected leadership was seated.

“We thought that we’d have a better opportunity for that once the Tribal Council and chief was sworn in,” Burke said, referencing the influence that the executive branch of Cherokee government has on its judicial branch. She felt that the suit might not have gotten a fair hearing if filed while Hicks was still chief.

The suit, filed in Tribal Court, contends that councilmembers acted illegally when they passed the budget and that Peone was at fault in her official capacity for carrying it out. It accuses Hicks and Blythe of civil conspiracy for introducing and failing to veto the budget ordinance containing the raises.

The suit contends that they knew it was illegal and had agreements with each other and

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New hospital building to open in Cherokee news

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will celebrate the completion of the new $80 million, 150,000square-foot Cherokee Indian Hospital building in Cherokee with a ribbon cutting and tour 10 a.m.

Thursday, Oct. 15.

“We believe the new building will help us foster an environment of wellness so our patients don’t just come to us when they are sick, they come to us as friends and partners in wellness,” said Casey Cooper, a tribal member who has led the hospital as CEO for the past 10 years.

The new pharmacy department will open for service Monday, Oct. 19, with the rest of the hospital seeing patients beginning Nov. 16.

The project has been nearly two years in the making through a partnership between the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, Design Strategies and Robins and Morton Construction Company.

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Smoky Mountain News

Burke also questions the validity of the budget ordinance itself, alleging that it was not enacted during an official council session. Tribal Council enacted the budget ordinance at the end of a budget hearing, rather than during a regularly scheduled Tribal Council meeting.

“Traditionally, no official acts are taken during budget hearings,” Burke said. “That’s just an opportunity for council to hear from different groups.”

Many of the trappings of a traditional meeting, such as roll call, representation from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other formalities were missing at the budget hearing where the budget was passed, Burke said.

“There’s an interesting question for the court, which is, is a budget that was passed outside of official session an official law?” Burke said.

The defendants will have 30 days to respond to the claims, with a request for a 30-day extension likely. Burke is requesting a trial by jury in Tribal Court.

“I think it’s evident that this has provoked the ire of the people, and people are paying attention,” she said.

Hicks declined to comment for the story, as he hadn’t yet seen a copy of the lawsuit when contacted. Neither Blythe nor Shenan Rae Atcitty, a Washington, D.C., attorney who had been working with councilmembers after Burke sent a demand letter apprising them of the impending suit this spring, returned a request for comment by press time.

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October 7-13, 2015

Haywood County Schools Foundation needs help buying children’s books for its two new pre-K classrooms.

“Both classrooms are in desperate need of books,” said Doris Hammett, a Haywood pediatrician. “We have written for grants to provide funding for the books, none of which have been funded at this point.”

The foundation is looking for $3,800 to buy a complete pre-K classroom library. Send checks payable to Haywood County Schools Foundation to 1230 N. Main Street, Waynesville N.C. 28786 or contact Jenny Wood, jwood@haywood.k12.nc.us or 828.456.2441 ext.

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Agencies join forces to address elk concerns

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR lk and humans are still trying to figure out how to cohabitate in Western North Carolina since the herd was re-introduced to the Cataloochee Valley in 2001.

With elk-related accidents receiving more media attention recently, wildlife and law enforcement agencies and community members have joined forces to reduce the number of elk-related accidents and create a more positive interaction between elk and humans in the area.

Mike Eveland, a Maggie Valley alderman and manager of the Maggie Valley Inn, said elk were a great asset and loved by tourists coming to the valley. However, that positive seems to get overshadowed by the negative publicity over elk-related accidents.

“We want it to be safer for the elk,” he said at a recent elk task force meeting. “We want people to be excited about them being here instead of the negative publicity.”

The task force includes representatives from the town of Maggie Valley, Maggie Valley Police Department, N.C. Wildlife Commission, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Smoky Mountain News

October 7-13, 2015

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Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall, Chief Deputy Jeff Haynes with the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office and Sgt. Roger Smith with the N.C. Highway Patrol also attended the last task force meeting to offer input.

Since forming the elk task force last month, Maggie Valley Police Chief Scott Sutton said he’s received a lot of positive feedback on the effort and plenty of interest from people who want to get involved.

“We’ve had an unbelievable amount of phone calls from people asking what they can do to volunteer or help,” he told fellow task force members.

SIGNS AND SPEED LIMITS It’s a multi-faceted issue and is not an easy fix by any means. Installing more warning signs and decreasing the speed limits along U.S. 19 from Maggie Valley to Cherokee might seem like a quick and easy solution, but Scott Cook, Division 14 Traffic Engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, told officials it probably wouldn’t be effective.

“If there are other locations where elk are crossing, we’d certainly entertain the idea of putting up more signs there, but we don’t want a sign every 50 feet,” he said.

Increasing numbers of elk are wandering out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and causing accidents along U.S. 19 between Maggie Valley and Cherokee. File photo Maggie Valley Town Manager Nathan Clark said there were already two elk crossing signs in the town limits and two more between Soco Road and the Jackson County line. The signs seem arbitrary since many of the elk-related accidents on the highway involve local residents who should be aware of the elk crossings.

Sutton also asked about adding flashing lights to the existing warning signs to make them more visible, but Cook said the task force would need to find a funding source. Installing two flashing light signs would cost about $12,000, but again, Cook said studies show the flashers don’t change driving behavior.

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As far as trying to reduce the speed limit on U.S. 19, Cook said the DOT wasn’t in favor of posting a speed limit lower than 45 miles per hour outside the town limits on Soco Road where the most crossings seem to be. He said a speed study done six months ago shows that most people are driving 55 miles per hour.

“If you try to artificially lower the speed limit it doesn’t work that well,” he said.

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October 7-13, 2015

The elk task force meetings have also been beneficial because it has allowed different agencies to be on the same page when it comes to responding to elk-related accidents.

Sutton said it had been a learning process for his officers on how to properly put down an elk following an accident. The park service has a suggested protocol for how to humanely put down an injured elk.

“You have to have the right weapon to do it in one humane shot,” Sutton said. “Some elk you can get closer to than others, but officers typically want to shoot it like they would a deer.”

Yarkovich said the protocol was to put an elk down with one close-range shot to the neck using a rifle.

That creates a problem for highway patrolmen. Sgt. Rogers said the state was no longer purchasing shotguns or rifles for patrolmen. He also said the highway patrol had been instructed not to kill elk because they are a federally protected animal and to call the Wildlife Commission instead.

“But sometimes we can’t wait for wildlife officers to get there,” Rogers said.

Mike Carraway, N.C. Wildlife Commission regional supervisor, said he would get to the bottom of that issue because it’s the commission’s rule that the first law enforcement officer on scene is responsible for making the call on whether to put down an elk.

“If you feel it needs to be put down on site then you can do it,” he said.

“We all agree it’s the humane thing to do, but agencies are afraid to do it because we get blasted on social media and in the news,” Haynes said.

All agencies discussed coming up with a written protocol with dealing with injured or dead elk so that there is no question about how to handle those situations.

Inventory Reduction Sale

news

al tracts of land with conservation easements to give elk more space near the areas where they seem to be congregating the most, including a tract on Black Camp Gap Road.

Members said managing those properties outside of the park for elk could help or it could just mean more elk roaming around Maggie Valley in the long-term.

Task force member Jim Blyth said it appeared that the most accidents were occurring during the elk rut season, which is when the elk breed in the fall.

Wildlife biologists Justin McVey and Joe Yarkovich said their data showed that accidents were spread out throughout the year but more occurred in the spring and summer months.

“Since I’ve been recording data, there’s not any more accidents during the rut,” McVey said. “There’s just more media attention to it this year, but the number of accidents has been about the same.”

The task force also talked about installing educational elk kiosks in the town parks — Sutton said that is where the volunteers could come in handy. Volunteers wanting to help with the elk safety dilemma could form a committee and take turns giving educational talks at the kiosks and answer questions from tourists.

It’s a concept similar to the Elk Bugle Corps used by the National Park Service. The corps is made up of more than 80 volunteers who provide elk information for visitors.

Yarkovich said the program is extremely beneficial but takes multiple training sessions a year to make sure volunteers continue to provide the right messages the park wants to get out to visitors.

“It’s a great asset but just don’t think you can get it set up and forget about it,” he said.

Joyce Cooper, Volunteer State Chair for the rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, said Maggie Valley could become an elk destination just like Cherokee with the right resources.

“An elk visitor center in Maggie Valley would be a great idea,” said Yarkovich, a wildlife biologist for the National Park

Quality of life summit at WCU

Donate to the turkey drive It’s turkey drive time again for the Maggie Valley Area Lodging Association, whose goal is to put a Thanksgiving dinner on the table for as many disadvantaged families in Haywood County as possible.

Through a partnership with the Waynesville Ingles, a full meal can be purchased for $25 and then goes to a family identified by Haywood County’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Send checks for $25 or more made out to MVALA Turkey Drive to P.O. Box 1175, Maggie Valley, N.C. 28751 or pay online at www.visitmaggie.com.

Smoky Mountain News

A one-day summit discussion regional quality of life issues will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Western Carolina University under the theme “Enhancing the Quality of Life in Western North Carolina.”

In its second year, LEAD:WNC calls on representatives from sectors including government, health care, tourism and everything in between to lend their voice.

Speakers will include Jeff Seraphine, president of the Eastern Group of Lifepoint Health; Harry R. Phillips, chief medical officer for Duke Lifepoint; and Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital. A variety of panels pulling in experts from many different fields will also be held. $109 registration. 828.227.3014 or dshopkins@wcu.edu. leadwnc.wcu.edu.

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Recycling business starts up in Haywood A

multi-step system of chutes and funnels and bins and forklifts zipping about. The footprint of the metal building would be about 1.5 acres. If the company succeeds, he plans to expand with two more buildings.

Allison has been in the research and development phase of the venture for a couple of years.

“A lot of thought and time has been put into this,” Allison said.

The company has one operation on the ground in Virginia. Allison envisions Regional Recycling Solutions growing to include a dozen or more facilities, with Haywood County serving as the corporate headquarters.

“We are really impressed with the site. It is absolutely beautiful,” Allison said of the 55acre tract he plans to buy in the county’s industrial park near Canton along Interstate 40.

Coming next week Some residents are concerned about the impact Regional Recycling Solutions’ new facility could have on the Beaverdam community. Read more about the concerns and the owner’s response to those concerns in next week’s edition.

Bird in the hand?

Haywood leaders offer deal on land in the name of jobs

H

Donated illustration

monetary value on its face, but after sorting it and accumulating a critical mass, it becomes a commodity that another factory somewhere else could actually use.

“All we do in this facility is separate materials and send them on,” Allison said.

While the operation doesn’t include a production or manufacturing side, industries that use recycled materials could be drawn to the area to be close to the source of their raw material.

“When you attract one resource, it is not unusual to attract another business to the county that uses that resource so they don’t have to ship,” County Manager Ira Dove said.

That’s the kind of spin-off county leaders believe is possible, a theory backed by some number crunching by a Western Carolina University economics professor who assessed the proposed operation’s economic impact for the county.

industrial sector anymore, according to Mark Clasby, economic development director for the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and county.

“Could you hold out? It is unlikely we could get a company with 500 jobs,” Clasby said.

And while 10 acres of the 55-acre tract had been graded, the rest of it is hilly. Clasby said its contour makes it nearly unmarketable.

Learn more A public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at the historic courthouse in Waynesville on the incentive the county is offering — namely the discounted land price.

“In today’s world, if you don’t have a shovel-ready site, you aren’t in the game,” Clasby said, adding it would cost a “fortune” to grade the rest of the site.

The county isn’t likely to undertake costly site grading on speculation of attracting industry again, so the site was destined to languish indefinitely, Clasby said.

So Regional Recycling Solutions seemed like the best chance the county had.

“The land has been sitting there, and we have been marketing it, to no avail,” Commissioner Mark Swanger said.

Swanger actually set the ball in motion to bring the company to Haywood County. The start-up company was initial-

“Industries gravitate toward resources and supplies,” Commissioner Mark Swanger said.

Allison is a Western North Carolina native, from the Etowah community on the Henderson-Transylvania county line. He operates a family-owned commercial nursery and owns the Transylvania County Airport.

Allison had initially proposed the recycling facility in the Hominy area of Buncombe County. But Allison faced stout opposition from neighbors who feared it would ruin the character of their community, and it was denied a development permit under Buncombe County zoning rules this summer.

Haywood County has no zoning rules, however, a throwback to the private property rights mantra that anyone can build anything they want, anywhere they want.

The tract where Allison plans to locate is in the Beaverdam Industrial Park, specifically designated for industrial use dating back to its creation in the 1990s.

ly trying to locate in Buncombe County, but it faced zoning hurdles due to opposition from the surrounding community.

Swanger had followed the story on the news and suggested cold-calling the owner.

“I said, ‘Let’s call him up and talk to him.’ At the time, we didn’t know if they were suitable or a good fit for Haywood County, but once we researched it, it is a good fit,” Swanger said.

Commissioner Kevin Ensley pointed to an intangible economic benefit the county may reap as well: the ability to market itself as a hotspot for green industry.

“We are going to be on the cutting edge,” Ensley said.

County Manager Ira Dove said the operation would help with the long-standing goal of diversifying the economy, and could open doors for more in the same vein.

“We are hoping for a broader economic impact being one of the first ones to have a facility with this type of new technology,” Dove said.

The company will initially build one facility and hire 30 employees, with average salaries of $29,000 plus benefits, with a handful of higher-paid managers. If successful, it would expand with two more facilities on site and hire another 40 people.

Clasby also pointed out the county will get around $100,000 a year in property taxes from the company should all three phases come to fruition.

As a designated industrial park tract, it has legal deed restrictions in place that prevent it from being used for retail or residential purposes, so Regional Recycling Solutions would not be permitted to carve off the part it doesn’t want for a shopping or housing development.

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Smoky Mountain News

aywood County plans to give Regional Recycling Solutions a deal on a 55-acre tract in the Beaverdam Industrial Park off Interstate 40 near Canton in exchange for promised job creation.

The county is willing to sell the tract for $450,000 — about $330,000 less than it’s actually worth — in hopes of spurring economic development.

In exchange for the land discount, the company pledges to create 70 jobs in three phases over the next 5 to 7 years, totaling $24 million in capital investment.

If the company fails to produce the jobs or capital investment as promised, the reduced price on the land would be voided. The company would be obligated to pay off the $330,000 discount it previously got, according to “claw back” terms in the agreement.

The county spent $700,000 grading a portion of the tract in 2007 to make it shovel-ready in hopes of enticing industry.

The deal with Regional Recycling Solutions isn’t a huge coup given what the county put into the site — 70 jobs, and only 30 of those upfront with the rest contingent on expansion should the start-up company prove successful.

But it’s honestly the best the county can hope for in the

A cutaway view of the phase one building.

October 7-13, 2015

He predicts recycling will become a robust industry as the landfill model becomes passé and no longer practical. Allison wants to be on the ground floor of the movement to capture and commoditize those recyclables.

The business model is similar to a clearinghouse. He acquires waste that’s got little

news

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER new company that sorts and resells recyclable materials announced its plans this week to locate in Haywood County, adding a minimum of 30 jobs to the local economy and as many as 70 at full build out.

Sorting is done by advanced automated machinery. The technology comes from Europe, where there are rigorous and stringent rules governing what can be thrown away and what must be recycled.

“Everything is recycled in some fashion or another,” said Ken Allison, the entrepreneur behind Regional Ken Allison Recycling Solutions.

The recycling facility is a new business venture for Allison, who is from the Hendersonville area. He believes there is an unmet demand for an operation that can efficiently capture and commoditize recyclables in the larger region.

While most of us think about the bag of tin cans, glass jars and milk jugs under our sink when we here recycling, Allison’s operating on a much larger scale.

He plans to procure scraps from commercial and industrial sources — like the plastic, metal and rubber trimmings that come from the BMW plant in Greenville, South Carolina.

Allison doesn’t anticipate household recyclables accounting for much of his volume.

The sorting operation would be housed at the Beaverdam Industrial Park inside a long, rectangular warehouse-style building, with a

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

America’s ‘culture of me’ has got to change I

Don’t buy the corporate charm offensive To the Editor: This week we’ve heard from the BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism at Western Carolina University, hyping the corporate dog and pony show at WCU on Oct. 5, preaching the morality of the free market.

According to Wikipedia: “The BB&T Corporation (Branch Banking & Trust) is the 10th largest commercial bank in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, with around $200 billion in assets.

“In late 2008 the bank accepted $3.1 billion in bailout money through the sale of its preferred shares to the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

“In May 2008, the BB&T Charitable Foundation had given 25 U.S. colleges and universities ‘several million dollars’ to fund programs promoting Ayn Rand’s work and economic philosophy.”

My question is, why would a business, whose goal is to maximize profit, give away several million dollars to 25 universities, especially right before receiving federal bailout money?

“culture of me” do not support spending on education unless their own children are in school, and perhaps not then. They do not support spending on mental health — or for that matter, any kind of health care — unless and until the crisis comes knocking one day on their own door.

And perhaps not then.

So why this sudden change in stance on mental health? Because they sense that the tide may finally be turning on the gun control issue, and supporting the restoration of some funding for mental health certainly beats any possibility of even the most basic and sensiColumnist ble gun legislation. That is why you are hearing all of this talk of this latest shooting in Oregon as another symptom of the country’s problem with mental health and not a symptom of our out of control gun culture.

Friends, when you hear people propose that what this country needs is MORE guns, when they posit America as Dodge City with fantasies of people having shootouts on the streets (or in schools, or in theaters, and so on) as a potential remedy, you know that the inmates have taken over the asylum.

I do not doubt that, on some level, they believe what they are saying, as the illusion of power and control is part of the gun fetish, just as the idea that having a gun in your home makes you safer, when every reliable study not funded by the National Rifle Association demonstrates that a gun in the home is much more likely to be used to kill or injure someone in the home rather than an intruder. The “culture of me” teaches us that WE will be the exception, that WE would have the wherewithal and the skill to shoot a would be mass killer, that WE would have the nerve and the aim to shoot an intruder and the good sense to somehow hide our guns from our children

Chris Cox

f we are ever going to have any hope of stemming the bloody tide of mass shootings — which happens in our country with such depressing regularity that we might pause for a day to shake our heads before moving on with the awful knowledge that absolutely nothing will be done about it — then we must first agree with the all-powerful gun lobby that no single piece of gun legislation is going to make much of a difference in stopping the bloodshed.

They are right — we do not need one piece of gun legislation. Or two. Or three. We need to change the entire gun culture, and not just the gun culture, but the “culture of me.”

So what is this “culture of me”? It is a culture in which citizens exalt their own rights and privileges above all other concerns, even the public good, even the lives of school children. It is a culture of complete hypocrisy, one in which a person can, on the one hand, admit that teachers are underpaid, while on the other hand fail to support even one pro-education referendum if it raises their taxes by one thin dime. We say we want quality education, but when it comes right down to it, we are not willing to pay for it. In fact, we are more likely to blame the teachers if schools in our area are not performing up to standards, rather than looking at the lack of funding as a probable cause.

As far as the mass killings are concerned, I have been hearing quite a bit of noise from the “culture of me” that the real issue is not guns, but poor funding for mental health in this country. Glad someone finally noticed. This has been a national crisis for some time, as some $4.3 billion in funding for mental health spending was cut from states’ budgets between the years 2009 to 2012.

Why? Because such spending reeks of “big government,” which is anathema to the “culture of me.” So what is big government? Loosely defined, it is spending on anything or anyone other than me and the things that affect me. Citizens of the

That money is hard at work at WCU and around the country, funding corporate propaganda, trying to convince us that behemoth corporations are looking out for our best interests.

Since the recession (caused by the big banks, resulting in millions of Americans losing their jobs and/or homes), almost all of the U.S. economic growth has gone to the top 10 percent. Wages/buying power are stagnant, actually at early 1970s levels counting inflation, while corporate upper management bonuses rocket skyward. The only way working families survive is to go further into debt, and the big banks profit from that with their credit cards. It’s a vicious cycle for us, a profitable one for them.

To be clear, I am all for small c capitalism, mom-and-pop shops, honest competition and entrepreneurs. But when a company amasses billions of dollars, buys lobbyists and gives untold millions to buy politicians and installs propagandists at our universities, we have a fundamental problem that undermines our democratic republic.

This is why I’m voting for Bernie Sanders for president, and other candidates who are willing to take on the big banks, big corporations and corruption in general. Our founding

while also making them quickly accessible in the event of a break-in.

Look, I actually support a reasonable approach to private gun ownership, but the idea that it should be unfettered, that there should be no restrictions whatsoever on the buying and possession of any weapon or any volume of weapons of one’s choosing is not just ludicrous, but among the very worst symptoms of the “culture of me.”

Indeed, this bizarre misinterpretation of the Second Amendment is a fairly recent phenomenon. For more than a century, the courts interpreted the Second Amendment to emphasize the first clause regarding “a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state,” and not as an individual right. Former Chief Justice Warren Burger, a conservative justice appointed by President Richard Nixon, characterized the reinterpretation of the Second Amendment as ‘one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word ‘fraud’, on the American public.”

Of course, here in the “culture of me,” the Second Amendment is not vaguely written, anachronistic, or completely open-to-interpretation. It is a sacred promise handed down on a stone tablet by the Founding Fathers that Americans can have all the weapons they want.

No, one piece of legislation isn’t going to do it, but we can no longer accept that as an excuse not to do anything at all. We have to try, and to keep trying. We must refuse to bow down to the political power of the gun lobby and the delusions of those in its sway. It will take time and effort to make a significant change, to change the “culture of me” to the “culture of we.”

But we need to do it, and we need to get started right now.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. His more recent book of essays, The Way We Say Goodbye, is available in regional bookstores and online. www.jcrhiscox@live.com.)

fathers did not envision us living in a corporate oligarchy.

Dan Kowal Franklin

Help children stay warm with clothing donation To the Editor: October is the last month for donations to the 2015 Coats for Kids of Jackson County Coat and Warm Clothing Drive. In addition to donating, you can help by participating in two fundraising events this week to benefit the nonprofit, now in its seventh year of helping Jackson County children stay warm.

The first event will be from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Two Chicks Boutique, 1336 East Main Street, Sylva. As part of Two Chicks Boutique’s grand opening, 10 percent of the proceeds of sales that day, as well as a silent auction inside the store, will go to help Coats for Kids.

The second event is from 8 a.m. until noon this Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Jackson County Farmer’s Market in Sylva, when folks may bring new and gently used children’s warm clothing items to donate.

If you have new or gently used children’s items to donate such as coats, warm clothing, hats, gloves, shoes, and scarves, you can also drop off items through Oct. 31 at Sylva WalMart (inside store, on household side), Cullowhee United Methodist Church, or Sylva Habitat for Humanity Re-Sale Store. Also needed are donations of unopened packages of diapers, wipes and new socks and underwear. Monetary donations may be sent to the nonprofit at Coats for Kids of Jackson County, P.O. Box 164, Cullowhee, N.C., 28723. All donations help to ensure local children stay warm this winter.

Distribution Day will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Sylva First United Methodist Church. Items will be available free of charge for any parent/guardian who needs warm winter items for their children. Children must be present to receive items and distribution is a first come-first serve event. While supplies last, families will also receive a gift card for food.

For more information about Coats for Kids of Jackson County, contact Director Christy Rowe at coats4kidsjc@frontier.com or call the Coats for Kids office at 828.293.3678.

Rose Garret Sylva

tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 APPLE ANDY'S RESTAURANT 3483 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.944.0626. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Wednesday and Thursday. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. Serving the freshest homemade sandwiches, wraps, and entrees such as country fried steak and grilled flounder. Full salad bar and made from scratch sides like potato salad, pinto beans and macaroni and cheese. www.appleandys.com APPLE CREEK CAFE 32 Felmet St., Waynesville.

828.456.9888. Open Monday-Friday with lunch form 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and family-style dinner 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Home to an extensive build your own sandwich menu as well as specialty salads, soups burgers and more. With local ingredients and madefrom-scratch recipes using a variety of good-for-you ingredients Apple Creek Cafe is sure to become your favorite spot.

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

Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; 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.

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

828.452.1313. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturaday & Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers.

We use 1st quality fresh not pre-prepared products to make sure you get the best food

313-84

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Book Your Family or Company Holiday Party Now! ONSITE: UP TO 25 PEOPLE OFFSITE CATERING: UP TO 200 PEOPLE

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October 7-13, 2015

Twin Maples

42 Montgomery St. Waynesville 11-3 Monday-Saturday

CALL IN YOUR ORDER:

828.452.7837

3 blocks from Main St. in Waynesville

Smoky Mountain News

We’ll feed your spirit, too.

Cataloochee Ranch 33

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Casual, affordable, family-friendly, fun... these are all things you’ll experience when you dine with us. Your family is our family. We look forward to serving you.

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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.

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.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch every day from 12 till 2 p.m. Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting), 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 herbbaked 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 6pm, and dinner is served starting at 7pm. So join us for mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

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.

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.

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

828.926.1820 Open Daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

FILLING STATION DELI 145 Everett St., Bryson City, 828.488.1919.

Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays (in October) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Locals always know best, and this is one place they know well. From the highquality hot pressed sandwiches and the huge portions of hand-cut fries to the specialty frozen sandwiches and homemade Southern desserts, you will not leave this top-rated deli hungry.

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

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

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

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

Lunch Saturday and Sunday noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner nightly starting at 4:30 p.m.

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

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. 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.

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

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

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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

REEKSIDE COYSTER HOUSE & GRILL

313-88

Contact Brenna Moore at

828-926-4816

on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

Franklin NC 28734

Full Bar • Creekside Dining Specialty Sandwiches Crafted Beer & Moonshine

TUESDAY: 75¢ Oysters after 4pm WEDNESDAY: AYCE Fish & Shrimp THURSDAY: AYCE Crab Leg FRIDAY: Surf-N-Turf Special SATURDAY: Seafood Trio Special SUNDAY: Low Country Boil

Next to the new Super Walmart & Verizon

828.586.1985 • CLOSED MONDAYS

828.349.9800

Exit 85 to Skyland Dr., two blocks from McDonalds

438 Skyland Drive • Sylva

tasteTHEmountains

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.668.2326. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Happily committed to brewing and serving innovative, uniquely delicious coffees — and making the world a better place. 100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor.

Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest, all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

PAPERTOWN GRILL 153 Main St., Canton. 828.648.1455 Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Serving the local community with great, scratch-made country cooking. Breakfast is served all day. Daily specials including Monday meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Thursdays and Friday fish.

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday.

Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoors, outside on the patio or at the bar. Reservations appreciated.

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.

SOUTHERN BOOT, LOUISIANA CUISINE 67 Branner Avenue, Waynesville.

828.246.0053 Lunch served from MondaySaturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner served Monday-Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m & Thursday Saturday 5 to 9 p.m. Southern Boot serves delicious Louisianian food while providing a friendly music venue for musicians of all ages. Feel at home no matter where you’re from. Greeting all customers at the door with a smile.

LIVE LIVE Music Music

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A traditional pretzel bread with local Lusty Monk Mustard mixed right into the dough and topped with a sprinkle of salt.

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TAP ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Dr. Waynesville 828.456.5988. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Enjoy soups, sandwiches, salads and hearty appetizers along with a full bar menu in our casual, smoke-free neighborhood grill.

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TWIN MAPLES FARMHOUSE 63 North Hill Street, Waynesville.

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

www.CityLightsCafe.com

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

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

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Friday, Friday, October October 9 @ 7pm 7pm

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Nutrition Facts

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Smoky Mountain News

313-46

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 7-13, 2015

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Waynesville tradition, the Smoky Mountain Sub Shop has been serving great food for over 20 years. Come in and enjoy the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Sub breads are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville. Using only the freshest ingredients in home-made soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County. Locally owned and operated.

Restaurant Restaurant

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36

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

SMN: How does winning “Bass Player of the Year” compare to other accolades?

TS: It’s kind of surreal. Because you’re in a category of people who I’ve bought a lot of records of. Mark Schatz, he plays with The Claire Lynch Band now. But, for years in the 1980s, he played in the Tony Rice Unit. And, for me, Tony Rice was the guy that got me interested in bluegrass. I mean, I’ve always loved bluegrass, but Tony was the one who got me into playing it, and Mark was on all those great records from back then. And as soon as I won the award and was sent back into the crowd, Mark is standing right next to me. He congratulated me, and I confessed to him I stole every lick I had from him. [Laughs]. I love to play the bass. I don’t play upright bass because we need it, I play it because I love it. I love the instrument, I love the way it sounds, the way it’s part of a bluegrass band.

When I was playing with Tony Rice, he’d say, “Man, you’re the planet and we’re going to get out there and play around you in outer space.

And you’re the planet we come home to.”

SMN: And you won “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” too.

TS: To be recognized by the bluegrass world is one thing, but to be recognized for the charity work we do, it’s just really nice. It means a lot. We give back to the community because we’re part of it. It’s for people we know, people we care about. I don’t know how someone could say no to someone right in the eye when asked to help out with a charity event. Charity begins at home. We’ve got plenty to take care of in Haywood County and Western North Carolina. [Editor’s note: Balsam Range recently raised $10,000 at a benefit for a family who lost their home in a fire.]

Haywood County-based Balsam Range onstage at the International Bluegrass Music Association award show in Raleigh. The quintet won ‘Vocal Group of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year.’

Todd Powers photo

Bringing It Back Home Local acts win big at IBMAs

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER t was another banner year for Western North Carolina bluegrass acts at the International Bluegrass Music Association awards in Raleigh last Thursday evening.

Despite torrential downpours, and the possible threat of Hurricane Joaquin making landfall, the industry showcase once again brought together musicians, promoters and bluegrass fans alike for a week of memorable moments, onstage and off.

“IBMAs were absolutely nuts this year,” said Tim Surrett, bassist for Haywood Countybased ensemble Balsam Range. “Between performances, meetings, workshops, and the award show, there was something always going on, which I’m grateful for. It’s getting bigger and bigger every year, with bluegrass really being on the rise these days.”

As the reigning “Entertainer of the Year,” Balsam Range watched The Earls of Leicester pick up the honor this year, but the quintet defended their title of “Vocal Group of the Year” and once again brought home “Song of the Year” for “Moon Over Memphis.” The band also was decorated by Gov. Pat McCrory with “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” the highest civilian honor in the state for a proven record of service in North Carolina.

“I’ve only ever seen one ‘Order of the Long Leaf Pine’ award in my life,” Surrett said. “So, Sen. Jim Davis goes up there and

I

lists off who else has received it. He says Billy Graham, Andy Griffith, Michael Jordan, and after that I didn’t hear anything else. You’ve got to be kidding me, right? It was incredible.”

Lead singer for Jackson County-based Mountain Faith, Summer McMahan received her first IBMA with the “Momentum Award – Vocalist,” which spotlights the finest up-andcoming bluegrass outfits.

“I don’t have words to describe how excited I was to receive the Momentum Award,” McMahan said. “I love what I do so much, and it’s such an honor to be recognized by the IBMAs.” And though his group returned to Haywood County triumphant, it was Surrett himself who seemingly had the best week in Raleigh.

Alongside his awards with Balsam Range, the musician also won “Bass Player of the Year” and was selected to be the incoming chairman of the IBMA Board of Directors — as much an honor as a responsibility to not only preserve bluegrass music, but also perpetuate it into the next generation of picker and listeners.

Smoky Mountain News: Balsam Range has seemingly won every award possible at the IBMAs. Does it ever get old?

Tim Surrett: No, it never gets old. If we win a bucket load every year, then that’s fine, because it’s validation and verification that we’re on the right track.

Tim Surrett, bassist for Balsam Range. At this year’s IBMA award show, the Haywood County native won ‘Bass Player of the Year’ and was also selected to be the incoming chairman of the IBMA Board of Directors. Donated photo

“I don’t play upright bass because we need it, I play it because I love it. I love the instrument, I love the way it sounds, the way it’s part of a bluegrass band.”

— Tim Surrett

SMN: The bass in a bluegrass band is like a drummer in a rock band. It’s the anchor and it also steers the ship.

TS: Exactly. I had to do the IBMA bass workshop yesterday and I told them that the bass player in a bluegrass is like a jazz drummer.

With a jazz drummer they’re going nuts and it doesn’t even sound like there’s a rhythm, to where it seems like they’re off doing their own thing. But, if watch that drummer’s high hat, you’ll see that steady rhythm setting the foundation for the rest of the group to play off of.

SMN: You got selected as chairman of the IBMAs. What are some of your objectives with this position?

TS: There’s a lot of moving parts with the IBMAs, and I don’t even know it all, even after being on the board the last three years, which isn’t a long time. We’ve got some fence mending to do. We want to expand membership. I’m working with people I met this week from the West Coast to connect our organization. Did you know the California Bluegrass Association has more members than the IBMAs? We’re looking also for move involvement from European and other international areas. I met people at IBMAs from all over the world this past week.

SMN: And the idea of getting new blood into the IBMAs. TS: Sure, this music needs to perpetuate.

The hard part is putting on the Wide World of Bluegrass. Do you put on “hippy bands,” for the lack of a better way to put it, or do we try to go the traditional way we’ve always done in bluegrass?

SMN: And that’s been the eternal conflict within the bluegrass world since the beginning.

TS: Exactly. And I tell folks who talk about tradition and sticking to it, and I say, “You know, Bill Monroe had an accordion in his band, right?” He was not trying to make traditional music, he was trying to make new ground. And Earl Scruggs was the Eddie Van Halen of his day, he did something nobody had ever heard, and people went crazy for it. He was not the harbinger of traditional music, he was an innovator.

When I heard Tony Rice, it blew my mind and opened my eyes, and I wanted to see where it came from. I got into it and went backwards. It’s younger people in front of the old guard, and older folks in front of the up-and-coming acts — it’s the survival of bluegrass.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Abbie Morin and Tom Pearo. Monika Rivard photo

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

SMN: In the heat of a performance, where do you go in your head?

AM: Every single part of my body is transmitting only the message. It can be overwhelming to go there sometimes. It can get pretty raw, or very sentimental, because I’m consistently revisiting the same memories over and over again. That being said, I can only go as deep as the audience will let me. If I feel the energy of the people in the room supporting me, I know I’m safe to reach into those dark places. It’s different every time, and that’s okay. That’s the beauty of live music.

TP: When everything is clicking I’m in meditation mode — there are no thoughts are going through my mind. I’m totally immersed in the waters of creativity and just like when you’re exercising hard or making love you aren’t thinking, you’re doing. I’ve been trying to do that a lot lately, not think so much, just do. It’s hard, but I’ve seen the light and I can’t turn back now.

Editor’s Note: Abbie Morin and Tom Pearo will be performing at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall in Asheville.

They will also be performing at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Water’n Hole Bar in Waynesville. www.abbiemorin.com.

The Choice is

October 7-13, 2015

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Smoky Mountain News

He sat two seats up from me.

In seventh grade advanced algebra class, Tom Pearo was your typical late-1990s kid. A bowl cut atop his head, with A regional breast cancer charity truck show, Airwalk everything for attire, I “Beards for Boobs” will be held from noon to first noticed him when he turned 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Cherokee around to talk to Susan Seymour.

Expo Center.

And the reason I took note was that I wanted to talk to Susan The 25th annual Chili Cook-Off will be held myself. When I first entered the from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at classroom and sat down, I the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Depot in already made plans to lean forBryson City. ward, tap her shoulder, introduce Writer Ron Rash will discuss his latest novel myself, perhaps even get a house Above the Waterfall at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. phone number.

17, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

But, Tom beat me to it. He was already across enemy lines. I also The Church Street Art & Craft Show will be tried to keep pace, to which neiheld from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. ther of us made much ground 10, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville. before our teacher Mr. Menard told us to “turn around and pay Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) attention.” And though Susan will have The DuPont Brothers wasn’t having any of our advances, (Americana/folk) at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. some good did come of that morning — Tom and I became friends. walk on the wild side if the night presented And for growing up in a town straight itself that way. We’d wander the city, smokout of a John Mellencamp song, Tom proing a joint, pondering the mysteries of life voked the notion in me of wanting something more out of life, something beyond the and the universe, starting conversations with strangers, or maybe even catching confines of what I knew my everyday adolessome avant-garde musical act in some cozy cent reality to be. He and I would feed off of café around the corner. each other, where mischief and chaos always These days, we still keep in touch, and were on the menu for the day. It was about remain on the same page, something I finding the most absurd person, place or appreciate more as the years move along. thing in our cow town and immersing ourAnd through our friendship he performed in selves in it. numerous bands, most notably of which There were a lot of adventures like that being Squid City, a fiery jazz-fusion act with Tom all through high school, and whenever I was home during the holidays in whose unlimited talent and scope was cut short due to wanderlust by its members. college. He was in school nearby in But, like clockwork, Tom never stopped Burlington, Vermont, a wild city of cosmoplaying, with his recent endeavors placing politan culture where one could truly take a

Smoky Mountain News: You sold everything and took off for the open road. What provoked this?

Abbie Morin: I’ve been dreaming of traveling the United States for a really long time. I kept telling myself “you have to wait until you have a great band” and “you should have an album before you go” and “you need to have this certain amount of money.” And then it hit me that really nothing was standing in my way except for my own stipulations. I want to gain perspective about what kind of places and people inspire me. Strangely enough, comfort is not always conducive to my creative flow. I hope that this long and mysterious journey will draw some muses out in ways that surprise me.

Tom Pearo: It’s easy to get stuck in a very comfortable place like Burlington, but oftentimes being comfortable isn’t the best thing for creativity. It definitely doesn’t help movement. And if you want to spread the word, you have to move around a lot, at least in the early stages, and probably in every stage. I made the decision this year to really get serious about making music as a professional, and I decided that leaving Burlington was actually a really great way

for me to transition into that life. I had been playing music here in Vermont for over a decade, and it was working out fine as a glorified hobby, but that wasn’t what I wanted.

I needed a catalyst, and that’s exactly what this tour was.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

him front and center as the guitarist for Abbie Morin. Self-proclaimed “foxy folk” from the underground, the band recently sold all of their earthly possessions and hit the road, with the motto “music or bust” etched into the dirty back window of their vehicle.

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37

arts & entertainment

On the beat Stecoah returns with ‘Harvest Festival’

plate, cup, cutlery and a water bottle.

Admission is a suggested donation of $5. ronandcathy71@frontier.com or www.dancewnc.com.

The Harvest Festival will take place Oct. 16-18 at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.

The free weekend event begins with from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday with a campfire and storytelling. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday there will be live music throughout the day, which includes The Stecoah JAM Kids, The Jones Girls, Larry & Blue, The Welch Family, Dixie Cloggers, The Jones Boys, and more. The Cleverlys (bluegrass/comedy) will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, with tickets $25 for adults, $10 for children grades K-12. From 2 to 4 p.m.

Sunday, there will be performances by various gospel groups. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

Russ Wilson.

LAKE J SINGERS PRESENT FALL CONCERT The Lake Junaluska Singers will perform their fall concert 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Stuart Auditorium. A 16-voice professional ensemble, the group serves as the Ambassador choir for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church and of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

They began in 1954 and have performed nationally and internationally for conferences, dignitaries and major events. Their music ranges from classical choral and contemporary works to gospel, folk and musical theater styles. Tickets start at $17.50. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers.

October 7-13, 2015

Community dance in Sylva A community dance will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, in the Community Room at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Dancing will include circle and square dances as well as contra dances. All dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No previous experience is necessary and no partner is required.

AnneMarie Walter will call the dance to the live music of Out of the Woodwork, a band made up on local musicians. The group invites anyone who plays an instrument to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing. There will also be a potluck dinner following the dance at 5 p.m. Please bring a covered dish,

INSPIRATIONS ARE ‘SINGING

‘Fall for Jazz’ returns to Classic Wineseller The “Fall for Jazz” series will kickoff with The Russ Wilson Trio at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

Known as the “Mouth of the South,” Wilson is one of the most renowned jazz, swing and gypsy jazz singers in Southern Appalachia. The series will continue with Sidney Barnes & Richard Shulman on Oct. 17 and The 9th Street Stompers Oct. 24.

Tickets are $44.99 per person, which includes a four-course dinner.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

IN THE SMOKIES’

Acclaimed gospel group The Inspirations will host the ‘Singing in the Smokies’ fall color festival at 11 a.m. Oct. 15-17 at Inspiration Park in Bryson City. Thursday performances will include The Inspirations and The Kingsmen. Friday will showcase the Old Fashioned Singing Chuck Wagon Gang, Troy Burns Family, and The Inspirations. Saturday will present the Family & Friends Tour, Archie Watkins, The McKameys and The Inspirations. Tickets are $20 per night, with children 12 and under admitted free. www.theinspirations.com.

Thursday, October 8th • 7:45 p.m.

Michael Reno Harrell

Sunday 10/11 • 4pm

October 12th - November 23th 2015 Registration Oct. 12th - 16th

Bill Leslie & Lorica

KICKOFF Monday Oct. 12th 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the Waynesville Recreation Center

Monday October 12

th

• 8

am

to 7

pm

Waynesville Recreation Center

Wednesday October 14th • 8am to 7pm Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center

Tuesday October 13

h

• 8

am

to 7

pm

Cooperative Extension

Thursday October 15th • 8am to 7pm Urban Athletic Training Center

Friday October 16th • 10 am to 4 pm The Fitness Connection

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Smoky Mountain News

An award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer.

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On the beat

• The Bryson City Train Depot “Music in the Mountains” concert series will have Donna Hughes Oct. 10 and The Josh Fields Band Oct. 17. All shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Canton Public Library will host the Cruso Circle Play & Jam at 3 p.m. Oct. 18. Members of the group play mandolin, guitar, drums, bass and slide guitar. Free.

ALSO:

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Oct. 9 and The Flea Bitten Dogs (Americana/pop) Oct. 16.

All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• The Historic Cowee School will host Tellico (Americana/bluegrass) at 7 p.m. Oct. 17. $10 per person. www.coweeschool.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Sea Notes (bluegrass) 7 p.m. Oct. 10 and Porch 40 (funk/rock) 8 p.m. Oct. 17. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Oct. 7 and 14, a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Oct. 8 and 15.

All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovationbrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have 9 Day Trip Oct. 9, Russ T. Nutz (outlaw country) Oct. 10, Lorin Walking Madsen & Randall Conrad Olinger Oct. 16, If Birds Could Fly Oct. 17 and The Hooten Hallers (hard rock/blues) Oct. 19. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Oconaluftee Visitors Center (Cherokee) will have an old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 17. All skill levels welcomed.

• O’Malley’s Pub & Grill (Sylva) will have Colby Deitz of Mangas Colorado (Americana/bluegrass) Oct. 9 and Jesse Stephens & Ben Morgan Oct. 16. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 828.631.0554.

• Outdoor 76 (Franklin) will host their Fall Celebration on Oct. 10. A trail race kicks off at 8 a.m., with a chili cook off at noon, followed by live music with Soldier’s Heart (1 p.m.), Andrew Scotchie & The River Rats (4 p.m.) and Brushfire Stankgrass (7 p.m.). There will also be a craft beer tasting from 2 to 7 p.m.

• The Pickin’ on the Square (Franklin) summer concert series will have Curtis Blackwell (bluegrass) Oct. 10 and Ms. Kitty & The Big City Band (variety) Oct. 17. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. An open mic starts at 6:30 p.m. Free. www.franklinnc.com.

• The Rickman Store (Cowee) will host a brunch and bluegrass at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 10. All musicians invited to attend, perform and/or listen.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will have Bill Leslie & Lorica (Celtic/folk) at 4 p.m. Oct. 11. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for students, military and seniors, and $15 for ages 12 and under. www.38main.com.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Oct. 9 and Dave Desmelik (singer-songwriter) Oct. 16. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m.

• Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden (Waynesville) will have Tonology (hard rock/metal) Oct. 9 and Heidi Holton (Americana/blues) Oct. 16. All events begin at 9 p.m.

• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will have SmokeRise (rock) Oct. 10, Grand Ol’ Uproar Oct. 16 and Abbie Morin (Americana/jazz) Oct. 17. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will hold community music jam from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15. Anyone with a guitar, banjo,

• Waynesville Public Library will host Betina Morgan & The Wabi Sabi Singers (folk/harp) at 3 p.m. Oct. 17. Free.

HOMEGROWN MUSIC SERIES JOE LASHER, JR. OCTOBER 9 8PM – 11PM

SOCO CREEK OCTOBER 16 8PM – 11PM

BUCHANAN BOYS OCTOBER 23 8PM – 11PM

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ASHEVILLE’S #1 HIT MUSIC STATION

Be at Essence Lounge for live music every Friday night through November 6. Stay for live DJs following each show, until 2am.

Smoky Mountain News

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an Oktoberfest with Barry Bryson & Emporium Band at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10. Tickets are $50, which includes authentic German food, two pints of craft beer and two glasses of wine.

All proceeds to benefit the Angel Medical Cancer Care Center. Other performances include Zorki on Oct. 16 and Chalwa Oct. 17. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will have Stolen Rhodes (rock) Oct. 9 and The DuPont Brothers (Americana/folk) Oct. 16. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

EXPERIENCE THE

October 7-13, 2015

• Friday Night Live (Highlands) summer concert series will have The Johnny Webb Band Oct. 9 and Mountain Dulcimer Group Oct. 16. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.

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.

arts & entertainment

• BearWaters Brewing Company (Waynesville) will have Taylor Martin’s Engine (Americana) 8 p.m. Oct. 9, Somebody’s Child (Americana) 6 p.m. Oct. 10, Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) 6 p.m. Oct. 13, My Brother The Bear (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 and Hustle Souls 8 p.m. Oct. 17. www.bwbrewing.com.

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On the wall arts & entertainment

Church Street Art & Craft Show returns The 32nd annual Church Street Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, 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 artists, crafters and food vendors from the southeast transform Main Street Waynesville into an art and craft marketplace for this one-day 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. Numerous artists demonstrate their

October 7-13, 2015

OCTOBER EXHIBIT OPENS IN FRANKLIN Works by local artist Justin Moe are currently display for the month of October in the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. www.artbyjustinmoe.weebly.com or www.facebook.com/ artbyjustinmoe.

Smoky Mountain News

work throughout the day. Live entertainment from two stages features traditional music, clogging, and Scottish pipes.

Downtown shops and restaurants are open and numerous festival food vendors offer a variety of eats and treats. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

ColorFest rescheduled for Oct. 17 in Dillsboro The annual ColorFest: Dillsboro Fine Arts & Crafts Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17, in downtown Dillsboro.

Over 40 selected artisans will gather on Front Street (the street closest to the railroad tracks of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad), where they will be demonstrating their techniques and skills, displaying and selling their works of art. Entertainment, mixed with the aroma of exceptional food, will enliven the festive environment of the day. Live music will be provided by Celtic musician Glen Kastrinos (10 a.m.); J.C. Cloggers dancers (11 a.m.); Americana act Dusk Weaver (noon); acoustic folk duo Twelfth Fret (1 p.m. and 2 p.m.); with guitarist Andrew Danner closing the festivities. www.visitdillsboro.org.

The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University will present a contemporary exhibit beginning Monday, Oct. 12, that is intended to challenge the way beliefs about the natural world are formed.

“Connections: Diane Fox & Beauvais Lyons” pairs photographs by Fox with lithography by Lyons to blur the boundaries between art and science, the imaginary and the real. Their depictions of animals have been described as a parody, in the “mockumentary” vein, of late 19th and early 20th century natural history displays.

An artist talk and reception for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville faculty husband and wife is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Star Atrium of the museum. Fox is a senior lecturer at the UT College of Architecture and Design, where she teaches photography and graphic design courses. Lyons is a UT professor and teaches printmaking. The exhibit will remain at WCU through Friday, Jan. 15. www.fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 828.227.3591.

‘Glass Crash Course’ at Green Energy Park

A “Glass Crash Course” will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Students will learn all of the basics in this all day, one-on-one class with glass artist, Cole Johnson. The students will work on solid work as well as beginner blown work.

No experience necessary. Cost is $175. www.jcgep.org.

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

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October 14 11:30 AM

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Garret K. Woodward photo

Fox and Lyons exhibit at WCU

28 Maple St. • Sylva

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Come Dance With Us! Our dance classes are full of women laughing and growing stronger in body, mind, and soul. Come let your guard down, try something new, and just dance.

First class is free!

84 N. Main St. Waynesville

waynesvillebellydance.com

On the wall

The Sylva Photo Club will host seminars covering “GIMP” and “Lightroom” at the Cullowhee Methodist Church on the Western Carolina University campus.

“GIMP” will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 10.

“GIMP” is a free software photography-editing program and has some of the features of Photoshop. Roger and Lisa Bacon will cover some of the manipulations commonly used to enhance photos; selecting, cropping, lightening, darkening, gradient fills, and the uses of layers. Several photos will be used to illustrate the techniques. They will also teach Movie Maker and Google Photos, which are free programs that could enhance your photo editing experiences. Movie Maker is good for making slide shows with or without video clips. Google Photos is for sorting, editing,

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and storing (free cloud) photos. A brief introduction to each program will also be given. Members are free, visitors a $5 donation applied towards a membership.

Lightroom will be a special full-day seminar presented by Robert McAnally from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17. McAnally has spent 40 years working with computers and 20 years with film photography. In 2002, when he converted to digital photography, he started using Photoshop 7 with the first Windows Lightroom. The cost for this full day seminar, including lunch, is a $40 donation for visitors (not applied to membership) and $35 for members. Reservations are required for the full-day seminar. Please send email or phone and provide name, phone number, and email so that the reservation can be confirmed.

Membership to the Sylva Photo Club is a $20 donation; $10 for students per year. sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com or sylvaphotoclub@gmail.com or 828.293.9820.

Bookstore SATURDAY, OCT. 10 • 3 P.M.

The Magical World of Moss Gardening 3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

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arts & entertainment

GIMP, lightroom seminars

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Gallery 1 celebrates Cherokee art Cherokee artist TJ Holland will be showcased with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2, at Gallery 1 in downtown Sylva.

TJ Holland earned his BFA in painting from Western Carolina University. His works focus upon Cherokee myths and legends in the style of the old masters, such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt. His resume includes serving as Cultural Resources Manager for the Kituwah Preservation and Education Program and Director and Curator for the Junaluska Memorial and Museum in Robbinsville. He is also a member of the advisory board for the American Philosophical Society’s Building Bridges Program. A member of the Snowbird Cherokee community, Holland is a frequent referee of Snowbird stickball games.

828.337.3468 or 828.421.4969.

ALSO:

• A Craft Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oct. 10 and 17 at the First Presbyterian Church in Waynesville. The fair will be held in conjunction with the Church Street Art & Craft Fair (Oct. 10) and Apple Festival (Oct. 17).

• The Autumn Leaves Craft Show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8-9 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. Over 50 craft vendors, with food by Roadside Eats.

828.349.4324 or www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The 33rd annual Highlands Own Arts & Crafts and second annual HomeTown Day will be Saturday, Oct. 10. Filled with numer-

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included.

828.538.2054.

• The film “Avengers” (Oct. 8-9) will be screened at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Showtimes are 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee also on Saturday. Free. For a full schedule of dates and times, click on www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• “Chasing Grace” (family drama), filmed in Waynesville, will be screened at 7 p.m. Oct. 9, 4 and 7 p.m. Oct. 10, 7 p.m. Oct. 13-15, and 2 and 4 p.m. Oct. 18 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Tickets are $6.50, with a $3.25 matinee pass for 2 and 4 p.m. showings. A free screening of “Wallace and Gromit the Curse of the Were Rabbit” will be at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturdays in October. www.38main.com or call 828.283.0079.

Smoky Mountain News

• A Plein Air landscape painting workshop “Using Our Triadic Circle with Monet’s Perfect Grays” will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m.

Oct. 17 at The Bascom in Highlands. The class will be held by Chris DiDomizio. To signup, 828.787.2865 or registrar@thebascom.org.

ous professional crafters, the show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Highlands Civic Center. HomeTown Day at Kelsey Hutchinson Park will offer farmer’s market vendors, food, music, clogging and family activities. All proceeds and donations will benefit the Highlands Scholarship Fund. www.highlandsnc.org or 828.526.2118.

October 7-13, 2015

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a nonprofit night from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. $5 wine tastings. Prizes and raffles. www.haywoodarts.org.

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arts & entertainment

JOIN US FOR ARTS EVENTS AT WCU

You are hereby challenged to get out and enjoy the wonders of WNC.

THROUGH OCT OCT.. 30 | FINE ART MUSEUM | FREE

Exhibit: Exhibit: Maya Collection: TTomb omb to TTaller aaller

Tourists get to enjoy it some of the time, we can enjoy it all of the time!

OCT OCT.. 19 | MON. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | $

FOA Members Concert Concert:: The Steep Canyon RRangers angers OCT OCT.. 22 | THUR. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | FREE

Guest Speaker: Speaker: Morphosis Architects: Ideas Without WWalls alls

FAMILY ADVENTURE RECREATION (FAR) CHALLENGE Explore • Have Fun Earn Points • Win Prizes

BEAR LAKE KAYAK TRIP OCT. 18 12:30-7 P.M.

OCT OCT.. 25 | TUE. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | $

$25 for members $30 for non-members

PPerformance: erformance: United Kingdown Ukulele Orchestra

(limited space available)

WORKSHOP: PREPARING FOR A FAMILY HIKE OCT. 19 5:30 P.M. Info & registration: tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

SAVE THE DATE: OCT OCT.. 30 | FRI. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | $

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EVENTS ARE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE COLLEGE OF FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS AT AT WCU. JOIN FRIENDS FRIENNDS OF THE ARTS TODAY! TODAAYY!

550 Vance St. • Waynesville • 828.456.2030 townofwaynesville.org

FOR MORE INFO – 828.227.7028 | ARTS.WCU.EDU

October 7-13, 2015

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A

bi-monthly magazine that covers the southern Appalachian mountains and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue relies on regional writers and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.

Smoky Mountain News

In this issue: Fresh Spins on Time-Honored Craftsmanship Heritage Apples Bear Fruit for Appalachian Farmers The Haunting Story of Rugby, Tennessee Pumpkin and Persimmon Fall Recipes PLUS ADVENTURE, CUISINE, READING, MUSIC, ARTS & MORE

SUBSCRIBE: www.smliv.com OR

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866.452.2251

On the street

The Leaf Lookers Gemboree will be Oct. 16-18 in Franklin. Donated photo

Gemboree in Franklin

Bryson City Chili Cook-Off The 25th annual Chili Cook-Off will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Depot in Bryson City.

Trophies awarded for first, second and third place, People’s Choice and Showmanship. Cash prizes will also be awarded in each category: $400 for first, $300 for second and $200 for third. To enter, applications must be submitted to the Swain County Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, contact Karen Wilmot at 828.488.3681 or 800.867.9246 or chamber@greatsmokies.com.

‘Beards for Boobs’ in Cherokee A regional breast cancer charity truck show, “Beards for Boobs,” will be held from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Cherokee Expo Center.

In an effort to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for local charities. Southern Charm Traditional Wear, located in Cherokee, will host the event.

• The Blessing of the Animals service will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, outside the Stuart Auditorium in Lake Junaluska. All living creative are welcome to participate. Pictures of endangered species are also welcome. Rev. Susan Giles, Dean of the Memorial Chapel at Lake Junaluska, will lead the service. sgiles@lakejunaluska.com.

• An Oktoberfest Celebration will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at BearWaters Brewing Company in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com.

• The Community Chili Cook Off will be from noon to 2 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 16, at the Waynesville Public Library. All chili recipes are welcome, beans or no beans. Participants will also be judges with prizes given out. kolsen@haywoodnc.net or 828.356.2507.

• A gem show will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 15-18 at the corner of U.S. 441 and Lake Emory Road. Sponsored by T&D Shows. 828.371.9618 or www.franklin-chamber.com.

• An Oktoberfest Tailgate sponsored by the Knights of Columbus will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• The annual German dinner will be held Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Our Savior Lutheran Church in Clyde. Seatings will be at 4, 5, and 6 p.m. Full cuisine includes bratwurst, sauerkraut, sauerbraten, red cabbage, applesauce, and more. Tickets are $13.50 for adults, $6 for ages 6-12, and free under age 6. All

The annual Maple Leaf Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, in downtown Whittier.

The event features artisan crafters and vendors, live music, holiday exhibits, as well as a flea market and other activities.

Proceeds will benefit scholarships and other community projects. The festival is hosted by the Whittier Community Club and Whittier Information & Historical Center.

828.497.2393.

proceeds go to benefit Haywood Pathways in Waynesville.

828.452.4783 or shrblr@bellsouth.net.

• Spooky Storytelling will be at 8 p.m. Oct. 8-10 and 15-17 at the Storytelling Center in Bryson City. Tales of the spirits, “Haints, Boogers and Witches of the Southern Highlands,” spun by storyteller Tim Hall. Free. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Brad Butkovich will present a discussion on the “Battles of New Hope Church and Pickett’s Mill” during the Western North Carolina Civil War Roundtable at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Free.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Macon Aero Modelers will host an invitational RC fly-in event at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Otto Aerodrome.

Pilots of the Macon Aeromodelers Club will put their skill on displaying flying micro and large-scale model aircraft.

Admission is $5, with food available (hot dog plate $5, barbecue plate $7). Proceeds benefit the Macon County Public Library. bruners@dnet.net

Maple Leaf Festival in Whittier

October 7-13, 2015

The 26th Annual Leaf Lookers Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 16-17 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin.

The event will feature a wide variety of items including fine finished jewelry, rough and cut gems, lapidary equipment, minerals, fossils and collectibles. Dealers will also be available to custom make jewelry for attendees.

Admission $2 for adults and free for children under age 12. www.franklin-chamber.com.

A Little Taste of Local will offer samples from locally owned restaurants and markets on Oct. 13 at Champion Credit Union in Canton.

Some of the local favorites participating include Waynesville Soda Jerks, Black Bear Café, Fat Belly’s, The Imperial, Nettie’s Bakery and Papertown Grill. They will also be joined by KT’s Orchard and Apiary, Shady Brook Farms and Duckett’s Produce as market vendors.

“We are blessed with so many locallyowned restaurants and fresh local vendors in the area,” says Noralynn Gudger, Marketing and Communications Manager with Champion Credit Union.

“We wanted to find a way to help them gain exposure and give our members and the community a chance to try what they have to offer.”

The local food showcase is a part of the CU Lunch Local initiative. Understanding how each and every dollar spent locally can impact the entire community, they wanted to find a way to encourage that spending.

“Champion Credit Union believes wholeheartedly in supporting the communities that support us,” says Jake Robinson, President of Champion Credit Union. “This market is a great way for us to show that support.” www.championcu.com.

“Western North Carolina has been so great to our business and this event is just one way we can give back to our community,” said Scott Jacobs, owner of Southern Charm. “Breast Cancer impacts the lives of so many people we know and love. Just about everyone knows someone, whether it be a family member, a friend, or a neighbor, who has been impacted by this disease and this event is just our way of helping reduce that impact here in Western North Carolina.”

About 1 in 8 U.S. women, about 12 percent, will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. This year alone, an estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 60,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. Women aren’t the only ones at risk. About 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2015. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.

The cost to attend “Beards for Boobs” is free. To enter a vehicle in the truck show, the cost is $15 in advance and $25 at the gate. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Pretty in Pink Foundation. www.southerncharmwear.com or 828.497.7981.

arts & entertainment

Local food showcase in Canton

• The Peanuts Pumpkin Patch Express will depart at 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 9 and 16, and noon and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10-11 and 17-18 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad train depot in Bryson City. Peanuts characters in costume, children’s activities, and more. For more information and ticket rates, call 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

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arts & entertainment

On the stage

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31st Annual

Fall Leaves

OCT. 10 & 11 • OCT. 17 & 18 Saturday & Sunday ~ 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

‘Believe The Impossible’ this Halloween at Harrah’s

HAYWOOD COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS HWY. 209 • LAKE JUNALUSKA, NC

Handmade Arts & Crafts FREE Admission & Parking Food • All Indoors Directions: From I-40 take Exit 24; Go South on Hwy 209 3.7 miles on left.

From Hwy 19/23 take Exit 104; Go North on Hwy 209 1 mile on right.

f I-40 Exit 24 of 209

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To Waynesville

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Haywood County Agricultural & Activities Center

Bu

For more information, visit www.bracaorg.com.

Exit 24 off I-40 I-40

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Smoky Mountain News

October 7-13, 2015

Arts & Craft Show

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Humorist Jeanne Robertson will grace the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Robertson reached her 6’2” stature at age 13. Perhaps it was an indication of a future speaking career that would soar to great heights, including being crowned Miss North Carolina in 1963. After receiving her degree at Auburn University and teaching physical education in high school and college, she entered into professional speaking full time and the result was nothing short of comedic gold.

Robertson has produced seven humor DVDs and CDs and written three books on humor, which illustrate her comedic philosoJeanne Robertson phy. She can also be heard on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Family Comedy and Blue Collar Comedy channels. While Robertson enjoys making people laugh, she views the role of a humorist as more than eliciting laughter. As audiences are holding their sides and wiping tears from their faces, she makes her point clear: “It ain’t over ‘til the tall lady speaks.”

Tickets start at $20.

828.524.1598 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

The Masters of Illusion “Believe The Impossible” professional magic Halloween showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

Grand illusions, levitating women, appearances and vanishes, escapes, comedy magic, sleight of hand and beautiful dancers are just some of the events during the performance.

Masters of Illusion is a huge stage phenomenon born from the multi-award winning television series Masters of Illusion and from the World Magic Awards, which is recognized as the International Academy Awards of Magic.

One of the exciting features of this magical experience is that the entire audience participates in a mind-boggling illusion and some lucky individuals even get picked to assist with illusions onstage.

The award-winning cast has been brought together to perform live to its Masters of Illusion’s huge worldwide television audience.

Tickets start at $7.50. www.harrahscherokee.com.

On the stage arts & entertainment

Highlands presents senior comedy The production of “Over the River and Through the Woods” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-17 and 2224 and at 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 and 25 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

This is a show of “faith, food and family.”

Two pairs of grandparents try to keep their grandson, who dearly loves his doting immigrant grandparents but wants to pursue his career, from taking a promotion on the other ‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ will be performed on select side of the country. dates through October in Highlands. Donated photo In order to keep him near them, they introduce him to Caitlin Perfect, Now Change,” the longest-running O’Hare, the unmarried niece of his grandmoth- musical revue in Off-Broadway history, and er Emma’s canasta partner. As Nick, the the 2010 Tony award-winning musical beloved grandson says, “When your grand- Memphis. His most recent musical “Nice mother sets you up, you have every right to be Work If You Can Get It,” which is a re-imagindisappointed.” Unfortunately he isn’t — which ing of a Gershwin musical, was nominated for Tony awards in 2012. just adds to his stress and the fun of the play.

828.526.8084 or www.highlandscashierThe playwright, Joe DiPietro also wrote the musical comedy hit “I Love You, You’re splayers.org.

Bluegrass as big as the mountains.

The performance of “Tuscola Loves Broadway, 50 Years of Celebration!” will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 and 10 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Tuscola High School auditorium in Clyde.

Presented by the Tuscola High School Choral Department, the will feature romantic Broadway hits. They will perform several group numbers including “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from Lion King and “Seasons Of Love” from Rent. There will be individual performances from many Broadway shows, including “Phantom of the Opera,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Les Miserables” and “Wicked.”

Tickets are $10 and include a dessert and drink at intermission. They are available at the door, through any Summit member or by calling the school at 828.456.2408.

When purchasing tickets, you can name your favorite Summit student and they will receive a portion of the ticket sale to be used for their trip to Disney in December where they will sing at Epcot’s Candlelight Procession with 200 other voices from around the country.

A GUAR ANTEED G R E AT N I G H T O U T MASTERS OF ILLUSION : BELIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE OCTOBER 17

TONY BENNETT WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST ANTON IA BENNETT

October 7-13, 2015

W E D N E S DAY ~ O C TO B E R 2 8

Tuscola bring Broadway to Haywood

OCTOBER 23

PENN & TELLER

GREGG ALLMAN

DECEMBER 11

JANUARY 9

Visit ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000 to purchase tickets.

Smoky Mountain News

The GIBSON BROTHERS

Cataloochee Ranch Show(s) subject to change or cancellation. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter casino floor and to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. ©2015, Caesars License Company, LLC.

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

A tragic, lively tale of 18th century London eing a historical fiction addict, I have always loved books about London, a city that has been around for over a thousand years, changing, morphing with the centuries. I remember reading a biography of Shakespeare that noted that travelers could smell London 20 miles away, a stench that consisted of burning refuse and open sewers.

Slammerkin is set in the 18th century, at a time when London not only smelled bad, it was a rich combinaWriter tion of slums, aristocratic wealth, moral corruption and artistic wonders. Donoghue’s novel captures this strange blend.

I remember when I first saw the engravings of William Hogarth, the artist and social critic, who depicted the poverty and depravity of this age. His engraving of “Gin Lane” is especially noteworthy since his subjects are the addicts, thieves and prostitutes. He also captured the public hangings at Tyburn and the plight of the insane at Bedlam, where wealthy Londoners would visit to watch the antics of the inmates. This is the world of Mary Saunders, the 15-year-old prostitute who is the protagonist of Slammerkin (which is both the name of a loose-fitting dress commonly worn by prostitutes, and the term applied to young prostitutes).

No doubt, this sounds like a bleak and cruel setting, but Slammerkin is filled with dark and bawdy humor. Mary’s father, Cob Saunders, had died in 1752 in a riot protesting the “loss of twelve days” when the government ruled that the day following Sept. 2 would be Sept. 14 in order that the calendar might coincide with “Church Time.” Cob felt that 11 days of work and earnings had been stolen from him and demanded their return.

Mary’s mother marries again, but to an illfavored, unemployed fellow. At an early age, Mary begins to wander the streets. It is here that she sees a red ribbon that she covets and is lured to her downfall. She is raped, and

Gary Carden

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streets for several hours and then spend their income on wine and food. Then home to Doll’s room where they would drink and sleep late.

When Mary’s infections become serious, Doll takes her to the Magdalen Hospital that specialized in treating prostitutes. When Mary is “cured,” she returns to her old haunts only to find that Doll is dead and a local pimp has decided to “mark” Mary by slashing her face. Mary has no choice but to flee London with a sack of clothing. She gets on a coach bound for Monmouth, a city which is “neither in England or out of it.”

Remembering that her mother had a sister named Jane who married a tailor named Thomas Jones and and that the couple had moved to Monmouth, Mary finds her and tells her that her sister, Susan, has died and has sent Mary to her sister with a heartfelt plea that she will keep her (Mary has forged a death-bed letter). It is a convincing tale and Mary has become adept at deception. In a short time, she learns to manipulate every member of the Smith household — a talent she had perfected on the street in London.

Jane Jones is a seamstress and has acquired a reputation for her skill. The genteel residents in Monmouth flock Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. Harcourt, Inc., 2002. to her shop. Again, Mary proves to be 336 pages. an adept student, learning to sew maddeningly complex patterns and her new, foster mother praises her. prostitute with a scarred face named Doll, However, it is here that she learns what who gives her shelter and teaches her how to makes for a successful life. It is clothing. Her survive. Mary proves to be an enthusiastic customers are clothed in yards of expensive student. satin and lace and beneath all of that exquisite Mary’s early life experiences are a kind of deception, they are frail, foolish and ugly. For “serial trauma.” She is gang-raped and infectthis reason, Mary yearns for clothing that will ed with gonorrhea, and undergoes a backgive her power and status. Since she has no alley abortion. income, she decides to return to her old proHowever, she not only survives, she thrives. She learns that sexual acts are a short, fession and begins to spend the few hours of freedom at the local tavern where there are brutal activity that are usually carried out always willing customers for a young slamwhile standing. She and Doll become fast merkin. friends and develop a routine: work the when her pregnancy becomes apparent to her embittered mother, she is cast out and told to survive on the street. Here, she befriends a

Mobley comes to Whittier Author Pierce Mobley will host a signing of his book The Innkeeper’s Gift from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Gear Head Inn in Whittier.

The story for The Innkeeper’s Gift came about during a last minute Christmas shopping trip at a mall in Alpharetta, Georgia, on Christmas Eve of 2004. While shopping, the story began welling up in his heart and on the verge of tears, he dropped his unpurchased items and quickly sped home to begin to write. Three and a half hours later The Innkeeper’s Gift was born. The cover illustration was

inspired from the manger scene Pierce’s mother has had for years. www.greatsmokies.com.

Memoir of globetrotting pastor A reception celebrating the second printing of the late Pastor Harold Borchert’s first book Hitherto...A Biographical Testimony will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

First published in 1992, the autobiography details stories from Borchert’s childhood in Holland, Michigan, through his military

As Mary Saunders moves toward tragedy, she resembles another doomed protagonist: Thomas Hardy’s heroine in Tess of the D’ubervilles.

Like Tess, Mary is at the mercy of “deterministic forces” which shape her character, her life and finally, her fate. In all instances, such characters cannot change the forces, but simply react to them. Mary is helpless in the control of environment, society and heredity.

Ironically, the single act that Mary performs in an attempt to gain her freedom — the murder of Jane Smith — is the act that destroys her.

There is a colorful cast of characters who are subject to the same forces, including a Dutch-speaking student/servant in the household who yearns to teach Mary to love ... an emotion she is incapable of experiencing due to the corrosive effects of her experience on the street. There is a Barbadian slave who has ended up in the Smith household and only learns of the concept of “freedom” from Mary.

Now, she yearns for it. Jane’s one-legged husband is an especially frustrated vital life force as he struggles to deal with his wife’s infertility and his own lustful thoughts for Mary.

Perhaps the most tragic is the wet nurse, Mrs. Ashe, who has exhausted her usefulness which has been to provide nourishment for Jane Smith’s newborn babies (11 of them and all dead within a month of birth). Where does she go now?

As it turns out, Slammerkin is based on a true story. Certainly, it has the pulse of life in it, and it abounds with memorable bits of folklore and superstition. I once especially moved by the passages in which Mary wandered Inch Street or Gin Lane, watching farmers pour fresh milk (dropping in a snail to make the milk froth) while fishermen sold living fish in barrels. She is curious and alive as she watches the slammerkins move through the crowd winking at the young men and whispering “I’m 14 and clean.” Oh, yes, this story is finally tragic, but it is also vitally alive with the sounds and smells of a bygone era.

(Gary Carden is a writer and storyteller who lives in Sylva. He can be reached at gcarden498@aol.com.)

service and work as a missionary in post-World War II Japan, and as Presbyterian minister in the southeastern United States.

In Hitherto, Borchert wrote about memories from watching flying fish by moonlight on the deck of a freighter with his wife, Lois, and baby girl, Sue, to prison guards fearing for his safety when a man serving time for killing a guard reached out to hug him during a one-on-one meeting. He also wrote about pastoring congregations, which included Malvern Hills in Asheville and First Presbyterian Church and Covenant Presbyterian Church in Waynesville. He was a founding minister of the Presbyterian Church in America.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

Carden selected as featured speaker

books

SHAPE

Storyteller Gary Carden was recently chosen as a featured speaker for a national conference, which convened at Lake Junaluska.

The weeklong conference in mid-September was held in the 1,700-seat conference center.

The theme for the conference, “Then Jesus Told a Story,” celebrated the art of storytelling as a vital means of bringing the teachings of Jesus to life in the modern world. The Church of the Brethren, a nationwide church with a worldwide mission of reducing poverty, war and suffering has ministries in every major city.

Carden said that he was selected to speak because the church’s Director of Intergenerational Ministries initiated a search for a storyteller who told stories with “a personal mythology” and stressed the use of stories as a means of unifying people. He said that his DVD, “Blow the Tannery Whistle” was instrumental in his selection.

“The experience frightened me a bit,” said Carden, who had never told stories to that many people at one time. He considered his speech a success. “I guess you could say I got a standing ovation, but that is not entirely true. This audience was elderly, so it was mostly a ‘sitting ovation.’” gcarden498@aol.com.

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Acclaimed Southern Appalachian writer Ron Rash will discuss his latest novel Above the Waterfall at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

In this poetic and haunting tale set in contemporary Appalachia, The New York Times bestselling author illuminates lives shaped by violence and a powerful connection to the land.

Les, a longtime sheriff, is just weeks from retirement when he is forced to contend with the ravages of crystal meth and his own corruption in his small Appalachian town. Meanwhile, Becky, a park ranger with a harrowing past, finds solace amid the lyrical beauty of the North Carolina mountains.

Enduring the mistakes and tragedies that have indelibly marked them, they are drawn together by a reverence for the natural world.

When an embittered elderly local is accused of poisoning a trout stream on the property of a nearby resort, Les and Becky are plunged into deep and dangerous waters, forced to navigate currents of disillusionment and betrayal that will force them to question themselves and test their tentative bond and threaten to carry them over the edge.

The event is free and seating is limited.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

Outdoors

Reducing their footprint

chase seven hybrid vehicles.

But the park wanted to do more. With help from Eaker and Overly, it put together a three-year project proposal under the program. The recently unveiled equipment represents year one.

Now, the park has five gasoline mowers converted to run on propane, a cheaper and cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline. The money also paid for three low-speed electric vehicles for use in campground areas like Elkmont and Smokemont, as well as Cade’s Cove — the vehicles get the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon.

The component of the project that Eaker is most proud of, though, is the electric recharging stations installed at Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers. Each visitor center now has both a Level 2, or medium speed, charging station and a D.C. fast-charging station.

“The Smokies is the first national park in the country to install these fast chargers,” Eaker said. “We’re a little proud of that accomplishment.”

Together, these improvements will help the park reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 40 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to the DOE. “Putting this equipment in use will help us meet our goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels by 20 percent by 2020, and you will hear more from us in 2016 — the 100th anniversary of the National Park System — on our continued efforts towards this goal,” said Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash.

The effort won’t stop with the recently Park and environmental personnel, including Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash (sitting) and Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition Coordinator purchased equipment. Funding has already Bill Eaker, wearing a purple tie, pose with one of the park’s five new propane mowers. NPS photo been approved for year two of the plan, and the park intends to apply for a third year of

BY HOLLY KAYS mental upgrades before the DOE program Energy launched its National Parks Initiative funding as well. It will also be looking to other STAFF WRITER came along. In 2007, it converted two-dozen in 2010, Eaker — together with his counterfunding sources. he Great Smoky Mountains National part in East Tennessee, East Tennessee Clean diesel vehicles to run on biodiesel, using a Eaker’s been working with other national Park marked a milestone last week with Fuels Director Jonathan Overly — was quick Clean Fuel Advanced Technology grant parks to use the program, too. The Blue Ridge the unveiling of 10 new pieces of equip- to sell the Smokies on it. The initiative prosecured by Friends of the Smokies, and Parkway already has four propane-powered ment to make transportation in the park vides $1 million in funding annually to projmatching funds from the Friends of the Ford 520 pickups, as well as four Ford hybrid more energy-efficient. cars. He’s also helped A project four years in the making, the the Carl Sandburg “Putting this equipment in use will help us meet our goal of reducing our Historic Home in Flat new purchases — made using a $239,000 grant — are just the first phase in a three-year Rock put in a proposal greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels by 20 percent by 2020, plan to reduce emissions in the park. to convert some vehicles “The Park is a clean transportation leader to propane. and you will hear more from us in 2016 — the 100th anniversary of the within the National Park Service and is setting It’s been a long road, National Park System — on our continued efforts towards this goal.” a great example for other parks and fleets he said, but the payoff across the nation,” said Bill Eaker, coordinator will be worth it.

— Cassius Cash, Smokies Superintendent of the Land of Sky Regional Council Clean “That’s going to Vehicles Coalition. “We are thrilled to be a reduce emissions in the part of this partnership.”

Smokies license plate program. In 2008 the ects in national parks that help reduce emispark and air pollution and reduce our greenEaker is all about clean air and water, a park received two new electric vehicles sions and use alternative fuels. house gases and help with climate change, familiar face at any table around which envi“The Smokies had been working with us to through funds from the Clean Fuels Advance and it will just make a much nicer experience ronmental planning efforts are discussed in Technology Program and Friends of the secure some funds from the Department of for the visitor because these electric cars are the Land of Sky’s jurisdiction. So it’s probably Energy to begin that process,” Eaker said.

Smokies. A 2010 N.C. Department of very quiet,” he said. “Traffic in the park creno surprise that when the U.S. Department of Transportation grant allowed the park to purThe park had already made some environates a lot of noise.”

Smokies unveils new energy-efficient equipment

T

Grab coffee with a park ranger Ever wanted to sit down with a ranger and hear what it’s like to work in the park?

A fall ranger program at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will afford that opportunity, with a weekly coffee with a ranger event planned this fall at 10 a.m. Fridays at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center along U.S. 441 near Cherokee.

Coffee will be provided, and the event will last about 45 minutes.

Smokies has new chief ranger outdoors

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s district ranger for the Tennessee side of the park, Steve Kloster, has been named chief ranger for the park.

The spot was formerly held by Clayton Jordan, who became the park’s deputy superintendent in April. Kloster has served stints as interim chief ranger for a total of 27 months during his time with the park. His new position will put him in charge of 75 people whose departments cover everything from law enforcement to backcountry operations to emergency services.

“Steve’s broad field experience, extensive institutional knowledge of the park, strong community partner ties and demonstrated ability to work well with colleagues across divisional lines makes him a great asset,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash.

Steve Kloster. NPS photo

Former park biologist honored for conservation Kim DeLozier, conservation program manager for the eastern U.S. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, won the title of Wildlife Conservationist of the Year from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation during this year’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards.

DeLozier retired from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2010 after 32 years working in wildlife management, dealing with everything from nuisance bear management to reintroduction of elk and red wolves.

Awards, given in 20 different categories, represent a who’s who of conservation stalwarts including agency professionals, elected officials, academics, nonprofit leaders and emerging youth leaders.

Smoky Mountain News

The Healthy Haywood Fitness Challenge will kick off Monday, Oct. 12.

The program — which runs through Nov. 23 — gives participants six weeks to visit the 17 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 there.

Five sign-up opportunities are scheduled: ■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, at the Waynesville Recreation Center, with free fitness journals handed out. A special kickoff will be held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. that day, with free pedometers.

■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Haywood County Cooperative Extension, with free frisbees.

■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at

Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, with free water bottles.

■ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Urban Athletic Training Center, with free jump ropes.

■ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at The Fitness Connection, with free stainless steel water bottles.

All freebies are on a while-supplies-last basis.

Participating venues are Angie’s Dance Academy, Body Lyrics Belly Dance, CrossFit2311, CrossFit Haywood, CrossFit Yona, Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, Maggie Mountain Fitness and Massage, Maggie Valley Wellness, Old Armory Rec Center, Raqs Beledi Bellydance Studio, Smoky Mountain Sk8Way & Fun Zone, Susan’s Sassy Slimdown, The Fitness Connection, Urban Athletic Training Center, Waynesivlle Recreation Center, Waynesivlle Wellness and Youth Kung Fu. 828.356.2272 or mhauser@haywoodnc.net. www.healthyhaywood.org.

October 7-13, 2015

Find the fitness routine that works for you

Deadline approaching for farm grants Agricultural producers have just a few more days to apply for grants aimed at helping farmers in Western North Carolina diversify and expand their businesses.

WNC Agricultural Options will distribute $178,000 to WNC farmers in 2016, but applicants must submit a letter of intent to apply by Oct. 16 and have applications finished by Nov. 13.

WNC Agricultural Options — funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission — has awarded nearly $2 million to farmers in the 21 western counties, done in increments of $3,000 and $6,000.

Previous projects have run the gamut from helping farmers get started raising broiler turkeys to purchasing an air-forced refrigerator to reduce loss of harvested blueberries.

Contact your local cooperative extension office to learn more. www.wncagoptions.org.

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Carolina Bonsai Expo to celebrate 20 years A nationally recognized bonsai tree expo will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1011, at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.

Bonsai enthusiasts from seven states will participate in juried exhibits as well as educational programs and workshops. This is the 20th anniversary for the Carolina Bonsai Expo and the 10th anniversary of the arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden, which hosts up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time.

Visitors will participate in bonsai workshops, watch free demonstrations, attend an ikebana exhibit — a type of Japanese flower arranging — by the Asheville Chapter of Ikebana International and buy live bonsai trees. This is the premier bonsai event in the Southeast.

The free educational programs will be from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 10; and 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 11, with other programs — some of them requiring a fee — offered at other times.

A full schedule at www.ncarboretum.org. The expo is free, $12 for parking.

Prep the natives for next year’s garden A discussion on growing native plants from seed — with an eye toward creating a garden birds will love — will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Paul Kern Youth Center at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

George Thomas, a horticulture instructor at Haywood Community College, will pass on his tricks and techniques for preparing seeds for germination. Audience participation encouraged, with plenty of hands-on activities that will result in each participant taking home several different native species to plant.

This is the final 2015 meeting of the Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society.

Free. Refreshments provided.

Christine Gibson, 828.550.5449.

facebook.com/smnews 50

Celebrating in style we avoided the ‘furnace’ — a 7-mile section from Cottonwood Campground to Phantom Ranch where temperatures easily get to 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. We hiked it at night and it was only 90 degrees Fahrenheit,” Pader said.

Many an 85th birthday has been observed with a simple gathering of friends and family sharing cake and memories, but Franklin resident Jim Pader had something more in mind when he crossed that milestone this month — he hiked 23.5 miles across the Grand Canyon.

Accompanied by his son James and friend Sarah Lowell, Pader embarked on the 32-hour adventure at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept.

11, on the canyon’s north rim, not exiting the south rim until 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 — no camping involved.

“For me, the hike was from difficult to very difficult because of tread conditions.

Mule rides from the North Rim have caused deep crevices and erosion of the tread, which was a problem for me because of having bad knees — old injuries and wear and tear,” Pader said.

Pader was slow toward the end, taking 18 hours to make the last 9.5 miles, but he was determined. He pressed on, with his son James monitoring his physical condition the whole time.

“Jimmy did a great job planning in that

However, as the hike wore on Pader had slowed down to half his anticipated 1 mile per hour pace, meaning he had to contend with the noonday sun along the exit route.

By the time he finally emerged victorious, he was completely spent.

But it was worth it.

“In spite of all the difficulties encountered, hiking the canyon is as near to heaven as I may get,” he wrote. “The beauty of the

Migration Celebration an event for all ages The public is invited to join scientists and members of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee for the annual Migration Celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Otto.

Biologists from Southern Appalachian Raptor Research, Coweeta Long-Term Ecological Research program, Balsam Mountain Preserve and LTLT will capture, band and release migrating songbirds.

Attendees will also participate in hands-on activities to catch, tag and release monarch butterflies as they migrate south to their wintering grounds in Mexico.

The event is part of a nationwide effort to track migration routes, populations and survival of monarch butterflies, an iconic pollinator species. Cost is free, though donations are gladly accepted to help pay for SARR and LTLT’s nature educational programs.

Attendees should wear long pants and shoes that cover the toes. Bring water, snacks and a camera. To reserve a place for your family, contact Jason Love at 828.524.2128 ext.113 or jplove@uga.edu.

Directions to LTLT’s Tessentee Bottomland Preserve, 2249 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, N.C.: From downtown Franklin, take U.S. 23 S/U.S. 441S/Georgia Road. In 5.2 miles, turn left onto Riverside Road. In .5 miles, turn right on Hickory Knoll Road and travel 1.7 miles to Preserve on the right.

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outdoors

Macon man celebrates 85th birthday with Grand Canyon hike

surroundings, the magnificence of the geology going back almost two billion years, with all the variety of colors and history is beyond imagination or description. Photographs, no matter how good, can never provide the feelings I got while being in that environment, and I cannot find words to adequately explain them.

“It brings tears to my eyes even as I write this as my memory reconstructs what just being there was like. I found oneness, joy and serenity and peace within myself as I listened to the symphony of the earth’s voices, singing all around me. For a moment, I was a microscopic part of a masterful part of creation. It was a privilege that I will remember forever and never forget. All my pain and suffering, my total exhaustion where every cell in my body had no more to give, was hardly price enough to pay for what I got in return.”

This adventure comes after Pader’s 2013 accomplishment of becoming the oldest person, at age 83, to make the 22-mile trek to California’s Mount Whitney without stopping overnight.

“Some friends have asked me ‘What’s next?’” Pader said. “But for the near future, I plan to rest.”

— By Holly Kays

51

outdoors

Take in the view on Purchase Knob hike

Max Cooper photo

Hike to fall views A hike to glimpse autumn color will depart 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, from the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.

The location of the hike, planned to be no more than 5 miles and of moderate difficulty, will be determined the day of the outing so as to hit the area with most vibrant fall colors. $5. Register with jenniferbennett@jacksonnc.org or 828.293.3053.

See autumn brilliance at Graveyard Fields

October 7-13, 2015

A fall hike to the Graveyard Fields area at milepost 418 of the Blue Ridge Parkway will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9.

Parkway rangers will guide the 2.5-mile roundtrip hike, which will take in Second

Falls and hike north on the Mountains-toSea Trail to listen for the roar of Yellowstone Falls far below.

828.298.5330, ext. 304.

Senior trips to view fall colors A pair of trips for seniors wanting to take in the fall colors will be offered this month through the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department.

■ Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 8:30 a.m.

■ Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 8:30 a.m.

On both days, the destination will be chosen the day of the trip to go where the foliage is brightest. The group will stop somewhere along the way to buy lunch out. $7 for Waynesville Recreation Center members; $5 nonmembers. RSVP to tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov or 828.456.2030.

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Hikers head toward Purchase Knob. Donated photo Register by 2 p.m. Oct. 9 at www.friendsofthesmokies.org/events/.

Fly clinic to cater to disabled veterans An afternoon of fly-fishing related clinics for disabled veterans will be held from noon to 5 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 9, at the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Cherokee.

The day, organized by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, will include clinics in fly tying, casting and knot tying. Healing Waters is an organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled veterans and active military service personnel, achieved through fly fishing, education and outings.

Free. 828.788.0034. www.flyfishingmuseum.org.

Cherokee half marathon rescheduled The Cherokee Harvest Half Marathon and 5K should have already happened, but due to heavy rain over the weekend it was rescheduled from its original Oct. 3 date to Saturday, Oct. 31.

The annual race takes off from the the Acquoni Events Center in Cherokee and is USATF-certified.

828.788.0034 or info@cherokeesmokies.com.

Woodsmen’s Meet rescheduled due to rain

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A hike taking in the views from Purchase Knob in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the secret hideaways of The Swag Country Inn’s Nature Trail will show off autumn’s best on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Friends of the Smokies hike, led by hiking guide and author Danny Bernstein, will begin at 5,086-foot Purchase Knob in Haywood County and from there travel 7.5 miles with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. Hikers will learn from a park ranger about the scientific work being done at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, where the hike starts, and they’ll also visit The Swag’s Nature Trail, a 2-mile loop that includes a swinging bridge, working waterwheel and hidden pond that will serve as a lunch spot. $10 for Friends of the Smokies members; $35 for non-members with one-year membership included.

Proceeds benefit the Smokies Trails Forever program, which funds rehabilitation of the park’s premier trails.

An annual celebration of the Cradle of Forestry’s heritage will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, rescheduled from its original Oct. 3 date due to heavy rain from Hurricane Joaquin.

The Forest Festival and Woodsmen’s Meet, the Cradle’s largest event of the year, draws more than 100 forestry students, craftsmen and exhibitors, who entertain visitors with a timbersports competition — Haywood Community College and Western Carolina University were originally scheduled to be among the eight teams participating — while crafters and exhibitors line trails demonstrating everything from whit-

tling to mule-packing.

Details about the rescheduled event — to be held at Pink Beds Picnic Area along U.S. 276 — will be finalized at a later date. www.cradleofforestry.com, or 828.877.3130.

Peek through a window into campsites past A recreation of what a campsite from 100 years ago would look like will be on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Cradle of Forestry in near Brevard.

Visitors will see fires ignited by flint, steel and friction, old-style campfire cookery, four different styles of period shelters and traditional camp tools in use.

The event is inspired by Smokies founding father Horace Kephart and his 1906 book Camping and Woodcraft. “Camping in the Old Style” will be presented by the Traditional Outdoor Skills Program from The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia.

Traditional camping display included with price of admission, $5 for adults and free for youth under 16. America the Beautiful, Every Kid in a Park and Golden Age passes accepted. The cradle is located along U.S. 276 near Brevard.

828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.com.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Town of Waynesville’s semi-annual mulch sale is scheduled for Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 15-17. Times are 8 a.m.-noon at the town yard waste landfill. Compost ranges from $10 (regular pickup/trailer) to $60 (tandem truck). Double-ground mulch ranges from $10 a load (small pickup) to $200 (roll-off). Additional fee of $1020 will be charged for trailers, depending on size.

456.3706.

• A Turkey Shoot hosted by the sons of the American Legion will be held at 9 a.m. every Saturday from Oct. 10 through April at American Legion Post 47, 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville. Weather permitting.

Shotguns only. Call 828.456.8691.

• A Law Enforcement Appreciation Day has been organized by Lake Junaluska First Baptist Church for Oct. 11, at Canton Recreation Park. Food, music, demonstrations from different agencies.

• A Little Taste of Local offers samples from locally owned restaurants and markets on Oct. 13 at Champion Credit Union in Canton. The local food showcase is part of the CU Lunch Local Initiative. www.championcu.com.

• The Community Chili Cook Off will be from noon-2 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the Waynesville Public Library. All chili recipes are welcome, beans or no beans.

Participants will also be judges with prizes given out. kolsen@haywoodnc.net or 356.2507.

• The 25th annual Chili Cook-Off will be held from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Oct. 17, at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Depot in Bryson City. Applications must be submitted to the Swain County Chamber of Commerce.

Karen Wilmot at 488.3681, 800.867.9246 or chamber@greatsmokies.com.

• Registration is under way for the second annual LEAD: WNC summit, which is Oct. 20 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Theme is “Enhancing the Quality of Life in Western North Carolina.” Speakers include Jeff Seraphine, president of the Eastern Group of Lifepoint Health; Harry R. Phillips, chief medical officer for Duke Lifepoint and Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals. The event is sect for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Registration is $109 includes lunch.

227.3015, www.leadwnc.edu or dshopkins@wcu.edu.

• Oconaluftee Indian Village, which replicates 18thcentury Cherokee Life, is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday through Oct. 17 in Cherokee. visitcherokeenc.com.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • An Introduction to Microsoft Word class will be offered at 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Free. Register by calling 586.2016.

• A series of seminars designed for online retail outlets run by small business owners will be held from Oct. 7-8 at Haywood Community College’s Regional High Technology Center auditorium. Workshops will cover working with eBay, Etsy and Amazon. Presented by HCC’s Small Business Center. Free. For info or to register, visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 627.4512.

• Teaching and learning expert, radio commentator and University of Texas-Austin music professor Bob Duke will hold speaking engagements on Oct. 8-9, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. “If We Learn Like That, Why Do We Teach Like This?” is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday in the A.K. Hinds University Center Theater while “Beautiful” about not losing emotional connection to music during instruction is at 1:25 p.m. on Friday in Coulter Building recital hall. Free; open to the public.

227.7242.

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 • The Western Carolina University Association of Retired Faculty and Staff will meet on Oct. 13, in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee. Registration begins at 10 a.m. followed by a social, business meeting, Dutch treat luncheon and presentations from speakers Russ Townsend and Tyler Howe of the Cherokee Ambassadors. Annual association dues are $10 per person or couple; registration for the event is due by Wednesday, Oct. 7. $18 for the event. 293.5377, 293.5620 or 369.2693.

• A bartending course held from 6-9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays Oct. 12-Nov. 23 at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. Covers all aspects of the bartending career, including Alcoholic Beverage Control requirements, information on Alcohol Liability Education certification, drink recipes, customer service, and more.

Demonstration, lecture and hands-on participation are all part of the class. Cost is $125, and the book is approximately $15. 339.4426. ldowns@southwesterncc.edu.

• The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will hold a ribbon cutting for the new $80 million, 150,000 squarefoot hospital at 10 a.m. on Oct. 15. Open to the public.

Tours will be offered following the ceremony.

• Successful Entrepreneurship Series will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays through Nov. 17 at Western Carolina University’s Biltmore Campus in South Asheville. Free. 712.5918, wendy@cmtcoatings.com or 712.5918.

• A seminar entitled “How to Find Your Customers” will be offered by the Haywood Community College Small Business Center from 2-4 p.m. on Oct. 20 in the 1500 Student Center Auditorium in Clyde. Discover methods to uncover competition and their competitive advantage. Online registration is encouraged: sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• A seminar entitled “Basics of Bookkeeping” will be offered by the Haywood Community College Small Business Center from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the 1500 Student Center Auditorium in Clyde. Learn about accrual, cash basis accounting and more. Online registration is encouraged: sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Membership meeting for the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 13 at the Chamber & Fly Fishing Museum.

• A free seminar on “Planning Your Financial Future” will be presented at 11 a.m. on Oct. 13 at Sagebrush Steakhouse in Waynesville. Presented by Tim Francis.

Lunch included. To reserve a seat, call 316.8761. No products or services will be offered.

• A computer class entitled “Keeping Safe and Secure in the Digital Age” is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 14, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Overview of threats and vulnerabilities associated with the use of home computers, home networks, email and general Internet browsing. 586.2016.

• A seminar entitled “Business Taxes” will be offered by the Haywood Community College Small Business Center from 2-4 p.m. on Oct. 20 in the 1500 Student Center Auditorium in Clyde. Learn about basic requirements to

Smoky Mountain News

help businesses in the state understand the laws and obligations necessary to be compliant. Online registration is encouraged: sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Reservations are being accepted for Youth Outright’s Oct. 27 free workshop entitled: “Creating Safe Spaces: Working with LGBTQ Youth in Western North Carolina.”

The workshop is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County in Brevard. http://youthoutright.org.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Coats for Kids of Jackson County Coat and Warm Clothing Drive will hold fundraising events on Oct. 8 & 10 in Sylva. Thursday’s event is from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Two Chicks Boutique. Saturday’s is from 8 a.m.-noon at the Jackson County Farmer’s Market.

• Presbyterian Church of Waynesville will hold its seventh craft fair starting at 10 a.m. on Oct. 10 and 17.

Proceeds benefit regional charities including Grandfather Home for Children, Barium Springs Children’s Home, Black Mountain Children’s Home, Open Door, REACH and more. 456.3243 or 456.8983.

• An annual German Dinner will be hosted by Our Savior Lutheran Church with seatings at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. on Oct. 11, at the church, which is across U.S. 23/74 from Haywood Regional Medical Center. All proceeds benefit Haywood Pathways in Waynesville. Tickets are $13.50 for adults; $6 for children (6-12) and free for children under 6; tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 507.0310 or 456.6493.

• Signature Brew will hold its Jackson County Annual Market Benefit from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 12. A special menu will be created featuring local farm fresh ingredients.

• Tickets are on sale now for Haywood County Habitat for Humanity’s House Mixer. Event is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. $35 ticket includes beverage ticket and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Live and silent auction. 452.7960.

• A regional breast cancer charity truck show, “Beards for Boobs,” will be held from noon-7 p.m. on Oct. 17, at the Cherokee Expo Center.

• Tickets are on sale now for a benefit concert featuring Joyce Guyer, a soprano and Waynesville Resident. The event is scheduled for Oct. 23 at Grace in the Mountains Episcopal Church. Proceeds benefit the Haywood County Arts Council. Tickets are $25 each.

452.0593 or visit the Haywood County Arts Council Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. HaywoodArts.org.

HOLIDAY GIVING • “Sock It To Em” – a sock drive to benefit the Christmas Connection of Jackson County – is being held Oct. 10 at Western Carolina’s home football game against Mercer in Cullowhee. Fans are invited to donate unopened packages of children’s socks. bfarmer@wcu.edu or 227.3804.

• The second annual Haywood County Toys for Tots Tractor Run will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Farm Bureau office in Waynesville. Registration is between 8-10 a.m. Ride includes a 14-mile loop through the county. The ride is sponsored by the Ole Smoky Antique Tractor & Engine Association to support the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots. Bring your tractor and a $10 donation or a new unwrapped toy. Call 828.593.8327 or 828.593.8330.

• The Maggie Valley Lodging Association is accepting donations for its annual Turkey Drive at Thanksgiving. A $25 donation provides a full Thanksgiving meal for a family that would otherwise go without. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 1175, Maggie Valley, NC 28751 or

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All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. www.visitmaggie.com (press donate button at bottom of the page).

HEALTH MATTERS • The Macon County Cancer Support Group meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 8, in the cafeteria of Angel Medical Center in Franklin. Lori Impagliatelli, a Stage 4 Breast Cancer Survivor, will be guest speaker. Light refreshments. All are welcome.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 2-6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 at Clyde Elementary.

800.733.2767 or www.redcrossblood.org.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 16 at Lowe’s in Franklin.

800.733.2767 or www.redcrossblood.org.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 at Central United Methodist Church in Canton. 800.733.2767 or www.redcrossblood.org.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from noon-4:30 p.m. on Oct. 19 at Masonic Lodge in Waynesville. 800.733.2767 or www.redcrossblood.org.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 3:30-8 p.m. on Oct. 27 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. 800.733.2767 or www.redcrossblood.org.

• “ECA on the Move!” – a walking program organized

by Jackson County Extension and Community Association – meets from 9-10 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. It’s an effort to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 10,000 steps per day. 586.4009.

• Al-Anon, a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who believe their lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking, meets at 10 a.m. on Saturdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

356.2800.

• It’s Liver Awareness Month, and The American Red Cross will the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood to support patients undergoing liver and other types of transplants throughout October.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • Special Olympics Golf Skills Tournament is scheduled for 1:30-6 p.m. on Oct. 11. Rain date is Oct. 18. http://rec.jacksonnc.org.

• Healthy Haywood Fitness Challenge runs from Oct. 12-Nov. 23. Registration is the week of Oct. 12-16. $10; open to all ages. Experience a variety of local fitness centers. Kickoff event is 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. www.healthyhaywood.org, mhauser@haywoodnc.net or 452.6675, ext.

2272.

POLITICAL CORNER • The Governmental Affairs Committee of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce will hold its Issues & Eggs Breakfast from 8-9 a.m. on Oct. 7 at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Clyde and Maggie Valley candidates will be introduced.

• The League of Women Voters of Macon County is sponsoring a forum for candidates running for town alderman at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, at Franklin Town Hall.

• Occupy WNC General Assembly is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 13, in the Atrium of Hines Student Center

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at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 743.9747 or www.occupywnc.org.

• Occupy/WNC General Assembly meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday at Dogwood Wellness Center. GPS address is 114 West Hemlock Street, Sylva NC 28779 but location in Dillsboro. 7439747.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • First United Methodist Church of Sylva’s meeting times will be 9 a.m. for contemporary worship service and 11 a.m. for traditional worship service. 586.2358.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Spooky Storytelling will be at 8 p.m. from Oct. 8-10 and 15-17 at the Storytelling Center in Bryson City.

Tales of the spirits, “Haints, Boogers and Witches of the Southern Highlands,” spun by storyteller Tim Hall.

Free. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Brad Butkovich will present a discussion on the “Battles of New Hope Church and Pickett’s Mill” during the Western North Carolina Civil War Roundtable at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Free.

• Tickets for Ron Rash’s presentation of his new book, “Above the Waterfall” are available with a purchase of the book at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. The presentation is 11 a.m. on Oct. 17.

• Author Pierce Mobley will hold a signing for his book “The Innkeeper’s Gift” from 1-4 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Gear Head Inn in Whittier. www.greatsmokies.com.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Humana Senior Skip Day, an effort to encourage people 62 and older to skip out on their normal daily routine to enjoy a healthy day in a national park, includes activities from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 8 at Cades Cove Amphitheater.

• Author William R. Forstchen will present his book “One Year After” in a reading and discussion event at 3 p.m. on Oct. 10, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• A senior trip to view fall foliage is being organized by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 13. $7 for members; $9 for non members. Register or get more info at 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.org.

• A reception celebrating the second printing of the late Pastor Harold Borchert’s first book “Hitherto … a Biographical Testimony” will be held at 3 p.m. on Oct. 11 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000; www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• The Jackson County Senior Center will have an outing to the Deal Farms corn maze, hayride, pumpkin patch and Dairy Queen at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 16.

586.5494.

• Laura Wright, associate professor and head of Western Carolina University’s English department, will

• A tennis ball foot fitness with WCU Dance professor is scheduled for Oct. 21 at the Jackson Senior Center.

586.5494.

Country Meadows Park Models & Park Homes

• Registration will be underway from Oct. 12-30 for Youth Basketball at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee. $45 for girls and boys in grades second through seventh. Coaches are needed in all divisions. http://rec.jacksonnc.org.

• The Peanuts Pumpkin Patch Express will depart at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and 16, and noon and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10-11 and 17-18 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad train depot in Bryson City. Peanuts characters in costume, children’s activities, and more. For more information and ticket rates, call 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

• Registration is underway for youth tennis Lessons that will be offered this fall by the Jackson County Parks/Recreation Department. Lessons start Oct. 13 in two divisions: ages 5-8 and ages 9-13. Register at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. For info, call 293.3053.

• Home-school adventure paddle sessions are offered from 1-2:45 p.m. through October at Lake Junaluska. $45 for members (for an eight-week session) or $55 for nonmembers. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillnenc.gov.

• Art Day for Kids is from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 and Nov. 11 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. For ages seven and up. $35 per child/session. Registration includes lunch; scholarships available. http://tinyurl.com/ok83zlj.

• Youth Outright, a regional advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, will have a free workshop for professionals who serve these youth Oct. 16 at 5:30 to 8:30, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin. Lite supper to be served so registration requested. Youthoutright.org.

KIDS MOVIES • A family movie about Marnie and her friends from Halloweentown will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 488.3030.

• “Wallace and Gromit the Curse of the Were Rabbit is being shown for free on Saturdays in October at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Strand in Waynesville.

283.0079.

• Family movie time Thursdays, 3:45 p.m. at Albert Carlton, Cashiers Community Library. Free with popcorn. Call for title. 743.0215.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • The annual Scarecrow Festival will be held through Oct. 31. Homeowners, businesses, schools and organizations are invited to compete and support the Swain County Schools Foundation. Winners will be announced on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Chili Cook Off & Fall Festival. Entry fee is $25. Pick up an application at the Swain County Chamber of Commerce or download at: www.greatsmokies.com/Pdfs-weeklyevents/Scarecrows-Oct-2015.pdf.

• The 103rd annual Cherokee Indian Fair will run from through Oct. 10 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. $10 per adult, $5 for children ages 6-12. Under age 5 is free. www.visitcherokeenc.com or 800.438.1601.

• Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing Festival is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Oct. 10, on Frye Street at the

October 7-13, 2015

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KIDS & FAMILIES • Fun Friday, everything science, is held at 3:30 on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

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• A debate-watch party will be hosted by the College Democrats and Jackson County and Westward for Bernie Sanders on Oct. 13, at the Hinds University Center Theater at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. RSVP: https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4vc54.

discuss her book “The Vegan Studies Project” at 1 p.m. on Oct. 11, as part of the “English on the Ides” series at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The series is co-sponsored by WCU’s Department of English and City Lights Bookstore. pmworley@wcu.edu or more@citylightsnc.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

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Train Depot in Bryson City. Apparel and equipment vendors will have displays, local fly tyers will be featured. A complete list of vendors is available at www.GreatSmokiesFishing.com/flyfishfest

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OVER 200 JURIED ARTISTS CRAFT DEMONSTRATIONS LIVE REGIONAL MUSIC

• An Oktoberfest with Barry Bryson & Emporium Band is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin. $50 tickets include authentic German food, two pints of craft beer and two glasses of wine. Proceeds benefit the Angel Medical Cancer Care Center. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Inspirations, a gospel group, will host the “Singing in the Smokies” fall color festival at 11 a.m. from Oct. 15-17 at Inspiration Park in Bryson City.

Thursday performances will include The Inspirations and The Kingsmen. Friday will showcase the Old Fashioned Singing Chuck Wagon Gang, Troy Burns Family, and The Inspirations. Saturday will present the Family & Friends Tour, Archie Watkins, The McKameys, and The Inspirations. Tickets are $20 per night, hildren 12 and under admitted free. www.theinspirations.com.

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• The Harvest Festival is scheduled for Oct. 16-18 at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. Free. Events include campfire and storytelling (6-8 p.m. on Friday); and live music (11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday). A comedy performance by The Cleverly’s costs $25 for adults and $10 for children in grades K-12 at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. From 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, various gospel groups will perform. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• The 25th annual Chili Cook-Off will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 17, at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Depot in Bryson City.

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• Antioch Baptist Church Fall Festival and Sale is from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. Clothing, crafts, knickknacks, canned goods, baked goods and clothing.

452.9164.

VENDORS AND VOLUNTEERS • Show and Sell at the Glenville Leaf Festival is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Oct. 10. Tents provided; show fee is $20. To participate, contact Carol Adams at 743.1658 or casolveit@yahoo.com.

• Registration is underway for the “Power of Pink 5K run/walk.” The event is Oct. 24. Volunteers needed; contact mhauser@haywoodnc.net or 356.2275.

Details and registration at www.imathlete.com/events/EventOverview.aspx?fEID= 25002.

• Volunteers are being sought for the Trick or Treat 5 miler and Spooky Sprinter 1-miler races, which are Oct. 30. greg@pisgahareasorba.org or www.pisgahareasorba.org.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Michael Reno Harrell, a songwriter, storyteller and entertainer, will perform at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Strand in Waynesville. $15 in advance; $20 at the door. www.38main.com.

• Tuscola High School’s Choral Department will present “Tuscola Loves Broadway, 50 Years of Celebration!” on Oct 8, 10 & 11 in the high school auditorium. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $10 and include a dessert and drink at intermission.

Tickets are available at the door, through any Summit member or by calling the school at 456.2408.

• The Johnny Webb Band performs at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 as part of the Friday Night Live summer concert series in Highlands. Free. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Tim Triplett will be at City Lights Café at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9 in Sylva.

• Brad Austin will be at City Lights Café at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 in Sylva.

• Donna Hughes (Bluegrass) will perform from 6:30-8

p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Depot in Bryson City. Part of the Music in the Mountains free concert series. www.greatsmokies.com.

• The Pickin’ on the Square (Franklin) summer concert series will have Curtis Blackwell (Bluegrass) Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Free. An open mic jam session begins at 6:30 p.m. www.franklinnc.com/pickin.html.

• The Rickman Store (Cowee) will host a brunch and bluegrass at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 10. All musicians invited to attend, perform and/or listen.

• The Russ Wilson Trio (jazz, swing and gypsy singers) will kick off the Classic Wineseller’s “Fall for Jazz” series at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, in Waynesville. Tickets are $44.99, which includes a four-course dinner.

452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Bill Leslie and Lorica (Celtic World Fusion) will perform at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, at The Strand in Waynesville.

• A production of “Over the River and Through the Woods” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15-17 and 22-24 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. 526.8084 or www.highlandscashiersplayers.org.

• Mountain Dulcimer Group performs at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16 as part of the Friday Night Live summer concert series in Highlands. Free. www.highlandschamber.org.

• Lake Junaluska Singers Concert is set for 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 and 17, at the Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. $22.50 for reserved seats; $17.50 for general admission. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers/concert_tickets or 800.222.4930. Part of Choir Music Weekend.

Program rates available: tmcdowell@lakejunaluska.com or 454.6681; www.lakejunaluska.com/choirmusic.

• Betina Morgan and Singers will perform at 3 p.m. on Oct. 17, at the Waynesville branch public library.

Morgan plays classic folk music on a handcrafted, 31string, gothic harp. Free. Presented by Friends of the Library and the Haywood County Arts Council.

HaywoodArts.org.

• The Pickin’ on the Square (Franklin) summer concert series will have Ms. Kitty & The Big City Band (variety) at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. An open mic starts at 6:30 p.m. Free. www.franklinnc.com.

• Sidney Barnes & Richard Shulman will perform as part of the Classic Wineseller’s “Fall for Jazz” series at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17, in Waynesville. Tickets are $44.99, which includes a four-course dinner. 452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• The Bryson City Train Depot “Music in the Mountains” concert series will feature The Josh Fields Band at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. Free. www.greatsmokies.com.

• The Historic Cowee School will host Tellico (Americana/bluegrass) at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17. $10 per person. www.coweeschool.org.

• Masters of Illusion “Believe The Impossible” professional magic Halloween showcase is set for 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Tickets start at $7.50. www.harrahscherokee.com.

• Humorist Jeanne Robertson will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Perrforming Arts in Franklin. Tickets start at $20.

524.1598 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

•Cruso Circle Play and Jam will perform at 3 p.m. on Oct. 18, at the Canton branch public library. Mandolin, guitar, drums, bass and slide guitar. Free. Presented

by Friends of the Library and the Haywood County Arts Council. HaywoodArts.org.

• Tickets are on sale for a Homecoming Comedy Show hosted by comedian Jose Barrientos at the John W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center. Event is set for 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. $5 tickets for students; $10 general admission. Headliner Iliza Shlesinger will be featured

along with Chloe Hilliard and Kevin Yee. Part of the Arts and Cultural Events Performance Series.

227.2479 or http://bardoartscenter.wcu.edu. For info on the ACE series, call 227.2612.

• The Freeway Revival (rock) will perform as part of the Groovin’ On the Green in Cashiers at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 at 9 p.m., at Village Commons in Cashiers.

Free. Family friendly. visitcashiersvalley.com.

• Tickets are on sale for classic singer Tony Bennett’s concert on Oct. 23 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. www.TicketMaster.com or 800.745.3000.

• The 9th Street Stompers will perform at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, as part the Classic Wineseller’s “Fall for Jazz” series in Waynesville. Tickets are $44.99, which includes a four-course dinner. 452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Tickets are on sale for comedian Ron White’s Nov. 6 performance at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. www.TicketMaster.com or 800.745.3000.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • “Native Voices: A View From the Mountains,” the North Carolina Folklore Society’s 102nd annual meeting, will take place in Oct. 9-10 at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching across from the Western Carolina Campus University campus. www.ncfolkloresociety.org.

• High Country Quilters will hold the 25th Annual Quilt Show from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 8-10 at the Maggie Valley Town Hall and Pavilion/Civic Center.

• The Sylva Photo Club will have a seminar about GIMP photo editing software presented by Roger and Lisa Bacon at 2 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Cullowhee Methodist Church. $5 donation for nonmembers; free for members. 293.9820.

• An indoor flea market is scheduled for 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 17, at The Old Armory in Waynesville. Booths are $10 each for selling items. Takes place every third Saturday. 456.9207.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education is offering five weeks of unusual art projects through a Community Art Workshops series on Mondays from Oct. 19-Nov. 16.

Classes met from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Room 150 of the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Fee: $49 for students; $99 for others. Artclasses.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • A reception for featured artist TJ Holland, who celebrates Cherokee heritage through his work, is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 9, at Gallery 1 in Sylva.

337.3468 or 421.4969.

• Recent works by local artist Justin Moe are on display throughout October in the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. www.artbyjustinmoe.weebly.com or www.facebook.com/artbyjustinmoe.

• An exhibition of Maya contemporary works will be featured through Friday, Oct. 30 at Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee.

• The Mountain Heritage Center is hosting the exhibit “Collecting for the Community,” an exploration of the diversity and variety to be found in Western North Carolina. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

• A Traditional Artist Showcase is scheduled for noon on Oct. 10, at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee.

Demonstration of paddle-stamped pottery, Cherokee stories, exhibition on Cherokee Language and talk on “Language as a Window into Culture.” Free; open to the public. Presented by Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor and the Jackson County Arts Council. www.gocullowhee.org.

• “Chasing Grace” will be shown through Oct. 9-18 at The Strand in Waynesville. Showtimes at www.38main.com

• The 2015 USA Canoe and Kayak Slalom Nationals are scheduled for Oct. 9-11 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Practice and demo runs from 12:30-2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 9; Competitive runs are 12:15 and 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 10-11. www.noc.com.

• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. Call for title of movie.

586.2016.

Outdoors

• The annual Migration Celebration is scheduled for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 10, at the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee’s Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Otto.

Biologists from throughout the region will capture, band and release migrating song birds. For info or to reserve a space for your family, contact Jason Love at 524.2128, ext. 2128, ext. 113, or jplove@uga.edu.

• Kayaking paddle sessions will be offered from 9:3011:30 a.m. on Thursdays this fall at Lake Junaluska. $8 members; $12 for nonmembers. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillnenc.gov.

• A Leaf Change Hike in the Smokies, organized by the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 10. $5 activity fee.

293.3053 or www.jacksonnc.org/parks-and-recreation.html.

• Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, in the Lazy Hiker Brewery’s Event Room.

• “Camping in the Old Style” will be re-enacted on Oct. 10 at the Cradle of Forestry near Brevard.

877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.com.

• “Recycling – Why It’s a Good Idea” will be the topic of a program presented by Joel Ostroff, Recycling Coordinator for Macon County Solid Waste Department at a Greenway Gathering at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8, at FROG Quarters in Franklin.

• Molasses making activity is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on Oct. 10, at Hidden Valley Farm near Clyde.

Learn how to grind cane and skim molasses as it cooks. Free. 450.2232, hiddenvalleyfarmnc@gmail.com or www.hiddenvalleyfarmnc.com.

• Project Healing Waters Day is scheduled for noon-5 p.m. on Oct. 9, at the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Cherokee. Fly-tying clinics, casting clinics and fly-fishing knot-tying clinics.

• A presentation of the fall night sky and celestial objects visible from Western North Carolina is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 9, at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Rosman. Reservations required by 3 p.m. on the day of the event. $20 per adult; $15 for seniors/military. Children 10 and under

• The 20th-annual Carolina Bonsai Expo is scheduled for Oct. 10-11 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Free for Arboretum Society members or with the standard $12 parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org.

• The Blessing of the Animals service will be at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, outside the Stuart Auditorium in Lake Junaluska. All living creative are welcome to participate. Pictures of endangered species are also welcome. Rev. Susan Giles, Dean of the Memorial Chapel

• A contemporary exhibit will open Oct. 12, at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. The exhibit is intended to challenge the way beliefs about the natural world are formed.

Entitled “Connections: Diane Fox & Beauvais Lyons,” the exhibit pairs photographs by Fox with lithography

by Lyons. An artists’ talk and reception is set for 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19; the exhibit remains at WCU through Friday, Jan. 15. The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursday. Admission and parking are free.

227.3591 or fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

• Western North Carolina pottery pieces on loan from the collection of Rodney Leftwich are on display from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays at the Shelton House in Waynesville. www.sheltonhouse.org.

FILM & SCREEN • The film “Avengers, Age of Ultron” is being screened Oct. 8-9 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• “Love & Mercy” (Rated R, 1:29) will be shown through Oct. 7 at The Strand in Waynesville.

Showtimes at www.38main.com • A new dramatic comedy with Zach Braff and Kate Hudson will be shown at 2 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Movie is about a struggling actor, father and husband trying to find his identity at age 35. Free. Rated R, 1:46. 524.3600.

• A dramatic thriller with Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardener will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Free.

OCTOBER 22 WITH RYAN LAFFERTY RAMSEY REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTER

Smoky Mountain News

• The Sylva Photo Club will have a full-day seminar about Lightroom photo editing software presented by Robert McAnally from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Cullowhee Methodist Church. $40 donation for nonmembers; $35 for members. Reservations required: 293.9820.

• Haywood County Arts Council will host artists from the Haywood Art Studio Tour starting in October at the Gallery & Gifts Space in Waynesville. A sampling of work from 22 local artists who will open their studios to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24. Self-guided. Opening reception is from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 2. www.HaywoodArts.org.

are free. Register and pay at www.pari.edu or 862.5554. Info: cwhitworth@pari.edu.

October 7-13, 2015

• The 32th annual Church Street Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Oct. 10, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

• The 10th Annual Autumn Juried Group Exhibit of the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association Asheville Region entitled “Southern Appalachian Splendor Through the Seasons,” will be hosted through the New Year by the Green Sage Cafe in Asheville. www.cnpaasheville.org.

United States military leaders plot to overthrow the president. 1:58. 524.3600.

wnc calendar

• Tickets are on sale now for a concert featuring country music artist Hunter Hayes. The event is set for 8 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee. Concert will also include country singer Ryan Lafferty. Tickets are $20 for students and $25 (plus facility fee and taxes) to the general public. Tickets are available at the Ramsey Center’s box office or www.ramsey.wcu.edu.

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

Doors open 7:00pm / Show begins 8:00pm TICKETS ON SALE NOW RAMSEY.WCU.EDU / RAMSEY BOX OFFICE WCU Students: $20 / Public: $25 Day of: $25 / Taxes and fees additional

PRESENTED BY: Campus Activities & Residential Living

57

wnc calendar

at Lake Junaluska, will lead the service. sgiles@lakejunaluska.com.

ing on registration date and team status. Register at www.active.com.

• A gem show will be held from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Oct. 15-18 at the corner of U.S. 441 and Lake Emory Road.

Sponsored by T&D Shows. 371.9618 or www.franklinchamber.com.

• Registration is underway for the Zombie 5K Race Chase, which starts at 4 p.m. on Oct. 31, at Western Carolina University. Early bird price of $20 is good through Oct. 15: www.active.com. Proceeds support physical therapy services to the community and research sponsored by the American Physical Therapy Association.

• An Octoberfest Tailgate sponsored by the Knights of Columbus will be held at 5 p.m. on, Oct. 16, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• The Macon Aero Modelers will host an invitational RC fly-in event at 10 a.m. on Oct. 17, at the Otto Aerodrome. Pilots of the Macon Aeromodelers Club will put their skill on displaying flying micro and largescale model aircraft. Admission is $5, with food available (hot dog plate $5, barbecue plate $7). Proceeds benefit the Macon County Public Library. bruners@dnet.net • The Highlands Plateau Greenway will conduct its monthly workday from 9 a.m.-noon on Oct. 17 and Nov. 21. To participate, email Ran Shaffner at highlandsgreenway@nctv.com or call 526.5622.

• Tuscola Garden Club presents Kathy Olsen, Haywood librarian, to discuss new heirloom and rare vegetable Seed Lending Library program at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 20, at the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

246.0437 or 400.1461.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for the Cherokee Zombie Run, which will be held from noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. $25 for regular registration (Oct. 2-15) or $30 for late registration (Oct. 16-25). Info: www.hauntedcherokee.com; register at www.imathlete.com.

October 7-13, 2015

• Registration is underway for a long-distance (25K and 50K routes) trail race that’s scheduled for Oct. 10 in Franklin. Proceeds benefit the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society to assist with trail maintenance and promotion. Register at Outdoor 76 in Franklin or at www.active.com. info@outdoor76.com.

• The Bethel Half-Marathon and 5K will be held Oct. 10, winding through the Bethel community in Haywood County. Pre-registration is $25 for the 5K and $40 for the half-marathon; day of is $30 for the 5K and $45 for the half-marathon. Register at www.active.com.

• Registration is underway for the Pink-a-Book 5K race that will benefit the Macon Hope Closet, a resource for anyone touched by cancer. The race is at 11 a.m. on Oct. 31. Entry fee is $20 until Oct. 30; $25 on race day. Register at active.com. Info: maconhopecloset@yahoo.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Conquer the Mountain Half-Marathon will be held Nov. 7, in Franklin. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center for medical care at the center’s clinics as well as other needs. Individual and two-person team registrations are available. $30 to $45 per person, depend-

FARM & GARDEN • A free composting-Vermicomposting workshop will be presented by the N.C. Extension Service from 1011:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, and Oct. 12, at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva. Register: 586.4009, 488.3848 or Christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

• The Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society will hold a general meeting on “How to Start Your Own Native Plants for Creating a Bird Friendly Habitat” at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, at the Paul Kern Youth Center at Lake Junaluska. Featuring George Thomas, horticulture instructor at Haywood Community College.

550.5449.

• Tuscola Garden Club presents Kathy Olsen, Haywood librarian, to discuss new heirloom and rare vegetable Seed Lending Library program at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 20, at the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

246.0437 or 400.1461.

FARMERS MARKET • Haywood Historic Farmers Market is held from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the parking lot of HART Theatre in Waynesville. 280.1381 or haywoodfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville (behind Bogart’s).

456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net.

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will be on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon on at its Bridge Park location in Sylva.

Info:jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com or website jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

• The ‘Whee Farmer’s Market is open from 4-7 p.m. every Tuesday at the corner of the N. Country Club Drive and Stadium View Drive in Cullowhee, behind the entrance to the Village of Forest Hills off Highway 107 across from Western Carolina University.

476.0334 • The Cashiers Tailgate market is open from 9 a.m.noon on Saturdays at the United Community Bank on N.C. 107 South. 226.9988 or blueridgefarmers@gmail.com.

• Cowee Farmers Market is from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Oct. 28 at the Old Cowee School in Franklin. info@coweefarmersmarket.com ,

• The Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software in Franklin. 349.2049 or alan_durden@ncsu.edu.

• Swain County Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays at the barn on Island Street in Bryson City. Special Tuesday hours from 5 to 8 p.m. during peak months through Sept. 15. 488.3848 or Christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

• Cherokee Farmers Market is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Fridays through Oct. 30 at 876 Acquoni Road next to the Easter Band of Cherokee Indians Cooperative Extension Office. For info, contact Sarah McClellan at 359.6935 or saramccl@nc-cherokee.com.

HIKING CLUBS • A hike from Lemon Gap to Max Patch will be organized by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Oct. 7. Cost is $5 for members; $7 for non-members. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillnenc.gov.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 10.8-mile hike with a 2,600 ascent from Brown Gap to Snowbird Mountain on Oct. 7. Janet Martin at 502.494.9309 or jaykaymartin@msn.com.

• Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead a moderate, 2.5-mile roundtrip hike at 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, in the Graveyard Fields Area. Meet at the Graveyard Fields Parking Overlook, Milepost 418.8. 298.5330, ext. 304.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a three-mile moderate hike on Oct. 10, to Ranger Falls, elevation change 600 ft., on an interpretive loop trail from Cliffside Lake, with a stop at an old homestead site.

Meet at Bi-Lo parking area at 10 am, drive 25 miles round trip. Mary Stone, 369.7352, for reservations. • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a two-mile easyto-moderate hike on Sunday, Oct. 11, on Jack Rabbit Mountain Trail at Lake Chatuge Campground in Georgia. Meet at Westgate Plaza in Franklin at 2 pm, drive 50 miles round trip. Kay Coriell, 369.6820, for reservations. • Carolina Mountain Club will have a nine-mile hike with a 1,200-foot ascent on Sunday, Oct. 11. Laura Frisbie at 337.5845 or laurafrisbie@gmail.com.

area 8:30 am, drive 110 miles round trip. Gail Lehman, 524-5298, or Olga Pader, 369.2457.

• A Great Smoky Mountains National Park Ranger will lead a 7.5-mile, moderately difficult hike with an elevation gain of 1,500 feet on Oct. 13, from Purchase Knob to Hemphill Bald. Current members of Friends of the Smokies pay $10; new members pay $35. Proceeds benefit Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever Program.

Register at friendsofthesmokies.org/events.

• A Happy Hikers outing to John Rock (four miles) is scheduled for Oct. 14. 586.5494. http://rec.jacksonnc.org.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a six-mile hike with a 1,300-foot elevation gain, from Slate Rock Creek – Pilot Cove on Oct. 14. Jack Fitzgerald at 685.2897 or suejackfitz@bellsouth.net.

• A hike from Flat Laurel Creek to Sam’s Knob (7 miles) will be organized by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Oct. 14.

Cost is $5 for members; $7 for non-members.

456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillnenc.gov.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a 5-mile moderate hike, elevation change 630 ft., on Oct. 17, to Sam Knob off the Blue Ridge Parkway on Black Balsam FS road with 360-degree views from summit of Knob at 6130 ft. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Bi-Lo parking lot in Franklin. Call leader Gail Lehman, 524.5298, for reservations. Visitors welcome, no dogs please.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a four-mile hike with a 900-foot elevation gain on Oct. 18 at Sam Knob. Chris Allen at 707.6500 or cpallen@gmail.com.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a seven-mile hike with a 1,000-foot ascent on Oct. 21. Stuart English at 384.4870 or stuengo@comporium.net.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a half-day, sixmile hike with an 800-foot ascent on Oct. 11 at Max Patch. Jack Dalton at 622.3704, 380.0848 or jckdalton9@gmail.com.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an eight-mile strenuous hike, elevation change of 1,000 ft., on Oct. 11, from Yellow Creek Gap to Fontana Dam on the Appalachian Trail in Graham County, hiking with the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club. Meet at Bi-Lo parking

313-50

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58

524.8369 or www.coweefarmersmarket.com. Special demo by Dorothy Mitchell from Mitchell Farms on Sept.

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Puzzles can be found on page 62.

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PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS & CRAFTS

MarketPlace information:

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The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

AUCTION

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■ $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.

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

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On-line certification, reliable transportation; ability to travel required. Must be proficient in Windows, Microsoft office suite, email, on-line learning environment. Spanish bilingual strongly encouraged to apply. Mandatory drug screen and background check. Apply online at: www.mountainprojects.org MPI is an equal opportunity employer.

AVIATION GRADS Work With Jetblue, Boeing, Delta, And Others- Start Here With Hands-On Training For FAA Certification. Financial Aid If Qualified.

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October 7-13, 2015

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ZENA A LOVELY 6-MONTH-OLD SHEPHERD MIX PUP. SHE HAS BEEN LEFT ALONE QUITE A LOT IN HER SHORT LIFE, AND CONSEQUENTLY IS DELIGHTED TO HAVE LOVE AND ATTENTION AS AN INSIDE DOG. SHE IS CRATE TRAINED, AND WELL ON THE WAY TO BEING HOUSETRAINED.

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DIDDLES YOUNG, GENTLE AND PETITE. SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL SHIMMERING GRAY COAT WITH WHITE MITTS. WE CALL HER A PIXIE-CAT BECAUSE OF HER CUTE LITTLE FACE.

313-61

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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.

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Mike Stamey

mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

828-508-9607

www.beverly-hanks.com

Mountain Realty

Ron Breese Broker/Owner

2177 Russ Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

www.ronbreese.com

Each office independently owned & operated.

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.371.1734 to start your application today!

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.

HUD IS SELLING HOUSES For pennies on the dollar. Get the inside information. Best-selling book reveals all. Grab a free copy now. Limited offer.

HUDCAROLINA.COM

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 MATTRESS CLEARANCE SALE 50 - 80% Off Retail! Queen Sets From $150. Financing Available $40 Down & Take it Home 828.552.0955

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity 313-64

74 NORTH MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC

60

MOUNTAIN PROJECTS, INC. Is looking for general contractors, electricians and plumbers for rehabilitation of homes. RRP Lead Certified Firms are Needed.

Please contact Vivian Bumgarner at 828.452.1447 ext. 119, with any questions about certifications and qualifications. Minority and Women Owned Businesses are Encouraged to Apply.

EMPLOYMENT

HOMES FOR RENT UNFURNISHED 3/BR 2/BA HOUSE In Clyde Area. All Appliances, Decks, Ceiling Fans, Central Heat/AC. Includes Yard Maintenance. $880/mo. Deposit Req., Lease, No Smoking/Pets.

828.734.9409 or 828.246.0918

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.

BLUE RIDGE MTNS OF NC. Handcrafted 2/2 log cabin on three acres $159,900. Huge trees, bold stream, new appliances, screened porch, fireplace. Call Now 866.738.5522.

67 ACRES OFF PRESSLEY CREEK IN CULLOWHEE NEAR WCU. Includes 2/BR 2/BA, 1600 sq. ft. house, workshop & garage. Property borders Forest Service and offers long range views to the Parkway. Good road system in, several potential additional house sites, very private, good potential family compound, ideal for conservation easement.

Details at: www.918gapbranch.com or Call 828.586.0165

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

VACATION RENTALS

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE FOR YOU

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com

FOR SALE CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lifestyle Properties — vistasofwestfield.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices • Margie MacDonald - margie@4smokys.com

ENTERTAINMENT SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, Open 10am- 5pm, Mon - Sat. Come & let us find your Scottish Connection!

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147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

828.506.7137

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aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

EMERSON ——————————————

GROUP

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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.

Beverly Hanks & Associates

SFR, ECO, GREEN

George Escaravage BROKER/REALTOR PO BOX 54 | 46 SOUTH MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE | WWW.EMERSONGROUPUS.COM

828.400.0901 • 828.456.7705 george@emersongroupus.com

• • • • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group • George Escaravage — gke333@gmail.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey — sunburstrealty.com

Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Ron Kwiatkowski — ronk.kwrealty.com • Jerry Smith www.kw.com/kw/agent/jerrysmith201

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

313-60

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

Thomson ROKER/R /REALTOR EALTOR®® BBROKER

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

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

Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty

MOUNTAIN REALTY Steve D. Mauldin smauldin61@charter.net

828.734.4864 MOUNTAIN REALTY 26 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28785

828.564.9393 sMauldin.REMAXagent.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

• • • • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben — cp@catherineproben.com

smokymountainnews.com

1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

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October 7-13, 2015

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

313-26

PROPERTY RENTAL ON CASCADING CREEK Sophisticated and distinctive in its beauty, this 3/BR, 3.5/BA Lodge Styled Home creates a new experience with every open door.

Surrounded by the luscious mountain range that gives the Great Smoky Mountains it’s name, its hard not to feel at home. Newly custom reconstruction embraces the authentic feel that the handmade furnishings

by High Country Furniture gives.

Accompanied with a full finished basement-turned pool room, the possibilities are endless in this ideal mountain vacation home.

Less than 8 min. to I-40. $1,850 per month plus utilities.

Also, Available for Sale!

Motivated Seller Reduced Price of $329,000 - Taking Offers.

Fully Furnished. For more info 865.603.8167

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321

WNC MarketPlace

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

FOR SALE

The Seller’s Agency — listwithphil.com • Phil Ferguson — philferguson@bellsouth.net

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 61

www.smokymountainnews.com

October 7-13, 2015

WNC MarketPlace

Super

62

CROSSWORD

HOO’S HOO ACROSS 1 Nano and Shuffle 6 Lion group 11 Be in accord (with) 15 Loses firmness 19 Stairway post 20 Eyelid makeup 21 Albany-Buffalo waterway 23 “The Piano” star 25 Like a lens for seeing the big picture?

26 Environs 27 Goaded (on) 28 Clutter 29 Southern beauty 30 Ignited 31 Fetch 32 “All the President’s Men” actor 34 One who designs something 36 Barely obtain, with “out” 37 “- certainly will not!”

38 Lateral or cycle lead-in 39 2012-13 American League MVP Miguel 42 Warm, as leftovers 47 Refinery waste 50 Suffix with beat 52 Sit-up muscles 53 ‘60s hipster 55 Actress Fanning 56 - number (speed ratio) 57 Prior to 58 Teacher’s union: Abbr.

59 D.C. VIP

60 Mille - (Minnesota county) 61 St. Louis landmark 62 Dejected 63 Joan of 64 Timid 65 Coup d’- (revolution) 66 Lecherous guy 67 To the - power 68 Bites lightly 69 Matted earth 70 Enjoy Vail 73 Whodunit cry 74 Greet warmly 77 Horseshoe’s place 78 “This - outrage!”

79 Be on TV 80 Many an heir 81 Very old Olds 82 - Domini 83 Italy’s Villa d’84 Writing fluid 85 Sty animal 86 Olive - (Popeye’s gal) 87 Belgian river to the North Sea 88 Be livid 90 Gillette tools 93 Indigo, e.g.

95 Operated 97 Mimicker 98 Starbucks orders 103 Old Los Angeles Times gossip columnist 108 Teapot part 109 “The Simpsons” merchant 110 Phony name 111 “I - you so!”

112 Parts of hulls 113 Alternative to Fox Sports 114 Hockey face-off spot

116 New York Bay explorer 118 Shin-covering footwear 119 At the acme 120 Singer Della 121 Fabric unit 122 First lady after Eleanor 123 Fees 124 Was over DOWN 1 Split 50-50 2 Illinois city 3 Little birds with big eyes 4 Oscar - Hoya 5 Cagey 6 Connect to get power 7 Like some pheasants and ducks 8 Former Acura model 9 Act 10 Slip up 11 Gem seller 12 From Erin 13 Tries to buy at auction 14 Fat foot spec 15 More stable 16 - -Saxon 17 Family name in wine 18 Lustrous 22 Hack 24 Main female characters 28 Does some modifying 31 Storage box 32 Depression president 33 Noble 35 Tycoon on “The Girls Next Door”

40 Like some kitschy yellow phones 41 Pumps (up) 43 “Airport” Oscar winner 44 Joyful feelings 45 “Scarface” 46 Tries to find diagnostically 47 Know-it-alls 48 Big name in French lexicography 49 Precise 51 S&L holding 54 “- -la-la!”

70 Vocalized for the doc 71 Next of 72 Perturbs 74 1992 and ‘96 alsoran 75 180 on the road 76 Influx of forty-niners 89 Rubs out 91 Unlucky 92 Chafes at 94 Nevertheless 96 Observe 99 Coral colonists 100 Gave lip to 101 Fight against 102 Soaked up some rays 103 - Sack (footbag brand) 104 Kagan of justice 105 Beanery 106 Outmoded 107 Pitted scars 112 Lotto relative 113 Early garden 115 Steal from 116 On an ad - basis 117 Suffix with strict

answers on page 58

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PETS

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Call Steve today at 828.476.1097.

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

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Hours:

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION AVIATION GRADS Work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta & others - start here with hands-on training for FAA certification.

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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 58

The secret of ministry of frost

I

George Ellison

t’s Oct. 6 as I write this. The first frost hasn’t as yet arrived. But it won’t be long coming. Most gardening resources for Western North Carolina cite on or about Oct. 10 as the average date for a killing frost.

The first frost serves as a given year’s most distinctive dividing line. It’s hard to pinpoint just when winter becomes spring, when spring become summer, or when summer becomes Columnist fall. But the winter season has arrived when the first frost occurs.

Like summer dew, the frost appears on clear windless nights as the air cools and can’t hold as much moisture as it did during daylight hours. In summer and early fall, this excess moisture condenses on the surfaces of weeds, spider webs, metal tools and other exposed objects. But when the temperature falls below 32 degrees the same vapor crystallizes, forming frost.

Through a process known as sublimation, the vapor does not turn first into water and then freeze. Instead, it changes directly from the gaseous state into a crystalline form. As more and more vapor freezes, deli-

BACK THEN cate featherlike patterns sometimes called “frost flowers” are formed. These are most noticeable when traced on windowpanes that glisten in the glow of a lamp or candle at night or in the early morning sunlight.

Like frost and dew, fog is the product of saturated air. So long as the tiny droplets in a fog can move unheeded through below-freezing air, they remain super-cooled and unfrozen. Rime frost occurs when the droplets encounter tree limbs or other objects that cause them to crystallize instantly and coat the object with granular tufts of ice.

Black frost of the sort that often occurs on highways is the most dangerous variety because since it isn’t accompanied by rime and can’t be seen by motorists until it’s too late.

These are scientific explanations for frost. But frost is also a spiritual element.

This aspect was what the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) focused upon in his poem “Frost at Midnight” almost two centuries ago.

The 74-line poem — which was addressed to his infant son — is too long to quote in full. But here is the closing stanza: “Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee, Whether the season clothe the general earth With greenness, or the redbird sit and sing

Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch Of mossy apple tree, while the nigh thatch Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eavedrops fall Heard only in the trances of the blast, Or if the secret ministry of frost Shall hang them up in silent icicles, Quietly shining to the quiet moon.”

Winter can be grim, of course, but it is in many regards the sweetest season of all.

It’s the time when we see most clearly and feel most keenly. As Coleridge implies, it’s the season that’s ushered in via “the secret ministry of frost.”

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

October 7-13, 2015 Smoky Mountain News 63

OCTOBER OBER 17

October 7-13, 2015

OCTOBER OCT 8

OCTOBER OCT 23

NOVEMBER VEMBER 6, 7, 13, 14

Smoky Mountain News

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Lysa Terkeurst NOVEMBER 20 2

DECEMBER 5

DECEMBER 6

DECEMBER 11, 18

1028 G Georgia eorgia Rd Rd • Franklin, Franklin, NC • Local Local 828.524.1598 828.524.1598 • Toll Toll ol o Free Free 866.273.4615 64

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