Smoky Mountain News

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Mountain music alive and kicking in Canton Page 18

www.smokymountainnews.com

Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 2013 Vol. 14 Iss. 30

Haywood sheriff retires, Dems to pick successor Page 8

Happy New Year! Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2013... from all of us at Old Town Bank!

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CONTENTS On the Cover Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home shares the spirit and warmth of Christmas with foster children. (Page 4)

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This Holiday Season

December 26-January 1, 2013

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94-year-old woman to get new home with running water ..................................6 Locals take acoustic tour of downtown Sylva ......................................................7 Party bosses to appoint new Haywood County sheriff ......................................8 Immigration charges dropped in questionable Jackson checkpoint..............10 Swain County making big money on prisoners, for now..................................10 Haywood tourism break down ..............................................................................11 Drink up: the most popular liquor brands in WNC............................................12

Opinion Gun control ................................................................................................................15

A&E Old-time jam sessions spread by word-of-mouth ..............................................18

Outdoors Event organizers in arms race to award the best prizes ..................................26

Back then The spirituality of mountain graveyards ................................................................39 WAYNESVILLE | 34 Church Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 I NFO & B ILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 smokymountainnews.com | wncmarketplace.com | wnctravel.com Contents Š 2013 The Smoky Mountain News. All rights reserved. Copyright 2013 by The Smoky Mountain News. Advertising copyright 2012 by The Smoky Mountain News. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Smoky Mountain News is available for free in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and parts of Buncombe counties. Limit one copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1, payable at the Smoky Mountain News office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of The Smoky Mountain News, take more than one copy of each issue.

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December 26-January 1, 2013

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Home for the holidays Christmas at Broyhill Children’s Home brings happiness to all

Smoky Mountain News

December 26-January 1, 2013

Betty and Will Porter posed in front of a Christmas tree in the living room of one of Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home’s cottages. The Porters are one of ten childcare couples, who act as surrogate parent figures for the kids in their care.

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BY CAITLIN BOWLING S ENIOR STAFF WRITER he most wonderful time of the year — it’s a line is engrained in us all. But nobody embraces and exudes Christmas quite like Betty Porter. As she talked on the phone outside a cottage at Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home in Clyde last week, the jolly face of Santa Claus peered out from the red sweatshirt she wore, just one of many that make up her large selection of holiday attire. At the sight of a guest, she quickly wrapped up the call and, smiling, issued something along the lines of “I’m Betty. It’s great to meet you.” Stepping just inside the cottage, the senses are overwhelmed with the feeling of warmth, the sight of Christmas décor and the smells of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies. At least three Christmas trees, tall and small, can be spotted upon touring the house; round Christmas tin lids cover the burners on the stovetop. “Christmas is just my season. I love Christmas,” Porter said. And like the characteristics of her favorite holiday, Porter is jolly, kind-hearted, giving and effervescent — a perfect mixture for helping keep the spirit of Christmas alive at a children’s

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home during the holidays. Despite their young age, the children have already experienced hard knocks. Some have been abused; their parents may be in prison; most are hungry when they get to the home. It has been a life of withouts. “Last year, one of the little boys we had was so excited because Santa Claus had never come to his house,” Porter said. Porter and her husband, Will, serve as a childcare couple at Broyhill Baptist, living with eight or so boys in one of the home’s five cottages. Most of the kids who stay at Broyhill Baptist have at least one parent or relative living, but have been removed from their own home for one reason or another. Some were abused or neglected, with drug use by their parents a common culprit. For others, their parents may simply have been too poor to provide adequate care.

‘AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE’ Several community members pitch in to make Christmas special for the children at the home. “They are so excited about the parties and people giving — an expression of love,” said Linda Morgan, director of Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home. “They know what it’s like not to have presents so they are very appreciative.” One of the longest standing contributors that ensure Broyhill children are not without during the holidays is the Pigeon Valley Bassmasters fishing club, which has hosted a Christmas party for the kids for 25 years. “As long as the bass club survives, we will continue to support the children’s home,” said Patty Blanton, secretary of the Pigeon Valley Bassmasters. “It’s worth it because we saw smiles on the faces of those children,” she added. The bassmasters raise money year-round to buy at least one gift for each child at Broyhill. Members of the club go on a shopping spree, armed with a wishlist of each kid’s three most desired items — within reason. They ask for dolls or rain boots or toy cars. “They don’t ask for the moon,” Blanton said. The annual Christmas party is a big to-do. There is food, Santa and, of course, the presents carefully picked out by the bassmasters. The celebration was held a couple of weeks before Christmas in Broyhill’s gymnasium. Tall black curtains cordoned off part of the gym; long tables were set up, covered with red cloths and lined with candles and wreath-like centerpieces. Sitting in front of the hanging curtains were three decorated Christmas trees (one large tree in the center and two smaller ones to the sides), reindeers statues made of wire and white lights and a large pile of presents perfectly positioned around the large tree. The children took turns getting their picture taken with Santa and tear-

ing into their presents as they were passed out. This year the Blue Rooster restaurant in Clyde catered the event. The eatery cooked honey-butter ham, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mash potatoes, green beans, candy, fudge, individual coconut pies, cookies and lemon squares, said restaurant owner Mary Earnest, trying to list off the dinner’s menu. “I can’t even think of everything,” Earnest said. “Just a really family kind of comfort food meal.” City Bakery in Waynesville also donated cupcakes for the children. Earnest offered to make food for the Christmas gathering after hearing that the bass club did not have the money to invest in a big meal after buying all the gifts. After her experience this year, Earnest already has plans in mind for next year’s event, saying she wants to craft a menu the kids can order from and give the kids the full restaurant treatment, with waiters and all. Earnest said she and her staff most enjoyed the experience of watching the children’s excitement when opening their presents. Simply seeing the kids’ faces light up and their expressions of gratitude upon seeing the food, Santa and their gifts brought Earnest to tears. “It was an amazing thing. It really was,” Earnest said. “There were tears running down my face, and I was serving fried chicken.” For members of the bass club, the event is about showing the children that they matter. Every time the children look at the dolls or cars or clothes they received, they will know someone cares, Blanton said. “That is what its all about,” she said. “That is what Christmas is all about.”

KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE The Christmas celebration at Broyhill Baptist does not end with the bassmasters’ party. Come Christmas Eve, Porters’

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“They are so excited about the parties and people giving — an expression of love. They know what it’s like not to have presents so they are very appreciative.” — Linda Morgan, director of Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home

Members of the Pigeon Valley Bassmasters fishing club passed out gifts to the children at Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home. Donated photos

Porter cooks a big Christmas Eve meal. Then, everyone gathers in the living room to hear her or her mother read the Christmas story, after which they listen for the distinct clatter of Santa Claus who stops by with a gift for each child. The visits from her biological children show the boys at the home what a loving family looks like. “It’s good for the kids to see how family is supposed to work,� Porter said. The positive impact of being a childcare couple is why the Porters have stayed, she said. Just a few weeks ago, Porter recalled receiving a phone call from a man in Louisville, Ky. He had lived with the Porters at Broyhill Baptist years before. The man said he struggled after leaving the home but eventually got a job, met and married a good woman and now has a couple children of his own. He thanked Porter for her caring and guidance during his time at Broyhill Baptist. “It’s those stories that keep us here,� Porter said.

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two biological sons visit Broyhill Baptist with their own children to celebrate the holiday with their parents and the boys in their cottage. The couple’s sons were only in the second and third grade when they first decided to become a childcare couple about 29 years ago in Sevierville, Tenn., where they lived at the time. The Porter’s parents had always worked with the youth at their church, and that tradition continued with her and her husband, Will. Then one day, a friend asked them to consider living at a children’s home in Sevierville, which was in need of more childcare couples. Initially, the Porters were reluctant. They had two young boys of their own to rear. But, Porter said they prayed on the matter and eventually agreed to become a childcare couple, bringing up their own kids at the children’s homes. “We don’t regret it,� Porter said. After a few years, the Porters moved to Western North Carolina and became involved at Broyhill Baptist. Each year, the two Porter boys return to Broyhill for Christmas.

Get Ready For Winter Now!!

December 26-January 1, 2013

The Broyhill Baptist Children’s Home in Clyde serves kids ages 3 to 19 in North Carolina’s 17 westernmost counties and is part of a collection of children’s homes in state. Broyhill Baptist has five cabins, which house about 45 children in all. Linda Morgan runs Broyhill Baptist under the title of director. But Morgan is a far cry from the angry, child-despising Ms. Hannigan from Annie — the only play about a children’s home that immediately comes to mind. Her coruscating good humor keeps everyone upbeat, said Betty Porter, a caregiver at Broyhill Baptist. “I think that is one thing that makes this place so sweet and joyful and we are all happy because she just sets that tone. And, it trickles down,� Porter said. Broyhill Baptist is nothing like the dilapidated orphanage of the play either. The cottages are clean, warm and homey. Each child has a room that they share with one other kid. Far from an institutionalized or summercamp-like setting, the cottages each house eight or so children, two to a room. There is a small living room with a fireplace where the kids can hang out, watch movies or play games. Each cottage also features a dining room with a long wood table, a kitchen and laundry room/storage space. Each cottage has a live-in “childcare couple� to take care of the children, cook meals and offer loving guidance for children at the home. There are a total of ten couples serving the five cottages in Clyde. Routine is key to making the cottages run smoothly and cooperatively, and giving the children a sense of security. They are roused from slumber at 5:30 a.m. every morning; breakfast is at 6 a.m. Before heading off to school, the children each have a chore, rang-

ing from washing dishes to laundering clothes. The chores not only teach responsibility, but also basic home skills. “It is also teaching them to take care of themselves later on. Because, chances are, if we don’t teach them, they are not going to know,� Porter said. Children’s homes like Broyhill are not just for those who have lost their parents. In fact, nowadays, most are children who still have a parent or relative alive but were taken out of their home by the Department of Social Services because of abuse or neglect. When Morgan first started at Broyhill Baptist almost 40 years ago, children would come to the home and stay for an extended period of time. Now, Morgan said, the focus is on reuniting parents and their child, if possible. The home also provides temporary quarters for children waiting to be placed with a set of foster parents. On average, kids only remain at Broyhill Baptist for nine months — with only a few staying for two to four-year stints. “The whole array of childcare’s changed,� Morgan said. “Now, you try to get them back into their parent or guardian’s home as soon as possible — or you get them into a foster home.� Broyhill Baptist does its best to make the children in their care feel at home, but there is no home like your home, which is why the state tries to reunite the kids with their family. “There is no place like home. It doesn’t matter if it’s a two room shack,� Morgan said. But, as her decades of experience has taught her, reunification, more often than not, doesn’t work. Then, the child either stays at Broyhill Baptist or is placed in a foster home where they can receive more individualized attention. Although rare, some kids choose to remain at the home after they turn 18 while they attend college, which the Baptist Children’s Home system helps pay for with scholarships.

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Jackson church builds new house for 93-year-old woman

December 26-January 1, 2013

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The ultimate gift

“She’s southern Appalachian and she’s hard as kerosene.”

Smoky Mountain News

— David Reeves, United Methodist Church in Cullowhee pastor

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BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER argie Bradley has called a ramshackle shack in the hills of Cullowhee “home” for almost 60 years. The ceilings sag, the floor is made of plywood and the wind enters through the numerous cracks scattered about the windows and walls. She has no running faucets or modern plumbing. A hole in her yard covered by a piece of sheet metal serves as her septic system and when Bradley gets thirsty, the 93year-old woman takes her wheelbarrow and a collection of rinsed out milk-jugs and wanders to a nearby spring for drinking water. “It runs a little mud right when you use it,” Bradley said in reference to the spring draining from a field where she takes her water. But it’s not just water she hauls on her own. Bradley can cut her own firewood, drive a car and fends for herself living alone with her cat in the woods. She was doing just that when staff from the United Methodist Church in Cullowhee, making a delivery of charitable firewood, stumbled across her property two years ago. It was an exceptionally cold year and Bradley was using electric blankets, piles of quilts and lots of firewood to stay warm in her cold house. “That’s how we found this lady,” said the church’s pastor David Reeves. “She was struggling to stay warm that winter.” Over time, Reeves and Bradley formed a relationship. He and churchgoers helped her repair her house, do simple chores and keep stocked up on firewood for the cold temperatures. But, as Bradley became older and the house fell further into disrepair, Reeves heard her mention an alternative that seemed shocking and sad to him. “She talked about selling her house and moving someplace until she dies,” Reeves said. Bradley will be 94 years old in January, or as she puts it: “I was born in 1919” — not something many people can say. But despite her age, Reeves saw a very independent and capable woman. Except, the small monthly income she collects each

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month wouldn’t come close cover the costs of paying for a new dwelling. So church members took it upon themselves to give Bradley a new home. They raised more than $40,000 to build a small, cottage-style house, a new well and an adequate septic system on her property next to her current home. The house will also be outfitted with a washer, drier, furnace and stove. But the old-fashioned Bradley didn’t want every modern appliance. “She didn’t even want a microwave,” Reeves said. The plan was to have the new structure ready for Christmas, and Bradley’s birthday right after the New Year, but inclement weather and a timeline dependant on donations, volunteers and government permits delayed the move-in date. Last week, weather was the obstacle and workers were waiting for a clear day to lay the cement foundation while deluges of rain and dustings of snow brought the project to a stand still. “They got a little more done on it the other morning,” Bradley remarked optimistically about the progress. After the foundation is laid, much of the house is already assembled and can be quickly erected. Reeves is optimistic the house will be completed soon after the holidays. Yet, living in the same house for decades, Bradley doesn’t seem to understand, or believe, she may actually be getting a new one. In the 1950s, Bradley and her first husband moved from Cashiers to Cullowhee and built a house on their new land. They had to sell their horse to buy the property for a couple hundred dollars. “Back then money didn’t grow on trees,” Bradley explained. Shortly after moving in to the new house, Bradley’s husband crashed his truck while working in Cherokee and died. Yet, two husbands, five children and about 60 years later, Bradley still lives in that house. Although surrounded by family she chooses to live independently. And Reeves hopes she gets that opportunity for the remainder of her days. “She’s southern Appalachian and she’s hard as kerosene,” said Reeves.

Jackson Paper hosts annual Christmas for Kids carnival

Paper. “Our employees work so hard to make this party possible, and we are honored to host our young guests and to share some Christmas joy with them and their families.”

Fifty-one local elementary school students and their families attended Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company’s annual Christmas for Kids carnival on Dec. 15. The event, held this year in the community room of the Jackson County Department on Aging, was organized by Jackson Paper employees and coordinated through staff at Jackson County elementary schools who selected students to attend. Joining the invited guests at the carnival were the children of Jackson Paper employees. Partygoers enjoyed three hours of games and crafts, lunch and a visit with Santa Claus. Each child received a toy or game, a stuffed animal and other prizes. “This special event is a highlight of the holiday season for all of us,” said Tim Campbell, President and CEO of Jackson

Haywood Spay/Neuter hires new director

Kayla Stephens, age 6, and Jolee Stephens, age 3, visit with Santa Clause during the annual Christmas for Kids carnival held Dec. 15 by Jackson Paper Manufacturing. Jackson Paper photo

Chandra Spaulding has been hired as executive director for Haywood Spay/Neuter. Spaulding has been working independently in the WNC region as an animal advocate focusing on spay/neuter transports, adoption, outreach and shelter relations. “I am looking forward to working with the board and building on a successful spay/neuter program and expand the outreach of existing programs,” said Spaulding. Haywood Spay/Neuter has provided low-cost spay/neuter services for 2,650 cats and dogs this year.

Walkers on a silent tour of Sylva. Andrew Kasper photos

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sound walk in North Carolina, he added Sylva to that list. Sylva’s ambient sounds may not stack up to the jazzy blues emitted by street musicians of the French Quarter, the clatter of street cars on the San Francisco Bay or the black powder report made nightly at 9 p.m. from the historic naval cannon in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. But Sylva’s local noises — such as church bells, the creek and ceaseless Southern chatter

— Tyler Kinnear

— are just as important for its residents to take notice of. “What I hoped to do with leading a sound walk was introduce local people to sound walking,” Kinnear said. “It’s really just taking time to give the ear priority and listen to what we’ve shaped and created.” Sound clips from the walk in Sylva included recordings of kids playing outside on a creaking metal swing set, the basement of a

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“One person’s music is another person’s noise.”

WE BUY GOLD!

December 26-January 1, 2013

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER ost people have heard of a sightseeing tour, perhaps a wine or beer tasting tour, and maybe even the all-encompassing pleasure tour. But Sylva residents got an ear-dose when they followed a musician and sound expert on a not-so-common sound tour around town. The 25 or so participants donned nametags proclaiming their mission for the afternoon — taglines ranged from “Shhhh… call me later” to “Silent Walker” — before setting out for a quiet walk through the downtown area. Departing from City Lights Bookstore, they passed through the maddening sound of a leaf-blower, crossed atop the pleasant burble of Scotts Creek and padded alongside the chattering noise of Main Street. Heads turned when dogs barked and silent staring matches ensued as drivers passed with inquisitive looks. For locals, it was an opportunity to experience familiar places from a different perspective, but for tour guide and Sylva native, Tyler Kinnear, the walk was a specialty of his expertise in acoustics and soundscapes. He led the snaking walk with a recorder extended in front of him. Later, he’ll cut and splice the recordings into short snippets of audio and archive them for sharing and reflection. Kinnear, visiting his hometown for the holidays, is now is in his fourth year of doctorate study at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he studies music history and indulges his side-hobby of sound walks. In addition to sound walks in Vancouver, Kinnear has done them on the streets of New Orleans and San Francisco. Two weeks ago, following the completion of his first-ever

Diamond & Gold Exchange

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Soaking up the sounds of Sylva on a silent walking tour

Main Street café with muffled noises above, and poems read aloud by several of the participants at breaking points along the route. However, the art of sound walks is not only for appreciating the fruits of the oftignored sense, but it also opens one’s ears to the consequences of choices made by a community. “It’s a chance to reflect,” Kinnear said. “It gives us the option or awareness to assess or think about if we want to put pleasing sounds into the world … or does it even matter.” For example, Sylva’s downtown area, a main thoroughfare, is laden with the sound of traffic and rumbling automobiles. Leaf blowers and exhaust fans, though they accomplish the goal of leaving a lawn barren of fallen leaves and the inside of restaurants well-ventilated and comfortable, also have a tendency to dominate the sound waves, for better or worse, drowning out the chirps of birds and human voices. Many on the walk struggled to make peace with some of the seemingly unpleasant sounds the town had to offer, but found the easiest way to make peace was to approach the experiment with open ears. Participant Newton Smith, 73, of Tuckasegee, said the experience forced him to pay attention to the sounds he typically drowns out on a daily basis. It also led him to reflect on the daily sounds he produces — he admitted he frequently operates a chainsaw — and the unintended effects of his actions. “We do things that make noise that intrude on other people, everyday,” Smith said of his personal sound-print. “I’m sure many of us will be focusing more as we go on with the week, remembering the walk and remembering to listen.” The practice of sound walking itself stems from a movement that has roots in Vancouver, dating back to the 1960s. The study of soundscapes or acoustic ecology, as it was dubbed, emerged as an attempt to bring attention to the affects of noise pollution and changes in the environment. Since then the field has expanded and evolved. But the final judgment on a sound might be in the ear of the beholder. “Good sounds and bad sounds are up to individual,” Kinnear said. “Your definition may be the same as mine but different from you neighbors’. One person’s music is another person’s noise.” That point was made clear at an intersection along the walking route, when a man driving a large Ford truck stopped at the red light next to the group with his diesel engine humming. Inside the cab he sat, oblivious, chatting with the passenger and possibly listening to pleasant music on the radio. But whatever a listener’s preference, there is an inherent importance of not ignoring the input that flows through the sensory organs on the periphery of one’s head — to do so might even be unnatural. Kinnear hoped he conveyed that point to the small segment of the population on Sylva’s first-ever, organized sound walk. “Once you start opening your ears it’s hard to stop,” Kinnear said. “If you don’t want to look at something you can close your eyes, but you can’t close your ears. We’re supposed to have open ears and listen.”

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Haywood sheriff to step down early BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER aywood County Sheriff Bobby Suttles announced last week he will retire in February, stepping down early despite another two years to go until his term is technically up. Picking a new sheriff to serve out those last two years will be up to the Haywood County Democratic Executive Committee — Suttles is a Democrat, thus local Democratic leaders decide who the seat should go to in the event of a vacancy midterm. The office will be up for election in a countywide contest in 2014, but whoever gets the nod from local Democratic Party leaders now will arguably have an advantage going into that race, having two years under their belt as sheriff already (see related article). After nearly 40 years in law enforcement, Suttles, 68, wants to get in some quality retirement years while the getting is still good. “I don’t want to throw it all on my age,” Suttles said. “But we’re not promised a long life.” For starters, he has some fishing to catch up on. He wants to spend more time taking his grandsons to his lake house. That and travel a little with his wife, maybe even try spending a winter in Florida. “It’ll be hard to get up in the morning and not come in to work,” Suttles said. Suttles has reached that age where he doesn’t need an alarm clock anymore, waking up bright and early whether he wants to or not. So figuring out what to do with himself may take so getting used to, he said. Suttles grew up on a farm on Rogers Cove, not far from Lake Junaluska. His dad was a fulltime farmer, raising beef cattle and sundry crops. His mom was a homemaker. Suttles sports an authentic Appalachian dialect and demeanor to match his rural Haywood County upbringing. Friendly, outgoing and good-natured, Suttles is the kind of guy you’d ruminate about the weather with while waiting for your turn at the corner barber shop. He started his career in law enforcement in his 20s. After a short stint as a trooper with the N.C. Highway Patrol, he joined the force at the Waynesville Police Department. After 13 years there, he took a job as a company police officer for Champion paper mill in Canton. That gig lasted eight years, until the mill outsourced security to a contracted firm. But he quickly got a new job with the Haywood County Sheriff ’s office, where he worked his way up to Chief Deputy — second in command under the sheriff at the time, Tom Alexander. That made Suttles “next in line” so to

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December 26-January 1, 2013

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Democratic Party holds the power in appointing new sheriff BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER he task of finding a new top lawman in Haywood County to replace retiring Sheriff Bobby Suttles will begin in early January and likely be decided by March. Since Suttles is a Democrat, the job of picking a replacement is up to local Democratic Party leaders, according to state statutes. Specifically, the decision rests with the Haywood County Democratic Executive Committee, a large group of party officials that includes elected Democratic leaders in the county and the party chair and vice chair of all 31 voting precincts. Voters won’t have a chance to weigh in on the sheriff ’s office until 2014, when the seat will be up for a countywide election. But whomever is chosen by the party as Suttles’ successor will arguably have a leg up going into that election should they decide to run to keep the seat. “There are a handBobby Suttles ful or less of incumbents that actually get defeated. That is very rare,” said Eddie Caldwell, director of the N.C. Sheriff ’s Association. One name that’s been floated as a possible replacement for Suttles is Greg Christopher, a lieutenant in the N.C. Highway Patrol who lives in Haywood County and works out of the Highway Patrol’s Asheville headquarters. Reached by phone last week, Christopher said he was honored people in the community have recommended his name. He was not yet ready to announce whether he will formally seek the party’s consideration, however, but plans to do so soon. Another possible contender is Larry Bryson, the chief deputy of the sheriff ’s office and second in command under Suttles for the past four years. Bryson has been with the sheriff ’s office for around 17 years, serving most of that time in the detective division. His law enforcement career also included several years with the Waynesville Police Department.

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HOLDING THE POWER Local Democratic Party leaders are treading familiar territory when it comes to picking a new sheriff. They were in the same spot four years ago, when then-Sheriff Tom Alexander retired early — also with two years left on his term. The party gave the job to Suttles, who was second in command as chief deputy at the sheriff ’s office under Alexander. Suttles then ran for the seat in 2010 and

beat his Republican challenger Bill Wilke by 7 percent — 10,612 votes to 9,332 votes. Wilke is a lieutenant in the Asheville Police Department but lives in Haywood County. His platform two years ago centered around modernizing the sheriff ’s office and more aggressively combating drugs. Given his relatively strong showing in the election, Wilke could be a contender for Suttles’ replacement — barring the important detail that he’s a Republican and the appointment will be made by the Democratic Party. When asked whether he would submit his name for consideration anyway, he said it could be a possibility. “This is going to develop very quickly and I am watching this very closely,” Wilke said. “It is the county I live in and raised my children in. I want to know it is protected with the most professional law enforcement agency possible.” One question for Suttles is why, if he knew retirement was in the short-range forecast, did he even run again in 2010. Why not step down then, instead of run for office only to step down part way through his term? Suttles said he didn’t know two years ago he would want to retire before his term was up. “That wasn’t really on my mind at the time,” Suttles said. Some critics of a partisan sheriff ’s office have said privately they aren’t surprised by Suttles’ early retirement. Doing so allows the Democratic Party to handpick a successor and theoretically set that person up for an advantage going into a countywide contest in 2014. Suttles was 64 when first appointed sheriff and 66 when he officially ran for the seat in 2010. Suttles’ time in office — only four years — is short compared to the tenure of sheriffs statewide. The average is probably 12 to 16 years, said Caldwell, the N.C. Sheriff ’s Association director. Currently, the longest serving sheriff in the state has been in the office for 30 years, Sheriff Lendy Pendegrass of Orange County (where Chapel Hill is).

HOW IT WORKS Democratic Party leaders said they will follow the same format this time that they used four years ago when selecting a sheriff to replace Alexander. They accepted resumes from anyone who wanted to apply and shared those names publicly. Candidates were put through the paces of a questionand-answer forum before the committee members voted. “We wanted to make it as open and fair a process as it could be,” said Bill Jones, a

Waynesville attorney who was the head of the Haywood Democratic Party at the time. “We didn’t want people to feel like we went into a backroom and closed the door. I am sure that will still be the predominant goal this time — that it be open and fair.” Indeed, Janie Benson, the current chair of the Haywood County Democratic party, said they are committed to the same level of transparency. “We made great effort to be as fair to everyone as we could,” Benson said. Giving each candidate the chance to appear before the executive committee during a forum is not required, for example, but will again be part of the process, she said. Four years ago, Suttles was one of five hopefuls who submitted their names to party leaders for consideration. Two were eliminated after the forum, narrowing it down to just three finalists for the vote. The actual vote can be a little complicated — not every vote of members of the Democratic Executive Committee is counted equally. The votes of precinct representatives are weighted according to the number of voters in that particular precinct. Specifically, precinct representatives get one vote for every 100 Democratic voters from their precinct that voted in the last gubernatorial race. “It is kind of like the electoral college,” explained Robert Inman, director of the Haywood County Board of Elections. The county election office doesn’t play a formal role in the party’s selection process, but will monitor and follow the process, Inman said. This will actually be the third time in four years that the local Democratic Party has been tasked with filling a vacancy for an elected office in the county. The party used the same process when naming a new register of deeds in 2009.

CLOCK TICKING

Suttles said he plans to retire on Feb. 8. It is highly doubtful the party will have a replacement selected so soon, however. So in the interim, Chief Deputy Larry Bryson will run the sheriff ’s office, Suttles said. While Bryson will be in charge of overseeing the sheriff ’s office until a formal replacement is named, his role will stop short of being “interim sheriff.” There is no such thing as an interim sheriff, Caldwell said. You are either the sheriff or you are not. In Haywood County, the job of picking a replacement sheriff rests with the political party of the outgoing sheriff, but that’s not the case in all counties. In roughly half the counties in the state,

S UTTLES, CONTINUED FROM 8 speak when Alexander announced his own retirement four years ago. Like Suttles, Alexander bowed out with two years technically still left on his term. Suttles was the chosen replacement by the local Democratic Party leaders at the time, then officially ran for the seat in 2010. Suttles’ four years at the sheriff ’s office have been relatively low-key. As the right-hand man of the previous sheriff, Suttles wasn’t apt to make sweeping changes or overhauls. “I feel like, you know, when I took over, everything was run well,” Suttles said. He was also hamstrung by budget realities. He couldn’t expand his force or launch new initiatives if it took money. “Over the last four years since I’ve been sheriff, we’ve been in an economic downturn. It’s been tough,” Suttles said. Suttles had to rely on grants to help fund two new equipment initiatives. One was equipping all patrol cars with mobile data terminals, so officers could work on their reports in the field, equating to more time on the road and less time in the office. The other was issuing tasers to officers, which Suttles said can be a valuable deterrent. Also on his list of accomplishments: new uniforms and new designs for deputies’ cars. The old uniforms and cars would have looked right at home in a 1950s Andy Griffith set. The new color schemes and designs are more modern and sleek. “They are proud of their new uniforms and they guys really like the black cars,” Suttles said. “I feel like any-

thing you can do as a morale booster.” Suttles’ tenure wasn’t without blemishes. On the serious side, two inmates died while in custody. One from an apparent drug overdose, who happened to be the only surviving witness to a double murder that was awaiting trial. CHECK The witness was in jail on unrelated drug charges when he died, to the chagrin of prosecutors who were relying on his eyewitness testimony. The other inmate death stemmed from a pre-existing medical illness, although the family has questioned whether jail staff should have taken heed of her declining state of health and intervened more quickly to seek medical care. There have been at least two escapes from the county jail over the past four years — both involved inmates literally walking out the front door. The jail wasn’t the only one with an embarrassing faux pas. Recently, an officer was shot in the leg either by his own bullet or friendly fire from a fellow officer when they confronted with a vicious dog in a narrow hallway of a home. Officers believed an infant in the home was at risk due to a violent domestic dispute in progress, and had shot at the dog in order to get around it to the baby’s room. Asked what the next sheriff ’s biggest challenge will be when taking office, Suttles said prescription drug abuse. “That’s a major thing now-a-days,” Suttles said. The sheriff ’s job is part law enforcement, and part management. The Haywood sheriff has around 80 employees working under him. In addition its patrol force, the sheriff ’s office serves civil summons and orders, posts bailiffs in courtrooms, handles security at the courthouse, has a criminal investigation division, a team of school resource officers and runs the jail.

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county commissioners would name a replacement sheriff. In the other half — Haywood among them — the party names the replacement. In those cases, county commissioners must finalize the decision and sign off on whoever the local party chooses, but their approval is obligatory. “The board of commissioners are required to appoint the person recommended by the party,” Caldwell said. There is a catch, however. The recommendation from the fparty must be made within 30 days of the vacancy occurring — otherwise, commissioners are no longer beholden to go with the party’s recommendation. At the 30-day mark, county commissioners could intervene and appoint someone themselves, but likewise they could give the party more time to finish up with a recommendation. Still, commissioners would be in the driver’s seat rather fthan party leaders if the 30 day window expires. “Once the 30 days pass, any recommendation that gets subfmitted to the commissioners by the party, it is just a friendly recommendation, and the commissioners are free to take it or not,” Caldwell said. That could prove more of a sticking point in counties where the sheriff has a different political affiliation than the majority of commissioners — such as a Democratic sheriff in a county with Republican commissioners, or vice-versa. But in Haywood, four of the five county commissioners are Democrats, and thus would be involved in the process themselves as members of the Haywood County Democratic Executive Committee. They would likely have little motivation to buck the choice of local party leaders. Suttles said he is retiring February 8, which would give the party until March 10 to offer up a replacement and still be guaranteed conferral by county commissioners.

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Swain’s oversized jail may finally be breaking even, but not for long BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER wain County’s oversized jail will lose about one-third of its current inmate population and a sizeable revenue stream when the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opens a new justice center, complete with its own jail. Swain’s jail — three times larger than necessary to handle its own local inmate population — was overbuilt intentionally with the hope of housing overflow inmates from other counties for a fee, in turn offsetting the cost of the jail. But with other counties in the region building newer, bigger jails of their own, Swain’s jail has remained underused. Its best customer for jail beds has been the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which lacks a jail of its own and houses 25 inmates a night at Swain’s jail on average. It amounts to almost a third of the jail’s nightly population. And at $40 per inmate per night, that translates to about $365,000 in revenue a year — going a long way toward covering the annual debt payments on the jail of $454,000. Throw in a stream of eight to 12 federal inmates a night, and the county for the first

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December 26-January 1, 2013

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time this year is actually breaking even since the new jail opened 2008. But, that good news could be short-lived. The tribe is now building its own jail, slated to open in late 2013, and will no longer need to house inmates in Swain. “Any time you take $365,000 out of the revenue, it’s going to be a struggle,” said Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran. “There is no way you can say it’s not going to hurt.” The Eastern Band received an $18 million grant in 2009 from the U.S. Department

“That’s fine. It’s no big deal. We will make do,” King said. “We’ve done without them.” Anyway you cut it, jails are a money losing proposition for counties. Counties are responsible for holding inmates while awaiting trial — those charged with crimes but not yet convicted, at which point they go into the state prison system. While all counties must bear the cost of running jails, the issue for Swain is paying for a larger-thannormal jail for a county its size. Including operations and debt payments, the county spends $1.1 million on the jail annually. It is getting an estimated $526,000 for housing inmates from other counties, the Cherokee reservation and the U.S. Marshall Service. The loss of revenue from housing Cherokee inmates will mean that the already budget-strapped county has to allocate more out of its own pocket to cover jail debt payments. Swain County has another 30 years until the facility is completely paid off.

GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME? of Justice to build a justice center on the reservation, which will include a 75-bed jail and house tribal court operations. When deciding how big to make their jail five years ago, Swain leaders did not know that the Eastern Band was contemplating building its own, said County Manager Kevin King. King added, however, that the county will survive without the money coming in from housing the tribe’s prisoners.

In late 2008, the county premiered the jail, which was built to replace a dilapidated, ancient and overcrowded one. “It was just awful. It was one of the worst facilities probably in the state,” King said. Leaders did not want Swain to become the next Mitchell County, King said, citing the deadly fire at the Mitchell County jail where eight people died because the building was not up to code. It did not have a sprinkler system and the jail cells couldn’t be programmed to unlock automatically.

Undocumented workers arrested in Jackson traffic checkpoint now free again BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER Federal authorities have dropped deportation proceedings against 10 Latino men, all suspected illegal immigrants, who were arrested at a Jackson County license checkpoint in May. Immigration groups claim the roadside checkpoint by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was an improper dragnet aimed at capturing undocumented immigrants. Legally, law enforcement can conduct roadside checkpoints, but only for limited purposes. This particular checkpoint was criticized as overreaching. “Do they have the right to enforce traffic laws? Yes,” said Marty Rosenbluth, an immigration attorney representing 10 men arrested that day. “But, it shouldn’t be used as a pretext to put people into deportation proceedings.” The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office conducted the traffic checkpoint during morning commute hours May 16 between Cullowhee and Cashiers — a time and place when Latino work-

ers are known to travel in large numbers up the mountain to Cashiers, where they pick up work as day laborers in the construction trade or service industry. Fifteen people were detained, many for the minor traffic violation of driving without a license, and 10 of them were eventually placed in deportation proceedings. The sheriff’s office had arranged for federal immigration officers to be on-site at the checkpoint, fueling criticism that the checkpoint was merely a pretense for checking immigration status. Jackson Sheriff Jimmy Ashe denied this allegation. When reached by phone last week, Major Shannon Queen, a spokesman for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, refused to comment on the news that the charges were dropped. Immigration charges and resulting deportation — as well as any decision to drop those charges — are handled by federal agencies and beyond the purview of local law enforcement. The inquiry into Jackson County traffic checkpoints is far from

“Everybody was scared because of the lawsuits that came out of Mitchell County,” King said. At the time of the Mitchell County incident, Swain’s jail did not have a sprinkler system either and had finicky, sticky manual door opening mechanism — and it was at capacity. The old jail housed 70 inmates but only had beds for 60. “We had eight to 10 people sleeping on the floor,” King said. The county looked at paying other counties to house its inmates, a common practice, but all the nearby counties refused to take them because they did not have the room. “We were kind of just stuck,” King said. So, the decision was made by the board of commissioners to construct a new, modern jail and increase its capacity to 109 beds. King justified the county’s choice, saying that leaders were building for the future and compared to other county jails, the cost of Swain’s was bargain. “We were building for 15 years in the future,” King said. “They were just assuming that we would eventually have to have it.” But when the improved facility finally opened, it struggled to find inmates to fill its beds. Not only did other counties build new jails as well, but outside prisoners from the U.S. Marshall Service had temporarily stopped placing its inmates in Swain County because of the condition of its old jail. Cochran had to spend two years winning them back once the new jail opened. But the U.S. Marshall Service had already gotten used to housing its prisoners at the Cherokee County jail instead, and so Swain still doesn’t get what it used to. “Cherokee County seems to get the bulk of the inmates for some reason,” Cochran said. “That is a U.S. Marshals’ decision.” At one time, the Cherokee County jail had between 40 and 50 federal inmates, the sheriff added, whereas Swain County’s jail currently houses 8 to 12. Counties are paid $55 a day per federal inmate.

over, however. The North Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is still investigating claims of racial profiling. “Some very serious questions were raised about whether racial profiling was involved,” said Rosenbluth, with the N.C. Immigrant Right’s Project. “From day one, our position is that their arrest was unconstitutional.” Rosenbluth said he believes the charges were dropped against the 10 men because of the murky nature of their arrest. But also because federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, has made it clear that they are only targeting illegal immigrants who are considered criminals. Because its caseload of illegal immigrants is so large, ICE must pick its battles, therefore illegal immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding don’t always end up being deported. One of the men arrested at the Jackson County checkpoint, Antonio Garcia, said being released from deportation proceedings was “the best gift I could have asked for.” “I am still trying to convince myself that this nightmare is over,” Garcia said in a news release. “I feel a great relief.” The Jackson Sheriff’s Office has coordinated with federal immigration officers in two other roadside checkpoints during the last four years. The role of local law enforcement in proactively arresting undocumented workers has been a matter of debate nationally.

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By the numbers A 4-cent tax on overnight accommodation in Haywood County is still showing signs of the economic downturn. 2011-12...........................................$890,534 2010-11...........................................$893,802 2009-10...........................................$889,417 2008-09...........................................$952,663

Who’s up, who’s down Each geographic area of the county gets a portion of the occupancy tax collected from that area to spend on its own special tourism initiatives. A historical look at the portion each town gets back shows where tourism is up or down. MAGGIE VALLEY 2011-12...........................................$122,359 2010-11...........................................$122,955 2009-10...........................................$129,021 2008-09...........................................$138,066 WAYNESVILLE 2011-12.............................................$71,127 2010-11.............................................$70,936 2009-10.............................................$64,010 2008-09.............................................$68,078 CANTON 2011-12.............................................$16,912 2010-11.............................................$18,140 2009-10.............................................$17,391 2008-09.............................................$20,358 CLYDE 2011-12 ..................................................$544 2010-11 ..................................................$614 2009-10 ..................................................$583 2008-09 ..................................................$461 LAKE JUNALUSKA 2011-12.............................................$10,455 2010-11 ...............................................$9,567 2009-10 ...............................................$9,817 2008-09 ...............................................$9,336

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ing July and August this year — considerably more than the $548 it collected during the same period last year. Looking back on 2012, TDA leaders listed its partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway to clear many of the road’s overlooks as its “most visible success of the year. Trees that grew up over the years were blocking the views from overlooks. But, the TDA and Maggie Valley Lodging Association were able to hire three workers for $19,500 to help trim the trees from a majority of Haywood County’s 74 overlooks along the parkway. Looking forward to 2013, the TDA plans to redesign its website and kick off a new marketing campaign that will use the videos of the various areas and activities in the county that the authority has compiled during the past year. It will also make plans to commemorate its 30year anniversary during fiscal year 2014.

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BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER ourism numbers are looking good for Haywood County so far this year, and tourism leaders are keeping their fingers crossed that a cold winter will drive visitors to Cataloochee’s slopes. “We are looking forward to a good winter, if the weather cooperates,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the Haywood Tourism Development Authority. “We just think it’s going to be a good year.” If the weather does bring snow and tourists with it, hotels, motels and other accommodations may see more heads in beds, meaning more tourism tax revenue for the county. Visitors to Haywood pay a 4 percent tax on overnight accommodations — bringing in $890,000 last year, which the TDA then spends on marketing, promotions and various tourism initiatives. This fiscal year, the TDA is already slightly outpacing its lodging tax collections compared to the previous year — a trend that tourism leaders hope will continue, even if the increase is slight. “We are gradually crawling out of the recession hole of 2008-09 to a level beyond where ‘flat is up,’” wrote Alice Aumen, chairman of the Haywood County tourism board, in the TDA’s 2012 annual report. Since July, the TDA has collected $472,032 this year, compared to $454,477 at the same period last year. The county tracks how much room tax is collected from different geographic areas — namely Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska, Canton and Clyde — offering valuable insight into how individual parts of the county are faring. Waynesville has seen a mostly steady increase since 2009. Collins attributed this partially to the Downtown Waynesville Association’s efforts to market the town as a prime destination for shopping and art. “Waynesville is a very vibrant downtown,” Collins said. On the other hand, Maggie Valley has experienced a steady decline. Maggie still accounts for more than half of the county’s total lodging tax revenue — but that is down from the days when Maggie once brought in two-thirds or more of the county’s total accommodation dollars. A concerted effort by the TDA to compel accommodations owners to turn over the tax they collect is part of the reason for this year’s good budget tidings. A few accommodations perpetually failed to remit the tax collected from their guests, but the TDA had few alternatives beyond lawsuits and liens to force compliance. But, in February, the board of commissioners passed a resolution allowing the county tax collector to work on behalf of the TDA to collect the late taxes. The tax collector has the authority to garnish wages or take money directly from a business’ bank account if someone refuses to pay taxes. The result: the tourism agency received about $2,300 in late lodging tax payments dur-

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Another unusual trend is that expensive scotch sales increase in the summer in Highlands, but decrease in the winter, leaving vodka, brandy and bourbon as the three kings of Christmas — another phenomenon possibly linked to vacation plans. “In the winter we really don’t sell as much scotch as in the summer,” said one clerk working at the Highlands ABC store. “I’m guessing it’s because the high-end clientele come in the summer and in the winter just the bourbon drinkers are left.”

JIM BEAM IN MILLTOWN AND VODKA IN MAGGIE

In the papermill town of Canton, Jim Beam rules supreme as the number one selling brand of liquor. Canton ABC store manager Daryl Ganskopp explained, that for his customers, uncle Jim’s combination of affordable price and smooth taste is a clear and predictable winner. “We’re a blue-collar town,” Ganskopp said. “We don’t have a lot of tourism, and people here know what they want and that’s generally what they get.” However, during Christmas and New Years, Ganskopp notices slight changes in the preferences of the ABC store’s clientele, not extreme deviations from typical purchases but rather an upgrade. To put it plainly: a Beam drinking man 11 months out of the Andrew Kasper photo year will become a Knob Creek drinking man in late December — the same for Schmirnoff by the type of alcohol, especially hard liquor, any good whiskey drinker, the Franklin tequi- vodka drinkers who jump up to Grey Goose. it consumes. la drinkers know the good stuff. Ganskopp said the pattern traces its roots “They just always ask, ‘where’s your tequi- to the 2007 recession. where’s your tequila?’” Mason said. “If you “In this economy, generally, people have EQUILA AND EGGNOG la, try to show them something from the bottom dropped at least one level in their liquor purthey just shake their heads.” chases,” he said. “Then, for Christmas, they SPELL HOLIDAYS IN RANKLIN shelfMason made an observation that as of late, go back to what they really want.” During the holiday season, the ABC store customers who are traditionally tequila buyers Nonetheless, comparing the pre-recession in Franklin sets the gold standard for eggnog have been branching out and buying scotch on Christmas of 2006 to subsequent ones, the varieties and becomes the proverbial Mecca occasion. But he didn’t know if they were Canton store has been down about 14 percent of WNC for the drink’s followers. Store man- acquiring or only buying presents for friends. in sales. Yet, in spite of his effort to offer Franklin ager Todd Mason takes pride in that. Ganskopp said this year has shown a “I probably carry the largest selection of customers a diversity of liquor brands and slight improvement in sales, but top-of-theflavors during the holidays, Mason lamented line items, such as the $220-bottle of Johnny eggnog in the west,” Mason bragged. And he has the numbers to back it up. In the fact that no volume of sales can touch that Walker, of which he used to sell about one per preparation for the winter nog month, are still languishing on the rush, Mason ordered 30 cases of shelves, collecting dust. A few days “In this economy, generally, people Evan Williams Eggnog — known as before Christmas, he hadn’t been have dropped at least one level in their able to sell even one as a gift. the good stuff among connoisseurs. Most other stores in he area “People are buying the same liquor purchases. Then, for Christmas, ordered a fraction of that, Mason number of bottles, but not the highestimates. they go back to what they really want.” price items,” Ganskopp said. Other smooth drinks like “They’re still drinking, just not — Daryl Ganskopp, Canton ABC Store Bailey’s Irish Cream and Kahlua spending as much — that’s the way tend to be popular in the winterthe world works.” time, especially among women. The men in of his 50 cases of half-gallon Burnett’s vodka Although Franklin and Canton follow the the area tend to drink bourbon, that is, of bottles per week. Even the 25 cases of Jim same seasonal liquor trends — clear in the Beam or Jack Daniels don’t come close. course, unless they speak Spanish. summer and dark in the winter — the man“That’s my number one selling vodka, but agers disagree on the merits of eggnog. Unlike many liquor drinkers whose purchases of gin, white rum and tequila — used that’s because it’s a cheap vodka,” Mason Ganskopp is soon to run out of the Evan for the crisper, lighter mixed drinks of sum- said. “That is what I call rot-gut vodka.” Williams brand of drink, but he’s not losing Although overall sales at the ABC store in any sleep over it — and thinks Canton will get mer — decrease with the mercury, Macon County’s Latino population does the opposite Franklin are up 70 percent during Christmas along just fine without. and keeps tequila flying off the shelves all the and New Years, just up the hill, the Highlands “I’ll have my eggs and cream for breakfast, way through the Navidad (i.e., Spanish for ABC store bucks the trend. There, The Fourth thank you,” he said. of July is the biggest holiday for booze and Christmas). On the other side of the county in Maggie Mason said he compensates for this and is sales decline after Thanksgiving, a sign of the Valley, Gary Lewis drew on his 14 years as a sure to keep a deep selection of the agave upscale resort community’s vast population clerk at the ABC store to offer up advice for liquor in his store over the holidays. And like swing between summer and winter. people planning a New Year’s Eve party.

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Spirit of the season What liquor-buying trends say about a town

Smoky Mountain News

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER or liquor stores in Western North Carolina, the combination of Christmas and the New Year makes for the busiest time of the year. But with 1,800 different types of products to choose from — from the old standbys like Jim Beam to the novelty high-end liquors gift wrapped and paired with tumblers — selecting the right booze to stock their limited shelf space can be a science in itself. Much of the preparation for the busy alcohol season come with a store manager’s years of experience and knowing what alcohol is popular with his or her customers and when: Canton’s favorite wintertime whiskey is different than Highlands favorite top-shelf summertime sipper. Even though stores started planning for the holiday season way back in July, or earlier, the wintertime rush can be hard to gauge and a shortage of eggnog or the locals’ favorite whiskey can spell disaster for booze-fueled festivities, gift ideas or an evening of romancing next to the fireplace under the mistletoe. The Smoky Mountain News interviewed a series of ABC store managers in the region to find what ranks among the most popular — and most novel — for the holidays. Just as it’s said that you can judge a man by the shoes he 12 wears, you can also judge a lot about a place

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“If you’re having some people over for a party: vodka, a blended whiskey and rum — those would be the most popular,” Lewis said. “Oh, and a couple of cordials and liqueurs for the girls.” But of Lewis’ list of party must-haves, he was most impressed with vodka’s ability to compete with the other holiday heavy-hitters this winter. He expects the clear liquor to be the most popular year-round, but the grain and potato punch is now edging out its rivals on all fronts as the best selling. “I would have thought it would be whiskey with temperature change, it did increase somewhat,” Lewis said. “But vodka is our number one seller.” And the momentum is only building. Vodka’s strong following among the youth and females, and its dizzying number of flavors has now put it in a league of its own in the build up to New Year’s. The Maggie Valley store alone offers up to 150 varieties. “We’ve got everything from cotton candy to whipped cream, cherry, raspberry, grape, vanilla, you name it,” Lewis said. Yet customers still come to the store specifically asking for special flavors it doesn’t have in stock. During the holidays expensive brands like Grey Goose and movie actor Dan Akroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka brand see boosts in sales.

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WHAT’S IN WAYNESVILLE’S LIQUOR CABINET? December 26-January 1, 2013 Smoky Mountain News

We checked in with customers coming and going from the Waynesville ABC store Saturday to see what they were stocking up on ahead of the holidays. Megan Brown bought liquor as presents for Christmas, including a bottle of Gentleman Jack whiskey and an array of airplane bottle sized stocking stuffers of vodka. She explained why vodka was such a popular drink in the region. “There’s a lot of rich old ladies and vodka doesn’t have as many calories,” she said. Bob Vogt bought Macallan 12, a single malt scotch, because he prefers scotch in the winter and gin and tequila in the summer. But he also purchased the scotch to replenish supplies his holiday guests got into. “We’ve got people in town and they started drinking too much yesterday,” he said. William Martin bought small bottles of Absolut Citron, a citrus vodka, as holiday gifts. It was his first time giving the vodka as a gift but after discovering the flavor while in Washington he wanted to share with friends and family. “It’s terribly smooth for vodka,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s legal for vodka to be that tasty.” Don Kreider purchased a bottle of Canadian Club whiskey, for no special occasion or gift-giving purpose. When asked why he picked that type he wasn’t exactly sure. “I can’t remember,” he said. “It was 30 years ago… I’m still drinking it.” Patrick Nassis left the store with a bottle of Jim Beam, describing the whiskey as one he was partial to. The liquor’s versatility also played to his favor — Nassis was planning on using the whiskey for his special recipe of holiday hot toddies, made with honey and green tea, as well as a home remedy for winter’s afflictions. “It cures any ailment,” he said.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Strong gun laws require strong politicians BY MARTIN DYCKMAN G UEST COLUMNIST ad Al-Qaeda carried out the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Congress would be seething to assign blame, enact laws, and exact revenge. But with some notable exceptions — welcome to reality, Sens. Warner and Manchin — the prevailing sound from Capitol Hill is the sound of silence. That’s because the perpetrator in this instance was armed not with bombs but with weapons of mass destruction that are entirely legal throughout the United States. It is the Congress that allows them to be legal, and that is where the trail of innocent blood leads. For the sake of a so-called war on terror, we submit meekly to inconvenience and indignity, searched and frisked like criminal suspects, at every airport in the land. But the tragedy in Connecticut reminds us, as if we hadn’t already learned at so many other places —Virginia Tech, Aurora, Tucson among them — that terrorism is not inherently external; that it lurks among us, driven by mindless, remorseless, merciless motives that we can scarcely comprehend. On that front — the home front — we haven’t even begun to fight. Of course we must do more for and about mental illness. Meaningful treatment is scarce

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even for those sufferers who seek it, and those who don’t need desperately to be persuaded that they should. But the fact that some minds are sick is hardly a rational excuse for continuing to allow them easy access to weapons that have no compelling purpose in our society. Semi-automatic weapons and 30-round magazines are unnecessary for hunting or self-defense. Private ownership should be banned. Let those who insist on them for sport shooting leave them under lock and key at responsible gun clubs. After a mass murder in 1996, Australia banned assault weapons and paid to buy them back. The prime minister said he didn’t want to import “the American disease.” There hasn’t been another slaughter there since. After a gunman killed 16 children at a school in Scotland, the British government banned the private ownership of assault weapons and almost all handguns. There hasn’t been another such tragedy. But in the United States, the Newtown massacre was the seventh mass killing — four or more victims in a public place — this year alone. According to Mother Jones magazine, there have been 62 over the past 30 years. The politicians have done nothing about them but to make assault weapons and other guns easier to acquire and to carry in public. The magazine

counted 99 recent state and federal laws that have gone in the wrong direction. It’s as if to say the cure for cancer is more cancer. Will this most recent tragedy have a different legacy? Will the unparalleled horror of 20 slain six- and seven-year-olds finally evoke our shame and awaken the national conscience? Will the heroic sacrifices of the principal, the psychologist, and four teachers inspire, at long last, even a small amount of courage among the politicians who until now have cowered before the bullying of the National Rifle Association? I believe President Obama’s tears were genuine, and I don’t doubt his commitment “to take meaningful action.” But until now, he had been missing in action and actually signed the legislation opening the national parks to guns. Even so, the NRA spent heavily to defeat him. It came out short also in seven of the eight senatorial races in which it interfered. It may be powerful, but it’s not God. The president has nothing to lose now in standing up for what’s right. But how many other politicians who aren’t term-limited will find the courage to love our children more than their jobs? (Martin Dyckman is a retired journalist and writer who lives in Waynesville. He can be reached at dyckmanm@bellsouth.net.)

We have a cultural problem, not a gun problem

BY TOM ROGERS GUEST COLUMNIST he tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School is beyond comprehension. Such an event should never occur in this country or anywhere else. But it did. After we care for the survivors, honor the heroes, hold memorials for the victims and the shock of the event diminishes, as a nation we want to know: “Why?” We want to know how to keep it from ever happening again and then do it. To say that the perpetrator was acting irrationally would be a gross understatement. But why was he acting that way? He had weapons. How did he get them? He got in the school. How was he able to do that? Questions like these will continue to be asked and their answers will become clearer with time. There are already premature conclusions and actions being proposed by the pundits who are acting based on the understandable emotions of the moment and their preconceived solutions. But what really needs to be done or not done? Here are some thoughts at the macro level. We need greater sensitivity in this country and a societal acceptance that seeking mental health assistance should be no more of a stigma than seeking physical health assistance. We need to accept that not all people who need help will seek it. Therefore we need responsible people to seek that help for those individuals without fear of reprisal.

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Guns are not the root problem. People are the problem. Our society/culture is a problem. Look at the amount of violence on TV, movies, video games, print, etc. Why is it there? How does it influence the behavior of unstable people? It is there because we view it, buy it, use it as entertainment and seem to have an insatiable appetite for it. Why? Ironically, the same media that bring us all of that violent material will hypocritically blame the “gun freaks” for supporting the right to bear arms, which in their opinion is a facilitator for the events that unstable individuals commit. There are more than 300 million guns owned in the U.S. compared with approximately 15,000 gun-related deaths per year, including suicides. That means that 99.95 percent of the guns are not being used as homicide or suicide weapons. Various polls estimate that anywhere from 50 percent of all U.S. citizens own at least one gun. But there is not rampant violence in our country and the homicide rate in the US is at its lowest level in four decades. During that time, the number of individuals in the U.S. who own guns went up by 7 percent. Obviously, we should do all we can to keep irrational/irresponsible people from acquiring weapons that they may misuse. But before we institutionalize processes that require universal background checks, ban certain weapons, etc., we need to understand that U.S. Congressional reports have documented that the black market is the source of at least 90 percent of all guns used in

gun-related crimes. Is it likely that the black market traffickers of weapons are going to be concerned about any laws we pass? Therefore it is likely that there is no way to completely stop the acquisition of weapons by irresponsible individuals from illegal sources. Thus schools and public places/events need to be secured by whatever physical and technological means possible by using at least: • Preventative measures to exclude weapons being present (screening/magnetic detectors/etc). • Auto-detecting/auto-activating physical barriers sufficient to delay intrusion until a on-site or external response can be achieved. • The presence effect of armed security/law enforcement personnel at the location of the schools/public places/events. Politicians may focus their legislative action to increase the regulation of legal gun ownership (which is the easy thing to do). They can then say: “See, we did something about this terrible situation,” when in fact they have avoided addressing all the issues which are far more difficult to solve. As a nation, we don’t need to do the easiest, feel good things concerning gun-related homicides. That will not produce the desired effect. That would be a disservice to those who have died needlessly and continue to place in danger those we intend to protect. This situation must have a holistic approach that has a fact-driven solution. (Tom Rodgers lives in Cullowhee and can be reached at trodgers44@frontier.com.)

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We need a dialogue on guns and laws To the Editor: I challenge The Smoky Mountain News to assist in opening a respectful, thoughtful, meaningful conversation in our region about gun policies in the United States. Give us credible, objective statistics relating to gun policies and violence, in this country and others. I realize this is a touchy subject, with hunting so ingrained in our culture here in Western North Carolina. However, The Smoky Mountain News is no stranger to controversy. I remember when you provided us with in-depth reporting about the Haywood hospital, even when it meant loss of advertisement revenue. In particular, I would like to read your interviews with ordinary people, not spokesmen or politicians, about how a ban on military-type assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition clips would infringe on hunting rights. I would also like to hear how closing the gun-show background check loophole to reduce the likelihood of criminals and mentally unstable people obtaining guns would infringe. I have seen proposals of a small tax on gun and ammunition purchases to fund our mental health system, which has been subject to budget cut after budget cut, so that interventions may be made to protect us from unstable people with guns. Funding could also be obtained this way for more law enforcement officers to protect our schools. How do people in the community feel about this? Lastly, I would like to hear from citizens their solutions for reducing the incident of tragedies such as which occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Is it too much to hope that we can come to some consensus to present to our legislators? Carole Larivee Waynesville

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

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tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 AMMONS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT & DAIRY BAR 1451 Dellwwod Rd., Waynesville. 828.926.0734. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating our 25th year. Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert. The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. ANTHONY WAYNE’S 37 Church St, Waynesville. 828.456.6789. Open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; open for dinner Thursday-Saturday 5 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Exceptional, new-American cuisine, offering several gluten free items. BLUE RIDGE BBQ COMPANY 180 N. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.7524. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. TuesdayThursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Blue Ridge BBQ is a family owned and operated restaurant. The BBQ is slow hardwood smoked, marinated in its own juices, and seasoned with mountain recipes. All menu items made from scratch daily. Featuring homemade cornbread salad, fresh collard greens, or cornbread and milk at your request. Old-fashioned homemade banana pudding and fruit cobbler of the season. Catering, take-out, eat-in. blueridgebbq@gmail.com. BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available. BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m. Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank. HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837. Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy fresh local products, created daily. Join

us in our beautiful patio garden. We are your local neighborhood host for special events: business party’s, luncheons, weddings, showers and more. Private parties & catering are available 7 days a week by reservation only. CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Join us for cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting) and family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Our bountiful family-style meals include prime rib, baked ham, and herb-baked chicken; cookouts feature steaks, ribs, chicken and pork chops, to name a few. Every dinner is complemented with an assortment of seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts, and we offer a fine selection of wine and beer. Breakfast is also served daily from 8 to 9:30 a.m., and lunch from 12 to 2 p.m. Please call for reservations. 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 LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva. 828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more. Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com. COPPER LEAF CAFÉ & COFFEE 3232 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville. 828.926.4486. Open Monday thru Saturday 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Enjoy the atmosphere and charm of the Copper Leaf Café’s signature sandwiches and salads featuring Boar’s Head meats & cheeses. Home-made soups served daily as well as “made from scratch” desserts. Full service Espresso Bar and a unique selection of gifts. Located next to High Country Furniture and Design. CORK AND BEAN 16 Everett St., Bryson City. 828.488.1934. Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy organic, fair-trade, gourmet espresso and coffees, a select, eclectic list of wines, and locally prepared treats to go with every thing. Come by early and enjoy a breakfast crepe with a latte, grab a grilled chicken pesto crepe for lunch, or wind down with a nice glass of red wine. Visit us on Facebook! CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.7179. Reservations recommended. 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green prepares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

CORNERSTONE CAFÉ 1092 N. Main Street, Waynesville. 828.452.4252. Open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fresh meats purchased daily, great homemade breakfast, burgers made to order. Comfortable and friendly atmosphere, with curb service available. Make lunch easy and call ahead for to go orders. 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. FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA 1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley. 828.926.6216 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-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 and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Mondays. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. Come for the restaurant’s 4 @ 4 when you can choose a center and three sides at special prices. Offered Wed- Fri. from 4 to 6. frogsleappublichouse.org. GUADALUPE CAFÉ 606 W. Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.9877. Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews. Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood. J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817. Lunch 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. JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era. LOS AMIGOS 366 Russ Ave. in the Bi-Lo Plaza. 828.456.7870. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the

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BEER DINNER JANUARY 23rd

lunch prices Monday through Sunday, also enjoy our outdoor patio. LUCIO'S RESTAURANT 313 Highlands Road, Franklin. 828.369.6670. Serving Macon County since 1984. Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Lunch Wednesday-Friday 11:30 a.m. until.Dinner Wednesday-Saturday 5 p.m. until. Owned and operated by Tanya and Dorothy Gamboni. Serving authentic Italian and continental cuisine including appetizers, pastas, poultry, veal, seafood, steaks and homemade deserts. Selection of wine and beer. Lunch and Dinner menus. Wednesday and Thursday nights only. 1 appetizer and 2 selected entrées with unlimited salad and Lucio’s famous garlic rolls for $24.95. Winter Special: half-off house wines, Friday and Saturday only. luciosnc.com MAD BATTER BAKERY & CAFÉ Located on the WCU Campus in Cullowhee. 828.293.3096. Open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Earth-friendly foods at people-friendly prices. Daily specials, wraps, salads, pastries, breads, soups and more. Unique fare, friendly service, casual atmosphere and wireless Internet. Organic ingredients, local produce, gourmet fair trade and organic coffees. MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB 1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

NEWFOUND LODGE RESTAURANT 1303 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee (Located on 441 North at entrance to GSMNP). 828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily. Established in 1946 and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Family style dining for adults and children. OLD STONE INN 109 Dolan Road, off Love Lane. 828.456.3333. Classic fireside dining in an historic mountain lodge with cozy, intimate bar. Dinner served nightly except Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Signature dinner choices include our 8oz. filet of beef in a brandied peppercorn sauce and a garlic and

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. RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 828.926.0201 Bar open Monday thru Saturday; dining room open Tuesday thru Saturday at 5 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials. Live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday. SOUL INFUSION TEA HOUSE & BISTRO 628 E. Main St. (between Sylva Tire & UPS). 828.586.1717. Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon -until. Scrumptious, natural, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. 60+ teas served hot or cold, black, chai, herbal. Seasonal and rotating draft beers, good selection of wine. Home-Grown Music Network Venue with live music most weekends. Pet friendly and kid ready.

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SPEEDY’S PIZZA 285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800. Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays. Dine in or take out available. Located across from the Fire Station. TAP ROOM 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. THE TIKI HOUSE SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR 2723 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. 828.944.0445. Fresh seafood made to order. Oysters raw, steamed, or fried. Handcut steaks. Live music, cocktails, petfriendly patio dining with a nice fountain. Friday patio music starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday night after dinner. Live bands and a dance floor. THE WINE BAR 20 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground cellar for wine and beer, served by the glass all day. Cheese and tapas served Wednesday through Saturday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. or later. info@classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

HORS D’OEUVRES BUFFET 9 P.M.-MIDNIGHT

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MUSIC BY MICHELLE LEIGH BAND DANCING & PARTY FAVORS MIDNIGHT BREAKFAST BUFFET INCLUDING LUCKY NEW YEAR’S FOODS

$5995/COUPLE PARTY ONLY

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$9995/COUPLE

Smoky Mountain News

MOUNTAIN PERKS ESPRESSO BAR & CAFÉ 9 Depot St., Bryson City. 828.488.9561. Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Opend for lunch and dinner seven days a week. 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 indoor, outside on the patio or at the bar. Reservations appreciated.

December 26-January 1, 2013

MOONSHINE GRILL 2550 Soco Road, Maggie Valley loacted in the Smoky Falls Lodge. 828.926.7440. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Cooking up mouth-watering, wood-fired Angus steaks, prime rib and scrumptious fresh seafood dishes. The wood-fired grill gives amazing flavor to every meal that comes off of it. Enjoy creative dishes made using moonshine. Stop by and simmer for a while and soak up the atmosphere. The best kept secret in Maggie Valley. themoonshinegrill.com

herb crusted lamb rack. Carefully selected fine wines and beers plus full bar available. Open year round. Call for reservations.

INCLUDES ROOM

Single Rates Available Reservations Recommended

70 Soco Road • Maggie Valley Reservations: 828.926.0201

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18

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

THE

Source

OF THE

Sound

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

It’s the greatest show in town, but the location is a secret. With the tall smokestacks of the Canton paper mill falling into the rearview mirror, the pickup truck meandered up into the surrounding hills. The road snaked deeper into the woods. Pulling into a muddy entrance, a few sporadic vehicles lined the driveway. Tires squish through puddles in search of a place to park. Feet carefully trudged toward an old garage. The air is cold and silent, but voices are heard from the depths of the building. Soon, a figure emerged. Bright light escaped from inside, illuminating anything within several yards of the doorway. “Welcome, we’re glad you could make it,” the figure smiled.

Sauntering out of the old garage doorway, the dark figure’s boots soak into the muddy driveway. It’s S.R. “Sha” Shahan. He extends a handshake and leads the way back into the brightly lit building. It’s Tuesday evening and, like clockwork, there’s a weekly mountain music jam session on the property. The usual crowd hasn’t shown up yet, but patience is the key. Shahan gets together his instruments, which range from a gutbucket bass to a pizza box that’s used for percussion with a couple of drum brushes. “It’s kind of quiet right now, but that’s just the way it goes, so we’ll see who shows up tonight,” he said. The location is secret, but for good reason. According to Shahan, each time they made the sessions public or advertised, the atmosphere became too overrun, with many unknown, professional players coming in looking to run the show, as well as running circles around the oldtimers looking for more of an intimate setting. “We started to get people in from everywhere,” he

“I just like to hear these boys play the old music. This music is important because I think the young people have just dropped it. Everyone should get back into this old-time stuff before it’s too late.” — Tommy Messer

The mountain music players at the word-of-mouth jam session held every Tuesday evening in Canton. Garret K. Woodward photo

said. “They’d come in and take over with music nobody knew. We’d all get lost while they dominated the group.” Though the audience has yet to arrive, there is still much work to be done. Floors need to be swept, items must be cleared and chunks of wood will have to be brought in and stacked next to the old barrel woodstove. A truck filled with chairs pulls up outside. A handful of folks grab the chairs and set them up in two semi-circles, one inner realm for the musicians and one outer for those wanting to listen to the magic. “On nights you think you won’t get two people in here, 10 show up,” Shahan said. “You just never know what’s going to happen.” And with not knowing what’s going to happen, unexpected deaths or relocations chip away at who does or doesn’t appear on Tuesday evening, and also what new picker will arrive. “Is that other banjo guy coming this week? He hasn’t passed away, did he?” one voice questioned from the back of the room. “How you doing tonight?” another asked, sitting in a chair. “Oh, I’m hanging in there,” someone replied, hobbling in. Rodney Rogers, who is setting up his acoustic guitar and microphone stand, has been coming to the Canton garage sessions since they began

F

because I think the young people have just dropped it. Everyone should get back into this old-time stuff before it’s too late.” A few seats down, Helen Neal was all smiles. “This is the background of the country music I grew up with,” she said. “When I was young, this was the kind of music we played. We can’t have this old tradition fade.” Strumming and singing in a round-robin fashion, the selections ricochet around the small room. Feet tap on the cold concrete

floor while souls are warmed by the sounds of a childhood fading into the past. It’s a feeling that has gathered dust to some, but fresh in the minds of those who haven’t forgot. Sipping a cup of coffee, with eyes focused on the inner circle, Sherrill Lance is amazed that such music still exists and is flourishing in this area. You just have to know where to look for the sound, and sometimes the source is a lot closer than you think. “Ah shoot, it’s just old-time music. You can actually hear the words and really relate

A long and winding road

A

A group of spectators dance (above) as the live mountain music plays in the background. World War II veteran and mountain music player S.R. “Sha” Shahan (right) is head of the clandestine jam session in the community. The elusiveness of the events is the key to its longevity as something intimate and unique in Western North Carolina. Garret K. Woodward photo

something was music — the music of his past. He soon found himself at local music jam sessions in Clearwater and decided to participate. “It was like something new, something you got back into that you’ve been missing and didn’t know you were missing it,” he said. After getting inspired by a washboard player at one of the sessions, Shahan tracked down his wife’s washboard in the garage and made his own, ultimately bringing it to the next event. The organizer threw him into the

Smoky Mountain News

A troop carrier soon scooped him up, and they headed for the Okinawa Island shortly after the infamous battleground had been liberated and was being prepped as a launching paid for air raids over Japan. Shahan was gearing up for flight when a captain approached him on the carrier. “The day we pulled into the harbor, the sirens went off,” he said. “The captain came in and said, ‘Son, the war is over. They just dropped the A-bomb.’” Coming back to the mainland, Shahan immersed himself into post-war America. He got married, had children and moved along in a worthwhile career. Working for an independent insurance adjusting system, he was then recruited by Allstate and found himself in Florida, managing home offices in Orlando, Tampa and St. Petersburg. Life was going pretty well, but after retirement, something seemed to be missing. That

mix with a skilled banjo player and professional drummer. Unbeknownst to Shahan, the drummer was Eddie Graham, who backed jazz legend Earl Hines. “I had no idea who Eddie was,” Shahan chuckled. “The two of them would start up and sound like they’ve been playing together all their lives. We each had to do a solo, and I thought I would die.” But, Shahan pushed through and found himself on the other side. He now had plunged back into music, a deep itch he was finally scratching. By 1994, he bought a seasonal home in Maggie Valley and began jumping into the local music scene, which included playing with innumerable talented musicians like renowned banjoist Raymond Fairchild. “I got asked to go up and play with Raymond,” Shahan said. “We did a tune, and it went fairly well. Raymond turned around and gave me ‘the look’ [of approval], so I knew I was safe.” Now bouncing around the Western North Carolina mountain music circuit, Shahan and his friends were shuffled around to several spots where they could play. The location and people in attendance seemed to change like the seasons, but those playing remained the same. The passion and pursuit never seemed to wane. As time passed, Shahan found himself putting together the sessions, wrangling his friends and those curious to come out and pluck. “It’s unbelievable how many good pickers are in Haywood County, not to mention the surrounding counties,” he said. “It’s back to the roots of what Appalachian music is all about, and it’s just enough people to try and keep that going.”

December 26-January 1, 2013

t a McDonald’s in Canton, S.R. “Sha” Shahan sits quietly in one of the corner booths, casually sipping his coffee and reflecting on where it all began for him. Hailing from the coal-mining hills of West Virginia, the 86-year-old was raised in Bristol, a town “about as small as you can get,” he chuckled. His father was a self-taught fiddler who would perform at regional line dances and other special functions with his handmade instrument that was constructed from a wooden cheese box. Eventually, he taught Sha how to play percussion and keep a rhythm by having him tap the neck of the fiddle to the beat as he played. Sha began to take an interest in music, finding himself playing bass in the high school band. Though he enjoyed it, the passion didn’t click inside of him, not yet at least, especially with World War II breaking out. The action was across the globe, and music seemed to take a backseat to adventure. He was drafted in 1944 and found himself on a military train heading west to destinations unknown. “No one knew where we were going on the train,” he said. “We were about halfway there when the guy came out and said we were in the Air Force and heading to Texas for training. We all applauded to that because you didn’t want to be an infantryman at that time.” Assigned as a tail gunner for a B-24 bomber in the Pacific Theater, Shahan was in combat a handful of times. As a gunner, a particularly dangerous and often fatal assignment, he manned two .50 caliber machine guns. “When you shot them, your whole body shook, your head rattled,” he said.

to what it’s all about,” he said. “It’s going to be lost if we don’t get young people involved in it.” The mood heats up. A handful of onlookers wander to an open corner and start dancing. The musicians turn slightly and watch them glide across the floor. It’s a joyous sight, one that epitomizes the beauty and culture of Western North Carolina. It’s another pivotal stop towards the final destination, no matter where one might have started their journey. “It’s almost like coming back home, coming here,” Shahan said. “If you pick at all, get that axe out and sit in. It’s all about enjoying the music and being apart of it.” It’s the greatest show in town, but the location is a secret. But maybe, just maybe, if you cross paths with S.R. “Sha” Shahan, he might just point you in the right direction.

arts & entertainment

almost a year ago. “It’s a kind of a community and a friendship,” he said. “It’s old-time bluegrass, mountain and classic country music. It’s something most of us here grew up with.” Though the musicians may not be professional, by industry standards, the intent and ambiance remains pure. “You’ve got talent here most people don’t realize,” Rogers said. “It just gives us something to do. We’re not professionals, but we do the best we can do, and if we miss a chord, then, well, OK.” With heads covered in gray hair and wrinkled faces full of time and lore, the outer chairs begin to fill up. Several musicians unbuckle their gear cases and tune their instruments. Friendly banter and nonchalant guitar notes seamlessly mold into a melody. The show has begun. Sitting back and taking it all in, Tommy Messer looks forward to coming to the garage each week. “I just like to hear these boys play the old music,” he said. “This music is important

19

arts & entertainment

Jackson County Arts Council offers grants for art programs Jackson County Arts Council is now accepting grant applications for art programs for the coming year. Theater groups, galleries, choruses, arts educators and other nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply. Public schools may apply if the proposed program supplements education in the arts. Colleges and universities may apply for funding if the proposed program will serve the broader countywide population. Applications are due by Jan. 20. www.jacksoncountyarts.org or 828.507.9820 or 828.507.9531.

Learn how to play the dulcimer

Smoky Mountain News

December 26-January 1, 2013

Registration is ongoing for the eighth annual “Dulcimer U Winter Weekend” conference for mountain dulcimer enthusiasts, which will be held Thursday, Jan. 3, through Sunday, Jan. 6, at the Terrace Hotel at Lake Junaluska. Sponsored by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education, the event will provide class options from more than 50 hours of

instruction in the mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, guitar and autoharp. Participants will be able to choose from a wide array of classes in topics ranging from “music theory” to “advanced dulcimer ensemble skills.” Evening activities will include folk dancing, performances by the instructional staff and music sharing sessions. All classes, concerts, jam sessions, vendor areas and meals will take place inside the Terrace Hotel. Registration is $159 per person. www.DulcimerU.wcu.edu or hensley@wcu.edu.

J 20

Celebration Monday, Dec. 31st - 8 p.m. - 1 a.m.

With live music by 45 Cherry. $25 per person includes champagne toast, complimentary party favors, live NYE ball drop & midnight breakfast.

arts & entertainment

New Year’s Eve A specialty dinner menu will be available.

Space is limited to reserve your spot by calling

926-4831 Our restaurant will be open & serving dinner. Quilt squares across Haywood County — such as this one on the Maggie Valley Town Hall — are part of a Haywood County Arts Council program. File photo

Arts council celebrates 35 years, Miller steps down

The Smoky Mountain Chess Club will be competing against the Queen City Chess Association (Charlotte) at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Besides members already signed up, other

Ring in the new year with us!

for All Generations After Christmas Sale

Expressions by Gwyn 40% Off Select Jackets 40% Off Curio Sweaters 30% Off "Retired" Brighton styles 40% Off Brighton Shoes 50% Off Sale Rack 30% off Clearance Rack 75% Off

Bethel receives film award Bethel Rural Community Organization’s movie, “Walking in the Footsteps of Those Who Came before Us,” received the Paul Green Multi-Media Award, which is given to people promoting North Carolina history or genealogy through poetry, historical plays, videos, oral histories, music, quilts or other genres. Haywood County Farm Bureau and Haywood EMC sponsored the production of the DVDs, which are available at Blue Ridge Books or at www.bethelrural.org.

Smoky Mountain News

Chess club to compete, looking for players

interested in playing should contact Bruce Goodwin (chesscat772@yahoo.com) as soon as possible. The matches will take place in a special room at the bookstore to ensure silence for concentration. First round begins at 10 a.m., with the second round starting after lunch. Each contestant will play the same person twice. The event is free and open to the public. 828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

visit maggievalleyclub.com for full menu and hours of operation

December 26-January 1, 2013

Haywood County Arts Council Executive Director Kay Miller is stepping down after nine years on the job. Arts Council board members say Miller provided the leadership to ensure the arts council maintained the energy and support necessary to promote all of its initiatives. As Miller steps down, the Arts Council is marking 35 years of bringing art, crafts and music to Haywood County. Among the Arts

Council’s initiatives are art programs in schools at all levels, exhibiting local and regional art in Gallery 86, funding the Junior Appalachian Musicians after school program, supporting the student honors recital showcasing tomorrow’s talented performers, putting on the International Festival Day during Folkmoot and expanding the Haywood County Quilt Trail. The arts council has put into place several new initiatives that will help support their continued programs such as a corporate sponsorship program to partner with local businesses. It is also planning a new, major performing arts festival that will bring fresh arts energy and financial resources to Haywood County. www.haywoodarts.org.

The Woman's Boutique Where the Focus is You! 121 N MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC (828) 452-3611 21

GREEN LIVING

arts & entertainment

Ride the rails into 2013

Save your pipes Heat tape is an excellent way to make sure that your water pipes don't freeze during the winter months. A broken water pipe can cause thousands of dollars of damage, but this can be prevented with affordable heat tape. The heat tape is fairly easy to install and might help save your home from major pipe damage. Heat Tape in various lengths is available at Haywood Builders Supply.

This GREEN LIVING TIP brought to you by Haywood Builders Supply …WE BUILD GREEN!!

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100 Charles St. • Waynesville • 828-456-6051 Employee Owned

HAYWOOD PEDIATRIC & ADOLESCENT MEDICINE GROUP, P.A.

welcomes December 26-January 1, 2013

Dr. Tyler Vereen as she joins Dr. Stephen Wall, Dr. Steven Hammel, Dr. Karin McLelland, Dr. Trew Stansky, Dr. Sarah Evers, Anne Sarzynski, CPNP and Lillian Norris, CPNP.

“It’s such a privilege to join the Haywood County Community and to help meet the pediatric needs of our families. I look forward to learning from the children here as much as becoming a contributing member of this beautiful community.”

Dr. Vereen graduated from Clemson with her B.S. in Biochemistry and earned her medical degree from University of South Carolina, School of Medicine in Columbia. She completed her Pediatric Residency at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia.

Smoky Mountain News

Dr. Vereen is board-certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

22

To contact Dr. Vereen and Haywood Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Group, P.A., please call 452-2211.

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad photo

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will ring in the New Year with an evening of live music, dancing, dining and celebration starting at 7:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, at the train depot in Bryson City. Alias Smith & Jones will be the featured entertainment for the evening. Satisfy your tastes buds with an elegant three-course buffet style dinner onboard a vintage dining car. Complete the evening with a countdown to

the midnight hour with party favors and a champagne toast to 2013. A reception will begin at 7:45 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Trains Museum with a selection of beer, wine, mixed drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Ages 21 and older only. Dinner Train tickets are $135 per person. The three-hour trip departs at 9 p.m. at the historic Bryson City Depot. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

Fine dining, jazz for New Year’s Eve

(guitar) and Danny McMahon (percussion). Situated inside The Classic Wineseller is Angelino’s Ristorante, which will be preparing and serving the three-course meal. Patrons will also receive a bottle of wine and complimentary glass of champagne. Tickets are $35 per person, and there will be a cash bar. www.classicwineseller.com or 828.452.6000.

There will be a special jazz performance and dinner at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. The event will feature musicians Sheila Gordon (keyboards/vocals), Mike Creech

New Year’s Eve fireworks in the Smokies The final details are being put into place for the annual “New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Smokies” that will be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 31, at Fontana Village Resort. The 2012 New Year’s Eve Bash includes a holiday dinner party prepared by Chef Tracy Williams and his team in the Mountview Restaurant, a New Year’s Eve Gala party with live music featuring the Caribbean Cowboys at the Fontana Events Hall, and Fireworks on the Village Green to ring in the New Year at midnight. Reservations are now being accepted. www.fontanavillage.com/events/pdfs/newyears2012 or 800.849.2258 or 828.498.2211.

CLYDE OFFICE

CANTON OFFICE

Cherokee to ring in New Year with fireworks

15 Facility Drive • Clyde

55 Buckeye Cove Road, Suite 200A • Canton

828-452-2211

828-452-2211

Celebrate the New Year at Cherokee’s Annual New Year’s Eve Fireworks display at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, located at the Acquoni Expo Center. This special holiday event will include fun for the entire family, surrounded by the scenic mountains of Western North Carolina. www.cherokee-nc.com or 800.438.1601.

Serving Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson and surrounding areas.

arts & entertainment

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Dogwood Acres - 2BR, 2BA, 1HB $270,000 #519457

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Smoky Mountain News

3BR, 4BA, 2HB $950,000 #478401

Laurel Heights

December 26-January 1, 2013

Waynesville - 3BR, 2BA $75,000 #529765

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arts & entertainment

72102

Waynesville, NC– Best Western Smoky Mountain Inn has been honored with Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s December Business of the Month Award. Presented by the Economic and Business Development Committee the purpose of the award is to recognize our community businesses who contribute to our communities through charity, good customer service, job creation, and making Haywood County a better place to live. Jayprakash (Jay), Niranjana (Nira) Parmar and their Best Western children came to the United States in 1986. After pursuing Smoky Mountain Inn careers in New York, the Parmars moved to Haywood County and purchased the Best Western Smoky Mountain Inn. The Best Western offers beautifully appointed guest rooms, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, each featuring panoramic views of the surrounding Mountainscape. According to a Hotel Guests on Trip Advisor, “This hotel (Best Western Smoky Mountain Inn) is perfect. The staff is friendly, the rooms clean, the property well maintained, the views are breath taking, and the location is great. You can't ask for a better hotel than this. When in the area, I would not stay anywhere else.” Jay is actively involved in the community and has served on the board of directors for Folkmoot USA and the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce (1996-97). He is also the past president and Rotarian of the Year (2011-12) for the Waynesville Sunrise Rotary and a sponsor of the 2012 Blue Ridge Breakaway. Best Western Smoky Mountain Inn is located at 130 Shiloh Trail, Waynesville. Visit www.bwsmokymountaininn.com for additional information or to book your lodging today

Business of the Month!

December 26-January 1, 2013

28 Walnut St. Waynesville | 828.456.3021 | haywood-nc.com

2012 breaks record for North Carolina film industry As in 2011, North Carolina witnessed another year of record-breaking film numbers as 2012 comes to an end. Year-end projections show productions had a direct in-state spend in excess of $376 million and created more than 4,100 wellpaying crew positions for the state’s highly skilled workforce. All told, productions created nearly 20,000 job opportunities, including talent and background extra positions for North Carolinians. These numbers eclipsed last year’s record-breaking $220 million in spending and 3,300 crew positions. “During my tenure, jobs have been my top priority and the enhanced film credit has resulted in thousands of opportunities for North Carolinians as well as created record spending by production companies in the state,” said Gov. Beverly Perdue. “The film industry is thriving once again in our state, and we must continue to build on these record-breaking numbers, creating even more opportunities for jobs and economic development.” Nearly 50 productions registered with the state film office and filmed in North Carolina in 2012. Those productions amassed more than 4,100 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state’s 100 counties.

“It is amazing to see what has taken place the past two years in North Carolina,” said N.C. Film Office Director Aaron Syrett. “Not only were we able to exceed our record-breaking numbers from 2011, but we continue to grow throughout the state’.” Highlights include the production of the blockbuster feature “Iron Man 3” and season two of the award-winning television drama “Homeland.” North Carolina served as the backdrop for the hit NBC television series “Revolution” and national commercials for

“It is amazing to see what has taken place the past two years in North Carolina.” — Aaron Syrett, N.C. Film Office director

Mountain Dew, ESPN, NASCAR, Under Armour and Hillshire Farm. “We have one of the smartest incentives in the industry as it takes into account the wealth of resources our state offers including our well-established infrastructure and diverse locations,” said Syrett. “North Carolina really is an ideal place for filmmakers.”

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Smoky Mountain News

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Built On Your Land

Books

Smoky Mountain News

25

Racism and adultery drive Spencer’s novel aniel Emerson is afraid of black people. After a chance encounter with a group of violent African American teenagers left him with a broken wrist, a chipped tooth and an abiding belief that he is going to be killed by either one of his clients or a crack addict, the young lawyer persuades Kate, his current helpmate, to sacrifice the advantages of the big city for the pastoral peace of his hometown, Leyden. Their move quickly demonstrates that his earnWriter ings will be drastically reduced, but for a while, he luxuriates in a small town’s advantages. They enroll Ruby, Kate’s daughter by a previous marriage, in the local childcare center (The Wooden Shoe) and become active in the surprisingly vibrant social life of Leyden. Daniel, however, still crosses the street when he sees suspicious African Americans approaching. Kate, a successful journalist, takes the move to Leyden in stride and, although she retains a barbed wit about the bucolic natives, she seems to thrive. Other than the fact that she drinks too much and has a strange preoccupation with the O. J. Simpson case, she quickly makes friends and is soon firing off a series of in-depth articles on the implications of O.J.’s trial. “We all know he is guilty,” she tells her friends. “Why is the Afro-American community participating in this judicial farce by claiming that he is innocent?” Kate lavishes love on feisty little Ruby and spends much of her free time with her. Which brings us another couple: an African-American couple, Hampton and Iris Davenport. Hampton is a successful financier who spends much of his time away from home. Iris, sensual and soft-spoken, is working on her thesis in a nearby college. The Davenports have a son, Nelson, who is the same age as Ruby and enrolled at The Wooden Shoe where he has developed a reputation for angry tantrums. Eventually, he becomes Ruby’s “best friend,” and so the two couples finally meet. They attend a production of “The Messiah” together and end up in

Gary Carden

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a local restaurant where things begins to go awry. Hampton turns out to be arrogant, condescending and constantly on the lookout for

terms of plot, all we need is a series of fateful events that bring the “lovers-to-be” together. The weather obliges and a crippling snowstorm leaves Daniel trapped at Iris’ house while Hampton is away at his city apartment. The power lines are down, the heat is off and the benighted Daniel finds his fateful way to Iris Davenport’s bed. There is much here that reminds me of the “Courtly Love Tradition” in medieval literature in which both lovers behave according to the dictates of a prescribed ritual. The male yearns for his lover with an intensity that is painful. Indeed, if he does not gain the sexual favors of the beloved, he may die. Daniel often seems to be on the brink of suicide. However, Spencer’s lovers are never satisfied. Their awesome sexual encounters are remarkable both in terms of variety and duration, yet within days they are again plotting meetings in cheap hotels, abandoned buildings and their own homes. Exposure is A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer. HarperCollins. 368 pages. inevitable and when it comes, the lives of innoracial abuse. Kate takes a delight in making cent folks are affected. The lives of friends, comments that infuriate him and this belated Daniel’s parents, neighbors and even Layden’s social outing is a disaster ... except for one citizens are changed. In fact, this adulterous thing. Daniel has fallen in love with Iris. affair is like a virus that subtly changes the life A Ship Made of Paper is a journey through style of an entire town. the painful and heedless world of infidelity. Thankfully, there are other interests in A Scott Spencer views his characters with a Ship Made of Paper, including a delightful strange blend of compassion and contempt, episode involving a blind African American alternating between sympathy for their dilem- woman who continues to live in the decaying ma and amusement at their foolishness. In mansion that was once staffed with slaves.

Author to discuss AT journey Writer Amy Allen will discuss her journey along the Appalachian Trail as she presents her book, Summoning the Mountains: Pilgrimage into Forty, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Allen, a recently divorced single mom, cast aside family and society’s expectations to follow a lifelong calling. On the eve of her 40th birthday, she reached for her personal goal of hiking the

Now, the ancient site is about to be converted into an historic site. There is a delightful scene in which, during a record snow, the blind lady becomes lost in the storm, and the wealthy guests who are involved in raising money for the “historic site” are forced to search for her. The estate is massive, and they are armed with Roman candles, which they are told to fire into the sky when they find the blind (and demented) woman. Among the searchers are Daniel and Hampton ... two men who despise each other. The outcome of this doomed search should be the final event in this story of doomed lust, but it isn’t. Like some mythical beast that has been tortured, mangled and hacked beyond recognition, Daniel and Iris continue to search for opportunities to see each other. The reader may be haunted by images of the aging couple after decades have passed, still tottering off to yet another assignation. Scott Spencer’s greatest gift as a writer is undoubtedly his skill in creating images and a delightfully fresh and poetic narrative. Occasionally, he allows his characters to dream, and some of the most pleasing episodes involve the citizens of Leyden who float at night over the town, observing their loved ones (Daniel and Iris are not the only adulterous couples in Leyden), and as Daniel floats among them, he realizes that they are all bound together by guilt and passion. Throughout the novel,Spencer occasionally releases random events that invariably collide with the lives of Leyden’s citizenry. When a snowstorm knocks the power out of a juvenile detention facility rendering the electric fence harmless, a half-dozen inmates escape and roam through the town, breaking into houses and disturbing the tranquility of the citizens. Their presence is definitely disturbing to poor Daniel since the escaped prisoners represent the very threat that he came home to avoid. They seem to be drawing closer to Daniel’s world throughout the novel and even end up robbing a local nightspot where Daniel and his friends are eating. Despite John Prine’s advice to the world: “move to the country and try to find Jesus on your own,” maybe Daniel should go back to New York and live in a “gated community.” That will work — until the power goes out in a storm.

Appalachian Trail. After settling her teenage sons at their father’s house, Allen embarked on her 2,000mile journey. Taking on the name her sons give her, Willow, she transports the reader into the forest, giving the armchair hiker a glimpse into a world of coyotes, butterflies and bears. She shares her experiences of storms, injuries and the determination to ward off hunger and doubt. Summoning the Mountains is a book about embracing challenges and accepting change. 828.586.9499.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SCHWAG

Race organizers get creative with attracting participants BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER ou’ve been training for months. You’ve skipped the kids’ piano recitals and parent teacher conferences; you’ve bailed on dinner with the in-laws (several times) and nights out with the friends — all to adhere to your strict training schedule to prepare for the big moment: the big race. Finally it comes, and as you cross that fin-

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ish line — exhausted, sweating, proud — an event volunteer thrusts a cheaply stamped medallion in your direction along with a XL T-shirt. (You wear a medium.) But it doesn’t have to be that way. Race coordinators around Western North Carolina are growing ever-creative about the unique prizes and participation schwag they’re distributing at their events. Although most racers don’t pick events to run, ski, kayak or

to the top finishers, Barwatt imitated the idea for his trail race to the top of Black Rock Mountain: if runners finish in under 101 minutes, they get the coveted belt buckle. He characterized it as a versatile prize. “You can use it as trophy, too,” Barwatt said. “You can wear it and put it on your mantle.” Barwatt has yet to see someone walking around sporting his race prize, but with the

Maggie Valley Moonlight runners vie for positions on the podium, but also unique prizes from sponsors.

The drawing of a belt buckle prize awarded at a race in Sylva to top finishers.

bike based on the prizes, if there’s a conflict on the calendar or doubt about the worthiness of event itself, the giveaways might just be what tip the scale one way or the other. And there’s nothing that says “winner” more than a metal belt buckle. Brian Barwatt, organizer of the Assault on Black Rock in Sylva, decided to eschew the standard-style medals that dangle from the neck and picked one that goes where it counts. After hearing about a mountain bike race in Colorado that offers custom belt buckles

“Most of the people are coming for the event, the experience of the trail run and especially Tsali. But prizes are definitely a bonus.” — Aaron Saft, organizer of the Frosty Foot Trail Race

race only in it’s third year, there’s only 20 of them out there. Sae Smyrl, a participant in last year’s race, said he’s got his eye set on joining the elite buckle bearers. But with the race approaching in March, Smyrl still has 13 minutes to shave off his time. “I’d like one,” Smyrl said. “It’s something you can wear — not just stick in a drawer.” Just down the road, at Tsali Recreation Area along Fontana Lake, famous for it’s 42mile trail system, is a trail race with a common sense concept: give people stuff they’ll use. Aaron Saft, co-owner of FootRx in Asheville, said he pools the resources of his store and all the brand names he carries to provide the Frosty Foot Trail Race runners with quality prizes.

He awards Montrail shoes, Princeton Tec headlamps, Swiftwick socks, Timex watches, hats with race logos and more — and that’s just for one year. Sometimes, it takes a little extra enticement to get people to leave the warmth of their homes for a outdoor event in January. “Most of the people are coming for the event, the experience of the trail run and especially Tsali,” Saft said. “But, prizes are definitely a bonus.” After the race, the participants will head to Nantahala Brewing Company for the award ceremony and after party — another sort of prize that sets some events apart from others. The brewery’s owner Joe Rowland said his company sponsors four or five events per year. Usually, the sponsorship includes a custom pint glass — a win-win, for attracting customers to the brewery and for the participants. Because even the losers feel like winners once they fill up their glasses with a postrace brew. Rowland said there are too many reasons to count as to why beer and race events go hand-in-hand. “There’s a million reasons why,” he said, before deciding to mention the most obvious. “A wider range of people, after doing an event like that, will drink a beer rather than a liquor drink — it seems like a more natural fit.” His statement might even hold true when held up against water. One of the brewery’s pint glasses features the slogan “water is for quitters.” Local races also get a boost from big-time beer sponsors, such as the likes of AnheuserBusch. Up at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, the ski-racing season is set to begin in early January. But with a wide variety of the sponsor’s gear to dole out to winners of the adult races — everything from cardboard cut-outs of NASCAR drivers to bicycles to barbecue grills — the only thing race director Joe Yeager has to worry about is who gets what. To address that problem, he uses a number-from-a-hat system. Then, it’s up to the winners to pick from the pile of prizes. “The cut-outs don’t stack up well against bicycles, barbecues and coolers,” Yeager said. “But, besides that, there are a lot of NASCAR fans around.” For the high school and middle school races, age-appropriate ski prizes such as ski wax, gloves, hats and t-shirts are awarded. But to contribute to race prizes, you don’t have to be a large company, or even a small one. Many race organizers are turning to local artists and chefs to provide the goods. For 19 years, the Bethel Half Marathon has been giving away handmade prizes with local roots. The awards have included ceramic bowls, napkin holders, local photographs, sewn goods and canned food. Several years ago, the organizers started providing homemade, post-race potato soup

S EE RACE SCHWAG, PAGE 28

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

When it’s good to be threatened

recover the species in its historic nesting grounds,” said Lopez. Lauritsen concurs, “We’re not diminishing the gains that are made in north Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Storks are nesting there in greater numbers than in the past,” said Jason Lauritsen, director of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. “But there is a reverse side to the coin, that they’re not mating in South Florida like they were in the past.” Chuck Underwood, spokesman for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, agrees that there is still work to do regarding the recovery of the

Wood stork. US Fish & Wildlife photo

Smoky Mountain News

wood stork. “It [wood stork] no longer meets the definition of endangered, but there are still threats to be addressed; there are still efforts to be ongoing. We would not expect anyone to back off.” It is believed that the wood stork once nested across the southeastern United States and Texas. But by the time of it’s listing in 1984, it’s nesting grounds had shrunk to isolated spots in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Expansion of nesting areas in some of these states plus new colonies in coastal North Carolina are encouraging signs. U.S, Fish & Wildlife plans to formally publish its proposed listing change next week, and there will be a 60-day public comment period following the announcement. You can familiarize yourself with the wood stork’s saga at www.fws.gov/northflorida/WoodStorks/wood-storks.htm. According to the Fish & Wildlife Service, the proposal publishes in the Federal Register on Dec. 26, and at that time, you may submit information by one of the following methods: Online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket FWS-R4-ES2011-0020. Or by U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R4-ES-2011-0020; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, Va., 22203. (Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

December 26-January 1, 2013

I wrote about wood storks, Mycteria americana, back in August of this year after a trip to Isle of Palms in South Carolina (www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/it em/8361-stoked-for-storks). It was really cool to see these large prehistoric-looking birds cruising over the marsh in undulating lines. And it seems that more stork lines must be undulating over more marsh and/or wetlands across the Southeast because the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service just announced that they planned to upgrade the wood stork’s status from endangered to threatened. The wood stork is the only North American stork. This large wading bird can grow to nearly four feet in height with a wingspan of more than five feet. The large bare head is dark brown with a blacker face, which led to the colloquial monikers — gourd head and/or flinthead. The body is snowy white, and the flight feathers are black. Wood storks have large, thick, grey beaks that are slightly curved. Wood storks fly crane-like with neck and feet extended. They are fond of riding thermals, and where they are common one can often see flocks turning lazily in the hot late-summer skies. They tend to wander after nesting and while they nest from southeast North Carolina, down the coast to South America, post-nesting dispersal has sent them as far west as California and as far north as Massachusetts. The wood stork was officially listed as endangered in 1984. Loss of habitat due to the draining of suitable wetland habitats for agriculture and development, plus “improved” flood control methods, which dried up thousands of acres of overflow wetlands and swamps was the primary culprit. At the time of their listing, biologists estimated the number of wood storks to be around 4,742 pairs. Today’s population is believed to be between 7,000 and 9,000 pairs. Surely an increase, but the “gourd heads” are not out of the woods yet by any means. Jaclyn Lopez, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, and Jason Lauritsen, director of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp in South Florida, have both expressed concern regarding the fact that while wood stork numbers are increasing in some areas and their range appears to be expanding, their numbers in traditional nesting grounds in South Florida are declining. “Despite the growth and expansion of the wood stork population, we continue to have grave concerns about the status of the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve colonies and expect the Service will continue important restoration to

outdoors

The Naturalist’s Corner

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outdoors

New hiker shelter finished on the AT

WCU offers race training program For those who have always played with the idea of participating in a long-distance running event but never knew how to train, Western Carolina University is offering a training program along with its annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon & 5K. The race will take place in April, but the free training regime starts right after the New Year. The program will be emailed to all registered runners and walkers, and group training runs will be held on the campus at 6 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, beginning Monday, Jan. 7. There will be plans for both beginner and experienced runners and walkers, and experts in the fields of injury prevention, nutrition and health will provide information sessions and assistance to participants. The half marathon will begin at 8 a.m. April 6 and take runners on a 13.1-mile journey through the WCU campus and along the Tuckasegee River. Registration for the half marathon and 5K is available at imathlete.com. Registration fees are $40 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through Feb. 28. Beginning March 1, the fees increase to $60 for the half marathon and $25 for the 5K. Raceday registration will be available at $80 for the half marathon and $30 for the 5K. www.halfmarathon.wcu.edu or valleyofthelilies@wcu.edu.

December 26-January 1, 2013

A new shelter on the Appalachian Trail near Franklin. Donated photo

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by the gallon and baked goods. Needless to say, participation has increased. In Bryson City, the Rotary Club, which puts together the annual Firecracker 5K on the Fourth of July and the Reindeer Dash in

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Smoky Mountain News

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www.skisandtees.com 28

RACE SCHWAG, CONTINUED FROM 26

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December, awards watercolor paintings by a local artist to top finishers. The organization also put an interesting twist on the traditional factory-made neck medal, and instead used custom-made discs of maple wood. The Nantahala Outdoor Center also

Hikers of the Appalachian Trail now have a new shelter where they can rest their bones. The U.S. Forest Service announced Dec. 18 the completion of the Long Branch Shelter, located in the Standing Indian Basin in the Nantahala National Forest. “Thanks to a lot of hard work and donations from partners, hikers of the AT can now seek shelter from the elements in a new solid, timber-framed structure,” said Mike Wilkins, ranger of the Nantahala District of the Nantahala National Forest. “Because it is so well built, the Long Branch Shelter will serve AT hikers for decades to come.” The shelter is located at the head of the Long Branch Drainage along the AT, a little more than two miles north of Forest Service Road 83. The shelter is about 17 miles from Franklin. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy paid for the supplies while the Nantahala Hiking Club provided the labor, and local contractor Goshen Timber Frames donated the timber and assisted in frame assembly. Nantahala Ranger District employees lent heavy machinery and logistical support during construction. The Long Branch Shelter replaces the old Big Springs Gap Shelter, which was located just north of Albert Mountain. The Big Springs Gap Shelter will soon be dismantled because it has fallen into disrepair. The old site had also suffered severe soil compaction and erosion during the years.

went wooden for its summer Duck n’ Run event, combination paddle and run race in the Nantahala Gorge. This year, organizers awarded wooden duckies to participants. Except, next year, NOC event organizer Zuzana Vanha, wants to have the same artist make the duck figurines out of concrete. “They’re going to float terribly,” Vanha said. “But that will be OK.” Greg Duff, president of Glory Hound Events, organizes a series of races and events in WNC, including the Maggie Valley Moonlight Run and the Lake Logan Multisport Festival. For prizes, he has used pottery from the Mud Dabbers studio in Waynesville, laseretched with images of athletes; custom wooden coasters; and hand-made baskets from the Qualla Arts and Crafts cooperative in Cherokee. But the prizes hadn’t always been that way; Duff described the evolution that items awarded at his events have under undergone. “We started out doing the old-fashioned medals — that you can hang on your neck or put in your drawers,” he said. “But then, I wanted to look at something you could actually use afterward.”

Group saves land from development

A view of the protected area in the fall.

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust conserves five parcels in 2012

Nominate your favorite wildlife protector The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting nominations for an award recognizing those who make outstanding contributions to wildlife diversity in the state. The award is called the Thomas

A waterfall protected in 2012 by a local conservation group.

Cashiers, Sapphire Valley, Brevard, Hendersonville and Asheville. www.wildsouth.org.

Wild South’s Wildlife Outreach Initiative, along with Mountain Wildlife Days, are in the process of scheduling wildlife education programs for both adults and students during the 2012-13 school year. The programs emphasize on close-up wildlife experiences for a variety of audiences. However, participants are needed to justify the expense of providing a qualified wildlife expert. Because of the limited funds available, the organizers need to hear from schools or organizations, and possibly receive contributions, to provide the wildlife education. In 2011-2012, wildlife education presentations in Western North Carolina totaled more than 22 programs and provided for an estimated 2,800 children and adults. They were held in Enka, Maggie Valley, Franklin,

Learn to be a master gardener There is still space available in the 2013 N.C. Cooperative Extension Master Gardener class, which is geared toward gardeners who enjoy horticulture and would like to share knowledge with others. Participants will learn about botany, propagation, pest control in the landscape and garden, as well as many other topics. Classes are taught from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays at the Extension center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. Cost of the class is $100, which includes the class manual, 40 hours of instruction and other class materials. The classes start Jan. 9, and run through the end of April. 828.456.3575.

New Year’s hike at Gorges State Park For the second year, North Carolina’s state parks system will join a national movement called First Day Hikes in state parks around the country on Jan. 1. A guided hike will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, at Gorges State Park. The trip will be a moderate 1.5-mile walk and participants are asked to bring water, appropriate outerwear for rain and snow and sturdy shoes. Statewide, there will be 40 guided hikes in the state parks system and more than 600 throughout the United States as part of the event. On New Year’s Day 2012, 1,392 hikers in North Carolina joined rangers and volunteers to walk a combined 4,573 miles along trails in the state parks and state recreation areas. Participants in the Gorges State Park hike will meet at Bearwallow Picnic Shelter to accompany a ranger to one of the well-known waterfalls of the park, Upper Bearwallow Falls. 828.966.9099.

Smoky Mountain News

Wildlife program seeks help with classes

Cataloochee Ski Area is opening its winter race series beginning 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, for middle school competitors, followed by high school races at the same time on the following day, Wednesday, Jan. 9. The race series occurs weekly until early March, and the cost is $150 for the whole season. That price also includes the price of skiing on Tuesday and Wednesday, so competitors can practice on the slopes either the day following or preceding their race. Adult races will also be held throughout the ski season on Thursday nights, and recreational races will be held on Sundays. www.cataloochee.com.

December 26-January 1, 2013

With the help of community members and donors, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust will have conserved five new properties by the end of 2012. The properties include two in Highlands, one that holds a mountain bog that is home to numerous rare plant species and another containing a forest and a waterfall. Other properties include one in Jackson County that protects more than 30 endangered plants and one that protects part of the Nantahala River in Macon County. www.hicashlt.org.

L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award, and nominations are open through Jan. 30. The winner will be announced at the Commissioners’ meeting in July. The winner will join a list of seven existing winners ranging from the first, Quay himself, a volunteer and retired zoologist, to Harry LeGrand, an authority on the conservation of rare vertebrate animals and their habitats. Those interested must fill out a form and complete an essay. Nominations from

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy recently purchased 260 acres visible from the Appalachian Trail and the overlook at the Rhododendron Gardens on Roan Mountain. Located in the middle of the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area, the parcel adjoins the 225-acre Spear Top Mountain property that the organization acquired in 2011. Together, these adjoining conservation projects protect the summit and three sides of the mountain. “This area is so special and precious, with beautiful waterfalls and many rare plants and mushrooms. It just needs to stay natural,” said landowner Laura Mitchell, who sold the property to the organization in early December. Protecting this parcel has been a priority for SAHC since the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area was created in 2008. The newly purchased tract holds rich cove and northern hardwood forests, extending to 4,800 feet in elevation along the upper reaches of Spear Top Mountain’s western slopes. The headwaters of Justice Creek originate on the property, and tributaries of the North Toe River, a trout stream, flow through it. SAHC plans to lead guided hikes on the property beginning in 2013.

Ready, set, ski! Races begin at Catalaoochee

outdoors

2010 and 2011 will be automatically be considered as well, while nominations submitted prior to 2010 will be considered upon request. 919.707.0058.

New class of rangers ready for action Southwestern Community College recently celebrated the graduation of its most recent class of future park rangers. SCC’s Public Safety Training Center administers the National Park Service’s seasonal law enforcement training program for students hoping to become seasonal park rangers. Graduates qualify for law enforcement ranger positions at one of more than 300 national parks, seashores, monuments and landmarks.

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Smoky Mountain News

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Dulcimer U Winter Weekend, a conference for mountain dulcimer enthusiasts, Jan 3-6, Terrace Hotel at Lake Junaluska. Sponsored by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education. All classes, concerts, jam sessions, vendor areas and meals will take place inside the Terrace Hotel. Registration is $159 per person. To register, http://DulcimerU.wcu.edu or contact Bobby Hensley in the Office of Continuing and Professional Education at hensley@wcu.edu.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Chess match between Smoky Mountain Chess Club and Charlotte Chess Team, 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, Blue Ridge Books, 152 S. Main St Waynesville. 456.6000 • Fourth annual Cold for a Cause noon, Friday, Jan. 18 through noon, Sunday, Jan. 20. To raise awareness of the needs in Macon County. Patrick Jenkins will spend 48 hours suspended in a crane above his Farm Bureau office, 1866 Highlands Road, Franklin. Patrick will collect coats, jackets, blankets, canned goods, non-perishable food items, personal hygiene products, paper goods, etc. to be donated to CareNet and distributed in Macon County. Franklin Young Professionals will be on hand to accept donations. • The Stecoah Valley Center is closed for the winter and will reopen March 1.

BLOOD DRIVES

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. Services offers compassionate care for people who are terminally ill and their families and caregivers. 551.2095 or jhwoods55@yahoo.com. • Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393. • The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991. • HealthTracks, the wellness and healthy lifestyle program at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, offers a toning class from 3 to 4 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on the lower level of the Jane Woodruff Medical Building at the rear of the hospital campus. $8 per session. 526.1FIT (526.1348) www.hchospital.org. • Heart Healthy Exercise Group meets at 8:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Highlands Civic Center. $15 per month. 526.3556. • Outpatient Diabetes Classes are offered from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. bimonthly at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, and from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. monthly at Swain County Hospital in Bryson City. 586.7734. • Teen Prepared Childbirth Classes are offered at Angel Medical Center. 369.4421.

Jackson • Sylva Community Blood Drive, 1:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, Jackson Senior Center, 100 County Services Park, Sylva. 800.Red Cross or www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor code Sylva to schedule your appointment or for more information. • American Red Cross MedWest Harris Blood Drive. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, 68 Hospital Drive, Sylva. Call Melissa Southers, 586.6131 to schedule an appointment.

Haywood • Walmart Clyde Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, 135 Town Center Loop, Waynesville. 456.4828.

HEALTH MATTERS • Free Lunch and Learn session with orthopedic surgeon Lawrence Supik and Robin Pope, Ph.D., PA-C, noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, MedWest-Harris board room, second floor on the MedWest Harris campus, Sylva. Advance reservations required. Lunch will be served. 631.8893 to reserve a spot. • Flu shots, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Home Care service building on the Haywood MedWest campus. No appointment necessary. The Home Care building is located directly behind MedWest-Haywood. $20. Home Care will accept traditional Medicare and will file the insurance for the beneficiary. Vaccines available for everyone over 18 years of age. 452.8292. • Ladies Night Out, 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month in the cafeteria at Angel Medical Center. 349.2426. • The Men’s Only Grief Support Group meets from 9 to 10:30 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month at First Presbyterian Church, 305 Main St., Waynesville. John Woods, facilitator. MedWest Palliative Care & Hospice

RECREATION & FITNESS • Holiday Camp, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, Waynesville Recreation Center, $15 per day per camper for members of the Waynesville Recreation Center or $20 for non-members. Weekly rate is $75 for members or $95 for non-members. Pre-registration is requested. 456.2030 or email recprograms@townofwaynesville.org. • Hoop Fitness, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Family Resource Center, Webster. Hoops provided; all ages welcome. 586.2845 to register. $3 children, $5 adults. www.hooping.org. • Hula Hoop class for children and adults, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Jackson County Family Resource Center, $3 kids, $5 adults. 586.2845 to register. • The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department has hired tennis pro Bunnie Allare to teach new lessons and programs at Recreation Park in Waynesville. For rates, program information or to sign up for lessons go to bunnieallare@gmail.com, text 513.608.9621, recathletics@townofwaynesville.org or 456.2030.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Pulmonary/Lung Club, 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 2, Senior Resource Center of Haywood County, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. People with COPD and other chronic lung/breathing illnesses are invited to meet monthly to discuss ways to improve breathing. 452.2370. • Memory Café, 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7, Senior Resource Center of Haywood County, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. The Memory Café is a drop-in coffee room with coffee, fruit, and cookies, which provides an informal setting for those affected by memory problems. First Monday of every month. 452.2370.

• Diabetics Club, 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, Senior Resource Center of Haywood County, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Meet with other seniors to share tips, recipes, guest speakers and more. First Tuesday of every month, except for January’s meeting, which will meet the second Tuesday of the month. 452.2370. • Heart/Cardiac Club, 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, Senior Resource Center of Haywood County, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Guest speakers, wellness tips and sharing with each other about heart illness. Every second Wednesday of the month. 452.2370. • Senior Resource Center Brain Gym, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Open to the public for games, computer/iPad, Wii, X-Box and Brain Bikes. People 50 years of age and older and teens 18 and older with disabilities can participate in cardio workouts, rug hooking and much more. 452.2370.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

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

Others • The Jackson County Patriots will reconvene in March. The Patriots, a non-affiliated grassroots group of more than 100 Jackson Countians, fosters small Constitutional government, fiscal accountability and personal responsibility, has been active since mid2010. Ginny Jahrmarkt at Box547@aol.com or Bill Adams at UBSRUB@aol.com.

Literary (children) • Rockin’ and Readin’ New Year’s Eve party for children of all ages, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. Refreshments served. 524.3600.

A&E

• The libraries in the Fontana Regional Library system will be closed New Year’s Day, Tuesday, Jan. 1. 524.3600. • Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will be closed New Year’s Day, Tuesday, Jan. 1. • Rompin’ Stompin’ music and movement story time, 10 a.m. Thursdays, Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. 648.2924.

Food & Drink • New hours at Anthony Wayne’s at The Gateway Club are Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; and Sunday Brunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.thegatewayclub.com. • Breakfast Buffet, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday, American Legion Auxiliary of Waynesville, Legion Drive. $6 donation. Proceeds to veterans and community. • Stone Soup Gathering, 5 p.m. every Sunday, Fellowship Hall, Bryson City United Methodist Church. Free.

ECA EVENTS

• Free performance classes, 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Tuesday, Jan. 8 through April, Unto these Hills Mountainside Performing Arts School, 564 Tsali Blvd. Tuesday class focuses on acting for ages 8 and up, Thursday class will be Musical Theatre for ages 5 and up. Community Theatre sessions, 7 to 8 p.m. for ages 16 and up. Marina Hunley-Graham, 497.2111, ext. 216, Linda Squirrel, ext. 202 or Philenia Walkingstick, ext. 204

LITERARY (ADULTS) • Amy Allen discusses her book Summoning the Mountains: Pilgrimage into Forty, 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at City Lights Bookstore. On the eve of her fortieth birthday she reaches for her personal goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail. 586.9499.

HOLIDAY EVENTS

• Extension and Community Association (ECA) groups meet throughout the county at various locations and times each month. NC Cooperative Extension Office, 586.4009. New members welcome any time.

• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad presents the Polar Express, through Dec. 29, Bryson City. Tickets start at $39 for adults, $26 children ages 2-12. Children under two ride free. 872.4681. www.gsmr.com.

• Potpourri ECA, working on unfinished projects, 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, conference room, Community Service Center, Sylva.

• New Year’s Eve Dance, 8 p.m. to midnight, Monday, Dec. 31, Angie’s Dance. 115 Glance St., Clyde. Hosted by Haywood Dancers. Music by Steve Whiddon Band. $15, special holiday refreshments are free.

• Kountry Krafters, coiled baskets, 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7, Tuckasegee Wesleyan Church, Tuckasegee. • Lunch and Learn ECA, needle felting, noon, Thursday, Jan. 10 conference room, community service center, Sylva. • Cane Creek ECA, Soup and Wrap It Up Program, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15. • Sew Easy Girls ECA, VA projects, 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21.

POLITICAL GROUP EVENTS & LOCAL GOVERNMENT Dems • Young Democrats of Jackson County will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, at the Jackson County Democratic Headquarters, 500 Mill St., Sylva. We will be electing officers and setting an agenda for the year.

Limited seating. For reservations, call Shirley at 734.8063 or 648.6135, or email at sadean@charter.net. • New Year’s Eve celebration, Monday, Dec. 31, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, 7:45 p.m. reception at Bryson City depot; 9 p.m. train departs. Three-course buffet-style dinner, party favors, champagne toast and music by Alias Smith & Jones. Adults 21 and over only. Dinner Train tickets are $135 per person (plus tax & gratuity). Three hour trip departs at 9:00 pm at the historic Bryson City Depot. Advanced reservations and 72hour cancellation notice required. Call for dress code. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com. • New Year’s Eve Party, Dec. 31, Maggie Valley Club. $25, includes live music by local favorites 45 Cherry, champagne toast, complimentary breakfast, live ball drop and party favors. 926.4831. • New Year’s Eve Fireworks, 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31,

Acquoni Expo Center, 1501 Acquoni Road, Cherokee. Cherokee Welcome Center, 438.1601

• New Year’s Eve Dinner and Jazz Concert, 7 p.m. live music and dinner, The Classic Wineseller, 20 Church St., Waynesville. $35 per person, cash bar. Includes three-course dinner, bottle of wine, and complimentary glass of champagne. http://ClassicWineSeller.com. • New Year’s Eve Dance, 8 p.m. to midnight, Monday, Dec. 31, Angie’s Dance. 115 Glance St., Clyde. Hosted by Haywood Dancers. Music by Steve Whiddon Band. $15, special holiday refreshments are free. Limited seating. For reservations, call Shirley at 734.8063 or 648.6135, or email at sadean@charter.net.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • KC and The Sunshine Band, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, Cherokee. Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000. www.heykcsb.com. • Season tickets on sale for “An Appalachian Evening” Concert Series at historic Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. Performances for the 2013 season will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, June 29 through Aug. 31. General seating $120 adults, $40 students (K-12); season reserved seats are $50 rows A through E and $25 all others. www.StecoahValleyCenter.com or call 479.3364.

ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS • Art sale, It’s a Small, Small Work 2012, through Saturday, Dec. 29, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday

CLASSES, PROGRAMS & DEMONSTRATIONS • North Carolina Glass 2012: In Celebration of 50 Years of Studio Glass in America, exhibit through Friday, Feb. 1, Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

FILM & SCREEN • Free movie, 2 to 4:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, Haywood County Public Library, Waynesville. • Movies at Jackson County Library, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Free. 586.2016. • Movies at the Cashiers Library. The library shows movies on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 3 p.m. The movies and popcorn are free, but donations are appreciated. For titles and times, visit www.fontanalib.org/cashiers. • Movies at the Marianna Black Library. Family movie days are Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. Classic movies are shown the second and fourth Saturday of each month at 4 p.m. Other films are also shown throughout the month. Movies and popcorn are free to the public. 488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity. • Movies at the Macon County Library. New movies, documentaries and foreign films every Monday at 3:30, Wednesday at 4:30 and again at 7 p.m., and Classic Matinees at Fridays at 2 p.m. The movies and popcorn are free, but donations are welcome. 524.3600.

CAROLINA DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION A full service provider • Free Estimates

Foundations Landscaping Septic Systems Road Maintenance Water Lines

Gravel Hauling Power Lines Long Arm Mowing Erosion Control

Materials Sand Mulch Crushed Stone Dumpster Service

Top Soil Landscape Boulders Fill Dirt Porta John Rental

OFFICE: 828-488-4112

ARTS GROUP MEETINGS • The Tuesday Quilters meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on N.C. 107. Bring your machine and whatever quilt you are working on. • The WNC Fiber Folk Group meets weekly from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays in the Star Atrium of the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at WCU. 227.2553 or ddrury@wcu.edu. • Thursday Painters meet at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your project and a bag lunch and join us for a day of creativity and fun. All artists are welcome. 349.4607.

MUSIC JAMS • Dulcimer U Winter Weekend, a conference for mountain dulcimer enthusiasts, Jan 3-6, Terrace Hotel at Lake Junaluska. Sponsored by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education. All classes, concerts, jam sessions, vendor areas and meals will take place inside the Terrace Hotel. Registration is $159 per person. To register, http://DulcimerU.wcu.edu or contact Bobby Hensley in the Office of Continuing and Professional Education at hensley@wcu.edu.

Outdoors OUTINGS, HIKES & FIELDTRIPS • Celebrate New Year’s Day with thousands North Carolinians across the state with a First Day Hike. Western North Carolina will celebrate with a hike Tuesday, Jan. 1, to Upper Bearwallow Falls in Gorges

• Sons of the American Legion Turkey Shoot, 9 a.m. every Saturday, Legion Drive, Waynesville. Benefits local charities. • The local Audubon Society is offering weekly Saturday birding field trips. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Highlands Town Hall parking lot near the public restrooms, or at 8 a.m. behind Wendy’s if the walk is in Cashiers. Binoculars available. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org or 743.9670. • The Gorges State Park is looking for volunteers to assist in maintaining existing trails and campgrounds in the park on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., weather permitting. Bring gloves, water and tools supplied. Participants need to be at least 16 years old and in good health. Registration not required. Meet at 17762 Rosman Highway (US-64) in Sapphire. 966.9099.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS • Ski and Snowboard Lessons, register at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Lessons are 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 13, 27 and Feb. 3, 10, and 24 at Cataloochee Ski Resort, Waynesville. Ages 8 and up. Lift ticket valid from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. $170, includes lift, ski or snowboard rental and lesson; $135, includes lift and lesson; $85, season pass holder with your own equipment. 293.3053. • WMI - Wilderness First Responder, Jan. 5-13, 2013 in Asheville. This nine-day comprehensive wilderness medical course is the national standard for outdoor trip leaders. Landmark Learning 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org. • WMI Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) Jan. 7-Feb.1, 2013 in Asheville. This 30-day course provides certification in NC EMT-basic, National EMT- Basic and Wilderness EMT. Landmark Learning, 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org • Franklin Green Drinks hosted by Macon County Chapter of WNC Alliance, third Tuesday of the month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Rathskeller in downtown Franklin. Green Drinks is a time for local folks to get together and socialize and talk about environmental or social justice issues.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN READY MIX Ready Mixed Concrete Block Laying Poured Walls Stone Work Foundations

Brick Laying Concrete Slabs Patios Side Walks Curb and Gutter

Concrete Paving 20 to 60 year life span Lower maintenance No slip textures

Smoky Mountain News

Land Clearing Roads Hydroseeding Home Sites Retaining Walls

Limited seating. For reservations, call Shirley at 734.8063 or 648.6135, or email at sadean@charter.net.

December 26-January 1, 2013

• The hour-long radio show Stories of Mountain Folk airs at 9 a.m. every Saturday on its home station, WRGC Jackson County Radio, 540 AM on the dial, broadcasting out of Sylva. Stories of Mountain Folk is an ongoing all-sound oral history program produced by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA), a western North Carolina not-for-profit, for local radio and online distribution.

• The Jackson County Arts Council is accepting applications for art program grants for the fiscal year 20122013. Applications are due by Jan. 20, 2013 for review at the February Arts Council Board meeting. Application is available online at www.JacksonCountyArts.org. Applications may be mailed to Jackson County Arts Council at 310 Keener St., Sylva, N.C. The grants will be distributed with availability of funding. Jackson County Arts Council, 507.9820 or Sylvia Smythe at 507.9531.

DANCE • New Year’s Eve Dance, 8 p.m. to midnight, Monday, Dec. 31, Angie’s Dance. 115 Glance St., Clyde. Hosted by Haywood Dancers. Music by Steve Whiddon Band. $15, special holiday refreshments are free.

State Park. Meet at 10 a.m. at Bearwallow Picnic Shelter to accompany a ranger to this well-known waterfall. This is a moderate 1.5 mile hike. Bring water, appropriate outer wear for rain/snow and sturdy footgear. For more information, call the park office at 966.9099.

wnc calendar

• New Year’s Eve Bash, music by Caribbean Cowboys from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Fontana Events Hall; fireworks at midnight on the Village Green, Fontana Village Resort, www.fontanavillage.com/events, 800.849.2258 or 498.2211.

through Saturday. Art sale of artwork 12 inches or smaller by more than 80 artists from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in North Carolina. Most artwork priced between $20 and $80. None over $300. Encaustic works, painting, printmaking, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, collage, fiber, sculpture, woodworking, metal, jewelry, photography, and more. www.haywoodarts.org and on Facebook. 452.0593.

40% less expensive than Asphalt paving over it’s lifespan

CELL: 828-736-1812

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PRIME REAL ESTATE

INSIDE

Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS AND CRAFTS

MarketPlace information: The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC “ARTISAN IN THE MOUNTAINS” Is excited to offer retail space to aspiring artists and crafters. New to the community of Clyde, we present a unique opportunity for dealers to sell year round with minimal expense. No long term commitments. Space available now! 828.565.0501 or email: artisaninthemountains@ gmail.com

Rates: ■ Free — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads. ■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150. ■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. ■ $12 — 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. ■ $35 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold. ■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words. ■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising:

AUCTION

Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

GIGANTIC AUCTION Friday December 28th at 4:30 p.m. Over 800 Lots to be Sold!!! Partial Listing: Quality furniture, glassware, primitives, cast iron, antiques, collectables, used furniture, household, box lots, tools & TONS MORE! Possibly the biggest auction we’ve had in 2012. DON’T MISS IT! View pics & details @ www.boatwrightauction.com, Boatwright Auction, 34 Tarheel Trail, Franklin, NC 28734, 828.524.2499, Boatwright Auction NCAL Firm 9231

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

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SC OV ER E

ATR

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INC.

600+ ABSOLUTE ITEMS Construction. Farm. Trucks. 12/27 @ 8am. Lumberton, NC. NCLN858. www.meekinsauction.com

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

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456-5387

71746

$$$ WE WILL AUCTION $$$ Your Guns, Gold, Silver, Coins, Antiques, Estate or any Quality items for you. Reminisce Auction 828.369.6999.

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847. DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions. Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson. Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316

ELECTRICAL BOOTH ELECTRIC Residential & Commercial service. Up-front pricing, emergency service. 828.734.1179. NC License #24685-U.

CARS - DOMESTIC 2000 FORD MUSTANG GT Convertible. New custom paint, style bar, Mach I rims and lots of upgrades completed. Serious inquiries only. $10,000. Please call 828.226.7461. DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 877.752.0496. TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

AUTO PARTS DDI BUMPERS ETC. Quality on the Spot Repair & Painting. Don Hendershot 858.646.0871 cell 828.452.4569 office.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES $$WANT MONEY? Make Money. Easy & Fun. Proven System. NO Experience Required. Start Now. Watch FREE Video. www.FromHomeRich.com 1.281.232.7239 SAPA

EMPLOYMENT AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for hands on Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial Aid if Qualified Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 1.866.724.5403. SAPA AVIATION CAREERS Train in advance structures and become certified to work on aircraft. Financial aid for those who qualify. Call aviation institute of maintenance 1.888.212.5856 SAPA CAROLINA DEVELOPMENT And Construction is a fast growing and expanding company in Western North Carolina and is seeking an office manager/sales representative. The job will consist of basic accounting, data entry, drafting letters and other documents, research, sales and customer service. Our company is very diverse in the products and services that we provide to WNC and attribute a lot of our success to that diversity so our employees have to be adaptive to new projects and tasks. Our company consists of four main branches. Grading and Excavating, Trucking/hauling, ready mixed concrete/ aggregate materials, concrete paving/ concrete finishing. This person needs to have a good work ethic and independent initiative. The entry level Pay Rate is $8.00 per hour, but the profit sharing in the company will be the real opportunity. This position is expected to evolve into a management position as the company continues to grow. To inquire about this opportunity call 828.736.1812. COMPANY DRIVERS: $2500 Sign-On Bonus! Super Service is hiring solo and team drivers. Great hometime options. CDL-A required. Students with CDL-A welcome. Call 888.471.7081 or apply online at www.superservicellc.com DRIVER $0.03 enhanced quarterly bonus. Get paid for any portion you qualify for: safety production, MPG. CDL-A, 3 months current OTR experience. 800.414.9569. www.driveknight.com

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EMPLOYMENT

DRIVERS NC to MIDWEST CDL-A w/ 4yrs experience. Up to 0.41/mile & benefits. $1500 Sign-on Bonus. Advance Dist. 877.992.9079, ext. 200 or apply online www.advancedtw.com DRIVERS REGIONAL FLATBED Home Every Weekend, 40-45 CPM. Class A CDL Required. Flatbed Load Training Available. 1st Seat Sign On Bonus. 1.800.992.7863, ext. 158. www.mcelroytrucklines.com DRIVERS: TEAMS. $2,400 Sign-On Bonus. CDL-A 1yr experience. Excellent Pay/Benefit/ Home-Time. Dedicated for Andersonville. No-Touch. Apply: Carter-Express.com 877.628.6806

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-- JOB LISTINGS -REP-RETAIL SALES

JOB# 159560

INCREASE SALES THROUGH MARKETING. STRONG PRESENTATION, CUSTOMER SERVICE, SALES CLOSING SKILLS. NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN CLOSE SALES, BEAT QUOTAS, AND RACK UP COMMISSIONS. 1-2 YRS SALES EXP IN A COMMISSION ENVIRONMENT REQ. EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS REQ. ADMINISTRATOR OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DIVISION JOB# 159377 THIS POSITION WILL SERVE AS THE OPERATIONAL OVERHEAD CONCERNING DAILY ACTIVITIES. THESE INCLUDE: OVERSEEING OPERATING STAFF, ESTABLISHING AND ENFORCING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, COORDINATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE HIRING PROCESS AND SERVE AS A LIAISON BETWEEN OPERATING CREWS AND THE RESCUE SQUAD BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MEDICAL CAREERS BEGIN HERE Train ONLINE for Allied Health and Medical Management. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized. Call 1.877.206.7665 www.CenturaOnline.com SAPA

CLASS A LINEMAN IS A SKILLED POSITION IN THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE & REPAIR OF ELECTRICAL OVERHEAD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS. MUST BE CAPABLE OF LEADING CREW MEMBERS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE FOREMAN.

CLASS A LINEMAN-OVERHEAD

CABLE INSTALLER

JOB# 159139

JOB# 158986

IMMEDIATE NEED FOR 7-10 INSTALLERS IN THE AREA. LOOKING FOR EXP, BUT ARE WILLING TO TRAIN. MUST HAVE A GOOD DMV REPORT AND A VALID NCDL. MUST BE ABLE TO PASS A BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG SCREENING.

NURSE AIDE 1

JOB# 158971

CNA'S NEEDED FOR HOME HEALTH CARE. NEW CNA GRADUATES ENCOURAGED TO APPLY, BUT MUST BE LISTED ON THE NC NURSE AIDE 1 REGISTRY.

ASBESTOS WORKER

A million miles away is just down the road.

December 26-January 1, 2013

visitnc.com

JOB# 158838

PERFORM ASBESTOS ABATEMENT IN NC, SC & TN. PROJECTS GREATER THAN 70 MILES AWAY FROM CORPORATE OFFICE WILL PROVIDE $20 PER DIEM PER DAY PLUS HOTEL EXPENSES.

SUPPORT TEAM MEMBER

JOB# 158690

PART TIME. CAN BECOME FULL TIME. ASSIST DD ADULTS WITH DAILY LIFE ACTIVITIES, MAY INCLUDE JOB SEARCHES. HS/GED, VALID NCDL, OWN TRANSPORTATION.

ASSISTANT EDITOR

JOB# 157477

EMPLOYER REQ 3 YRS EDITING EXP; NEWS AND PRINT MEDIA EDITING PREF. 3 YRS EXP EDITING, WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND PAGINATION REQ. BACHELOR DEGREE IN JOURNALISM, MEDIA, ENGLISH, OR RELATED IS REQ.

Puzzles can be found on page 37. These are only the answers.

smokymountainnews.com

HEAD START CENTER DIRECTORHaywood County - Must have an AA in Early Childhood Education (BS preferred), Admin Level I or II, 2 yrs. of supervisory experience, good judgement/problem solving skills and have the ability to work with diverse populations. Employee will supervise the daily operation of 1 Center/ 8 staff. Flexible work schedule, hours of operation 7:30 5:30pm. This is a full time 10 month position with benefits that includes health, dental and vision insurance, 13 paid holidays, retirement, short term/ long term disability and life insurance. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc., 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786 or 25 Schulman St., Sylva, NC 28779. Pre-employment drug testing required.

Great Smokies Storage

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

GYPSUM EXPRESS Opening terminal in Georgetown, SC. Class A CDL Flatbed Drivers. Road & Regional Positions. Melissa, 866.317.6556 x6 or apply at www.gypsumexpress.com

NOW HIRING! National Companies need workers immediately to assemble products at home. Electronics, CD stands, hair barrettes & many more. Easy work, no selling, any hours. $500/week potential. Info 1.985.646.1700 DEPT NC - 4152 (Not valid in Louisiana) SAPA

71745

WNC MarketPlace

DRIVERS Class-A Flatbed. Home Every Weekend! Up to 37c/mi. Both ways. Full Benefits. Requires 1 year OTR Flatbed Experience. 800.572.5489 x227. SunBelt Transport, Jacksonville, FL.

EMPLOYMENT THE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY OFFICE OFFERS ADDITIONAL JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE TO ANY PERSONS RECEIVING FOOD & NUTRITION BENEFITS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS (FORMALLY ESC) AT 828.456.6061, EXT. 201 OR 203 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.*

If interested go to your local Employment Security Office or call 828.456.6061 33

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT

The surface area of the Earth is 197,000,000 square miles let’s keep it clean — please recycle smoky mountain news

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION Coordinator - This position requires a BS degree from an accredited school of social work, counseling or clinical psychology. This position will also require administrative experience, certified as a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention consultant (CSPAC) by the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board, or someone who is in the provisional status for the CSPAC. Experience in mental health or substance abuse services are essential. Local and out of area travel is required; must have a valid NC driver’s license. This is a full time position with benefits and the continuance is based on grant funding. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc., 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786 or 25 Schulman St., Sylva, NC 28779. Pre-employment drug testing is required. EOE/AA.

www.smokymountainnews.com

December 26-January 1, 2013

TANKER & FLATBED COMPANY. Drivers/Independent Contractors! Immediate Placement Available. Best opportunities in the Trucking Business. Call Today. 800.277.0212 or www.primeinc.com

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Columbia - Says 'If I look somewhat bored, it's because I am! I'm tired of spending time in a cage!' This young tabby girl can't wait to get out to play and explore the world.

Lucy - A stunning 7 month old female Redbone Coonhound. She has a healthy, sleek coat and very expressive eyes. She is a lovebug and just wants you to pet her and play with her. It is hard to be around Miss Lucy without smiling.

EMPLOYMENT

FINANCIAL

TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED Best Pay and Home Time! Apply Online Today over 750 Companies! One Application, Hundreds of Offers! www.HammerLaneJobs.com. SAPA

$$$ ACCESS LAWSUIT CASH NOW!! Injury Lawsuit Dragging? Need $500-$500,000++ within 48/hours? Low rates. Apply Now By Phone! 1.800.568.8321. wwwlawcapital.com Not Valid in CO or NC. SAPA

$1000 Bonus. (1st 30 Hired) Up to 47 cpm. New Equipment. Need CDL Class A Driving Exp. 877.258.8782. www.ad-drivers.com

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company. SAPA

DRIVER Tango Transport now hiring Regional OTR Team. Top Pay. Plenty of Miles. Great Home Time. Family Medical/Dental. 401k. Paid Vacations. Call 877.826.4605 or www.drivefortango.com YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 9 am - 4 pm & Thurs. 9 am - 3 pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone # 1-828-586-3346 TDD # 1-800-725-2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company. SAPA BUY GOLD & SILVER COINS 1 percent over dealer cost. For a limited time, Park Avenue Numismatics is selling Silver and Gold American Eagle Coins at 1 percent over dealer cost. 1.888.470.6389 GOLD AND SILVER Can Protect Your Hard Earned Dollars. Learn how by calling Freedom Gold Group for your free educational guide. 888.478.6991

FURNITURE REMAINING FURNITURE LUMBER Sale! Walnut, Butternut, Cherry, Ash & Curly Maple Slabs $4,000 Call for more info 828.627.2342 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

LUMBER CHESTNUT LUMBER Some 6 feet sections, Some 17 ft. boards $800. Call for more info 828.627.2342

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Prevent Unwanted Litters And Improve The Health Of Your Pet Low-Cost spay and neuter services Hours: Monday-Thursday, 12 Noon - 5pm 145 Wall Street

LAWN AND GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com MANTIS DELUXE TILLER. NEW! FastStart engine. Ships FREE.OneYear Money-Back Guarantee when you buy DIRECT. Call for the DVD and FREE Good Soil book! 888.485.3923 SAPA

HEAVY EQUIPMENT SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $3997.00 Make/Save Money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills. com. Call now 1.800.578.1363, Ext. 300N.

Pet Adoption MILA - A two year old Elkhound

weighs only five pounds. He is a little shy. He deserves a great home with no small children. He has special pricing. Call 828.631.2676. KIMBA - A 3-4 year old Sloughi/Shepherd mix. She is tan with beautiful brown eyes. She is housebroken and friendly. Kimba needs lots of exercise. 828.226.6209. ROXANE - A young, playful Aussie mix. She weighs 20 lbs., is good with other pets, and is working on house training. Roxane is white and gold with one blue eye. 877.ARF.JCNC. RASCAL - A cute terrier/corgi mix who is 3 years old. He weighs just 16 pounds. He is neutered, housebroken, and current on all his shots. He plays well with other dogs, but he is frightened of people. His not a lapdog, nor does he like to be on a leash. He is a good porch dog; he'll sit there all day and bark to let you know if someone is coming. He doesn't run off once he is used to being at his new home. Call 226.4783.

mix. She weighs 27 lbs., and is blackish colored. She needs work on puppy behavior. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC. CLARA - A 2-3 yr old "Whatizit?" She weighs 68 lbs., is friendly, and shaggy. Call 877.273.5262.

BRINDLE (F) AND TEDDY (M) Are 11-week-old Lab/Shepherd mix pups. They are cute, friendly, neutered, and ready to go. Brindle is black with slight brindle markings. Her brother, Teddy, is black and tan. Call 828.293.5629 or contact their foster home at jean@a-r-f.org. WRIGGLEY - A male, two-yearold, Boxer/Shepherd mix. His owner is joining the Navy and has to find a home for this friendly, handsome dog. Wriggley is housebroken, neutered, and micro-chipped. He gets along with adults, kids, and cats. He is not a barker. Call 706.248.6328

VISIT ARF ON SATURDAYS 1-3 To register for January 14th low-cost spay/neuter trip. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC for more information. Limited number, so register early and don't get left out

CALLIE - Labrador Retriever Mix dog – black. I am 3 years old and spent much of my life tied to a chain in someone's back yard, but despite this, I am a wonderful, well adjusted dog! I’m energetic and enjoy playing with toys and other dogs. I’m well behaved and low-key, and usually prefer a scratch or pat on the head to a snuggle or belly rub. I get along well with kids and am indifferent to cats. $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

dog – brown & white. I am 5 years old and I absolutely love to cuddle. I also have an interesting half-and-half, yin/yang color pattern on my

NORMAN - Domestic Shorthair cat – black. I am about 4 years old and I’m a very sweet and gentle soul. I like to be petted, and would make a great family cat. $100 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org. NEED A NEW HOME for your pet? Animal Compassion Network provides a re-homing service that includes neutering, microchipping, and food – all FREE to you! You'll bring your pet to our adoption events and we'll find them a loving new home! For details, contact us at 828.258.4820.

ANIMAL COMPASSION NETWORK Pet Adoption Events - Every Saturday from 11a.m. to 3p.m. at Pet Harmony, Animal Compassion Network's new pet store for rescued pets. Dozens of ACN dogs, puppies, kittens and cats will be ready to find their permanent homes. The store also offers quality pet supplies where all proceeds save more homeless animals. Come see us at 803 Fairview St. (behind Province 620 off Hendersonville Rd), visit www.animalcompassionnetwork.org, or call 828.274.DOGS.

NC MTN LOG CABIN SHELL On 1.72acs. EZ to finish. Reduced $79,900 OR New 2bd 2ba, 1200sf cabin on 1.87acs. $139,500. Owner must sell. Call Now 828.286.1666.

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face! $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

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. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1.800.669.9777.

EVER CONSIDER A Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888.418.0117. SAPA

December 26-January 1, 2013

ARF (HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON COUNTY) Holds rescued pet adoptions Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 (weather permitting) at 50 Railroad Avenue in Sylva. Animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots. Most cats $60, most dogs $70. Preview available pets at www.a-r-f.org, or call foster home.

*FREE FORECLOSURE LISTINGS* Over 400,000 properties nationwide. LOW Down Payment. Call NOW! 1.800.498.8619 SAPA

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Haywood County Real Estate Agents Michelle McElroy — beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig — beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey — beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither — esither@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Smith — beverly-hanks.com Billie Green — bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Pam Braun — pambraun@beverly-hanks.com

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

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MEDICAL ATTENTION DIABETICS With Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 877.517.4633. SAPA

Haywood Properties — haywood-properties.com • Steve Cox — haywoodproperties.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Rob Roland — robrolandrealty.com • Chris Forga — forgarentalproperties.com

December 26-January 1, 2013

Mountain Home Properties — mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

Main Street Realty — mainstreetrealty.net McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

Prudential Lifestyle Realty — vistasofwestfield.com Realty World Heritage Realty — realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter — realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/1701

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CAVENDER CREEK CABINS Dahlonega, North Georgia Mountains. **WINTER SPECIAL:BUY 2 NIGHTS, 3RD FREE!**1,2,&3 Bedroom Cabins with HOT TUBS! Virtual Tour: www.CavenderCreek.com Call NOW Toll Free 1.866.373.6307 SAPA

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MEDICAL

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Connie Dennis — remax-maggievalleync.com Mark Stevens — remax-waynesvillenc.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 Bonnie Probst — bonniep@remax-waynesvillenc.com

ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA Sufferers with Medicare. Get FREE CPAP Replacement Supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 888.470.8261. SAPA ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA Sufferers with Medicare. Get FREE CPAP Replacement Supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 877.763.9842. CANADA DRUG CENTER Is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 877.644.3199 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping. SAPA FEELING OLDER? Men lose the abilityto produce testosterone as they age. Call 888.414.0692 for a FREE trial of Progene- All Natural Testosterone Supplement. SAPA

DIABETES/CHOLESTEROL/WEIGHT LossBergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save $15 off your first bottle! 877.815.6293. SAPA MEDICAL ALERT For Seniors- 24/7 monitoring. FREE Equipment. FREE Shipping. Nationwide Service. $29.95/Month CALL Medical Guardian Today 866.413.0771 VIAGRA 100MG AND CIALIS 20MG! 40 pills + 4 FREE for only $99. #1 Male Enhancement, Discreet Shipping. Save $500! Buy The Blue Pill! Now 1.800.491.8751 SAPA

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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. RED ENVELOPEGive great. Find the perfect holiday gift that tells a story. Shop early and save an additional 20 percent. Visit www.redenvelope.com/Celebrate or call 888.715.3042. WRAP UP YOUR Holiday Shopping with 100 percent guaranteed, delivered–to- the-door Omaha Steaks! SAVE 68 percent PLUS 2 FREE GIFTS - 26 Gourmet Favorites ONLY $49.99. ORDER Today 1. 888.689.3245 use code 45102ALM or go to: www.OmahaSteaks.com/hgc85 SAPA

STAY AT HOME Wife and loving, dedicated, hard working father want to Adopt and become Mommy and Daddy! Fully Confidential and Allowable Expenses paid. Rachel & James. 1.888.616.6497 SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com ARE YOU PREGNANT? A childless married couple (in our 30’s) seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom/devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses paid. Nicole & Frank. 1.888.969.6134 A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, Let Us Help! Personalized adoption plans. Financial assistance, housing, relocation and more. Giving the gift of life? You deserve the best. Call us first! 1.888.637.8200. 24 hour HOTLINE. SAPA ADOPTION? PREGNANT? We can help you! Housing, Relocation, Financial & Medical Assistance available. You Choose Adoptive family. Forever Blessed Adoptions. Call 24/7. 1.800.568.4594 (Void in IL, IN) SAPA PREGNANT? Considering Adoption? Call Us First! Living Expenses, Housing, Medical and continued support afterwards. Choose Adoptive Family of Your Choice. Call 24/7. ADOPT CONNECT 1.866.743.9212. SAPA 71756

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SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION NEED MEDICAL OFFICE TRAINEES! Train to become a Medical Office Assistant at CTI! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc 1.888.512.7122 AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 877.300.9494. ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From home. Medical, Business, Criminal Justice, Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial aid if qualified. SCHEV certified. Call 888.899.6918. www.CenturaOnline.com AVIATION CAREERS Train in advance structures and become certified to work on aircraft. Financial aid for those who qualify. Call aviation institute of maintenance 1.888.212.5856 SAPA EARN YOUR H.S. DIPLOMA At home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure. 1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA

ENTERTAINMENT READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus sh.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back . Guarantee. Call Today! 1.888.659.4896 SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, 828.584.7472. www.scottishtartans.org. Matthew A.C. Newsome, GTS, FSA, SCOT., Curator & General Manager, Ronan B. MacGregor, Business Assistant. * REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! * Get a 4-Room All Digital Satellite system installed for FREE and programming starting at $19.99/mo. FREE HD/DVR upgrade for new callers, SO CALL NOW. 1.800.725.1835. SAPA

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SERVICES DISH NETWORK. Starting at $19.99/month PLUS 30 Premium Movie Channels FREE for 3 Months! SAVE! & Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL 888.827.8038.

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SERVICES * REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! * Get a 4-Room All Digital Satellite system installed for FREE and programming starting at $19.99/mo. FREE HD/DVR upgrade for new callers, SO CALL NOW. 1.800.935.9195. SAPA COMPUTER PROBLEMS? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1.888.431.2934.

LOCAL PHONE SERVICE With long distance starting @ $19.99/mo. Taxes not included. No contract or credit check. Service states may vary. Call today: 1.888.216.1037 SAPA MOTO-FAB METAL WORKS Let us fabricate a unique, high quality piece of metal art for your home, business, farm or ranch. Choose from thousands of stock images or work with us to create an original piece. All artwork and signage is cut on a new state-ofthe-art CNC plasma machine. Waynesville 828.627.2666. PROFLOWERS For The Holidays! 33 percent off Santa`s Workshop Festive MiniChristmas Tree! Plus take 20 percent off additional orders over $29! Go to www.Proflowers.com/ tradition or Call 1.877.705.5291

SAVE ON Cable TV-Internet-Digital Phone. Packages start at $89.99/mo (for 12 months.) Options from ALL major service providers. Call Acceller today to learn more! CALL 1.877.715.4515. DDI BUMPERS ETC. Quality on the Spot Repair & Painting. Don Hendershot 858.646.0871 cell 828.452.4569 office. YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

JANITORIAL & FLOOR CARE IMPERIAL CLEANING SERVICE Specializing in quality office cleaning, medical offices, floor stripping, waxing and buffing. Maintenance contracts available. Free estimates. 10 years experience. Call 828.586.2352 or 828.508.2821

WEEKLY SUDOKU

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LETTER PERFECT ACROSS 1 Exercise target 5 Actuate 10 Boston 14 Denzel Washington film 19 Kansas city 20 - incognita 21 Comfort 22 “Middlemarch” author 23 Butcher-shop buy 25 Modern Mesopotamia 26 Numerical word form 27 Theater collection 28 Director Michael 30 Satyric trait 32 Vim 33 Bond rating 35 Neapolitan song 38 Work over? 39 Tarnish 44 PBS benefactor 45 Mrs. Nick Charles 47 ABA member 48 Shipshape 50 Standard 52 Court cry 56 Start of a Nash verse 60 Maestro Arturo 63 Opening remark? 64 To and 65 Rang 66 Rapper Tone 67 Rained and snowed 70 Kruger of “High Noon” 72 “- vous plait” 73 To boot 74 Bach favorite 78 Hostage 81 New Deal agcy.

82 - May Oliver 83 Most enthusiastic 87 Diminutive suffix 88 Make minestrone 90 Say please 92 Actress Zellweger 93 Connecticut county 95 Itʼs a guy thing 98 Perplexed 99 WWII site 101 Kenwood competitor 102 Glowing 103 No, to Nureyev 106 Asian soldier 107 Haphazard 110 Disney dog 113 George Peppard series 117 Korf or Sara 118 What a feller needs 119 Keeping 120 Give in to gravity 123 Walked 126 Diacritical mark 128 Author Ambler 131 Famed disc jockey 134 Irvingʼs “The - New Hampshire” 135 Amnerisʼ rival 136 Messy Madison 137 European country 138 High-tech missives 139 Expensive 140 Uses a trepan 141 TVʼs “Ding - School” DOWN 1 Trim 2 Sampras strokes 3 Soap additive 4 Chicken little? 5 “- been ages!” 6 “Simple Simon - . . .”

7 Type of sch. 8 Thaliaʼs sister 9 Albert and Victoria 10 Mile High Center architect 11 Boathouse item 12 Sacred song 13 Costume sparkler 14 Kid 15 Castilian cry 16 Hefty herbivore 17 Short messages 18 Stick ʻem in your ear 24 Actor Morales 29 Singer Summer 31 - Canals 34 Composer Thomas 36 August one? 37 Big revolver? 38 Holsteinʼs home 39 Romeʼs - of Caracalla 40 Lucyʼs landlady 41 Marker 42 “Aladdin” frame 43 Grapefruit serving 46 Way 49 Deck of destiny 51 Dewy 53 Pickling herb 54 Baseballʼs Slaughter 55 Puerto 57 City on the Allegheny 58 Reply to the Little Red Hen 59 One who noʼs best? 61 Smug smile 62 “The Color Purple” character 65 Kirsch kin 68 Sgt. Bilko 69 Campus digs 71 Designer Lapidus

73 Bronteʼs “- Grey” 75 Tom, Dick, and Harry 76 Skater Cohen 77 Franco of “Camelot” 78 Cougar 79 Landed 80 Gets hitched 84 “- Gay” 85 Big rigs 86 Choppers 88 Deal with a dragon 89 Newsboyʼs shout 91 Kamm or Kristofferson 94 Contradict 95 Harnessed the oxen 96 Bird of prey 97 Abbreviated address 100 Sodom escapee 104 JFK abbr. 105 Fine fiber 108 Compassion 109 Moved like 116 Down 110 Woodworking tool 111 Postulate 112 Nile feature 114 Mysterious 115 Iron clothes? 116 Animal that roared? 119 Convent cubicle 121 Namu or Willy 122 Bloomsbury buggy 124 Roy Rogersʼ birthplace 125 Bruce or Laura 127 “Agnus -” 129 Journalist Tarbell 130 Roller-coaster unit 132 “- longa, vita brevis” 133 Brew barrel

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December 26-January 1, 2013

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The spirituality of mountain graveyards “I am developing a taste for walking in cemeteries.” – Jules Renard, “Journals” (December 1909)

L

George Ellison

father, W.O. Wolfe (1851-1922), operated a monument shop on Pack Square in Asheville from the mid-1890s until 1916. He did engraving and some rough stone carving, even attempting his own stone angels, but never to anyone’s satisfaction. The fine angels he marketed were sculpted in Italy from white marble extracted from the famous Carrara quarries. From the time Wolfe (1900-1938) was born until he left for Chapel Hill to attend the University of North Carolina in 1915, he had ample opportunity to view and contemplate a variety of these brooding figures. In retrospect, it’s no surprise that one appears in the short story “An Angel on the Porch,” published in 1929 in Scribner’s Magazine, or that it was incorporated into the novel Look Homeward, Angel in the fall of 1929. She’s a beautiful angel, who always reminds me of poet William Blake’s angels. Blake was a genuine mystic … the real deal. Coleridge required doses of laudanum and brandy to jumpstart his visions. Blake drank a dark ale or two now and then, but he was preternaturally spellbound. But I wander. Our topic is cemeteries. In the 1990s I happened upon Camille Wells’ book Canton: The Architecture of Our Home Town (Canton Historical Commission in 1985) and read therein the section devoted to Locust Field Cemetery. Now that’s a first-rate

name for a cemetery. I couldn’t resist. Situated on the crest of a ridge southeast of Canton’s downtown area, the cemetery was (back then at least) open and windswept, affording a panoramic view of the encompassing mountain ranges. The old-time settlers generally had an unerring eye for locating homes, barns, villages, and other essential sites, and they didn’t miss the mark when deciding to bury their beloved dead upon this vantage point. “To the casual observer, Locust Field appears to be largely an early 20th century cemetery,” Wells wrote. “A river rock and cement arch, erected around 1920, punctuates the entrance and the northernmost corner of the cemetery, and visually dominates the site. Furthermore, a majority of the gravestones and furniture, such as curbs, steps, fences, and boundary markers date from the years between 1910 and 1930. There is some irony in this: the period during which Canton’s population was growing most rapidly was also the time when the burial ground was most heavily utilized. The cemetery contains gravestones fashioned according to every style that was popular in nineteenthand twentieth-century America, but the most important stones are the some thirty markers that were carved from hand from local sandstone and granite. The legible stones date from as early as 1817, and there is reason to conclude that this surviving group represents

only a fraction of the original assemblage. All of the markers were erected during decades before the railroad made a wider range of materials and craftsmanship available to Pigeon River residents, and they are the results of a sequestered community’s attempts to provide for its own needs.” Wells noted that there are many markers “with irregular shapes, simple embellishments, or uneven lettering, demonstrating that there were limits to the stonemasons’ skills or to available tools. Some spellings, such as ‘bornd,’ ‘Roady,’ or ‘Sary’ provide evidence of pronunciations common to these mountain people.” They weren’t per say “misspellings” … they were transcriptions of accepted pronunciations. I’d never thought of it that way. Wells’ closing remarks are a good enough place for us to end this ramble: “Most of the gravestones bear names like Smathers, Medford, Cabe, Reno, Hall, and Haynes that are still familiar in Canton today, and it is this fact that most directly demonstrates the importance of these crumbling markers. They represent a continuity between Canton’s recent history as a densely settled industrial town with access to and ties with the outside world, and Pigeon River’ more distant past as an isolated agrarian community where fields and woodland — and a sleepy shallow river — dominated the sparsely populated mountain landscape.”

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ike Jules Renard, a turn-of-the-century French novelist, not a few of us are attracted to cemeteries. When looking for a quiet place, I often visit the one on Schoolhouse Hill next to the old Swain High football field in Bryson City. There’s a good view, in places, of the town and surrounding mountains. A grove of massive Columnist oaks shade the burying ground. It’s a good spot to have lunch. There is a haunting weather-darkened flyspecked stone angel that I always go over and speak to when there. Brought by train and wagon from Asheville by famed novelist Thomas Wolfe’s father in 1904, this Swain County angel corresponds more fully to the few details known about the novelist’s angel than the Henderson County nominee. But that’s a long somewhat contentious story that I’ve told too many times. (You can no doubt Google it up on the Internet if you like.) Suffice it to observe here that Wolfe’s

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r world-class caregivers off ffeer a number f surgical and non-surgical options to help you meet your weight loss goals. Find out more at 828-213-4100 or ission-health.org/ /weightmanagement.

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Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.