Yancey County News

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vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Dec. 15, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 49

Land trust spends millions to save local mountaintop

Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News A developers sign sits fallen and abandoned on U.S. 19E where a high-end gated community had been planned. A local land conservancy spent nearly $3 million to buy the property when the bank holding the note on the 225 acres moved for foreclosure. SEE COMPLETE STORY INSIDE.

Introducing a weekly focus on eating well for good health

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News We’ve all seen the statistics: diabetes is at

near epidemic rates, diet and nutrition are lacking as more and more Americans eat meals full of fats and too many calories.

But what can we do about it?

The Yancey County News thinks that people want to eat well, but perhaps they don’t know what that means. So beginning today, we are introducing a weekly column

by Medea L Galligan, a Yancey resident who earned her Masters of Science in Nutrition from Oklahoma State University.

Since 1998, Medea, has helped

thousands of people of all ages improve their health and well being through support and encouragement, exploring which foods are right for them, and assisting them in bringing back the joy of cooking and eating.

This week’s column addresses healthy eating during the holidays, and future writings will address such wide-ranging topics as whole foods, the values of sea salt, and ways to increase you Omega-3 intake.

Her first column appears in this edition.

We hope you enjoy Medea’s writings, and will consider taking part in the important conversation about our health.

728 W. Main St. - 682-9994 • Dale - 208-1881 • Jonathan- 779-1980

Ginger Johnson and Jaime Duvall with the Yancey County/Burnsville Chamber of Commerce are shown with some of the treat baskets which were delivered to Brookside Rehabilitation & Care, Mountain Manor Assisted Living, and Yancey County. The baskets contained fresh fruit, candy and cookies for the residents of the three facilities.

MLS #24216 - 5+ acres along the Cane River, camper in place w/paved driveway. $99,000

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Your Schools

The cast of Bugsy Malone Jr. at the Parkway Playhouse includes students from Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery counties.

Young actors stage Clearmont students experience the ballet ‘Bugsy Malone’ A regional youth theater troupe is performing a stage adaptation of Alan Parker’s cult film Bugsy Malone and will take the show to the National Junior Theater Festival next month in Atlanta.

The musical spoofs gangster films, but what is unusual and clever about the script is that it was written for children to play all of the roles. There are no adults in the cast, and all of the guns spray a whipped-cream like goo instead of bullets.

Students in the Parkway Playhouse Junior program have taken on the production and will be presenting it at the Mountain Heritage High School’s Auditorium on Dec. 16 and 17 at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door and are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

The story follows Bugsy Malone as he attempts to navigate the intense rivalry of big city gangs led by the tempestuous “Fat” Sam and his slick nemesis, “Dandy” Dan. Along the way he meets an assortment of characters - divas, showgirls, and thugs, and must dodge being “splurged” and accomplish his goal of helping Blousey become a star.

The cast includes students from Yancey, Mitchell, Madison, and Avery counties.

This will be the last performance locally as the troupe will then perform as a part of the festival in Atlanta in January. “This is a great opportunity for students” said Parkway Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Andrew Gall. “To be able to perform for a national audience is an incredible experience. Students will also have the opportunity to do some audition and compete for work in New York City while at the festival” in January.

For more information, please call the Parkway Playhouse at 828-682-4285 or visit the Parkway Playhouse website at www. parkwayplayhouse.com.

Tammy Black’s fourth grade students at Clearmont Elementary visited the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville on Dec. 8 to attend the Asheville Ballet’s performance of the seasonal classic The Nutcracker.

The show was a great end to a week-long project that was part of the “Bringing Learning to Life!” philosophy held by Clearmont Elementary. Prior to attending the show, the

students read the tale of The Nutcracker, created a bulletin board display, listened to the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky, and did a symbolism PowerPoint focusing on an analysis of the story’s main characters and their individual traits.

The students said they really enjoyed the trip to the ballet, and they were greatly impressed with the whole theater experience.

Wireless Internet access comes to Yancey County schools

Phase One of the installation of wireless Internet access for Yancey County Schools will begin December 15. This phase includes the core curriculum areas at Mountain Heritage High School, East Yancey and Cane River Middle Schools. Wireless should be up and running when staff and students return on January 2. There will also be limited access at Burnsville Elementary. Phase Two, which will provide access for the remaining schools in the county, will begin after the first of the year.

EVERY DAY, your neighbors are calling, writing or dropping in our office to plop down $25 to subscribe to the Yancey County News! Why? Because they say they’ve never had a newspaper like this in Yancey County, and they appreciate it!

(And we appreciate them!)

So if you want to subscribe, just fill out this form and mail it in!

YES, begin my subscription to the Yancey County News! (Out-of-county subscription submit $35.) Mail this coupon and your check to: The Yancey County News, 132 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714 NAME: _______________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________ ________________________________ TOWN: _____________________________ STATE: ______ PHONE NUMBER: ____________________________________

Dec. 15, 2011

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Opinion/Outlooks

‘When genuine journalism dares do its job’ I read with interest your article stating that the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is currently in Burnsville, investigating several possible illegal activities of the Yancey County Sheriff’s Department and others pertaining to public elections, absentee ballots, votes cast by individuals ineligible to vote, etc. - all of which was thankfully uncovered and reported by the Yancey County News. Many kudos are due to you and your newspaper!

Unfortunately, in this county, for a journalist to simply do the normal job of journalism, to engage in the standard and expected practices of your profession - that is to say, to ask the questions of who, what, when, where, and why about events that occur here which affect citizens, and then to report those findings publicly - requires extraordinary courage and bravery, because you are raising questions about a powerful, entrenched system which does not wish to be questioned, a system whose very existence would be at risk of being dismantled or overthrown, were its inner workings to be exposed to the light of day.

Your situation is unusual – most of us don’t have to become heroic in order to simply do our daily jobs.

The livelihoods and the very way of life the only way of life known to the people who have controlled and ridden roughshod over this county for generations - become at risk when genuine journalism dares to do its job.

And like any animal whose life is threatened, it will try to strike back viciously. I am forced to write this letter anonymously out of a very real fear of retribution by the Sheriff’s Department - which has almost unlimited power to intimidate and cause serious harm to the freedom and well-being of anyone who would publicly question or challenge it - a fear that is justified by the Sheriff’s Department’s long history of having done exactly that.

You and your newspaper, however, are standing up non-anonymously in broad daylight, questioning and challenging these people. Again, we salute you, but - please watch your back. We need you to be here for

WHO WE ARE

The Yancey County News is the only independent newspaper in Yancey County. It is owned, operated and published by

Susan Austin ........ Advertising/Publisher Jonathan Austin ........... Editor/Publisher who are the sole participants and members of

Yancey County News LLC 132 W. Main Street Burnsville, NC 28714 828-678-3900 jonathan@yanceycountynews.com susan@yanceycountynews.com The Yancey County News (USPS publication No. 3528) is published weekly - every Thursday - for $25 per year in Yancey County, $35 per year out of county. Published

by Yancey County News LLC, Periodicals postage paid at Burnsville, NC. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Yancey County News, 132 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714 Printed in Boone by the Watauga Democrat on recycled paper.

To be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.

a while.

We citizens of Yancey County have been in desperate need of an actual newspaper, publishing genuine journalism, for as long as anyone can remember, and we thank our lucky stars that you have appeared. Another newspaper, sadly, has served only as the official stenographer, the subservient “office girl,” and as the propaganda mouthpiece for public officials, apparently dutifully reporting whatever they are told to report, never digging under the surface to find out what is really going on here. The only scandals reported have been incidents that were brought to the surface by embarrassing accidents or lapses wherein officials have stupidly let themselves be caught with their pants down, catching the newspaper by surprise as much as everyone else. In my time here, that newspaper has never been the source of a scoop uncovered by diligent investigative “reporter-ing.”

Most citizens here (at least those of us who are not complicit partners ... who are not financial beneficiaries of or otherwise beholden to the corrupt practices of the Yancey County Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office, and the rest of the “justice system” here) are well aware that many things have been rotten here in Yancey for a long time, and will readily speak of this - at least in private, to others who are outsiders to “the system.” One group has been running the Sheriff’s Department here for nearly a century, tampering with elections to ensure that it stays that way, that no challenger can ever win an election. You have uncovered part of that story.

Let’s hope that you continue to expose it, or that the SBI does a thorough investigation and reveals that the Emperor is stark-buck-naked.

My original reason for writing this letter (I’m finally getting to the point) was to ask some questions about the SBI investigation.

How many investigators are working on this? To do this investigation thoroughly is an enormous job (as our Editor has surely discovered), and I hope that the SBI has allocated sufficient manpower to be able to actually do what needs to be done here to uncover the truth.

A couple of weeks ago an anonymous letter appeared in your newspaper listing several questions on the absentee ballot/election tampering issue - questions which need to be pursued in order to follow on with the initial work you have done. Is the SBI doing

those things? Where is their temporary office located? (Let’s hope it’s not in the Sheriff’s quarters; let’s hope they’re not being made comfy and cozy buddies by the people under investigation.) How can citizens be of help to this investigation? Is there a “Citizens Hotline” that citizens can call to contact the SBI team and apprise them of relevant facts known to us of which they may be unaware?

I also wished to ask: Is anyone taking this opportunity (of the SBI being in town) to ask the SBI about following up on the (former) Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tom Farmer and his illegally having pawned Sheriff’s Department property (guns) for personal gain (exposed by the Yancey County News last February)?

I fervently hope that the ball won’t be dropped on this incident, but it appears that our elected officials are quite content to let that happen. Supposedly, the County Commission sent a letter to the D.A., asking that the matter be brought to the attention of the SBI, but the D.A. never did so. WHY NOT? Dear Editor: Please! Don’t let your hard work and bravery in exposing the criminal behavior of the Sheriff’s Number Two Man go for naught! Many innocent people here have been arrested by Mr. Farmer and his cohorts, and have been dragged through the torture of the interminable, horrible criminal justice system here. Innocent lives have been ruined or seriously damaged by these people, people who willingly ruin others for their own personal gain. Finally, one of them was caught, one who has wielded that power and ruined those lives while wearing a badge, caught redhanded in a criminal act.

Tom Farmer’s many victims want to see justice done to him! Don’t let them down! The pawning incident is probably only the tip of an iceberg of corruption, and Mr. Farmer was probably relieved that it was only the pawning activity which got exposed and forced him to resign, rather than some of the other more egregious forms of conduct he engaged in during his tenure. All the more reason for you to take this opportunity to urge the SBI to pursue the Farmer matter as well as election irregularities, and hopefully bring to light much more of the detestable activity that has gone on under the twisted name of “justice” here in Yancey County.

Sincerely, Name withheld by request

Chamber says thanks after WinterFest

The 2011 Burnsville WinterFest was a great success. The weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy a beautiful day and our parade led by our Grand Marshal, Dottie Buker. The Chamber of Commerce would like to thank all who came out to enjoy and take part in the parade. The number of people lining the streets of Burnsville was incredible.

Many thanks to Sponsor, Paramount Kia, the Town of Burnsville for their help and cooperation, the volunteers who helped stage and coordinate the parade, WKYK Radio, and our Judges Denise Frederick, and Dan and Medea Galligan. A BIG, SPECIAL thank you to the Big Man in Red – Santa. What a delight to have Santa join us to celebrate this Christmas Season.

Santa Claus Comes To Town at the Town Center Saturday night was also a great success.

Santa was kind enough to stay in town and visit with the children and his Elf gave out treat bags to all the kids who came by to visit and have a photo made with Santa. Many thanks to all those who helped make this night possible.

The Chamber of Commerce would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year. We remind you also to pause and remember that this is the ultimate season of love and caring.

Be sure to have Christmas in your heart not only in the coming weeks, but in the coming New Year.

Ginger Johnson, Director, Yancey County/ Burnsville Chamber of Commerce

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Obituaries David William Noble of Yancey County, he was was be in the Spruce Pine

David William Noble, 52, of Burnsville, passed away early Saturday morning, Dec. 10, 2011 at the Memorial Campus of Mission Hospitals.

He was born in Raleigh, and lived most of his life in Florida, but later moved to Burnsville.

He is survived by his father and mother, Dr. Walter B. Noble Jr. and Joyce Canup Noble, brother Walter B. Noble 111, and sister, Diana C. Noble.

David loved the outdoors, animals, and fishing. He loved music and playing his guitar.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17, at Grace Episcopal Church in Asheville with the Rev. Garey Coffey officiating.

Memorials may be made t o t h e Ya n c e y C o u n t y Humane Society, PO Box 1016, Burnsville, NC 28714, or The Family Violence Coalition, 621 W. Main Street, Burnsville, NC 28714.

Rev. Jonathan ‘Johnny’ Geough T h e R e v. J o n a t h a n “Johnny” Geouge, 64, of Catawba County, went home to be with the Lord Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of Edna Geouge and the late Dale Geouge. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Iris Cook. Johnny was an Army Vietnam veteran and was a pastor and evangelist for 29 years.

Survivors, in addition to his mother, are his wife of 42 years, Wanda Johnson Geouge; sons John Dale Geouge and wife, Kim; their children: Isaac, Hannah and Macy; and Jason Scott Geouge and wife, Sandy; their children: Morgan, Thomas and Natalie Geouge, all of Catawba County; a sister: Wanda Norton, and brothers Floyd and Wade Geouge.

A graveside service will be held at l p.m. Saturday at Blue Rock Baptist Church Cemetery. The Rev. Luther Carver will officiate.

The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m.

Friday at Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.

J.C. Hensley

J. C. Hensley, 81, of Jacks Creek passed away Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011, at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. A native

a son of the late Crate and Dora Estep Hensley and the husband of Wanda McIntosh Hensley who died in 1989.

He was also preceded in death by sisters Vergie McMahan, P a n s y H e n s l e y, N e t t i e Wilson and Atlas Ponder, and brothers: Leslie, Ward, Willie and Edward Hensley.

Surviving are his daughters: Connie Whitson, Kim Hensley and Karen Gurley; nine grandchildren: A. J. Hensley, Tacoma Whitson, Daniel Whitson, Dylan Whitson, Cody Whitson, Chad Whitson, Carroll Gurley, Kaylee Gurley and Kandas Hensley, and a brother, Junior Hensley, all of Burnsville.

Funeral service wasTuesday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.

The Rev. Todd Robinson officiated. Burial was in the John Metcalf Cemetery on Horton Creek.

Rev. Harold Dellinger Rev. Harold Dellinger, 63, of the Spear Community, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011, at Cannon Memorial Hospital.

A native of Mitchell County, he was a son of the late Lucille “Granny Lucy” Dellinger, who passed away in 2007, and Lee Dellinger.

He was also preceded in death by a sister, Jo-Ann Dellinger Styles and a niece, Jo-Ellen Styles Willis. He was the pastor of Powdermill Baptist Church in Avery County for the past 21 years. He enjoyed spending time with his family, working on cars, and doing work for his Lord. Harold will be greatly missed by his family and many friends who loved him dearly.

Surviving are his loving wife of 43 years, Florence Shook Dellinger; daughter, Donna Staton and husband, Richard, of Spruce Pine; son, Eric Dellinger of the home; Joseph Willis of the home, whom Harold cared for like a son; brothers: Doug Dellinger of Spruce Pine and Bill Dellinger of Burnsville; grandchildren: Rachel Staton, Stephanie Staton, the Rev. Dustin Dellinger and Cody Dellinger. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral service was Wednesday at Powdermill Baptist Church. The Revs.

Te r r y R o b i n s o n , J o h n McCoury and Dustin Dellinger officiated. Burial

Memorial Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Medi Home Hospice, PO Box 1357 Newland, NC 28657.

Bobby Ray Yelton Bobby Ray Yelton, 61, of Blevins Branch Road, Bakersville, passed away Dec. 9, 2011, at the Johnson City Medical Center. He was born in Mitchell County to the late Fred and Willie Briggs Yelton. He was a farmer.

Survivors include his wife, Trula Barnett Yelton of the home, sons, Curtis Allen Yelton and wife Sandra of Bakersville, Jason Ray Yelton and wife Kelley of Bakersville, sister, Lucille Williams of Loganville, Penn., brothers J.B. and Earnest Yelton both of Bakersville, grandchildren, Keltsy and Cassandra Garland, Megan, Elijah and Madison Yelton.

Funeral was Monday in Bakersville. Interment followed in the Mosley Cemetery on Bowman Road.

Henline-Hughes is assisting the Yelton family.

Jack Albert Howell Jack Albert Howell, 81, of the Red Hill Community, Bakersville, passed away Dec. 10, 2011, at the Brian Center in Spruce Pine.

He was born in Mitchell County to the late Jeter and Etta Hall Howell. He had previously worked at Henredon Furniture and was a Member of Silver Chapel Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Malissa Davis Howell of the home, stepson, Danny Yelton and wife, Kim, of Fletcher, NC, granddaughters, Melissa Thomas and husband, Keith, of Green Mountain, Heather Dale and husband, Shane, of Burnsville, Amanda Autrey and husband, Darrin, of Burnsville, step-grandson, Will Yelton of Fletcher,, great grandchildren who loved him very much - Easton and Couper Dale, Shaleigh and Emaleigh Autrey, sister, Sherrilene Howell of Marion, daughter-in-law, Cathy Howell of Burnsville, and son-in-law Phillip McMahan.

He was preceded in death by: son Ricky Howell, daughter Betty Jean McMahan, brothers Floyd, Joe, and Lloyd, and sister Gertrude Boone.

Funeral was Monday in Bakersville. Interment was Tuesday in the Silver Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to: Hospice of Mitchell County, 236 Hospital Drive, Spruce Pine, NC, 28777.

Velinda Fay Vesely Ve l i n d a F a y Ve s e l y, 70 of Green Cove Road, Bakersville, passed away Dec. 13, 2011, at her home.

She was the daughter of the late Phillip and Havana Hart Toddy.

Survivors include daughters, Pam Vesely, of Bakersville, and Lisa Hames, of Naples, Fla.; son Robert Logan and wife, Lori, also of Naples,, one sister Shirley Church, and husband, Woody, of Benton,Tenn., brothers, Gene Toddy and wife Lora, of Conneaut, Ohio, and Jerry Toddy, of Cranesville, Pa, four grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Clara Willis Young

Clara Willis Young, 81 of Nora Lane, Bakersville, NC passed away Dec. 13, 2011, at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. She was a native of Mitchell County and the daughter of the late Clifton and Ethel Willis Young. She was retired from American Thread Co., where she was a packing supervisor. She was a member of Roan Mountain Baptist Church and also a member of The Golden Eagles Club at Young’s Mountain Music.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dennis Young, and her brothers, Bobby and Ray. Survivors include her nephews Tim Willis and wife Robin, and Danny Willis, all of Bakersville, and Roger Willis and wife, Marie, of Spruce Pine, and one brotherin-law, Emmett Young and wife, Mary, of Bakersville.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. in Roan Mountain Baptist Church with Mark McKinney officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Interment will be Saturday, Dec. 17, at 11 a.m. at Green Young Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Mitchell County 236 Hospital Drive Spruce Pine, NC 28777.

Dec. 15, 2011

Writer trusts in the Bible In response to a letter in the Nov. 30 Yancey Common Times Journal, a writer claimed the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. In the beginning of her letter she stated some of the worst acts in recorded history, which were done in the name of religion. Galatians 1:8-9 states “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” The Jews’ religion was so strict that they did not let Jesus hang on their sabbath. They did not believe that Jesus was the son of God and to this day they are still waiting for a messiah to come and set up an earthly kingdom. When Jesus died he made the way for all mankind and there will never be another way made for any one. Also, there is a teaching in the scripture, found in Matthew 24:13 – “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” This message is not to people who have already been saved but to the Jews that are still looking for that natural kingdom to set up that when this kingdom comes the Lord will give the Jews another chance to accept Him and will be saved by enduring to the end of the tribulation.

When Christ was asked when the kingdom of God would come, He told them “it cometh not with observation but the kingdom is within us” (Luke 17:20). Brothers and sisters in Christ, we better believe the Bible’s teachings rather than man’s.

Now let’s see what Jesus’ teachings were on the life style of homosexuals.

Romans 1:21-28: “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use

of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly...”

Read the rest of the chapter. Also read Genesis 19:4-13 and Jude 1:7.

Ms. Watkins, I trust all of God’s people are as steadfast and unmovable as I – we faithfully believe the Bible.

You will not convince us that the Bible does not condemn these things; you have only convinced us you do not believe what the Bible teaches in the name of religion. You recommend a book written by Dr. Daniel A. Helminiak, PhD, a Roman Catholic. I am glad we do not have to look around at the many religions in this world and decide which one is right; for God did not set up but one and that is the one we are born into. Jesus said in John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

When we are born again we are in the true church. Read Hebrews 12:2223. In Isaiah 5:20 it says “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!.” Had we not been warned in scriptures such as Matt 24 and Dan 12, we would not have believed the time would come it would be agont in the laws of our land for our children to not be allowed to bow their heads and thank God for their food and it be taught to them that these kinds of life styles are unacceptable. As Matthew 24:33 says, we are not seeing these things He told us to look for. It should not discourage us but let us get the whole armor on as it tells is Ephesians 6:1112.

Ida Deyton

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Classes at Mayland Usui Reiki Certification Class Level I (7 Hours) Learn the history and philosophy of Usui Reiki, how to balance your seven chakras (energy centers), and how to clear and ground energy. At the end of this class, you will be able to use the techniques you have learned to treat yourself and others. Class is limited to 20 participants. Class is January 7, from 9:30 AM-4:30 PM at Mayland Community College’s Yancey Campus. For more information visit www. mayland.edu and click on the Continuing Education link or call 682-7315.

Usui Reiki Certification Class Level II (7 Hours) Gain a deeper connection to Reiki Energy, and receive a powerful attunement that will allow you to use the symbols of the Reiki System to channel healing energy to yourself and others, both in person and from a distance. Learn techniques to aid in dissolving the mental and emotional cause of illnesses.

Prerequisite for this class is proof of certification of Reiki 1. Class is January 8, from 9:30 AM-4:30 PM at Mayland Community College’s Yancey Campus. For more information v i s i t w w w. m a y l a n d . e d u and click on the Continuing Education link or call 682-7315.

Phlebotomy (210 Hours) Program content includes; communication skills when working with patients, selection of venipuncture sites, care of blood specimens, record keeping, and equipment maintenance. High school diploma or GED is required.

You must be at least 18 years

of age. Ten days of clinical rotations will be scheduled in addition to dates for the classes listed below. Clinical sites may require drug testing and background checks. Students in this class may be eligible for Project Skill-Up scholarship funds. Class begins January 9, at 6 PM at Mayland Community College’s Yancey Campus. For more information visit www. mayland.edu and click on the Continuing Education link or call 682-7315.

Ceramic Perspective Classes are held at Yancey Center for Ceramic Art (YCCA). Please call 682-7315 for information. Additional fees to be paid to YCCA on the first day of class include: $45 Lab fee, $20 Firing fee, Clay fee $14 per 25 lbs, optional Tool Kit $18.50. Learn about work of different potters and their unique perspectives on clay.

By studying the work of others, students will discover diverse approaches to clay. These students can then integrate what they learn into creating their work. Class projects are focused on developing a personal style based on discussions of artists’ work and techniques. Some clay experience helpful. No class 1/16. Class begins January 9, at 9 AM at Mayland Community College’s Yancey Campus. For more information visit www. mayland.edu and click on the Continuing Education link or call 682-7315.

Certified Nursing Assistant I (160 Hours) This state-required course for those wishing to become a CNA consists of classroom work, lab, and clinical rotations.

LAND TRANSACTIONS These are the land transactions with tax stamps recorded at the Yancey County Register of Deeds office between Nov. 21, 2011 and Dec. 9, 2011. The value is determined based on the taxes paid.

Nov. 21, 2011, $377,500, Janet B Hogshead revocable trust to the Robert E Walton revocable trust, lot 62, Overlook Village at Blue Mountain.

Nov. 22, 2011, $100,000, Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Broward County, Joan Leslie Nicholas Foundation Inc, Gildas Club South Florida, Hope South Florida, Shepherds Way Inc., to Johnny Dewayne Ayers, 20 acres off Letterman Road, Green Mountain.

Nov. 23, 2011, $4,532,13, Donny Laws, acting as commissioner for Yancey County, to Charles B. Harris, two acres on Wilson Star Creek.

Nov. 23, 2011, $130,000, Doris P. Lunsford to Willard and Reagan Ann Willix, 1.6 acres Lot 3, Peacock Mountain subdivision, Burnsville.

Nov. 23, 2011, $75,000, Steven and Beverly Wilson to Alvin and Russell Garner, 20 acres

off Little Creek Road.

Nov. 23, 2011, $6,000, Ryan Powell to Walter and Sharon Wiley, .26 acre in Cane River Township.

Nov. 23, 2011, $154,000, Virginia Crocker to Robert and Lynda White, .60 acre in South Toe Township.

Nov. 28, 2011, $220,000, James and Mary Penley to Brandon and Isabella Peterson, lot 8 and 9, the Reserve.

Nov. 29, 2011, $26,000, heirs of Willie Dale Autrey to Karen and Kurtis Ziegelmeier, 2.5 acres, South Toe Township.

Nov. 29, 2011, $475,000, the Peggy W. Burgin Revocable Trust to Teresa Bryant, 43.92 acres off Doan Town Road.

Nov. 30, 2011, $115,000, Norval and Deborah Renaldo to Rebecca Vinson, .422 acre, 320 Deep Gap Road.

Nov. 30, 2011, $141,000, Communication Land Investments LLC to USCOC of Greater NC LLC, Mica Springs Road.

Nov. 30, 2011, $184,000, Hickory Branch Properties Inc., to James and Marjorie Powers, two tracts, Riverside at Carolina Keep, Brush Creek.

Nov. 30, 2011, $245,000, James and Grace Simmons to Sherry and Paul Sherman, 15 acres off Rock Creek Road.

Dec. 7, 2011, $175,000, Reed and Nancy Wilson to Tommie Fender, 21.5 acres off Lickskillet Road.

Dec. 7, 2011, $18,000, Baden Family Trust to Mario and Tanya Cifaldi, 1.2 acre off Winter Star Road.

Dec. 8, 2011, $50,000, Paul Prince to Gregory and Patsy Fowler, 1.103 acre off U.S. 19W, Ramseytown.

Dec. 9, 2011, $100,000, TD Bank NA to the Edward W. Franco Revocable Trust, .868 acre, lot 15, Settlers Edge, Mountain Air. Dec. 9, 2011, $8,000, Roger and Amanda Ogle to Lois Laws, 1 acre off Browns Creek Road.

Dec. 9, 2011, $120,000, Samuel and Shirley Stewart to Mary Jane’s Bakery Cafe Inc., lots 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, block 2, Grandview Addition, Burnsville.

Dec. 9, 2011, $24,000, Danny Lawrence Radford to Kenneth and Anna Ramsey, lot 22, Wray Villa subdivision, Price’s Creek.

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Dec. 15, 2011

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UARA Racing

Just a matter of time before he takes a flag

By Wink Bodenhamer Scott Turlington of Richmond, Va., came to the UARA circuit on March 29. 2008, and fast became a good friend to all who compete in the series. Turlington’s first race that day at Concord Speedway ended with him finishing 18th.

Turlington ran the entire UARA schedule that year and his highest finish was ninth. Turlington’s strong drive had him finishing tenth in the year end point battle.

He was awarded the Holley Performer of the Year Award in 2008.

During the 2009 season Turlington polished up his skills and brought home a sixth place high finish at Orange County Speedway racing with some of the very best late model drivers in the Southeast. Turlington finsihed up his 2009 season ninth place in the year-end point battle.

2010 found Turlington giving it his all, earning three fifth-place finishes Dillon, Tri County and Newport. He finished in the top ten a total of ten times in 2010.

He came home sixth in the points standings for 2010.

In 2011, Turlington joined forces with new crew chief David Mercer of Phantom Racing.

Turlington had two Sunoco poles in 2011. One at Newport in April and the second at Anderson in August. He was the Marlowe half way leader at Anderson and also lead the most laps there. It looked as though Turlington was going to get that elusive first win at Anderson but fate was not on his side and he ended up fourth after a superb run.

His career high finish of second IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE, YANCEY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator / Executor notice Having qualified as Executrix of the estate of Emma Jean Hughes of Yancey County of North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before 5th day of March 2012 or this notice will be pleaded in bar aof their recovery.

All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment.

This the 7th day of December 2011 Renota C. Hughes 328 Wind Wood Drive Burnsville, NC 28714

Scott Turlington leads the field at Newport.

place came at Kingsport on April 9, 2011. He also had a fourth, one fifth place, two sevenths, a ninth and three 10th place finishes to his accomplishments in 2011.

Turlington said, “The talent level in the UARA is at an all time high, in my opinion some of the best drivers around. With each race the competition level and close racing grows exponentially.

I’m confident the fans will get to see some of the brightest stars and racing talent late model stock car racing has to offer. You’re not gonna wanna miss this, it’s going to be a fight to the finish.”

The 48 machine of Turlington’s is one the fans should keep an eye on in 2012 because to the front is the direction he will be heading with a “I’m not gonna look back attitude.” Year after year Turlington shows more strength and stamina and it is just a matter of time before he gets that first UARA victory.

The Turlington team of Scott, his father Craig, crew members Shorty Carlton, Robert Wood, Nick Hutchins and David Mercer bring lots of smiles to the UARA. They are a fun loving crew, known to pull a prank or two and they will be starting their fifth season with the UARA.

For Sale

2002 Jeep Wrangler, New rag top, brakes, tuned and ready for the road or dirt! Women owned and babied! 4 Cyl., auto 4 x4, 78K Miles, $9,950 OBO. Call 910-620-7365.

The Yancey County News does not charge to publish obituaries.

Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 7

Government says 2.5 million young adults get health insurance The National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data yhis week illustrating that the Affordable Care Act continues to significantly increase the number of young adults who have health insurance.

Because of the health care law, young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance plans through age 26. This policy took effect in September 2010. Data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) shows that since September 2010, the percentage of adults aged 19-25 covered by a private health insurance plan increased significantly, with approximately 2.5 million more young adults with insurance coverage compared to the number of young adults who would have been insured without the law.

“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 2.5 million more young adults don’t have to live with the fear and uncertainty of going without health insurance,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Moms and dads around the country can breathe a little easier knowing their children are covered.”

Families around the country are benefitting from this part of the law, including families like the Houghs, whose daughter Natalie was diagnosed with a rare

heart condition after suffering a cardiac arrest at school. Her condition requires a lifetime of medication and care. There was a day when this diagnosis would mean insurance companies would either not cover Natalie or would offer her unaffordable plans. It would mean that Natalie and her family would have to keep paying, or face the unimaginable alternative.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Natalie can stay on her family’s plan and has started college, and thanks to the law, by the time she turns 26, it will be illegal for a plan to deny coverage to anyone, regardless of their health and Natalie will have access to quality, affordable care.

Data from the first three months of 2011 showed that one million more young adults had insurance coverage compared to a year ago. The numbers announced today show a continuation of the coverage gains due to the health care law as students graduate from high school and college in May and June and otherwise would have lost coverage.

The data released today are consistent with estimates from surveys released earlier in the year. Those surveys have shown an increase in the number and percentage of young adults 19 to

25 with health insurance coverage.

Specifically, the Census Bureau and the Gallup-Healthways WellBeing Index Survey, as well as the NHIS release of data through March 2011, reported similar trends through early 2011.

Today’s results, highlighted in an HHS issue brief, show that the initial gains from the health care law have continued to grow.

“The data announced today show that, because of the health care law, there is a continued and consistent pattern of improved health coverage among young adults,” said Sherry Glied, Ph.D., HHS assistant secretary for planning and evaluation. “The Affordable Care Act has helped literally millions of young adults get the health insurance they need so they can begin their careers with the peace of mind that they’re covered.”

Young Adult Coverage

Under the Affordable Care Act, if your plan covers children, you can now add or keep your children on your health insurance policy until they turn 26 years old.

What This Means Before the health care law, insurance companies could remove enrolled children usually at age 19, sometimes older for

full-time students. Now, most health plans that cover children must make coverage available to children up to age 26. By allowing children to stay on a parent’s plan, the law makes it easier and more affordable for young adults to get health insurance coverage.

Your children can join or remain on your plan even if they are: • married • not living with you • attending school • not financially dependent on you • eligible to enroll in their employer’s plan There is one temporary exception. Until 2014, “grandfathered” group plans do not have to offer dependent coverage up to age 26 if a young adult is eligible for group coverage outside their parent’s plan.

Some Important Details • Your plan is required to provide a 30-day period — no later than the first day of your plan’s next “plan year” or “policy year” - to allow you to enroll your adult child. Your plan must notify you of this enrollment opportunity in writing.

• If you enroll your adult child during this 30-day enrollment period, your plan must cover your adult child from the first day of that plan year or policy year.

Cell phone company buys local tower U.S. Cellular has purchased a cell tower in Burnsville, but a spokesman for Country Cablevision, the seller of the tower, says the change will not mean any change in cellular service.

Brian Hyder told the Yancey County News that the sale is a consolidation by the cellular company to eliminate what had been the practice of leasing the tower.

The old arrangement meant “every three years they had to renegotiate a lease” for the tower, located on Myers Lane.

With the purchase, the need to keep negotiating the lease is eliminated, Hyder said.

Western Highlands Network is now recruiting for Enrollee Support Coordinators to provide a variety of peer support activities to consumers of the WHN Behavioral HealthManaged Care Organization. Positions are based throughout our eight county catchment area: Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Mitchell, Rutherford, Polk, Transylvania, and Yancey.

Requires High School diploma and two years experience working with the population served, or two years life experiences related to MH/DD/SA system. Consumers, family members of consumers and minorities are encouraged to apply! Positions require a valid NC Driver’s License and reliable transportation.

For a detailed listing of these and other vacancies please visit our website at www. westernhighlands.org. WHN provides excellent benefits including a generous leave program, health/dental insurance, Local Government Retirement, and 401(K). WHN is an equal opportunity employer.

DOT has opened the new traffic pattern where Jack’s Creek Road intersects with U.S. 19 at Riverside. The modivication brings the road into the highway at a right angle, eliminating the dogleg that had been there.

8

Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Land trust saves ‘spectacular’ mountain property

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy land trust has purchased 225 acres just north of Spruce Pine that had been slated for development. Streams from the land flow into the North Toe River, and the protection of the double summit on the property reduces the risk of runoff filling the Toe and Nolichucky rivers.

The property, long known l oc a lly as S pea r To p s b u t marketed beginning in 2007 as the “Falls at Hawks Crossing” high-end development, includes “a remarkable array of important conservation features, said Jay Leutze, a trustee with SAHC. “It’s very unusual that we get a chance to save a mountain with this many special plant communities.

Biologists and botanists have known about this site for a long time, and we’re excited that we were able to buy it and end the threat of development.”

A Florida-based developer had hoped to sell lots in the $200,000 to $300,000 range, and noted in marketing that the land was “unique property offering some of the most amazing long range views in the North Carolina mountains.

There is a spectacular 150+ foot water fall named Twin Falls, a focal point of the development and available exclusively for the enjoyment of our residents.”

But the development ran into trouble when they installed a steep road on the property that didn’t meet Avery County guidelines.

Construction of the road involved filling, drilling and blasting a route that in only 3 miles climbs 2,000 feet from U.S. 19E to near the peak. The climb strains a standard vehicle, and was of concern to county leaders who questioned whether emergency vehicles could have made it to the home sites planned along the mountainside and crest.

County commissioners denied a variance for the road and the developers re-designed the community, but then the highend real estate market collapsed, forcing the mortgage holder to take steps leading to foreclosure of the property.

“It used to be that you could put in a road and sell house lots sight-unseen to people from other states,” said Michelle Pugliese, the land protection director at SAHC. “But those days came to an end, at least temporarily, in 2008.” And though the road was cut and some underground utilities installed, no lots were sold. Today stormdamaged trees litter the asphalt, some sections of the surface have begun to collapse, and car-sized boulders block at least half of the road in one area.

Photos by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News

Couresy SAHC

Leutze has long been interested in protecting the property, with its plant diversity and views.

“Folks in the southern end of the county love Spear Tops. It really broke a lot of hearts when we all learned that there were going to be vacation homes perched on top of this iconic peak,” he said.

“The waterfall and spray cliffs are exceptional.”

The property – with its signature twin peaks – is visible from the Appalachian Trail, the Overmountain Victory Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and U.S. 19 E. Endangered and threatened species such as Rock Gnome Lichen and Trailing Wolfsbane are known to grow on the property.

Saving the property was a challenge, Leutze said. “During the budget crisis the General Assembly and the governor have reduced the amount of funds available for purchasing land.

That’s too bad because we have a very small window left for protecting critical properties, and right now the prices have finally come down from the inflated values of recent years.”

When it became clear the development was failing, SAHC approached the lender in an effort to accomplish a short sale. The land trust then raised money to enter an auction to purchase the promissory note. “There was

competition for the note,” Pugliese said. “That drove up the price and made this project difficult to complete.” The Asheville-based land trust was able to purchase the note, but then had to foreclose to take title, just as a bank would have done. “We were nervous that there might be someone out there who would bid on the property on the courthouse steps,” Pugliese said.

See page 16

Dec. 15, 2011

Hagan notes end of war

U.S. Sen. Kay R. Hagan, chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats a nd Capabilitie s , released the following statement Wednesday on President Obama’s visit to Fort Bragg to mark the end of the war in Iraq.

“It is an honor for North Carolina and all of our servicemen and women that President Obama selected Fort Bragg to mark the end of the country’s war in Iraq. Since 2003, thousands of troops stationed at Fort Bragg have deployed to Iraq and fought courageously in support of our mission there.

“Soldiers from North Carolina played an instrumental role in leading military operations and creating the conditions on the ground to facilitate the drawdown of U.S. forces. Because of their service, our nation is a safer place today, and the people of Iraq are prepared for a new period of self governance.”

“As we reflect on the end of the war, we honor the more than 4,400 American troops we lost in Iraq, and the thousands more who were wounded there. Our nation is forever indebted to these heroes for their service and sacrifice, and our thoughts and prayers are with their family and loved ones.

“Although our war in Iraq may be over, out commitment to our courageous servicemen and women is not. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, ensuring our militar y, o u r veterans and their families receive the support they deserve

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 9

Come celebrate Christmas at Sharon’s Salon! Through December, come in for hi-lites

Salvation Army Family Store

The Salvation Army Family Store is under new management with new winter store hours. We are open Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first Wednesday of every month is senior citizen’s day – ½ off all clothes in store weekly colored dot sales.

Captain: Kenneth Clewis • Store manager: Cathy Laws Store clerk: Dan O’Neil • Social worker: Miranda Self Part-time clerk: Tammy Jackson

Store phone: 678-3577

or perms and get a 15 minute facial as a bonus. We offer Gift Certificates for all services. We would like to thank all of our customers and wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and may God Bless Everyone!

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Troopers said no one was seriously injured when this truck and another vehicle collided on N.C. 80 S at Poplar Grove earlier this week.

is my top priority.”

Hagan traveled to Iraq last year to meet with commanders on the ground and Prime Minister al-Maliki.

During her visit, she witnessed the training our US troops were providing the Iraqi forces and had lunch with soldiers from North Carolina at Joint Base Balad.

Hagan comes from a strong military family - her fatherin-law was a twostar Marine general; her brother and father served in the Navy; her husband, Chip, is a Vietnam veteran who used the GI Bill to help pay for law school.

Ciara celebrates

Ciara Nicole Silvers celebrated her second birthday on Dec. 7, with a puppy

dog party with family and friends.

Ciara is the daughter of Rohn and Olivia Silvers of Green Mountain, the granddaughter of Charles and Belinda Autrey of Green Mountain and Ronnie and Ruth Silvers of Burnsville, and the greatgranddaughter of Jay and Robbie Autrey of Burnsville.

Her big brother is Dawson.

Blue Belle handmade crafts and goat milk soaps and lotions make the

perfect gift!

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10

Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Outdoors

Same story, with different interpretations

It is easy to get into a heated debate whenever you are discussing something you are passionate about with someone with an opposing view. As hunters, we have to remember to keep our heads clear when we face off against someone who is anti-hunting. Often times the media will run with a story based on one side’s perspective, and in the case of hunting, it is usually the anti-hunting perspective. It is known that only about 10 percent of the population hunts, while 80 percent have no opinion either way.

Considering the emotional attachment that can be more easily conveyed for anti-hunting, hunters have to maintain a clear, controlled, and mature stature.

The following is two accounts of the same incident. I believe it is important to be able to empathize with other side of an argument in order to make your side of the argument clear.

meeting in order to start a group to save local wildlife from hunting dangers.

Newspaper article #2 Anywhere, US - “There was a lady running straight at me waving her hands and screaming.”

Those were the words from Frank James, who was hunting an open lot near the Evergreen subdivision. James has been hunting the area for the last five years. He owns a hunting lease on the lot and the wooded land and swamp behind it. He has also been following the deer he was hunting that morning for the last three years. He has multiple trail camera photos and has watched the doe give birth to a couple of sets of twins. . As the deer populations have grown throughout the state, deer have found their way into developed neighborhoods and now co-exist with humans. Twenty years ago, it was unusual to find deer in the wild in the county, but now, it is not uncommon to see as many as 10 to 20 deer during daylight hours driving on the outskirts of the city. Now residents have to worry about deer/automobile collisions as well as deer borne diseases and parasites.

“I was hunting over on the open 5 acre lot. I had 3 stands set up so I can hunt downwind from where the deer come out no matter which way the wind blows. I also have them paired with feeders so if a shot presents itself, I’ll be aiming in a safe direction,” commented Mr. James.

On this particular day, Mr. James had chosen a stand on the western side of the property. As the deer was making its way to the feeder, Cheryl Smith came running out of her house screaming at the hunter and the deer. Still in pajamas and barefooted, Mrs. Smith came across the road into the field and told Mr. James he had to stop hunting and leave. “Rather than argue with the lady, I just got my stuff together and started down the stand. She had already scared off every deer within a 5 mile radius anyways.”

What happened next really confused Mr. James. “She called the police on me. The officer came over and asked if I had permission to hunt here. I showed him my hunting license and permission slip. I can’t believe she had called the police.”

Sgt. John Williams then spoke with Mrs. Smith and explained to her that Mr. James was in fact hunting legally. According to the police report, Mrs. Smith then starting yelling at the officer about how James could have shot someone. Mr. James was bowhunting, which is legal within the zone. However, Mrs. Smith was ticketed for sabotaging a hunt. Charges were later dropped at the request of Mr.James.

“Some people just don’t understand. They watch Bambi and think animals like deer are basically pets that live outdoors. The fact is deer are wild animals, just like a bear, snake or opossum. If the deer go uncontrolled, pretty soon the yards will be destroyed, their pets and kids will have to constantly be checked for ticks and diseases. It would benefit everyone to attend one of the state’s game and fish agency’s information session.” According to Mr. James, some people get a false attachment to something that is not domesticated.

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

Newspaper article #1 Anywhere, US - “He was trying to kill our deer!”

Those were the terrified words from Cheryl Smith as she retold the story of how a deer hunter aimed his sights at a deer the Smith family had watched since it was a fawn. As the deer populations have grown throughout the state, deer have found their way into developed neighborhoods and now co-exist with humans. Twenty years ago, it was unusual to find deer in the wild in the county, but now, it is not uncommon to see as many as 10 to 20 deer during daylight hours driving on the outskirts of the city. Now residents have more to worry about than just deer/ automobile collisions. They have to worry about hunters.

Something Mrs. Smith is more than willing to share her concerns about. “The hunter was right over there,” pointing to an open lot of approximately 5 acres. “What if the kids were out playing? They could have easily been shot. This is just not right!”

On this particular day, Mrs. Smith saw the deer she had come to know over the last 3 years in the field. She also noticed the bright orange vest of someone high in a tree. She became so panicked in what she was seeing develop, she darted out of the house still in her pajamas and barefooted. “All I could do was scream at the deer and hunter.

Luckily it was enough to startle the deer into running off. I then told the hunter he needed to leave the field.”

What happened next really confused Mrs. Smith and several other local residents. “I called the police. I told them there was someone shooting at deer in our neighborhood. The officers talked to the hunter, and then they came over to me and issued me a citation. They gave me the ticket! I wasn’t shooting at anyone!”

Sgt. John Williams informed Mrs. Smith she had interfered with the hunter and it was against the law. The hunter, Frank James, later requested no charges be pressed against Mrs. Smith.

“If this is the way the law is, it needs to be changed! I have already started a petition within the neighborhood to halt the hunting activities in the area. We cannot wait until it is too late before someone gets killed by a hunter.” Mrs. Smith is also calling for a neighborhood

Christmas and New Year’s schedule for Yancey County offices, local trash collection centers

Don’t throw away your Christmas tree!

Yancey County recycling and convenience centers will accept Christmas trees to be recycled. Trees must have all ornaments, tinsel, lights, hooks and wires removed prior to disposal at the center. Residents are encouraged to drop off trees in the designated areas at any

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of the county’s community recycling centers You can be issued a citation for littering. until Jan. 14. Trees can also be taken to the Convenience Center Holiday Schedule Yancey-Mitchell Transfer Station off of N.C. Saturday, 12/24 – CLOSED 80 North.

Sunday, 12/25 – CLOSED If the collection centers are closed, either Monday, 12/26 – Return to Regular due to the holiday or inclement weather, do not Schedule, Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. leave your trash at the gate or enter the facility.

Transfer Station Holiday Schedule Saturday, 12/24 – CLOSED Sunday, 12/25 – CLOSED Monday, 12/26 – CLOSED Monday, 1/2/2012 – CLOSED Yancey County Office Holiday Schedule Friday, 12/23 – CLOSING at 11:30 a.m.

Monday, 12/26 – CLOSED Tuesday, 12/27 – CLOSED Monday, 1/2/2012 – CLOSED

Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 11

Anonymous nature clouds identities of virtual bullies

Part two of a three part National Science Foundation series: Bullying in the Age of Social Media.

Something is happening on playgrounds, in classrooms, in homes and in every walk of life across America. In fact, it’s happening internationally.

“On December 17, 2010, my daughter was a victim of cyber bullying,” writes the father of a Virginia girl. “There were four children involved in a chartroom (sic) within their e-mail accounts.

One ring leader who seemed rather angry with my daughter started name calling, letting her know nobody liked her, and even went as far as wishing she would die in a hole. This obviously was a very hurtful conversation, which led my 11-year-old daughter to even consider death as an option.”

“I was brought out for being a bisexual and made fun of, being told that I’m against God’s will and am going to hell,” writes a 17-year-old boy from Canada.

“Cyberbullying does not just apply to children. There are adult groups dedicated to harassing and defaming others as well,” says an adult woman in an online article titled “The Anonymous Attacks of Adult Cyberbullying Cross the Line and Enter the ‘Real World.’” “In November of 2006, my grandfather had a massive heart attack. My way of dealing with my pain was to go online and take it out on nameless, faceless bloggers, and I posted things to people that would probably result in me being beaten up if it were said to someone in ‘real life.’ When one of these people I attacked told me my grandfather deserved his death, I upped my ante, lashing out at these words with racial slurs, vulgar names and just about anything else you can imagine.”

These people, despite their differences, are part of a group that has one thing in common-all of them have been impacted in some way by cyberbullying.

Social scientists studying cyberbullying say it’s a relatively new form of electronic harassment that came to widespread attention in the early 2000s and the short time span in which researchers have looked at the issue leaves them with a number of unresolved questions. Notably, who are the victims and who are the perpetrators?

“We don’t have a clear picture of who is most vulnerable,” says Sheri Bauman, a former high-school counselor, now a cyberbullying researcher at the University of Arizona. “It takes a bit for a researcher to observe a phenomenon, decide if it merits study, develop a research question,

design a study, recruit a sample, gather data, analyze the data and then disseminate it.”

There is always a lag between an event and the people who study the event. Nevertheless, even research in progress helps researchers understand both victims and perpetrators and can lead to a better understanding of who is involved. It can also help leaders design initial interventions that prevent the behavior and help victims cope with its effects.

But how would anyone know the identities of perpetrators and potential victims when cyberbullying is largely, almost by definition, anonymous?

In traditional, face-to-face bullying, perpetrators and victims usually know each other because of its physical component slamming a potential victim into a school locker, for example. Not so in the virtual world; there, cyberbullies have the ability to keep their identities unknown, which creates an asymmetry of information.

In fact, “few youth who reported being a target of Internet aggression reported knowing the harasser in person,” writes Michele Ybarra, cyberbullying researcher and president of Internet Solutions for Kids, Inc and her coauthor Kimberly Mitchell in a 2004 study that revealed 69 percent of victims did not know their harasser in person. In contrast, the study says 84 percent of cyberbullies personally know their target.

The finding that such a large percentage of victims do not know their aggressors in person opens the door to more questions about the demographics of cyberbullies and their victims. For instance, one possible trait may be that some cyberbullies are uncomfortable with face-to-face encounters, leaving researchers to question what types of adolescents and adults might fit this description.

Other questions: To what extent do psychological components, such as confrontation avoidance, drive cyberbullies? Are boys or girls more likely to become cyberbullies because of its perceived anonymity? Can finding this information and other information be used to characterize or sketch profiles of potential male and female cyberbullies?

“It’s certainly an area that could use more studying,” says Bauman.

So, last year, Bauman, acting as principal investigator with funding from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, convened an International Cyber Bullying Think Tank in Tucson at the University of Arizona with 21 researchers.

Along with Ybarra, one participant was Faye Mishna, dean and professor of social work at the University of Toronto, whose research focuses on bullying, cyber abuse, cyberbullying and cyber counseling. She says, “One thing that we don’t know much about is the role that gender and age play in cyberbullying. But, research has shown both boys and girls are involved.”

Researchers say it’s expected that both sexes would participate, but what interests them is the number of girls involved. Girls are not thought to be traditional physical bullies.

Other social scientists contend, however, that girls have always played a significant role in traditional bullying but this was not fully recognized until recent research provided additional information. “That was the thinking for a while--that boys were the primary culprits in bullying,” says Peter Vishton, a program director in NSF’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences. “But that wasn’t the case at all. Girls just bully differently. The way that boys bully tends to be much easier to see, but there is a different kind of bullying that involves relationships and includes behaviors such as threatening to tell someone’s secret to others.”

Vishton says new techniques allowed researchers to more closely monitor girls’ playground conversations, where they found girls are more likely to spread rumors or gossip as part of bullying. “It turns out, girls bully just as much as boys do.” Current thinking about cyberbullying suggests there are different types: physical, verbal and relational bullying. It’s this verbal and relational bullying that may typify the type of bullying in which females are more likely to engage.

Mishna agrees. “Boys tend to bully in direct ways such as physical threats, whereas girls are more indirect and do things like spreading rumors or socially isolating a peer,” she says. The nature of cyberbullying may lead to participation by more girls and hence more women as the cyberbullies and their victims grow older.

Cyberbullying is not only associated with children and adolescents. The Cyberbullying Research Center website run

by Justin Patchin, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Sameer Hinduja, an associate professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, claims to receive more inquiries from adults than teens.

“We get a lot of emails, phone calls and comments on this blog from adults who are being bullied through technology. They stress to us that cyberbullying is not just an adolescent problem. Believe me, we know,” they write on their website.

“We know that cyberbullying negatively affects adults too. It’s just that we spend the majority of our efforts studying how this problem impacts schoolaged youth due to their tenuous developmental stage,” they write.

“While adult cyberbullying is a problem, it’s not an emergency situation,” Vishton concurs.

“There are other issues that need more attention.” Still, the researchers acknowledge cyberbullying happens between adults in varied places, from social settings online to electronic, workplace communications.

Judith Fisher-Blando, now with the College of Management and Technology at University of Phoenix, writes that cyberbullying “is not as prevalent in the workplace as bullying behavior is with children and teenagers, but underlying messages and to whom messages are copied can mask a bully’s intentions.”

Fisher-Blando completed a doctoral research dissertation on the subject in 2008.

Her research found that bullying behavior affects a target’s ability to perform his or her job, which can impact the morale of employees and the financial performance of an organization. Moreover, Fisher-Blando’s study revealed a relationship between workplace bullying and its effect on job satisfaction and productivity.

In a 2007 Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI)-Zogby survey, 13 percent of U.S. employees reported being bullied in more traditional ways at the time of the survey; another 24 percent said they had been bullied in the past.

It doesn’t stop there. An additional 12 percent of workers in the WBI-Zogby survey said they witnessed workplace bullying, while 49 percent reported being affected by it--either being a target or witnessing abusive behavior against a co-worker.

Although social and economic reasons may factor into adult harassment and cyberbullying, researchers from the Project for Wellness and Work-Life contend workplace bullying is not explicitly connected to demographic markers such as sex and ethnicity. In other words, all ages, races, ethnicities and genders are perpetrators and victims of cyberbullying, but what drives them to it?

See page 13

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Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

CLASSIFIEDS

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wondering if the beautiful mountain home you leave empty as you fly “south” for the cold winter months is safe, well maintained and protected? How would you feel if you know your home was safe in the hands of a mature, professional house sitter, who would then be willing to fly “south” for those hot summer months as you fly “north” back to the beautiful mountains of Yancey County? If this is an appealing idea, please drop an email to Susan@yanceycountynews.com Please use the subject line House Sitter.

Grading and Hauling: Land Clearing, Roads, Ponds, Home Sites, Erosion Control, Gravel, Fill Dirt, Mulch, Septic Systems & Repair, Retaining Walls. FREE ESTIMATES. Firewood for sale! Call Tim Rice Burnsville 828-284-2979

MISCELLANEOUS

Looking for some EXTRA Christmas MONEY??

Advertise your items FOR SALE in the Yancey County News! Only FIVE Dollars for FIFTY WORDS! Call Susan to place your ad today! 6783900.

Shepard’s Way Thrift Store now has Christmas Decorations for Sale! Stop by and browse our Crafters wanted for new upscale gift shop in Burnsville. clothing racks for Coats, adults and kids clothing, Rent your own booth!! $15 per linear foot per month. health and beauty items. Gift baskets, magazines, Depth of Booth varies. We sell your products – 100% DVD’s, and much much more! Santa will also be profit of your crafts goes back to you. Call immediately stopping by soon! for your application! 828-678-0059.

Give the gift of reading! Subscribing to Yancey GRADING EXCAVATING HAULING - RICE County’s ONLY LOCALLY OWNED Newspaper

SERVICES

can provide a year’s worth of great information! Only $25 will get your home delivery started TODAY! Call 678-3900 to sign up NOW!

FOR SALE

Christmas Trees! 10’ to 12’. Semi-Sheared, Natural Shape, Frazier Furs, You Cut. $20.00. Call 828-6754074.

LIONEL TRAIN 0-27 gauge Santa Fe Special Freight Set. Die Cast locomotive (light and smoke) with six cars plus accessories. Includes transformer and track.

Like new. Mint condition. $185. Call: 828-682-3726 or 704-517-3304.

MISSING DOG Lost Alaskan Malamute Dog. His name is Abraham. He is very sweet, but a bit shy. He wandered off December 11, 2011 on Mica Springs Road, off the Phillps Knob/Fire Tower Mountain in Burnsville. WE MISS HIM VERY MUCH! If you have seen him please call: 828-335-2919 (Lauren Wise) or 828-682-9777 (Mrs. Wood) or 828-2264169 (Reid Wood). REWARD.

YHS Pet Press

BJ is an adorable young adult male Beagle mix with a great demeanor. He is small in stature and would be a great little house dog.

Gabriel & Mercy are beautiful 5 month old Domestic Long Hair kittens. Mercy is a beautiful Calico and Gabriel is a Grey Tabby.

They are available for a 2 for 1 adoption fee!

Judy is a Beagle mix a size bigger than BJ but still perfect as a house dog. She would love to curl up by your fireplace or stove and wait out a long winters night.

Call the shelter at 682-9510 for more information on these or other pets, or plan to visit us at 962 Cane River School Road.

Dec. 15, 2011

Family

A therapist obviously out of her league

By John Rosemond At an online source of parenting advice, a mother recently asked Living a female marriage and family therapist how to handle her eighthwith g r a d e d a u g h t e r ’ s announcement that she and her ninth-grade children boyfriend have decided to “prove their love” by This child is in dire straits. I having sex. The mother says, “I don’t think she’s ready to suspect she has come to her mother hoping Mom would put her foot have sex with this boy.”

Did you get that? Mom’s not down and say exactly what the really sure whether her 14-year- therapist has told her not to say: old daughter is ready for sex or Absolutely not, period; followed not. That’s at least 50 percent of by, “And furthermore, because the problem. And believe me, this I am ultimately responsible for mom isn’t alone in her confusion. your welfare, I am not going Many of today’s parents, faced to allow you to put yourself in with the same problem, aren’t sure danger with that boy again. Your they have a right to be unequivocal relationship with him is hereby with their kids, as in, “Over my over.” Then, and only then, mom should explain to her daughter dead body.”

And the therapist isn’t quite the reasons behind that decision. sure either. She tells the mom By the way, said therapist thinks not to tell the daughter she can’t that approach is “harsh.” I think see the boy because the girl it’s responsible, unequivocal, might become sneaky. Instead, authoritative, and everything the mother should acknowledge parents should be, especially her daughter’s trust, validate her where a child’s health and overall desire to make her boyfriend welfare are concerned.

The wishy-washy approach happy, discuss the emotional ramifications of having sex, talk is exactly what this child does about how she will feel if after not need. She is asking for she has sex with the boy he dumps her mother to stand up for her her, tell her about the hormone principles, to take away from her Oxytocin (it supposedly causes the responsibility of dealing with girls to emotionally bond with any this boy’s desire. Mom needs to Oxytocin-absent boy they have be unequivocal concerning her sex with), and invite the boy for values (said therapist never talks dinner so mom can keep tabs on about values, by the way, which is very politically correct of her) and the relationship.

Oh, and mom is also advised equally unequivocal concerning to tell dear daughter that if she her position on the issue. I will begins making bad decisions, now model being unequivocal: mom will have to get more PARENTS! IT IS ALL RIGHT TO involved. The exact nature of TELL A CHILD NO, EVEN A that involvement, however, is CHILD OF 14.

By the way, the age of sexual left to one’s imagination. I’m consent in every U.S. state is reasonably certain it does not involve the word “no.” Mom is between 16 and 18. Mom should told to appreciate how much peer point that out and assure the girl pressure her daughter is under, to that she is not shy about pressing give the child understanding and charges against the boy. When the support, and to tell her that if the girl tells him that - and she will boyfriend really loves her, he will he will vanish.

Lastly, dad is not mentioned respect her refusal. by either mom or the therapist.

This female therapist is obviously out of her league. First, Maybe he’s not in the home, but if the boy truly loved this girl, he if he’s available, then he needs to wouldn’t be pressuring her into sit down with his daughter and tell having sex in the first place. And her how much he loves her and if he is pressuring her to have sex, how important it will be to him he is not going to “respect” her that he walk a virgin to the altar, refusal. That’s not how it works not to mention how important it when boys are 15. That’s not how will be to her husband.

Family psychologist John it works for some 40-year-old Rosemond answers’ questions at boys, in fact. rosemond.com.

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 13

Anonymity clouds identities of those who bully online

From Page 11 There isn’t a lot of information about why people bully online, says Ybarra. “But based on what we know from traditional bullying research, we think that it may be that bullying often occurs to maintain the bully’s popularity or social status.”

Other motivations include a desire for power. According to Mishna, cyberbullying creates a power imbalance where the cyberbully has some perceived power over the target. She says many adolescents crave this, especially if they are being bullied themselves.

Ybarra adds that retaliation for an incident of traditional bullying also may be a motivating factor.

“For some adolescents who are the victims of conventional bullying, the Internet may be a place for them to assert their dominance over someone else in order to compensate for being bullied in person.” Ybarra’s research finds about half of the self-reported bullies in her study were targets of traditional bullying.

“Perpetrators are more likely to have externalizing problems such as aggressiveness, rule breaking and substance use,” adds Ybarra. “These youth may be more likely to have a poor relationship with their caregiver and a low commitment to, or they really don’t like, school.”

This suggests that youth who harass online are probably experiencing difficulties in other areas of their lives and cyberbullying may not be an isolated behavioral problem.

Perpetrators also report higher levels of involvement in traditional bullying than children who are not involved with cyberbullying.

Whatever motivates the cyberbully, anyone with access to the Internet or a cell phone can engage in it. Predictably, this greater use of technology potentially increases the number of targets, who often wonder why they have been singled out for harassment.

Just as characterizing a typical cyberbully is a work in progress, so too is it proving difficult to describe a typical victim. While cyberbullying can be the result of a personal dispute between friends that moves from the real world to a virtual one, other victims are singled out merely because of how they look or talk.

“Victims of cyberbullying are often children who don’t have a lot of friends,” says Mishna of children bullied for anything that makes them different. She says one common characteristic of victims tends to be social isolation. “Anyone who is in a marginalized group is more likely to be cyberbullied.”

Almost anything can lead to such marginalization.

Adolescents who are disabled, gay, overweight or shy may be targets. Even the way a person dresses or throws a ball can make him, or her, a likely victim of cyberbullying.

Researchers say such marginalization can lead to an odd twist. Children who are on the fringes of mainstream society may be more likely to make social connections through the Internet.

This may represent a source of important social support from close online friends. It is possible too that this reliance on virtual social networking can make them even more vulnerable to electronic harassment.

Next week: Foiling the Plan of a Cyberbully

Celebrate Christmas and support your neighbors!

Shop Locally!

Shop Burnsville!

Shop Yancey!

(And if you’re interested, you can give a gift subscription to the Yancey County News, your ONLY locally owned newspaper.)

14

Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Staying healthy throughout the holiday season

As more and more Americans face diet and health issues, the Yancey County News invited local nutritions Medea Galligan to write a weekly column addressing nutrition and healthy living. This is the inaugural column, and we hope you enjoy it!

By Medea L Galligan MS Nutrition Although many of us find it challenging to stay healthy during the year, the Holiday season brings with it its own set of special circumstances. Holiday parties, baking traditional Christmas goodies, traveling to see friends and family, and hosting guests in our homes all result in a higher consumption of sugary and high fat treats, and much less time to exercise. Besides consuming too much of the wrong kinds of food and drink, colder weather and more time indoors combine to create what is known as the “cold and flu season”, making life miserable for the afflicted.

So what can you do so that you can survive the Holidays without gaining 20 pounds, or catching a cold every time a co-worker or family member coughs or sneezes?

As a Holistic Health Coach, I’ve put together a list of 4 simple things you can do to keep your family healthy through the Holidays and well into the New Year.

• Stay Hydrated! While eggnog, soda, cider, juice, wine, beer, and all alcoholic drinks have a well-entrenched past in traditional merry-making, and they may contain water, they actually

dehydrate y o u r b o d y.

Chronic dehydration is often the cause of headaches, joint pain, mood swings, and dry skin, among many other ailments, so be sure to drink plenty of clean, filtered water. By starting your day off with a large glass of water, you rehydrate your body and literally “start your engine”. Drinking water throughout the day helps your body flush out toxins, thereby boosting your immune system.

Due to chronic dehydration, we often mistake hunger for thirst, so making a habit of drinking a large glass of water before reaching for food is a basic tenet of getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.

• Eat More Fresh Greens! Find creative ways to get more green vegetables and fresh herbs into your meals and Holiday recipes, like adding fresh cilantro to a bean burrito, or adding collards, mustard greens, or kale to your favorite soup recipe ( or check out my Extra Vegetable Soup recipe at www.HealthyCookingConcepts. com). Greens are loaded with chlorophyll, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which together nourish and detoxify your body.

Fresh greens add refreshing color and texture to heavy winter meals of starchy vegetables, meats, and cheeses, and fill you up without filling you out. Explore the fresh greens section in the

produce department of your grocery store, and experiment with lightly sautéing, steaming or waterless cooking a variety of green vegetables, and create some new, healthy and delicious Holiday meals and side dishes this year.

• Stay Active! If you already have an exercise program, and Holiday plans have made it impossible to get to the gym or your classes, you can still find ways to visit with family and friends and keep your metabolism functioning in high gear. Get out and take a brisk walk in the winter air for at least 30 minutes, and invite friends and family to join you. A fun game of football or basketball is a great way to reconnect with friends and family, all while getting your blood pumping and fresh oxygen in your lungs. Aside from burning calories, numerous studies have shown that exercise stimulates the immune system by increasing the circulation of white blood cells. If you are exercising regularly, the likelihood of your acquiring the flu or other viral illness decreases quite dramatically and studies have clearly shown this. In one such study, staying active cut the risk of having a cold by 50 percent, and cut the severity of symptoms by 31 percent among those who did catch a cold. The researchers noted that each round of exercise may lead to a boost in circulating immune system cells that could help ward off a virus.1 • Slow Down and Enjoy The Season! Whether you are at a Holiday party or sitting down to Christmas dinner, take time

to appreciate your family and friends, the décor, and the special foods that are prepared this time of year. Take time to really taste each bite, and to chew your food thoroughly. Digestion begins in the mouth, and when we take time to chew, our bodies have time to tell our brains when we are full, and we can avoid overeating. Slowing down allows us to get more pleasure from smaller portions, and allows us to enjoy a greater variety of Holiday goodies without gaining weight.

By adopting these simple practices, you are likely to not only enjoy a healthier Holiday season, but a healthier life. If you have any questions, or feel that you could benefit from one-onone support in adopting a healthier lifestyle, feel free to contact me for more information at (828)9899144, or through my website at www.HealthyLifestyleConcepts. com.

1 Br J Sports Med. 2011 Sep;45(12):98792. Epub 2010 Nov 1. Upper respiratory tract infection is reduced in physically fit and active adults.

Medea L Galligan, a local holistic health coach, earned her Masters of Science in Nutrition from Oklahoma State University, and also attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s Health Coach Training Program, located in New York City. Since 1998, she has helped thousands of people of all ages improve their health and well being through support and encouragement, exploring which foods are right for them, and assisting them in bringing back the joy of cooking and eating.

Be wise and safe in picking gifts for young children this Christmas

UNC Health Care Marbles. Magnets.

Super balls. Candy.

Coins. Dice. Legos.

A Barbie doll’s shoes.

When children under age three encounter these objects, they’re liable to swallow them.

“They’re using

their mouth as much as they’re using their hands to explore,” said Adam Zolotor, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of family medicine at UNC and a faculty member at the UNC Injury Prevention R e s e a r c h C e n t e r.

“Also, they don’t have judgment.”

So if you’re selecting a toy for a young child this holiday season, be sure to choose an ageappropriate gift.

The first step, Zolotor said, is to check the packaging

guidelines. If a toy isn’t recommended for a child younger than three, don’t purchase it for an infant or toddler.

If you’re not sure whether a toy is too small, try putting it in a toilet paper tube. Any toy that fits in the tube is too small for a child under 3.

Swallowing a toy can be dangerous.

Zolotor once treated a child who incurred permanent brain damage after a marble blocked her airway.

Seventeen U.S. children died in 2010 of toy-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

And more than 180,000 children were treated

in emergency rooms last year for injuries associated with toys.

Even if a toy isn’t immediately lifethreatening – like a crayon stuck in an ear – removing it may require holding down or sedating the child.

“It’s really traumatic and scary,” Zolotor said.

You should also be cautious about buying older toys from secondhand shops. Check the toys for breakable parts or small pieces that may fall off, such as the eyes or noses of dolls and stuffed animals.

If you’re purchasing a used electronic toy, ensure that the battery cover is intact and not missing any screws,

Zolotor said.

Hand-me-down toys may also contain phthalates, hormonelike chemicals that may cause reproductive problems. The good news is that under a 2008 federal law, U.S. retailers, including thrift-store owners, are banned from selling toys containing phthalates.

The same law limited the amount of lead, a heavy metal that can cause brain damage, that is permissible in toys. But retailers are not required to test toys before selling them.

If you don’t know when and where a second-hand toy was manufactured, Zolotor said, it’s probably best avoided.

Dec. 15, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 15

What’stoeatattheelementaryschools?

Friday, Dec 16

Monday, Dec 19

Tues Dec 20

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Lunch Toasted Cheese San’wich/Sunbut’r w/Jelly San’wich/ Veggie Beef Soup/ Broccoli/Fruit/ Applesauce Milk

Lunch Chix Fillet Sandwich/Meatball Sub/Sunbut’r w/ jelly San’wich/Mixed Veggies/Potato Rounds/Baked Apples/Pineapple Bits/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk Half School Day Lunch BBQ Rib Sandwich/ Fish Nuggets/ Cornbread/Sunbut’R w/jelly San’wich/ Salad/Pinto Beans/ Pineapple Bits/ Mandarin Oranges Milk

Wed Dec 21

Thurs Dec 22

Friday, Dec 23

Optional Teacher Work Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS!!

No School for Students

Food for thought for middle school Friday, Dec 23

Monday, Dec 26

Tuesday, Dec 27

Breakfast Pancake&Sausage Stix/Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza/ Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Lunch Toasted Cheese San’wich/Sunbut’r San’wich/Stuffed Crust Pizza/Veggie Beef Soup/Broccoli/ Fruit/Applesauce Milk

Lunch Chix Fillet Sandwich/ Meatball Sub/Chix Fingers/Mixed Veggies/Potato Rounds/Baked Apples/Pineapple Bits/Milk

Breakfast Pancake&Sausage Stick/Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk Half School Day Lunch BBQ Rib Sandwich/ Fish Nuggets/ Cornbread/Chix Quesadilla/Salad/ Pinto Beans/ Pineapple Bits/ Mandarin Oranges Milk

Wed., Dec 28

Thurs Nov Dec 29

Friday, Dec 30

Optional Teacher Work Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS!!

No School for Students

Chowing down at Mountain Heritage Friday, Dec 16

Monday, Dec 19

Tuesday, Dec 20

Breakfast Pancake&Sausage Stix/Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza/ Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Lunch Toasted Cheese San’wich/Sunbut’r San’wich/Stuffed Crust Pizza/Veggie Beef Soup/Broccoli/ Fruit/Applesauce Milk

Lunch Chix Fillet Sandwich/ Meatball Sub/Chix Fingers/Mixed Veggies/Potato Rounds/Baked Apples/Pineapple Bits/Milk

Breakfast Pancake&Sausage Stick/Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk Half School Day Lunch BBQ Rib Sandwich/ Fish Nuggets/ Cornbread/Chix Quesadilla/Salad/ Pinto Beans/ Pineapple Bits/ Mandarin Oranges Milk

$ Wanted to Buy $ JUNK VEHICLES & Rollback Service!

Pay Fair Price Will Pick Up Vehicle 828-284-7522

828-284-7537

Wed., Dec 21

Thurs., Dec 22

Optional Teacher Work Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS!!

No School for Students

Friday, Dec 23

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS!!

The Salvation Army store in Burnsville has FREE winter coats!

If you need a winter coat, drop by the store on West Main Street.

Merry Christmas!

16 Dec. 15, 2011 • yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Land conservancy buys mountain for $2.75 million Overmountain Victory Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and U.S. 19 E, and with protection could become part of the Audubon Society’s Roan Mountain global ranking as an important bird area.

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519 Hwy 19E Bypass Beside JBs Bargains • 284-4207

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Asheville, and the practice has a location at 50 Bowman Drive, in Waynesville.

D a w s o n ’s c a r d is featured here, in WNCParent, and on the practice w e b s i t e a t w w w. greatbeginningspedo. com.

they sent out about 300 of the cards.

“We send out our Christmas cards to all the dentists around, and the pediatricians and the people we work with.”

Dawson is the grandson of Charles and Belinda Autrey of Green Mountain and Ronnie and Ruth Silvers of Burnsville.

He is the greatgrandson of Jay and Robbie Autrey of Burnsville.

The dental office he goes to is located at 10B Yorkshire St.,

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We have new coats/scarfs and accessories! We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and Happy New Year!

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Local child’s Christmas card wins dentist office contest

Dawson Wesley Silvers put his artistic skills to work and designed a Christmas Card that won a art contest sponsored

by Great Beginnings Pediatric and Adole s c e n t D e n t a l Specialists, where he is a patient.

Dawson, the fiveyear-old son of Rohn and Olivia Silvers of Green Mountain, Kim Dawson, a won a $50 gift card to spokeswoman for the Walmart as his prize. dental office, said they have been asking their young patients to design their Christmas cards for three years.

“The kids get a big kick out of it. The first year we had maybe 10 entries, the second year 20; this year maybe 50.”

She said

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been an outstanding partner in helping to evaluate which properties to prioritize for protection,” Pugliese said. “In these lean times we want to be very strategic about reducing costs of management by buying only the tracts that fit into an overall conservation vision for the landscape.”

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was established in 1974 to help protect the route of the Appalachian Trail through the Roan Highlands. Since that time it has protected land using conservation easements and land purchases from Cataloochee Ranch on the edge of the Smokies, tracts at Mount Mitchell State Park, and lands throughout the Roan Highlands in North Carolina and Tennessee. The organization says it has put 49,000 acres of land into protected status.

The property – with its signature twin peaks – is visible from the Appalachian Trail, the

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From Page 8 When no one else bid SAHC took title and ownership, Leutze said. “We have to pay the unpaid back taxes that had accumulated, but we’re hopeful we can raise the money to do that. People really love this mountain and we are getting a lot of support.”

Leutze said residents should be able to join a guided hike of the property in the spring, and information will be posted at www. appalachian.org. “As with every property we purchase we will write a management plan to protect the fragile conservation features first.

After that we can figure out the best way to share the property with the public. We have some safety concerns with the road that we’ll have to take into account.”

Eventually the land trust may transfer the property to the state for inclusion in the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area. “The state has

Mon-Fri 10-6 • Thurs: extended hours Saturday 10-4

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Aldridge Eye Institute wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Holiday Sale 40% OFF 30% on all

Christmas Items and

Select Merchandise up to

50% OFF

Open Mon - Sat 9-5 113 West Main Street, Burnsville (next to the Hilltop) 828-682-1454