Yancey County News

Share photographs of your Christmas lights! Email them to jonathan@yanceycountynews.com!

50 cents

Yancey County News Brush Creek - Burnsville - Cane River

yanceycountynews.com

Crabtree - Egypt - Green Mountain - Jacks Creek

Pensacola - Price’s Creek - Ramseytown - South Toe

vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Dec. 22, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 50

Community mourns McIntosh’s death

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

Well over 1,000 people turned out to bid farewell to former Yancey County Sheriff Clyde McIntosh Sunday at Holcombe Bros.

Funeral Home in Burnsville. According to longtime residents, they felt the need to say goodbye to a man they respected.

“He was a very community-minded man,” said Bill Riddle of Burnsville. “He always wanted to do the right thing.”

McIntosh, 79, was elected sheriff in 1986 and served for four years. A Navy veteran,

he was described as a successful entrepreneur and a charter and active member of the Yancey County Camp of the Gideon’s International.

“He was certainly well respected in the c o m m u n i t y, ” s a i d County Commissioner Marvin Holland, from “a very strong-knit, loving family.”

“He was a big

influence on me,” said County Commission Chairman Johnny Riddle. “He helped me a whole lot.”

Bill Riddle said McIntosh took his time trying to make good decisions. “He was a very quiet guy; he wasn’t quick to make rash decisions. He’d think things over and ponder a lot” before acting. As sheriff, he was “very strict. He didn’t have any favorites. He wasn’t obligated to anybody. In fact, that’s what he would say. If you ever did anything for him, he wanted to pay for it. He didn’t want to be obligated to you.”

See page 5

Yancey, Mitchell dogs poisoned

Burnsville Florist donated this beautiful Christmas tree that graces the main hall in the Yancey County Courthouse.

Merry Christmas from your neighbors at

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News Several dogs have died of poisoning in recent days in Yancey and Mitchell counties, and a local vet and the Yancey Humane Society fear someone is poisoning them.

Dr. Jennie Stewart, o w n e r o f S t e w a r t ’s Mountain View Animal Hospital, said she saw two dogs about 10 days ago that exhibited signs of poisoning and died.

Then others were located suffering the symptoms of poisoning. “They had been missing, and were found out in the woods,” she said.

Those dogs were suffering seizures when found.

“We definitely suspect antifreeze poisoning,” she said.

Then “this week, a golden retriever was brought in very sick,” she said. “I was in the process of drawing blood when it started seizing. That particular owner had her other dog die a week before

with the same symptoms.”

Stewart said the dogs are from the N.C. 80 North – Newdale area.

“At least five dogs” have died of poisoning in that neighborhood, plus another two closer to Spruce Pine.

“At least seven have died in suspicious deaths.”

What worries Stewart and others is that two of the dogs that died were in a fenced yard.

“Other dogs are missing,” so they may not know the exact number poisoned, she said.

Tim Tipton, the executive director of t h e Ya n c e y H u m a n e Society, said his agency is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person who poisons dogs in Yancey County.

He said anyone with information should call the society at 682-9510.

Pet owners must be vigilant, Tipton said.

See page 6

2

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Your Schools

State wins up to $70 million in Race to the Top funds

The White House announced last Friday that North Carolina is one of nine states that will receive grant awards from the $500 million Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge fund, a competitive grant program jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.

Education must be our national mission,” said President Barack Obama. “All of us must work to give all our children the best education possible. And today, we’re acting to strengthen early childhood education to better prepare our youngest children for success in school and in life” Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius made the announcement of state grantees this morning at a White House event with over 100 early learning and development experts, educators, policymakers, and researchers.

“In a matter of months, early education and child development experts throughout the country, together with state and local leaders, worked to build comprehensive plans for expanding access to high-quality early learning,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “All applicants showed tremendous dedication and drive to build stronger foundations and create greater opportunities for more children. Their work will help lead the way in ensuring excellent early learning and support for every child.”

“A strong educational system is critical not just for our children but also for our nation’s economic future,” said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. “The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge takes a holistic approach to early education, promotes innovation, and focuses on what it takes to help put young children on the path of learning, opportunity, and success.”

Through the competition, 35 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico have created plans to increase access to high-quality programs for children from low-income families, providing more children from birth to age 5 with a strong foundation they need for success in school and beyond. The number and list of winners was determined both by the quality of the applications and the funds available.

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge will support the work of the nine state grantees to develop new approaches to raising the bar across early learning centers and to close the school readiness gap. Awards will invest in grantees’ work to build statewide systems of high-quality early learning and development programs. These investments will impact all early learning programs, including Head Start, public pre-K, childcare, and private preschools. Key reforms will include: aligning and raising standards for existing early learning and development programs; improving training and support for the early learning workforce through evidencebased practices; and building robust evaluation systems that promote effective practices and programs to help parents make informed decisions.

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge is a key part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive early learning

agenda. Alongside improvements in childcare and strengthening of the Head Start program, the agenda aims to guide all children down a path of success in kindergarten and beyond.

Race to the Top, an education reform initiative announced by President Obama in 2009, has been a catalyst for advancing stateled efforts to improve education. In rounds one and two, eleven states – Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee – and D.C. secured grants to invest in K-12 reform plans that raise academic standards, improve teacher and principal quality, build cradle to career data systems and turnaround persistently lowperforming schools.

The fiscal year 2011 budget provided an additional $700 million to invest in early learning and elementary and post secondary education reform. In addition to the $500 million awarded to Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grantees, seven states - Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania – have applied for a share of the $200 million to invest in K-12 education reform. Awards will be announced later this month.

State data relevant to the Race to the TopEarly Learning Challenge along with peer reviewers’ scores and comments will be posted online later today. Grant awards will range from around $50 million up to $100 million, depending on State population and proposed plans. Budgets will be finalized after discussions between the grantees and the Departments, and states will draw down funds in accordance with their plans.

While the exact amount of the grant will be announced later, the state’s application was for approximately $70 million. North Carolina’s grant will allow the state to strengthen efforts to ensure that all children are able to start kindergarten with a strong foundation for future learning.

“All children in a classroom benefit if everyone starts kindergarten ready to succeed,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “North Carolina’s early childhood system is a national leader, and

this grant will allow us to take dramatic steps forward toward the goal I have set of assuring that every child has the chance to succeed in school and life.”

Quality early childhood programs have proven to produce better education, health, family and economic outcomes. Effective early education from birth to age five correlates with school readiness, academic achievement, college graduation, good citizenship and a productive workforce.

“North Carolina has long been a leader in early childhood education. Through awarding North Carolina this grant, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have recognized our past and Gov. Perdue’s vision for providing a bright future for all of our young people,” said State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison. “As with Race to the Top—K-12, this early learning grant will allow our state to move further and faster.”

The state’s grant application proposed several initiatives including: • Increasing the quality of early learning programs in underserved areas.

• Expanding diagnostic screening programs to ensure early intervention for health and developmental problems for children.

• Improving and expanding systems to gauge children’s progress.

• Providing incentives and resources to support and strengthen the state’s early childhood workforce.

• Providing training and assistance to help early childhood educators better engage family members in a child’s early development.

• Establishing a “Transformation Zone” in selected high-need counties in Northeastern North Carolina. Counties would be eligible for focused programs designed to improve the lives of young children and families.

“Today, North Carolina’s youngest children moved one step closer to a brighter future thanks to the magnificent work of a dedicated group of people who made winning this grant a true ‘holiday gift’ for us all,” said Dr. Olson Huff, board chairman of the North Carolina Partnership for Children.

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. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 3

Opinion/Outlooks

Heath Shuler’s weekly legislative update Last week the U.S. House of Representatives was in session Monday through Friday voting on numerous year-end legislative packages, including H.R. 2055, an appropriations bill to fund federal programs through Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.

I joined an overwhelming bipartisan majority of my colleagues in the House in supporting H.R. 2055, which ensures the federal government will remain open and running through September 2012. This legislation represents a true compromise between Democrats and Republicans in the House, and I was pleased to see that compromise reflected in balanced spending priorities throughout the bill.

H.R. 2055 maintains adequate funding for important programs including education, job training, national defense, and veterans’ services, while slashing $6 billion from FY2011 spending levels. It provides our small businesses and state and local governments with the tools they need to plan ahead for the current fiscal year, and ensures Congress is spending tax-payer dollars responsibly while acting in the best interest of the American people. H.R. 2055 passed the House by a margin of 296 to 12.

I also supported H.R. 3672, an appropriations bill to provide funding for disaster aid and recovery assistance for disaster emergencies.

H.R. 3672 also included funding for an initiative to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in government entitlement programs. This bill passed the House handily by a bipartisan margin of 351 to 67.

Last week also I signed onto a bipartisan letter urging my colleagues in Congress to preserve the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which some in the House have proposed cutting to fund unrelated initiatives.

For decades, the LWCF has been the primary source of funding for land acquisition and outdoor recreation by the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The Fund helps states acquire recreational land and waters for outdoor recreational activities,

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.

including hunting and fishing. Western North Carolina relies heavily on support from LWCF, and I am hopeful that this letter will ensure the program continues to receive the strong level of bipartisan support it has traditionally enjoyed in the past.

Lastly, I was happy to announce on Friday that North Carolina has been selected to receive a $69.9 million grant award from the prestigious Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge fund to support early childhood education. Investing in high-quality early education is one of the most important steps we can take to put our children on the path to success in school and in life, and this funding will strengthen and improve access to early learning programs for our youngest students in Western North Carolina and throughout

the state.

North Carolina has consistently performed well in the Race to the Top competition. In November, I sent a letter to the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services in strong support of North Carolina’s grant application for the Early Learning Challenge. I was thrilled that the Secretary of Education not only chose North Carolina as one of nine Early Learning Challenge grant recipients, but ranked our state as the very top applicant of all 35 states that competed for the funding.

The House will be in session this week until an agreement on federal tax extensions has been reached and will then recess until Jan. 3.

I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Notes from Sen. Richard Burr

It’s been in Washington. Below is a summary of what I’ve been up to: While I remain concerned about extending the temporary payroll tax holiday, this bill contained appropriate offsets to pay for the extension, and the job creating provisions in the bill that provide for work on the Keystone Pipeline are difficult to oppose. In addition to creating jobs, the Keystone Pipeline represents a step towards greater energy security for America, which ultimately equates to national security. The bill also contained very important provisions to appropriately reimburse doctors who treat Medicare patients, which is vital for the millions of Americans who enjoy benefits under that program.

“I voted against the omnibus spending bill for one simple reason, it spends too much money.

Despite being one of the primary responsibilities of Congress, it has been over two years since we have passed an actual budget. That is inexcusable, and we must pass a fiscally responsible budget that reins in federal spending and puts our country back on the path to fiscal sanity and economic recovery. The American people deserve a transparent, responsible budget, not just more of the same.”

HELP COMMITTEE Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on the importance of ensuring that children are free from abuse and neglect. As Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, I delivered opening remarks on the issue. To truly ensure our children are safe, both children and adults must break the silence of abuse. However, since children who are being abused live a life of fear and shame and are thus least able and likely to come forward, adults must be responsible for breaking the silence of abuse.

As one of our witnesses said, ‘child … abuse is a grown-up problem.’

It is important for us to remember that most instances of abuse against kids, sexual or physical, occurs not across state lines or on the Internet but in our own neighborhoods and communities and by folks we know. Since the vast majority of abuse is occurring so close to home, it is critical that we train and empower adults to know the signs of abuse and to know what to do when they see it or suspect it.

Last week was busy for the Senate HELP

Committee, and I was pleased that the Committee voted to strengthen our ability to respond to an attack or emergency by reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act on Wednesday. With reports that Al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula is actively trying to produce toxic weapons, countries like Iran seeking weapons-grade nuclear technology, and potential homegrown terror threats, this bill is absolutely vital to America’s national security. Since Congress passed the original PAHPA law in 2006, we have made great strides in getting our nation better prepared to handle a bioterror attack or public health emergency, but there is still much work to be done. This bill will enhance existing programs through improvements based on the lessons we have learned over the past five years, including from the H1N1 pandemic and disasters at home and abroad. In addition, the bill will strengthen medical countermeasures by ensuring that the FDA has the tools it needs to respond to modern day threats.

VETERANS AFFAIRS A week ago, 40 Marine veterans and surviving family members sent a letter to President Obama urging him to help gain passage of the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act (S. 277). I introduced this bill to provide health care to veterans and their family members who have experienced adverse health effects as a result of exposure to well-water contaminated by human carcinogens at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. This legislation, which will provide care to those who have endured tremendous pain through no fault of their own, passed out of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in June with bipartisan support.

The authors of this letter have two things in common: male breast cancer and service at Camp Lejeune. The discovery of this unusually high instance of this disease among those who served at Camp Lejeune underscores the severity of the water contamination decades ago. Thousands of veterans and their family members who lived and served on the base are now fighting cancers and other diseases that have left them unable to lead full lives, and many others have died. Providing the survivors with targeted VA health care will send a strong signal of Congressional support for their care and welfare and ensure they are not forgotten.

4 Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Obituaries Clyde McIntosh

Clyde McIntosh, 79, of the Jacks Creek Community in Yancey County, went home to be with the Lord Friday, December 16, 2011. A lifelong resident of Yancey County, he was the son of the late Carl and Omega Evans McIntosh. He was preceded in death by brothers: Carl Lee and Nealy McIntosh.

Clyde served in the Navy and was a successful entrepreneur. He served as Sheriff of Yancey County from 1986-1990. Among his many loves were his family, friends, church and community.

He was a lifelong member of Riverside Baptist Church. Clyde was active in many organizations, including being a charter and active member of the Yancey County Camp of the Gideon’s International. He also worked hard to promote the Democratic Party throughout his life, and received the prestigious Mountain Democrat of the Year award in 2001.

Clyde was a loving husband to Glenna Thomas McIntosh for 42 years. He was the proud father of Jean Leigh McIntosh of Athens, Ga., Jill Austin and husband, Dale, of Burnsville, and Samuel McIntosh, also of Burnsville. Clyde was the grandfather of Linsay Austin Marelli and husband, Jim, of Memphis, Tenn., Nealy McIntosh of Burnsville, Molly McIntosh of Asheville and Avery McIntosh Austin of Burnsville. He was a devoted brother to Grace Silvers of Burnsville, and a brother to Carl McIntosh of Columbia, S.C. Clyde had numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, who were very dedicated to him.

Funeral service was held Sunday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. Burial was in Wilson Cemetery on John Henry Road.

Memorials may be made to Gideon’s International, P. O. Box 264, Burnsville, NC 28714.

Burnsville. Tiffany had attended the Summer Funshine Camp since the start. She was the captain of the cheerleaders of the N.C. Outreach Home Care. She was a 2004 graduate of Mountain Heritage High School and a member of Celo United Methodist Church. Tiffany was an angel on earth.

Surviving, in addition to her parents, are her twin sister Tabitha Hope Thomas; three brothers: Jeff Thomas of the home, Greg Thomas and wife, Addie, and Dustin Proffitt and wife, Kirsten; a special niece, Allyson Thomas; maternal grandmother: Mary Carroll all of Burnsville, and a host of special friends and family.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.

The Rev. Tom Robertson will officiate.

Memorials may be made to Friends Across North Carolina, c/o Karen McKenzie, 1080 Brinkley Road, Carthage, NC 28327.

Eula Adkins

Eula Adkins, 82, of Burnsville, went home to be with the Lord Sunday, December 18, 2011, at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of the late Dove and Hester Adkins. She was preceded in death by a sister: Hazel Hensley, and, an infant sister: Bulah.

Eula was a former member of Byrd’s Chapel Baptist Church and presently a member of West Burnsville Baptist Church.

Surviving are two sisters: Glessie Miller and Chloe Ella Ray of Burnsville; and, five nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 11AM Thursday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. Pastors Ricky Ray and Raymond Phillips will officiate. Burial will be in the Adkins Cemetery at Bent Creek.

The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

native of West Virginia, he was a son of the late Vermont and Nellie Luzader Messenger and the husband of Frances Powell Messenger.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Yancey Funeral Service.

Robert Somers

Robert “Bob” Charles Somers, 67, of Burnsville, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, December 19th, 2011 in Mission Hospital. A native of Providence, Rhode Island, he was a son of Ralph and Elsie Miller Somers. He was a police office, who loved his job, and especially standing up for the “underdog”. He enjoyed working as a Guardian Ad Litem for the surrounding counties through the Department of Social Services. Bob and his wife, Linda, were foster parents for a number of years and he was a volunteer with the Yancey County Rescue Squad for over 20 years.

Surviving are his wife Linda TownsendSomers; daughter, Casandra Townsend of Seattle, Wash., and special friend, Ernie Pinto of Pensacola. Numerous other friends also survive.

No services are planned at this time. Yancey Funeral Service is serving the Somers family.

Ralph Carroll

Ralph Carroll, 72, of Morganton, passed away Tuesday, December 20, 2011, at Magnolia Lane Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Luther and Cora Queen Carroll. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Virginia Carroll Nelson.

Surviving are two brothers: Jack Carroll and wife, Maxine, of Morganton and Paul Ray Carroll and wife, Elaine, of Greer, S.C.; a brother-in-law: Howard Nelson of Burnsville, and several nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m.

Tuesday in the Boone Cemetery on Plum Branch.

The Rev. Kenneth Nelson will officiate.

Tiffany Renee Thomas Memorials may be made to Burke Hospice Tiffany Renee Thomas, 25, of Laurel Heights and Palliative Care, 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, Gail Messenger Drive went to spend Christmas with Jesus Gail Leonard Messenger, 93, of the Busick NC 28690.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

Communtiy, went home to be with the Lord on Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home is assisting A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of Robert and Tammy Carroll Thomas of Wednesday, December 21, 2011, at this home. A the Carroll family.

Firm fined $421k for illegal calls A Virginia telemarketing company that placed illegal telemarketing calls to North Carolina residents, including those on the Do Not Call Registry, has been permanently banned from calling North Carolina telephone numbers, announced Attorney General Roy Cooper.

“We’re sending the message that we don’t tolerate telemarketers skirting the law and calling people who’ve said they don’t want to be bothered,” said Cooper. “When North Carolina consumers join the Do Not Call Registry, telemarketers need to respect their wishes.”

Wake County Superior Court Judge Lucy N. Inman agreed this week with Cooper’s request to enter a default judgment and permanent injunction against Media Synergy Group, LLC of Richmond and its president Louis G. Anton. The court order bans the defendant and any employees or agents from

placing any telemarketing calls, prerecorded or live, to North Carolina telephone numbers.

The court has also ordered the defendants to pay $421,500 in civil penalties to the state.

In July 2009, Cooper filed suit against Media Synergy Group after hearing from consumers that the telemarketer made unsolicited sales calls to North Carolinians including to those who had joined the Do Not Call Registry. The company used automatic dialers to make calls and deliver a prerecorded message when an answering machine picked up. These so-called robocalls are illegal under North Carolina law unless a live caller first introduces the call and asks if you’re willing to listen to a recorded message.

Cooper’s office first alerted Media Synergy Group to complaints against the company in 2009 and they promised to take care of the problem but then

continued to call North Carolina consumers, leaving messages attempting to sell commercial travel services and NASCAR tickets and paraphernalia.

To report illegal telemarketing calls like these, North Carolina consumers can call 1-877-5-NOSCAM toll-free within the state or file a complaint online. To cut down on unwanted telemarketing calls, North Carolinians can add their home and mobile telephone numbers to the Do Not Call Registry by calling 1-888-3821222 from the number they wish to register or visiting www.donotcall. gov .

“Consumers who have signed up for the Do Not Call Registry deserve the right to peace and quiet,” said Cooper. “I urge consumers to continue to let my office know if a company violates their rights.”

State gas tax set to go up North Carolina’s gasoline tax is going up by almost 4 cents a gallon starting in January, the state Department of Revenue says.

The department said in a statement Wednesday that the motor fuels tax would increase by 3.9 cents per gallon to 38.9 cents Jan. 1.

The state House of Representatives agreed to cap the tax at 35 cents for six months, but the Senate declined, saying it would take money away from highway funding.

The average price per gallon in North Carolina Dec. 21 was $3.23, according to AAA.

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 5

Former Sheriff McIntosh laid to rest From Page 1 Former County Commission Chairman Walter Savage said he respected and appreciated McIntosh. “ I cannot remember hearing him raise his voice in anger; always very calm and sedate. He would let you know where he stood, but always very calm.”

“I think he was a good sheriff,” Savage said. “When people had problems, he would go and talk to them. People respected him and his officers.”

A lifelong resident of Yancey County, McIntosh was the son of the late Carl and Omega Evans McIntosh. He was married for 42 years to Glenna Thomas McIntosh, and he was the father of Leigh McIntosh of Athens, Ga., and Jill Austin and Samuel McIntosh, both of Burnsville.

Commenting on the visitation at the funeral home, Commissioner Holland said, “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one as well attended.

They had a three-hour visitation and they had David Banks Jr. was inducted into Mu Kappa Lambda Honor Society on Friday afternoon, December 16. Pictured to cut that line off” so the funeral service could are (l-r): Wade Zachary, adjunct faculty member and Vice President of Mu Kappa Lambda; David Banks Jr.; Marie get under way. The line stretched out to East Nicholson, Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies at Mars Hill College; Mike Groce, Chair of the Mars Hill College Main Street and up the hill, and “the family Board of Trustees; Dr. Dan Lunsford, President of Mars Hill College; and Dr. John Wells, Executive Vice President of came out” and walked the line to acknowledge Mars Hill College. and thank everyone who had come,” Holland said. “They’re a good family.”

The funeral home estimated the turnout at more than 1,200.

Several area residents received their degrees chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda, a national Holland – a Republican commenting on a last week in ceremonies at Mars Hill College. honor society devoted to the advancement lifelong Democrat – said McIntosh was a good man who held strong to his faith. “He’s with Burnsville graduates were: David Brown of scholarship and to the recognition of Banks Jr., Jessie Logan Buchanan, Kimberlyn nontraditional and adult students who are the Lord now, I have no doubt about that.”

Christine Lindsay, Shentell L. Ramsey, Karen continuing their higher education. The Society Denise Stevens Gurley and Russell Patrick was established in 1945 and now exists in Williams. Alicia Kim Briggs of Micaville also over 300 institutional chapters throughout graduated.Others with local ties include: Judi the country. To be eligible for induction into Lee Davids, Jessica Lynn Harwood, Victor Mu Kappa Lambda, a continuing education Louis Herring Jr., and Cheryl M. Smith, all student must have completed 24 hours of of Mars Hill.Banks, a business management graded coursework, while maintaining a major from Burnsville, was inducted into Mu grade point average of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale and The unemployment rate in North Carolina Kappa Lambda, the Mars Hill College honor a position in the top 10 percent of his or her decreased in November to 10 percent, down society for adult students, in a ceremony class. from 10.4 percent. Total nonfarm jobs grew last Friday.Mu Kappa Lambda is the local

Local residents graduate Mars Hill College

State unemployment rate ticks downward

slightly by 3,800 in November with the private sector gaining 4,600 jobs. The public sector shed 800 jobs.

“The drop in the unemployment rate was significant,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll.

“However, the focus must remain on growing jobs in our state. The private sector has experienced moderate growth over the past year. We are strongly committed to Gov. Perdue’s mission on jobs for North Carolina.”

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey increased by 3,800 to 3,876,800 in November. The largest overthe-month employment increase occurred in trade, transportation and utilities (+5,400).

Since November 2010, private sector jobs have increased by 30,800. Over-the-year, the government sector had the largest job losses with 11,200.

The number of people unemployed decreased by 16,385 to 451,413. The number of people employed increased by 12,822 (seasonally adjusted), to 4,051,226. Since this time last year, the number of people unemployed has increased by 12,215. The state unemployment rate in November 2010 was 9.8 percent.

The next unemployment update is scheduled for Wednesday, January 4, when the county unemployment rates for the month of November will be released.

Occupational training funds available in area

Project Skill-Up is funded by the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to support short-term occupational skills training for NC residents who reside in areas adversely impacted by changes in the tobacco industry.

Training must be in high growth industries.

Primary consideration is given to students from families directly affected by the decline of the tobacco industry. However, all students who meet the guidelines listed are eligible to apply.

To be eligible, a person must: be a permanent resident of Avery, Mitchell, or Yancey counties; be 18 years of age or older; be unemployed or underemployed (less than 20 hours per week); and must complete a Career Readiness Certification (CRC) assessment and test before receiving certification in occupational programs.

Three levels of certification are available based on the student’s score: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Even if with a high school diploma or GED, the CRC credential verifies that a person can handle tasks common in today’s workplace. Regional industries recognize the CRC as a screening tool for applicants.

Costs for books and other expenses related to education (if any) will not be covered by the Project Skill-Up grant.

For information on Project Skill-Up opportunities and approved courses or CRC testing and lab schedules please contact Ted Ollis at 1-800-462-9526 ext. 267.

NCNPA offers logo contest

The North Carolina Natural Products Association (NCNPA) is running a logo design contest. The prize is $250 if you submit the winning logo design, plus we will give you recognition on our website for your winning design.

Start with our old logo and refresh/redesign it, keeping in mind our organization and its mission. Put on your thinking cap and get creative. Make sure the design can be legible from 20 feet if printed in color or black & white on a 4 inch x 4 inch paper A round or oval design would be preferred to a square or rectangle shape. The final artwork resolution should be 600-1000 dpi or a file size 4 megabits minimum.

If selected, your design becomes a trademark and the property of NCNPA. Submit your design to us before January 14. We will review all submissions and announce the winners following our next Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 19.

You can see the current logo at https://sites.google. com/site/NCNaturalProductsAssociation/home.

SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED?

Burnsville Health & Nutrition now offers biofeedback or LSA (Limbic Stress Analysis) through Donna Daniel, a certified natural health professional. LSA tests for allergies • heart health • heavy metals • hormonal imbalances • kidneys • lungs • diabetes • viruses • bacteria • parasites • Candida • sleep problems • digestive issues • adrenal • thyroid • fibromyalgia • chronic fatigue and much more.

Contact Burnsville Health & Nutrition at 682-4645 to schedule your appointment.

LIMITED APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE!

6

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

UARA Racing

Top Ten Countdown: Alex Yontz brings home fifth If ever a driver knows how tough the competition level in the UARA is, it is one young man named Alex Yontz. Yontz made his debut run with the UARA in 2002 at the ripe age of 15. He ran only the season opener at Hickory Motor Speedway that year but is probably the only driver to have competed in at least one event every year the UARA has been running. The Yontz family are well known and liked throughout the racing circuit and are firm members of the UARA family.

His experience shows on the track as he is one of the top competitors for the series and always stands a chance to win.

Yontz returned to the UARA on March 12, for his 10th year of racing with the STARS under the watchful eye of Ed Berrier and the Cardinal Motorsports team.

He finished 2011 with a solid fifth place finish in the Championship Points.

Yontz competitive nature is evidenced not only with his current history but also in his past on the UARA circuit. In 2006 Yontz ran a strong second to Brandon Ward a mere 26 points behind in the finish. 2008 found Yontz once again in the runner up position with a tiny14 point deficit to winner Jake Crum and two laps shy of being the driver with the most laps lead in 2008.

While his time ran out chasing down Steve Wallace during the series’ second visit to Newport in 2011, his hard work still paid off. Unfortunately for Wallace he

was disqualified due to post race inspection, but Yontz was glad to step in and take the win. His team celebrated a much deserved win during the pre-race ceremony at the following race, which was Concord the following weekend.

Along with Yontz’s win for 2011, he won the Five Star 1st place award at Newport. Kingsport and Lonesome Pine were two tracks that seemed to be good to Yontz, claiming many awards at both.

Between the two visits to Kingsport

Yontz won Swift’s 3rd place award, Circle Wheel 4th place award, and G-Force Shift of the race. At the Pine, he brought home Joe Gibb’s 7th place award and Tilton’s 10th place award. He also won Tilton’s fifth place award during a visit to Rockingham.

Yontz has also branched out to other late model races. This past year, he competed in the wellknown Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 late model race at Martinsville.

Reward offered after dogs are poisoned From the front “You have to be on top of it.

If you see your dog displaying symptoms of being drunk or stumbling, get immediate attention.”

He and Stewart said pet owners should take their animals to emergency vet clinics in Asheville, Boone or in Johnson City if symptoms are seen.

These clinics are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays: • The Animal Emergency & Pet Clinic of the High Country is at 1710 N.C. 105 in Boone. Please call ahead before visiting at (828) 2682833.

• Regional Emergency Animal Care Hospital is at 677 Brevard Road, Asheville.

Its number is (828) 665-4399.

• Airport Pet Emergency Clinic is located at 2436 Highway 75 in Blountsville, Tenn. It is open MondayThursday 6 p.m. - 8 a.m., and from Friday 6 p.m. until Monday at 8 a.m. Its phone is (423) 279-0574.

“We want to get the word out,” Stewart said, “to see if anybody else has had dogs disappear, missing, or die of similar symptoms. I have submitted samples to be tested, so I hope to get some answers.”

She said both dogs and cats will be attracted to antifreeze.

“It is sweet.” She said it is still possible that the poisonings are accidental, but with two dogs poisoned in a fenced in yard she is worried this is malicious poisoning.” Some people will purposefully put

out antifreeze for the stray dog getting in the garbage, or for coyotes,” she said. “If they are tossing something in someone’s fence, that is absolutely malicious. Don’t let your dogs out without being on a leash.”

She said symptoms initially are that a dog acts drunk. “Kind of staggering, lethargic, sleepy, then they get very sick, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, drinking a lot or urinating a lot.” At later stages, the pet is going into kidney failure.

“If you have had a dog with similar symptoms, call Yancey County shelter or myself, so we can try to get an accurate number.

Stewart’s clinic is in Spruce Pine 2918 U.S. 19E. The telephone is 828-765-7059.

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

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.

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 7

Answering the questions posed in recent letters to the editor This is a recap of questions asked in recent letters to the editor about the criminal investigation into the 2010 general election, and answers - as best this newspaper can provide them - to those questions.

Regarding the fact that people being arrested in late 2010 were registering to vote soon after their arrest: You gave the dates of the arrests and/ or convictions or the dismissals of charges against them, but it was not clear to me how those dates related to the dates of their absentee ballot applications or the dates of elections. What is the sequence of events?

Did they file for absentee ballots before or after their charges were reduced or dismissed?

How closely in time? You need to document the sequential and temporal relationships between these events in order to reveal a pattern which would clearly suggest impropriety.

Many of the individuals whose ballots were witnessed by deputies had records of arrests and convictions dating back years. We could not determine if the officer who witnessed the ballot was also ever the arresting officer.

We thought it newsworthy to document how deputies employed by a candidate for office were willing to witness ballots for individuals who had apparently spend time behind bars in the county jail.

Regarding those people who were arrested in the days or weeks leading up to the general election: We tried to only include cases in which individuals registered and/or voted while they were awaiting trial, had recently seen their charges dropped or reduced, or had their court date delayed until after election day.

Several of the individuals had been facing serious felony charges but saw those charges reduced to misdemeanors.

But law-abiding residents were also casting votes that may be under investigation by the state. Some have told the newspaper that thensheriff’s Capt. Judy Ledford brought them them their absentee ballots, apparently waited while the ballot was completed, witnessed the ballot for them, then carried the ballot away.

The Yancey County News randomly telephoned a sampling of the voters whose ballots were witnessed by Ledford to ask how they had obtained their ballot. Some said they couldn’t remember. Some said it came in the mail and that Ledford offered to witness it and return the completed ballot to be counted.

One voter said Ledford “just brought us the absentee ballots to vote. She took them back with her.” Another was asked “did Judy bring it?” and the reply was “Yes.” Asked “Did Judy take it back with her?” the response was, “As far as I know she did.”

When this was first reported in June, Sheriff Gary Banks told the Yancey County News that he believed the voters “are mistaken.

Their memory is incorrect. I don’t think Judy Ledford would do that. I think that’s long enough ago that they may be mistaken.”

State law says that “the county board of elections shall be sole custodian of blank applications for absentee ballots, official ballots, and container-return envelopes for absentee ballots. The board shall issue and deliver blank applications for absentee ballots.”

That means the delivery of ballot applications, ballots, or container-return envelopes by anyone not employed by the board of elections is a crime.

Does the sheriff ’s department routinely witness absentee ballot applications for other citizens as well, not only for citizens who’ve been arrested? Why? Are they sent downstairs by the elections commissioner’s office to get a witness signature?

Deputies did witness ballots for other citizens, including for a large number of their extended family. That could represent legal and aggressive ‘get out the vote’ efforts which anyone can perform for the benefit of their preferred candidate.

Any adult can witness an absentee ballot, and most of the deputies mentioned in our reports did witness more ballots for people who had no Department of Corrections record than those with incarceration records. At least one, though, appeared to witness more ballots for people with criminal records that for those without.

The sheriff ’s office and the board of elections are in different buildings on opposite sides of town, so there is no suggestion that ballot witnessing was for convenience.

Election officials say evidence that deputies are witnessing mail-in absentee ballots is often a red flag that might suggest the possibility of intimidation.

Have you attempted to interview the persons identified in the articles?

The newspaper has attempted to interview people who have had ballots witnessed by deputies, as reported in June and previously in this article. Technology, in fact, makes it harder to find people in a community if they don’t own a home, because they likely only have a cell phone and their numbers are not listed in the phone book. Some of the individuals in question listed one address on their appliaction but asked to have their absentee ballot mailed to another locations. As reported previously, 11 absentee voters asked that their ballots be mailed to a single-wide trailer located at 74 Wisteria Lane.

Does Yancey County have an unusually large percentage of absentee ballots, compared to other N.C. counties?

Both one-stop and write-in mailed ballots are defined as “absentee” votes under North Carolina law. Using that definition, nearly half of all Yancey County votes cast in the 2010 general election were absentee votes.

No county had a higher turnout in the 2010 general election than Yancey, with 62.93 percent. The next highest statewide was in Graham County, with 59.70 percent. Locally, Mitchell County saw 47.27 percent; Avery County had 43.87 percent; Buncombe saw 45.69 percent, and Madison had 51.36 percent registered voter turnout.

In the Yancey County sheriff’s race, 1,199 people voted using mail-in absentee ballots, out of 9,395 total votes cast in that race. That means 12.76 percent of votes cast in the sheriff’s race were mail-in absentee ballots.

How does that stack up to other counties?

Well, while one of the following counties had an uncontested sheriff’s races in 2010, it is still noteworthy that the sheriff’s races in Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, Haywood and Transylvania counties combined attracted a total of only 1,200 mail-in absentee ballots. So Yancey voters cast 1,199 ballots by mail in one sheriff’s race, while sheriff’s races in five other counties together saw just 1 more ballot cast using that method. Those five counties have a combined population of more than 173,000 residents, while Yancey has a population of

fewer than 18,000 people.

In Madison County, 277 people cast votes in the sheriff’s race using mail-in absentee ballots. Only one candidate was on the ballot for the sheriff’s race in Mitchell County, and 156 people cast mail-in absentee votes in that race. In McDowell County, 174 voters cast mail-in absentee ballots in the sheriff’s race. In Haywood County, 334 voters cast mail-in absentee votes in the sheriff’s race.

In Transylvania County, 259 people voted in the sheriff’s race via mail-in absentee ballot.

While not included in the above comparison, it is interesting to note that in the Buncombe County sheriff’s race, 1,585 voters cast mail-in absentee ballots, out of 79,334 votes cast for sheriff. That means fewer than 0.02 percent of the votes cast in the Buncombe County sheriff’s race were mail-in absentee ballots, versus the 12-plus percent in Yancey.

Does anyone record the postmarks from which absentee ballots are mailed? If not, shouldn’t they? Isn’t the intent of absentee voting to enable people to cast their votes when they know in advance that they’ll be out of town on election day? So are they actually mailed from out-of-town? From where? Is it a random set of locations and postmark times/ dates? Or, do batches of them come in with postmarks stamped with a single location and date? Do many of them come in with local postmarks? (If so, why are they casting absentee ballots?) Are there any obvious patterns?

Almost all of the applications for absentee ballots were postmarked ‘Asheville’ which is the common postmark for any mail put in postal drop boxes. Absentee ballot applications seemed to arrive in batches, according to the date stamp on the postmarks.

Other patterns among absentee ballot applications were obvious. For example, scores of applications had identical and distinctive handwriting on the return envelope.

The Yancey County News identified several groupings of absentee ballot applications that appear to have been addressed by a small group of individuals. The newspaper has been able to tentatively identify one of the individuals who filled out these applications, based on a comparison of the handwriting on the many application envelopes she filled out and the handwriting on her own absentee ballot appliation.

As for whether the postmarks are recorded: All absentee ballot applications, paperwork, and actual mailed ballots must be kept by the local board for a certain period of time as detailed in North Carolina general statute. It is these records which were seized last year by the state board of elections after numerous complaints were filed with the Raleigh office regarding what some Yancey residents saw as illegal activity in the days leading up to the general election.

The details of that seizure and criminal investigation were first reported by the NewsRecord & Sentinel in Madison County over a year ago, and first reported here in Yancey by the Yancey County News on Jan. 13 - more than two months after election day.

All of the records sought and studied by this newspaper have been taken to the local board of elections in order to allow others to have the opportunity to see them and form their own opinion.

Anyone wishing to speak with the SBI can call 828-251-6083.

8

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Lighting the night We’re back and better than ever!

50% Off (or more) on seasonal clothing, Pawparazzi, Rhinestone Ruby, all shoes including Squeakers and much more!!

Great Christmas outfits and lots of fun Christmas gifts including tons of stocking stuffers for kids of all ages.

Come by and visit!

We are at 15 W. Main St.,

just above Clodhoppers.

Congratulations to Marina Aubree McKee Mountain Heritage Class of 2011½!!!

I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known.

- Author Unknown

I am so proud of what you have accomplished!!

I L.O.V.E. Y.O.U. Mommy ~ Melissa Hall December 20, 2011

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 9

10

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Outdoors

Two deer, one afternoon, and a full freezer

In 2010, I entered in the hunt drawings held by the North Carolina Bowhunters Association at the annual Bowhunters Banquet during the Dixie Deer Classic in Raleigh. The ticket was one of my Christmas presents that year. I was drawn for a couple of different hunts, one of which was a guided deer hunt with Cutawhiskee Creek Hunting Lodge.

I spoke with Dan Bryant, owner, and asked if I could go during opening week of bear season, just in case a bear showed himself during my hunt, being the opportunistic hunter that I am.

Dan agreed.

Several weeks prior to the season, I was back in touch with Dan, confirming our plans, and checking the possibility of some pre-hunt scouting on the land, since I was unfamiliar with Northhampton and Hertford counties. Again, Dan agreed.

We met on a Sunday afternoon, and he drove me around the properties, showing me both where stands were, and likely traffic areas of bear and deer. I like to get out on my own, and Dan left me for the remainder of the afternoon to scout one particular field that we thought would be best for bow hunting. I first skirted the property checking for tracks, and found many. I even spotted several scrapes just inside the wood line. I chose to set up on a corner of the field, where a creek ran behind in the woods. I placed a trail camera on the corner and laid some corn and sweet potatoes out. The soybean field was coming close to harvest, and I wanted to see what the deer would hit.

I scheduled the hunt for a Saturday thru Monday, and Dan allowed me to come down Friday evening. The lodge is a two story house accommodated with a full kitchen, two full baths, satellite TV, and eight beds. There were several others staying, however they would be coming in throughout the weekend. Dan also provides a walk-in cooler, large enough to hang sixteen deer. The cooler is entered through an overhang providing an outdoor grill, cleaning table, hanging scale, and four gambrels with winches attached for cleaning.

When I first arrived, I headed out to the field and set up the climber and pulled my camera. I noticed the corn and potatoes had not been touched, and the soybeans had been harvested.

Checking the camera card, there was lots of activity, including that evening. Several large bucks could be seen hovering at the edge of the infrared range during the overnight periods. The rut was starting that week after a very slow season up to that point with the high temperatures and lack of rain in the area.

The other hunter staying that Friday evening was preparing spaghetti, and very politely made enough for me! I LOVE spaghetti. Especially with sauce made with deer meat! As we finished our meal, several trucks drove up, and Dan asked us to come out to the shed and cooler.

One of the local hunters on an adjacent property brought in a 10 pointer weighing 184 lbs. While field dressing the monster, another truck pulled up sporting yet another 10 pointer. While weighing in the mid 170’s, the rack was thinner that the other, but had long tines.

We estimated a 140-150 inch green score. The interesting thing is a 7 year old boy took the deer. His dad asked him if he wanted to mount it, and his reply astonished us all.

“I think we’ll just do one of those skull type mounts Dad. It’s not as big as the one I got last year.”

While this seemed to be a VERY good sign, yet another truck pulled up. You guessed it, one more 10 pointer. (You can’t make this stuff up!)

It was a hard sleep that night, anticipating what might be. The morning was bitter cold, and I’m a believer of getting in the stand early.

I was sitting 18 feet up with two video cameras and the compound ready by 4:30am. You do know that the best sleep comes while waiting in the stand; correct?

The only action that morning I had was one small buck which showed about 20 yards away on the backside of the stand.

That evening was a different story. Early afternoon brought a doe down the side of the field straight toward me. I usually position my climber so I am facing the tree, which helps cover my movement when drawing the bow.

She turned in the woods about 40 yards out, but I was able to watch her come around. She never noticed me, but as she circled around, I saw a 30 yard shot that would present itself if she kept following her path. Knowing Dan was trying to thin out the doe, and not seeing a buck follow her down, I took the shot, which entered a little high, but exited cleanly through the heart and near lung. I watched her drop, not 20 yards from where the arrow impacted. Since it was still early, I stayed put in the stand.

Two more doe came in from the left of the field, one large doe and one year and half old. The largest I ranged at 60 yards. Too far. The other was grazing between 20 and 35 yards. I waited until the end in case a buck would come out to join, but as the evening darkened, I knew if I was going to take a shot, I had to do it then. The smaller doe was 35 yards out, and had just quartered away, possibly ready to extend the range even further. I quickly took the shot, and she bolted.

While it was still legal hours, the pins were not as bright, and I could not tell for sure whether she was hit from my vantage point in the stand.

Both doe went in the woods about 100 yards down field. I sat for about 20 minutes, hoping the shot was true and giving her time to lie down.

I exited the stand, and found my arrow. And yes, it was soaked in blood. However I could not find any other blood in the field within a 20 yard radius by flashlight. I decided to take the first doe back to be dressed, and continue the search for the second the next morning after the early hunt.

I left the arrow in the field as a marker for the start of the search.

I found several drops of blood about 80 yards away in the field, but nothing else. Still, that gave me enough of a direction to search the tree line. About 20 yards up field from there, I found more blood just inside the tree line, and the track was on! The blood stood out easily once inside the forest, and after a much easier and bloody track, I found her lying in the brush about 40 yards deep.

Two deer, one afternoon, and a full freezer…even though the trophy buck wasn’t taken, this is what I call a successful hunt.

Note: I did spot two very large bucks over the next two days ranging from 150-200 yards out. These would have been easy targets for rifles. Cutawhiskee Creek Hunting Lodge has a 14-inch spread/8 point minimum for taking a buck with their deer management. They also do not allow you to shoot at deer with red glowing noses! Merry Christmas!

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

Changes for GED testing

suggests that anyone who has taken portions of GED testing will be changing in the upcoming the GED, but have not completed all parts do year and in preparation of those changes, Mayland so as soon as they can. Any previous scores of Community College’s Basic Skills Department portions of tests taken since Jan 2002 will no

longer be valid if all portions of the GED have not been completed in 2012. For more details please contact Mayland’s Basic Skills Department as soon as possible.

The GED tests will be changing from a pencil and paper test to a computer based test. Anyone concerned with computer or keyboarding skills should contact the Basic Skills Department for assistance in building those skills needed complete to the GED tests.

Classes, materials, and instruction to help you obtain your GED are absolutely FREE. The only cost to the student is a one-time fee when you begin taking the GED tests. When the tests change over to the computerized tests, a fee will be charged for every individual test.

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 11

Efforts to foiling the plans of a cyberbully

This is the last of a three part National Science Foundation series: Bullying in the Age of Social Media.

Morgan Biggs, an eighth grade student at St. Anne’s School of Annapolis in Maryland, has an opinion about cyberbullying.

“Bullying comes in many different forms, from cyberbullying to physical bullying. It’s all wrong and it has to stop.”

That’s the opening line of her first-place essay on bullying in a recent writing competition.

Most academic researchers of cyberbullying would agree with her.

Recent, highly-publicized cases of online bullying, or cyberbullying, are getting considerable attention from parents, teachers, school administrators and academic experts, along with state and federal agencies, who are seeking effective prevention.

Yet, some experts pose a seemingly unconventional question: is “cyberbullying” a true culprit? And if so, what should be done? More to the point, where is the line between criminal and bad behavior? The answers depend on who’s asked, and the replies may surprise.

Students and researchers disagree on whether ‘cyberbullying’ is a cause for concern Definitions of cyberbullying are highly debated among social scientists, but most agree cyber aggression and cyberbullying refer to harassment and bullying carried out via electronic media-chiefly mobile phones and the internet.

But unlike researchers, the most often affected group--youth--don’t necessarily think of cyberbullying in scientific or analytical terms, nor do they think it’s much of a problem.

“When I asked students about the kinds of things they were primarily concerned about, the word ‘cyberbullying’ almost never came up,” says Nathan Fisk, a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded science and technology researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. He says youth are more concerned about common disagreements between friends being put online and “spilling over” into the electronic world.

Because the disagreements are “visible by all these students inside of a social network, the students start to take sides and they feel that everyone has to get involved.”

It’s a formula for turning a minor argument between students into a huge argument between groups of students. Fisk, who studies the

dynamics of youth internet use, contends his research shows that almost all online arguments stem from offline disagreements, and the participants do not necessarily see these disagreements as cyberbullying.

This mismatch in definitional terms can lead to misunderstandings between parents, school administrators and the young people they are trying to protect. It can also cause decision-makers to simplify the term “cyberbullying” in a way that turns bad behavior into criminal behavior as they wrestle with the complex social interactions between young people.

“One must ensure the complexities and subtleties of cyberbullying are not lost, and that simplistic solutions do not come in response to a simple definition,” says psychologist Marilyn Campbell.

Campbell, an associate professor in the School of Learning and Professional Studies, Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, says “school policies may be practically and legally ineffectual if the language used is too vague and does not address the foreseeable risk.”

“If youth do not think in terms of cyberbullying,” says Fisk, “how can we expect the policies and curricula centered on these notions to be meaningful and effective?”

In addition, researchers acknowledge the mismatch between student and adult views on cyberbullying could mean even more trouble, namely youth may not report incidents of cyberbullying when they occur.

The disparity in opinions weakens youths’ confidence that teachers and parents understand their daily social lives, which they largely live online. These doubts make students reluctant to report their digital activities.

Students “see [adults] as dinosaurs related to technology,” says Sheri Bauman an NSFfunded cyberbully researcher at the University of Arizona.

They assume that a teacher or a parent’s first reaction to an online incident will be to take their mobile technology or internet access away thereby cutting off their friends and social networks, potentially making them social outcasts.

Recent surveys report that at least 80 percent of adolescents own some type of technology, primarily computers and cell phones that they use to engage in email, social networking, digital chats, online gaming and so on.

Bauman says the technology is not an auxiliary to the lives of youths,

“It is their lives.”

Therefore, making them feel more comfortable reporting cyberbullying by changing the perception that their technology will be taken is an important first step to quicker intervention, she says.

Bauman’s book Cyberbullying: What Counselors Need to Know identifies non-punitive strategies for responding to cyberbullying.

In it, she argues the most important advice for parents and teachers is to get knowledgeable about technology and its safety strategies.

She writes about a national survey in which 33 percent of parents interviewed, who had youth ages 10-17 living with them, used filtering software on home Internet access. She says installing filtering software is an easy, non-punitive, initial step towards protecting youth at home and at school.

“When I’m queen, I would mandate that schools provide education in technology, not just how to use a tool, but also to use it wisely, respectfully, carefully, and how to protect yourself from cyberbullying,” says Bauman.

Other advice from Bauman includes keeping abreast of the most recent social media sites, monitoring social network activities, monitoring who friends are and taking advantage of control options, which are now available on most cell phones.

Meanwhile, Fisk suggests parents and educators address the more common, everyday problems identified by students that can lead to more severe forms of bullying. “Understanding social context is critical in defusing and managing conflicts between students,” he says. “It is important

to address conflict at the local individual level.”

To do that, one approach Fisk recommends is to listen to the advice of adolescents who are closest to the problem. In her first-place essay, student Biggs proposes what she calls a “Bully Beatdown” campaign to raise awareness of bullying issues. Her campaign would allow students to share personal stories and experiences with bullying and train them on anti-bullying tactics.

She also suggests schools create an anonymous email for students who don’t want to report an incident of bullying or cyberbullying in-person for fear of becoming bullying victims.

The suggestion mirrors one offered by some experts. “Victims often do not report incidents of cyberbullying because they fear retaliation and worry that they will be ostracized if it is known that they reported it,” says Bauman, who also suggests anonymous reporting. While there are no data on the effectiveness of anonymous reporting systems, giving youth an avenue to report via an anonymous website, or telephone number, could help mitigate future online bullying, she says.

Fisk responds to the suggestion with skepticism. “I don’t think that having an anonymous tip line is a terrible idea, but it is at least somewhat problematic on a number of levels,” he says. He argues that bullying offers a seductively simplistic frame for adults, who lack true understanding of the complexity of youth social interactions and that it is important to realize that some youth will exploit this knowledge to their advantage.

See page 13

12

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

CLASSIFIEDS

WANTED Attention Snow Birds! Do you find yourself

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 EXCAVATING HAULING - RICE 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

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 has Christmas Decorations for Sale! Use them today or next year!

Crafters wanted for new upscale gift shop in Burnsville. Stop by and browse our clothing racks for Coats, Rent your own booth!! $15 per linear foot per month. adults and kids clothing, health and beauty items, Depth of Booth varies. We sell your products – 100% Gift baskets, magazines, DVD’s, and much much profit of your crafts goes back to you. Call immediately more! Located just below East Yancey Middle School, and in the same parking lot as the Ice Cream for your application! 828-678-0059.

Store. Come see us today!

SERVICES

Give the gift of reading! Subscribing to Yancey County’s ONLY LOCALLY OWNED Newspaper 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, D! OUN F S 2011 on Mica Springs A W DOG Road, off the Phillps Knob/ F i r e Tower Mountain in Burnsville.

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 13

Family

Vigilance and prevention A high sense of entitlement needed to fight cyberbullying

and low regard for others

By John Rosemond Q: My husband and I have micromanaged, spoiled, and enabled our Living 21-year-old son all his life. We paid a heavy price during his teen with years. At this point, he is arrogant, immature, and irresponsible. For children example, he recently went online and posted protecting them from failure a vile comment about a former girlfriend. When we and disappointment. The result confronted him about it, he told is Generation E - self-absorbed us she deserved it. We realize young adults who have a high the error of our ways, but our sense of entitlement and low need to protect him from the regard for others.

When feelings are not bridled consequences of his impulsivity and irresponsibility is so strong by rational thinking, they drive that we can’t seem to break the behavior that is often irresponsible, habit. On the positive side, he self-dramatic, and destructive (of holds down a good job and is also self and others). When the goal of going to college. Can you give us parenting was to teach the child to think properly and act responsibly, some advice?

A: When I began writing this that description rarely applied to column in 1976, I never thought a child above age twelve, which parents would ever ask me for is why coming-of-age rituals like advice concerning problems with the Jewish Bar Mitzvah took young adult children, and for many place around a child’s thirteenth years they did not. Over the past birthday. Today’s parents have ten years or so, however, as the bought the myth that behavior pigeons of what I call Postmodern of the above sort is normal for Psychological Parenting have teenagers, so they don’t expect come home to roost, more and much more, and they don’t get more parents have asked me more than they expect.

The clarity of hindsight can be what to do about children (and they are most definitely still painful indeed, especially when children) in their twenties and it regards a child, but you have even thirties still living at home, an opportunity here to redeem still expecting their parents to yourselves. I know you would solve their problems, and still say you love your son, but let me challenge you: Love is doing for acting irresponsibly.

For 40 years and counting, someone what they need, not what American parents have raised they want. Your son needs you to c h i l d r e n i n a m a n n e r t h a t stop enabling. He needs you to emphasizes feelings over rational emancipate him.

The only cure for his thought and good citizenship. irresponsibility and feelings of With rare exception, post-1960’s “experts” encouraged parents to entitlement is being out on his focus on the “inner child,” allow own, having to pay his own bills, their children to express feelings solve his own problems, and so freely, and cultivate high self- on. He has no reason to wake up and smell the coffee if you esteem.

In the home and America’s continue to serve as his safety net. public schools, training children Yes, it’s going to be painful for all to think straight and prepare concerned, but as the saying goes, them for responsible adulthoods “no pain, no gain.”

Family psychologist John took a back seat to helping them feel good about themselves and Rosemond answers’ questions at rosemond.com.

From page 11 “A bullying, or worse a cyberbullying, tip line would only make it easier for those responsible for the supervision of youth to see things in terms of ‘bullies’ and ‘victims’.”

Moreover, Fisk suggests that an anonymous tip line doesn’t necessarily get to the issue of saving face, which he says is what usually stops youth from reporting harassment. “It is not much of a logical leap to assume that if one side of a dispute between youth did not report the incident that the others most likely did.”

The need for data on anonymous tip lines leaves open the question about their effectiveness.

In the meantime, Bauman also advises that schools initiate a dialogue with youth that allows them to participate in crafting school rules and policies regarding cyberbullying. She says it is important to find out from students what types of problems they encounter online and to use their experiences as a mechanism for creating curricula on internet safety.

“I think that it is critical that schools have very clear policies on cyberbullying. [Schools should] engage kids, because they will know what will make the difference,” Bauman says.

Once a clear policy has been set, Bauman contends, it is important to post policy reminders, use technology to clarify what types of online social interactions are appropriate and determine the consequences for deviation from those boundaries. She urges school administrators to engage youth to help create these reminders and gather input about what types of communication they think will have the most positive effect on online behavior.

Based on their research, cyberbullying experts trust suggestions like these will provide some protection for students until they graduate high school. “There is some hope that by the time people get to adulthood, they may be more equipped to deal with bullying

behaviors,” says Peter Vishton, a program director in NSF’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, which funds cyberbullying research for the federal agency.

Even so, he warns instances of cyberbullying could further spread into adulthood and get a lot worse as cyberbullying does not stop at the school house doors.

He urges continued vigilance and prevention.

Demographics of social media users are changing as more and more adults sign on to social media sites like Facebook, making them more susceptible to electronic bullying. Justin Patchin and Sameer Hinduja, co-directors of the Cyberbullying Research Center website, have a few suggestions for adult victims.

They say it is important to keep all evidence of the bullying: messages, posts, comments, etc. and use them to determine exactly who is making the comments if the person is unknown. They also recommend adults contact the service or content provider through which the bullying is occurring to obtain assistance.

“Many websites expressly prohibit harassment and if you report it through their established mechanisms, the content and/or bully should be removed from the site in a timely manner,” they write on their online blog.

The current state of cyberbullying is in flux because the research is still in its infant stages--researchers and decisionmakers have been addressing the topic for fewer than 10 years.

International, federal, state, local and non-governmental organizations have engaged numerous researchers and key federal agencies to define cyberbullying in a way that allows them to produce effective policies and legislation. Even though there are disagreements about its definition and the extent to which cyberbullying as a behavior should be criminalized, most stakeholders agree Internet safety is the responsibility of all parties and must be taken seriously to protect people online.

Celebrate Christmas and support your neighbors!

Shop Locally! Shop Burnsville! Shop Yancey!

14

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Habitat Seeks New ReStore Location

The Mitchell - Yancey Habitat ReStore began in 2004 and was initially located in a 1000 square foot building on HWY 19. The Affiliate made $2000 that first year selling salvage building materials and household goods.

This fall Habitat celebrated their 6th anniversary at their 6,000 square foot Oak Street location in Spruce Pine and $88,000 in sales - their highest on record!

Once again, Habitat have outgrown their retail space and are seeking a new ReStore location.

Ideally, the affiliate hopes to find a building centrally located between the two counties with approximately 10,000 square feet.

The Habitat Board of Directors welcomes leads on prospective sites and can be contacted at 828766-9000.

Yancey County has obtained Certified Entrepreneurial Community recognition from AdvantageWest. “This is a testament to Yancey County and commitment to support our business and entrepreneurial community,” said EDC Director Wanda Proffitt. This sign appeared at the county line to mark the recognition.

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!

A PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE YANCEY COUNTY NEWS

The Mitchell - Yancey Habitat for Humanity is proud to operate one of 700 ReStores sponsored by 2000 affiliates in the US. Habitat International has recognized the M-Y Habitat ReStore to be above average nationally in donations made to the affiliate’s building efforts.

In 2011, approximately 50% of their sales revenue went towards

Howell retiring from YCS position The Yancey County Board of Education h i r e d M r. D a v i d Worley to replace Mr. Niles Howell who is retiring as Maintenance Director for Yancey County Schools.

A native of Madison C o u n t y, Wo r l e y currently works and lives in Johnston County serving 55 school system sites as Johnston County School Systems’ Director of Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems.

Mr. Worley brings 13 years of supervisory experience ranging from maintenance work during his time in the Air Force to Maintenance Supervisor in Madison County Schools and now with his current position with Johnston County Schools.

funding construction of Habitat homes in our community.

Also since their inception, this affiliate has tithed over $40,000 to international Habitat building efforts.

With additional retail space, the affiliate will be able to feature an expanded inventory of reusable and surplus building materials and home improvement goods such as furniture, accessories, and appliances. They are able to sell goods to the public at a fraction of the retail price. In these difficulty economic times, the ReStore can provide affordable goods and help low-income families help themselves.

The M-Y Habitat for Humanity ReStore is also proud to be a part of efforts to provide an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of the waste stream while providing funding for Habitat’s community improvement work.

The affiliate asks for your help to find a new location and expand their efforts!

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.

Dec. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 15

What you can do to reverse your diabetes 2

By Medea L Galligan MS Nutrition The latest research out of the University of Missouri should be required reading for the 79 million Americans with pre-diabetes and the 26 million with the full-blown disease. Taken together, this amounts to one in four Americans struggling with diabetes and the vast majority of these cases are type 2.

When diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, many believe their fate has been sealed and all they can do now is “control” it. More than 50 percent of type 2 diabetics are also not even aware they have diabetes, while millions of others are living in a state of insulin resistance (prediabetes) that could progress into diabetes at any time.

If someone told you there was a “magic” trick you could do that would almost instantly improve the way your body regulates blood sugar, and also reduce the spikes in blood sugar that occur after a meal (elevations in these spikes, known as postprandial glucose, or PPG, are associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and death), would you do it?

Well there is; it’s called exercise.

And now that you know what it is, the next step is up to you.

The amazing thing about exercise is that it exerts its effects very quickly. Sure, you will definitely reap long-term benefits, and exercise is well known to impact chronic diseases, but you’ll also get acute, nearly instantaneous benefits as well. This should be excellent motivation to those of you who are procrastinating on your exercise program, as you don’t have to exercise for a year or six months to experience benefits! New research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that one single session of moderate exercise can improve the way your body regulates glucose and reduce PPG. It’s instant gratification!

However, the opposite also holds true, meaning slacking on your exercise program or being sedentary will disrupt your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, and this happens within days. There’s simply no way around the fact that your body is meant to engage in regular physical activity. Try to buck this reality and you’re asking for a slew of health troubles.

Why is Exercise a Silver Bullet?

Without exercise you’re unlikely to get this devastating disease under control. It works so well because it is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to lower your insulin and leptin resistance.

See, type 2 diabetics need to address the root of the problem,

which is NOT your blood sugar levels, as most conventional physicians would have you believe.

As Dr. Ron Rosedale wrote, if you follow the misguided belief that diabetes is a disease of blood sugar, you are likely destined for premature death. Taking insulin is one of the WORST things you can do, as it will actually make your insulin and leptin resistance worse over time.

Dr. Rosedale, an expert on leptin physiology and one of my early mentors in this area, developed the appropriate acronym - D.I.E. - to illustrate what’s happening in conventional diabetic treatment.

Yes, most doctors make diabetes worse and accelerate the death process. How do the mechanics of insulin resistance and the role of leptin and insulin impact you?

• Leptin is a hormone produced in your fat cells. One of leptin’s primary roles is regulating your appetite and body weight. It tells your brain when to eat, how much to eat, and most importantly, when to stop eating. And leptin tells your brain what to do with the energy it has. Leptin is largely responsible for the accuracy of insulin signaling and whether or not you become insulin resistant.

• Insulin - Sugars and grains raise your blood sugar. When this happens, insulin is released to direct the extra energy into storage. A small amount is stored as a starch called glycogen, but the majority is stored as your main energy supply - fat. Insulin’s major role is not to lower your blood sugar, but rather to store the extra energy for future times of need. Insulin’s effect of lowering your blood sugar is merely a “side effect” of this energy storage process.

• Insulin resistance: Insulin resistance occurs when your body becomes resistant to the hormone insulin. Any time a cell is exposed to insulin it is going to become more insulin resistant.

If you eat too many sugars and grains, it provokes insulin surges and every time you provoke an insulin surge it exposes your body to more insulin. Just like walking in a dark room where it is difficult to see, after awhile your vision accommodates, your pupils dilate and you can see much better. Similarly, when your body is exposed to excess insulin, soon it no longer responds to it properly and becomes insulin resistant.

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to regain insulin sensitivity and reverse insulin resistance - and studies show this benefit can be achieved even without weight loss.

Exercise for Diabetes Prevention One of the keys to using exercise to normalize your insulin and leptin levels, and thereby drastically reduce your risk of diabetes, is to do enough of it. There are three important variables with exercise: 1. Intensity 2. Frequency 3. Length of time Intensity is KEY for an effective exercise regimen, and the beauty of high-intensity, burst-type exercises is that it also significantly cuts down on the amount of time you have to spend exercising.

Intense exercises should be performed no more than three times per week, and only take a total of 20 minutes each session.

Once you reach your fitness, health, and weight goals you can drop down to once or twice per week as that is all you really need, but most out-of-shape individuals will benefit from three times a week - if you do more it is actually counterproductive as there is not enough recovery time. Once you become very fit and are able to regularly reach your calculated maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) then it really is only necessary to do it once a week as long as you are pushing to your absolute max.

Here’s a summary of what a typical fitness routine might look like using a recumbent bike, elliptical machine or treadmill: 1. Warm up for three minutes 2. Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should feel like you couldn’t possibly go on another few seconds 3. Recover for 90 seconds by continuing to exercise but at a radically reduced comfortable pace 4. Repeat the high intensity exercise phase and recovery 7 more times Be mindful of your current fitness level and don’t overdo it when you first start out. If you are not in great shape and just starting this, you may want to start with just two or three repetitions, and work your way up to eight.

You may need to start with just walking and when you do your 30 second bursts your legs would be moving as fast as possible without running - and your arms would be pumping hard and fast.

If you are using cardio equipment like an elliptical or bike, you don’t need to reach

any “magical” speed. It’s highly individual, based on your current level of fitness. You know you’re doing it right when you’re exerting yourself to the point of typically gasping for breath after a short burst of activity.

You’ll want to incorporate other types of exercise to round out your regimen. A truly comprehensive exercise plan would also include strength training, core exercises, flexibility and stretching.

Anther Diabetes Culprit ...

Type 2 diabetes is a fully preventable, reversible condition that arises from faulty leptin signaling and insulin resistance.

Therefore, diabetes can be controlled or reversed by recovering your insulin and leptin sensitivities. The only known way to reestablish proper leptin and insulin signaling is through a proper diet and exercise! There is NO drug that can accomplish this!

A new meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials involving more than 33,000 people showed that drug treatment of type 2 diabetes is not only ineffective, it’s dangerous as well. Treatment with glucose-lowering drugs actually showed the potential to increase your risk of death from heart-related and all other causes.

So what is the other key to remember in diabetes prevention, aside from exercise?

Your diet!

Your diet can make or break you if you’re diabetic or prediabetic, but unfortunately for the last 50 years or so, Americans have followed the dietary recommendations of a high complex carbohydrate, low saturated fat diet - the exact opposite of what actually works!

High complex carbohydrates include legumes, potatoes, corn, rice and grain products. Aside from legumes, you actually want to AVOID all the rest to prevent insulin resistance.

If you regularly consume sugars and grains, your blood sugar spikes will lead to increased insulin resistance, which leads to increased fat storage. The extra fat then produces more leptin.

The problem arises when your leptin levels become chronically elevated. At this point, you become leptin resistant - your body can no longer “hear” the hormonal signals telling your brain you’re full and should stop eating.

As your fat stores increase, your weight goes up, and insulin resistance sets in. Now your body has become “deaf” to the signals from both hormones (leptin and insulin), and disease follows.

See page 16

16 Dec. 22, 2011 • yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Diet, exercise are key to dealing with diabetes

From page 15 Of course, one such disease is diabetes.

Nearly all type 2 diabetics need to swap out their grains and sugars for other foods, such as protein, green veggies and healthy sources of fat. You will want to take special care to eliminate fructose, which is far more detrimental than any other type of sugar. This is extremely important!

Drinking just one sweetened drink a day can raise your diabetes risk by 25 percent compared to drinking one sugary drink per month, so you really need to evaluate your diet and look for hidden sources of sugar and fructose.

This also means avoiding most processed foods of all kinds, as they are loaded with fructose. You may even need to avoid fruits until your blood sugar is under control. I strongly advise keeping your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.

However, it would be wise for most people to limit fructose to 15 grams or less as it is virtually guaranteed you will be getting “hidden” sources of fructose from just about any processed food you eat.

I sincerely hope that this article has provided you with information and options on how to reverse your diabetes 2 and improve your metabolism. If you have any questions,

or feel that you could benefit from one-on-one support in adopting a healthier lifestyle, visit www.HealthyLifestyleConcepts.com for more information.

Source: Science Daily August 23, 2011 Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise June 28, 2011

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.

Merry Christmas

and a prosperous New Year!

Thanks for your patronage & we hope to see you next year!

Merry Christmas from all of us at Needle Me This!

230 E. Main St., Burnsville

154 Ferguson Hill Road • Burnsville NC

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY

NEW YEAR! 682-9153

Always looking for orphan cars Ramblers, Subaru 360s, Isetta and others