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The Georgia Symphony Orchestra will present their “Symphonic Spectacular” at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
The event includes music from the movies, Broadway and popular classics. The GSO is constantly redefining what a modern orchestra can be. Their 21st Century orchestra focuses on innovative programming, education and community engagement.
Tickets are $22 or $26 per person.
866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.
The Broadway musical “Ring of Fire,” honoring the work of Johnny Cash, will open at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Named after one of Cash’s most popular songs, the production celebrates the storied career of the country star, with an array of musicians and actors showcasing the timeless beauty of the “Man in Black.”
Ring of Fire does not dramatize Cash himself, but his presence is felt.
“By the end of the show, the audience will feel that they have spent the evening in the presence of an extraordinary and real man. In many ways, Johnny Cash wrote and sang about the lives we lead, regardless of where we lead them,” said the creator of Ring of Fire, Richard Maltby.
HART’s production is being directed by Mark Jones with music direction by Kelli Brown Mullinix. The show features a talented cast of musicians and vocalists, including Mandy Wildman, Matthew Curry (who performed Cash’s music last fall in Haywood’s Got Talent), Ed Mathis, Dominic Aquilino and Clara Burrus. The five member back-up band includes two members from the local group “Sons of Ralph.”
There will be a special preview performance on Thursday, May 23, as a fundraiser to benefit REACH, with admission being $20 per person.
The musical will run at 7:30 p.m. May 24-25, 31, June 1, 7-8, 14-15 and 3 p.m. June 2, 9, 16. Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors and $12 ($8 on Sundays) for students/teachers.
828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.
The Swain County Heritage Festival will be May 24-25 at Riverfront Park in Bryson City.
A day of craft beer and music will be had at BearWaters Brewing Company as they celebrate their first anniversary on Saturday, May 25, in Waynesville.
Artisan in the Mountains will host a leather carving demonstration featuring local artist Martin Carter from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at 99 Depot Street in Clyde.
The Shady Ladies quilt league will unveil their latest artistic creations during their annual quilt challenge showcase running May 31 through June 2 at the Lake Logan Episcopal Center in Haywood County.
Blues, Brew and BBQ will be filling bellies at the Village Green in Cashiers from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 25.
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department is offering British and Brazilian soccer camps for youth this summer.
The Brazilian soccer camp, called TetraBrazil, is for advanced players ages 10 to 18 and will run from July 8 to July 12 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. The cost is $145 for the half-day camp and $195 for the full-day camp. Players who sign up before May 24 will receive a free jersey.
Waynesville will also be hosting a British soccer camp from July 22 to July 26 at Vance Street Park. Each day players will practice individual skills and team tactics. Players who register by Friday, June 7 receive a free jersey. There are camps for a variety of age groups starting at age 3, and registration costs vary from $80 for an hour of instruction each day to $175 for the full-day camp.
828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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The first annual Summer Soccer Camp sponsored by Tuscola High School will be held from 8 a.m. to noon June 10-14 at Weatherby Stadium in Waynesville.
The camp will focus on skills training and game play to help players improved ball handling, passing and tactical skills for offensive and defensive play. Regional school and club coaches will lead the camp.
Contact Coach Chris Douthit via Tuscola High School at 828.456.2708.
A book that aims to make hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fun and educational for kids, Scavenger Hike Adventures by Kat and John Lafevre, is on Smokies visitor center bookshelves now. The book features 13 hikes, seven are relatively easy, three are moderate and three are extreme. All are set up like scavenger hunts and lead to discoveries within the park, most of which are missed by casual hikers and other visitors.
In addition to the hikes, points for finding important park features and scavenger hunts, the book goes into detail about conservation, black bear tips and the park’s cultural history. The park’s plant and animal life also receive attention, with extra points awarded for finding and identifying things like hemlock trees, black-bellied salamanders and quartz boulders.
The book can be purchased online, over the phone or in park stores.
www.SmokiesInformation.org or 888.898.9102, ext. 226.
The Ruby Run 5K and 10K will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 1, in Franklin. The annual race that pays homage of the town’s title of gem capital of the world. The winner will take home a 5.5 carat red ruby.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a star gazing event at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center on Purchase Knob in Haywood County.
A guided trip down the Little Tennessee River aims to teach paddlers about the area’s cultural and biological history and follow the route of William Bartram, a naturalist who traveled the river in 1775.
The wild romantic comedy “Perfect Wedding” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. May 24-27 and May 31-June 2 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.
A disastrous situation happens on the day of Bill and Rachel’s wedding. Bill finds himself in the honeymoon suite with another woman. Scrambling to get rid of her, Tom, the best man, tries to solve the situation for Bill by claiming her to Rachel. However, Tom mistakes a chambermaid for the girl. Confusion and mayhem ensue when lines of communication get crossed.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-17.
828.488.8227 or www.smctheatre.com.
The romantic comedy “Love, Loss & What I Wore” will take the stage this month at the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center in Highlands.
Performances are May 23-26 and May 30-June 2 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday nights and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.
The play is humorous and charming, an insightful drama of monologues and ensemble pieces in which several contemporary women remember moments and people in their lives — and of course also clothes that they wore, from prom dresses and wedding outfits to bras, purses and shoes. Clothing evokes memories for women and is part of the story of their lives. Written by the late legendary storyteller Nora Ephron and her sister Delia.
$20. 828.526.8084 or www.highlandscashiersplayers.org.
Several summer youth art camp workshops will be held by the Cullowhee Mountain ARTS at the Fine Arts Building at Western Carolina University.
“Around the World in a Week” features young artists having fun packed days of art making focused on world cultures. They will be able to experience a different medium each day including drawing, painting, collage, sculpture and printmaking. They will also take time to discover the culture, folklore, history and even the food from each these special places. Prices include materials and snacks. Ages 5 to 8 will run from 9 a.m. to noon June 17-21 at $125 per child. Ages 9 to 12 will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 24-28 at $225 per child.
“Garden Party” will be incorporating science and art and embracing what is blooming in the summer. Featured projects include making terrariums and wind chimes. Prices include materials and snacks. Ages 5 to 8 will run from 9 a.m. to noon July 17-18 at $50 per child.
“Nature Fest” will explore outside and identify birds, butterflies, and bugs and will come back into the classroom to illustrate them with painting, mixed media, sculpture and clay. Prices include materials and snacks. Ages 9 to 12 will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 15-16 at $90 per child.
“You Other Self” is a weeklong workshop that lets your alter ego run wild. Make masks that express your imagined self: a super hero, animal, insect or diva. Make clothes, jet-powered sneakers, a hoop skirt, armor, whatever costume your invented self needs - even a vehicle to cruise in, fly, float, or zoom. Each day will be a different focus, using a wide range of materials and techniques. Ages 13 to 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 14 – 19 at $275 per child.
“Clay Works” will spend five days teaching the basics of clay. Projects include pinch pots, pinch animals, coil building, slabs and wheel throwing. Price includes all materials and a glaze firing. Age 9 to adult will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 8-11 and from 10 a.m. to noon July 19 at $225 per person)
Saturday Morning Family Art are all ages classes that explore new and exciting techniques during these Saturday morning family art classes. Sessions include “Paint Sunflowers in the Manner of Van Gogh” on July 13, “Create a Mosaic Planter” on July 20, and “Make Colorful Marbled Papers and Paste Papers” on July 27. Price includes all materials. Each class is $15 per person and runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
The film program at Western Carolina University scored a professional $100,000 motion picture camera from Sony, presented during the recent Controlled Chaos Film Festival featuring student productions.
The Cullowhee Studio Tour will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. May 25-26 in the Caney Fork community of Jackson County.
A bluegrass festival will showcase the sounds and tastes of Southern Appalachia at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
The Taste of Home Cooking School will demonstrate live recipes and cooking tips on stage at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Community Cherokee bonfires will kickoff for the summer season on Friday, May 17, at Ocoaluftee Island Park in Cherokee.
To the Editor:
A little over a year ago, the concept of annually awarding donated and refurbished PCs to Haywood Community College’s GED graduates started to evolve. A small group of dedicated faculty, staff and students overcame a tremendous amount of organizational work, limited resources, and no knowledge of where the inventory for refurbishing would come from — let alone what condition it would be in. As elements fell into place, the program got its first PC in June of 2012. To date, over two dozen individuals and one corporation have made hardware donations, either through our standard drop off point at the HCC library or at special on-campus events like Jammin’ at the Mill Pond and the recent WNC EcoFest.
To all who were even remotely involved with the first-ever PCs for GED computer awards give-away at HCC’s 2013 GED graduation ceremony, on Friday, May 3, I wish to offer our heartfelt gratitude. Please know that your meaningful contributions of hardware, time, talent, and even monetary donations to the program through the HCC Foundation have already enriched the lives of the 10 graduates who applied for and received a refurbished PC. It is hard to describe the vibe in the air while helping these accomplished graduates load their computers into their vehicles. Because of all of you in the greater Haywood County area who stepped up, you enabled us to meet 100 percent of the demand for these worthy graduates. You have done an amazing thing given that this is only the first year of the program.
Gratefully, our local media has recently picked up the story as the program has had the opportunity to complete what it set out to do — for this year. Now it is time to work toward sustaining the PCs for GED graduation award events in the years to come. Thankfully, many generous people in our surrounding area have contributed beyond expectation. With your continued support, we look forward to providing future GED graduates with one of the best tools to aid them as they further their education.
Marc Lehmann
On behalf of the PCs for GED Program
To the Editor:
Congratulations to the National Park Service for getting the word out about the predator beetles being used to protect our hemlocks in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. However, there is a factual error in this article in the assertion that the origin of the Sasaji-scymnus tsugae beetle is “northern Japan.” In fact, the origin location for this predator beetle is the Osaka area in southern Japan, the same origin as our hemlock wooly adelgid [HWA] “import.” So this beetle is a native predator for our HWA.
It is good to know that the massive USDA-funded HWA predator beetle releases on public hemlock lands (about 500,000 per year for more than 10 years) are being recognized as effective. But what about the hemlocks on private lands?
The good news is that the Sasi (Sasajiscym-nus tsugae) predator beetle has also been shown effective on privately-owned hemlock lands, both woodland and residential. And there is a noncommercial source to obtain information about bio-control of HWA on private lands (www.savinghemlocks.org <http://www.savinghemlocks.org/), as well as a commercial source for private landowners to purchase these predator beetles (www.Tree-Savers.com, http://www.Tree-Savers.com/).
But while USDA is releasing large quantities of HWA predator beetles on public lands, they and their colleagues at USFS and N.C. Exten-sion typically advise private landowners against using the same USDA-approved predator beetles on private lands. The rationale for this misinformation campaign is unclear. But what is clear is that hemlock areas in WNC that don’t receive biological control assistance for HWA will have little or no prospect for long-term hemlock survival or recovery.
So unless you want your only access to our eastern hemlocks to be on state and national park and forestlands, you should consider an HWA biological control strategy for hemlocks on your own property.
Patrick Horan
Sapphire
To the Editor:
North Carolina’s once proud public education system is under siege by the radical Republican gang in control of state government. Thanks to the last round of budget cuts, North Carolina ranks 48th in per pupil spending and teacher salaries, below South Caroli-na.
The gang is now working on even more diabolical legislation to privatize education. Senate Bill 337 sets up a separate charter school board, removing these schools from regulation by the State Board of Education. It also takes funding and facility space from public schools, eliminates requirements for charter school teachers to be certified, and makes criminal background checks optional. This is another step on the road to privatize public education in N.C..
House Bill 944 is even more blatant. It diverts $90 million from already underfunded public schools to private schools for vouchers. While this will be devastating to public schools, availability of vouchers has not been shown to improve student achievement. In Milwaukee, the oldest voucher program in the U.S., study after study has shown no improvement in performance of students receiving vouchers. Florida voters defeated an amendment to channel public funds to private schools. And this month, by a bipartisan vote of 103-43, the Texas legislature (not exactly a hot bed of liberalism) voted against using taxpayer money to fund private education. Numerous organizations have come out against HB 944, including the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Rural Education Association.
I would normally urge you to contact your GOP state legislators and beg them to support public education, but this is futile. They are in control now and will do as they please, answering only to the wealthy and corporations. They will continue to siphon taxpayer money to the wealthy and corporations who will fund their reelections. The only way to save North Carolina is to vote them out in 2014.
Carole Larivee
Waynesville
The Proctor Revival Organization is hosting its third annual month long remembrance and celebration of the Proctor, Judson, Bushnell and Japan communities, which were flooded during the creation of Fontana Dam during World War II.
The power generated at Fontana Dam was needed for the nation’s war effort, but also forced 6,000 residents to relocate as the waters rose and flooded their farming villages and Appalachian towns. In remembrance of their sacrifice, the Proctor Revival Organization has planned a number of events.
• Each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., people can meet local authors and artists and hear stories told by fascinating mountain folks. Bobbie Jayne Curtis will be performing Gary Carden’s one-woman play “Birdell” at 3 p.m. June 1 on the porch of the Historic Gunter Cabin at Fontana Village Resort. The play is a heartwarming and uplifting story about the life of a mountain family pre-WWII.
• On May 24 from 6-9 p.m., the Kennesaw State University Swing Dance Association will teach an instructional dance course. Then, the following day from 7–9 p.m. Asheville Gentleman Swing Band will play as people dance. Held at Fontana Village Resort.
• The Fontana Marina will have various historical lake tours and hikes throughout the month.
• There will three educational exhibits on display until June 2 at Fontana Village Resort. The Chestnut Room located at town hall in Fontana will host two WWII exhibits contributed by Kennesaw State University, including “Remembering Ravensbrück: Women and the Holocaust” and “Beyond Rosie: Women in World War II”. The Historic Gunter Cabin will be home to the Plott Hound Exhibit, contributed by the Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center. This exhibit tells the story of how North Carolina’s state dog came to be.
www.proctorrevival.com or 828.498.2150.
Franklin Town Board members have decided to put off action on whether to allow an indoor shooting range in town limits. The request came in April from gun dealer and former Macon County commissioner Bob Simpson.
The town board was considering an exemption to the local ordinance that prohibits firing a gun in the town limits in Franklin to allow permitted indoor firing ranges. However, upon closer examination, Town Planner Derek Roland pointed out at the board’s meeting May 6 that allowing gun ranges in town may open a can of worms.
Once allowed, indoor gun ranges could potentially be classified as indoor recreation facilities under the zoning ordinances. That would allow shooting ranges to be located at a large number of sites in the town, not just one old factory site on Ulco Drive where Simpson was hoping to put one.
“When you permit it, you’re not only allowing just it in (the industrial sectors) but in a lot of other places around town,” Roland told town board members.
The board also discussed making prospective shooting ranges go through a special permit process but instead decided to table the item until the next meeting, citing that it wasn’t urgent. Simpson had expressed his interest in opening the gun range sooner rather than later but hasn’t purchased the property yet.
Tuscola High School students placed first and second in the Western High School Welding Competition May 11 at Tuscola. Keith Wyatt placed first, earning himself a full tuition scholarship to Tulsa Welding School, which has campuses in Florida and Oklahoma. Just below Wyatt on the podium was Luke Smith who earned a half-tuition scholarship. They also were awarded welding gear prizes.
The contestants were judged on their ability to perform vertical, horizontal, flat and overhead welds. In addition, they also were judged on their ability to read and follow blue prints. Michael Milner of Joe’s Welding Service in Waynesville judged the competition.
Two trails that have been closed since 2011 after receiving extensive damage from a tornado in the western end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have finally been reopened.
Park trail crews recently completed rehabilitation work on Beard Cane and Hatcher Mountain trails. These trails have been closed since April 2011 due to damaging tornado winds and rain that left the trails blocked by thousands of downed trees. In addition, crews had to rebuild the trailhead and construct multiple retaining walls where the paths had been completely destroyed when trees uprooted.
The storm was so devastating that trail crews from as far away as California had to be brought into help park maintenance workers. All trails are now reopened for public use. However, backcountry campsite 11 remains closed because the damage was so great from the storm that it was deemed no longer suitable as a campsite.
www.nps.gov/grsm or 865.436.1297.
The Haywood County Health Department pitched in and gave away tents, tables, coolers and other equipment to vendors at area farmer’s markets last week, including Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market. The equipment was purchased through a Community Transformation Grant Project, which focuses on addressing disease in the state through tobacco-free living, exercise and eating healthy.
Keelin Schneider, the Health Promotions coordinator, was on site last Wednesday’s to help deliver the equipment to individual vendors who had applied and to market representatives.
“This generous contribution by Haywood County, supporting healthy lifestyles through local markets, is a refreshing boost for producers who are challenged by economic issues and weather,” Schneider said.
Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market is held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon in the Shelton House parking lot in Waynesville.
For paddlers looking to master the French Broad River, a new map is available online detailing the river’s paddle trail. The French Broad River Paddle Trail map includes river access points, campsites and river hazards in addition to nearby rafting and guide services, gear shops, equipment rentals, parks and lodging.
The river trail spans more than 200 miles from Rosman deep into the Tennessee, where is becomes the French Broad River Blueway. There are campsites, which are free and open to the public, every 10 miles or so along the river.
A grueling, 12-hour mountain bike race will be held from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Tsali Recreation Area outside Bryson City. Riders can take the course solo or sign up with a team of four to help split the long hours necessary in the saddle to conquer the course.
The race circuit is a 10-mile loop up hills and through the mud on some of the best single-track mountain bike trails in the eastern United States. And as bikers finish the half-day course after nightfall, headlamps and bike lights on, the team or rider with the most laps wins.
Race registration is limited to 350 riders, but if space is still available riders can sign up beginning at noon the day before the race. Camping and lodging is also available in the area on a first come, first served basis.
The azalea garden at Stecoah Valley Center is in full bloom, but will only be for the next few weeks. Visitors are encouraged to go to the garden and spend an afternoon among the floral aroma and variety of amazing colors.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking volunteers to help at its Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education to accommodate a boost in visitation.
Haywood County is now signing up players for its adult summer soccer leagues.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is planning to release two new predatory beetles to stop the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has devastated hemlock forests throughout the eastern United States.
A folk concert and artist reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.
Thea & The GreenMan of Asheville will perform a concert of original acoustic folk music from 7 to 8:15 p.m. The duo is known for its stellar harmony vocals accompanied by guitar and percussion. Their lyrics are inspired by Native American imagery, the elements of nature, and the subject of mountains, rivers and canyons.
Immediately following the concert there will be a reception from 8:15 to 9 p.m. for artist and writer Laura Elliott and glass artist Tadashi Torii, both of Sylva. The exhibit of abstract paintings and glasswork will be on display at the Center for the Arts through July 23.
In addition, Iva Veazey of Durham will play the keyboard during the reception, performing compositions inspired by Elliott’s paintings.
The evening is sponsored by Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools. It is free and open to the public.
www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta or 828.488.7843.
The Mother’s Day Gemboree will run from May 10-12 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Known as “The Gem Capital of the World,” Franklin hosts three gem and minerals shows throughout the year, with others in July and October.
“Some of the nation’s finest gem and mineral dealers will display and sell everything from fine jewelry to rough and cut gems and minerals,” said Linda Harbuck, executive director of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.
Admission to the gemboree is $2 for adults with those under 12 years of age admitted free.
828.524.2516 or www.discoverfranklin.com.
Haywood Square to host block party
A day of festivities for “Customer Appreciation Day” will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Haywood Square in Waynesville.
There will be live music and children’s activities, food vendors, a scavenger hunt with a prizes and professional pet photos. The festival will showcase the vibrant and diverse collection of locally-owned businesses that occupy the shopping plaza in the heart of downtown Waynesville.
“Small business is the backbone of our economy,” said Bruce McGovern, a small business owner in the square. “Keeping local business active means that money is being channeled throughout the county. When a local business makes money, they’ll spend the money in the community.”
Haywood Square bridges the Main Street and Frog Level shopping districts, and McGovern looks at the event as a chance to connect the dots of commerce in the greater downtown area.
“We want to bridge the gaps between downtown and Frog Level,” he said. “Businesses here are active, and the fact more people are supporting us, the more difference it’ll make.”
The festival is being held the same day as the Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival in Frog Level.
Spring festival gets hopping in Frog Level
The Whole Bloomin’ Thing street festival will kick-off the growing season with its annual showcase of music, art, crafts, food — and all sorts of things to plant in your yard — from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11, in Waynesville.
Local growers will be selling flowering baskets, vegetable and herb starts, perennials and annuals, berry bushes and potted plants. Local artisans will feature a wide range of nature-inspired crafts. Enjoy fresh cheeses, homemade preserves and jellies, BBQ, tacos, veggie wraps, ice cream and desserts all day long.
Live music and entertainment will be provided throughout the day by local musicians and dancers, including Chris Minick, Raqs Beledi Belly Dance School, Productive Paranoia, Sheila Gordan, ‘round the Fire, the Frog Level Phil Harmonic, The Ross Brothers, and the Jonathan Creek Cloggers.
It is put on each year by the Historic Frog Level Merchants Association.
Parking is available at Haywood Builders, the public parking deck on Branner Avenue and all public parking in the area.
The Pyramid Brass Quintet will play at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville as part of the Haywood County Arts Council’s free Sunday Concert Series.
Formed in 2001, the WNC-based band was drawn together because of their love for brass music, using it as an art form to educate and entertain. Their repertoire has grown to include many arrangements from all musical styles and periods including The Renaissance, The Romantic Era, Sacred Music, Broadway Musicals, Big Band, Dixieland, Ragtime, Jazz, Marches, Polkas, and Patriotic Music.
This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. The Sunday Series is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
The annual “Spring Fling” will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.
There will be tubing in Richland Creek, a kid’s dog show, food, music, games for children and a water slide. Kids can have a blast on the 21-foot Ninja slide, the 30-foot obstacle course or bounce on a large castle.
A free dog contest for kids will be held at 10 a.m. with categories for largest dog, smallest dog, best trick, best dressed and cutest dog. Prizes will be awarded. The deadline to register for the dog show is 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 8.
From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday all Haywood County residents will have free admission to the Waynesville Recreation Center.
The Spring Fling is sponsored by the Waynesville Kiwanis and the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department
828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The annual “Airing of the Quilts” festival will be held May 10-11 in downtown Franklin. The event will feature an array of workshops, demonstrations and activities in honor of the tradition and pastime.
A valuable piece of the history of the Rickman General Store in Macon County is back in its original home thanks to a contribution from Habitat for Humanity.
Jackson County Arts Council has arranged to donate the money collected in honor of the late Ray Menze to the Junior Appalachian Musicians of Jackson County.
A Dogs and Suds fundraiser for Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.
Broadway star and Western Carolina University Musical Theatre Professor Terrence Mann was recently nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the revival of the production “Pippin.”
To the Editor:
Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and his extreme right-wing partisans have no problem wasting taxpayer money as long as he gets a headline and appears to be tough on the poor folks, as illustrated by his recent comments and support for a proposal to drug test anyone getting state benefits from programs intended to help people. The only people who will benefit are the lawyers, as usual, who will fight a losing battle because the suspicion-less drug testing of Americans has been ruled unconstitutional already by every federal court in every state that has attempted this ridiculous and pointless policy.
Alcohol is by far the most dangerous and widely abused drug of all, responsible for the majority of domestic violence arrests and in every other category possible where a substance is at issue, yet his “ drug testing” scheme does not cover that deadly drug. Any recipient of the Work First program can swill whiskey and stagger their way through life and that is OK with Davis; there are no tests done for alcoholics and problem drinkers, but some poor cancer patient with a minor amount of cannabis in their system would be excluded.
That is a sickening and shameful example of the hypocrisy of the nanny state promoters’ refusal to use common sense in the use of our tax money.
How about if Sen. Davis proposes a bill that would drug test all N.C senators and house members every year so we know our tax dollars are not being wasted on the politicians? Let them be the first. After all, we are paying their salaries with our money and have a right to make sure that the oftentimes insane and ridiculous laws and policies they pass are not the result of intoxication but just due to their individual failings as leaders.
I guarantee you that if alcohol were forbidden to the talking heads in Raleigh and Washington, there would be virtually no one left to govern … and good riddance.
There has never been a “drug-free” society in all of human history, and Davis is deluded if he thinks there ever will be despite the efforts of the people who would destroy our rights and freedoms to accomplish an impossibility. If someone does have a real drug problem, which statistically would involve alcohol far more often than any illegal substance, offering medical help and counseling would do more for them and their families than to deny them benefits and pressure them into serious crime to survive.
Republican politicians care nothing about results, common sense or human dignity, but are only concerned with headlines and promotion of far right wing nonsense never meant to succeed but only to curry favor from political donors and rabid far right voters. Unless we want to keep looking like illiterate and moronic bumpkins we would do well to ignore the grandstanding of Davis and his cronies and instead promote policies that actually help people, make common sense and use our money for beneficial purposes and not pipe dreams destined to fail.
Richard Moore
Sylva
To the Editor:
Watching the YouTube videos (since removed) of the “jack booted thugs” trampling on our Third, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendment natural rights recently in the greater Boston area, I experienced a great sadness. Sadness because peace officers, who took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, believed that they could commit these unconstitutional crimes; sadness that there has been no great public outcry against these atrocities; sadness that media commentators and officeholders haven’t spoken out vociferously against these fascist terror tactics against the American people; sadness mostly because despite the facade of liberty we still enjoy, all of these acts and attitudes mean that we have lost the republic.
What comes next won’t be pleasant. I know that I will continue to work to restore the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights that the founders handed down to us. What will you do? Choose wisely.
Benjamin Franklin once said: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Carl Iobst
Cullowhee
To the Editor:
This is an open letter to Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., our district’s freshman congressman:
Your vote to filibuster expanded background checks to purchase guns will haunt you through your next election. To defend your vote based on the lies of the National Rifle Association speaks to your ignorance of what the bill really said, your incompetence to represent the will of your constituents, or your laziness to determine either.
If you talk to hunters and sportsman, you know that hunters have to buy licenses to hunt, have limits on the numbers of ducks, deer, turkeys, etc., that can be killed and have limits on the number of shells they can have in their guns.
Guess what? Nobody has come to take their guns away from them.
These are all common sense measures to sustain the resource they want to hunt so their grandkids can enjoy the same experiences they have now. Surely our children who are our future deserve as much protection from common sense regulations as ducks or deer!
Over 31,000 people die EACH YEAR in the United States from gun violence — EACH YEAR! That is seven times more people than were killed in 10 years of war in Iraq and you want to do nothing! Shame on you.
Jane Harrison
Waynesville
To the Editor:
I am extremely disappointed in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribal Council (except members Perry Shell, Terri Henry and Bo Taylor) for allowing the bear zoos to continue in operation.
It’s understood that the bears cannot be released into the wild. However, they can and should be provided an environment as near to their natural habitat as humanly possible and anything short of that is unconscionable.
As Council Member Diamond Brown admitted, the tribal focus is on the new casino being built in Murphy. That excuse is so lame, and certainly undeserving the proud and ageless heritage of the Cherokee Nation.
David Snell
Dillsboro
Macon Pride, a county-based environmental organization, has recognized Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin for what it deems an exemplary recycling program. On a regular basis, Macon Pride highlights a local recycling program. The extensiveness and organization of the one at Caterpillar landed the company the honor this time around.
Caterpillar recycles large volumes of paper, metals and lubricants; its plant also has nearly a dozen stations for employees to recycle beverage containers and paper used daily.
“We strive for 100 percent recycling at our facility,” said Curtis Green, the facility’s senior associate for environmental health and safety.
Macon Pride also wants to hear from other county businesses, clubs, classrooms and churches that have recycling programs to recognize the effort. And, if an organization is lacking a program, Macon Pride will facilitate implementing a no-cost recycling station on site.
828.349.5201 or 828.524.9991.
Can you make it in the corps? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs volunteers to join the Elk Bugle Corps and assist rangers with managing traffic and providing information to visitors in Cataloochee Valley.
Cataloochee is a remote mountain valley in Haywood County where elk were reintroduced in 2001 as part of an experimental release. Approximately 140 elk now live in the herd, and their presence attracts throngs of visitors and lines of vehicles. Rangers have difficulty keeping up with the numbers and demands of visitors. Volunteers teach visitors about elk behavior and biology and impart ethical wildlife viewing.
Volunteers work at least two, four-hour shifts per month, starting the second week in May and continuing through November. This target period is during the high tourist season from elk calving season through their mating season. Volunteers will spend time roving the valley in a zero-emission electric vehicle or by bike. Volunteers who prefer to rove by bike are required to bring their own bicycle and helmet.
828.506.1739.
