Archived

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:09

Rebellion reigns in historical novel

Devil’s Brood: The Last Days of the Tempestuous Marriage of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine by Sharon Kay Penman. G.P Putnam’s Sons, 2008. Politics is not a game for sissies. It is not even necessarily a game for the…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:07

Graham and Swain part ways over Deal’s Gap debate

Graham County delivered yet another jolt to the three-month debate over who should provide emergency services to Deal’s Gap, a motorcycle mecca in a satellite portion of Swain County that sees serious wrecks each year. Graham commissioners voted 3-2 at…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:06

Cat lovers quietly care for wild colonies

Move over rabbits, it’s cats that multiply like crazy in Haywood County. According to the Haywood Animal Welfare Association, there are about 12,000 lost or stray cats in the county, nearly a fifth of the Haywood’s total human population. To…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:04

Swain at last makes foray into animal control

Swain County Manager Kevin King has an ambitious idea for finally addressing the years-old issue of animal control, or lack thereof, in the county. King would like to set aside some money to hire an animal control officer to handle…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:03

Citizen groups from all 50 states call for swift action on climate change

By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist With the long August recess now behind them, Senators have returned to Washington, D.C., with a heavy workload. In addition to the momentous responsibility they have to pass legislation that reduces greenhouse gas emissions,…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:01

What’s in a name? Tourism web site succumbs to proper spelling

The Haywood Tourism Development Authority announced some good news last week for all those miffed by the incorrect spelling of “Smoky” on its official Web site’s address. The TDA has put up $14 to buy a new URL, www.visitncsmokies.com, to…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 19:00

Shortchanged again, WNC demands highway dollars back

Western North Carolina has steadily lost out on tens of millions in federal highway dollars over the past decade, despite the money being specifically earmarked for the region. Mountain leaders sent a message to both Raleigh and Washington this week…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:58

Task force declared finished as draft plan advances for public review

Some members of the Jackson County Transportation Task Force feel like the list of road projects bearing their name has not properly been vetted, despite the work of the task force being declared finished. “I think the task force has…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:57

September in the Mountains: Homecoming, Watergate Salad, and the possibility of change

September in the mountains is an emotionally poignant time as it signals the end of summer and the beginning of fall in a dramatic show of color against a sky of brilliant blue. It carries an air of bittersweet longing…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:53

Working to bring back the American chestnut

By Julie Ball • Correspondent As a boy, Gene Gibson remembers his parents heading to some of Western North Carolina’s high mountain ridges in search of chestnuts. By that time — the early 1930s — most of the trees at…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:51

Duke faces stiff opposition to proposed rate hike

Duke Energy’s rate hike request met strong opposition at a public hearing before members of the N.C. Utilities Commission in Franklin last week. Duke claims the 12.6 percent hike is needed to pay for upgrades to power plants and infrastructure…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:50

The Naturalist's Corner

Dancin' on the dunes “Look at the butterflies!” I said. “I know, I’ve been counting them – 27, 28, 29, 30, 32,” said my wife Denise. “They’re still coming, “ I said. “41, 43, 44,” she said. I could see…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:47

It’s time to go, but the cord won’t cut so easily

I have lived in a lot of places in my life — countless apartments, dorm rooms, and houses, some of them I can barely remember — but in nearly 48 years, I have only had two homes. I left one…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:46

Lasting precedent doubtful as county closes books on erosion suit

Developers looking for shortcuts around erosion laws won’t find amnesty in a recent court case between a landowner and Haywood County erosion officials, according to the state authority on erosion enforcement. The landowner, Ron Cameron, won a lawsuit claiming he…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:44

Local illustrator part of upcoming Open Studios Tour

James Lyle is an internationally renowned illustrator and artist whose work appears in comic books, in campaigns for major corporations, in video games and in the Weekly Reader read by thousands of students each week. He lives in Haywood County…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:43

Corridor K inches forward

A road project known as Corridor K will boast the longest tunnel in the state of North Carolina if built as planned: a 2,807-foot passage through the side of a mountain in the Stecoah area of Graham County. Construction on…

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:41

Recipes, 9/30/10

Watergate Salad • 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix • 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, with juice • 1 cup miniature marshmallows • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts • 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping,…

Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:55

Webster scrambles to drum up candidates for town board

When voters head to the polls to elect town leaders in Webster this fall, the choices will be slim. Mighty slim. Only two candidates are running for five openings on the board — leaving three seats unclaimed. The tiny Jackson…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:40

Local restaurants support Haywood County farmers

Local chefs are proving to be some of the best supporters of Haywood County farmers. “The Buy Haywood project is having a great year, from new produce sales at Ingles grocery stores to a new map and brochure to encourage…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:38

Expert offers tips to keep downtown businesses kicking

Small business expert Tom Shay told local store owners in Franklin, Sylva and Waynesville that recessions are good for one thing: weeding out the weak. “A recession is a wonderful thing,” said Shay. “It clears the landscape.” At the same…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:36

Documentary tells captivating tale about the creation of GSMNP

When America tunes in to Ken Burns’ long-awaited documentary on the national parks next week, the hard-fought battle to save the Great Smoky Mountains from unrelenting timber barrons will play a major role in the epic series. The story of…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:35

Buck Knob residents, officials seek fire protection compromise

After years of fruitlessly demanding fire protection from a local volunteer fire department, homeowners on Buck Knob Island in the middle of Lake Glenville are finally inching toward their goal. So far, the state fire marshal’s office has assessed the…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:34

WCU announces 2009-10 theater season

The department of stage and screen is kicking off Western Carolina University’s 2009-10 “Mainstage” theater season with the hip, dark comedy “Manuscript.” This season also will feature productions of Shakespeare’s classic “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning “A Chorus…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:33

After delay, schools getting lottery dollars

By Julie Ball • Correspondent Some lottery money used to pay the debt on local school projects is coming to Western North Carolina months after the payments were frozen amid the state budget crunch. The money, which was withheld by…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:31

‘John Muir’ makes a return visit to WNC

By Thomas Crowe “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful, not only as fountains of…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:27

Landslide maps one component of steep slope planning

The Macon County committee charged with proposing regulations for building on steep slopes is still swimming in a sea of ideas but has agreed on one point. It will incorporate landslide hazard maps into a proposed ordinance, though the maps…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:26

County settles Cameron lawsuit for $75,000

Haywood County is shelling out $75,000 for an out-of-court settlement that resolves an ongoing lawsuit by a landowner over the county’s erosion control laws. The county’s liability insurance pool will cover the remaining $105,000 of the $180,000 settlement. “It was…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:19

The new caretakers: Through job losses and other factors, number of stay-at-home dads on the rise

By Julia Merchant • Contributing Writer A year and a half ago, Fatie Atkinson spent most of his time in an office designing custom furniture and tossing around ideas with other creative professionals. Today, instead of the chatter of a…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:17

Film highlights Asheville’s many offerings

“The Spirit of Asheville” (video) by Arthur Hancock and Katie Brugger. Time Capsule Video: Highlands. Running Time: 73 minutes. The Spirit of Asheville” is an unabashed siren call to the rest of the world: “Come to Asheville! This is the…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:16

WCU marching band director honored with national award

Bob Buckner, director of Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, is one of the first two recipients of the Award for Excellence in Marching Music Education presented by MENC: The National Association for Music Education and Drum…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:15

Revealing a love for the Smokies

Angler and writer Harry Middleton (1949-1993) is an elusive figure. Except for what he chose to reveal in his books — which are part memoir and part novel — little is known, outside of family and friends, about his too…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:13

Fly-fishing tournament offers hefty prize

A $10,000 cash prize is at stake for the second annual Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Masters Tournament on Sept. 26-27 in Cherokee. Sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fisheries and Wildlife Management in partnership with the North…

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:12

The Naturalist's Corner

Act swiftly No, I don’t mean fly around in a circle above a chimney or smokestack before disappearing into it. I mean clear your calendar and grab the kids and head to Asheville’s Grove Arcade this Friday (Sept. 25 from…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:19

Peace conference aims to foster multi-faith dialogue

With much controversy circling around how to conduct the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a conference at Lake Junaluska this weekend will instead focus on how to bring about lasting peace. The second annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, scheduled for…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:05

Hard drive connects, but some data is lost

By Jon Beckman • Guest ColumnistThe human brain must have been the first computer, capable of capturing and storing data for future reference, helping us learn to get out of the rain and not to put our hands in the…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:03

Swain makes cuts to plug million dollar shortfall

The recession has finally caught up with Swain County. While other counties began bracing for declining revenues in late 2008, Swain County has only just begun to tackle a $1 million shortfall eating its way through the county budget. Swain…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:02

Rooting out landslide prone slopes

As much as mountain dwellers take pride in the gnarled and weathered Rhododendron thickets that characterize Appalachian mountainsides, the signature bush could have a nasty side-effect. The same uncanny knack of the twisted roots to cling to steep, rocky terrain…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:00

Duke countersues Jackson

Duke Energy has fired back at Jackson County’s attempt to seize the Dillsboro Dam with a counterclaim of its own. Duke claims that it is the victim of abuse of process by the county and is seeking damages. Despite the…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:59

Family time before deployment a mix of emotions

I do not much like having my photograph taken, but there is one picture of me I have always liked. In it, I am standing near the road between my old apartment and the park across the street. In the…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:57

Judge refuses to dismiss Mathis slander case against Council on Aging board chair

Three years later, Denise Mathis, former director of the Haywood County Council on Aging, is still fighting to restore her reputation and seek monetary damages for being wrongly accused of mismanaging the finances of her former agency. Mathis lost her…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:55

Sheriff, Swain point fingers over budget shortfall

The on-going tension between Swain County commissioners and the sheriff has surfaced yet again, this time over the root cause of the county’s $1 million budget shortfall. “If it hadn’t been for the expenditures of the sheriff’s office we would…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:54

The Naturalist's Corner

Surprises under fog I decided to take advantage of a few free hours last Friday morning to get a firsthand look at fall migration. My strategy was to drive up to Soco Gap and then follow the Blue Ridge Parkway…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:53

WCU shoreline studies send out call to action

Western Carolina University professor Rob Young has co-authored a book titled The Rising Sea, which bears an “urgent message” for society about the threat posed by global sea-level rise. Sea-level rise is not merely a future possibility but is happening…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:52

Indigo mushrooms elicit eureka moment

When John Springstead went hiking through the forest behind his house outside Bryson City last week, he stumbled across a pale blue wad of paper peaking through the leaves. He stooped down to retrieve it as any good Samaritan would…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:51

Permit lapses for proposed Jackson County golf course

Plans for a 300-acre golf course on Cullowhee Mountain in Jackson County have been temporarily sidelined after developers failed to follow through on a federal environmental permit. Several creeks were in the way of Legasus’ golf course design. Nearly two-thirds…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:51

Entering the mind of a terrorist

First up for review this week is Piers Paul Read’s The Death of a Pope (Ignatius Press, ISBN 978-1-58617-295-4), the story of a terrorist plot following on the heels of the death of John Paul II in which the terrorists…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:49

Sign snatching a futile effort to enforce ordinance without teeth

Illegal temporary signs are so commonplace in Waynesville that Byron Hickox — the town’s land use manager — does a sign sweep once every week. Hickox drives around the main thoroughfares, grabbing any sign that is not allowed and amassing…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:49

A gifted writer, a great naturalist

Those of you who enjoy reading books about the Smokies should make an effort to locate a copy of Hidden Valley of the Smokies: With a Naturalist in the Great Smoky Mountains (Dodd, Mead & Company, 1971) by Ross E.…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:47

Watershed assessment still underway

The team of experts conducting an ecological assessment of Waynesville’s 8,600-acre watershed has collected so much data that they have had to hunt down a bigger software package that can actually handle the load. “We cannot fit this on Excel,”…

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:43

Dam fight between Duke, Jackson goes to federal court

Jackson County’s lawsuit against Duke Energy to seize the Dillsboro Dam and surrounding river shore through eminent domain has been kicked up to federal court. Jackson County filed the condemnation lawsuit in state court in August, but Duke attorneys argued…

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