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The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will participate in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Friday, Dec. 16.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is an early-winter bird census where tens of thousands of volunteers across the U.S. and many other countries in the Western Hemisphere go out for one day to count birds. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation efforts.
Local participants will cover a specific area of a 15-mile diameter circle on a specific route. Anyone is welcome to participate, since inexperienced observers are always out with seasoned veterans. 828.526.2775 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Carolina Field Birders, a birding club in Haywood and Jackson counties, will hold its Christmas Bird Count for Audubon on Dec. 30. To participate, call 828.627.2546.
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust’s acclaimed coffee table book, First Creation, will be available at Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Cashiers from 12:30-2 p.m. on Dec. 3.
The book was published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust’s first acquisition. First Creation: 100 Years of Land Conservation is a photographic record of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. The North Carolina Historical Review called it “... an enjoyable read for nature and wildlife enthusiasts, and for anyone interested in the North Carolina mountains.”
The cost of the book is $50 and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Publisher Ran Shaffner and past HCLT President Mercedes Heller will be available to sign copies of the book.
www.hicashlt.org or call 828.526.1111.
To the Editor:
On behalf of Veterans Of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5202 in Waynesville, I would like to thank the all the businesses who allowed us to sell poppies at their locations on Nov. 11-12: Ingles, Big Lots, K-Mart, Ammons, Bi Lo, Elks, and Mast General.
I would also like to thank all the patrons who purchased or made donations for the poppies. This year, despite the poor economy, we raised over $2,000 which is one of our best years ever. I would like to make special mention of Mary Sager (the Post Angel) who worked tirelessly in soliciting the largest donations as well as all the long hours and hard work she does at the VFW.
Per the VFW.Org website, the VFW conducted its first poppy distribution before Memorial Day in 1922, becoming the first veterans' organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The poppy soon was adopted as the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
It was during the 1923 encampment that the VFW decided that VFW Buddy Poppies be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work to provide them with some form of financial assistance. The plan was formally adopted during the VFW’s 1923 encampment. The next year, disabled veterans at the Buddy Poppy factory in Pittsburgh assembled VFW Buddy Poppies. The designation “Buddy Poppy” was adopted at that time.
In February 1924, the VFW registered the name “Buddy Poppy” with the U.S. Patent Office. A certificate was issued on May 20, 1924, granting the VFW all trademark rights in the name of Buddy under the classification of artificial flowers. The VFW has made that trademark a guarantee that all poppies bearing that name and the VFW label are genuine products of the work of disabled and needy veterans. No other organization, firm or individual can legally use the name “Buddy” Poppy.
Today, VFW Buddy Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals. The minimal assessment (cost of Buddy Poppies) to VFW units provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation's veterans. VFW Post 5202 will use the funds collected for the Veterans Assistance Program.
James Danek
Vice Commander,
VFW Post 5202
To the Editor:
I believe I can answer the question used as a headline for Quintin Ellison’s story in the Nov. 23 edition about dog’s barking: “Are dog-barking complainers simply howling at the moon?”
Yes. In fact, one is apt to obtain a more constructive answer from the moon than from local officials who doggedly (no pun intended) deny there’s a problem.
Margo Gray is precisely correct that “with owning a dog (or any pet) comes responsibility.” Therein lies the rub. Teaching responsibility was once considered a primary parental obligation, was fostered in our schools and cultivated in our communities. It was an axiom in American culture that along with any “right” came responsibilities. That time has regrettably passed.
Setting community rules is a lot like parenting. A rule is not a rule unless it’s enforced consistently. Otherwise it’s a wish, a fraud, and a child (or a citizen) so misgoverned is a prisoner of uncertainty.
That county managers, county planners, sheriffs and commissioners will doubtlessly find a reasonable solution elusive causes one to conclude silencing a barking dog is something akin to rocket science.
It isn’t. It’s just a matter of having the courage to do the right thing. And the right thing is to protect responsible citizens who play by the simple rules of society rather than providing shelter for those who do not.
David L. Snell
Dillsboro
To the Editor:
The deficit reduction supercommittee failed for two reasons.
A deficit results when expenditures exceed revenues. The Republicans adamantly refused to eliminate the temporary Bush tax cuts on the wealthy (increasing revenue) and would only support expenditure cuts. The other reason was they were afraid of not being re-elected if they were to compromise with the Democrats.
More 90 percent of the Republican congressmen signed a written pledge to Grover Norquist, president of the group Americans for Tax Reform, promising to never increase taxes while they were in office. Norquist is probably one of the most powerful and influential lobbyists in Washington. He is financially backed by some of the wealthiest individuals and corporations in America, including Koch Industries, AOL Time Warner, Microsoft, Pfitzer, UPS, and major tobacco companies, to name just a few.
In a recent interview on MSNBC with Sen. Alan Simpson, Simpson stated the only thing Norquist could do to a Republican who supported a tax increase was to prevent him or her from being re-elected.
The wealthiest people in America now have the lowest tax rate in over 30 years. The deficit can only be resolved by both decreasing expenditures and increasing revenues, according to leading economists.
We need term limits on congressmen. Elections next year will prove to be most interesting. Your vote counts.
Ron Rokstool
Maggie Valley
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen approved the construction drawings for a pavilion and restrooms to be located at Parham Park.
Among the other amenities, walking trails and a handicap assessable deck have been installed to provide residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy Jonathan Creek from a bird’s eye-view. Maggie Valley continues to seek opportunities to improve economic development, recreational assets, and to serve the residents/businesses in an efficient professional manner while maintaining that small town feel.
The Educational Talent Search program at Western Carolina University recently was awarded a five-year, $1.7 million grant to serve 780 students at five Western North Carolina high schools.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Education, WCU Educational Talent Search will embrace a new name – Project Discovery – while continuing the work of helping low-income and first-generation college-bound students complete high school and enroll in and graduate from the college of their choice.
The schools involved are Swain County High School, Robbinsville High School and Cherokee High School, all of which Educational Talent Search has served in the past, and Madison County High School and Buncombe County’s Erwin High School.
The program’s curriculum is designed to support students in their completion of a rigorous course of study, help them explore and learn about careers and colleges, assist them with SAT and ACT registration and preparation workshops, as well as providing fee waivers, college tours and assistance with college and financial aid applications.
828.227.7137.
The Town of Maggie Valley approved a five-year contract for five events to be held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds beginning in 2012.
The confirmed dates are May 25-27 for the Slammin’ & Jammin’ Car & Truck Show and Southeastern Gas & Petroleum Expo to be held July 20-21. The festival director will continue to work closely with Autoshows Motorsports Events to schedule a series of three concerts to be held during three consecutive months in 2012.
A discussion titled “The Western Carolina University Cuts Hurt Education Forum: Collaborating Toward the Success of North Carolina Education” will be held on campus Monday, Dec. 5.
The event, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center, is designed to bring faculty, staff, students, political leaders and WCU community members together to talk about the effects of budget cuts to education and what community members can do to affect changes. More than $400 million was cut last year from the budget for the University of North Carolina system.
The nonpartisan forum is being sponsored by the Office of Leadership and Student Involvement and the WCU Student Government Association with support from student political groups and the North Carolina Association of Educators.
828.227.3618.
The next community music jam at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, in the library auditorium.
As in past years, the December concert will feature holiday favorites. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer — anything unplugged — is invited to join. Singers are also welcome to join.
Patrons are also invited just to come by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City. Normally Barnett starts by calling out a tune and its key signature, and the group plays it together
The music jams are held the first and third Thursday of each month. 828.488.3030.
The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series will continue at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center on Thursday, Dec. 1, with a concert featuring the duo Whimzik.
The 7 p.m. performance by the husband-and-wife team of Glenn Kastrinos and Kjelsty Hanson will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.
Kastrinos and Hanson perform a variety of songs “that connect back to the origins of what is today referred to as old-time music,” said Peter Koch, Mountain Heritage Center educational associate. Originally from Idaho, the couple moved to Cullowhee after living for several years in New Zealand. Kastrinos sings and plays the guitar, flute and tin whistles, while Hanson plays bodhran, the bones and spoons.
The concerts and jam sessions will continue at the Mountain Heritage Center through the winter, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Other performers scheduled to present concerts are Ric Ledford and the Reems Creek Incident and the New Southern Ramblers.
The events are free and open to everyone. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions, and the events also are open to those who just want to listen.
The Mountain Heritage Center is located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building.
828.227.7129.
A guitarist who has written songs for Widespread Panic and Ray Charles will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center in Highlands.
Phil Roy’s show is billed as “Hope in a Hopeless World,” and is a benefit for the leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Roy is a singer/songwriter from Philadelphia who has written songs over the past 15 years for names including Widespread Panic, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker and The Neville Brothers. The performance was organized by Dave Linn of Macon County after learning a close friend was diagnosed with leukemia.
Tickets are $20. A special “Meet Phil Roy” featuring cocktails and dessert will be held at Old Edwards Inn & Spa Hummingbird Lounge. The private event is limited to 20 people. Roy will talk about his famous songs and why and who he wrote them for, as well as give another private concert. The cost is $50 and includes a performance ticket.
A silent auction will be held before the performance
Tickets can be purchased day of the event or will call at Highlands PAC. 828.526.9047.
Macon County singer/songwriter Angela-Faye Martin will perform at the Jackson County Public Library Complex in downtown Sylva on at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6.
Martin calls her haunting songs “mountain folk-rock.” Her latest album is titled “Pictures from Home” and came out in 2009. It was produced by the late Mark Linkous, aka Sparklehorse (a collaborator of Dangermouse, David Lynch, and Daniel Johnston) and was his last album before his untimely death. Martin derives her inspiration from the Western North Carolina mountains, where she lives with her poet and conservationist husband Brent Martin.
“Together we have formed our own two-person art colony and are constructing a new paradigm of creative success … That is, when we aren’t feeding the local crows cat food.”
During her performance in Sylva, Martin will feature some of her new material as well as older favorites. She’ll also offer her reflections on being a songwriter in the Western Carolina mountains.
828.586.2016. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.
A special evening program featuring poets, musicians, songwriters and historians will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 in the Mountain Heritage Center on the campus of Western Carolina University.
The gathering is being called “The New Appalachia. No more moonshine, Li’l Abners and Daisy Maes.”
Performers and presenters include Western Carolina University historian and director of the university’s Special Collections archives George Frizzell; singer-songwriter and recording artist Angela Faye Martin; poet and rock’n’roll drummer Michael Revere; and poet and publisher Thomas Rain Crowe.
The concert/performance will be free to students and to the general public. A free copy of Michael Revere’s illustrated book of writings, Appalachian Roots, will be available free for all attending.
Frizzell will give a presentation with personal inflections about the strange marriage of classic rock ‘n’roll and its possible and/or imagined influences on the history of Southern Appalachian music and culture. Martin hails from Macon County. Her latest CD is titled “Pictures From Home” and was produced by the late and legendary Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. Revere, originally from Brevard and well-traveled, is back in Jackson County after several years in Montana. His lyrical and rock-beat song-style poems are both powerful and profound. He will be accompanied on the evening’s program by percussionist Gabe Wood, who is a native of Cullowhee. Crowe hails from Tuckasegee and is known as much for his nature and environmental writing as his poetry. He has performed for many years throughout the region with different variations of his spoken-word and music band Thomas Rain Crowe & The Boatrockers.
Donations will be accepted and will go to the Charles George V.A. Medical Center in Asheville. 828.227.7129 or 828.506.2854.
Haywood Studio’s annual Holiday Craft Sale will be held Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2.
The sale will be held in the Student Center auditorium at Haywood Community College from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.
Haywood Studios is the craft club organization for students in the Professional Crafts program at HCC. The four mediums in the program are clay, fiber, jewelry, and wood. All work in the Holiday Sale is created by students in the Professional Crafts program.
The Southern Highland Craft Guild’s holiday sale at the Folk Art Center will be held Dec. 3 and Dec. 10. Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will be on hand in the center’s auditorium on these two Saturdays to sell select work at 10 to 50 percent discounts.
The sale is an excellent opportunity for the artist to liquidate overstocks and 2011 items, try out new techniques, and sell studio seconds. For the customer, the sale means great deals for holiday shopping and a chance to connect with the craftsperson.
Buying from artists supports the local economy and promotes the mission of the Guild which is “bringing together the crafts and craftspeople of the Southern Highlands for the benefit of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation.”
More than 70 artists will be participating over the course of the two sales, with a different group of artists each weekend – so plan on coming to both for best selection.
The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville.
828.298.7928 or www.craftguild.org.
The Western Carolina University Wind Ensemble will present its final concert of the fall semester at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.
The musicians will perform under the direction of John T. West, director of bands and associate dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts at WCU. Admission is free.
The concert will begin with a performance of Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 in C Minor, featuring a collaboration of four WCU faculty members – Terri Armfield, Shannon Thompson, Will Peebles and Travis Bennett – and four student musicians – Erin Pugh, Hannah Austin, Julie Popelka and Andrew Gore.
The full wind ensemble will perform three major original wind works, beginning with Norman Dello Joio’s “Variants on a Medieval Tune.” Graduate assistant conductor Jody Brent McCarn will lead the ensemble in Eric Ewazen’s “A Hymn for the Lost and the Living,” a tribute to those lost in the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and Austin will be featured on clarinet in a presentation of Frank Ticheli’s “Blue Shades.”
828.227.7242.
The second Annual Arts, Crafts & More Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 10 at the National Guard Armory on Webster Road in Jackson County.
The craft festival has space for artists, crafters and those promoting a home-based or small business for $20, $25, $30 or $50. To reserve space contact Sharon at 828.226.0045 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
There is no admission but non-perishable food for the Community Table Soup Kitchen will be accepted.
The Waynesville Gallery Association will celebrate the holiday season during its final Art After Dark of 2011 from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2.
Attendees can stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Historic Frog Level. Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries like Burr Studio and Gallery, Earthworks Frame Shop, Earthworks Gallery, Gallery Two Six Two, Grace Cathey Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86, Jeweler’s Workbench, Textures, TPennington Art Gallery, and Twigs and Leaves Gallery. Christmas music will fill the streets while holiday shoppers visit the shops and galleries.
• Gallery Two Six Two will celebrate its grand re-opening. Stop by the new location at 142 N Main Street for drinks and hors d’oeuvres and meet several artists.
• Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 will host a reception during Art After Dark for its newest exhibit, “It’s A Small, Small Work 2011.” Now in its fourth year, the small works show features over 100 artists from western North Carolina in a variety of media including acrylic painting, clay, collage, egg tempura goldleaf, encaustic, fiber, glass, jewely, oil painting, pastel, photography, steel, watercolor, wood, and more.
• TPennington Art Gallery will unveil “St. Nicholas’ Chocolate Factory,” and feature art and chocolate — lots of chocolate — with recipes on Dec. 2 from 5-9 p.m. and all day Dec. 3 from 10 a.m.-.5 p.m.
• Twigs and Leaves Gallery is celebrating 2011 and the coming holiday season during this year’s final Art After Dark. Embrace the festive sights and holiday spirit, and enjoy special treats and piano music as you browse through hundreds of gift ideas ready for complimentary wrapping (and shipping is available). Twigs and Leaves Gallery offers extended holiday hours on two consecutive Sundays, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, from 1-4 p.m.
The Haywood County School District will hold its district competition of the Poetry Out Loud (POL) National Recitation Contest at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 1 in the Tuscola High Auditorium.
The competition will feature school champions from Haywood Early College, Pisgah High School, and Tuscola High School. District winners will move up to the semi-final competition to be held in Greensboro on Saturday, March 24, 2012. Winners of the semi-final competition will compete in Raleigh for the North Carolina Poetry Out Loud state championship.
This is the second year that Haywood County High Schools have participated in Poetry Out loud, a program presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and advanced through partnership with local arts councils like the Haywood County Arts Council. The Haywood County Arts Council supports Poetry Out Loud by providing performance opportunities for students, transportation funds to attend competitions, and gifts for winners.
In 2010-2011, Ann Kram, a senior at Tuscola High School won the district level competition and Pisgah High School senior, Ashley Lee was runner-up. Ann went on to perform at the state POL competition in Raleigh.
Poetry Out Loud, is a national recitation contest that “invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class. Poetry Out Loud helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.”
Michell Hicks, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will allow a controversial vote to go forward next April on whether to legalize alcohol sales on the reservation.
“At this point, I just feel strongly that it’s the people decision,” Hicks said. “It’s an issue for the people to vote on.”
Cherokee is currently dry, with no beer, wine or liquor sold in restaurants or convenience stores — with the exception of Harrah’s Casino. Tribal council last month voted to hold a referendum that would give all tribal members a chance to vote on legalizing alcohol sales.
The chief had until Wednesday to decide whether to veto tribal council’s decision. He spent the full 30-day time limit praying about it, he said.
Hicks said he wants the tribe to control how and where alcohol is distributed on the reservation, as well as benefit revenue-wise from its sales.
Hicks is okay with restaurants selling alcohol but doesn’t want to see beer and wine turning up on the shelves of gas stations and package stores cropping up across the reservation.
Instead, Hicks wants the tribe to be the sole proprietor of alcohol sales to the public. Liquor sales both to the public and restaurants would be handled through a tribally owned and operated ABC store, as is the norm for anywhere in North Carolina.
Hicks would like beer and wine to be handled the same way. He does not want beer and wine to be sold in gas stations and grocery stores, saying that is “something I won’t support.” Instead, he wants the sale of beer, wine and liquor limited to tribal ABC stores.
Hicks is not advocating for the alcohol vote to pass, but if it does, he wants the tribe to control the sale of alcohol for two reasons. One is to keep gas stations peddling booze off every corner of the reservation, citing that he doesn’t “think it’s healthy.”
Confining sales to a tribally run store would keep alcohol from cropping up on rural areas of the reservation as well, like the Snowbird community in the remote mountainous reaches of Graham County.
The other reason is financial. Cherokee would reap the profits from selling the alcohol.
The revenue from alcohol sales “could be substantial,” Hicks said.
Many local businesses support the referendum, saying alcohol will boost their bottom line and keep tourists who might other leave the reservation in search of alcohol in Cherokee.
However, many in Cherokee are strong Christians and have a long history of alcoholism and diabetes, making many inclined to oppose such a referendum.
The Eastern Band has shot down similar measures in the past — and even halted some cries for alcohol on the reservation before a vote could take place.
The referendum passed tribal council in late October, with nine of 12 representatives voting for it. Two council members wanted to table the resolution, and the remaining member was not present.
Members of the Eastern Band are expected to vote on the referendum in April and can approve all, none, or one or two of the following:
• To permit a tribal ABC store to sell liquor to the public.
• To permit the sale of beer, wine and liquor drinks only in restaurants licensed by the Eastern Band.
• To permit the sale of beer and wine only in grocery stores and convenience stores licensed by the Eastern Band.
Don’t forget you must get written permission from landowners and leaseholders before hunting, fishing or trapping on privately owned, posted property in North Carolina under a new state law.
The Landowner Protection Act provides two ways for landowners to post their lands to allow only hunters, trappers and anglers with this prior permission to enter their property legally. Landowners can now post their land by using vertical purple paint marks on posts or trees to indicate no trespassing, or, as in the past, by placing signs or posters.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has posted information on its website about the new Landowner Protection Act.
The website also contains answers to frequently asked questions about the law.
www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Conserving/documents/LandownerProtectionAct/LPAFAQ_2011.pdf.
Run off some of those holiday calories at the inaugural Reindeer Dash 5k and one-mile fun run starting at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3 in Bryson City.
The town’s Rotary Club is hosting the event. Participants can enjoy Bryson City’s Christmas Parade after the race, plus there will be costume contests, giveways and hot chocolate.
The course will loop from town to Deep Creek and back, and features chip timing.
Register at www.runbrysoncity.com.
Haywood Waterways Authority’s annual banquet will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Lambuth Inn, Lake Junaluska. Haywood Waterways will celebrate the Pigeon River Watershed, reflect on the year’s accomplishments and talk about goals and projects for the coming year. The $15 cover charge per person will be collected at the door. Please RSVP no later than Nov. 29.
828.226.8565 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Haywood Waterways Association has spotlighted the farm efforts of Bill Holbrook, a farmer in the Bethel community.
Holbrook, who owns Cold Mountain Farms, is part of six generations who have farmed on the family land.
Holbrook says that he runs his farm operation as an efficient and productive business, but the way he does it attests to the strong ties to the river and what it has meant to his family over the years.
The state some years ago awarded Holbrook its River Friendly Farmer recognition as part of a statewide initiative that recognizes farmers who help to keep North Carolina’s rivers, lakes and streams clean. To be awarded this honor, a farmer has to do a double duty by using sound economic and environmental farming practices that protect and improve the precious water and soil resources for future generations.
Among other protections, Holbrook added an inventive system to his farm so that he wouldn’t lose chemicals sprayed on his 36 acres of crops as he filled tanks with water at the river’s edge. The pit holds any runoff from the tank and cleans the water before it is returned to the river.
The River Friendly Farmer Program makes sure that farmers who protect and preserve natural resources while making their living are publicly recognized for going the extra mile. These farmers provide their local Soil and Water Conservation districts with valuable information about the watershed that feeds the land they farm, as well as how they are improving the quality of the water that leaves their farms and flows into other areas.
“Farming has always been about surviving disease and weather,” Holbrook said. “But it’s also about being resourceful and creative.”
Just because winter is here doesn’t mean you have to skip on locally produced foods. Haywood’s Historic Farmers Indoor Winter Market is open Wednesdays and Saturday through Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. until noon.
Farmers are offering vegetables, greens and squash, pastured beef, pork, chicken, jams, pickles, honey, crafts and more.
The market is at 449A Pigeon Street, at the corners of Pigeon and Craven Streets, in Waynesville. www.waynesvillefarmersmarket.com or facebook.com/waynesvillefarmersmarket.
The Jackson County Farmers Market is holding its market indoors at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Jackson Street in downtown Sylva every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. 828.631.3033.
A leading national activist in climate change will visit Asheville as part of the Climate Reality Project at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at UNC-Asheville.
Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, The Global Warming Reader, and other defining books on the environment has become a galvanizing force in American politics. The program is sponsored by Western North Carolina Alliance and Canary Coalition.
McKibben’s organization, 350.org, is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Non-violent direct action has been a strong component of 350’s effectiveness and McKibben is encouraging this type of activism on climate change-related issues in all of the locations at which he is speaking on his current tour.
At 5:30 p.m., regional ecologist Dr. Edward Hauser will discuss climate change from an ecological perspective, including the loss of coral reefs, and solutions including conservation measures, energy efficiency and new technologies.
Hauser’s talk will be in the Humanities Lecture Hall and McKibben will be at Lipinsky Auditorium.
A holiday celebration benefiting Friends of the Smokies will be held at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
This special “Wine on Wednesday” event will feature wine tasting by the Classic Wineseller, live music, complimentary hors d’oeuvres from The Patio Bistro, and a raffle for a framed print by local artist Teresa Pennington.
A donation of $10 is requested per five-wine flight to benefit Friends of the Smokies. Classic Wineseller is located at 20 Church Street. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.452.0720 or www.classicwineseller.com.
A kick-off meeting for developing a regional bicycle plan for Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties will be held from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Haywood Community College High Tech Center in Waynesville.
The goal of this two-year long project is to coordinate existing bicycle plans while developing this regional plan.
“Bicycling is important to the economic development goals of Western North Carolina—each year thousands of people visit the region and take part in bicycling activities such as the Blue Ridge Breakaway, or otherwise ride for recreation,” according to organizers. “While bicycling currently accounts for a small share of commuter trips, it is a critical component of a multi-modal transportation system and can help provide more affordable transportation alternatives.”
The study is funded by a grant from the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation of North Carolina Department of Transportation. Land-of-Sky Regional Council, in cooperation with the Southwestern Rural Planning Organization, is coordinating the effort.
Learn about wildlife by tapping into Wild South, which offers a wide range of educational wildlife programs through school presentations and community events.
In addition to programs about other critters, Wild South is offering black bear experts to share insights and knowledge on these mighty animals.
Naturalists and other wildlife experts provide activities to get individuals directly connected with nature involving the outdoors.
Wild South’s Wildlife Outreach Coordinator, John Edwards, will assist schools and other organizations in scheduling and coordinating animal kingdom experts who can provide up close and informative presentations for all ages.
A limited amount of “special funding” for events during the 2011-12 school year is available for both schools and organizations, made possible by friends of Mountain Wildlife Days and other contributors.
828.743.9648 or 864.934.1935 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking nominations through Jan. 30 for the seventh annual Thomas L. Quay Award.
The award recognizes individuals who make outstanding contributions to wildlife diversity in North Carolina and who are considered leaders in wildlife resources conservation.
The Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee will recommend nominees for consideration at their May meeting. The winner will be announced at the commissioners’ meeting in July.
You can submit a nomination form at www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/News/documents/2012WildlifeConservationAwardForm.pdf.
919.707.0063.
Voluntary land protections have increased by 27 percent over the five-year period from 2005-2010.
The first census of land trusts during this period found 10 million new acres conserved nationwide since 2005, including 339,669 acres here in North Carolina.
The National Land Trust Census was released by the Land Trust Alliance. In the same period, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, a major federal conservation program, added just more than 500,000 acres even while experiencing a 38 percent funding cut.
A total of 47 million acres — an area over twice the size of all the national parks in the contiguous United States — are now protected by land trusts.
An enhanced tax deduction for conservation easement donations has helped America’s land trusts work with farmers, ranchers and other modest-income landowners to sustain a remarkable pace of more than one million acres protected by conservation easements each year. Proponents are worried that Congress will allow this incentive to expire at the end of 2011, meaning fewer landowners will receive tax benefits from the generous donation of development rights on their land.
The census can be found online at www.lta.org/census.
Four new landfill gas extraction wells are being drilled at the Green Energy Park in Jackson County, with the resulting energy helping to fuel craftspeople at work.
The Green Energy Park taps methane landfill gas to provide fuel for blacksmith forges and foundry, glassblowing studios, and greenhouses. Methane builds up as a byproduct of decomposing trash below ground.
The new wells to tap the landfill gas marks the first time that extensive excavation has been done at the landfill since the original dozen or so in 2005. Quality Drilling of St. Paris, Ohio, is boring the wells 70 feet deep.
“It’s important because it will allow us to maximize our gas supply here at the GEP,” said Timm Muth, director of Green Energy Park. “We’ll be able to run all of our equipment at the same time and have more artists working at the GEP creating beautiful works of art which helps to attract tourists to Jackson County — a win-win for all of us.”
Jackson County is paying $33,000 for the new wells. Several of the original wells had seen decreasing gas flow, likely indicating that the high density polyethylene well casings had become clogged with sediment, and that new wells needed to be drilled to tap the continually generating gas coming from the landfill.
“If we didn’t drill these wells the landfill gas could migrate into the ground water,” Muth said.
The Jackson County Green Energy Park is an award winning, community-scale landfill gas project located in Dillsboro. www.jcgep.org.
There are butterfly gardens and wildlife-oriented gardens, so why not reptile and amphibian gardens, too?
For people looking to make their property more inviting to frogs, toads, lizards and snakes, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has on its website a new publication that provides tips on creating suitable habitat.
Reptiles and Amphibians in Your Backyard is a color, eight-page publication that was produced by biologists from N.C. State University, the wildlife commission, N.C. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
“Many of the practices explained in the book to attract reptiles and amphibians are easy and fairly quick to do, even for folks who aren’t gardeners,” said Jeff Hall, a wildlife commission biologist. “It’s mainly a matter of taking these critters into consideration when managing your lawn and garden. Things such as adding a water garden, planting native vegetation, providing shelter such as rock piles and log and brush piles, and limiting the use of pesticides and chemicals are simple yet effective techniques to create a backyard habitat that will attract a wide variety of wildlife.”
Even better for wildlife enthusiasts, these same practices and techniques will also attract birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other wildlife to a backyard.
Along with habitat tips, the book provides information on the life history of reptiles and amphibians as well as the ecological importance of “herps,” as reptiles and amphibians are collectively called.
More than 160 species of reptiles and amphibians are found in North Carolina, and many of them are common to urban and suburban areas. However, some species have experienced declining populations over the last decade due to a variety of factors stemming from the state’s rapid growth.
Check it out at www.ncparc.org/pubs/Reptiles%20and%20Amphibians%20in%20Your%20Backyard_final.pdf.
Mary J. Messer, author of the Appalachian memoir Moonshiner’s Daughter, will read from her book and answers questions from the audience from 3:30-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the WCU Bookstore in Cullowhee.
Messer’s powerful and often disturbing memoir, set in Haywood County in the heart of the Smoky Mountains as well as northern Virginia and New York City, tells of her life as the middle daughter of an abusive moonshiner and his mentally ill wife, the incredible hardship her mother and the four children suffered at her alcoholic father’s hand, as well as the trauma the children suffered from the cruelty of other youth and adults as they grew up.
Robert Morgan, award-winning, best-selling author of Gap Creek and many others and also a WNC native, said:
“Moonshiner’s Daughter is a gripping testimony of one woman’s struggle, and one family’s struggle, to survive against overwhelming odds—financial, social, emotional, physical. This book is a window on a world many of us assume is long in the past. Most of all it is a story of human connection, of victory over poverty, pain, discrimination, the haunting story a woman finding her voice and place. Though heart-breaking at times, this is a book you will not soon forget.”
Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to this free event. Copies of thebook will be available for purchase and author signing. 828.227.7346 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• A Traditional Thanksgiving & Tree Trimming will be held from Thursday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 27, at the Fontana Village Resort. www.fontanavillage.com.
• Lake Junaluska will host a Thanksgiving Dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 24, at the Terrace Inn. $19.95 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-11. Children under 5 are free. Reservations required. 454.6662.
• Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Candlelight Service will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25, in downtown Franklin. Free cider, cookies and music. 524.2516. www.RenewingFranklin.com.
• Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association brings Santa to the Village Green from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25. 743.1630.
• Cackleberry Mountain presents discounts, surprises, hot cider and local artist John Long from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25, at 460 Hazelwood Ave. in Waynesville. 452.2432.
• The Highlands Annual Christmas Tree Lighting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, at Highlands United Methodist Church. 526.2112.
• The Franklin Christmas Parade will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27, in downtown Franklin. In addition to parade, a food drive will be happening to benefit CareNet. Applications to be a part of the parade must be received by Friday, Nov. 25. www.franklin-chamber.com.
• Angel Medical Center will host a “Blessing of the Hospice Tree” at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, in the main lobby of Angel Medical Center at 120 Riverview Street in Franklin. Ornaments are $5 and proceeds go towards Hospice patient services. 369.4206.
• A special holiday edition of “Art after Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, On Main St. in Waynesville.
• Dalton’s Christian Bookstore will host its annual Happy Birthday Jesus Party from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, in Waynesville. Ages 3 to 12 are invited for cake, crafts, prizes and more.
• The Bryson City Spirit of Christmas will be held all day on Saturday, Dec. 3, in downtown Bryson City.
• The Cherokee Christmas Bazaar will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, in Cherokee. Includes a concert and a visit from Santa.
• The Hometown Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, in downtown Murphy. 837.6821.
• The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts at Shelton House will host the Appalachian Christmas celebration from 7-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at HART main theater. 456.5384 or www.sheltonhouse.org.
• The Cherokee Christmas Parade will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, from the Cherokee Bear Zoo and going down Main St. to 441 N., and then ending by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
• The Maggie Valley Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Ghost Town parking lot and continue to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. 926.0866.
• “A Living Nativity” will be presented from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 84 Frank Mann Road in Canton. May bring one food item to benefit the Canton Community Kitchen. Free.
• MusicWorks! Studio of performing arts will perform “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3, at the auditorium of Canton Middle School. $12 for adults, $8 for students ages 3-17. 456.2283.
• WATR will host its annual Holiday Party at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, at the Dillsboro Inn on River Road. 488.8418 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a Christmas Dinner and gift raffle from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Chef’s Table at 30 Church Street in Waynesville. $50 per person. All proceeds support arts programming in Haywood County. 452.0593.
• The Friends of the Smokies will host a holiday celebration at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Classic Wineseller at 20 Church Street in Waynesville. $10 donation requested. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 452.0720 or www.classicwineseller.com.
Holiday Giving
• The Town of Maggie Valley will host a Food Drive benefit from Saturday, Dec. 3 thru Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Town Hall and the Police Department. All food donations benefit Haywood Christian Ministries. www.maggievalleypd.com or 926.4950.
• “Can you Ski Food & Coat Drive” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. Bring 10 cans of food or a warm winter coat and receive a lift ticket for that day. 800.768.0285.
• The Nurses Christian Fellowship student organization at WCU is seeking donations of gloves, scarves, hats and mittens to give to youth in Jackson County through Tuesday, Dec. 13. Donations will be collected in Room 209 of Moore Hall on the campus of WCU. 227.3529 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Western Carolina University Jazz Ensemble will present its annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29.
Under the director of Pavel Wlosok of WCU’s School of Music faculty, the ensemble will perform in the recital hall of the Coulter Building.
In addition to the 21 student members of the ensemble, the performance will feature two of Wlosok’s music faculty colleagues – Steve Wohlrab on guitar and Dave Wilken on trombone.
Selections will include music by Duke Ellington, Count Basie Orchestra, Bob Mintzer, Buddy Rich Orchestra, Ed Neumeister and others.
828.227.7242.
Popular Nashville recording artist Matt Stillwell returns home to the mountains of Western North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 3, for a concert at the Smoky Mountain High School gym.
Stillwell is partnering with his alma mater, Smoky Mountain High School, to offer a benefit concert for the school. The concert begins at7 p.m.
Stillwell fans will be treated to a full concert all for only $10 per person. A BBQ dinner is also available for $8 per person, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain High School Cafeteria. For fans that want extra time with the country music star, Matt and the band have offered a personal Meet & Greet VIP Dinner and VIP seating for $40 per person.
“This is just one way I’m trying to give back to the town and people who have supported me over the years. We have a big show planned, you don’t want to miss it,” said Stillwell.
Stillwell was a stand-out four-sport athlete at Smoky Mountain High School, and later became an All Conference performer on the Southern Conference-winning Western Carolina University baseball team.
Tickets are on sale now and available at various locations throughout Sylva. Tickets can be purchased at Smoky Mountain High School and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce as well as at the door the night of the concert. For more information at the concert or dinner contact Assistant Principal Jimmy Cleaveland at Smoky Mountain High School, 828.586.2177, extension 358.
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian will take its story on the road in 2012, holding a series of new programs showcasing Ostenaco’s and Henry Timberlake’s journey to each other’s countries 250 years ago in a traveling exhibit called ‘Emissaries of Peace.’
The museum will celebrate this story and explore the two cultures — Cherokee and British — with seven events in four states.
“We are looking forward to these exciting events, and taking this story of two cultures to a wider audience,” said Ken Blankenship, executive director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and an enrolled tribal member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
In 2006, the museum created the exhibit, “Emissaries of Peace: 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations.” It was designated a “We the People” exhibit by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This designation is awarded to projects that encourage and strengthen the understanding of American history and culture and that advance knowledge of the principles that define America.
During 2012, seven events and a public television broadcast will tell this story to new audiences. A battle re-enactment, festivals with 18th century Cherokee living history, scholarly symposia, a television broadcast and a trip to London will take place from Memorial Day through November. Additionally, a smaller version of the Emissaries exhibit will be on display at Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington, Penn., and at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tenn., while the original exhibit resides at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee. Two additional small exhibits are available for rental.
Performances throughout the year bring history to life. Henry Timberlake and Ostenaco will provide first person historical interpretation. The Warriors of AniKituwha, a traditional Cherokee dance group sponsored by the Museum, will be performing at all venues.
As official cultural ambassadors, this dance group has been at the center of cultural revitalization for Cherokee people. They have inspired pride in a little-known period of Cherokee history when Cherokees took part in global events. Timberlake’s description of the War Dance that welcomed him is the basis for their revival of this and other traditional Cherokee dances. Research used in the exhibit has inspired and helped create cultural revitalization in traditional dance, Cherokee clothing, pottery, fingerweaving, feather capes and more.
The exhibit has been viewed by more than two million people since its opening in 2006. It was the first exhibit created by an American Indian tribe to be displayed at the Smithsonian, opening in 2007 at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Emissaries of Peace 2012 schedule
• May 26-27 — Reenactment of Montgomery and Grant expedition, battles on site, Macon County.
• May 1 — Oconaluftee Indian village opens with Timberlake and Ostenaco in residence June-August.
• June 10 — Cherokee Voices Festival at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and grand re-opening of the Emissaries exhibit.
• June 15 — Cherokee London Tour — Tour of places visited by the Cherokees in 1762:
• June 22-23 — Timberlake in the Overhills: Ft. Loudon State Historic Site. Symposium with scholars;
• July 7-8 — Ft. Necessity National Battlefield in Pennsylvania.
• July 18-22 — Timberlake and Ostenaco in Williamsburg, Va.
• Sept. 14-15 — Grand finale with Southeast Tribes Festival in Cherokee.
A popular post-Thanksgiving arts and crafts tradition will once again fill Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center for two days of holiday fun.
The 24th annual Hard Candy Christmas Fine Art and Craft Show is Nov. 25-26, featuring more than 110 artisans hand-picked by show organizer and veteran crafter Doris Hunter.
Hunter spends the year visiting shows throughout the Southeast, seeking talented crafters who add a special touch to her show, which gets its name from a simpler era when folks enjoyed the season with stockings of hard candy and gifts made by hand.
This two-day event, the largest holiday arts and crafts show in Western North Carolina, features a variety of hand-made items from basket weavers, wood carvers, quilters, silversmiths, potters, furniture makers, blacksmiths, glass blowers and doll makers.
Holiday items available include candles, ornaments, trees, wreaths and peanut brittle.
This year’s featured artist is Jean Littlejohn of Clyde, who creates limited-edition holiday crafts from the 1800s. Her German-style candy containers are sculpted of papier mache. Littlejohn has won numerous awards and been featured in several crafts magazines.
The show has grown so much that a dozen artisans will be displaying outside the arena.
Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is $3 per person, with children under age 12 admitted free. Parking is also free.
For show info call Doris Hunter at 828.524.3405, or visit www.mountainartisans.net. For info on dining and lodging, call the Jackson County Visitors Center at 800.962.1911.
The Jackson County Public Library will host a performance of “Deck the Halls with Southern Writers,” the new one-woman Christmas play adapted and performed by Barbara Bates Smith, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the Community Room.
The play is based on the works of Southern writers including Kay Byer, Lee Smith, Allan Gurganus, and others. Musical accompaniment is by Jeff Sebens on hammered dulcimer.
Excerpts will include “Christmas on Sugar Fork” from Lee Smith’s novel Fair and Tender Ladies, “The Christmas Spectacle” from Allan Gurganus’s Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells it All, and some of Truman Capote’s “Christmas Memories.” These stories are woven into Bates Smith’s own comical, often frustrating, search for the ‘true spirit of Christmas,’ with the play closing memorably with a Kay Byer poem: a pregnant mountain woman reflects on the Mary story from the Bible.
Bates Smith, who lives in Haywood County, is noted for her adaptation and Off-Broadway performance of “Ivy Rowe” from Lee Smith’s Fair and Tender Ladies, a show in its 21st year of touring. A Southeastern Theatre “Best Actress” award winner, Bates Smith has recently played featured roles in regional productions of “Wit,” “Hamlet” and “Doubt.”
The actress returns to Sylva after her 2007 performance of a play based on Lee Smith’s On Agate Hill, which she performed as part of that year’s Great Smoky Mountains Book Fair, a major fund-raising event for the then-proposed new Jackson County Public Library. Bates Smith brings her support of the endeavor full circle when she returns to perform in the newly renovated space in the Jackson County Public Library Complex.
Visit www.barbarabatessmith.com for more information about the actress.
This free performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.
828.586.2016.
There are still limited tickets available for $25 for the Balsam Range concert with John Wiggins at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Colonial Theater in Canton that will kick of the band’s Winter Concert Series and benefit Haywood County Meals on Wheels.
Balsam Range recently won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Song of the Year for “Trains I Have Missed.” Wiggins is a Haywood County native who has become a successful songwriter in Nashville, penning songs for the likes of Blake Shelton, Joe Nichols, Reba McEntire and Don Henley, Alan Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, Gary Allan, John Michael Montgomery, Mountain Heart and Darryl Worley, among others.
For tickets call 828.235.2760 or visit Balsam Range’s website at www.balsamrange.com.
Other concerts in the series include:
• Jan. 3 — Deep River Rising (Bryan Sutton, David Holt, and T. Michael Coleman) and Balsam Range.
• Feb. 1 – Harris Brothers and Balsam Range
• March 3 — Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson, and Jerry Salley, plus Balsam Range.
• April 7 — David Johnson, and Balsam Range.
In 1985, Chris Van Allsburg wrote The Polar Express, a story of a magical train ride on Christmas Eve. The train takes a young boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus. “The Polar Express,” published by Houghton Mifflin Company, has become a contemporary holiday classic, with over 6 million copies sold worldwide. In 2004 Warner Bros. Entertainment reunited the Academy Award-winning team of Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis in an inspiring animated version.
That same year Great Smoky Mountain Railroad began operating The Polar Express. More than 30,000 passengers rode The Polar Express with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2010.
The one-hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Santa will board the train, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift just like in the story — their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as the train returns to the depot.
The Polar Express operates through Dec. 24. Ticket prices begin at $39 for adults and $26 for children ages 2-12. Children under 2 years old ride complimentary. For more information and reservations please call 800.872.4681 or visit us online at www.GSMR.com. Premium rates apply to Nov. 25-27, Dec. 17-23 and all Saturday trains.
Crown Class ticket prices are $49 for Adults, $36 for children 2-12 and $10 for less than two years. First Class seating upgrades are available. Each guest will receive a deluxe serving of warm cocoa in a souvenir Polar Express mug and other treats in addition to the standard offerings. Upgrade to First Class at $59 for adults and $41 for children. Children under two years old are $15.
There will also be a Polar Express Christmas Eve Limited. Each guest will receive a special Christmas souvenir. Adult ticket prices are $51 and children 2-12 are $37. First-class seating upgrades are also available. Adult ticket prices are $72, children 2-12 are $50 and $20 for less than two years.
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum admission is included with all train excursion tickets. Without train excursion admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children.
To the Editor,
I just want to express my sincere appreciation to the farmers of Haywood County, the members of the Farm Services Agency and the Haywood County Cooperative Extension office for providing the public with the opportunity to ‘Talk To a Farmer’ last Monday evening.
A barbecue dinner was provided and everyone was very welcoming and gracious to answer even the most basic questions concerning farming.
The evening was very informative and enlightening, especially to those of us with no prior knowledge of what it takes to run a farm and produce a successful product.
Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedules to provide us with this wonderful opportunity. Hopefully this will be an annual event!!
Jolene Tomaro
Clyde
To the Editor:
Every businessman and political and community leader in Jackson County should feel some gratitude this Thanksgiving and exercise some vision towards an economic reality check — I hear the train a comin.’
Thanks Johnny Cash for that fine song towards what is a lasting Icon of American industry. We all should be singing that tune and working in unison to mend fences and bring the GSMR steam train back into Dillsbor.
The railroad wants to return to Dillsboro with a world-class steam train and needs aid toward delivery and installation. Why?
In case we haven’t noticed, the way people travel, that is shop for travel, is on the Internet these days. Jackson County stands to benefit as the home location with this featured GSMR steam train once again. With Dillsboro as the train’s home station, businesses all over the county will be positioned on the web.
A central destination point on what has become the shopping network for travel used by everyone for every part of a trip, from accommodations to restaurants to trails. Dillsboro will be a destination point with an exciting (to young and old) feature attraction as well as and in addition to our fine natural resources.
As travelers shop the information highway nowadays, the modern-day reality of a steam rail excursion that is fitting for Dillsboro’s heritage cannot be ignored as easily as some quick click travel options. And combined with our mountains, trails and rivers, we will again become a regional, multifunctional travel option that can bring warm bodies to our streets and stores via clicks from the masses looking to escape the major metropolitan areas.
This train provides us all with some steam. Why? In case we haven’t noticed, aside from the expected busy peak months of July and October, during the last four years our dwindling local numbers have all but crippled Jackson County’s tourism-related businesses and connected markets. Looking at the streets of Dillsboro and Sylva and up to Cashiers, one can see the decline with many small businesses having to close shop. We need a stimulus to reverse this trend as the county’s tourism industry has long been the engine that pulled many of our other markets along.
This is the next best thing and a way out of our economic affliction, a way to help ourselves like no other. The county, towns and railroad are positioned to benefit and serve one another, as neighbors can in this day and time of hardship. We recognize our decline, our need to reconcile and live in the here and now. We have to craft agreements that respects boundaries of citizen and business and not live in the past. Too much is at stake.
Having come to these mountains since I was a child, when the off season was a lot longer than the cold, I have seen Western North Carolina seasons expand and now contract, as markets have now waned. And it is a fact that all the markets in Jackson County are indeed related to tourism.
Hospitality and crafts, our restaurants and many services industries are tourism driven and have a direct impact to mountain real estate and construction. We have all felt this recession throughout. Those of us who are adults have seen the state of a healthy economy extend the perennial cycle of activity in a given calendar year to almost nine months.
Jackson County needs a steam engine that can. We stand to benefit mightily. Thanks to the fine people who are trying to make it happen.
TJ Walker
Owner/operator, Dillsboro Inn
To the Editor:
I guess it’s inevitable that comparisons will be made between the Occupy and Tea Party movements. In many respects Occupy is a mirror image of the Tea Party.
To the Tea Party, government is the enemy. To Occupy, the huge corporation is the enemy. Occupy wants to raise taxes on billionaires. The Tea Party wants to reduce them. Occupy wants to rebuild and strengthen the safety net — food stamps, heating assistance, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The Tea Party wants to eliminate or weaken it.
Every Tea Party event was covered by the media and advertised beforehand by Fox News. The media first ignored the Occupy movement for over a month and then ridiculed them. Tea Party participants mock the sick and the poor. At the larger Occupy locations, participants provide free food, health care and emotional support to everyone present at their events.
Tea Party participants are anti-union, anti-poor, racist, bigoted, and xenophobic. The Occupy movement strives for inclusion and worldwide participation. The Tea Party is funded by the Koch brothers. Occupy avoids leaders and bases decisions on consensus. At Tea Party events people showed up with assault rifles, shouted and spit at members of Congress, and the police took no notice. At Occupy events, people show up unarmed, are committed to non-violence and are maced and beaten by police.
An October Time Magazine poll shows that Occupy Wall Street demonstrations are viewed favorably by 54 percent of Americans while only 27 pecent have favorable feelings toward the Tea Party. The Tea Party advocates for the wealthiest 1 percent. Occupy is standing up for the rest of us, the 99 percent.
Carole Larivee
Waynesville
Local Boy Scout Troop 999 sponsored by Sylva First Methodist Church is focusing this year on what to do when a person suffers a heart attack.
This vital training program was greatly enhanced this week when the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association and Andy Shaw Ford presented them with a CPR dummy. “Anne” provides instant responses by giving signals to the trainee that he or she is applying the right pressure to the right spot or breathing correctly into the victim’s mouth.
CPR is a requirement for many Boy Scout merit badges such as First Aid, Life Saving, Water Sports, and White Water, just to name a few. The training takes about five hours of lectures and intensive practice.
The troop hopes to train all its members in the next year. The unit will be available for other troops in the Jackson, Macon and Swain area to use for their CPR training.
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will participate in the second-annual Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26.
Small Business Saturday is a day for dedicating a portion of holiday shopping to local, independently owned small businesses.
Small business advocate groups, public and private organizations and elected officials joined American Express, the founding sponsor of Small Business Saturday, to launch the national program in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: more demand for their products and services.
The chamber recognizes the importance of small businesses in Haywood County, the jobs they create and the culture they instill in local communities. Small businesses have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years and employ just over half of all private sector employees, according to the Small Business Administration.
Small business owners can go to Facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday to download online promotional materials that will help them drive sales to their business on Small Business Saturday, and everyone can spread the word about the day and their favorite businesses by giving a shout-out to their favorite local shops and restaurants via Facebook and Twitter.
Michell Hicks, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will decide this week whether to veto tribal council’s decision to hold an alcohol referendum.
In a previous interview, Hicks called the decision a difficult one that required prayer and soul-searching.
The referendum would allow members of the Eastern Band to vote whether they want alcohol to be sold reservation-wide. The vote would likely take place sometime in April. Hicks is required to make his decision by Wednesday, Nov. 23. Check www.smokymountainnews.com to find out the chief’s decision.
Tribal council can override Hicks’ veto with a two-thirds majority vote. Nine of the 12 tribal council members have voted in favor of the referendum.
Jackson County wants some of the Cherokee-bound traffic diverted its way despite highway signs that indicate the way to Cherokee is through Maggie Valley.
Anyone coming to Western North Carolina from Interstate 40 encounters a sign in Waynesville pointing the way to Cherokee by going through Maggie Valley — which decades ago was indeed the primary route. But the winding two-lane road over Soco Gap is no longer the only way, nor easiest way, to reach Cherokee. Simply continue on the four-lane highway U.S. 23-74 past Waynesville, on past Sylva and take U.S. 441 into Cherokee.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce wants the N.C. Department of Transportation to add a sign telling motorists that they also can get to Cherokee by simply continuing on U.S. 23/74.
“Presently, the signage suggests that Cherokee can only be accessed by traveling through Maggie Valley,” County Manager Chuck Wooten told commissioners. “This would probably divert some traffic into Jackson County.”
And, of course, perhaps add more tourism dollars to merchants’ wallets, if motorists stop for gasoline or to eat.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has supported adding a sign showing the alternate route via a letter of support to DOT.
