HCC Foundation accepting calendar submissions 

The Haywood Community College campus is known for its iconic mill pond and natural beauty. Community members frequently use the campus for photographs, walking trails and the disc golf course. 

The HCC Foundation is asking community members to dig out your best photo to use in making a 2022 calendar showcasing the campus in its full glory during each season. Only scenic images will be accepted; no people, pets, etc. Once completed, the calendars will be available for purchase. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit HCC students to provide emergency assistance through the HCC Cares Lavender Fund. If your photo is selected for the calendar, you will receive photo credit in the calendar as well as a free calendar. Deadline for photo submissions is 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. Photos must be horizontal and high resolution of 300 dpi. By submitting a photo, you are agreeing that the image can be used in the 2022 HCC Calendar for reproduction. For more information, visit www.haywood.edu/foundation/hcc-calendar. To submit a photo, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To the Editor:

Doctor Raymond Turpin’s opinion of Michele Presnell, Mike Clampitt and Jim Davis seems based on the premise they “don’t get it” regarding the value of childhood programs (Oct. 24 edition of The Smoky Mountain News, www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/9154)

To be scrupulously honest, these three former Republican candidates for state House and Senate (Davis and Presnell won, Clampitt lost to Rep. Joe Sam Queen) probably “get it” all too well. They recognize, for example, that at some point over the years, parenting (considered native intelligence in my parent’s generation) is somehow akin to rocket science in my children’s.

The transfer of parenting has made possible the creation and nurture of a myriad of early childhood programs and the proliferation of the mental health industry, both at great cost. Dr. Turpin accuses Clampitt and Presnell of viewing pre-schools as “free babysitting,” and all three of “backwards thinking.” It’s conceivable the good doctor is right, because the greater truth is far worse.

Childhood programs, created in collusion between education and the psychological service industry, have conspired to replace parents as primary caregivers, the custodians of our nation’s youth.

What Presnell, Clampitt and Davis were unwittingly pointing out is the difference between “experts” and parents. Experts talk about things parents can’t see while parents see things experts never talk about. Yesterday’s “undisciplined brat” is today’s “hyperactive” or “strong-willed” child. Children haven’t changed at all, but the rhetoric has.

Children have absolutely no idea what is in their own best interest. If they did, they wouldn’t need parents for 18 or more years now would they?

Over the last 40 years or so, the “experts” have done a good job of replacing child-rearing realities with “parenting” theoretical rhetoric. Parenting comes only from mothers and fathers, it is not something you can outsource to early childhood programs and self-styled experts who profit abundantly from tinkering with our culture’s child-rearing traditions. This has destabilized both the family and the culture. For proof of this, look around you.

Good parenting emanates from the heart and from the gut. From the heart springs love; from the gut springs common sense. Many of today’s parents could sure use a healthy dose of the latter.

David L. Snell

Dillsboro

To the Editor:

Democracy is working in Jackson County! This week’s passage of the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Resolution is a much-welcomed newly sprouting seed in the political landscape in the national drought of our country’s overall political climate. Our compliments to the Jackson County Commissioners and the members of the Occupancy Tax Steering Committee.

The passage of the TDA Resolution was a year-long process, beginning with all the interest groups far apart with very strongly held views. Although it has at times been a heated exchange of ideas, it was always without rancor and always moving forward with some give and take. Because the end goal — increased tourism and an economic boost in Jackson County — was a goal common to all.

Even in the end, rather than having a merely pro forma public comments session, the commissioners seriously considered the public input and made changes that integrated others’ ideas making the final resolution an acceptable compromise.

Recognition should also be given to the County Manager, Chuck Wooten, and the County Attorney, Jay Coward, who both worked quietly and effectively behind the scenes, to ensure a solid piece of legislation.

My only regret — and we have talked privately — is that Mark Jones, the only county commissioner directly involved in the hospitality industry, the Chairman of the Occupancy Tax Steering Committee and a county commissioner, did not take the opportunity to move consensus further forward, to wit, by publicly stating his opposition to the tax raise but voting for the TDA Resolution — recognizing it was the best possible compromise that every one involved had worked so hard on.

It should also be noted that the County Manager has taken action so that any member of the Hospitality Industry in Jackson County who desires to serve on the TDA Board can “throw their name in the hat” — an expansion of the program that Mr. Wooten implemented to increase public participation on all county boards.

Now it is the task of the TDA board that will take over operations from the two Travel & Tourism Associations at the beginning of the year, to develop an integrated and unified program representing all of Jackson County and effectively using the additional tax revenue to increase tourism in Jackson County, thereby enhancing the county’s economic well-being.

George & Hanneke Ware, Chalet Inn

Whittier

Students from the far western counties of North Carolina majoring in music, fine arts or industrial arts at Western Carolina University can tap into a $10,000 scholarship fund set up by Robbinsville native Elaine Howell, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.

Howell, who earned her bachelor’s degree in music education at WCU in 1968, taught band in the N.C. public school system for more than six years before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. A 1964 graduate of Robbinsville High School, she currently lives in San Antonio, where she was stationed for a portion of her military career.

Although WCU students majoring in music will be given top priority, students majoring in fine or industrial arts also will be eligible. Howell said she included those areas of study in honor of her parents. 

828.227.7124 or 800.492.8496 or give.wcu.edu.

North Carolina Arts Council has provided initial funding for the research and development of the Scotch-Irish exhibit at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center outside Robbinsville.

The Arts Council is now matching funds for the printing, mounting and placement of the exhibit. This exhibit will be a companion piece to the Cherokee exhibit at Stecoah and will feature the history of the Stecoah Valley after the removal of the Cherokee Indians in 1838. Most of the photographs for the Scotch-Irish Exhibit have never been seen outside of the families that have granted the exhibit the permission to publish them. Funding for this exhibit is being generated by power2give. The Arts Council will match contributions dollar for dollar. 

To make a donation visit www.power2give.org or 828.479.3364.

Choir to perform Christmas story in Canton Dec. 23

The choir of Rockwood United Methodist Church will present a cantata titled “Silent Night, Holy Night” at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, in Canton.

Written by Russell Mauldin and Sue C. Smith, this performance celebrates the miraculous story of Jesus’ birth and is built around one of most beloved and cherished Christmas carols of all time. The cantata will be followed by a time of refreshments and fellowship. The event is free and open to the public.

828.648.6870.

Songs from ‘Polar Express’ to be performed Dec. 8

Voices in the Laurel will perform a special Christmas concert featuring the poetry of Robert Frost, traditional and international Christmas carols and a medley from “The Polar Express” at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at historic Stewart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

The performance is a preshow to the Lake Junaluska Singers 3 p.m. matinee performance. Both concerts are part of Lake Junaluska’s Appalachian Christmas Celebration Dec. 6-9.

Now in its 17th season, Voices in the Laurel is comprised of 60 children, in grades first through 12th from five counties in Western North Carolina. Included in the Voices in the Laurel’s repertoire will be "El cant des Ocells" (Song of the Birds), a Catalan Christmas carol.

Tickets for the matinee performance of the Lake Junaluska Singers and the Voices in the Laurel preshow are $16.50 for reserved tickets, $15 for general admission, and $8 for children, age 8 and under.

800.222.4930.

Voices in the Laurel to host silent auction

Voices in the Laurel’s “Winter Silent Auction” will be held from noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Harrell Center in Lake Junaluska.

Come bid on a variety of local and national items, art, pottery, gift baskets, jewelry, salon and massage services, restaurant gift certificates, golf outings, resort vacations and tickets to various regional theme parks. The auction is on the same day as the Junaluska Christmas Craft Show, which will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harrell Center. This event is held in conjunction with the Appalachian Christmas pre-concert with the Lake Junaluska Singers that afternoon at 2:15 p.m. in the Stuart Auditorium.

828.564.3638.

Waynesville Christmas parade to be televised

WNC Television will broadcast the Waynesville Christmas Parade held on Monday, Dec. 3, several times during the coming week.

The parade will be aired on Charter cable channel 16. The schedule is 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, 22, 24 and 25. It will also be shown from noon to 1 p.m. and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 23.

It will also be available for viewing online at www.wnctelevision.com for the next several weeks.

The Canton Annual Christmas Tour of Homes will take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2.

The North Carolina glass community will hold an exhibit from Oct. 28 to Feb. 1, at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum.

Nationally acclaimed Western North Carolina bluegrass group Balsam Range will be kicking off their winter concert series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at The Colonial Theatre in Canton.

A free Christmas Concert with award-winning bluegrass and gospel band Mountain Faith will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

An annual Appalachian Christmas Celebration will run from Dec. 6-9 at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries will be held on Dec. 7 and 8 and Dec. 14 and 15. The celebration begins each evening at dusk and runs until 9 p.m.

WCU partners with Asheville Symphony 

Western Carolina University’s School of Music has initiated a new artist-in-residence program this semester, formalizing a partnership with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra to bring professional string musicians to campus for performances with WCU’s woodwind, brass and percussion students and choral ensembles.

The artist-in-residence program is an outgrowth of a smaller effort launched in the 1990s to try to provide students with experience performing in an orchestral setting.

Through the program, Asheville Symphony string players will be performing with WCU faculty and students for recitals of a variety of musical types, including chamber, choral and opera performances. In addition to providing talent for public performances, the partnership also provides learning opportunities for WCU students.

828.227.7242 or www.music.wcu.edu.

Jazz musicians to perform free concerts

Music students from Western Carolina University will perform jazz concerts at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26, and Thursday, Nov. 29, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building. 

The Nov. 26 concert will feature two student jazz combos, each with 30 minutes of repertoire. They plan to perform jazz standards in various styles including blues, swing, ballad, waltz, funk and bossa nova.

The Nov. 29 concert will feature the Jazz Ensemble with guest artist saxophonist Jacob Duncan. The Jazz Ensemble comprises five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets and full rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). The performers develop knowledge of various jazz big band styles, including the music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Herbie Hancock and Bob Mintzer, as well as music of modern jazz arrangers of the 1990s.

Admission is free and the concerts are open to the public. 

828.227.7242 or www.music.wcu.edu.

Want to learn to play the dulcimer?

Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education will offer an introductory class in playing the mountain dulcimer from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at Biltmore Park Town Square.

The class will be led by Anne Lough, a traditional musician who earned her master’s degree in music education at WCU and has performed and taught for 35 years. Participants will learn how to strum the dulcimer and play basic melodies, including a few holiday tunes. No musical experience is necessary for participation. Loaner instruments will be available. WCU’s new facility is located at 28 Schenck Parkway in Biltmore Park Town Square, just off Interstate 26 at Exit 37. The cost is $39.

828.227.7397 or visit www.learn.wcu.edu.

WCU, Warren Wilson ensembles to perform

Western Carolina University’s Low Tech Ensemble will perform a gamelan degung from Western Java with Warren Wilson College’s Gamelan Ensemble, playing Central Javanese gamelan, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building on the WCU campus. 

A “Show & Sale” craft fair will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the MedWest Health and Fitness Center in Clyde.

Local crafters are invited to purchase a table for a small fee to display and sell crafts to the public. All community members are invited to participate and to bring family and friends to the fair. MedWest Health and Fitness Center members may reserve a table for $15. The cost for non-members is $25.

828.452.8080.

The “Hard Candy Christmas” Craft Art and Show will celebrate 25 years as a “Mountain Christmas Tradition” in Western North Carolina from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 23-24, in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University.

With original work from more than 100 regional artisans, Christmas themed artists will be in attendance with original paintings, clay and glass. New exhibitors are coming in to celebrate with us as well and sell their best art. There will be a variety of heritage crafts like broom making, goat milk soap and hand loomed cotton rugs.

Admission is $4 for a weekend pass for adults, children under 12 free. There is no charge for parking.

www.mountainartisans.net or 828.524.3405 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Blue Ridge Orchestra will present this year’s annual family holiday concert twice, at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the Colonial Theatre in Canton and at 4 p.m. onn Dec. 9 at the Folk Arts Center in East Asheville.

Music Director Milton Crotts has designed a special program that features selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” and Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”, among others. “Good Tidings of Great Joy, A Christmas Narrative for Orchestra”, will be narrated by Miguel Cooper of the Asheville School, contrasting with Pizzicato Polka by Johann Strauss - a Viennese New Year’s Tradition. Comprised of nearly 75 volunteers, the Blue Ridge Orchestra has been presenting symphony concerts in Western North Carolina since 1999.

www.blueridgeorchestra.org.

The annual Madrigal Dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1, in the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.

Swain County Schools celebrated Native American heritage on Nov. 8-9 by having Aztec dancers perform for students at the Swain County Center for the Arts. 

To the Editor:

In a recent column, writer Jeff Minick implored holiday shoppers to consider shopping locally and using the Internet only as a last resort so that the money will stay in our local economy. If only life were so simple ….

The author’s primary premise was that local business owners return their income to the community in the form of re-investment in their businesses and by spending it on their living expenses. Unstated was the idea that dollars generated by Internet sales have little or no impact here at home.

In fact, this argument has at least one major flaw: when it comes to the Internet, sometimes those nameless, faceless sellers are actually your neighbors. In the last 15 years, E-tailers like Amazon, eBay and etsy have made it possible for hundreds of thousands of small business people to earn a living. Many of these web sellers don’t have the capital to open a retail outlet; some have physical disabilities that prevent them from running such an enterprise; others cannot afford the childcare costs related to traditional employment. Some just can’t find a job. There are as many reasons to sell on the Internet as there are sellers.

Hundreds of businesses in our local mountains sell products on the Internet. Many — if not most — through a major “E-tailer.” Next time you’re standing in line at the post office, check out the folks who come in with (probably multiple) packages that already have professional postage applied. That’s a dead giveaway for a web seller. This quietly growing group contributes to our local economy too: they pay taxes on the income (a relatively recent development with Amazon and eBay), and the money they make pays their bills, just as it does for a traditional store owner. They buy supplies and materials from local stores, and their reliance on the postal system can’t hurt in these tough times when small post offices may be destined for the chopping block.

So while I agree with most of the “buy local” ideology, I think we must also consider current economic realities and the rapidly changing face of business: there’s not always an easy answer when it comes to making shopping decisions that will benefit our community.

Libby Dunevant

Waynesville

To the Editor:

I’ve been a fan of The Smoky Mountain News for 12 years since you very ably reported on the Needmore Tract conservation story: a locally-led campaign to conserve 27 miles of Little Tennessee River. The then-Macon County Commission, chaired by Harold Corbin, helped to lead that campaign to keep the Needmore in the public trust.

As such, I was disappointed by your story last week about the Cowee School which left the reader believing that Macon County was funneling money through a “special-interest group” called The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT). LTLT is not receiving funds from Macon County. Quite the opposite, LTLT and the Cowee Community Development Organization are raising funds to support the county-led investment in the school to serve as a heritage arts center, local food facility, and proposed incubator for cottage industry in Macon County.

The county’s investment in Cowee School was made in September by a County Commission chaired by another Corbin who also cares deeply for the county, Kevin Corbin. Your article failed to mention that these funds are being administered by the Macon Economic Development Commission. Given that the exceptionally intact cultural and natural heritage of northern Macon County are amongst the county’s greatest economic development assets, Cowee School as an EDC project makes great sense.

In the article it was also suggested that the Cowee School is nothing more than one more decommissioned community school, as if it had no special merits that would justify county investment. The historic Cowee School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it anchors the largest historic district in Western North Carolina with 27 structures spanning 1,400 years of history. The principal Cherokee town of Cowee was at the geo-political center of the South in the middle 1700s and the first military campaign of the American Revolution in the South was the attack on Cowee two months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. One reason to invest in Cowee School is to build on the extraordinary history that surrounds the school.

The Cowee School is the largest building, and the only publicly owned building, in the historic district. It was built of local stone by the WPA 70 years ago on the site of a CCC camp. Re-use of Cowee School has much greater economic development potential than any other local decommissioned community school that I know of. The question of county investment in the county’s cultural heritage, one of its greatest assets, is one that the next Macon Commission will undoubtedly grapple with over the next two years. I have faith that under the leadership of Kevin Corbin, the right decisions will be made.

Paul Carlson

LTLT Executive Director

Franklin

To the Editor:

After reading your piece this week, “Speaking too loudly sometimes belittles the message,” my reaction was “let’s err on the side of appreciation.”

One of my most poignant memories came from a Memorial Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery a few years back. A youngish couple, dressed in biker gear got off the front of the tram and walked to the back row to shake the hand of, and thank, a uniformed older man for his service.

Maybe I’m sappy, but they had me in tears.

Off of Russ Avenue, seeing the flags flying on the graves this week reminded me of that incident. Reading about the little boys from New York, Michael and Mario Mazzariello, had me thinking their parents certainly took the correct course of action to raise those little boys with that kind of respect for the military. 

It may be true that the wearing of your patriotism on your sleeve is a backlash from the abuse Vietnam veterans experienced. It may be fashionable now to seem to be appreciative of servicemen and women, but really, so what? 

I seriously don’t think any gesture cheapens the appreciation we should  all show by our actions everyday, not just on Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day.

My husband and I moved from California this year. One attractive feature of North Carolina is that it is the most military-friendly state in the nation. Believe me, it shows in the citizens’ deeds.

On behalf of my husband Alan, I’d like to thank Brandon Wilson, Haywood County Veterans Officer, and Mark Schuler, NC Department of Commerce DWS Veterans Employment Consultant II. Thank you for your service to our country gentlemen; and thank you for your help. Their actions make a difference to our veterans every day.

In closing, yes you are correct Mr. McLeod. Some things (like commercialization) may not be dignified. But in my opinion, any reminder is a good thing. So go ahead, a small gesture like: saying thank you, buying lunch for, or shaking the hand of someone in uniform really isn’t undignified or over-the-top. It is literally the least we can do.

Jo Ann Merriam

Waynesville

By Ken Jacobine • Guest Columnist

The idea of the United States of America was born during the Age of Enlight-enment (17th and 18th centuries). The great philosophers of that time challenged the divine right of kings by enunciating a new theory for the social order. The English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), who claimed that man originally was born in a state of nature where he had the absolute rights of life, liberty, and property, articulated this new theory.

The domestic, farm-raised turkey most Americans eat on Thanksgiving Day is nothing like the wild turkey feasted on by the Pilgrims and Native Americans. And with that big turkey meal approaching, here are a few facts about the tasty game bird chosen as the main course for the original feast:

Rains cause wastewater spills in Haywood

Beginning Jan. 14, and due to the heavy rains, Waynesville had several wastewater overflows. One took place at a manhole adjacent to Richland Creek at Howell Mill Road. An estimated 600,000 gallons spilled out until Jan. 20 when the flow was stopped. Other such flows happened near the county fairgrounds, where 400,000 gallons spilled out and flowed into Richland Creek, and near the Hazelwood Town Hall where an estimated 100,000 gallons left the sewer system.

828.456.4410.

Smokies to start charging backpackers

 Changes to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park backcountry reservation and permit system will officially take effect on Feb. 13. Backcountry camping was previously free, but will now cost $4 per person, per night.

A new advance reservation system will also be put in place, allowing backcountry campers to make reservations and obtain permits online, up to 30 days in advance. The new site is www.smokiespermits.nps.gov.

Backcountry camping in the Smokies is allowed at designated sites only. While the number of people at a given site on a given night is limited, the former permit system didn’t ensure that. Do-it-yourself permit stations were mounted on posts at remote trailheads, allowing backpackers to self-register by slipping a form in a drop box, which were collected later by rangers.

For sites in high demand, backpackers had to call in and make reservations in advance, but the backcountry desk had limited days and hours of operation.

The park plans to staff an expanded backcountry trip planning desk and increase its backcountry ranger presence.

865.436.1297.

Jump on the 4-H bandwagon in Haywood

Haywood County 4-H will host a kick-off on Monday, Feb. 4, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Haywood Cooperative Extension Center in Waynesville. The event is geared toward existing and new members, and will serve as a brainstorming session to plan the coming year’s activities and projects.

The evening’s festivities will include teambuilding activities, a teen leadership council meeting, an electrical workshop and a talk about environmental issues pertaining to water, wildlife, forestry, soils and land use. There will also be pizza, drinks and other activities.

828.456.3575.

Learn to be a lifeguard

The aquatics area of the Midwest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County will hold an American Red Cross Lifeguard Training certification course Feb. 21-24.

Classes will last between five and nine hours each day. Completion earns a two-year lifeguard and CPR certification, suitable for employment at pools across the country. The course costs $235 for MedWest Health and Fitness Center members, and $255 for non-members.

828.452.8056.

HCC offers boating safety course

A boating safety course will be held from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m on Jan. 28 and 29 at Haywood Community College.

The course, put on by the HCC’s Natural Resources Division and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, will result in a boater safety certification. Free, but pre-registration required.

www.ncwildlife.org.

Tuscola High School students placed first among the 13 competing teams at the 2012 Area Land Judging contest hosted earlier this month by the Future Farmers of America.

Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has received a $12,000 grant from Verizon to empower teachers with science and technology. Next spring and summer, the grant will fund two teacher workshops in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park focusing on adapting lesson plans to curriculum changes and new science content, and current technology.

Novice outdoor adventurers can learn the basics of wilderness excursion at a 45-minute workshop beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.

Participants will learn about how to pack a backpack; proper attire to wear in the wilderness; what food to eat; and water purification systems. The class will also focus on trail and waterfall safety.

The class is free and intended for ages 8 and up. Attendance is limited to the first 10 to register and participants should bring their own gear.

828.293.3053 or www.jacksonnc.org/parks-and-recreation.

The annual Cherokee Choices 5k Run, Walk or Roll will be held at noon on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Expo Center on Acquoni Road, also known as the old high school.

All ages and moving style are invited to participate in the event, including those rolling strollers and wheelchairs. The event’s purpose is to promote a healthy lifestyle for residents and raise funds for the Cherokee Cancer Support Group.

Registration on race day begins at 11 a.m. and cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. To pre-register call 828.497.1976. Medals and a T-shirt will be given to first 100 registered.

Two environmentalists were honored by the Franklin-based Land Trust for the Little Tennessee at its annual celebration Nov. 3 in Macon County.

The Land-of-Sky Regional Council will host a round of community input meetings Nov. 5 through Dec. 6 to gather input for a regional bicycling plan.

A discussion about the local effects of climate change and development will be held at the historic Rickman Store near Franklin from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 17.

Sandi Patty and Jason Crabb will bring “A Celebration of the Christmas Season” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at the Smoky Mountain Center of the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Western Carolina University has announced its 2013 line-up of “golden age of radio” re-creations.

The Liars Bench will present “Birdell” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center.

“Birdell,” a dramatic monologue by famed Appalachian storyteller Gary Carden, starring Bobbie Curtis in a story of a defiant mountain woman forced off her land by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and because of the rising waters of Fontana Lake. Regular cast members include Carden, Lloyd Arneach, Paul Iarussi, William Ritter, the Boys From Tuckaseegee, Barabra Duncan, Karen Barnes and the show’s mascot Bodine. The Liars Bench recognizes established regional artists and performers and also encourages new talent. Carden has said the show will be a benefit for the organization.

Admission is $10. Tickets will be available at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva and at the door the night of the show.

theliarsbenchgazette.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/theliarsbench.

“Hard Candy Christmas” Fine Art and Craft Show will celebrate 25 years from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 23-24, at the Ramsey Center Arena at Western Carolina University.

A former FBI agent and terrorist hunter will discuss his new book at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Hinds University Center theater at Western Carolina University.

In the book, Special Agent Man: My Life in the FBI as a Terrorist Hunter, Helicopter Pilot, and Certified Sniper (Chicago Review Press, August 2012), author and former FBI agent Steve Moore strips away the glamour, fantasy and politics of the G-Man lifestyle and reveals the day-to-day thrills, struggles and triumphs of the grind as one of America’s unsung heroes. 

Beginning as a naïve 26-year-old conducting surveillance of the most ruthless white supremacists the FBI had encountered, he wound up supervising the counter-terrorist squad investigating al-Qaeda following 9/11. In the two decades between, Moore went on missions as a SWAT member and a certified sniper, tailed serial killers and high-value targets via helicopter and plane, and worked undercover in some of the most perilous and nerve-wracking situations imaginable.

Known as the go-to-guy for the biggest and most hazardous cases in the Los Angeles office, Moore enjoyed a career far more eclectic than the average FBI agent, from tracking the most dangerous criminals in the United States to spanning the globe gathering critical intelligence on terrorists.

Brand marketing, quilting classes at SCC

There will be a brand marketing and quilting class offered at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.

From 6 to 8 p.m. June 4, “Marketing Your Personal Image and Brand: Your Personal Palette” will explore practical techniques you can implement to enhance your brand. The components of image include effectively communicating, presenting our thoughts and ideas successfully to others, exploring appearance and attitude, using nine steps to result-oriented networking, and gaining visibility. The class will be led by Nyda Bittmann-Neville, vice president and director of marketing and communication of Asheville Savings Bank and CEO of TNB Consulting Group. Seminar fee is $30 per person.

From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays from June 5 to July 24, “Learning to Quilt” teaches the basics of making a quilt, fabric choice, templates, rotary cutting, piecing by hand and machine, borders, “sandwiching” three layers, methods of quilting, finishing, and binding. Each student will create a finished quilted piece during the eight-week course. 

Expert quilt maker Linda Nichols will impart her knowledge and skill from more than 30 years of quilting and teaching experience. Students must bring to class a sewing machine and the knowledge of how the machine works, the machine’s owner’s manual, needles for machine and hand stitching, scissors and thread. The course fee is $80 per person. 

www.southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4497.

SCC offers summer art portfolio classes for high schoolers

Printmaking with instructor Frank Brannon will start the Summer Art Portfolio Program from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 3-6, at Southwestern Community College in Bryson City.

SCC’s Nantahala School for the Arts is offering these programs for high school students grades nine to 12 and recent graduates. It is designed to enhance student’s art skills and help prepare a portfolio for college admissions into a fine arts program. Students will have exposure to what it is like to take an art class in a college setting while making new connections with professional artists from the region. Each instructor is a practicing professional artist and a professor of art at SCC. Students will learn advanced skills and processes beyond the high school level. All projects will make up a refined art portfolio for future use.

Cost for the program is $20 for one week, or $60 for all three weeks. This program is in part funded in part by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

www.southwesterncc.edu/finearts.

Wheel throwing, hand building at Riverwood

There will be a wheel throwing and hand building class offered at Riverwood Pottery in Dillsboro.

Wheel throwing will run from 6 to 8 p.m. June 4. The class is every Tuesday through Aug. 6. Cost is $160, which includes tools, materials and firing.

Hand building will run from 6 to 8 p.m. June 5. The class is every Wednesday through July 31. Cost is $160, which includes tools, materials and firing.

828.586.3601 or www.riverwoodpottery.com. 

Watercolor film to be shown in Swain

A “Big Brush Watercolor” film will be shown during the next Art League of the Smokies meeting at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.  

The film by Ron Ransom is packed with practical watercolor instruction condensed from seven hours of filming this well-known artist from the UK. Ransom demonstrates his big Hake brush techniques both on location and in the studio with close-up shots of every stroke. His subjects include nature, buildings and people in rural landscapes and in a street scene.

The event is sponsored by Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools. It is free and open to the public

828.488.7843 or www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

Recycled fashions hit The Bascom

A high-fashion exhibit of recycled materials, ReDress: Upcycled Style by Nancy Judd, is currently on display until Aug. 18 at The Bascom in Highlands.

These dramatic fashions are not what they appear. Instead of real fur, jewels and luxe fabrics, they are made of such components as aluminum cans, tires and plastic grocery bags, and even crime scene tape.

Judd created Recycle Runway and its same-named website while working as the recycling coordinator for the city of Santa Fe, then as executive director of the New Mexico Recycling Coalition. In 1998, she founded the Recycle Santa Fe Art Market and Fashion Contest, recognizing that art and fashion could be combined to motivate the public to be more environmentally conscious. 

828.526.4949 or www.thebascom.org.

Want to learn to draw?

There will be a beginner/intermediate drawing classes from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 4-20 at Gallery 1 in Sylva.

A master artist, Julie Jacobson will instruct drawing fundamentals through extensive studio-based exercises and studies. Supplies are provided, except paper, which will only be provided for the first class. 

The class is $100 for JCVAA members, $120 for nonmembers.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 843.614.7428.

Writer’s residency sets up shop at WCU

The 2013 Squire Summer Writing Residency will be July 11-14 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Workshops include:

• “Poetry with Kathryn Stripling Byer” – North Carolina’s first woman Poet Laureate. Byer has published six full-length collections of poetry. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Hudson Review, Boston Globe and Georgia Review. 

• “Fiction with Elizabeth Lutyens” – Lutyens’ novel-in-progress, Medicine Island, was a semi-finalist in the 2011 William Faulkner – Wisdom Competition. A faculty member of the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC Asheville since 2006, she currently teaches its by-invitation Prose Master Class and is editor-in-chief of its online literary magazine, The Great Smokies Review. 

• “Creative Nonfiction with Catherine Reid” – Reid has edited two anthologies and served as editor of nonfiction for a literary journal. Her essays have appeared in such journals as Georgia Review, Massachusetts Review, Fourth Genre and Bellevue Literary Review. She is currently the director of creative writing at Warren Wilson College, where she specializes in literary nonfiction and environmental writing. 

Registrants also will enjoy meals together and have the option of staying overnight in on-campus accommodations. Admission is limited to the first 50 registrants who sign up for one of three three-day workshops Registration is now open.

www.ncwriters.org.

Open call for art grants in Jackson County

The Jackson County Arts Council is offering mini-grants for creative arts and cultural projects, community programs, education and events. Applications for Grassroots Grants are due by June 30.

The public schools may apply to support cultural enrichment programs in the schools. Colleges and universities may apply for funding if the proposed program will serve the broader countywide population. The council encourages applications that emphasize cultural diversity.

A grant application assistance day will run from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 5 p.m. May 28 at the Jackson County Library Annex. The applications are available at www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

Funding for these grants is contingent upon the Jackson County Arts Council receiving funding from the North Carolina Arts Council and matching funds from Jackson County commissioners.

828.507.9820 or 828.354.0253. 

Student art on display in Highlands

Ceramic works from students at Highlands High School will be on display through July 14 at The Bascom in Highlands.

The pieces come from The Bascom’s outreach program, where it partners with the school to provide classes in ceramics. Available to students in grades nine through 12 the school, this hands-on course teaches far more than simply ceramics. Last August, each student made 10 bowls to donate to the Empty Bowls project to help raise funds for local food pantries.

www.TheBascom.org or 828.526.4949.

Exhibit puts spotlight on Appalachia crafts

Showcasing local crafts and techniques, Appalachia, the newest exhibit from the Haywood County Arts Council, will run from May 30 through June 29, at Gallery 86 in Waynesville. An artist reception will be held at the gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 7.

The display focuses on the numerous genres of intricate local crafts and techniques. With the sheer importance of the arts and crafts movement amid the rich history of Southern Appalachia, the exhibit will highlight several local artists and how their work ultimately impacts the heritage of the region. 

828.452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.

Ballroom dance class offered at WCU

A ballroom dance class will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays from May 13 to June 17 in the Breese Gym on the campus of Western Carolina University.

Learn the basics of leading and following in a social ballroom dance setting, along with dance styles such as the waltz, tango, cha-cha, swing and fox trot. Partners will rotate throughout the class and participants need not have a partner to attend. 

The cost of the class is $59 or $49 for WCU students, faculty and staff.

learn.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.

SCC offers summer clay classes in Swain

Southwestern Community College will be offering numerous classes this summer at the Swain Center campus in Bryson City. 

• “Heritage Arts Independent Study: Ceramics” from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday from May 6-29.

• “Beginning & Intermediate Wheel” from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from May 16 to Aug. 8.

• “Clay: Experimental Topics” from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from May 16 to Aug. 8.

• “Clay: Throwing Problems” from 1 to 4 p.m. every Monday from May 20 to Aug. 12.

As well, there will be other classes starting throughout different periods of the summer.

828.366.2000 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Classes offered in Stecoah

There will be a handful of crafting classes offered at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

“Knitted Fingerless Gloves with Beads” will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 14-15. Tuition is $40 per person. Kit fee is $30 without beads, $36.50 with beads. Attendees will make a pair of fingerless gloves while learning to knit using the magic loop technique.

“Create a Handmade Journal” will be from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Tuition is $35 per person (includes materials). Instructor is Phyllis Jarvinen. Minimum of four students, with a maximum of eight.

www.stecoahvalleycenter.com/classes.

Library hosts  Aikido class

A free Aikido class taught by Timm Muth will be offered at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art. It’s considered a “soft” art that utilizes a variety of throws, pins and off-balancing techniques to defend against an attack without necessarily harming the attacker.

Class size is limited to the first 10 people, ages 16 and over to sign up. Participants should wear comfortable clothing.

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

Join the Clyde ballroom dance class

Haywood Ballroom Dancers monthly dance will be held from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at Angie’s Dance Academy in Clyde.

Recorded music will be played. Refreshments are free. Admission is $10 per person.

828.734.8726 or 828.734.8063 or www.haywoodballroomdancers.com.

Bryson City community jam

A community music jam will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, or anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City.  Normally, Larry starts by calling out a tune and its key signature and the group plays it together. Then, everyone in the circle gets a chance to choose a song for the group to play together. 

The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month.

828.488.3030.

Pickin’ in Hazelwood

World-class bluegrass pickers will gather at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Hazelwood at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15 for a fundraising concert series to benefit Head Start of Haywood County. 

The show will include Eddie Rose with special guests Darren Nicholson, Steve Sutton and Kevin Sluder. 

Smoky Mountain Roasters is located at 444 Hazelwood Avenue. Donations will be accepted for admission.

Film club showing 'The Way'

Groovy Movie Club will show the film “The Way” on Friday, Nov. 16, in Waynesville.

A mostly organic potluck dinner will precede the screening at 6:15 p.m. The mission of the Groovy Movie Club is to show excellent films, both feature and documentary, with a message. A discussion will follow for all who wish to participate. The screening will take place at Buffy Queen’s green, solar-powered home in Dellwood. This event is free and open to the public and it meets the second or third Friday of every month.

828.926.3508 or 828.454.5949 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Movie night marks Thanksgiving

The next installment of family movie night will be shown at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

A drama based on a short story by Louisa May Alcott, struggling widow Mary Bassett (Helene Joy) is trying to support three children, but money is so tight that they can’t even afford a Thanksgiving turkey. An unexpected visit from her estranged — and moneyed — mother (Jacqueline Bisset) means Mary can prepare a proper holiday meal. However, it will take more than a feast to heal this family’s emotional wounds.

Movies are free to the public and projected onto an 8-by-10 foot screen, with a theater sound system. Popcorn, provided by the Friends of the Marianna Black Library, will be served in the library auditorium starting at 3:20 p.m.

828.488.3030.

Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet will perform its fall recital at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University.

Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 announces its annual small works show, “It’s a Small, Small Work 2012,” from Wednesday, Nov. 14 through Saturday, Dec. 29.

To the Editor:

The 2012 Election results are in and it gives me hope. Tip O’Neill, the former distinguished Democratic Speaker of the House, said “All politics is local.” The sweeping Republican victory in Macon County tells us that we are on the right track. No matter what the presidential results, Macon County and the State of North Carolina are moving forward, and that is reason for hope and change.

The Democrat’s dominance of the past is fading. The leadership of the Democratic Party is out of sync with the citizens. We look forward on the local, regional and state level to reduced debt, reduced regulation, educational reform, economic reform and reduced unemployment. Thank you Jim Davis, Paul Higdon, Mark Meadows, Pat McCrory, Melissa Evans and God Bless Macon County and the State of North Carolina!!

Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Republicans could now be situated to hold their majority in the House for quite some time. She spoke of a “structural advantage” the party holds “because of the way Republican voters are spread out over the country … with strength in suburban and rural areas.”

A footnote to this is in Chicago, where the headline on Yahoo News reads “Absentee Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. re-elected.” Thank God we do not live in Chicago.

Les Slater

Franklin

To the Editor:

Harry Reid, the leader of the Democrat Senate in Washington says, “Tax the rich.”

Is Harry a fool or does he think we are?

All tax hikes are passed on to the customer. We all know that when we get to the cash register the taxes are added on to the bill. The same thing happens when the “rich” make an iPad or a cell phone and then sells it to us — the tax is added on to the price we pay.

Look at the price of gas. If the rich pay higher taxes on the gasoline, then we pay a higher price at the pump. They add the tax into the cost of everything we buy. Same thing happens to the price of food. When the farmers and rich grocery store owners are charged more tax, then the price of food goes up.

Who does Harry think he is fooling? We are all in this together. When Harry says tax the rich, we will all pay more for everything. That is a foolish idea.

Call Sen. Kay Hagan, she works for Harry: 202.224.6342. Tell her we are no fools. We cannot afford Harry’s tax hike and higher prices on everything we buy.

Lynda Bennett

Maggie Valley

To the Editor:

During the campaign, Barack Obama let it be known that he believes in redistribution of your income … this means giving government entitlements to the takers from the makers.

We do know a little about how redistribution of income will be accomplished. Though it is entirely possible, given the “ruler” mentality of the Obama administration, I don’t expect brown or black shirts at my door to physically require me to hand over my earnings in cash. No, the taking will be more subtle through all manner of taxation.

This is what is in store for us in the next four years of Barack Obama’s presidency.

If a Democrat Senate allows the Bush tax cuts allowed to all taxpayers to expire in January 2013, 100 million Americans will be affected (including those in the lowest tax brackets). The average U.S household will see an average increase of $3,700 in taxes. The child tax credit will be reduced from $1,000 per child to $500 per child. The amount of college tuition that can be deducted will be drastically decreased. Dependent care credit for families with children in day care will be reduced. The return of the “marriage penalty” will increase taxes for the lowest two tax brackets of married couples.

Obamacare taxes are supposedly levied on small businesses, insurers and manufacturers, but the ultimate payer is the consumer. Here are some of the Obamacare taxes: individual mandate excise tax; employer mandate tax; surtax on investment income; excise tax on comprehensive health insurance plans; medicine cabinet tax; health savings account withdrawal tax hike; flexible spending account cap – aka, “special needs kids tax; tax on medical device manufacturers; reduced medical itemized deduction from 7.5% to 10% of adjusted dross income; tax on indoor tanning services; Blue Cross/Blue Shield tax hike; excise tax on charitable hospitals; tax on innovator drug companies; tax on health insurers; and a tax hike on a type of bio-fuel.

You can expect more control from the IRS that will allow the IRS to disallow completely legal tax deductions and other legal tax-minimizing plans just because the IRS deems that the action lacks “substance” and is merely intended to reduce taxes owed.

Add these disallowed deductions, increased tax rates and all other taxes imposed by government and we will find these increased taxes will impact all hard-working families.

Shirley Slaughter

Cashiers