Author and culture historian Julia Taylor Ebel will give a reading and wreath-making demonstration at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Ebel will be reading from her newest book, Mama’s Wreaths.

A series of narrative poems tell the story of Joanie, a young mountain girl who wishes to learn to make wreaths as lovely as Mama’s. Joanie learns not only about the process of wreath making but also of the importance of passing on one’s heritage.

828.586.9499 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To the Editor:

Wildflower is back, and a lot of people are worried, especially here in the northern part of Macon County. From the time the first developer spoke to a crowd of over 200 at Cowee School and said, “You people will need to upgrade your community for my clientele,” and “You people (how could the man think that was an acceptable way to address the people whose community he was moving into?) are going to need affordable housing…” the thing has not set well on our minds. Then came the flood of sediment into streams, trout ponds and the river as the steep roads were gouged out. People were buying lots sight unseen on the internet, because real estate was hot and was only going to get hotter.

Then came the crash — with foreclosures, lawsuits, damage to our local financial institutions — and to the reputation of Macon County. The lots sat empty, the roads began to crumble, big rains brought on the landslides, the weeds grew up.

But a lot of us didn’t forget, and we wanted protection in the future.

We worked hard to get sensible slope development regulation—but it didn’t happen. Now, the lots are back on the sale block. What are the “fire sale” prices going to do to the real estate comps, and the hopes of other landowners and realtors to sell a piece of land at a fair price? What assurance do we have that the development will be done well this time? What control do we have? Do the people looking at lots up there have any idea about the North Carolina Geological Survey Slope Movement Hazard Maps? Do they know there are unstable soils up there?  Down here in the valley, we know it.

But perhaps something a little bit good can come out of this. Perhaps we can put aside the name calling, the politics, the special interest protection, and the shortsightedness and plan for a better situation in the near future. We can put in place slope development regulation that will make sure that the guys who do a good job don’t get undercut by the cheap shortcuts of the careless and uncaring. We can   protect the interests of the home builder, the downslope and upslope neighbors, and our precious mountain environment.

Because this is only phase one of the planned project. There are still hundreds of acres to go up there.

Susan Ervin

Franklin

To the Editor:

In the ongoing debate about job creation, much misinformation is being bandied about in an effort to confuse us and advance a conservative agenda.

Some try to convince us that economic growth will generate jobs. But the fact is that the gross domestic product has grown for seven consecutive quarters since the official end of the recession in the second quarter of 2009. However, there has been no increase in jobs during this period. Economic growth has not generated jobs.

Some say there are plenty of traditional jobs if you just look for them. People are unemployed because they’re too lazy to go out and seek work. But the fact is that in May 2011 there were 4.7 unemployed people for every one job opening. That number has not gone below 4.3 in 29 months, while from 2001 through 2008 it never went above 3. This shows that the jobs just aren’t there to look for.

Some claim that if we cut taxes on big corporations and the wealthy, they’ll use the extra cash to create jobs. But the fact is that corporations are sitting on more than $80 billion, and big banks are holding $2.6 trillion that they’re not lending. They aren’t using the reserves they already have to create jobs, so do we really think that if they had more money from tax breaks they would suddenly have a change of heart?

Some argue that proposed new free trade agreements with Korea, Panama, and Colombia will produce economic growth and create jobs. But the fact is that the effect of NAFTA and other free trade treaties already in force has been to shift thousands of American jobs to Mexico and other developing countries. Why would we believe empty promises of jobs when the actual results have been just the opposite?

The claims are belied by the facts. Which will we believe?

Doug Wingeier

Waynesville

To the Editor:

After recently returning to North Carolina from three years in the Southwest, I am saddened to learn that our state legislature is so focused on creating a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage — yet another piece of divisive legislation that mirrors the current political dysfunction in Washington, D.C.

One could only hope that in these “hard times” our legislators focus on the very real economic issues that many people are dealing with — as if a symbolic defense of traditional marriage will shed light on the current struggle to provide for our families.

I recommend these legislators spend a season in the wilderness, perhaps in the spirit of the desert fathers, to cleanse their souls of such self-serving claptrap.

Roger Turner

Sylva

To the Editor:

The North Carolina Geological Survey landslide hazard map prepared for Macon County is a valuable resource for our county planners, citizens and  property owners. The considerable cost developing this resource has been borne by the taxpayers of North Carolina. The Macon County Planning Board has spent extensive time and effort reviewing the information and discussing how it could be used.  

The development of this map utilizes considerable fieldwork and data collection on the ground by North Carolina Geological Survey geologists with over 60 days “on-the-ground effort.” More than 600 locations were investigated in that aspect of the study. Serial aerial orthophotography reviewing studies from the years 1954, 1953, 1998, 2005 were included in this investigation. Light detecting and ranging digital elevation data (LiDAR) were utilized to develop a base map for data to be embedded upon. This combination is the best available mapping technology.

Stability Index Mapping information is useful in showing where landslides and the resulting debris flow would more likely occur. Data from existing soil survey maps of the Macon County were also utilized to calibrate Stability Index Maps according to where slope disturbances have already happened in the past. It took more than $500,000 in taxpayer funding and nearly a year to accomplish this project.

With the considerable funding, work and effort used to develop these maps, it would be a shame not to utilize them in a useful manner.  It appears that our county has decided to shelve this study. That sounds very much like big government at the federal level instead of a common sense approach that our county officials could represent.  

Tom Harris

Franklin

To the Editor,

Rep. Phil Haire’s recnt letter contains the pathetic non sequitur: “to place (the Defense of Marriage Bill) on the ballot in the form of a constitutional amendment is a gross waste of your time and state funds. This is especially true when the papers have articles everyday reporting the loss of state and local jobs.”

Can he possibly explain the correlation between jobs and the sanctity of marriage? If this is a typical example of Haire’s reasoning, we are wasting time and funds on him.

His assertion that the “sole” purpose of the amendment was to “incite political passion and further lead to more societal division” shows his ignorance of history or a deliberate effort to deceive. The Founding Fathers, as well as Lincoln v Douglas and innumerable others, incited political passions to a degree that is exponential in comparison to Haire’s repugnant claim.

Claiming that current statutes legislating marriage are protection enough is absurd. NCGS 51-3.1 banned interracial marriages and was reversed. GS 51-1.1 could as easily be overturned.

Haire tries to justify his position by taking Bible verses containing “love thy neighbor” out of context.

Other Biblical texts are relevant. Jesus explains that it is God, not man who institutes marriage: “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

When I encounter such Haire-brained and puerile thought, it makes me want to shave my head. Join me. I don’t need Haire, and neither do you.

Timothy A. Van Eck

Whittier

Fortunate Sons, a group of 18 active duty Marines, is planning to collectively hike the entire 1,000-mile North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the name of both charity and awareness.

Their 42-day journey begins on Oct. 2 at Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains and ends at Jockey’s Ridge on the outer banks on Veteran’s Day weekend, Nov. 13. All funds raised in support of the event will go directly to the Semper Fi Fund.

The Semper Fi Fund is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to wounded and injured Marines, as well as personnel who might have been wounded or injured while supporting Marines.

“The mission and goals of the Semper Fi Fund are similar to ours,” said Mark Greenlief, a Fortunate Sons member.  “Our goals are to show honor and continued support for Marines who were hurt in the defense of our country, who are the reminder of the cost of freedom.”

Jeremiah Johnson recalls how the idea got started.

“I work with a great group of guys and we are always trying to find adventures and something exciting to do in our spare time. We came up with the idea to hike the MST and the wheels started turning from there.”

Although the Semper Fi Fund is the main focus of the efforts being made, Fortunate Sons also plans to raise awareness for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

“North Carolina is a beautiful state and what better way to experience its beauty than by hiking its premier trail and meeting people along the way,” explains Johnson. “In my opinion, North Carolina is the most military-friendly state in the Union, and we hope to show our gratitude for the appreciation displayed by both the state’s citizens and its government through raising awareness of the Mountains –to-Sea Trail and the communities that support it.”

The 18 Marines participating on the trail have divided themselves into six two-man teams, with six Marines in reserve. The first team will start at Clingman’s Dome and hike for seven days and then be relieved by the oncoming team.

“Each team will be expected to hike an average of 150 miles a week or roughly 22 miles a day; not exactly an easy task,” says Johnson.

Donations to the cause can be made through the Semper Fi fund at https://semperfifund.org/donate/. Please select “Fortunate Sons” as the event name under Additional Information in the payment form.   

For more information about Fortunate Sons, visit www.fortunatesons.org.

Cullowhee Kids Preschool is hosting a reunion for all alumni and current students of the preschool program on Oct. 28.

If you attended Cullowhee Kids Preschool at any time, call 828.293.9215 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and give the name of child, years of attendance, current mailing address, email address and phone number. A formal invitation to the event will be sent later this month.

Enjoy a good meal and benefit a good cause Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Bourbon Barrel Beef & Ale Restaurant, located at 454 Hazelwood Avenue.

Tickets, sold in advance, are $50 each. The benefit dinner is for REACH of Haywood, which works with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The meal includes salad, dinner with choice of steak, chicken or fish, dessert, tea or water.

828.456.7898.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, R.E.A.C.H. of Macon County is sponsoring a talk and book signing by Angela Dove, the author of No Room for Doubt.  Her book is a nonfiction account of her family’s history and the investigation of her stepmother’s death.

Dove will be featured at two locations on Oct. 6. The first will be at St. Agnes Episcopal Church at 66 Church Street in Franklin, from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. This will include a tea and light brunch.

The second event will be held the same day in Highlands, at the newly renovated Hudson Library at 554 W. Main Street from 4 until 5:30 p.m. There will be coffee/tea and afternoon refreshments.

Seating is limited and tickets are $20. Proceeds will go to R.E.A.H. domestic violence prevention programs. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.

R.E.A.C.H. is a nonprofit agency that provides shelter and services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

828-369-5544 or reachofmaconcounty.org or angeladove.com.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals will pay a visit to the western part of the state Monday, Oct. 3, when it convenes at Western Carolina University.

The court will hear arguments in two cases beginning at 1:25 p.m. in the third-floor theater of A.K. Hinds University Center on the WCU campus. The sessions are open to the public, but no one will be admitted to the theater after the sessions have begun. A reception will follow.

Debra Burke, WCU professor of business law and among the organizers of the event on campus, is calling the visit “WCU’s very own first Monday,” in reference to the day when the U.S. Supreme Court traditionally convenes after summer recess.

“It’s an honor to host a panel of judges on the N.C. Court of Appeals,” Burke said. “Typically, most people are more familiar with how trial courts function from watching TV than the role of appeals courts in our legal system. It will be very valuable for them to witness how appeals courts consider questions of law as they arise based upon the fact patterns of specific cases, and how legal arguments are presented to the panel of judges. Witnessing this process will help them to appreciate the role of judges in ruling on questions arising under state law.”

Scheduled to hear arguments in the cases on the docket are Presiding Judge Sanford L. Steelman Jr., Judge Sam J. Ervin IV and Judge J. Douglas McCullough.

While at WCU, the judges also will meet with students in several political science, business law and criminal justice classes.

The sessions mark the fourth time that the N.C. Court of Appeals has convened on the WCU campus. The court first heard cases in Cullowhee in September 1995. It returned in 2001, along with members of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, marking the first time both state appellate courts formally visited a North Carolina university campus at the same time. Both courts also visited WCU in October 2004.

828.227.7337.

The newly refurbished auditorium in the Western Carolina University College of Business now also has a new name: the Wells Fargo Business Center. The name is in recognition of $150,000 in gifts from the financial services company.

In addition to helping equip and furnish the renovated center, the funds will offer scholarship assistance to students in the College of Business and financial support for faculty development efforts within the college.

“Our College of Business faculty members are extraordinary teachers who bring real-world experience and perspectives to the classroom. Funds made possible through this gift will enable College of Business faculty to attend conferences as acclaimed presenters and active participants in exploring and developing the latest concepts of business management practice that they will bring back to WCU for the benefit of our students,” Chancellor David Belcher said.

In recent years, Wachovia/Wells Fargo has provided support for the Professional Sales Center in the College of Business, graduate research symposia, programming in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center and celebration of the College of Education and Allied Professions’ receipt of the Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award.

The Wells Fargo Business Center is located in a 240-seat auditorium that has been reconfigured into a multiuse facility suitable for meetings, conferences or classrooms. The space can now accommodate up to 120 people seated around tables, or up to 240 people seated theater-style.

The Jackson/Swain/Macon County Guardian ad Litem office is currently recruiting new volunteers for an upcoming class.

Across North Carolina, cases of child abuse and neglect are petitioned to the court system. In each case, a volunteer advocate is needed to investigate and recommend a safe place and services for the child. Guardian ad Litem volunteers represent the best interest of the child.

For more information, call 828.349.2409.

Free community health talks are resuming at the Mission Outpatient Care Center in Clyde.

‘Get Back to Your Life After a Back or Neck Injury’ will be presented from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, by orthopedic spine surgeon Michael Goebel, MD. He will discuss options available for treating back or neck injuries, from physical therapy to surgery.  

‘Urinary incontinence: how physical therapy can help’ will be offered from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.13, by Jessa Brown, PT, certified women’s health specialist, and Melanie Sutton, PT, certified geriatric specialist. They will review the potential causes of urinary incontinence and discuss prevention and treatment options, with a focus on physical therapy solutions.

For reservations, call 828.213.2222 and select option 2. For a full listing of programs scheduled this fall, visit missionhospitals.org/ClydeCare.

Wendy Woods and Nathan Jones will review the evolution of the Tea Party in North Carolina and the future of the group to the Mountain High Republican Women’s Club at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Oct. 4, at Country Club of Sapphire Valley.

The club will also elect officers for the 2011-2012 year. The Mountain High Republican Women’s Club is a tri-county group whose members are permanent or seasonal residents from Jackson, Macon and Transylvania counties. Monthly luncheon meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month from April through October. Meeting locations vary each month so each county hosts at least one meeting throughout the season.

All Republican women and interested parties are invited to attend the luncheons. For more information and luncheon reservations, call 828.507.7900 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Saturday, Oct. 1, is Caring For Our Community Day in Maggie Valley.

Teams of volunteers, along with the town’s public works department, will clean up trash along the roadsides in Maggie Valley, along Highway 19 from Ghost Town to the traffic light at Maggie Valley Inn & Conference Center and along the islands down Highway 276 to Jonathan Valley School. Clean up hours will be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The town will provide gloves, stab sticks, trash bags and safety vests. Teams will gather at Town Hall at 9 a.m. to receive their area for clean up. Light refreshments will be served.

If you would like to organize a team of four to eight people, contact Jena at 828.926.1686 or Karen at 828.926.0866.

Pisgah and Tuscola football fans will have two opportunities to catch some football during county rivalry week on Oct. 6 and 7. The JV game will be in Canton on Thursday, Oct. 6, and the Varsity game will be in Waynesville on Friday, Oct. 7.

This year, at both games, fans can also help feed the hungry in Haywood County. At the entry gates at both the Varsity and JV games, there will be boxes marked P for Pisgah or T for Tuscola where fans can place canned and packed food items.

The food will then be weighed and the school whose fans donate the most food will receive a trophy. The food collected in the Pisgah boxes will be delivered to the Community Kitchen in Canton and the food collected in the Tuscola boxes will be taken to Haywood Christian Ministries in Waynesville.

The football game is the kickoff to the Waynesville Town Employee’s Pack the Pantry Food Drive. Later this fall, the food drive will involve the various classes at Hazelwood, Junaluska and Jonathan Valley Elementary Schools. In addition, the public will have another opportunity to donate food on Friday, Nov. 18, with collection stations at Ingles on Russ Avenue and at the Waynesville Crossings Shopping Center on South Main Street.

Roller derby is gaining speed in Western North Carolina, with one league looking for its start and one looking for more members.

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls, a roller derby league in Bryson City, will be having regular practices in the Stecoah Gym on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center.

Further east, JoLynn Bryant, along with several other local moms, is looking to start another flat track roller derby league. The group is holding their first meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Smoky Mountain Sk8way in Waynesville.

The goal is 20 women so two teams of 10 can bout each other in practice.

Both groups are open to women 18 and up who are willing to try, with skill building opportunities for all levels.

The Roller Girls in Bryson City have extra skates and gear for those interested in trying and for more information, come to a practice (with or without skates and gear), join the group on Facebook, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

For more information about the Waynesville group, call 828.246.9124 or come to the information session on Oct. 28. For those unsure about skating, there are other opportunities including referees, coaches, bout production, photographer and general help.

Songwriter and singer Angela Faye Martin will host an evening of music and poetry at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 at the Rickman Store in Cowee.

Among previous performers who will return to the Store are Laurence Holden, Steve Brady and Kathrine Cays. Poet Laurence Holden is a prolific painter and artist who has been published widely.

One of Macon County’s crown jewels in the field of the performing arts is actor/writer/musician Steve Brady, who can be remembered for his performance as the “The Prince of Dark Corners,” another Rickman Store production by director and play writer Gary Neil Carden.

Katherine Cays is the artist-in-residence at the Rickman Store.

This gathering will also include the performance of the Ubuntu Choir of Franklin. The choir sings spirituals and gospel music from many world traditions, in many languages, and also from local traditions.

828.369.5595 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Tony Award-winning actor Anthony Crivello will direct the hit play, “Heart What’s In the Heart,” which will run Sept. 30 through Oct. 7, at the Highlands Playhouse. This will be the final production of the Playhouse’s 2011 season.

Anthony Crivello received Broadway’s Tony Award, Chicago’s Jefferson Award, a Carbonelle Award and nominations for two Jefferson Awards, two Canadian Dora Mavor Moore Awards, LA’s Ovation, Drama Critics, Robbie, Garland Awards, and Friends of New York Theater Award. He has starred on Broadway in numerous shows as well as on film and televison.

For tickets for“Hear What’s In the Heart,” call 828.526.2695.

The Jackson County Public Library will host a program on preserving family stories with author Julia Ebel at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“At a time when fast-paced lives limit traditional storytelling and front porch conversation, we still need the roots that knowledge of family and heritage provides,” Ebel said. The author of seven books, she will discuss finding ways to pass along your own stories and heritage as gifts to your family.

Drawing from her experience as a writer, Ebel looks at the pen, the camera, the kitchen, the garden and more as elements in the process of passing on our stories. Workshop participants will leave with fresh ideas on personal gifts.

828.586.2016.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theater will present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” opening on Sept. 30 for a three-week run. The original production opened on Broadway in April 2005 to rave reviews and ran for over three years.

The show is set at a fictional middle school spelling bee and features six quirky finalists. These are kids role’s played by adults, and this is a PG-13 show. It is not “children’s theater.”  The songs are fun, and sometimes a bit bawdy. The spelling bee itself is hysterical but along the way you come to really care about the contestants and who will win. This irresistible combination makes it a show people tend to want to see more than once, as it is also filled with a dash of improv which makes each performance unique.  

Performances are Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 6 to 8 and 13 to 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 2, 9 and 16 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $8 for students. $5 discount tickets for students are available for Thursday and Sunday performances.

828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.

The Solid Rock Revival, a free student community event, will be held on Oct. 1 in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska.

Jeff Cairnes, founder of Solid Rock Revival and student pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Waynesville, said the vision of this event is to combat a growing number of students who walk away from the faith upon graduating.

Brody Holloway, cofounder of Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, will be the main speaker. Accompanying Brody will be musical guests from NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for students and the event starts at 7 p.m.

www.solidrockrevival.com or Facebook.

The Haywood Arts Council will present an exhibition by the Southern Appalachian Photographers Guild through Saturday, Oct. 15, at Gallery 86 on Main Street in Waynesville. The artists’ opening reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, in conjunction with Waynesville’s Art After Dark.

The Southern Appalachian Photographers Guild (SAPG) members are a select group of premier photographers who have been offered membership based on their demonstrated photographic abilities, dedication to quality and high professional and ethical standards. Members’ techniques and equipment are as diversified as their images.

The Gallery 86 exhibition will feature photographs of nature and natural landscapes throughout the world. Members include: Susan Stanton, Bill Lea, Les Saucier, Kevin Adams, Nancy Rotenberg, Hal Looney, and William A. Smith.  

828.452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.

“Celebration!” the annual fundraiser for the Bascom center for the visual arts, will be held on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, at the Bascom in Highlands.

On Friday, the main event will be a Motown in the Mountains party, including live music by the Sensational Sounds of Motown, barbecue from Cashiers Farmers Market, wine selections and more. Tickets are $35 for adults, $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under 5 are free.

Saturday will feature a dinner gala and auction, offering fine dining and spirits, silent auction and the exciting live auction Also during the live auction will be “Touching a Heart Through Art,” a paddle raise to support The Bascom. Tickets are $225.

828.787.2896 or www.TheBascom.org/celebration.

A pastel workshop is being offered from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Nature’s Home Preserve in Tuckasegee by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia.

Participants will paint with pastels the nature around them by learning how to create a quick composition through placement of dark and light colors. The basics in use of pastels, color, composition and detail will be emphasized.

The fee is $36 with all materials furnished.

828.293.2239.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians hosts the 99th annual Cherokee Indian Fair Oct. 4 through 8 at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds in Cherokee.

The fair offers nightly entertainment, fireworks, a carnival midway full of rides and games, craft vendors, food vendors — including some featuring traditional Cherokee food — and an exhibit hall displaying the Eastern Band’s traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Visitors will also have a chance to see family-friendly competitions such as Cherokee Idol, blowgun, longbow and compound bow archery contests and wood chopping.

This year’s concert line-up packs a blues, beach, country, rap, bluegrass, funk and rock punch with the ever-popular Charlie Daniels Band headlining Saturday night. Atlanta favorite Mother’s Finest will feature on Friday night.

A parade on Oct. 4 kicks off the annual five-day fete, and the festivities include the Cherokee Idol Elimination Round. Oct. 5 is Children’s Day and features fun games and activities for the little ones. On Oct. 6, the Elders are honored, and Oct. 7 is dedicated to veterans and concludes with the highly anticipated Cherokee Idol competition. Community Day on Oct. 8 features traditional Cherokee competition and games.

The fair opens at 10 a.m. each day and daily general admission is $10, which includes nightly concerts. Children 6 and younger are admitted free.

www.cherokee-nc.com.

Staff from the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum will present a program on local geology and gemstone identification at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at The Jackson County Public Library.

Diane Aiello and Fred Plesner will display and discuss local specimens and also demonstrate geode splitting. Attendees are encouraged to bring samples they’d like identified.

The Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum is located in the old Franklin jail building. It is open to the public, hosts educational programs, and has specimens of fossils as well as rocks and gemstones on display.

For more information call 828.586.2016.

A Canine Good Citizen Test will be offered on Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Jackson County Recreation Complex by the Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association in conjunction with this year’s Bark in the Park.

The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. Started in 1989, CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.

Those wishing to test must pre-register, and will then be given an assigned time for their test. Testing will end by 12 p.m. and will be given on a first-come basis. The cost is $10 per dog/handler team.

For more information call 828.293.7415 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about the test, visit www.akc.org.

“I Hate Hamlet,” the story of an actor in career limbo, will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday to Saturday, Oct. 5 to 8, in Western Carolina University’s Hoey Auditorium.

The show will kick off the 2011-12 University Theatre Mainstage season at WCU.

“I Hate Hamlet” is the story of young television star Andrew Rally, who finds his career derailed when his series is canceled. After relocating to New York, Rally is offered the role of Hamlet on stage. His life gets more complicated after meeting his roommate, the drunken ghost of John Barrymore, the legendary actor known for his groundbreaking portrayal of Hamlet. The New York Times described the play as “unapologetically silly and at times hilarious.”

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for faculty, staff and seniors and $10 for students or $7 if purchased in advance.

For more information call 828.227.2479 or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

The Wilderness Society will host a three-day nature writer’s intensive with author Janisse Ray at The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center from Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

The workshop is for writers committed to communicating the importance of place — where you live, where you hike, where your drinking water comes from — and what matters about its present and future state.

Participants will spend their time engaged in both dialogue and writing exercises in a spectacular natural setting with one of the south’s most eloquent voices on this subject.

Janisse Ray is the award winning author of Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, of which the New York Times said, “the South has found its Rachel Carson.”

The retreat is located near Highlands and borders the Overflow Wilderness Study Area. Included in the workshop agenda will be hikes into Overflow as well as evenings with special guests such as regional authors Thomas Rain Crowe, John Lane, and Barbara Duncan.

Early registration fee for this workshop is $450 per person, and includes three nights of double-occupancy lodging as well as all meals and workshop materials.

Jill Gottesman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.587.9453.

•••

This year’s annual N.C. Bartram Trail Society meeting features Janisse Ray, award-winning author of Ecology of a Cracker Childhood.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Albert Carlton Library in Cashiers. The BTS membership meeting (including trail updates and board elections) will precede the lecture, from 6 p.m. until 6:45 p.m.

Any one is welcome to attend.

Janisse Ray is author of three books of literary nonfiction. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, a memoir about growing up on a junkyard in the ruined longleaf pine ecosystem of the Southeast, was published by Milkweed Editions in 1999. Besides being a plea to protect and restore the glorious pine flatwoods of the South, the book looks hard at family, mental illness, poverty, and fundamentalist religion.

Farmer, writer and activist Wendell Berry called the book “well done and deeply moving.”

www.ncbartramtrail.org

Looking for a way to celebrate national hunting and fishing day with your kids? Head to The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., where a full schedule of events have been lined up.

These include fishing, outdoor cooking, archery, pellet rifle range and an interactive kids’ hunt camp. There are indoor exhibits, too, such as an award-winning documentary on natural history and wildlife diversity of the mountains. and five aquatic habitats with live fish, frogs, salamanders and snakes.

828.877.4423

Need a rain barrel? You can buy one through Haywood Waterways Association, the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.

These Haywood County groups are selling rain barrels to raise awareness of water conservation. They will be available at the Agricultural Service Center (589 Raccoon Road) on Thursday, Sept. 22 and 29, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The 55-gallon barrels are made from recycled pickle containers. They are fitted with connections for a garden hose, overflow pipes, or to connect multiple barrels in series. The barrels also have a drain and bug screen. The tops can be removed for easy cleaning and maintenance. Display models are at the Chamber of Commerce office (28 Walnut Street, Waynesville) and Cooperative Extension office (589 Raccoon Road) where they can be purchased.

The cost for one barrel is $75 plus tax with proceeds benefiting each organization.

Rain barrels are good for water, and they are a great investment for maintaining healthy gardens and landscaping. During drought they provide a source of water for irrigation and reduce the strain on rivers and wells. By capturing and retaining rainwater they help reduce stormwater impacts when it does rain.

828.631.2823 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 Catch the first glimpses of autumn color, explore old cabins and cemeteries, and even ring the bell of a picture-perfect mountain chapel during a guided hike along Little Cataloochee Trail with the Friends of the Smokies.

Tuesday, Oct. 4, hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein (author of Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage), will lead this 6.5-mile hike. The hike is moderate in difficulty and has a total elevation gain/descent of 1,500 feet, and features new improvements from the Trails Forever program. Time permitting, hikers will also visit the elk herd in Cataloochee Valley.

Participants gather to depart from Asheville at 8:30 a.m., or off Interstate 40 exit 24 at 9 a.m. Exact meeting locations specified upon registration. Hikers should come prepared with food, water and appropriate hiking clothes, and should expect to spend all day on the trail.

A donation of $25 is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Donations will benefit Trails Forever, a program dedicated to trail improvement projects in the Smokies. There is no cost to current Friends of the Smokies members.

Space is limited. Contact Friends of the Smokies to register for the Little Cataloochee Trail hike.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.0720.

Nantahala Outdoor Center’s popular Guest Appreciation Festival begins Friday, Sept. 23, and continues through the weekend, offering free attractions, live music and entertainment.

The festival, NOC’s way of thanking the company’s guests at the end of the primary paddlesports season, is one of the most popular outdoor lifestyle gatherings in the

Southeast, attracting more than 5,000 visitors.

The 2011 show will feature a new headlining act on Saturday: the King BMX stunt show — a high-flying, dynamic performance. Show performers will use ramps to perform aerial tricks as well as impressive ground-based maneuvers.

This year’s event also features live music performances from five different musical acts appealing to varied musical tastes. Traditionalists will enjoy the old-time Appalachian sounds of Blue Eyed Girl and the hard-driving string music of the Freighthoppers. Modern music fans will hear “high country reggae” from Chalwa, R&B and Soul from the Secret B-Sides and bluegrass, jazz and jam fusion from Brushfire Stankgrass.

Free attractions include rock climbing, storytelling, an interactive mountain bike pump track, educational live animal exhibitions, paddling competitions, outdoor skill demonstrations, face painting, and craft workshops.

The annual Used Gear Sale, where the company sells off its rafting, kayaking and canoeing supplies from the season also is scheduled. Adjacent to this, the Used Gear Sale is a used gear marketplace where enthusiasts buy, sell and trade their gear with other enthusiasts.

NOC’s Outfitter’s Store will also be liquidating its 2011 demo fleet of whitewater and flatwater kayaks, as well as rental mountain bikes.

www.noc.com/gaf.

Road races by three area hospitals this month shine the spotlight directly on breast-cancer awareness. You don’t have to be a runner to participate in these important efforts; walkers are welcome, too.

The first of the races is the popular, annual 5K and 10K runs in Sylva along the Tuckasegee River on Oct. 1. The 13th annual Smoky Streak is a joint effort of the Jackson County Health Department, MedWest Harris/Swain hospitals and the MedWest Harris/Swain Foundation.

New for this year is that both the 5K and 10K will start and finish at Webster Baptist Church, meaning no more shuttle buses. The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. and the 10K will begin at 9:30 a.m. The proceeds will provide mammograms for underserved women in the MedWest Health System.

www.medwesthealth.org/smoky_streak.aspx.

The next race, Pour le Pink, is a 3.2-mile walk/run to support local breast health and women’s services, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. The funds raised will go toward maintaining the hospital’s spectrum of breast health and women’s services as well as financial aid for patients.

Early entry fee is $20 for adults, if received on or before Sept. 30. Late entries received after that date will cost $30. Child rate is $5. The 5k race is open to male/female runners and walkers of all ages will begin at 8 a.m.; the fun walk/run at 8:15 a.m.  www.highlandscashiershospital.org or 828.526.1313.  

Finally, to complete the hat trick, the Power of Pink race will be held in Haywood County on Saturday, Oct. 29, to raise money for mammograms for women who otherwise can’t afford them. There is a five-woman relay race, a four-mile individual run, and a fun run/walk as part of the event. The Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation and the Haywood County Health Department sponsor this annual event.

The relay start time is 8 a.m.; the four-miler starts at 9:30 a.m. The fun run/walk starts at 11 a.m.

www.medwesthealth.org/power_of_pink.aspx

Want an excuse to get some great hiking in and take photographs? The Outdoor Provision Co. is recognizing Mountains to Sea Trail month with a photography competition.

The trail spans the state from the Outer Banks to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Photos will be judged in three categories:

• The view from the trail.

• People on the trail.

• Youth photographer, ages 17 and younger.

The deadline for submitting photos is Oct. 31 at midnight. Awards include cash prizes, gift cards for outdoor gear and the opportunity to have your photos published.

For complete entry guidelines, check out www.ncmst.org/get-involved/photo-contest.

Muddy Sneakers, an innovative program that brings the joy of learning outside to fifth-grade students, has been named the Conservation Organization of the Year for 2010 by the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards program.

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation sponsor this award, which highlights individuals and organizations that have exemplified conservation activism across the state.

Muddy Sneakers is entering its fourth year, and is a proven effective program that brings public school educators and students into outdoor learning experiences. So much so, the Western North Carolina-initiated program will expand this year into South Carolina.

Field instructors work with fifth-grade students and teachers to create a lifelong love of nature, a commitment to stewardship, improved academic performance, an enthusiasm for health and fitness and an understanding of the interconnectedness within the natural world.

www.muddysneakers.org or 828.862.5560.

Bryson City Bicycles will take young riders on a free youth mountain-biking event on Saturday, Oct. 1, beginning at 9 a.m. at Deep Creek.

The ride is for kids ages 6 to 16. It is part of the nationwide celebration, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, supported by the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

There is a maximum of 25 spaces available; participation will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pre-registration is required. Bikers should assemble at the Deep Creek Picnic area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside of Bryson City.

Bryson City Bicycles has kids’ bikes (in limited quantities) to rent for $20 for the event. Helmets are required.

All participants get snacks, beverages and a goody bag. The ride will be led on Deep Creek Trail and Indian Creek Trail by Andy Zivinsky, co-owner of Bryson City Bicycles, along with other adult volunteers.

Register in advance at Bryson City Bicycles at 157 Everett St., Bryson City, or by calling 828.488.1988

BicycleHaywoodNC has donated 15 bicycles and 15 helmets to Haywood County

Schools this month to use in physical education classes. The idea is to teach elementary students how to be safe cyclists. BicycleHaywoodNC purchased the bicycles through a grant received from Healthy Haywood. Goals are to fight childhood obesity, improve overall health and set the tone for a lifetime of active living.

Additionally, students will learn how bicycles can be used as alternative forms of transportation.

The bicycles will make the rounds of each elementary school in the Haywood County School system. They were purchased through John Mudge, owner of Rolls

Rite Bicycles in Waynesville, and a BicycleHaywoodNC council member. Mudge and fellow council member Don Lux assembled the bikes.

www.bicyclehaywoodnc.org.

Janisse Ray will read from two of her most recent books at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Drifting into Darien: A Personal and Natural History of the Altamaha River is a memoir and as in her book Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, Ray writes an account of her beloved river that is both social history and natural history, understanding the two as inseparable, particularly in the rural corner of Georgia she knows best.

A House of Branches is her most recent poetry collection, about waking up, looking around at the world, and discovering how to live within it.

To reserve copies call 828.586.9499.

The original members of Creedence Clearwater Revival will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

They will be joined by former Cars lead guitarist Elliot Easton as well as John Tristao, formerly with the band People, and Steve Gunner for old songs with a new twist with the newly formed band Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

The ensemble has been entertaining audiences for generations and will perform hits from the new Creedence Clearwater Revised “Recollection” album with classic favorites including “Born on the Bayou,” “Run Through the Jungle,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”  

For tickets, call 800.745.3000 or visit  www.ticketmaster.com. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Inspired Art Ministry’s fall term begins the week of Sept. 27, offering classes for adults in drawing and painting, photography  (Photoshop Elements) and art classes for children. Classes are held at First Baptist Church on Main Street in Waynesville.   

In addition to class work, the students have an annual Student Show and take field trips to places such as Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery. All income from tuition is tithed and a library of books is maintained to help students with drawing and painting techniques. Classes run for six weeks and are ongoing throughout the year.

Both drawing and painting classes are for beginning through advanced students who want to work at their own pace.

• Drawing classes will be held Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m., Sept. 26 through Oct. 31. $55.

• Painting classes will be held Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m., Sept. 27 through Nov. 1. $55.

• Photography classes will be on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 27 through Nov. 1. $75.

• Children’s art classes will be on Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m., Sept. 26 through Oct. 31. $72, supplies included

For more information call 828.456.9197 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the adult drawing and paintings classes and 828.246.8123 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the photography and children’s art classes.

Some of the areas most talented citizens will be featured in Haywood Arts Regional Theater’s first Haywood’s Got Talent event which culminates with the final round on Friday, Sept. 23. The finalists have made it through auditions and a voting round last week, where three judges and audience members picked their favorite performers. The top prize winner will receive a check for $1,000.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children and students. Reservations may be made in advance by visiting www.harttheatre.com. Tickets will also be available at the door. A schedule of who is performing is also available on the HART web site and from the Box Office.

The event is being presented as a fundraiser for HART, one of the region’s most active theater companies. HART, located in Waynesville, is now in its 26th season and presents a year round schedule of plays and musicals. www.harttheatre.com.

A traditional Chinese orchestra and famed sketch comedy troupe will both perform in September at Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The Chinese Opera Orchestra of Shanghai, an ensemble that plays traditional and contemporary Chinese music on traditional instruments, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27.

The Second City, known for its trademark improvisation and launching talented actors and comedians from Alan Arkin to Gilda Radner and Stephen Colbert to Tina Fey, will present its “Laugh Out Loud Tour” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29.

Tickets for each event are $10 and $5 for students.

Boasting musicians from top conservatories and art institutions, the Chinese Opera Orchestra of Shanghai strives to preserve and renew centuries-old traditions of Chinese musical culture. Led by Maestro Wang Yongji, the orchestra specializes in richly crafted arrangements that include Chinese folk music and the best of traditional Chinese opera.

The Second City, launched as a cabaret in 1959 in Chicago and since expanding to venues in Toronto and Los Angeles, developed an experimental and unconventional approach to creating and performing comedy and theatre. Its “Laugh Out Loud Tour” features sketches, songs and improvisation from Second City history and encourages audience participation.  

For tickets call 828.227.2479 or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

Grace Church in the Mountains will present Barbara Bates Smith in “The C Word: Her Own Cancer Story,” at 3 p.m. on Sept. 24.

“The C Word” is the frank, humorous and poignant story of her own diagnosis while playing the role of the cancer patient in Margaret Edson's Pulitzer-Prize winning drama “Wit.” Edson, who encouraged and helped Smith develop “The C Word,” will also attend the production.

A Southeastern Theatre “Best Actress” award winner, Barbara has recently played featured roles in regional productions of “Wit,” “Hamlet,” and “Doubt.”

The 45-minute presentation will be followed by an informal question-and-answer session with the performer and Margaret Edson. Hammer dulcimer accompaniment is provided by Jeff Sebens. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Friends of Panthertown will host a picnic and concert from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, on the lawn of The Village Green in Cashiers. The picnic and jazz concert are free and will feature Maggie and the Romantics. Music begins at 6 p.m.

Maggie and the Romantics are a jazz trio with roots in Cullowhee and Sylva. They bring jazz, soul and R&B together in concert with influences including Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Corinne Bailey Rae, Duke Ellington and Herbie Hancock. The group plays jazz standards and original tunes, ranging from familiar hits of the 40s, 50s and 60s like “Blue Moon” and “The Girl From Ipanema” to modern R&B and original tunes in styles from funk to blues.

828.269.4453, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.panthertown.org.

Grammy-award winner Laurie Lewis will give an after-dinner performance on Sunday evening, Sept. 25, at Cataloochee Ranch. The cost of the evening event, which includes dinner with beverage and dessert, is $40 per person, or $20 per person without dinner. The performance is expected to be a sellout, so advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Lewis has twice been named Female Vocalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. She will be performing with mandolinist-singer Tom Rozum, fiddle player Chad Manning and string bass player Todd Philips.

A singer-songwriter, fiddler and guitar player, Lewis has established herself as one of the finest artists in traditional American music today.

For reservations call 828.926.1401.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its production of Eugene O’Neil’s comedy “Ah Wilderness!” at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 25 and 26, in the Feichter Studio of the HART Theatre in Waynesville. The production is being directed by Wanda Taylor and opens on Nov. 11.

“Ah Wilderness!” is the only comedy by Eugene O’Neil, best known for his epic and deep dramas. Beginning in the 1920s, his work spanned three decades and ended with “Long Days Journey into Night.” “Ah Wilderness!” is a coming-of-age tale that is filled with sweetness and warmth and many colorful characters of all ages.  

Actors will be given scenes to read from the script. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production is also encouraged to come by during auditions to sign up.

Painter-sculptor M.L. Carpenter will present a demonstration in sculpture on Monday, Sept. 26, for the Art League of Highlands at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. A social begins at 5 p.m. where participants will have a chance to meet the artist, followed by the demonstration at 6 p.m.

After studying sculpture in Italy in the 1980s, Carpenter brought home a love of seeing the clay or marble come to life in her hands. She is known for her vibrant abstracts and also works in three-dimensional mediums. Shown and collected nationally and internationally, her work is featured in collections including Emory University, University of Alabama, the JFK Plaza lobby in New York and the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington.