Admin
To the Editor:
As the tribal elections drew closer and closer, it became fairly obvious early on that Patrick Lambert would become the new principal chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Speculations on where outgoing Chief Michell Hicks might go next and what changes Lambert might bring spread like wildfire.
After Lambert became chief-elect, Chief Hicks was offered and accepted a position as commissioner of the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise, the intermediary board between council and the casino; the same position Lambert left to run for chief.
Within 48 hours of Lambert taking office, not only was this offer rescinded, but rumors of the firing of the entire commission followed. Lambert filed a lawsuit against the old Council for the pay raises and back-pay issue of last year. For the last week, the people have told stories of losing their jobs, culminating in the phrase “Lambert is cleaning house.”
And though the people rejoice at the news of suing the old council for the allegedly illegal pay raises, they miss the bigger issue: Chief Hicks refused to hear protests from enrolled citizens in Council, breaking millennia of Cherokee tradition.
It has always been the way of the Cherokee to allow any person of the age of reason to speak before Council. In the old days, Council could not adjourn until anyone and everyone who wished to speak had been heard, and decisions were made by consensus, keeping the next seven generations in mind.
While some enrolled members are pleased with Chief Lambert’s rapid change, others are already calling for his impeachment, going so far as to protest outside the Council House only yesterday (Thursday, Oct. 8) during the annual Fall Festival.
The outrage over financial mismanagement should be secondary to the outrage of the bucking of tradition. It isn’t.
Just last week, Elder Amanda Swimmer addressed Tribal Council over an issue of her estate. Her first language is Cherokee, and she addressed the Council in the Cherokee Language. Council assigned Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver to translate Swimmer’s address because … none of them spoke Cherokee fluently.
The Cherokee culture is an endangered creature. Have we, as a People, become so complacent and entitled to care more for political and financial gain than for our language and tradition?
While other nations of Indian Country battle for basic human rights as running water and electricity, the Eastern Cherokee bicker amongst each other about how to manage a multi-million dollar industry.
While the Navajo require their Chief to speak Navajo fluently to be eligible to run for office, the EBCI Tribal Council does not have a single Cherokee speaker among them.
Sequoyah is the only man in recorded history to create a writing system without first being literate. His creation of the Syllabary led to the first bilingual newspaper in the USA: The Cherokee Phoenix out of New Echota, Georgia, created by Rev. Worcester and Elias Boudinot was published in English and Syllabary. The Cherokee Star was the first bilingual magazine, published in Tahlequa, Oklahoma.
The only three indigenous languages used in both world wars were the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Comanche. And while the Navajo have broadcast the Super Bowl in their own language for the last 30 or so years, you’d be hard pressed to find a fluent Cherokee speaker in Cherokee, N.C. There are more Cherokee speakers in the United Kituah Band and the Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma) than there are in the EBCI. We lose 10 speakers a year as the elders pass into the next world.
So is it truly a surprise that Miss Mandy needed a translator to address her own Tribal Council?
ᎨᏗᏒᎳᏂᏩᏴᏫᎴᎢᎶᎩ
Cherokee
Editor’s note: It wasn’t Chief Patrick Lambert but the group “EBCI for Justice and Accountability” (spearheaded by a group of three Cherokee women) that filed the lawsuit over the controversial pay raises. The Tribal Council is actually the entity that shut down citizen debate in the council house, not Chief Michell Hicks.
In his Oct. 7 letter to the editor, Franklin political activist Dan Kowal cautioned readers not to “buy the corporate charm offensive” coming out of Western Carolina University’s Free Enterprise Speaker Series. As WCU’s BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism, I oversee the Speaker Series and would like to correct the inaccuracies in Mr. Kowal’s account.
Anthony “Tony” Lossiah, a Cherokee Indian Police Department patrol officer, died at Mission Hospital in Asheville on Tuesday, Oct. 6, after succumbing to complications stemming from an injury sustained while performing his law enforcement duties. Lossiah served the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the public at large as an officer for more than 17 years in many capacities.
“Tony will be sorely missed. I can’t imagine what his wife, children and family are feeling throughout this loss. But I do know what it’s like to lose a friend and co-worker,” said Officer Ben Reed, who until recently served as police chief. “It’s certainly not easy, but God said His Grace was sufficient. Tony was certainly one of a kind and I have enjoyed knowing him and working beside him. My prayers are with the family. Please help me pray for our officers and our community.”
After recently expanded testing continued to show elevated lead levels at Southwestern Community College’s firing range, college officials are going forward with the latest recommendations from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to determine the precise project scope.
ECS Carolinas, LLP, an Asheville-based engineering firm contracted by SCC, is obtaining soil and sediment samples from an area near the Tuckaseigee River and downhill from the range to determine how far the lead has spread over the years. The college and ECS, acting in concert with NC-DENR’s counsel, will have the new samples tested while mapping out strategies for permanently remediating runoff and excavating the lead currently in the ground.
SCC has operated the range since the early 1980s on North River Road in Jackson County.
“We have relied on the recommendations of NC-DENR from the start to ensure that we handle this the right way,” said Dr. Don Tomas, president of SCC. “We met with NC-DENR officials last week (Oct. 2) to get their guidance on what we need to do next, and our response is to do exactly what they advise. Our goal is to resolve this situation as thoroughly and responsibly as possible.
The 19th Annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, in downtown Franklin.
Country star Hunter Hayes will begin his “21 Tour” at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at Western Carolina University.
Grammy Award-winning bluegrass supergroup Steep Canyon Rangers will perform at a membership concert for the Western Carolina University Friends of the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.
Question: I have diabetes, are sugar alcohols safe for me to consume?
Answer: Sugar alcohols can be found in many sugar-free and no sugar added products like candy, cookies and cakes. Despite their name they are not a sugar or an alcohol.
The public is invited to join scientists and members of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee for the annual Migration Celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Otto.
Biologists from Southern Appalachian Raptor Research, Coweeta Long-Term Ecological Research program, Balsam Mountain Preserve and LTLT will capture, band and release migrating songbirds. Attendees will also participate in hands-on activities to catch, tag and release monarch butterflies as they migrate south to their wintering grounds in Mexico.
The event is part of a nationwide effort to track migration routes, populations and survival of monarch butterflies, an iconic pollinator species. Cost is free, though donations are gladly accepted to help pay for SARR and LTLT’s nature educational programs.
Attendees should wear long pants and shoes that cover the toes. Bring water, snacks and a camera. To reserve a place for your family, contact Jason Love at 828.524.2128 ext.113 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Directions to LTLT’s Tessentee Bottomland Preserve, 2249 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, N.C.: From downtown Franklin, take U.S. 23 S/U.S. 441S/Georgia Road. In 5.2 miles, turn left onto Riverside Road. In .5 miles, turn right on Hickory Knoll Road and travel 1.7 miles to Preserve on the right.
The Healthy Haywood Fitness Challenge will kick off Monday, Oct. 12.
The program — which runs through Nov. 23 — gives participants six weeks to visit the 17 participating venues up to 24 times for a price of only $10. Each venue has its own rules for what is available to Healthy Haywood members, but all allow some opportunity to experience what is offered there.
Five sign-up opportunities are scheduled:
- 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, at the Waynesville Recreation Center, with free fitness journals handed out. A special kickoff will be held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. that day, with free pedometers.
- 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Haywood County Cooperative Extension, with free frisbees.
- 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, with free water bottles.
- 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Urban Athletic Training Center, with free jump ropes.
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at The Fitness Connection, with free stainless steel water bottles.
All freebies are on a while-supplies-last basis.
Participating venues are Angie’s Dance Academy, Body Lyrics Belly Dance, CrossFit2311, CrossFit Haywood, CrossFit Yona, Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, Maggie Mountain Fitness and Massage, Maggie Valley Wellness, Old Armory Rec Center, Raqs Beledi Bellydance Studio, Smoky Mountain Sk8Way & Fun Zone, Susan’s Sassy Slimdown, The Fitness Connection, Urban Athletic Training Center, Waynesivlle Recreation Center, Waynesivlle Wellness and Youth Kung Fu.
828.356.2272 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. www.healthyhaywood.org.
A recreation of what a campsite from 100 years ago would look like will be on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Cradle of Forestry in near Brevard.
Visitors will see fires ignited by flint, steel and friction, old-style campfire cookery, four different styles of period shelters and traditional camp tools in use.
The event is inspired by Smokies founding father Horace Kephart and his 1906 book Camping and Woodcraft. “Camping in the Old Style” will be presented by the Traditional Outdoor Skills Program from The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia.
Traditional camping display included with price of admission, $5 for adults and free for youth under 16. America the Beautiful, Every Kid in a Park and Golden Age passes accepted. The cradle is located along U.S. 276 near Brevard.
828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.com.
A hike taking in the views from Purchase Knob in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the secret hideaways of The Swag Country Inn’s Nature Trail will show off autumn’s best on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
An afternoon of fly-fishing related clinics for disabled veterans will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Cherokee.
The day, organized by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, will include clinics in fly tying, casting and knot tying. Healing Waters is an organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled veterans and active military service personnel, achieved through fly fishing, education and outings.
Free. 828.788.0034. www.flyfishingmuseum.org.
A nationally recognized bonsai tree expo will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11, at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.
Kim DeLozier, conservation program manager for the eastern U.S. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, won the title of Wildlife Conservationist of the Year from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation during this year’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards.
DeLozier retired from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2010 after 32 years working in wildlife management, dealing with everything from nuisance bear management to reintroduction of elk and red wolves.
Awards, given in 20 different categories, represent a who’s who of conservation stalwarts including agency professionals, elected officials, academics, nonprofit leaders and emerging youth leaders.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s district ranger for the Tennessee side of the park, Steve Kloster, has been named chief ranger for the park.
The Sylva Photo Club will host seminars covering “GIMP” and “Lightroom” at the Cullowhee Methodist Church on the Western Carolina University campus.
“GIMP” will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 10. “GIMP” is a free software photography-editing program and has some of the features of Photoshop. Roger and Lisa Bacon will cover some of the manipulations commonly used to enhance photos; selecting, cropping, lightening, darkening, gradient fills, and the uses of layers. Several photos will be used to illustrate the techniques. They will also teach Movie Maker and Google Photos, which are free programs that could enhance your photo editing experiences. Movie Maker is good for making slide shows with or without video clips. Google Photos is for sorting, editing, and storing (free cloud) photos. A brief introduction to each program will also be given. Members are free, visitors a $5 donation applied towards a membership.
Lightroom will be a special full-day seminar presented by Robert McAnally from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17. McAnally has spent 40 years working with computers and 20 years with film photography. In 2002, when he converted to digital photography, he started using Photoshop 7 with the first Windows Lightroom. The cost for this full day seminar, including lunch, is a $40 donation for visitors (not applied to membership) and $35 for members. Reservations are required for the full-day seminar. Please send email or phone and provide name, phone number, and email so that the reservation can be confirmed.
Membership to the Sylva Photo Club is a $20 donation; $10 for students per year.
sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.293.9820.
The Lake Junaluska Singers will perform their fall concert 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Stuart Auditorium.
A 16-voice professional ensemble, the group serves as the Ambassador choir for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church and of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. They began in 1954 and have performed nationally and internationally for conferences, dignitaries and major events. Their music ranges from classical choral and contemporary works to gospel, folk and musical theater styles.
Tickets start at $17.50.
Acclaimed gospel group The Inspirations will host the ‘Singing in the Smokies’ fall color festival at 11 a.m. Oct. 15-17 at Inspiration Park in Bryson City.
Thursday performances will include The Inspirations and The Kingsmen. Friday will showcase the Old Fashioned Singing Chuck Wagon Gang, Troy Burns Family, and The Inspirations. Saturday will present the Family & Friends Tour, Archie Watkins, The McKameys and The Inspirations.
Tickets are $20 per night, with children 12 and under admitted free.
A Little Taste of Local will offer samples from locally owned restaurants and markets on Oct. 13 at Champion Credit Union in Canton.
Some of the local favorites participating include Waynesville Soda Jerks, Black Bear Café, Fat Belly’s, The Imperial, Nettie’s Bakery and Papertown Grill. They will also be joined by KT’s Orchard and Apiary, Shady Brook Farms and Duckett’s Produce as market vendors.
“We are blessed with so many locally-owned restaurants and fresh local vendors in the area,” says Noralynn Gudger, Marketing and Communications Manager with Champion Credit Union. “We wanted to find a way to help them gain exposure and give our members and the community a chance to try what they have to offer.”
The local food showcase is a part of the CU Lunch Local initiative. Understanding how each and every dollar spent locally can impact the entire community, they wanted to find a way to encourage that spending.
“Champion Credit Union believes wholeheartedly in supporting the communities that support us,” says Jake Robinson, President of Champion Credit Union. “This market is a great way for us to show that support.”
A regional breast cancer charity truck show, “Beards for Boobs,” will be held from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Cherokee Expo Center.
In an effort to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for local charities. Southern Charm Traditional Wear, located in Cherokee, will host the event.
“Western North Carolina has been so great to our business and this event is just one way we can give back to our community,” said Scott Jacobs, owner of Southern Charm. “Breast Cancer impacts the lives of so many people we know and love. Just about everyone knows someone, whether it be a family member, a friend, or a neighbor, who has been impacted by this disease and this event is just our way of helping reduce that impact here in Western North Carolina.”
About 1 in 8 U.S. women, about 12 percent, will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. This year alone, an estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 60,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. Women aren’t the only ones at risk. About 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2015. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
The cost to attend “Beards for Boobs” is free. To enter a vehicle in the truck show, the cost is $15 in advance and $25 at the gate. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Pretty in Pink Foundation.
www.southerncharmwear.com or 828.497.7981.
The Masters of Illusion “Believe The Impossible” professional magic Halloween showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
Grand illusions, levitating women, appearances and vanishes, escapes, comedy magic, sleight of hand and beautiful dancers are just some of the events during the performance.
Masters of Illusion is a huge stage phenomenon born from the multi-award winning television series Masters of Illusion and from the World Magic Awards, which is recognized as the International Academy Awards of Magic.
One of the exciting features of this magical experience is that the entire audience participates in a mind-boggling illusion and some lucky individuals even get picked to assist with illusions onstage. The award-winning cast has been brought together to perform live to its Masters of Illusion’s huge worldwide television audience.
Tickets start at $7.50.
The production of “Over the River and Through the Woods” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22-24 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.
The 26th Annual Leaf Lookers Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 16-17 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin.
The 32nd annual Church Street Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.
To the Editor:
October is the last month for donations to the 2015 Coats for Kids of Jackson County Coat and Warm Clothing Drive. In addition to donating, you can help by participating in two fundraising events this week to benefit the nonprofit, now in its seventh year of helping Jackson County children stay warm.
The first event will be from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Two Chicks Boutique, 1336 East Main Street, Sylva. As part of Two Chicks Boutique’s grand opening, 10 percent of the proceeds of sales that day, as well as a silent auction inside the store, will go to help Coats for Kids.
The second event is from 8 a.m. until noon this Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Jackson County Farmer’s Market in Sylva, when folks may bring new and gently used children’s warm clothing items to donate.
If you have new or gently used children’s items to donate such as coats, warm clothing, hats, gloves, shoes, and scarves, you can also drop off items through Oct. 31 at Sylva Wal-Mart (inside store, on household side), Cullowhee United Methodist Church, or Sylva Habitat for Humanity Re-Sale Store. Also needed are donations of unopened packages of diapers, wipes and new socks and underwear. Monetary donations may be sent to the nonprofit at Coats for Kids of Jackson County, P.O. Box 164, Cullowhee, N.C., 28723. All donations help to ensure local children stay warm this winter.
Distribution Day will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Sylva First United Methodist Church. Items will be available free of charge for any parent/guardian who needs warm winter items for their children. Children must be present to receive items and distribution is a first come-first serve event. While supplies last, families will also receive a gift card for food.
For more information about Coats for Kids of Jackson County, contact Director Christy Rowe at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Coats for Kids office at 828.293.3678.
Rose Garret
Sylva
To the Editor:
This week we’ve heard from the BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism at Western Carolina University, hyping the corporate dog and pony show at WCU on Oct. 5, preaching the morality of the free market.
According to Wikipedia: “The BB&T Corporation (Branch Banking & Trust) is the 10th largest commercial bank in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, with around $200 billion in assets.
“In late 2008 the bank accepted $3.1 billion in bailout money through the sale of its preferred shares to the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
“In May 2008, the BB&T Charitable Foundation had given 25 U.S. colleges and universities ‘several million dollars’ to fund programs promoting Ayn Rand’s work and economic philosophy.”
My question is, why would a business, whose goal is to maximize profit, give away several million dollars to 25 universities, especially right before receiving federal bailout money?
That money is hard at work at WCU and around the country, funding corporate propaganda, trying to convince us that behemoth corporations are looking out for our best interests.
Since the recession (caused by the big banks, resulting in millions of Americans losing their jobs and/or homes), almost all of the U.S. economic growth has gone to the top 10 percent. Wages/buying power are stagnant, actually at early 1970s levels counting inflation, while corporate upper management bonuses rocket skyward. The only way working families survive is to go further into debt, and the big banks profit from that with their credit cards. It’s a vicious cycle for us, a profitable one for them.
To be clear, I am all for small c capitalism, mom-and-pop shops, honest competition and entrepreneurs. But when a company amasses billions of dollars, buys lobbyists and gives untold millions to buy politicians and installs propagandists at our universities, we have a fundamental problem that undermines our democratic republic.
This is why I’m voting for Bernie Sanders for president, and other candidates who are willing to take on the big banks, big corporations and corruption in general. Our founding fathers did not envision us living in a corporate oligarchy.
Dan Kowal
Franklin
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will celebrate the completion of the new $80 million, 150,000-square-foot Cherokee Indian Hospital building in Cherokee with a ribbon cutting and tour 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.
“We believe the new building will help us foster an environment of wellness so our patients don’t just come to us when they are sick, they come to us as friends and partners in wellness,” said Casey Cooper, a tribal member who has led the hospital as CEO for the past 10 years.
The new pharmacy department will open for service Monday, Oct. 19, with the rest of the hospital seeing patients beginning Nov. 16.
The project has been nearly two years in the making through a partnership between the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, Design Strategies and Robins and Morton Construction Company.
Candidates for the Waynesville town board faced off in a forum last week before a packed crowd in the Haywood County historic courtroom.
Women climbing the corporate ladder or owning their own businesses is nothing new, and in fact North Carolina is among the nation’s leaders in this area. Still, those we interviewed for a series of stories on women in business say they sometimes face unique challenges as they move toward an era where the playing field is more level than ever before.
Weather Hazard: An Upper Low moving across our WNC Mountains, coupled with Hurricane Joaquin will produce heavy rain and wind gusts in Haywood County. From now through Monday morning communities south of Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Clyde and Canton can expect about 10” of rain, while the municipalities and northern communities can expect about 7” of rain. Wind gusts of 20-30mph are possible, with the highest gusts over our mountain tops.
Expected Vulnerabilities
- Trees down
- Power Outages
- Intermittent flash flooding in low lying areas along rivers and streams
- Possible debris flows in drainages and particularly in areas with disturbed and exposed soils where rainfall may accumulate.
Recommended Actions
- Everyone should maintain close contact with ever changing weather conditions.
- Be aware of potential hazards around your home, work place and travel paths.
- Stay away from flooding water and wear a personal flotation device when operating nearby.
- Be prepared for extended periods of power outages. Do not call 911 for power outages, call the appropriate power company.
- The majority of fatalities associated with flash flooding are due to attempting to drive through standing water. Even shallow moving water can make tires a flotation device! 2 feet of water can float a 3000lb car.
- Rapidly moving water and debris can lead to trauma.
- Broken electrical, water, gas and sewer lines can result in severe injuries.
- Look for tilted trees, poles, fences, walls and holes on hillsides.
- Be extra cautious at night when it is harder to see flood dangers.
- Emergency Agencies- Travel around your communities, make a list of potentially hazardous areas and/or vulnerable citizens. Provide them with good preparedness advice.
- Extra staffing of all agencies will be helpful.
- All swift-water rescue teams on standby, once the team leaders have an inventory and roster, share your numbers with the 911 Communications Center.
- Emergency Management staff will be on duty throughout the weekend. Call the non-emergency line to 911 Communications to speak with them.
- Ensure shelter teams are on standby and prepared. IF activated, the location is our HHS facility (Old Walmart) on Paragon Parkway.
- NCDOT and municipalities should continue ensuring all culverts; ditches and storm water systems are clear of debris and open. Maintain emergency access of all highways, streets and roads for emergency egress and ingress.
QUESTION: Does your Ingles brand milk contain "rBST" ?
ANSWER: NO! rBST ( Bovine Somatotropin) and rBGH ( Bovine Growth Hormone) are artificial growth hormones that can be administered to dairy cows to increase their milk supply.
With whirling disease confirmed in North Carolina, the Tuckaseigee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited is planning an informational session on how anglers can stop its spread at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the United Community Bank in Sylva.
Shannon Messer of Blackrock Outdoors will give the talk.
Caused by a parasite, the disease damages the cartilage and skeletal tissue of fish in the trout and salmon family, causing them to swim in circles. Whirling disease is often fatal to juvenile fish and can severely impact adult fish’s chance of competitive success in the environment, but it does not affect people or pets. The disease was confirmed in trout in the Watauga River near Foscoe this July.
Dinner is $5, with the talk followed by a chance to win a fly rod from Whittier craftsman Jim Mills. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A program aimed at making it easier for farmers to upgrade their storage facilities — from barns to cold-storage to grain sheds — is expanding.
The Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, has approved more than 35,000 low-interest loans for new or upgraded storage facilities since 2000, totaling $2 billion.
Now, eligibility has expanded to include hops, dairy products, meat, unprocessed poultry, eggs, floriculture and aquaculture. Commodities such as corn, wheat, renewable biomass and cold-stored fruits and vegetables were already eligible.
A new map from Appalachian State University’s Michael Denslow gives a visual prediction of fall color’s schedule in the mountains, based on elevation and latitude — one of the first maps to consider both factors.
The fastest runners at the Zombie 5K Race Chase Saturday, Oct. 31, will have survival of the zombie apocalypse to name as their reward.
Elite slalom paddlers from across the U.S. will converge at Nantahala Outdoor Center this month for the 2015 USA Canoe and Kayak Slalom Nationals Oct. 9-10, an event hosted by NOC and the Nantahala Racing Club.
The Whiteoak Sink area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed through March 31 to protect the bats living there from white-nose syndrome.
The Hemlock Restoration Initiative is hoping that the $50,000 worth of grants it recently awarded will help restore North Carolina’s hemlock trees to long-term health.
Seasonal restrictions on trout harvesting will go into effect in the western counties on Thursday, Oct. 1, meaning that anglers can’t keep any trout they catch from delayed-harvest trout waters until a half hour after sunset June 3, 2016.
According to the rules, anglers can’t possess natural bait when fishing these waters — only artificial lures and one single hook.
From fall to spring each year, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks delayed-harvest trout waters with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances. By instituting the seasonal regulations — delayed-harvest trout waters are posted with diamond-shaped black-and-white signs — anglers who enjoy catch-and-release trout fishing get a chance to do so without competition from anglers looking for a trout dinner.
www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/Trout/TroutFishing.aspx.
Emerald ash borers have been found in more North Carolina counties, prompting Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler to place the entire state under quarantine.
North Carolina is the 15th state to issue a statewide quarantine for emerald ash borer. Adjacent Virginia also has a quarantine in effect, and the insect has been found in Tennessee.
Generally speaking, the quarantine allows hardwood firewood and plant parts to move within the state, but movement to non-quarantined areas outside North Carolina is prohibited unless the firewood has been treated, certified and labeled in accordance with federal regulations.
However, individual land management agencies may have more restrictive regulations. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, for instance, all firewood originating from outside park borders must be heat treated.
The emerald ash borer lays its eggs underneath the bark of ash trees, where the larvae then hatch and create tunnels in the living part of the tree before emerging as adults. Affected ash trees display a loss of leaves, increased woodpecker activity and clumps of shoots emerging from their trunks. The beetles have caused the decline and death of tens of millions of trees across the country since arriving.
A festival celebrating all things fly fishing will liven up Bryson City Saturday, Oct. 10, just as the mountains come into their peak of fall beauty. The inaugural Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing Festival will involve everything from casting demonstrations to displays from local fly tyers.
Numerous Western North Carolina residents and organizations received awards by the North Carolina Folklore Society, which will be celebrated at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee.
The High Country Quilters 25th annual show “High Country Lilies” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8-10 at the Maggie Valley Town Hall.
Acclaimed banjoist Raymond Fairchild was recently elected into Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame in Bean Blossom, Indiana.
To the Editor:
If Congress fails to reach a federal budget resolution by midnight, September 30, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hundreds of other National Park Service sites in America will close to the public indefinitely
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosts over 35,000 visitors on average each day in October. Nationally, more than 715,000 visitors a day frequent the National Park System.
Nationwide, the National Park Service stands to lose approximately $500,000 per day in revenue from fees collected at entry stations and fees paid for in-park activities, such as cave tours, boat rides and camping.
Park gateway communities like Gatlinburg, Cherokee, and Townsend; Jackson, Wyoming; West Yellowstone, Montana and others across the country collect about $76 million per day in total sales from visitor spending. This much-needed revenue is lost during a government shutdown.
In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an estimated 350 federal employees would be furloughed because of a shutdown, along with 60 concessions employees and 45 Great Smoky Mountains Association employees. About 47 NPS employees would remain on duty, providing security and emergency services.
In the national park and the surrounding gateway communities, October is the most important month for both visitation to the region and business activity. There’s no making it back later on. Fall colors only happen once a year; once they’re gone, it’s all over. October business activity often provides the critical financial resources for businesses and residents to make it through until the next season.
Nationwide a shutdown would force the furloughs of more than 20,000 National Park Service employees; approximately 3,000 employees would remain on duty to ensure essential health, safety, and security functions at parks and facilities.
About 12,000 park concessions employees — the workers who staff the hotels, restaurants, and riding stables in the parks — would also be adversely affected. Nonprofit park partner organizations, including Friends groups and cooperating associations like Great Smoky Mountains Association, would lay off an estimated 600 to 1,000 employees, depending on the length of the shutdown. A closure would impact visitor centers and field institutes like Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, as well.
America’s public lands drive billions of tourism dollars into local economies, and in return these lands rely on dedicated nonprofit partners to provide educational programs, operate interpretive sales outlets, manage volunteers and cultivate private funding. A government shutdown would strip hundreds of private sector nonprofit employees of their paychecks as citizens are turned away from the special places they rightfully own.
I urge everyone who wishes our national parks to remain open to the public, please contact your state and federal elected officials and let them know how you feel about the potential for our national parks to close.
Terry Maddox
Executive Director
Great Smoky Mountains Association
To the Editor:
I am not much of a religious scholar, but I did have 16 years of excellent Catholic education. I did very well in my college Logic course. The Dominicans Fathers were gifted teachers. As a result I am having a tough time understanding why conservative Christians are so enamored with today’s Republican party.
Biblical doctrine exhorts us to contribute to the ministry and the common good according to our financial ability. The richer you are, the more is expected from you. But when it comes to this society in which we all live, and with the Social Security in particular, the tax burden falls on the poor and the middle class while the wealthy get a pass.
Republicans want to solve the Social Security solvency problem by cutting benefits to the people who need it most, instead of requiring the wealthy to pay the same percentage of their income as you and me.
Helping those in need is one of the major themes of the Bible and of Jesus’ ministry. These commandments were not limited to those in your church or your family. But Republicans in all levels of government pride themselves in how much they can cut benefits to those most in need. Food stamps, workman’s comp, veterans benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, you name it and they are on the chopping block. And just the mention of increasing the minimum wage makes most Republicans cringe.
In the Old Testament and throughout Jesus’ ministry, there is warning against the worship of worldly things. Biblical principals make it clear that accumulation of wealth was not the way to eternal salvation. Yet today’s Republican party idolizes the rich and in every way promotes their causes and protects their interests.
Just recently a drug company raised the price of a 67-year-old drug 5,000 percent, and not a single Republican spoke up for the thousands who will be hurt and may die as a result. For them, it is just free market doing what is does to make someone rich.
There is no way today’s Republican Party can logically be called a political party based on Christian principles. They may not be worshiping a golden calf, but they seem to be idolizing a golden head of hair.
Louis Vitale
Franklin
To the Editor:
Tried to take a nap but couldn’t get my mind off of some of the enormous problems we face. Not the least of which is where we find ourselves in terms of foreign affairs and foreign aid.
We have managed to alienate any and all allies we ever had (seems like we did it on purpose). We are no longer the superpower that has helped keep peace through strength for decades. Foreign aid continues to flow to many countries that have resources to sustain their economies if the trade dollars they receive weren’t stolen by their politicians. The only foreign aid that should leave this country must be agricultural products or medical supplies.
I used to write to Sen. Jesse Helms and suggest (tongue in cheek) that instead of giving foreign aid we teach the other countries how to go into debt like we do. Why give arms to the oil rich countries that have held us hostage for their oil. Let them buy arms if they want them.
Then there is the president we elected without knowing anything about him. He will not only continue to act around Congress, but he will accelerate his efforts for the next 17 months. The Republican-led states should form a compact and agree to act together by appointing a single strong individual to represent the compact to the president.
That individual should inform the president that the states he represents are willing and capable of seceding from the country and forming a new country based on the original Constitution. The Congressional States of America would not allow any more tax dollars flow to Washington, and all federal facilities would be closed at once and the employees put on unpaid leave.
A president would be elected for the new country and a legislature as described by the founders. The new country should demand to be paid the base funding value of the social security annuity for all residents of the states involved plus the base value of the funding to sustain Medicare for the citizens of these states.
Bruce Gardner
Waynesville
To the Editor:
Recent letters have presented opposing views on the future funding for Planned Parenthood. Some are based on factual information concerning the function and operations of that organization and others are based on a fabricated narrative created with a highly edited video.
Planned Parenthood provides a variety of needed services to lower income women, ranging from cancer and sexually transmitted disease (STD) screenings to birth control and pregnancy support. Without these services we would undoubtedly see increases in premature deaths, increases in STD incidence and increases in unplanned/illegitimate births.
They also provide abortion services. However, by federal law, no tax dollars are used to support these activities. Repeat, NO tax dollars are used for abortion services! By law, abortions are legal in this country whether you agree with the procedure or not.
Planned Parenthood also provides fetal tissue for research. That is also allowed by U.S. law. The basis for the current outrage over this practice has been debunked as a highly edited version of ‘gotcha’ interview embellished with video that includes segments having nothing to do with Planned Parenthood. While GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina has used this to enflame her troops, the accusations are fraudulent.
Rep. “Shutdown” Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, and his co-conspirators apparently wish to shutdown the government over federal funding to Planned Parenthood. If they wish to shutdown the government, I suggest that they select a real issue. Practicing this bit of political theater will have grave consequences for millions of citizens. Remember the last time they pulled this stunt?
If Rep. Meadows is serious about these issues, there are responsible actions that he could take. First, he could sponsor a constitutional amendment to ban all abortions in the U.S. That way, those who can afford to fly to another country could have safe, legal abortions while those of lesser means would go back to the back-street abortions. Additionally, he could sponsor legislation to ban fetal tissue research.
If he wants the debate, let’s have it and skip the theatrics, regardless of how much his base enjoys it.
John Gladden
Franklin
Representatives of more than 40 different vendors from throughout the area – as well as all 15 of SCC’s Health Sciences programs – will be in the Burrell Building on Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, in Sylva, for SCC’s annual Health Fair.
There is no charge for admission to the event.
An American Red Cross blood drive (10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) will coincide with the Health Fair, which will also feature a “Delete Blood Cancer” bone marrow donor registry.
Flu shots are free for SCC employees; insurance will be filed for – and payments will be accepted from – all others. Door prizes will include massage gift certificates and gym passes.
Community vendors include hospitals, fitness centers, food banks and more. The SCC bookstore will offer 20 percent off one qualifying item.
Plus, Mad Batter of Sylva will bring a food truck.
828.339.4305 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
