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Join Friends of the Smokies for a guided hike along Kephart Prong Trail, followed by a visit to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum, Saturday, March 17.
The four-mile hike will be led by hiking enthusiast and outdoors author Danny Bernstein, who will share cultural history along the route, including a former CCC camp. The hike is the part of the Friends of the Smokies “Classic Hikes of the Smokies series” for 2012. It is easy to moderate in difficulty, with a total elevation gain of 950 feet.
Hikers will also visit the nearby Oconaluftee Visitor Center, featuring interactive exhibits that tell the cultural history of life in the Smokies, and receive a ranger-guided tour of the adjoining Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of historic log buildings gathered from throughout the Smoky Mountains and preserved on a single site. Buildings include a house, barn, applehouse, springhouse and smokehouse.
Hikers should come prepared with food, water and appropriate hiking gear for the all day excursion. A donation of $35 for the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. A donation of $10 is requested from current Friends of the Smokies members. Members who bring a friend hike for free.
Participants will gather to depart in Maggie Valley at 9:30 a.m., or in the park at 10:30 a.m., with meeting locations specified upon registration.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.0720.
The iconic bear specialty license plate that raises dollars for Friends of the Smokies is being sold again, with an updated design that meets law enforcement visual requirements.
North Carolina is moving toward standardizing specialty license plates. This could in a few years halt the sell of unique plates such as this one, but for now, the redesigned plate allows the fundraising effort to continue.
Of the extra $30 annual fee for the specialty tag, $20 goes to Friends of the Smokies to support a variety projects and programs in the North Carolina portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The fee brought in more than $430,000 in 2011.
“Every year, our plate buyers make a significant impact in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Friends North Carolina Director Holly Demuth. “They help deliver Parks as Classrooms programs to thousands of North Carolina school kids, and support the protection of the Smokies’ black bears and elk, to name a few.”
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for a variety of volunteer opportunities at Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome for the upcoming season.
Volunteers are needed to work information centers and rove trails. These volunteers educate park visitors about natural and cultural features and help them plan their visits, such as suggesting hikes or points of interest in the park.
• Volunteers are needed at Clingmans Dome visitor contact station to work alongside Great Smoky Mountains Association employees in the bookstore from April 1 through Nov. 30.
Each volunteer will be asked to serve at least one four-hour shift per week.
Those interested must attend a two seven-hour orientation and training sessions held March 20 at the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room.
• Volunteers are also needed to rove the trails and grounds around the Oconaluftee visitor center area. These volunteers walk the River Trail, Mountain Farm Museum and fields along U.S. 441 (where visitors are frequently stopped along the roadside to see the elk herd). Promoting responsible wildlife viewing is a particular need.
Those interested are required to attend one seven-hour orientation and training session on Friday, April 13, at the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room.
• Volunteers are also needed to work inside the Oconaluftee Visitor Center assisting visitors plan their trip and answering questions about the park as well as the interpretive programs offered. Volunteers are asked to commit to four or eight hours shift once per week and must be able to stand for long periods.
828.497.1904.
A $500 grant was awarded to Haywood Waterways Association by the Haywood County Community Foundation to expand Haywood Waterways’ sediment monitoring program and establish five new monitoring sites in the Raccoon Creek watershed.
The new sites will help identify areas where sediment, the top water quality problem in Haywood County, is running off. Once identified, Haywood Waterways and its partners can seek grants to assist willing landowners correct these problems.
The sediment monitoring program in the Raccoon Creek Watershed is a smaller part of a county-wide effort that was started more than nine years ago.
In 2006, the state designated as “impaired” sections of Richland and Raccoon creeks, meaning there weren’t as many fish and bug species as a clean stream should have. Haywood Waterways and its partners, including Haywood Soil & Water Conservation District, are working to reduce sedimentation throughout the Richland Creek Watershed, which includes Raccoon Creek.
Sediment enters streams and lakes though erosion and runoff. Once in the water sediment fills the spaces between rocks and smothers the spaces where macroinvertebrate insects live and fish lay eggs. Sediment also clogs intake pipes for industry and agriculture, as well as favorite swimming holes.
A program on mercury pollution in mountain waters will be held by the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, at the historic courthouse in Sylva adjacent to the new Jackson County Public Library.
Susan Sachs, park ranger and educator for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be the featured speaker for the program, held in conjunction with the group’s annual meeting.
Sachs will discuss mercury levels found in the Smokies and elsewhere in the Tuckasegee watershed. Mercury levels have been measured in significant levels in the higher elevations of the park, and in fish in Fontana Lake, and are blamed primarily on coal-fired power plants and factories upwind.
Prior to the main presentation, there will be brief reports from WATR teams and highlights of the group’s recent accomplishments and future plans.
The get-together starts with a potluck meal at 5:30 p.m.
WATR will hold its fifth-annual Double Green Party and fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at the Nantahala Brewery in Bryson City. The band Beansidhe (pronounced in Celtic as Banshee) will play.
828.488.8418 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The N.C. Fly Fishing Team, who count the region’s best fishermen among their ranks, has now hooked one of the best in the nation as their instructor.
George Daniel, formerly coach of the national USA Fly Fishing Team, has agreed to coach the members of Team NC.
Last fall, Daniel came to Western North Carolina to coach the team as a guest instructor, leading to what’s being touted as the first of its kind coaching program in competitive fly fishing. It will feature of cadre of international and domestic instructors, an initiative that team member Paul Bourcq described as the largest, most technique-driven coaching program in recent history.
“I can speak for all team members in saying that we are floored with the realization that an angler like George will be leading coaching for our team, as well as arranging for the other instructors from around the world,” said Bourq, a Franklin resident.
Daniel has been seen on ESPN and OLN while competing in the Great Outdoor Games and the Fly Fishing Masters. He is a certified FFF Fly Casting Instructor. He has won numerous awards and accolades.
Funding from an anonymous investor is helping the North Carolina Team with the coaching efforts.
The sixth-annual Wild Game Dinner is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.
The dinner is a fundraiser for students in Haywood Community College’s Wildlife Club. Money raised will provide financial assistance for students to attend the annual Southeastern Wildlife Conclave, support a wildlife student scholarship and provide additional opportunities for students to learn from and network with natural resource professionals.
There will be door-prize drawings, a silent auction and a live auction. The grand prize drawing will be a lifetime hunting/fishing license. There will be live entertainment and a game and non-game calling competition.
Bring your favorite wild game dish, vegetables and/or dessert. Bread and drinks will be provided. Admission is $10 ($5 if you bring a dish) and children under 12 years old eat free.
828.627.4560.
Greenpeace activists, in what promises to be a long, high-profile campaign against Duke Energy for perceived environmental wrongs, launched the first salvo last week by unfurling a banner 400 feet above the ground on a Progress Energy smoke stack reading “Duke Energy: The climate needs real Progress.”
Duke and Progress are in merger mode, which could make Duke the biggest utility in the country.
The activists pointed to the Asheville-located Progress Energy coal fired power plant’s use of mountain top removal coal, the most destructive form of mining, and that the plant’s coal ash ponds are designated as ‘high hazard’ by the EPA, meaning they would be likely to kill people should they spill.
“It’s past time to send a message to Duke and Progress that they can’t continue to pollute the air, poison the water, destroy mountains and cause climate change just to make a profit,” said Climate Campaigner and Activist Robert Gardner.
Sixteen activists were arrested.
If you are short on greenhouse space but want to grow your own plants, consider using the Old Armory Recreation Center Greenhouse in Waynesville.
The greenhouse opens next month. Trays can be rented for $5 each, with a maximum of five trays per person. A total of 200 trays only are sold.
The trays and soil are provided, but bring your own seeds. Armory staff takes care of watering, but plan on checking in to thin the plants as they sprout.
Reservations must be made in person at the facility. 828.456.9207 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To the Editor:
My name is John Herrin and I am a registered voter in Swain County, and I wrote this letter to the Swain County Board of Elections.
I have served in the past as a board member on this very Board of Elections. It is my intent in requesting this “One-Stop Voting Site” that it will inherently make the right to vote much easier for the registered voters of Swain County and as well should help in dimensioning the tremendous number of voters which are expected in this election cycle on Election Day.
Through the media I have come to understand some of the problems being faced by this current board in making such decisions and I would offer up the following solutions to such questions.
•Location — The Swain County West Fire Department is logistically located in the middle of the far western end of Swain County. This location is on or very close to several western commuter routes for a tremendous number of registered voters in Swain County that work in the Nantahala George area or those that work outside of the county which commute to Andrews, Robbinsville and Franklin. It would also offer a polling location to those who enjoy the recreational areas of the Fontana Lake or to fish the trout waters of the Nantahala River or even the Cheoha River and the area below Fontana Dam. Without a doubt this is a very busy area in Swain County.
• Building or Voting Place — The building should already be ADA compliant in that this is a volunteer fire department which is also a tax supported facility in Swain County in that it accepts funding from the county through the budget approved each year. The facility should at a very minimum meet the criteria of a “One-Stop Voting Site.” I’m sure that Swain County Board of Commissioners should be able to assist the fire department in whatever other needs it might be lacking in order to allow the registered voters of Swain County to participate in voting at this site as they have done in previous election cycles at other polling sites.
• Funding and Personnel — Funding of the site is basically a non-issue. The proposed cost for such a site with the current reduced time frame should not exceed $3,500 to $4,000 dollars. This would include personnel as well as the logistics of the proposed site. This is a trivial amount and could very well be handled by the Swain County Commissioners’ Special Project Fund as detailed in the county budget.
We are talking about supplying a service to the taxpayers of Swain County in order to allow them an easier path to exercise their right to Vote. I see no reason that funding of such a minor amount should play into such a decision nor do I believe that the commissioners when faced with this question would not approve of funding this “One-Stop Site.” The responsibility for such a decision is solely on the shoulders of the board of elections, but it is the responsibility of the county commissioners to see that it is funded.
This site could and would serve all of Swain County but more importantly place a convenient “One Stop Site” closer to Deals Gap, Nantahala George, Wesser Creek, Silvermine, Needmore, and Watia as well as the surrounding Almond area all of which are served by The Swain West Fire Department. .
John E. Herrin
Swain County, Registered Voter
To the Editor:
Ms. Sallie Smith Bradley will celebrate her 98th birthday on Saturday, March 3, at her residence in the Big Cove community of Cherokee. Congratulations Ms. Bradley.
The gift I would like to give to Sallie Smith Bradley is access to one-stop voting at The Ginger Lynn Welch Center. Mrs. Bradley deserves our thanks for sending a letter to The Swain County Board of Elections requesting a more convenient voting site for the folks living and working in the most eastern part of Swain County. Her request was fulfilled, with thanks to the Swain County Board of Elections. The One-Stop Site was opened for the 2010 elections.
The 2012 elections are drawing near and this voting site must be approved and funded by the Swain County Board of Commissioners because federal/state funding for this purpose has been frozen due to political infighting. On Feb. 28 at 6 p.m., the chairman of Swain County Board of Elections will request the funds from the Swain County Commissioners.
Please join me in attending the county commissioners meeting at The Swain County Administration Building to show support for the one-stop voting site at the Ginger Lynn Welch Center. The Ginger Lynn Welch voting site not only helps the voters who live in the eastern part of the county, but will also helps folks from the western end of the county who work in and around Cherokee. Voting and easy access to voting go hand-in-hand with freedom. Sallie Smith Bradley understands this all too well.
Ginger Gaither
Swain County Democratic Party Chairperson
Here’s who has filed lately for the upcoming local election. Filing continues through Feb. 29.
Haywood County:
Another Republican has put his foot into the county commissioner race. Tracy Kevin Coward, of Waynesville, will run against two incumbents during this year’s general election.
There are currently two seats on the five-member board up for grabs. Incumbent commissioners Mark Swanger, a Democrat, and Kevin Ensley, a Republican, have both filed to run for re-election.
Jackson County:
Incumbent Mark Jones, a Democrat representing the Cashiers area, has filed for re-election.
There are two seats on the five-member board open. Commissioner Joe Cowan, a Democrat, has decided not to seek election again. Former Commissioner Stacey Buchanan and Vicki Greene have previously filed to run for Cowan’s seat.
Macon County:
Paul Higdon, a Republican building contractor, has filed against incumbent Democrat Bobby Kuppers, who is seeking re-election. Kuppers also faces primary opposition.
There are three seats on the five-member board open. Commissioners Kevin Corbin and Jimmy Tate, both Republicans, are seeking election to win the seats each were appointed to fill.
Hoteliers, innkeepers, outfitters and other tourism-related businesses can attend the Tourism Partnership Forum, a free event that will be held at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center on from 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, March 7.
The registration deadline is March 1.
The focus of this year’s forum, through the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, is the value of regional partnerships. The purpose of this forum is to continue preparation for the World Kayking Championships by creating an inventory of activities in the region. The Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center is located off N.C. 28 in Graham County, about halfway between Bryson City and Fontana Dam.
828.479.3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Haywood County Farm Bureau awards four scholarships each year — two for $1,000 and two for $500.
The $1000 scholarships are given to students attending a four-year college and studying agriculture. The $500 scholarships will go to students attending a two-year college.
Students must be graduating seniors currently enrolled in a Haywood County school or enrolled in a two or four-year school and be a resident of Haywood County. Students must have a 2.5 or better G.P.A. and must be planning to enroll in an approved post-secondary program. They must also provide clear evidence of financial need and significant community service.
Haywood County Farm Bureau members and their children will be given first consideration. Applications are available at Haywood County Farm Bureau on Asheville Road in Waynesville. Applications must be submitted by May 15.
Ministries with Young People at Lake Junaluska is preparing for its summer programming, SURGE into Missions.
During the SURGE into Missions program, youth will meet and work with persons in need within the surrounding communities, as well as get to know other youth from all over the Southeast during small group sessions.
SURGE into Missions weeks and weekends run from June 14 through July 22.
In addition to mission experiences and worship services, youth can take part in weekly volleyball tournaments and enjoy free time at the pool, tennis courts and mini golf course. For a discounted rate, groups may add an extra day for rafting, zipline tours or hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Youth groups who register by March 12 will receive one free leader registration, and groups registered by May 1 receive free T-shirts.
800.222.4930 or www.myp.lakejunaluska.com/surge-camp.
A 10-week free educational class will be held next month in Franklin on recovery and wellness for anyone experiencing a mental disorder.
The peer-to-peer program is led by mentors (peers) who themselves are in recovery from mental illness and who can share their unique coping strategies to others pursuing recovery. The program was developed by the National Alliance of Mental Illness and has been taught to thousands throughout the nation. The class will be offered in Franklin every Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. beginning March 13.
Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.
Call Hank 828.342.4789 or Paul 828.524.9133.
The Macon County Republican Party will hold a forum for candidates running for the 11th Congressional District seat on March 3.
The event will start at 4 p.m. with finger foods and a meet and greet at the Community Building in Franklin.
At 4:30 p.m., the candidates will be allowed to speak for about five minutes each.
Members are encouraged to stay around after the close of the forum to ask more questions of the candidates.
828.421.2191.
Those interested in being a foster parent can learn what it takes from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of each month at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.
Read popular novels, memoirs and biographies that explore the world of foster care. Look for displays at both Jackson and Haywood public libraries for more books on the subject.
828.454.1098, ext. 2908 or www.acswnc.com.
Community Resource Connections of Haywood Community Connections is sponsoring a third session of “Building Bridges in Haywood County.”
This program will help local clergy have a better understanding of resources available to those in need.
This session will focus on Community Resource Connections, programs open to seniors at the new Senior Center, caregivers programs and lists. Local nursing facilities displays and literature will be featured.
If you are a minister, a layperson or member of any congregation this program is intended for you.
828.452.2370 ext. 2816.
Jim Williams, a nationally renowned speaker from Nashville, is coming to Swain County Feb. 27 to speak to parents, teachers and students about bully prevention.
He is scheduled speak to parents at the Swain County Fine Arts Center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 27. The event is free and open to the public.
Williams is a former Fortune 500 executive who left the business world when he was called to offer his entertaining and heartfelt thoughts about bullying and how we treat one another.
Harold Sims, aka The Catman, is looking for sponsors, artists and other people participate in a painted cat project.
Similar to the brightly colored bears in Cherokee, Sims hopes to feature the life-size cats in shops around Western North Carolina. A sponsor could be a business or any interested person. The cost of the unpainted cats will be about $150 each. Once the cats are delivered, talented artists will be needed to paint them.
“I am also asking people who might not wish to be a sponsor to donate an object of art to include in the auction. These items may be cat-related or not and could be a: picture, pottery, sculpture, or anything artsy and worthy of bringing a good price,” Sims said.
The date of the auction is yet to be set.
828.293.0892 or www.catman2.org.
Western Carolina University students will kick off the Cullowhee Voter Initiative, a nonpartisan effort to improve voter education and participation in Jackson County, with a voter registration drive and student debate on campus Thursday, Feb. 23.
A second event, a debate in which members of the North Carolina General Assembly are scheduled to participate, will take place in the theater of WCU’s A.K. Hinds University Center at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 5. Student organizers said additional events will be planned in Jackson County.
In addition to political primaries, the May election will include an amendment that would add language providing that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union valid or recognized in the state and the Jackson County alcohol referendum that would allow sales countywide.
The Moolah Temple Men’s Auxiliary will accompany a screening of the 1920 silent movie classic, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, with a strange, sweet soundtrack music during Sylva’s Silents Out Loud on Feb. 25 and 27.
The first performance will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Jackson County Public Library’s community room. The final show will start at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at Signature Brew Coffee Company on Main Street in Sylva.
This movie was an early triumph of German Expressionism; the sets throughout the film’s central story are odd, angular, exaggerated paintings bordering on mad abstractions. The film is also the first in cinema history to present a story being told within another story.
There are sleepwalking murderers, a dastardly hypnotist, the townsfolk led on a merry chase, true love and not-so-true love. Expect spooky music, circus music and spirited music.
828.587.6300.
Rachel Reilly, a 2007 graduate of Western Carolina University, has been named as part of the cast for “The Amazing Race.”
Reilly, who graduated with a degree in chemistry, got her reality television start on the set of “Big Brother” during the show’s 12th season in 2010. She eventually went on to win the show last year and pocket $500,000. While on “Big Brother,” Reilly met her fiancé, Brendon Villegas. Reilly and Villegas will now compete together as one of 11 teams on “The Amazing Race.”
On “The Amazing Race,” Reilly and the rest of the contestants will have the opportunity to travel across five continents, 22 cities and close to 40,000 miles for a chance to win a $1 million grand prize.
“‘The Amazing Race’ has excellence written all over it,” Reilly said in a statement issued through her mother. “The viewer will clearly see that. Beyond that, ‘The Amazing Race’ is just that — amazing. One can hardly describe the experience. It is physical, indeed, but ‘The Amazing Race’ is so much more. It is cultural. It is educational, and it has heart.”
Reilly is originally from Cabarrus County. The first episode of this season is set to air on CBS at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb 19.
The downtown association and First United Methodist Church in Sylva are sponsoring a Father-Daughter semi-formal dance from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m., Feb. 24, at the church’s Christian Life Center.
Fathers and daughters of all ages can enjoy a night out together with music and dancing. Refreshments and drinks will be served.
The cost at the door is $30 per couple, $5 for each additional daughter. Corsages will also be available to purchase at $5 each. Couples will receive a complimentary photo to remember the evening.
The 56th Annual Pancake Day will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
The cost is $7 for adults and $3 for children under 12.
“This has been a tradition in our church for over 50 years, and we think that it is the largest non-sporting event held in Haywood County,” said Sandy Giles, senior pastor. Last year, it is estimated that more than 2,500 individuals were served during the day, and more than 475 volunteers donate their time to make the event happen each year.
A portion of the funds raised this year will be used to establish a scholarship fund to honor Mary Ann and Charlie Way’s 50-plus years of service. This spring, the couple will award the first scholarship to a student who has financial need and has shown a commitment to service at the church and in the community.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, at the church office or from any member of the church.
828.456.9475.
Woodworker Chris Behre of Tuckasegee will demonstrate how to make Shaker boxes at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, at the atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Behre will discuss the necessary tools and techniques as well as answer questions from attendees. His work will be on display at the library along with pieces from other Jackson County woodworkers until the end of March. His works include Shaker boxes in several sizes as well as kaleidescopes, toys and other small pieces.
Behre also gives demonstrations at the Biltmore Estate as a master woodworker.
828.586.2016.
The Bascom in Highlands is hosting several upcoming classes for children
• Creation Station is open to children ages 5 to 9 and will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Feb. 25. This month’s project theme is flying objects. The program will continue each Saturday in March, and the theme will be the environment.
• Kids, age 8 to 15, will explore world cultures during the Friends Around the Globe program through art from 1 to 3 p.m., Feb. 25
• Art Adventure, a program for five- to nine-year-olds, will have kids experimenting with a variety of art forms from painting, ceramics and sculpture to printmaking and collage. The event will run from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m., March 6 thru 10.
The Bascom is open year-round, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
www.TheBascom.org or 828.526.4949.
Contemporary artist and instructor Billie W. Shelburn will demonstrate creative watercolor techniques for Art League of the Smokies at 6:15 p.m. on March 1 at Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.
Anyone can attend the event free of charge.
Shelburn will paint from images in her mind rather than from direct resources as she uses subliminal images to create abstract realism through the use of lights and darks, shapes and moods. She’ll demonstrate how she uses the elements and principles of design to build her composition and color as a technique for definition of space. Oriental paper collage will also be applied to the painting.
Shelburn’s paintings have won national, international and regional awards, and she was inducted into the National Organization for Women in the Arts. She is the resident artist in painting, drawing and mixed media at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, a position she has held for the last 15 years.
828.488.7843 or www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.
The Jackson County Public Library is sponsoring a statue-naming contest for a marble sculpture recently donated to its youth service department by artist Jim Knapp of Balsam.
Children are encouraged to examine and touch the artwork, which depicts a child reading, and think up an appropriate name. It could be a descriptive name or a name from a favorite book. The contest will run from Feb. 15 until March 8 and is open to children only.
A panel of three library staff members will consider all entries. The winning name will be announced on March 15, and a winner and a runner-up will receive a free book about sculpture or art. Entry forms are available at the Library.
828.586.2016.
The second of two benefit performances of “The Liars Bench” Southern Appalachian variety show will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 at WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center.
“The Liars Bench” was founded by Sylva writer and storyteller Gary Carden in June 2010. The show’s cast has provided more than 20 free programs of Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry and drama in the Sylva/Cullowhee area since then, but a $10 admission will be charged at the Feb. 23 show.
“Customarily, we ‘pass the hat’ at each performance in order to give a token payment to the performers,” Carden said. “However, in order to stabilize our finances we have decided to charge admission for this special program.”
The shows feature the talents of Carden, Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach, claw-hammer guitarist Paul Iarussi, vocalist and musician William Ritter, poet and musician Barbara Duncan and mandolin player Eric Young, along with Tom Dewees.
Tickets are on sale at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. For more information about the shows, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.
An exploratory meeting has been set up to examine the possibility of forming the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail.
The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 29 in the commerce boardroom located on the second floor of the Asheville Chamber Building on Montford Avenue. The primary purpose of the meeting is to bring together licensed cheese-making operations in Western North Carolina to discuss the concept and gauge the interest in forming of this new entity.
There are about 15 licensed farmstead and artisanal cheese-making operations in Western North Carolina. Retailers, enthusiasts, and future cheese-makers are welcome to attend and contribute their ideas.
Attendees are asked to RSVP.
828.458.0088 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Asheville Symphony Guild will offer full and partial scholarships for students who play musical instruments in middle and high school in Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Graham, Haywood, Swain and Yancey counties to attend the Mars Hill College Summer Music Camp from June 24-29.
Students can obtain scholarship information and applications from their music teacher or at www.ashevillesymphony.org/guild. Completed scholarship applications are due to the student’s music teacher by April 16. The music teacher must complete the teacher’s assessment form and forward the entire application to the Guild by April 27.
More information about the Summer Music Camp in Mars Hill can be found at www.mhc.edu/musiccamp.
828.350.7861 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The HART Studio in Waynesville will continue its season with “The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh, opening Feb. 24 in the Feichter Studio Theatre.
The Tony award-winning play tells the story of a man imprisoned and being interrogated for the content of his short stories, which parallel a number of child murders. Set in an undefined totalitarian state, we are simply being presented with a criminal examination, which drifts into the surreal. The play contains adult situations and language so audience discretion is advised.
As is the case with most of McDonagh’s plays, it is funny and disturbing. McDonagh creates complex characters and stories that challenge the audience and lead to long discussions afterwards.
“The Pillowman” originally premiered on Broadway in 2004 and starred Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum. HART’s production will feature Colin Lasley, Justin Slack, Jack Ross, Steven Turner and Amy Hunt under the direction of Charles Mills.
“The Pillowman” will run Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for all adults and $6 for students.
828.456.6322.
The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will ends its 2011-12 season Thursday, March 1, with a concert featuring the veteran Appalachian string band the New Southern Ramblers.
The group’s 7 p.m. performance will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session, in which local musicians are invited to participate.
Featuring lively dance tunes, traditional vocals and flatfoot dancing, the New Southern Ramblers have entertained audiences across the nation for decades, with performances in recent years at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and MerleFest.
The New Southern Ramblers is comprised of fiddler John Herrmann of Marshall, banjo player Gordy Hinners of Weaverville, guitarist Phil Jamison and bass player Meredith McIntosh, both of Asheville.
The activities at the Mountain Heritage Center are free and open to everyone. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions.
The museum is located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building. 828.227.7129.
Independent cultural critic and author Eleanor Heartney will lead a presentation on contemporary art at 5 p.m. Monday, March 5, in Room 130 of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.
The event is free and open to the public.
Titled “Tales of Plastic Surgery, Genetically Altered Rabbits, and Other Acts of Art,” the talk examines two artists; Eduardo Kac genetically alters a rabbit to glow green under a particular light while French artist Orlan had parts of her face surgically altered to resemble women in famous art historical paintings. Heartney includes these artists and others in her book “Art and Today.”
“Both Kac and Orlan push the limits of what we consider art, and in her book, Heartney poses the question, ‘Should we do things simply because we can?’” said Marya Roland, associate professor of art at WCU.
Heartney is a contributing editor for Art in America magazine and has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times and ArtAsiaPacific magazine.
828.227.3593 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Haywood County Recreation and Parks is now taking reservations for a 10-day, Hawaiian Cruise trip Nov. 1-10.
Per-person rates are based on double occupancy and include round-trip airfare from Asheville. Costs are $3,405 for an inside cabin, $3,695 for an outside cabin and $3,865 for a balcony cabin. An initial deposit of $350 per person is required to secure a reservation, and the final balance is due by July 20.
Single occupancy rates are also available upon request. Departure from an airport other than the Asheville Regional Airport is available.
828.452.6789 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Organizers are gearing up for this year’s Airing of the Quilts Challenge on May 12 in Franklin.
Quilters must create a wall hanging incorporating one or more of the Macon County Quilt Trail blocks somewhere in the design. The competition gives area quilters an opportunity to showcase their talents.
“The purpose of this challenge is to see how our Macon County Quilt Trail blocks can be used creatively in another medium,” said Deb Heatherly, president of the Macon County Quilt Trail organization.
The wall hanging may be pieced, appliquéd, embroidered, thread painted or any combination of these techniques.
Deadline to enter is May 10. Entries will be judged on May 11 and shown during the Second Annual Airing of the Quilts on May 12.
Up to three entries per person are allowed, and there is an entry fee of $8 per quilt. A cash award and grand prize ribbon will be given to the overall winner. The challenge is open to quilters from Macon and other counties.
828.349.8912 or www.maconcountyquilttrail.org.
Haywood Community College Day Quilting Workshop student Rikki Williams (pictured) won the Confetti Quilt that she helped construct in her class. Students made the quilt to be given away at the recent Share the Warmth Concert. Williams is sending the quilt to her son, U.S. Air Force Sergeant Zebulon Williams, who is stationed in California. He will use the quilt for a raffle to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. “I bought tickets to give back to the community,” Williams said. “This quilt shared the warmth; now, it’s going to share comfort. Who knows where it will end up.” All money raised at the Share the Warmth Concert — so far more than $8,600 — went to Mountain Projects’ Heating Assistance Program.
Construction of nearly five miles of multiuse trail for walkers, hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers on Western Carolina University’s campus will begin this spring.
The trail will be built on WCU’s West Campus, where the $46 million Health and Human Sciences Building is nearing completion off of Little Savannah Road — on the other side of N.C. 107 from the main part of campus. The trail will be used to support academic programs, such as recreational therapy and parks and recreation management.
The initial access point will be from the Health and Human Sciences Building, and the trail will feature a natural surface and the width of single-track trail.
Members of the community can assist with construction of the trail under the direction of a professional trail-building company and attend a trail-building workshop on March 24 presented by an International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Care Crew.
The free event, hosted by WCU and the Nantahala Area chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association and IMBA, will include a 9 a.m. to noon classroom session, lunch, afternoon work on the trails and free 7 p.m. screening of “Pedal Driven, a Bike-umentary” in the multipurpose room in A.K. Hinds University Center. Volunteers are asked to register at www.imba.com/tcc/schedule to allow organizers to plan for food, tools and space.
828.227.3466 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The second-annual Assault on Black Rock trail race in Jackson County will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 17, starting in the Fisher Creek parking area.
Runners, hikers and walkers are welcome to take on the challenge of this trail race, which traverses the slopes of Pinnacle Park, a preserved watershed outside Sylva.
The course is roughly seven miles in length, and hits elevation gains of 2,700 feet. In other words, this is a tough trail race.
Race Director Brian Barwatt started the event after he fell in love with the course training there for climbing trips, and after realizing the East Fork Trail made a loop out of the trail system that seemed perfect for racing.
He warns that the toughest section is the final quarter-mile to the summit ridge.
“About 90 percent of the course can be run if you are in great shape,” Barwatt said. “The final steep section is the exception, which will put some people on their hands and knees.”
New this year is the Black Rock 101 Challenge, with anyone completing the course in 101 minutes or less receiving an oversized belt buckle. Last year, just seven out of 65 participants would have received this trail trophy. Prizes also will be given out to top finishers.
Proceeds benefit The Community Table in Sylva.
The cost is $25 to preregister and $30 on race day. T-shirts guaranteed to the first 100 people who sign up.
Visit the Assault on Black Rock Trail Race Facebook page for more information or for registration forms. Or go to www.active.com and register, but there is a $3.25 fee.
828.506.2802
Vegetable and flower growers wanting to participate in The Full Spectrum Farms — Growers’ Fair in March can submit vendor applications now.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. March 31 at Monteith Park in Dillsboro. The event serves as a fundraiser for Full Spectrum Farms, a service organization based in Jackson County dedicated to providing life opportunities to people with autism.
This growers’ fair promotes sustainable agriculture by providing local growers an opportunity to sell their products to the public. These products include plants, produce and other agricultural-related products.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.293.2521.
Help root out those unwanted invasives in the forests by volunteering from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, March 3, along the Appalachian Trail in Hot Springs.
The event is through the Western North Carolina Alliance, as a partner of the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Weed Management Partnership.
Details:
There will be instruction on how to identify invasive exotic plants of concern in the Hot Springs area, as well as how to use manual and chemical control methods. Then volunteers will get down and dirty treating invasive plant species found along the trail. Volunteers are asked to bring lunch, water, and rain gear, as well as sturdy hiking boots, long pants and a long sleeved shirt.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.258.8737.
Orders for fruit and vegetable plants are being taken now through the Haywood County Master Gardener Association, with a March 23 deadline for prepaid orders.
“The goal is to make selected fruits and vegetables available to gardeners in our area at a reasonable price,” said Elizabeth Allen, coordinator of the sale. “All the plants we offer should do well in Western North Carolina and will add edibles to your landscape.”
Plants will be available for pickup from 1 to 6 p.m., April 14, at the N.C.
Fruit bearing trees being offered for the first time are White Mulberry and Paw Paws.
Also available are American hazelnut, Shadbush serviceberry, Black elderberry plus strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and asparagus.
Proceeds from the plant sale contribute to the Haywood County Master Gardener Association grant program, which makes funds available for Haywood County horticultural projects and scholarships for schools and horticultural students from Haywood County.
For order forms through the mail, call Erin Freeman at 828.456.3575.
The Western North Carolina Alliance is hosting a screening of the award-winning environmental documentary “Bag It” at UNC-Asheville’s Highsmith Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Try going a day without plastic. Plastic is everywhere and infiltrates our lives in unimaginable and frightening ways. This touching and often flat-out-funny film follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier, who is admittedly not a tree hugger, as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. Although his quest starts out small, Jeb soon learns that the problem extends past landfills to oceans, rivers and ultimately human health.
The average American uses about 500 plastic bags each year, for about 12 minutes each. This single-use mentality has led to the formation of a floating island of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean more than twice the size of Texas.
The film explores these issues and identifies how our daily reliance on plastic threatens not only waterways and marine life, but human health, too.
There will be a recycling drop off for plastic bags. You are also encouraged to bring your own cups for light refreshments to reduce the amount of plastic waste.
A donation of $5 is suggested.
828.258.8737.
Registration is under way for a summer fishing camp for ages 13 to 15 at Lake Logan near Canton, an always-popular event.
The Trout Unlimited’s ninth annual Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp is designed to teach the ethics of coldwater conservation. Campers will learn about geology, entomology, herpetology, stream restoration techniques, wetlands ecology and environmental policy. In addition, fly-fishing and fly tying instruction will reinforce traditional values of patience, technique, attention to detail and a general love of the outdoors.
It will be held June 17-22 at Lake Logan Center. Attendance is limited to 16 boys and girls, ages 13 to 15. The cost of camp is $595, that includes everything.
Registration deadline is March 15. Tuition is not due until candidates have been notified of selection.
www.rivercourse.org or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will offer a special fly-fishing weekend for women through the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program on March 9-11 in the mountains.
Activities will be held at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Davidson River Campground, south of Asheville near Brevard in Transylvania County. The registration fee is $125, with partial scholarships available.
“It doesn’t matter what skill level or previous experience you have,” said B.B. Gillen, outdoor skills coordinator for the Wildlife Commission. “This weekend is tailored for individuals, so each angler will gain new skills and improve techniques, and learn about an angler’s important role in conservation on mountain streams.”
Fly-fishing equipment will be provided, but participants can bring their own gear.
919.218.3638 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Promoters and competitors agreed this year’s Icycle Mountain Bike Racing Classic at Fontana Village Resort was one of the most competitive and exciting ever.
The unseasonal warm weather and some route changes brought a totally different feel to this year’s competition at the resort, located at the southwestern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Jan. 28 event attracted riders of all ages to the race event set in Fontana Dam. Changes to this year’s course provided some exciting new single-track action for competitors. Numerous riders mentioned the “screaming downhills” and their intention to return for next year’s event as well as some trail scouting this summer.
Pisgah Brewing Company and event promoters sponsored the after party and awards for racers with a fireworks display on the Village Green.
The N.C. Fly Fishing Team, who count the region’s best fishermen among their ranks, has now hooked one of the best in the nation as their instructor.
George Daniel, formerly coach of the national USA Fly Fishing Team, has agreed to coach the members of Team NC.
Last fall, Daniel came to Western North Carolina to coach the team as a guest instructor, leading to what’s being touted as the first of its kind coaching program in competitive fly fishing. It will feature of cadre of international and domestic instructors, an initiative that team member Paul Bourcq described as the largest, most technique-driven coaching program in recent history.
“I can speak for all team members in saying that we are floored with the realization that an angler like George will be leading coaching for our team, as well as arranging for the other instructors from around the world,” said Bourq, a Franklin resident.
Daniel has been seen on ESPN and OLN while competing in the Great Outdoor Games and the Fly Fishing Masters. He is a certified FFF Fly Casting Instructor. He has won numerous awards and accolades.
Funding from an anonymous investor is helping the North Carolina Team with the coaching efforts.
The Blue Ridge Parkway will be closed between Soco Gap in Maggie Valley to the end of the Parkway in Cherokee through the middle of April.
Repairs are being made to the Big Witch Tunnel along that stretch.
Also, another tunnel repair has closed the section of the parkway from milepost 395 to milepost 405 (from the French Broad Parking Overlook to N.C. 151) for work at the to Ferrin Knob Tunnel No. 1.
