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Shame on you, Smoky Mountain News, for making fun of my attempts at public service and, in so doing, potentially deterring other qualified individuals from running for public office.
We need more interested young people to run for elected office, not less. Your “joke” was hurtful and mean-spirited to me, personally. More importantly, however, it very well may serve to discourage others from putting themselves out there and running for office for fear that they will be ridiculed if they should lose.
When you run for office, you make yourself vulnerable because there is always a chance you could lose. (Even if you are uncontested, there are always the write-in candidates.) I knew this when I put my name out there for Maggie Valley Alderman a mere four months after losing an election for District Court Judge. I knew people would say, “Oh, she can get appointed, but not elected,” should I lose the Maggie Valley Town Board election.
Nonetheless, I sought the appointment and subsequently placed my name on the ballot out of a sense of duty and loyalty. I strongly felt that my talents were needed on the board at that time. Obviously, the board agreed, because I was appointed; however, I lost by a mere 28 votes because, as a novice to the Maggie Valley political scene, I failed to get out the vote.
Getting out the vote is extremely difficult any time, but particularly in non-presidential election years and in municipal races. To say that 2010 was a rough year for Democrats and incumbents would be an understatement. When I began campaigning for District Court judge shortly after President Barack Obama and Gov. Bev. Perdue were each inaugurated in January 2009, no one could have predicted how far our economy would fall and how fast. (By the way, I had my first child that January, as well.)
When I was appointed a District Court judge by the governor in June 2009, there seemed like there was hope to be elected to the same position when I came up for election in November 2010.
By then, however, there was little or no hope for a young, incumbent judge with little or no political experience who was so closely associated with the Democrats. (Oh, and I gave birth to my second child a mere two weeks before the election.) In a seven-county district, I proudly received over 22,000 votes.
Turn the page to 2011. I had two small children, a husband, and a law practice on which I was focusing. That was a quick and easy recipe for not enough time to campaign properly to get those necessary 28 votes. If you think that is laughable, go right ahead. But do not publicly ridicule a hard-working wife, mother and young professional for desiring to give more of herself to her community. It may seem like a harmless joke, but it could have the undesirable effect of deterring other interested, qualified individuals from seeking public office for fear of failure and ridicule.
Running for public office is a noble and honorable action, and I encourage others to run. Even if you don’t win, you learn a tremendous amount and meet wonderful people in the process.
My heart was, and still is, in the right place. I am not ashamed of losing two elections in two years; in fact, I am immensely proud of my accomplishments and have been enriched by my political experiences. I am in a good place with my family, my business, and my career. You can’t laugh at that.
(And I’m still proud to be a Democrat!)
— By Danya VanHook
Editor’s note
In the newspaper that is published on the last week of the year, The Smoky Mountain News gives out what we call our “Annual Newsmaker Awards.” It is our attempt to look back at the stories from the past year with a different slant than the typical newspaper tradition of doing a “Year in Review.” The awards are marked by sarcasm, humor and, hopefully, a small dose of wit.
Danya VanHook was given the “Public Service Award” in this year’s edition. Here’s what we printed, in its entirety, about VanHook:
Danya VanHook of Maggie Valley gets an “A” for effort when it comes to her desire to serve in office. Twice in two years, VanHook put her name in the ring to serve in a public capacity when elected seats were vacated mid-term: once as a District Court judge and later as a Maggie Valley alderman. Both times she secured an appointment to the seat, but when it came time to officially run with her name on the ballot, she lost the election.
Mountain BizWorks will host a free, women only three-part series on increasing your financial independence. The series is sponsored by OnTrack Women’s Financial Empowerment Center, and starts Thursday, Feb. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. at City Lights Cafe located in downtown Sylva.
Here is the three-week agenda:
Part 1: 10 Rules of Money Management — Learn the rules governing smart money management and change your personal finances.
Part 2: Budgeting 101 — Learn how income, expenses, and debt all affect a successful budget and gain tools to help you create a realistic budget.
Part 3: Dealing with Debt — This class addresses the financial and emotional impact of being in debt and discusses the options for managing your debt.
The series continues on March 8 and April 12 at the same time and place. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
828.631.0292 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Angel Medical Center and Macon County Public Health will kick-of Lighten Up 4 Life, a community wide weight loss challenge, at 9 a.m., Feb. 4 at Franklin High School’s Fine Arts Center
The purpose of the challenge is to help people throughout the region increase their overall health and fitness through sustainable weight loss strategies.
The program is free and open to the public. Individuals can form their own four-person teams or can participate through your employer, church or other community organization.
Weigh-ins are on an “honor system” and can be input individually or by a team captain weekly. The program will last twelve weeks.
Students from across Western North Carolina will participate in the 2012 Western Regional Science Fair at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and Wednesday, Feb. 8.
More than 600 students attend the fair each year, with about 200 students from 16 counties competing at the annual two-day event. Students who have competed in and sufficiently placed at their local elementary, middle and high school fairs are eligible to enter at no cost.
First- and second-place finishers in the junior and senior divisions, as well as the first- and second-place finishers and honorable mentions in the elementary division, will have the chance to compete in the 25th annual North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair in Raleigh in March.
The science projects and science-related exhibits will be open to the public for viewing from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. both days free of charge.
Winners of “Community Pride” awards through Haywood County’s Commission for a Clean County will gather at noon, Feb. 15, at the Waynesville Inn.
The award winners demonstrated exceptional environmental stewardship in the county during the past year.
Being recognized are the Haywood Correctional Center (now closed), Waynesville’s Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Silver Bluff Village, the Maggie Valley Civic Association, Clayton Davis, the North Hominy Community Beautification Make-over Team, the Maggie Valley United Methodist Church, Meadowbrook Elementary School Recycling Club and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Club at Tuscola High School.
RSVP by Monday, Feb. 6.
Bill Skelton at 828.456.3575 or JoAnna Swanson at 828.452.1550.
U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) on Tuesday ended speculation that he was considering a run for governor.
“I will not be running for governor of North Carolina in 2012,” Shuler announced in a statement distributed to media outlets. “It is an honor to even be discussed as a potential candidate for such an esteemed office, but now is not my time.”
Last week’s announcement by Gov. Beverly Perdue, a Democrat, that she would not seek re-election has led to wide speculation about who the eventual nominee will be. Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and state Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County have announced they are running.
Many state Democratic leaders are trying to convince Erskine Bowles to run. He has held many posts, including co-chair of the presidents’ deficit reduction committee, president of the University of North Carolina system, and was a chief of staff for President Bill Clinton.
Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, who lost a close race to Perdue in 2008, is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination.
Western Carolina University’s Department of Intercultural Affairs will host “The Vagina Monologues” at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10-11 in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom.
“The Vagina Monologues” is a series of 18 monologues written by Eve Ensler with one singular message: to end violence against women and girls all over the world.
Female students and staff of WCU stage the play annually in recognition of V-day, which is a global movement to bring awareness to people about female sexuality, relationship and violence against women.
Proceeds from “The Vagina Monologues” will go to local beneficiaries such as REACH of Jackson County, Clean Slate Coalition and the WCU Sexual Violence Awareness Fund.
Tickets can be purchased in advanced in A.K Hinds University Center in room 334 for $5. Tickets will be sold for $7 at the door.
828.227.2617 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Four local women who hiked in Nepal will give a talk at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Waynesville Book Club.
Elizabeth Allen, Wendy Bowen, Jane Cole and Marilyn Sullivan joined Cole’s brother, John Vavruska, and seven others on a trek from Kathmandu to Helambu, a region about 60 miles to the north.
The women walked six days to Chupar, staying in teahouses along the way and eating mostly dal bhat, a lentil stew served over rice, with the locals.
The event is free and open to anyone.
828.456.5311 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley is celebrating its first special weekend opening of 2012.
The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Feb. 3-5, and will hold demonstrations and exhibitions of various new machines on display.
The museum closed for the 2011 season in November. Since then the staff has been enhancing the overall museum experience for its visitors with new and expanded displays. The museum has also added to its interpretational signage, and in mid-April a new Smartphone component is being introduced. The phone app features a QR (quick response) code that links visitors to the museums vast library of video content on hundreds of the rare and historic machines housed within the facility.
Wheels Through Time in Maggie Valley features one of the largest collections of vintage American motorcycles in the world, and most or the motorcycles still run. The museum’s collection also includes many classic automobiles.
The museum officially opens for the 2012 season on March 29.
828.926.6266 or www.WheelsThroughTime.com.
Two Jackson County Extension and Community Association members won first place in the State ECA Cultural Arts Competition in New Bern recently.
Ruth Bryson’s needle tatting took top honors in the hand needlework category. Bryson is a member of Cane Creek ECA and active in the Knitting and Crocheting Group, which meets at the Community Services Center in Sylva on Monday mornings.
Jane McClure was first place winner in the fine arts (oils) category for her painting of a barn in the snow. McClure is a member of the Lunch and Learn ECA Group.
The ECA Craft Club hosts workshops the third Thursday of each month in the conference room of the Community Services Center in Sylva. All workshops are open to the public. This month’s event will focus on embroidery on cards.
828.586.4009 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Colorfest, Art & Taste of Appalachia, plans to change Dillsboro into a Paris-like setting with artists painting at easels under colorful umbrellas along the main streets.
Although the festival is not until October, only 40 artists will be chosen following an application process.
Organizers are looking for little known names in the Western North Carolina art scene, which includes any form of art — painting, sculpture, glass art, clay, fiber art, canning, jewelry, fine pottery, ceramics and wood working. The event will also feature music from local musicians, North Carolina produced foods for tasting and book signings by local authors.
ColorFest is open to both professional and emerging artists.
828.293.2239 or spiritofappalachia.org.
The Arts and Cultural Events Series at Western Carolina University will present “La Pasion Flamenca” at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 13, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Presented by the Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana dance company, the program of Spanish dance and music features solos, duets and company dances. Dance Magazine has called Carlota Santana, the company’s artistic director, the “keeper of the flamenco.”
Tickets for “La Pasion Flamenca” cost $10 ($5 for students).
828.227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
The Overlook Theatre Company will present “Where the Wild Things Are” at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.
The Overlook Theatre Company’s performance of “Where the Wild Things Are” is based on the children’s book of the same name. It follows a character named Max who makes mischief at home while playing in a wolf costume and is sent to bed without supper as punishment. His imagination runs rampant in his room as a wild forest and sea grows. In the land of Wild Things, he meets fearsome-looking monsters but proves to be the fiercest of all.
The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts is located in Franklin and tickets are $10.
866.273.4615 or www.GreatMountainMusic.com.
The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will begin offering a new children’s story and craft time at 2 p.m. every Saturday afternoon, beginning Feb. 4.
Hosted by library staffer Sally Salyards, the story time will include an activity and will last until 3 p.m. All children from infants to age 10 may attend.
Each week, the event will focus on a different book or theme. The schedule is as follows:
Feb. 4: “A Snowy Day,” by Ezra Jack Keats; Feb. 11: Valentine’s Day; Feb. 18th: Happy Birthday to George Washington; Feb. 25th: What is leap year and what does it mean?
828.586.2016.
The gallery at the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts will feature an exhibition of paintings by artist TJ Holland during the month of February.
Holland’s work explores Cherokee myths and legends. He is enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a member of the Snowbird community.
“TJ’s work harkens back to that of the masters, such as Caravaggio or Rembrandt,” state OICA program coordinator Jeff Marley. “It gives us a new perspective on Cherokee legends.”
The exhibition runs from Feb. 2-29 and is free and open to the public. A reception will be held 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 9.
The Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts is located on Highway 19 North, behind Tribal Bingo at 70 Bingo Loop in Cherokee.
828.497.3945 or southwesterncc.edu/finearts.
The Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam series will feature the Chompin’ at the Bit String Band from Asheville at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center on Feb. 2.
The band’s 7 p.m. performance will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session, in which local musicians are invited to participate.
Performing “rowdy old-time string band music,” Chompin’ at the Bit includes Lindsey Liden, fiddle; Kevin Scanlon, banjo; WCU alumnus Christopher Farmer, guitar; and J. Grey Nelson, bass.
The events are free and open to everyone. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions.
The Mountain Heritage Center is located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building.
828.227.7129.
The Fines Creek Community Association will host a broom dance from 7 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 4 in the gym of the old Fines Creek School.
During a traditional broom dance, the men scramble to find a new partner to dance with or face getting stuck with the broom. The dance features live music and snacks. The association also plans to sell hot dogs.
Tickets are $5 per person. All students accompanied by an adult get in free. The Fines Creek gym is off Exit 15 on Interstate 40. Turn north onto Fines Creek Road, and go three miles to the old school on the left.
828.627.1912.
Balsam Range will perform with special guest The Harris Brothers on Feb. 4 at the Colonial Theater in Canton.
The all-ages show will begin at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $15.
Balsam Range is a five-member band named after a stretch of mountains through their native Haywood County. The Harris Brothers — comprised of Reggie and Ryan Harris — are an Americana band that takes its influences from traditional blues and Appalachian mountain music, jazz, country, and rock n’ roll.
The historic theater is located on Park Street.
828.235.2760.
Western Carolina University will present a concert version of “Music Is” by George Abbott at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 4, and 3 p.m., Feb. 5, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.
“Music Is” is based on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and focuses on mistaken identity. The play features music by Richard Adler with lyrics by Will Holt and has never been revived since it left Broadway. Catherine Cox, who played Viola in the original production, will guest direct the first performance since the closing in 1976.
“When I discovered that there was another musical by the great Richard Adler, composer of ‘Pajama Game’ and ‘Damn Yankees,’ I just had to investigate further,” said Bradley Martin, associate professor of piano at WCU and musical director for the production. “After much research, we were able to piece the show back together like a jigsaw.”
Both showings will be in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for faculty, staff and seniors. Student tickets are $10 at the door or $7 in advance.
828.227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
A 4.4-mile hike on the Wallhalla Trail at Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4,
Cataloochee Ranch is a private, family-owned, eco-tourism destination. The guided hike with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy offers a rare chance for the general public to hike the preserve’s high elevation trails. It is adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Maggie Valley and is an important buffer to the park’s estimated 187,000 acres of old growth forest.
Hike leaders are Judy Coker, Cataloochee Ranch co-owner; Rich Preyer, the Ranch’s public relations and outreach associate; and Holly Demuth, Friends of the Smokies N.C. director. Hikers are urged to bring water, comfortable shoes, warm clothes and a camera; the hike is free for members and $10 for non-members. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to hike, too.
RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.253.0095 ext. 205.
The Icycle Mountain Bike Racing Classic will return to Fontana Village Resort on January 28. The race is packed with four different classes of daytime racing and the always exciting Nighttime Downhill Race. The seven-mile course serves up some of the finest single-track racing in Western North Carolina, consisting of varied terrain with rocks, roots, creeks and wide open passing lanes. www.icyclerace.com.
Learn about the U.S. National Forests’ Trail Strategy initiative at a Thursday, Jan. 26, workshop in Franklin, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Macon County Community Facilities Building south of town on U.S. 441.
Any hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders are encouraged to participate by offering their thoughts and views about the trails. The forest service wants to know what trails are in good shape, which ones are in bad shape, which ones need fixing, which should be kicked to the curb — and anything else the public wants to spout off about the future of trails in the region.
The forest service also wants to engage trail clubs and trail users in new partnership to help be trail stewards.
Overall visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the nation, was down overall last year, but visitors flocked there during the last month of the year.
The Cherokee entrance to the Smokies — North Carolina’s main entrance — was up 75.1 percent in December. Smokies experts said the strong December count was a result of a combination of unusually warm winter weather in 2011 and especially harsh winter weather in December 2010 that had kept traffic low that year.
The overall visitation in the park jumped by 37.7 percent last month when compared with December 2010. The strong showing drove the year’s visitation to just more than nine million. There was a 4.8 percent decline from the previous year.
The specialty Appalachian Trail license plates have raised money to help backpackers safeguard their food from roving black bears along the AT in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy recently granted $2,000 from its specialty license plate funds to the Friends of the Smokies group for the installation of poles and cables that backpackers can use to store food out of the reach of black bears.
“With more than 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail running along the high ridges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s only natural for our groups to work together,” said Holly Demuth, North Carolina director of Friends of the Smokies.
Work was done at two popular shelters on the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies, Spence Field and Peck’s Corner.
Get ready to play indoor soccer through the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department, which starts the winter playing-season this week.
Pick-up style games are held at the Old Hazelwood Gym (216 Virginia Avenue) every Wednesday through March 28, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Pickup games run continuously for the two-hour time slot. Teams switch out on a pre-determined scheduled. Cost is $3 per session or $20 for a season pass. Beginners are welcome.
828.452.6789.
It’s truly never too late to learn how to swim, and the MedWest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County is offering a special program for young adults and adults who want to be able to paddle about the water.
There will be three, 30-minute lessons with a certified American Red Cross swim instructor. Lessons are private, and can be tailored to fit individual needs.
Cost is $30; lessons are available to Fitness Center members and nonmembers, ages 14 and older. The lessons are available through Feb. 29.
828.452.8056.
A grant from Healthy Haywood has helped launch an Outdoor Mission Camp for court-involved kids.
Positive Community Connections is designed to help keep kids of the streets and out of the courtrooms.
The directors are Ruffin and Jamie Shackelford, who operate Outdoor Mission Camp based in Maggie Valley.
The program began this past summer, with court-involved kids given the option to attend camp at OMC. Those who agreed spent a week climbing a challenge course, backpacking the Smoky Mountains, whitewater rafting the Nantahala, and discovering God’s love through relationship.
The goal is to connect youth with adult mentors who will help involve them in a local youth group and give them a positive community connection to help them towards adulthood. They will also meet as a larger group on a monthly basis for encouragement, adventure and to learn from Dr. Patricia Gorman Berry’s book BrainWise, a tool for learning how to manage emotions, control impulsive behavior, and curb destructive behaviors.
OMC is looking for adult mentors in local church communities.
828.926.3253 or 828.456.7265.
Dry Fall Trails in Macon County will see a $446,000 restoration project to stabilize the historic trail and reconstruct the entire walking path to its base — all while preserving the historic integrity of the trail, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the first half of the 20th Century.
Construction starts in April and is scheduled to finish in September. Dry Falls is located north of Highlands along N.C. 28.
“Parts of the trail degraded over the years, making it unsafe for the hundreds of visitors who enjoy the site daily during peak season,” said Mike Wilkins, Nantahala District ranger. “Restoration of the trail will promote public safety.”
The work is intended to enhance the visual appeal of the trail and make it easier to maintain. Working with a Forest Service archeologist, engineers designed the reconstruction to preserve the current look and historic feel of the site, Wilkins said.
The parking lot and Dry Falls Trail will be closed for the duration of the project. Funding for the project comes from a $208,000 Federal Highways and $258,000 in matching agency funds.
Jackson County resident Jerry Parker has entered a conservation agreement on 107 acres to help protect the ancient petroglyph Judaculla Rock in the Caney Fork valley in Jackson County.
The large, soapstone boulder is carved with hundreds of symbols carved in pre-historic times. Parker’s property surrounds the rock.
The land conservation is part of The Judaculla Rock Preservation Project, which is devoted to preventing further environmental damage to the rock, protection of the environment around the rock and helping people enjoy their visits to the site.
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee completed the conservation easement in late December.
The conservation agreement ensures the surrounding property won’t be developed, and includes a corridor for Jackson County’s planned greenway.
Bob Grove will facilitate the North Carolina Writers Network West new Prose Critique Sessions at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9 at Tri-Community College in the McSwain Building, Room 152.
The purpose of the critique group is to provide an immediate and useful feedback environment for a prose reading among fellow writers. Short excerpts of fiction and non-fiction are welcome.
The sessions are open to members of NetWest, and there is no charge for participation.
Grove, of Brasstown, has taught courses in English, journalism, and creative writing. He is founder and publisher of Monitoring Times magazine, and most recently, Grove has written a mystery novel, his memoir, a collection of children’s stories and some poetry.
City Lights Bookstore will celebrate the release of High Vistas Volume II at 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 with a reception and discussion with a few of the authors featured in the book.
The second volume continues the tradition set by the first with nature writing focused on Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains.
George Ellison will present the book and talk about the importance of nature writing. Featured writers and artists will include, Elizabeth Ellison, Jim Casada, Jim Costa, Thomas Rain Crowe, John Lane and Bill Hart.
828.586.9499.
Over 100 years ago, Republican President Theodore Roosevelt said to the American people: Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us, and training them into a better race to inhabit the land and pass it on. Roosevelt took the issue seriously, as did members of Congress, and when he passed the Antiquities Act in 1906, he established a legal mechanism for future presidents to conserve land as well as making conservation a national bipartisan priority for decades to come.
Yet when Congress adjourned in December, it left in its wake an unprecedented amount of legislation designed to dismantle decades of laws protecting our public lands. These decades-old laws, passed under Democratic and Republican administrations alike, put the interests of the American people first, and politics second. We enter this New Year with Congress taking the opposite philosophy, and since this is an election year, we can likely count on more of it.
Here is a brief overview of some of the Great Outdoors Giveaway legislation that members of Congress are returning to Washington this month to work on:
• The “End of the National Monuments” Acts: Eight different bills have been introduced with the sole purpose of gutting the Antiquities Act (HR 302 – introduced by N.C. Congresswoman Elizabeth Fox – HR 758, HR 817, HR 845, HR 846, HR 2147, HR 2877, and HR 3292). All of these eviscerate the president’s authority and most seek to exempt certain states from having new national monuments designated in their borders. National monuments have proven to be economic generators wherever they are designated. The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, created in 1996, is good proof of this. Steve Roberts, owner of Escalante Outfitters, says “Escalante National Monument didn’t just help the economy, it is the economy.
• The “Great Outdoors Giveaway” Act: Introduced by Congressman Kevin McCarthy, HR1581 would eliminate the Forest Service Roadless Rule, one of the most commented upon and publicly supported conservation policies in Forest Service history. This bill would open 50 million acres of currently protected land to resource extraction. Here in North Carolina it would mean that 178,000 acres of public land would no longer be protected under the Roadless Rule, and that two of our Wilderness Study Areas, Overflow and Snowbird, would lose this congressionally designated status. Former Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt testified that HR 1581 “… is the most radical, overreaching attempt to dismantle the architecture of our public land laws that that has been proposed in my lifetime.”
• The “30-million Acre Giveaway” Act: HR 2852, known as the “Action Plan for Public Lands and Education Act of 2011 and introduced by Congressman Rob Bishop of Utah, would require that the federal government give away, free of charge, 5 percent of all federal land in each western state — an area equal in size to the state of New York. Billions of dollars in assets that belong to all Americans would be given to states without giving compensation to the rightful owners — the American people. This act would gut the key purpose of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, a bi-partisan statute enacted in 1976 that requires that federal lands be retained in public ownership unless determined to serve the national interest.
• The “Motorize our Wilderness Areas” Act: HR 2834, introduced by Michigan Rep. Dan Benishek, contains language that would effectively destroy the Wilderness Act by allowing motorized vehicles such as snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and motorboats in designated Wilderness as long as they are used for hunting, fishing, and shooting. This act would effectively destroy the values that many hunters and anglers actually seek in Wilderness and undermine the spirit, intent, and integrity of one of America’s unique legislative contributions to permanent land protection.
The list could go on. There are bills to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, bills to allow the Department of Homeland Security to take over all public lands on the border of Mexico and Canada, and bills to allow uranium mining near the Grand Canyon.
In the same speech Roosevelt told the American people, “Conservation means development as much as it does protection. I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us ... Moreover, I believe that the natural resources must be used for the benefit of all our people, and not monopolized for the benefit of the few ... Conservation is a great moral issue, for it involves the patriotic duty of insuring the safety and continuance of the nation.”
I think our patriotic duty this year might begin with writing our congressmen and giving them a history lesson and a call to action for protection of our natural resources instead of squandering them with these bills. And then get outside and enjoy our country’s beautiful forests and parks – they’re still some of the best in the world.
Brent Martin works in Sylva and is Southern Appalachian Regional Director for The Wilderness Society. He can be reached This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To the Editor:
Thanks for the kind words you have for me and our peace vigilers in last week’s issue (“A reminder of the inhumanity that is war,” Jan. 18 Smoky Mountain News). However, it was not I standing alone in the rain. If it was a man, it was either Bob Peebles or Tony Scardaci. If it was a woman it was either Linda McFarland, Jane Harrison, or Carole Larivee. If we are all present we make seven, including my wife Carol, and as you say, we — and others who have come and gone through the years — have been there every Wednesday since before the start of “Shock and Awe” in 2003.
But thanks even more for pointing up the brutality, insanity, and futility of war and violence as means of resolving disputes, whether personal or national. Some of our signs read: “War Is Not the Answer,” “Build Bridges Not Bombs,” and “How Is the War Economy Working for You?”
The Iraq and Afghanistanwars are simply destroying lives, economies (including ours), environments, and hopes — with nothing substantial to show for it. We firmly believe our weekly vigil, and editorials like yours, are needed to wake people up to the devastating effects of war on our world, our character and image as a nation, and our children’s future.
Doug Wingeier
Haywood County
To the Editor:
As Quintin Ellison notes in her article, “By Land and By Water— (Jan. 18 Smoky Mountain News) the “crowning success” of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee was undoubtedly the preservation of the 4,500-acre Needmore Tract on the Little Tennessee River.
What is also undoubtedly true and seldom mentioned is the grassroots work of several organizations in that success, and specifically the work of the WNC Alliance.
As a stakeholder in the Tuckasegee Cooperative Stakeholders Team (2000-2005), the Alliance fought to bring Needmore to the table — to be included as mitigation for the federal relicensing of Duke Energy’s hydropower generation in the Nantahala system, which included the Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee Rivers.
The ultimate stakeholders agreement did not include Needmore, but the efforts of WNCA, WATR, American Rivers, and the N.C. Wildlife Federation (to name a few) paved the way for Bill Gibson with the Southwestern Planning Commission to begin negotiations with Duke over the transfer of Needmore to the public domain. This led to the purchase of Needmore by the State of North Carolina with help from USFWS.
There are some who choose to relegate the work of the WNCA as a footnote in the struggle to save Needmore. In reality the Alliance should be part of the main text for organizations that were part of that crowning success.
Roger Turner
Sylva
Southwestern Community College and Macon County JobLink Career Center have joined forces to provide a “one-stop shop” for people looking for a job and want to enhance their career skills.
The new initiative will enhance the region’s ability to develop a better-prepared workforce, said SCC President Don Tomas. “This will benefit not only job seekers, but businesses and the community at large,” he said.
Skills could be as basic as how to search for a job, write a resume, complete an application or dress for an interview.
“We’ll assess their skills, and if they need help in basic skills, math, writing, reading, computers, or need to complete their high school diploma, we’ll direct them to individualized assistance and classes at one of many convenient community locations,” said Darlene Anderson, SCC’s educational opportunities director. The support is one-on-one, self-paced and tailored to each individual.
The career center is located at 427 Harrison Avenue in downtown Franklin.
828.369.9534.
The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Carla L. Haire, a certified public accountant who has opened a tax and accounting firm.
Haire’s business is located at 17 Smoky Mountain Drive and shares the building with Smoky Mountain Systems.
Haire provides preparation of all federal and state tax returns, and provides access to those who want to prepare and electronically file their own returns.
Services include: Compilations, reviews, audits and other assurance statements; tax management and planning; state and federal tax return preparation and e-filing; financial planning and wealth management; bookkeeping, accounting, and write-up; and payroll preparation and reporting.
828.524.0151 or www.efilemyreturn.com.
The Greater Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual elected officials reception from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.
This is a chamber-member exclusive event. State senators, state representatives, county commissioners, school board members and municipal leaders, as well as field representatives for national leaders, will be on hand for the event.
Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. The Elected Officials Reception is sponsored by Evergreen Packaging, Haywood Advancement Foundation, Champion Credit Union, Old Town Bank and the Andon Reid Inn, Bed & Breakfast.
828.456.3021 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Sylva will likely hire a private company in Texas to process daily pawnshop and second-hand dealers’ receipts instead of those tasks being handled in-house by town police.
Police Chief Davis Woodard has recommended the shift to LeadsOnline, which would cost the town about $2,128 a year. That cost, however, would essentially remove an administrative burden currently on the small, 14-member department, offsetting those dollars, he said.
LeadsOnline bills itself as the largest online investigative service nationwide used by law enforcement. Sylva’s precious metals exchangers and people in metal recycling also would submit information directly to LeadsOnline under the probable new town law.
All the goods flowing through pawn shops would be cataloged in a database police could then access to look for stolen and missing property.
“The information will be reviewed by officers from the Sylva Police Department,” Woodard said. “We go out take a report, go to LeadsOnline, enter a serial number if we have one or distinguishing marks, and it will pop up if it was taken from another place that has LeadsOnline.”
Additionally, the program would allow police to look for stolen items on eBay, the chief said.
Required information would include “clear and accurate” property descriptions, including models and serial numbers if available; the name, residence address phone number and date of birth of the seller; and a description of the seller.
Within 48 hours, the dealer involved would electronically submit the information.
Macon County resident and longtime educator Terry Bell will take over as chairman of Southwestern Community College’s Board of Trustees.
He replaces Conrad Burrell, who served as the board’s chair for 11 years.
“That’s a long time,” said Burrell, the longest serving SCC chairman. Bell, who lives in the Otto community of Macon County, had been vice chairman and an SCC board member since 1995.
SCC’s campus in Macon County has been wildly successful and seen strong enrollment.
Student enrollment set new records, increasing 54 percent since 2000. SCC continually receives top rankings.
Smoky Mountain Living magazine prominently features images from across the southern Appalachians in each edition. Photo essays adhere to the issue’s overall theme.
The next issue of Smoky Mountain Living will focus on all things green. Whether it is youth or spring buds, envy or sustainability, green has many meanings.
Send your hi-resolution digital images to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by February 13, 2012. Include information about where and when the photos were taken and by whom.
A “Great Strides” walk will take place in Franklin, with a kickoff party and information session at 6 p.m., Feb. 3, at the Fun Factory.
The walk is part of a national effort that generates funding to support lifesaving cystic fibrosis research, education and care. Great Strides Franklin is the foundation’s third-fundraising walk in Western North Carolina. The kick-off party is open to all those interested in getting more information about starting a team for Great Strides.
The walk itself is scheduled for Friday, May 4, at the Big Bear Shelter on the Little Tennessee River Greenway.
704.321.7852 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A seminar on sustainable tourism is set for 2 p.m., Jan. 31, at the First Presbyterian Church in Highlands, in Coleman Hall.
Alex Naar, director of outreach at the Center for Sustainable Tourism at East Carolina University will lead the seminar. Sustainable tourism contributes to a balanced and healthy economy by creating jobs and protecting a region’s resources.
Topics will include second-home development (lessons from coastal N.C.), trends and success stories from other communities.
828.526.0890 ext. 256
Finding a new home for the Folkmoot sculpture in downtown Waynesville has taken a new turn.
The Waynesville public art commission initially proposed moving the art piece across the street — from its current spot in front of the new town hall to the old town hall.
When the art commission asked the town to sign off on the move earlier this month, however, the town board had a different idea.
The board agreed that the structure must be moved but felt old town hall wasn’t fitting for several reasons. One was there simply is not enough room. The other was lack of visibility to adequately showcase the piece. Plus, the town board expressed concerns that the “disco-ball effect” created by spinning flags on top of the statue would irritate people in adjacent office buildings.
Such complaints by the police department was one of the reasons for moving it in the first place. There have also been occasions when one or more of the flags has fallen off the statue because of high winds that whip by it.
Town board members are strongly considering placing it somewhere on the grounds of the historic courthouse and justice center — a prominent locale for a sculpture celebrating one of Waynesville’s most well known festivals. The art piece features a flowing, banner-like dancer with seven flags that turn in the wind to represent the famed international dance and music festival.
The statue was installed at its current location in 2009 and was created by renowned artist Wayne Trapp.
A free self-defense and personal-safety seminar for women is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 at Basulto Academy of Defense in Waynesville.
Armando Basulto, who has over 30 years experience in teaching martial arts and self-defense, will lead the program.
Women will learn to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations, plus simple techniques for dealing with a larger, stronger attacker. Located at 218 Branner Avenue in downtown Waynesville.
828.230.5056 or www.gracienorthcarolina.com.
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Training will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in Waynesville for those interested in becoming part of the Disaster Action Team serving Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
This course will provide an overview and introduction to disaster services at the American Red Cross, after which participants will have the opportunity to complete a volunteer application. Attendees will learn the role of the American Red Cross in Disaster Relief and its daily mission to serve the residents of Western North Carolina as well as the entire nation.
In 2011 American Red Cross Disaster Action Teams responded to just over 200 incidents of disaster in Western North Carolina.
Pre-registration requested. Held at the American Red Cross, located at 1668 Brown Avenue in Waynesville.
828.258.3888 ext. 219 or ext. 218.
Edith Callahan, a health science teacher at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, was recently named Teacher of the Year for Western North Carolina.
Callahan will be considered for North Carolina Teacher of the Year, along with seven other regional winners across the state.Learn about the ethical issues faced when loved ones age at a Feb. 6, 1 p.m. workshop at Haywood Community Connections. Dr. Lisa Verges will discuss the fine art of gracefully navigating difficult issues with relatives who are getting older, such as driving, managing finances and more.
828.356.2816 or 828.452.2370.
Anime returns to its regular schedule of two shows a month starting this Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Bryson City library.
The morning session, from 11 a.m. to 1:10 p.m., features several popular Japanese TV programs. Then, after a brief intermission, a movie will begin at 1:20 p.m. The program ends at 3 p.m.
Anime is animation from Japan. The shows are full of action, adventure and outrageous humor and have gained a large following in the United States.
This week’s movie features a dashing seaplane pilot who is the only one who can be trusted to stop the pirates of the Adriatic. Only one problem: He has the head of a pig.
828.488.3030.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will run a PEANUTS™ Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Excursion and Valentine Sweetheart Train at 11 a.m. on Feb. 11.
The train will depart from Bryson City depot, travel along the Tuckasegee River to Dillsboro for a 90-minute layover.
Festivities for the Be My Valentine passengers include mingling with Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy costume characters, listening to the narrated story based on the television special, and children can create their own Valentine.
Standard Coach Class adult tickets are $49, children (2-12) are $29, infants 23 months and under ride free. Upgrade to Crown Class seating and receive a souvenir tumbler with unlimited soda, coffee and tea refills Adult tickets are $66, children (2-12) are $38 and infants 23 months and under are $10.
If you’re looking to enjoy a special Valentine’s date with you and your loved one, purchase a ticket in Adult First Class for a romantic afternoon. Choose from one of four lunches. Receive a gift, souvenir tumbler with unlimited refills, a dessert and a long-stemmed rose. Tickets for adults are $92.
800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.
The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will have a movie night at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 2.
The library will show “It Happened One Night,” a 1934 Frank Capra classic starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Colbert plays a spoiled heiress, running away from her family. She is helped by a man (Gable) who is actually a reporter looking for a story. The free movie will be shown in the community room.
828.586.2016.
