Western North Carolina’s renowned youth choir Voices in the Laurel will perform with award winning composer and guest conductor Dr. Rollo Dilworth at 3 p.m. on April 10 at the First Baptist Church in Waynesville.

Voices’ 15th Anniversary Concert will include the premier of two newly written choral compositions, including one written expressly for Voices in the Laurel. In addition, Dr. Dilworth will conduct the mass choir, whose musical selections will include some old favorites like “Shine on Me” and “Walk in Jerusalem.”

Dr. Dilworth recently released a recording titled “Good News”, which features 12 of his choral compositions. He was recently appointed as associate professor of Choral Music Education at Temple University’s Boyer School of Music in Philadelphia, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music education.

Voices in the Laurel is comprised of regional students in grades 1-12. Voices focuses on providing young people quality choral education in fun and innovative ways. Founder and Artistic Director Martha Brown teaches music in the Haywood County Schools, and has coached and guided Voices through 15 years of public performance.

Voices in the Laurel pairs an open-door policy with one of the lowest choir tuition costs in the U.S. Fully one-fourth of choristers receive scholarships to fund tuition financial aid covering costs of sheet music, supplies, and uniforms. Proceeds from ticket sales and donations fund Voices scholarships.

What: “Voices in the Laurel 15th Anniversary Gala Concert” Performance Fundraiser for Voices in the Laurel

When: 3 p.m., Sunday, April 10

Where: First Baptist Church, 100 S. Main, Waynesville

Info: Concert tickets are $10 each, with children 12 and under $6. Tickets are available online @ www.voicesinthelaurel.org or call 828.335.2849.

Franklin’s Overlook Players will perform Rogers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” April 14 through 17 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

The classic musical will be staged by locals and stage veterans alike and will be directed by the Center’s Artistic Director Scotty Corbin.

For tickets and information call 866. 273.4615 or visit greatmountainmusic.com.

By DeeAnna Haney • Smoky Mountain News Intern

Although Curly Hollow might sound like the perfect picnic area down some country road, it’s really more a product of imagination than a destination. In fact, the members of the band Curly Hollow aren’t even sure if such a place truly exists — the name simply resonated with them during their search for a title.

The country-pop band has come a long way since the members first met at a showcase in Nashville in July 2010. Now, less than a year later, members Keil Smith, Zakk Merrill, Charlie Lance, Chris Pruett and Ryan Riddle are celebrating the release of their first extended play record, “Love in Theory.”

Curly Hollow’s sound is mellow and modern at the same time, with a touch of many different musical styles. Each member contributes pieces from varying musical influences such as The Temptations, Jason Aldean, and Miles Davis.

“We try to blend different genres together – jazz, rock, country, blues – and just put our own twist to it and it’s fun that way,” said Zakk Merrill, the band’s bass guitarist.

Lead guitarist Charlie Lance tries to ensure the band’s sound stays original and fresh, not sticking with the same chord progressions in each song. He often incorporates what he learns while practicing for his jazz studies classes into songs for the band.

Most reminiscent of the sounds of Rascal Flatts, Curly Hollow’s songs have attracted traditional country music lovers as well as those who normally steer clear of the genre. The band believes they appeal to a wide variety of musical palettes because of the genre infusions and the passion behind each song.

“It’s one thing when you see a band get on stage but their hearts aren’t really in it,” Lance said. “But there is something cool to be said about seeing somebody do something they’re extremely passionate about and that’s what we try to do.”

Already signed to a Christian label before joining Curly Hollow, lead vocalist Keil Smith said he always harbored a penchant for country music. With an admittedly sappy songwriting style, Smith’s lyrics come directly from the heart.

Each member typically contributes to the songwriting process, although Lance has a difficult time putting his thoughts into words. His preference, he said, is to evoke emotion through his guitar.

“Love in Theory” is a collection of six original songs each exploring love in the best and worst forms, from falling in love to heart break. The EP features a satisfying sample of Curly Hollow’s various sounds such as the rock-and-roll duet with Ami Pruett “Home of Glass,” the simple acoustic guitar accompaniment to “Because,” and the traditionally country twang in “fairytale.”

Spectators attending a Curly Hollow show should expect a high-energy concert, Smith said, because the band is eager to play on stage for the first time. His hope is that the band’s chemistry and camaraderie will radiate through the songs.

“When a band does a good job on stage I feel like I know every member when I leave because they put so much into their performance and that’s what we want,” Lance said.

Visit www.reverbnation.com/curlyhollow or iTunes to preview Curly Hollow’s music.

See Curly Hollow at the Colonial

Curly Hollow will play its debut concert with opening act Rewind Blue at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. A CD release party will follow the concert. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the Colonial Theatre or at Simple Taste Grill in Canton.

Men and their families are invited to Take A Walk In Her Shoes, a sexual assault awareness event, will run from 11:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 from in front of the Historic Haywood County Court House. The walk will be around the perimeter of the Court House lawn on the sidewalk. Sponsors will provide women’s shoes for the participants who need them, both heels and flats, as well as signs to carry and refreshments. Face painting and toe nail polishing will also be available for those who would like to have that experience.

The Ripples of Hope, artistic expressions from survivors of abuse, will also be on display at the event and then they will be distributed throughout Haywood and Transylvania counties at galleries and other community locations.

828.456.7898 or 828.476.4231.

The Haywood County Red Cross is encouraging boys and girls ages 11 to 15 who would like to start their own babysitting business to enroll in the Babysitters Training Program.  

This course is also aimed toward older siblings who care for their brothers and sisters while parents are away.

Red Cross Babysitter’s Training Program teaches skills to be a safe babysitter and smart business owner, including how to tell when there is an emergency.

The class is taught by an authorized Red Cross Babysitter’s Training Program instructor. Other skills taught include supervising children and infants, diapering and feeding and more.

The next class is April 13 and April 14, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Haywood County chapter office. The cost of the course is $45 and includes a guidebook, CD-ROM, first aid kit and a carrying bag.

828.456.8141 or www.haywoodredcross.com.

Jackson County Schools’ dropout rate has decreased by 56.2 percent – from 4.43 in 2008-09 to 1.99 in 2009-10.   

Jackson County has been highlighted as one of four counties across the state for achieving the greatest decrease in dropout rates.  

Two of Jackson County’s student retention initiatives include the Bridge Program, which targets 9-12 graders and Momentum Victory, which is geared toward 7-9 graders.

A bridge will be replaced over the Cullasaja River on Mirror Lake Road near Highlands in Macon County.

A $577,544 contract was awarded to Dane Construction Inc. of Mooresville. Work can begin as early as April 25 and is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31.

The bridge, constructed in 1960, needs to be replaced due to its age and condition, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

An off-site detour will be in place directing motorists to continue on U.S. 64 through Highlands, turning left on Hicks Road and following back to Mirror Lake Road. The detour is approximately five miles.

The League of Women Voters of Macon County will present a program on affordable health care in North Carolina at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, at Tartan Hall in Franklin.

George Six, a volunteer with Healthcare for All North Carolina, will be the speaker. He will discuss how our current health care issues developed, tracing the history of commercial healthcare insurance, an affordable health care act and the situation after passage.

828.371.0527 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The author of “Grown Man Now,” and Western Carolina University professor Jane B. Schulz, will speak at a program geared toward encouraging families with members who have disabilities.

The free program is hosted by Pure in Heart and will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in the Fellowship Hall of Longs Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake Junaluska.

Schulz will be accompanied by her son, Billy, a 55 year-old with Down Syndrome. The two will discuss their experience with a disability through slide shows about Billy’s childhood, school, work, church and personal activities and encourage the audience through the debut performance, “Lessons from Billy.” 423.239.0804.

Paint a bowl to fill a bowl – proceeds from pottery painting at Claymates from April 1 to April 17 will support The Community Table’s annual empty bowl fundraiser.

The Community Table is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving nutritious meals in a welcoming environment for those in need. Visitors to the paint-your-own-pottery studio can pay $10 to paint a bowl to be donated to the empty-bowl event which will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 22. Tickets are $20 and include a handmade bowl donated by local potters, soup, bread and desserts from local restaurants and live music. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.586.6782.

Easter Butterflies: Magical, Mystical, Majestical is the topic of an April program through the Lake Junaluska Live and Learn Committee.  

Butterflies are often included as natural and spiritual symbols of the Easter Resurrection story. A program relating to this interesting story will be presented by entomologist John Strayer, retired distinguished service professor at the University of Florida and a resident of Lake Junaluska.  

The program will be at 2 p.m., April 21, in the Gaines Auditorium of the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska. Admission is free and visitors are  welcome.  

800.222.4930.

Ladies Night Out is holding a special follow-up program in Macon County to a March event on overcoming depression and reducing stress.  

This program will provide participants with tips and exercises to deal with depression and stress. This special program will be held on Tuesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Angel Medical Center. The Ladies Night Out speaker will be Sarah Altman, community based clinician with Smoky Mountain Center.   

Ladies Night Out is a partnership between Macon County Public Health and Angel Medical Center to provide free monthly programs on a variety of health topics for women with an emphasis on the importance of regular health screenings.

828.349.2439.

Canton’s Evergreen Packaging mill’s is due for major maintenance this spring, bringing more than 1,000 contractors to the area to upgrade the mill.

The work is scheduled for the week of May 2, bringing people, and spending, to the Canton area. The value of work scheduled is around $20 million dollars and the influx of personnel is expected to bring $500,000 to the local economy.

The last large-scale maintenance outage at the Canton Mill was in April 2003.

The Pasquale’s Charity Golf Tournament is coming to the Waynesville Golf Resort on Sunday, April 17, to benefit Friends of Meals on Wheels in Haywood County.

Registration is at 11 a.m. at Pasquale’s, and tee times start at 12:08 p.m.  

The four-man captain’s choice is $80 per person, which includes refreshments, hats and balls and a barbecue-awards banquet to follow at Pasquale’s. Sponsorships are available.

828.454.5002 or 828.400.0659.

After sprinting out the front door a few weeks ago, an escaped Haywood County inmate is back behind bars.

Frank Evans, who gave sheriff’s deputies the slip last month, was captured Myrtle Beach, S.C. and is now in state prison in Lexington.

Haywood County Sheriff Bobby Suttles said he couldn’t divulge specific details about just how they found Evans, but said they were operating on a tip that he may have gone in that direction.

Before Evans slipped out the front door, a deputy discovered him trying to punch a hole in the ceiling of a holding room where he was awaiting transfer to state prison.

A roof escape from the holding room isn’t unheard of, and had proved a successful means of egress for a jail prisoner in the past. The job was quite labor-intensive, however.

“It would’ve probably taken him some time to do that, and the jailer noticed,” said Suttles.

Instead, the prisoner was brought into the lobby to wait until the transport arrived, and that’s when he slipped out the door.

According to his record, Evans is something of a career criminal. He’s already done several stints in prison and had just been sentenced to 22 to 28 months following a week-long trial for larceny and breaking-and-entering, along with parole violations.

This time, Evans had been caught stealing commercial and industrial tools from a storage building last June. He was spotted by a suspicious onlooker and the tools and equipment that had gone missing from the building were eventually found in his truck.

There is, as yet, no word on what Evans’ bid for freedom will do for his sentence.

The Macon County Special Olympics Games will be held Friday, April 8, at the Macon Middle School track.  

Opening ceremonies start at 10 a.m., with words from state and local dignitaries. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office, along with officers from Highlands Police Department, Franklin Police Department and the N.C. State Highway Patrol, will carry the torch for the event in the second-annual torch run. The rain date for this event will be the following Monday, April 11.

For an athlete to be eligible to compete, they must be at least eight years old and meet the intellectual disabilities requirements set by Special Olympics, North Carolina.

828.371.1404 or 828.349.2081.

Take advantage of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a classroom through the Spring Parks as Classrooms program, running through May 27.

The fieldtrips are offered to schools or other groups of at least 15 students. The ranger-led outdoor-education programs are free and synced to the North Carolina school curriculum for that grade. Each session enhances classroom learning by using the park’s cultural and natural resources as teaching tools.

The following programs are available:

• Sensory Exploration (kindergarten): Students use their senses to learn about various plants and animals in the park. They will also tour the Mountain Farm Museum and learn about mountain culture and history while speaking with Barney, the “talking barn.” Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• Have to Have a Habitat (first grade): People and animals all need good habitat. The students learn about the needs of plants and animals at Deep Creek through an in-depth investigation of soil organisms, role-playing bears and scavenger hunts. Students also walk to a picturesque waterfall and spend time quietly reflecting and drawing. Location: Deep Creek.

• Mingus Mill Community (second grade): Students compare and contrast communities past and present as they tour the mill and learn the role corn played in lives of residents over 100 years ago. Students also learn about edible and medicinal plants and make a wooden toy to take home. Location: Mingus Mill.

• Plants Make the Smokies Great (third grade): Thick forests provide classrooms for students to build an understanding of plant adaptations and soil properties. The students conduct hands-on explorations of soil properties, plants and pollinators while learning about life cycles, interrelationships, and biodiversity.  Location: Collins Creek Picnic Area.

• Mountain Farm Hands On History (fourth grade): Students study past rural mountain communities and lifestyles by cooking at an open hearth, blacksmithing, examining artifacts, studying exhibits and playing with historic games and toys. Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• On Top of Old Smoky (fifth grade): Newfound Gap serves as the high-elevation classroom where students learn about sky-islands and spruce–fir ecosystems. Students build their understanding of air pressure, weather and landforms through direct observation and the use of maps, instruments and activities. Location: Clingmans Dome

Exploring the Soils (sixth grade): Students study soil characteristics, food chains and threats to soil health using augers, leaf litter sifting boxes, identification guides and microscopes. Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• Deep Creek Stream Scientist (seventh-eighth grade): A mountain creek serves as a laboratory for students to study streams. Students conduct chemical water tests and determine stream health by assessing population and diversity of stream organisms. Location: Deep Creek.

• Air Quality Interactions (best suited for seventh grade): Students collect data on snail and lichen populations for on-going monitoring studies looking at air pollution impacts on various natural resources. Location: Clingmans Dome.

• Biodiversity, Salamanders and Insects (Best suited for eighth grade): Student hypotheses guide examinations of insects and salamanders. Using identification guides, students classify their finds and learn how pollution is impacting aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Location: Mingus Mill.

Most activities are half-day programs. Class size is limited to a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 50 students. All units include a pre-visit materials package with logistical information and pre- and post-site lesson plans for use in the classroom. 828.497.1942 or www.nps.gov/grsm/forteachers.

Registration is under way for the Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp at Lake Logan Center in Haywood County the week of June 19 - 24.

The program is designed to teach the ethics of coldwater conservation to youth and is sponsored by the North Carolina State Council of Trout Unlimited.

Campers will receive instruction by volunteer experts in specialties such as 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.

Sixteen boys and girls ranging from 13-15 years of age will be selected to attend camp. The cost of camp is $595. Registration deadline is March 31. Tuition is not due until candidates have been notified of selection.

www.nctu.org/rivercourse or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has given $500,000 in funding for projects and programs on the parkway.

The projects for 2011 include:

• Continued funding of the Parks As Classrooms initiative for next school year: Parks as Classrooms is the Blue Ridge Parkway’s outreach program to children, instilling values of parkway protection to students in all 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties that border the parkway.

• Relocation of the park communications center: A 1,200 square foot communications center will be constructed at the Blue Ridge Parkway Headquarters in Asheville that will house the parkway’s interagency dispatch operation.

• The “Roots of American Music Program:” Funding for a series of concerts at the Blue Ridge Music Center on the parkway in Virginia.

Haywood County landowners can learn about conserving their land Monday, April 4, at the Haywood Agricultural Center in Waynesville.

The workshop will review how conservation agreements work and why they are beneficial to landowners of rural lands. A conservation easement is a voluntary and permanent agreement that limits certain development on a property in exchange for possible federal, state, and local tax benefits, a cash payment, or some combination.

The meeting is part of an ongoing series of “Saving Rural Lands and More” workshops supported by the Pigeon River Fund.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.712.6474.

Jackson County resident Thomas Crowe will read from and sign copies of his new collection of poems, Crack Light, at 7 p.m. on April 1 at Grateful Steps Publishing at 159 S. Lexington Ave. (behind and one block over from Orange Peel) in Asheville.

The book includes powerful and stunning black and white photography by Simone Lipscombe.

This is Crowe’s first collection of poems that are exclusively focused on the Western North Carolina region. Combined with more than 20 original photographs by Lipscomb, it is a multi-dimensional look at the landscape of the mountains, as well as it’s cultural and environmental diversity.

“Crowe has become one of the most interesting writers in this region to follow. He has established a lifestyle and a voice that are both universal and local …,” wrote reviewer Rob Neufeld in the Asheville Citizen-Times

For more information contact Grateful Steps at 828.277.0998 or email Laura Hope-Gill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jennifer Pharr Davis will discuss her book, Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

After graduating from college with a classics degree, Jennifer wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. She was drawn to the Appalachian Trail, a 2,175-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine. Though her friends thought she was crazy and her mom worried about her safety, she set out alone and spent four months hiking the trail, an experience that changed her life.

828.456.6000.

It wiggles nicely on a hook at the end of a fishing line. It also has such a large appetite for decaying vegetation that it can eat its body weight every day, so it’s great for composting. It’s no wonder that fishermen and gardeners love it so much.

It can also jump nearly a foot, more than enough to escape from a bait bucket or composting bin, and once loose in the natural world it seems to have few limits, if any. It plows through the forest floor, eating all the leaf litter in its path, leaving no place for creatures like salamanders and millipedes.

Researchers have even found it in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where fishing with live bait is prohibited, and no one is left to practice any gardening or composting. They haven’t found it in just one isolated spot, but in half of all the sites they have sampled.

I’m guessing there’s one somewhere near you right now. Probably a lot more than one.

It goes by more names than a secret agent. It’s often called an Alabama Jumper or Georgia Jumper, though it’s not native anywhere in the United States. It’s more accurately known as the Asian Jumping Worm, and scientists refer to it as Amynthas agrestis. However, since different species of worms look fairly similar to the untrained eye, it may be mistakenly bought or sold with the name of any of the dozens of native and exotic earthworms now found in the United States.

Most of the time, earthworms actually offer a lot of benefits to almost any vegetation trying to grow on land, from forests to agricultural crops to home gardens, because they aerate the soil and produce nutrient-rich “castings,” the official scientific name for worm poop.

After traveling to the Galapagos Islands back in the 1800s, some guy named Charles Darwin spent several decades studying earthworms and their impacts on soil health, thus becoming one of the world’s first experts on earthworms. His conclusion? “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organised creatures.”

Both before and after Darwin’s time, humans have traveled the globe in trips both big and small, bringing with them potted plants, bait, mulch, and more, in the process transferring many species of earthworms to new locations. As is often the case (kudzu, multiflora rose, hemlock woolly adelgid, and so on), the new arrivals have done more harm than good, but the Asian Jumping Worm has set a new standard for forest floor destruction.

Current methods of controlling this worm are few and far between. We can slow its spread by being much more selective about what’s in our bait buckets, nursery plants, composting bins, and mulch. Also, since worms are high in protein and low in fat, we might all want to pick up some ideas from Thomas Rockwell’s 1973 novel How to Eat Fried Worms. Perhaps Rockwell, like Darwin, was ahead of his time. Just make sure you eat the exotic ones, and let the native worms be.

(George Ivey is a Haywood County-based and author of the novel Up River. Contact him at www.georgeivey.com.)

To the Editor:

Humans need to know that our lives have meaning. Our searches for meaning are labeled religion and philosophy. Often, unforeseen tragedies such as the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami check our progress in these disciplines. Our emotions rage and reason fails when we consider the instantaneous and overwhelming destruction and loss of life. Even so, the world remains in anticipation, awaiting the final outcome of the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor.  It’s too late for disaster to be avoided, but we wait to find out the final magnitude of the environmental cost of this disaster.

Our worries over the fate of this ongoing nuclear emergency are well-founded. Nuclear power plant emergencies are potentially far more dangerous than any nuclear weapon ever detonated in war. The Chernobyl disaster, for example, produced more widespread and persistent radiation contamination than the bombs released on Nagasaki and Hiroshima combined.

The obvious risks of nuclear power are in contrast to the more subtle costs posed by other means of electrical generation. Coal is our most abundant form of fossil fuels and produces most of our electrical energy needs. However abundant and cheap it may be, coal has costs, and despite modern pollution prevention techniques, still contributes to poor air quality. As a result, rates of adult and childhood asthma are radically increasing. Burning coal liberates sulfides and mercury, which acidify rain and pollute our food supply. Hydropower satisfies a much smaller proportion of our electrical consumption but radically alters natural environments by disrupting thermal, chemical, and physical processes in rivers. As a result native fish communities with specific habitat needs are displaced by other species that can better survive in the new and novel habitats.

I’m extremely thankful that plugging in a lamp in my house produces light and that my freezer allows me to store food easily for long time-periods. However, just because electricity is cheap and easy to use, I must remember that the sum of its costs that accumulate beyond my monthly power bill.

I recognize some of these costs as a necessary evil. It’s impossible to survive in contemporary society without electricity or the internal combustion engine. Even if you absolved yourself of these conveniences, you would still find yourself participating in an economy that depends on modern energy sources.

However, the relevant question is what level of energy consumption is appropriate? If I must contribute to environmental degradation, am I minimizing the problems I cause? Is my environmental footprint as small as possible?

A few minutes of consideration will reveal a substantial collective guilt. With complete callousness, we consume energy without considering inherent environmental costs and risks. Our televisions and stereos are left on continually, even when no one is paying attention. Rather than endure a 60-second boot-up time, we let our computers, printers, and routers run idle, needlessly consuming energy. We leave for vacation without turning off our hot water heaters. We have believed the lie that our house should never be more than 70 degrees and never less than 60 degrees, regardless of occupancy. Further, we have bought into the central-air fallacy that every room in our home should be the same temperature. We consume and consume and pretend the only cost is the (apparently acceptable) damage our power bill does to our wallet. We know better.

We refuse to connect the dots. We burn coal to meet our wasted-energy requirements and never consider the impact of asthma and mercury-contaminated seafood on our children. We over-consume energy and then wonder why someone would consider building a nuclear plant in a vulnerable location.

While our faith and understanding are challenged by the apparent meaninglessness of the recent tragedy, we should note that the ongoing nuclear emergency is far from an un-interpretable occurrence but rather a direct result of mankind’s wanton consumption. Let’s continue hoping for a miracle at Fukushima and a chance to reconsider the way we’ve always done things.

Powers Wheeler

Clyde

(Powers Wheeler is a fisheries biologist and a teacher and lives in Clyde, NC. He considers himself fortunate to work in nature and teach others about her. )

To the Editor:

Where are the jobs? The new Republican majority in the North Carolina state legislature promised just that if elected. As of now there have been more than 420 bills introduced, and not a single job created or even suggested. In fact, many of the bills actually eliminate jobs.

The most obvious job killer yet is HB422. This bill is to reject a $480 million grant from the federal government for improvement of infrastructure and high-speed rails. It outright kills the creation of 4,800 new, good-paying jobs.  The Republican majority will cut off its nose to spite its face with this one.  

How many times do we need to be hit in the head with a brick to know that it hurts? Call your new Republican representatives and senators and let them know we are not fooled. Their actions are telling us their campaign promises have proved to be a ruse. In other words, they lied about their intentions for wanting public office. North Carolina needs this grant, and if we don’t take it another state gets it.

Sylvia Blakeslee

White Oak

To the Editor:

Hypocrisy is defined as the “condition of a person pretending to be something he is not, especially in the area of morals or religion; a false presentation of belief or feeling.”

Mike Huckabee recently described an unmarried Hollywood starlet as a disgrace because she was getting ready to have a child. Yet when Bristol Palin had a child out of wedlock he defended her and her appearance at the 2008 convention. Classic hypocrisy.

The Tea Party Republicans rails against “BIG” government. They want it out of our lives and our business, so we can be free to pursue our lives as we see fit. Yet it is a basic tenant of the Republican agenda to tell woman how to manage the most sensitive and private aspects of their lives. In general, they want to tell us what God we should worship, who we can marry, and what we can and can not do in the privacy of our bedrooms. Well, which is it?

Every time the Democrats mention the terrible and growing disparity in income in this country – the top 1 percent own 80 percent of all the wealth – we are accused of class warfare. Yet teachers, police, fireman and government workers are roundly criticized by Republicans for making more money than non-union workers. I guess it is OK for them to use Class warfare as a tactic, but heaven forbid we point out the destructive social inequity caused by the super rich.

It appears to be OK for oil companies to use any pretense to raise their gas prices and maximize their profits. Any company can charge any price, only the market place should govern what they can charge. Yet when a union negotiates a contact using the same market forces, they are accused of being socialist out to destroy capitalism.

During the financial crisis Republican were particularly angry at the millions of homeowners who took out risky loans that put the housing market in jeopardy of collapsing. Yet the real damage was done by the big Wall Street speculators who manipulated these mortgages into risky financial instruments. Republicans to a person refused to pass legislation to rein in Wall Street, but came down hard on all those homeowners. So I guess it is OK to risk billions of dollars in other people pension plans, but it is not OK to risk your own house.

The concept of the individual health insurance mandate originated in 1989 at the conservative Heritage Foundation. In 1993, Republicans twice introduced health care bills that contained an individual health insurance mandate. This mandate is at the heart of Obamacare, a market-based private health insurance plan. Every Republican now calls this Republican idea socialized medicine. I call that stupendous hypocrisy.

I have no problem with real fiscal conservatives. Government must be leaner, more efficient, and more focused on the real needs of the citizens of this great country. Republicans on the other hand have taken hypocrisy to a new low in public discourse.

Louise Vitale

Franklin

More than 100 restaurants will participate in the Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s annual Dining Out for Life benefit Thursday, April 28.

Restaurants in Arden, Black Mountain, Brevard, Flat Rock Hendersonville, Maggie Valley, Saluda, Waynesville, Weaverville and Woodfin will donate 20 percent of their gross sales to the WNC AIDS Project.

Last year’s event raised more than $120,000. Money raised will help the organization continue its mission of increasing awareness to at risk individuals through their outreach education and prevention programs and provide case managed care to those already affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Waynesville Kodokan Judo Club has moved its classes to the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Classes are from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are offered for adults and children as young as four.

Judo club members must purchase an annual membership to the Waynesville Recreation Center plus pay $20 per month for club dues.

The club travels to state and national tournaments throughout the year, most recently to Atlanta, Raleigh and Jacksonville, N.C.

828.506.0327.

The first 2011 luncheon and business meeting of the Mountain High Republican Women’s Club will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5, at The Oak Street Cafe, (formerly Cafe of the Arts) on Main Street in Highlands.

The featured speaker will be Orville Coward Jr., a Jackson County attorney, whose topic will be the history of the North Carolina Republican Party. The cost is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. 828.200.0437 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Renovations are set to begin on Harrill Hall, a residence at Western Carolina University, including energy efficiency improvements that would qualify the building for nationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

WCU’s board of trustees approved funding for the project earlier this month and work is scheduled to begin in May. The project will cost $15 million and should be completed by August 2012.

A free bridal show is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 9, at the Whistle Stop Mall in Franklin. The event will feature more than 40 vendors from across the region, covering all aspects of the wedding industry, including caterers, bakers, florists, travel agencies, venues and more. Guests will also be eligible for $500 in door prizes.

The show is hosted by the Center for New Mountain Business.

828.369.8660 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A heavy load sky air crane helicopter, one of the world’s largest commercially available helicopters, lifted 15,000 pounds of air conditioning equipment into place at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel this week.

The RTU-6 Semco rooftop air handler was installed as part of the casino’s $633 million expansion plan. The Sikorsky helicopter, which can lift up to 25,000 pounds, carried three separate pieces of the equipment to the roof. The air conditioners are chilled with water units with heat recover wheels and will condition all outside air to decrease smoke within the property.

Faculty and staff at the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University in northern California have built a hydrogen fuel cell power box for Southwestern Community Center.

Ron Poor received grant funds through the Appalachian Regional Commission to purchase the fuel cell, which will be used to teach the concepts of hydrogen based renewable energy.

“It’s basically the same hydrogen fuel cell technology NASA uses,” said Poor.

In the system hydrogen, stored in a small-pressurized cylinder, is fed to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell to produce direct current electricity.

The patented low air pressure design ensures high fuel cell system efficiency, Poor explained. The 16-cell PEM fuel cell power system has a peak power of 125 watts.

In basic terms, Poor said a small inverter converts the fuel cell’s 12 volts direct current output to 110 volts alternating current. It’s a pollution-free renewable energy system and the only by-products, he said, are water and heat.

The All-American Boys Chorus will perform at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 3, at Franklin’s Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

Featuring boys ages 8 to 15 from more than 30 cities in Southern California, the chorus is one of the most widely traveled boys’ choirs in the world.

In addition to providing its members with musical training and performance opportunities, The All-American Boys Chorus inspires its young members to become outstanding people, as well. The chorus seeks to nurture a boy’s self-discipline and sense of responsibility, creating not only a professionally trained singer, but also a leader who understands the real work that produces true accomplishment.

For tickets, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

A community old-time music JAMboree is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at the Fines Creek School in Clyde to raise funds for the Haywood County Arts Council’s Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) afterschool program. A barbecue will also be available from 5 to 8 p.m.

The arts council and the Fines Creek Community Association are hosting the show, which will feature a cake walk, flat foot dancing and a square dance called by former N.C. Senator Joe Sam Queen, as well as a bluegrass jam with musicians young and old.

Jim Sisk, a legendary old-time musician, will receive the first Haywood Master Mountain Musician award for his decades in the local Appalachian music scene. Sisk, 86, is a Bethel native who recorded and traveled locally, nationally and internationally with his band the Carolina Country Boys.

Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for children for the barbecue and jamboree. Supper only is $8 per adult, $5 per child and the jamboree only is $10 per adult, $5 per child.

828.452.0593 or stop by the office at 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville to purchase tickets.

Join One Step Closer as it celebrates one year of the gospel music ministry at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 at the Bryson City Church of God. The singing and reunion will feature special guests the Barker Family and Walking By Faith. A full-service nursery, and hearing assistance systems will be available. Refreshments will be served immediately following the singing. www.1scgospel.com.

Chorus students at Pisgah High School are gearing up for the annual country show called “Where the Green Grass Grows.”

The show will feature group and solo acts from the elite show choir Orion and spring semester chorus classes. A live band will accompany soloists. Kendra Medford, Pisgah’s chorus teacher, looks forward to the show each year because she believes it gives students a chance to shine outside of sports and academia. “Even though country music doesn’t seem like an art form sometimes this is the only form of art some kids can be involved in,” she said.

The country show will take place at 6 p.m. each night Thursday, March 31 to Saturday, April 2 at the Pisgah auditorium. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased by calling the school, at Elite Hair and Nail Salon in Waynesville or at the door of the show. Proceeds help students pay for a choral trip to Disney World in May.

The annual Heritage Alive Mountain Youth Talent Contest is coming to downtown Sylva on Saturday, April 23, as part of the Greening Up the Mountains Festival.

Young artists ages 5 to 18 can showcase their talents in music, dance and poetry, prose or storytelling. 4-H will also host contests in Macon and Swain counties later in the year, and winners from all three competitions will have the opportunity to compete at the district and state level.

To enter, call 828.586.4009 or visit jackson.ces.ncsu.edu or www.spiritofappalachia.org.

Claymates, in conjunction with Country Traditions, is hosting a Ladies Night from 6 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the pottery painting studio in Dillsboro.

Light snacks will be free of charge, while Country Traditions will be bringing a selection of wine samples for ladies over 21. All ladies 14 and over will receive 20 percent off all pottery purchases and a pottery/wine basket door prize, valued at over $30, will be given away.

828.631.3133.

International Day, a festival of cultures, celebrates its 32nd year from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, at Western Carolina University.

The festival will feature music, dance, arts and crafts, entertainment and food from a variety of countries in an effort to promote cultural awareness and appreciation. The event is free open to the public.

Scottish Highland pipes and drums, an Indonesian gamelan ensemble and a Saudi Arabian mock wedding are among festival events, along with information booths about international food, student organizations and traditions.

For information, call 828.227.2557, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.wcu.edu/28443.asp.

It’s finally here: the week Haywood County property owners find out just how well their home and land values held up through the recession.

It’s not secret the real estate market tanked in the mountains compared to the hey day in the first half of the decade. But did the downturn wreak havoc on your home’s value or did you weather the storm with your price intact?

Find out this week as property appraisal notices from the county begin arriving in mailboxes. Notices with your new home and land values were sent out Monday (March 28.)

Higher priced homes are more likely to drop, as well subdivision lots, while median priced homes have held their value better and may see increases.

The last countywide appraisal was in 2006.

Ramp Biscuits

4 cups Flour

1 tablespoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

2 Heaping T Baking Powder

½ cup Shortening or oil

2 cups Buttermilk

1 cup uncooked Minced Ramps

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and soda together. Cut in shortening until mixture looks like grapenuts, add ramps and enough buttermilk to make a soft dough ball, make sure ramps are well mixed in dough. Turn out on floured surface.

Knead dough from north to south, east to west adding flour if too sticky, the more you knead the lighter the bread, flatten the dough and cut out your biscuits or just leave as flat bread or "pone."

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place biscuits on a lightly greased pan, lightly caramelize a small about of ramps in a bit of butter, strain out ramps and brush the top of your bread with the butter, place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Pry a biscuit open to see if it is done, if not return to oven for a few more minutes baking time.

Baking time depends on your oven and the thickness of the biscuits... when the bread is done the ramps will be too. Serve immediately with real butter for best experience.

Note*** If you are using baking mix use 4 cup mix, ½ cup shortening, 2 cup buttermilk, 1 cup minced ramps and follow package directions.

You may also use self-rising flour, shortening, buttermilk and ramps. Whole milk can be substituted for buttermilk follow directions.

For heavier bread leave out the shortening and use old fashioned buttermilk, this is a better recipe for diabetics.

Killed Ramps and Branch Lettuce

1 quart of ramps with tops

1 quart of branch lettuce

1 package of bacon

Fry bacon crisp and set aside to drain. Chop ramps and branch lettuce coarsely and place in a heat resistant bowl.

If you don't have enough bacon dripping to make ¾ cup, melt enough lard into dripping to make ¾ cup.

Pour hot dripping over chopped ramps and branch lettuce. Add salt and pepper to taste and top with crumbled bacon.

Must be served hot.

Note*** If you can find it you may add some "crows foot greens" to the ramps and branch lettuce. They will add a bit of zip to the flavor.

You may substitute regular green onions and leaf lettuce or spinach, but isn't nearly as good.

Fried Potatoes and Ramps

6-8 Medium White Potatoes

2 Cup New Ramps or 3 cups chopped with tops

1 package of bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon crisp, set bacon aside to drain. While bacon is cooking peel and slice potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices. Place in cold water to prevent drying out.

After bacon is removed turn down heat a bit, drain your potatoes and pat dry with paper towel. Place potatoes in skillet with hot bacon grease, add salt and pepper to taste, brown gently then add ramps and cover with lid. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes or until ramps are clear.

Place ramp and potato mixture in bowl and sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top. Serve hot!

Ramp Cornbread

1½ cup white cornmeal

½ cup flour

1 t salt

3 t baking powder

2 T sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk whole or butter

¼ cup oil

1 cup finely minced ramps

Sift dry ingredients together, add ramps, combine eggs, milk and oil. Fold into dry ingredients beat until smooth. Preheat oven and well oiled 8 inch iron skillet to 400 degrees. Pour mixture into hot skillet and bake for about twenty minutes until top is golden brown and a piece of spaghetti inserted into the center come out clean.

Serve hot with plenty of butter and a big glass of buttermilk or whole milk as desired.

This April, Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman will lead a guided overnight trip in hopes of introducing paddlers to the lower Chattooga River.

Headwaters will ltake up to 12 canoes down 11 miles of the river over two days, camping in a forested site roughly halfway down. Participants will paddle through a remote wilderness setting, running Class II rapids suitable even for novices.

The expedition coincides perfectly with the peak of the spring wildflower bloom, providing ample opportunity for identification and photography. Crested dwarf iris, wake robin trillium, Solomon’s seal, mayapple, bleeding heart and wild geranium may all be found along the Chattooga’s fertile banks this time of year.

The night will be spent in one of the many primitive campsites along the river. Participants will have to bring their own camping gear, including tents and sleeping bags. Headwaters will provide four meals, drinks and all paddling gear, including canoes and lifejackets. The price of the trip is $295 per person, and reservations are required.

In the event of high water, the trip will be postponed. All participants must be able to swim, be in good physical shape and should be comfortable canoeing a river such as the upper French Broad. 828.877.3106. Or, visit www.headwatersoutfitters.com and click on “special events.”

Join Friends of the Smokies April 2 for a hike to see early spring wildflowers and historic remnants on the Smokemont Loop trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein, who wrote “Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage,” will lead this 6.2 miles hike. It is moderate in difficulty, and has a total elevation gain of 1,400 feet.  

The group will depart from Asheville at 8:30 a.m., and Maggie Valley at 9 a.m., returning to Asheville by 5:30 p.m. Exact meeting locations specified upon registration. A donation of $15 is requested to benefit the Smokies.

Space is limited. Contact Friends of the Smokies to register for the Smokemont Loop hike: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.0720.

The Greening Up the Mountains 5K Run/Walk in Sylva is forsaking its historically grueling course on the hillside streets above Sylva for more friendly terrain this year.

The Greening Up 5K will be held on Saturday, April 23, in conjunction with the downtown street festival.

This year’s course runs from Mark Watson Park across Business 23 and down Old Dillsboro Road, then turns around in Monteith Park and comes back on the same route to the finish at Mark Watson Park. This course is primarily flat, with few slopes, but does have one gravel section.

The race is put on by the Jackson County Recreation/Parks Department. This year, all proceeds will benefit the greenway trail being built at the Webster Department on Aging complex. 

The race starts at 9 a.m. prior to the opening of the festival events.

Light refreshments will be provided at the end of the race and prizes will be awarded to the top three in each age group, the top three male finishers, and the top three female finishers. T-shirts are provided with registration and are guaranteed to the first 75 to register.

Sponsorships are available for $50 or $100 and are due by Friday, March 25.

Pre-registration is $20; race-day registration is $25, and begins at 8 a.m. the day of the race. Registration forms may be printed from www.downtownsylva.org and online registration can be completed at www.active.com.

828.293.3053 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Another 110 acres of mountain landscape are now part of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s protected corridor, thanks to a landowner whose family has lived near the scenic highway since its construction.

The Conservation Trust for North Carolina bought the tract from landowners Joe and Wilma Jo Arrington last year at a bargain sale price. It recently conveyed the tract to the National Park Service in February for $500,000 to become an official part of the Parkway.

The property, known as the Richland Creek Headwaters tract, is near Milepost 440 in Haywood County. The Arrington family purchased it in 1936. When parkway construction reached the region in the late 1950s, 30 of the family’s 188 acres were condemned and used for the site of Pinnacle Ridge Tunnel.

The Richland Creek Headwaters tract provides a backdrop for Blue Ridge Parkway travelers – especially from the Waynesville and Saunook overlooks – near the boundary of Haywood and Jackson counties in the Great Balsam Mountains.

The tract’s position will help safeguard water quality in the region; the property contains headwaters streams of Richland Creek, which flows through Waynesville and into Lake Junalaska. The land also contains important wildlife habitat in the Pinnacle Ridge Significant Natural Area.

Learn how to put together a backyard habitat March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Rickman Store in Macon County’s Cowee community.

The program, led by Deborah Boots, is sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and is titled, “Attracting Wildlife.” Five components will be taught and explained: food, water, places to raise young, cover and sustainable gardening.

Both families and communities can attain Habitat Certification by learning and working on a variety of habitat restoration projects. The series of lectures and workshops on “Gardening for Wildlife” organized by the Friends of the Rickman Store this year will support these efforts by providing monthly lectures, field trips and workshops at the store the second Monday of each month, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May to November.

828.524.2711, ext. 209.