Bruce Bunch — outdoorsman, conservationist and wildlife artist — will be the guest speaker at the Art League of Highlands at 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27, at the Highlands Civic Center.

Bunch is a familiar figure in outdoors circles and arts organizations in the Southern Appalachians, where he is often spotted with fly rod or paint brush in hand. Bunch’s series, “Art on the Fly,“ includes birds, dogs and fly fishing art and has been collected by sportsmen world wide. He has garnered national and international acclaim and was recently chosen by the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Expo as their featured artist.

Guests welcome. 828.743.7673.

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA) will hold a landscape-painting workshop from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, as part of a fall series of painting workshop.

The workshop will be held at Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The class is inclusive with all materials furnished so that each participant can leave with a finished painting.

Learn about perspective, color, shading, composition, and drawing on the right side of the brain. Call Doreyl Ammons Cain at 828.293.2239 for information or to make reservations.

Fall art classes for all ages will be held at the First Baptist Church of Waynesville beginning Sept. 27. The classes are a six-week series that will be held on Monday and Tuesday afternoons that feature adult drawing, photography and painting as well as a Children’s Art Experience class.

The schedule includes drawing classes on Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m. for $55; painting classes on Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. for $55; photography classes on Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m.; a children’s art experience on Tuesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. for $72. All supplies are included and scholarships are available.

The classes are part of the Inspired Art Ministry, a nonprofit corporation that tithes on tuition fees, offers scholarships for the children’s classes, a student show each year and provides field trips. To register or for information, contact Char at 828.456.9197 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

In conjunction with the national American Craft Week, Jackson County craftsmen are hosting and opening for the exhibition “Hand + Craft: A Jackson County Celebration” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, at Gallery One as part of Sylva After Dark.

The exhibit, in honor American Craft Week, will remain open until Oct. 24 at Gallery One in Sylva.

Sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council, The American Craft Week is a national event that celebrates the best of today’s hand crafted artwork.  More than a dozen Jackson County craft artists will show a variety of work including metal, wood, clay, fiber, and mixed media. The goal of Craft Week is to promote awareness of American-made craft work through marketing, networking, education, and communications programs.

For information about local events contact Anna Fariello at 828.227.2499 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To reach Gallery One and the Jackson County Arts Council call 828.293.5458.

Cloth/weaving: 

Tim Lewis, Photographer and Gallery One manager, has created a new line of photo-printed textiles made into scarves.  He shows these along with several other textiles on view and for sale. 

Cullowhee textile artist, Neal Howard holds a degree from the Haywood Community College Professional Crafts program;  Her website “Neal the weaver” explains her homegrown process.  “Outside - quite literally in my front yard,” she writes, “I set up my table, drying rack and steaming area.  Then I fill buckets with warm water to soak the yarn.”  She works up this yarn into hand dyed, hand-woven, silk scarves and wraps. 

Sandy Creek Weavers of Whittier is a mother-daughter including Emily Hyatt and Victoria Hyatt Sowers. The team creates a variety of rugs and tapestries on historic 200 year old “barn looms.”

Dillsboro weaver, Kathie Roig recalled her introduction to craft work.  “I started weaving in 1980 after my husband gave me a small table loom as a wedding present.  Nearly 30 years later I’m still weaving.”  For many years Roig operated KMR Handwoven at the Riverwood Shops in Dillsboro.

Dillsboro’s Susan Morgan Leveille, proprietor of the Oaks Gallery, long a retail mecca for visitors.  Leveille runs the shop while maintaining her own career as a weaver. 

Blacksmith:

Metalsmith William Rogers also worked in Dillsboro as the original designer of the Green Energy Park’s blacksmith studios.  Today he teaches hammered copper workshops in Cherokee, Asheville, and Andrews.  He is best known for commission work that combines steel and copper. 

Pottery:

Treehouse Pottery in Dillsboro is owned by Travis Berning and Joe Frank McKee.  Each makes distinctive functional pottery with a strong sense of style. 

Berning and McKee are also well known for their efforts at organizing the annual Western North Carolina Pottery Festival, an event that draws appreciative crowds to the region. 

Potters, Joan Byrd and George Rector represent Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design showing their own distinctive designs.

Woodworking:

Exhibitor Bill Hyatt left a career in criminal justice to pursue his “obsession” with woodturning.  Today he lives in Whittier where he specializes in forms made from spalted maple.

David Nestler is another graduate of the Haywood Community College Professional Crafts program.  A native of Sylva, Nestler took his years of hobby woodworking and turned them into a professional career as craftsman/owner of Tree of Life Woodworks, where he produces custom furniture. 

Wood craftsmen, Chris Behre is the resident master woodworker at the Biltmore Estate.  At his home studio in Tuckasegee, he makes bentwood Shaker boxes and children’s toys.

Printing:

Frank Brannon, owner of SpeakEasy Press in Whittier, combines letterpress printing, hand papermaking, and bookbinding to produce hand-bound books made from a variety of natural materials.

Exhibition organizer, Anna Fariello is also showing mixed media work that combines photo imagery with other materials.  Long an artist herself, Fariello directs the Craft Revival project at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library and serves on the board of the World Craft Council.  She was asked to organize a local event as part of the national American Craft Week effort.

Haywood Habitat for Humanity (HHGH ) is providing a way for citizens to showcase their culinary skills, treat their taste buds, and support a good cause at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Maggie Valley Club.

Bring a favorite food sufficient to provide a small taste for 50 people and participate in the culinary competition to include “Best Appetizer,” “Best Dessert,” and “Best Presentation of  ‘A Taste of Fall.’”  Don’t want to bring food? Come as a taster. Every attendee will sample the entries and vote to select the prized winners.

The cost is $25 a person when bringing a favorite food for the competition, or $50 a person to attend as a taster.  The event will also include a silent auction. Recipes of all entries will be posted on www.haywoodhabitat.org.

All proceeds will be donated to HHFH to support the ongoing mission to eliminate substandard housing.  HHFH partners with low income families to build affordable housing through no-profit loans.  

Checks should be made out to Haywood Habitat for Humanity and mailed with or without recipes to Haywood Habitat, PO Box 283, Waynesville, N.C., 28786. For information call the Habitat office at 828.452.7960.

The talents of Western North Carolina’s top traditional musicians and singers will be showcased during the 36th annual Mountain Heritage Day, coming up Saturday, Sept. 25, on the campus of Western Carolina University.

The festival’s newly named “Mountain” and “Heritage” stages will feature 22 separate musical acts that will provide constant free entertainment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., said festival coordinator Trina Royar.

“Our schedule of performers for the two stages includes bluegrass, old-time music, bluegrass-gospel, traditional Irish music, traditional and contemporary folk, and traditional country. If you like music in the ‘traditional’ genre, we’ve got you covered,” Royar said.

The entertainment lineup includes regional bluegrass favorites Balsam Range, Whitewater Bluegrass Co., Buncombe Turnpike and the Stoney Creek Boys, as well as the traditional and contemporary folk sounds of Phil and Gaye Johnson, old-time music by Jackson County’s Queen and Deitz families, and the Red Wellies, a traditional Irish band from Asheville.

Also, Mountain Heritage Day will feature four clogging teams, with two teams performing on each stage, Royar said.

Other musical performances are scheduled at the festival’s Circle Tent, a venue designed to provide visitors with a workshop kind of experience, Royar said. The Banjo Circle will feature area banjo pickers Mark Pruett, Junior Queen and Steve Sutton. The Fiddle Circle will highlight the talents of Trevor Stuart, Delbert Queen, Danielle Bishop, Beanie O’Dell and Arvil Freeman, and the Mandolin Circle will feature Adam King, Danny Bishop, Barry Clinton and Darren Nicholson. WCU’s own student group, the Porch Music Club, will lead an open jam at the Circle Tent at 3:30 p.m.

While the music and dancing is going on at the two main stages and in the Circle Tent at Mountain Heritage Day, a new performance area, the Children’s Tent, will offer younger festival visitors a wide range of activities, Royar said.

Marian Wright Edelman will speak at the Lake Junaluska Peace Conference at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, at Stuart Auditorium.

The talk is part of the 2010 Lake Junaluska Peace Conference titled “Peace for the World’s Children” and is free. The three-day Peace Conference is Sept. 19-21.

Edelman is a lifelong advocate for disadvantaged Americans and is the founder and director of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), headquartered in Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, CDF has become the nation’s strongest voice for children and families. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, Edelman was the first African-American woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar. 

For more information about the Peace Conference, call 828.454.6656 or visit www.lakejunaluska.com/peace.

A grand opening celebration of the Alzheimer’s Association’s office and counseling center in Cherokee will take place  2:30-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 20.

The facility will be in the Health and Medical Division Building, 43 John Crowe Hill. Principal Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will lead festivities. Tuesday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and coinciding with World Alzheimer’s Day, there will be a 1-mile “awareness walk” starting from the fairgrounds.

This new center will serve residents living in the state’s seven westernmost counties. It is the first Alzheimer’s Association facility of its kind in the nation to be located on a tribal boundary or Indian reservation.

The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating 100 years of scouting with a council-wide camporee and celebration at Camp Daniel Boone in Haywood County the weekend of Sept. 25.

All Scouts, leaders, families and guests are encouraged to come and partake in the festivities. Boy Scout activities include pioneering projects, rifle shooting, archery, scouting exhibits, old-time games, geocaching, horseshoes, volleyball, scouting museum, wisdom council, hot air balloon, heritage merit badges, patrol events, Dutch oven cooking, totem pole carving, walking stick carving, Cub Scout games, campfire program and more. Master of ceremonies will be Sherrill Barber of WLOS-TV.

www.danielboonecouncil.org.

Registration is now open for the 20th Annual Haywood County Memory Walk, which will be held at 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at Lake Junaluska.

There are more than 1,630 cases of Alzheimer’s disease in Haywood County, and that number is expected to increase as baby boomers age. Last year, more than 220 people raised money and participated in the walk around Lake Junaluska.

Search for Haywood County on www.alz.org/memorywalk or 828.254.7363 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“Taking Care of You: Powerful Tools for Care giving,” is a six-week series created to educate those who care for chronically ill family members. The classes will be held from 1:30 to 4 p.m. every Thursday from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4 in the Conference Room of the Community Service Center in Sylva.

The program will focus on tools such as ways to reduce stress, guilt, anger and depression. The classes will also teach family members how to communicate effectively with doctors and other family members, as well as set goals and problem solve.

$6. Register before Sept. 27. 828.586.4009

Training sessions for those wishing to work as a respite caregiver will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, and those seeking a respite caregiver can attend training from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Haywood Community Connections, located at the Haywood County Administrative Building, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville.

Haywood Community Connections/Mountain Projects, Alzheimer’s Association, Haywood Regional Medical Center, 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance and Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging came together several months ago to develop a caregiver respite list.

People who would like to work as a private respite caregiver can sign up at Haywood Community Connections. Those seeking a respite caregiver can also contact Haywood Community Connections. Caregivers can receive training developed by the group to help them with the hiring process.

828.452.2370.

Dog and cat owners will have an opportunity to learn basic emergency first aid for their companion pets in a hands on two-hour workshop with Dr. Tami Shearer of Shearer Pet Health Hospital.

Getting your sick or injured companion to the vet is important, but there are things you can do to help your pet until they can be seen. Some of the basics you will learn in the course include how to recognize an emergency situation, what to do if your pet has been hit by a car, how to treat for common poisons, choking, preventing shock in an emergency, how to perform CPR and the treatment and prevention of infections.

The workshop is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, in the community room at United Community Bank in Bryson City. Workshop fee is $25 and will cover course materials and supplies. 828.586.3300.

College Night at Haywood Community College will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, in the auditorium.

Area high school students and residents will have a chance to talk with college representatives from more than 55 southeastern universities, colleges, and trade schools. All juniors and seniors in Haywood County are invited.

828.627.4646.

In an effort to revitalize the nation’s civic culture, veterans and schoolchildren from throughout Jackson County will gather at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 in Cashiers, Sylva and Cherokee for a public reading of the U.S. Constitution.

The readings will take place at  Veterans Memorial Park in Cherokee, Poteet Park in Sylva and the Village Green in Cashiers.

To the Editor:

This year we have three county commissioners running for re-election in Jackson County. Brian McMahan is running again for chairman; Tom Massie is asking for our support again as  vice chairman; and William Shelton wants your vote to represent us as commissioner. All three representatives have faced challenges from our citizens and our economy over the past two years and have proven themselves to be reasonable in their deliberations, responsive in resolving issues in a timely manner and thoughtful in their approach to using data and facts to guide their decisions and manage our tax dollars (third lowest in the state).

McMahan, our current chairman, is a native of Jackson County. He is married with a child on the way and is a deacon in his church. He was recently elected President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. He has over 14 years experience in emergency services and brings family values and a community service focus to his deliberations.

Massie, our current vice chairman, is also a native son and has more than 25 years public service as a county planner and North Carolina Clean Water Trust Fund representative. He is a member of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation Board of Directors and Mountain Resource Commission. Tom brings the values of quality public service to the commission and county services.

William Shelton grew up in the Qualla community and is married with four sons. William was a supervisor with Jackson Soil and Water District before having his own farming business for the last 26 years. William brings the values of business management and conservative financial management to the commission and county services.

We have a choice in this election between these dedicated representatives, all of who bring reasonableness, responsiveness and thoughtfulness to deliberations affecting our neighbors, schools, mountains, streams and tax dollars. Or, we can choose untested Tea Party candidates who may have good intentions but whose only solution to complex problems is to experiment with the failed supply-side economic theory of cutting tax revenues and county services, letting those less fortunate fend for themselves and saying “No” to ideas outside their ideology.

Ron Robinson

Sylva

To the Editor:

We write with deep concern over recent attacks on Muslims and Muslim communities in our country.

One of our principal readings for last year’s Lake Junaluska Peace Conference was Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s fine book, What’s Right with Islam is What’s Right with America: A New Vision for Muslims and the West. In this detailed, scholarly, yet very readable book he outlines the ways Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, share an “Abrahamic tradition” that has come to critically support the democratic and pluralistic institutions we Americans hold so dearly.

Rauf, an American citizen with 35 years of leadership in American Muslim life, outlines in this book his “Cordoba Initiative” of interfaith dialogue to strengthen these democratic institutions and advance the work of interfaith cooperation so crucial after the events of September 2001. On the basis of these beliefs, he and others started planning an Islamic center for interfaith work in New York City. It is this center, whose very purpose is interfaith understanding, that is now the occasion for virulent attacks on Islam around the country, both verbal and physical.

With all our hearts we urge our fellow citizens, our political leaders, and other public influentials to work together to overcome our fear, anger, and ignorance in order to advance the very mission that Imam Rauf has so bravely undertaken. Please read his book. Study what other progressive Muslims like him are thinking and doing. Let us pray and work for an America in which all religious traditions can flourish and find a genuine peace. Imam Rauf closes his book with the words of a famous Muslim poet: “Love is my religion, and whichever way its riding beasts turn, that way lies my religion and belief.” St. Paul could not have said it better. It’s at the heart of the Golden Rule and central to all our religious traditions.

Garland Young, Chairman

Lake Junaluska Peace Committee

To the Editor:

Having been involved when Forest Hills sought to impose an ETJ on surrounding communities several years ago and having been a long-time critic of Chancellor John Bardo’s “vision” for both WCU and the adjoining communities, there is much I could say about the recent discussions about incorporation. However, I’ll limit myself to a simple question: has anyone from Forest Hills considered the first rule of politics? The rule — count the votes — would seem particularly germane when one considers that the proposed annexations would potentially add a population of students that far exceeds the existing population of the village.

What happens when all those students register to vote? What happens when an issue or issues motivates that population? And, given the involvement the political science department has shown in local affairs, is it really all that farfetched to consider the possibility that the governance of Forest Hills could become a kind of laboratory experiment?

Applying zoning regulations to university land could be trickier than anticipated since there are varying strictures about how a municipal or county jurisdiction may regulate state facilities. The obvious question, and one that has been addressed recently in The Smoky Mountain News, is whether Forest Hills is being used as a vehicle to bring alcohol sales closer to campus. If that is a primary motivation, then wouldn’t a referendum on countywide alcohol sales pose less risk? If the issue is providing a zoning or regulatory structure for the purpose of development, especially along Old Cullowhee Road, then wouldn’t a community-based zoning district like the one created by the Cashiers Development Ordinance offer the same opportunity?

I’ve never understood how getting bigger enhances a local vision of maintaining the charms of a small community.

Mark Jamison

Whittier

To the Editor:

I have several concerns about the Forest Hills annexation after attending the second extended meeting between Forest Hills and Western Carolina University. Many good questions were asked and deflected with ambiguity.

I understand that WCU has yet to produce full documents of disclosure, and I anticipate an interesting read. My first concern is where is the study to prove that Cullowhee can economically support such a venture. It was stated that the “CAT” card proves that students will use this corporate Town Center. The CAT card is not reliable assessment of our local economics, and most of the students who are forced to have a CAT card are under the drinking age.

The university’s schedule creates a hardship for local businesses for almost four months out of the year between winter break, spring break and summer session, not to mention, these are students and they don’t have much expendable income.

Our second-home market goes dead in the water during winter, and as a Cullowhee resident, I do not see this being a responsible venture. Adding insult to injury, Chancellor John Bardo stated that the rent prices within the Town Center will be too high for local entrepreneurs, and local businesses will not have a fair chance of competing as alcohol sales will only be allowed within the Town Center.

I am begging Forest Hills to consider, at the very least, in writing, a contract for fair square footage rent prices allowing our locals a chance to truly enjoy the use of his Town Center and allow local dollars to generate locally and not only enhance some corporate bank account. I believe it is smart to embrace our growth, but we must be responsible about it. Otherwise, we will have a Town Center that lies empty, like the Sleep Inn in Sylva that deteriorates as I type. That is an empty eyesore, a blemish to our viewshed benefiting no one.

Robin Lang

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

The article titled “Creeks now flow clean through Waynesville and Sylva” (Sept. 8 Smoky Mountain News) described the decline in fecal coliform pollution in Scotts Creek. While this is unequivocally good news, it does not mean that Scotts Creek is all cleaned up and that now we can all turn our attention to other environmental problems.

Water monitoring and cleanup is team effort and a community challenge. The Jackson County Health Department has brought in the state’s Waste Discharge Elimination Program (known as WaDE) to help homeowners finance repairs to septic systems. TWSA continues to assess and fix up broken sewers in the Sylva system. This fall students in the Environmental Health Department at WCU will be monitoring for fecal sources in nearby Savannah Creek.  

Other types of pollution continue. Scotts Creek has very high levels of sediment during storms, and the resulting mud settles in the stream suffocating the invertebrate life and upsetting the stream ecology. Data from the Sylva Mud Meter will help us document those levels. WATR’s Watch our Water team will be looking for mud sources in Scotts Creek and elsewhere in the Tuckasegee River watershed in effort to reduce erosion. More volunteer help is always appreciated

The community response is essential too. When the community and individual landowners become accountable for our septic systems and our stream bank buffer areas, then we can take the positive steps needed to improve water quality. Litter problems persist, and litter cleanup is also an indicator of involvement and concern. WATR volunteers assist the Town of Dillsboro by regularly removing litter in Scotts Creek at the Monteith Farmstead Park, and Sylva’s mayor just announced that LifeWay Church will be cleaning litter from Scotts Creek in the Bridge Park area.  

So the good news of lower bacteria levels in Scotts Creek provides us with cautious optimism. People with open sores or weakened immune systems probably should not wade in Scotts Creek because bacteria are still present and actual amounts are still uncertain. But conditions have significantly improved and will improve more as we stay vigilant and active in protecting our creeks and rivers.

Special thanks go to the Division of Water Quality’s Ed Williams, who supplied information for this letter.

Roger Clapp

Executive Director,

Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River

To the Editor:

I would like to respond to the Cindy Solesbee letter to the editor in the Sept. 8 Smoky Mountain News where she presumed that I “failed to show up” because I was “too busy (or some other excuse) to meet with the voters.”

The League of Women Voters in Franklin contacted me fewer than three weeks before their forum for North Carolina state senate candidates. For more than six months, my only vacation during the campaign was scheduled for the week when I was in Colorado, making it impractical to return for their event. The League graciously allowed me the opportunity to respond to their submitted questions and to those presented at the forum, which I did.  Those responses were printed in the newspapers that requested them.

I am eager to meet with voters to discuss the issues and do so several times every week. I invite citizens to visit the campaign website, www.davisforncsenate.com, to check the schedule for times when they can share their concerns and ask questions. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify this matter.

Jim Davis

N.C. 50th District Senate candidate

Franklin

A 5K race will be held in conjunction with Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25.

The race starts in front of the McKee Building on Central Drive on campus. The race is put on by the WCU Sports Management Association with proceeds going to the endowed scholarship fund.

Registration begins at 7 a.m. Entry fees are $15 before Sept. 23 or $25 on race day. $10 for students with a valid identification card.

Racers get a T-shirt, bottled water and fruit. Runners with the best times receive an award.

828.227.3548 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A day packed with outdoor activity will be held at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, in recognition of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Activities include fly-fishing casting, fly tying, outdoor cooking, archery, pellet rifle range, interactive kids’ hunt camp and tree stand safety.

There will also be tours of the fish hatchery. Inside are showings of an award-winning documentary on natural history and wildlife diversity of the mountains. Exhibits include five aquatic habitats with live fish, frogs, salamanders and snakes.

The Pisgah Center is located on U.S. 276 south of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Transylvania County, about 55 minutes from Waynesville. 828.877.4423.

Mast General Store will host representatives from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at their stores on Saturday, Sept. 18, to help connect people with the organization.

The Foundation supports special projects on the Parkway that enhance visitors’ experience, from restoring historic buildings and preserving scenic views to funding ranger-led programs and Kids in Parks excursions.

“The Blue Ridge Parkway is undoubtedly a special place,” said Fred Martin, vice president of the Mast General Store. “With so many of our guests and employees sharing an affinity for the Parkway, it is important that we do what we can to ensure it’s there for enjoyment in the future.”

The Mast General Store will donate 10 percent of sales on Sept. 18 to the Foundation.

A fall field photography workshop based in Haywood County will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday mornings from Sept. 22 through Oct. 13.

Field excursions will include elk rut season in Cataloochee Valley, rushing mountain cascades and waterfalls, Blue Ridge Parkway high vistas and changing color in the national park amongst others. Classes to review and critique the photographs taken will be offered Tuesday evenings.

“Included in the program will be composition, exposure, lighting, and presenting subjects in a way that has the greatest impact,” said Bob Grytten, the program leader and an award-winning photographer. “Also included are segments on the computer and digital work.”

The program is hosted by the Waynesville Armory Recreation Center, where the class will meet to take a van to the field sites.

The program is designed for photographers with digital SLR cameras and tripods.

Program orientation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21. Field shoots are $30 each and Tuesday night sessions at $10 each.

There is a 20 percent discount is offered to those taking all eight sessions. 828.627.0245 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

It’s harvest time, and what to do with the garden’s bounty can be a little overwhelming.

A talk on long-term food storage and preserving the harvest will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, at the Creative Thought Center in Waynesville. If you don’t have a garden of your own, it’s also a good time to stock up on fresh local food at the farmers’ market and put it away for winter.

Kathleen Lamont, an organic grower, will share how to create stores of wholesome nutritious food. Learn how to pack and store grains, beans, and rice for the long term, plus learn the art of canning, dehydrating, root cellaring, vacuum sealing, and freezing processes, including which foods lend themselves to which method.

For more information visit Lamont’s websites at www.BacktoBasicsNC.com. 828.456.9697 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The Creative Thought Center is located at 449 Pigeon Street/U.S. 276.

Learn how to attract birds and butterflies to your garden while helping the ecosystem during a “Gardening with Nature” talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at the historic Rickman Store in Macon County.

Botanist and gardener Jean Woods will share how to use native plants and where to find them. She will also cover garden pest control, soil stewardship and wise water use.

Woods will have pictures of native plants incorporated in the home garden as well as several handouts about the soil and light requirements for species.

Woods is chair of the Education Committee for the North Carolina Native Plant Society. She is a frequent speaker at events and garden clubs and a leader of wildflower walks.  The Rickman Store is on Cowee Creek Road, seven miles north of Franklin on N.C. 28 next to Cowee Elementary School. 828.349.5201.

The Watershed Association of the Tuckaseigee River will hold its annual dinner at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company in downtown Sylva.

Come celebrate a good year and share a meal with others concerned with the health of mountain rivers and creeks.

WATR will highlight projects from the past year and future initiatives.

WATR monitors water quality in the Tuck and its tributaries and promotes public awareness and advocacy for water quality.

Cost is $15. RSVP to 828.488.8418 or to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Volunteers are needed to help scoop trash from Richland Creek in Waynesville as part of the statewide Big Sweep from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, in Haywood County.

Haywood Community College’s students in the Natural Resources Department will lead the effort. Meet at the Bi-Lo’s Grocery Store parking lot off Russ Avenue in Waynesville.

The cleanup is part of the Big Sweep, an annual statewide event where volunteers take to the waters and shorelines to pull litter. Since its inception in 1987, more than 252,000 Big Sweep volunteers have retrieved more than 4,400 tons of debris from North Carolina’s waterways.

828.627.4564.

Join Bryson City Bicycles for “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Deep Creek Picnic area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Bryson City.

Bryson City Bicycles welcomes young riders who want to have a fun day on their bikes, learn biking skills and make new friends. All participants get snacks, beverages and a goody bag.

Bicycle safety and proper trail etiquette will be covered before the ride. Rangers from the National Park Service will showcase their patrol bike. The ride will be led on Deep Creek Trail and Indian Creek Trail. Bring water and snacks or lunch.

Bryson City Bicycles has a limited number of kid’s bikes and helmets to rent for $15 for the event. First come first serve. Register in person at Bryson City Bicycles on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City or call 828.488.1988.

The ride is part of a nationwide Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, supported by the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, ecologist and author of Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, will appear at noon on Friday, Sept. 17, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The lunch with the author program is devoted to the natural history of the mountain area.

Frick-Ruppert is associate professor of ecology and environmental science at Brevard College. Her new book explores the animals and plants of the Southern Appalachians and the webs of interdependence that connect them. The book is organized around the seasons, giving readers a full cycle of the year in the mountains.

Hikers and readers interested in nature and ecology are encouraged to attend this informal discussion and reading. Attendees may bring their own meal.

828.586.9499.

Bestselling author Cecil Murphey will sign books from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, at Dalton’s Christian Bookstore in Waynesville.

Murphey has authored or co-authored 112 published books in more than 30 years.

The book he wrote with Don Piper, 90 Minutes in Heaven, has been on the New York Times bestseller list since October 2006 and has sold more than four million copies.

Gifted Hands, written with Dr. Ben Carson, premiered in a TNT movie starting Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

Murphey also published When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones, When God Turned Off the Lights and Christmas Miracles.

828.452.1003.

Students can soon receive instruction in banjo, fiddle, or guitar in the traditional way mountain music has been taught for generations.

Registration for the Junior Appalachian Musician program will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Central Elementary School in Waynesville. JAM instructors will be on hand to assist beginning students with instrument selection and rental.

Classes are held each Tuesday afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Central Elementary School, starting Tuesday, Sept. 28. A string band class is offered to advanced students by instructor referral only.

Beginning its eleventh year in Haywood County, the JAM program is designed for children in 4th grade and older. All students in Haywood County are eligible for the JAM program, but students in adjoining counties may participate on a space available basis.

New this year is a JAM blog and special performance opportunities for students. In spring 2011, Haywood County’s JAM program will host a regional JAM camp where instructors and students from eleven other programs will converge on our county to learn from one another. In May, the year will come to a close with a JAM picnic and performances for family and friends.

$90 per child for the school year. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.

Dr. Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

After 55 years in the business, Stanley’s still one of the best banjo pickers and tenor singers in bluegrass. As a recording artist, he has performed on more than 170 albums, tapes, and CDs. He’s also written many songs himself and with his brother, the late Carter Stanley.  

In addition to the many honors Ralph has received as a bluegrass musician — including membership on the Grand Ole Opry — he is also active in his local community.

Fans can make it a bluegrass weekend and stay for the Del McCoury Band at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Center.

$15 for Stanley. $15 to $20 for Del McCoury Band.

Buy tickets at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin, Dalton’s Bookstore in Franklin and Waynesville, GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.

The Pulitzer Prize winning drama, “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley will return to Haywood Arts Regional Theatre for three final performances, Sept. 17, 18 and 19. The play will run at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19.

“Doubt” tells the story of a Catholic priest accused of improper behavior by a nun. The play presents the dilemma of who to believe and the consequences of that verdict. The show won the Tony Award for Best Play and was made into a major film. HART’s production is being directed by Suzanne Tinsley.

“Doubt” was one of HART’s biggest hits during its winter Studio Season. The production sold out its run and featured performances by many of the area’s favorite actors, including Barbara Bates Smith, Art O’Neil, Julie Kinter and Becky Stone.

$8 adult, $5 student. 828.456.6322.

Several local and regional choirs, including the Womansong Community Chorus of Asheville, the Waynesville Middle School Chorus, and the Carolina Concert Choir of Hendersonville, will perform at the Lake Junaluska Peace Conference.

Womansong will perform at 7 p.m. during the Sunday, Sept. 19, evening session. This community chorus, directed by Debbie Nordeen and assistant director, Althea Gonzalez, is known for quality performances, high energy and creativity, and for assistance to women in need.

The Waynesville Middle School Chorus and the Carolina Concert Choir of Hendersonville will perform at 7 p.m. during the evening session on Monday, Sept. 20.

Directed by Dr. Janna Brendell and accompanied by Mary Neill Rogers, the Waynesville Middle School Chorus of 6th, 7th and 8th graders has a long history of excellence. During its Monday performance, approximately seventy students will showcase a delightful variety of vocal talents.

The Carolina Concert Choir of Hendersonville, under the direction of Bradford Gee, began in 1979 as a madrigal group of ten to twelve vocalists. The current group of forty performs classical and contemporary pieces and has, by invitation, performed in the prestigious Spoleto Festival.

The Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, “Peace for the World’s Children,” will feature children’s activist Dr. Marian Wright Edelman, Dr. Jeni Stepanek, Bishop Kenneth Carder, and Dr. Luther Smith. Stepanek will meet with children, youth, and adults on Sept. 18 and 19. Bishop Carder will speak on Sept. 19, Dr. Edelman on Sept. 20, and Dr. Luther Smith on Sept. 21.

www.lakejunaluska.com/peace or 828.454.6656.

“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” will be performed on Thursday, Sept. 23, as a benefit for Haywood Animal Welfare Association.

Proceeds will help HAWA continue to provide very low-cost spay/neuter surgery for Haywood County pets. So far this year, HAWA is on target to meet its challenge goal of 2,010 surgeries. More than 38 percent of them are fully subsidized, costing HAWA $35 for male cats and $50 for all other cats and dogs. HAWA’s regular price is $30 per pet, which costs HAWA $20 for most animals.

The benefit is sponsored by the Haywood Regional Arts Theater through gifts from Nadean McArthur, Ron Frendreis and Nila Wilber.  

$35 ($20 for college students and children under 12). Ticket includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and soft drinks

828.452.1329, 828.400.6768 or visit the HAWA office 145 Wall St. from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, at the Dog House in Waynesville and starting Sept. 20, at the HART Box Office.

Eldred Spell, professor of flute at Western Carolina University, will present a recital at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, as part of the School of Music’s Catamount Concert Series for 2010-11.

The free performance will be held in the recital hall of WCU’s Coulter Building.

Accompanied by pianist Andrew Adams, Spell will perform “Sonata Arpeggione” by Franz Schubert, “Hungarian Peasant Dance Suite” by Bela Bartok and “Sonata” by Paul Basler.

The seldom-heard Schubert piece was written for the arpeggione, an unusual cross between guitar and cello that was briefly popular in the early 19th century.  

Bartok, a musicologist as well as composer, collected folk music from his native Hungary and elsewhere, and those melodies are reflected in the arrangement to be performed by Spell.

Basler composed his “Sonata” specifically for Spell, who has performed it worldwide. “Though thoroughly modern, the piece is audience friendly,” Spell said. “With an extraordinarily wide emotional range, the work presents moments of extraordinary beauty, technical fireworks and everything in between.”

A frequent performer at musical venues across Western North Carolina, Spell recently was featured as soloist and master teacher at the Central American Flute Festival, held in the Costa Rican National Theatre in the capital, San Jose.

828.227.7242.

Cullowhee, named for the community where its sound was born, will reunite for a concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, in Hoey Auditorium at Western Carolina University.

The band began in the 1970s as a folk trio and evolved into a six-man mountain rock band featuring former WCU students Terry Edwards, Mike Clark, Sandy Flynn and Thom Jenkins, as well as Fred “Rick” Hubbard and Woody Jenkins. Members wrote and performed music including “Bring Back the Magic,” “Old Man of Sylva” and “Peace on the Mountain.” Cullowhee last toured in 1984.

The Sept. 18 event will be the group’s third reunion concert at WCU to benefit the Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor, a nonprofit working to help revitalize the community along Old Cullowhee Road.

“We were proud of where we came from,” said Flynn before the first reunion show to benefit CuRvE in 2008. “We called our music mountain rock, and spread the name Cullowhee around the country and world, playing to audiences from 10 to 20,000.”

Past reunion concerts have raised several thousand dollars used to support beautification projects, including a recently installed student-painted mural.

“I’ve been floored to see the following that the Cullowhee band has,” said Christopher Blake, co-chair of CuRvE and assistant professor of English at WCU. “We’ve received dozens of notes along with their ticket requests telling us their memories of attending concerts more than 20 years ago and thanking us for bringing them back.”

“Students leave the concert amazed at the depth of the group’s musical talent, as members rotate between multiple instruments during the concert,” said Blake.

$25 reserved seats; $15 open seating. For tickets, gocullowhee.org; by mail at CuRvE, P.O. Box 1322, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723; or at the door before the show.

For info, cullowheeband.com, 828.399.1529 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

More than 190 million CDs feature their music. John Michael Montgomery and Garth Brooks have made their songs No. 1 hits. Come face-to-face with three successful songwriters during a 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Balsam Mountain Inn.

Richard Fagan spent five years in Los Angeles, where he had a pop record deal on Mercury Records and got his first cut, “The Good Lord Loves You” by Neil Diamond. His songs are in six feature films and on more than 30 million records. Fagan has had three No. 1 country singles: “Be My Baby Tonight,” “Sold, (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” and “I Miss You A Little” — all by John Michael Montgomery. He’s had six Top 10s and 18 charted country singles. Fagan’s songs have been cut by George Strait, George Jones, Hank Williams, Jr., Shania Twain, Clay Walker, Patty Loveless, Collin Raye, Ricochet, Shenandoah, The Crickets, The Blues Brothers Band, and many others. Most recently, Fagan has a cut on the new Jason & The Scorchers CD, “Halcyon Times.”

Hailing from East Tennessee, Amanda Williams grew up in the music business as the daughter of legendary songwriter, Kim Williams. The first song she had recorded was the 2002 Grammy nominated release “Beer Run,” recorded by Garth Brooks and George Jones. Since then, Amanda has written more than 500 songs for releases on up and coming artists such as Todd O’Neil, Tyler Dickerson and Jessie James. Her new release “Little Red Hen” is now available exclusively at live performances.

Kim Williams won the ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year Award in 1994. His songs have been on more than 131 million CDs and tapes. He is excitedly watching the career of his talented singer-songwriter daughter Amanda with whom he wrote the Grammy nominated “Beer Run,” a duet with George Jones and Garth Brooks.

With Garth Brooks he has had four No. 1 singles: “Papa Loved Mama,” “It’s Midnight Cinderella,” “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up)” and “She’s Gonna Make It,” as well as numerous album cuts.

In the past 15 years, Kim’s No. 1 singles include “Three Wooden Crosses” by Randy Travis, which was No. 1 in both country and Christian genres and winner of the CMA, CCMA, GMA, NSAI, and ACM song of the year.

Kim has had Christian No. 1s with “One Perfect Son” and “A Little Bit Of Faith” by Jeff Silvey.

$39 includes show and dinner. Buffet starts at 6 p.m. with seating’s every 15 minutes.

www.balsammountaininn.com, 800.224.9498 or 828.456.9498.

Seniors can stay fit with a basic belly dancing class now offered from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. every Thursday at the Creative Thought Center in Waynesville. The classes are ongoing until Thanksgiving and will resume after Jan. 1.

“Exercise and Movement for Middle Eastern Dance” is a basic class that offers stretching, strengthening and a breath-focused approach to learning the forms of the belly dance. It is geared toward mature women or anyone who wants a gentle, fun workout.

The art of Middle Eastern dancing, or belly dancing, has been used from ancient to present times for the purposes of celebration, artistry and therapy. Not only does it create an avenue of expression that is joyous & uplifting, but it is also soothing and energizing for the body, mind and soul.

Instructor Damira/Pamela Norris, CMA (Certified Movement Analyst) has been studying the dance for more than 33 years and teaching for 30. She has studied, performed and taught ethnic dance styles from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Persia and Turkey. Damira has been leading dance and exercise classes for seniors since 1995.

828.926.3544.

The inaugural Autumn High Tea will run from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. The event will raise money for Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping heritage alive.

In England, where having afternoon tea is traditional, a high tea is usually for special events only. High tea, as it is now used, occurs on weekends, at parties, or on special occasions.

Served at the high tea will an old-fashioned tea called Gun Powder Green Tea, Raspberry Black Tea and Earl Gray, along with scones, lemon curd, petit fours and other typical tea fare. Mimosas will be available for purchase.

“Hats and gloves are optional for the ladies,” joked Janet Chinners, owner of Country Traditions.  

Authors who have been published by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will be present. The nonprofit has published more than 45 books written by people who either grew up here in Western North Carolina or now work and live in the region. Books include “My Mountain Granny,” “Aliens in God’s County,” “Laughter Was God’s Idea,” “The Legacy of Bear Mountain,” “Little is Much,” “A History of the Bible,” “Johnny, My Favorite Mouse,” “Learning to Fly,” and more.

$7.50. 828.586.1600 or www.spiritofappalachia.org.

Heritage Crafts Weekend, a celebration of Southern Appalachia traditions, will be held Sept. 25 and 26 at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.

The event, now in its fifth year, features craft demonstrations and juried crafts vendors, plant sales and musical performances from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days in the Heritage Garden, Baker Exhibit Center and Education Center.

Vitally important to the Western North Carolina’s craft heritage is the close relationship between crafts and the plants used in their production. Much of the fiber, color and artistic expression of mountain craft is inspired from the character and nature of plants.

The Heritage Garden showcases plants used in the multimillion-dollar craft industry of Western North Carolina, including those used for handmade paper and brooms, baskets and dyes.

Visitors can explore the many plants that support crafts, understand how they are grown, prepared and used, and appreciate their value to the industry.

They will have a chance to explore the new Green Garden Shed, a demonstration exhibit that provides real-world and affordable examples of how to infuse sustainable practices into an existing shed structure.

Admission to Heritage Crafts Weekend is free for members or with the parking fee of $8 per personal vehicle.

Crafters and musicians interested in participating in The N.C. Arboretum’s Heritage Crafts Weekend may email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an application form.

www.ncarboretum.org or 828.665.2492.

Artist Laura Davis will demonstrate and discuss her glaze techniques from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Swain Center of Southwestern Community College.

Davis, who has been working with clay since 2002, owns Core Clay, a pottery studio and supply store in Cincinnati, Ohio. Much of her pottery is highly textured and features her signature transparent glazes. Her work can be seen at the Core Clay website, at the Pottery Festival in Dillsboro on Nov. 6, and in the book 500 Vases.

Students who want to try glazing techniques should bring up to two bisqued pieces, cone 6, maximum size three pounds each, to the class. Textured pieces are recommended. Participants will have an opportunity to glaze a piece, which will then be fired. The pieces will be critiqued during the second night of the workshop.

Free for enrolled students of the Heritage Arts Institute at SCC; $10. Bring a potluck dish to share.

828.488.6413.

Clyde

Village of Forest Hills

Bryson City

Highlands

Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band has been awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy, the nation’s highest and most-coveted award for college and university marching bands.

Formal presentation of the award, which has been called the “Heisman Trophy” of the collegiate marching band world, was held at halftime of WCU’s home football game against Wofford College on Oct. 24.

Western Carolina is the first institution in the state of North Carolina and the first member of the Southern Conference selected for the award. Past recipients of the honor include the universities of Texas, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Alabama, and Ohio State, Louisiana State, Penn State and Auburn universities.

Established in 1982, the trophy is presented to a college or university marching band that has demonstrated the highest of musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas, and which has made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a number of years.

WCU Chancellor John Bardo said the award is especially meaningful because it recognizes an extended record of excellence achieved by the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band under the leadership of band director Bob Buckner. Bardo called the band “one of the most important emissaries of WCU for more than a decade.”

The Pride of the Mountains is widely regarded as one of the top marching bands in the Southeast for its elaborate field shows. Often called “the world’s largest funk-rock band,” the unit performs a crowd-pleasing medley of up-tempo pop tunes, with electric guitars, singers and other musical elements not typically associated with marching bands.

The 360-member Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is performing an entirely new show in 2009 – “Born to Be Alive,” featuring the music of the Black Eyed Peas, Pearl Jam, Kanye West, Michael Jackson, the Bee Gees, Maroon 5 and Patrick Hernandez.

For more information about the Pride of the Mountains, visit www.prideofthemountains.com or call 828.227.2259.

High school bands compete at WCU

Western Carolina’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band recently hosted the Tournament of Champions annual invitational competition. Each year, more than 3,000 high school musicians from Tennessee, Virginia, and North and South Carolina come to E.J. Whitmire Stadium at Western Carolina to compete. Twenty-two bands from across the Southeast took part in this year’s event. Carl Harrison High School marching band of Kennesaw, Ga., was named grand champion. Pisgah High School of Canton took second place in Class A. Tuscola High School of Waynesville also competed.

In an unusual election storyline, voters in Webster cast ballots for a total of 21 write-in candidates because too few candidates signed up to run for the five available seats on the town council.

When the new town council convenes, three write-in candidates — Mark Jamison, Alan Grant and A.J. Rowell — are expected to be sworn in along with incumbents Billy Bryson and Jean Davenport. Larry Phillips will replace long-time mayor Steve Gray, who also did not run for re-election.

Jamison, the Webster postmaster and a former member of the Jackson County Planning Board and the former chairman of the county’s smart growth task force, was among the write-in candidates who won a seat. Although he did not actively campaign, Jamison was asked by several citizens if he would agree to serve if elected.

“Several people had asked me to run for either mayor or a council seat, and I felt because of my job that I didn’t necessarily want to file. But they asked if I would serve if I was a write-in winner, and I said yes,” Jamison said Tuesday night.

“I’m looking forward to serving. I’ve been active from the sidelines for a while, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to address some of the issues,” Jamison said.

Jamison is a federal employee, but he said that since the town election is non-partisan there are no issues with the Hatch Act, which governs the political activities of federal employees.

While Jamison and Grant were clear winners with 23 and 20 votes, respectively, fifth-place finisher Rowell collected six votes, and two others tallied five. All results are unofficial until canvassing by the county board of elections.

Webster

Mayor

Larry Phillips    35

Town board

Seats up for election:    5

Total seats on board:    5

Billie Bryson (I)    26

Jean Davenport (I)    26

Mark Jamison (write-in)    23

Alan Grant (write-in)    20

A.J. Rowell (write-in)    6

Registered voters: 445

Voter turnout:    40 (9%)

The Blue Ridge Parkway will kick off its 75th anniversary celebrations this month with several historical, symbolic and entertaining events, even though the official anniversary isn’t until next year.

• A program called “Natural Resource Stewardship – An American Indian Legacy and Model for Our Future” will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Cherokee High School. The talk will be given by Gerard Baker, superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial who was featured in Ken Burns recent national parks documentary, along with former and present superintendents of the Parkway, Dan Brown and Phil Francis.

• Ceremonial Torch Passing will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, on the parkway outside Cherokee. A torch will be passed from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, to the Parkway. Both park superintendents and Eastern Band of the Cherokees’ tribal leaders will deliver remarks. The Warriors of AniKituhwa dancers will perform. Park at the Cherokee Transit Lot on U.S. 441 just outside the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to take a shuttle to the site of the torch passing.

• Guided history tours in partnership with the Museum of the Cherokee Indian will be given by Cherokee storytellers at noon on Friday, Nov. 13, with several stops along the southern portion of the Parkway. Cost is $20 per person and includes a boxed lunch. 828.497.3481.

• Parkway History Day will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Folk Art Center on the Parkway outside Asheville.

There will be craft and music demonstrations and special exhibits. A panel discussion at 10 a.m. will examine the history and lasting impact of the decision to route the Blue Ridge Parkway through Western North Carolina. An interactive session will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Parkway issues, challenges and initiatives, including design guidelines for adjacent lands and preserving view sheds.

• A concert by Nanci Griffith will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Asheville. There will also be a performance of the one-time-only collaboration of The Blue Ridge Bluegrass All-Stars showing their support for the Parkway, including renowned musicians: Doyle Lawson, Sammy Shelor, Bryan Sutton, Tim Surrett, and Jim Van Cleve. The Cherokee Warriors of AniKituhwa will also perform, and the entire evening will be hosted by Asheville’s own Grammy award-winning musician David Holt. General seats are $35 and patron seats are $75. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.

The Fund for Haywood County recently handed out $16,000 in grants to county nonprofits providing services for recession relief.

The Fund for Haywood County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, was established in 1994 by a group of local residents as a permanent endowment and resource for charitable efforts that benefit Haywood County.

The grantees are:

• The Community Kitchen — $2,600 to support a food ministry that provides hot, nutritious meals and food boxes to poor and struggling individuals in Canton.

• Crabtree, Iron Duff, Hyder Mountain Community Development Club — $1,400 toward emergency assistance with heating and utilities to keep residents safe and warm in their homes despite economic hardship.

• Fines Creek Community Association — $2,000 to purchase a freezer, increasing storage for the distribution of nutritious foods through the federal Emergency Food and Assistance Program, especially for seniors and mothers with children in this rural community in Haywood County.

• Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County — $4,000 toward operating expenses including medical supplies, staffing and other necessary expenses to continue the free medical clinic serving uninsured adults.

• Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church — $2,000 toward the Open Door program that provides food and emergency assistance to families struggling with basic needs as a result of the recession in Haywood County.

• REACH of Haywood County, Inc. — $4,000 toward operating expenses of the emergency shelter providing housing to women and children displaced from their homes due to domestic violence

To help The Fund for Haywood County, donate online at www.cfwnc.org or by mail to The Fund for Haywood County, P.O. Box 627, Waynesville, NC, 28786. Contributions of any size are welcome and are tax-deductible. For more information, contact 828.734.6791.