Jesse Wills, a local artist who has autism, will present his paintings at an art show at Hardwood Gallery at 102 N. Main Street in Waynesville beginning Nov. 19. The show will open with a gallery reception/benefit from 6 to 8 p.m., and Willis’ paintings will be on display through Dec. 12. All donations for Jesse’s art will benefit the Western North Carolina Group Homes for Autistic Persons (WNCGHAP.)

By Michael Beadle

On pedestals they stand. Whimsical arrangements of colored glass bottles, leaning, bending to resemble animated statues caught in the push and pull of conversation. These plastic forms look like baby bottles brought to life, acting out some street corner dance or a sitcom snapshot of physical comedy.

By Joe Hooten

Popular music is made trendy by sweaty handshakes, neon dollar signs, shady deals, and artificial relationships that become an entangled web of companies, corporations, and conglomerates pushing what they deem as marketable in hopes of making a quick buck without any interest in artist development. It’s rare to discover a band that finds success on its own terms without endorsements, a music video, or appearing on the soundtrack of a movie, commercial or television show. Even rarer is the discovery of an exceptional band that avoids all the hype and relies solely on its own accomplishments.

Jack Russells

I was surprised to discover that Jack Russell terriers bear the name of a 19th century English clergyman (Devon) who bred foxhounds and shorthaired terriers. Well, my dog (Jack) has never seen a fox, but he is acquainted with ground hogs, and he guards my property from the encroachment of axe murderers, stray cats, robins and honeybees — all of which evoke the same ferocious barking.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

The crowd held its breath, barely shifting in creaky metal chairs as a stunned, uncomfortable silence settled like fog around their ankles with the ending of “The Tragedy of Glady.”

By Michael Beadle

It’s no secret the “War in Iraq” is not going well.

Even the most optimistic reports show the continuing violence as suicide bombers attack civilians and Iraqi military after the country’s historic constitutional referendum.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

The Forest Hills mayoral election came down to the flip of a coin Tuesday morning (Nov. 15) as candidates Jim Davis and Sue Burton sought to settle a tied vote.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

A long-range study that analyzed perceptions about the mountain landscape among Macon County residents has been released, revealing striking statistics that will shape the region’s future.

Dr. Rose Harrell Johnson, currently working for the Virginia Community College system, has been appointed president of Haywood Community College.

By Lee Shelton • Guest Columnist

The U.S. recently incurred — and then quickly exceeded — the 2,000th casualty in Operation Iraqi Freedom. At this writing, it is 2,055, and climbing.

Seventy-five percent of the deaths were active duty and 24.8 percent were National Guard or Reserves. Of these, 67.9 percent were Army, 29.1 percent were Marines (Marines only comprise 9.8 percent of the total U.S. military force, thus they are taking a disproportional number of casualties), 1 percent Air Force, and 2 percent Navy. Thus, if you are going to enlist, join the Navy or Air Force.

By Nancy Geiger • Guest Columnist

I went to my first college parent’s weekend this month.

I’d been to plenty as a student, but this year, it was my turn to play the role of parent, and as I was soon to find out, the role of commodity bearer.

It should come as no shock to learn that children in Western North Carolina, as in the rest of this country and in much of the industrialized world, are getting fatter. What is surprising, however, is that many school systems feel shackled by monetary concerns as they attempt to do more to combat the problem.

Here’s a riddle for you. If the leaves turn in the mountains and there are no tourists to see them, are they still beautiful?

A new Appalachian Trail shelter that can sleep 18 backpackers has been built in the Max Patch area of Haywood County.

By Michael Beadle

At first it sounds like a contradiction — a land developer interested in protecting the environment. Is it possible to balance commercial interests and at the same time protect pristine forests with diverse habitats?

By Chris Cooper

Let’s just go ahead and say it: terrible title for an album. Thankfully, a lot of the music on the disc is quite good, and even does have some soul, as noted in the press release. This is especially shocking since it came from Nashville, which hasn’t exactly been the epicenter of anything “soulful” for a good long while.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

David Lamotte is a safe driver. Headed south to Columbus, Ga., last Friday afternoon he pulled over his car when his cell phone rang, his voice amiably, but absently, chorusing the words “hang on,” as an audible indication of his eyes’ searching for a parking space.

“Elizabethtown,” Soundtrack

From everything I hear, the movie turned out to be entirely less than it was cracked up to be – another faux pas a la Orlando’s pretty face not having much substance between the ears. It’s a shame really, as the soundtrack earns comparisons to that of “Garden State,” boasting previously unreleased tunes by Tom Petty and My Morning Jacket, alongside music from Ryan Adams and Patty Griffin. The soundtrack’s PR literature lauds filmmaker Cameron Crowe for his ability to pair music with movies — Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” blaring from John Cusack’s boombox in “Say Anything,” Elton John’s anthem “Tiny Dancer” united the troubled souls in “Almost Famous.” Well OK, I’ll give them that. Those are pretty good moments. But this time around (a throwback to Helen Stellar’s “Elizabethtown” track “Io”), it seems the moments are best left to live alone in the music. Definitely worth it just for The Hombres’ “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out).”

By Greg Sessoms • Correspondent

Upon entering Susan Balentine’s home off of Howell Mill Road in Waynesville, one could be forgiven for assuming that the quaint brick farmhouse is just a typical family residence and Balentine, a friendly and dedicated homemaker. However, a short trip down a staircase to the basement reveals the home’s hidden function and the creative world that exists outside Balentine’s more domestic endeavors. Dozens of goblets, lamps, bowls and plates in various stages of completion line the walls of the basement, some fresh off the wheel and gray, others finished with both vibrant and subdued glazes. A potter’s wheel sits in a corner, and the tools of a potter are scattered throughout the rooms of the sprawling basement along with the tools of a homemaker. This is the home of Nature’s Beauties, the production pottery studio Balentine has successfully operated for 10 years.

As of Nov. 20, the total number of U.S. troops killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom climbed to 2,083. Eleven more U.S. troops’ deaths are still waiting to be confirmed. In addition, more than 15,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded since the war began in March 2003. These figures, which include both combat and non-combat casualties, come from the U.S. Department of Defense.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

There was a showdown at last Tuesday’s meeting of the Fontana Regional Library Board.

Randolph Bulgin, chairman of the Macon County Library Board of Trustees, issued a terse response to a pointed memorandum from FRL Director Gail Findlay. His response paved the way for the appointment — against Findlay’s recommendation — of Franklin Librarian Karen Wallace as the new interim director of the Fontana Regional Library system.

By Michael Beadle

Michael Parrott wanted to be in Iraq.

He told his wife Meg about it every Sunday morning while he was over there. “Greetings from Mesopotamia,” he would write in letters. He savored his time in the cradle of civilization, marveling at the trees along the Euphrates River, soaking up the ancient history of the region, eager to talk about the high-tech gadgetry inside an M1A1 Abrams tank.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Swain County Chief Deputy Jackie Fortner never thought he’d equate marijuana with more simple times.

Payson Kennedy, co-founder of Nantahala Outdoor Center, was inducted into the inaugural class of the International Whitewater Hall of Fame last month.

Rangers with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rappelled into a 70-foot underground cave last week to rescue a hunting dog that had fallen into a sinkhole in the Cades Cover area.

By Michael Beadle

Dillsboro becomes a village of glittering lights for the first two Friday and Saturday nights in December during the annual Festival of Lights and Luminaries.

By Joe Hooten

Scene: A Friday night, Firebirds and Camaros fill a Main Street parking lot after the big high school football game, teenagers are mingling and celebrating human nature, speakers are pumping a thunderous noise. A distinctively 70s-era riff rumbles in the crisp evening air with vocals that seem as if Manfred Mann, Billy Idol, and Sly Stallone had control of a microphone at the same time. Kids begin to hoot and holler as the song comes to an end. There’s an obvious affinity for the music. This isn’t a scene from “Dazed and Confused,” this is the mental picture provoked by the music from the retro-rock band, Diamond Nights.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

This Friday (Dec. 2) marks the close of what Waynesville Gallery Association chairman David Erickson has called an “off the top of the charts” Art After Dark season.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

On a cold, grey Sunday afternoon just before Thanksgiving, Polly Smith sits behind the register counter at Outer Spaces Gallery in Waynesville wrapped in a sweater, not too far from the store’s gas fireplace.

Graham Greene

Recently I have begun revisiting authors I read back in my 20’s — Thomas Wolfe, Hemingway, Faulkner, some of the Russian greats, and Graham Greene. Greene in particular hits home with me in his handling of moral dilemmas and the complexities of the human heart. In The End of the Affair, for example, Greene gives us Maurice Bendrix, a writer in World War II London whose affair with a married woman has ended badly. Jealous and angry, Bendrix hires a detective to see if Sarah has taken other men, only to discover that the she has given herself to the greatest lover in the universe. Greene’s twisted prose and self-doubts should appeal to all who have either entered or emerged from Dante’s dark forest of middle age.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

The state’s water, wastewater and stormwater systems are faced with $6.8 billion in capital improvement needs, a figure that is expected to reach $16.5 billion by 2030, according to a new study released by the North Carolina Rural Center.

By Major Gen. Geoffrey B. Higginbotham

In 1998, while serving as a Marine Corps Bases Commander in Japan, I had the opportunity to brief Rep. John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, on Pacific Rim political and military issues. I was very impressed with Congressman Murtha because of his Marine Corps background as a decorated Vietnam War veteran, where he received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He has the distinction of being the first Vietnam War veteran to be elected to Congress. He is also the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and is considered to be a conservative Democrat.

QUESTION: What’s the difference between a “dietitian” and a “nutritionist?”

ANSWER: Great question, especially since it's National Nutrition Month! I am technically a “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist”.  A person who has this title must:

By Michael Beadle

It’s 26 degrees on a November morning, and Jamie Tidmore has just finished another whitewater kayaking run at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser.

By Lee Shelton • Guest Columnist

There has been much discussion about attracting more motorcyclists and motorcycle rallies to the Maggie Valley area as part of the tourism efforts. I understand that the TDA recently committed funds to this endeavor. This comes against the backdrop of complaints by county residents about motorcycle rallies — primarily concerning the noise and congestion — and the rebuttal, by supporters, which are most often focused on asserting that “good people” ride motorcycles, and they raise money for charities.

By Bill Nolte • Guest Columnist

Last week I was providing my ongoing parental taxi service. I can’t remember if we were rushing to soccer practice or Wednesday night church activities or wherever. From the back seat one of the kids said, “Daddy, why do some people have really good houses and some people have really bad houses?” As I looked out of the window, I saw what the kids were seeing. New or well maintained homes with beautiful landscaping and homes with peeling paint, broken windows and unkempt yards. The amazing thing was that these homes were not in different neighborhoods or communities. Sometimes only a row of trees or a pasture separated these homes.

By John Edwards • Guest Columnist

Positive planning by developers, government officials and local citizens could be of great benefit in dealing with the rapid growth taking place in southern Jackson County.

Bryson City leaders avoided the temptation to sell off their watershed land for development, instead opting to follow through with an earlier commitment to conserve the pristine property. It was the right decision and one that will pay a long-term benefit for town residents and all of Swain County.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Jewelry artist Debbie Higdon makes what she likes to wear — handmade pieces, created from twisted and soldered silver wires and cut silver sheets.

By Chris Cooper

The G3 tours are a traveling celebration of the virtuoso rock guitarist. Joe Satriani developed the concept of G3 in reaction to his sense of isolation from other artists in his genre.

By Michael Beadle

It was Chet Atkins who really put the hook in Larry Watson. Atkins had that masterful style of finger-picking on the guitar Watson saw one night on “The Jimmy Dean Show” back in the 1960s while growing up in Canton.

Here’s the deal. I’m not going to be “recommending” anything in this installment of “Diversions.” I’m just going to tell a story about Wednesday, Nov.16, 2005 — starting right around noonish.

Jackson County commissioners are weighing the merits of several municipal grant applications that will allocate a total of up to $20,000 for projects across the county.

The purpose of the municipal grant program is to assist the municipalities of the county with the implementation of worthy projects that will directly benefit not only the citizens of the town but all of Jackson County.

Applications were received in October, and commissioners were supposed to make a decision about awards this month. However, that decision has been delayed until January to give commissioners more time to review each application.

The Village of Forest Hills applied for an amount unlisted on their application to go toward an entrance at the intersection of North Country Club Drive and Highway 107. The entrance is designed to feature four-foot high stone walls, back-lit lettering, landscaping, and a sidewalk to one day hook in to the county’s greenway.

As industry experts warn of a worsening international shortage of construction professionals, Western Carolina University and one of the nation’s largest personnel recruiting firms are teaming up to boost the number of college graduates prepared for management positions in the construction industry.

Denver Blaylock has been prodded by enforcers for seven years to meet Haywood County’s junkyard ordinance. The sprawling complex houses numerous lots piled high with used vehicles, appliances, parts cars, and just plain parts, as well as storage lots for cars hauled in by Blaylock’s family wrecker business.

Local biologist and aquatic scientist Bill McLarney agreed with the Wildlife Commission’s revised recommendations to allow stream work, but for an unusual reason — the trout population, at least in Peeks Creek, is gone.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Streambank restoration along Peeks Creek in Macon County, where a massive landslide killed six residents following back-to-back hurricanes in September 2004, is on hold as county officials wait to hear if they will receive funds to do the project after missing initial application deadlines.

Cataloochee

Our local ski mountain is just plain fun. My family enjoys nothing better than to make the trek through Maggie Valley and then up to the high-elevation resort for a few hours of skiing and snowboarding. On clear days with the sky a brilliant blue, the scenery is every bit as good as the skiing. As locals we can choose when to go and avoid the rush of out-of-towners. Truth is you don’t have to like winter sports to enjoy Cataloochee in the winter. There are plenty of places where tykes can play in the snow. The lodge has a fine little bar with a television for sports nuts, a fireplace, and plenty of food. The deck area outside overlooks the slopes and allow picnics if you want to bring your own sandwiches. Just go.

Real Christmas trees

My family is still sold on real trees. They’re messy and heavy, and I could better use the hours I’ve spent making trunks fit in tree stands, but when you add it all up it’s definitely worth the trouble. Our annual trek to Nesbitt’s Tree Farm is a much-anticipated event. There are other farms in Haywood and Jackson counties, and if you’ve never visited one I would encourage it. There are also plenty of lots to choose from. Once the tree is in the house, visitors never fail to comment on the smell of the fresh fraser fir. It just smells like Christmas.

Power outages

I’m not actually recommending this to any one, but as long as it’s short and not too cold, there is something exhilarating about living for a few hours without the wonders of the light bulb, heater, refrigerator and even toilet. We’ve suffered through two short outages in the last few weeks, sending us scrambling for candles and flashlights. These power interruptions led to extended dinners, card games, good conversation and an exaggerated awareness of all five of the senses. As I said, it’s all fun and games in short doses, but I don’t know how they did it in the old days.

Good coffee

There’s coffee, and then there’s coffee. I’m addicted and need it all the time, so for the most part I go for the drab stuff. Lately, though, I’ve let my guard down and taken to buying steaming lattes and mochas and all the froo-froo concoctions available at our local coffee houses. It’s opened up a whole new world of caffeine. I don’t know where this is going to lead, but I’m a little worried. This could get expensive.

— Scott McLeod

By Joe Hooten

The Roaring ‘20s ushered in an era of looseness, flair, and simplistic decadence that would quickly diminish once the big crash and the Great Depression set in. For every drop of liquor that was poured out during Prohibition, bootleggers would smuggle in 10 more, giving organized crime a mission and reason to exist.