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To the Editor:
This letter is in direct response to Ginny Jahrmarkt’s May 30 letter titled, “Jones made wrong vote at last Jackson meeting.”
Jahrmarket inferred that Mark Jones, a Jackson County commissioner, “showed his true colors” by “siding with an anti-capitalistic, anti-commerce group like the Occupy Movement” and his “railings against the evils of corporations and capitalism ….” If I may, let me try to provide a more accurate overview of what you call “The Entitlement Society.”
The recipients of TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) funds included Bank of America, $46 billion; Wells Fargo, $25 billion; Sun Trust, $4 billion; BB&T, $3 billion; United Community Bank, $180 million; PBS (USA) $43,000.
On the other hand, our hometown banks did not receive “entitlement society” funding State Employee Credit Union, Macon, and HomeTown Bank received zero.
Now what did many of these large banks do with the entitlement funds? They continued taking depository funding to invest in derivatives, risky overseas investments (how patriotic), and the purchase of other banks, making themselves even bigger today than in 2008 when they received the TARP funds precisely because they were classified as “too big to fail.”
By using entitlement society funding is how these banks take a “pro business stance” to help themselves and cause “negative economic growth rate and an unemployment rate in double digits” in some North Carolina counties.
A handful of the top largest banks hold around 60 percent of the USA depository assets, but give only 18 percent of main street loans (how patriotic). Our hometown banks, on the other hand, hold 11 percent of the USA depository assets yet 56 percent of main street business loans come from these small hometown banks.
As for Jackson County residents trying to get back to work in this meager job market arena, consider how the big banks affected our nation’s employment growth rate. In 2011 JP Morgan Chase, Citibank and Bank of America moved $5 billion worth of IT and back office jobs to India, laying off thousands here in the USA.
Just one more way these trans-national corporations with no national or patriotic allegiance take a “pro-business stance” to enrich themselves while depleting Jackson County resources.
The entitlement society is big on privatization of profit and socialization of losses.
Time and space do not allow, but it would be so easy to go on and on and on with concrete, solid, and well-documented examples of the trans-national corporate controlled entitlement society.
This is not a new phenomenon. In colonial days the Americas were subjected to the same as the English Crown empowered private corporations to plunder resources. Fortunately, the American colonists did not take this sitting down and instead held a Tea Party in the Boston Harbor that changed the world.
Mark Jones, like the early patriots and unlike the English loyalists of the day, believes in the spirit of our nation’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence, that states all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Fortunately, in this election year, Mark Jones is standing with and for the people of Jackson County against the tyranny of treasonous trans-national corporations that plunder our local economies. Mark Jones, can hold his head high as a true and loyal patriot who is looking out for the prosperity and economic development of Western North Carolina while protecting our most valuable assets — Jackson County’s economy and its residents.
Thank you, Mark Jones, for continuing to support the “Move To Amend Resolution” set before the Jackson County Commissioners that supports the concept that corporations are not persons and money is not speech.
Geraldine V. Collins
Sylva, Occupy Western North Carolina
To the Editor:
It was disappointing to read that Commissioner Mark Jones representing District 4 voted to support a resolution from Occupy WNC attacking corporations. Since he was elected in 2006 he has consistently voted for anti-business regulations, stripping private property rights and done little to represent or improve his district, let alone provide necessary infrastructure and services.
It is no surprise Mark Jones has never been elected by the people in his district who know him best. Since our commissioners are elected at large, it is important for countywide voters to know more about the candidates they are voting for in each district. This November we have an opportunity to vote for candidates who are pro business, understand our economic needs and do not practice class warfare. It is time for a new commissioner to “Occupy” the 4th District seat.
Shirley Slaughter
Cashiers
To the Editor:
When I think of the word arrogant, I usually think of someone who is so intelligent or so beautiful that they think they are above the rest of us common folk. However, after reading the article concerning the Jackson County Sheriff and alcohol sales in The Smoky Mountain News, I will forever think of arrogance as Sheriff Jimmy Ashe, and certainly not because he is so intelligent or so beautiful.
I guess when you have been in the law enforcement business — or for that matter a career politician — for years, you start to think of yourself as above the law and above the voice of the citizens. This certainly is a case for term limits for local and national elected officials.
I salute those businesses that went directly to the ABC Board. And I salute commissioners Jack Debnam and Doug Cody for speaking up for the vote of the people and against the arrogant Sheriff Jimmy Ashe. Growth is coming to Jackson County whether we like it or not. Times are changing. We all need to accept that as a fact, just as we accept death, taxes, higher electric bills and higher gas prices. We need to protect the beauty that surrounds us, protect the voice of the people and get rid of arrogant elected officials.
Frank Parrish
Sylva
To the Editor:
The word austerity seems to have saturated world and national news of late, sometimes used in a positive vein but often displaying a strong negative quality. One fellow in Greece insisted recently that austerity (as employed by his government) is a “crime.” I think most of us would agree that to be austere is simply to be moderate in ones financial dealings, more temperate perhaps, self-restraining, or even self-denying.
When I was unceremoniously nudged into retirement by my employer a few years ago (at the same time our economy tanked) my wife and I quickly realized we had to seriously curb our spending to coincide with our severely reduced income. People have to do this, countries have to do this. So I will gladly argue the point with the gentleman from Greece, that to limit spending isn’t a crime; arguably it’s a crime not to when times get tough.
The United States (like much of Europe) is between a rock and a hard place and neither of the two major parties seem to act in a manner which will resolve the problem, or even show a willingness to work together in seeking possible solutions. Yes, I know, this is an election year and Washington critters are solely intent on feathering their own nests to get elected.
Several European nations are rapidly coming to the realization that government handouts (however well-intended) eventually become unsustainable. Even with their countries facing insolvency and near collapse, citizens are feverishly demonstrating against necessary cutbacks. They would sooner see their nations self-destruct rather than give up that which they’ve grown so dependent and without which they are helpless.
That same spectacle is very likely to be played out here in America when enough people begin to feel real pain. Politicians talk about reining in government entitlements and reforming the tax structure, but those in power want only to stay in power and subsequently don’t dare to seriously attempt trimming government programs or equalizing the tax burden.
Lets be straightforward. The base of the Democratic Party is the poor, the downtrodden, the perceived “needy” and “marginalized” special groups. The voting body of the Republican Party appears to be largely the rich, the retired, and the relaxed and (thanks to the Supreme Court) corporate “people.” Both parties have a vested interest in protecting their respective constituency and they are not about to upset that which has provided them such unlimited success, power, and wealth, not even to rescue the country.
David L. Snell
Dillsboro
Maggie summer camp
The Maggie Valley Club will hold a Summer Kid’s Camp program from June 18-22 and from July 16-20. These one-week camps begin at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Lunch is provided.
The camp provides traditional camp experiences focused on building friendships and confidence. The activities include sports, cooking, arts and crafts, swimming and more.
The cost is $125 for members and $175 for non-members. Space is limited.
828.926.4826.
Summer camp for kids to be offered at WCU
A summer camp for kids is being held July 23-27 at Western Carolina University. The Good Old Time Summer Camp is for children ages 9 through 13.
Participants will attend the camp from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will provide an opportunity for children to explore the region’s culture, including the Cherokee and pioneer experience.
Participants will investigate and create crafts such as mask-making, weaving, candle-making, open hearth cooking and pottery. They also will hear a performance by an old-time musician and go on a field trip to local sites of natural and historical interest.
The camp, sponsored in part by the Jackson County Arts Council, will culminate with a day of show-and-tell to allow the children to present their activities and creations to their families.
The fee is $90 per child, and daily lunch in a WCU dining hall is included. http://learn.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.
The Waynesville Recreation Center will institute new hours for its water park for the summer.
The water park will open at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays. The slide will not open until 10 a.m. due to swim lessons.
828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The new dog park in Franklin will open at 10 a.m. June 9. The park, sponsored by the Friends of the Greenway, is adjacent to Big Bear Park on the Greenway in Franklin.
Officials of the city and county and other guests are expected to attend the brief ceremony.
In late April, the public was invited to submit names to the Friends of the Greenway to consider for the new facility. The name of the dog park will be announced at the ceremony.
The new fenced park has been open for several weeks while finishing touches are being added. Two benches for dog owners are being installed, and eventually, the group hopes to add more benches and canine agility equipment. Dog lovers who want to help with these improvements may donate to the dog park through the Friends of the Greenway.
The dog park has been funded entirely by fund-raising and donations from individuals and groups.
The Friends of the Library are holding a birthday party for the new Jackson County Public Library beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, in the atrium.
Cake and other refreshments will be served during a reception to celebrate the library opening its doors to the public one-year ago.
Then at 7 p.m., guests will be invited to adjourn to the community room for a brief Friends business meeting. Following this, Marvin Cole, the famous Mark Twain impersonator, will entertain the audience. During his impersonation show, Cole regales the audience with Twain’s tales of mankind’s foibles and follies. Guests are asked to bring a gently used book as a “birthday” gift to the library. These books will be transferred to the Friends of the Library Used Book Store to be sold. All profits from the sale of these and other books go to the library for their operating expenses.
Republican group FreedomWorks will host a debate between candidates Mark Meadows and Vance Patterson at 8:30 a.m. June 9 at the Angel Hospital Cafeteria Meeting Room.
Meadows and Patterson are running in a second primary election on July 17 for the 11th U.S. Congressional District. The event will be moderated by Senator Jim Davis and will be broadcast live by station WFSC.
Live table games at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino cleared its final hurdle this week with passage in the N.C. House of Representatives.
Both the Governor and N.C. Senate had already given live table games their blessing, and only lacked approval from the House.
As of press time Tuesday, the exact break down of the final vote in the House was not known, but it did indeed pass. A preliminary vote in the House last week came out 66 in favor and 49 against.
Harrah’s Casino is limited to video-based gambling only. Adding live table games like roulette and poker would attract a new clientele of player, in turn mean more money and jobs flowing through the entire region, according to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The tribe has been lobbying for live table games for years, making its final passage this week a significant milestone. Live table games at Harrah’s could be seen by year’s end.
N.C. Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Mars Hill, tried to introduce a last minute amendment that would curtail the possible reach of live table games. Rapp, who philosophically is opposed to gambling, voted against the bill. In particular, he was disturbed by the prospect of the Eastern Band launching new casino operations, also with live table games and Vegas-style gambling.
Initially, Cherokee would have been permitted to expand to up to four additional new sites. To improve the chances of passage as it headed for a House vote, it was already reduced once to no more than two additional sites. Rapp’s amendment to curtail it further and limit the live table games to only the existing casino failed.
The Shelton House in Waynesville will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with a series of summer lectures and demonstrations this weekend.
The event will start at 7 p.m. June 8 with a commemorative celebration of the Civil War featuring the reenactment troops of the North Carolina 25th Infantry Regiment, the Captain Julius Welch Chapter of the Sons of the Confederacy, and the Order of the Rose.
There will be also a lecture by Jule Morrow, a Civil War reenactor. Morrow has 56 ancestors who fought in the war, all from Haywood County and Western North Carolina except one. His topics for the evening will be the Civil War in Haywood County, Civil War tactics and Civil War weapons.
The fun will continue on Saturday with the Appalachian Lifestyles Festival. Saturday’s schedule at Shelton House is as follows:
• 10 a.m. — Civil War Infantry Drill/Musket Firing
• 11 a.m. — Public demonstrations/Lecture – Civil War Tactics
• 1:30 p.m. — Civil War Fashion Show/Living History
• 2:30 p.m. — Skirmish at Waynesville
• 3:30 p.m. — Lecture – Battle of Waynesville Aftermath
• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Tours with Shelton House docents
• 7 to 10 p.m. — Square/contra dancing on the lawn in front of the barn
A living history camp will be open all day with military and civilian re-enactors present. All events for the weekend are free of charge, but donations are welcome.
The Shelton House is located on Pigeon Street in Waynesville.
828.452.1551.
The Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association will host its annual American Kennel Club dog show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 16 and 17 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds on Crabtree Road in Waynesville.
The event will include conformation, obedience and rally competitions. More than 1,000 pre-registered dogs will compete for best in show each day. The public is invited to view the many breeds that will be competing. However, non-entered dogs should not attend. There will be a small parking fee for visitors but admission is free. Food and concessions will be available for breakfast and lunch, and a variety of dog supply vendors will be on hand.
The Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association is an area kennel club that promotes the enjoyment and sport of purebred dogs. They meet every third Wednesday in each month in both Waynesville and Sylva because of the wide range of membership.
Western Carolina University is offering a two-week program in June designed to help young children maintain the reading and writing skills they have gained during the school year.
“Summer Reading Adventures” is open to students going into the first and second grade. The half-day camp will meet from 8 a.m. until noon Monday through Friday, June 18-29, in Room 141 of WCU’s Cordelia Camp Building.
Through reading aloud, shared writing experiences, a writer’s workshop and small-guided reading groups, the students will learn and practice strategies they need to be effective readers and writers for their next grade level.
Teachers Holly Whisnant and Jeri Hensley from Jackson County’s Fairview Elementary School will provide instruction.
“Studies show that kids tend to regress over the summer, and unfortunately, we’re seeing the effects in the classroom come fall,” Hensley said
The registration fee is $99 per child through June 1 and $125 thereafter. The program is limited to 16 students. A daily snack will be provided, but no lunch.
828.227.7397 or learn.wcu.edu and click on “Camps and programs for kids.”
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the North Carolina Arts Council will celebrate thousands of years of southern Appalachian and Cherokee history at the Cherokee Voices Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 9.
The festival is free and open to the public. It will take place at the museum on Tsali Boulevard in Cherokee.
This year’s festival kicks off the 250th anniversary of the journeys of Englishman Henry Timberlake and Cherokee man Ostenaco, described in “Emissaries of Peace; the 1762 Delegations.” Both men worked together to try and improve relations between the Cherokee people and England.
Walk through the museum’s exhibits, meet Ostenaco and Timberlake in person, and watch the Warriors of AniKituwha presenting the dance that greeted Timberlake. Experience traditional Cherokee dance, music, storytelling, food, 18th century arts and crafts, weapons, and living history.
www.cherokeemuseum.org/events-voices.htm or 828.497.3481.
Haywood County Arts Council will hold International Festival Day in downtown Waynesville on July 21, a new date from previous years.
International Festival Day is the highlight of regional performances by international folk dancers and musicians from Folkmoot USA, which take place July 19-July 29.
On July 21, downtown Waynesville will be teeming with more than 100 artists, craftsmen, and international guests selling a wide range of art and craft. Art lovers can browse booths filled with handcrafted items and even catch a demonstration or two by artisans including flame workers, potters, and woodworkers.
From Russian nesting dolls and Vietnamese embroidery to Seagrove pottery and traditional Appalachian baskets, festival-goers will find treasures at every stop.
The international festivities also include food courts at each end of Main Street featuring a variety of choices including Greek gyros, Asian spring rolls, French crepes, beignets, Caribbean shawarmas, fajitas, and – a North Carolina staple –pulled pork barbeque.
The Passport to the Arts children’s area, located in the United Community Bank parking lot, issues “passports” to expedite “travel” for youngsters to countries like Austria, Togo, Ecuador, and Japan where they create crafts unique to the country. Examples of crafts include rain sticks, abstract inkblots, fiesta Headdresses, finger knitting, origami, and more.
International Festival Day’s scheduled entertainment includes the Celtic rock group, Uncle Hamish and the Hooligans, international dancers and musicians from Folkmoot USA, student performers from the Haywood County Arts Council’s Junior Appalachian Musicians program, the Smoky Mountain Stompers, Honey Holler, Appalachian dance and music, plus more. The lively cultural exchange takes place at staging areas near the old Courthouse and just beyond Town Hall at opposite ends of Main Street. Performers move along the street and present impromptu performances throughout the day.
For more information about International Festival Day and other arts events and programming, visit the Haywood County Arts Council web site at www.haywoodarts.org or call the Arts Council at 828.452.0593. For ticket information about Folkmoot USA performances in Western North Carolina during July, visit the web site at www.folkmootusa.org, call 828.452.2997 or call toll free 1-877-FOLK-USA.
Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award, an honor bestowed annually on one individual and one organization that have played a prominent role in the preservation or interpretation of Southern Appalachian history and culture.
Nominations will be accepted through Monday, June 25.
Letters of nomination should not exceed five pages and should include the full name of the individual or organization being nominated, with a website address if applicable; the mailing address of the nominee; the nominee’s birth date or founding date; a list of the nominee’s accomplishments; a list of awards and other recognitions received by the nominee; information about the nominee’s influence in the relevant field of expertise (such as crafts, music or organizational cause); and information about the nominee’s role as a teacher, advocate, leader or preserver of mountain culture.
The awards are presented at Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s celebration of traditional Appalachian culture that takes place on the last Saturday of each September.
Nominations can be sent via regular mail to Scott Philyaw, director of the Mountain Heritage Center; 151 H.F. Robinson Administration Building; Western Carolina University; Cullowhee, N.C., 28723. Or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Barbara Bates Smith will perform “Ivy Rowe” at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville at 7:30 p.m. June 22-23, with a matinee at 3 p.m. June 23.
“Ivy Rowe” is a play about the passionate life of a spunky mountain woman. It was adapted by Smith from the novel Fair and Tender Ladies by prize-winning North Carolina novelist Lee Smith. Smith has toured with the show for more than 20 years.
Smith’s touring repertoire includes other Lee Smith pieces, plus original monologues “The C-Word: Her Own Cancer Story,” “Confessions of a Clergy Wife” and “Our Own Stories” workshops. Her newest show is “Agate Hill to Appomattox” shows home-front glimpses and varying Civil War perspectives from the works of Lee Smith, Ron Rash and Allan Gurganus. Smith received the Southeastern Theatre Best Actress award for HART’S “Eleemosynary.”
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $6 for students.
www.barbarabatessmith.com or www.harttheatre.com or 828.456.6322.
Comedienne Jeanne Robertson will perform at 7 p.m. June 7 at Lake Junaluska’s Stuart Auditorium as a benefit for United Way of Haywood County.
Robertson is a former Miss North Carolina and was voted Miss Congeniality. She is known for her wholesome and charming comedy. Robertson is 6’2”, has six DVDs, three books, hundreds of hours on satellite radio and more than 15 million YouTube views. She has also received several to honors in her profession, including being named 2001 North Carolinian of the Year.
Tickets will be $30 per person.
www.jeannerobertson.com or www.lakejunaluska.com/just-jeanne or 828.356.2833.
The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its production of “Lost in Yonkers” at 6:30 p.m. June 17-18 at the Performing Arts Center on Pigeon Street in Waynesville.
Wanda Taylor will direct the production and the show will run for two weeks beginning August 17.
“Lost in Yonkers” is considered to be one of Neil Simon’s finest works. It won the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play. It is the story of two young brothers who go to live with their hard-edged grandmother and child-like aunt in the 1940s. The play has roles for two boys, ages 10 to 17, plus their father, aunt and grandmother.
Community theater actors will be given scenes to read from the script. Anyone auditioning as a professional actor is expected to have a headshot, resume and prepared monologue, not necessarily from the play. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production is also encouraged to come by during auditions to sign up. www.harttheatre.com.
Highlands Performing Arts Center will present “Broadway and More” with Glory Crampton at 8 p.m. June 23.
Crampton is a Broadway leading lady and musical theatre veteran. She is best known for her critically acclaimed roles in “The Fantasticks,” “Hello Dolly,” “Camelot, My Fair Lady,” “Carousel,” “Jane Eyre,” “Nine,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Crampton is also an accomplished soprano solo artist who has sung with acclaimed tenor Jose Carreras. Crampton has also performed several times for former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara.
Tickets cost $25.
www.highlandspac.org or 828.526.9047.
The Highlands Biological Foundation will host a basket-weaving workshop and nature lecture on June 14.
Doug Elliott, a local storyteller and naturalist, will lead the Poplar Bark Basket Workshop from 1 to 4 p.m.
Bark baskets have long been a part of traditional Appalachian culture. Attendees are asked to a sharp knife, a pruning saw, a rotary leather punch and pruning shears if they have them. The workshop is open to all ages, but there will be some knife use so an adult should accompany children. Please register in advance; the $35 registration fee includes all materials.
Then, at 7 p.m., Elliott will give a lecture on “Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom: Stories, Songs, and Lore Celebrating the Natural World” at the amphitheatre behind the Highlands Nature Center.
Elliott has performed in front of crowds from Canada to the Caribbean and has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. He was named harmonica champion at Fiddler’s Grove Festival in Union Grove. He has authored five books, produced award-winning recordings of stories and songs, and is occasionally seen on PBS-TV and the History Channel.
The Highlands Biological Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization.
www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.
The Jackson County Visual Arts Association will host the Sylva Art Stroll beginning at 5 p.m. June 8 in downtown Sylva. The reoccurring event will take place on the second Friday of each month.
Merchants will stay open later than 5 p.m. to welcome visitors, shoppers and diners before the Concerts on the Creek event that night. Rafe Hollister will take the stage at Concerts on the Creek at 7:30 p.m.
It’s By Nature, City Lights Cafe, Penumbra, Signature Brew, Survival Pride, and Gallery 1 will feature art exhibitions; and Gallery 1 will offer a free “make-and-take art project.”
Other merchants remaining open later include Peebles Department Store, Lulu’s on Main Restaurant, Dixie’s Emporium & Bistro, Guadalupe Cafe, Hollifield Jewelers, B & B Gifts and Interiors, Jackson’s General Store, Blackrock Outdoor Co., Hooper’s Restaurant, Motion Makers Bicycle, Hooker’s Fly Shop and Guide Service, Livingston’s Photo, Main Street Bakery, Jones Country Store, In Your Ear Music Emporium, Friends of the Library Used Bookstore, The Encore Shoppe, Mill & Main Restaurant, Papou’s Wine Shop, Finders Keepers Gifts and Antiques, Survival Pride Clothing Store and Art Gallery, The 2 Susan’s Gift Shop, Heinzelmannchen Brewery, The Nichols House Antiques and Collectibles, and City Lights Bookstore.
828.337.3468.
High school students and recent graduates have until June 6 to submit their applications for the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts’ summer art portfolio program.
Classes for this program will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 11-29. The program will allow 30 high school students and 2012 graduates to enhance their art skills and prepare a portfolio for college admissions into a fine arts program.
Students will be divided into three groups of 10 and will rotate through printmaking, drawing and sculpture. In each of these areas, students will work with college instructors and generational instructors from Cherokee.
There will be a $50 charge for each student. Payment will be due during the day of registration. Students who need financial support can submit a one-page letter of request with the registration form stating your current situation, future plans and how they think they would benefit from the experience.
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.497.3945.
Highlands Performing Arts Center will perform a two-weekend run of the play “Vincent.” Performances are at 7:30 p.m. June 7-9 and June 14-16 with 2:30 p.m. matinees on June 10 and 17.
Written by Leonard Nimoy, the play is about the life of Vincent Van Gogh based on more than 800 letters he wrote to his brother Theo. The multi-media production features images of Van Gogh’s work.
Ralph Stevens will be staring in the production, directed by Bart Patton. After the performance, the members of the Art League of Highlands will show the audience to an art exhibit. Works of art will be available for purchase with a portion of the sales to benefit the performing arts center.
Tickets are $20.
www.highlandspac.org or 828.526.9047.
The Lorraine Conard Band will play a free concert at 7 p.m. June 14 at the Jackson County Public Library.
Conrad’s songwriting style has been influenced by a mix of artists, from country-fried Americana to folk-tinged blues, and is anchored by rich, earthy vocals. The band members are Conard on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ed Kelly on mandolin and dobro and Greg Kidd on bass.
The Friends of Jackson County Public Library will sponsor this concert.
828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.
Western Carolina University’s 2012 Summer Concert Series will start June 7.
The shows will take place at 7 p.m. each Thursday through June and July on the lawn of the A.K. Hinds University Center. The concerts are free and the audience is invited to bring blankets, chairs and snacks. The rain location is inside the university center.
This year’s acts include:
• June 7, Brandon Kirkley and the Firecrackers, a Charlotte-based rock group.
• June 14, StereoFidelics, a high-energy, indie-funk-shred-rock duo out of Asheville.
• June 21, The Back Pages, a little-bit-of-everything Asheville band that plays folk and southern rock, psychedelic and hard rock classics.
• June 28, Duende Mountain Duo, the Asheville group mixes live instrumentation, computer-based production and DJ-inspired transitions.
828.227.3622 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Haywood County-based band Rafe Hollister will perform in Sylva from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on June 8 as part of Concerts on the Creek.
The five-member band specializes in “mountain rock.”
“We use bluegrass instruments and drums and mix it with rock-and-roll,” said lead singer Sam Brinkley of Maggie Valley. “Our sound is inspired by Doc Watson, Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones. If you mix those three together, that’s kind of what we sound like.”
Concerts on the Creek is a 10-week series of free concerts each Friday at the Bridge Park Pavilion beside Scott Creek in downtown Sylva.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, town of Sylva, and Jackson County Parks and Recreation produce Concerts on the Creek.
800.962.1911 or www.mountainlovers.com.
The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University will open a new exhibit “RE+ constructed” with a reception at 5 p.m. June 7.
The exhibit brings together four artists — Heidi Field-Alvarez of Henrico, Va.; Jeana Eve Kelin of Boone; Carolyn Nelson of Elon; and Jen Swearington of Asheville — who explore the connection between cloth, history and narrative. While their works are technically quilts, they break from the traditional notions of quilt making.
The works in this exhibition represent a variety of materials and processes, including recycled fabric, paint, dye, digital printing and screen-printing, and hand- and machine-stitching. Common among the artists is their manipulation of cloth to tell a story.
“RE+ constructed” will remain on display until Aug. 3.
The WCU Fine Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (and until 7 p.m. Thursdays). Admission and parking are free.
Textile artists and fashion designers working within a 100-mile radius of Asheville are invited to submit entries for Project Handmade, a fashion show dedicated to showcasing contemporary garments made with local materials and traditional handcrafted detail. Entries are due July 15.
The goal is to inspire textile artists to use regional resources and to encourage innovation. The fashion show will be fall 2012 at the Asheville Art Museum.
The show is a joint project of Local Cloth: Farm/Fiber/Fashion Network and the Asheville Art Museum. Local Cloth is a Western North Carolina-based organization that encourages and supports collaboration among textile artists, designers, fiber producers, suppliers and related small businesses.
Entry guidelines and a list of local resources are available online. www.projecthandmade.org or 828.505.2958 or 828.399.1713.
The Bascom, a visual arts center in Highlands, will hold a Family Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 9. The event is free and open to everyone.
The day will include a scavenger hunt, presentations about The Bascom Nature Trail, self-guided birding activities and a performance by the musical group Heed the Warning. Bring a picnic and a blanket and enjoy lunch on the grounds. Light refreshments will be served.
While at The Bascom, visitors can also view the center’s exhibits, including Alex Matisse: Ometto (through Oct. 21); Tim Curtis Suspended (through Aug. 26); Green Art (through July 8); From Mud to Art, Highlands High School Ceramics (through July 8); and Chicks! It’s All Gone to the Birds (through June 17).
The Bascom is open year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
828.787.2898 or www.TheBascom.org.
Haywood Community College and the American Bladesmith Society will hold an “Introduction to Bladesmithing” course from 6-10 p.m. June 18-19 in Building 3300.
The American Bladesmith Society is a nonprofit educational entity striving to preserve the art of the forged blade, tools and other implements. The goal of the course is to provide the beginning student with the knowledge and skills necessary to forge, grind, heat treat and finish a carbon steel blade during the course. Students should acquire the knowledge to finish the blade to the degree that it is ready to apply guard and handle material.
Bill Wiggins will teach the class. The Haywood County resident is treasurer of the American Bladesmith Society.
Cost of the course is $475.
828.565.4244.
Kelly Jewell-Timco will lead a hula hooping class at 4 p.m. June 13 at the Jackson County Public Library.
This event will be a part of the library’s summer activities for children and teens. The instructor will provide hula-hoops for the one-hour class.
Timco is a fitness trainer from Sylva who specializes in hooping. Half of the class time will be spent on waist/core hooping and the other half on “off the body hooping” such as keeping the hoop going around an arm, hand or ankle.
828.586.2016.
Cullowhee Mountain ARTS is gearing up for its Youth Week art workshops for children ages 5 and up from July 2-6.
The week is part of the Cullowhee Mountain ARTS’ first Summer Visual ARTS Series at Western North Carolina. From June 24 to Aug. 5, the organization will offer five-day workshops in painting, printmaking, book arts, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics and digital photography.
The three children’s programs for the week of July 2 are:
• Art Camp for ages 5-8: The “Friendly Monsters and Created Creatures”-themed camp is from 9 a.m. to noon. Young artists will spend the week exploring creatures – real and imagined - from literature, mythology and the imagination. A multitude of materials will be used to bring these “imaginary friends” to life as art objects.
• Art Camp for ages 9-12: From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the older youth will make art from materials that might be considered “unconventional.” They will use drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and collage to explore recycled art. Students will learn how reusing materials is a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly art practice that also produces unique imagery.
• Teen workshops: Teens will be immersed in various disciplines of art. Students will be guided to make images that they can explore and change each day with a different medium: drawing, painting, book making, printmaking, and photography.
Class sizes are limited. Registration and details for all of the workshops can be found on the organization’s website.
The Highlands Nature Center is holding a series of summer nature camps for children from ages 4 to 14 with varying themes. Preregistration is required. For more information go to highlandsbiological.org/nature-center or contact 828.526.2623.
“WOW! – a World of Wonder” is for ages 4 to 6 and will be held from 10 a.m. to noon from June 5 to 8, from July 10 to 13 and from Aug. 7 to 10 for $55 per child. Children will learn nature games, hike, search for critters, and explore ponds and streams.
“Amazing Animals” is for ages 7 to 10 and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from June 12 to 15 and from July 17 to 20 for $85 per child. Children will study different animal groups through hands-on activities and field observations.
“NatureWorks” is for ages 8 to 11 and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from June 26 to 29 and from July 31 to Aug. 3 for $85 per child. Children will learn about the workings of Mother Nature through various interactive games and activities.
“Junior Ecologists” is for ages 11 to 14 and will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 19 to 22 for $120 per child. Children will discover what field biologists do as they conduct real science, both at the biological station and at various off-site locations in the Nantahala National Forest. They will study stream life, assess forest habitats, collect insects, examine salamander communities, perform bird counts, and inventory small mammals.
“Mountain Explorers” is for ages 10 to 13 and will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 24 to 27 for $120 per child. Students will travel off the beaten path to go on all-day hikes to a variety of off-site locations in the Nantahala National Forest. The group will observe nature and wildlife, keep field journals, learn to read maps, learn to use a compass and develop teamwork skills through trail activities.
Friends of the Smokies met a challenge grant from the Aslan Foundation of Knoxville to raise $4 million for the Trails Forever endowment.
A small group of donors hiked the Forney Ridge Trail with the Trails Forever crew and volunteers to experience the results of this major trail reconstruction program. Nearly 1,000 donors from 37 states have contributed to the endowment so far.
A half-million dollars in gifts and pledges from the friends and family of Knoxville wellness advocate Tom Cronan were instrumental in meeting Aslan’s initial challenge match. Local hikers who make annual donations to Friends of the Smokies in memory of Margaret Stevenson added another $42,000 to the Trails Forever balance.
Since they have finished the reconstruction of Forney Ridge Trail the new priority project will be Chimney Tops Trail.
www.SmokiesTrailsForever.org or www.FriendsOfTheSmokies.org.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is starting a new program beginning this summer to create a Youth Leadership Class of 2016.
Ten students that will graduate from high school in 2016 will be chosen to be a part of the Youth Leadership Class of 2016. These students will participate in a series of educational expeditions and opportunities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that will culminate with the National Park Service centennial in 2016.
The goal is to recruit a diverse group of students who are willing to commit to involvement with the program over the next four years and who have potential for becoming tomorrow’s conservation leaders. The students will commit to one week each summer for an active outdoor learning expedition within the park and be willing to attend additional outings and education opportunities at other times throughout the program. Tremont is looking for program sponsors to cover the annual costs for the students. In addition, each student will be expected to help identify a community sponsor that will fund them for $100 each year. www.gsmit.org or 865.448.6709.
Volunteers are needed to assist Tremont and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by monitoring birds through bird banding on June 14, July 22, July 5, July 25, Aug. 2 and Aug. 8.
Scientists estimate that there are nearly 230 different species of birds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Thirty-four species considered endangered, threatened or of conservation concern have been observed in the park.
The Smokies is considered one of the most important habitats for birds in the Eastern U.S. For the past 12 years, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont has been assisting the park in monitoring these birds through bird banding.
Bird banding sessions typically last 5 to 6 hours beginning with set-up a half hour before sunrise. Participants do not have to attend the entire session. Dress should be weather appropriate and participants should bring snacks, water, and rain gear. Participants should also be prepared for bugs, poison ivy and the occasional stream.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 865.448.6709.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is hosting three free fishing events in early June at its Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week 2012.
“Fly Fishing Skills: Casting for Beginners” will be held at Lake Imaging in DuPont State Forest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2. The class is open to participants 12 and older and is ideal for novice anglers who will learn a variety of casting techniques. All equipment and materials are provided.
“Introduction to Fly Fishing: Lake Fishing” will be held at Lake Julia in DuPont State Forest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 6. Instructors will teach the basics of fly-fishing on the lake and will cover topics such as equipment, knots, casting techniques and aquatic insects. The class is limited to six people and is open to participants 12 and older who have completed the “Introduction to Fly-Fishing” class or have some casting experience with fly rods and reels.
A “Catch and Cook” class will be conducted at the Pisgah Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7. Participants will spend the first part of the class fishing in the Davidson River and finish the class by preparing their catch using some favorite local recipes. The class is open to participants 12 and older.
Pre-registration is required for all three classes, and a $25 pre-registration fee for the two fly-fishing classes is fully refundable upon class attendance. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.877.4423.
The public is invited to the bird-banding project at Tessentee Preserve in Otto at 8 a.m. June 2.
Participants will join Mark Hopey as he captures and bands birds for his long-term migratory bird study. Participants will be hiking a short distance to the bird banding station, so bring water, binoculars if you have them, and wear closed toe shoes. Beginning birders and children are welcome and can stay as long as they want. A carpool will be available from Highlands at the Town Hall parking lot at 7:30 a.m.
This field trip is a follow-up to biologist Mark Hopey’s lecture about this environmentally-important project which is scheduled for Friday, June 1 at the Bascom Museum in Highlands at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. 828.369.2261 or www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.
The Dillsboro River Company will offer free unguided rafting trips down the Tuckaseegee River from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 3.
Participants only have to donate 10 cans of food per person. The food will be donated to United Christian Ministries of Jackson County. The ‘Tuck” averages at about 70 degrees and offers Class II rapids, which is mild moving water.
The minimum weight requirement for rafting is 40 pounds for kids at least 4 years of age. 866.586.3797.
The Jackson County Golf Club has planned its summer schedule, which will include rounds at Mill Creek, Sequoyah National, Bear Lake, and Smoky Mountain.
Members of the club will be able to play each of these courses at a reduced rate. The club has about 60 members, however there are usually about 20 to 30 participants on Mondays. The membership dues is $45 and it includes a membership in the Carolinas Golf Association that maintains handicaps for players and provides other useful information, and membership to the Jackson County Golf Club. The club plays every Monday, weather permitting, and holds a golf tournament once a month on the fourth Saturday of the month.
828.631.0683, 828.399.0030, or www.jacksoncountygolf.com.
Western Carolina University is offering an online course beginning June 1 on topics related to surviving accidents and dangerous encounters in the wilderness.
The 10-hour course “Wilderness and Disaster Emergencies” will cover topics such as animal dangers, environmental dangers, natural and man-made disasters, and other miscellaneous survival information. This course is designed to benefit volunteer emergency service personnel, hiking clubs, scout groups and anyone else who spends time in the woods.
Instructor David E. Bradley has more than 20 years of experience in teaching survival and physical training subjects to civilian and military groups.
Course fee is $49. To register, visit learn.wcu.edu and click on “conferences and community classes.” 828.227.7397.
The Cradle of Forestry will hold a nature and educational series titled “Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club” from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Thursday this summer from June 7 to Aug. 2.
The Curiosity Club allows kids ages 4 to 7 to participate in a variety of outdoor-oriented activities. The children and their parents will explore a forest-related theme that engages young children in the natural world around them. This blend of investigation and creativity will help children “lend a hand, care for the land,” which is the mission of Woodsy Owl.
Each child will receive a copy of the book, Woodsy Owl’s ABC’s, and will make a topic-related craft to take home. Children can try the scavenger hunt inside the Forest Discovery Center and explore paved interpretive trails, perfect for strollers and wheelchairs. Children can also visit the Adventure Zone, designed for children with autism, as well as historic cabins, antique logging locomotive and sawmill, and gift shop. Families can bring a picnic and spend the day in the forest.
The Cradle of Forestry is located on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest. Each child costs $4 and adults are $2.50 for each program. 828.877.3130 www.cradleofforestry.org.
Robert Coleman won the Kids in the Creek T-shirt design competition and will have his design printed on 785 T-shirts for Kids in the Creek.
Robert is an eighth-grader at Haywood Middle Academy. Andrew Woody from Bethel Middle School was the runner-up for the competition.
This year was the second year Haywood Waterways Association offered the competition to students who participated in Kids in the Creek. The program has educated thousands of students in Haywood County since 1997. Every September, students, teachers, and volunteers meet at the Canton Recreation Park to learn about the water resources in their county. They learn about watershed hydrology, collect fish and aquatic bugs, and have an experience they will never forget.
This year’s Kids in the Creek students will be invited to enter the contest to produce next year’s winning design.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.631.2823.
The Franklin Open Forum will discuss “Is alternative energy a viable alternative?” at 7 p.m. on June 6 at the Rathskeller Coffee House and Pub in downtown Franklin.
The Franklin Open Forum is a moderated discussion group that meets on the first Wednesday of every month at the Rathskeller. Everyone that wishes to participate in this exchange of ideas is invited to attend the discussion. 828.349.0598.
Mast General Store and the Appalachians Highlands Conservancy will celebrate Land Trust Day on June 2 by encouraging customers to become members of the conservancy.
Representatives from the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will be on hand at the Mast Stores in Waynesville to share with guests the activities they are undertaking to conserve the open spaces in the region. Mast will donate 20 percent of sales on that Saturday to the conservancy.
This is the 10th year Land Trust Day has been held at Mast Store.
View the transit of Venus from 5:30 p.m. until sunset Tuesday, June 5, behind the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library.
The transit of Venus is when the planet Venus passes directly between the earth and the sun. This is seen as a small black dot traveling slowly across the sun’s disk.
The actual transit begins at 6:04 p.m. and will last until the sun disappears behind the horizon. This viewing event is weather dependent.
828.743.0215.
Ron Rash, Charles Frazier and Wayne Caldwell will be among a group of southern writers to speak at the Summer Authors Speakers Series in the Manheimer Room at UNC-Asheville’s Reuter Center. The sessions are from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays, starting July 1 and are open to the public, free of charge.
• Tommy Hays begins the series with a talk on July 1. Hays is best known for his acclaimed novels, In the Family Way and The Pleasure Was Mine.
• Charles Frazier, a Western North Carolina native who gained fame with his novel Cold Mountain, will speak on July 8. Cold Mountain won the National Book Award for Fiction and was adapted into an award-winning, critically acclaimed film. His subsequent novels Thirteen Moons and Nightwoods are also set in the Appalachian Mountains.
• Wayne Caldwell, also a native of Asheville, will speak on July 15. His novel Cataloochee is part of a post-Civil War saga followed by Requiem by Fire, which chronicles a close-knit mountain village’s fight to keep its land.
• Ron Rash, whose novel Serena is being adapted for film, will speak on July 22. Serena was a 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award finalist. His latest novel is The Cove.
• Erica Abrams Locklear, who focuses on Appalachian women and literacy, will speak on July 29. Locklear is the author of Negotiating a Perilous Empowerment: Appalachian Women’s Literacies.
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.251.6140.
UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program is offering “A Feast of Memories,” a course in Waynesville that will help local writers hone their skills in poetry and prose. The event will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. June 5, 12, 19, 26, and July 10 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.
Classes are open to all interested writers, but class size is limited. Jennifer McGaha, will lead participants through an exploration of food memories. McGaha is a nonfiction editor for the Pisgah Review. Her work has appeared in Blue Mesa, The North Carolina Literary Review, New Southerner, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine and the Portland Review.
The course qualifies for one UNC Asheville credit hour in literature and language. UNC Asheville tuition and fees apply.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.250.2353.
Folkmoot USA has changed the date of its popular International Festival Day celebration to July 21. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in historic downtown Waynesville.
More than 100 artists, craftsmen and international guests will be selling a wide range of arts and crafts, from Russian nesting dolls and Vietnamese embroidery to Seagrove pottery and traditional Appalachian baskets. There will be food from several cultures at each end of Main Street including Greek gyros, Asian spring rolls, French crepes, beignets, Caribbean Shawarmas, Fajitas and pulled pork barbeque.
A children’s area will be located in the United Community Bank parking lot. They will be issued fake passports to expedite travel to countries like Austria, Togo, Ecuador and Japan.
The scheduled entertainment will include the Celtic Rock group, Uncle Hamish and the Hooligans, as well as international dancers and musicians from Folkmoot USA, student performers from the Haywood County Arts Council’s Junior Appalachian Musicians program, the Smoky Mountain Stompers, Honey Holler, and Appalachian dance and music.
www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.
