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The outdoor drama “The Legend of Tommy Hodges” will hit the stage at 6:30 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. Oct. 24-25 at the Cradle of Forestry.
More than 600 photographs will be featured in a two-part exhibition titled “David Raymond’s Other People’s Pictures” and “Eric Oglander: Craigslist Mirrors” that will run Oct. 30-Jan. 9 in the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.
The 10th annual WNC Pottery Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in downtown Dillsboro.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will host a fireworks benefit with Soldier’s Heart and the 96.5 House Band from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
Two-time banjo champion Mary Z. Cox will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Albert Carlton – Cashiers Community Library
To the Editor:
What kind of country is ours? That’s more than an idle question to a foreign-born gentleman who is studying with my help for his citizenship test.
The textbook he was issued calls the United States a “democratic republic.” That’s what I thought too, and have been coaching him to say. But what if it’s not true? Are we becoming — or are we already — an oligarchy?
To the Editor:
Speaking at the U.N. Climate Change Summit last month, our esteemed president made the following statement. Climate change is an issue “that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other.” Being a flat-earther, I don’t really understand exactly what that means but I do know this. If he said it, I don’t believe it. Since they were not represented at the summit, apparently Russia, India and Canada don’t care what he meant. They have learned these meetings are useless and the UN is toothless.
While we continue to wait for the catastrophes promised to have occurred by now, perhaps Mr. President might consider other issues that might define the contours of this century. Like radical Islam. Like uncontrolled deadly viruses. Like the economic armageddon staring us in the face. Like the fact that his own Secret Service can’t keep evildoers out of the corridors of his home.
When he convinces Russia, China, India and all the other counties that are busy growing their economies to take climate change seriously, that will be when hell freezes over.
Don Swanson
Franklin
To the Editor:
When someone you love has a sudden onset of an acute illness, there are numerous fears to deal with. On Friday, Oct. 10, my husband required transport to Mission Hospital. There is no need to recount the long hours of wait before it became obvious this was the course to take. We left late at night arriving at Mission just before midnight.
I cannot say enough about Haywood County EMS and the care David Roberts and Mark Bleckly gave my husband and the gentle assurances they gave me. They were professional and imparted the right degree of lightheartedness to me when I’m sure they could see I was close to tears. I don’t often drive at night, particularly at “ambulance speed” down I-40. I stayed right behind them with every confidence they would get us all there safely. I’m sure all the EMS crews are as good, but these were my guys. My husband is home now and will be fine in the very near future.
In the past week I’ve had lots of time to think. We have lived in Haywood County for more than 30 years and are year-round residents who have been actively involved all that time. This is our home. We know what a struggle it is come budget time for people to agree on spending money in vital areas such as the safety and wellbeing of our citizens. We hear every year about the fear of raising taxes. Department heads should not have to beg for the resources they need to allow their staffs to do the difficult and vital work that is so important for excellent quality of life.
Again, our heartfelt thanks to EMS Director Jim Pressley and my guys, David Roberts and Mark Bleckley. We love you.
Sarah Sherman
Bethel
To the Editor:
Overall quality of life in North Carolina has drastically deteriorated during the past four years due to Republican driven legislative policies.
Our public education system is struggling to meet the needs of our children in overcrowded classrooms, with too few and outdated textbooks.Our Republican governor and state legislature rejected Medicare, denying coverage to 500,000 North Carolinians. Hospitals are strapped financially and burdened trying to care for uninsured sick people.
Our tax burden has shifted to average citizens. One example is the increased tax on admission to all forms of entertainment. The number of days allowed for early voting has been reduced. Other measures have been enacted restricting citizens’ democratic voting rights.
State and local government offices are operating with greatly reduced staffs. The Macon County staff issuing drivers licenses has dropped from five to two workers. All this is happening while the population of Macon County continues to grow.
Republican controlled state government has passed legislation declaring local environmental ordinances null and void. State law, co-sponsored by Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, allows fracking for gas anywhere in North Carolina.
Considering what Republicans have done in the last four years, can North Carolina’s citizens afford to suffer under another two years of Republican dominated government? Do we really want big government using our tax dollars supporting unaccredited, religious schools, increasing taxes for average citizens while giving tax breaks to the wealthy, overriding local environmental ordinances and restricting our democratic voting rights?
The list goes on and on. We the people still have a voice and a choice. Exercise your constitutional right in our democracy. Go to the polls and cast your vote for change.
Margery Abel
Franklin
To the Editor:
How fortunate we are in Haywood County to have three county commissioners running for reelection, commissioners who through the years have demonstrated such firm and forward-looking commitment to our county — Kirk Kirkpatrick, Mike Sorrells, and Bill Upton.
The most Denny King, perpetual candidate and combatant, can find to fault then for is not paying off our construction loans fast enough. True, such action would lessen the interest we pay, but what citizens accelerate their mortgage payments if that means no money left for their children’s college tuition, their school clothes, or even the utilities. Furthermore, King’s use of per capita figures supplied by the John Locke Society, a puppet of the Koch brothers, reflects a carelessness of judgment as these figures omit the taxes paid by out-of-state/county second-home owners.
Would we want as a county commissioner someone who embraces statistics whose validity he admits he is unsure of? The answer is a categorical no.
Lynda Self
Waynesville
To the Editor:
I am writing to you on behalf of my good friend and mentor, Jim Moore. He is running for district attorney here in the 30th District and I would like to tell you why I believe that he is the best candidate for the job. Jim is an excellent and experienced prosecutor who truly cares about the people of this district. He spends countless hours talking to citizens all across the district and listening to their concerns.
After having worked with him for over a year and a half, I can say without reservation that he is the person this district needs at the helm of its criminal prosecutions. Jim’s prosecuting philosophy is firm but fair, and he has a strong grasp of the changing needs of this district. With that in mind, I hope that on Nov. 4 everyone will make the best choice for the 30th District and vote Jim Moore for district attorney.
Jennifer N. Stevens
Boone
(Former domestic violence prosecutor in 30th Judicial District)
To the Editor:
The letter on Oct. 15 from my friend in Franklin titled, “Why doesn’t the GOP protect our property rights?” is a bit ludicrous in that the GOP has stood over the years for the right of citizens to own, use and accumulate property to support their families and insure the payment of college expenses for dependents.
My friend is like many who have developed an affinity for the word fracking without researching this topic with any objectivity.
No person or governmental entity can require any private landowner to submit to fracking, drilling, mining or any disturbance of the land. Where my friend gets this idea is alien to me. This concept of extracting gas from the shale has been in these United States for more than 40 years and there have only been a very few incidents below ground and these were remedied by the requirement that the responsible party pursuant to a large posted guaranteed bond make whole the contracted landowner.
Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, lives among us and is as concerned about our environment as the letter write. I suggest that my friend quit yelling fire in the theater and work to unsure the inclusion of a large bond in all such drilling contracts. And need I remind the Franklin alarmist that Western North Carolina, according to geological reports, has no or a pittance of shale. I tell Mr. Stenger to check the facts before frightening a populace that just might believe a bit of his spilled ink.
K.G. Watson
Maggie Valley
To the Editor:
The Republican Party in North Carolina has repeated, time after time, that the public schools were broken. Since they have taken over the Legislature they have tried to make this come true.
They have not succeeded. Franklin High School has been rated in the top 30 percent of high schools in the nation. This honor can be attributed to Macon County Commissioners and the board of education. The school administration, all the teachers from kindergarten through the high school who have provided the education, and the parents, who have expected the students to get a good education, have made it happen.
In the last four years the North Carolina Legislature has cut $500 million from the education budget. They have cut teachers, teacher assistants, funds for higher education, funds for classroom supplies, textbooks and school transportation. Even worse, they have shown contempt for the schools and school employees.
This year they have given some teachers a raise. Some of the best teachers got very little or nothing. Last year, when money was available for a raise, the legislature chose to cut taxes for the millionaires and corporations.
This year, the Legislature set aside $10 million for school vouchers. Even after Judge Hobgood had declared the law unconstitutional, they went ahead and have distributed $1.1 million to private schools so far. Practically all of these schools are religious but not all are Christian. Many of the vouchers went to Islamic schools who are teaching the Koran, some in Arabic.
We will be voting for members of the Legislature on Nov. 4. We need to make sure those who supported and voted for these measures can stay home and think about their mistakes.
Clayton Ramsey
Franklin
To the Editor:
I am no Paul Revere, but like him I am providing warning that we are threatened. The real and present danger is disguised as our congressman. It is imperative that our present congressman, Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, be voted out of office.
This past year he teamed with other congressmen to shut down the federal government. He could not have cared less who got hurt. What was most important to him was making a political statement. His pay never stopped, but thousands were not allowed to go to work as long as the government was shutdown.
Virtually all of the other misguided and self-centered members of Congress who shut the government down came to their senses after they saw the devastating effect of their political grandstanding, but not our congressman. He voted to keep the government shut down. His weapon was fear, and his motive was to injure enough people so that the masses would become afraid enough to adopt his program.
That makes him more dangerous than a terrorist because a terrorist can hurt or injure a limited number of people. Our congressman is willing to injure the entire nation. He is a danger and must be defeated. This nation depends on it.
Steven E. Philo
Franklin
To the Editor:
Beam me up Scotty if you have heard of any big oil or gas companies prowling the western part of North Carolina trying to get people signed up to allow drilling for oil or gas on their property.
With all of the letters on the dangers of fracking you would think that the oil rigs had already been put down and were ready to start drilling. Notice, there is no shale rock in our area and there are no guys running around trying to entice people to allow drilling in the western part of our state. If there was oil in these hills the wells would have been here long ago.
This year our teachers got raises and they will get more raises as the state’s economy improves and more people find jobs. The North Carolina economy is slowly recovering. Asheville has such low unemployment that the Feds are coming to Asheville to find out why things are so good. WCU will soon be getting an engineering college added to its Asheville campus. That is a gigantic addition to the college. You can thank Sen. Tom Apodoca. R-Hendersonville, and the local Republican elected officials as well as Gov. McCrory for that new addition. Gov. McCrory is spending a lot of time in Western N.C. helping out with a lot of things including fixing up Interstate mess on I-26 in Asheville. The Governor also spends time in Cullowhee at WCU trying to help out there at the colleges as well as Southwestern Community College.
This election is about improving the economy in our state. Saving the Evergreen paper mill in Canton was a big deal for the 1,000-plus people who work there. We now have an abundant supply of cheap natural gas in the United States which can replace all of the old coal-fired furnaces in America like the ones at the Evergreen Plant. Converting the coal furnaces at the plant will employ a lot of people in the area and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent. You can thank Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and other Republicans for keeping this issue alive for the people in the Canton area who work at the plant.
On Nov. 4 we must elect people who can focus on running a cost-efficient government and making sure the local and state government officials are doing their best to serve the people in North Carolina. Under Gov. McCrory the number of unemployed people in our state is down to about 300,000. In just two years the Republicans have made a lot of progress in restoring the economy in Western North Carolina. Welfare and food stamps must be replaced with good jobs for all of those willing to work. North Carolina can again become the number one state in the South.
Remember we must reelect our Republican officials in November if we want to keep North Carolina moving forward into 2015.
Jim Mueller
Glenville
To the Editor:
From many perspectives, North Carolina is in big trouble.
Rather than governing to provide the best direction for all citizens, as our legislators are charged, some of our elected officials appear to be pursuing personal agendas aimed at serving a few rather than acting to benefit the majority.
A good dose of common sense, coupled with an honest and sincere desire to address the needs of all, fairly and equitably, is a prescription that could begin the healing process for our ailing economy, our critically ill education system, and mend the faltering health system. Concerns for the environment, particularly in the proposed fracking debate, could benefit, as well.
Jane Hipps, Democratic candidate for the North Carolina Senate District 50, knows right from wrong and isn’t afraid to support her convictions. She speaks with volume, conviction and decisiveness, based on in-depth research and questioning before she speaks. She can be tough when she needs to be.
Jane holds n indebtedness to special interest groups. She is accountable only to her constituents and will fiercely guard and protect Western North Carolina.
Well-equipped with knowledge and experience to treat North Carolina’s ills, she was employed, before retirement, in public education for 38 years as a teacher, counselor and curriculum advisor. She earned three master’s degrees during her educational journey: school psychology from Western Carolina University; master of science in nursing from Vanderbilt University (earned after retirement from education); and school counseling from UNC-Chapel Hill. An experienced business owner, she currently manages a farm.
My support is unconditionally for Jane Hipps, a former colleague. Let’s not let others speak for us. We need to flood the polls in November and elect a mountain girl for mountain people.
Edie Burnette
Canton
To the Editor:
On Tuesday night, Oct. 7, I along with many property owners attended the presentation of the “Cullowhee Plan” for restricting our property use. There were concerns voiced and questions asked. The main point that emerged was that, because the county has already allowed mega apartment complexes to be built without restrictions, to remedy this they will restrict individual homeowners and landowners.
Although it seems to me they are punishing the majority for the actions of a few, the most disturbing fact that emerged was that the home and landowners will not be allowed to vote for this issue, but the planning board (whose members are not elected) would recommend and the county commissioners would approve.
Although I believe this is fundamentally wrong, we do have the opportunity to vote for some of the county commissioners in November. I am asking The Smoky Mountain News and The Sylva Herald to interview the commissioner candidates as to their stance on these restrictions to our property and publish the results so we may have a chance to vote for them based on their reply.
Mary Jo Jones
Cullowhee
To the Editor:
“Tis a puzzlement.” How can any elected representative currently in office perpetually insist on being proud while consistently voting against the needs and wishes of the people represented? Who can be proud of a vote to contaminate the very ground, air and water that benefits all of our state? At best these views display incompetence or perhaps a desire to convey willful misinformation.
I’d like to believe that our representative to the General Assembly, Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, is more altruistic than evidenced. I’d also like to think that racial bias, misogyny, or any other demeaning attitude toward our people, does not enter into votes that affect our land, our people or our children’s future (whose education is a whole other subject). I would like to.
However, the repetitiously stated pride in these votes does not support that hope.
I’ve too often seen the supercilious attitude displayed that gives lie to the verbal statements of proud, moral, religion and patriotism. Somehow, I think these overt displays of insensitivity and outright hypocrisy will leave our legislator to be eternally “knock, knock, knockin’ on Heaven’s door!”
Shirl Ches
Franklin
To the Editor:
Suppose we turn history upside down, we might have heard the following from famous and infamous people:
Noah: “It’s not going to rain.”
French King Louis XVI: “They’ll never get the guillotine to work.”
George Armstrong Custer: “There aren’t any Indians out there.”
In modern times, some equally preposterous lies have been said, but these are real:
Chicago Tribune (after the 1948 election for president): “Dewey Wins!”
Lyndon Johnson (1964): “We are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves.”
George Bush (2005): “Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of yellowcake uranium from Africa.”
Now, in this current election, a local politician running for the N.C. House was heard to say something equally strange and out of touch.
Mike Clampitt: “Fracking is not an issue in this election.”
Seriously. He said that. That statement might be true if Clampitt were running for a House seat on Mars, but not the 119th District in the N.C. Legislature. It could easily be argued that fracking is the dominant issue in the November election. Look at the signs on the side of road. Listen to the political debates. Read the letters in the newspapers. Watch the public protests. Check out all the communities — seven and counting in the 119th District — that have voted their objection to fracking our mountains.
If Clampitt can say that fracking is not an issue here, he can say anything. Don’t be surprised if he does.
Rick Bryson
Bryson City
To the Editor:
Two weekends ago I went to the district attorney debate in Canton at the Colonial Theater. The debate was between Democrat incumbent assistant district attorney Jim Moore and Republican challenger assistant district attorney Ashley Welch.
At the door I was told that I could ask a question to either candidate. I wrote a very serious question for DA Moore. Although the debate ended about an hour early and most of the questions were not very revealing, my question was never asked.
My question to Moore was as follows: In a recent liberal newspaper, Moore was criticized for “forgetting” a warrant in a capital crime case for two months during his term as ADA. Why Moore did you allow this error, and if re-elected what would you do to prevent it from happening again? I would be very happy if Moore could answer this question.
A.J. Braswell
Franklin
To the Editor:
I was just thumbing back through recent issues of SMN and read your piece about supporting local newspapers. It reminded me of a conversation I had earlier this year as a group of us planned getting the word out about an event. We brought up putting notices in The Smoky Mountain News and the Macon County News. One person in the group, a retired professional from Atlanta, said of the free papers, “Nobody reads those!” The rest of us were bug-eyed and responded “Everybody reads those!”
I have shared his comments with others because his comment seemed so contrary to what I have observed. Everyone seems to agree with the group. We are so glad to have our local papers. We read them.
I get my national news from the Wall Street Journal and TV news, but my life is here in Macon County, and I want to know what is happening here where I live.
You also mentioned something about not wanting communities to look alike. My husband and I are road-trippers, and we are often struck by how many places now look the same. Pull off the interstate at a busy interchange, and you could be almost anywhere in the U.S. Sad. We’d like to see some indication of the local culture, style, foods, etc., but it’s getting harder to find such when traveling.
Valerie Niskanen
Otto
With elections nearing, some groups are already making plans for how to cast their ballot.
In Sylva, a group will descend on the polls for the first day of early voting, 10 a.m. Oct. 23. The gathering is organized by the Jackson County Branch of the NAACP and co-sponsored by a handful of left-leaning organizations. They will meet at the fountain outside the Jackson County Public Library and walk 2 miles to the Board of Elections Office. 828.226.4526 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
In Canton, the Haywood County NAACP will hold a march to the polls, 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. The group will meet at Harris Chapel AME Zion on 26 Prospect St. and walk two blocks to the Canton Public Library. Those who cannot walk can meet at the library at 10:30 a.m. The group will wait at the library while everybody votes and then return to Harris Chapel for a general meeting at noon.
Folkmoot USA got some cash toward its expansion of education programs with a $25,000 donation from Wells Fargo & Company.
Folkmoot is an international folk festival held yearly in Waynesville and surrounding communities since 1984. The two-week event has featured about 200 groups from 100 countries in its 30-year history but is looking to begin offering year-round programming.
“Wells Fargo’s generous gift shows their long-term commitment to diversity through educational arts programming, specifically to the Folkmoot Festival and what it provides to young people and families in rural Western North Carolina communities. We are so thankful for their support,” said Karen Babcock, Folkmoot USA’s executive director.
A panel of Western Carolina University faculty members, including an environmental health professor who has studied the spread and control of infectious agents such as Ebola for more than two decades, will take part in a discussion about the virus on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Part of WCU’s Global Spotlight Series, the event will be held in the auditorium of the Forsyth Building from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Western North Carolina won big in the newest round of grants from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The fund, whose goal is to conserve environmentally important land and waterways, gave out $12.7 million total to fund 38 projects state-wide.
Tuckaseegee Fly Shop, a new Bryson City business offering the town’s only full service fly shop, will hold its grand opening 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17.
The event will include a ribbon cutting, reception and chance to meet the new owners, with plans to continue the party later at Nantahala Brewing Company. The new fly shop is located at 3 Depot St.
828.488.3333 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.tuckflyshop.com.
Three lakes in Jackson County will go without trout stocking this fall due to low water levels stemming from maintenance work.
Duke Energy owns Bear, Wolf Creek and Tanassee lakes, and the maintenance being performed on the dams will draw down the water too much to support stocking. However, normal stockings will resume once work is completed in the spring.
Other trout waters in Jackson County that will be stocked include Balsam Lake and the delayed harvest section of the Tuckasegee River.
www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/Trout/TroutFishing.aspx
It looks like 2014 will go into the history books as “The Year of the Acorn,” according to Friends of the Smokies.
The U.S. Forest Service is holding the next round of public meetings on the Forest Management Plan for Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.
Swain Middle School students in the New Century Scholars Program and the afterschool program volunteered to help remove over 45 pounds of litter outside Swain Middle School and High School during the Big Sweep event, a statewide blitz each fall to purge local waterways of trash that is not only unsightly but can harm wildlife and aquatic ecology.
Black Balsam Road is now open, restoring access to a popular trailhead and jumping off point for the Shining Rock Wilderness in Haywood County.
The road, which branches off of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 420 and is the starting point for a number of popular hikes, had been closed since Sept. 2 for resurfacing. Hikers used to the potholed access that used to be there now have a much smoother ride toward the any of the many trails branching off from the area.
The Jackson County Arts Council announces its grant recipients for the 2014-15 Grassroots Grants. The arts council is a Designated County Partner of the North Carolina Arts Council, from which the Grassroots grants are funded. The JCAC received $12,254 from the North Carolina Arts Council and $9,201 from Jackson County. They also receive funding from membership donations and fundraising efforts.
This year’s Grassroots Grant recipients include Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild, WNC Pottery Festival, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Western Carolina Community Chorus, Western Carolina Civic Orchestra, Farmers Market Family Art Days, WCU Youth Art Spring Display, Dillsboro Merchants Association – ColorFest, Town of Sylva 125 Founders Day Celebration, Junior Appalachian Musicians, Smoky Mountain High School, Jackson County Library for Copper Workshop, Jackson County Schools, Cullowhee Mountain Arts, Jackson County Visual Arts Association.
Grassroots Grants are awarded to local nonprofit agencies in Jackson County who produce programs of arts, culture or historic merit and who demonstrate financial and administrative stability. The purpose of Grassroots Grants is to recognize and support exemplary forms of artistic expression, both contemporary and traditional, visual arts, performing arts, literature, media and folk arts.
ColorFest, the annual art and craft festival in Dillsboro, had around 4,000 attendees at this year’s event, which was held on Oct. 4.
With funds donated by Champion Credit Union, the Dillsboro Merchant’s Association was able to provide the cash prizes awarded to the winning artists.
The winners included:
• Best in Show — Cory Houston Plott, pottery turned on manual wheel in parts with applied design and glazed with traditional wood ash glaze.
• First Place Fine Art — Char Avrunin, encaustic and oil portrait using traditional old master techniques in the portrait on a contemporary abstract background done with layers of wax mixed with oil paint.
• Second Place Fine Art — David Vanderlaan, giclee on wrapped canvas of multiple photos of dead trees PhotoShop manipulated into a design.
• Third Place Fine Art — Jack Stern, oil painting of local landscape on canvas.
• First Place Craft — Martha Kelly, embroidery and quilted nativity with silk border.
• Second Place Craft — Joan Stocker, loom beaded face with fringe.
• Third Place Craft — Lou Ball, wood carving of gorilla.
• Honorable Mentions Fine Art — Doreyl Ammons Cain, acrylic painting; Tara Miller, encaustic and mixed media.
• Honorable Mentions Crafts — Susan Coe, pottery; Johanna Ohly, raku vase with carved leaves; Becca Irwin, cobalt blue vase with lid and crystalline glaze; Jane Payne, beaded and stone collar necklace.
The fall production of Bram Stoker’s classic “Dracula” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and 27 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.
The stage adaptation is closely based on the original, presenting the frightening story that made this a horror classic. The mysterious Count Dracula first meets with real estate agent Jonathan Harker at creepy Castle Dracula in Transylvania. Dracula then goes to England where he is living on a large estate next to an insane asylum run by the incredibly naive Dr. Seward.
The others that make up the cast of this thriller include Professor Van Helsing, who must convince Dr. Seward that Count Dracula is a vampire; Renfield, a fly-eating lunatic who serves the Count; beautiful Lucy Westenra, who has an uncanny resemblance to a girl Count Dracula loved over 100 years ago; female vampires, and many more.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students ages 6 to 18, and those under age 6 are admitted free.
828.488.8227.
The Apple Harvest Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in downtown Waynesville.
The one-day festival has grown into the region’s premier juried arts and crafts event and celebration of all things apple. This year’s festival will feature 175 exhibitors, live entertainment and great food amid more than 40,000 festival attendees strolling the street.
Live performers will include:
• 10:30 a.m. — Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition
• 11:15 a.m. — Green Valley Cloggers
• 11:30 a.m. — Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition
• 12:15 p.m. — Green Valley Cloggers
• 1 p.m. — Simple Folk
• 2 p.m. — Southern Appalachian Cloggers
• 2:15 p.m. — Simple Folk
• 3:15 p.m. — Southern Appalachian Cloggers
• 3:30 p.m. — Whitewater Bluegrass
www.haywoodapplefest.com.
“Sid the Science Kid LIVE: Let’s Play!,” a stage production of the popular PBS Kids television show, will hit the stage at 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Soft rock megastars Air Supply will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
The Haywood Community Band will perform a concert of popular music evoking the heart of America at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, in Maggie Valley’s Community Pavilion.
The Catamount spirit will sweep Jackson County for Western Carolina University’s homecoming weekend, including a community pep rally and parade in downtown Sylva.
The Haywood Art Studio Tour will be from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 25-26.
To the Editor:
When I read letters to the editor demanding more government spending, it is clear many do not understand what they are asking for. It is a relief to live where the legislature has balanced the budget and lowered taxes. That takes courage, as there will always be those who insist their own area of interest was unfairly ‘attacked’ in the process of bringing spending under control.
This year the legislature passed a large raise for teachers, yet we see some sneering about it. Those wanting more money for teachers should understand that it will come as the state economy improves. That comes by making the state competitive in drawing and keeping businesses. When people have jobs, when businesses are thriving, revenue to the state grows. In spite of an economy just beginning to improve, the legislature made raises for teachers a priority. Remember, it is the previous governor who cut teacher’s pay.
Those who think Medicaid expansion is good are listening to the wrong people. It does not mean a cash bonanza for the state! Ask your doctor what the reimbursement rate is for seeing Medicaid patients and compare it to what you or your insurance company pays. Ask yourself if a growing bureaucracy means quality healthcare, and ask if encouraging more people to depend on the government is better than healthcare provided through a growing economy. We all want to help the needy, but it is kinder and more cost effective to do it without the federal government.
These are some of reasons I support state Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, for reelection. Ask yourself if some of the statements printed in letters supporting his opponent could possibly be true. Her website even says the General Assembly has “stolen from the poor and given to the rich.” Please don’t fall for such wild nonsense. Let’s keep North Carolina on the road to an improved economy.
Valerie Niskanen
Otto
To the Editor:
Republican leaders like Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, Rep. Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, and Rep. Roger West, R-Marble, voted to allow hydraulic fracking without comment from the citizens of North Carolina whose property rights, drinking water, health and liability exposure will be impacted. Even U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., is not opposed.
Local Republican leaders have not opposed fracking when common sense says that fracking — with its toxic chemicals and corroding well casings — will eventually cause major problems for landowners.
Republicans are not stepping up to protect our property rights and instead are allowing compulsory pooling to take your rights away if you do not want fracking on your property.
They also are allowing you to be arrested if you disclose any of the proprietary toxic chemicals used in the wells on your land. This is America with a democracy last time I checked. It is time to send these Republican leaders a message: “go frack yourself,” and then we vote them out of office.
Larry Stenger.
Franklin
To the Editor:
I am a 1953 graduate of Waynesville Township High School, received my undergraduate degree from Furman University and two graduate degrees from schools in Texas.
One of my high school classmates told me recently that his granddaughter has just graduated from Furman University and has a teaching job in South Carolina because she could make $10,000 more a year than teaching in North Carolina. This is another example of how the Republicans are destroying the education system in this state since they have taken control of the governor’s job, Senate and House.
Last year they cut education funds $500 million. Our schools are short on textbooks and teachers are leaving the state and our schools, meaning our children and youth are the losers.
When you go to the polls in November, please vote for our children/youth. Vote Democratic! If you are wondering about fracking, check with Oklahoma and West Texas about the hundreds of earthquakes that are occurring since fracking began.
Vote for the Democratic candidates!
Robert G. Fulbright, Ph.D.
Waynesville
The past four years have been the first in recent memory that Democrats haven’t held a majority on the Jackson County board.
But likewise, Republicans haven’t had the majority either — a point Chairman Jack Debnam is quick to point out, and points out often.
Debnam is an independent, ascribing to neither party. It was a historical anomaly not just in the mountains but the entire state when Debnam won a county commissioner seat as an unaffiliated candidate four years ago.
But he has been criticized by Democrats for really being a conservative at heart — his independent status merely a ruse to help his election chances with a Democratic-heavy electorate.
But in defense, Debnam pointed to his voting record.
“I voted with the Democrats 95 percent of the time. I also voted with the Republicans. That’s because 95 percent of our votes were unanimous,” Debnam said.
Out of 586 votes by county commissioners over the past four years, 95.06 percent of them — to be exact — were unanimous. Only 24 — or 4.1 percent — were split votes.
But Brian McMahan, the Democratic challenger for chairman, questioned that bragging point. Most of the
“Of the 586, most are routine, procedural agenda items that pretty much are non-debatable,” McMahan said.
Things like approving the minutes, ratifying department head reports, approving budget amendments.
“Those are not a Democratic or Republican issue,” McMahan said. “Those that were split votes were of significance. Those 24 represent real issues where there is a difference of opinion.”
Debnam said Jackson is the only county in the state where neither party has the majority on the county board, and he believes it has brought balance.
“A split board has made things better in Jackson County,” he said. “We have done good things with two Democrats, two Republicans and myself.”
Debnam said it isn’t easy to run as an independent. To get on the ballot four years ago and again this time, he has to collect a passel of petition signatures — he gathered 1,100 in all this time.
Running as a team has posed a conundrum for Debnam. On one hand, aligning with the Republican commissioners could hurt his chances. It certainly won’t gain him any Republican votes. There’s no bona fide Republican running for chairman — it’s just Debnam and Democrat Brian McMahan on the ticket — so Debnam is likely the most palatable choice for conservative voters, regardless of official staking himself out with the Republican candidate camp.
But buddying up with Republican running mates could hurt his chances with swing voters and moderates who question how independent Debnam really is if he is running as a team with Republicans.
At the forum, Debnam addressed the apparent incongruity of running as a team with Republicans on the one hand, despite his partisan independence. A split board is in Debnam’s interest. He needs the two Republican commissioners to win to balance out the two sitting Democrats not up for election this time.
Without a split board, Debnam couldn’t lead from the center.
The other two Republicans likewise touted their ability to work with Democrats and avoid split votes.
“Since we are a mixed board of two Democrats and two Republicans and an independent chairman, we have had to work together to get these things done,” Commissioner Doug Cody, a Republican running for re-election, said.
Still, McMahan questions how genuine it is to use the unanimous voting record as a litmus test of cooperation.
“The chair has so strictly controlled the agenda the more controversial votes have been denied access to the agenda in the first place,” McMahan said.
Some issues get decided by majority consensus without having a formal vote, like whether to give the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad a economic development loan. Regardless, the course has been different than it would have been under a Democratic majority.
“This election is about a vision for the future and where we are going,” Democratic challenger Brian McMahan said in his closing remarks. “We are at a crossroads. Now is the time to grab ahold of the reigns and to lay the foundation. We cannot afford to stumble.”
Chip Hall, D, 46
Qualifications: Chief deputy at Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Twenty-five years at Jackson County Sheriff’s Department in a variety of positions.
Reason to run: “I want to reach out to be active in everything that goes on in our community, to have a relationship with our citizens beyond anything we’ve ever had.”
Philosophy: “Community involvement is the key to a functioning sheriff’s office and a good community response.”
Favorite fruit: apples
Curtis Lambert, R, 44
Qualifications: Former officer at Sylva Police Department. Fourteen years in law enforcement, including service with the Sylva Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; former vice president of payroll service.
Reason to run: “I have a combination of law enforcement and business experience, and that’s what it takes nowadays to be an effective sheriff.”
Philosophy: “An effective leader will be someone that will have an open-door policy and an open-department policy to where they’re not trying to hide things that are going on.”
Favorite vacation: history tour of Charleston, S.C.
Democrats
• Kirk Kirkpatrick, a lawyer, has been on the board since 2002 and has been a supporter of recreation.
• Michael Sorrells has been a commissioner for four years and previously served six years on the school board. He is a service station, convenience store and café owner in Jonathan Creek.
• Bill Upton, the retired superintendent of Haywood County Schools, a principal and teacher, has been on the board eight years.
Republicans
• Denny King, a conservative voice in county politics and frequent critic of sitting commissioner’s decisions, previously ran for a commission seat in 2012. He came within 300 votes.
• Phil Wight, owner of a motel in Maggie Valley and Maggie town alderman. Wight has long been involved in Maggie’s controversial breed of politics and a player in the tourism industry.
Libertarian
• Windy McKinney, is a historian and writer with a Master’s Degree in Medieval Studies from the University of Kent, in the United Kingdom. She is the Libertarian Party of Haywood County’s first candidate for county commissioner and feels the area is ready for a candidate who will “change politics as usual.”
Jackson commissioner chairman
• Jack Debnam, the current commissioner chairman and a Realtor. As an unaffiliated candidate, he belongs to neither party.
• Brian McMahan, a Democrat, previously served as commissioner chairman but lost to Debnam in 2010. The 39-year-old chief of security at Balsam Mountain Preserve is now seeking a rematch.
Jackson commissioner: district that spans from Dillsboro to Qualla
• Charles Elders, a Republican and sitting commissioner, is the owner/operator of Elder’s Superette.
• Joe Ward, a Democrat and farmer, is retired from CSX Transportation.
Jackson commissioner: district that includes Sylva and Scotts Creek
• Doug Cody, a Republican and sitting commissioner, has worked in the insurance industry for 29 years.
• Boyce Deitz, a Democrat, is a retired teacher and football coach. He coached former U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler as a high school quarterback, and later went to work for the congressman.
Highlands district, one seat
Republican
• Jim Tate is seeking reelection because he wants to “ensure that Macon County will continue to be a great place to live and call home through low taxes, great schools, safe communities and efficient services.” He is president of Tate Landscaping Services, and has served on numerous Highlands town boards.
Democrat
• Michael David Rogers owns a landscaping business. If elected, he plans to focus on attracting business to the area, as well as environmental issues. “I love the mountains and the water and I just don’t like seeing it be trashed out and destroyed.”
Franklin district, two seats
Republican
• Ron Haven, a motel and inn owner and sitting commissioner, said he intends to “keep taxes low” and work to improve the community for future generations. “I’ve got an interest in watching my children grow up and have opportunities in life.”
• Gary Shields, a retired educator and Vietnam veteran, said he feels a sense of “civic responsibility” to his home. “I care, I care about Macon County. If you’ve got the time, the energy and the want-to, you need to be involved.”
Democrat
• Ronnie Beale is a two-term commissioner who previously served as chairman, and is a leader in the NC Association of County Commissioners. He is president of a construction company and previously served on the planning board.
Libertarian
• John Martin is a “semi-retired entrepreneur” who has worked in the insurance and real estate fields. He wants to “facilitate a better tomorrow” through “long-term sustainable growth.” He intends to work to “keep taxes low” and ensure Macon County is “business friendly.”
“Good jobs in Macon County are getting tougher for people to find today and citizens deserve better.”
Highlands district, one seat
Republican
• Jim Tate is seeking reelection because he wants to “ensure that Macon County will continue to be a great place to live and call home through low taxes, great schools, safe communities and efficient services.” He is president of Tate Landscaping Services, and has served on numerous Highlands town boards.
Democrat
• Michael David Rogers owns a landscaping business. If elected, he plans to focus on attracting business to the area, as well as environmental issues. “I love the mountains and the water and I just don’t like seeing it be trashed out and destroyed.”
Franklin district, two seats
Republican
• Ron Haven, a motel and inn owner and sitting commissioner, said he intends to “keep taxes low” and work to improve the community for future generations. “I’ve got an interest in watching my children grow up and have opportunities in life.”
• Gary Shields, a retired educator and Vietnam veteran, said he feels a sense of “civic responsibility” to his home. “I care, I care about Macon County. If you’ve got the time, the energy and the want-to, you need to be involved.”
Democrat
• Ronnie Beale is a two-term commissioner who previously served as chairman, and is a leader in the NC Association of County Commissioners. He is president of a construction company and previously served on the planning board.
Libertarian
• John Martin is a “semi-retired entrepreneur” who has worked in the insurance and real estate fields. He wants to “facilitate a better tomorrow” through “long-term sustainable growth.” He intends to work to “keep taxes low” and ensure Macon County is “business friendly.”
“Good jobs in Macon County are getting tougher for people to find today and citizens deserve better.”
Commissioner Democratic candidates
• David Monteith is the longest serving county commissioner with 16 years on the board. Retired Ingle’s market manager and a school bus driver.
• Steve Moon has served for 8 years and is on the board and owns a tire and service shop.
• Ben Bushyhead, a retired department director in Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians government. He narrowly lost in the 2006 election for the county board but won this year.
• Danny Burns, a Pepsi Cola technician, ran as a challenger in the May primary and sailed to victory.
Commissioner Republican candidates
• Carolyn Bair, retired grocery store cashier and fast-food worker.
• Lance Grant II
