To the Editor:

I appreciate Scott McLeod’s sage advice to relax for the upcoming Christmas day and following New Years. One of the problems with the way our society celebrates this time is it depends too much on “the one big day.” 

Back in the 1980s, when I was telling stories in the Cope Crest Conference Center in Tiger, Georgia, I heard about Eliott Wigginton, who was teaching English in the Rayburn County school system.

Friends of Panthertown invites Panthertown volunteers, board members, partners, hike leaders, conservationists and friends to join us for an afternoon of appreciation and celebration. This event is happening from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, in downtown Sylva at 116 Central Street.

A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, Mountain Heritage Day will spotlight its 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation. 

Folkmoot kicked off its 41st Summer Fest celebration last Thursday with its Summer Soirée. Guests gathered at the Folkmoot Friendship Center to travel the world together without boarding an airplane. 

This summer will be 30 years since Lauren Calvert opened the doors to In Your Ear Emporium, downtown Sylva’s record store. Over the years, the way in which people consume music has changed drastically, but the heart of Calvert’s business has not. 

Western Carolina University’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will begin Monday, Jan. 15, with its annual Unity March. 

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail turns 46 on Sept. 9, and Friends of the MST is offering a variety of opportunities to celebrate all month long.

The Carolina Mountain Club is inviting the community to help celebrate its 100th birthday 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.