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To the Editor:
It was shocking to read the article entitled “Crossing the Line” published June 1 in The Smoky Mountain News. This was classic tabloid reporting with more drama than fact reporting, filled with innuendos and hypotheticals.
It is impossible to take Ms. Ellison’s article seriously additionally because of her amazingly inadequate writing skills. It is astounding The Smoky Mountain News would publish an article riddled with poor grammar (i.e., incomplete sentences and entire paragraphs without a clear subject matter) and illogical progression of reporting “details.” The element of foul, four-letter words only emphasized the desperate nature of this article in portraying a seemingly judicial injustice, according to Ms. Ellison.
There is no room for tawdry sensationalist journalism in a local newspaper which prides itself on reporting facts to keep the community abreast of information and events.
Carrie Hahn
Franklin
When planting season is upon us, gardeners and farmers of all stripes are making plans and counting seeds. As long-time gardeners and seed savers know, the winter months make for great opportunities to do both easily from the comfort of an easy chair beside the woodstove.
Last growing season I raised a couple of varieties of squash and a watermelon that were big hits at the market and here at home, so I kept the best fruits for next year’s seed and set them in the cool storage in October to fully mature. A chilly winter day is perfect for cutting into a still beautiful squash and seeing next season’s opportunities hanging in sweet-smelling strands of vegetable innards. I carefully separated the magical capsules from the slippery gook and set them in a container of water for a relaxing bath, the first of their life’s projects accomplished.
After a day or two of soaking and a good rinse, I set my five types of seed aside on dinner plates in the kitchen where they’ll sit for a couple weeks while being irregularly rearranged for optimum drying and personal reassurances that spring would return. A week quickly passed and soon we were hosting a get-together at our home, whereupon my wife instructed me to “move my seed mess” from the dining table, which I dutifully did for the safety and protection of the seeds, as well as my own personal welfare. I marched the plates into the living room and tucked them out of the way on top of our wine cabinet, sliding aside the old, Chinese-style vase that my wife rescued from her grandmother’s throw-outs 40 years ago. A week or so later I remembered that they were still there and went to finish the job only to discover the seeds missing — all of them — everything. Ouch. The picture of a starving hill family flashed in front of my eyes at the thought of next year’s crop being robbed before even being planted.
After the initial shock had worn off and my heart rate returned to more normal levels, I began to examine the evidence. I suspected a visiting (or resident) mouse had made off with the goods in the still of the night and had stashed those hundreds of gene packets somewhere for later distribution and use, probably as dinner. Like Sherlock Holmes, I set out to recover the stolen merchandise the little nemesis had absconded. Applying my best mouse-like intelligence, I began my search, checking both the obvious and the most dubious of possible caches, but I came up empty-handed.
The search continued for days, even reluctantly enlisting the help of my wife, who found the whole parade quite amusing, and thinking the thieving rodent’s antics were “cute.” A couple of days later, when I had all but given up my quest, I went to move the old vase from the top of the wine cabinet for some overdo dusting. The chunky, sentimental artifact has graced our homes all these years, and we’ve often kidded about taking our “Ming” vase to the “Antiques Road Show” and discovering it to be a rare piece worth thousands, if not millions.
As I moved the vase aside from the oncoming cloth, I heard a strange rattle from deep inside. I shook it once again and turned it over to find the source of the noise and seeds of several shapes and sizes began to flow from its mouth, my stash of garden hopes being found.
That silly old vase may not be a rare antique nor worth the stack of cash we’ve joked about, but this year it proved itself quite valuable, and I doubt I’ll ever look at it in quite the same way again, thanks to my own neglect and one small, forward-looking mouse.
(John Beckman is a farmer, builder and part-time seed saver in Cullowhee. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
A free class covering the basics of food preservation will be offered at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 9.
Cheryl Beck, a family and consumer sciences agent with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, will show how to can, freeze and dry food. Resource materials will be provided. Beck will test dial pressure gauge canner lids from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Lids should be checked each year for accuracy. Registration is required by June 7.
828.586.4009
The Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has awarded a $500 scholarship to Candace Erin Ridley, a senior at Smoky Mountain High School.
Her father, Merle Ridley, is a Jackson Paper employee. Ridley will attend Southwestern Community College in the physical therapist assistant program.
Jackson Paper has awarded scholarships annually since 1992. Recipients are selected based on grade point average, letters of recommendation, honors and activities.
This month’s lunch with the League of Women Voters of Macon County will focus on a presentation discussing the background and mission of the organization.
The event will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin in the Celebration Hall in the lower level. Lunch is $5 by reservation made by June 14.
The program will begin at 12:15 p.m.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that promotes participation in government and public policy through education and advocacy. It regularly meets on the second Thursday of every month at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Meetings are open to the public.
828.371.0527
Those interested in the history of world wars can join a new discussion group launched by Western Carolina University history Professor David Dorondo.
The group, called Carolina Round Table, will address various aspects of world wars and the interwar period covering the years from 1914 to 1945. It will focus on the military history, political, economic, technological and social factors associated with the wars. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Registration is open for the Meet Me in the Smokies Open at Sequoyah National Golf Club.
The event will have a gunshot start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 18.
This captain’s choice golf tournament is $100 per golfer. Each registration includes 18 holes of golf, a boxed lunch at the start of the round, refreshments throughout the round, an Oakley backpack, Oakley T-shirt, post round sit-down dinner, prizes and more. There will be prizes for hole-in-ones, men and women’s longest drives, first and second place foursome in two flights and more.
Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $75 and ending at $1,000, and have limited availability. Volunteer opportunities available.
The tournament is hosted by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce with a portion of the proceeds going to the Sequoyah National Junior Golf Program to teach Native American children the enjoyment and lifelong values of golf.
828-497-6700 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Human Race 5K Road Race/Walk is scheduled for 8 a.m. on June 11 at the Waynesville Middle School. The annual race is sponsored by the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center.
Proceeds from the event will be used to help the center continue to connect volunteers and help educate seniors on Medicare. The Human Race was started in 2002 as a major source of financial support. For four years, the race was a hilly course around The Shelton House.
In 2006, the race moved to the Waynesville Middle School and now features a course in Waynesville and Hazelwood. It is a lollipop-shaped loop, the flattest and fastest race in Western North Carolina during the month of June.
The first 130 people to register will receive a T-shirt, and are eligible for category.
828.356.2833 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The 4-H Summer Golf Day Camp will be each Thursday beginning June 9 through July 28. The day camp is free and will meet at the Junaluska Golf Course.
4-H is a community of young people from ages five to nineteen who “learn by doing.” Though a historically agriculture focused organization, 4-H today focuses on citizenship, healthy living and science programs. There are six 4-H clubs in Haywood County, and numerous day camps and special interest programs are offered to promote youth leadership and life skills. The 4-H Summer Golf Day Camp is an opportunity for novice golfers to learn the basics of golfing. The 4-H dress code will be followed at the golf course.
Participants must bring their own equipment, including balls, tees, clubs, snacks and water bottle. Registration deadline is June 9. 828.456.3575. Limited spots are available.
A short online survey to help guide a new comprehensive bicycle plan for Haywood County is available for completion at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Haywo-odBikePlan. The survey may be shared with anyone, including children, residing in Haywood County.
Input received from the survey will help identify both obstacles and opportunities for cyclists of all abilities and ages — including commuters, recreational riders, racers and touring cyclists. To alternately print out the survey and mail it in, or to learn more about the Haywood County bicycle plan, visit www.bicyclehaywoodnc.org/BikePlan.html.
Lifeguard training and group swimming lessons will be provided by Medwest Health & Fitness Center beginning June 2 and June 10, respectively.
In response to high demand, the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course will be offered again this summer from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 2-3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 4 and 11 and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 5 and 12 at the Medwest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County. All classes are required to achieve certification. Enrollment is $150 for members and $175 for nonmembers and includes all instructional materials and CPR certification.
The center will also be offering the American Red Cross group swimming program’s summer session, beginning June 10. Classes will be held on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings for eight weeks (except July 1 and 2 for the July 4 holiday) at the Medwest Health & Fitness Center. Enrollment is $30 for members and $50 for nonmembers.
828.452.8056
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy needs volunteers to eradicate invasive plants choking out native flora on the AT in Graham County on Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4.
Volunteers will target multiflora rose, Japanese stiltgrass, Chinese privet, autumn olive and other weeds known to occur around Stecoah Gap. Volunteers get a free guidebook for the identification and control of invasive exotic plants, as well as a T-shirt, in appreciation for their efforts.
Meet at 10 a.m. at the Stecoah Gap parking area on N.C. 143 (seven miles east of Robbinsville). Bring lunch, two quarts of water, rain gear, sturdy hiking boots or shoes, durable pants and long sleeve shirts.
The second workshop coincides with the 2011 National Trails Day.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 828.254.3708.
A discussion about the future of Pinnacle Park outside Sylva will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4, followed by a short hike from the Fisher Creek trailhead.
The 1,100 acre tract once served as Sylva’s source of drinking water and has now been preserved.
Those interested in the hiking and biking potential of the park, as well as those who use the park for birding, wildlife and native plant activities, are encouraged to attend, and future volunteer opportunities will be discussed. Information from the discussion will help the town of Sylva and the Pinnacle Park Foundation determine future park needs.
The Jackson County Greenways Project is organizing the event in honor of National Trails Day.
828.293.3053 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“Growing Up Wild,” a free professional development workshop sponsored by Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District for educators who work with young children, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, at the USDA Service Center in Waynesville.
Tanya Poole, an education specialist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, will teach the workshop. Participants will receive the activity guide Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children and six hours of renewal credits or .6 CEUs with the option of adding .4 with homework.
The workshop will be held downstairs at the center at 589 Raccoon Road, across from the Mountain Research Station. Participants should bring a bag lunch and wear comfortable clothes for outdoor activities. Call Gail Heathman 828.452.2741, extension 3, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“From Mowing to Growing,” a workshop with Sara Martin, a biology instructor at Haywood Community College with a B.A. in wildlife management, is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, as part of the Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society summer program and event schedule.
A main goal of the Audubon society is to help the community create and preserve an appropriate habitat for butterflies, dragonflies, flying squirrels, bees and more in their own backyards.
The “From Mowing to Growing” workshop will focus on transforming a backyard into a habitat of native flowers and plants. Martin will help participants “go native,” so they should bring a photograph of their backyard, as well as a notebook, pen and packed lunch to the event.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maggie Pavilion and costs $20.
828.550.5449.
The Main Street Mile, a series of 1-mile races highlighting the state’s Main Street Program, will hit the streets of Sylva Friday, June 3.
Sylva’s Main Street Mile course will start in Sylva’s Bridge Park, cross Grindstaff Cove Road and take a left on Central Street. The figure-8 route then takes runners to Brendle, Storybrook Lane and Bartlett Street.
Sylva’s leg of the Main Street Mile is being held in conjunction with the “Concert on the Creek” series held at Bridge Park. Race awards will be presented during the concert’s first intermission. Blue Ridge Multi Sports, Main Street Mile’s race producers, will donate $2 from every race entry to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s Concerts on the Creek Series.
Start times for a men’s and women’s heat will be staggered by approximately 15 minutes. Awards will be presented to the top 10 overall finishers. Results from each of the Main Street Mile Series races will be combined and calculated to determine the overall series winners. Runners must participate in at least three Main Street Mile events to be eligible for series awards.
Registration is $15 in advance or $20 day-of. www.MainStreetMiles.com or 828.400.5868.
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will hold its fifth-annual summer picnic at 6 p.m. Friday, June 10, on the banks of the Tuckasegee River at Carol’s Cabins (formerly Ward’s Cabins).
All members of the watershed association are urged to attend, and any others interested in learning more about the nonprofit organization that works with many others to help preserve the Tuckasegee River and its feeder streams.
Bring a dish to share. Soft drinks and tea furnished. RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.488.8418.
The annual summer membership meeting will be held on Monday, June 17, with the location to be announced.
A Mountain Black Bear Festival is set for June 10 and 11 at the Highlands Civic/Recreation Center, featuring exhibits, artisans and programs related to black bears.
• A free program on “co-existing with bears” will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 10, by renowned photographer Bill Lea, co-founder of the American Bear Association. One of Bill Lea’s large framed bear prints will be raffled off.
• From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, there will be exhibits, fine art, crafters and bear experts, including Lea. A chainsaw carver will be there with his chainsaw and recent creations. Bear-oriented activities for kids will be provided by bear experts Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard of Appalachian Bear Rescue. Fine art prints by Jan Lemmons and Robert Tino prints will be for sale, as well as other art and crafts.
• At 2 p.m., Joel and Kathy Zachry will present a program based on their book, Bears We’ve Met.
The cost of admission on Saturday is $2, with kids 12 and under free.
The program is sponsored by Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance, which has launched the Bear Smart Initiative. Its mission is to “reduce conflicts between bears and humans and to promote their peaceful coexistence by fostering appreciation for bears, addressing the root causes of bear-related problems, and teaching principles for living safely with bears.”
828.526.0890, ext. 320.
It started out simply enough.
Fresh out of college on his new job in Vicksburg, Miss., on the banks of the mighty, muddy Mississippi, Bill Lea decided to try a new hobby. He laid down his fishing pole and picked up his camera.
“I had always fished, but the waters around Vicksburg were just too muddy,” Lea explained as the reason he decided, almost on a whim, to take up a new outdoor pastime that day.
Some 36 years later, Lea, who lives in Franklin, is a nationally recognized nature photographer, author and wildlife lecturer. More than 6,000 of his images have been featured in calendars, books, advertisements and other publications, including several works on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, National Geographic books, Nature Conservancy, Outdoor Life and Field and Stream magazines.
During his nearly four decades behind the lens, Lea has spent countless hours watching and observing wildlife.
“I learned about animals as I photographed them. And as I photographed them, I kind of formed a bond with each one,” Lea said. “When you spend hours in the woods with an animal, you get to know them individually.”
Lea studied forestry in college and got a job with the forest service shortly after graduating. He moved to the mountains of WNC in 1983 to work for the Pisgah National Forest and then later the Nantahala National Forest.
Lea’s love of photography and wildlife, especially black bears, grew as he encountered wild creatures on his job and during his outdoor photo sessions. Lea learned through his interaction with wild creatures, that each animal, even those of the same species, had its own distinctive features and personalities and that seemed especially true of the black bears.
“That’s what I really love about photographing animals,” Lea said. “For instance, take a bear. Look in their eyes. You can tell they’re thinking about something. They look at you with intelligence. Bears have personalities. Some are playful, some aren’t. And if you study them, you’ll see there is a lot of similarities between them and dogs.”
Lea began to specialize in studying and photographing black bears in the mid-1990s and about 10 years later, he took an early retirement from the forest service to devote full time to his hobby-turned-career.
An eye-opening bear encounter produced some of his favorite bear photographs and impressed Lea with the black bear‘s ingenuity and intelligence. As he watched through his camera lens, a female bear trying to cross a swift-moving mountain stream laid down a log and walked across it, then repositioned the log and walked back across.
The budding photographer was astonished by the bear’s purposeful action. He still speaks with unabashed appreciation for what he saw the bear do many years ago. “She was using a tool. That indicates the highest form of intelligence,” Lea said.
Lea now dedicates much of his life to “speaking for the bears.”
“They have given me so much pleasure in my life. I have so much gratitude. It’s a way to pay back to them for what they have brought into my life and to rectify an injustice that has been done to them,” Lea explained.
Lea is co-founder of the American Bear Association, a non-profit foundation that operates a wildlife sanctuary in Minnesota.
Recently, Lea is lending his expertise to the new Bear Smart Initiative, an effort by the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance to educate residents and visitors how to safely co-exist with bears.
“As more and more people move into bear habitat, there will be more and more human/bear encounters,” Lea said. “Bears have nowhere else they can move, so we humans need to learn to co-exist peacefully with our black bear neighbors.”
A quiet-spoken, reserved individual who doesn’t relish public speaking or the limelight, Lea has become a frequent lecturer to civic groups. His entertaining, informational presentations are accompanied by slides of his outstanding bear photos. Lea uses these talks, his writings and photos, to teach people about bears because he feels he must give a voice to the bears since “they cannot speak for themselves.”
“So often, bears end up being killed because of what people think they are going to do, as opposed to what they are going to do. They are very misunderstood by most people because of negative human attitudes, some created by the media and taxidermists poses. They are not ferocious, unpredictable animals as they are commonly portrayed,” Lea emphasized. “They are not cuddly Teddy bears, but black bears are not grizzlies either. They are shy and tolerant and they are predictable.”
Bears are also “very intelligent, and very, very curious” with extremely good memories, according to Lea. All those attributes need to be considered when living or camping in bear country. Lea also warns that feeding bears is not helpful to them. It may be fun for humans at first and enable them to enjoy seeing bears up close, but in the end, teaching bears to eat human food is a bad thing for both humans and bears.
“By closely watching the bears in the wild and at the Minnesota sanctuary in particular, it has taught us why you should never feed bears,” Lea said. “There’s always going to be someone who has intolerant feelings toward the bears. And by feeding them, you are basically setting them up for death.”
Lea hopes his work with the J-MCA Bear Smart Initiative and his other efforts will eventually pay off in a better relationship between humans and bears that will help keep both safe.
“Our best avenue is to teach people about bears…and once people understand them, they will be greeted with respect. With education, we can make a difference, changing attitudes, one person at a time.”
Karen Spencer is a free-lance writer who divides her time between homes in Cashiers and the Florida panhandle. A descendant of early Smoky Mountain pioneers, her life-long interest and fascination with wild black bears began as a child on excursions with her “Tennessee cousins” in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Her journalism career has included jobs at both large and small newspapers, as well as specialty publications, in several states.
By Karen Spencer • Contributing writer
See Bill Lea’s work
Bill Lea has authored two books, Great Smoky Mountains Wildlife Portfolio, and, Cades Cove: Window to a Secret World.
An artist’s rendition of one of Lea’s bear images is featured on the Tennessee wildlife license plate, and he contributed photos and information for a the recently-published book, Frequently Asked Questions About Smoky Mountain Black Bears, written to inform park visitors about how to enjoy the park and its black bear inhabitants by the Great Smoky Mountain Association.
Author Alice Sink will read from her new book, Hidden History of the Western North Carolina Mountains, at 1 p.m. on June 4 at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.
In her book, Sink introduces readers to the people, customs and folklore of the region, exploring old-time traditions, real-life characters and tall tales.
Sink is author of several other books on North Carolina history, including The Hidden History of the Piedmont Triad and Wicked Greensboro.
828.586.9499.
Jackson County writer Thomas Crowe and illustrator Marilyn K. Dawson will celebrate the publication of their children’s book, The Wake Up Man, at Grateful Steps Publishing and Bookshop at 159 S. Lexington Ave. in Asheville at 10:30 a.m. on June 4.
In the tradition of the tale of “The Sandman,” poet and author Crowe and illustrator Dawson have brought to life an imaginary sequel to the Sandman myth with the creation of The Wake Up Man.
Since it is the Sandman who visits each night and with magic dust puts people to sleep, it is only logical, therefore, that there should be a “Wake Up Man” who is responsible — with his own brand of magic — or waking us up. This is the tale of who the Wake Up Man is and how he came to be
The public is welcome and refreshments will be served along with the reading, talk and booksigning. Children are welcome at both the evening and following morning’s events.
The Liar’s Bench has been adopted by the Mountain Heritage Center
The one-year anniversary of The Liar’s Bench will be held at 7 p.m. on June 4 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
The Liar’s Bench, started by Gary Carden, is a gathering of writers, storytellers, musicians and other artists who give informal performances for audiences in Jackson County.
The one-year anniversary show will feature Lloyd Arneach, the Cherokee storyteller; Paul Iarussi, a claw-hammer guitar specialist; and Carden, who will tell “Blow the Tannery Whistle.”
In July, The Liar’s Bench will move to the Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center auditorium and future programs will be held on Thursday nights. A “murder ballads” program is planned for the July show at the Mountain Heritage Center.
For more information email Carden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
When Congress passed the Wilderness Act back in 1964, it immediately became one of the most important pieces of conservation legislation in United States history. Worked on for years, with bi-partisan support, the act protected nine million of acres of public land forever from logging, road building, oil and gas leasing, and other forms of development. Importantly, the act protected all the rights of all Americans to hunt, fish, camp, horseback ride, and hike in these areas — forever. Since that time over 100 million acres have been protected with the Wilderness Act, ranging from Alaska to Florida, and millions more remain in need of such protection.
Yet Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has proposed legislation that would roll back existing protections for tens of millions of acres of unprotected wilderness-quality public lands and national forests across America. If passed, this legislation would open up some of our nation’s most fragile natural landscapes to oil and gas development, road construction, uncontrolled off-road vehicle use, and other unchecked development.
Interestingly, two Republicans in his own state have introduced Wilderness Bills in the current Congress that the legislation would seek to undermine. H.R. 1581, the “Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act,” would undermine decades of land protection in one fell swoop. The legislation would be more aptly named the “Wilderness Elimination Act” because, if it is signed into law, tens of millions of acres of America’s wild lands could be forever lost. Here’s what the legislation would do to America’s scenic treasures: roll back protections for nearly 60 million acres of unroaded national forests
In 2001, the Forest Service finalized a policy that protects nearly 60 million acres of roadless national forest lands by prohibiting road-building and commercial logging on those lands. The policy was the result of years of public outreach, including 600 local public hearings, and remains one of the most popular environmental initiatives ever. The “Wilderness Elimination Act” would overturn this policy and open up these unroaded national forest lands to road building, commercial logging, and other development. The act also has language to release Wilderness Study Areas.
Western North Carolina has 1.1 million acres of national forest land, with 178,000 acres of this inventoried as roadless and currently protected under the roadless policy. These are some of the best conservation lands we have left in this part of the state, and 27,500 acres of these roadless lands are Wilderness Study Areas, so designated in 1984 when North Carolina’s had its last Wilderness bill.
Close to home, the 3,200-acre Overflow Wilderness Study Area near Highlands would be a victim of HR 1581. Overflow was designated a Wilderness Study Area in 1984 when North Carolina had its last wilderness bill. Since that time it has been protected from logging and development, and Congressman Shuler (D-Waynesville) has committed to protecting the area permanently if the Macon County commissioners will pass a resolution in support. Yet passage of H.R. 1581 will reverse this designation and place the area back in the timber base.
The time has come for us to act on Overflow, for the sooner we get legislation introduced to protect it, the less we will have to worry about such legislation as HR 1581 seeking to destroy it. I have heard comments over the last year from commissioners and members of the public that they would be the first in line to stop Overflow from being logged, but yet they would not support Wilderness. The fear seems to be that someone would lose something with such a designation. But legislation to protect Oveflow would guarantee that it remains open to hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking in its current state – and forever. The Wilderness Act guarantees it.
Please write Congressman Shuler and ask that he vote against HR 1581 and let him know you support protecting places like Overflow. Time could be running out.
(Brent Martin is the Southern Appalachian Regional Director for The Wilderness Society. His office is in Sylva and he can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
To the Editor:
The fact that Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, refers to the radical budget being proposed down in Raleigh as the state “living within its means” is a joke. The farce of this proposal is the false notion that businesses are being wildly burdened and that our private sector suffers.
Unmentioned is North Carolina remaining as the “No. 2 Best State for Business” awarded by 500 CEOs in Chief Executive Magazine. How is our great state outdoing the vast majority of other states, if the government is “on the back” of job-creating businesses? Thanks to North Carolina’s educated workforce, this state has shifted from manufacturing to more knowledge-based jobs such as banks, high-tech endeavors and pharmaceuticals.
The same educated workforce is being dismantled by this proposed budget. Davis touts “we’re fostering early childhood education by adding more than 1,000 teachers to classrooms in grades 1-3.” This stems from the common sense concept that reducing the workload on the professionals hired to educate our children works.
If adding teacher assistants to grades 1-3 improves the results they produce, why doesn’t the same rule apply for teachers in grades 4-12? Moreover, why doesn’t the same rule apply to mental health workers, prison guards, and all other state employees? While flaunting an addition of 1,000 teachers, Davis neglects mentioning the elimination of 13,000 teaching assistant positions in those exact grades. In total, the Senate budget would eliminate 19,744 jobs.
Davis says “we’re eliminating vacant positions, consolidating departments, and reducing administrative costs and bureaucracy.” Just like the late television direct-response advertisement salesperson Billy Mays would say “… and that’s not all!” What else does this proposed travesty do? Substantially reduces funding from Smart Start, rape crisis programs, veterans affairs, domestic violence programs, and eliminates the Teaching Fellows program to name just a few.
Davis claims “the budget slashes taxes and returns more than $1 billion to the private sector, where it will help businesses create thousands of new jobs.” He fails to mention that those are corporate income taxes (sorry everyday citizens) and the 1-cent sales tax about to go before the legislation for reinstatement. Their proposal is to decrease taxes for large corporations and slash the heavy burden of a penny; while the folks on Main Street suffer. Though the penny tax, if kept, could add up to an estimated $2.26 billion of revenue to state resources over the next two years.
To conclude, the Senate Republicans believe nothing creates jobs like passing ideologically-driven symbolic measures such as defining marriage, getting pro-life commemorative license plates, and naming a “state-mineral” all the while appeasing their corporate financiers. They are all quoting from the same flawed study that never asked what would happen to the state’s economy if 19,744 positions are eliminated and thousands of state workers are in unemployment lines. While the opportunities for the working and middle class are diminished continuously, the radical Raleigh Republicans can rejoice in not paying a penny.
Justin Karr Conley
Macon County native
To the Editor:
It appears that the radical Republicans in control of the N.C. legislature are starving funding for public education to make public schools fail. Then they will ballyhoo privatization as the silver bullet to “fix” education.
North Carolina is now ranked as the 46th state in the country for per pupil education funding. If the Republican budget passes, we will be at rock bottom. No matter how Republican State Sens. Jim Davis (R-Franklin) and Ralph Hise (R-Spruce Pine) spin it, North Carolina will be below even South Carolina and Mississippi. It is not a big deal to push for devastating cuts to public schools when you don’t believe in them in the first place.
Competition based on the profit motive works well for many discretionary goods and services. From the consumer’s point of view, it’s easy to change the TV channel if you don’t like the program, visit a different restaurant if you didn’t like the meal at your regular, or use a different dry cleaner or car dealer if you’re not satisfied with the service received.
But the profit motive should not be the driving force for essential services such as national security, public safety (police, fire fighters), highways, roads, clean water and air, safe food, and health care. Education is one such essential that would not be served by rampant competition and the profit motive.
Profit is revenue less expenses. The higher the revenue, the lower the expenses, the greater the profit. I’d hate to think skimping would be done on educational expenses for my child to increase some company’s profits. A child is not a car. The profit motive should not drive decisions in providing education.
Carole Larivee
Waynesville
To the Editor:
Republicans are cutting off education from beginning to end in North Carolina.
The new cuts will take away a significant amount of funding from the Smart Start pre-kindergarten program and also from the UNC school system, where cuts are already taking effect. The cuts also include the loss of 13,000 teacher’s aides and more teachers from schools across the country. Class sizes will increase and with the loss of teachers aides a more difficult learning environment for students will arise.
In an effort to make class sizes smaller, the budget is only stifling the current classroom situation at the start and the end of each student’s educational life. North Carolina needs to re-think the cuts to education as a favor to the future of the state and the image of the system as a whole.
Kaley Davis
UNCG student
To the Editor:
This letter is further comment on Quintin Ellison’s column about the Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake Junaluska (The Smoky Mountain News, May 18-24). After reading about the garden, my husband and I set out to find it, and we were not disappointed.
This is truly a spot to be treasured and enjoyed in all seasons. The collection of native plants is amazing for the relatively small area. With the help of pamphlets available for a self-guided tour, and labels on plants along the way, we were able to identify many varieties we’d never seen before.
Walking through the garden is not only educational. It is pure pleasure, a treat for all the senses: plants to see and smell, texture for touch, hearing the chorus of birds, and tasting air freshened by greenery. Well-placed benches along the way also allow one to sit quietly and simply contemplate the wonder of this “gem at Junaluska”.
Many thanks to those who maintain this beautiful hideaway and to Quintin for sharing her knowledge of it.
Lenore Snell
Dillsboro
To the Editor:
Republican Sens. Ralph Hise, R-Spruce Pine, and Jim Davis, R-Franklin, promised “jobs, jobs, jobs” and “better times” for Haywood County during their campaigns.
Did you hear them promise to make the largest budget cuts to education ever made in North Carolina history? You didn’t?
Did you hear them promise to “create jobs?” You did?
The Republican budget cuts $1.2 billion dollars from state monies crucial to our kids’ educations. Their budget cuts teacher assistants’ jobs, teachers’ jobs, librarians, janitors and staff jobs in our Haywood County Schools. These folks are losing their jobs — jobs that support their families. And our kids will be the worse for it.
Hazelwood prison is being closed. These jobs support Haywood County families.
Gas prices are up and the tourism industry is hurting in Haywood County.
Food prices are up. Unemployment continues to climb. Home foreclosures are increasing.
Where is the help for Haywood County? Where are these jobs and these “better times”?
Tell us exactly what promises you have kept to Haywood County, Sen. Hise and Sen. Davis?
Chuck Dickson and Sybil Mann
Waynesville
To the Editor:
Jackson County Commissioner Jack Debnam’s recent comments on the proposed SCC spur road are valid and show that he is willing to go to bat for Jackson County’s citizens despite opposition from DOT and other commissioners. He has shown that he will ask the difficult questions, even if his actions put him at odds with others who feel differently about the issue.
It appears that this particular project is receiving special attention from DOT despite much opposition from the community. Most agree that the safety of SCC students and staff is important, but logic and common sense need to be applied in this decision, not favoritism and good-old-boy networking.
I would suggest that the county and DOT look at this project in a different light, and attention be given to alternatives other than another big intrusive road project of questionable value. If emergency access is truly the reason for this project, then it would seem to me that short, simple emergency access roads could be built from SCC onto neighboring DOT and Armory property, which would provide two additional means of access at a fraction of the $13 million price tag.
If reducing traffic on N.C. 116 is the key factor, then we should look at relocating DOT offices and equipment storage to other places in the county where they wouldn’t be adding to the problems. I see little reason why we need these operations on N.C. 116, when offices can be located virtually anywhere and equipment could be stored along the major county routes that it is supposed to service. This would reduce traffic on 116 by around 10 percent in my estimation, provide plenty of room for emergency access and additional room for the future needs of an expanding community college.
We need to look at some creative alternatives and address the really key issues that affect the county’s traffic concerns, not simply offer more pavement and expensive fly-over bridges to move the county forward.
John Beckman
Cullowhee
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and year in review is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on June 2.
The chamber will honor leaders in the business community with awards.
The dinner will be held at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Tickets are $45 per person or $410 reserved seating for eight people. 828.456.3021.
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The Community Kitchen’s annual golf tournament will be held Friday, June 3, at Lake Junaluska. The pre-registration fee is $50 828.648.0014), and day-of registration $55. Registration includes green fees and golf cart, snacks and drinks, a door prize ticket, T-shirt and dinner provided by the Black Bear Café. The kitchen is still accepting sponsors for the holes and t-shirts and one sponsor for the potential hole-in-one. 828.593.9319.
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The Knights of Columbus, Father Michael Murphy Council #12478, will host its sixth-annual local charities golf tournament at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, June 11, at Lake Junaluska Golf Course.
The tournament will benefit a number of Haywood County charities. There will be a captain’s choice, with a shotgun start. For a donation of $60, each golfer gets 18 holes of golf, a barbecue dinner catered by Nico’s Cafe, and an opportunity to win cash and door prizes. All golfers also have a shot at a new car in the hole-in-one contest.
828.550.1711 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar, “Financing Your Small Business,” on Tuesday morning, June 7. The session is from 8-10 a.m. on campus in the boardroom of the Frazell Administration building.
828.627.4512.
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A $600,000 housing grant was awarded to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create housing or economic opportunities for low- to moderate-income families. The competitive grants are provided through HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant Program.
Recipients can use funds for various housing projects, including rehabilitating housing, building new housing or buying land to support new housing construction. The grant can also used to build infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer facilities.
A local Dillsboro inn had four recipes featured in the Southern Living cookbook, Off the Eaten Path: Favorite Southern Dives and 150 Recipes that Made Them Famous.
The Jarrett House, a favorite Dillsboro bed and breakfast for the past 127 years, has received national recognition for its regional expertise. Pages 160 to 163 of the cookbook contain photos of the Jarrett House, an introduction to the restaurant and four of its famous recipes.
Morgan Murphy, the former travel and food editor for Southern Living magazine, toured the South in his old Cadillac, searching for the region’s best restaurants and recipes. He stopped at the Jarrett House, giving the GPS coordinates for fellow travelers, on his way through North Carolina.
“The cooking here is as straightforward and simple as their buttery biscuits. You won’t find complex ingredients or cutting-edge techniques. But what you will find is delectable Southern fare served with a smile,” Murphy wrote about the Jarrett House.
Murphy’s favorite was the chicken and dumplings. “I’d be a dumpling myself if I lived anywhere near the Jarrett House,” he wrote. The cookbook lists the ingredients and preparation instructions for the dish, including the diner secret: two kinds of pepper give the recipe a “country kick.”
Murphy included the Jarrett House’s 3-step recipe for Vinegar Pie, describing the taste as “something between a poundcake and a pecan pie without pecans. Yum.” The Jarrett House’s “easy, four-ingredient biscuits” and house apples (2 pounds sliced apples, 1 cup sugar) were also featured.
The Hartbargers have owned the Jarrett House for 36 years; in that time, Southern Living has visited the restaurant and written articles about it periodically, which the restaurant has kept for display. According to Jim Hartbarger, Southern Living has always offered an extremely positive response.
Hartbarger said the Jarrett House was chosen over other restaurants “because of its age and standards. It was a no-miss situation.” When Murphy came to visit the restaurant last year, he sat down for lunch and interviewed the staff, making sure he had a story to accompany the recipes.
“Southern Living has always been good to us. It’s an honor, and we’re really proud,” Hartbarger said.
By Tessa Rodes • SMN Intern
An Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration will come to downtown Waynesville from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June, 11. The festival is a heritage-themed event providing educational and entertainment opportunities for guests of all ages, where traditional crafts are demonstrated and offered for sale. Two stages will feature live entertainment throughout the day.
Four-time Grammy award-winner David Holt and Grammy nominee Josh Goforth will join together to bring old-time mountain music and stories to audiences. Holt and Goforth combine guitar, banjo, fiddle, slide guitar, mandolin and rhythm instruments from hambone (body slapping) rhythms, to spoons, stump-fiddle, rhythm bones, jaw harp, and even paper bag.
Michael Reno Harrell, a songwriter and veteran storyteller, along with The Hominy Valley Boys and the Hill Country Band and other favorites will also perform.
Former N.C. state senator Joe Sam Queen will lead a square dance at 12:30 p.m. at the center stage.
Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy storytelling by local authors, folk toys, arts and craft, vintage tractors and tools. Watch demonstrations of basket making, blacksmithing, quilting, weaving, woodworking, wood carving, pottery, painting and soap making. Traditional food will also be offered.
828.456.3517 or visit downtownwaynesville.com.
The Bach Chorale Children’s Choir of Lafayette, Ind., will perform a program called “Ireland Ascending” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at the Fines Creek Community Center in Clyde.
The choir will be accompanied by local resident Anne Lough, who will share some of her favorite songs and relate the history of the songs’ origins. She will play both the stringed and hammer dulcimers.
The concert is free and open to the public, though donations will be requested. 828.627.1113.
A summer music series will kick off at 7 p.m. on June 9 with musician Dusk Weaver at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
This year’s line-up will offer local music for the community every second and fourth Thursday. Weather permitting, these programs will be presented on the front porch of the library; otherwise, they will be moved to the library auditorium. Snacks and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Marianna Black Library.
For this performance, Dusk will sing lead vocals and will play acoustic guitar, autoharp and a variety of diatonic harmonicas. He will be accompanied by Caroline and Tristan Carr who add vocal harmonies, djembe, mandolin, and wazoogle to the act. The ensemble will appear as Dusk & Sky.
828.488.3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is coming to Haywood Community College at 7 p.m. on June 10, and 2:30 p.m. on June 11. MusicWorks! Studio of Performing Arts is producing the show under the direction of Lynne Wells-Meyer.
Adapted from the animated film by its original screenwriter, the heart-warming musical is the classic love story of Belle and the Beast, who is really a prince trapped in a spell. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved in return, the spell will be broken and he will be transformed back to his former self. However, time is running out, and if the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he will be doomed for all eternity. The show features original music from the movie, plus additional songs written especially for the stage.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 17. 828.456.2283.
“Deathtrap,” a murder-mystery by Ira Levin, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on June 3, 4 and 9 through 11, and at 3 p.m. on June 4 and 12, at the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House in Waynesville.
The show, which ran for more than 1,800 performances on Broadway, is produced locally by the Haywood Arts Regional Theater.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $8 for students and children. Special $5 discount tickets are available for students for Thursday and Sunday performances.
828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.com.
Balladeers Anne and Rob Lough will present a concert of traditional music at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, on the Macon County Courthouse Plaza in Franklin.
The program includes folk songs that reflect the musical heritage of the Southern Appalachians and the nation, including mountain ballads, songs of the American frontier and other traditional Irish and Scottish tunes, with some tall tales thrown in.
Attendees should bring a lawn chair and sit in the shade of the courthouse, where the artists will perform.
828.524.7683 or visit www.artscouncilofmacon.org.
A series of introductory glassblowing classes will begin in June at the Jackson County Green Energy Park.
Students may choose to attend classes from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays beginning June 3; 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays beginning June 6; or 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning June 7. Classes meet four times and cost $270, with the option of two additional meetings for a total of $390.
Students will learn the fundamentals of glassblowing through demonstrations and one-on-one instruction. No experience is required.
828.227.7397 or visit learn.wcu.edu.
Adult pottery courses will be offered this summer by Southwestern Community College’s Heritage Arts Institute at the SCC Swain Center.
Offerings include a four-week beginner’s class in June where students will focus on centering and opening up, learn to pull a cylinder, throw a bowl and trim and glaze their pieces. A second course in July is intended to build on skills acquired in the June class.
Classes run from June 7 to June 30 and July 5 to July 28. The cost is $65 for the course.
For advanced students, a course in advanced firing techniques will be offered June 16 through Aug. 9 for $120.
828.488.6413.
A Women’s Circle focusing on the divine feminine within will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, at The Creative Thought Center in Waynesville.
Shari Starrfire will guide participants in an evening of dance, journeying and sharing about what it means to activate and accelerate consciousness as women. Starrfire will provide an overview of the upcoming series on Awakening & Accelerating the Divine Feminine she will be facilitating.
828.246.2794 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Art workshops that provide encounters with nature will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 5, with an acrylic landscape painting class. Travel to the Blue Ridge Parkway to experience painting the rows of blue, purple and green mountain ranges of the Smoky Mountains with Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a local arts group.
Students will gather at Water Rock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway where they will capture the view with acrylics on canvas.
During inclement weather, the workshops are conducted in a yurt studio at Nature’s Home Preserve. There is possibly hiking involved and each person will complete a Plein Air or still-life painting weather permitting. Some of the techniques covered are: spontaneous composition, working with complementary colors, figure painting, botanical drawing, landscape and still life painting. The fee is $36 with all materials furnished.
Other workshops will be held on the first Saturday of every month through November.
828.293.2239 or visit www.doreylart.yurtstudio.com.
The Good Old Time camp, a summer day camp for children, will be held 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 20 through June 24. The camp is hosted by Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center, arts programs and Hunter Library.
The program will focus on the culture of the region, including the Cherokee and pioneer experience. Children will spend time investigating and creating crafts such as mask-making, quilting, candle-making, open-hearth cooking and pottery-making. They also will experience a performance of old-time music and go on field trips to local sites of natural and historic interest.
Sponsored in part by the Jackson County Arts Council, the camp is designed for rising fourth- through sixth-graders.
Tuition is $80 per child, with lunch provided at the WCU dining hall. Registration is limited to the first 16 children and the deadline to register is Friday, June 3.
828.227.7397 or visit www.wcu.edu/28903.asp.
The 6th annual Patchwork Folk and Fabric Festival is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Jackson County Recreation Center.
Quilts will be on display, with each one telling its own story. On loan from local women, these quilt stories bring forth memories of a community.
Brenda Anders and Larry Walther of Dillsboro’s Dogwood Crafters will be holding a “bed turning,” with more than 30 quilts. As they turn each quilt, they will tell its story.
Surrounding the quilt displays and raffles will be demonstrations of spinning, weaving, crocheting, tatting, rug braiding, caning, sewing, cornshuck creations, and more. Vendors will have nature art and photography, aprons, local plants and flowers, jewelry making, cloth rugs, scarves, pillows, homemade chocolate candy creations, hand-painted hand saws, glass beads and more. Live music will be provided by Ron Smith.
Organizers are still looking for other quilts to share at the bed turning during the festival, so please contact Brenda Anders if you want to display your treasured quilt. 828.506.8331 or 828.293.3053.
The Waynesville Gallery Association will present Art After Dark from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, June 3.
Art After Dark takes place the first Friday of each month, May through December. Enjoy a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Historic Frog Level.
Festive Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries like Burr Studio and Gallery, Earthworks Frame Shop, Earthworks Gallery, Gallery Two Six Two, Grace Cathey Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86, Jeweler’s Workbench, Textures, TPennington Art Gallery, and Twigs and Leaves Gallery. Multi-instrumentalist Michael Pilgrim will provide musical entertainment during the evening as he strolls Main Street.
Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 is hosting an artist reception during Art After Dark for its Appalachian Heritage exhibition which includes pottery, quilting, gunsmithing, sculpture, and baskets.
Visit TPennington Art Gallery to see a new release entitled “Peaks of Otter Dogwood - Blue Ridge Parkway.” The work is part of a new series called “Fences along the Parkway.” Artist Teresa Pennington will be offering a special discount to June Art After Dark patrons.
Twigs and Leaves Gallery will be featuring wood carver Mark Strom, who will be demonstrating the age old art of carving wood panels into works of nature. Years of working with clay combined with his love of nature are responsible for the elegantly simple, strong and straightforward wood carvings that he now produces.
Kids can fish for free and register to win prizes, including two lifetime licenses, at a variety of fishing events in Western North Carolina.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is supporting these fishing events as part of National Fishing and Boating Week. The grand prize is a lifetime sportsman license, which includes freshwater and saltwater fishing privileges, as well as hunting privileges. The first prize is a lifetime freshwater fishing license. There are 150 fishing-related prizes, such as tackle boxes, rod-and-reel combos and fishing line. Local sponsors for many events will provide prizes and gifts to registered participants as well.
More than 2,500 children are expected to attend these events across the state, catching commission-stocked fish from trout in the mountains to catfish and sunfish in the Piedmont and coastal regions.
Kids’ fishing days
• Jackson County, Cullowhee Creek
June 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Limited to first 40 kids, ages 7 to 12. 828.293.3053.
• Macon County, Cliffside Lake
June 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Register on site day of event; for kids ages 15 and younger. 828.524.6441, ext. 421.
• Haywood County, Max Patch Pond
June 11 from 9 a.m. until noon.
Register on site day of the event. 828.682.6146.
• Graham County, Santeetlah Creek
June 4 from 9 a.m. until noon.
Pre-registration at U.S. Forest Service office, Cheoah Ranger District, Robbinsville. Rain date: June 11. 828.837.5152, ext. 118.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open approximately 63.5 miles of trout streams and one lake classified as delayed-harvest trout waters under hatchery-supported regulations on Saturday, June 4.
But there’s a catch . . . only anglers 15 years old and younger can fish these waters from 6 a.m. until 11:59 a.m. At noon, these waters open to all anglers.
The youth-only fishing time frame is designed to promote trout fishing among young anglers and to provide special opportunities for young anglers to catch — and keep — fish.
Under hatchery-supported regulations, in effect through Sept. 30, anglers can keep a maximum of seven trout per day, with no bait restrictions or minimum size limits. Fishing license required.
Go to www.ncwildlife.org/Regs/Regs_Fishing.htm for a list of delayed-harvest trout waters, regulation information and trout maps.
A Salamander Soiree is set for June 2 at 6 p.m. as the kickoff to “Think About Thursdays,” a summer series of programs and talks sponsored by the Highlands Biological Station.
The Salamander Soiree will feature a reception and games, followed by a brief lecture about salamanders. Award-winning author Cathryn Sill and wildlife illustrator John Sill will sign copies of their acclaimed “About” series of children’s books, and we will also announce the winners of a Salamander Art Contest.
After the Salamander Soiree, at 9 p.m., there will be a flashlight-guided Salamander Meander, featuring a short presentation followed by a hike with herpetologists along the Biological Station’s Garden Trails to search for salamanders. Advanced registration and a fee of $5 per person are required, and participants of the Salamander Meander must be over the age of seven. 828.526.2623.
This summer, the Highlands Biological Foundation is introducing new events and programs to the Thursday series in addition to its traditional Zahner Lectures — such as workshops, family events and guided interpretive hikes — that focus on the beauty and biodiversity of the Highlands Plateau. There will still be a few of the more traditional lectures on science and ecology topics as part of the series.
Other June programs on Thursdays are:
n June 9, Brett Wright talks about “Simply Child’s Play: It Isn’t So Simple,” a discussion of the deleterious effects of Nature Deficit Disorder on children of all ages. Wright is a professor and the chairman of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. Wright serves as the co-chairman of the U.S. Play Coalition, an organization he helped establish with former National Park Service Director Fran P. Mainella.
n June 16, the annual Owl Prowl. Meet at the Nature Center amphitheater at 8 p.m. for an educational presentation given by the Carolina Raptor Center. This program will last approximately one hour, and is offered in collaboration with the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. Following the program, stay until dark for the “Owl Prowl,” led by several members of the Audubon Society. The Owl Prowl is free to the public, but contributions for the Carolina Raptor Center are appreciated.
n June 23 two programs are scheduled. At 10 a.m. depart from the parking lot of the Nature Center for a hike led by Lamar Marshall of Wild South to explore the Ancient Cherokee Trails of Macon County. This moderately difficult hike will last for approximately four hours, and will include lunch. Advanced registration and a fee of $10 per person are required due to limited space and lunch expense. 828.526.2221. At 8:30 p.m. learn about regional frogs. This event will feature a 30-minute presentation on general frog biology, and the natural history of local species, followed by a short walk to Lindenwood Lake in the Botanical Garden to look and listen for frogs. Bring a flashlight. Admission is $5 per person. Ages are seven to adult, and advanced registration is required 828.526.2623.
n June 30, award-winning storyteller Gary Carden will share his Appalachian Stories of Conservation. Carden, a playwright and an artist, is the author of “Mason Jars in the Flood and Other Stories.” This event is free and open to all.
Stayed tuned to The Smoky Mountain News outdoors calendar for weekly events throughout summer.
Rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are continuing to search for a Cary man who was reported missing April 27.
The park is asking that anybody who may have seen the subject, Christopher Lee Cessna, 45, in the last three weeks, whether in the park or elsewhere, contact rangers.
Cessna had been reported missing to the Cary Police Department, which issued a Missing Person Report, but it was not sent to the park, because family members had no reason to suspect that he would go there.
Rangers learned that Cessna may be in the park when they checked the license plate of a vehicle that had been parked at Newfound Gap Parking area for some time and discovered it was his. The car didn’t arouse earlier notice because the Appalachian Trail crosses the park at Newfound Gap, and it is common for vehicles to be left there for weeks at a time by hikers.
Park officials report that Cessna had been despondent and that a handgun he owned could not be located at his residence, so they are concerned about the possibility that he may have planned to take his own life.
Cessna is 45 years old, white, 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs 230 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes and a fair complexion.
865.436.1230.
On June 4, from 10 a.m. until noon at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, Tim Spira will give a 45-minute presentation followed by questions and discussion about the ecology of Southern Appalachian Wildflowers. Spira is a plant ecologist, photographer, native plant gardener and professor of botany at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., where he teaches courses in field botany, plant ecology and the natural history of wildflowers. He’s just published Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont: A Naturalist’s Guide to the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia (University of North Carolina Press). The event will be followed by a book signing and guided wildflower walk.
Another Swain County man, Gregory Cline, 35, was convicted of one count of tampering in federal court for breaking into a trailhead collection box.
After rangers learned that money was being stolen from a self-pay trail map collection box, an extended surveillance operation was conducted, which netted Cline as a suspect. Cline received 57 days in jail and was ordered to pay $57 restitution, the amount he had stolen. Cline has appealed the case.
