This month, the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the dedication of NASA’s Rosman Satellite Tracking and Data Acquisition Facility. 

The River Rescue Rodeo held on the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro last weekend attracted a host of paddling teams to test their river rescue skills, including swift-water rescues, throw rope competitions and a knot-tying rodeo.

More than 60 volunteers removed 3,740 pounds of trash from Richland Creek in Haywood County Saturday, Sept. 21, during this year’s Big Sweep stream clean up.

Slam poetry champion, teacher and coach Matthew Cuban will present a spoken-word workshop at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University followed by a reception and performances by Cuban and the WCU Truthwriters at 4:30 p.m.

Cuban is a three-time grand champion of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam, one of the largest poetry slams in the nation. The workshop and performance is co-sponsored by WCU’s Hunter Library and Office of Intercultural Affairs. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.3423.

Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s 5th annual Furry Friends Benefit Bash will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. 

The evening will feature food and live music. A silent auction will include vacation packages, special dinners and an art workshop. In addition, the auction offers golf, dining, spa packages and unique items for people and their pets. The event will be a sit-down dinner, plus a cash bar.

Tickets may be purchased for $50 per person at Sarge’s Adoption Center in Waynesville. Table sponsorships are available for $450, for a reserved table for eight.

828.246.9050 or www.sargeandfriends.org.

The new printing/binding studios of SpeakEasy Press will hold an open house from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Riverwood Studios in Dillsboro.

Haywood County’s own Balsam Range won album of the year for “Papertown” at the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Awards this past weekend in Raleigh.

Jammin’ at the Millpond will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Weaver Susan Morgan Leveille, owner of the Oaks Gallery in Dillsboro, was named one of the recipients of the North Carolina Heritage Award.

First United Methodist Church in Sylva will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a Homecoming on Sunday, Oct. 6. Bishop Larry Goodpaster will deliver a sermon at a 10:30 a.m. church service in the sanctuary, followed by a luncheon in the Christian Life Center. All are invited, whether church members or not.

To the Editor:

The enthusiasm was very evident!

The Waynesville Public Art Commission would like to thank everyone who came to the Friday, Sept. 6, dedication celebration for the art created by Grace Cathey for the downtown mini-park’s final piece “Wildflowers of the Smokies.” Cathey was very happy that so many were there to enjoy the unveiling of her beautiful wall panels. We would also like to note that Bee Balm and Butterfly Weed, two of the three plants depicted in the metal art, are growing in the mini-park as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The commission would also like to thank everyone who contributed financial support, as well as all the artists who helped our fundraising efforts to bring this striking addition to our downtown collection.

The mission of the Waynesville Public Art Commission is to engage the community and enrich public spaces through original public art that celebrates Waynesville’s unique, historic, cultural, natural and human resources. The mission statement has two words in particular — original and unique — that are the guiding force behind our decisions on the subject matter for each of our calls for artists. Without a doubt, with your help we have fulfilled our mission and look forward to future art endeavors with you.

All of our public art is entirely funded by public donations, so they truly do belong to you, the people of Waynesville. With this artwork we have wonderful visual images of the values we wish to celebrate and cherish. If you are interested in donating, volunteering or learning more about the WPAC, call the town at 828.452.2491.

Jan Griffin

former chairman,

Waynesville Public Art Commission

To the Editor:

The North Carolina Legislature has passed, and Gov. McCrory has signed, a bill requiring a photo ID in order to vote. This bill will disenfranchise a large number of voters in our state, especially the elderly (which includes the greatest generation, who saved our country for democracy) and the first-time voters. In addition, the bill eliminates one week of early voting, which has been extremely popular with older folks.

Some real examples: a friend is 94 years old. She served as a nurse in WWll, has always been very active in her church and community, her husband was a state senator for several terms. She has voted in every election since she was old enough, but now she can’t vote because she has no “valid” ID. Another friend is 87, has never driven because she is blind, she and her family have worked tirelessly for their church and community, but now she can’t vote.

The newspapers assure us that “free IDs” can be obtained at any driver’s license office. How does a 94-year-old woman or a blind woman locate an office and get there? What about the many older folks who do not see a newspaper or who missed the announcement on the news? What about those who were not born in North Carolina, and don’t have a birth certificate? 

There will be thousands who make the effort to get to the polls, only to be told they are not eligible. Few people will go through the process of casting a provisional ballot, which may, or may not, be ruled eligible by the officials. Many restrictions on absentee voting have been lifted, creating more opportunities for fraud.

Recent redistricting, with changed boundary lines and split precincts, increases the likelihood that folks will go to the wrong precinct to vote. For years, they could fill out a conditional ballot, which, after verification, would be counted. 

Under the new law, these votes will be thrown out. The elderly and minorities are most likely to be in this group.

With all the distractions today, many young people are turned away by politics, not realizing that politics affect every phase of our lives, or that voting is a precious right and a responsibility. 

Currently, high school civics classes provide an opportunity to get them involved, and even provide pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. In many cases, this will be the last opportunity to reach these kids. The new legislation totally eliminates this registration. 

Things get even more complicated when a college student tries to vote!

Incidentally, these free IDs are estimated to cost North Carolina $823,200 in each of the first two years, and over $24,000 annually. All of this to fix a problem that all surveys indicate does not exist.

Is it a coincidence that the elderly, the young, and minorities tend to vote Democratic?

 Margaret S. Ramsey

Franklin

Celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 28 by volunteering at DuPont State Forest to help clear a section of trail on Hickory Mountain Loop.

The service project will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and focus on an off-road mountain bike route. The work is of moderate difficulty and the hike to the project location is less than half a mile. The number of volunteers is limited to 50 and participants must be at least 12 years old. All volunteers will receive an REI T-shirt, while sizes and supplies last. 

Workers are encouraged to bring water, snacks, work gloves, sun block, bug spray, tools, if possible, and wear closed-toe shoes. A light trailside breakfast and grilled lunch will be provided. Volunteers will meet at the Guion Farm access area before the workday begins.

Registration is required.

www.rei.com/event/52936/session/78095.

Haywood Community College has honored two Fish and Wildlife Management program students for their achievements in the field.

Jacob Longworth and Alex Wilson were recently awarded the 2013 Dave Dudek Wildlife Award. They are the first recipients of this award and its accompanying $250 scholarship. 

The award is named for retired instructor and founding adviser of the HCC student chapter of The Wildlife Society, Dave Dudek.

The award, presented to two Fish and Wildlife students who are on track to graduate in the spring, recognizes leadership, scholarship, and dedication to the field.

Longworth plans to work as a wildlife biologist or wildlife officer after graduation and Wilson hopes to work to conserve and protect avian species.

828.627.4592. 

Chimney Rock State Park has become North Carolina’s 70th tourist destination to earn recognition for its environmentally friendly practices, according to officials with the N.C. GreenTravel Initiative.

Chimney Rock Management LLC, which operates Chimney Rock, earned its place among N.C. GreenTravel locations by installing public recycling containers, using locally-produced food in the park restaurant, reducing water usage, installing energy-efficient lighting and appliances, removing invasive plants and increasing public environmental awareness.

NC GreenTravel, a N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources program launched in October 2011, recognizes tourism-oriented businesses for their accomplishments in environmental stewardship. In addition to lessening environmental impacts, research has shown that environmentally friendly businesses reduce operating costs and are more profitable without sacrificing the comfort of guests. 

While several other states have created programs to certify “green” hotels, the N.C. GreenTravel Initiative gives recognition to hotels, restaurants, museums, parks, attractions and other tourism-related businesses.

The French Broad Rifles club will host a Primitive Black Powder Muzzleloading shoot Oct. 4-6 near Marshall.

It’s a big weekend at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, Sept. 27-29, with its Guest Appreciation Festival, the U.S. Slalom Nationals, and a big water release on the Upper Nantahala. 

The annual Chief’s Challenge one-mile run and walk benefit for victims of childhood cancer will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, before the Cherokee Indian Fair parade. The event will take participants through downtown to the Cherokee Immediate Care center adjacent to the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort parking lot.

Registration takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the day of the event, at the Cherokee Phoenix Theatre parking lot or online. Registration is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 years and younger. Proceeds will go to the Madison Hornbuckle Children’s Cancer Foundation. 

The first 300 participants will receive a swag bag with T-shirts, water bottles and more, donated by local businesses and tribal programs. The day also features a host of activities for participants before the event, including a magic show, games, and art activities.

The Madison Hornbuckle Children’s Cancer Foundation is a non-profit foundation that provides financial support to the families of children with cancer. Information about the foundation can be found online at nc-cherokee.com/madison-hornbuckle-foundation.

Registration and event information are available at www.runsignup.com/race/nc/cherokee/chiefschallenge1milesprint.

The U.S. Forest Service is promoting its fall foliage webpage, which features scenic drives and other areas in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests for visitors to enjoy this autumn.

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a beginner’s disc golf class for youth ages 8 to 17. The class will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. each Tuesday in October at the Waynesville Disc Golf Course on Vance Street in Waynesville.

A group of friends have come together to create a non-profit entity to operate a new pottery school in the Macon County Heritage Center at the old Cowee School. 

Watercolor and oil painter Jo Ridge Kelley will demonstrate oil painting techniques in a naturescape for Art League of the Smokies at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.

Voices in the Laurel will hold auditions for “Laurel Strings,” a new string ensemble open to students in grades two-12 in area counties who are currently taking private lessons in violin, viola, cello or bass or have taken at least two years of lessons in the past. Auditions will be held by appointment through Sept. 27. First rehearsals will begin on Oct. 1 in Waynesville.

The ensemble will meet on Tuesdays at First Baptist Church in Waynesville and will perform both a winter and spring concert in conjunction with Voices in the Laurel. The ensemble will also perform at the Voices in the Laurel “I Heart Disney” Valentine Concert in February 2014.

Sarah Smith, the director of the ensemble, has been teaching private lessons in Haywood County since arriving from the Raleigh area more than two years ago.  She has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Huntington University in Indiana and has spent 12 years teaching public school choir, drama and music. She has taught violin and piano privately for the last 17 years.

919.272.1359 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Acclaimed musician/folklorist Lee Knight will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Jackson County Public Library Complex in Sylva.

The Boho Stage Show will bring aerial trapeze, circus acts, belly dancing, hula-hooping and other eccentric forms of performance art for two shows — one at 2 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. — on Saturday, Sept. 28, at The Strand on 38 Main in Waynesville.

To the Editor:

The North Carolina legislature has passed, and Gov. McCrory has signed, a bill requiring a photo ID in order to vote. This bill will disenfranchise a large number of voters in our state, especially the elderly (which includes the greatest generation, who saved our country for democracy) and the first-time voters. In addition, the bill eliminates one week of early voting, which has been extremely popular with older folks.

Some real examples: a friend is 94 years old. She served as a nurse in WWll, has always been very active in her church and community; her husband was a state senator for several terms. She has voted in every election since she was old enough, but now she can’t vote because she has no “valid” ID. Another friend is 87, has never driven because she is blind, she and her family have worked tirelessly for their church and community, but now she can’t vote.

The newspapers assure us that “free IDs” can be obtained at any driver’s license office. How does a 94-year-old woman or a blind woman locate an office and get there? What about the many older folks who do not see a newspaper or who missed the announcement on the news? What about those who were not born in North Carolina and don’t have a birth certificate? 

There will be thousands who make the effort to get to the polls, only to be told they are not eligible. Few people will go through the process of casting a provisional ballot, which may or may not, be ruled eligible by the officials. Many restrictions on absentee voting have been lifted, creating more opportunities for fraud.

Recent redistricting, with changed boundary lines and split precincts, increases the likelihood that folks will go to the wrong precinct to vote. For years, they could fill out a conditional ballot, which, after verification, would be counted. 

Under the new law, these votes will be thrown out. The elderly and minorities are most likely to be in this group.

With all the distractions today, many young people are turned away by politics, not realizing that politics affect every phase of our lives, or that voting is a precious right and a responsibility. 

Currently, high school civics classes provide an opportunity to get them involved, and even provide pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. In many cases, this will be the last opportunity to reach these kids. The new legislation totally eliminates this registration. 

Things get even more complicated when a college student tries to vote!

Incidentally, these free IDs are estimated to cost North Carolina $823,200 in each of the first two years, and over $24,000 annually. All of this to fix a problem that all surveys indicate does not exist.

Is it a coincidence that the elderly, the young, and minorities tend to vote Democratic?

 Margaret S. Ramsey

Franklin

By Dawn Gilchrist-Young

I’m writing this because I teach three sections of senior English at Swain High School, where I’ve taught English in grades nine through 12 for almost 15 years. However, I can only say I’ve loved what I do for 14 of those years, and that’s because my first year in public education left me neither time nor energy to ponder the luxury of how I felt about my work. Having no time to reflect is typical for a first-year public school teacher. 

Western North Carolina’s educational institutions must re-emphasize the importance of mathematical skills at all levels — from basic addition and subtraction to advanced statistics, analysis and predictive modeling — if mountain students are to succeed in the modern workforce.

A 5K race will be held on the campus of Western Carolina University in conjunction with Mountain Heritage Day festivities.

The race will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, with check-in and race day registration from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. at the Stillwell Science Building on the WCU campus. The course will take runners on a partial tour of the WCU campus, including past the signature fountain at the campus center. The route offers a mix of flatland and hills. A course map is available online. The race is open to runners, joggers and speed walkers; all participants should be able to complete the race within 50 minutes.

Awards will be presented to first place male and female runners and the top three male and female runners in each age category, including 17 and under, 18-31 and 31 and over.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.283.0203 or www.claws.wcu.edu/sma/5K.

No junior women’s freestyle kayaker in the world was better than Stecoah resident Rowan Stuart recently at the ICF Canoe World Championships — a freestyle boating competition.

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will host its first Fish Frenzy, a kayak and canoe fishing tournament, Saturday, Sept.28, at the Tsali Boat Ramp on Lake Fontana.

In time for peak hurricane season, Duke Energy is going mobile with its lake level information.

The smart phone-friendly website can be accessed at www.duke-energy.com. The default menu shows an option for “Lakes and Recreation.” Duke Energy’s lake information web pages include recreational water release schedules, lake levels and alerts. The page attracts thousands of hits each month when heavy rainfall causes high water at lakes managed by the company. 

“We’ve provided this information for years, knowing how important it is to people who live near the lakes and to those who use them for recreation,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Lisa Hoffmann. “This enhancement will make popular lake information even more accessible.”

Lakeside residents are encouraged to monitor weather forecasts and check for lake level alerts when heavy rains are in the forecast. The public also can check real-time lake levels and special updates, 24 hours a day, online or over the phone.

www.duke-energy.com/lakes/levels.asp or 800.829.5253.

A group of raptors will be featured at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers. 

For homeowners with bear problems, the B.E.A.R. Task Force is hosting a program to keep the persistent beasts away.

A $1,000 grant given to the Elk Bugle Corps in Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be used to buy gear for the new bike patrol.

The grant from the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority to Friends of the Smokies went to help fund the Elk Bike Patrol and get volunteer riders some key pieces of equipment.

The money provides uniform shirts, bike shorts and pants, safety mirrors, repair kits, and radio gear. The bicycle volunteers, like Stefanie McIntosh of Asheville, help control traffic while dealing with elk-caused jams and answering visitor questions.

“Being on a bike allows us to respond quickly during high traffic times and during visitor emergencies,” McIntosh commented.

The TDA grant also supplies additional uniforms for the Elk Bugle Corps who rove valley on foot and in the volunteer vehicles, so that visitors know where to turn for information. 

Representatives from the town of Clyde and HomeTrust Bank removed 80 pounds of trash Saturday, Sept. 7, from the small tributary of the Pigeon River. It was the town’s first waterway cleanup since it adopted the stream next to the Clyde Fire Station as part of Haywood Waterways’ Adopt A Stream program. Participating organizations “adopt” a stream to clean up its trash and improve its water quality.

It took about two hours for the group of nine to collect the trash, which was mostly plastic soda bottles and shopping bags.

A larger stream-cleaning event, Haywood County’s Big Sweep, will be held on Sept. 21. Haywood Waterways is recruiting volunteers to help. 

Trash ends up in streams several ways, with the bulk entering through storm drains. Litter and trash from cars is washed by rain into streams and rivers. Much of the trash, particularly plastics, can take hundreds of years to decompose. Besides being ugly, trash is bad for wildlife and can clog drains and pipes, which can cause flooding and problems for water users in industry and agriculture.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.550.4869.

The 39th Mountain Heritage Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. The event will be preceded by a 5K foot race at 8 a.m.

WCU’s free celebration of Appalachian culture also will feature a full schedule of mountain music, fun activities, about 100 booths of the region’s finest arts and crafts, and 25 vendors offering ethnic, heritage and festival food. Balsam and Blue Ridge stages and the Circle Tent will offer continuous mountain music, storytelling and clogging. 

Other areas will be active with demonstrations of Cherokee stickball and other Cherokee games, shape-note singing and an antique auto show. The Children’s Tent will provide entertaining activities for younger visitors throughout the day, and kids also will enjoy free wagon rides and hayrides.

The festival also offers a variety of demonstrations and contests centered on authentic mountain folk arts and skills: competitions for best beards and mustaches, period costumes and chainsaw woodcutting. Apples are the key ingredient in this year’s entries for the annual Best of the West award in the Mountain Heritage Day “A Gathering In” Traditional Food Competition. Contest rules, categories and entries are found at www.mountainheritageday.com.

The Mountain Heritage Center’s exhibits of Appalachian culture and history will be open all day. Festival attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for comfortable seating. Shuttles will operate throughout the day, with stops at designated parking and attraction location.

www.mountainheritageday.com or 828.227.7129.

The annual Mountain Life Festival in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Mountain Farm Museum near Cherokee.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Daniel and Belle Fangmeyer Theater on the grounds of the Performing Arts Center at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, in Waynesville.

Since kicking off a $1 million dollar capital fund drive in July 2012, HART has raised more than $640,000 toward the construction of a new second stage, which will allow them to nearly double their performance schedule by the 2015 season. The new theater building will provide rehearsal space so cast can start working on an upcoming show while another one is still running on the main stage.

The second theater building will be a medium-sized venue, smaller than HART’s main stage but bigger than the small studio theater.

Architects Joe Sam Queen and Sarah Queen have designed a facility, which will provide for unique productions in an ever-changing setting, but continue the physical style of the current theater facility.

www.harttheatre.com.

The Tony Award-winning puppet musical “Ave. Q” hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20-21, 27-28 and Oct. 4-5, and at 3 p.m. Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6, at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Country sensation Scott McCreery hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Called “the world’s greatest tribute to Chicago,” musical group Brass Transit will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

With a growing legion of fans on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, the eight-piece Toronto group rips through Chicago’s catalog of hits from the 1970s — classics such as “Make Me Smile,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Call on Me,” “Wishing You Were Here,” “Old Days,” “Questions 67 & 68” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”

The group regularly performs to sold-out crowds across the U.S. and Canada – no easy feat when the real members of Chicago are still actively touring.

Tickets for the show are $20 for adults, $15 for WCU faculty and staff, and $5 for students and children. The Brass Transit performance is sponsored by Tonemaster Muffler Shop of Sylva.

828.227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

To the Editor:

North Carolina has the 49th highest unemployment rate in the USA, tied with Rhode Island and followed by Illinois at No. 50 and Nevada at 51 (Washington, D.C., was included in this survey). 

There are well over a million people unemployed in North Carolina. This was the condition the state was in after 12 years of two Democratic governors. There have been many letters to the editor as well as several news organizations protesting our new governor. Do the protestors want to elect more people to office like the last two Democrats who were in charge? You would think so from all of the negative letters written to the papers. Do people realize it costs millions of dollars to help unemployed families in our state? We know our teachers are underpaid, but at least they have jobs. Until the economy in North Carolina gets better and employment increases, the state and the people will have to do the best they can to get by.

The legislature and Gov. McCrory substantially changed our tax system to encourage businesses to move to or expand in North Carolina. Gov. Perdue borrowed $2.5 billion from the U.S. Treasury to pay for unemployment insurance; the interest on that loan costs approximately $100 million a year. The governor hopes to pay off that loan by 2016. Our new tax system is now rated as the 17th best tax system for businesses in the USA. It will take time to get our business community booming again. Before the last election North Carolina was surrounded by four states that have lower tax rates and lower unemployment rates than our State. We can now compete against those states for business growth. 

Gov. McCrory was in Sylva on Sept. 12 for a lunch with many local citizens and business people and stated that he is committed to restoring prosperity to all of North Carolina. He admitted our state is broke and that the only way we can recover is to help our people find work. He said we had to change our tax system to compete with other states to do that. He knows his personal popularity has taken a hit, but he is committed to this goal. He made Charlotte into a prosperous city and he will do the same for North Carolina. Let’s see where North Carolina is by 2016?

Jim Mueller

Glenville

To the Editor:

 The national criticism of his voter suppression law — yes, he signed it, so it’s his — must be working on Gov. Pat McCrory. He wrote a defensive op-ed piece in USA Today not long ago in which he rationalized a photo ID for voting by the necessity to show one to board an airplane.

His apologists have been filling the newspapers with letters that equate a photo ID for voting with having to show one to cash a check or purchase certain controlled medications.

These are blatant examples of false syllogism — stringing together two or more facts to support a nonsensical conclusion.

An example found on the web goes like this: “Only women are nuns. Only women can have babies. Therefore, only nuns can have babies.”

McCrory’s equation is just as flawed: It’s a fact that honest voting is important; it’s a fact that aircraft security is important; it’s a fact that curbing drug misuse, as in the making of methamphetamines, is important; it’s a fact that preventing check or credit card fraud is important.

But it’s also a fact — conveniently ignored by the voter suppression apologists — that there is scarcely ever an instance of someone trying to vote under another person’s identity. When the State Board of Elections searched its records, it could find only two examples among many millions of votes cast. And no one ever died from it.

But nearly 3,000 people died on account of airplane hijackings on 9/11. Many thousands more have died from drug abuse — in one year, more than 500 from meth alone. Check and credit card fraud are daily occurrences that cost billions of dollars annually.

Unlike those examples, voter fraud is an imaginary problem.  

McCrory also contended that voter fraud is a real threat because of multimillion-dollar political campaigns. As the beneficiary of one, he ought to know. But this, too, is false syllogism. The special interests and their candidates don’t try to buy individual voters; it’s too cumbersome, and they know they would be caught. Their money buys advertising, chiefly negative, to influence voters en masse. It’s a lot more bang for the buck.

The interests behind McCrory are already pouring advertising money into trying to gild his shabby performance. When you see or hear the ads, consider the motive.  

Martin A. Dyckman

Waynesville

To the Editor:

In January, Republicans swept into state government on a mission of frugality, vowing to trim fat from the state budget. And trim they did, taking a cleaver to unemployment benefits, our vaulted education system, welfare, health care, and the environment. Millions of North Carolinians — young and old — were negatively affected.

What we are learning, though, is that not everyone in the state is hurting. Wealthy citizens got a big tax break on income tax. Others have benefitted, too. Turns out that it’s good to be close to the governor and high officials in his administration. Recently, Gov. Pat McCrory gave huge raises — over $20,000 — to his staffers because, as he noted, it is expensive to live in Raleigh. Perhaps the governor needs to be aware that it’s expensive to live in a few other places in North Carolina, notably anywhere between Murphy and Manteo.  

McCrory has been generous to himself, too, at least to his image. He recently authorized $150,000 for a TV ad campaign that shows him boasting of his accomplishments in his first few months in office.

But all is not sweetness and light in Raleigh, and reports show that there is an undercurrent of darkness in this administration. They don’t like it when they are crossed.  Recently, a section chief in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), a 35-year state employee who’d served six governors, was let go by DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos because she defended her own staff members for lobbying legislators about unfair spending by the DHHs. These staff people had gone to the legislature on their own vacation time with a story to tell, quite a story about how budget cuts were going to reduce health services to children. This was not what Secretary Wos wanted to hear, but the section chief was only protecting the rights of her staff to speak freely. Doing so got her fired.  

Now, on the other hand, we find that Secretary Wos has a generous streak, well, at least for friends. Through personal services contracts, she hired Joe Hauk and Les Merritt to help streamline her now depleted department.  What are their qualifications? Hauk was a member of a company run by Wos’ husband; Merritt is a former state auditor and confidant of Art Pope, the man who brought in 75 percent of the money to finance the Republican takeover of NC government. Hauk and Merritt are going to live well in Raleigh or wherever they wish. For eight months consulting, Hauk was paid $228,375. Merritt is doing OK, as well; in two months, he was paid $58,500, part of a year-long contract that is capped at $312,000.  (Note that Merritt is also a member of the N.C. Ethics Commission. Ouch.)  

So, what is one to conclude? That the old cliché of it being good to have friends in high places is still true. However, for the rest of us who are obliged to scratch out a living or try to find a job, we need to have a long memory, at least until the elections of 2014 when we can put some folks back into the legislature to block this naked cronyism.

Rick Bryson

Bryson City

The creation of a monolithic blueprint that will lead the seven western counties into a new economy is under way, but the team of researchers behind it is calling for community input to ensure the vision being crafted is the right one.

“We want to speak to people in the region to show them what we have done so far and make sure we are capturing their perspective,” said Ben Brown with the Macon-based Placemakers consulting firm that’s part of the research team.

A $1.3-million, year long visioning process known as Opportunity Initiative — or Opt-In, for short — is engaging business, civic and community leaders. But it also wants to check in and touch base with the general public.

A series of upcoming public meetings will synthesize key findings emerging from the mountains of data and research. Some of the findings are old news. Manufacturing has declined. High-speed Internet access is lacking. The population is aging. 

But until now, what these disparate realities actually mean hasn’t been assessed collectively as a region.

“There is no doubt that all rural areas are struggling for a sense of identity and strategic purpose,” Brown said. “Rural communities have to be much smarter to use the resources that are there and to create new resources.”

But the massive visioning study will hopefully come up with concrete solutions to putting WNC on the path of a shared vision.

“Where do we put our time and energy? How to we maximize our opportunities? Are we making the best use of our assets right now?” Brown posed. 

The answer likely lies in WNC’s strengths. While it may seem intuitive, the study will assess how the region can tap into its assets to build a better economic future, Brown said.

“What things are we really good at? Outdoor recreation, the mountains and rivers, are really strong consistent assets,” Brown said.

The following is a list of public meeting locations where the research team will gather public input. Drop-bys start at 5:30 p.m., with the formal presentations and discussion from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Monday, Sept. 23, at Tribal Council House.

• Robbinsville, Tuesday, Sept. 24, at Graham County Community Center.

• Franklin, Thursday, Sept. 26, at Macon Bank Corporate Center.

• Cullowhee, Monday, Sept. 30, at Western Carolina University’s A.K. Hinds Center, multi-purpose room.

• Bryson City, Thursday, Oct. 3, Swain County Technology and Training Center.

• Waynesville, Thursday, Oct. 10, at Regional High Technology Center.

— By Becky Johnson

Haywood County has secured the first right of refusal on the 1.4-acre tract where the Mauney Cove trash and recycling collection site is located near the intersection of U.S. 276 and U.S. 19.

The county currently leases the site for $6,000 a year.

The Board of Commissioners agreed Monday to secure the first right of refusal on the property, giving the county first dibs should the owner ever decide to sell it.

“This doesn’t commit us to anything. Just the option to purchase the site should the need arise,” said Commission Chairman Mark Swanger.

Mauney Cove is one of its most used collection centers in the county.

“Should this site be sold we could lose one of our most coveted centers in the county,” Swanger said.

The lease on the property is good until September 2016.

In the same meeting, the commissioners also accepted a $30,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources to help pay for new recycling receptacles at all the county’s convenience centers. The total cost of replacing all the old recycling containers is about $272,300, which was included in the county’s solid waste budget for the year.

— By Caitlin Bowling

Building permits are trending upwards in Haywood County thanks to an increase in single-family home construction.

The majority of new permits are for mid-range homes less than 4,000 square feet and below $500,000 in value, according to Bruce Crawford, director of building inspections in Haywood County.

The county issued 25 permits for single-family homes in July and August, compared to 16 for the same two-month period last year.

Building permits last fiscal year were up slightly compared to the year before as well.

During the 2012-2013 fiscal year ending in June, the county issued 105 permits for single-family homes. That’s 25 more than the previous year.

“I guess the economy is getting a little bit better,” Crawford said. “It has improved enough that people are starting to turn loose some money.”

The total number of all building permits issued by the county — including additions and commercial buildings — was up by 76 more permits last fiscal year compared to the prior year.

Permits for home additions still remained by far the most popular type of permit issued, topping nearly 250 last fiscal year. Home additions are likely up for several reasons. Low interest rates have made refinancing an attractive option, liquidating home equity for people to then plow into an addition. And those who want more space but are unable to sell their existing home for a decent price tend to improve what they already have instead of moving.

The county has not seen much in the way of new business permits, however.

“Basically, all we’ve seen is just small business type stuff and not much of that,” Crawford said.

The county’s building permit numbers don’t include construction in the town limits of Waynesville, which handles its own building permits. Waynesville issued 16 more buidling permits last year than the year before, but so far this year is about even with the same period last year.

— By Caitlin Bowling