Author and publishing consultant Renea Winchester will be at the public library in Sylva at 7 p.m. on March 27 for a discussion about gardening, friendship and building relationships in the publishing business.

Winchester’s first book In the Garden with Billy: Lessons about Life, Love and Tomatoes deals with both gardening and friendship. Winchester will read excerpts from the book and then discuss how she published and sold her book during uncertain economic times.

Winchester is a native of Western North Carolina who has won multiple awards, including the Wilma Dykeman essay award. She is currently working on another book In the Kitchen with Billy and recently formed Make Your Mark Publishing, a company that represents emerging southern authors.

8282.585.2016.

City Lights Bookstore will host a double book launch at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 23.

FutureCycle Press will unveil its annual anthology of poetry and flash fiction as well as a new poetry collection from Scott Owens titled For One Who Knows How to Own Land. Owens and a few of the contributors to the anthology will read some of their work. Featured writers include Glenda Councill Beal, Robert S. King, Scott Owens, Mary Ricketson and Carole Richard Thompson.   

828.586.9499.

To the Editor:

There seems to be a bent in this publication about taking away the gun rights of decent citizens. All this because some psycho is shooting people somewhere. The state finally made a good decision in allowing responsible permit holders to carry concealed weapons on state lands. Waynesville leaders are being unreasonable in their attempt to prevent responsible citizens from protecting themselves in town parks. Anti-gun advocates are always shouting that people are running around carrying guns and that is simply not true. Only psychos and criminals have guns because they really don’t care what the law is. In North Carolina, less than 10 percent of the population has a permit to carry a concealed pistol.

A study will show that those in this group are among the most highly responsible citizens we have. What is not widely known is that, because of severe restrictions in North Carolina, hardly any of them ever carry a concealed pistol. My guess is far less than 1 percent. If you have a “carry permit” you cannot carry a pistol to the bank, the ATM, the VA, the post office, DMV, any school, any government building or office, the movie theatre, a ballgame, or anywhere that someone else is drinking alcohol. As a former NYPD detective, I can tell you that you are probably in the most danger when you go to an ATM at night. If there was a transient drug user that was desperate for cash to get a fix, he’ll be there.

This has to be the most ridiculous and impractical law that North Carolina has. Most states will issue pistol carry permits to business people based on their need to take receipts and cash to the bank.  I have never heard of one case in the U.S. where a permit holder has held up a bank, or has ever committed a crime with their pistol.  These are our most responsible citizens and they always want to protect their right to their permit to carry.

I’ve researched every mass shooting and it is always a psycho who was the shooter, absolutely never a pistol permit holder. In all these unfortunate incidents there was never a citizen present with a concealed pistol who could have stopped the shooter. This is because people with carry permits never actually carry a pistol! They may take it in the car on trips, or when camping, or hiking through the forest, but they seem never to take it with them on their daily chores. Just too many restrictions.  

The shooting of the congresswoman and so many others in Arizona is an example. There were hundreds of people in that shopping center and none had a pistol to stop the shooter. And in Arizona you don’t even need a permit to carry a concealed pistol!

The psycho knows that he can walk into any school or army base and because of restrictions no one will be carrying a pistol.

Personally, I would not hike in the woods without a pistol in my pocket. There is no cell phone service out there and no law enforcement available. Read the newspapers:  we’ve had numerous people killed in the forests in this area and a recent rape also.

Last year, in Macon County, they found a young man (a psycho) carrying an unloaded rifle in the county park. The liberal publisher of the local newspaper, who is from (anti-gun) California, immediately called for a law to prevent legal permit-holders from carrying in the county park. This was ridiculous! Responsible permit-holders are not known to shoot anyone or misuse their pistol. In fact, all the more reason they should carry a pistol in their pocket to protect their children and grandchildren from the psycho in the park!

In North Carolina you need to have eight hours of instruction on the firearms laws and restrictions, and you must demonstrate safe proficiency with the pistol at the firing range before you can even apply for a pistol carry permit. I teach the pistol carry permit classes and I am impressed by the quality of the citizens who attend. In fact, I have refused to issue certificates to several people, so far, who appeared to be “unstable.”

After a citizen gets a certificate from me, they then apply to their county sheriff and they undergo an investigation not just for criminal background but evidence of mental problems. Only a responsible citizen can get a permit to carry. Creating more firearms restrictions on responsible citizens will have no effect at all on the unfortunate acts of psychos and criminals.

Jim Sottile

NC Certified Firearms Instructor

Franklin

To the Editor:

For the sixth time since the end of the 2011 legislative session in North Carolina, the state is once again making national headlines for its inability to adequately protect dogs in commercial breeding facilities, known as puppy mills.

Eight hundred. That’s how many dogs were rescued from North Carolina puppy mills since June. It is good news for those dogs, but for countless others who continue to spend their breeding in the estimated 250 to 300 inhumane, commercial breeding facilities in the state, these rescues have not helped.

About 150 dogs were rescued from a Stokes County puppy mill earlier this month. The owner was allegedly selling his puppies over the internet, allowing him to escape federal regulation. Since there are no state laws regulating breeders in North Carolina, he was not required to have a license at all.  

The conditions at the Stokes County operation were grim. The dogs that managed to survive were malnourished, matted, caked in dirt and feces, and suffering from medical problems from being crammed into tiny cages for their whole lives and forced to breed continuously without sufficient food and water. The only reason officials were able to rescue these dogs, and others in previous raids, is because the situation rose to the level of animal cruelty. It should have been stopped long before.

As tragic as all of these situations are, it is my sincere hope that this will help facilitate change in our state. For too long, commercial breeders have operated unchecked, which has allowed situations, like this most current one, to occur. It is time for lawmakers in our state to stand up and pass legislation to prevent this from happening again.

Beth Cline

Bryson City

To the Editor,

It is not my norm in life to write letters to a newspaper. However, I feel that after reading Carol Ramsey’s letter in your March 14 issue I have a civic duty to respond.

First, lets set some things straight. Motorcyclists are not going anywhere. We live in what is often coined as the Motorcycle Capital of the East. Folks come from all over the world to experience riding here. This area is covered by media of all forms around the globe for the world-class riding that is offered here.

Second, what Mr. Cochran (whom I have personally met) means by “recreational riders” is that the folks who attend these events have jobs (money) and enjoy being a part of motorcycle culture which has a long and beautiful history in America and elsewhere. The people who will come to this event are good, honest, hard-working Americans who will choose to spend their vacation time and money here in Western North Carolina.

Sounds good so far, huh?

Next, yes, many bikes are loud, and as a biker I agree that some are downright obnoxious, but to say that has a negative impact on quality of life? Well if that is so let us also put the roadblock up for tractor trailers, airplanes, locomotives, and any other form of travel that is powered by an internal combustion engine.

Or maybe to level the playing field, Carol Ramsey and others who object to this rally would like to give up using the goods and services brought to them by these vehicles. Hmmm.

OK … I promised myself I would hold the sarcasm in this letter so let’s move on, shall we? What struck me most in this letter is the objection to this rally being “tendered in good faith.” Uhhh, excuse me?

How many things are brought into our lives that are “tendered in good faith?” Well, our founding fathers had no idea if heading to the New World would be a good idea but they went ahead and did it. No one really knew if the automobile was a good idea but they went ahead and built it.

In fact, most folks have no clue how projects, inventions and any other thing in there life will work, but it is “faith” that moves people to go ahead and try something new. Such as that new restaurant in town: I don’t know if I will like it, but I am willing to gamble the 20-some dollars it takes to find out. Just as the city of Franklin is willing to bet that the grant they “conveniently” gave to the promoters of this event will offer them and the town of Franklin a healthy return on investment.

You see, not only am I a motorcyclist, I also own a local business which caters to bikers. And though we welcome locals, transplants and tourists, I will say without the thousands who come here to ride our roads every year I do not know how our business would survive. I suspect but have no hard numbers to gather that there are many other businesses in Western North Carolina who can say the same.

Yes, we live in a tourist economy and as a result we must welcome the tourists with open arms so we can continue to live here. You know, I am really not a fisherman, a crafter, a kayaker, or mountain biker but I welcome those folks who come from all over to participate in these events here in our lovely mountains. I also know that these folks buy meals, hotels, gas, and other goods and services.

But I do not begrudge their right to do so. I welcome them. Part of the attraction here is that we have such an open and welcoming community with a wide range of interests that bring many many gifts to these mountains — money spent with the local merchants is only one of them.

David W Landes

Owner, Precision Cycle Motorsports

Sylva

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will reseed both dog parks located in the recreation park in Waynesville. However, each of the two parks will be seeded at different times so there will always be a dog park available.

Dog park No.1 will be closed from March 1 to March 30 and dog park No.2 will be closed April 1 to May 1.

828.456.2030 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society will meet on in March 30 in the dining hall of the First Baptist Church on Haywood Street in Waynesville.

Dinner will start at 6 p.m. followed by a program presented by Curtis Wood, emeritus professor of history at Western Carolina University, entitled “The Scotch-Irish Then and Now.”

Wood’s program will cover immigration of people from Scotland and Ireland who migrated to many parts of the Southeastern U.S. states, with the primary focus on Western North Carolina, and in particular, Haywood County.

The meetings are open to the public.

828.627.0385.

Job seekers can participate in an event from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 29, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Haywood Community College’s Student Services building lobby and auditorium.

Those participating will be given extra professional preparation before the event, on how to showcase themselves and their abilities to prospective employers.

Pre-registration, by March 27, is required.  

828.564.5093

Bridges in Jackson, Macon, Swain and Cherokee counties will be replaced under a $2.8 million contract with a Georgia company.

Work could begin as early as April 2 and is scheduled for completion by Nov. 1, 2014.

The contract includes replacing the following bridges:

• Dicks Creek on Dicks Creek Road in Jackson County.

• Fisher Creek on Fisher Creek Road in Jackson County.

• Poplar Creek on Poplar Cove Road in Macon County.

The contract is among 17 to be let by June 2012 using a new concept called express design-build, which can go from zero to construction in eight months.

Southwestern Community College will hold a job fair from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29, on the Jackson Campus in the Balsam Building auditorium. More than 50 employers will be represented at the free event. Those attending the job fair can learn about future openings, as well as co-op or internships.

828.339.4212.

Learn how to download free e-books or audio books onto your digital device at one of two events.

The Macon County Public Library in Franklin will be hosting a drop-in e-reader and e-book workshop 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 22.

Drop in workshops are informal. Simply arrive and stop by the meeting room. Bring Kindles, Nooks, iPads, tablets, laptops or any other e-reading device. Staff will walk through the process of navigating the library e-iNC website, browsing and searching for books, connecting your device and downloading e-books.

The library will also have examples of some popular e-readers that will be available to try.

The Canton library will hold a North Carolina Digital Library Workshop from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on March 27.

At the workshop, Participants will be walked through the download process and have the opportunity to ask questions regarding their individual devices. The workshop is free, but registration is required. When registering, please indicate the type of digital device you own.

The North Carolina Digital Library offers thousands of free downloadable e-books, audio books and e-videos to its member libraries’ patrons.

www.ncdigital.lib.overdrive.com.

Fontana Regional Library is migrating to a new automated library system on March 29 and will be closed that day.

Some changes are coming to comply with the policies of all NC Cardinal libraries.

Books, audiobooks and music will check out for 3 weeks; new books will check out for two weeks; DVDs and videos will check out for one week. One renewal is available for most books, new books, audiobooks and music. DVDs and videos cannot be renewed. 

Overdue fees on late items will be $0.25/day for books and audiobooks, and $1/day for DVDs and videos. There will be a maximum overdue fee of $10 per item.

Anyone owing more than $5 in fines or bills will not be able to check out library materials; this includes library computers.

Barbara Taylor Woodall will visit City Lights Bookstore to read from her memoir It’s Not My Mountain Anymore at 2 p.m., March 31.

Woodall was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. Her book gives insight to first hand experiences in mountain living.

“The mountains I once knew are not the same,” she said. “Inevitable changes both to the landscape and its inhabitants clash dramatically with cherished memories of a passing era.”

FutureCycle Press will unveil its annual anthology of poetry and flash fiction as well as a new poetry collection from Scott Owens titled For One Who Knows How to Own Land at 7 p.m., March 23, at City Lights Bookstore.

Owens and a few of the contributors to the anthology will read some of their work. Featured writers will be Glenda Councill Beal, Robert S. King, Scott Owens, Mary Ricketson and Carole Richard Thompson.

828.586.9499.

“Chicks! It’s All Gone to the Birds” opens at The Bascom on March 31 and runs through June 17.

The exhibition’s opening reception will be from 6-8 p.m. on March 31 featuring a presentation from artist Susan Taylor Glasgow. Other avian-related events will be held in the coming months.

The March Winter Barn Dance at The Bascom will also take place on March 31.

The event begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the door. Food and libations will be available for purchase.

The Bascom is open year-round — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday.

828.526.4949 or www.TheBascom.org.

The African Dance & Drum Ensemble will perform a program of traditional African dance and music at 7 p.m., March 23, in the Franklin High School gym.

The program features dances and songs that reflect West African life and culture, such as the harvest dances “Kakilambe” and “Sunu,” which is performed with colorful scarves from Mali.

The Asheville-based company is comprised of African Dance instructor Jada Bryson, dancers Kanydah Bellamy and Jesse Willig, and master drummers Ian Cunningham and Imohtep Dlanod.  Jada Bryson is a Franklin native with 24 years of dance experience in ballet, jazz, modern, tap, and West African forms.

There is no admission charge; donations will be accepted.

Franklin High School is on Panther Drive off Business Route 441, just north of the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce.

828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The public library in Sylva has a new 24-hour resident, a statue named “Home.”

The sculpture, made of smoothed gray marble by Balsam artist Jim Knapp, shows a person reading a book. Knapp donated the artwork to the library to display in the children’s area. The library sponsored a naming contest, and Vanessa Moss was named the winner for her entry, “Home.”

“Whenever you are in a strange or confusing place, you can always go home when you sit down and read your favorite book,” Moss said.

The name will be inscribed on a brass plate at the base of the sculpture.

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer ballroom dance lessons in April, May and June at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Classes will be offered from 7-8 p.m. and include the Foxtrot, Swing, Cha Cha and Waltz. The cost of six classes in a specific dance is $54 per person.

The classes will take place The Foxtrot will be offered on Mondays in April and on May 7. The Swing will be offered on Wednesdays in April and May 2 and 9. The Cha Cha will be offered on Mondays on May 14, 21 and 28 and June 4, 11 and 25. The Waltz will be offered on May 16, 23 and 30 and June 6, 13 and 27.

Herb and Sally Roach will teach the classes. Both are Arthur Murray certified dance instructors.

828.456.2030 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The next Fourth Sunday Contra Dance will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on March 25 at the Gateway Club in downtown Waynesville.

All dances are done to live music. No previous experience with contra dancing is necessary and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No partner is required.

The caller is Diane Silver, to the music of Laura Lengnick, Karen Gaughan and “Out of the Woodwork.”

Contra dancing is a form of English country dancing and uses many of the same figures as square dancing such as circles, stars and swings.

Email 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..

A display of artist Frank Vickery’s work will open with a reception from 5-7 p.m., March 24, in the atrium gallery at The Bascom with a reception and runs through May 10. The Bascom is open year-round — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday. 828.526.4949 or www.TheBascom.org.

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City has begun its second annual peeps contest.

The competition runs from March 5 to April 6. All age groups are invited to submit an entry. Entrants must create a diorama depicting their favorite book or scene from literature with characters in the scene portrayed by marshmallow chicks or rabbits.

The dioramas will be displayed in the children’s area throughout the month of April.

828.488.3030.

The Western Carolina University School of Music will present a family-friendly “pops” concert featuring musical selections from the Broadway stage and the Hollywood screen at 7:30 p.m., March 29.

The free performance, held in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, is part of a week of festivities surrounding the installation of WCU’s new chancellor.

The concert will showcase the WCU Symphony Band, conducted by David Starnes, and the Wind Ensemble, conducted by John T. West.

The concert will include music from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” the original “Star Wars Trilogy,” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” among others.

Music will be an integral part of events for the installation of David O. Belcher as chancellor of Western Carolina; Belcher is a classically trained concert pianist.

No state funds are being used for installation activities, which are paid for through private and corporate contributions.

installation.wcu.edu

North Carolina is poised to reap major dividends from tourism with the March 23 opening of “The Hunger Games,” the highest-profile movie ever made in the state.

Shot on locations and sets from Concord to Barnardsville, the movie is based on the opening novel in a wildly popular futuristic trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The North Carolina Tourism Office sees the same potential for “The Hunger Games.”

“The filmmakers spent more than $60 million in North Carolina, and now fans are eager to come see the locations and go to the restaurants, neighborhoods and other places the stars visited,” said Keith Crisco, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “The money they spend here will be a second payoff for taxpayers.”

Newly developed travel tools, accessed at VisitNC.com will guide visitors to film sites, star hangouts, and places that connect with the characters and other elements of the novel.

The official audit is underway to determine what the filmmakers spent in North Carolina on wages and compensation, goods and services, living expenses and other costs that qualify under the incentive program. The figure will exceed $60 million.

Western Carolina University won the three-week "Battle of the Plug" challenge against Appalachian State University, reporting a higher percentage of reduced energy usage in residence halls.

From Feb. 13 to March 2, WCU residential facilities reported a 7.5 percent reduction in energy usage while ASU reported a 2.4 percent reduction. ASU posted a congratulatory message to WCU on its energy saving tips website.

"The rivalry and students' desire to 'Beat App' sparked a lot of excitement and involvement in the competition – more than any other energy savings initiative on campus that I've seen," said Lauren Bishop, energy manager.

During the contest, WCU reduced energy usage by more than 38,000 kilowatt-hours, which is enough to power more than three homes in America for a year based on statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

WCU and ASU entered the challenge within the framework of participating in the national energy conservation competition called Campus Conservation Nationals. Institutions across the nation track and report their electricity and water use as part of the contest, which was created by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council and sponsored in partnership with Lucid, Alliance to Save Energy and the National Wildlife Federation.

The "Battle of the Plug" name is a spinoff from the WCU-ASU football rivalry in which teams compete in the "Battle for the Old Mountain Jug." Bishop and Virginia Fowler, residential living's assistant director for facilities, teamed up with several student organizations, including the EcoCats and Student Government Association, to promote the contest and energy savings information.

energy.wcu.edu or 828.227.3562.

One of the region's most storied conservation groups, Western North Carolina Alliance, has some new blood on its board. From this area, new board member are:

• Mike Jackson, Macon County at-large communication specialist, The Orianne Society; Jackson has a degree in communications from Park College in Missouri and currently serves on the board of trustees of the Little Tennessee Watershed.

• Alan O'Connor, Haywood County at-large writer and managing partner of AOA Learning, an international management training company. O'Connor has more than 35 years of extensive, hands-on experience in professional management, marketing, sales, new product development and strategic business planning in both the private and public sector.

Returning board members from this region are: Greg Kidd, Buncombe County at-large (Waynesville); Bill Crawford, Macon Chapter (Franklin); Mike Jackson, Macon County at-large (Franklin); Mary Osmar, B.E.A.R. Task Force (Highlands); Neva Duncan Tabb, Haywood Community Alliance (Waynesville).

Learn about slithery things at "On the Lookout for Amphibians," a program on amphibians followed by a guided amphibian hike at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, in Bent Creek Forest outside Asheville.

The program is being hosted by RiverLink.

A presentation outlining common species of amphibians found in our area, and defining characteristics of each, will be followed by an audio presentation on frog and toad calls.

The group will then go on the hunt for these beautiful creatures in Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Be prepared to get dirty while searching through the leaf litter on the hillsides and in the streams. Care will be given to leave the forest floor unaltered, and to safely release each salamander where it was found.

Meet at the RiverLink office located at 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District in Asheville.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.252-8474 x 17.

The Fontana Marina Classic Bass Tournament will be held March 17 and March 18 with overall prizes of $5,000 in money.

First place wins $2,000 in prize money and $1,000 for second place. Prize money will also be awarded for third through eighth places, with $100 each for the biggest individual type bass caught.

Fontana Village Marina will be hosting the event on their docks located at the west end of Fontana Lake.

828.498.2211 or www.fontanavillage.com/marina/springtournament.pdf.

Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has given more than $650,000 to the Blue Ridge Parkway for projects and programs this year.

These cover a range of initiatives, including children's education, projects to enrich the visitors' experience and preservation of historic, cultural and natural resources along the length of the parkway.

"The support provided by the foundation has become vital to our ability to meet some of the parkway's most basic needs and maintain a sustainable and healthy Blue Ridge Parkway," Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis said.

Among the projects funded by the money:

• Continued funding of the Parks As Classrooms initiative for this school year.

• Graveyard Fields Enhancement project, to improve visitor use and stewardship of this highly trafficked area and expand the parking, construct a convenience station and improve the trails and interpretive signs.

• Waterrock Knob Visitor Center Roof Replacement. A total roof replacement of the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center that has been in a state of deterioration for a number of years.

• Blue Ridge Parkway Weather. The Blue Ridge Parkway will partner with Ray's Weather and Appalachian State University to build a comprehensive weather website and smart-phone application covering the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. Using information from weather stations and webcams installed along the parkway, the site will include custom forecasts, live weather conditions, live webcam images and video, radar and satellite imagery, climate information and reader supplied photography and comments. Data from the site will be freely available to researchers in a standard format for projects ranging from park management to research in climate/meteorology, education/outreach, ecology, biology, etc.

A complete list of the approved projects for 2012 can be found on the foundation's website at www.brpfoundation.org/sites/default/files/Publications/Grants2012Sheet.pdf

Lake Junaluska will have its annual clean-up day on Saturday, March 24.

The lake is down for silt removal, which will allow volunteers to also collect items near and around the lake they can't normally reach.

Meet at the Kern Center next to the pool at 9 a.m. for light snacks, coffee and juice. Each volunteer will be entered into a drawing for assorted gifts as a thank you.

Gloves and trash bags provided. Pickup sticks will be available to those who need them.  The rain date is March 31.

828.456.1952.

The Laurel Garden Club is giving the Highlands Biological Station a grant to purchase a greenhouse package for the propagation of native plants, specifically from local sources. The overall intent of the grant project is to develop a native plant rescue and propagation program.

"It has become increasingly apparent that many of our most endemic and well-adapted native species in the Southern Highlands region can be difficult to obtain in the nursery trade," said Max Lanning of the Highlands Biological Station. "Further, many of these species are state or federally-listed as threatened, endangered, or sensitive; and therefore, difficult to acquire without special permits."

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust will allow the collection of some plant material from select properties, including seeds, vegetative cuttings and some whole plants in danger of trampling.

Collection and storage of seeds has already begun. And the next step will be the construction of a Heart Cypress framed greenhouse, funded by Laurel Garden Club. Future plans include transplanting propagated plants to rock outcrop communities, not only for our own Botanical Gardens, but also for ecological restoration projects at other Land Trust properties. These plants, nurtured in the greenhouse, will be used to re-populate rare and endangered native plants and communities.

Cubs on the Run 5k Race and Fun Run/Walk is set for 9 a.m. March 24 in Canton, following a moderately hilly track along Kim's Cove Road an N.C. 110.

There will be water stations along the course. Trophies will be awarded for top male and female overall finishers as well as age group medals for male and female top three finishers. The first 150 entries are guaranteed a race T-shirt.

A health and wellness expo will be held in the gym from 7:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. This is a free event to help increase awareness of all forms of health care and healthy living opportunities that are available.

Pre-race packets can be picked up on Friday, March 23, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Race-day packet pickup and same day registration begins Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 a.m.

828.646.3445

Volunteers interested in assisting with construction and maintenance of a new trail at Western Carolina University are invited to participate in a free trail-building workshop on campus from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, March 24.

The workshop will include a required classroom session in The Cats Den in Brown Hall led by a trail care crew from the International Mountain Bicycling Association plus lunch and afternoon work on the trails. Participants are invited to stay for a 7 p.m. screening of "Pedal Driven, a Bike-umentary" in the multipurpose room of WCU's A.K. Hinds University Center.

The training will prepare volunteers to be part of the effort to build a five-mile, multiuse trail at WCU for walkers, hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers this spring and summer.

Hosting the trail-building workshop is WCU and the Nantahala Area chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association/International Mountain Bicycling Association. www.imba.com/tcc/schedule or 828.227.3466 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Two great opportunities to learn about and enjoy spring wildflowers are coming up, both under the guidance of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee.

The first hike takes place Saturday, March 24, on Rufus Morgan Falls Trail, guided by Jack Johnson. This is a moderate hike in terms of difficulty and about 1.5 miles round trip. Bring your camera and water.

Meet at the Ride-Share Carpooling lot off of Sloan Road in Franklin at 8:30 a.m. to caravan to the site.

The second hike is on Friday, March 30, on Ike Branch Trail with local botonist Dan Pittillo. This will take about two hours for identification, the hike itself is a relatively easily two miles round trip.

Meet at 9 a.m. at Queens Branch to caravan/carpool. If coming from the Sylva area, notify LTLT early and you can follow Pittillo to the trailhead.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.524.2711 ext. 209.

City Lights Bookstore will continue its monthly Coffee with the Poet series on March 15, and Don and Diane Wells will present their book, Mystery of the Trees, later that day.

Sylva resident and author, Ben Bridgers, will read selection from his poetry collection Doors at 10:30 a.m. Bridgers is also the author of a nonfiction work titled, Swimming the Hellespont.

At 7 p.m., Don and Diane will discuss Mystery of the Trees, a study of Indian Trail Trees — trees that were bent by native tribes to serve as markers for trails, water sources or significant spiritual or cultural locations. The meanings of these trees are not completely known, but the book compiles what data there is with the intent of creating a more permanent record of this portion of Native American culture. The book features many photographs, maps and interviews with tribal elders.

828.586.9499.

Rose Senehi returns to City Lights Bookstore to sign her newest book, Render Unto the Valley, March 17. She will be on hand from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet readers and sign books.

Render Unto the Valley is a contemporary novel cloaked in the rich history of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains and tells of a woman's struggle to bridge the divide between the staunchly independent mountain culture she comes from and the sophisticated world she has become a part of — all while concealing an ugly secret that drove her away.

828.586.9499.

Harrah's Hotel and Casino will host three of the country's top Drag Queen entertainers in DRAGS TO RICHE$, a new drag variety show.

Performers include Pandora Boxx and Mimi Imfurst, who both appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as Sherry Vine of YouTube fame. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 7 and feature over-the-top impersonations, parodies, stand-up comedy and performances of Broadway and radio hits.

800.745.3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

The fourth season of Grace Noon Concerts will kick off at noon on March 15 at Grace Church Episcopal in Waynesville.

"We are delighted to host these wonderful local performers and provide a venue for fine music," said Rev. Arlene Lukas.

The March 15 performance will feature The Frog Level Philharmonic Dixieland Band.

"Our band is a tiny island of Dixieland in an ocean of Bluegrass," said Charles Alley, who leads the band as well as helps with the concert series.

The free concerts are presented on the third Thursday of each month — March through June. All are encouraged to bring their lunch during the program.

The University of Iowa Press recently released "The American H.D.," a book by Annette Debo, a Western Carolina University associate professor of English.

"The American H.D." offers a story about the significance of the United States through a study of the life and work of modernist 20th-century writer Hilda Doolittle.

H.D., an American who spent her adult life abroad, helped launch the free verse movement and authored experimental novels, short and long stories, essays, reviews, a children's book and translations. The University of Iowa Press describes H.D. as "a white writer with ties to the Harlem Renaissance; an intellectual who collaborated on avant-garde films and film criticism; and an upper-middle-class woman who refused to follow gender conventions."

Debo, a resident of Asheville, joined the WCU faculty in 2001.

828.227.3919 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Musician Robin Whitley will offer a program called "Songs and Stories of Life" at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 7 p.m. on March 20.

"Songs and stories are both part of life, and they complement each other," said Whitley, who is music director at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Sylva. "As adults, we don't get to hear stories anymore. But, we're all part of the story of life."

A musician and singer, Whitley is also a guitar instructor with the Junior Appalachian Musicians Program and studied voice and church music at Pfeiffer University.

828.586.2016.

The gallery at the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts will feature an exhibition of work by artist Dora May during the month of March.

May's work is a combination of paintings, drawings and installation exploring issues of the body and feminism.

"My work is a way to dissect my past through remembering, reliving and re-creating what comforts me," May said.

This is the thesis show for May's Master of Arts in Education degree, which she is currently pursuing at Western Carolina University. The exhibition runs until March 30 and is free and open to the public.

828.497.3945 or southwesterncc.edu/finearts.

Craft an edible creation inspired by a book. Whether your favorite recent read is The Lorax or Lord of the Flies, you can bake, assemble, frost or fill using anything edible.

Deliver your registered entry on Friday, March 30, to the downstairs meeting room of the Waynesville branch. On March 31, the public is invited to view and vote on their favorite entries.

Judges will select a winner for each age division and the "puniest" entry, in addition to the audience favorite as selected by the public. All entries not picked up by 2:30 p.m. will be eaten beginning at 3 p.m.

People of all ages and abilities are invited to participate. Registration is required by March 16 for this free event. Forms are available at the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library.

828.356.2511 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Overlook Theatre Company will present the musical, "Lamb of God," March 22-25, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

The performances will start at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of Sunday's performance, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Adult tickets are $13 each and discounted student tickets are available for $10.

"Lamb of God" is a dramatic telling of the life of Jesus Christ. It's told from the viewpoint of the prophets who announced his birth, the followers who walked with him and the enemies that condemned him to die.

866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.

The Groovy Movie Club will show the film "The Double" on Friday, March 16.

The event will begin with a mostly organic potluck dinner at 6:15 p.m., followed by the movie at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The group meets the second or third Friday of every month. The mission of the Groovy Movie Club is to show excellent films, both feature and documentary, with a message. A discussion will follow for all who wish to participate.

The screening will take place at Buffy Queen's green, solar-powered home in Dellwood. 828.926.3508 or 828.454.5949 to make reservations and get directions.

Haywood County's first female flat track roller derby team, Balsam Mountain Roller Girls, is hosting a retro prom at the Smoky Mountain Sk8way at 8 p.m. on April 6.

All proceeds will benefit the Balsam Mountain Roller Girls and help cover costs of uniforms and other equipment expenses.

The prom event will feature the roller girls, deejays, live music, dancing and other entertainment. There will be a dance contest, best dressed winners and prom king and queen announcements with prizes.

Tickets are available for those 21 years and up at the Smoky Mountain Sk8way. Tickets are $20 for individuals and $35 per couple. Everyone who attends is encouraged to wear retro prom attire! The event is BYOB.

828.246.9124 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Stellar "Tall Girl" Marshall Chapman will head the next Songwriters-in-the-Round event on March 17 at Balsam Mountain Inn.

Chapman is a singer-songwriter and author who was born and raised in Spartanburg, S.C. She has released twelve critically acclaimed albums, and everyone from Emmylou Harris and Joe Cocker to Irma Thomas and Jimmy Buffett has recorded her songs.

Tommy Womack and Lisa Oliver Gray will join Chapman on March 17.

Tickets are $45 each and the event will include a delicious buffet dinner.

855.456.9498.

Four legendary artists — Steve Green, Twila Paris, Wayne Watson and Michael Card — will unite together for their Christian Classic Tour at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on March 30. Tickets start at $20 each.

Steve Green is a four-time Grammy Award nominee. His hits include "People Need the Lord" and "Household of Faith."

Twila Paris has released 22 albums and has reached the number one spot on Christian Radio with 33 hit songs. Some of her hits include, "He is Exalted" and "God is in Control."

Wayne Watson has won a dozen Dove Awards and had 23 number one Christian Radio hits. He is known for songs such as "Almighty" and "Another Time, Another Place." Last year, Watson was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame, an honor he shares with both Green and Paris.

Michael Card has sold more four million albums and written 19 number one hits. Amy Grant recorded his most famous song, "El Shaddai."

866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.

Four members of Voices in the Laurel were selected to sing in the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division Children's Honor Choir.

Colby Cook, Ivey McClure and McLain Youngwood, of Haywood County, and Emily Wylupek, of Franklin, auditioned for the choir in September. They were part of a choir of 175 singers chosen from eleven states to sing under the baton of nationally recognized Robyn Lana, conductor of the Cincinnati Children's Choir.

"If you like to sing, you should try it, because it is fun and a great experience," McClure said.

The Liars Bench will perform the first in a series of stories called "Balsam Chronicles" at 7 p.m. on March 15 at Western Carolina University's Mountain Heritage Center.

The free series will start with the story of Gus Baty, a man who jumped/fell off Whiteside Mountain and slide 60 yards down the steep mountainside. His friend Charlie Wright rescued him after he came to rest against a laurel bush suspended on the very edge of Whiteside's cliff, 1,000 feet above the valley floor.

The March 15 performance will also feature Haywood County native Joe Sam Queen with a square dance team and buck dancers and Kidder Cole, the most beautiful woman in Cashiers Valley, who prompted Felix E. Alley to write a square dance tune that was played all over Western North Carolina.

Each of the three "Balsam Chronicles" shows will showcase the history and folklore of one of the counties in the Balsam range.

Recently, The Liars Bench, in conjunction with the Mountain Heritage Center, developed a grant proposal that was funded by the Jackson County Arts Council.

"This grant will give us the resources to develop programs that deal with topics such as Dr. John R. Brinkley, the hanging of Jack Lambert, and the historical basis for the belief that Abraham Lincoln was born here. We plan to do this with storytelling, music, poetry and drama," said Carden.

The Liars Bench is a two-year old program featuring authentic traditional Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry and drama.

828.227.7129.

To the Editor

The National Park Service says we need to charge for backcountry camping. After hundreds of letters and several public meetings, with the majority of people saying no to fees, the fee is being implemented anyway.

In 1934 when the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was first established, an agreement was made by the federal government that there  would be no fee to enter the park. Some people might say this is not charging to enter the Park, but I disagree. Some backcountry campers might enter the Park by walking in along the trails. This sounds to me like another agreement broken by the National Park Service.

The Swain County Commissioners asked in a written resolution for the National Park Service not to charge the fee, but it is going to anyway. Citizens, if we do not all stand against this, in the near future the national park will break another contract and start charging everyone just to drive into the park. They will say it is done in other national parks and will call it a toll road. Is that what we want?

David Monteith

Swain County