Time to get those lines wet, via the Rumble in the Rhododendron in Cherokee coming up Oct. 21-23. The cost is $225 per fly-fishing team.

“Fips Mouche” rules for two-person teams apply. Additionally, there will be a separate casting competition. Non-competitors can enter the casting competition for $25 per attempt.

The tournament is limited to 30 teams, with 15 teams competing on Saturday morning and 15 on Saturday afternoon. The top seven from each session move on to Sunday morning. The top seven fish that afternoon for $10,000 in cash.

The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce in association with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fish and Wildlife Department is presenting the event, with assistance from the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team.

Volunteers and judges for the tournament are needed. Anyone interested should contact Larry Hofferberth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.497.6700.

Fly fishermen are passing on their craft with a series of how-to classes in Sylva.

Members of the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold basic fly fishing courses from 6 to 8 p.m. the first and second Thursdays of each month at St. John’s Episcopal Church. They will cover the basics of mountain trout fishing and will be followed with a half day on a local stream for those who decide to take up trout fishing and purchase the necessary equipment to fish.

$50 donation to cover expenses and support a youth fishing camp in the summer.

828.631.2613 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 Kids ages 12 and older can take a free fly-fishing class Oct. 15 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education.

The “Kids’ Introduction to Fly Fishing” class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Instructors will cover equipment, knots, casting techniques and aquatic entomology. Equipment and class materials will be provided free of charge. Space is limited and pre-registration is required; call 828.877.4423.

The center is located about 50 minutes south of Waynesville on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County.

Want to find the best fall color? The U.S. Forest Service of North Carolina has posted a new leaf viewing page on its website. It describes the colorful foliage that folks can enjoy in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and the scenic roadways from which to enjoy the vibrant hues.

To access the page, go to www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc and click on “Leaf viewing in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.”

An environmentally friendly weed-eradication strategy that has been gaining popularity across the nation made its way to Western Carolina University recently in the form of 70 kudzu-chomping goats.

The goats were transported from Wells Farm in Horseshoe to eat away a massive kudzu patch that had covered the site of WCU’s old landfill, said Roger Turk, grounds superintendent for the department of facilities management.

The three-acre landfill, located in a wooded area off Monteith Gap Road, closed in 1994, but it is still subject to annual inspections by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“After this year’s inspection, DENR officials expressed concern that the kudzu growing on the landfill site could attract groundhogs, which might then burrow into the cap, which is the compacted soil and clay cover on the landfill, and compromise it,” Turk said. “We did find evidence that groundhogs had been burrowing at the site, but no indications that the cap was breached. But we still had to remove the kudzu to eliminate the problem.”

Turk had read a newspaper account of goats being used to eradicate kudzu, and he suggested that method as an economical and green alternative rather than trying to remove the invasive plant with repeated applications of chemical herbicides.

Two trailer-loads of rented goats arrived during the second week of August and were let loose on four acres, encompassing the landfill site and a surrounding buffer zone, that had been enclosed with a solar-powered electric fence. The goats, which prefer browsing on any kind of plant life before resorting to grass, immediately went about their business of eating the kudzu, Turk said.

The goats remained at the site until the end of September. They were watched over for the entire seven-week period by a guard dog from Wells Farm that was bred and trained to protect the herd. The grounds staff fed the dog and kept a water trough filled for the goats, and the goats’ owner drove from Horseshoe once each week to give the goats supplemental feed.

“It was amazing to see how quickly and effectively they were able to clear the site,” Turk said. “The goats were able to do in a few weeks what would have taken my undermanned staff a few months to do by hand. I’m glad we were able to take care of an overwhelming issue of three acres of mature kudzu in an environmentally safe and fiscally responsible way.”

The goats will make a return visit next spring to eradicate whatever kudzu starts growing again, and then the grounds staff will apply a small amount of herbicide and seed the site with native grass to keep the kudzu from coming back in force, Turk said.

Learn all about beef cattle in two upcoming workshops scheduled for Macon County.

The first is designed to teach the basics, from genetic selection, herd health and management, on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Macon County N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Cost is $5.

A Beef Quality Assurance certification class will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24. This is a voluntary program in which cattle producers assume responsibility for producing beef that is a healthy, wholesome, quality product and is free from defects such as injection site lesions and bruises. A test must be taken at the end of the class to become certified. The fee is $15 for members of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association and $40 for nonmembers.

Space is limited and a headcount is needed for materials, so please pre-register for the classes by Wednesday, Oct. 18, by calling the Macon County Cooperative Extension office at 828.349.2046.

The Franklin Cross Country team will hold the Grayson Hall Memorial 5K race on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 9 a.m. at Tassee Park on the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin. There will also be a one-mile fun run/walk.

This is the seventh year for the Grayson Hall Memorial race, which raises money for a Franklin High School scholarship. The idea for the race was conceived by Tiffany Allen, a FHS graduate and cross country runner, as a tribute to a former classmate who was killed in a car accident. Yearly scholarships in his memory have been awarded since.

Trophies will go to the top three male and females in both races, plus medals to the winners in each age group. Two gift certificates for a pair of Brooks shoes will be raffled off to registered 5K runners. The top three children ages 12 and under in the fun run will also win medals.

The course is a fast one, primarily flat and paved, and follows the scenic greenway alongside the Little Tennessee River. The registration fee is $20 and you can register online at active.com. Registration for students is $15. Those who register before Nov. 4 will receive a free T-shirt.

828.524.6467 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cataloochee is welcoming new Ski and Snowboard School Director Mark Rozof, who was a member of the Cataloochee school last season. He worked as an instructor, clinician and supported the race program.  Rozof has been a member of Professional Ski Instructors of America for 16 years and he holds a Level Three PSIA Certification. In addition to his work at Cataloochee, he has taught at Deer Valley in Utah, Seven Springs in Pennsylvania, Wisp Mountain in Maryland and Pine Knob Mountain in Michigan.

Get out your work gloves and head over to Tsali Recreation Area this month (Oct. 15-16) to help work on the famous mountain biking Mecca’s trails.

The local Nantahala chapter of the Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Organization, or SORBA, is organizing the “mega trail work party weekend” along with the International Mountain Bike Association, a.k.a. IMBA.

The Cheoah Ranger District will provide free camping for trail-work party volunteers on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15. Camping is in the Tsali Campground, best suited for tents and small trailers.

The sign-in starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. It won’t be all work and no play — rides are scheduled for Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, so bring your bike.

No experience required to be a volunteer. Bring a hard hat or helmet (bike or riding), gloves, water and a snack. 

The Nantahala Outdoor Center is offering special dinner pricing for anyone volunteering Saturday. There will be a pizza buffet for $5 per person.  Beer, wine and drinks will be available to purchase.

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The “Eagle Lady” will be doing a free program with her live birds of prey at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Oconaluftee Visitor Center outside Cherokee at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Naturalist Doris Mager has been working with raptors for more than 35 years. She will bring four birds with her, including an American kestrel, a screech owl, and a great horned owl, allowing the public to “get up close and personal” with these fascinating creatures.

At age 86, Mager still travels the Eastern U.S. giving educational programs such as this one. She has cared for more than 80 injured eagles and hundreds of other raptors, and has housed up to 36 birds of prey in her backyard at one time.

A one-man show will portray the life of Theodore Roosevelt, the Conservation President, in two upcoming performances on Friday, Oct. 14, in Highlands at the Performing Arts Center and on Saturday, Oct. 15, in Cashiers at the Orchard Restaurant.

Roosevelt, a lover of the outdoors, used the presidency as a bully pulpit to educate the public to the dangers of waste and pollution. During his time in the White House he established 150 national forests, 55 bird and game preserves and five national parks, along with 18 national monuments.  

Roosevelt is portrayed by Joe Wiegand. The Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance helped organize the performance.

For more information and to buy tickets go to www.j-mca.org.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has launched a new, interactive website at www.ncwildlife.org that features reorganized content, streamlined navigation and improved menus.

Whether you’re a hunter, angler, boater or just simply enjoy nature, the newly redesigned website is designed to let you quickly access licensing information, game lands maps, boating access areas, public fishing areas and other tools, information and services.

“For many, the first stop for information on wildlife, hunting, fishing and boating in North Carolina is this website,” said Gayle Myers, the agency’s webmaster.

Folklorist and author Randy Russell will tell true ghost stories and read from new young adult novel at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Canton Branch Library.

Asheville-resident Russell is the Edgar-nominated author of five published novels for adults, two books of short stories about Southern ghosts, and two volumes of Southern Appalachia folklore.  

Earlier this year, Russell saw publication of his first young adult novel, Dead Rules, which received a starred Kirkus Review and was a Junior Library Guild Summer 2011 high-interest selection.

In addition, Russell is an academically trained folklorist who has collected hundreds of first-person accounts of ghost experiences from across the South.

828.648.2924. Free refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library.

Stan Dodson will read from his novel, Poor Memory, at 3 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Blue Ridge Books and News in Waynesville.

In Dotson’s novel, a young preacher finds that uncovering the mystery of Memory Bloodsworth, an eccentric old woman, is the key for resolving his own crisis of calling. Dotson, founding director of In Our Elements, wears many hats — educator, minister, curriculum designer, life coach, musician, writer, and community organizer. He spent 12 years as dean of the LifeWorks Learning Partnership at Mars Hill College.

828.456.6000.

John Lane will be at City Lights at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 to read from his news book, Abandoned Quarry.

The books is a selection of poems from his past and most recent works. Abandoned Quarry takes the reader into the hearth of nature as well as into the nature of the heart, and Lane writes of both wonder, wisdom, and profound attentiveness.

828.586.9499

Norma Watkins will read from her memoir, The Last Resort, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The Last Resort begins in childhood at Allison’s Wells, a popular Mississippi spa for proper white people, run by her aunt. Life at the rambling hotel seems like paradise. Yet young Norma wonders at a caste system that has colored people cooking every meal while forbidding their sitting with whites to eat. The Last Resort conveys at once the idyllic charm and the impossible compromises of a lost way of life.

828.586.9499.

Western Carolina University faculty member and writer Ron Rash is one of six North Carolinians chosen to receive the state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award.

Rash, Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Culture at WCU, will receive the award Thursday, Nov. 10, at the N.C. Museum of History with a group of distinguished North Carolinians that includes musician Branford Marsalis and former congressman H. Martin Lancaster.

Recipients were announced Sept. 29 by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. “Each year, the North Carolina Awards are a chance for us to honor men and women who reflect the very best in imagination, exploration, creativity and humanitarian service,” said Linda A. Carlisle, state cultural resources secretary.

Rash said he is particularly gratified to receive the award “because my family has such deep roots in North Carolina going all the way back to the 1700s.”

Rash put the final touches on his latest novel, The Cove, this summer, and the book will be released in April. His other eight fiction books include the best-selling novel Serena and the short story collection Burning Bright, which garnered him the Frank O’Connor Short Story Award, the world’s richest prize for the short story literary form.

In July, Rash learned that Burning Bright had been named the top fiction work for 2011 by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. Rash previously won that award twice for his novels Serena and Saints at the River, and this year marked the first time a short story collection had won the SIBA’s fiction honor. Another literary milestone that occurred for Rash over the summer was the release of his fourth book of poetry, Waking.

On the same day state officials announced that Rash would receive a North Carolina Award, he was in West Virginia to accept the 2011 Appalachian Heritage Writers Award from Shepherd University and to deliver the keynote address for the university’s Appalachian Heritage Week.

A native of Boiling Springs, Rash teaches Appalachian literature and creative writing at WCU.

To the Editor:

In response to the article written by Quintin Ellison published Oct. 5 regarding the developer request to the mayor and council of Forest Hills village to allow a premier student housing complex, I offer the following viewpoint and comments on the article.

While I appreciate the coverage of the project, I attended the last council meeting and saw no indication of the village leader’s lack of willingness to at least have a public hearing and official vote on the matter. The article seems to say it is a foregone conclusion that the project will not happen.

I am not sure whether or not the writer (or any of the residents of the village) has actually visited the site Monarch proposes to replace. If so, they will see the current physical state of the Linmar Loop Apartments. If they haven’t visited, I suggest doing so immediately. If I were a resident of FHV and knew that I had a chance to make such a positive change in my community, I would jump all over it, especially knowing the project is near the entrance of the village and close to 107.

For full disclosure, I am the real estate broker representing the owner of the land Monarch intends to purchase. This is a class-act developer (though not perfect; none are) that will provide jobs for the community, no doubt increase the desirability of the village and, most of all, clean up the place and provide better amenities, not to mention a higher tax base.

Residents of Forest Hills, don’t you think it’s time to consider the future now rather than later and allow something positive to occur?

Dana Smith

Bryson City

To the Editor:

An elderly widow on a fixed-income already cannot afford a healthy diet and her medications, and now she wonders how she will afford to heat her home this winter. She relies on the food assistance The Community Table of Sylva provides. A family of four and dad is out of work due to a severe back injury after falling off a roof at his construction job. Mom cannot find sufficient work to make ends meet. They depend on The Community Table to help feed their two young children. These are just some of the folks we serve at The Community Table, and the emergency food assistance we provide is threatened.

The Table relies on federal programs such as TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) to provide food to our neighbors experiencing hunger and food insecurity. Last month we again set a new record, distributing 233 food boxes. We also served an additional 1,375 nutritious home-cooked meals through our dinner service program. We continue to see new faces each week, many due to job losses or reduced hours and a lack of living wage work. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the overwhelming need for our vital programs, and the fact that programs like TEFAP are on the federal budget chopping block scares and angers me.

Please consider sending a message to Congress that budget cuts on the backs of the hungry at a time when emergency food assistance is critical is simply unconscionable.

Amy Grimes

Executive Director

The Community Table

To the Editor:

One of America’s greatest statesmen, Thomas Paine, wrote a book called Common Sense. Unfortunately, this trait is not too prevalent in our government nowadays.

However, Mary Ann Enloe, a candidate for Waynesville alderman, possesses it in great quantity! She also has the heart to thoroughly commit herself to town affairs and — very importantly — the time to do so.

As a past county commissioner, as well as a past mayor of Hazelwood, MaryAnn has the experience to do the job well.  As a commissioner, she was able to obtain a birds-eye view of the entire county and of how government works, both overall and in each of the towns. As a mayor, she was “hands-on” and is well versed in the intricacies of town government.

Another notable plus is that MaryAnn Enloe is very much pro small business! And small business is extremely important to Waynesville.

The election for the Waynesville Town Board is coming up soon. The board has done a good job and deserves re-election. But one seat is now vacant, as Libba Feichter will not be running again. If we elect MaryAnn Enloe to fill it, we will be obtaining another excellent alderman.

JoAnna Swanson

Hazelwood

To the Editor:

It has become evident that the principle guideline being used by Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and the Republican-led General Assembly in governing North Caroline is to cut state expenditures by placing the burden for traditional state services on local administrations.

Most counties this year are being forced to use tax revenues and reserve funds for the retention of magistrates, teachers and support staffs. And now, with the significant reduction of our State Highway Patrol (NCHP), they will have to look seriously at increasing the size and duties of their sheriff’s departments.

The State Highway Patrol is now short 102 troopers from being fully staffed. Because of the General Assembly eliminating the trooper training center, there will be no further troop replacements. Compounding the problem is the loss of seven to nine troopers per month because of retirement and resignation.

With more than six million drivers on the state’s highways, reducing state troopers will mean less enforcement, less highway safety, and longer response time to accidents. Greater stress will be put on troopers, knowing they will be working with no or at best with limited backup and support. Their vehicles will have to be driven further and longer. Along with outmoded equipment and their same workload with fewer resources, trooper safety will certainly become an issue.

Their salaries have already been frozen, and they are seeing an amazing increase in their co-pays and medical insurance. But the scary part of all this is that the Highway Patrol budget will be cut an additional $10.3 million over the next two years, reducing even further the state’s transportation safety.

Only time will tell how all of this will work out. But one thing is certain. With fewer troopers on the road and less eyes and ears to ensure our safety, the county sheriff’s departments will be forced to take on more responsibility and add more deputies, and we will see our county taxes increase to cover the cost.

For years, North Carolina Republicans have extolled the principles of public safety and law enforcement. That mantra has now been deliberately cast aside. And as a former county commissioner, Jim Davis should know better than to pass such burdens on to local administrations.

What in ‘tarnation’ was he thinking?

Ben J. Utley, Chairman

Macon County Democratic Party

Grant helps outfit new Haywood hospice center

With help from two Appalachian Regional Commission grants, Haywood Regional Medical Center plans to expand its existing facilities and add 24 jobs.

The medical center will use two federal grants, totaling $146,592, to buy equipment and furnishing for a new inpatient hospice facility and create a psychiatric evaluation area in the hospital’s emergency room. The hospice center is already under construction, funded to a large extent by private donations. Equipment was a missing piece of the puzzle.

“I am pleased that ARC has recognized the need for Haywood Regional Medical Center to expand in order to meet the growing demand for high-quality health care in the far western counties,” said U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville.

WCU receives accredited electrical engineering program

Seven years after starting its electrical engineering program, Western Carolina University received accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

“It makes the degree that much more valuable and robust,” said James Zhang, the Kimmel School’s interim dean.

The accreditation means the university must follow uniform and measurable standards but also improves job possibilities for students.

Previously a joint program with University of North Carolina in Charlotte, the university has now established an independent program with about 60 students.

Cherokee gets MRI unit for hospital out of Harrah’s contract deal

Cherokee Indian Hospital will get a $1 million MRI unit and $200,000 annually for five years to maintain it under an agreement between the tribe and Caesars Entertainment.

The tribe has granted Harrah’s, a subsidiary of Ceasars, a five-year management agreement to manage, operate and maintain the casino operation.  

The original agreement began in 1996 and has been periodically renewed.

The tribe announced its plan to renew the contract for another five years in May, but the management agreement has now been approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

“I know we’ve taken great risks, but we’ve also seen great rewards,” said Honorable Chief Michell Hicks.  “We wanted to make sure we put a product out at that customers would enjoy.  Our decision was to make sure that we kept up with the market.”

Connie Haire, vice president for the Macon Campus Southwestern Community College, has retired after serving 25 years at the college.

Under her leadership, enrollment at the $6 million Macon campus grew 87 percent in four years and a second building to accommodate growth was built.

In fundraising and development positions, she grew foundation assets from $30,000 to more than $2 million, securing $9 million in grants. She has coordinated staff training and development, managed student services and provided leadership and administration of the public information and resource development offices.

“Connie’s strength is that she works well with so many diverse groups of people,” said SCC Board of Trustees Chairman Conrad Burrell. “She’s a visionary who can see what is possible and she also understands how to bring people together to make it happen.”

A luncheon program at noon Thursday, Oct. 13, at Tartan Hall, located in the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin, will give people an opportunity to learn about the new organization, MaconSense.

The group’s initial campaign is for safe slope development regulations. Organizers Mike Jackson and Kathy Tinsley will speak. The event is sponsored by the Macon County League of Women Voters.

MaconSense, according to a self description, is “committed to working for the future of Macon County by promoting civic engagement, being a source of information and developing community service projects. The goal is to give everyday people a voice in where the county is heading, free from political posturing and heated rhetoric.”

The lunch fee is $5, but lunch is not required. The program is free.

828.371.0527 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Jackson County Public Library will host a free business seminar on how to create and maintain successful businesses in this current difficult economic climate.

The program is aimed at owners and employees of businesses of all sizes and types, from one-person kitchen-table operations to major organizations with dozens or even hundreds of employees.  

Ron Robinson of Land of Sky Advisory Group will lead the seminar.

He will outline the core elements for sustaining a business organization of any size: customer service, partnerships, collaboration, problem solving and re-organization.

Robinson has a bachelor of science in industrial relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is certified to provide Lean Production, Continuous Improvement, Anger Management, Coaching and Mediation services to businesses and organizations. He has served as a consultant to a variety of business and corporate clients, and he will use a case study from his own experience to demonstrate to attendees how the principles he discusses have been implemented by a real-world business.

Those planning to attend are encouraged to pre-register. The program, co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Library, is free.

828.586.2016.

Help filing claims in the $760 million Keepseagle Native American Farmer and Rancher Settlement is set for Oct. 18-20, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express on Painttown Road in Cherokee. This help is being offered free in the U.S. Department of Agriculture settlement. The claims deadline is Dec. 27.

888.233.5506 or www.indianfarmclass.com.

Haywood Animal Welfare Association Spay/Neuter is offering 100 free vouchers for surgery, rabies vaccination and parasite treatment for cats. Vouchers are available to Haywood County residents at 145 Wall Street Thursday Oct. 13 and Oct. 20, and Monday, Oct. 17.

The Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic will be in Asheville starting at 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday.

828.400.5981

Know a volunteer who deserves recognition?

The Haywood/Jackson Volunteer Center is now taking nominations for the North Carolina’s Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service.

The Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center will select nominated volunteers in a host of categories to receive the Haywood County Volunteer of the Year. Those nominations will be sent to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism to be considered for the North Carolina Volunteer of the Year Medallion Award.  Haywood County will celebrate our volunteers in a ceremony

Forms are available at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center at 81 Elmwood Way, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Entries must be submitted by Nov. 14.

With a paper mill that constantly bellows smoke, Canton will not likely be the next Western North Carolina tourism destination.

But, a local development group StepUp Canton does think the old mill town could become a quaint hometown for young families and others who want stay within an easy distance of Ashville without paying big city prices.

StepUp Canton, an eight-member committee, began meeting in June 2010 to about how to create jobs and grow the economy.

“The goal is to create jobs whether directly or indirectly,” said Patrick Willis, who is spearheading the movement. Willis is also running for a seat on the Canton town board this fall.

The committee received a $25,000 planning grant from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center to develop concrete goals and will receive another $100,000 to implement the projects.

Thus far, the group has outlined 12 projects such as establishing a business association, upgrading the town’s website and offering façade makeover grants to help clean up the downtown area. The next step is to divvy up the money based on their priorities.

“If we get started on some of those projects, hopefully, that might get the ball rolling,” Willis said. One of the main hurdles will be keeping people motivated and participating in StepUp Canton, he said.

In the past, grassroots efforts have emerged to promote growth in Canton, but staying power dwindled and the attempts fell short.

Several long-term goals set by the committee include transforming vacant property downtown into multi-use buildings and construct a multi-million dollar exposition center to draw passersby off of Interstate 40.

“(The expo center) is over our heads here, but it’s something we’re thinking about,” Willis said, adding that the town would consider public-private partnerships to pay for some of the larger redevelopment projects.

StepUp Canton is accepting new members and feedback from area residents and business owners. The committee will hold its next meeting Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre.

Jackson County Early College High School is recruiting for the 2012-2013 school year.

Information sessions are scheduled at 6 p.m. at Southwestern Community College Sylva’s campus, in the lobby of the Early College building. The dates are: Monday, Oct. 24; Tuesday, Nov. 8; Wednesday, Dec. 7; Thursday, Jan. 12.

The high school/college program allows students to earn both a high school diploma and a two-year (associate) college degree free of charge. Interested students and their parents should attend only one of the sessions.

Applications may be obtained at any of the information sessions. The early application deadline is Feb. 1.

828.339.4468.

Myron L. Coulter, chancellor of Western Carolina University from 1984 until 1994, died Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the age of 82 after a long battle with cancer.

Coulter, known to friends and colleagues by his nickname of “Barney,” guided WCU for a decade characterized by a renewed emphasis on excellence in teaching, strategic planning and goal-setting, service to the Western North Carolina region, and outreach to the international community.

During his tenure as chancellor, the university established the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence, later renamed the Coulter Faculty Commons for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in recognition of his support of the center’s efforts both as chancellor and, upon his retirement, as chancellor emeritus.

As part of his emphasis on global outreach, Coulter led delegations to The Netherlands to establish a partnership in business education with Hogeschool West Brabant, to China to set up agreements for educational and cultural exchange with Yunnan University, and to Thailand, Swaziland and Jamaica to create and strengthen agreements for vocational, technical and teacher training.

Coulter served as chairman of the board of directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in 1988-89 and was a founding member of the board of directors of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Among his other professional appointments were the Commission for a Competitive North Carolina, Inter-American University Council for Economics and Social Development, and Governor’s Task Force on Aquaculture.

The Altrusa Club of Waynesville is collecting one-serving pop-top canned goods for the Haywood County Meals on Wheels program, to coincide with Altrusa’s “Make A Difference Day” on Saturday, Oct. 22.  

Canned goods can be dropped off until Friday, Oct. 21, at the Meals on Wheels kitchen located at 486 East Marshall Street in Waynesville, the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library and the Economic Development Commission at 144 Industrial Park Drive, next to the Regional High Tech Center.

The specific food items will be used for a box of 10 shelf-stable meals to be distributed to each of the 200 Meals on Wheels recipients. Shelf stable meals are meals that do not require cooking and can be used for winter days when Meals on Wheels cannot be delivered because of bad weather.

The items needed are:

• 8-ounce canned corn, green beans, green peas, carrots.

• Soups – tomato, chicken noodle and vegetable.

• Canned meats – tuna and chicken (regular top).

• 64 ounce juice and individual dry milk packs.                                                                   

After the collection date, the Altrusa Club will pack the items for distribution.

Western North Carolina boasts several clubs for Civil War enthusiasts, from scholarly programs to reliving the experience.

• Western North Carolina Civil War Roundtable: The discussion group meets the second Monday of each month to discuss Civil War history and promote the preservation of Civil War battlefields. They regularly invite guest speakers to meetings and special events during the year. Chuck Beemer, 828.456.4212 www.wnccwrt.org

• The 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment: The civil war re-enactment group portrays both Confederate and Union troops in about 12 events each year and relives battles across North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Jule Morrow, 828.400.7829 www.25thnctroops.com

• Sons of Confederate Veterans: The SCV is a national organization that works to preserve the history of Confederate heroes. Members must be male descendents of Confederate veterans. Jule Morrow, 828.400.7829 www.scvcamp229.org

• Order of the Confederate Rose: The order is a national organization that helps the Sons of Confederate Veterans with its historical, educational and social functions, including preserving the Confederate symbols and legacy. Laura Stallard, 336.993.8330 www.confederate-rose.org

Jule Morrow isn’t a rebel; Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” isn’t his personal mantra. He doesn’t relive the Civil War, hoping to change the outcome.

“What I honor is the courage,” said Morrow, a Civil War re-enactor whose regiment, the 25th North Carolina Infantry, plays both sides — Union and Confederate. “One thing we all have to remember is the same blood that flowed in those guys flows in us.”

Morrow is named after his ancestor Civil War Capt. Julius Welch and has ties to other prominent Haywood County residents, including the Love, Dillard and Leatherwood families. Although he has never fought in a war, Morrow has re-enacted Civil War battles throughout Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania for the past two decades.

About once a month, Morrow and his men in the 25th North Carolina Infantry travel up to nine hours away to participate in re-enactments, depicting both battlefield combat and camp life of the soldiers.

No matter the weather, the re-enactors sleep in canvas A-frame tents with wool blankets, eat rations of hardtack and salted beef, or if they’re lucky, build small fires to roast a chicken or cook stew. They may even scavenge the surrounding area for wild edibles.

While many battles are re-enacted during the course of a weekend, Morrow said he has slept in the field for up to five days.

In addition to reliving camp life, re-enactments showcase the war tactics of the time. Like the Romans, Civil War fighters lined up, confronting their enemy face-to-face.

Occasionally, re-enactors portray specific soldiers in specific battles — replaying the actual movements of the men on the field in real time — for the more well-known and well-documented battles where such records occur. Re-enactors are given background on the person they are depicting, including how, where and when they died or surrendered.

“I like it when you’re a particular soldier,” said Morrow, who once surrendered to Union troops while playing a member of the color guard.

The original 25th infantry back in real Civil War times was one of only a few regiments from the mountains, comprised of men from Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties, plus Buncombe, Henderson, Cherokee, Clay and Transylvania.

But at least half the time, Morrow and his men find themselves donning Union uniforms, playing the part of Union soldiers — after all, a re-enactment wouldn’t be much good without someone playing the other side.

The re-enactors’ alter ego is the 14th Iowa regiment, a Union troop with soldiers from across the western part of the U.S., making its most celebrated stand at the Battle of Shiloh, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war.

To play both sides, the re-enactors need two sets of authentic fatigues, both grey and blue. All 25th North Carolina soldiers have in their wardrobe a black felt slouch hat, a 100 percent cotton or wool socks, a U.S. 1854 black leather belt and a U.S. 1858 Smoothside canteen, among other items.

To play the 14th Iowa regiment, men must be suited in an enlisted man’s frock, sky blue wool pants and a forage cap. Specialty haberdashers around the country make entire lines of Civil War-era clothing and accessories for re-enactors.

Twenty-five men currently belong to the regiment, down from 56 in 2002. Morrow and some of his compatriots are putting off retirement from re-enacting until the end of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, a four-year event that promises additional pomp and circumstance.

Before too many re-enactors lay down their bayonets for the last time, Morrow said he hopes to replenish their ranks with new members, and the regiment has plenty of muskets and uniforms to loan new recruits.

For Morrow, the Civil War and its repercussion are an important part of his family history.

“Everybody’s grandma’s got the story of the Yankee that comes and takes their mule,” he said.

Morrow, who describes himself as a proud Southerner, is glad the North won the war.

“If we hadn’t lost the war, today, we would probably be like Europe; we would be 13 countries,” he said. “South Carolina would be their own little country because they can’t get on with anybody.”

A different outcome to the Civil War could also have affected future wars, he added. A divided U.S. might not have defeated Germany during WWI.

Several books and television programs have explored the world of Civil War re-enacting. But, none of them adequately represent re-enactors and many focus on the extremes, Morrow said.

In 2001, a History Channel program “The Unfinished Civil War” drew fire from re-enactors, who said the show depicted them as racists — a group of people for whom Morrow has zero tolerance.

Once during a re-enactment in Tennessee, the 24th North Carolina regiment was portraying Union troops when some Ku Klux Klan members appeared.

“These guys had the audacity to ‘boo’ me,” Morrow said. “I told one of ‘em, I said, ‘Let me tell you something.’ I said, ‘Son, when your wife sees what you’ve done to her jade satin sheets, she’s going to whoop your ass.’”

For Morrow, the Confederate flag is a symbol of Southern pride and part of his family history, but he said he understands why people find it offensive.

“We have allowed our symbol to be trashed by a bunch of ignorant pinhead klansman,” Morrow said. “What we should have done is when we saw them is go just beat the crap out of them and take their flag from them.”

See the re-enactors in action

Civil War re-enactors will be outfitted in in authentic dress, depicting camp life and battles at two upcoming events.

Appalachian Harvest Festival

When: Oct. 15, starting 11 a.m.

Where: Stecoah Valley Center outside Robbinsville

The Battle at Warm Springs

When: Nov. 4 - 6

Where: Hot Springs Resort and Spa in Hot Springs

Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City will stage “Little House: By The Shores of Silver Lake” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14-16 and Oct. 21-24.

The play is based on the book by Laura Ingalls Wilder and shows the struggles and triumphs of the Ingalls family as it deals with the blindness of their eldest daughter, Mary. The main characters include Mr. Boast, played by Scott Wade; Mrs. Boast, played by Teresa Maynard; Big Jerry, played by Mitchell Smith; and Rev. Alden, played by Jack Hunt. Throw in an upset Railroad Man played by Matt Millard and Charles Ingalls’ adventurous older sister, Docia, played by Kathie Morris, and you have an adventure at every turn. 

Special music will be provided by Bronson Lindsay and Push McCann.

828.508-0564, 828.488.8103 or www.smctheatre.com.

Anna Fariello, associate research professor at Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, will speak about the identity of American craft as part of American Craft Week in October.

Fariello will speak on the collective identity of craft at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Charles Beall Auditorium on the campus of Haywood Community College. The event is free and open to the public.

Fariello directed Hunter Library’s online Craft Revival Project and now oversees the library’s digital collections. The talk, derived from “Objects and Meaning,” a book Fariello co-edited and to which she contributed two chapters, will address how academic disciplines and cultural institutions have assigned meaning to expressive objects over time. Fariello argues that it is not effective to examine craft using the language and system of evaluation for art history and that craft must have its own discipline-specific vocabulary.

“I used to think that it was possible to carry on deeper conversations about craft using the formalized language shared by art history, aesthetics and criticism,” Fariello said. “I no longer believe this. The very term ‘fine art’ negates the egalitarian values of craft and its influence upon the visual arts.”

For more information about WCU’s Craft Revival Project and WCU’s other digital collections, go online to www.wcu.edu/library/digitalcollections or contact Fariello at 828.227.2499 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will host a free Halloween-flavored performance of “The Liars Bench” Southern Appalachian variety show at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20.

“The Liars Bench” was founded by Sylva writer and storyteller Gary Carden in June 2010, and the show’s cast presented programs in Sylva during its first year. The ensemble has been staging its monthly productions in the Mountain Heritage Center auditorium since July.

With the theme “Haints, Boogers and Belled Buzzards,” the upcoming show will feature Carden, Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach, musician and poet Barbara Duncan, claw-hammer guitarist Paul Iarussi, guest musician William Ritter and a “mystery guest,” Carden said.

“This is the second Halloween show we’ve done, and I believe it’s going to knock your socks off,” he said. “This ‘Liars Bench’ won’t be a funny-face, jack-o-lantern-type of Halloween show. You need to be ready for Southern Appalachian scary.”

828-227-7129 or www.wcu.edu/mhc/.

‘Raindrop Waltz’ in Franklin

Playwright Gary Carden’s “The Raindrop Waltz” will be performed at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, at the Unitarian Church in Franklin.

The play will be performed by the Burnsville Theater Troupe.

828.524.6777.

Carden at City Lights Oct. 19

“A Conversation with Gary Carden,” noted storyteller and author, will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 19 at City Lights Café in Sylva.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

828.587.2233 or www.citylightsnc.com.

Mountain traditions come alive at the annual Harvest Festival on Oct. 14-16 at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center on the grounds of the historic Stecoah School.

The three-day event begins with a Friday evening campfire and storytelling. Saturday begins with a 5K race and a one-mile fun run. Then from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., the grounds are filled with the sounds of mountain music and dancing feet.

Hit and miss engines, antique tractors and the corn-grinding exhibit provide more excitement. Local artists offer their handmade crafts and foods for sale, often conducting demonstrations of their craft as well. The country fair features competition and exhibits of jams, jellies, pies, cakes, quilts, needlework and much more. There’s even flat foot dance instruction and bed turning of antique quilts. Saturday admission is $3 for adult and free for kids K-12 and younger.

Balsam Range will perform at Saturday night at 7:30 on the grand old stage. Adult tickets are $15 and students (K-12) are $5. Tickets may be purchased by calling or coming into the Stecoah Gallery or on line at stecoahvalleycenter.com  

On Sunday, Oct. 16, there will be free gospel singing in the auditorium from 2:30-5 p.m. featuring local groups Robbinsville Quartet, Shining Pathway, and the Barker Family.  

828.479.3364.

The North Hominy Apple Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the North Hominy Community Center on Newfound Road just outside of Canton.

The festival kicks off with a country breakfast buffet at 7 a.m. and is $7 for adults and $3 for children under 7. The breakfast buffet includes eggs, biscuits and gravy, country ham, sausage, bacon, grits and applesauce with coffee, orange juice and apple juice.

Fried apple pies and apple butter will also be for sell, as are cookbooks. All proceeds benefit the North Hominy Food Pantry.

Festival-goers are invited to watch community residents cook a batch of fresh apple butter or shop for crafts.

828.648.0040.

Big rigs and antique trucks rumble into Cherokee Oct. 14-16 for the sixth Annual Big Rigs and Antique Trucks Show, where truck enthusiasts of all types gather to show off their custom and original truck restorations, trade stories and ideas, compete for prizes and raise money for The Hope Chest for Women, which provides educational resources and limited financial assistance to women in Western North Carolina with breast and gynecologic cancer.

This family friendly event takes place on the Qualla Boundary at the Acquoni Expo Center, which is the old Cherokee High School located at 1501 Acquoni Road Last year more than 2,200 spectators and participants showed up, and this year organizers expect more than 150 trucks to be on display.

Models range from the antique to the working class, including pickup trucks, semis, dump trucks, and more.

Anyone with a real working or antique truck may register. Parts and swap meet vendors and food displays will also be available at the show.

Gates open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. General admission is $5; children 12 and under admitted free.

828.421.9399.

The Marianna Black Library will host an evening of original Southern Gospel music written by the author of the new book Inspirational Lyrics.

Join Sharon Wyatt in the library auditorium at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, as she talks about her new book. She will discuss the songs she’s written and sing a few of them.

Born and raised in Bryson City, Sharon began writing after she moved to Sylva 25 years ago. She has had poetry published in several books, including “National Library of Poetry” and “Poetic Voices.”

828.488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, Blind Faith Productions will present Phil Keaggy, a multi-Dove Award winner, Grammy nominee and world-renowned guitar virtuoso in a fundraising concert for the Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center.

This concert will take place at Franklin Covenant Church in Franklin at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m. In addition to the concert, there will be a silent auction, desserts and drinks as well as Phil Keaggy merchandise and CDs.

Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center is a local Christian non-profit ministry that reaches out to women and men facing possible pregnancies, which might be unplanned or unwanted pregnancies and don’t know which way to turn.

Tickets are available online at iTickets.com and can be purchased locally at the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Center and Franklin Covenant Church office. For more information contact Blind Faith Productions 828.342.9006

The Haywood Community Band will present its final free concert of the Maggie Valley Concert Series at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the pavilion adjacent to the Maggie Valley Town Hall.

The theme for this concert will be, “Out of This World.” Concert-goers will travel “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” visit “The Planets,” “Moon River,” and travel to see “Star Wars.” Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy a Maggie Valley sunset.

www.haywoodcommunityband.org or 828.456.4880.

The Lake Junaluska Singers will present two concerts at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and 15 at historic Stuart Auditorium.

The Singers will perform Shaker tunes, music from Appalachia, and more.

Directed by Melodie Galloway, the Lake Junaluska Singers serve as musical ambassadors for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church and travel nationally and internationally. This 16-voice ensemble presents concerts throughout the year at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, along with performance tours. Concerts include classical, choral music, spirituals, comedy and musical theatre. Bringing hope to the world through inspiring music is the primary focus of the Singers’ ministry.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for children 8 and under.

800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com. Packages are available.

Tickets go on sale 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14, for a Nov. 10 concert at Western Carolina University’s Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center by country music breakout stars Justin Moore and Thompson Square.

The two hot country acts originally were scheduled to be part of a triple-bill headlined by Darius Rucker, who was forced to postpone the concert because of his involvement in a Country Music Association holiday show taping.

In response to demand from fans, however, campus concert organizers decided that the show must go on, said Bill Clarke, Ramsey Center director. “We received numerous calls from fans who said they were disappointed that Darius Rucker had to reschedule and asking if we could still bring Justin Moore and Thompson Square to town,” Clarke said. “The answer, it turns out, is yes.”

Advance tickets are $18 for WCU students and $25 for non-WCU students, plus applicable convenience fees. All tickets day of show are $25 plus fees. Tickets will be available at the Ramsey Center box office, online at ramseycenter.wcu.edu or by phone at 866.928.3378.

Ubuntu, a group of people who meet to sing world music a cappella, will perform at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 at City Lights in Sylva.

Ubuntu seldom performs as that is not the purpose of the group. The group’s purpose, according to its leaders, is to experience harmony, sing as a spiritual practice and develop an appreciation for world music traditions.

Ubuntu Dillsboro is a member of the worldwide Ubuntu Community Choir Network based in Victoria, B.C. Tom Tyre directs the local group. The event will provide ample opportunity for audience members to sing along with the Ubuntus just to sit back and listen to harmonies from around the world.

A drumming circle for all ages will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, on the Macon County Courthouse plaza on Main Street in downtown Franklin.  

Mary Eileen Ferrick is the circle leader. People may bring drums and rhythm instruments, or choose from the wide assortment provided, including African djembes, guiros, shakers, and buffalo drums.  Large take-home “can” drums will be provided for the children. Bring a lawn chair. In case of inclement weather the program will be held in the Rathskeller Coffee Haus, 58 Stewart Street, a block from the Courthouse.

This event is sponsored by the Arts Council of Macon County, with funding from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

828.524.7683, or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The decade-old Songwriters in the Round series at the Balsam Mountain Inn continues Thursday, Oct. 13, with crowd favorites Thom Bresh, Lisa Carver and Ladd Smith performing.

The $45 ticket price includes dinner — shrimp and grits, prime rib and chicken marsala are all on the menu — and seating begins at 6:30 p.m., with showtime at around 8.

A world-renowned guitarist and the son of country legend Merle Travis, Bresh is a singer, songwriter, impressionist, and instrumentalist whose instrument of choice is his custom-made two-sided Langejans SuperDualette. He has performed alongside luminaries ranging from Bob Hope and Chet Atkins to Gordon Lightfoot and Les Paul. He has produced the music of Jerry Reed, classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Travis.

Ladd Smith is veteran singer-songwriter, guitar virtuoso and experienced performer who grew up in Hendersonville, Tenn., where many among country music’s royalty call home.

Carver sings dark, deep, and tongue-in-cheek story songs. In addition to her songwriting, she is the author of Dancing Queen: a Lusty Look at the American Dream, in which she expounds upon various relics of pop culture past, including Lawrence Welk, roller rinks and Olivia Newton-John.

855.456.9498 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fall Colors Art Show will be held this week at the Highlands Recreation Center in Highlands. The popular juried show features national, regional and local artists.

The show is from noon to 6 p.m. on Oct. 14 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 15.

One of the nationally known artists returning this year is Patti Gilley. Gilley grew up in a small town in Ohio and has always enjoyed being outdoors and observing nature. Although she was always interested in art, it wasn’t until her children were out of high school that she began the process of teaching herself how to use them.  

Her work has won numerous awards at art shows across the Southeastern United States and is held in private collections in this country, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy.

There will be events for the children on Saturday with a hands-on creative experience.