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I have some good news. But first the bad news. The world is ending. Evangelist Harold Camping has predicted it. Others point to the Mayan calendar and confirm that our remaining days are few. Meanwhile, a surprising number of people believe that a planet called Nibiru will collide with Earth and do us in.
Most conservationists I encounter may not pay attention to these particular predictors of doom, but they tend to be equally pessimistic about our future. When I traveled to Indiana a few weeks ago to speak at a conference on literature and the environment, I heard countless examples of people wiping out nature, nature killing people, and nature sometimes destroying itself.
Session titles included such uplifting topics as “Dead and Dying Animals in Literature, Film, Art, and Culture,” and “Imagining Environmental Apocalypse.” More than once, professors at the conference lamented that their students find environmental issues extremely depressing. Really? I can’t imagine why.
Sure, we have plenty of reasons to be concerned about the outside world: loss of habitat, polluted waters, global climate change, invasive species, oil spills, funding cuts for conservation programs, species extinctions, and more.
But depressing news is, well, depressing. It repels people — and their donations, too. Very few people want to take on apparently losing causes, and so the challenges continue.
I know we have to be realistic about these conservation issues, but rather than focusing on what’s gone wrong, maybe we should spend more time tallying what’s gone right. Then, the next time we think we’re approaching an environmental Armageddon, we can share these encouraging stories with friends, family, struggling students, discouraged conservation leaders and potential donors — or just read them to ourselves to remember that good things have happened before and can happen again.
Fortunately, we can find plenty of recent conservation successes right here in Western North Carolina. Thanks to various groups and agencies, we again have elk in the Smokies, peregrine falcons in the skies, and river otters and various fish species back in the Pigeon River watershed.
Meanwhile, air quality is improving, and Haywood Waterways and its partners have cleaned up Hyatt Creek enough that it has been removed from the EPA’s list of polluted waters. Also, the 12 land trusts of the Blue Ridge Forever partnership have protected more than 50,000 acres of important farmland, forests, and natural areas in the last five years.
I don’t think we should worry that some favorable results will eliminate humanity’s interest in the environment. Instead, these success stories can inspire all of us to create more good news.
Speaking of which, Harold Camping has updated his timeline for the end of the world — previously scheduled for May 21. We now have until October 21 to create some new conservation successes. Who knows? Maybe we’ll do enough good between now and then to earn the world another short reprieve.
George Ivey is a Haywood County-based consultant and author of the novel Up River. Contact him at www.georgeivey.com.
To the editor:
In this recent atmosphere of mudslinging, it’s all too easy to lose focus on what’s important. What should matter more than anything to tribal members is the ability to hold their elected representatives on Tribal Council and the chief and vice chief’s offices accountable.
They need a watchdog, and with a free press there is such a watchdog. But there is no free press in Cherokee.
Yes, there is a free press law. Yes, there is an open meetings law. Yes, there is a public information law. However, those laws aren’t worth the paper on which they’re printed if there’s no enforcement.
Under our current tribal leadership, there not only is no enforcement, but there have been circumventions, blatant violations, and there were no consequences.
Take a look a the One Feather and what it’s turned into since Principal Chief Michell Hicks directly took a meddling role in its editorial process:
• There is no editorial.
• Rarely, if ever, are there published critiques of the chief or Tribal Council.
• There is nothing to encourage a free exchange of ideas.
• The free press act was watered down to remove independent and professional oversight of the paper through an editorial board.
• An award-winning reporter and writer has been reduced to writing propaganda designed to puff up a tribal deputy with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
• And as evident in the July 21 edition, the chief can use this publication to denigrate an entire family who did nothing more than to have the chief’s challenger as one of their own.
The changes in the publication have not resulted in the community having a better paper. It has lost circulation. It has lost credibility. It has lost respect, and a look at the paper itself will show that advertisers have noticed.
We need elected officials who support a free press and will back up that support with strong legislation to ensure it. We need elected officials who will resist and oppose pressure to censor or shut out the media, whether tribally owned or otherwise. And we need elected officials who realize that the One Feather belongs to 14,000-plus people, not 14.
Any candidate who doesn’t support a free press, open government and transparency does not care about your best interests.
Joseph Martin
Andrews
To the editor:
I am writing to thank NC Representative Phil Haire for his courage and integrity in voting against House Bill 854, both in the initial vote and in the override of Gov. Purdue’s veto on it.
Since women and their doctors were given the right to choose reproductive issues in 1973 without coercion or intimidation we have never seen such an attempt to roll back those hard fought for rights until now. I urge all women who struggled with these issues back then and who look at what their daughters and granddaughters are now facing to support all efforts to stop the erosion of a very critical basic right.
Forcing a distraught and probably very young woman or a teenager to delay her decision after she has come to a legally binding conclusion about her status is no way to convince her to change that decision. It will just add another alienating layer of stress on a person who is trying to make a hard choice.
We fought hard for that right of choice 40 years ago and as a mother myself I can tell you that my children were loved and wanted, but I would never presume to force another woman to bear a child. I think it really is an issue for a woman, her family and her doctor and, in fact, the law says so.
So why are politicians so eager to align themselves with a rising tide of targeted control of women’s’ rights? The answer lies not so much with this issue itself but with the underlying issue of control and coercion for shallow political ends.
Again, I commend Phil Haire for his vote and I hope that in the present climate of political dysfunction that we will remember that he stood up for women’s rights.
Angela McGregor
Bryson City
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is starting an After Hours Networking Event for the Young Professional of Haywood County, with the first event to be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Herren House. Young Professionals was created to connect area business professionals between the ages of 22 and 40 through professional development, networking, and community service.
“The Young Professionals of Haywood will provide a unique opportunity for its members to network, improve professionally, and be active civically in our community,” said Jake Robinson of Champion Credit Union, YPH Committee Member. The event is free for Chamber members and $10 for non-members. RSVP by calling 828.456.3021 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at www.haywood-nc.com.
A networking conference will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, in Franklin, offering business coaching on a variety of critical topics for today’s marketplace.
The all-day event is designed for community leaders, business owners and professionals from WNC. Topics will include “Adaptive Leadership in Times of Change,” “Mastering Lead Generation: How to turn Networking into Profits,” “Your Networking Toolkit: The Must Haves to make a Lasting Impression,” and “Get on the Map: Building your Online Network through SEO.”
An evening social will follow the event. Cost is $65, but bulk rates are available. Space is limited to 200. 828.369.8660 or visit www.XtremeNetworking.net. Sponsored by Black Rock Company and SiteDart Hosting.
Haywood County businesses and organizations interested in “greening” their business practices should sign up for the Green Initiative Program with the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce set to begin in August. A green plan of action will be established for businesses and organizations that participate and demonstrated outcomes will allow them to receive their Green Leader certification. green.haywood-nc.com or call 828.456.3021 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Small Business Center at Southwestern Community College is partnering with several organizations to offer workshops for small businesses.
The first will be held 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at SCC’s Macon Campus, on entrepreneurship. Upcoming seminars are:“Small Business Operations (Human Resources and Business Structure)” on July 21; “Marketing Your Product/Service” on Aug. 4; “Business Financials (Cash Flow and Break Even Analysis)” on Aug. 18; “Small Business Taxes” on Sept. 1; “Bookkeeping Basics” on Sept. 15; “Business Use of Your Home” on Sept. 29; and “Technology in Small Business” on Oct. 13. 828.339.4218.
Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher will meet members of the Macon County community on from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, in the Macon Bank Corporate Center as part of a get-acquainted tour that will take the new chief executive to 15 stops during a four-month span.
Formerly provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he succeeds John W. Bardo, who stepped down as WCU chancellor this summer after 16 years in the position.
828.227.7335 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A motorcycle ride honoring the Trail of Tears, the Remembrance Removal Tour, will leave the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds in Cherokee at 8 a.m. on Aug. 29.
The route will follow the historic route of the Trail of Tears across the county for three days and will arrive in Tahlequah, Okla., on August 31 for the Cherokee National Holiday Events.
The event is organized by The Brothers in the Wind, a group committed to the memory of the removal of Native Americans from their homelands. The ride is open to all motorcycles and any vehicles. 828.736.2780 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.brothersinthewind.webs.com.
From 911 to prosecution, a training session for service providers, law enforcement, criminal justice and legal aid, will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, at the Waynesville Police Department.
This training is designed to inform all service providers along the continuum of domestic violence and sexual assault. The overview is intended to provide a clear picture of what happens to a victim from the time a 911 service call is made to the prosecution of the alleged abuser.
To register, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Haywood Community College will offer a night Basic Law Enforcement Training class meeting from 6 to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Sept. 12. The class will also meet a few weekends to accommodate the appropriate required classes.
This course is designed to equip the student with the basic skills, knowledge and ability to function as an inexperienced law enforcement officer in the State of North Carolina. Applications must be returned by Sept. 7.
For more information, call 828.627.4548, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Or visit www.haywood.edu/continuing_education/public_safety.
Backlogged sediment can’t be allowed to build up forever, said John Dorney, wetlands and stormwater program development supervisor for the N.C. Division of Water Quality in Raleigh.
“It becomes one big mud flat,” Dorney said.
But Duke Energy District Manager Fred Alexander disputes that Duke will be made to dredge sediment from the lake.
“Let me be perfectly clear. We are NOT dredging Lake Emory,” Alexander said in an email response to The Smoky Mountain News.
Alexander said that Duke may do some “limited sediment removal,” but not a comprehensive dredging of the entire lake.
“That is not in our plans, nor a regulatory requirement,” Alexander said.
Yet according to a state water quality permit, how much sediment Duke will have to remove is not yet determined.
Duke is being required to develop sediment management plans for dams on the Oconaluftee River in Swain County and on the Hiwassee in Clay County. All three are known as “run-of-the-river” dams, where the respective dam transforms the river behind it into slow-moving backwater — more so than a bona fide lake. Lake Emory, located near Franklin, is 174 acres in size.
The state Division of Water Quality mandated that Duke address sediment removal as a condition of the water quality permits issued for all the three dams in summer of 2010.
“It could be one thing they have to do is dredge,” Dorney said.
The same requirements are being copied verbatim into the federal licenses for the dams being issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Once issued, Duke “will absolutely have to develop a sediment management plan,” said Mark Cantrell, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “FERC indicated Duke would need to include some management and not just monitoring — and that could include dredging.”
With Duke’s license for the dam up for renewal, that opened the door for new sediment rules to be imposed. And state and federal environmental agencies walked right in.
In short, Duke must conduct a sediment pilot study at one of the three dams, and a long-term sediment management plan after that. Cantrell said once the license was issued, it would trigger the sediment management plan within approximately the next six months.
Dorney knows Duke needs to do something about the mounting sediment behind the dams, but exactly what that should be — how much should be removed, how often, by what means — is up in the air pending the pilot study.
“We just didn’t know enough about how big the problems are and how fast they are developing and what mechanisms could solve the problems,” Dorney said. “The pilot study will get us that additional information.”
Dorney foresees Duke being made to remove some sediment from above Porter Bend Dam one way or another, however.
“That is the intent,” Dorney said.
And there’s only two ways to do that: dredge or flush it downstream.
When Duke tore down the Dillsboro dam, it lobbied hard for the “flushing” option. It argued that simply flushing the estimated 100,000 cubic yards of sediment downstream a bit at a time wouldn’t hurt the environment. It was also the cheaper of the two options. Ultimately, however, state and federal environmental agencies made Duke excavate much of the sediment (more than 63,000 cubic yards) from behind the dam rather than flushing it.
Dorney said it is too early for Duke to say whether it will or won’t dredge Lake Emory; and, he said, Duke isn’t the one that gets to decide that.
“They would have to say at this point they don’t know if they will have to do any dredging pending the results of the pilot study,” Dorney said.
The decision ultimately rests with the state and federal environmental agencies overseeing the water quality permits for the dam operations.
At stake is one of the most unique stretches of river in the eastern U.S., 13 miles of the Little Tennessee River, essentially unpolluted, uncontaminated and undeveloped.
“It is really incredible,” Cantrell said.
Which means there will be a whole lot of eyes watching as Duke develops a sedimentation management plan.
Dorney said in his view, it isn’t good for every grain of sediment in the river to get blocked by the dam.
“There is some concern about the river being sediment starved downstream from the dams,” Dorney said.
That may mean flushing some sediment downstream periodically.
“If they release some, that would get it out of the lake of course, but if you release too much it would destroy downstream, so it is a balancing act,” Dorney said.
There is only one caveat that would tip the scale against sediment removal, and one that just might come into play in Lake Emory.
Industrial pollution downstream from Lake Emory could have accumulated in the sediment over the years, and stirring it up could be bad news, according to water quality advocates with the Little Tennessee Watershed Association. (see related article.)
Dorney said that is definitely an area that needs more research, but doubts it would be a deal killer.
“If they did the studies and determined there would be more damage to the environment by removing it than leaving it there,” Dorney said. “But that isn’t likely.”
More often, the contaminants would be leaching out anyway, so removing them is still the best option.
Cantrell said toxic muck is “a legitimate concern.” He said there are detailed studies under way by Western Carolina University to try and pinpoint why there’s been a mussel-population decline below Lake Emory.
Cantrell said there are measurements that are indicating excessive levels of copper and other metals in Lake Emory, “and we are concerned about that being transmitted downstream.”
By Becky Johnson and Quintin EllisonA workshop titled “Go Green with Moss” will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, August 11, at the Highlands Biological Foundation as part of the Foundation’s Think About Thursdays series.
Annie Martin, founder of Mountain Moss Enterprises, will explore the botanical characteristics of mosses and the advantages of using mosses in landscapes. Participants will have the opportunity to view Martin’s award-winning moss gardens and moss dishes while discussing moss gardening methods. The presentation will include a guided walk around the Botanical Garden to look for mosses. Free, but registration is required. 828.526.2221 or www.wcu.edu/hbs.
Master Gardeners from Jackson and Swain counties have joined together to form the Jackson-Swain Master Gardeners’ Association.
The group works to increase its own knowledge about gardening in order to be a better gardening resource for the community through education, demonstration and as volunteers with the cooperative extension.
The association meets at 9:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at the Jackson Community Services Building on Scotts Creek Road in Sylva. Sarah Day Hatton will share her knowledge on creating wildlife habitats at the August meeting. Meetings and programs open to the public at no cost. 828.736.2768 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is ratcheting down its firewood policy for campers over fears of invasive insects and fungus that destroy trees.
Firewood from six neighboring counties in Tennessee can no longer be brought into the park, specifically to prevent the movement of the destructive emerald ash borer and thousand cankers disease, an associated fungal disease transmitted by a small twig beetle.
All state and national parks and forests limit firewood being brought in by campers to varying degrees, usually targeting areas where known invasive pests and diseases are. But some are moving to allow no firewood from any outside areas.
The latest ban in the Smokies will affect those who live in those counties and come to camp in the neighboring park.
The black bear license plate has had strong sales and has benefitted wildlife throughout the Great Smoky Mountain National Park this summer. The number of motorists sporting specialty Smokies license plates has been climbing impressively since the new plate design, sporting a black bear, was rolled out four years ago.
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park brought in $102,900 from plate sales in the last quarter, an increase of more than seven percent over the same period of 2010, to help the park.
“The Smokies are a true refuge for black bears, brook trout, salamanders, elk, and thousands of other species,” said Dan Matthews, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Smokies and co-owner of The Swag Country Inn in Waynesville. “We are very glad for the opportunity to help protect these wild creatures and to have so much support from drivers all across North Carolina. They are the ones who make these important projects possible.” www.friendsofthesmokies.org or call 828.452.0720.
The Fontana Dam 5K and 10K race will be held on Saturday, August 27, along with a one-mile fun run.
The race will be held along the shores of the Little Tennessee River below Fontana Dam. The course is relatively flat and draws runners from all around the region to compete.
Race sponsors have planned a lake tour for participants aboard the Miss Hazel, departing from the Fontana Marina docks at 6 p.m. the night before, along with a pre-race dinner with live entertainment.
Race day registration will be at 6:45 a.m. www.fontanavillage.com or 828.498.2104.
The second annual Waynesville Main Street Mile will be held on Friday, August 12.
The race ends at the historic courthouse, and starts a mile up the street from it, making for a mostly downhill, one-way course.
A post-race party will feature pizza, beer from Highland Brewing Company and live music, popcorn and cotton candy, and various kids’ activities sponsored by Grandpa Ernie, FunShine Faces, and Fun Things Etc.
Cost is $15 in advance or $20 day-of. Includes T-shirt and stocked goody-bag.
All proceeds from sponsors and runner registrations go to Shriners Children’s Hospital of Greenville. Businesses interested in sponsoring or anyone interested in volunteering can contact Eric Yarrington at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Another 207-acre tract on Little Yellow Mountain in Mitchell and Avery counties has been saved from development thanks the efforts of The Nature Conservancy and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
The two organizations have purchased the tract, which takes in the 5,504-foot peak, ensuring that the entire mountain top will remain free of development. Eventually, all of the property will become part of Yellow Mountain State Natural Area.
Little Yellow Mountain is an important piece of the Roan Mountain natural heritage area, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Southern Appalachians with 76 rare species of plants and animals found there. The conservations efforts for Little Yellow Mountain began in 2007. Today, 1,300 acres are protected in all.
In addition to private donations, the organizations took out a loan to complete the conservation.
“In tough economic times, we have to marshal our forces to make conservation happen,” says SAHC Board Member Jay Leutze.
828.253.0095 ext. 209.
Haywood County will be crawling with runners, bikers and swimmers this weekend for the Lake Logan Multi-Sports Festival on August 6 and 7.
On Saturday, triathletes will do a swim-bike-run course that takes from the waters of Lake Logan to the outskirts of Canton and back.
On Sunday, a shorter sprint-distance triathlon and an aquathlon, featuring only swimming and running, will be held on Sunday.
The event will bring some 700 athletes and their families and friends to Haywood County. Since the triathlon began six years ago, it has become one of the premier races in the Southeast, attracting athletes from all across the country.
“Lake Logan may be the most beautiful triathlon venue in the country,” said Greg Duff, president of race producer Glory Hound Events. “The swim in this pristine mountain lake has a unique course starting near the main docks but finishing under the highway bridge in the mouth of the river. The bike course is unusual for the mountains in that it is mostly flat and very fast. The run course is an out-and-back along a two-lane road along the river.”
This year Lake Logan has also attracted athletes hoping to do well enough to earn a sport in the USA Triathlon Championship in Burlington, Vermont. USA Triathlon, the sanctioning authority for more than 3,000 events across the country, selected the Lake Logan race as a Mid-Atlantic special qualifier. The top 50 finishers in their age groups will advance to nationals.
Also, the prize purse has reached a total of $2,500. Racing starts on Saturday, but many contestants will be arriving in town on Friday.
“Don’t be surprised to see hundreds of cars sporting bike racks in the area that evening,” said Duff. For more information, visit www.gloryhoundevents.com
A Gone Fishin’ program will be offered from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 13. Participants will meet at High Falls Parking Area in DuPont State Recreational Forest and take a hide ride to the lake. All of the equipment is provided. The program is free and open to ages 4 and up. Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required by calling 828.877.4423 or signing up at www.ncwildlife.org/Education_Workshops/Pisgah_Center.htm.
A Farm to School movement, an effort to get fresh, healthy foods in front of school kids, has taken off in the region, witnessed by more than 100 participants in a recent Farm To School Cooking conference in Asheville where chefs from the Biltmore Estate and Asheville restaurants Cúrate and Red Stag Grill, led workshops aimed at preparing teachers to cook fresh local foods with students this school year.
Educators from Cullowhee Valley School, along with students and faculty from Western Carolina University and the Jackson County Health Department, were among those who attended. Jackson County Schools have embraced the movement, including taking staff on local farm tours.
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project received a grant from the Kellogg Foundation for Farm to School initiatives and is working with Jackson County as a model.
Specific Farm to School work that is ongoing in Jackson County includes partnerships with professors at WCU and area community colleges to integrate Farm to School in the course of study for education and health science students.
Future plans include establishing Cullowhee Valley School and one Head Start Center as “learning labs,” where university and college students can be immersed in successful Farm to School settings.
828.236.1282 ext 113 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Nine Haywood County farmers and growers boosted their business planning with agriculture-specific training through Mountain BizWorks.
Bethel farmer Skipper Russell, owner of Seasonal Produce Farm, said the course gave him tangible tools to diversify his markets. He has been farming his whole life but just became a full time farmer in 2008.
He has worked hard to gain certifications that will allow him to sell produce to larger institutions like schools and hospitals.
“The business-planning course walks clients through the steps of turning a business idea into reality and determine the feasibility of that idea,” says Ag-Biz developer Sheryl Rudd.
The class doesn’t just teach clients, though.
“The great opportunity to network with other growers and producers is a true blessing,” says Dawn Cox of Bethel-Eden Farmers Market.
The purpose of Mountain BizWorks’ Ag-Biz Program is to create a more vibrant regional agricultural economy in Western North Carolina. The program focuses on creating new agricultural businesses as well as enhancing existing operations.
828.631.0292 or 828.919.1000 or mountainbizworks.org.
Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market will pull out all the stops this Saturday, Aug. 6, with a festival celebrating the full arrival of summer’s bounty, including long-awaited heirloom tomatoes and corn now in complete swing.
Fresh fish and meat vendors will grill up samples and the market booth will offer a casserole and chilled soup. Recipes will be available.
A presentation on growing and cooking with herbs will be at 9 and 11 a.m.
Performing under the music tent from 9:30 to 11 a.m. will be Barbara Duncan, awarding winning author, singer/songwriter and poet, as well as the Educational Director at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
The farmer’s market is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays in the HART Theater parking lot of U.S. 276 a few blocks of Main Street next to the Shelton House.
Beef, chicken, eggs, fish, berries, honey, jam, baked goods, prepared meals, and crafts round out the arsenal of fresh, local produce found at the market.
A panel discussion of young adult literature will be held at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, featuring three young authors: Beth Revis, Myra McEntire and Victoria Schwab.
Revis is the author of Across The Universe, part science fiction, part thriller and part mystery with a touch of surprise taking the reader on a journey that spans time, space, love and life.
McEntire penned Hourglass, which follows 17-year-old Emerson Cole as she lives in a small Southern town with her brother and sister-in-law, trying to get over her problems after the death of her parents.
Schwab is the author of Near Witch. The book features 16-year-old Lexi, who lives on an enchanted moor at the edge of the village of Near and must solve the mystery when, the day after a mysterious boy appears in town, children start disappearing.
City Lights donated each of the authors’ books as gift to the new Jackson County Library Complex.
828.586.9499 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Maya, a golden retriever reading assistance dog, will be at the Bryson City Library at 1 p.m. this Saturday, August 6, for children who would like to read to her.
Maya and her handler, Bobbie Mosher, are part of a new program gaining popularity around the nation that helps children improve reading and communication skills by reading to animals. The interaction between a child and a dog is non-judgmental — no criticisms and no corrections.
Together, they will assist a child in 20 minutes of reading with Maya one-on-one. Children may bring their own book from home, or find one to read in the library. The goal is to inspire a child to practice reading and demonstrate that reading is fun.
To make an appointment, call 828.488.6709. This service will be available at the library on the first and third Saturday at the library throughout the summer.
Haywood County also has a reading dog program called “Puppy Tales,” aimed at children in grades 1-5. The dog makes visits to the Waynesville and Canton libraries. Appointments are available by contacting Donna Surles at 828.356.2519.
To the Editor:
The ad from Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS organization, funded by anonymous sources, about “no more blank checks” for Obama, epitomizes what is wrong with politics in our country. It plays to our fears, uses two lies and counts on our ignorance of our legislative process and our amnesia about anything older than last week not notice the lies.
The first lie is that Obama gets to write “blank checks.” Presidents do not write any checks. They can request checks by the budget they propose, but Congress actually has to write the checks according to our constitution. If you think spending is out of control, blame your senators and representatives that authorized that spending.
The second lie is it’s all President Obama’s fault. Bush took office with a budget surplus and a deficit around 6 trillion dollars. Legislation enacted during Bush changed that surplus to over 7 trillion more dollars of new debt. 42 percent of that debt increase was from the Bush tax cuts, and 40 percent of it was from “war on terror” policies including 2 wars. Only 6 percent came from increases in discretionary spending and 12% in entitlement increases. These figures are from the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Obama did not cut all the jobs either. According to the Commerce Department, U. S. corporations added 2.4 million jobs from 2000-2009 but they were all overseas. At home these corporations were cutting 2.9 million jobs. In fact the 50 CEO’s who received the largest bonuses in pay in 2009 were the same CEO’s who cut the most jobs.
It is also important to remember that the TARP program that helped Wall Street but has failed to trickle down to Main Street was signed by Bush on Oct. 3, 2008 and more than half spent before Obama took Office.
It seems we could reduce our debt much more by cutting the “blank checks” creating 82 percent of the problem rather than killing Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security (12 percent of the problem) and the social safety net for the unemployed.
Corporate profits are up 88 percent since the “great recession” was declared over by economists in June of 2009. Wages are up only 1 percent by contrast. Guess who has the money to support deceitful ads like those from Crossroads and to fund Tea Party candidates who are willing to throw the elderly, children, the poor and the disabled under the bus to protect special privileges for millionaires and billionaires.
Jane Harrison
Wayesville
To the editor:
I have just received a notice from Sen. Jim Davis that the N.C. Senate passed a bill requiring women who are considering an abortion to have an ultrasound.
I would be more impressed if the Republicans who voted for that kind of control over women in this state exercised the same kind of concern for the babies once they are born. The cuts to support for the poor in North Carolina will result in many more families struggling to care for another child. These cuts will also affect the health, education and well-being of many North Carolina’s children now and in the future.
How can senate Republicans claim this is a victory for women when it only adds additional requirements to an already difficult and emotional decision? Additionally, it could lead to more unsafe abortions, which could put even more women at risk.
It seems interesting that the Republican party claims to be the party of individual choice, but wants to control people’s most personal decisions...who to marry and if and when to give birth.
By the way, who is on the hook for these ultrasounds... the woman who doesn’t want it or the taxpayers?
Nancy Scott
Franklin
To the editor:
I urge conservation-minded residents of Western North Carolina and all those hikers, birders, campers, anglers, hunters, nature photographers, picnickers and local people who prefer the true solitude of a magnificent, wild national resource to again take pen to paper (and fingers to keyboards) to comment on the latest U.S. Forest Service plan to open the Upper Chattooga headwaters to boating.
The agency’s latest proposal would forever change the wild and scenic character of the river reaches from Green Creek (just below Grimshawes and its popular Slide Rock) to Lick Log Creek — some 16.5 miles downriver, right through the middle of the sensitive Chattooga Cliffs area, the Ellicott Rock Wilderness and the equally wild Rock Gorge.
As your readers know, both private and commercial boaters already control access and primary use of the 36 miles of the Chattooga River below Route 28. Kayakers, moreover, have full access to the wildly challenging West Fork and Overflow Creek all the way to Blue Valley.
To adopt the new plan would leave only six miles of the Chattooga, approximately, boat free. The latest Forest Service plan appears designed to try to again appease the interests of an extreme sport, and gives little attention to the equally valid interests of those who have worked hard for the past 35 years (largely by maintaining trails and resources) to safeguard the headwaters reaches for future generations.
I urge all to ensure their voices are heard in the upcoming comment period (deadline is August 30). Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And send copies of your letters to your elected federal officials.
Joe Gatins
Satolah, Georgia
A new program called Parenting the Second Time Around is being offered for grandparents who are raising grandchildren.
The program will be held each Friday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. beginning August 19, and will run through October 7 at the Family Resource Center in Webster. Some topics that will be covered include: child development, rebuilding a family, effective discipline, legal concerns and teen issues. There is no charge to attend, but you do need to register by August 16.
828.586.4009
The bridge over the Pigeon River on U.S. 19/23 in downtown Canton will be replaced over the coming year, with work to start as soon as next month.
The $2.9 million project contract was awarded to Taylor and Murphy Construction Co. of Asheville. Work could begin as early as Aug. 29, and is scheduled for completion by Dec. 31, 2012.
The bridge was constructed in 1924 and needs replacing because of its age and condition. This is one of 16 contracts that were awarded at the end of July for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. The total for the contracts was $277.7 million, and came in at about $27.3 million below DOT estimates.
Haywood Community College and Haywood County Schools recently signed an agreement to provide high school students with a seamless transition from secondary to post-secondary education. The agreement minimizes content duplication for high school students entering the community college system.
More than 35 courses are included, which allows students in all Haywood County schools who successfully complete these high school courses with a B or higher, a proficiency level of 93 on the VOCATS and recommendation of their instructor to complete part of their college freshman year before they graduate high school. Completing these courses saves high school students money and time. Students who complete classes must enroll at HCC within two years of graduating from high school to receive college credit.
Courses include: business, web design, marketing, masonry, construction, drafting, allied health, horticulture, networking and welding.
For more information, call 828.627.4500 or visit www.haywood.edu/high_school_programs.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino recruiters will be at Haywood Community College’s West Waynesville Campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17. They will accept up to 13 candidates in a panel interview to staff their resort’s expansion.
Harrah’s expansion will create 400 new part-time and full-time jobs: room attendants, food court attendants, food service, cooks, security guards, cashiers, game hosts, valet parkers and others.
Three, 75-minute pre-interview workshops to be held at HCC on August 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15, and 16. Candidates who complete the workshops will get certificates to present to Harrah’s recruiters.
To enroll or make appointments for the August 17 interviews, call 828.246.9233.
MemoryCare, a program to assess memory and cognitive functioning, will present its Professional Caregiver Education Program curriculum in a three-part series with one part beginning Aug. 9.
Parts two and three will be given Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, respectively. The sessions will all be held at the Haywood County Administrative Building at 81 Elmwood Way in Waynesville. Each session will be four hours long.
The series is directed at professional caregivers of persons with dementia, and will be taught by Terry Mulligan, PA-C, and Margaret Noel, MD.
This course “is designed to enhance the professional caregiver’s understanding of the essential aspects of dementia care, including the common types of dementia, behavior management, treatment options, risk reduction, and end of life issues,” said Dr. Noel.
Registration is limited. Participants are eligible for up to 1.2 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) through the Mountain Area Health Education Center. The cost is $10 per participant or $25 if CEUs are desired. Information is also available online at www.memorycare.org. The registration deadline is Aug. 5.
828.771.2219.
If you are a private forest landowner and suffered severe damage from the tornado or high winds earlier this year, you might be eligible for federal help.
The Swain/Jackson Farm Service Agency office administers the Emergency Forest Restoration Program. If you qualify for assistance, up to 75 percent of the financial assistance could be covered. Emergency measures must restore forest health and forest-related resources and might include: removing debris, site preparation, seeding establishing and restoring conservation structures and other similar installations. Contact the FSA County Office by August 15. 828.488.2684.
Time to go shopping — this weekend, Aug. 5 through Aug. 7, is the annual back-to-school tax free weekend.
Retailers searching for back-to-school items will be able to find clothing, shoes and school supplies (under $100 per item) tax free, as well as certain school instructional materials under $300 per item; computer systems and educational software for personal use that are under $3,500; computer accessories that are $250 or less per item; and sports and recreational equipment under $50 per item. Some new items have been added in the electronics field are exempt from taxes, too.
The three-day tax free weekend is typically one of the top sales periods for retailers throughout North Carolina and the other 17 states that offer this benefit to their shoppers. This year’s sales are predicted to reach $68.8 billion nationally.
“During these challenging economic times, retailers understand that consumers are extremely focused on value and are taking this weekend to offer substantial savings on merchandise that parents will need for back to school,” said Fran Preston, president of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association.
Preston, drawing on data from the past seven years, believes that North Carolina can expect to see heavy traffic and elevated sales.
The Swain County Chamber of Commerce and The Smoky Mountain News will host a meet-and-greet at the chamber office from 1 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 5 to kickoff sales in the 2012 Visitor’s Guide.
This will be an opportunity for business owners to learn more about the benefits of chamber membership, join for the first time or renew their membership as well as reserve ad space in the 2012 publication.
MedWest Health System will open a new Urgent Care Center on Aug. 15 in Sylva.
It will be located at 176 Walmart Plaza, and will provide walk-in examinations six days a week to patients with non-emergency illnesses or injuries. The new center has space for eight patient exam rooms, x-ray and full lab services in 3,770 square feet.
An open house of the new facility will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 11. The new center’s staff will include two physicians, two physician assistants or nurse practitioners, two medical assistants, two registered nurses, and four radiology and lab technicians. The hours of operation for the center will be 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The new center is the only Urgent Care in Jackson County and is one of three in the MedWest Health System. The other two Urgent Care locations are in the Hazelwood area of Waynesville, beside the hospital in Clyde, which is scheduled to move to a new facility at exit 31 off Interstate 40 in Canton in December. 828.631.9462.
Chuck Wooten’s wings are still clipped as Jackson County’s manager, at least for now, but it looks like he’ll get big-boy hiring and firing powers soon.
Commissioners this week failed to act on Wooten’s request that he no longer bring all personnel decisions before them for approval, but pledged to revisit it soon.
Most county managers in the state have the power to hire and fire county employees. And until recently, Jackson’s manager did as well.
But when three new county commissioners swept into office, they pulled that power away from the county manger. At the time Ken Westmoreland, who left the post the next day, although there are still conflicting stories on whether he was made to leave by the new commissioners or left voluntarily.
Their rationale for overseeing hiring themselves was to ensure vacant positions really needed filling.
When Wooten came on board as a stopgap replacement for Westmoreland, he warned commissioners in January that the decision was posing a problem, mainly in clogging up the process of effective county government.
So they backed off part of that mandate, allowing department heads who are primarily state funded — such as social services and the health department, for example — to use their own discretion. They also said Wooten could make decisions when positions were contracted or grant funded.
Jackson County commissioners did, however, retain oversight for county positions paid for purely with county money.
Wooten is no longer the “interim” county manager, however, and is at the helm in a permanent capacity. The request to have full hiring and firing authority would seem to reflect Wooten’s growing comfort level in the post and with commissioners. And, the commissioners comfort level with him.
Queried after the meeting this week, the board of commissioners seemed united in wanting to grant Wooten full manager powers, but a couple said they had timing concerns — as in being kept informed on decisions being made, and when they would learn about hires.
“We’re just concerned about the time frame, that’s all,” Commissioner Mark Jones said.
— By Quintin Ellison
Two Handmade in America Craft Labs are coming to Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County. Learn how to engage visitors in your studio and tips for arranging and selling from your booth during a session on August 10. How to price your work and budgeting will be covered in a session on September 14.
The craft labs are free, but contributions made to Handmade in America are accepted. Handmade in America’s mission is to grow handmade economies through craft, cultural heritage, and community assets.
828.479.3364.
The next meeting of the Blue Ridge Watermedia Society will be held from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 9 at Haywood Community College Building 1400.
The featured artist will be Pam Haddock. Haddock lives in Sylva and has been painting full time in watercolor for 21 years. She is co-chair of the Western Region of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina and is a member of the Southern Watercolor Society. She recently received the Arches/Canson award for her work in the 34th annual exhibition.
All are invited to attend the meeting. For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Popcorn Sutton Summer Jam is scheduled for noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
In its second year, this event celebrates the life of legendary moonshiner and Maggie Valley native, Popcorn Sutton. Music, clogging, dancing, storytelling and fun, including a dunk tank, will continue throughout the day.
Featured entertainment onstage includes Tennessee Jed, Michelle Leigh, Josh Fields, Ali Randolph and Outta Luck Band, Charlie Duke and more.
Prize to be awarded for the best Popcorn Sutton look-a-like.
Local restaurant Smackers will sell food and beverages, including beer and wine.
Admission is $1. 828.926.0999.
The Overlook Players will present Narnia at 7:30 p.m. from August 4-6, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday, August 7, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Based on the classic children’s novel, Chronicles of Narnia, written by C.S. Lewis, the two-act adaptation for the stage tells the tale of four young children who stumble through a wardrobe and into a mysterious world. The story is told here with a mix of live actors and puppets.
This production is sponsored by Compassion International, a Christian aid organization helping children in poverty. Compassion International is also sponsoring a Narnia Adventureland Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, in the back parking lot of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Children can experience the mysterious world of Narnia through games, face-painting, adventure castles and more. Tickets are $5 per person.
Tickets for the play are $10-$13.
866.273.4615 or visit greatmountainmusic.com.
Phil Coghill, a professional kaleidoscope artist and woodturner, will be one of the newest artists to participate in the Creative Endeavors Art and Crafts Show, scheduled this year for August 12 and 13 at Lake Junaluska.
Since 1988, Coghill has participated in juried shows and festivals throughout the southeast. He has been making and wholesaling kaleidoscopes to galleries and fine craft stores throughout the United States and internationally since 1990.
The show will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 12 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 13. The show is put on by the Junaluska Woman’s Club, and on display will be crafts and handmade items for sale by dozens of local artisans.
For more information, call 828.454.9474.
Art After Dark returns to downtown Waynesville from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 5.
Working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Historic Frog Level will open their doors to the public and musician Chris Minick will provide strolling musical entertainment.
Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 will host an artists’ reception for its newest exhibit “Main Street: Moments in Time,” which celebrates 25 years of the Downtown Waynesville Association.
Twigs and Leaves Gallery will be showcasing mixed media designer Lynn Bland, which includes a hot wax painting demonstration by the artist. Gallery Two Six Two will be showing new photography work by local artists Kim Boyd & Ronald Brunsvold.
Other participating galleries will have Art After Dark flags flying out front.
Art After Dark takes place the first Friday of each month, May through December.
828.452.9284 or www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.
The Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, at the Haywood County Courthouse, and parade down the street.
Categories in a dog contest include best tail wagger, best dressed, most talented and best owner/dog lookalike.
The walk is a fundraiser hosted by Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation.
Teams who raise the most in donations win prizes. Last year, The Bracers won 1st place with The Thundering Herd in 2nd place, who used their website as a collection point for pledges and donations.
Donations to Sarge’s are critical to help offset the costs of medical supplies, boarding dogs and cats rescued from euthanasia from the county animal control facility when there are no foster homes available and operating the new adoption center.
Pre-registration will be held Thursday and Friday, August 4th and 5th from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. at Sarge’s Adoption Center located in the Waynesville Industrial Park near Lowe’s and Junaluska Animal Hospital. Registration fee is $15 per person, children under 10 are free. Sign-up for walkers who have not pre-registered will begin at 9 a.m. the day of.
828.246.9050 or visit www.sargeandfriends.org.
Balsam Range, a renowned bluegrass band across the region, will play Sylva’s Concerts on the Creek series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 5, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
Members of the sought-after five-piece band hail from Haywood and Jackson counties. Since forming in 2007, Balsam Range has produced three albums and was nominated for emerging artist of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2010.
Their sound is influenced by the traditions of the Appalachian Mountains and their hard-driving bluegrass music includes vestiges of other genres, including Americana, roots, blues, jazz and gospel.
For more information, call 800.962.1911 or visit www.mountainlovers.com.
Franklin will be hopping with all things barbecue at the Mountain High Barbecue Festival and Car Show on August 12 and 13 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center. The two-day event features barbecue teams from all over the country. Sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, winners claim a state barbecue championship.
Saturday will feature the professional and backyard competitions, along with the “Tastin’ Tent” at 3 p.m. where a $5 ticket will buy 10 two-ounce cups of barbecue pork from 10 different teams. Tickets for the “Tastin’ Tent” are limited and on sale at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce
In addition to the barbecue and festival foods for purchase, crafts and retail vendors, there will be a car show, natural beauty pageant and a cornhole tournament. The Dallas Reese Band will entertain with classic rock.
This pageant is for girls ages birth to 16 years old and will be held at 1 p.m. The attire is a casual country/western look, and every contestant will be recognized on stage and will receive a trophy. “Miss Mountain High BBQ Festival” will receive a sash, crown, 2 foot trophy and, of course, the title.
For more information, visit www.MountainHighBBQFestival.com.
For the last seven years, Canton has celebrated Haywood County’s biggest crop with a festival in its honor. This year, the town’s Mountain Mater Festival has grown from a small celebration of the red jewel of summer to a sizeable small-town festival that drew 10,000 attendees last year.
The 2011 festival is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, August 5 and 6 in downtown Canton.
This year, the lineup of entertainment on the downtown stages will be non-stop, featuring six mountain clogging groups, martial arts demonstrations and music. There will also be a talent competition.
The entertainment this time around will be one of the festival’s highlights, said Gene Monson, a member of Focus On Canton, the civic group that plans the event.
“Entertainment is a big portion of the festival,” said Monson. “We have a very nice stage and it stays busy from the time we open until the time close.”
And then, of course, there are the tomatoes that are the festival’s namesake.
Among the food vendors will be a section called Tomato Alley, where tomato delicacies can find their way into the hands of hungry tomato lovers.
Elsewhere at the festival, vendors will be selling local tomatoes, donated by J.W. Johnson, a tomato packing house in Crusoe.
There will be the annual Mrs. Mater Pageant, a car show and this year, a few new additions will join the Mater Fest family — a motorcycle show and a petting zoo for the younger crowd.
The event is coordinated each year by Focus On Canton, and the group underwrites the cost through merchandise and food sales, along with sponsorships from businesses and individuals in the community.
But after paying out its overhead, the group’s real goal is to put whatever money it can towards helping those in need in Canton.
Mater Fest might be a summer festival, but around the holidays, its impact is felt by those who need it most, said Monson.
“We sponsor families at Christmastime,” said Monson. “We give our entire treasury away at the holidays.”
The festival, he said, is for the people of Haywood County, as an enjoyment in the summertime and a help during the holidays for some who may not get it from other places.
“We try to make the festival as close to free as we possibly can, and to do it for the folks of Haywood County to come and enjoy it and hopefully not be a burden on their pocketbook,” Monson said.
Entertainment line-up
Friday, August 5
• 1 p.m. — The Josh Fields Band
• 3 p.m. — Lisa Price Band
• 3:30 p.m. — Southern Appalachian Cloggers
• 6 p.m. — Talent Contest and Mountain Mater Festival Talent Jubilee
• 8 p.m. — Simple Folks
• 8:30 p.m. — Blue Ridge High Steppers
Saturday, August 6
• 11 a.m. — Fred Riley Academy of Martial Arts
• 12 p.m. — Country Soul
• 1:30 p.m. — Southern Appalachian Cloggers
• 2 p.m. — Hominy Valley Boys
• 3 p.m. — Fines Creek Flat Footers
• 3:30 p.m. — Gray Wolf
• 4:30 p.m. — Smokey Mountain Stompers
• 5 p.m. — Gold
• 6 p.m. — Talent Contest continues
• 8 p.m. — Michelle Leigh
• 8:30 p.m. — Green Valley Cloggers
By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer
From playing a girl with big dreams that go nowhere in Haywood Arts Repertory Theatre’s “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” to embracing my fiance’s love for Smashing Pumpkins, this past year left an artistic imprint on my life.
Artistic influence can present itself in many different forms. That’s why I interviewed numerous people involved in the arts locally, from painters to bakers to librarians to the managing editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times.
In this compilation of interviews you will also find many others who were influenced artistically in 2008.
The question I presented was, “What have been the top three artistic influences for you this past year?”
The following are the answers I received via e-mail from Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties and Asheville.
I believe the people interviewed are best described by using a Louisiana-Cajun term, lagniappe, which means “unexpected bonus,” because these individuals enrich our communities.
Mike Gillespie
Dentist and Chair of Waynesville Public Art Commission, Waynesville
My top three artistic influences for the last year were:
Stefan Bonitz. Stefan is the creator of “Old Time Music,” Waynesville’s first-commissioned public art piece. Using metal objects uncovered at local scrap yards, Stefan pieces them together to make whimsical, cartoon-like figures. Reusing discarded items and giving them a second life is also an old mountain tradition, as the settlers here wasted very little and made crafts and utensils out of leftover materials.
“Homegrown Music: A Haywood County Tradition.” This is a CD compiled for the Haywood County Library and was accepted into the Library of Congress Local Legacies Project. It contains old-time music played by artists with Haywood County ties. There are a variety of styles, from shape-note hymns and traditional fiddle tunes to hammered dulcimer and country blues. This sampler platter of styles ensures there will be something there for everyone to enjoy.
Haywood County Arts Council. Their yearly programs bring a wide variety of cultural events to the area. Gallery 86 on Waynesville’s Main Street hosted several excellent shows for visual arts, and performing arts events are held at venues across the county. One of the best exhibits this year was “It’s a Small, Small Work” which showcased area artists and limited the size to no more than 12 inches. It highlighted the variety of talent we have in the region and allowed visitors to take home original art for a minor investment. On the musical side, patrons enjoyed performances in jazz, bluegrass, Celtic and classical styles. The wide range of events provided by the HCAC brings many opportunities for our citizens to enjoy the cultural arts.
Desmond Suarez
Second-Generation Furniture Designer/Craftsman, Canton
(1) I would say one of my biggest influences was the work that I was chosen to make for the “Handmade House at the Ramble” in Biltmore farms. It was an English arts and crafts cottage, and I designed a whole new series called “East of Appalachia” mixing in many international design elements.
(2) I have always been influenced and inspired by the beauty of the mountains and the local Appalachian hardwoods, the depth of color, and grain design.
(3) Functionality is an ever-growing influence, from the original Shaker design elements to the clean lines of modernism ... form that does follow function.
Alyson Nelson & Sandy Fogarty
Owners of the Quilters Quarters, Waynesville
I would say the book The Shack by William P. Young. It is a novel about faith and self-awakening. I continue to reread this book and each time I experience more about myself and my faith through the journey of the story. It is the kind of book that must be passed on and shared with others.
As a beginner in the art of quilt making, I have been inspired by the work of Alex Anderson. She has authored many quilt books and taken her quilt skills to television. Her down-to-earth nature and her dedication to the art of quilting give a beginning quilter the confidence to try new techniques.
Over the past few years I have read the Jennifer Chiaverini series, Elm Creek Quilts about quilting and relationships of women who quilt and always wanted to provide that kind of environment for quilters. Learning how to quilt and to have a safe place to come to enjoy friendship and fellowship with other women is an important part of being a quilt shop. Teaching others is my passion and to be able to pass that on is what keeps me inspired for my own quilting. It is a joy every day to see faces light up when they come through our doors and to know that we can also inspire others to be creative.
Barbara Bates Smith
Actress, Clyde
2008! A year I did not make my usual trek to New York for the bright lights and the big stars. But, oh my, I found great stimulation in Waynesville— being a part of Athold Fugard’s “Road to Mecca” in HART’s Feichter Studio. A standout memory in its many aspects: Superb onstage partners Kane Clawson and Terry Nienhuis; Suzanne Tinsley directing me through yet another challenging endeavor; and a play about artistic expression, as so glitteringly manifested in Dave Etheridge’s set.
And where else could you find audiences so enthusiastic about a serious play? Yea Waynesville.
The prize-winning novelist Lee Smith is on my list of inspirations as I wrap up ‘08 with a tour of her “Christmas Letters.” She has given me 19 years of rich characters to bring to life! So here’s to Lee!
And 2008 brings to the fore a local writer, Bill Everett, who has influenced me to join him in some public readings from his newly published sweeping saga, Red Clay, Blood River. Lucky me.
Ron Rash
Author, Jackson County
My favorite fiction books published this year are Annie Proulx’s Just Fine the Way It Is, Tim Winton’s Breath, and Richard Price’s Lush Life. I’ve also really gotten into Malcolm Holcombe’s music; what a fantastic talent.
Gary Carden
Writer and Storyteller, Sylva
Well, since I now have a cochlear implant, I have gone back to listening to things that I had lost. The implant can’t handle music very well, but sometimes it gives me a faint echo of what things used to sound like, including Chopin, Beethoven and Merle Haggard. I have also gone back to listening to Garrison Keillor on WCQS on Saturday night and Sunday morning and I think that has had a definite impact on the way I view things like aging, folklore and my own childhood. In addition, now that I can hear, I can teach, so I have gone back to developing my old classes like Appalachian culture, Appalachian literature, Appalachian Folklore (From Grimm to Jack Tales) and Cherokee history. I have applied to Southwestern Community College for a position teaching adult education courses (continuing education) and I hope to be back in the classroom by March. I’m also “rediscovering storytelling.” Now that I can hear, I want to tell stories more often ... maybe in the schools. I’ve got a new project that I am excited about called “Folk Drama in the Schools,” and I am going to start working with high school students who want to write one-act plays about their own culture and/or tradition. I’ll be doing the first one for Foxfire down in Rabun this month.
Linda Steigleder
Executive Director, The Bascom Art Center, Highlands
In 2008, I was inspired by the American artist Helen Frankenthaler (born 1918) who recently turned 80 years old, yet continues to be considered one of the greats in the pantheon of 20th to 21st century painters. Her very large stain paintings will the subject of The Bascom’s June through July 2009 exhibition, the first special arts program that we will offer in our new architect-designed building and 6-acre campus.
Trumpet player and jazz virtuoso Wynton Marsalis continues to inspire me along with vocalists Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, all of whom interpret and celebrate our existence through music.
Poet Billy Collins (recent book is Ballistics) and a younger poetic voice, Elizabeth Alexander (teaches at Yale), give me hope for verse, humor and the written and spoken word.
Will Rogers
Blacksmith Artisan at Jackson County Green Energy Park, Sylva
The past few months I have been totally focused on studying traditional Cherokee metalwork in preparation for teaching a metals class for the Qualla Arts and Crafts co-op. There’s been some very interesting work done in both blacksmithing and in non-ferrous work, that is copper, brass, and silver.
Like the Cherokee, my work is inspired by nature, that’s probably my strongest artistic influence. I have also been looking at a lot of Mayan imagery.
Kristina Lynn
Reference Assistance and Event Coordination at the Macon County Public Library, Franklin
Billy Bragg – The English folk/punk/protest musician spent this past fall touring throughout the United States, working at voter registrations before his concerts. Asheville was lucky enough to host him on his last night in the States at the Orange Peel the first Sunday in November, just before our Election Day. While my vote was already cast in an early ballot, I’d like to believe that Billy and his rally-like concerts sent enough of my fellow audience members out that next Tuesday to help change history. And we thought we were there just to hear that sweet Essex accent.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi —Both the graphic novels and the movie struck me. Having spent the past 15 years living here in the mountains, I have an understanding of my native friends’ frustration at the persistent misunderstandings about their culture. Satrapi wishes to dispel similar confusions about her own nation’s society in her autobiography about growing up in Iran during the Revolution. Her story and her simple, stark graphics express the ideas that, when we meet and know people who are from elsewhere, we won’t be so ready to assume that they’re evil, ignorant, and wrong. We usually find we have a lot more in common than we’d expected.
David LaMotte — The Farewell Concert in the Grey Eagle was a night I’m glad I didn’t miss. David has been playing his songs in and around Asheville for close to 20 years, but recently earned a scholarship to study international relations, peace and conflict resolution in Brisbane, Australia. Listening to just a smidgen of his songs that night from his 10 CDs reminded me that this new turn isn’t really a change in his vocation; it’s something he’s been working for throughout his career. We’ll miss him, those of us who grew up hearing him at the end of the week at Camp Grier in Old Fort, or at the coffee and tea houses in Sylva, but we wish him well in the continued work for peace and understanding.
Jeffrey & Sarah Southerland
Owners, Riverblaze Bakery, Franklin
For the past three years we’ve sold artisan breads, pastries, and desserts at our small bakery off of Highway 64, and beginning in February we will be opening a new retail bakery in downtown Franklin on Palmer Street. Growing with this bakery has given us so much opportunity for creative freedom.
1.The rural aesthetic: When it comes to the design of our new bakery space, our main influence is the country character that infuses Franklin’s landscape. We see so much beauty around us, in everything from old tractor seats to barn wood, from winding grape vines to forgotten tools. And we love cheerful and over-the-top pastoral images like roosters and colorful painted landscapes, bright folk art, and anything handmade.
2.The people, both past and present: Michael Beadle from The Smoky Mountain News said about our bakery: “There’s a lot of love in these loaves.” When it comes to the craft of artisan baking, we do believe that this statement is true, and we draw a lot of our inspiration from our love for the local community.
3. Local Food makes tasty food: Our third artistic influence is the abundance of fresh, local and organic food at our fingertips! Franklin has a vibrant local foods community and an abundant weekly Farmer’s Market, and this coming year Jeff plans to expand the bakery’s garden on his family’s land. Our recipes and daily menus are sculpted by the local harvest, and we are blessed with a great supply of tasty berries, plump tomatoes, zesty garlic, fragrant herbs, colorful veggies and fresh eggs, all produced by members of our own community.
Bobbie Contino
Executive Director, Macon County Arts Council, Franklin
I enjoyed a hard-hat tour of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, under construction here in Franklin and set to open early July 2009. A 1,500-seat, privately owned (by local businessman Phil Drake and wife Sharon) state-of-the-art facility with every imaginable amenity, it represents a giant step forward in bringing even more quality arts programs to our community and to the region.
My high point of our council’s excellent 2008 concert series came during an amazing performance this November by guitarist Brad Richter and cellist Viktor Uzur, two internationally acclaimed artists. Their selections ranged from works by Bella Bartok to Led Zeppelin (honest), along with some original compositions. Their combination of Dick Dale’s “Miserlou” — a tune most folks remember from the movie “Pulp Fiction” — and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumble Bee” had the audience on their feet cheering. It’s the moment arts presenters dream of.
A major arts influence in my life this year, and every year, is WCQS Radio. We’re so fortunate to have this fine public radio station (I’m listening as I write this).
Elena Carlson
Rickman General Store, Cowee
This year I have been influenced by the courage and perseverance of Jerome Laurence, Atlanta painter, whose career I have closely followed since he was introduced to me in the year 2002. Jerome is a recovered schizophrenic patient who has found in painting the peace that his mind really wanted to express. This year his painting “Tulips are People II” was chosen by the Carter Center to illustrate their Christmas Card, and I was really happy when I opened the envelope and could recognized the strokes of his hand and the gentleness of his soul on the card.
I have also found myself celebrating with Meryl Streep her last movie. A musical! I have admired Streep for years for her versatility and powerful identification with her roles, but in “Mamma Mia” I saw her tal cual es (just as she is now) full of vibrance and hunger for life. Fortunately, she is very contagious!
Last but not least, I have been influenced by the creativity and willingness to share of the artisans, writers and storytellers I was lucky to meet this year at the Rickman General Store in Cowee. All of them have extended their hand in sharing their talents with our community, and I am in debt with them forever.
I am convinced that the challenges of the year 2009 will awake higher levels of creativity around us.
A peaceful 2009 to all!
Elizabeth Ellison
Artist & Teacher, Bryson City
I spent a lot of 2008 renewing my spirit, walking my dog along the Tuckasegee River and contemplating the landscape which especially in winter and early morning fog brings to mind the tao of painting and The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting. So as always I have drawn inspiration from the Eastern world of art.
I also reacquainted myself with the paintings of John Marin and Charles Burchfield, who in different ways sing to me but always renew my creative energy.
Jeff Delfield
Librarian, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City
The Coen Brothers: These days I see all my movies on DVD so I got a chance to see two Coen Brothers releases in 2008. While “No Country for Old Men” might be their modern masterpiece, I thoroughly enjoyed the return to silliness of “Burn After Reading.” Though the two movies couldn’t be more different in tone and subject matter, that Coen magic is found on each frame of both.
Banjo Blues by John White. I’m a huge fan of old delta blues recordings — the scratchier the 78, the better. This year my favorite music recording came from a modern blues player who happens to convey his musical message via fretless clawhammer banjo. John White, who lives in Jasper, Ga., has the weathered voice to match his rustic music, too. I received the disc on a Friday and by the end of the weekend I had played through the whole thing at least 20 times – incredible stuff. (http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnwhite).
While I enjoyed many books published in 2008 (Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth was a standout) I have to say that the most influential book on me this year was Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, which I am embarrassed to say I had never read until this year. Though the message of simple living and self-sufficiency was not necessarily a revelation, the urgency of the message and the clarity in which it was written struck me more deeply than I expected it to. If the current economic crisis doesn’t turn in 2009, this classic could become the “how-to manual” for us all on making due with less.
Dee Dee Triplett
Artisan, Bryson City
My intention when doing creative things has always been to make people smile and put forth joyous energy rather than angst. This past year that has seemed especially necessary! I find immense inspiration in the woods around our home — the patterns in the bark; the year’s changes in leaves from tiny delicate vulnerable green and spring to saturated color and leathery curves in the fall ... last fall when the mud-slinging just wouldn’t stop, looking outdoors was a perfect antidote. Helping others learn how to enjoy their creative side is always inspirational, and it always makes new ideas pop into my head. Robert and I have spent a lot of time this past year building a retreat where we can teach classes to small groups and hopefully offer positive experiences to help others be inspired.
Robert Triplett
Artisan, Bryson City
It is important to me to spend time thinking about the piece to be made or the task to be accomplished. If the work is a commission, extra thought and understanding are required to fulfill the recipient’s vision. Early in the process I take time to plan, brainstorm and consider alternatives and potential designs. I then step away to allow time for the idea to find its voice. Walking down seldom-traveled roads helps to solidify the thought process and firm the final design. One of the most inspiring people in my life is Tom Joyce, a blacksmith in Santa Fe who often works outside the box. Tom’s conceptual thought process is exceptional and his craftsmanship is impeccable.
Phil Fernandez
Managing Editor, Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville
Three topics related to the arts world in 2008 that will continue to be a challenge as we move into 2009 are the impact of the economy, the growing number of entertainment options and the need to educate children more on the topic of the arts.
All three of these seem to be affecting the traditional arts venues, such as playhouses, and raising concerns that fewer will attend events. Museums, theaters and art galleries contribute to the quality of life in a community, and they are rich, cultural resources we don’t want to lose.
