To the Editor:

Election reform is needed in North Carolina. Nearly eight out of 10 North Carolina voters support Voter Photo ID legislation. Support for restoring confidence in government extends across racial demographics (whites, 81 percent; black, 64 percent; Hispanic, 79 percent).

The Tar Heel state has some of the most lax election laws in America. We are so trusting that, once registered, N.C. requires only that an individual state their name and address to receive a ballot. Voting is extended over a period of two and one half weeks before Election Day and we allow Same-Day Registration (enabling people to both register and vote on the same day.)

Do these lenient election laws attempt to discourage or encourage voter fraud? Are voters who they say they are? A Voter Photo ID law would help to alleviate voter deception and keep our elections honest.

Our neighbor to the south, Georgia, has developed a comprehensive program to improve the integrity and security of the election process. Their secretary of state, Brian Kemp, led the way in establishing Georgia as a national model for election security. He implemented Georgia’s Photo ID voting law that was passed in 2006.

On March 3, 2012, at a Civitas Leadership Conference in Raleigh, Kemp highlighted the increase in Georgia’s voter turnout since the implementation of the law. Dismissing the unfounded charges of potential racial discrimination, he stated that African-American turnout increased by 42 percent in the four years since the Photo ID voting law’s passage.

There have been legal challenges, but opponents of Photo ID law have failed to find even one individual who has been harmed due to the requirement. Common Cause filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s Photo ID law. Finding that the law imposed no undue burden on the right to vote, U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy dismissed the case in September 2007.

In January 2009, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Murphy’s decision, noting that, “The interest in detecting and deterring voter fraud is a valid neutral justification that this Court cannot ignore.” In addition, the Georgia Supreme Court, in March 2011, upheld the Photo ID law’s constitutionality in a challenge brought by the Democratic Party of Georgia.

In order to restore confidence in government and honest elections and to deter voter fraud, Voter Photo ID law should be passed here. This should not be a partisan issue.

Gail Chapman

Otto

To the Editor:

Mitt Romney is saying his experience in the private sector means he can do a better job of “fixing” the economy and “creating” jobs. He also tells us to ignore the rhetoric and “look at the record.”

Romney was CEO of a financial company. That is a very different kind of company than Ford Motors, Microsoft, Exxon or General Electric. These companies actually make a product as their main focus so they need raw materials and labor, as well as capital, to make their profits, so they do create jobs. Romney was CEO of Bain Capital, a name he rarely mentions, using the term “private sector” instead. As the very “poster guy” for what Wall Street does, his job as CEO was to make money for his investors, not to create jobs or make anything other than money. Henry Ford once said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”

Most “financial capitalist” will tell you the last thing they want to do is “hire people.” Labor is usually the largest item on the “cost” side of any corporate ledger. When a company like Bain Capital invests in a struggling company, their goal is not necessarily to “save” the company by making production more efficient or innovating new products. Their goal is to increase short-term profits for their investors. 

In most cases the fastest way to increase short-term profit is by cutting costs and the biggest saving is in cutting labor costs. Therefore, if you can fire people, reduce wages, reduce or eliminate benefits and pensions, short-term costs can be reduced dramatically. Better yet, you can close the whole U.S. plant and ship production to some foreign country with the cheapest labor and least safety protections. Then you use most of those short-term profits to pay yourself and your management team large salaries and pay the rest to your investors, and then sell the company at a profit before its debt you leveraged with company assets to increase profits comes due.

As CEO, Romney and his investors could also take advantage of special rules that allowed them to avoid paying taxes on much of their profits by putting their profits in offshore tax shelters and Swiss bank accounts.

If we look at his public sector record, job creation in Massachusetts dropped from 36th place to 47th place during Romney’s term. He also made massive cuts to education. His one positive accomplishment was creating a health system for all, which he prefers to disown now.   

Romney’s own tax plan increases taxes on the poor by 60 percent and cuts them on the wealthy by 15 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office analysis. Romney thinks the Ryan Budget is “marvelous” while Ryan’s church thinks it is immoral. Wall Street is sitting on an estimated $2 trillion in cash. If Wall Street is really the engine that drives job creation, where are the jobs? Do you think jobs in China or India count for the 99 percent? Wall Street has given $37.1 million to Romney’s campaign and only $4.8 million to Obama. Wall Street obviously thinks Romney’s “record” favors the 1 percent.  How many of the 99 percent can afford to agree?

Jane Harrison

Waynesville

Leah Hughes, associate editor at “Our State” magazine, will be the guest speaker at 9:30 a.m. on July 9 in the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

This will be a meeting of the Junaluska Women’s Club, and in keeping with the 2012 club theme, “Junaluska’s Rosy Future,” Hughes’ talk will focus on roses. Hughes has written extensively about gardens in North Carolina for “Our State.”

828.452.3149.

A Summer Worship Series is under way at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

Three worship services are being held as part of the series: a service of Word and Table at 8:30 a.m. in Memorial Chapel, a Praise and Prayer Service at the Lake Junaluska Cross Amphitheater at 9:30 a.m., and Morning Worship at Stuart Auditorium at 10:45 a.m.

The morning worship features a variety of well-known preachers from across the country.

www.lakejunaluska.com/summer-worship.

The Fund for Haywood County has awarded $50,000 in grants to area nonprofit organizations that provide critical services for economically disadvantaged people.

The grants include:

• $25,000 to Aspire, Youth and Family for a structured afterschool program, serving 80 youth in Haywood and Buncombe counties, that employs culinary arts training to help at-risk youth make positive decisions and motivate them to stay in school.

• $25,000 to Thirtieth Judicial District Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Alliance for the Rural Collaborative for Underserved Crime Victims to support development and training to improve positive responses by staff in the far west seven counties that work with victims of crime including those experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, disabilities, human trafficking and immigrant abuse.

The Fund for Haywood County was established in 1994 by a group of local residents as a permanent endowment and resource for charitable efforts that benefit Haywood County.

828.254.4960 or www.cfwnc.org.

Haywood Community College has unveiled a new electric vehicle charging station, the only one west of Asheville. The station was made possible from a grant provided by Advanced Energy Corporation and was manufactured by Eaton located in Arden. The station is an example of how HCC is expanding as an influence in the community and on the environment.

The station is located in the upper level parking lot of the Student services Building at HCC. It is free for use to the public. 828.565.4033.

The 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance, Inc. has recently been awarded a $25,000 Janirve Legacy Fund Grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to further its work on elder abuse and victims with disabilities in the region.

Since 2005, the Elder SAFE program has provided training and collaboration with social service organizations and the public in the seven westernmost counties to aid in identifying victims and directing them to available resources. The program received a 2010 Award of Excellence from the N.C. Governor’s Crime Commission.

Elder abuse is an underreported crime and has become a huge problem. For every elder abuse case reported another 23 cases go unreported. People with disabilities also have a greater risk for abuse and neglect.

Angel Medical Center in Franklin introduced the Telestroke Robot as their newest team member. The robot literally rolled in to action to demonstrate its capabilities to a crowded room.

With the robot it is possible for stroke victims to be remotely diagnosed by neurologists with Mission Hospital giving the Angel Medical staff an upper hand on helping victims in their critical hours of care.

Through the robot Neurologists are linked live to stroke specialists through the robot’s screen. The technology will be available at all times to Mission’s affiliate hospitals. Mission guarantees a link with a stroke specialist within 30 minutes. There will be seven different physicians on rotation, each equipped with a laptop that can operate the Telestroke robot, even from home at any given time. Time is an important factor when diagnosing a stroke. Each second creates a greater possibility of permanent damage, so the readiness of this program is vital to patients.

The robot, manufactured by InTouch Health, is the first and only FDA-cleared Remote Presence device. Angel Medical staff entered a contest to give the robot a name. The winning entry being “IC4U.” 828.349.6639.

Franklin has a new dog park on the town’s greenway adjacent to Big Bear Park.

The park is fenced and has two benches for dog owners to rest on while their pooches play. Friends of the Greenway, which oversaw the creation of the dog park, hopes to install more benches and canine agility equipment.

The dog park was funded entirely through fundraising and donations from individuals and groups in the community.

Dog lovers who want to help with future improvements to the park can donate via Friends of the Greenway, 573 East Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734.

Hospitals and health departments across Western North Carolina have partnered to develop WNC Healthy Impact, a regional initiative designed to improve community health across a 16-county area.

The partnership is currently gathering information to understand each county’s community health status. This information will help determine high priority health issues through the community health assessment process.  

In addition to pulling together existing health-related data, WNC Healthy Impact is conducting a community health survey, by phone in a random sample, in all 16 counties. This survey started toward the end of May and will continue through July. Updated health assessment findings will be available for communities by the end of the year.

After the information is collected, hospitals and health departments will work together with communities to create plans.

828.452.6675 ext. 2272. 

Supporters of Smart Start traveled recently to Raleigh to encourage the N.C. General Assembly to restore its funding.

The group included parents, business leaders, faith community leaders and board members. They met with Western North Carolina’s legislative delegation. Last year, Smart Start funding was reduced by 20 percent, or $37.6 million, meaning thousands of children are no longer enrolled in early childhood programs.

“State funding for Smart Start has been cut by $80 million over the last decade,” said Larry Hinton of Sylva, board chair for the Region A Partnership for Children. “These cuts are occurring at the same time that economists, military leaders, law enforcement and business leaders are advocating that investments in young children are one of the strongest investments for sustained growth and job creation, protecting our national security, and providing children with the opportunity to reach their potential.”

The Region A Partnership for Children administers Smart Start and N.C. Pre-K initiatives in the seven westernmost counties of the state and on the Qualla Boundary.

The popular Mountain Street Dances held in downtown Waynesville on select Fridays throughout the summer kick at 6:30 p.m. on June 22. Whitewater Bluegrass will be performing along with the Dixie Darlin’s Dance team. Special guests will be the Trantham Family Band, and Joe Sam Queen is the master of ceremonies.

A Children’s Film Festival for Macon County children will be held at 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday morning through July 26 at Ruby Cinema in Franklin.

The Franklin Lion’s club and Ruby Cinema sponsor the event for children under the age of 16. A different movie is shown each morning with free admission for children and a $1 fee for adults and teens over the age of 16.

Franklin Lion’s Club accepts donations at the door, by mailing a check or leaving it at the theater. Checks can be mailed to Brian Hylton, c/o Macon Funeral Home, 261 Iotla Street, Franklin. Donations are applied to the Lion’s Vision Screening program for the local county schools, and to purchase glasses and eye exams. Ruby Cinemas does not receive any of the donation money. 

www.rubycinemas.com or 828.369.2029.

The Haywood County Truck Pull will be held at 11 a.m. June 23. Entries will begin at 9 a.m. at the Great Smokies Arena.

The truck pull seeks to accommodate trucks, 4x4s and other vehicles of all shapes and sizes. The pull fee is $10 and there will be a $2 entry fee at the gate for drivers and spectators. 828.246.1273, www.haywoodcountyfairgrounds.org or 828.400.1704.

There will be an art reception benefitting Haywood Waterways Association at the Village Green Café in Waynesville from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 22.  

A studio owner from Waynesville, Rick Hills, will feature his new mixed media paintings. Visitors will be able to see his newest works, talk with him and learn about what HWA does to keep the water clean and clear in Haywood County. Hills will donate 20 percent of the sale of his work that will be on display to HWA.

HWA has a history of success writing 90 successful grant applications that have brought more than $6 million to Haywood County. When including local matching contributions, over $8 million in education, storm water management, stream restoration and other projects have been accomplished.

The Cashers Mountain Music Festival is being held June 30 and July 1 at the Village Green and Commons in Cashiers.

In just three years, the Cashiers Mountain Music Festival has become one of the most respected events in the Southeast. The festival has featured artists such as the Isaacs, Lizzy Long and Little Roy Lewis, Sierra Hull, the Steep Canyon Rangers, two surprise appearances by bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, and last year’s headliners, David Holt and Doc Watson.

The event continues the tradition of bringing top-notch regional and national mountain music to the plateau by featuring a special two-night appearance by Grammy award-winning bluegrass superstar Tony Rice.

There will be food, beverages, a children’s zone, arts and crafts, ice cream fundraisers, the Dixie Darlin’ Cloggers, and fireworks on Sunday, July 1.

This is a family and community-oriented event sponsored by the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce for the benefit of the Cashiers Preservation Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing assistance to a variety of local needs.

Tickets are $25 per day or $40 for a two-day pass. Children 12-under are admitted for free. 828.743.5191, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.cashiersnorthcarolina.com/cmmf.

Logan Murrell will be performing from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. June 22 and 29 at the Wildwood Grill at Fontana Village Resort.

Additional dates for performances have been set for July 6, 13 and 20 as well as Friday night dates in August. The Knoxville singer, songwriter and musician displays a smoky voice, veteran confidence and commanding stage presence for someone so young. Her style includes bluegrass, rock, jazz, gospel and pop.

Murrell is one of the many musicians who will be performing as part of the Summer Concert Series at Fontana Village Resort. Other upcoming performers include The Fontana Ramblers, Randy Flack, The Chillbillies, and My Highway.

fontanavillage.com or 828.498.2211.

“Broadway and More” with Glory Crampton will be at 8 p.m. June 23 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

Crampton is a Broadway leading lady, musical theatre veteran. She is best known for her critically acclaimed roles in The Fantasticks, Hello Dolly, Camelot, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Jane Eyre, Nine, Guys and Dolls, and Phantom. Crampton is also an accomplished soprano solo artist who has sung with acclaimed tenor Jose Carreras. She has also performed regularly at the Houston Theatre Under the Stars where she worked with composer and lyricist Jerry Herman. Gloria has also performed several times for former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush.

Tickets will be $25. Highlandspac.org or 828.526.9047.

A Steampunk Jewelry & Creations Workshop will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. June 28 at the Macon County Library in Franklin.

Participants can drop-in anytime during the workshop to watch a how-to presentation and look at some Steampunk craft books for inspiration. If they have them, participants are asked to bring some supplies even though extras will be provided. Some items that could be helpful are spare gears, old watches, jewelry, keys, etc.

This event is part of Thursdays at the Library where all programs are free and open to the public.

A “Cooking With Soy” class will be offered at 1 p.m. June 25 in the Conference Room of the Community Services Center in Sylva.

Laura Rogers and a chef from the N.C. Soybean Producers Association will teach the class with demonstrations, a discussion of the health benefits of soy, and tasting. There will be items such as stir-fry with tofu and vegetables, soy noodles, soy lasagna, and soy brownies or cookies.

The cost of the program is $2. 828.586.4009.

The Waynesville library will unveil the traveling exhibit “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 23.

There will also be re-enactors from the NC Troops 25th Regiment from noon to 3 p.m. Immediately following the reception (3 p.m.) will be the program: “Lincoln’s Second Gettysburg Address” with Lincoln scholar David Madden. This presentation explores what would Lincoln have to say about what has been accomplished since his death and what remains to be done.

This event coincides with a library open house so patrons can see changes made at the library.

Other events that are part of the Lincoln exhibit include:

“Lincoln Chose Louisiana”

• At 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 12, Lincoln scholar David Madden will explore how and why Lincoln chose the state of Louisiana to be a model for reconstruction and how his assassination changed his concept into a terrible reconstruction whose effects linger still.

“Lincolnites”

• At 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 15, Barbara Bates Smith will give a narrative performance of Ron Rash’s short story “Lincolnites.” This performance will be enhanced by the reading of Civil War letters from WCU and musical accompaniment by Jeff Sebens. An added attraction will be local poet Michael Beadle and local civil war enthusiast the Rev. Timothy McRee.

The traveling exhibit was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office and made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funds were provided by the Haywood County Friends of the Library.

Franklin and Dillsboro Ubuntu Choirs will perform a concert of music from around the world and here at home at 3 p.m. June 24 in the historic chapel of Franklin’s First Presbyterian Church.

The groups are directed by Tom Tyre and are over two-dozen voices strong. The choir is comprised of men and women from many foreign countries who now live in Macon, Jackson and Rabun Counties as well as area natives.

The program features songs from diverse traditions and lands sung in a cappella in several languages, including. “Ateh Malkuth” in Hebraic, the South African “Sana Sananina,” and the American Spiritual, “Let Your Little Light Shine,” among others.

Ubuntu is a worldwide choral movement open to all people who enjoy singing together in harmony. There is no admission charge; donations will be accepted. Light refreshments will be served. 828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The Grace Noon Concerts season finale will feature flutists Sarah Cifani and Kathy Alley at noon on Thursday, July 21, Grace Church Episcopal in Waynesville.

Kathryn Stephenson will accompany Cifani and Alley as they play music by Bach, Gabriel Faure, G.P. Teleman, Paul Schoenfield, Arnold Black, Robert Murczynski and Hans Kohler. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to enjoy their lunch during the program.

Cifani was a professional flutist in Chicago for 30 years and a music mducator.  Since moving to Haywood County she has performed in a number of organizations incuding The Haywood Community Band, SongSpinners and several organizations in the Asheville area.

Alley was an elementary educator in Florida for 30 years where she performed with the Lakeland Symphony, Central Florida Chamber Orchestra and the Florida Camerata. She is also a Haywood County Schools substitute teacher.

Novelist Vicki Lane will hold a book talk with a question and answer session at 7 p.m. June 26 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Lane of Madison County is the author of “The Day of Small Things” and the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian mysteries, which include “Signs in the Blood,” “Art’s Blood,” “Old Wounds,” “In a Dark Season,” and “Under the Skin.”

She pulls inspiration from rural Western North Carolina where her family has lived since 1975. She teaches in UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and at the Wildacres Writer’s Workshop.

Lane will speak on the experience of portraying our beautiful mountains, their history, and their various cultures. She will read brief excerpts from her books to illustrate her points and answer questions. 828.586.2016, www.fontanalib.org or www.vickilanemysteries.com.

The Overlook Theatre Company will present “Peter Pan: The High-Flying Musical Adventure” at 7:30 p.m. June 21-23 and at 2:30 p.m. June 24 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

This two-act musical adventure follows Peter Pan’s journey through the streets of London and through the forests and oceans of Neverland. It is based on the play by James M. Barrie with something for participants of all ages. Greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

Adult tickets are $15 and student tickets are $10.

The Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University will open its eighth season this fall with a lineup featuring musicianship, comedy, magic and a command performance.

Storyteller and singer Michael Reno Harrell will perform an afternoon full of Smoky Mountain stories at 4 p.m. June 30 at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A showing of Japanese glass artist Tadashi Torii’s works will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. June 21 at Jackson County Green Energy Park’s art gallery with a free reception that is open to the public.

The historic Rickman Store in Macon County will once again become a stage for one of the most accomplished monologues written by Appalachian playwright Gary Carden. 

Jeff Marley is creating signs for Cherokee and the surrounding area proclaiming in Cherokee and in English, “We are still here.”

Four of the contributing writers to the book 27 Views of Asheville will read their selections at 3 p.m. June 16 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

The authors that will be reading are Wayne Caldwell, Susan Reinhardt, Heather Newton and George Ellison. In 27 Views of Asheville: A Southern Mountain Town in Prose & Poetry, 27 writers contribute poetry, essays, short stories and book excerpts that focus on the mountain town. The book offers readers a broad and varied picture of life in Asheville, past and present. Contributing authors include Sharyn McCrumb, Gail Godwin, Ron Rash, Pamela Duncan, Nan Chase, Allan Wolf, Dale Neal, Charles Frazier and Robert Morgan. 828.456.6000.

Holistic healer Andrea Ford will discuss the wisdom of the Enneagram at 2 p.m. June 16 at the City Lights Bookstore.

The Enneagram is a road map to understanding your personality in a new way. It is based on nine distinct personality types that are within all of us. The Enneagram gives you the power to do your own emotional and spiritual healing through self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses.

828.586.9499 or www.citylightsnc.com.

Poets Shannon Tharp and Whit Griffin will be reading their recently published works at 7 p.m. June 15 at the Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore in Highlands.

Griffin is a native of Memphis, Tenn. He met Scaly Mountain’s poet Jonathan Williams in 2000. Williams was an esteemed poet, collector, publisher and maverick cultural impresario who studied at Black Mountain College and founded the Jargon Society. Griffin interned at the Jargon Society in 2002 then, after graduate school, he moved to Highlands and acted as secretary and personal assistant to Williams in 2006. Most of the poems in Griffin’s collection, Pentateuch, were written while he lived with Williams or were influenced by his time in WNC.

Shannon Tharp grew up in Wyoming but currently lives in Seattle where she earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington. The Cost of Walking is her first full-length book of poems.

828.526.3777.

The first early registration discount for the third annual Blue Ridge Breakaway biking event in Haywood County has passed, but riders can still save money by registering prior to Aug. 3.

Registration fees for the Century, Metric Century and 40-mile ride are $44 through Aug. 3 and $54 thereafter. The registration fee for the 24-mile ride is $29 through Aug. 3 and $35 thereafter.

North Carolina State University’s Forest & Environmental Outreach Program is co-sponsoring a series of four workshops for private forest landowners in Western North Carolina called “Woodland Steward Series: Mountains Program” between July 18 and Aug. 17.

The program is designed to provide forest owners with knowledge and resources to improve their management of woodlands. The workshops will be held at various locations in the Asheville area. Each workshop will be a 1.5-day meeting led by natural resource and land management specialists, including both hands-on activities in the field and instruction in the classroom.

Pre-registration and a small fee are required. Landowners are encouraged to attend one or more of the workshops according to their interests.

Contact Addie Thornton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 919.515.9563.

The Braveheart 5K footrace and one-mile kids’ fun run will streak into downtown Franklin on Saturday, June 16.

The race is a fundraiser for The Scottish Tartans Museum, a nonprofit organization based in Franklin that is dedicated to the history and traditions of Scottish Highland Dress. The museum focuses primarily on tartan and the kilt but also features exhibits dealing with Scottish history and the Scottish migration to North Carolina.

In a fitting testament to the race, braveheart costumes and kilts are encouraged, with a special award for the best dressed “Braveheart.”

The Braveheart 5K will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Main Street. The Rob Roy one-mile fun run for ages 12 and under will begin at 8 a.m.

Entry fee is $30 or $20 for the fun run. T-shirts go to the first 125 registered racers. Awards will be given to the overall male and female winners and to the top 3 overall finishers of age groups. Overall male and female winners will receive a $50 savings bond.

The race is put on by Bringing It To Life! Productions.

828.421.7637.

MedWest is sponsoring a triathlon at 8 a.m. July 7 at the MedWest Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

The triathlon includes a 300-yard swim in the indoor pool with biking and running portions on lightly traveled roads with great scenery. This event is for beginner triathletes but is great for those who like to go really fast. The bike is 10 miles with a 5K run.

  The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission now has an online map and the GPS coordinates for nearly 550 fish attractor locations across the state.

Angers can access the map and download GPS coordinates from the “Where to Fish” section on the commission’s website. Users can also import waypoints using a text file, an Excel file or a GPX file and can use the map to find the approximate locations and types of fish attractors found in each body of water.

Anglers using smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices can access the map using the commission’s new mobile website, www.ncwildlife.org/mobile.aspx, by clicking on the “Fish Attractors” icon on the maps tab of the mobile website.

The Division of Inland Fisheries has been adding fish attractors to major reservoirs for years to provide better habitat for fish, which enhances fishing opportunities for anglers. While many of the fish attractors are marked with orange-and-white buoys, some are unmarked and have been difficult to find without GPS coordinates.

www.ncwildlife.org/fishing.

The Cradle of Forestry in America will host its annual Firefly Twilight Tour from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 16 at the Pink Beds Picnic Area in the Pisgah National Forest.

Naturalists from the Cradle of Forestry conduct the tour while waiting for nightfall. The group will discuss the life cycle and special features of firefly biology and behavior and take a short walk on the Pink Beds Trail to search for fireflies. Participants will explore the surrounding forest and discuss forest ecology while children can create a firefly craft.

Participants are asked to bring a flashlight. The cost of the program is $6 for adults, $3 for youth 15 and under and holders of America the Beautiful and Golden Age passes.

828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.org.

The first moment of summer will occur at 7:09 p.m. June 20, say astronomers with the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute near Brevard.

At the moment of the solstice, the sun be at its northern most point in the sky. In Western North Carolina, the noontime sun will appear only about 78.5 degrees above the southern horizon its highest point of the year. What’s more, the sun rises at its most northern point along the eastern horizon and sets at its most northern point on the western horizon.

After the summer solstice, the sun begins its return to the south. The days will gradually shorten and the sun will appear lower in the sky at noon.  It will rise farther to the south along the eastern horizon each morning and set farther to the south in the west. This continues through the fall through the autumnal equinox at 10:49 a.m. on Sept. 22.  Following that date, the sun continues its southward journey until on the winter solstice (6:12 a.m. on Dec. 21) the sun reaches its most southern point in the sky.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials confirmed that the invasive emerald ash borer beetles — which can kill ash trees — are near the Sugarlands Visitor Center and in the Greebrier area on the Tennessee side of the park.

The insects were recovered during routine inspection of traps and sent to a U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist for confirmation. The emerald ash borer was first discovered in Michigan in 2002 and has steadily spread from there, damaging millions of ash trees across the country. The ½ inch-long beetle lays eggs in bark crevices on all species of ash. Upon hatching, larvae burrow under the bark, creating feeding tunnels that interfere with the tree’s ability to translocate nutrients and fluids. The tree gradually starves and eventually dies.

The park began trapping the beetles in 2008. The spread of emerald ash borer beetles primarily results from transport of infested logs and firewood. A park-wide ban remains in effect for any firewood originating from a location for which a federal or state quarantine is in effect.  A list of all quarantined areas may be found at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/quarantine-counties.htm.

This week the Community Garden will begin its Fresh Produce Initiative by taking weekly donations from vendors and customers at the Jackson County Farmer’s Market to the Community Table.

The donation cooler will be located at the Market Information Booth. Last year about 200 pounds of vegetables were collected.

National Park staff and volunteers will pay tribute to rural women of the past from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 16 at the Mountain Farm Museum in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The park will pay tribute to these women through demonstrations of traditional women’s work. The day recognizes the many contributions of the region’s rural women by providing an opportunity to experience the past and to actively take part in the traditions of the southern Appalachia through hands on activities.

As part of the celebration, demonstrations among the historic Mountain Home buildings will include hearth cooking, soap making, cornshuck crafts, sewing, and traditional mountain music. Exhibits of artifacts and historic photographs will also provide a glimpse into the many and varied roles of rural women. The Davis-Queen house will be open of visitors to walk through with an audio exhibit featureing the last child born in the house.

All event activities are free. The Mountain Farm Museum is located on Newfound Gap Road adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 828.497.1904.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is hosting a hike titled “Down to the Graveyard” at 10 a.m. June 15 on the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail.

Rangers will lead the easy two-mile hike to see a waterfall and learn more about the history of the area. The group will meet at the Graveyard Fields Overlook at milepost 418.8. Hikers are encouraged to wear good hiking shoes, bring water and a snack, and be prepared for changeable weather conditions.

828.298.5330 ext. 304

To the Editor:

Ask yourself, for just one day, can I match the passion and dedication of Alzheimer’s caregivers and those with the disease? For them, it’s every day. For us, just one–- June 20, 2012, the longest day of the year.

The Longest Day™ is a sunrise-to-sunset relay event to raise funds for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. This event is about love, patience, strength and endurance, but it’s also about a challenge. On June 20, 2012, my teammates and I will test our physical limits by completing approximately 16 hours of endurance activities, such as biking, running or walking — even a motorcycle rally. That doesn’t mean the individual has to do the entire 16 hours by themselves, but rather that the team be in motion for 16 hours.

Personally, my endurance event will be completing a marathan of Beachbody workouts from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. in Las Vegas which will include P90X™ Certification training, Insanity™, and Tai Cheng™. Your event can be whatever is meaningful to you, for as long as you want to do it.

To join or sponsor my team, please visit http:/www.xfit.org/recommends/alz or call me at 828.506.4726.

Please join my team as we exercise from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. on June 20, 2012. Or, make a donation today and show your support for the millions of people around the world living with Alzheimer’s, including more than 5 million Americans. Give to honor nearly 15 million American caregivers, who generously dedicate themselves to those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. All proceeds go to The Alzheimer’s Association.

Thank you in advance for your generosity! Together we can send a message - You are not alone. We’re in it until Alzheimer’s is finished.

Inspire yourself, then others.

David Ginn

Jackson County

Sam Miller, Western Carolina University vice chancellor for student affairs, has received the John L. Sanders Student Advocate Award, the highest honor bestowed by the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments.

The award is given annually in recognition of service to UNC system students and to honor those who advocate in the best interests of the students.

Miller was nominated for the award by T.J. Eaves, president of WCU’s Student Government Association for the 2011-12 academic year. Eaves said the vice chancellor “is a valuable asset to not only the students of WCU, but all students in the UNC system. Through his dedication to a great SGA at WCU and his advocacy for students, Dr. Miller has proven his commitment to student success.”

Miller was named to his current post in June 2007 after serving in student affairs positions at the universities of Alabama, Virginia and Connecticut.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the student leaders in ASG,” Miller said. “This award also reflects all the great work by the outstanding student affairs team at WCU.”

“Collecting for the Community,” a new exhibit at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center, opened June 7 and will be available for public viewing in the museum’s gallery B through Aug. 17.

During the years, the Mountain Heritage Center’s collections have been enriched by numerous gifts from residents of Western North Carolina who have been willing to share their families’ heirlooms and history with the public. Those donations range from entire collections, such as Haywood County dairy farmer Albert J. McCracken’s family who contributed a collection of 3,000 Native American artifacts, as well as more than 500 objects relating to the 18th and 19th century Southern Appalachian settlers, to single objects like a Catamount mascot costume worn on the WCU campus in the late 1950s. The museum’s collections now total more than 10,000 objects, including artifacts such as prehistoric projectile points, modern Cherokee crafts, logging tools, moonshine stills, quilts, coverlets, saddles and firearms.

The Mountain Heritage Center, open to the public free of charge, is located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building. Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, but the museum is open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

828.227.7129 or www.wcu.edu/mhc.

In contrast to its peaceful and stunning high-mountain setting, Maggie Valley’s Cataloochee Ranch has been at the forefront of a battle — a battle to restore the American chestnut, the iconic Appalachian tree devastated by blight in the mid-20th century. In 2007, working in partnership with The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), Cataloochee Ranch became the host site of a test orchard of potentially blight-resistant American Chestnut trees, and starting this week, they will open this orchard to the public for tours.