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To the Editor:

The Nantahala Hiking Club requests that Macon County commissioners reconsider or rescind the resolution passed on July 8, 2014, opposing the designation of additional wilderness areas within the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County. We believe that this resolution was passed prematurely and bypassed input from many interested citizens. Your minutes state that only one person, who represented the interests of one sector of forest users — namely small game hunters — spoke at that meeting.

Our club members do not recall this resolution having been publicized prior to this meeting such that we could have provided our perspective on additional wilderness areas. 

Mr. Kevin Corbin, commission chairman, has been quoted in the press saying that the commission merely expressed its opinion in passing the resolution, a right the members have as other citizens do. Further he is said to have pointed out that a public hearing is not required to pass a resolution and that the vote did not result in a decision, only an agreement on an opinion. Also, the board had not jointly researched the matter prior to approving the resolution. 

Our 290-member strong club is one of the official maintaining clubs of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, caring for nearly 60 miles of the venerable Appalachian Trail from the North Carolina-Georgia border to Wesser in the Nantahala area. Forty-seven of these miles are in Macon County and 13 of them are in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area running from Deep Gap to Mooney Gap. Our club officially was begun in 1968 by the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan after decades of work in creating the trail by him and other Maconians.

Our club has been active in the life of Macon County for many years, participating in Pumpkin Fest, the Christmas Parade, the Walking with Spring program at the Franklin Library, and the spring celebrations for AT thru-hikers including the Hiker Bash at a local motel and Easter gifts at local trailheads, among others. The club presents Hiking 101 programs in elementary and middle schools a few times each year and then takes children on hikes in their own backyard. We work closely with many businesses in our county including two major outdoor outfitters. 

Our long-standing and close relationship in the community resulted in Franklin becoming the first officially-designated Appalachian Trail Community by the AT Conservancy. 

We believe that the passage of the resolution ignored the relationships our club has built over the years throughout our county and the sizable financial and publicity contributions stemming from the network of hiking trails in the Nantahala Forest that our members maintain for the use and enjoyment of Maconians and countless visitors from throughout our nation and even the world. 

The club is presently reviewing the U.S. Forest Service proposed plans for forest use in the Nantahala Forest and, based on preliminary study, think that preserving the integrity of our trails will require supporting some of the proposed additions to wilderness areas by the forest service and that there are other areas that should be considered for wilderness based on various factors. We think the Macon County Commission should have studied this complex issue in depth and sought input from various sectors, including hiking and outdoors representatives. Furthermore, we believe that passing a resolution opposing new wilderness designations in the manner it was done actually ignored the democratic process where all interests are heard and relevant voices have their say. 

As we humans continue to change the natural landscape, preserving some land in its untouched state may prove essential for our survival in understanding the interrelationships of organisms, obtaining cures for diseases, and preserving our connections to the earth and creation. Thousands of AT thru-hikers and hikers attest to the human need for being in nature, for solitude, and for getting away from “civilized” life. Not all things have a monetary value, some things have value beyond the profits that may be derived from cutting down old trees. 

When the Macon County Commission passes a resolution it does more than express the individual opinions of its members. Because it is a governing body and because of the weight and respect that is accorded to it by citizens, the opinions embodied in a resolution exert a strong influence on other government agencies and their actions and may sway the viewpoints of many citizens. 

For these powerful reasons, the Nantahala Hiking Club reiterates that this resolution opposing the designation of additional wilderness areas must be reconsidered, brought up to the public, discussed and examined, and only then will the commission take a position reflecting the views of Macon County citizens.

Olga F. Pader, President

Nantahala Hiking Club

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Programs and initiatives to address unmet health care needs in Haywood County could be eligible for mini-grants of up to $5,000 through the Haywood Healthcare Foundation.

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art wynonaCountry star Wynonna Judd will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

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art songbookA performance of the “An Appalachian Songbook: North Carolina in Word, Music and Song” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University.

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art mlkeventsIn honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, there will be an variety of events around Western North Carolina.

Established as an annual day of remembrance that was passed by both houses of Congress, MLK Day was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in November 1983, with its first celebration occurring in 1986. Since then, U.S. citizens volunteer their service on MLK Day, the third Monday in January.

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art artistMixed media artist Dr. Rachel York-Bridgers will hold a workshop at noon Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

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ingles dietitianQUESTION: One of my New Year’s resolutions was to eat healthier and so I have been trying a gluten-free diet.  Do you think a gluten-free diet is healthy and will it help me lose weight?

Answer:  Gluten is a combination of the proteins (glutenin and gliadin) found in wheat, barley and rye. For individuals with celiac disease,  a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity and is currently the only treatment for that disease. 

Blue Ridge Biofuels, an Asheville-based biodiesel company, is planning to expand to a new facility in Catawba County. 

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Learn the business side of farming with the Appalachian Farm School, a pilot agricultural business training program for farmers in the seven western counties of North Carolina. 

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out polarplungeThere’s something alluring about plunging into icy midwinter water — enough so that it spawns polar plunge fundraisers for sundry causes all over the country.

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out donhendoA quest for sparrow sightings will commence during the morning of Jan. 14 at Kituwah, an area of about 300 acres along the Tuckesegee River in Swain County, between Bryson City and Cherokee. 

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out sharontaylorLand Trust for the Little Tennessee has a new executive director in Sharon Fouts Taylor, who will move into the leadership role following the retirement of LTLT’s long-time director, Paul Carlson.

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A public hearing on proposed changes to hunting, fishing and wildlife management regulations will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Enloe Multi-Purpose Room at Tri-County Community College in Murphy. 

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art elemenopeaThe societal comedy “Elemeno Pea” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17 and at 3 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

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art photogJohn MacLean will be the guest speaker during the Sylva Photo Club’s meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Cullowee Methodist Church on the Western Carolina University campus.

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art onelegupPianist Richard Shulman and jazz band One Leg Up will perform in the Haywood public libraries.

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To the Editor:

About 10 years ago I said to a client of mine perhaps the most outrageous thing I’ve ever said: “The worst thing that ever happened to America was the loss of the Soviet Union.”

For a moment, my client thought that I’d lost my mind.

It was an exaggeration, yes, but then I explained that as a nation, we seemed programmed to search out an enemy, and struggle with them, for dominance, for survival. In the last century we had the Kaiser, Hitler, Tojo, Stalin, Ho Chi Minh, Manuel Noriega, Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, and a few that I can’t even remember. Each has come and gone: the Soviet Union was there the longest, but we spent them into bankruptcy; then they, too, disappeared. 

Without a clear cut enemy, we have turned on ourselves, and today our elected leaders have molded government into a theater of the absurd in which they create week-to-week panics, the crisis du jour … health care, immigration, or some obscure conflict halfway around the globe that in no reasonable way involves us. These are solvable problems, but too many of us fall into the emotion of these panics without questioning why.  

In advertising, sex sells; in politics, fear sells. Without the Soviet Union and the other list of enemies, we have turned on ourselves.

It’s always been tough to be an American because Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and John Adams and a few other smart people wrote a paper that require us to be thinking citizens, to take charge of our government by voting, and by not falling prey to the panic spread by those who feed us fear to keep themselves in the headlines. We are Americans, and we are given a special charge by the founding fathers to keep the faith in the original brilliant idea of America. But this isn’t easy. It’s easier to react to concocted crises than to find the reasonable political path that moves America forward.

America is not without its problems. Corporations bleed our industry by sending plants overseas. Jobs disappear. As a nation, we don’t invest nearly enough in our future through education, and we don’t spend nearly enough on figuring out how to employ and feed the next generation. Other nations are rising to turn the globe into their own empire, and this is the real threat. They are serious. Will we continue as America in that kind of environment?

The answer lies in our ability to measure up to the tough things, to pay attention to the global realities and not the soap opera infighting of a congress and talk show hosts who think that making noise is progress. It isn’t. If we can agree to reason together again as Americans — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents — we can make government work again, with a chance to turn over a country to our children that would draw a nod from the founding fathers.

Are you and I up to the task of believing in their vision of America? To do so, we are going to have to relearn how to talk to each other again.

Rick Bryson

Bryson City

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To the Editor:

I was happy to read the article about the need for a new animal shelter in Haywood County. There is no doubt that the current one has long served its purpose. I really believe that many people here would gladly donate to a construction fund and a land donation would really speed things up.

A more central location, like near the old drive in movie theater, or similar would be ideal.  And on another note, how about another dog park area behind the dam at Lake Junaluska? It is flat and grassy and owned by the county, I believe. The one in town was ruined and every time I pass by there I never see many dogs there anymore. There’s plenty of space behind the dam to the left side and it would be no interference to the picnic area and fishing.

Mylan Sessions

Clyde

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To the Editor:

The recent announcement by the U.S. Forest Service of more potential logging in the new forest management proposals led some environmental groups to hype it as if every tree in the forest were going to be cut down. This is hardly the case. 

This plan would help biodiversity in our national forests. When areas are opened up to sunlight by logging or burning, the rapid regrowth creates early successional habitat that is vital for many types of wildlife to survive and thrive. With declining populations of deer, grouse, and woodcock, to name a few, this type of habitat is desperately needed. Songbirds, rabbits, mice, etc., also thrive in this habitat that, in turn, benefits predator animals, such as owls, bobcats, and foxes. 

This type of habitat is also critical to the continued growth of the very popular elk herd that was introduced in Western North Carolina. Our forests need to be managed for the wildlife as well as for recreational uses. Locking up millions of acres in wilderness with no management at all is not the answer.

Mark B. Rogers

Canton

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park will limit the type of firewood brought into the park in order to protect forests. 

Beginning in March 2015, only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and displays a certification stamp by the USDA or a state department of agriculture will be allowed for use in park campgrounds. 

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ingles dietitianQUESTION: What's the difference between an organic label and the non-gmo project seal? 

out stewardsA Cullowhee-based forest management group was recently recognized for its work by Root Cause, a regional initiative to raise awareness of sustainable forestry industries.

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out waterwaysEditor’s note: The following is a submission from Haywood Waterways Association reflecting on the organization’s work to protect and improve water quality in Haywood County.

Since 1998, Haywood Waterways Association has instructed thousands of children, written more than a hundred successful grant applications and partnered on projects that directly improve water quality. But what do the Kids in the Creek program or stabilizing stream banks actually mean for water quality in Haywood County?

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out carversgapA 76-acre tract along the Appalachian Trail on Roan Mountain has been permanently protected thanks to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, safeguarding scenic views and wildlife habitat.

The tract is half a mile from Carvers Gap, a popular access point for the AT and the Roan Highlands near the Tennessee line.

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art oilpainterOil painter Jon Houglum will demonstrate “Oil Painting Techniques in a Portrait” for the Art League of the Smokies at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City. 

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art brannonA Dillsboro book artist and adjunct instructor at Southwestern Community College, Frank Brannon has been selected for the first Mary B. Regan Residency Grant for a project to revitalize the Cherokee language through his artistry as a letterpress printer. 

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art shearinSinger-songwriter Dan Shearin will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, at The Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville.

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To the Editor:

It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, particularly those about our health. Although gun violence remains the leading cause of death among young people, our most dangerous weapon is still our fork. 

Forty-five times as many die of chronic diseases linked to a diet containing animal products, sugar and salt. Hardly a month goes by without another study linking consumption of animal products with obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. No reputable study has ever shown an opposite result.

But times are changing. Hundreds of schools, colleges, hospitals and corporate cafeterias have embraced Meatless Monday. According to a Gallup poll, 22 percent of American consumers are avoiding meat and 12 percent are avoiding dairy products. Harris Interactive claims that 47 percent of American consumers are reducing consumption of animal products.

Accordingly, plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products are growing explosively, propelled by investments from Microsoft, Paypal and Twitter founders. Fast-food chains like Chipotle, Subway and Taco Bell are rolling out vegan options. 

Let this New Year’s resolution be about exploring the rich variety of plant-based entrees, lunch meats, cheeses, ice creams and milks in our supermarket. The Internet offers tons of recipes and transition tips.

Weston Madrigal

Waynesville

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To the Editor:

As we approach the year 2015, I appeal to the decision makers of Haywood County to take a progressive, positive action with a request to fix an obvious problem with a local bill which would fix this by next election. As a private senior citizen, I believe it is time for a local bill to our state legislature for changing the method of selecting the county tax collector.

If the remaining 99 counties of North Carolina choose to appoint a tax collector by training, experience, qualifications and references, it would behoove Haywood County to do likewise.

Now is the time to make changes by changes in local election practices.

Ernestine E. Upchurch

Maggie Valley

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fr magwrenchesSouthwestern Community College student Stanley Kingsberry has landed a patent for his invention of a magnetic wrench system.

Though offers to buy his invention are streaming in from companies across the nation, he’s holding out for a bid in the nine-figure range. Kingsberry said he hopes to make a firm decision by March on whether to lease the idea to tool manufacturers or sell it outright. 

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cover2014 is all but in the rearview mirror now, and all the stories reported over the last 12 months are headed for the history books or perhaps a less-lofty final resting place. But lest we forget just what made 2014 such a great year for news, here’s our annual tongue-in-cheek awards, a tribute to those people and events that held our interest for at least a few moments during the past year.

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op canaryBy Thomas Crowe • Guest Columnist

In case you didn't know it, right here in our midst we have a gem of an organization — an organization that has been fighting for clean air and water for all of us here in Western North Carolina since 1999.

As a founding board member, while I know that many folks have probably heard of the Canary Coalition (think “canary in the coal mine”), there are many that may not be aware of what it does to raise public consciousness about environmental issues and to influence public policy related to these issues.

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op mountainsBy Laura Amour • Guest Columnist

“The mountains attract seekers.”

That comment was made by a cherished friend that I have known most of my life.  We grew up together in Memphis, went our separate ways, and ended up about an hour away from each other ... here in the mountains. We have always enjoyed thinking “outside the box.” We always looked for meaning in our lives, whether it existed or not. Did the fact that we are kindred spirits in this way have anything to do with both of us moving to the mountains?

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To the Editor:

An article in the Dec. 17-23 issue of The Smoky Mountain News states that the Pigeon Center in Waynesville serves “the black community and ... underserved populations.” In fact, the programs offered there draw many of us who belong to neither of those groups. 

Changemakers for Racial Understanding is a joint project with Grace Episcopal Church, facilitated by trained leaders from the Center for Participatory Change. Members of “Lift Every Voice,” both black and white, are collecting the history of the African-American community in Haywood County, and this program offers internships to history students at Western Carolina University. The Pigeon Center board is very diverse. 

I believe anybody who’s been there will agree that the Pigeon Center is a place of open-hearted community where all are welcome.

Sara Jenkins

​Lake Junaluska

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To the Editor:

Denying facts because they conflict with a belief is a survival tactic for the human race. We all do it. But now it seems a lot easier for everyone to have their own “facts.” On the Internet you can find “facts” to justify any opinion. Of course, observable, provable, documented facts are out there, but we must be smart enough and honest enough to pick them out of the sea of fake facts .

Here is a good example. In a recent letter defending the Obama administration, I claimed that, “Illegal immigration is currently net zero.” That means that there are just as many illegal aliens leaving the country as are entering. If true it would call into question the fear that the country is being overrun by illegals. This number can be quantified and documented and thus can be a real fact. So how do you determine that it is a real fact and not something made up because someone wants it to be true?

Go to Google and put in “immigration is net zero.” On the first three pages there are 30 links, every link except one  agrees with the net zero “fact.” Google “Immigration is NOT net Zero” and you get the same 30 links.

Almost all the links quote from the same source, the “Net Migration from Mexico Falls to Zero — and Perhaps Less,” a Pew Research Center report dated Aug. 6, 2012 (www.pewresearch.org ). Numerous sites have reviewed the data from Pew Research and have found it to be valid. They include Reuters, Politifact, The National Journal, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and the National Journal. In fact, highly respected fivethirtyeight.com reviewed the data in July and found it to be accurate.

So who disagrees? It is NEWSMAX, and who is NEWSMAX? It is like Fox News on steroids. You will notice I did not list any obviously left wing or progressive site in the above list. One would be hard put to call the Christian Science Monitor a left wing propaganda outlet.  

So is “immigration is net zero" a real fact, or is it fake fact? You decide.

Louis Vitale

Franklin

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ingles dietitianQUESTION: I have high blood pressure and have been told to cut down on salt and sodium. What should I be looking at on the label?

Answer:  One of the key recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is: "Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300milligrams (mg) and further reduce intake to 1,500 mg among persons who are 51 and older and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease."

out elkBy Burt Kornegay • Contributing writer

It was around 10:30 p.m., just as we were going to bed, when my wife Becky and I heard strange sounds outside our home in Cullowhee. I walked out on the porch and first heard the low, measured hoots of a great horned owl coming up faintly from the valley below, but then came these sharper, louder, impetuous cries from the woods right above our house — hoarse squeals and high-pitched whistles and low clucks.

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Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City celebrated the Christmas season with a generous donation to Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to support the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Smokies Ridgerunner program.

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U.S. Forest Service employees in North Carolina recently received a handful of awards for their work in 2014, including a community engagement award for the forest planning process in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests. 

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out womenskiA six-session program aimed at female skiers and snowboarders will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley.

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out itsabearA new conservation easement in Jackson County will provide a critical wildlife corridor, connecting three other easements and located less than 2 miles from Panthertown Valley. 

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Seasonal road closures are starting to kick in for the U.S. Forest Service. 

In the Appalachian Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest, 2.9 miles of Longarm Road, FSR-287, will close from its intersection with Blackgum Gap — FSR-288 — March 17 to Aug. 18, 2015. 

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art firstlanguageTwo Western Carolina University faculty members assisted on a recently released award-winning film that chronicles efforts to revitalize the Cherokee language in Western North Carolina.

Hartwell Francis, director of WCU’s Cherokee language program, and Tom Belt, coordinator of the program and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, were interviewed and credited as associate producers for “First Language – The Race to Save Cherokee.”

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art foxworthySuperstar comedian Jeff Foxworthy will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3 at Harrah’s Cherokee.

Foxworthy is one of the most respected and successful comedians in the country. He is the largest selling comedy-recording artist in history, a multiple Grammy Award nominee and best selling author of 11 books.

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art meanmarySinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist “Mean Mary” James will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at The Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville.

Known internationally for lightning-fast fingers, haunting vocals, and intricate story songs, James explores the genres of folk-rock, bluegrass, and blues with banjo, fiddle, and guitar.

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Dr. Donna Glee Williams, author and fellow at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee, recently paid a visit to a World Literature class at Pisgah High School to talk about writing.

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A Christmas card drive on the campus of Western Carolina University netted more than 4,000 cards for soldiers stationed overseas.

Tables were set up across campus during various times this fall for students to sign cards for deployed soldiers or veterans spending the holidays in VA hospitals.

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ingles dietitianQUESTION: I have noticed you have a gluten-free section and tag items that are gluten-free – why not a sugar-free section for diabetics?

The good news is that unlike those who need gluten-free products for celiac disease or other medical conditions, someone with diabetes, whether it is Type 1 or Type 2, can virtually buy products throughout the store – as long as they are reading labels! Carbohydrate counting is the method that the American Diabetes Association recommends (www.diabetes.org) for diabetes dietary management of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. 

ingles dietitianWhat sort of training or degrees do you have?

I have two undergraduate degrees, a B.A. in Speech Communications from West Chester University and a B.S in Human Nutrition from the University of Maryland and I have done some work towards a Master's in Marketing.

A $10,000 grant will go toward building up food banks in Western North Carolina in partnership with agribusiness. 

The award, given to the Western North Carolina Food Policy Council, comes from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

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