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out gardenerOne of the region’s premier garden and landscape designers will give a talk at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at Lake Junaluska as part of the monthly “Live and Learn” series.

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coverBy Colby Dunn • SMN correspondent

Perched atop the crest of a mountain, with two slim pieces of fiberglass strapped to your feet, that last big push to send you careening down the slope is a leap of faith — with nothing but your own skills, a couple aluminum poles and perhaps the assistance of The Almighty to guide you. 

Maybe that’s why the ubiquitous youth group ski trip has long been a staple of churches across the country. Perhaps it’s just because teenage bravado and youthful agility are particularly well-suited to chucking yourself down a mountain at high speeds in unusual contortions. 

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To the Editor:

I love this time of year. Cold, crisp days remind me of the days I spent with my dad and our beagles chasing rabbits. Now it means it’s time to share a blind with a wet retriever or float a river when no one else is on it to see if any wood ducks are still here or if mallards have come down from up north.  

Now my 40-year-old son hunts and fishes with me. I love the time I get to spend with my son afield. We hunt and fish on the public lands and public waters that we are blessed to own with other Americans.  

Unfortunately these resources and all wildlife habitats are under attack. In recent years our duck hunting has suffered because ducks are just not coming down from the north like they use too. We are finding trout streams that are warming to a point that cold water fish can’t survive. We have witnessed damage from saltwater incursion in national wildlife refuges that kills fresh water marshes as sea levels rise. 

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) just completed four reports on the impact of a warming world on wildlife habitats:

• Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World.

• Shifting Skies: Migratory Birds in a Warming World.

• Nowhere to Run: Big Game in a Warming World.

• Wildlife in a Warming World.

You can find all four reports at the on the NWF website at www.nwf.org/sportsmen-/climate-change.aspx

Whether you are a hunter, fisherman, birder, or simply enjoy kicking around outdoors, I believe you will find these reports compelling.

G. Richard Mode

Morganton

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To the Editor:

While I recognize that The Smoky Mountain News’ annual year in review awards are meant to be tongue-in-cheek, the “Longwinded Award,” which reflects on the proposed annexation of Lake Junaluska by the town of Waynesville, misses the mark and, in my belief, misleads readers into the key issue on why the proposal which was presented to the N.C. General Assembly failed to pass.  

Lake Junaluska went out of its way to ensure a full and transparent discussion of the issue of annexation. Yes, everyone was given multiple chances to have a voice in the discussion, and all were provided on-line access to minutes of the formal discussions. Those results were also fully reported on in the local print news media. 

To even “tongue-in-cheek” call it longwinded does not fairly represent the process, the persons who were involved, or the question of whether or not a consensus was reached. In fact, the comprehensive survey done of all the homeowners resulted in a clear preference for annexation by a 2 to 1 margin.  

When a select few of the opposition to annexation — people who had more than ample opportunity (and did) voice their concerns during the public discussions — lost their argument when viewed in the results of the survey, they went to the legislature and found what certainly appeared to be an ideologically driven General Assembly House of Representative to take up and effectively stop even a vote on annexation in the House (after a fully supportive vote to approve annexation had passed in the Senate).  

This now leaves Lake Junaluska homeowners with higher out-of-pocket infrastructure costs (with even higher costs potentially coming, as the SMN noted in the closing words of the “Longwinded Award” article). 

For Lake Junaluska to be fiscally sustainable and to be able to meet current and future needs, the annexation was, and remains, a critical issue.  

I would urge all those persons who see the need for change to speak out and support the  bill for annexation in the upcoming short session of the General Assembly.  

It is truly not a laughing matter but a very serious one with lasting economic consequences hanging in the balance.

James Ryer

Lake Junaluska Homeowner

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op frIn numerous newspapers in late November 2013, it was reported that six U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employees from Western North Carolina were awarded “Law Enforcement and Investigations Awards” by the USFS for their roles in “Operation Something Bruin,” a four-year, multi-agency investigation targeting bear poachers in Western North Carolina and surrounding states, resulting in arrests in February 2013.

It had also been reported earlier that the National Wildlife Federation bestowed "prestigious conservation honors" on Sgt. Chad Arnold, an officer from Charlotte with the Special Investigations Unit of the N.C. Wildlife Commission. Arnold was named "Wildlife Enforcement Officer of the Year", and the Commission was named the "Natural Resources Agency of the Year," according to a press release from the N.C. Wildlife Commission.

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fr frogpondBy Melanie Threlkeld McConnell • Correspondent

For most of Yvonne Wadham’s 64 years, horses were her life, on a big scale, a 22-acre California ranch kind of scale, where she raised and showed horses, brokered high-priced horses, and taught children how to ride — lots and lots of children.  

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By Colby Dunn • Correspondent 

Since Harrah’s Cherokee Casino opened and started bringing an influx of steady cash to the Eastern Band of Cherokee, it’s been a boost to both the tribe and its more than 13,000 members. Annually, individual members benefit to the tune of several thousand dollars a year, and the Cherokee Enterprise Development Center is hoping they’ll turn that money into much more with their own small businesses. 

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Southwestern Community College leaders unveiled a master plan last month outlining a major expansion of its campus in Macon County. 

The campus would double in size from 20 to 40 acres. The master plan has several phases, but the first phase calls for a 38,000-square-foot science building with 15 classrooms and a lab. The first phase also calls for a new law enforcement training center and indoor firing range.

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art wcustage“Smokey Joe’s Café,” a song and dance revue of hit tunes from the rock ’n’ roll era before the Beatles, will hit the stage as part of the Galaxy of the Stars series at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

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art cherokeeexhibitThe touring exhibit “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future,” will be on view through Feb. 9 at the Jackson County Library in Sylva. The exhibit focuses on Cherokee language and culture, using sound recordings as the basis for presenting a coherent story in words and text

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art scruggsThe new Earl Scruggs Center, honoring one of the nation’s premier banjo artists, will celebrate its grand opening at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, in the Cleveland County Court Square in Shelby.

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Haywood County will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a pride march and a weekend full of services, including the 24th annual MLK prayer breakfast at Lake Junaluska.

• A pride march will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 18 in Waynesville. It will begin at the Haywood County Justice Center in downtown and end at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, where there will be a time to share historical reflections, and refreshments will be served.

• A commemorative service will be at 3 p.m. Jan. 19 at Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church near Lake Junaluska. Speaker will be Rev. Reginald Eldridge, pastor of Harris Chapel AME Zion Church in Canton.

• A prayer breakfast will take place at 8 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. The speaker will be Dr. Dudley E. Flood, a retired school sdministrator from Raleigh, with live music by Chuck Beatie (aka Dr. Blues). Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for students and children. Children ages 8 and under are admitted free.

828.215.0296 or 828.246.2588 or 828.648.3363 or 828.648.5471.

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art mlkeventsWestern Carolina University has several speakers and programs as part of its annual Martin Luther King celebration, which is themed “Beloved Community: Peace and Unity,” running from Jan. 20 to Jan. 25.

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art frBy Colby Dunn • Correspondent

If someone asked you to describe the world of competitive, non-electronic gaming, your first thought might be poker, perhaps followed closely by chess. Dungeons and Dragons might get a mention in there somewhere, but cribbage probably wouldn’t be the first thing that popped into your mind. 

But this centuries-old game — which dates back to the 17th-century English balladeer Sir John Suckling — is still enjoyed by thousands around the country and the world, including Western North Carolina’s Reservation Peggers, or Res Peggers for short. With the distinction of being the only cribbage club on an Indian reservation, they are a group of anywhere from just a handful of committed players to 14, 15 or more who get together weekly to battle it out in this fast-paced card game. 

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Waynesville cattleman Tony McGaha was honored recently by the WNC Beef Cattle Commission with the Happy Hollow Award for his efforts to promote and support the beef cattle industry.

The winner is selected by past recipients based on the person’s involvement with the WNC Beef Cattle Commission activities over the years. 

“We are pleased to be presenting this award to Tony McGaha in appreciation for his dedication to the beef industry. Over the past 30 years, Tony has worked diligently to improve the agriculture for the future and farm families not only in Haywood County but many other parts of N.C.,” said Neal Stamey, a cattleman from Haywood who nominated McGaha.

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About 200,000 gallons of untreated wastewater spilled from a manhole and made its way into a small tributary that feeds Richland Creek outside Waynesville last week. 

The sewer overflow began during a period of intense rainfall at about 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, and lasted about 28 hours, ending when the rain and stream flows subsided. The overflow emanated from a sewer manhole at the county fairgrounds off N.C. 209.   

The affected areas were cleaned and limed, according to a notice sent out by the town as required by state statute in the event of untreated sewer spills.

The rainfall total for the period was 4.3 inches. Waynesville Public Works Director Fred Baker said maintenance activities and sewer system rehabilitation are being performed to identify and correct infiltration and inflow sources connected to the sewer system to prevent overflows in the event of future heavy rains.  

828.456.4410.

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out pipesA $30,000 grant to repair failing septic systems in Haywood County will help reduce bacteria contamination in local waterways.

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out landslideA landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was recently discovered along Newfound Gap Road, but is not blocking the road and is not considered a safety threat.

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out frSurvey your supermarket and you’ll see pretty much the same stuff anywhere in the country: oranges from Florida, onions from Georgia, potatoes from Idaho. 

Some variety has crept in recently — with artful displays of mountain-grown produce paying homage to the local food movement — but generally the corn we eat in North Carolina is the same corn they’re eating in Iowa and Utah. 

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To the Editor:

This move by the state to “reward” 25 percent of the state’s teachers (and I’m not even focusing here on all of the far-from-minimal strings attached to those “rewards”) while at the same time dismissing 75 percent of the state’s teachers as unworthy of even a scintilla of recognition is probably the single most underhanded and potentially devastating action ever designed and implemented by anyone in this state who claims the title of elected representative. Make no mistake, this is a finely choreographed divide and conquer strategy intended to strike at the heart of education — the teachers, the administrators, the support personnel, the parents — by creating a system of “incentives” that will literally force the stakeholders to take sides, so to speak, and disregard and dismiss past efforts at teamwork, collaboration, and consensus.

I firmly believe that it is the unstated but very genuine goal of some of our so-called “education reformers” in Raleigh to dismantle our constitutionally mandated public education system and replace it with a taxpayer subsidized, privatized mishmash of unstandardized and unaccountable educational services that will absolutely ensure ongoing inequity and inequality of opportunity for North Carolina’s youth (but that will, at the same time, provide a wonderful investment opportunity for corporate educational profiteers who will gladly offer their services to our “failing” school systems).

This is a formula for educational disaster ... but such a great opportunity for the profiteers. Those who dreamed up this scheme knew that, though, and they still know it. The public now needs to do its part and call them out on what they are trying to do. 

Our “representatives” need to be shamed for supporting such a willfully divisive and potentially harmful scheme — a scheme, by the way, that is nothing less than a slap in the face to professional educators in this state (i.e., “75 percent of you are unworthy”) — and then disingenuously boasting that this is part of their effort to “reform” and “strengthen” education in North Carolina. I urge everyone to contact your legislators and let them know what you think of this “reform effort.” 

John Sanderson

retired principal, Waynesville

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cover2013 is behind us now, and all the news reported over the last 12 months is headed for the history books or perhaps a less-lofty final resting place. But lest we all forget, here’s our annual tongue-in-cheek awards, a tribute to those who played some small part in the events that held our interest for at least a few moments during the past year. 

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art ellisonPainter and paper maker Elizabeth Ellison will demonstrate the use of collage in a landscape painting at the Art League of the Smokies meeting at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.

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art folkmootFolkmoot USA had a $9.2 million impact on Western North Carolina in 2013, according to an economic impact study conducted by Tom Tveidt of SYNEVA Economics.

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Dulcimer fans and aficionados will gather for the annual Mountain Dulcimer Weekend held Jan. 9 through 12 at Lake Junaluska, put on by Western Carolina University’s continuing education program.

The conference will offer more than 50 hours of instruction on the mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, guitar and autoharp. Participants may take classes that focus on multiple instruments and a variety of topics will be presented, including music theory, tab reading/writing skills, improvisation and advanced dulcimer ensemble skills.

Winter Weekend instructors will include Tennessee natives Larry and Elaine Conger, Butch Ross, Sarah Morgan and Jim Miller, along with North Carolinians Steve and Ruth Smith and Anne Lough. Evening activities will include staff performances and a music-sharing session. Miller will lead jam sessions throughout the conference.

Registration for the conference is $159 and does not include meals or accommodations.

www.dulcimeru.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.

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art balsamrangeBalsam Range’s annual “Winter Concert Series” will continue with John Driskell Hopkins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4, at the historic Colonial Theatre in Canton. Hopkins is a multi-award winner and founding member of the Zac Brown Band. 

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Christmas is a time to recycle many things: bows, wrapping paper, gifts . . . and cooking oil.

The Haywood County Solid Waste Department accepts used cooking oil at all 10 convenience centers around the county and at the Materials Recovery Facility in Clyde. Used cooking oil is collected and sold to Blue Ridge Biofuels, which produces and distributes biodiesel fuel.

In fiscal year 2012-2013, Haywood County collected 1,068 gallons of used cooking oil, up from 900 gallons during the previous fiscal year.

Solid Waste Director Stephen King said that recycling cooking oil helps extend the life of sewer systems and landfills. To recycle used cooking oil, pour it into a clean plastic container with a lid, such as an empty cooking oil bottle or milk jug. King said the best containers to use are ones with a handle and a tight-fitting lid, such as a clean, empty cat litter bucket.

The cooking oil container should be kept separate from other recyclables and handed to an attendant at the convenience centers. For optimal use in converting to diesel fuel, King recommends that citizens bring in their used cooking oil frequently instead of letting it collect for a long time.

“For health and safety reasons, it’s better to bring in used cooking oil about once a month,” King said.

828.627.8042 or www.haywoodnc.net.

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out taekwondoA new taekwondo school had opened in Clyde offering classes for preschoolers through adults.

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out skiingKids can hitch a ride to and from Cataloochee Ski Area after school with the Waynesville Recreation Center.

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out wcu hhsWestern Carolina University’s new Health and Human Sciences Building has received gold LEED-certification for its comprehensive energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features.

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out frJacob Flannick • SMN Correspondent

Jonathan and Abby Landry don’t limit the spirit of giving to the holiday season. For this couple, giving is a way of life. And their gift of choice is eggs.

They share them with friends, neighbors and colleagues, rarely leaving home without a few eggs on the back seat to bestow on whoever they might run into that day. Their philanthropy in the egg department doesn’t go unnoticed.

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To the Editor:

I love this time of year. Cold, crisp days remind me of the days I spent with my dad and our beagles chasing rabbits. Now it means it’s time to share a blind with a wet retriever or float a river when no one else is on it to see if any wood ducks are still here or if mallards have come down from up north. Now my 40-year-old son hunts and fishes with me. I love the time I get to spend with my son afield. We hunt and fish on the public lands and public waters that we are blessed to own with other Americans.  

Unfortunately these resources and all wildlife habitats are under attack. In recent years our duck hunting has suffered because ducks are just not coming down from the north like they use too. We are finding trout streams that are warming to a point that cold water fish can’t survive. We have witnessed damage from salt water incursion in national wildlife refuges that kills fresh water marshes as sea levels rise.  

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) just completed four reports on the impact of a warming world on wildlife habitats:

• “Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World.”

• “Shifting Skies: Migratory Birds in a Warming World.”

• “Nowhere to Run: Big Game in a Warming World.”

• “Wildlife in a Warming World.”

You can find all four reports at the on the NWF web site at: www.nwf.org/Sportsmen-/Climate-Change.aspx

Whether you are a hunter, fisherman, birder, or simply enjoy kicking around outdoors, I believe you will find these reports compelling.

G. Richard Mode

Morganton

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To the Editor:

No doubt 2013 was a much better year for Western North Carolina than was the previous year. 

The unemployment rate has dropped down to 7.4 percent in November from 8.9 percent when the year started.  Every county in North Carolina had lower unemployment rates. Financially the state is slowly recovering from where it was. 

Every major group in the state — from colleges to the DOT to the public and private schools — all need more money to operate. Jobs are the key to adding revenue to the state, and Gov. Pat McCrory is doing his best to make that happen. Nationally, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has dropped us down to number 35 from Number 49 just 11 months ago. 

With New Year approaching, I would like to suggest a New Year’s resolution to everyone for the coming year. Buying products that are made in the USA or at least in North America would be a big help. Working people in the USA are the people who spend their money here.  Buying stuff made in China or other Asian countries does not do a lot for our economy or North Carolina. 

I saw where the chicken from China is coming to the USA. I think we all can get along fine without buying chicken from China for a lot of reasons. Supporting local businesses is a great way to help improve the economy in our state. People who work here spend their money here.

Too many of our people have been out of work for more than a year. Supporting our local businesses will do more to help the poor and unemployed people than anything else. Income inequality will never be solved with welfare checks and foods stamp cards. I hope we can agree that jobs are the best way to overcome income inequality. 

Let us make 2014 the year we get our unemployment rate down to 6 percent or below. 

Jim Mueller

Glenville

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To the Editor:

After the Clinton administrations’ efforts to get a universal health care bill passed back in the 90s, guess what group was next to propose sweeping health care legislation? No, not the Obama administration. It was the Heritage Foundation, the arch-conservative think tank in Washington. In those days, the Heritage Foundation believed that health care for everyone was important, and authored the bill in Massachusetts for then-governor Mitt Romney. When Romney signed it into law in 2006, members of the Heritage Foundation were right there for the signing, alongside liberal Sen. Ted Kennedy.  

That Massachusetts law eventually became the model for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that has been the subject of national debate for the better part of Obama’s term of office.  

Here’s the first twist in the story: It has been the Heritage Foundation that has turned on their own concept and led the fight against the ACA. They have made the wildest claims imaginable about it … that there will be “death panels” to advise people on Medicare how to end their lives … that the ACA will cut Medicare benefits, causing elderly people to die … that there is a secret White House security force that are being taught to use syringes as weapons. Whew.

Unfortunately, the rollout of ACA was an act of falling down stairs, and did a lot to make the ACA look more like an Edsel than a Jeep. But poor business management of the rollout doesn’t make the concept of everyone in the country having affordable health care a bad idea. With it, doctors are more accessible to everyone, regardless of income. Low-income people no longer have to get health care from emergency rooms, care for which they can’t pay. All at once, the how-am-I-going-to-pay-for-medical-care panic is lifted.  

Opponents say it won’t work, but it already is working in our biggest state. That’s the second twist in the story. Jerry Brown, the then-and-once-again governor of California, has latched onto the ACA concept and is using Medi-Cal (the state’s Medicaid program) to enroll low-income Californians. Through this venue, more than 107,000 Californians are already enrolled in the program through November alone — 23 percent of the total U.S. sign-ups.

So, what does this do for us in North Carolina? What help has Gov. Pat McCrory offered Tar Heels to get signed up? Nothing. He wants nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act and has taken the state out of participation in it. So Tar Heels are left to sort their way through the federal website to get this health coverage. So far, only 9,000 had done it through November, according to the Charlotte Business Journal.        

There were those who used to think of Jerry Brown as a quirky sort of guy. One writer even nicknamed him “Governor Moonbeam.” But Jerry Brown has chosen to be a help to the people of his state. By contrast, Pat McCrory has chosen to be an obstructionist for the people of North Carolina.

Rick Bryson

Bryson City

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To the Editor:

I do not understand why so many Republican congressmen support voter I.D. laws when it has been proven over and over that voter fraud is extremely negligible and does not warrant the cost to implement and make voting more difficult. But then on the other hand they strongly oppose requiring background checks on all gun purchases. Too many gun purchases are made by people that would never have passed a background check and so many innocent people are being murdered daily.

Oh by the way, my Republican friends have been telling me repeatedly that Medicare B premiums would go up well over $200 monthly starting in 2014. Well, I just read monthly premiums will not go up in 2014 but will remain the same as 2013 at $104. 

Up until five years ago I was a staunch Republican, but have since changed my affiliation to Independent. I now read the issues, impacts, ignore the scare tactics and vote for who I think will be best for the 95 percent.

Ron Rokstool

Maggie Valley

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op frDoug Wingeier • Columnist

Some years back I spent the Christmas season in the Land of the Holy One. (It is not the land that is holy, but the One who was born, lived, died, and rose there.) This was one of my several sojourns in Israel/Palestine over the years. My strongest impression at that time (and conditions have only gotten worse since) was of the oppression my Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters — along with their Muslim neighbors — were enduring under the Israeli occupation. I was struck with how similar this was to the Roman oppression of local inhabitants in the time of Jesus.

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fr barkcladBy Paul Clark • Correspondent

Harvesting poplar bark to make bark shingles is never easy, but this summer Danny Heatherly and his crew had a short season shortened even further by all the rain that fell.

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When the clock strikes midnight and Dec. 31 gives way to Jan. 1, the tolling of the bell won’t symbolize the start of just another typical new year at Western Carolina University. Instead, the first day of 2014 will mark the beginning of WCU’s 125th year of existence, and university faculty, staff and students are planning a yearlong celebration to mark the milestone.

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Western Carolina University has received a $500,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to help expand engineering education across Western North Carolina through a partnership with regional community colleges.

The funding will support WCU’s efforts to ensure a seamless transition for community college students who want to earn four-year degrees in engineering through the implementation of engineering pathway courses at community colleges and the recruitment of qualified students into the program.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge and Isothermal community colleges are initial partners in the effort, which will eventually include WNC community colleges from Rutherfordton in the east to Murphy in the west.

The grant, awarded out of the foundation’s Essential Skills in Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, will help produce qualified workers for manufacturers, including some of the region’s largest private-sector employers, said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF president.

The funding will provide support for Western Carolina’s recently announced undergraduate program in engineering at its instructional site at Biltmore Park Town Square, and will supplement advanced manufacturing engineering education on the campus in Cullowhee, said James Zhang, dean of WCU’s Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology.

For more information about engineering at WCU, visit engineering.wcu.edu.

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By Colby Dunn • Correspondent

For residents of Highlands, the list of things to do in town, depending on the season, can be pretty short and “go to the movies” has never been on it. But the town is filmless no more, thanks to a new program at the Highlands Playhouse that’s bringing in the blockbusters four nights a week. 

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coverBy Melanie Threlkeld McConnell • SMN Correspondent

Think of it as somewhere over the rainbow. 

You know the place, only this time not in Oz, in Waynesville, on Frazier Street, behind the parking lot of Sagebrush Steakhouse, in a non-descript building that’s 60-feet long and maybe half that wide. This is where the bluebirds sing, where happiness prevails. 

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The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has officially revived the Haywood County Film Commission. 

Becky Seymour, video marketing manager of the Haywood TDA, is committed to draw more TV and film production to Haywood County. The TDA is currently working with Advantage West in Asheville and supplying information on Haywood County when presented with location requests for film and television.  

Since 2010, the NC Film Tax Incentive has fueled three strong years for film and television production in the state. In 2013 North Carolina as a whole had 5,700 production days, $254 million in spending and 25,000 job opportunities from film and television production.  

Production companies commonly request information on location, support services and crew. Many locations can be considered as long as the property/business owners are willing to accommodate the crew and their needs, Seymour said. Support services needed by production crews would be local caterers, environmental services, accounting and hair and makeup experts. 

The directory forms and categories are provided at www.haywoodcountytourismdevelopment.com/haywood-county-film-commission - under the “Haywood County Film Commission” tab. 

Submit the completed form by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by fax at 828.452.0153.

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Funk group Kool & The Gang and rock band ZZ Top will perform at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Kool & The Gang performs at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29. The group has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations. Thanks to songs like “Celebration,” “Cherish,” and “Jungle Boogie,” they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Their bulletproof funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time. Tickets are $32, $42 and $53.

Longtime rockers ZZ Top bring 2013 to a close with a concert at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The group lays an undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact. In 2004, the Texas trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with more than 40 years of rock, blues, and boogie on the road and in the studio. Their hits include “Tush,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “Cheap Sunglasses.” Tickets are $65, $75 and $100.

www.harrahscherokee.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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art GSMRThe Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is ringing in the New Year at 7:45 p.m. Dec. 31 in Bryson City. The train leaves the Bryson City depot at 9 p.m. and returns after midnight.

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art gingerbreadThe Franklin Chamber of Commerce hosted its inaugural “Gingerbread House Competition” at Franklin’s Town Hall during this year’s Winter Wonderland.

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art balsamrangeRenowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range’s 4th annual “Winter Concert Series” will continue with John Driskell Hopkins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at the historic Colonial Theatre in Canton. Hopkins is a multi-award winner and founding member of the Zac Brown Band. 

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art frBy Colby Dunn • Correspondent

This time of year, there’s a Santa around every corner. There’s the jolly Santa flying around in Coke commercials, the harassed-looking Santa on his mall throne, the grandfatherly, rosy-cheeked Santa in “Miracle on 34th Street,” but in Alane Bartnik’s workshop, the Santas of the past come to life. 

Bartnik, the owner and artist behind Nonna’s Santas, handcrafts each of her Santas after a different era, complete with painstaking research into the clothes, style and most importantly, toys from that era. It’s not just their outfits and accessories that she makes by hand, but each Santa’s face is hand molded, each with his own personal expression. 

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Haywood Waterways Association passed out its annual awards this month to water quality heroes.

• The Big Creek Award for Partner of the Year went to the Haywood County Environmental Health Department for helping to repair 75 failing septic systems, which were leaching raw sewage, household chemicals, soap, medicines and anything else that people pour down the drain into Richland Creek. Bacteria levels dropped significantly following the septic repairs.

• The Lake Junaluska Award for Volunteer of the Year was given to Richard T. Alexander, one of Haywood Waterways’ founders and longtime board member. He volunteers as a water quality sampler and monitor, with litter pickup efforts and other civic projects.

• The Pigeon River Award was given to the Bethel Rural Community Organization for its significant contribution to protecting land and water resources — including assisting private landowners with eight conservation easements totaling 268 acres, promoting the Voluntary Agricultural District, and hosting public workshops to promote rural land and water conservation. Accepting the award for the Bethel Community Organization were Bill Holbrook, Ted and Pat Carr, Evelyn and Dick Coltman, Steve Sorrels and George Ivey.  

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out superThe National Park Service has selected Pedro Ramos to serve as the acting superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 90 days, effective Jan. 12. Ramos has been the superintendent at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida since 2009.

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out devilscourthouseConservation groups reached a compromise with the U.S. Forest Service over a controversial logging project in the Courthouse Creek area, which is visible to the south of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Devil’s Courthouse.

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out frBy Lindsay Wertz • Correspondent

After hours of work and preparation, six terrain elements sparkled imposingly under the lights on Cataloochee Ski Area’s Rabbit Hill Run last Friday night in preparation for the inaugural Cat Cage Rail Jam.

The Maggie Valley’s resort first-ever rail jam — where boarders and skiers do as many freestyle rail tricks as possible during an allotted time frame — attracted more than 50 competitors of all ages and skill levels. The rails and boxes were arranged by skill level and resembled features used in the popular X Games.  

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At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.