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Wednesday, 17 June 2009 19:27

Macon budget avoids tax increase, layoffs

If you’re a county commissioner in Western North Carolina, it’s hard not to feel envious of Macon County’s budget. While surrounding counties are grappling with layoffs and — in Haywood’s case — a tax increase, Macon County commissioners have managed…
After months of struggling to solve a $7 million budget shortfall, Haywood County commissioners voted 3 to 2 Monday night (June 15) to raise property taxes by 1.7 cents in lieu of more severe cuts to county workers. The two…
Wednesday, 17 June 2009 19:25

Duke begins prepping for dam removal

Despite the looming threat by Jackson County to win control of the Dillsboro Dam using eminent domain, Duke Energy announced that it will begin preparing for its demolition this week by dredging the backlog of sediment from behind the dam.…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:17

Jackson uses eminent domain to take dam

Jackson County played the ultimate trump card in the drawn-out fight against Duke Energy over the Dillsboro dam this week. County commissioners voted 4 to 1 Monday (June 8) to use the power of eminent domain to seize the dam…
A proposed tax increase that Haywood residents have fought hard against could likely be avoided if residents would just pay their taxes on time in the first place. But property tax collections are down this year, presumably due to the…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:11

Commissioners' viewpoints

Chairman Brian McMahan “I believe that river belongs to the people of the United States of America. That’s our river. Yes we have benefited from the production of power, but it still belongs to the people. I don’t argue the…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:08

Frequently asked questions

Why does Duke want to tear down the dam? Dam removal is tied to the larger issue of mitigation for Duke’s hydropower operations in the region. Duke operates 10 other dams on five rivers in the region. The permits for…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:06

Cherokee casino to be dry no more

When Beverly Easton came to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino for the first time and realized there was no drinking, she wondered how an alcohol-free casino could even exist. “I think it is a deterrent,” said Easton, who was visiting Harrah’s from…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:04

Jackson takes on Duke Energy

Jackson County’s decision to take the Dillsboro dam through eminent domain is a bold next step in the relicensing saga that has been playing out for years. Commissioners voted 4-1 Monday night to use one of the strongest powers they…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:01

Parents turn out to support Swain principal

A group of nearly 45 parents and friends came out to show their support for embattled Swain County West Elementary School Principal Rick Abel at a school board meeting Monday night (June 8), but left with few answers to their…
At long last, Wal-Mart will be coming to Cherokee. A move to bring a 120,000-square-foot superstore to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Reservation has been in the works for nearly four years. On May 20, the tribal council voted…
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 18:56

Ghost Town CEO preaches cohesive marketing

Ghost Town CEO Steve Shiver told players in the Haywood County tourism community they need to pull together if they want to effectively market and brand the region. Shiver invited members of the tourism and business community to a breakfast…
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 18:50

New model for mountain living

Mixed-use developments where residents live, work, shop and dine within a few block radius are popping up in cities around the nation, but have been slower to take hold in the mountains of Western North Carolina. One Macon County developer…
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 18:48

Deal over Dillsboro dam could be afoot

Five years into a bitter fight over the fate of the Dillsboro Dam, Duke Energy showed its first sign of budging this week. Following a mediation session in Washington, D.C. Duke pledged to make Jackson County a “counter offer” in…
Parents at West Elementary School in Swain County are questioning the circumstances surrounding the departure of a popular principal. In the weeks since Rick Abel’s alleged resignation, conflicting accounts have emerged that have left parents with growing suspicions over what…
The creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75 years ago was nothing short of a miracle. The pitfalls were enormous and often narrowly skirted. The battle for a park came close to defeat many times, yet park boosters…
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 18:42

New landfill proves money pit for Haywood

Haywood County commissioners grappling with the $4.4 million price tag of a landfill expansion briefly eyed the steep engineering costs as a place to trim this week. During a county meeting, commissioners questioned the hiring of two separate engineering firms…
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 18:40

Creating the park: the early years

1900s Logging and lumber companies built railroads, camp towns and timber camps, slashing across the landscape while fueling an economic boom. 1923 National Park Service Director Stephen Mather voices his support for creation of a national park in the East.…
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 18:38

Restoration blends function with history

After more than two years, the Haywood County historic courthouse has finally been returned to its original grandeur. The painstaking process of restoring the stately 1931 building, long an icon of the Haywood County community, has had its share of…
Scores of Haywood County taxpayers criticized the county’s proposed budget at a public hearing Monday (June 1) saying commissioners had not looked thoroughly at every possible option before proposing job cuts and a property tax increase. Nearly 150 residents attended…
Although the board of Haywood Regional Medical Center could lose much of its control following its affiliation with WestCare, it will remain a public, county-owned entity nonetheless. Haywood Regional and WestCare have announced their intention to unite under a newly…
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 18:30

Rates jump prior to signing of library loan

Hints of an up tick in the economy are good news to say the least, but a resulting rise in interest rates came a little too soon for Jackson County taxpayers. Interest rates jumped almost 0.75 percent on the eve…
Wednesday, 29 July 2009 19:21

Barker visits WNC in campaign to help bears

Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians didn’t have to duke it out with other contestants or so much as wager a guess, but somehow, they got the price exactly right. On Tuesday, July 28, the tribe won a…
By Andre A. Rodriguez • Special to the Smoky Mountain News It’s been at least a dozen years since Waynesville’s leaders began contemplating a public skate board park to provide a safe alternative to illegal skating on streets and parking…
Wednesday, 29 July 2009 19:17

Macon mulls workforce challenges

While it doesn’t seem like much of a news flash, it has emerged as one of the top concerns in Macon County economic development circles: the workforce is aging. “It actually is something to be concerned about. It is getting…
Will wind-generated power save the environment or sacrifice it? The answer depends on who you ask and it could have broad implications for the future of clean energy in North Carolina. In a debate raging in the General Assembly, Western…
A Tennessee man claims he was defrauded of $328,000 by the players behind Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts, a planned mega development in Haywood County that is in the preliminary conceptual stages. Plans for Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts call for a 4,500-acre development…
When Art Pohl moved to Jackson County from Florida 10 years ago, he imagined a golden retirement filled with lazy days of playing golf. But after a few years of living the dream life, his wife wondered just how much…
Wednesday, 29 July 2009 19:06

Graham proposes takeover of Swain land

Swain and Graham counties are at odds over who should provide rescue service to the isolated Deals Gap territory, a dispute that could lead to a redrawing of county lines. The Deal’s Gap area is a satellite territory of Swain…
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 19:03

Region to get assisted living campus

A groundbreaking was held last Thursday (July 16) at the site of a new assisted living complex being built in Dillsboro. The event was more symbolic than most of its kind because some of the facility has already been erected;…
When Heinz Rollman left behind the unrest of Europe and struck out for America in 1939, the fate of his family was riding on his shoulders. The Nazi regime had seized a successful shoe factory from Rollman’s father in Germany…
Ghost Town in the Sky wants more time to prepare its bankruptcy reorganization plan and is seeking an extension. The Maggie Valley theme park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March in hopes of holding off bill collectors long enough…
When Swain County opened a new $10 million jail last fall with 109 beds — four times bigger than necessary for its own inmates — it was banking on housing federal prisoners and those from other counties to subsidize the…
Two groups of Jackson County’s World War II veterans visited Washington, D.C.’s war memorial this year thanks to a project spearheaded by the Sylva Rotary Club. Honor Air flew eight veterans in fall 2008 and 13 veterans in spring 2009…
Jimmy and Keith Leatherwood were always glad to see the developers of Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts walk in to their local hangout, the Jonathan Creek Café. It meant free coffee. The developer would unfurl maps on the table outlining plans for…
The new Swain jail costs the county $610,000 a year more than the old jail: $450,000 in debt payments and an additional $160,000 on overhead and staff. The county hoped to make $500,000 a year housing prisoners from out of…
When Mary Ann Enloe was growing up in the blue-collar hub of Hazelwood, she didn’t know anyone with an alarm clock. The town woke to the sound of the factory whistle and followed its cues all day long. “Everybody here…
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 18:47

HVO to purchase Wellco site

Although Wellco shoe plant in Waynesville is closing, the community will be spared the blight of another vacant industrial site. Haywood Vocational Opportunities, which manufactures and assembles medical supplies, is buying the site to expand its own operations. HVO, which…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:51

Cochran retains sheriff’s seat

In Swain County, incumbent Republican Sheriff Curtis Cochran successfully fended off challenger John Ensley. Cochran has faced several controversies in the preceding four-year term, his first in law enforcement. He has weathered well-publicized rows with county commissioners, including a discrimination…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:50

Democrats retain power on Swain board

Swain County will spend the next four years with an all-Democrat board of commissioners after all the incumbents running for office held onto their seats and Donnie Dixon and Robert White scooped up the two open spots. Neither current chairman…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:49

Queen ousted in GOP takeover of state Senate

Incumbent Joe Sam Queen (D-Waynesville) lost his state Senate seat to fresh-faced Republican challenger Ralph Hise, making Hise the youngest North Carolina senator and adding another member to the now-Republican majority in that chamber. This is just the latest in…
A hard-hitting campaign, coupled with a surging Republican tide helped Jim Davis claim the state’s 50th District Senate seat on Tuesday. Davis, a Macon County resident, beat incumbent state Sen. John Snow, a Cherokee County Democrat. If unofficial election night…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:11

Suttles keeps Haywood sheriff’s job

Haywood County’s Bobby Suttles won his first election for the sheriff’s seat he has held since 2008, beating Republican challenger Bill Wilke by only 7 percent. Suttles won 20 of the 29 precincts, with Wilke taking most of the county’s…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:10

Democrats buck trend in Haywood

Democrats claimed victory in all three open commissioner seats in Haywood County, with incumbents Kirk Kirkpatrick and Bill Upton keeping their spots on the board. Newcomer Michael Sorrells took the chair left vacant by Skeeter Curtis, who did not seek…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:09

Shuler keeps House seat

Despite an overwhelming Republican landslide in the 2010 congressional election, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) beat back challenger Jeff Miller of Hendersonville in the 11th District to win this third term in Congress. Shuler, however, who had much more money than…
One new face — Republican Ron Haven — will be on the Macon County Board of Commissioners if unofficial voting results from Tuesday night hold. Incumbent Bob Simpson, a Democrat, lost his seat as 53 percent of Macon County voters…
Macon County Sheriff Robert “Robby” Holland, a Republican, has won another term in office — his third — by beating back challenger George Lynch, a Democrat. Holland and Lynch ran relatively mud-free campaigns that focused on their respective strengths as…
A monumental judge’s election to fill three 30th District Court seats in Western North Carolina has ended after a clean, tightly-contested election. When the dust settled three new judges were seated — Donna Forga, Kristina Earwood and Roy Wijewickrama. Forga’s…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:03

Ashe handily returns as Jackson County sheriff

Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe won his third term in office Tuesday, easily beating back a challenge from political newcomer Mary Rock. Ashe, 51, a Democrat, has been in law enforcement for 29 years. He started in 1981 as a…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 04:02

Allen holds her own against incumbent Haire

State Rep. Phil Haire (D-Jackson) fought off a surprisingly strong challenge from fellow Jackson County resident Dodie Allen to retain his hold on the 119th State House District. Rep. Haire, 74, is a Sylva attorney who has served in the…
Jackson County voters upended the board of commissioners Tuesday, calling an abrupt end to progressive land-development regulations that had set this county apart from all others in far Western North Carolina. The dismantling of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners…
Thursday, 04 November 2010 03:59

Dead man gets a ‘My Vote Counted’ sticker

From the we-really-couldn’t-make-this-stuff-up file, election workers in Jackson County didn’t bat an eye when a woman this election cycle brought her dead husband along to vote. Lisa Lovedahl-Lehman, director of the Jackson County Board of Elections, said the sadly mistaken…
It just wouldn’t be the Jackson County we’ve all come to know and love if there wasn’t some kind of community-action group watchdogging Western Carolina University’s attempts to create its very own incorporated town. But it’s Jackson County, so of…
Don’t rush when hiring a new chancellor to replace John Bardo, one board of trustee member for Western Carolina University cautioned the university’s other top leaders last week during a two-day annual retreat in Cullowhee. Echoing the sentiments of the…
The Macon County League of Women Voters will host a program on comprehensive immigration reform on Nov. 11 at the Tartan Hall in Franklin. Victoria Lyall, of America Springs Eternal, a non-profit organization working to cultivate understanding between immigrants and…
Are you ready to rumble? Because here we go again: The great debate in Jackson County on whether traffic congestion along N.C. 107 in Sylva should be fixed, and if so — how — is back. Since the summer of…
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 23:49

Waynesville to hold annual food drive

The town of Waynesville’s annual food drive, including a Nov. 5 curbside pick-up of food donated by residents, will take place during November. Hazelwood Elementary School and Junaluska Elementary School are participating in the drive. The collection by the schools…
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 23:48

Junaluska Assembly selects new director

John “Jack” L. Ewing, Jr. has been named the new executive director of Lake Junaluska Assembly. He will begin his new duties on Jan. 1, 2011, and fills a position that is being vacated by the retirement of Rev. Jimmy…
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 23:45

Town is slow moving on alley cleanup

In a downtown Canton alleyway, a rusty junction box juts out awkwardly from the sidewalk, long since abandoned to its purpose, while a few yards away broken bricks, orange traffic barrels and twisted lengths of caution tape lay in a…
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 23:37

Macon campus to hold reception for Collings

A welcome reception honoring Richard Collings, Southwestern Community College’s new president, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 4-5 p.m. at the Macon Campus’ Groves Center. Collings, who was president of Wayne State College in Nebraska, became Southwestern’s fifth president…
The Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University has created a new blog site designed to offer a nonpartisan glimpse into the world of North Carolina politics and policy. The site, “Politics and Policy in the Tar Heel State,” features…
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 23:35

Kathryn Magendie book release party is Nov. 6

Kathryn Magendie will celebrate the release of her new novel, Sweetie, at Blue Ridge Books at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. Sweetie is Kat Magendie’s third novel. Her first two novels, Tender Graces and Secret Graces, tell the story…
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 23:34

Veterans Day events

Jackson County honors veterans Southwestern Community College will honor veterans of all wars for their patriotism and willingness to serve during a Veterans Day observance at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11, in the Balsam Center Auditorium on the Jackson…
While Haywood County’s bid for privatizing the White Oak Landfill is still being considered, the site has now drawn the eye and ire of residents on its borders who fear contamination of their wells by its contents. The citizens, led…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:15

Health department offering flu vaccines

The Haywood County Health Department is offering flu vaccines on a walk-in basis, with no appointment necessary, to persons ages 19 and older. The walk-in vaccines are available from 9 a.m. to Noon Monday-Thursday and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:14

Learn how to get business financing Nov. 4

Find out what it takes to produce a bankable loan proposal in a free class at Southwestern Community College on Thursday, Nov. 4. Small Business Loans: Fundamentals & Options will be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. in the…
How do you feel about the death penalty? Two upcoming events at Western Carolina University by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice will explore the public’s opinions about this controversial issue. The first event is a presentation titled “Issues…
If you’ve got a young reader who has difficulty reading to parents or teachers, the Haywood County Public Library may have a new approach to consider – reading to a friendly, non-judgemental canine. Puppy Tales, a program designed to encourage…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:12

Conservation group names new director

Michelle Wilson Price has been named the new executive director of the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance. Price grew up in the Glenville area and graduated from Blue Ridge School and has worked in the Plateau Region with the Upper Cullasaja Watershed…
One of three board members overseeing the Whittier Sanitary District resigned this month, saying he could not “in good faith” continue to serve with a group not in compliance with state law. “In addition, refusing to file the necessary Internal…
A 4,000-square-foot, $800,000 expansion that includes a major renovation at the Franklin Health and Fitness Center will be finished in about eight weeks. “We’re wrapping it up,” said Rodney Morris, the facility’s general manager. Additions include a new aerobics room,…
In the clear chill of a mid-October midnight, all is quiet, but in Clyde, a hunt is on. Within the walls of the county’s oldest house, the Cold Mountain Paranormal Society is holding an investigation — in laymen’s terms, they…
In the “Oh, oops” category this week we have the town of Sylva, which, after extensive review, work and dispute ordered police officers this summer to begin ticketing business owners and their employees who take up precious parking spaces on…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:02

Parking, pedestrians and crosswalks, oh my

Fix a problem, create a new one. That’s how the cookie has crumbled lately in Sylva. When the town board ordered business owners and their employees to keep their cars out of coveted parking spaces on Main and Mill streets…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:02

Haywood deeds office gets e-filing

The Haywood County Register of Deeds Office took a big step toward going paperless with the debut of a new technology that electronically records land record documents submitted by attorneys, real estate agents and title companies. The process, known as…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:01

Republicans look to control state Senate

State Senate races here in the mountains could determine whether a historic shift occurs in North Carolina’s overall political landscape. Many experts are predicting that voters in North Carolina might punish Democrats and incumbents for the shaky economy. Republicans have…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 20:00

Campaign to target literacy

The Region A Partnership for Children  will kick off its annual fundraising campaign this month with a new emphasis on gaining community support for early literacy and early reading preparation.  Local contributions to this year’s Smart Start fundraising campaign will…
Haywood County Recreation & Parks Department is now accepting registration for the Kids Recreation Basketball League. Intended for ages 5-15, the recreation basketball league guarantees that each child will get the opportunity to play at least half of every game.…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:59

Early voting data doesn’t favor any party

Older voters are hitting the early polls in force this election year, according to data gathered by Western Carolina University professor Chris Cooper. In the 11th Congressional District, people choosing the early vote are “overwhelmingly white” — a whopping 96…
The race for the state’s 47th Senate District is a case study in the political battle of freshness versus experience that characterizes this mid-term election across the country. The race in the 47th pits 60-year-old Democrat Joe Sam Queen, a…
Sen. John Snow, a Democrat from Cherokee County, first won N.C. Senate District 50 by beating longtime incumbent Sen. Bob Carpenter, a Republican from Macon County, by fewer than 300 votes in 2004. Snow took over a district made up…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:56

Health services, info available through SCC

Cholesterol, glucose and vision screening, sonography ultrasound demonstrations, body fat checks, flexibility assessments, door prizes and a wide variety of demonstrations and display tables will highlight Southwestern Community College’s Health Fair Wednesday, Nov. 3. Sponsored by SCC medical assisting and…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:55

HVO opening brings new jobs to Haywood County

With the snip of a ribbon last Friday, Haywood County gained a new manufacturing facility and the promise of 75 new jobs thanks to Haywood Vocational Opportunities, who christened their new Westwood facility. The 117,000-square-foot space was once home to…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:54

Public comment period closed on Needmore

For being just 3.3 miles in length, the improve-or-don’t-improve Needmore Road debate has generated reams of comment. Try 772 signatures on a petition supporting some type of paving or resurfacing. And at least 66 written comments sent in to the…
Haywood Builders Supply has recently been certified by the Smartwood Program of the Rainforest Alliance for the “Forest Stewardship Council” (FSC) as a duly licensed “Chain-of-Custody provider of FSC wood products. Haywood Builders Supply is one of a small number…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:18

Should employees play on Web at work?

A workshop regarding the legalities and liabilities of employee use of social networking websites will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in Room 143 of the Cordelia Camp Building on the campus of Western Carolina…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:17

HCC’s Myers wins recognition

Haywood Community College’s Sherri Myers was recently honored by the North Carolina Council of Officers for Resource Development with its Harriette McKinnon Crump Award.   The award is given annually to recognize the potential of members who are pursuing education…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:14

Consultant to share networking savvy

Andrew Sanderbeck will speak briefly on “Identifying your Inner Circle of Support for Your Business and Career” at the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Issues and Eggs at 8 a.m. on Nov. 1 at the Gateway Club in Waynesville.…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:13

Skating rink to open in Waynesville

The Smoky Mountain Sk8way, located next to the Waynesville Cycle Center on the Great Smoky Expressway, is scheduled to open in November. The skating rink and family entertainment center will offer public skating, birthday parties, a video arcade, ticket redemption…
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:11

Business notes

Anne Karner has joined the staff of Dogwood Women’s Health in Sylva as a certified midwife. Karner has worked at Harris Regional Hospital in Labor and Delivery for nearly 10 years, providing labor support for low- and high-risk obstetrical patients.…
Bryson City’s Marianna Black Library could be getting a facelift, and library leaders are looking to patrons for a grasp on exactly how to do that. In eight public input sessions held last week, Swain County Librarian Jeff Delfield and…
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 19:58

Women in Business address wide-ranging issues

Women in Haywood County looking to improve their business savvy can find support and inspiration from the Greater Haywood Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business seminar series, designed to educate local women and connect them to one another. The program,…
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 19:57

Wal-Mart renovation to be scaled back

The renovation of Haywood County’s former Wal-Mart will be delayed as architects revise the project to match its budget. Scott Donald of Padgett and Freeman Architects, who are planning the renovations for the now-county-owned building, told Haywood County commissioners at…
Hunters showed up en masse at a Haywood commissioners meeting to express their concerns about proposed changes to the ordinances stipulating how their dogs had to be tethered. While the revised ordinances do not include a prohibition on chaining or…
Haywood Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital have taken the next step in the affiliation that joined the three hospitals under the MedWest umbrella. The hospitals will now be known as MedWest-Haywood, MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain. MedWest…
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 19:51

Learn how to profit from your hobby Oct. 26

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled “Turning your Hobby into a Business” on Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 6-8 p.m. It will be held on campus in the Student Center Building, first floor.…
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 19:51

Swain sheriff receives federal grant

The Swain County Sheriff’s Office has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice under the 2010 COPS Hiring Program. The grant, in the amount of $125,811.00, will cover one officer position for a three-year period. The grant will…
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 19:50

Group schedules pet registration

Haywood Animal Welfare Association is holding a Microchip Clinic, Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Vance Street Park behind Bi-Lo in Waynesville.  For the cost of $15 the pet will be registered for life with HomeAgain.…
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 19:49

Registration under way for kids’ basketball

Haywood County Recreation & Parks Department is now accepting registration for the 2010-11 Kids Recreation Basketball League. Designed for ages 5-15, the recreation basketball league guarantees that each child will get the opportunity to play at least half of every…