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Wednesday, 08 May 2013 01:22

Bill would weaken newspapers as conduit for government oversight

Haywood County commissioners weighed the merits of saving money versus government transparency this week. State law requires counties and towns to publish notices of meetings, public hearings and contracts going out to bid in the local newspaper of record. Newspapers…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 01:19

New courthouse landscape to be less lush, more spartan

A new landscape plan for the Haywood County historic courthouse is mostly devoid of large shade trees, in stark contrast to the many stately sugar maples that graced the lawn until recently. Instead, it opts for just a handful of…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 01:17

Landslide kills railroad worker

A Waynesville man who works for Norfolk Southern Railway was buried and killed by a landslide in the middle of the night Sunday while surveying tracks for storm damage following a weekend of unrelenting rains throughout the region.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 01:15

Canton residents trapped after landslide blocks road

A landslide east of Canton took out a dirt road early Monday morning following two solid days of unceasing rains, blocking about 40 people in their homes who had no other way to get out of their neighborhood.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Some scarlet tanagers are orange

Last Saturday, I led a bird identification workshop for the Smoky Mountain Field School. We started out in the morning in a residential area (Minot Park) in Gatlinburg and worked our way into the higher elevations of the national park…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Park reopens trails damaged by tornado

Two trails that have been closed since 2011 after receiving extensive damage from a tornado in the western end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have finally been reopened. Park trail crews recently completed rehabilitation work on Beard Cane…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Market vendors get shelter form the storm

The Haywood County Health Department pitched in and gave away tents, tables, coolers and other equipment to vendors at area farmer’s markets last week, including Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market. The equipment was purchased through a Community Transformation Grant Project, which…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

French Broad trail map comes online

For paddlers looking to master the French Broad River, a new map is available online detailing the river’s paddle trail. The French Broad River Paddle Trail map includes river access points, campsites and river hazards in addition to nearby rafting…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Get ready for 12 hours of Tsali

A grueling, 12-hour mountain bike race will be held from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Tsali Recreation Area outside Bryson City. Riders can take the course solo or sign up with a team of four…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Azaleas in full bloom in Stecoah

The azalea garden at Stecoah Valley Center is in full bloom, but will only be for the next few weeks. Visitors are encouraged to go to the garden and spend an afternoon among the floral aroma and variety of amazing…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Volunteers needed at Pisgah wildlife center

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking volunteers to help at its Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education to accommodate a boost in visitation.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Haywood soccer season kicks off

Haywood County is now signing up players for its adult summer soccer leagues.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Park releases new species of predator beetles

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is planning to release two new predatory beetles to stop the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has devastated hemlock forests throughout the eastern United States.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Fishing class conjures images of Brad Pitt and leaping carp

Ever since I first watched Brad Pitt fly fishing in the film “The River Runs Through It,” I knew I wanted to be on any river that he was on. Unfortunately, I am not sure how much fly fishing he…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Water cents

What falls freely from the sky, rumbles, swooshes, rolls, trickles across the planet; seeps into the earth beneath our feet yet is more valuable than “Texas T,” that foul smelling icky crude that companies spend billions to produce, only to…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Advocates want to save little-known old growth pockets

Hidden among the expanse of forestland in Western North Carolina are little-known pockets of trees that are several centuries old. Either overlooked by loggers or too difficult to access, the old growth stands act as windows into the past and…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

A rural bookstore that beat the odds

“Bookshops are magic.” This quotation, buried in the middle of Wendy Welch’s The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book (ISBN 978-1-250-01063-6, $24.99), could serve as the banner…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Thea & The GreenMan and artist reception planned in Bryson

A folk concert and artist reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City. Thea & The GreenMan of Asheville will perform a concert of original…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Find the perfect gem for Mother’s Day at Gemboree

The Mother’s Day Gemboree will run from May 10-12 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Known as “The…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

A hopping weekend in and around Froglevel

Haywood Square to host block party A day of festivities for “Customer Appreciation Day” will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Haywood Square in Waynesville. There will be live music and children’s activities, food…

Tuesday, 07 May 2013 19:15

Haywood Art Council welcomes brass quintet for Sunday concert series

The Pyramid Brass Quintet will play at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville as part of the Haywood County Arts Council’s free Sunday Concert Series. Formed in 2001, the WNC-based band was drawn together…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Waynesville Rec center to throw ‘Spring Fling’ kids’ bash

The annual “Spring Fling” will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. There will be tubing in Richland Creek, a kid’s dog show, food, music, games for children and a water…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Franklin celebrates ‘Airing of the Quilts’

The annual “Airing of the Quilts” festival will be held May 10-11 in downtown Franklin. The event will feature an array of workshops, demonstrations and activities in honor of the tradition and pastime.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Habitat for Humanity recovers store treasure

A valuable piece of the history of the Rickman General Store in Macon County is back in its original home thanks to a contribution from Habitat for Humanity.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Jackson Arts Council contributes to musician fund

Jackson County Arts Council has arranged to donate the money collected in honor of the late Ray Menze to the Junior Appalachian Musicians of Jackson County.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Craft beer and canines in Frog Level

A Dogs and Suds fundraiser for Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

WCU professor nominated for Tony Award

Broadway star and Western Carolina University Musical Theatre Professor Terrence Mann was recently nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the revival of the production “Pippin.”

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Making crafts of the past come alive

In order to have a clear vision of the future, one must cherish the traditions of the past. “Southern Appalachian traditions are our heritage,” said Beth Woody. “They made us what we are today. To know who we are now,…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Sen. Davis going way too far to the right

To the Editor: Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and his extreme right-wing partisans have no problem wasting taxpayer money as long as he gets a headline and appears to be tough on the poor folks, as illustrated by his recent comments…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

What will you do about jack booted thugs?

To the Editor: Watching the YouTube videos (since removed) of the “jack booted thugs” trampling on our Third, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendment natural rights recently in the greater Boston area, I experienced a great sadness. Sadness because peace…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Meadows in the wrong on background checks

To the Editor: This is an open letter to Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., our district’s freshman congressman: Your vote to filibuster expanded background checks to purchase guns will haunt you through your next election. To defend your vote based on the…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Tribal Council vote on bear zoos disappointing

To the Editor: I am extremely disappointed in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribal Council (except members Perry Shell, Terri Henry and Bo Taylor) for allowing the bear zoos to continue in operation. It’s understood that the bears cannot be…

Wednesday, 08 May 2013 00:00

Where do we go when the public square fractures?

The “fractured public square” refers to the loss of the place where a community discusses ideas, politics and values. The ideal public square can be both a bonding agent and a place where one draws a line in the sand.…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:12

A book every naturalist needs on his or her shelf

Naturalist Donald Culross Peattie (1898-1964) was born in Chicago. In his autobiography The Road of a Naturalist (1941), Peattie recalled his first extended visit to the North Carolina mountains in 1906 as a time when he “saw the world of…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:05

Macon enviro group applauds local recyclers

Macon Pride, a county-based environmental organization, has recognized Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin for what it deems an exemplary recycling program. On a regular basis, Macon Pride highlights a local recycling program. The extensiveness and organization of the one at…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:05

Calling recruits to the bugle corps

Can you make it in the corps? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs volunteers to join the Elk Bugle Corps and assist rangers with managing traffic and providing information to visitors in Cataloochee Valley. Cataloochee is a remote mountain…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:04

WCU one of the greenest colleges in country

For the third consecutive year, Western Carolina University has been listed by The Princeton Review as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in North America.

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:03

Land trust earns top honors

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust has received national accreditation for its work in protecting treasured lands.

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:02

Smokies offers Mountains-to-Sea Trail hike and presentation

Folks interested in hiking a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail and learning a bit more about the storied path have a chance to chat with a MST guru in the Smokies Saturday, May 4.

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:00

Backpackers cautioned to keep food away from bears

As spring and backpacking season returns to the mountains, so does bear danger in the woods. A recent bear encounter, in which a bear got a hold of food that was hung from a tree, has prompted the U.S. Forest…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:59

When it rains – the tough go hiking

We’ve had a good run in the watershed. The Town of Waynesville has sponsored spring and fall guided hikes in its 8,000-plus acre watershed since 2007. The hikes provide a great way for residents and other interested parties to see…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:56

Get your green on

EcoFest will showcase more than four dozen demonstrators, vendors, information booths and organizations sharing tips and practical advice on how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Below is just a small sample.

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:53

EcoFest to put ‘green’ living at your finger tips

Haywood County is about to experience its newest festival: EcoFest, an ode to sustainability, agriculture and the environment. This year will be the first that EcoFest is taking place and will feature musical performances, kids’ games, demonstrations and vendors showcasing…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:48

For your culinary and reading pleasure

Most booklovers have suffered that “Oh, no” moment when a friend, with nothing but the best of intentions, presses an unfamiliar book into their hands with the words, “Read this — you’ll love it.” We receive the book with a…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:42

When will Americans learn that ‘blowback’ is real?

In 1953, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, at the urging of the British M16, overthrew democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. In a declassified report completed in 1954 on the 1953 operation, “blowback” for the first time entered the…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:41

MedWest Haywood appreciates volunteers

To the Editor: A smile, a touch, a simple “how are you today?” are some of what I hear and see every day as I walk the halls of Medwest Haywood. Rain, sunshine or snow, those smiles are the ever-present…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:41

Don’t allow filling in of floodplain

To the Editor: I am a local biologist and an avid outdoorsman and spend a great deal of my time for both business and pleasure in the stream. Historically, we have abused our floodplains all over the world. In many…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:40

Tell your reps to vote against fracking

To the Editor: Most of us have heard the term fracking by now. In states where this underground energy extraction method is being used, the track record is not good for the folks who live there. Contamination of drinking water,…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:39

Despite failure, time will come for gun legislation

The defeat of gun control legislation in the Senate wasn’t as much surprising as it was disappointing. This is one of those issues — like gay rights or even limits on tobacco advertising and use — that will eventually gain…

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:32

Stamp out hunger with mail carrier food drive

Mail carriers in Haywood County will collected non-perishable food items for the National Letter Carriers’ “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive on Saturday, May 11. Place canned goods or other non-perishable items in your mailbox before the mail carrier stops by…

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