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What’s in a name? What about Scat?

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Maybe. Shakespeare seemed to think so at least. But what about, um, fecal matter? Would it too retain its aromatic qualities under other names?

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By Katie Polonsky

I’m a firm believer that when reading a novel, you bring to it the whole of your perspective on the world. You bring hopes, beliefs, experiences, biases.

Speaking of biases, I should warn you: I’m a diehard Harry Potter fan. On July 20th , I lined up to happily endure the claustrophobia-inducing madness that was the Tunnel Road Barnes and Noble to procure my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as close to midnight as possible. I spent the hours counting down to the big moment sprawled on the floor as I worked with little concentration on a crossword puzzle, my iPod crammed securely in my ears to insure no unwanted spoilers invaded my carefully guarded anticipation. I had avoided the Internet for days, refused to watch the news, and acted as though I’d been struck with a severe case of agoraphobia.

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It’s a first for the president and a first for Macon County.

Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees named the new Macon Campus after the college’s President Cecil Groves, whom they called “the visionary leader” behind the project. The name of the 27,600- square-foot building on Siler Road will be the Cecil L. Groves Center.

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By David Curtis

As a schoolteacher you always wonder how your students will remember you.

“She was a good teacher, but she smelled like garlic,” was my daughter’s comment when the name of a former teacher came up in conversation.

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By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

A sudden turn of events in Haywood County’s bidding for a 22-acre tract slated for use as a park has exposed an overwhelming desire for recreation in the Jonathan Creek and Maggie Valley areas.

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Has there ever been a workforce reduction at HRMC in the past 15 years, and does this workforce reduction indicate any long-term financial problems?

This re-engineering process is similar to 1993 when I first arrived. In 1993 there were different issues and work force reduction was not a necessary strategy. The changes we are now making are responding to the changing indicators of the current healthcare system.

The re-engineering process we are going through is the solution to avoid any possible long-term financial problems. Projected revenues were not realized which called for an adjustment in expenses. This was an opportunity to re-engineer the organization to achieve a higher level of operating efficiency.

What is total number of employees at HRMC? (total and full-time equivalencies)

734 FTE’s and 205 part timers, a total of 939 employees.

Has the hospital experienced a net loss in recent months?

The total excess margin fiscal year to date April was 5.18, May was 4.70, June 3.61. The monthly margins for the month of April was -2.19 and June -5.09. In view of the two months losses and the trend of decreasing margins, it was clear that changes needed to be made.

What departments were the workforce reductions in?

Re-engineering occurred in every department including nursing where a number of supervisory positions were transferred to bedside patient care. No bedside nursing positions were reduced. In fact bed side care coverage was increased.

How much of the reduction was achieved through attrition/retirement, how much was through layoffs, how much was through transferring to other departments?

There were 5 administrative positions that we were not able to place through attrition/retirement or transfers to other departments. These personnel will be given first option as the demand for new positions occur.

The press release said the workforce reduction of 36 positions resulted in only five layoffs. How significant are the savings if only five people were actually laid off?

The savings were not measured based on five employees. Savings occurred through attrition and merging positions within departments. The merging process is referred to as a re-engineering of the organization to achieve a higher level of productivity, increasing efficiency, and producing a higher level of quality. It is believed this strategy, which is used by other hospitals and industries will save approximately $ 1.6.million over a twelve month period.

Was there not enough work to go around for the existing staff, or, do these layoffs mean some departments are short-staffed?

Most of these changes were recommended by HRMC Directors. Our mutual understanding was that no changes would be made that would affect quality care. Their successful efforts to share functions and cross over departmental lines made the re-engineering process work very well.

Is the reduction connected to the overall nurse restructuring?

Ms Harris began the process in nursing shortly after her arrival in February. Administration had begun considering changes needed to enhance the delivery of patient care and services prior to her arrival. I conducted a national search to assure the highest level of expertise would be employed to produce an improved level of patient care.

At the surgery center public hearing, we heard about staff taking a mandatory day off to help save on payroll. Was this administration only or other employees as well? Did this not do the trick to save money?

A mandatory day off without pay was requested of our Department Directors. I also requested two days off without pay for HRMC Administrators including myself. Re-engineering involved a serious commitment to achieving efficiencies which should result in cost reductions. The example starts with leadership.

Is this an odd time for a downturn in patient census, during the summer months when second-home owners are in town and the population in the community is up?

We have discussed this with our medical staff leadership only to learn that volumes tend to be down across the board. Medical staff leadership has not been able to find a negative reason.

Is the lack of orthopedic services, namely no on-call orthopedists, one reason for lackluster patient census?

We have half of the on-call covered. However, covering only half call has an impact. Based on the progress we have made in our recent recruitment efforts we are encouraged that a resolve may be in the making by the end of this year.

Has the ER transition contributed to census being down?

Emergency visits this year- to- date are up by 4%.

How will the new surgery center potentially bring up patient volume and/or revenue, and does this cash-flow issue jeopardize the $16.5 million center?

Our current surgery system, although a safe one, is inefficient and cost ineffective for the hospital, the surgeons, and the patients. Demographics show HRMC has significant growth potential in surgical services that cannot be met in our current facility. Our success in delivering an efficient and cost effective surgery program is required in order to grow the organization. The surgery center, including space for additional services remains on schedule. Its successful completion is critical to sustaining a quality hospital for this community.

Will the layoff affect public support for the surgery center?

Re-engineering the organization to be accountable to the public for a well run organization, I should think is what the public expects and will support.

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By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

A bill hailed by state and local officials as a way to help pad the bank accounts of county governments may not turn out to be as simple, or as lucrative, as it initially appeared.

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By Michael Beadle

So you think you’ve got singing talent? Think you have what it takes to leap and strut on a Broadway stage? Think you’re ready for the bright lights?

Young actors, dancers and singers from around the country came to Western Carolina University last week to take part in the first-ever Broadway in the Mountains camp, an intensive week-long study that featured master classes in auditioning techniques, scene study, dance, song interpretation and all aspects of a musical theatre performance.

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By Chris Cooper

Ronnie McCoury: Little Mo’ McCoury

You’d be hard pressed to find a family more deserving of the title “bluegrass royalty” than Del McCoury and sons. Over the years, the group has epitomized the idea of keeping it in the family, and not for the sake of novelty. McCoury’s kids literally grew up on the road with their father, surrounded by all things musically high and lonesome, as well as anything that could be picked, strummed, plucked or bowed.

With all this in mind, it’s really no surprise that mandolinist/vocalist Ronnie McCoury would bring the many facets of the family concept together with Little Mo’ McCoury, an all bluegrass, all children’s album that has more than enough appeal to reach those of us that passed “knee high to a grasshopper” status long ago.

Tackling anyone from Dylan to Randy Newman to Woody Guthrie (and that’s just in the first three tunes) the purpose here is clear from the start — make an album that kids will love, without sacrificing musicality or resorting to the “Barney” styled goofiness that tends to plague many such projects.

Each track is introduced with a different tyke reading off the song title, and from there you get the best of all available worlds: the genetically perfect harmonies of the McCoury clan, the occasional giggle inducing (especially for the toddler set) moo or cluck or insert-barn-animal-noise-here sound effect (as on their excellent rendition of “Man Gave Names To All The Animals”) and appropriately virtuosic picking from everyone involved.

Maybe it’s kind of a cliché, but I’ll say it anyway: the key to making an album like this work is whether you can hear the players having fun in their performances, which obviously wasn’t a problem for these guys. From the call and response banjo conversation on “Mama’s Blues” to McCoury’s bouncing arrangement of “The Fox” to a perfectly lovely little take on “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (which I’d imagine will help send many little ones off to dream) Little Mo’ McCoury packs 18 tunes into less than an hour’s time, offers something engaging on each track. It’s easily the most listenable children’s album to come along in a very long time.

Pick and grin? How about pick and giggle?

Merle Haggard: The Bluegrass Sessions

If ever there’s a country music Rushmore carved into an unsuspecting mountain somewhere, Waylon, Willie, Merle and Johnny are the shoe-ins for stone-carved portraiture.

Over the years each artist has managed to dabble in multiple genres while retaining their individual personalities, whether it was Cash taking on Trent Reznor or Willie stepping into the world of reggae, or the various collaborations that brought them together, like the first Highwaymen album (albeit without Haggard) or Haggard's enthusiastic foray into western swing on his hard-to-find tribute album to Bob Wills. And each has been at the forefront of true “country” music from its very beginnings, able to create amazing music and make a difference no matter what the current climate of the genre might be.

Produced by Ronnie Reno, son of bluegrass legend Don Reno, and with a stellar cast of players assembled by the inimitable Marty Stuart, The Bluegrass Sessions strikes a fine balance between Haggard’s deep country roots and a respect for bluegrass tradition, right down to having the players cut the songs live in a circle, reacting to Haggard’s every nuance and vocal inflection.

Some of the drive and momentum of traditional bluegrass is sacrificed to better suit his delivery, but in return the listener is rewarded with much more sensitive playing from all involved, especially that of Dobro virtuoso Rob Ickes, who steals the show time and again with gorgeous fills and accompaniment — check out his moody, melodic playing on “Mama’s Prayers” and tasty phrasing during “Wouldn’t That Be Something.”

By surrounding himself with players equally at home in the worlds of bluegrass and country, Haggard makes The Bluegrass Sessions sound like a perfectly logical step. But at the core of it all is his songwriting, be it re-workings of classic tunes like “Big City” or hearing Hag take on Wal-Mart, Bush, crappy karaoke bars and pervasive American complacency on “What Happened?”

Blues, bluegrass, country ... whatever — Merle’s the man, as if we even have to be reminded of that fact. Wonderful stuff.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

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By John Armour

If you’ve read many of these columns you know I’m addicted to politics. My spouse, among others, tells me from time to time to cut it out. You may also know I live in a restored farmhouse at the end of a half-mile gravel road in Highlands. There is a connection between those two facts.

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By Chris Cooper

So, answer me this: how many people, artists especially, can maintain a vital career for 38 years and counting? Musically speaking, how many of them could possibly continue performing material from their first few albums and still manage to find new places to go with it, new colors and interpretations even after countless lineup changes, deaths, drug debacles and all manner of inner turmoil, let alone the multitude of cultural climate shifts that inevitably come with doing anything for nearly 40 years?

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By Michael Beadle

Maggie Valley’s annual running event is only days away, and it looks to be regaining its reputation as one of Western North Carolina’s biggest races.

As of last week, the number of registrants for the Maggie Valley Moonlight Race was up by more than 100 percent when compared to registrations during the same period last year. Race Director Wendy Johnson and her crew of volunteers are expecting an even larger draw this year.

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By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

The woman at the forefront of Haywood Community College’s progressive new vision of sustainability didn’t come to the college to champion that cause. Her vast life experiences, though, did help to mold her desire for a better world.

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By Brett Martin

Western North Carolina is rich with great literature written on the region, and there are still a few jewels that have gone largely unnoticed or are forgotten. One of these would have to be Eliot Porter’s Appalachian Wilderness: The Great Smoky Mountains that included a “Natural and Human History” by the late Edward Abbey and was published in 1973.

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Haywood County experienced its best tourism year ever during the 2006-2007 fiscal year, according to lodging tax figures released by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

From July 2006 through June 2007, Haywood County accommodations collected more than $700,000 in occupancy tax — a 3 percent fee charged to guests who stay at a lodging facility within the county. That’s a 7 percent jump in occupancy tax revenue from the previous fiscal year and the most in Haywood County history.

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By Michael Beadle

Actress Barbara Bates Smith was bound to meet novelist Lee Smith.

Back in 1985, a friend sent Barbara Smith a newspaper article about Lee Smith. Then, Barbara read another article about the writer in the New York Times. Meanwhile, another friend from Wilson, N.C., sent word that she had just seen Lee Smith give a reading and said Barbara absolutely had to meet the author.

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One thing I've noticed over these years of teaching guitar lessons is the principle that not only do we all start in the same place — suddenly finding yourself in the ownership of an instrument that proves in mere seconds to be much tougher to figure out than you originally anticipated — but that many budding rock stars still want to learn the same little batch of classic riffs, regardless of the year or what's “popular” on the radio or MTV or whatever else is happening within reach of eager eyes and developing ears.

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Last week Jackson County commissioners passed what is being called the strongest set of development regulations in North Carolina. They’ve set a standard for other counties to follow, and we think they’ve accomplished this in a manner that won’t hurt the home-building industry that has become so important to Western North Carolina.

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By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

One of the driest periods in the last 118 years is prompting TVA to draw down waters on Fontana Lake to wintertime levels, a move costing boat dock owners thousands of dollars of business.

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By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

If Dr. Rose Johnson has her way, the future campus of Haywood Community College will serve as a model of sustainable practices. The college is making it its goal to practice what it preaches.

“Our intention is to demonstrate sustainability by becoming good stewards ourselves,” Johnson says.

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Sign-ups are underway for an adult soccer league in Haywood County.

The league is run by Haywood County Recreation & Parks and includes an open league and a women’s-only league.

Games will be played on Sunday afternoons at Allens Creek Park in Waynesville from Sept. 16 through Nov. 4. 

Teams can have a maximum roster of 13 people. 

Anyone who doesn’t have a team but wants to get on one can put in their name to get on a team with openings.

The registration fee is $365 per team and includes a soccer jersey for each player. Register by Sept. 5.

828.452.6789 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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The 2012 Freestyle Kayaking World Cup Champion will culminate Sept. 7-9 on the Nantahala River with athletes from more than 17 countries and five continents. Competition will go from about 10 a.m. to around 7 p.m. each day. Spectators can expect shaded riverside seating, a live DJ and event announcer.

Southwestern Community College student volunteers will be hosting kids’ activities riverside near Slow Joe’s Cafe on Saturday afternoon from 1-4 p.m., including face painting, coloring and a variety of games.

There will be free live music on Friday and Saturday evenings after the competition. On Sunday, there will be a riverside awards ceremony.

Parking will be available from remote lots in the Gorge with free shuttles to and from the event site approximately every 10 minutes. Silvermine Road intersects U.S. 19/74 in the Nantahala River Gorge across from the NOC Outfitters Store.

Live video streaming will be at FreestyleKayaking2013.com.

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The Cherokee Harvest Half-Marathon and 5K will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, in Cherokee.

Both races will start and finish on the stadium track at the Acquoni Expo Center. The 5K is flat and travels through the main commercial district of Cherokee. The half-marathon ventures into some of Cherokee’s communities and is also flat except for one hill at mile six.

Native Cherokee food, including pumpkin soup, awaits runners at the finish line. The first 300 registered runners will receive a swag package that includes a Nike N7 shirt, a zipped cinch bag and fleece beanie, in addition to the long-sleeve tech shirt and finisher medallion all runners receive. More than 230 runners have registered so far. Cost if $40 for half-marathon or $25 for 5K. www.CherokeeHarvestHalf.com.

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out 5KA 5K race will be held at Western Carolina University at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, as part of festivities for the annual Mountain Heritage Day festival. 

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out bigcoveA 34-acre tract along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesville has been preserved, protecting important views along the scenic road from encroaching development in the future.

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The Southern Green Living Expo will offer a weekend of solution-based, interactive, family oriented events on a host of environmental topics aimed at sustainable living Sept. 14-16 in Asheville.

Hundreds of exhibitors, workshops and demontrations will show people how to live a greener lifestyle while saving money. Topics include renewable energy, alternative transportation, sustainable agriculture, green building, buying local, recycling, eco-friendly living and reducing your carbon footprint.

Vendors and exhibits at the expo will feature local businesses, nonprofits, artists, and cutting-edge products that are all working for a more sustainable environment. Demonstrations will feature the newest trends on the forefront of the green economy.

Held at the U.S. Cellular Center (Asheville Civic Center) in downtown Asheville. 828.255.2526 or www.southerngreenlivingexpo.com.

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Waynesville will have compost and double-ground mulch available for pickup from 8 a.m. to noon at the town yard waste landfill Oct. 15-17. 

For compost, prices per load are $10 for a regular pickup or trailer and $60 for a tandem truck. For double-ground mulch, prices per load are $10 for a small pickup, $25 for a regular pickup, $100 for a tandem truck and $200 for a roll-off. Tandem trucks and roll-offs will be allowed Oct. 15-17 only. A limited amount of single-ground mulch will be available for $10 per load regardless of truck size. 

Cash or check only. Loads must be covered. The landfill is on Bible Baptist Drive off Russ Avenue, near the bypass on-ramp for U.S. 74. Go straight through the gate at the end of Bible Baptist Drive and see the attendant.

The sale will be canceled in case of wet weather. 828.456.3706. 

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The Great Smoky Mountains Association will gather for three days of hiking, special programs and camaraderie in Bryson City Sept. 14-16.

Outings will include an early morning bird walk and a fern walk, as well as talks on the Smokies’ elk herd, nature journaling, Horace Kephart’s Camp Cookery and a live birds of prey program. There will also be group hikes.

The annual weekend gathering is for members only.

www.smokiesinformation.org or 865.436.7318.

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A new farmer’s market has joined the local food scene in the mountains. The ‘Whee Farmer’s Market in Cullowhee community of Jackson County is open Wednesday night from 5 p.m. until dusk through October. All locally grown and produced plants, vegetable and eggs. It is located beside Cullowhee United Methodist and behind BB&T and Cat’s Nip Cafe in central WCU campus. 828.476.0334

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Trail advocates from several states will converge for the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition annual gathering Sept. 20-23 at Falls Creek Falls State Park outside Chattanooga, Tenn.

The conference features a packed line-up of speakers, group hikes and workshops. 

Some of the many program topics include: writing trail guides, serving as a trail ambassador, Leave No Child Inside, maintaining trails in wilderness areas, fixes for poorly designed trails, acquiring land for trails and trail protection.

Several hiking clubs and trail organizations from Western North Carolina will be attending to learn new tools and build camaraderie with like-minded hikers from more than 40 trail groups.

www.southeastfoottrails.com.

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Trail users are invited to share their ideas for a comprehensive regional trail plan at a public workshop from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Jackson County Library. 

In particular, the regional trail plan will identify trail needs, such as a possible Mountains-to-Sea Trail connection between Bryson City and Sylva, and help tie together the greenway visions of neighboring communities into a regional system.

“There’s always been a lot of interest in hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding in this region,” said Sarah Graham, regional planner for the Southwestern Commission. “We hope to take some of the plans already completed by counties and towns and organize them into a cohesive regional vision for future trails.”

The workshop is being hosted by the Southwestern Commission as part of regional trail plan underway for seven counties in Western North Carolina.

 Southwestern Commission, through a grant from the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation and its State Trails Program, is leading the regional trails inventory and concept plan for Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties. Other workshops will be scheduled in other counties this fall. 

The plan will result in a region-wide map of existing hiking trails, greenways, mountain bike trails, and some on-road bicycle routes. It will also include recommendations, based on public input, on where new trails, greenways or routes could go.

828.586.1962, ext. 212.

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out bigcoveA guided hike along picturesque cascades of Big Creek in the Haywood County section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be held Thursday, Sept. 20.

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Photos of wildlife and special places taken by members of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will be shared during a special program at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, in Highlands.

The evening will include a presentation of Ed Boos of Scaly Mountain, a nature photographer who currently has work on display at The Bascoms.

Boos and his wife Cindy have traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada photographing and filming large mammalian predators in some of the iconic Western National Parks as well as nesting behavior and rearing of chicks among birds of prey. Ed’s stunning photos and Cindy’s videos from their trips present memorable images of these special animals in their natural habitats.

They will also share entertaining stories from the extensive time spent photographing these iconic species.

Held at Highlands Civic Center. Refreshments start at 7 p.m. Free. 

www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

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Go behind the scenes at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute during a special program held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14.

Tours of the campus will include the new $1.3 million renovations to the Research Building, StarLab planetarium programs and project demonstrations by students, researchers and PARI staff. The hands-on evening will include the opportunity to talk one-on-one with PARI scientists.

The event, sponsored by the Friends of PARI, includes a keynote presentation by Stephen Saucier, executive director of the NC Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative.

Located in the Pisgah Forest in Transylvania County.

828.862.5554 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Jay Erskine Leutze will discuss his book, Stand Up That Mountain at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Leutze’s book tells of his role in defending a small mountain town on the Appalachian Trail from a large-scale gravel mine operation. 

Leutze, has become a leading voice for state and federal conservation funding for investment in public lands. He is a Trustee for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, one of the nation’s most established land trusts.

828.587.2233.

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bookBy Brent Martin

It is a rare event these days to come across a work of non-fiction dealing with any environmental issue that does not leave one with feelings of despair and loss. Author Jay Leutze, however, has given us a tale of how one little corner of Appalachia, when galvanized to stand up for their homes and natural resources, persevered in the face of despair and overwhelming odds, and won. But Stand Up That Mountain is more than just the story of how the Dog Town community in Avery County, N.C., hung in there for years to ultimately defeat the Putnam rock quarry, it is also a blow by blow account of Leutze’s development as a conservationist — now one of North Carolina’s most valuable and treasured — who had moved to his old family home on Yellow Mountain in the Roan Highlands to withdraw from some such distractions in order to follow his passion to become a writer.

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Fall storytimes to get under way at Sylva library

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will begin its fall storytime schedule at 11 a.m. on Sept. 10 featuring a volunteer reader from Sylva’s Rotary Club.

The Rotary Readers program is held every Monday at 11 a.m. The theme for the month of September is “harvest time.”

Tuesday storytime at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11 will be devoted to “What grandparents do best.” An afternoon storytime is held on Wednesdays at 1 p.m., with grandparents as the theme on Sept. 12. Fridays will feature two storytimes, one at 11 a.m. (“How to babysit a grandpa” on Sept. 14) and another (“Storytime with Miss Sally”) at 3:30 p.m.

Family night at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, will mimic camping with a campfire and s’mores.

There are storytimes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with family night activities on Thursday evenings. The event is free.

The programs are co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

828.586.2016.

 

PLAYFEST brings prize-winning playwrights’ works to Cashiers

PLAYFEST, a fully staged reading of eight of some of the best short plays from around the country, goes up at the Albert Carlton Cashiers Community Library at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15.

The hilarious and poignant plays, many written by prize-winning playwrights, include “Martin’s Dilemma” by David M. Sirois of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; “Crisis Line” by Dan Borengasser of Springdale, Ariz.;  “Change of Plans” by Dennis Jones of Powhatan, Va.; “Missed Connections” by Marj O’Neill Butler of Miami Beach, Fla.; “Scripted” and “Misfortune” by Mark H. Levine of Pasadena, Cali.; “An Answer to Their Prayers” by Hank Kimmel of Atlanta, Ga.: and “Forever Young” by Mary Unterbrink of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Friends of the Library is sponsoring PLAYFEST. Friends of the Library is the major contributor to the daily operation of the Cashiers Community Library. Funds are provided primarily through membership dues and donations. Membership is open to all.

 

HCC to offer seminar on marketing for artisans

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar called “Marketing for the Craftsperson & Artist Part I” from 2-5 p.m. on Sept. 13, on the first floor of the student center. Part two will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 14 in the same location.

The program will aid the craftsperson or artist in developing a marketing plan aimed at increasing sales and profit and will emphasize excellence in product as well as efficient ways to broaden public awareness through effective advertising.

The presenter is Linda Rozelle of Greensboro. Rozelle has a diverse background in commercial art, has designed hundreds of corporate identity programs nationwide and has been nationally recognized for excellence in advertising. Audiences have found Roselle’s creativity and humor a captivating vehicle as she delivers a strong message for the small business owner and entrepreneur.

828.627.4512.

 

Free arts and crafts workshop for kids

Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free “Many Cultures” ARTSaturday workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 8, in the children’s area of the Macon County Public Library.

Make-and-take projects include Egyptian paper beads and Mexican sunflowers. Daughters of the American Revolution will visit in period costume and share some of our country’s history. Keyboardist Lionel Caynon will provide live music. Ice cream treats also will be served.

There’s no pre-registration; children should wear play clothes. Adults must stay with their children. The library is off Siler Road in Franklin, adjacent to Southwestern Community College.

The Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, supports the ARTSaturday series.

www.artscouncilofmacon.org or phone 828-524-7683.

 

Craft demonstrations at Dogwood Crafters

Craft demonstrations will begin in September at Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro. Craftsmen will demonstrate their work and discuss their craft at the store through the month of October.

Betsey Sloan will weave baskets and answer questions from noon to 3 p.m. on Sept. 7. Sloan has written the 2011 book Antler Art for Baskets and Gourds. She hails from New England, where she owned an artisan gallery in Vermont and has been making baskets for 20 years.

Ron Yount will demonstrate woodcarving from 2-4 p.m. on Sept. 9. A retired educator from Jackson County, Yount has been carving for more than 25 years. He will discuss many types of woodcarving, including relief carving, creative carving, spirit-face carving and “carving in the round.”

Barbara Spitzer will make scarecrows and share techniques for creating this autumn decoration from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 11.

These crafters, along with the future scheduled demonstrators, are Dogwood Crafters and have their works for sale at the shop in Dillsboro. Dogwood Crafters is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with evening hours until 9 p.m. in October.

828.586.2248.

 

Bates Smith to retell ‘quirky lady’ stories

Actress Barbara Bates Smith has cooked up a new program — a preview of “quirky lady” short stories by North Carolina writers, with musical accompaniment by Jeff Sebens.

Smith will perform the stories at 1 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Senior Resource Center on Elmwood Way in Waynesville.

The stories are “Derva’s Chair” and “Daisy Wars” by Ruth Moose, “It Had Wings” by Allan Gurganus and “Everett as Bacchus” by Joy Bartlett. A discussion will follow the performance.

828.452.2370

 

“Mother Jones” play comes to Jackson

The one-woman play “Mother Jones” by local playwright and cultural historian Gary Carden will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 in the Community Room at the Jackson County Library Complex.

“Mother Jones,” a.k.a. Mary Harris, was a labor and community activist in the late nineteenth century. She organized mill and coal workers, fighting for the rights of women and children who were exposed to unsafe and unhealthy work conditions. “Mother Jones” will be portrayed by Laura Chew, a storyteller, actress, writer and naturalist who resides in Macon County.

Jackson County Arts Council, which is a part of the North Carolina Arts Council, will sponsor the event. Tickets will be available the night of the performance, one hour prior to show time and are $10 for adults, $5 for students and children. 

828.507.9820 or 828.507.9531.

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The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s 11th Annual RailFest will be held the weekend of Sept. 15 and 16 in Bryson City. The festival offers guests a taste of railroading, food, memorabilia, storytelling, dance, music, special excursions and events.

“Steam” will be returning to the Bryson City Depot for the festivities. Also making a return is “The Little Engine That Could” and Lehigh Valley Coal Co. #126. The two engines will be partnering up to provide Caboose train rides throughout the weekend. All trains depart from Bryson City to Whittier on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and on Sunday at 1:45 p.m.

A small selection of historical motorcars will be featured. The track cars were formerly used on railroads to inspect track and carry track gangs and their tools to work zones.

The festival will include an authentic mountain craft fair with 30 area crafters and artists displaying and selling their handmade crafts, pottery and artwork. Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will present local entertainment featuring singing, dancing and mountain folk music. There will be vendors, a children’s talent contest and winner’s jamboree, with luegrass, old time mountain music and folk performed by various local bands

Festivites downtown are free but to ride the train adult tickets start at $35 and $17.50 for Children (2-12). 

828.488.7024 or www.GSMR.com

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art musiciansFlutist Kate Steinback and guitarist Amy Brucksch will play in concert at 3 p.m. on Sept. 16 at the Canton library.

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Don Williams, a highly acclaimed country music singer and songwriter, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

Williams is back on the road after almost five years of retirement, playing to sold-out houses all across the country. Charting 17 number one songs and more than 40 Top Ten singles, Williams is a true American classic. His hits include “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “Amanda,” and “Tulsa Time.” Williams has earned many awards throughout his career. In 2010, he received country music’s highest honor when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

Williams has been referred to as country music’s “gentle giant.” His soft tone and connection to his music is friendly and inviting. Fans often find themselves able to relate to the message in his songs.  

Tickets are $29 and can be purchased online or at the theatre’s box office located at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin.

www.GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.

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art sinatraThe sounds of Frank Sinatra will arrive at Western Carolina University on Sept. 16 for the first installment of the 2012-13 Galaxy of Stars Series.

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Disc jockey Alan Price will be hosting a “Golden Oldies Sock Hop Extravaganza” at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center from 2-11 p.m.on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

The event will feature Price, The Dovells (“Bristol Stomp) and Jimmy Clanton (“Venus in Blue Jeans”). There will be a meet and greet from 2-5 p.m., with the show starting in the auditorium at 7 p.m. Besides music and dancing, there will also be prizes given out to the best ‘50s and ‘60s attire. 

Tickets available at www.LakeJunaluska.com or 800.222.4930.

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The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be held from 2:30-5 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the community room on the second floor of the old courthouse in the Jackson County Library Complex in Sylva.

Ron Arps will call the dance to the music of “Out of the Woodwork.” There will also be a potluck dinner following the contra dance, starting at 5:30 p.m. Please bring a covered dish, plate, cup and cutlery and a water bottle.

All dances are done to live music. Local musicians are invited to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing. No previous experience with contra dancing is necessary. All dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No partner is required.

Contra dancing is a form of English country dancing and uses many of the same figures as square dancing such as circles, stars and swings.

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Trumpet player Brandon Craswell will perform a free recital at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 in the Coulter Building recital hall on the campus of Western Carolina University. 

Craswell is an assistant professor of trumpet at the University of Georgia. Accompanying him will be P. Bradley Ulrich, a professor of trumpet at WCU, and Douglas Jurs, an assistant professor of piano and music theory at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga.

The program will include works by Igor Stravinsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Hennecken, Isaac Albéniz, Francis Poulenc, George Gershwin, Jules Levy and Johannes Brahms.

Adept at classical and jazz, Craswell holds a doctoral degree in musical arts from the University of Kentucky. He played Carnegie Hall with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and has played abroad in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Italy and Russia.

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The next community music jam at the library in Bryson City will be from 6-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 6 in the library auditorium or, weather permitting, on the library’s front lawn.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle or dulcimer (anything unplugged) is invited to join. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City. Barnett starts by calling out a tune, and its key signature, and the group plays it together. Then, everyone in the circle gets a chance to choose a song for the group to play together.

The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month at Marianna Black Library, located at the corner of Academy and Rector

828.488.3030.

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Accordion stars to appear in Maggie Valley

The second annual Smoky Mountain Accordion Festival will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Maggie Valley Club. The event will showcase regional accordionists from Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, with an evening concert featuring Tony Lovello and Walter Kasprzyk. 

Tickets for the event are $20. 828.734.2975.

 

Community Band to play free show in Maggie

Haywood Community Band will present its fourth installment of the Maggie Valley Concert Series at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16. The band will play “Sounds from the Silver Screen,” which includes themes from “Mission Impossible,” “Schindler’s List,” “A Tribute to Mancini,” and other themes from popular movies of the past. 

Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association, the free performance will be at the pavilion adjacent to the Maggie Valley Town Hall on Soco Road. Bring a picnic dinner. The next scheduled concert thereafter is Sunday, Oct. 21. 

828.456.4880 or www.HaywoodCommunityBand.org

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Karen Peck and New River, an award-winning Southern gospel group from Gainesville, Ga., and The Kingsmen Quartet, a Southern gospel quartet out of Asheville, will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

In 1991, Peck and her sister, Susan, along with her husband, Rickey, formed the group Karen Peck and New River. They have received many awards, including two Dove Awards, and have been nominated for three Grammys.

The Kingsmen have won multiple Singing News Fan Awards and have received many Grammy and Dove Award nominations. In 2000, they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Tickets start at $15. Reserve tickets online or at the theater’s box office located at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin.

www.GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.

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art nitrograssThe Highlands Performing Arts Center will present the Bluegrass Duel 8 p.m. on Sept. 15. The event will feature Asheville’s Nitrograss (pictured) and Athen’s Packway Handle.

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Kids can enjoy a wide range of youth art classes at The Bascom this September and October.

Creation Station, a make-and-take, make-your-own-masterpiece class, will run from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, Sept. 1 through Oct. 27. The class is open to ages 5-9. Cost is $5. No pre-registration is required.

After-School Art Adventure will take place from 3:15-4:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 18 through Oct. 23. The course, for ages 5-9, will include individual and collaborative projects and experiment with everything from painting, ceramics and sculpture to printmaking and collage. Snacks are provided.  Class size is limited; pre-registration is required. The cost is $30 for a six-week session.

Friends Around the Globe will allow students, ages 8-12, to explore different cultures through various art projects. The program, which will occur from 3:15-4:30 p.m. Sept. 15 and 29 and Oct. 13 and 27, is presented in partnership with the International Friendship Center. No pre-registration required. Cost is $5 per class.

Scholarship opportunities are available.

www.TheBascom.org or 828.526.4949.

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ColorFest’s “Art & Taste of Appalachia Artist’s Reception” will be held at the historical Jarrott House in Dillsboro at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6.

Locally selected fine artists representing Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham and Haywood counties are bringing their artwork to the reception and will be handed over to the merchants of Dillsboro to display in their shops for the month of September. The Dillsboro merchants will be bringing their favorite recipes. Catch the Spirit of Appalachia board members will be present to help handle the artwork.

The reception kicks off ColorFest, “Art & Taste of Appalachia” coming up on Oct. 6. Selected artists will be demonstrating their art on the streets of Dillsboro with local musicians and North Carolina food on hand.

Preview the artist’s works at www.yurtstudiocom/myblog/blog6.php.

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