Admin

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

art zztopTickets are currently on sale for upcoming performances by comedian Ron White, funk group Kool & The Gang and rock band ZZ Top at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Comment

art mtnoasisThe inaugural Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit will be Oct. 25-27 in downtown Asheville. 

Comment

art jax grantsThe Jackson County Arts Council announced its 2013-14 grant recipients.

Comment

art smcpaThe Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts announced its new general manager, Paul Garner.  

Comment

The 25th annual Haywood Apple Harvest Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Waynesville.

The festival features arts, crafts, live music, dance groups, food vendors and children’s activities. Key events include the Southern Appalachian Cloggers at 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., Simple Folk at 1 p.m. and Lorraine Conard Band at 3:30 p.m.

Free.

www.haywoodapplefest.com

Comment

Homecoming Weekend will be Oct. 24-27 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. This year’s theme is “Whee Are Catamounts!”

Public activities will begin with the “Last Lecture” by Professor Burton Ogle at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 24, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building, followed by a Spirit Night Pep Rally at 7:30 p.m. at WCU’s Central Plaza. 

The annual Alumni Scholarship Homecoming Golf Tournament will tee off at noon Oct. 25, at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa. The cost of $85 per person includes fees, cart and a buffet dinner. RSVPs are requested by Oct. 18. 877.440.9990 or 828.227.7335 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Also that day, the Homecoming Parade will begin at 6:15 p.m. in downtown Sylva.  

The inaugural Catamount Chaos Homecoming 5K will start at 9 a.m. Oct. 26, at WCU’s Central Plaza. Preregistration is available online at www.imathlete.com. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.8804. Events on Oct. 26 will continue with the Chancellor’s Brunch and Alumni Awards Ceremony from 10 a.m. until noon in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center. $15 per person. Football tailgating will begin at noon, with the game — the Catamounts vs. the Elon Phoenix — at 3:30 p.m. Tickets to the game are available from the WCU athletics ticket office at 800.344.6928. Postgame activities will include the WCU African-American Alumni Reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Illusions at A.K. Hinds University Center. Stompfest, the annual stepping competition sponsored by WCU’s Organization of Ebony Students and Department of Intercultural Affairs, will begin at 8 p.m. at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. www.fapac.wcu.edu or 828.227.2479. Rising country music star Kacey Musgraves will perform at 9 p.m. at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center. www.ramsey.wcu.edu or 828.227.7677.

Homecoming 2013 activities will conclude Oct. 27 with a concert by WCU’s Inspirational Choir at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 27, in the University Center Grandroom.

homecoming.wcu.edu.

Comment

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will show the film “Appalachian Impressions,” Friday, Oct. 18, at Drake Educational Center in Franklin. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments, followed by the film, trail information, a meet-and-greet with hikers, expert speakers and a raffle. 

The film features stories from hikers who have hiked the Appalachian Trail, and about the changing seasons and different trail towns along the route from Georgia to Maine. The film is on a 15-city nationwide tour and is part of a push by the conservancy to sign up 2,180 new members this year, one new member for each mile of the Appalachian Trail.

Registration for the event includes a membership to the conservancy. Tickets are $30 per adult and are available online.

www.appalachiantrail.org.

Comment

An ongoing, multi-state investigation to disrupt illegal animal trafficking online has netted 62 arrests.

Dubbed “Operation Wild Web,” the investigation involves the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and law enforcement in Arkansas and Florida, as well as federal agents. The effort disrupted Internet-based trafficking of wildlife species in violation of state, federal and international laws.

Cases involved the unlawful sale of protected species, businesses operating without licenses and illegal fishing and hunting violations. In North Carolina, the Special Investigations Unit of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission made seven arrests for illegal activities. 

The public can report wildlife violations in North Carolina by calling 800.662.7137. Callers can remain anonymous.

Comment

out runnersIn the lead-up to the football game between rivals Western Carolina University and Appalachian State University, a group of students and faculty from WCU will run from Cullowhee to Boone to raise money for research and scholarships.

Comment

out bonsaiThe North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville will host the Carolina Bonsai Expo, Oct. 12-13.

Comment

out recordsummitThe oldest man to hike to the top of Mount Whitney in a day will give a talk about his training and his journey at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Macon County Library.

Comment

Pout photocontestublic submissions are being accepted for a statewide outdoor photography contest.

Comment

To the Editor:

The Republicans, including our own Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, who have repeatedly stated dislike for the federal government, have closed much of the U.S. government. What is particularly obnoxious about this is that they are blaming Democrats for something that the Republicans have been wanting to do, again, for many years.

Shutting down government services in order to nullify a law (Obamacare) that has already been debated, compromised, passed and even approved by the Supreme Court is far from the Republicans’ stated tactic of principled action. The Republican shutdown is more like spoiled children throwing a tantrum when they don’t get their way.

As for the Republicans’ solution of re-funding bits and pieces of the government that they like, that goes against their Constitutional obligation to fund the government. They have already debated and voted on the priorities. The Democrats have already compromised the current budget down to the amount that the Republicans demanded. 

That the Republicans are willing to shut down much of the government, and possibly even default on our debt to get their way, is the opposite of principled. In all honesty, it is stupid and harmful to the economy, government, and people of this nation.

Real people are being hurt by this shutdown. Real businesses and real families are taking the hit because of the Republicans’ rigid political agenda. Here in Macon County we have scores of federal employees who are now laid off at Coweeta Research Lab and the U.S. Forest Service. Of course the closure of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hurting hundreds of employers and employees across the region.

Who will pay their mortgages? Who will buy their food? Who will pay their doctor bills, their car payments, their utilities? They won’t be patronizing many restaurants or stores without an income during the shutdown. The Republicans care more about their power, ideological purity and their big ideas than they do about real people.

The wealthy politicians don’t know what it is to live paycheck to paycheck. Besides, their paychecks aren’t stopped by the shutdown. They are playing with our livelihoods. They are playing with our lives to score points in their political game. They are gambling with our lives, and we are losing. We are not amused or impressed.

The Republican Party of so-called family values is hurting families directly, without apology, without insight. Republicans often talk about the dignity of work, yet they carelessly throw tens of thousands out of work with their shutdown.

The Republicans created this disaster. They have cornered themselves into this mess. They need to find some real principles and do the job that we are paying them for — open the government to serve We the People!

Dan Kowal

Franklin

Comment

To the Editor:

I do so hope that Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, read the Oct. 2 issue of The Smoky Mountain News. The lead story details how much this government shutdown is damaging his own home district economically.

I am one of Meadows’ constituents, and even though I am approaching the age of 70, I am still working part-time, self-employed in my profession as a craftsperson. I am grateful that I am old enough to be covered by Medicare, but were I younger I would be quite excited about the possibilities of The Affordable Care Act as I always had to fund my own health insurance.

I hope Rep. Meadows would please be so kind as to give me a clear and concise explanation as to why the ACA is such a bad law. I have never heard an explanation that I have been able to understand. Why can’t the richest country in the world assist its citizens to have decent health coverage?

I am deeply distressed by the actions of the current Congress. We elect people to represent us and to go to Washington to sit down, discuss and compromise, not to shut down the government.

Please compromise, Rep. Meadows.

Kaaren Stoner

Haywood County

Comment

To the editor:

In a Sept. 27 CNN article, Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, was identified as “the architect of the brink” and a member of the “suicide caucus.” Although he’s claiming that the CNN reporter was “sensationalizing” his role in the government shutdown, the letter Meadows wrote to the House leadership “encouraging them to defund Obamacare through the appropriations process” is prominently displayed on his website (www.meadows.house.gov).

He also boasted about the letter during the pseudo town hall meetings he conducted in August and gleefully proclaimed that he had persuaded 79 of his colleagues to co-sign it.

Additional information in the CNN article ties Rep. Meadows directly to the Tea Party agenda; for example, the leader of the Asheville Tea Party, Jane Bilello, indicated they are so pleased with Meadows’ job performance that “he’s turning out to be their poster boy” and a “conduit for their agenda.” Ms. Bilello also disclosed that Meadows hosts regular conference calls with her group “to explain what’s happening in Congress, including the challenges that he faces promoting their agenda.” 

I contend Rep. Meadows is sensationalizing when he claims he’s “doing what the majority of his constituents want in shutting down the government over Obamacare.” Redistricting may have made the state’s 11th District the reddest district in the state, but the Tea Party is not the dominate force within the 17-county area. I believe the majority of WNC Republicans, and certainly most Democrats, share Sen. Richard Burr’s sentiment that risking a government shutdown to defund Obamacare is the “dumbest idea” he ever heard.  

Contact Meadows to express your concern about his poster boy status and tell him to add something to his diet besides tea!

Myrna Campbell

Waynesville

Comment

To the Editor:

Regarding a recent op-ed piece by Doug Wingeier on Congressman Meadows, R-Cashiers, and his feigned interest in alleviating hunger in the U.S.: I also have noted a certain disingenuousness about Rep. Meadows in his latest series of town hall meetings, two of which I attended. The meetings are controlled by asking people to submit their questions in writing, which are screened and read by his staff. I prefer a more open meeting where people stand and ask their questions, as in the voice of the people. I suppose my written questions were never asked because they may have posed certain challenges to the Congressman on Obamacare and the federal Voting Rights Act.

Rep. Meadows was quite clear and proud about his leadership role in defunding Obamacare as a condition for keeping the government open. This played well to his Tea Party constituents in Franklin, but was somewhat more subdued in Cherokee. When I asked one of his staff “why the Congressman wanted to shut down the government,” she replied that was not true. A few days later, I noted the Asheville Citizen-Times headline: “Meadows OK with shutting down DC.” 

You can also note a comparable disingenuousness in the N.C. State Republican Party in defending its 2013 voting laws: “… If you need a photo ID to purchase Sudafed, what’s the big deal about using a photo ID to vote ….” Somehow the most fundamental right of American citizens has been reduced to the “right” to purchase a controlled substance.

The federal government is rightfully challenging N.C.’s voting laws as a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Our state has made significant progress in expanding the franchise: in 1991, N.C. was number 47 in the nation in voter turnout; by 2012, we were number 11.

Yet the N.C. legislature in 2013 sought to “restore confidence” in the electoral process, as if creating more access to voting was a problem. College IDs will not be allowed at polling stations. Even states with strict photo ID laws like Georgia and Indiana allow college IDs. What is so suspect about using a college ID, or is it more about preserving political power by creating hoops for younger voters — a group that tends to vote Democratic.

Roger Turner

Sylva

Comment

To the Editor:

The federal government shutdown is probably the most counter-productive action that Congress could have taken during this recession. Not only will it cost money, but it is harming our economy in so many ways … not to mention that it is making America the laughing stock of the world. 

There’s been much in the national news about the poor tourists who have lost out on their vacations, but in WNC our local economy is tied to national park and parkway visitation. And this, during leaf season, will have an accelerated effect.

The newest of shenanigans is to exempt national parks, monuments, and museums from the shutdown. I have worked in museums, directed one, spent a year at the Smithsonian, and taught museum studies. An advocate to be sure, still, I do not support a piecemeal solution to a national problem. 

Is there no logic in those hallowed halls of Congress? I cannot understand how people who are in government can so be so hateful of government. You would think they would want a different job. As voters, we can help them out during the next election cycle.

Anna Fariello

Cullowhee

Comment

To the Editor:

If we hadn’t figured it out by 2008, we should have at least gotten a clue. The congressional and White House phones and emails were jammed with unprecedented pleas from We the People. Not only were the lines jammed; the polls strongly indicated that We the People oppose the banker bailout. Regardless, the banks got bailed out and We the People got sold out.

Corporate privilege continued into the next administration. We see now that the health care reform effort had little to do with the care of our health but a lot to do with the care of healthy profits for private insurance conglomerates. Elizabeth Fowler, Wellpoint VP in charge of government lobbying, was invited as chief advisor and principal drafter of Obamacare. In contrast, advocates for the health of We the People, such as physician Margaret Flowers, were barred – even imprisoned for the impudence of insisting that the People’s voice be heard.

Whether one supports or opposes Obamacare and the coming mandate, the shameless advancement of corporate privilege throughout its passage and implementation is impossible to deny. In 2010, after helping with initial implementation as a special assistant to the president, Wellpoint’s Fowler left the administration to lobby for Johnson & Johnson. The pharmaceutical industry, one of the biggest backers of ObamaCare, will be one of its greatest benefactors. Fowler is one of many jumping the ship of “public service” for the conglomerate plunder to come. 

These are only two examples of the egregious privilege our government grants at our expense to corporate conglomerates. The list is endless.  

We are not helpless. As Obamacare open enrollment begins this month, remember that we are not sheeple; we have the power to make a difference. A People’s movement is underway to reclaim the vision of the Founding Fathers and amend the Constitution, to put the freedom of We the People above the privilege of the mega conglomerates that have taken control of our government. 

The system isn’t broken. It’s fixed!

Allen Lomax

Sylva

Comment

To the Editor:

Neither of the logos considered by the Jackson County TDA convey the proper message for tourism development. Both, per the logo display in a recent edition of The Smoky Mountain News, are lackluster, lack excitement (one being almost a kindergarten level piece of art) and should be shelved.

How many logo designs did the two advertising agencies submit for the TDA group to consider? Each should have presented no less than five each. If these two were the best, I question the creative ability of the agency.

Having represented Cherokee and the region at several dozen consumer travel shows over almost 15 years, I don’t recall one person out of thousands ever saying “Oh, I love Jackson County.” Travelers don’t recognize counties but they associate with communities within a county. Mention Maggie Valley, Sylva, Bryson City, etc. and there’s an immediate visitor association.

Mention Haywood, Swain, Macon or Jackson county and there’s a look of “duh” on their face.

“Play On” is as equally unimpressive as the logo itself. Ms. Teasley is quoted as saying “The mountains with ‘Jackson County’ and the simplicity of the design is going to make it easily recognizable.” Recognizable and meaningful are two different things.   

The discussion regarding the use of the logo by others? Just copyright it and that gives the TDA legal right to go after those who misuse it. The trademarking would protect words, color, design. Simple answer to that dilemma.

If the TDA is so promotionally oriented and thinking about bumper stickers, etc, where is the website name so folks can get information?  

The Outer Banks of North Carolina, cited in the article, has a unique OBX identification. It says something: “Outer Banks.”  “Smoky Mountains” says something. “Play On” says let’s go to the casino.

Well, Jackson County TDA, good luck. You’re playing around with many businesses in our county. Time will tell whether this “branding” is a success or failure.    

Dave Redman

Jackson County

Comment

To the Editor:

Does John Boehner like what he’s seeing in the mirror these days?

Maybe not, but the problem for the nation is that he is too fond of what he sees on his office door: “Speaker of the House.”

Boehner could lose that by acting like a statesman instead of an extortionist. What has been called the "suicide caucus" among House Republicans, led by Mark Meadows, would try to dump him as speaker the instant he called for a vote on a clean budget resolution or on raising the debt ceiling.

It’s the Democrats who could save him and the country too. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi should offer him Democratic votes to keep the speakership if his own party turns on him for doing the right thing. It’s the whole House, after all, not just the majority caucus, that elects the Speaker.

It would take only 17 Republican votes to keep Boehner in the speakership if all 201 Democrats had his back.

Presently, the Democrats are trying to get that many to sign a discharge petition that, under House rules, would preempt the Speaker’s obstructionism. But it might be a lot harder for 17 moderate Republicans to buck Boehner directly than to vote to reward him for doing the right thing.

What I suggest would require historic statesmanship on the part of the Democrats, and there may not be much of that virtue left on Capitol Hill. Still, it’s worth a try.

In practical terms, the Democrats would be offering Boehner a temporary coalition to keep the government solvent. He could continue to try to repeal Obamacare, but not at the point of a gun.

Coalition politics is how governments abroad function when no party holds a majority and some American legislatures have had to resort to them too.

In effect, there are now three parties in the House — the Democrats, traditional Republicans, and the Tea Party. Unable to win elections on its own, the Tea Party has taken over gerrymandered House districts like a virus infecting a host.

Many good citizens identify with the Tea Party out of a frustration with government. Liberals share that too.

But the difference is that the Tea Party is being played like a violin by other ultraconservative groups, including the billionaire Koch Brothers who financed its establishment.

The New York Times reported Sunday that the strategy to destroy Obamacare by threatening to defund the government was hatched more than a year ago by some three dozen conservative groups under the leadership of former Attorney General Edwin Meese III.

They had lost the elections for the presidency and the House despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to misrepresent and demonize Obamacare. The spending continues.

One of its most tawdry tactics is to try to persuade young people against signing up for insurance coverage. That’s playing politics with their lives.

It is sinful.

But it’s no more so than what their puppets in Congress are threatening to do if they can’t destroy Obamacare.

A deficit default would be the worst economic tragedy to befall this nation since the Great Depression.

No foreign enemy could hope to do us so much harm.

But as Pogo the possum used to say, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”    

Martin A. Dyckman

Waynesville

Comment

To the Editor:

Governor Pat McCrory’s approval rating stands at 35 percent. Given the way he’s stuck it to the people of North Carolina, that seems high.

Robert Michael Jones

Sylva

Comment

By Dawn Gilchrist-Young

Of the 120 or so 12th-graders I teach each year, about two-thirds have jobs outside of school. Of those two-thirds, there is a large number who work 30 to 40 hours a week. Their jobs range from bagging groceries and stocking shelves, to cleaning motel rooms, to chopping, splitting, and delivering firewood. As I included in my first column about the teaching I do at Swain County High School, the per capita income in 2011 was $19,506. For 2012, the projected income was $19,089. Of the county’s 14,000 residents, 3,000 live below the poverty level, and of those, almost 1,000 are children, including my students. For most readers, these are merely numbers, but for me, as a teacher, they are numbers that have faces.

Comment

Haywood County will pay more than it anticipated on state-mandated renovations to its jail annex.

The county will pay $91,314 to the Monroe-based State Building Group for upgrades to the jail annex. Renovations include setting up a secure fence to separate the jail annex from the main jail building, installing a secure door between the inmates and deputies, adding another secure door leading out to the inmate recreation area and laying concrete sidewalk in the recreation area.

Originally, the county set aside $75,000 for the jail annex improvements but will move another $26,000 out of its general fund to pay the difference.

A state inspection had mandated the county improve security at the annex — which houses female inmates — after finding flaws in the aging building. Either the sheriff’s department needed to permanently increase the number of on-duty deputies at the annex or pay for structural security improvements.

The county informally bid out the project in August and received three bids, which all came in way over budget. The lowest bid was $138,360.

Rather than allocate an additional $63,000 to the project, Haywood County officials consulted the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Jail Construction to see if anything could be cut from the plans to decrease the construction price.

A redesign of the renovations left off about 80 percent of the fencing surrounding the inmate recreation area. The enclosed space will remain the same size; however, there will not be a second fence surrounding the recreation area.

Dale Burris, director of Facilities and Maintenance, emphasized that the change would not decrease the security of the building.

Comment

Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties all reported an increase in lodging tax revenue last fiscal year, compared to the prior year, though in some cases the hike is due to tax increases rather than an increase in travelers.

Comment

Acclaimed gospel group The Inspirations will host the Singing in the Smokies fall color festival at 6 p.m. Oct. 17-18 and 1 p.m. Oct. 19 at Inspiration Park in Bryson City.

On Thursday, performances include Martin, Squire & Ray Dean, The Inspirations, Squire Parson Trio and Kingsmen. Friday will showcase the Old Fashioned Singing Chuck Wagon Gang, Walkin By Faith, and The Inspirations. Saturday will present the Family & Friends Tour, Josh Jordan Family, The McKameys and The Inspirations.

Tickets are $20 per night, with children 12 and under admitted free.

www.theinspirations.com

Comment

Actress Barbara Bates Smith and musician Jeff Sebens will showcase the works of author Ron Rash during “A Rash of Stories” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Waynesville Public Library.

The program of varied selections in an informal format encourages audience feedback. The selections have been adapted by Smith from the collections Nothing Gold Can Stay, Burning Bright, Chemistry and Other Stories, and The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Free.

828.356.2507.

Comment

“The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD” will be shown at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center in Highlands.

MET opera stars serve as hosts for the HD series, conducting live interviews with cast, crew, and production teams, and introducing the popular behind-the-scenes features. Altogether the worldwide HD audience is given an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera at one of the world’s great houses.

“The Met: Live in HD” series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Global corporate sponsorship of “The MET: Live in HD” is provided by Bloomberg. HD broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers. 

For tickets, visit www.highlandspac.org.

828.526.9047.

Comment

Catman2 will host “The Cat’s Meow Auction” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The largest no-kill, cats-only shelter and adoption center in Western North Carolina, Catman2 seeks donations from local businesses and individuals to help raise money for the ever-rising cost of caring for nearly 100 homeless cats. All donations are tax-deductible. A list of items for auction and advertisements are at www.catman2.org.

828.293.0892.

Comment

art potterAcclaimed clay artist and University of Georgia emeritus faculty member Ron Myers will give demonstrations and talks on the subject of ceramics Oct. 16-17 at Western Carolina University.

Comment

art throatsingersThe Alash ensemble will hold a special performance featuring the ancient tradition of throat singing at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

Comment

art tuscolabandTwenty-five top high school marching bands from six states will compete at Western Carolina University’s 13th annual Tournament of Champions invitational at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee.

Comment

art dixieswimThe comedic play “The Dixie Swim Club” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11-12, 18-19 and 21 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 13 and 20 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

Comment

Beginning Oct. 1, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement delayed harvest regulations on 33 trout waters in 18 counties in Western North Carolina.

Comment

With funding from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, WNC AgOptions will give $153,000 to farmers in the western part of the state next year.

Farmers looking to expand and diversify their operations have until Dec. 13 to submit an application for a $3,000 or $6,000 grant. In its 10th year, the grant program was created to help tobacco farmers branch out into other sectors of agriculture.

WNC AgOptions provides grants to a 22-county region of Western North Carolina. Since 2004, more than 350 grants, amounting to about $1.6 million, have been awarded. The grants have been used to buy greenhouses, refrigeration units and other equipment.

WNC AgOptions grants are awarded by WNC Communities, a nonprofit organization. Applications for next year’s grant cycle are available online and at local cooperative extension centers. Applicants should contact their local extension agents by Nov. 1 for assistance and support.

www.wncagoptions.org.

Comment

Research at Western Carolina University on DNA sequencing used in crime labs has gotten a $718,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice.

Mark Wilson, director of the Forensic Science Program at WCU, has been evaluating new DNA sequencing instrumentation for use in crime laboratories. 

The grant will not only support the research but also provides scholarships for three graduate students working on related projects to help with the work, which builds on previous DNA sequencing done at WCU.

The work is of particular interest to faculty and scientists who are involved with the global Illumina Forensic Genomics Consortium, which is led by Wilson and top scientists specializing in the area of forensic DNA analysis.

“The research we perform is discussed by the consortium and has the potential to impact forensic crime labs across the country when this technology is incorporated into casework,” said Brittania Bintz, a forensic research scientist at WCU.

828.227.3680 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Comment

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has established its first sister park arrangement with Khao Yai National Park in Thailand.

Smokies Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and Khao Yai National Park Superintendent Krissada Homsud signed the arrangement today at a ceremony in September.

The two parks share a number of similar resources, such as biodiversity, and concerns. Both parks are the most visited National Parks within their country and face challenges brought by visitor use and nearby development, poaching and pollution. Both parks are popular for wildlife viewing, streams and waterfalls, and lush mountain forests. 

“We are honored to form this unique partnership with Khao Yai National Park, which shares so many similarities with the Smokies,” said Park Superintendent Ditmanson. “There has already been an incredible exchange of information.”

Currently, Homsud is traveling in the United States with a group of nine park managers from Thailand through a U.S. Department of State professional exchange program. The participants have met this week with park managers, biologists, entomologists, educators and historians. 

“Great Smoky Mountains National Park shares many similarities with Khao Yai, but the Smokies are one step ahead in public involvement in caring for the park and we look forward to learning from their staff,” said Homsud. “In Khao Yai, we still have problems with encroachment and poaching.”

www.nps.gov/oia/topics/sisterparks/sisterparks.htm

Comment

out learningThe Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the recipient of the 2013 Exceptional Environmental Education Program award.

Comment

out PARIThis month, the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the dedication of NASA’s Rosman Satellite Tracking and Data Acquisition Facility. 

Comment

out rodeoThe River Rescue Rodeo held on the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro last weekend attracted a host of paddling teams to test their river rescue skills, including swift-water rescues, throw rope competitions and a knot-tying rodeo.

Comment

out cleanupMore than 60 volunteers removed 3,740 pounds of trash from Richland Creek in Haywood County Saturday, Sept. 21, during this year’s Big Sweep stream clean up.

Comment

Slam poetry champion, teacher and coach Matthew Cuban will present a spoken-word workshop at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University followed by a reception and performances by Cuban and the WCU Truthwriters at 4:30 p.m.

Cuban is a three-time grand champion of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam, one of the largest poetry slams in the nation. The workshop and performance is co-sponsored by WCU’s Hunter Library and Office of Intercultural Affairs. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.3423.

Comment

Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s 5th annual Furry Friends Benefit Bash will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. 

The evening will feature food and live music. A silent auction will include vacation packages, special dinners and an art workshop. In addition, the auction offers golf, dining, spa packages and unique items for people and their pets. The event will be a sit-down dinner, plus a cash bar.

Tickets may be purchased for $50 per person at Sarge’s Adoption Center in Waynesville. Table sponsorships are available for $450, for a reserved table for eight.

828.246.9050 or www.sargeandfriends.org.

Comment

The new printing/binding studios of SpeakEasy Press will hold an open house from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Riverwood Studios in Dillsboro.

Comment

art balsamrangeHaywood County’s own Balsam Range won album of the year for “Papertown” at the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Awards this past weekend in Raleigh.

Comment

art millpondJammin’ at the Millpond will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Comment

art weaverWeaver Susan Morgan Leveille, owner of the Oaks Gallery in Dillsboro, was named one of the recipients of the North Carolina Heritage Award.

Comment

fr FUMCFirst United Methodist Church in Sylva will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a Homecoming on Sunday, Oct. 6. Bishop Larry Goodpaster will deliver a sermon at a 10:30 a.m. church service in the sanctuary, followed by a luncheon in the Christian Life Center. All are invited, whether church members or not.

Comment

To the Editor:

The enthusiasm was very evident!

The Waynesville Public Art Commission would like to thank everyone who came to the Friday, Sept. 6, dedication celebration for the art created by Grace Cathey for the downtown mini-park’s final piece “Wildflowers of the Smokies.” Cathey was very happy that so many were there to enjoy the unveiling of her beautiful wall panels. We would also like to note that Bee Balm and Butterfly Weed, two of the three plants depicted in the metal art, are growing in the mini-park as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The commission would also like to thank everyone who contributed financial support, as well as all the artists who helped our fundraising efforts to bring this striking addition to our downtown collection.

The mission of the Waynesville Public Art Commission is to engage the community and enrich public spaces through original public art that celebrates Waynesville’s unique, historic, cultural, natural and human resources. The mission statement has two words in particular — original and unique — that are the guiding force behind our decisions on the subject matter for each of our calls for artists. Without a doubt, with your help we have fulfilled our mission and look forward to future art endeavors with you.

All of our public art is entirely funded by public donations, so they truly do belong to you, the people of Waynesville. With this artwork we have wonderful visual images of the values we wish to celebrate and cherish. If you are interested in donating, volunteering or learning more about the WPAC, call the town at 828.452.2491.

Jan Griffin

former chairman,

Waynesville Public Art Commission

Comment

To the Editor:

The North Carolina Legislature has passed, and Gov. McCrory has signed, a bill requiring a photo ID in order to vote. This bill will disenfranchise a large number of voters in our state, especially the elderly (which includes the greatest generation, who saved our country for democracy) and the first-time voters. In addition, the bill eliminates one week of early voting, which has been extremely popular with older folks.

Some real examples: a friend is 94 years old. She served as a nurse in WWll, has always been very active in her church and community, her husband was a state senator for several terms. She has voted in every election since she was old enough, but now she can’t vote because she has no “valid” ID. Another friend is 87, has never driven because she is blind, she and her family have worked tirelessly for their church and community, but now she can’t vote.

The newspapers assure us that “free IDs” can be obtained at any driver’s license office. How does a 94-year-old woman or a blind woman locate an office and get there? What about the many older folks who do not see a newspaper or who missed the announcement on the news? What about those who were not born in North Carolina, and don’t have a birth certificate? 

There will be thousands who make the effort to get to the polls, only to be told they are not eligible. Few people will go through the process of casting a provisional ballot, which may, or may not, be ruled eligible by the officials. Many restrictions on absentee voting have been lifted, creating more opportunities for fraud.

Recent redistricting, with changed boundary lines and split precincts, increases the likelihood that folks will go to the wrong precinct to vote. For years, they could fill out a conditional ballot, which, after verification, would be counted. 

Under the new law, these votes will be thrown out. The elderly and minorities are most likely to be in this group.

With all the distractions today, many young people are turned away by politics, not realizing that politics affect every phase of our lives, or that voting is a precious right and a responsibility. 

Currently, high school civics classes provide an opportunity to get them involved, and even provide pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. In many cases, this will be the last opportunity to reach these kids. The new legislation totally eliminates this registration. 

Things get even more complicated when a college student tries to vote!

Incidentally, these free IDs are estimated to cost North Carolina $823,200 in each of the first two years, and over $24,000 annually. All of this to fix a problem that all surveys indicate does not exist.

Is it a coincidence that the elderly, the young, and minorities tend to vote Democratic?

 Margaret S. Ramsey

Franklin

Comment

By Doug Wingeier • Guest Columnist

Back in March, my wife and I, together with a couple from Brevard, paid a visit to Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, in his Washington office. We were part of an event called Ecumenical Advocacy Days, in which some 750 members of faith communities from across the country spent a long weekend learning about issues of poverty and hunger, then fanned out across Capitol Hill visiting our legislators to urge passage of a Farm Bill that would:

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

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.