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The Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival, one of the longest running chamber music festivals in the United States, presents its 46th season to the listeners of Western North Carolina.
The festival will continue with concerts at 7:30 p.m. 26 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre. There will also be a show on Aug. 2 at the First United Methodist Church. Both venues are in Waynesville.
George Pope (flute), Cynthia Watson (oboe), David Bell (clarinet), Lynn Hileman (bassoon), Inessa Zaretsky (piano), J. Frievogel (violin) and Rachel Frievogel (cello) performing “Mostly Russians” on July 19. “In Debussy’s Footsteps” by the Jasper String Quartet will hit the stage on July 26.
Ticket prices are $25 for individual tickets and $100 for a series ticket. Students age 25 and under are admitted free with appropriate student ID.
www.swannanoachambermusic.com or 828.452.0593.
The 50th annual Macon County Gemboree will be held July 23-26 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin.
The “Smokin’ in the Valley” Western North Carolina BBQ Festival will be from noon to 9 p.m. July 24 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 25 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Jazz Mountain will perform at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Franklin.
I was a little apprehensive.
Strolling into The Strand at 38 Main this past Friday evening, the buzz around downtown Waynesville was the premiere of “Chasing Grace.” A faith-based thriller, the film was shot in town and around Haywood County. But, how would it fare on the silver screen?
By Hannah McLeod • Guest Columnist
We all have those memories that lurk in the back of our brain, the hazy, maybe-real-maybe-not memories from the time before we gained a sense of self. For me, those memories include being twirled around by, hugged and kissed by, or photographed with, people from all over the globe. While at two-and-a-half I had little idea of what was going on, the sights, smells, and energies of Folkmoot USA were enthralling.
Before I was born — while she was still pregnant with me and then with my brother — my mother has been taking us to Folkmoot performances. An avid traveler herself, she understood that Folkmoot was the perfect way to journey around the world with three toddlers in tow. As I grew and became aware of what the festival was, who these people were that looked so ravishing in foreign garb, and what it meant to have them here, Folkmoot turned into a spectacle that I couldn’t wait to be a part of. It was incredible to sit in the audience and watch, but I thirsted for more.
• A new art museum gift shop, FAMShop, has opened in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the Western Carolina University campus, close to the Fine Art Museum galleries.
The shop offers a wide variety of works created by students, faculty, staff members, alumni and friends of the university. Work-study students, staff members and volunteers operate it.
FAMShop hours during the summer are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
828.227.3591.
Several individuals and business owners were recently recognized during the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards ceremony. Pisgah Inn received the Special Business Recognition; Waynesville Automotive received Business of the Year; Frog Level Brewing received Entrepreneur of the Year; Elevated Mountain Distilling Co. won the Business Start-Up Competition; Laura Tragesser received Ambassador of the Year and Kate & Brian Birthright received Volunteers of the Year.
Leadership Haywood graduates included Brian Beck, Douglas Burchfield, Seth Hendler-Voss, Jeremy Morrison, Amie Owens, Timothy Petrea, Kari Rinn, Anna Rogers, Sarah Wenzel and Melissa Tinsley.
www.haywoodchamber.com or 828.456.3021.
Shaw Industries recently donated more than 2,700 board feet of lumber to The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee that will be used to help restore a historic farmstead on LTLT’s Tessentee Bottomland Preserve property in Otto.
The donation is the second given to LTLT in a two-year period from Shaw. The first round of lumber was used to restore the decking for a new front porch; the most recent batch will be used to restore the battens on the 100-plus year old farmhouse.
LTLT has also received donations from Lowe’s Home Improvement, Lewis Penland, and countless hours of time from volunteers assisting with labor.
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern
Primary care physicians play a key role in the health care system, often addressing patients’ health concerns before their conditions require the more specific knowledge of a specialist.
Starting Friday, July 10, blasting operations will cause temporary morning closures on a rural stretch of Interstate 40 in Haywood County near the Tennessee border.
QUESTION: Why aren’t all of your gluten free items on one aisle at my Ingles store?
ANSWER: There are several reasons for this:
Ingles founder, Robert Ingle, always had the goal of buying as much as possible from local farmers and vendors/suppliers. That motto has continued over the past 50 years. Many of our customers don’t realize that the majority of Laura Lynn products come from companies based in states within about 250 miles of our Corporate offices and Distribution Center in Black Mountain NC.
To the Editor:
The news of the last couple of weeks brings into sharp focus the divided world we live in. No longer do we have a common language or ethic to guide our thoughts or actions in this complex world.
Let's take just one example of this disconnect — religious freedom. This country was founded on the principal of the freedom of religion. For some, it means that there should be no restriction on the practice of one's religion. For others it means that the state should not promote one religion over another. These, however, are not the same thing.
If there were no restriction on religious practice then the government could not ban animal sacrifice or slavery; the legal bondage of women; or laws against interracial marriage. At one time or another all of these ideas have been justified as deeply held religious beliefs. If the state had not acted to ban these practices, it is, in effect, promoting one person's religious beliefs over another.
If the laws of a society regarding religion are up for a vote then, for instance, the City of Detroit could pass a law requiring head scarves on all women, or the city of Boston could fund Catholic schools with tax dollars, or Amish communities could prohibit cars on their public roads, or Salt Lake City voters could say only Mormons could be city officials. Such laws would clearly favor one religion over another. The same can be said about a law allowing an elected county clerk to refuse to issue a marriage license to a gay couple because of the clerk's deeply held religious belief.
Our founding fathers knew how destructive these kinds of religious laws could be. Article VI, paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution states that, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." It took many years for the removal of all state sponsored churches in these new United States. But the founders understood the tyranny of a state-sponsored religion. The excesses of religious intolerance in the colonies and Europe's endless religious wars were fresh in their minds. The Revolutionary War was fought, among other things, to separate the 13 colonies from the King George, and his state-sponsored Church of England. Apparently that fight is not quite over.
Louis Vitale
Franklin
A $3,360 grant from The Fund for Haywood County will allow Haywood Waterways Association to do some work on the greenway at Lake Junaluska.
The funds will go toward stabilizing the shoreline and maintaining the lake for recreational purposes.
“The Lake Junaluska shoreline stabilization project is helping protect water quality,” said Haywood Waterways director Eric Romaniszyn. “Before, there was an eroding shoreline causing excess dirt to wash into Lake Junaluska. Now, thanks, in part, to The Fund for Haywood County, there is less sediment and better water quality.”
The Fund for Haywood County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, is a permanently endowed fund to meet local needs. www.fundforhaywoodcounty.org
A man paddling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last Wednesday (July 1) died after his kayak capsized.
Kenneth Worthington, 53, from Apex, was paddling the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River on the Tennessee side of the park when his kayak flipped. His friends pulled him from the river, but Gatlinburg police and firefighters — who responded to the emergency call along with park rangers — were unable to resuscitate him.
Information about water safety in the park is available at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/watersafety.htm.
DockDogs to be held in Cherokee July 10-12, will showcase three days of leaping dogs doing tricks in mid-air while jumping into a pool of water.
Backcountry trails and campsites are open again in the Hazel Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the first time since a black bear attacked a teenager sleeping in a hammock.
A program titled “4,000 Reasons to Love (and Protect) Native Bees” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Highlands Nature Center as part of the Zahner Conservation Lecture Series.
Mountain Wildlife Days will return to Sapphire Valley Resort outside Cashiers July 17-18 this year, bringing plenty of opportunity to learn about — and meet — the creatures that call Western North Carolina home.
The classic stage production Oklahoma! will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 16-18, 23-25, 30-31 and Aug. 1 and at 3 p.m. July 19, 26 and Aug. 2 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
The Glenville Area Historical Society “History Tour” will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18.
“Chasing Grace,” a faith-based, family thriller filmed in Haywood County, will make its premier at 8 and 10 p.m. July 10 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.
The story takes place present day. A tragic accident threatens to destroy a pastor's family and sets into motion a complex betrayal between two brothers, while exposing secrets no one wants to face. Based upon the Amazon hit, Discovering Grace, author David Temple weaves a dramatic tale in his debut novel with this screenplay adaptation.
Film locations included The Classic Wineseller, Pisgah High School, Town of Waynesville building, First Baptist Church, and other locations around Haywood County.
The film will also be have regular showings at 4 and 7 p.m. July 11, 2 and 4 p.m. July 12 and 7 p.m. July 14-15. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for children ages 12 and under.
"Chasing Grace" was produced by Temple’s Film & TV production company, Catalyst Pictures, LLC in association with N2ition Cinema. Catalyst Pictures is developing a variety of films ranging from family and romance, to documentaries and horror. They are in early talks about a possible sequel; likely adapting Temple’s second novel, Stealing Hope.
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority’s Film Office assisted in the location scouting and services rendered during the making of this film.
There will be a pottery studio tour during the inaugural Dillsboro Arts & Crafts Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 18, in downtown.
Acclaimed bluegrass acts Town Mountain and The Snyder Family Band will perform July 18 at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.
Unto These Hills bridges past, present
The Unto These Hills outdoor drama will run at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Aug. 15 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee.
The acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world.
General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 5. Reserved tickets also available.
866.554.4557 or www.visitcherokenc.com.
Cherokee bonfire features tales, history
The ceremonial Cherokee bonfires will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Sept. 5 at the Ocoaluftee Island Park in Cherokee.
Spend an evening with the Cherokee people by a roaring fire. Listen as Cherokee storytellers in period dress from the 17th century spin tales of days gone by, myths and mysteries passed down through the ages and talk of the history. Learn Cherokee survival skills and experience the dance.
Your hosts will provide light refreshments, which include marshmallows for roasting and drinks. Guests sit by the fire near the Oconaluftee riverside enjoying a unique and entertaining experience.
The bonfires are free and open to the public.
800.438.1601 or 828.359.6492 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
By Wil Shelton • SMN intern
Visitors of the Qualla Boundary now have the opportunity to experience Cherokee culture in a new, interactive way.
The Cherokee Friends, a program through the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, funded by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, aims to offer visitors a taste of Cherokee culture, as well as promote various sights around the community.
Nearly 100 people gathered on June 24 below the steps of the old Jackson County courthouse in Sylva for a vigil organized by the Jackson County Branch of the NAACP.
The vigil was to to honor those who died June 17 when Dylann Roof entered the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and killed nine African-Americans. The case is being investigated as a racially motivated hate crime. The NAACP’s position is that this act of terrorism was directed at the African-American community.
After Rev. Porter Barringer, associate from Liberty Baptist Church, opened with prayer, Dr. Enrique Gómez, president of the NAACP area branch, presented the main address.
Branch members from Franklin, Selma Sparks and Dan Kowel, read short biographies honoring the lives of each person — among whom were religious leaders, service members, teachers, librarians, recent college graduates — each a member of Mother Emanuel church and a cornerstone of their community.
Participants then kept a 20-minute, candlelit and silent vigil to reflect on the meaning of the event.
Gómez stressed afterward that a vigil is not sufficient to address the racism and violence in our society. “We have just begun,” he continued, “to overcome the legacy of centuries of slavery and racism. Each of us has an obligation to go back to our institutions, workplaces, friends and families and confront racism wherever it shows up.”
A video of the vigil can be seen at www.jacksonncnaacp.org/2015/06/just-begun/.
Signups for town elections opened Monday, but as of Tuesday afternoon only three people had put their hat in the ring for Sylva’s four open seats.
Ginseng collectors have until July 15 to put their names in the hat for the U.S. Forest Service’s annual lottery for ginseng harvest permits.
The lottery system has been in place since 2013, when a marked reduction in wild ginseng numbers led the Forest Service to change its permit process. The decline was likely due to poaching, said Forest Service botanist Gary Kauffman, as ginseng is highly sought after in East Asia as a tonic.
The number of ginseng plants of harvestable size has decreased by 45 percent on forest lands, Kauffman said.
A permit, of which 136 are issued, allows a person to harvest as much as 3 wet pounds of wild ginseng in the ranger district where the permit is issued within the two-week season of Sept. 1-15.
Call or visit a ranger office to register for the lottery. Email requests not accepted.
A pilot education program for food pantries and other emergency food providers will hold a series of training classes from 5 to 8 p.m. July 21, July 28, Aug. 4 and Aug. 11.
The Appalachian Food Pantry School four-week training program will cover everything from public relations to financial planning to volunteer management, with course topics including fundraising, food safety regulations, marketing and grant writing.
It is put on by the Western North Carolina Food Policy Council and co-sponsored by MANNA Food Bank and the MountainWise Public Health Partnership, with financial support from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The WNC Food Policy Council coordinates efforts to build a stronger food system, encourage agricultural development, and reduce food insecurity in the seven western counties.
A kickoff event at 6 p.m. Friday, July 17, will feature a catered reception, live music and a panel of pantries whose boards of directors have demonstrated exceptional engagement and action.
$45 registration includes course materials and dinner during class. Participants can send different members of their organization to different courses dependent on their needs.
The location of the courses and kick-off are to be announced.
Seniors interested in getting out for an early morning walk this summer are wanted for a now-forming group through the Haywood County Senior Resource Center.
The group would likely meet at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday in various locations, such as Waynesville’s Main Street, Lake Junaluska and Vance Street Park.
Michelle Claytor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.356.2813.
Lightning is one of nature’s most ephemeral forces, but scientists are still able to detect and measure these electrical displays. A presentation at 7 p.m. Friday, July 10, at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will explain how.
By Wil Shelton • SMN Intern
For Whittier resident Anne Hill, sharing the history of Appalachia goes far beyond the realm of classrooms and textbooks.
By Wil Shelton • SMN Intern
For Jeff Alt and his family, hiking is more a lifestyle than a hobby.
“After experiencing all the great positive physical and mental benefits gained from hiking, I wanted to share it with my family,” he said.
Acclaimed musician Marshall Ballew will perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Ballew is a singer-songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist, whose repertoire spans over a century of traditional music in an array of styles, from blues and ragtime to folk, old-time, and bluegrass. He has performed with such folks as David Lindley, Jorma Kaukonen, Doc Watson, Dave Alvin, and more. His dobro and lap steel work can be heard on recordings by Christine Kane, David Childers, Chris Rosser, The Gospel Playboys and others.
The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. Free.
828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.
Haywood Community College continues the Student for a Day Series with Creative Arts on Saturday, July 11.
• The Intro to Felting workshop will acquaint students with the technique of wet felting. This workshop will be held from noon to 4 p.m.
• In the Beginning Basics of Mountain Style Dance, students will learn the basic flat-foot/buck/clogging steps. This workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• In the Intro to Enamel workshop, students will use powdered glass fused to the surface of metal using heat to make one-of-a-kind wearable enamel samples. This workshop is available from either 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or noon to 4 p.m.
• The Play in Clay workshop is a fun, no pressure introduction to the potter’s wheel and fundamental techniques. Workshops will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and noon to 4 p.m.
• In the Artful Finishes for Wood workshop, participants will play with unusual surfaces and finishes such as torching, sandblasting, grinding, dyes, grain filling, and photo-transfer. This workshop is held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Participants in Handspun Fun will learn how unique and wonderful yarn was made by experiencing fiber spinning using HCC’s new spinning wheels. This workshop is available from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m.
• In the Designer Tote Bag workshop, participants will design and piece together their own unique tote bag. This workshop is available from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m.
• The Altered Image workshop is an introduction to transferring images to fabric then altering and embellishing that image through stitching, dying, and painting. This session will be held from 1 to 4 p.m.
• Cuttlefish casting is a quick and fairly accurate metal casting method. It is difficult to achieve fine details, but rather creates a richly complex texture that is a natural by-product of this method. This session will be held from 9 a.m. to noon.
These sessions are free of charge and lunch is provided. Registration is required and space is limited.
828.627.4522.
The 18th annual Sweet Corn Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at St. Cyprian’s Church in Franklin.
There will be an array of upcoming artisan and craft workshops at The Bascom in Highlands.
The ‘Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest’ will be July 9-11 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.
To the Editor:
Nearly 240 years ago, our founding fathers declared our national independence from Great Britain. This Fourth of July, let’s declare our independence from the meat industry.
More than 60 percent of U.S. agricultural subsidies pay for meat, dairy and egg production. Fresh fruit and vegetable farmers receive less than 1 percent of the total. It’s time to declare our independence by stopping these subsidies.
Our annual medical care expenditures for diseases associated with consumption of animal products are estimated at $300 billion. Much of the cost is borne by our taxes through Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration, and Obamacare. It’s time to declare our independence by taxing animal products to recover these costs.
Currently, the meat industry is getting Congress to gut dietary recommendations by a government-appointed panel of our nation’s top nutritionists. The panel recommended incorporating reduced meat consumption and sustainability of food sources in our dietary guidelines. It’s time to declare our independence by telling the meat industry to butt out of our dietary guidelines.
In the meantime, each of us can declare our personal independence from the meat industry by refusing to subsidize it on our next trip to the supermarket.
Weston Madrigal
Waynesville
To the Editor:
This piece could be titled, “How to beat a dead horse in 350 words or less.”
First let me say that Waynesville is a great place to live. My wife and I picked it for retirement over 20 years ago; however, every time I return to the city from elsewhere I try to look at the city the way a tourist or newcomer might view it. Coming from east, west or south you are immediately confronted with junkyards or eyesores. Across from Junaluska Elementary School there are dozens of junk trucks and trailers (many parked on the road right of way) that have been there for at least 20 years and probably far longer than that. Who pays the personal property tax on those? You and I pay tax on our vehicle, why should someone not pay the tax on those?
After you get past the junk, the fillings in your teeth begin to rattle because of the poorly maintained streets in town. South Main, Haywood Road, Pigeon Street and many others are in deplorable condition. Are we trying to discourage people and businesses from settling here? Where is the appearance committee and ordinance enforcement? Where is the Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Realtors? After all, is this the impression that is good for business and appealing to people looking for a place to live?
The best way to get the attention of any public officeholder was best described by an ex-senator from Illinois when he said, “when I feel the heat, I see the light.” Chamber, board of realtors and Waynesville residents, it’s up to you to supply the heat. Call the city, attend the alderman meetings, write the paper, let your voices be heard. I do.
Bruce Gardner
Waynesville
“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands.”
–Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Jay (Aug. 23, 1785)
To the Editor:
It’s that time of year again: DOT Trash Season. The unnatural season of the year in which our NCDOT becomes the biggest litterer in the state! How is this so, you may be asking?
It is because our DOT turns a small amount of easily removable litter into incalculable amounts of mostly irretrievable litter by not picking up the trash on the sides of our taxpayer-funded roads before mowing it into a million pieces. Maybe we could hire all the teachers assistants back with the fine the DOT would face?
How environmentally and fiscally lazy! We have 546,918.02 people unemployed in our great North State (5.5 percent unemployment, April 2015, multiplied by our US Census Bureau estimated N.C. population from 2014) so there are plenty of citizens in need of work who might love the opportunity for a state job walking the roads picking up litter out in our glorious state.
Now, I do know that the DOT does provide bags for citizens to use to pick up litter and the DOT will pick the bags up. I also know that all county sheriffs place incarcerated citizens on our roads occasionally to remove litter (although this seems to not have happened for many months in Jackson County).
I do not understand why my fellow citizens litter at all, never have. I myself stop on the roadside multiple times per week to pick up trash. I remember speaking with a juvenile male who wants to go to Mars when he “grows up.” While telling me this, he stated that we (earthlings) think we have the best planet, but it’s not the best because so many people disrespect it by littering.
I asked him if he and his parents ever stopped and picked up litter. His whole posture and expression went from happy and adamant to sad, and he said: “No, we’re always in too much of a hurry.” This is so sad. He probably learned to not like littering from his parents who are then simulta-neously teaching him to not act, to not walk his talk, to just continue complaining.
I guess trickle down theories do work when it comes to litter.
Curt Collins
Cullowhee
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern
Young drivers in North Carolina may no longer be required to take driver education to get their learner’s permit if a Senate subcommittee’s modifications to House Bill 97 are passed by the General Assembly.
QUESTION: Could I be sensitive to wheat because it has been genetically modified?
ANSWER: NO!
Registration is now open for the 2015 Cullowhee Native Plant Conference at Western Carolina University, a four-day event featuring more than a dozen plant walks and workshops and a demonstration of how drones can aid in environmental conservation mapping.
A much-used riverbank in the Canton Recreation Park is now a lot more stable, thanks to a protection project recently completed by Haywood Waterways Association and the town of Canton.
