The second traditional Appalachian talent showcase, the Heritage Alive! Mountain Youth Talent Contest, was held at the Bluegrass Festival May 16 at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.

Bluegrass superstars Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and Dailey & Vincent will headline the Cherokee Bluegrass Festival June 4-6 at the Happy Holiday RV Village and Campground.

American bluegrass master Jesse McReynolds welcomed Haywood County’s own The Crowe Brothers to the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville on May 16. 

Cowee Pottery School June classes

A nonprofit located in the Macon County Heritage Center in Franklin, the Cowee Pottery School has announced the June schedule of events.

• Daytime pottery wheel classes for beginners will be taught by Doug Hubbs on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon June 3-26. Hank Shuler and Lydia Patillo will teach an evening class from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays June 1-25. Each of the classes will focus on basic throwing techniques, trimming, and glazing. A limited number of students can be accepted. The Hubbs' class will cost $168; the Shuler/Patillo class, $140.

• Coinciding with the Cowee Farmers Market is a Tuesday evening class in appetizers and trays. Maria Greene will be teaching students to hand-build appetizer trays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays June 2-30, for a registration fee of $42. On the last evening, the class will share appetizer recipes and dishes.

• Carmen Holland offers a hand-building class on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 3 to July 1. Students are encouraged to complete assigned projects but may work on projects of their own choosing. Unlike other classes, students may opt to pay $21 weekly as they attend the classes or $105 at the first class meeting.

• Hank Shuler will be teaching students to hand-build wacky teapots in a Sunday afternoon class from 1:30 to 5 p.m. June 7-28. Students will build and glaze one or two teapots during this class, which will cost $98.

• Registered students will also have an opportunity to attend open studio time to work on their projects. The studio hours include Sundays from 12:30 to 4 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.

www.coweepotteryschool.org or 828.524.7690 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Discounted Penland classes for WNC residents

Penland School of Crafts has open spaces in a number workshops in its second summer session available at half tuition to residents of the following Western North Carolina counties: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey. Regular room and board charges apply, but students are not required to stay on campus. 

Summer session two runs June 7-19 with openings in clay, painting, hot glass, iron, metals, printmaking, letterpress, weaving, wood, and design. This session will have a special accent (literaly) because all of the workshops are being taught by faculty from Austrlian National University. To see the list of what’s available, click on the Open Summer Workshops link on the Penland School homepage: www.penland.org. 

The glass class requires previous experience; the other open classes are available to students of any skill level. To enroll, call the Penland registrar at 828.765.2359 (ext 15). The Penland Standby Program offers discounts to area residents who take unfilled spaces in Penland classes shortly before the classes begin.

To the Editor:

Referring to a recent letter to the editor, the writer suggested that anything or any opinion that disagreed with his/her own was a lie and that folks should avoid watching Fox News. I can’t help but wonder where all these attempts at censorship are going to lead us?

In Russia, Venezuela and other countries too numerous to name, one can end up in jail for being critical of the government or challenging those that run their country.

I have no doubt that if they could, some liberals and leftists would gladly flip a switch and shut down any television or print media they disagree with. And lately, the illiberal left has been showing their male intolerance for women who work at Fox News, referring to them as “dumb blondes.”

A Duke University professor is being fired because he made the connection that Asian immigrants tend to use American names for their kids but black Americans tend to use African or Muslim names for their kids. To him, it meant that black Americans were failing to assimilate but Asians were. Understanding a problem was censored.

There are some eternal problems in censoring opposing ideas and opinions. First of all, whose opinion is the right opinion? Does anyone really have all the answers and has anyone figured out exactly and precisely what’s best for humanity?

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure to meet many highly talented and intelligent people in my life but sadly, their knowledge was limited to narrow fields and lacked wisdom outside their field of endeavor.  Obviously, no one has a handle on wisdom.

All this tells us that we need to keep open minds and listen to all media.

So yes, continue to watch Fox News, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, CNN and all the rest lest you suffer the fate of being narrow minded and having a closed mind. North Korea is a good example of when some idiotic “Great Mind” is pulling all the strings.

Surely, most are intelligent enough to weigh all factors and don’t need to be told what to watch or read, much less what to think. Challenge those who would censor you.

Bob Wilson   

Franklin

To the Editor:

Our Last Shot Fired May weekend, titled “The Battle of Waynesville and the Surrender of the Western NC Army” was a great success. The Shelton House wishes to thank all who turned out and all involved. We couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks in particular to The Smoky Mountain News and all the people and organizations for their generous participation in and support of our commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War in Haywood County.

Malinda Messer

Operations Manger

Historic Shelton House, Waynesvill

To the Editor:

I read with dismay that the Jackson County school system was planning to waste more money on drug testing students. Not only is this a waste of money, it detracts from efforts that could actually provide benefits to students with substance-related problems.

During the past 35 years my career has included evaluating addiction programs, designing surveys to monitor prevalence of various behavioral health issues, and critically considering the scientific literature on prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.

I know of no credible evidence that drug testing high school students achieves any substantial benefits, such as reducing the prevalence of use. This is especially true when the policy is to test only those students with the least likelihood of having a serious problem. Athletes and students in other extracurricular activities are probably the least likely to have a problem with substances. If you want to find the students with a real problem, a better strategy would be to test those with unexcused absences and/or other behavioral issues.

Jackson County has spent almost $2,000 per positive drug test toward what end? Were any of the positive cases evaluated by a qualified addiction professional to determine if the positive test was related to a serious problem or just casual use? If the school system plans to spend more than the $9,000 it has already budgeted on drug issues, it would be advised to spend it on contracting with qualified professionals to evaluate students with absences, behavioral issues, or low grades.

If they want to get ahead of the game with regard to drugs, start taking a close look at students in middle school who smoke. Nicotine is the real gateway drug. We have found that students who start smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco early in middle school are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs in high school. They are also more likely to have unexcused absences and low grades. A proactive strategy for identifying at risk students and implementing appropriate strategies and interventions is more likely to yield positive results.

Drug issues, like all complex problems, have no simple answers. Based on the evidence, the people who benefit most from drug testing students are the people who sell and analyze the tests – not the students.

Norman G. Hoffmann, Ph.D.

President, Evince Clinical Assessments

Waynesville

District Court Judge Donna Forga received Haywood Community College’s Outstanding Alumni Award for 2015.

By Katie Reeder • SMN intern

A taste of Greece arrived in Dillsboro last week with the opening of Coach’s.

One of the Southeast’s premier raptor presentations, “Wings to Soar,” will bring birds of prey to the old gym of the Highlands School in what is described as an entertaining and informative program at 7 p.m. on May 26.

The fascinating and complex world of carnivorous plants is the subject of the newest exhibit at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

The Swain Soil and Water Conservation District is in the process of creating a mobile, walk-through exhibit focusing on soil resources. Soil resources are often not presented to the same caliber as other natural resources, and are frequently overlooked or abused.

Two tracts of land with headwater streams have been placed in conservation easements with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

The Icy Cliff Knob easement is for 265 acres in the Little Sandy Mush Community of Madison County. It protects forestland with biological diversity and the headwaters of Morrow Branch, which flows into Sandy Mush Creek, a major tributary of the French Broad River. 

The Early View easement is for 108 acres near Worley’s Cove in Big Sandy Mush. It protects headwater tributaries of Sandy Mush Creek, as well as scenic views and 39 acres of agricultural land.

For information, contact SAHC at 828.253.0095.

Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Cooperative Extension Service have 55-gallon rain barrels for sale.

To the Editor:

My family and I were enjoying a meal at a local buffet restaurant (on Mothers Day 10 at approximately 3:30 p.m. The restaurant was moderately crowded. We were seated about 15 feet from the cash register area. At one point during our meal we were startled by the sound of breaking glass. A patron was standing in line to pay for her meal and dropped a bag containing a piece of glassware. Of course we all looked over to see what was going on.

She was holding a baby carrier on one arm and her other arm was laden with other items minus the bag which she dropped. There was some conversation among her party and other people waiting to pay their check. She nonchalantly stated: “I will just take it back to Burke’s and tell them it was broken when I bought it and get another one.”  

I was shocked. Did I hear her correctly? She was going to return to the store and ask them to exchange something she carelessly broke long after the purchase? What a thief.

I immediately excused myself from my table, called 411 to get the phone number and phoned Burke’s Outlet to warn them of their impending deception. I explained to the manager the sequence of events and to expect a visit by this thief. After we finished our meal and headed back home, I called Burke’s again and the manager confirmed she was visited by the thief. She said the thief was acting nervous and after concluding her deceit was discovered stated, “I must have gotten it at Walmart” and departed the store. 

People wonder why things cost so much. Not only do we have to pay for the cost of development, manufacturing, distribution and selling we now have to pay for theft. This is common theft at its best.

Madam, my hope for you is you fall to your knees and beg your God to forgive you. Then call the store and ask them to forgive you too. 

Douglas Turner

Clyde

To the Editor:

The Waynesville Public Art Commission would specifically like to thank Waynesville town employees Dave Foster, Daryl Hannah, Jonathan Yates and Bill Litty and all of the men who worked with Daryl Hannah when they were installing each of our seven pieces of art. Without their very careful handling of each of our art pieces we would not have the art pieces installed in their places and look as great as they do! We are very fortunate to have these very special men who serve Waynesville as conscientiously as they do! Thanks to all of these gentlemen.

Jan Griffin

Waynesville Public Art Commission

To the Editor:

Fast Track legislation that was prepared in secret by some 600 lobbyists of the largest transnational corporations will give permission for the passage of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). This legislation, often referred to as the North American Fair Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on steroids, is now before Congress.  

On May 12 the Senate voted to deny debate on the proposed legislation but advocates (including Obama) insist that it be brought back to the floor. The House has yet to take action. NAFTA was a job and economy killer and the TPP is much worse. This bi-partisan effort to bring more grief to the working people of this country must be stopped.

Reuters reports (blogs.reuters.com-/great-debate/2015/02/16/as-free-trade-pacts-expand-u-s-trade-deficit-soars-why-add-one-more/) that over “5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs — one in four — have been lost since NAFTA and other post-NAFTA expansion deals, all enacted through fast track.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports www.bls.gov/news.-release/disp.t07) that three out of five displaced workers who were fortunate enough to find new employment earn less money now than before NAFTA. A full one-third of displaced workers took pay cuts of 20 percent or more.

Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., voted yea for the fast track legislation. From all indications, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, is in support. If this legislation passes it will give President Obama unfettered authority without full congressional approval to unilaterally enter into the TPP and other similar trade agreements. It is time that we the people have our voices heard.  Please contact your representatives via phone, email, and letter. Let them know that the TPP is bad for local business, bad for jobs, and bad for our economy. Ask them to vote No on fast track authorization. 

Allen Lomax

Sylva

By Jason Love • Guest Columnist

I am writing on behalf of the Western North Carolina Public Lands Council, an advisory group appointed by the governor whose mission is to promote the protection, conservation, and sustainability of Western North Carolina’s natural and economic resources.

The Jackson County Planning Board will have a new face at the table with the appointment of Bonnie Claxton, a Sylva attorney with Legal Aid for North Carolina who previously worked with Coward, Hicks & Siler. 

“She wants to do this and it’s not an easy job, but I think she will be very good in the position,” said Jackson County Commissioner Boyce Dietz, who made the recommendation. 

Claxton will replace Ben Burgin, who had not participated in board activities for the past year or responded to communications, warranting his removal, Chairman Brian McMahan said. 

“That is a very important board that meets on a regular basis,” McMahan said. “It’s very important to have people at the table making those decisions.”

— By Holly Kays, staff writer

Event promoters may soon be able to advertise by hanging a banner across Main Street in Franklin.

The Franklin board of alderman approved a special banner policy at its May board meeting after being asked by merchants in March to consider the possibility. Larry Hollifield, owner of American Computer Repair in Franklin, told commissioners in March that allowing banners would be an inexpensive way for event organizers to promote their events and draw more people to downtown.

Theoretically, a new homeless shelter that opened across town in Hazelwood last fall should have made things better for Frog Level’s homeless plight.

Local NAACP chapters in Haywood and Jackson counties are holding workshops to educate the public on North Carolina’s new voter ID laws and to prepare them to attend an upcoming N.C. Board of Elections public hearing in Sylva.

A screening of the documentary “First Language: The Race to Save Cherokee” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Comedy legend Jay Leno will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

The Blues, Brew and BBQ festival will be from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Village Green in Cashiers.

Acclaimed bluegrass groups Lonesome River Band and Mountain Faith will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

QUESTION: I heard there’s a Taste of Local next week at one of your stores. Is it free? Who will be there?

ANSWER: Our next Taste of Local event is at the Ingles in Waynesville on Barber Blvd., Thursday, May 21st 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Expect to see about 17 or more local farmers and vendors there! At this FREE event you’ll be able to meet the farmers and vendors and sample their products.

First Maggie Valley Creek clean is May 30

The inaugural Maggie Valley Community Creek Clean will take place at 10 a.m. on May 30 in Jonathan Creek.

Trophies and yearlong bragging rights will be awarded for the most interesting pieces of trash found and for the most trash reclaimed. Individuals and teams are encouraged to participate.

Bags will be provided by Haywood Waterways.

For information and to sign up contact the Maggie Valley Town Hall at 828.926.0866. 

The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Service is seeking gardens to include in its 2016 Haywood County Garden Tour.

Anyone who has a garden that might be included or knows someone who has a garden that deservers to be showcased can contact Sarah Scott at the Extension Center.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.456.3575.

The Merrell Adventure 5K Dash and 1K Fun Run will be held Saturday, May 23, along the Nantahala River near Bryson City.

A float trip down the Little Tennessee River on May 16 is being sponsored by two land conservation organizations, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT).

Why adopt a tiny rubber duck that’ll soon be floating down the Tuckasegee River in Swain County?

To the Editor:

One of the great mysteries of government in America is how and why we give over $50 billion a year in foreign aid.

Trying to point out many of the strange questions that exist in this seemingly total waste of money within the word limit of publications is all but impossible. I will share a few things to think about. 

We are $18.5 trillion in debt and we continue to pour borrowed money out to countries, many of whom hate us.

Nine of the 10 top receiving countries in Obama’s 2016 budget are Muslim countries. Does that tell you the same thing it tells me? 

One of the countries that we do not “officially” give foreign aid to is Australia; however, we did give them money for economic development. It is interesting though that we gave Al-Taqwa College, Australia’s largest Muslim school, $11.3 million dollars. The state government last year froze the school's funds and asked it to repay $9 million in government grants over allegations the not-for-profit school was funneling funds back to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.

This collage president has banned running by girls because he says “running causes loss of virginity in girls.”

A few other interesting numbers show that we give $6 million to China, $160 million to Syria, $370 million to the West Bank and Gaza, $150 million to Egypt, $1.2 billion to Afghanistan, $478 million to Packistan, $103 million to Vietnam, $79 million to Yemen, $110 million to Lebanon and we have increased our aid to Kenya by 14 percent to $622 million. 

If that isn’t enough to raise your blood pressure, we gave $71,500,000 to Russia. All of, of course, borrowed from future generations.

Bruce Gardner

Waynesville

The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County will show some more of their DVDs of past Front Porch Interviews with local residents at 2 and 6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

Interviewee Sue Waldroop has a great interest in genealogy and preservation of family heritage. She is a fifth generation Macon County native as her great-great grandfather brought his wife and children to Macon County and built a home on Matlock Creek in the Cowee area in 1832. Interviewee Fred Stiles moved from Rabun County to Macon in 1948. In his interview, he refers to the memory of such events as his daughter getting the polio vaccine on a sugar cube and chores like stacking hay and churning milk. 

www.fontanalib.org.

Writer Nita Welch Owenby and the SouthEast Bluegrass Association will perform on Saturday, May 16, at the Rickman Store in Cowee. 

At 11 a.m., Owenby will read from her autobiography Echoes of the Appalachian Mountain, which provides the readers with an in-depth view of farm living in the 1940s and 1950s and shares with them her values and experiences. Owenby was born and raised on a farm by the Little Tennessee River, and although her professional life led her to experience life in different states, her connection to her roots continues being strong. She is the author of The House of Rose and over 400 articles and short stories published for the Burningtown News. From noon to 3 p.m., the Southeast Bluegrass Association will host a music jam. 

The Friends of the Rickman Store invite the community and visitors to the region for the opening of a new series of weekly educational and cultural programs and for a special year of celebrations. It was built in 1895 by John Hall, with the business established in 1925 by Tom M. Rickman. Considered one of the gems of Macon County, the Rickman Store has been preserved by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) and the Friends of the Rickman Store since 2007. The store is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday.

The event is free and open to the public.

828.369.5595.

A paper-making Creating Community Workshop will be held at noon Saturday, May 16, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Ingles Markets will host a “Taste of Local” event from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at their Waynesville location on Barber Boulevard.

There will be a handful of new nightlife businesses popping up around Western North Carolina in the coming weeks.

The 6th annual Concerts on the Creek season begins on May 22, and will run from 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday through Labor Day at the Bridge Park Pavilion in downtown Sylva.

A two-year trail restoration project began this week on Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, meaning that the trail and associated parking areas will be closed on weekdays through Nov. 19.

A contaminated property next to Land Trust for the Little Tennesse’s office in Franklin could have a brighter future now that the land conservation organization has purchased it. 

“I never paid that much attention to this part of town until our offices moved here,” said Ben Laseter, LTLT’s associate director. “LTLT staff parks behind the building, so every day I’d park my car and be face-to-face with this adjacent lot full of tanks, barrels and pumps from its days as an oil distribution business and service station. It seemed kind of ironic that this was right next door to a non-profit dedicated to conserving this wonderful part of the world we live in.”

The 1.5-acre property used to belong to Duncan Oil. Containing 350 feet of Little Tennessee River frontage, the land took a beating during the 40-plus years it was used for storing and distributing petroleum. 

Hopefully, those effects will soon be in the past. Since purchasing the land, LTLT has removed 954 tons of contaminated soil and three underground petroleum tanks from it. Future cleanup will include removing above-ground storage tanks and contaminated soil on the property, and remediation of contaminated groundwater.

“There are so many options, and I hope by LTLT cleaning up this one property, we can have a hand in helping start the revitalization of this area in Franklin,” Laseter said. 

Backpackers in several popular areas of Pisgah National Forest are now required to use bear canisters when staying overnight, following a recent policy change by the U.S. Forest Service. 

Reports of bears accessing food from improperly stored gear and, most notably, an instance of a bear entering a tent at Graveyard Fields in March, resulted in a new requirement for canister use in Shining Rock Wilderness as well as the Black Balsam, Sams Knob and Flat Laurel Creek areas of the forest. Meanwhile, Graveyard Fields is under a camping ban until further notice. 

“Visitor safety is of the utmost importance, and canisters are the most effective way to safely store food and reduce bear-human conflicts,” said Pisgah District Ranger Derek Ibarguen.

Bear canisters must be commercially made of solid, non-pliable material manufactured to resist entry by bears. Other practices to prevent bear encounters include cleaning up food and garbage from the campsite and never leaving food unattended. 

More safety tips are online at www.fs.usda.gov/main/r8/recreation/safety-ethics.

Pisgah Ranger District, 828.877.3265.

With Superintendent Cassius Cash now settled into his new role, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a permanent deputy superintendent too.

Close to 175 people tackled the inaugural Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon in Waynesville this weekend, coming from as far as Colorado and as close as Waynesville itself.

A rash of break-ins to cars parked along the Blue Ridge Parkway on its way through Asheville has rangers asking the public to pay extra attention to securing their vehicles.

A new website aims to help Blue Ridge Parkway visitors better plan their attire for a day in the high country.

Growing season is upon us, and that means farmers of all stripes are harvesting produce to sell. Farmers markets around the region are starting up, with outlets for fresh food and locally made products in every county.

The WNC QuickDraw will be from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

Casino Royale Night, a benefit for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation's Drug Abuse Coalition, will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Maggie Valley Club and Resort.