The legendary David Holt and local gospel group Mountain Faith will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the Coulter Hall at Western Carolina University as a benefit for the Jackson County chapter of Junior Appalachian Musicians. 

Woofstock, a benefit festival for ARF (the Humane Society of Jackson County), will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award, an honor bestowed annually on one individual and one organization that has played a prominent role in the preservation or interpretation of Southern Appalachian history and culture.

Letters of nomination should not exceed five pages, and include a list of the nominee’s accomplishments, their influence in the relevant field of expertise (such as crafts, music or organizational cause), and their role as a teacher, advocate, leader or preserver of mountain culture.

Send nominations by June 24 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The awards are presented at Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s celebration of traditional Appalachian culture that takes place on the last Saturday each September.

Legendary country singer Reba McEntire will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program will exhibit some their best work at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville through June 23.

A national convergence of Appalachian Trail fans and hiking enthusiasts will descend on Western Carolina University this summer for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial conference.

This year, the large gathering will be held July 19 through July 26 in Cullowhee. The event only occurs only once every eight years in the Southeast and will be hosted by the five southern Appalachian Trail maintaining clubs. It is expected to draw more than 1,000 trail managers, hikers and conservationists together for the common goal of celebrating and conserving the AT. 

This year’s program includes 137 organized hikes, 70 workshops, live music, dancing and trips to some of the region’s best spots. Hikes are planned on the AT and other regional trails. Workshop topics cover hiking, trail maintenance, natural wonders, cultural history and volunteer leadership development. Activities include rafting, zip-lining, touring Asheville’s booming art scene and visiting the Carl Sandburg Home and the Biltmore Estate.

www.appalachiantrail.org/2013biennial.

In honor of National Volunteer Week, Friends of the Smokies is recognizing the work of the Elk Bugle Corps.

The team of volunteers rove Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and help educate the hordes of visitors who come to see the elk each year. The share ethical wildlife viewing etiquette and teach visitors about the elk.

Last year, the Elk Bugle Corps was awarded the Haywood County Volunteer Organization of the Year. The Friends of the Smokies nominated them for the honor. Annually the Elk Bugle Corps members spend over 4,225 hours volunteering in the valley and assisting more than 45,540 visitors. www.friendsofthesmokies.org. 

A guided hike to the usually off-limits Waynesville watershed will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27.

During the three- to five-mile hike, naturalist Don Hendershot will talk about the surrounding flora and fauna, and Peter Bates of Western Carolina University will answer questions about forest ecology on the watershed property and the forest management plan.

The preserved 8,600-acre Waynesville watershed flanks the southern end of Waynesville, spanning the mountainside from the Blue Ridge Parkway down to the head of Allens Creek. It feeds a 50-acre reservoir and provides water to the residents of Waynesville and some surrounding communities. Guided hikes in the town watershed are held twice a year; at all other times this property is off-limits to public access.

Must call ahead to reserve a spot. 828.452.2491.

A group of about 30 demonstrators gathered last Monday at the public fountain on Main Street in downtown Sylva to demand state politicians take action to address climate change. The rally was one of a series of public gatherings around the state that culminated in the Climate Convergence gathering on Raleigh during the weekend, meant to raise awareness of environmental issues and push legislation to combat air pollution.

At the Sylva rally, local environmental leaders talked about climate change and a petition was circulated calling on the N.C. General Assembly to pass the Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill. The bill would mandate the N.C. Utilities Commission to implement a new utility rate structure that rewards energy efficient ratepayers by charging them lower rates.

“Climate Change is real. It’s mostly man-made, and it’s urgent. It’s not something that’s going to happen in the future. It’s happening right now,” said Avram Friedman, executive director of the Canary Coalition, a clean air organization.

A video of the rally in Sylva is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Noy12zdRM.

A section of the Noland Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed to hikers and horseback riders through May 2, as crews repair flood damage from the past winter.

Visitors to the Nantahala Gorge this weekend can take in a full lineup of freestyle paddling competitions, outdoor activities, film screenings, live music and family activities.

Spring means ramp season in Western North Carolina, but the ramp population in Southern Appalachians is being hurt by over-harvesting.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the National Junior Ranger Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.

Haywood County Public Library announces the addition of Zinio to its system.

Zinio is an online service that allows you to download digital copies of popular magazines to your computer, tablet or mobile device for free. You can view Zinio magazines via a web browser or via an app. Zinio apps are available for the following devices: desktop, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone, Android, or Kindle Fire.

Go to the Haywood County Public Library website and click on the Zinio icon. You should click on “Create Account.” After following the steps, you can get the magazine list currently available to Haywood County Public Library patrons. 

828.452.5169.

WNC Ecofest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Haywood Community College.

The festival put on by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce will share practical ways to embrace a sustainable lifestyle and environmentally friendly practices into your daily life.

It’ll offer everything from making soap to becoming a beekeeper to learning about food preservation. Learn about green building, how to create an eco-friendly backyard and healthy living. The event will help you save money by showing you the latest in environmentally friendly technologies. There will also be music and children’s activities, and vendors of environmentally friendly, sustainable products.

The event is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 per car.

Folkmoot USA will kick off its 30th anniversary year with the “BIG 30” from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Sid’s on Main in Canton.

It will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, music, cash bar and live and silent auctions. Folkmoot, an international folk dance and music festival headquartered in Waynesville, brings more than 250 performers from nearly a dozen countries around the globe to perform throughout WNC.

The annual cultural exchange brings the music and dance traditions of the world to Western North Carolina’s doorstep. It is one of the premiere festivals in the eastern United States, attracting 100,000 people each year.

This year, Folkmoot will be held July 17-28. In recognition of the mountain communities who have supported Folkmoot for the last three decades, the festival will feature local Appalachian music and dance at flagship performances in Haywood County.  

Tickets for the pre-festival celebration are $50 per person. Call 828.452.2997 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for tickets.

www.FolkmootUSA.org or 877.FolkUSA (877.365.5872).

Local historian Jane Nardy will lead a presentation on the secret child of Mordecai Zachary at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center.

The Cashiers historian, Nardy will deliver a presentation on the secret son of Cashiers’ founding father Mordecai Zachary. While Nardy has been conducting extensive research on the Zachary lineage for the past 30 years, she said that it wasn’t until two-and-a-half years ago that someone suggested using DNA testing to trace the ancestry. Following the suggestion, DNA swabs were submitted so that she and the Zachary family could further trace the surname back to its earliest settlers, but what came back was much more surprising.

828.743.7710.

The Handlebar Corral presents the annual Thunder in the Smokies spring rally will be held May 3-5 in Maggie Valley.

Tennis superstars Andy Roddick and Jim Courier will play a charity exhibition match on Saturday, July 27, at Cedar Creek Racquet Club in Cashiers.

Country star Ronnie Dunn will be taking the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, April 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Haywood County Arts Council announces a new exhibition, “Under the Sea,” featuring work by Dr. John Highsmith from May 1-27 at Gallery 86 in Waynesville.

Films created by Western Carolina University students will be screened at the fifth annual Controlled Chaos Film Festival at 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at WCU.

To the Editor:

I’m deeply troubled to learn that some Haywood Democrats are still disgruntled about the appointment of Greg Christopher as sheriff. First of all, no one was more disappointed than me that Chief Deputy Larry Bryson was defeated. I proudly submitted his nomination to the Executive Committee. However, after talking with several committee members afterward, it was apparent that Greg’s inclusive management style and desire for increased collaboration with other community agencies had resonated strongly. While Larry was viewed as capable and experienced, most committee members thought he represented the “status quo” and Greg reflected a “fresh start” for the sheriff’s department. 

I challenge any Democrat still upset about the outcome to be guided by the example set by Hillary and Bill Clinton. Following her failure to win the 2008 presidential nomination, Hillary was described as “somber, prideful, aggrieved and confused,” but she and Bill regrouped and pledged their full support to Barack Obama. Just think what could’ve happened if Hillary had disengaged from the Democratic Party and encouraged supporters to stay home or vote for John McCain.

It’s time to focus on 2014 and working together to elect Sheriff Christopher to his first full term in office. 

Myrna Campbell

Chair, Saunook Democratic Precinct

To the Editor:

Career politicians are ruining this country. Unfortunately, once elected, most of our politicians’ concerns are to become career politicians. Numerous tactics are used to meet their goal, i.e., gerrymandering, voter ID, caving in to lobbyists, etc.

Currently the hot topic is gun safety involving background checks. Roughly 40 percent of gun sales (Internet and gun shows where the seller is not a licensed dealer) are occur without background checks. Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, stated in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee in 1999 that the NRA supported expanding background checks. LaPierre has flip-flopped and now does not support background checks. The majority of NRA members support background checks, as well as an overwhelming majority of Americans.  

The Senate won’t pass background checks because the career politicians are afraid they might not get reelected. I respect and admire Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan for saying she would vote in favor of background checks. This could be the demise of her senatorial career; however, she has the intestinal fortitude to vote for what the majority supports.

Ron Rokstool

Maggie Valley

To the Editor:

How will the saga of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad end? There have been many letters written about this grant, comparing it to a loan of Jackson County taxpayer money, which it is not. It is a grant with many terms attached. The state of North Carolina provided this grant money to help counties attract new businesses. This is the money that Jackson County is using to fund the grant for the GSMR. We cannot expect to get more grant money until we use the money we have. 

What are the chances the grant will be successful for both parties? Several weeks ago, Western Carolina University made a presentation to commissioners concerning the impact the railroad would have on north Jackson County and Dillsboro. It was astounding the number of direct and indirect jobs that would result from the return of the railroad. The benefit would be significant if only half of the jobs forecast in the report would occur. 

Our unemployment rate is more than 10 percent. Does anyone think it is likely our rate will decline if we don’t start attracting new businesses? Business owners are depending on the GSMR to bring new customers. Our unemployed people need jobs as well as some of our young people who have not been able to find work. The GSMR can help our county make life better for many of our people.

 Jim Mueller

Glenville

Chris Cooper, associate professor and head of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, has been named one of the best teachers in the University of North Carolina system in recognition of his engaging and dynamic teaching style.

Cooper is among 17 recipients of the 19th annual UNC Board of Governors Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

A faculty member at WCU since 2002, Cooper regularly wins rave reviews from his students and earns praise from his faculty colleagues as “an engaging professor who is actually energized as a teacher by his interactions with students.”

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors elected Phil Drake, chief executive officer of Drake Enterprises, and Kenny Messer, an executive with Milliken Corp., to four-year terms on the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees.

A native of Franklin, Drake began developing tax software in 1977. His companies now employ more than 500 people in businesses that include accounting, retail, software, dining, theater, golf, printing, Internet service, family entertainment, construction and fiber optics.

Messer is global business director of specialty chemical and packaging at Milliken & Co. in Spartanburg, S.C. A 1986 graduate of WCU, he is a past president and member of both the WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Catamount Club Board of Directors.

Drake and Messer will fill vacancies created by the departure of Joan MacNeill and former N.C. Sen. Steve Metcalf.

The Fines Creek Community Association is offering $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors living within the Fines Creek, Panther Creek and White Oak communities, as well as home-schooled students who graduate from a program certified by the N.C. Division of Non-Public Education.

The scholarships serve to support motivated students within the community to further their education from an accredited college or university.

The Fines Creek Bluegrass Jam is the primary source of funds for the scholarship program. This year’s event will take place Aug. 9-10 on the grounds of the old Fines Creek School. As the jam has grown in size, more scholarships have been available to area seniors.

Applications are available in the guidance office of Tuscola High School or online. Deadline is May 15.

828.627.1113 or www.finescreek.org.

A free kids festival featuring music, activity areas, performances and give-aways will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Haywood County Fairground by Haywood Smart Start.

There will be craft and activity stations for kids, including face painting and balloon animals, plus storybook characters and clowns on site. Outside, there will be free hayrides by Canton’s The Maize, Haywood County Rescue Squad Ambulance Demonstrations, Mission Children’s Hospital Tooth Bus and Waynesville Fire Department’s Smokehouse.

On the stage, there will be performances by Angie’s Dance Academy, Voices in the Laurel, Take the Stage Fairy Tales, Dixie Darlin’ Cloggers and MusicWorks costumed children performing Seussical Musical & Little Mermaid. 

For parents, there will be dozens of booths offering free literature and handouts on parenting tips and raising happy, active children.

Everything is free. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.586.0661.

A 16-year-old Tuscola High School student was arrested by Haywood County Sheriff’s Office deputies Thursday afternoon, April 18, and charged with a felony after telling fellow students he planned to commit mass acts of violence at the school the following day.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to impart wildlife viewing etiquette in high-traffic tourist areas at the N.C. entrance to the park outside Cherokee, as well as interact with the public and provide general park information.

The Highlands Nature Center is offering a lineup of summer Nature Day Camps for children. Five different camps on ecology and outdoor exploration will be offered for varying age groups. Most of the camp programs are offered more than once during the summer, and sessions run from Tuesday to Friday each week.

A pesky stomach virus has turned up among hikers along the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, especially on a stretch of trail running north out of town toward the Tennessee border.

A number of hikers fell sick to the 24-hour bug last week, and it is speculated that the illness is being passed between hikers in the region. The U.S. Forest Service warns that several shelter locations have been identified as hotspots, including No Business Knob, Big Bald and Hogback Ridge.          

A guided hike involving some off-trail bushwhacking to a little-known stand of old growth forest in Graham County will be held on April 20 by the WNC Alliance.

The remnant of old-growth forest that rivals Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in its grandeur and beauty but is simply lesser known. There should be good displays of wildflowers and early arrivals of migratory birds. The hike will be very difficult, mostly off-trail, and will include four very wet stream crossings. WNCA Biologist and old-growth expert Josh Kelly will lead this hike. To sign-up, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Another guided hike in the Joyce Kilmer forest itself will be held April 25 with the Benton MacKaye Trail Association to view the peak of spring wildflowers in the area along the two-mile forest loop trail. The group will then take in a second late afternoon hike to Huckleberry Knob off the Cherohala Skyway.  Bring supper and stay to see the full moon rise.

Sign up by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.479.2503.

Don’t be greedy and keep your favorite swimming hole for yourself. A regional environmental organization is developing a new guide for swim holes to direct locals, hikers and tourist to the closest and cleanest swim holes in the region.

An Arbor Day flower planting will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 20, at Island Park in downtown Bryson City.

Harold Adams of Naturally Green Landscaping will aid volunteers in planting almost 500 native species of wildflowers that will lend color and a natural food source for birds and butterflies. Students and staff from the Oconaluftee Job Corps have prepared the park for the plantings and will also be on hand during the event. 

The event is sponsored by the Swain County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

“This is a project that the Chamber and TDA are very proud to be involved with,” said Karen Wilmot, executive director of the chamber. “While a great deal of the work is being done to ready the Island for the ICF Freestyle Kayaking Championships events that we will be hosting here in Bryson City in September; it also provides an opportunity to improve what is an asset to our town and tourism product. ” 

828.488.3681 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Riders are gearing up for this year’s Tour de Cashiers coming on Saturday, May 4. The route will feature stunning spring scenery and challenging ascents.

The rides will consist of three distances: 100-mile, 50-mile, 25-mile routes. Although varying in difficulty, all three provide a challenge for cyclists wanting to test their conditioning. More than 300 riders from across the southeastern United States are expected to participate.

This year’s Tour will be starting on and returning to Frank Allen Road near the Cashiers Crossroads at U.S. 64 and N.C. 107. Proceeds will support Cashiers-area community development.

Participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a post-ride meal. Massage services and shower facilities also will be available. Individual and corporate sponsors are also needed for the event. The ride will supported by about 200 community volunteers, including help from regional fire departments, rescue squads and other law enforcement agencies. Those interested in volunteering can help with registration, SAG wagons, rest stations, course preparation, entertainment and other support activities.

www.TourdeCashiers.com or 828.743.5191. 

A Robbinsville man was sentenced to five months in prison last week for killing an black bear cub in Nantahala National Forest in October 2011.

Tyler Colvin, 20, of Robbinsville used a .50 caliber muzzleloader to kill a black bear cub in the Wayah Bear Sanctuary in the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County, according to court records.

Colvin had fired three shots at the cub, skinned it and removed the paws and some meat. He left the remainder of the carcass and the entrails in the forest. It is illegal to kill a bear weighing less than 50 pounds at any time and killing bears within a bear sanctuary is prohibited even during bear hunting season.

Forest agents then apprehended Colvin and retrieved the bear parts from his vehicle. He pleaded guilty in December 2012 to one count of transporting wildlife that had been taken in violation of federal laws and regulations.

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Dennis Howell ordered Colvin to one year of supervised release and to surrender his hunting license while he is under court supervision. Colvin was also ordered to pay $2,232 as restitution to the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission for the killing of the bear cub and forfeit his muzzleloader rifle, a powder horn and a deer call device.    

To the Editor: 

I was horrified to learn that my representative in the N.C. House, Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, co-sponsored House Resolution 494, the Rowan County Defense of Religion Act of 2013.  

H494 is designed to allow North Carolina to establish a state religion, declaring itself exempt from the U.S. Constitution, federal law and judicial precedent. This bill garnered widespread support among the radial Raleigh Republicans, including two senior members of the House leadership team, but it was reportedly killed by Speaker of the House Thom Tillis, to his credit.  

The sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Harry Warren, has since apologized for the resolution’s poor wording and how it embarrassed the state, but Rep. Presnell continues to defend it. Perhaps she is unaware that the N.C. Constitution states that it is subservient to the U.S. Constitution. Since she pledged allegiance to the state and federal constitutions, perhaps she should read them.

I was raised a Southern Baptist, granddaughter of a circuit-riding Baptist preacher and daughter of a Baptist deacon. I learned at my daddy’s knee the critical importance of the separation of church and state. My ancestors came to North Carolina from Scotland in the 1700s. The oral family history passed along that, being Protestants, they came to the New World because they objected to the establishment in Britain of the Church of England as the official state religion. Why is there not an outcry from the churches about H494?

For the last several years, some in the Republican Party have been rather “in your face” about the U.S. Constitution, carrying copies around with them and quoting from it. Why is there not an outcry from them about H494?

According to his website, Republican Rep. Mark Meadows is a member of the Constitutional Caucus in the U.S. Congress. I emailed a query to him asking what he thinks about the disrespect from Rep. Presnell and the other co-sponsors of H494, but he has not replied. Why is he not outraged about H494?

The Taliban is an intolerant sect of Muslims who originated in Afghanistan. They enforce their religion, fundamentalist Islam, in areas where they rule. Religious freedom and tolerance are unheard in those areas. Sound familiar?

I wonder if those who voted Republican in the last election and caused the takeover of our state government by this radical gang realized they were voting for the Taliban. This grievous error can be remedied in 2014.

Carole Carson Larivee

Waynesville

To the Editor:

I’d like to ask the Jackson County Commissioners why, in the midst of high unemployment and a miserable economy, is there the rush to seal this dubious venture with the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. It won’t pay off for Dillsboro for three years, much less to the rest of the county? Why do the terms under discussion seem more like a bribe to attract the railroad instead of cautious bargaining to secure a return on our dollars?

Each time additional terms are divulged, I am astonished by the weak stance you have assumed. Shouldn’t these conditions (or tighter ones) be the county’s demands for consideration of the loan — instead of terms that allow the loan to be forgiven? Jackson County leaders could be in the driver’s seat; currently GSMR seems to have everything to gain.

My appeal is to all five commissioners. Restructure your negotiations from a position of strength. GSMR obviously wants this deal. Accept nothing less than secure compensation for Jackson folks’ hard-paid taxes.

Lucy Christopher

Cashiers

To the Editor:

There are conflicting lights in which to view the co-sponsorship by Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, of the ill-founded, ill-fated state religion resolution. Neither is flattering to her or comforting to the public.

In one, she’s a witless wonder who couldn’t pass a high school history test or an immigrant’s citizenship exam.

In the other, she’s a willful demagogue, the kind who says things she knows aren’t true in order to satisfy or exploit the emotions of gullible constituents.

By either interpretation, she was faithless to her oath to support the Constitution of the United States.

The resolution to which Presnell lent her name and the dignity of her office declared that the First Amendment’s establishment clause does not apply to states, cities, or schools; that the federal courts have no power to determine “what is or is not constitutional,” that the state could establish an official religion if it chose; and that federal court rulings to the contrary would not be respected by the North Carolina General Assembly.

Such claptrap brings to mind the “interposition” resolutions by which some Southern rabble-rousers thundered their defiance of the Supreme Court’s school desegregation decisions a half century ago. 

When Florida’s legislature did so, Gov. LeRoy Collins wrote upon the document that if it were to be taken seriously, it was “anarchy and rebellion against the nation.” Col-lins knew, of course that interposition would be futile. Nonetheless, he saw harm in it. “I decry it as an evil thing, whipped up by the demagogues and carried on the hot and erratic winds of passion, prejudice, and hysteria,” he wrote.

That’s what is so wrong with what Presnell has done. She encourages disrespect for the Constitution, for the courts, and for the minority religious faiths which would be the sure losers under any state religion imposed by people like her (She compounded that damage by referring to Islam, in an e-mail to a constituent, as “terrorism.”). Her sorry message lingers even though the House speaker has effectively killed the resolution, which was spawned by a court challenge to the Rowan County Commission’s insistence on opening its meetings with exclusively Christian prayers.

With the First Amendment, Congress intended to put an end forever to such abuses as had been practiced by established churches in Virginia and Massachusetts. Federal courts have had the explicit power to interpret and apply the Constitution for more than two centuries. In the context of the Little Rock desegregation crisis, the Supreme Court declared unanimously in 1958 that “No state legislative, executive, or judicial officer can war against the Constitution without violating his undertaking to support it.” That applies even to back-benchers like Presnell.

Martin A. Dyckman

Waynesville

Western Carolina University will host its inaugural Discovery Forum, an event designed to encourage students to share innovative ideas for making their communities a better places to live, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 22, in Blue Ridge Hall at WCU.

During the forum, nine student teams selected by a special campus committee will share results of their research projects with an audience composed of students, faculty and community members in a series of five-minute presentations.

Topics include “The Human Population Problem and Its Environmental Impact,” “Whee Turn the Page: Cullowhee Community Reading Program” and “Military Families: Deployment Impact on College Students,” among others.

828.227.7383.

Seniors around the region are gearing up for Senior Games during the month of May.

In Haywood County, registration will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 17-19 at the Haywood County Parks and Recreation office at 1233 N. Main St. in Waynesville. Haywood County Senior Games will be held May 6-21.

Participants must be 55 or older this year and must have lived in the state for three consecutive months. Events include shuffleboard, tennis, pickleball, horseshoes, bowling and track and field, to name a few. Entry fee is $10 and includes a T-shirt, light breakfast at the opening ceremony on May 6, AARP Ice Cream Social on May 15 and dinner at the closing ceremony on May 21.

For the athletically disinclined, there are also the SilverArts, with categories such as visual arts (photography, painting, etc), heritage arts (pottery, woodcarving and basket weaving), and literary arts (poems and short stories).

828.452.6789 or www.haywoodnc.net.

Barium Springs, a nonprofit that serves troubled youth, is hosting its first Giving Them Hope Breakfast at 8:30 April 25 at the new conference center in the Burrell Building at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.

The free, hour-long breakfast will include testimonials by teens who have used Hawthorn Heights, the nonprofit’s emergency runaway and homeless teen shelter, the only homeless teen shelter west of Asheville. 

The nonprofit is also kicking off its Homelessness to Hope campaign, which aims to raise $300,000 to renovate a new, larger building that will meet growing demands. The current facility is no longer safe or adequate for the level of at-risk youth it serves.

Register for the breakkfast or donate by calling www.bariumsprings.org or 828.231.5413.

The Empty Bowl fundraiser will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, at The Community Table in Sylva.

For a $20 donation to the soup kitchen, you get a handcrafted ceramic bowls by a local potter to take home, after partaking in a meal of soup provided by local restaurants.

There will also be live music by Karen Barnes & Friends, Jessi & Chris Bassett, and The Buchannan Boys. 

In 2012, The Community Table served 17,087 meals and provided 4,208 food boxes.

Tickets are $20 and are currently on sale now through Tuesday, April 23, at Soul Infusion and Signature Brew in Sylva.

www.communitytable.org or 828.586.6782.

 The 16th annual Greening Up the Mountains street festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, in downtown Sylva. 

The spring festival is named for the way spring creeps up the mountainsides — a wave of green moving in succession from lower to higher elevations as leaves pop out. It began over a decade ago as a celebration of Earth Day.

Crafters, environmental groups, non-profits, local businesses and farms and nurseries will provide an engaging experience for this year’s attendees. More than a dozen bands will play over the course of the day. There is also a kid’s area, 5K race and demonstrations on sustainable lifestyles.

Stay tuned for a more detailed line-up in The Smoky Mountain News in coming weeks.

828.506.3419 or www.greeningupthemountains.com. 

Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville will kick off its 29th main stage season this month with a stage adaptation of the popular series of novels “Welcome to Mitford.”

Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. April 19, 20, 26 and 27 and May 2, 3, and 4, and at 3 p.m. April 21, 28 and May 5.

Adapted by Robert Inman and based on the Mitford books by Jan Karon, the series contains nine novels, all set in the fictional town of Mitford and centering on the character of Father Tim Kavanaugh, an Episcopal priest in a small North Carolina town.

The play takes the highlights and condenses the action into two acts, spanning 10 years. Father Tim moves from scene to scene, as the audience is introduced to over 20 characters in the town.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $10 for students and teachers. There will be a special $6 discount ticket for students and teachers for Thursday and Sundays.

828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.

The outdoor Mom’s Music Festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, in Waynesville, featuring a line-up of bands and activities to celebrate moms.

Put on by WOW, the Women of Waynesville, in conjunction with the Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation, the event will raise money for the Power of Pink, which provides free mammogram screenings for underserved women.

Bands include Smoke Rise, Tarnished Rose, Bohemian Jean, Cherokee Thunder and DJ Ogre of Dizzy Records. There will be vendors, food, local breweries and a kids area with a bouncy house, arts and crafts, small petting zoo and the Waynesville Fire Department.

“It’s been so fun putting this event into production again,” says Nikki White, President of WOW. “The Mom’s Music Festival is going to get bigger and better every year.”

The festival offers a safe, fun area for children to play while moms kick back on a blanket.

The Mom’s Music Festival will be held on behind The Herren House and Bridgets Bistro on East Street in Waynesville, one block from Main Street. It is a cash-only event. 

828.545.6879 or 828.452.7837 or www.facebook.com/Womenofwaynesville.

A “Record Store Day Celebration” will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at In Your Ear Music Emporium in Sylva.

On this day, independent record stores across the United States collaborate with artists to give the public exclusive releases available only at small town shops. Festivities at In Your Ear will include live music performed by local indie-folk band Pearly Peach, raffles, giveaways and exclusive jams.

828.586.6404 or www.inyourearmusic.net.