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The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will have a teen Friends of the Library meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Dec 15.
Local teens will share their ideas about materials of interest, including what sort of programming they’d like to see at the library. They will also make Christmas ornaments for the library’s Christmas tree.
Teens can earn community service hours for school by volunteering at the library.
828.488.3030.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center Dec. 17.
Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on traditional crafts and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children and adults can to make a corn shuck doll, buzz button and cinnamon ornaments to take home or to hang on the visitor center tree.
From 1 to 3 p.m., there will be an acoustic old-time jam session focused on holiday music. “Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is strongly tied to the Smokies history and culture,” said Lynda Doucette, supervisory park ranger at the center. “We would like to invite musicians to play traditional Appalachian tunes such as gospel songs and traditional ballads as they were played on the porches in the old days.”
The visitor center, located on U.S. Highway 441 just inside the Cherokee entrance to the park, will be decorated for the holiday season and will include an exhibit on Christmas in the mountains in the past. All activities are free and open to the public.
828.497.1904.
Rockwood United Methodist Church in Canton will host two holiday programs Dec. 18.
The Chancel Choir will present “One Small Child,” a Christmas musical at 10:45 a.m.
The re-telling of the Christmas story will include several familiar songs, such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Joy to the World,” “Here I Am to Worship,” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
The church youth group will host a Christmas program at 7 p.m. The program will include songs and presentations of “My Christmas Memories” by members of the group. A reception will follow the evening program.
828.647.6870.
The Catamount statue at the main entrance of Western Carolina University is now sporting a red and green holiday sweater trimmed with colored lights made by the WNC Fiber Folk Group.
The group is comprised of people who share an interest in fiber arts such as knitting and crocheting. Group members “yarn bombed” the mascot Dec. 8 and will remove the sweater Dec. 16.
Yarn bombing, a practice that began in the mid-2000s, is the practice of wrapping a structure in the public landscape in knitted or crocheted cloth.
“The sweater project not only was fun but also is part of a contemporary, worldwide artistic movement,” said Denise Drury, interim director of the WCU Fine Art Museum and Fiber Folk organizer. “As a university, this is where experimentation in the arts begins, and we need to foster that.”
Jessica Breen, a group member and an assistant in the WCU Biology Department, created the five-foot-long sweater in four days on an electric knitting loom. It was her first experience knitting a sweater.
For information about the WNC Fiber Folk Group or the WCU Fine Art Museum, call 828.227.2553 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Assault on Black Rock trail race is a go next year in Jackson County, so mark your calendar for Saturday, March 17, and start practicing steep ascents.
As occurred this year, proceeds from the race will go to support the Community Table in Sylva.
New next year will be the Black Rock 101 challenge. Think of it as a pass/fail college course (i.e., English 101). Anyone who completes the course in 101 minutes or less will “pass” and receive an oversized belt buckle. That’s amounts to a 14:26 minute per mile pace, with more than 2,700 feet of elevation gain.
Seven out of 65 people (just 11 percent) would have taken home belt buckles from the race earlier this year. In addition to the belt buckles, prizes will be awarded to the top finishers.
Those fatigued by even the thought of running to Black Rock are encouraged to participate by simply hiking to the top.
The cost is $25 to pre-register and $30 on race day. T-shirts guaranteed to the first 100 people who sign up.
www.communitytable.org or Assault on Black Rock Trail Race Facebook page.
The scenic Cullowhee Valley will serve as the backdrop again when runners from throughout the region gather at Western Carolina University for the second annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5-K on Sunday, March 25.
The half marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m. and take runners on a 13.1-mile journey through the WCU campus and along the Tuckasegee River. For runners looking for a shorter and faster option, race organizers are adding a 5-K (3.1-mile) race and walk to this year’s activities. That event will begin at 7:45 a.m.
Packet pickup will be held at WCU’s Campus Recreation Center from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 23. Details about a Saturday, March 24, packet pickup will be announced later, and packets also will be available from 6 to 7 a.m. race morning at the Campus Recreation Center.
Runners will find numerous aid stations with water and sports drink along the route, and mile-markers will help them chart their progress. All registered runners will receive a short-sleeve technical shirt.
WCU’s School of Health Sciences and Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness are hosting the races. Proceeds will be used to assist WCU students with expenses for professional presentations and travel to conferences.
A free training program developed by the athletic training staff will be e-mailed to registered half-marathon runners, and group training runs for the half marathon will be held on the WCU campus at 6 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, beginning Monday, Jan. 9. There will be tracks for both beginner and experienced runners, and experts in the fields of injury prevention, nutrition and health will provide information sessions and assistance to runners.
Award-winning businessperson Meridith Elliot Powell has been selected to join the Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Board of Directors.
Powell is an internationally certified coach, speaker and author. She is founder and President of Motion First, a consulting firm providing expertise in leadership and business development. She brings both energy and business savvy to the board.
“I am so honored to be joining the board of Friends of the Smokies,” said Powell, who was elected to the board in their November meeting. “For me, it provides the unique opportunity to work alongside an amazing group of volunteers all passionately dedicated to the important goal of preserving and protecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Powell is an active member of the National Speakers Association, the Carolinas Speakers Association, the American Society of Training and Development and the International Coaching Federation. She holds master certifications in Strategic Planning, Business Coaching and Communications.
Since 1993, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a not-for-profit organization, has raised more than $34 million to support educational programs, historic preservation projects, conservation of natural and cultural resources, and wildlife research and protection in the Smokies.
Learn all about bears and bear behavior at a monthly “Green Drinks” social at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Rathskellar Coffee House in Frankin.
Green Drinks is a meeting of area conservationists. This gathering will highlight a Bear Story Telling Contest, judged by Cynthia Strain, co-founder of B.E.A.R. (Bear Education and Resources) in Highlands.
Winning stories, bear photos, and relevant newspaper articles will be posted on the B.E.A.R. website. Other prizes include a framed picture of the B.E.A.R. logo from Mill Creek Gallery and Framing in Highlands and a Western North Carolina Alliance T-shirt. Strain will give a brief presentation on the growing frequency and challenges of human interaction with bears — with a focus on “peaceful co-existence.”
828.524.2280 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Twenty-two high school science teachers from across North Carolina recently visited the Highlands Biological Station for a weekend retreat focusing on the impact of climate change on the Southern Appalachian mountain ecosystem.
The Highlands Biological Station, an inter-institutional center of the University of North Carolina system that is administered by Western Carolina University, hosted the teachers in collaboration with the Institute for the Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The teachers are enrolled in the NC CLIMATE Fellows Program. The professional development program – which stands for North Carolina Climate Literacy: Integrating Modeling and Technology Experiences in N.C. Classrooms – is designed to increase teachers’ knowledge of current climate change science and use of technology to support climate change instruction.
Made possible through $318,000 in funds from NASA’s Innovations in Climate Education (or NICE) project, the NC CLIMATE Fellows program will serve up to 24 N.C. high school teachers annually for the next three years. The teachers will investigate how scientists are studying climate change and its impacts on the local, regional and global scales, as well as how scientists use NASA data and models in their research.
The weekend retreat in Highlands was one part of the free yearlong program, said James Costa, director of the Highlands Biological Station and professor of biology at WCU.
“Participants were immersed in themes related to the ecology of climate change as it pertains to the mountains,” said Costa. “Emphasis was placed on salamanders, which are especially abundant and diverse in the Great Smokies, as well as plant species unique to the Southern Appalachian Mountains.”
828.526.2602 or www.wcu.edu/hbs.
Deer hunters may encounter sick or diseased deer afflicted with hemorrhagic disease this hunting season, according to the N.C. Wildlife Commission.
Two closely related viruses — epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and bluetongue virus — cause hemorrhagic disease. Both are spread by biting flies, called midges.
The commission is asking hunters to report sightings of the disease, which has no human-health implications but is one of the most significant infectious diseases of white-tailed deer in North Carolina.
Symptoms of hemorrhagic disease in deer vary widely. Some diseased animals will exhibit no symptoms. Some may appear bloated, very thin and weak, while others suffering from the disease for longer duration may drastically lose weight. They also may have foot, mouth and internal lesions. High fever associated with the disease can make deer thirsty, so dead and dying deer are often found near water. Hunters may observe cracked or sloughing hooves on harvested deer, which is another classic symptom of the disease.
Outbreaks of this deer disease are seen almost every year somewhere within the state and across the Southeast. In years with severe hemorrhagic disease outbreaks, deer mortality in some localized areas can be as high as 30 percent. However, in most instances mortality is much lower.
To report sightings of symptomatic deer, or dead and dying deer, contact the Division of Wildlife Management at 919.707.0050 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A collection of handmade books created by Kathrine Cays, artist-in-residence at The Rickman Store in the Cowee community of Macon County, will be on display this month at The Wilderness Society’s office in Sylva.
Since the early 1990’s Cays’ work has depicted elements from the natural world. In 2001, she began to involve minerals, metals, insects and found objects onto her canvases and panels, as well as into her sculptural works.
Cays sources spiritual wisdom and relationships to develop her central theme, which includes the placement of people within human constructions, the natural world and spiritual realms.
The Wilderness Society is on Main Street in Sylva.
Regional efforts to make highways more beautiful added up to statewide recognition recently when the N.C. Department of Transportation announced the winners of the 22nd Annual Wildflower Awards.
The awards recognize the efforts of NCDOT staff to carry out North Carolina’s wildflower program and enhance the overall appearance and environmental quality of the state’s highways.
In this area, the 2011 award winners are:
• Best Overall Division Wildflower Program: Honorable Mention – Division 14, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties.
• William D. Johnson Daylily Award: First Place – Division 14 – U.S. 441 Franklin in Macon County; Second Place, Division 13 – I-240 at Exit 4A in Buncombe County.
• Best Regional Wildflower Planting, Western Region: Honorable Mention – Division 14 – U.S. 74 at Exit 102 in Haywood County.
The NCDOT Wildflower Program began in 1985 and is coordinated by the department’s Roadside Environmental Unit, which installs and maintains 1,500 acres of wildflowers along North Carolina’s highways.
Mary J. Messer, author of the Appalachian memoir Moonshiner’s Daughter, will read from her book and answers questions from the audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec 10 at the Penland & Sons Department Store in Marshall.
Messer’s memoir, set in Haywood County as well as northern Virginia and New York City, tells of her life as the middle daughter of an abusive moonshiner and his mentally ill wife, the incredible hardship her mother and the four children suffered at her alcoholic father’s hands, as well as the trauma the children suffered from the cruelty of other youth and adults as they struggled to grow up.
The event is free, and copies of her book will be available for purchase and author signing.
828.649.2811 or www.moonshinersdaughter.com.
Friends of the Haywood Public Library will present Barbara Bates Smith will appear in the one-woman play Christmas play “Deck the Halls with Southern Writers” at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11 in the Waynesville Library auditorium.
This new play was adapted by Bates Smith, who is accompanied by Jeff Sebens on hammered dulcimer. Featured works from Lee Smith, Allan Gurganus and Truman Capote will be interwoven with Bates Smith’s comical search for the “true meaning” of Christmas.
Smith lives in Haywood County and is known for her roles in regional productions of “Wit,” “Hamlet” and “Doubt.” Free and open to the public. Seating will be limited.
828.456.5311 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Creative writing students from Western Carolina University will read original works at 6 p.m. on Dec. 13 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
During the two-hour event, 17 students from an advanced fiction writing class at WCU will read selections from works they have written.
“Anyone who finds pleasure in good storytelling or great writing will enjoy this,” said Pamela Duncan, an assistant professor in the professional writing program at WCU.
For the past four months, students have been improving their writing skills by primarily focusing on developing two short stories to submit for publication.
The event is free and open to the public. City Lights Bookstore is located in downtown Sylva.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.3926.
To the Editor:
After reading Carol Larivee’s letter noting the differences between the Tea Party and the Occupy movement, it amazes me that in this day and age of vast online resources a person can continue to be so gullible as to buy into every piece of liberal spin and blindly accept as truth. When one fails to do their due diligence, they live in a world of fear, baseless prejudice and ignorance.
The author portrays the Occupy Movement as some sort of Utopian Society of shared wealth. When Occupiers’ laptops and other sweet little electronic devices or personal property were being stolen from the camps, they saw things differently and complained. Occupiers have little respect for others property or right to make a living.
Meanwhile, the Tea Party respects both private and public property. So much so that they leave a site of a rally cleaner than when
The Occupy movement has continued its struggle to arrive at a coherent message, but the Tea Party rallied around this core on day one — limited government, free market principles and personal responsibility.
Ginny Jahrmarkt
Sapphire
To the Editor:
In the Nov. 23-29 issue of The Smoky Mountain News, Carole Larivee wrote a letter comparing the TEA Party to the Occupiers. As I read her letter at first I thought it was a joke. However, I realized quickly that the letter actually was written seriously but that the ridiculous, grossly mistaken comparisons are so far out of the realm of reality that they actually are comical.
I cite the following responses to several of Larivee’s untruths and misconceptions: Quote from Larivee: “Every Tea Party event was covered by the media ….” It is well known that the media gave the Tea Party rallies very little coverage and rarely acknowledged the hundreds of thousands attending; Larivee states that “At Tea Party events people showed up with assault rifles, shouted and spit at members of Congress.”. I attended all of the local Tea Party events and the September 2009 and 2010 events in Washington, D.C. I never, ever saw a gun, rifle or assault weapon at any of these events nor was any congressman ever present in the crowd to be spit upon at these high-profile rallies or marches. In fact, most members of Congress do not support the spending cuts and smaller government on the Tea Party agenda. Therefore they have been and continue to be either in Tea Party denial or in no way interested in aligning themselves with the group let alone be seen in the presence of Tea Partiers!
Larivee continues “At Occupy events, people show up unarmed, are committed to non-violence and are maced and beaten by police.” The facts are that there have been rapes, rampant drug use, nudity, vulgar behavior and at least one killing at Occupy sites. The Occupiers break multiple laws ... set up tent camps for weeks in public parks or on public property, possess and use illegal drugs, commit violent crimes and they expect no police action? Police have been wounded, urinated on, punched and hit by this “non-violent” crowd. Law-abiding citizens are denied access to public streets and sidewalks surrounding Occupy sites and shop owners have lost business because customers are not able to get to their stores. The reality is you will never find a record of that kind of behavior at any Tea Party event.
Larivee’s statements that “Tea Party participants mock the sick and the poor” and “Tea Party participants are anti-union, anti-poor, racist, bigoted and xenophobic” are the most ridiculous and preposterous. It is an amazing stretch of reality to take the Tea Party principles to cut spending, reduce the size of government, encourage free enterprise and protect private property and individual rights and twist them into the accusations made by Larivee.
In the end Larivee claims: “Occupy is standing up for the rest of us, the 99 percent.” The truth is the Occupiers are the 1 percent on the bottom line of the nation’s spectrum ... they are the nation’s lawbreaking, offensive behaving, non-producers who love creating this Occupy happening for something to do rather than actually finding a real job. How many of our nation’s citizens, the real 99 percent, who are hard-working earners nurturing their families and obeying laws could spend weeks and even months hanging out in tents on city streets 24 hours a day?
Larivee’s idea that Occupiers “avoid leaders” is a myth. Their real leaders are faceless, keeping themselves anonymous. However, if you read Occupy signage and listen to their rhetoric, you will see that communism, Marxism and socialism is the Occupy theme. The actual Occupy leaders who promote that theme don’t show themselves in public but they are behind the scenes for sure.
Carol C. Adams
Glenville
To the Editor:
So the Democrat North Carolina state senators have waived off the chance to cap the automatic 4 percent gas tax increase set for January, claiming they’ll lose jobs and money needed for roads. Liars. This is not a “loss.” It’s an increase on top of the existing gas tax that already supports jobs and roads. But they’re more than willing to rip an additional $95 million out of our pockets. Gotta pay for those ever-increasing union salaries and benefits somehow!
Remember who is raising taxes the next time you fill your tank.
Larry Wright
Maggie Valley
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host a Holiday Open House from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the chamber office in Waynesville.
New, current and potential new members are encouraged to attend to network with other chamber members.
“During these economic times such as these, it becomes important to make businesses aware of the resources available through the chamber,” said Executive Director, CeCe Hipps.
Call light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be provided.
RSVP at 828.456.3021 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A new Republican women’s group in Western North Carolina also has a new name, “Smoky Mountain Republican Women.”
The group has been meeting for two months and will be a new club affiliated with the N.C. Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women.
All members, and anyone interested in becoming a member, is encouraged to attend he group’s meetings.
Smoky Mountain Republican Women currently has members in Swain, Jackson, and Graham Counties, rotates meetings and will have events in the tri-county region. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.736.5926.
A candlelight service to honor soldiers and veterans who have served in the Iraq war from Swain County will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 on the square in front of the historic courthouse.
The service coincides with the date all U.S. Iraqi Combat Forces will be returning home or redeployed to a more urgent part of the world. This service is open to everyone, and candles will be provided. Anyone with the name of a soldier to share should submit it by Dec. 15 by contacting 828.342.9805 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The event is sponsored by the Swain County Democratic Party.
A heavy-lifting helicopter flexed its muscle in Cherokee Wednesday in the ongoing expansion and construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel.
The Sikorsky helicopter — one of the largest helicopters commercially available — performed 17 lifts to the roof. The units lifted weighed up to 12,000 pounds.
Learn about programs and services in Macon County to help the less fortunate at the monthly League of Women Voters in Franklin at noon on Dec. 8.
Gwen Taylor, public information officer for Macon County Department of Social Services, will describe the broad range of services offered and delivered, from child welfare to senior services, food and heating assistance, health care assistance and employment services.
The meeting will be held at Tartan Hall in the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin.
RSVP if attending for lunch, a cost of $5. 828.371.0527 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
An orientation session for high school students interested in taking classes at Haywood Community College will be held at 1 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. on Dec. 19 at the HCC auditorium.
Dual-enrollment opportunities through the Career and College Promise program allow high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit for free. The program reduces the amount of time and the cost to get college certificates, diplomas and associate degrees later on.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.627.4759, or visit www.haywood.edu/high_school_programs.
Niche marketing and regional cooperation were the reoccurring topics of this year’s Smoky Mountain Host meeting held in Cherokee last week, an annual forum that brings together the major tourism players of the Smoky Mountain region.
“Our greatest customers are our neighbors,” said Mary Jaegar-Gale, general manager of Chimney Rock State Park, during a panel discussion at the stakeholder’s meeting.
Matthew Pegg, head of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce, agreed that Western North Carolina businesses should work together to attract people who live in the region to be tourists in their own backyards.
“There are a lot of people here who don’t know what we have,” Pegg said.
Throughout the meeting, David Huskins, the head of Smoky Mountain Host, encouraged those in the room to stop competing against each other for tourists and instead band together to help brand the Smokies region as a destination, in turn benefiting all the tourism in the region. By pooling their money for advertising, tourism attractions can get more bang for their buck, Huskins said.
Several panel participants discussed creating a map of activities or an a-la-carte itinerary that helps visitors pick and choose what they want to see and do.
“It is very important to get information into their hands before they plan their trip,” said Ed Phillips, executive director of the Burke County Tourism Development Authority.
An itinerary or regional events are a couple of ways in which businesses, towns and tourism authorities could work together to appeal to niche markets, including fishing and motorcycling.
Cherokee alone hosts six fishing tournaments. But, a regional fishing tour could keep visitors in the area, spending money at local businesses, for three or four days, Pegg said.
Speaker Berkley Young, a tourism marketing specialist, emphasized that towns should focus on their niche experiences to draw in tourists rather than trying to offer something for everyone.
People need to ditch their “build it and they will come” mentality and focus on unique experiences, said Young, president of Young Strategies, a tourism research and strategic planning firm based in Charlotte.
While “uncertain” has been the buzzword used to describe travel and the economy during the past few years, businesses are expected to see moderate, 1 to 3 percent, growth in 2012, Young said, and people have not stopped traveling or spending.
The need to get away will always trump other considerations, such as the price of gas, he said. People are taking shorter trips, closer to home and are participating in fewer but more engaging activities.
By promoting unique opportunities, regions are more likely to draw in those vacationers.
Businesses must also get back to the basics of hospitality.
The first words out of a hotel employee’s mouth should not be ‘Do you have a reservation,” Young said. A simple ‘Welcome! We’re glad you are here’ can improve the experience of a visitor, who is likely tired and annoyed from traveling, and increase the chance that they will return, he said.
An after-school program for sixth graders will be offered from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursday starting in January at the Waynesville Recreation Center.
The first hour will be devoted to homework with assistance for students who need help. Snacks will also be provided at this time. The remainder of the afternoon will be a structured P.E. program. A bus will be provided from Waynesville Middle School.
Free to members of the Waynesville Recreation Center or $12 a week for non-members.
828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Haywood County Public Library has opened to the public a unique library collection to help meet the recreational and educational needs of children that are homeschooled.
This special collection contains a variety of formats including fiction, biographies, history, language arts, mathematics and science materials. Funding to start the collection was provided by federal funds via a Library Science and Technology Act grant awarded to the library in June.
The collection is located at the Canton branch library on Pennsylvania Avenue.
A home-school patron card with specific guidelines will be made available for home-schooled applicants upon request. Patrons using the home-school collection card will have access to the special collection with longer checkout periods.
828.648.2924.
Deborah Horn, from Lake Junaluska, is now teaching music lessons out of her home studio.
Horn has taught music lessons since she was seventeen and recently working in the public school system. She also performs with her flute, piano and violin at weddings and other special events.
Horn’s educational background as a Learning Behavior Specialist provides her with a better understanding of the student’s goals and learning strengths.
She has daytime and after school openings. She is also providing a gift certificate, which can be purchased in time for Christmas.
400.1915 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board backed down from plans to cut grant funding for long-celebrated events such as Folkmoot USA, Downtown Waynesville street dances and Canton’s Labor Day Festival.
The tourism board had been contemplating new grant guidelines for events — cutting off grant funding after four years and capping one-day events to a maximum grant of $1,500. But they reversed course following backlash from event organizers over the proposed changes.
Not all tourism board members wanted the changes in the first place. Mark Clasby, executive director of the county’s Economic Development Commission and a board member, was among those on the tourism board who raised concerns about the repercussions of cutting funding for existing festivals.
The intent was to free up grant money to boost new, up-and-coming festivals. The watered-down guidelines encourage rather than mandate that “new, qualified events” are given priority status.
Established festivals already have strong sponsorships and attendance, and after receiving TDA money for four years, new events should be better able to support themselves, said Marion Hamel, a member of the board from Maggie Valley.
“We didn’t feel like it would be that big of a hardship,” said Hamel, who helped draft the proposed guidelines.
Hamel said four years of grant funding should be adequate.
“It is going to take three years for any new event to get off the ground,” Hamel said.
But, just because an event is longstanding does not mean it’s profitable or no longer needs grant support. The town of Canton doles out $20,000 for music, portable toilets, stages, tents, clean-up crews and law enforcement at its annual Labor Day Festival.
“Ours is a little over a 100 years now. We are going to get it right,” joked Al Matthews, Canton town manager and a board member.
Many of these events depend on TDA funding to help broaden their promotional efforts beyond Western North Carolina. Organizers said they would not be able to continue attracting larger crowds to the popular annual events without the funding, and the loss could force some perennial favorites to shut down.
“You don’t want to penalize somebody who is successful,” said Kay Miller, executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council, who attended the meeting. Miller said International Festival Day would never be able to advertise in publications, such as Southern Living, if it did not receive TDA money.
Most events are run by nonprofits, which are only allowed to keep a certain amount of money in the bank. Any monies left over go back into the nonprofit or are used to promote the event the following year.
“This would be very devastating to some of us,” said Deborah Reed, a member of the tourism board. Reed is also leader within the Canton merchant’s association FOCUS, a nonprofit that puts on the annual Mater Fest.
Board members agreed that new events should be given a chance but disagreed over whether older events should be excluded from the TDA’s funding pool.
“You don’t want to create funding dependent organizations,” agreed Matthews, who also suggested cutting out the proposed guidelines how much money older events can receive.
About $215,000 of the tourism agency’s funds — a quarter of what is collected from the county’s 4 percent tax on overnight lodging — are earmarked this year for special tourism initiatives. The TDA collects more than $850,000 in revenue each year from the county’s 4-percent lodging tax.
Maggie Valley, Canton, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska and Clyde each keep a portion of the tax revenue they generate. The five areas also have their own committee, which divvies up their share of the tourism agency’s funds.
Ken Stahl, the tourism board’s finance chair, said the committees need to try to achieve a balance between giving new events an opportunity to flourish and supporting the events the county is already known for.
“Our prime directive is to get an increase in tourism,” Stahl said.
Each year, the committees sift through applications and make recommendations to the tourism authority, which has final approval in all funding decisions.
The committees have “a very difficult time sometimes,” Hamel said.
“The best things to do would be to clarify (the guidelines),” Hamel said. “This is what we are suggesting.”
Some board members and event coordinators did not know about the proposed changes until they received a call for comment from The Smoky Mountain News for an article prior to the tourism meeting last week.
“It caught me a little off guard,” said Matthews, who noted that he had not seen the changes to the guidelines until he received the board’s meeting agenda.
Although a tamer version of the proposed guidelines was passed, the board could decide to pass stricter standards in the future.
“This subject comes up every two or three years for discussion,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the Tourism Development Authority.
Join in holiday caroling and a concert by the strings section of the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra on Dec. 15.
Caroling will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Jackson County Public Library Complex in Sylva, which will be lined with luminary bags decorated by children during the course of the fall at the library.
If weather is wet or too cold, carolers will move into the Atrium of the building. All singers and would-be singers in the community are encouraged to participate.
“We would like to make this the start of a tradition in the community,” said organizer Cathy Arps.
The caroling will be followed at 7 p.m. by a concert in the Community Room by the strings section of the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra.
The Civic Orchestra will play several classical and holiday favorites, including the Brook Green Suite, the Corelli Christmas Concerto, the Toy Symphony, and the Carol of the Bells. Children are encouraged to bring a small toy drum, trumpet, or rattle to “help” when the Toy Symphony is played.
828.586.2016.
The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will take place on Dec. 11 in the Community Room on the second floor of the old courthouse in the Jackson County Library Complex in Sylva.
Contra dancing is a form of English country dancing and uses many of the same figures as square dancing such as circles, stars and swings. All dances are done to live music and local musicians are invited to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing.
Dancing will take place from 2:30-5 p.m., with a potluck dinner following at 5:30 p.m. Bring a covered dish, plate, cup and cutlery and a water bottle.
No previous experience with contra dancing is necessary and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No partner is required.
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Lee Knight, a folklorist and musician, will perform holiday folk music in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library Complex in Sylva at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13.
Knight, a native of the Adirondack Mountains and a long-time resident of Cashiers, has studied the folk cultures of both the Southern Appalachians and the Adirondacks, as well as the Sea Islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia.
He refers to his musical style as “musical archaeology” and has developed his repertoire by visiting with local residents and musicians who have kept regional traditions alive.
In April 2006, Knight performed at Carnegie Hall and has over the years earned a reputation among folk music performers for his authentic style and traditional rhythms.
The performance is free and open to the public. 828.586.2016.
The Western Carolina University School of Music will present the Christmas portion of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.
The performance will feature the WCU Concert Choir and University Chorus in collaboration with the Western Carolina Community Chorus and the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra.
“First performed for a benefit concert in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742, ‘Messiah’ rapidly became a favorite of both the Christmas and Easter seasons,” said Will Peebles, director of the School of Music.
Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for WCU faculty and staff, and seniors; and $5 for students and children. Tickets will be available at the door. All proceeds will be used for music student scholarships.
828.227.2479.
A monthly old-time music jam in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is bringing together musicians from across the region.
Music played includes traditional folk tunes of the Southern Appalachians but often branches off into newer songs by the Carter Family and Bill Monroe. The instruments are all acoustic and include the fiddle, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp and modern-era instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, doghouse bass.
“The setting and backdrop of the new Oconaluftee facility has proven to be a ‘perfect place’ in which to share and preserve our Appalachian music heritage and culture,” said Judy D. Sipes, the old-time music jam leader who is from Waynesville. “They all come for one thing – to learn, share and enjoy the enduring music that has wafted across the hills and hollers from the cabins, porches, school houses and church houses, of Appalachia for centuries.”
The porch has a cozy fireplace for cool weather, and the jam moves indoors in cold weather.
Everyone is welcome regardless of his or her musical level or age. Come learn, share and enjoy the enduring music of Appalachia every third Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center on U.S. 441 outside Cherokee.
Bring your instruments. Jam is subject to weather/roads cancellation during winter months.
828.497.1904.
The T.M. Rickman Store in Cowee will host a full day of arts events on Dec. 9 with crafters and artisans who will display their work, including exhibits from artist in residence Kathrine Cays and photographer Ralph Preston.
The Nikwasi Dulcimer Players will perform Christmas tunes at 3 p.m., and then at 6 p.m. playwright Gary Carden will present “The Liar’s Bench,” a taste of an Appalachian Christmas with mandolin player Eric Young, Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Ameach, and poet Dave Waldrop.
Fresh-cut Christmas trees and hand-made wreaths will be available for a donation to the store.
Admission is free, but seating for The Liar’s Bench is limited.
828.369.5595.
Take a trip to downtown Waynesville for its “A Night Before Christmas” celebration from 6-9 p.m. on Dec. 10.
“This is a magical evening in Downtown Waynesville. Let us entertain you and create wonderful holiday memories,” said Buffy Phillips, executive director of the Downtown Waynesville Association.
Businesses remain open until 9 p.m. Downtown is filled with bright lights, hundreds of luminaries, beautifully decorated windows, fine food and drink. Musicians and entertainers perform throughout the evening. First Baptist Church of Waynesville will host its “Bethlehem Marketplace” with a live nativity in its smaller parking lot downtown.
Musicians include Ginny McAfee and McKayla Reece along with Steve Summey and Karen Conner, and Michael Pilgrim, a downtown favorite. The Poetry People return by popular demand.
828.456.3517.
The Jackson County’s Green Energy Park will hold its holiday open house on Dec. 11, inviting the public to visit and observe local artists who will be giving demonstrations and offering locally made gifts at low prices.
“This is a chance for folks to watch handcrafted glass and metal art being made up close, to interact with the artisans, and purchase a locally-made gift or ornament that will be treasured for years,” said Timm Muth, Director of the Green Energy Park.
Glass artists Tadashi Torii, Aaron Shufelt, Judy McMannus, Clayton Hufford, Hayden Wilson; along with metal artist John Burtner and jewelery artists Brock Martin and Julie Boisseau will be giving demonstrations starting at noon and until at least 5 p.m.
Some of the available gifts will be glass and metal ornamental jewelry, vases and platters, sculpture and fireplace tools.
www.jcgep.org or 828.631.0271.
Local songwriter Mackenzie Leigh Wilson, fresh off of performances at the Curb Café and the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, will host a holiday concert to benefit the Open Door of Haywood County.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21 in the Venue at Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church. The concert will feature Wilson as well as other local and Nashville musicians, performing a mixture of original and seasonal music.
Wilson, a graduate of Tuscola High School, is now pursuing her songwriting dreams in Nashville. She attends Belmont University and is a songwriting major. The concert will benefit Open Door, a ministry that serves the poor and homeless of Haywood County.
“I am excited to sing my music, and some of my holiday favorites back in my hometown, all benefiting a great cause,” Wilson said.
828.452.3846.
Southwestern Community College’s Heritage Arts Program is pleased to announce clay classes for spring 2012.
Students taking these classes have the opportunity to work towards a Master Potters Certificate. All classes will be held at the Heritage Arts Ceramic Studios at the SCC Swain Center located at 60 Almond School Road in Bryson City.
Classes include glaze fabrication, the basics of ceramics, beginning and intermediate wheel, bowls, firing and throwing. Costs associated with the courses range from $65 to $175.
828.497.3945 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin has added another show to its holiday lineup.
The Annie Moses Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 9. The band blends fiddle, jazz, and classical music with folk-inspired vocals. It will celebrate the season with such holiday favorites as, “O Holy Night” and “Carol of the Bells” as well as the group’s own songs such as, “When the Christmas Baby Cries.”
This five-member, string-playing group dates back three generations. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Buy at the box office or at GreatMountainMusic.com.
Hikers taking the trek across Grandfather Mountain’s ridgeline can now enjoy five new ladders on the Grandfather Trail. The new ladders on MacRae Cliff replace the old ones that had been up for decades.
The five ladders are all in a row, and transport hikers along a steep rock cliff. Members of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Interpretive Staff worked for months planning the project. Wood, cables and bolts had to be purchased, ladder posts and rungs had to be cut to size, and corners and edges had to be smoothed before each piece of equipment was carried out into the backcountry.
Carriage bolts were used in place of nails on the new ladders. The carriage bolts run through the rungs and posts and are much thicker and stronger than nails. In addition, cables that provide extra support for the ladders’ placement are now anchored more than an inch deeper than in the past.
828.737.0833 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Get a different view of the Star of Bethlehem Friday, Dec. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI).
Activities include a tour of the PARI campus and celestial observations using PARI’s optical or radio telescopes, along with a presentation by PARI Astronomers Michael Castelaz and Bob Hayward.
Through the ages astronomers have teamed with historians and biblical scholars in searching for an astronomical explanation for the star the magi followed to Bethlehem so long ago. The presentation will look at possible astronomical explanations and weigh the arguments for and against each.
PARI is located in Pisgah Forest outside Brevard. Reservations are required and will be accepted until 3 p.m. on the day of the event. The cost is $20 per adult, $15 for seniors/military and $10 for children under 14.
Register and pay online at www.pari.edu or call 828.862.5554.
More than 1,800 high-resolution images of U.S. Forest Service history in the region are now available online for public viewing.
Photos include images of early rangers and foresters such as Carl Schenck and Gifford Pinchot. Additionally, there are photos of Forest Service sites in North Carolina such as fire lookouts and guard stations, early forest visitors camping, hiking and horseback riding, as well as early construction by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The earliest photos date back to the Biltmore Forest School of the 1890s.
Through a cost-share project with the UNC-Asheville’s Ramsey Library, the forest service’s historic photos were scanned and are now available on a new website.
UNCA is uploading another 3,000 historic images to the new website from the archives of Forest Service Southern Research Station. The photos will be available for viewing in the near future. This combined collection will provide researchers and the public access to nearly 5,000 images, making it one of the country’s largest online Forest Service image databases. The full project should be completed by January 2012.
To view the photos, go to: http://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/photo/nfnc/default_nfnc.htm.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host a free, guided tour of its Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Transylvania County from 9-11 a.m. on Dec. 17.
The tour is being coordinated by the commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. Pre-registration is required for this “behind the scenes” glimpse of how the commission operates a trout hatchery, from egg production to stockable-sized fish.
The program will cover coldwater conservation and trout management practices. The center is located off U.S. 276 in Transylvania County north of Brevard.
828.877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Education_Workshops/Pisgah_Center.htm.
Encouraged by the success of experimental stockings during the last three years, biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are continuing their efforts to restore fish and mussels in the Cheoah and Pigeon rivers.
They are using aquatic species propagated in hatcheries as well as some moved from other streams.
The restoration work reintroduces aquatic animals into waters where they were once found in abundance. So far this year, biologists have placed several thousand fish and mussels in both rivers.
While most of these reintroductions were accomplished by collecting large numbers of relatively common fishes from places where they were abundant and releasing them into the Pigeon, some species were not plentiful enough to make collecting and releasing feasible. In those cases, the commission worked with conservation partners to hatch and raise species to release in these restoration projects.
The releases of wavy-rayed lampmussels in the Pigeon and Cheoah rivers, and rainbow mussels and the spotfin chub, a federally threatened fish, into the Cheoah River in early June, mark the third consecutive year that commission biologists, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Conservation Fisheries, have propagated and grown out species in order to introduce them.
“The goals of these restoration efforts are to restore native fauna into rivers where they were found historically, and to improve the overall ecological health of the rivers,” said Steve Fraley, the commission’s western aquatic wildlife diversity coordinator.
“We conduct annual surveys to monitor the status of reintroduced species in the Cheoah and Pigeon rivers and have been pleased with the results. We can now claim that three fish species we’ve been working on in the Pigeon have been successfully re-established, and we’ve seen good indications of survival of other reintroduced species there, and also in the Cheoah.”
On the horizon is another restoration project and one that could have bigger implications for the existence of the Appalachian elktoe, a federally endangered freshwater mussel found only in relict populations in the mountain rivers of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
Since 2009, commission staff, along with N.C. State University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has worked to perfect successful propagation techniques for Appalachian elktoe, a federal and state-listed endangered freshwater mussel, for eventual release into the Cheoah River to augment a small existing population there.
The Commission For a Clean County in Haywood County wants to recognize those individuals and organizations that made an outstanding commitment to a clean environment during the year.
Entries must be received by Dec. 10.
Several categories will be honored, includes litter control, recycling efforts, beautification projects to enrich the county and forms of environmental stewardship, such as “green” building, use of non-toxic fuels and new technology which is non-polluting and can improve the environment.
The Commission For a Clean County, formed in 2001, has raised awareness of the great advantages — financially, healthwise and aesthetically — of a clean county. The group sets a practical example by litter pickups along the roads during the spring, summer and autumn.
For an entry form, go to haywood.ces.ncsu.edu, or pick one up at the Waynesville, Canton or Maggie Valley library, Clyde Town Hall or the county manager’s office in the courthouse. Or call 828.456.3575.
The CCC awards luncheon will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Waynesville Golf Club, Spa and Resort.
Land-of-Sky Regional Council has released “Stimulus Stories of Western North Carolina,” a video highlighting the success of the WNC Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project.
The project provided dollars and technical assistance to 15 businesses and organizations that make or market forest products, from a mushroom cooperative to ramp delicacies to woodworkers.
A grant of $1.974 million in federal stimulus money was made through the USDA Forest Service’s Southern Research Station to help create jobs and stimulate the economy of Western North Carolina by promoting forest products.
Stimulus Stories of WNC showcases the diverse group of forest enterprises participating. The companies used the funds to expand and diversify their businesses. Partner organizations provided one-on-one technical assistance, marketing analysis, training and critical business support.
Ten years after the first elk touched down in Cataloochee Valley, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has made the reintroduction of the species official. Until now, the herd of 140 elk in the Smokies were considered merely an “experimental release,” not a formal reintroduction.
The park has made the announcement following an environmental assessment and analysis of the herd, which found that the elk had no detrimental impacts. As part of the analysis, the Smokies crafted a long-term management plan for the herd.
The primary objective is to maintain an elk population that is self-sustaining and allows only acceptable impacts to park resources.
“By creating a framework of flexibility, park managers can employ a variety of management strategies to deal with a range of behaviors,” Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said.
Research findings from the experimental elk release indicated that the elk population was sustainable, had minimal impacts on the park’s resources and that human-elk conflicts were manageable.
Monitoring of the elk herd will continue. However, these activities will be scaled back. A portion of the elk population will be fitted with radio-collars and tracked, primarily the adult females and all newborn calves, and vegetation will be monitored to see if the elk are too damaging to native plants. In addition, the management plan transitions responsibility for elk management issues outside park boundaries to the appropriate tribal, state or federal agency.
View the plan at: www.nps.gov/grsm/parkmgmt/index.htm.
Haywood County farmers are offering a variety of products this holiday season, including standards such as Christmas trees and wreaths, as well as honey, poinsettias, jams and jellies, meats, cheeses and pickles.
“The holiday season provides another great opportunity to support Haywood County farmers,” said Anne Lancaster, project coordinator for the Buy Haywood program, which promotes high-quality farm products to community-minded consumers.
“Whether you are looking for gifts, food, or decorations, Haywood County has many great options, both at farms and at winter tailgate markets,” Lancaster said. “When you buy local products, you can prepare for the holidays and support local farms at the same time.”
The Buy Haywood project is managed by the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, and it receives support from the Haywood Advancement Foundation, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Johnson’s Packing House, Bethel Rural Community Organization, Carolina Farm Credit, Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm and other donors.
Steve Troxler, the state’s agriculture commissioner, will be the speaker for the Haywood County’s Friends of Agriculture Breakfast from 7-8 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the WNC Regional Livestock Center in Canton.
The ongoing series of breakfast meetings in Haywood County provide an opportunity for farmers and other supporters of agriculture to enjoy breakfast and discuss issues related to farming.
The Buy Haywood Market Development Project is sponsoring the event, with support from WNC Communities.
“The first Friends of Agriculture Breakfast was a big success,” says Anne Lancaster, Buy Haywood Project Coordinator. “We are excited to make this a regular event where people can come together in support of the agricultural community.”
The Haywood Friends of Agriculture Breakfast is free of charge and is open to the public.
R.S.V.P. at 828.713.5431 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
