Learn from experts about the rich American Indian history of Cherokee and Clay counties at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Hiwassee Valley Pool and Wellness Center in Murphy.

Lance Greene and T.J. Holland will speak.  

Greene received his PhD in anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under an advisory committee that included Brett Riggs. He has worked as an archaeologist for 25 years, mostly in the Southeast. He works as a historical archaeologist with a focus on life in the Southern Appalachians during the 19th century. His recent research focuses on how and why members of traditional Cherokee communities avoided forced removal in the 1830s.  Greene’s dissertation is based on findings from research on the historic Welch Farm near Andrews, a portion of which was conserved by the Hiwassee-Valley Land Trust earlier this year.

T.J. Holland is director of the Junaluska Museum in Robbinsville and an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He holds a degree in fine arts from Western Carolina University and is an expert on the mative settlement histories of the Hiwassee, Valley and Cheoah river valleys.

The forum is sponsored by the Junaluska Museum and the local conservation groups Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition and Hiwassee-Valley Land Trust and is a project of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee.

The Hiwassee Valley Pool and Wellness Center is located at 695 Conahetta Street, across from Konehete Park near downtown Murphy. www.cherokeeheritagetrails.org/robbinsville_places.html

The second annual Rooted in the Mountains symposium at Western Carolina University will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, and Friday, Oct. 21, in the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center.

The Rooted in the Mountains event was created to raise awareness of the intersection of environmental, health and indigenous issues related to mountain destruction.

Dennis Martinez (Tohono O’odham/Chicano), a “bio pioneer” and advocate for an indigenous perspective of ecology, will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday. Sheila Kay Adams, a longtime storyteller and performer of traditional Appalachian ballads, will lead a musical performance beginning at 7:30 p.m. Also Thursday, the documentary film “The Last Mountain” will show at 4 p.m. in the University Center theater. The screening is free. “The Last Mountain” explores the consequences of mining and burning coal and focuses in particular on the use of a method for strip-mining in Appalachia commonly known as mountaintop removal mining.

Cultural historian Jeff Biggers will start Friday’s session with a 9 a.m. keynote address. Biggers, a coal miner’s grandson and outspoken critic of mountaintop removal in Appalachia, is the author of nonfiction works Reckoning at Eagle Creek, The United States of Appalachia and In the Sierra Madre. The symposium also includes a Thursday reception, Friday lunch, academic presentations and a facilitated discussion.

The symposium registration fee is $125 (free to students, with an optional $10 charge for lunch). The Biggers address, part of WCU’s Art and Cultural Events Series, is free to all.

Rooted in the Mountains sponsors include WCU’s Division of Educational Outreach, Mountain Heritage Center and Cherokee studies program. Community sponsors include the Center for Native Health, Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, the Canary Coalition, the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and the Tuckaseegee Community Alliance.

To register go to rootedinthemtns.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7397.

A fall party will be held at Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

There will be “campfire cuisine with Lu Dodson, a National Park Service ranger, who also will emphasize bear awareness techniques.

Lorraine Conard, a Waynesville singer-songwriter, will perform in the Music Tent, and the Haywood County Amateur Radio Club plan a ham-radio setup at the market.

www.waynesvillefarmersmarket.com

A farm equipment auction will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds on NC 209.

On the auction block will be a variety of tractors and tractor equipment, a trailer, hay, hand tools and more.

From Interstate 40, take Exit 24. Go south on N.C. 209. The fairgrounds are approximately 3.5 miles on the left. 828.593.9649

Bryson City Bicycles is in search of gently used bikes to be tuned and donated to kids in need.

The bike shop will again support the Swain County Family Resource Center with a Christmas Cheer Program by fixing up these used bicycles and donating them to the center to be distributed to families in need.

Gently used adult or youth bikes, bikes that have been outgrown, or bikes in decent condition that might need tuning or new parts can be dropped off at Bryson City Bicycles. The bike shop will tune the donated bikes, replace parts, and make sure the bicycles are safe before handing them over to the Family Resource Center for distribution.

Last year Bryson City Bicycles provided 15 refurbished bikes to the Family Resource Center. Bryson City Bicycles is accepting bicycles now through Dec. 15. Bryson City Bicycles is located at 157 Everett St. in downtown Bryson City.

828.488.1988 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Haywood Community College Timbersports Team finished in first place in the John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet and Forest Festival Day held at the Cradle of Forestry. The team competed against Montgomery Community College, North Carolina State University, Penn State Mont Alto, and Virginia Tech.

A nature walk by The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will be held Friday, Oct. 21, at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Macon County just south of Franklin.

The walk will feature different types of forest stands, historic farmhouse and silo and stands of rivercane. Tessentee Bottomland Preserve is stop No. 53 on the N.C. Birding Trail, with the preserve’s bird list at 116 species and it’s butterfly list at 43 species and counting.

Jason Love, LTLT board member and site manager for Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research, will lead the hike.

To get to Tessentee Bottomland from Franklin; take the Georgia Road (U.S. 23/441) south for approximately 5.2 miles, turn left onto Riverside Roadd and follow for 0.5 miles, turn right onto Hickory Knoll Road and follow for approximately 1.9 miles — the preserve is located off a private drive (2249 Hickory Knoll Road) on the right side of the road; parking area is on the left, before the farm gate.

For directions from other locations and to RSVP, contact Jill Wiggins at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.524.2711 x209.

LTLT acquired the original 64-acre tract of bottomland and river bluff land at the junction of Tessentee Creek and the Little Tennessee River in November 1999. The conservation project was made possible by grants from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, The Lyndhurst Foundation and significant donations from LTLT supporters. The parcel was the first land protected on the free-flowing Little Tennessee and now, 12 years later, in 30 different land protection projects, more than 20,000 acres and 35 miles of river frontage have been conserved. In December 2009, a bargain sale by Margaret Parks, in honor of her late husband, James (Jim) Parks Jr., allowed LTLT to add another 5.6 acres to its Tessentee Bottomland Preserve. Parks sold the property to LTLT for less than one-half of its market value and financed one-half of the purchase price to allow LTLT time to raise funds for the project.  For more information about the conservation and restoration projects of LTLT, visit www.ltlt.org.

The Wilderness Society’s Brent Martin will lead the final presentation in the “Gardening for Wildlife” series of lectures at 7 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Rickman Store in Macon County.

Martin, the southeast representative for the Wilderness Society, will lead a program called “Hug a Bug! Love a Bee! Save a Tree!” which focuses on putting a value on nature’s free services. Martin will discuss how nature’s gifts are undervalued but vital to the health and sustainability of the planet, and most importantly how individuals can work to protect natural systems in our own neighborhoods.

Songwriter Angela Faye Martin will accompany Martin’s talk with some “wild” strumming and songs.  

This is the third year of the Gardening Series organized by the Friends of the Rickman Store. All gardeners who have received “Backyard Wildlife Habitat” certification from the National Wildlife Federation are invited to attend and be recognized with congratulations.

828.349.5201.

Come hike the 8,600-acre Waynesville Watershed property at the head of Allens Creek in Haywood County, which is normally off-limits to all public access.

The last hike of the year there is set for Saturday, Oct. 29, at 9 a.m. It will be led by naturalist Don Hendershot, Peter Bates of Western Carolina University and naturalists from Balsam Mountain Trust.

The hike will be between three and five miles long across moderately strenuous terrain. Hikers should bring their own lunch, water, appropriate (warm) clothing, hat, rain gear, and wear sturdy shoes. Birders should bring their binoculars. The group will leave from the Waynesville Water Plant and return by 2 p.m.

The hike is being co-organized by the Town and Balsam Mountain Trust, the nonprofit environmental education and research arm of Balsam Mountain Preserve.

Advanced registration is required and can be done online at www.townofwaynesville.org, or 828.452.2491.

Learn how to cook wild game outdoors in a class from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education.

Topics will include equipment, preparation and cooking techniques best suited for the outdoors and wild game. Instructors will share their best recipes and participants will be able to sample the dishes.  

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The center is near Brevard off U.S. 276 next to the Davidson River. The class is free.

828.877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org.

Earlier this month the fourth-grade classes from Cartoogechaye Elementary School hiked 4 miles on the Appalachian Trail from Wayah Crest picnic area to Siler Bald. The Nantahala Hiking Club led the hike as part of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Trail to Every Classroom outreach program to local schools. The school’s physical education department uses the hike to demonstrate hiking as a life long, healthy living activity.

Western Carolina University faculty and students from the athletic training program finished the fourth annual Mountain Jug Run for Research in record time, completing the 175-mile relay run from Cullowhee to Boone in 29 hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds.

The fundraising effort began early Friday afternoon, Oct. 7, from WCU’s E.J. Whitmire Stadium and ended at the Appalachian State University football stadium just after 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. This year’s contingent of 15 WCU runners beat the previous low time of 29 hours, 53 minutes and 53 seconds recorded by last year’s group, said James Scifers, director of WCU’s School of Health Sciences.

Named in honor of “The Battle for the Old Mountain Jug,” the annual football rivalry game between WCU and ASU, the relay is organized to raise funds for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Research and Education Foundation, which awards research grants and academic scholarships in the field of sports medicine.

The relay course took the runners 15 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Balsam, and then the group followed the parkway north for 152 miles before exiting the scenic highway and running the final 7 miles into Boone.

The running contingent this year included Scifers and three other faculty members – Ashley Long, Rob Dingle and Emily Martin – plus 11 students: senior Kayla Jones, juniors Josh Edwards, Wes Bell, Alessa Lennon, Mikko Ablan and Carlos Acuna; sophomores Sarah McNamara, Aaron Marshall, Brittany Wiley and Michael Evans; and freshman Taylor Parker.

Donations will be accepted until the end of WCU’s fall semester and may be made in the form of checks, made payable to the NATA-REF, and sent to Jill Manners in 134 Moore Hall at WCU.

City Lights’ “Coffee with the Poet” series continues at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20 with local artist and author Terry Michelson.

Michelson will be reading from her three recent collections, Psalms, Wolven and Sonnets. Her paintings will also be on display at City Lights Bookstore in celebration of the third annual Colorfest arts festival. See her demonstrate her pastel technique on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Coffee with the Poet event is every third Thursday and is co-sponsored by NetWest.

828.586.9499.

Three of the authors who contributed to the poetry book Every Breath Sings Mountains will appear at Blue Ridge Books and News at 3 p.m. on Oct. 22.

This book of poetry is published by Voices From the American Land, a conservation organization designed to preserve some of the U.S.’s most pristine environments.

Authors Brent Martin (who works with The Wilderness Society) and lives near Franklin, Barbara Duncan (the education director at the Museum of the Cherokee Indians), and Thomas Rain Crowe (poet and publisher from Jackson County) will read selections from the book.

The purpose of the book is to promote a greater awareness of the diversity and uniqueness of the Great Smokies region.

For information call 828.456.6000 or visit www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

Editor’s note: Rep. Health Shuler wrote this letter to U.S. Postmaster Pat Donahoe to express his concern for potential job cuts at the Postal Service.

I write to express my concern for and opposition to plans being discussed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that would result in the termination of 120,000 postal employees by 2015, as well as the USPS’s suggestion to close nearly 3,700 postal facilities throughout the country, many in rural areas. Such closures would put a devastating number of postal employees out of work. This is the time to create jobs, not take them away.

Neither postal employees nor Americans should bear the brunt of policy disagreements between the USPS and the federal government. Frankly, they deserve more.

Though I fully appreciate the immediacy of this situation, the USPS has other options that it can explore before taking such drastic actions that will ultimately hurt both postal workers and their taxpaying customers. For example, it would behoove the USPS to first review the forthcoming plan from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) designed to create a USPS framework for fiscal solvency.

I urge you to exercise abundant caution before taking additional steps prior to the OPM framework proposal. Cogent action is necessary to ensure the USPS does not inflict devastating job losses or facility closures.

Heath Shuler

Member of Congress

To the Editor

On behalf of the Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association we would like to thank everyone who contributed to the 2011 Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival. The Festival, held on Oct.7-9 once again brought thousands of visitors and tourists to the Valley and was a resounding success in every way.

Numerous volunteers, local attendees and their guests, highly talented artists, vendors, musicians and performers as well as local businesses, media and restaurants all contributed to the festival’s phenomenal attendance figures and success for participants. The unique Cashiers Village Green and Commons provided an unequaled Festival headquarters venue. Members of the Glenville Community Development Club and the Sapphire Resort added their own special flavor to the festival activities enhancing the heightened level of festival interest while earning rave reviews from attendees and their participants.

No event in the scale of this Leaf Festival can be accomplished without the generosity of those who make our financial commitment possible. A very special thank you is owed to all of our sponsors.

Judy Brown, President                                              

Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association

Pat Grady, Chair

Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival 2011

To the Editor:

Duke Energy has applied to the N.C. Utilities Commission for yet another rate increase in an attempt to force ratepayers to finance the cost over-runs of their ongoing construction on the new, un-needed coal-burning power plant at Cliffside in Rutherford County. This time Duke is asking for a residential rate increase of 17.4 percent on top of the 5 percent it just received for the increasing cost of fossil fuels. The cost of street lighting for local governments (and taxpayers) will rise another 8 percent if Duke’s request is granted.

This rate increase has the potential to cripple already struggling families, businesses and industries throughout our state, causing more mortgage foreclosures, business failures and job losses.

Isn’t it time we all stepped up to the plate to say “No?”

We will have the opportunity. The Utilities Commission is holding two public hearings in Western North Carolina on Duke Energy’s rate-hike request: in Marion, on Oct. 25 and in Franklin on Oct. 26. The undersigned organizations strongly urge you to attend one of these hearings to tell Duke Energy and the Utilities Commission how you feel about this matter.

For carpooling and more information call the office of the Canary Coalition at 828.631.3447 or visit www.canarycoalition.org.

Avram Friedman

Executive Director, The Canary Coalition

Macon Foscue

Active Students for a Healthy Environment

June Blotnick

Executive Director, Clean Air Carolina

Monica Embrey

Field Organizer, Greenpeace USA,

Michelle Price

Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance

Elaine Lite

Chair, Mountain Voices Alliance

Richard Fireman

NC Interfaith Power & Light

Charlie Thomas

People Advocating Real Conservancy  

Charles Jansen

Transition Asheville

Kenneth Brown

Chair, Tuckaseegee Community Alliance

To the Editor:

I was born and raised in Cashiers and have always disliked the phrase “country come to town.” Unfortunately that is the exact phrase that came to mind as I read Scott McLeod’s column “Pope is pulling the strings in state politics.” (Oct. 12 SMN, www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/5304)

That you, Mr. McLeod, chose to shove the left-wing, ultra-liberal New Yorker magazine article down our throats is “country come to town.” To me that means that you have been duped into believing that the big city reporter’s ideas, impressions and comments in the magazine’s Oct. 10 story, “State for Sale,” must be better than our own in rural North Carolina.

Why do you suppose the New Yorker chose North Carolina as a “state for sale?” Could it be that the Democrats and Obama need this state to win in 2012, and a little discrediting of N.C. Republicans might help?

Nearly half of your editorial is direct quotes from the New Yorker article. However, prior to the quotes you give us New Yorker writer Mayer’s credentials, which are her writings about the Kochs, who are New York billionaire Republican donors, and her appearances on left-wing radio and TV programs.

Then you make your own comments on the 2010 Snow-Davis race that in itself is a smear campaign on Raleigh millionaire Art Pope. Your position appears to be, I guess because the New Yorker says it is so, that a powerful political benefactor is exclusive to Republican candidates.

In the 2010 election North Carolina Democrats spent $18 million to Republican $16 million. Perhaps we can look forward to your investigative reports on the Democrat side about the “rich” N.C. businesses, the massive Union, celebrity and George Soros donors to Democrat candidates. Eighteen million dollars does not come from North Carolinians dropping money in the pot at the their local shopping center.

Also it should be quite easy for you or your reporters to research the sources of the enormous contributions in the millions to Democrat Heath Shuler’s two campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives. We’d read some exceptional journalism on the part of The Smokey Mountain News if you publish a counterpoint, i.e., comments from Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, who is maligned in the New Yorker article as the beneficiary of great sums Pope spent on “flyers, TV and radio ads.”

To my mind I’d rather have campaign money from a successful North Carolina businessman than Hollywood hotshots, California kooks, union thugs and the Chicago mafia.

You end your editorial with “All voters can do is to try to stay informed and keep tabs on who is pulling the levers behind the curtain.” Unless The Smoky Mountain News begins to practice a balanced brand of journalism, we voters will not be informed by you. However, I am still in hopes that I will read original political material from our Western North Carolinians, not the big city slickers.

Shirley Slaughter

Cashiers

Sunburst Trout Farm has opened a retail location in downtown Waynesville, offering a convenient spot to pick up local trout products without driving out to the farm itself.

“This has been an idea we have had for many years, but have not had a viable space or the manpower,” said Anna Eason, director of human resources and web presence.

The downtown store will also offer caviar, smoked tomato jam, blended coffee form Smoky Mountain Roasters and candles from Hazelwood Soap Company, along with its traditional trout products including fillets, marinated fillets, encrusted fillets, trout jerky, smoked trout, cold smoked trout and trout sausage.

It will hold a grand opening celebration from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. October 27.

The new store, located at 133 Montgomery Street, will be open Monday thru Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Many of the customers that come to the farm and customers who want our trout on a day we are closed, like the weekends, have been begging for an outlet closer to home,” Eason said.

Sunburst trout is carried at grocery stores and restaurants across the Southeast. The three-generation, family-owned aquaculture business has received nearly continuous television and magazine attention for its sustainable practices, innovative business strategies and health-conscious.

Additionally, a ribbon cutting with the Haywood Chamber of Commerce will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 10. 828.452.3848.

The Princeton Review has named Western Carolina University’s College of Business one of the top business schools in the country.

The annual ranking received high marks for its master’s degree in business administration and finance and management preparation.

“These accolades tell prospective and current students, as well as their future employers, that we are preparing graduates who are business-ready,” said Louis Buck Jr., interim dean of the college of business.

“The Best 294 Business Schools” are ranked based on surveys from 19,000 business students.

Programs at the Osteoporosis Center at MedWest-Haywood already promote the prevention, detection and treatment of osteoporosis, but the doctors at the center want to do more.

They want to identify people who are at risk for falling, which can lead to debilitating problems or death.

“Falls are costly, and with the graying of America, it’s becoming an even greater problem,” said Rheumatologist Kate Queen. “Ninety percent of fractures are caused by falls. If we can identify people who are at risk for falls before they happen, we may have a bigger impact.”

Rarely are people assessed for their fall risk, which can result from a wide range of causes including cardiovascular disease, dementia, low vision, foot issues or in a person who takes multiple medications, Queen said.

During the first 14 months of Queen’s project, 900 patients were identified as at risk for falls and about 20 percent of those individuals have transitioned into a yearlong training program.

Duke Energy and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is looking for nominees for its Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award, which honors volunteers.

Nominees should be individuals or groups who make a difference in their community or workplace by using their time, talents and compassion to positively impact the lives of others.

Nomination applications are available at the chamber office located at 773 West Main Street in Sylva or on the chamber’s website, www.mountainlovers.com. The deadline for applications is Nov. 10.

Duke Energy representatives will present the award at the chamber’s Annual Holiday Reception Nov. 17 in the Historic Hooper House on Main Street in Sylva.

Western Carolina University is holding its “Forever a Catamount”-themed homecoming Oct. 21 thru 23.

FRIDAY

• The annual Alumni Scholarship Homecoming Golf Tournament at 11 a.m. at Sequoyah National Golf Club in Whittier. It costs $85 per person.

• Professor emeritus Robert Holquist presents the Last Lecture at 1:30 p.m. in Coulter Recital Hall.

• The homecoming parade begins at 6:15 p.m. in downtown Sylva

SATURDAY

• A continental alumni breakfast held from 8 to 10 a.m. in the multipurpose room at A.K. Hinds University Center.

• A brunch and alumni awards ceremony will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the UC Grandroom. The cost is $15 a plate.

• The Catamounts play The Citadel at 3 p.m. at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

• Stompfest, a step competition featuring African-American fraternities and sororities, will begin at 8 p.m. in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12.

To make reservations for the golf tournament and brunch, call Cindi Magill in the Office of Alumni Affairs at 828.227.7335.

The Haywood County plans to renovate the formers Bargains building on Russ Avenue near K-Mart to house Haywood County Board of Elections, an adult day care program, a wellness center, additional office space and warehouse storage space.

The county commissioners are currently accepting bids from architects. The 12,000-square-foot building was once a flooring and carpeting retail store. The cavernous warehouse-style building must be remodeled on the inside to accommodates offices, and will require roof replacement and façade improvements.

“This is a rather small project in the scheme of things,” said Commissioner Michael Sorrells.

The Bargains building has been empty for eight years. It was bought by the now-defunct Council on Aging, which built an office complex on the adjacent lot to house its nonprofit operations. When the nonprofit folded, the county took over the office complex, and the empty Bargains building came with it.

Architects should submit qualifications, experience renovating commercial buildings, experience working on government construction projects, a tentative timeline for project completion and estimated costs. All applications should be sent to Dale Burris, director of Facilities and Maintenance.

Macon County commissioners will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, to discuss regulations on earth moving proposed by the county’s planning board.

A vote on the guidelines probably won’t take place then, County Manager Jack Horton said Tuesday. He expects an actual vote in November.

Next week’s meeting at the commissioner board room in the courthouse is likely to trigger turnouts of the for-planning and the against-planning factions that divide Macon County.

The planning board was originally tasked two years ago with developing rules for steep-slope development, but got bogged down and instead settled on so-called “construction guidelines” as a means of salvaging a few of the more salient building rules. The guidelines include rules that limit how high and steep cut and fill slopes can be and require compaction of fill dirt.

Macon County will postpone a countywide reassessment of property values from 2013 until 2015.

County Tax Assessor Richard Lightner recommended waiting because of lackluster sales: there simply hasn’t been enough property changing hands to provide a baseline for the going price of real estate these days. Property values determine how much people pay in property taxes.

Lightner said that it would be difficult to set accurate values Macon County could defend from costly appeals by property owners.

County Manager Jack Horton said the hope is that the real estate market will have improved by 2015. Regardless, the county must do a revaluation by then, as it is required as least every eight years under state law.

In the meantime, high-end properties that are over-valued on the county’s tax books will remain so, meaning people might pay higher taxes than what their property is worth. Macon commissioners, during a recent work session on the issue, said that postponing the revaluation will keep the tax burden predominantly on its higher-end residents in Highlands and spare tax increases, for the short term at least, to the county at large.

Jackson County, by comparison, is looking still to do its revaluation in 2013, which means revaluated property, coupled with a revenue-neutral budget would, almost inevitably, shift the tax burden from the Cashiers area to the less-affluent areas of the county.

Haywood County went through with its property revaluation this year, but saw property values on average remain flat.

A member of the world-famous fighting family, the Gracies of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will be offering a seminar in the fighting style that launched the MMA/UFC phenomena.  

Royler Gracie, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts world champion, will be teaching the ground fighting tactics and techniques of Gracie Jiu Jitsu at a limited-space seminar on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The event is hosted by Basulto Academy of Defense, located in downtown Waynesville.

Gracie Jiu Jitsu is distinguished from other martial arts by its unique emphasis on grappling or wrestling opponents to the ground and using joint-locks or chokes to submit them. www.wncbjj.com or 828.230.5056.

The late President Ronald Reagan was born 100 years ago this year, and Republicans in Swain, Graham and Jackson counties have decided to celebrate his life this Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 6 p.m.

There will be a covered dish/pot luck dinner and party. Festivities will include door prizes, games, a cake auction, and giveaways, including gift certificates from local businesses.   

Later, there will be a live DJ with great music from Reagan’s era: 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s; featuring country and classic rock. Held at the Swain County Community Services Facility across from Ingles. 828.736.5926.

Girls on Guard will be offered from 9 a.m. until noon this Saturday, Oct. 22, on Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. This presentation covers date rape scenarios and attacks perpetrated by acquaintances. Participants will learn tactics and techniques to defend against such attacks.

828.339.4497.

The Haywood Democratic Party will hold its annual Fall Rally Saturday, Oct. 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with State Auditor Beth Wood serving as guest speaker.

The event will take place at the Canton Armory, 71 Penland Street, in Canton. It is a fundraiser for the Haywood County Democratic Party and is open to all registered Democrats.

Individual tickets cost $12.50 and may be purchased in advance at Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, in Waynesville, or at the door.

Wood is North Carolina’s first woman to have been elected as state auditor, a position that she has held since January 2009. Prior to her election, she served in the state auditor’s office for more than a decade and previously served in the state treasurer’s office.

The program will include a “soup-line” dinner catered by Eric Feichter; a cakewalk; and speeches by state and local Democratic elected officials and by candidates running for municipal offices this fall, as well as other special activities.

828.452.9607 or www.haywooddemocrats.org.

The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University will host a reception for an exhibit from the collection of Rob and Leigh Anne Young from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20.

An interview with art collector Rob Young will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. at the museum.

The exhibit, “p(art) of the whole: Selections from the Collection of Rob and Leigh Anne Young,” will show at the museum through Friday, Dec. 16, and features lithographs from the Tamarind Institute and contemporary Latin American works. The exhibit also includes a children’s section with a Latin-American theme.

Rob Young is director of WCU’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Leigh Anne Milligan Young is founder of Homegrown, the museum-sponsored children’s art program at the Jackson County Farmers Market. The couples live in Webster with their two sons, Josie and Finn.

A family member’s collection introduced the Youngs to art collecting. They have continued to add to the collection and, according to Denise Drury, interim director of the Fine Art Museum, “have amassed a collection of artwork that not only is noteworthy but full of personality.”

“Rob and Leigh Anne are not just art collectors but agents of culture,” Drury said. “Creativity seeps naturally into every aspect of their family, social and work life.”

The exhibit will be on display during Fall Family Day at the museum, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 19, at museum. That event is free and includes activities, stories, music, snacks and prizes.

Hours at the Fine Art Museum are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hours extended to 7 p.m. Thursdays. Parking is free, as is entry. A full calendar and other information is online at fineartmusuem.wcu.edu.

828.227.2553 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing Education will offer adult (18 years and older) blacksmithing classes this fall and winter in cooperation with the Jackson County Green Energy Park.

• “Introduction to Coal Forging,” 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, and Sunday, Oct. 23. This class is for students with no prior experience in blacksmithing. Participants will learn about the construction and operation of a coal forge as they develop basic blacksmithing skills. The cost is $95.

• “Introduction to Chainmaille,” 9-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, and Sunday, Nov. 13. This course will teach participants, including beginners, the basic skills they need to create chain mail, including which tools to use, construction and patterning. Participants will learn multiple weaves and experiment with different gauges of wire and mixed metals. The cost is $85, with a $35 refundable deposit.

• “Intermediate Blacksmithing,” 2:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18. This class requires some foundational experience in blacksmithing. Participants will learn about a coal forge as they work on basic blacksmithing skills. Efficiency and safety are a focus, and students can expect to develop better hammer control and metal manipulation as well as a number of other skills. The cost is $125.

• “Beginning Knife Making,” 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18. For individuals with introductory experience in blacksmithing. Participants will begin by making a simple butter knife from steel and progress to making a blade from a railroad spike or spring steel. The cost is $125.

Brock Martin will lead the classes at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Martin began his blacksmithing career working under William Rogers, a master blacksmith, at the Green Energy Park. He also has apprenticed with master blacksmith David Burress of Calerin Forge to expand his knowledge of forging medieval arms and armor. Martin is a graduate of WCU’s entrepreneurship program and hopes to make blacksmithing his career.

Space for classes is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call WCU’s Office of Continuing Education at 828.227.7397 or go online to learn.wcu.edu. To learn more about the Jackson County Green Energy Park, go online to www.jcgep.org.

The Haywood County Arts Council is joining with the Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer Association for an exhibit in April 2012 to feature various mediums of art representing gardens to be featured on the Master Gardener Volunteer Association’s June 2012 Garden Tour.

Interested artists should email photograph samples (72dpi) of their work for jurying to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Nov. 1. Photos should be of work created in the last 12 months.

Selected artists will be asked to create up to three art pieces for the April 2012 exhibition using the tour gardens as subject matter. Work must be for sale and homeowners of the gardens will have first option to purchase the works.

The theme for the 2012 Garden Tour is “Mountains and Streams.” This is a unique opportunity for artists working with paint, clay, glass, metal, wood, sculpture, or textiles to interpret segments of the featured gardens or a sweeping vista of entire gardens.

A collection of photos of the gardens in bloom are available for artists or artists may visit the gardens and use their inspiration and imagination to create works for the April exhibition. For more information email Brittany Martin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.452.0593.

Hendersonville resident Stefanie Kompathoum will offer a workshop on how to make handmade paper at the Jackson County Public Library Complex at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The program will take place in the building’s Atrium, just inside the main doors that lead to the Library entrance.

“Making your own handmade paper is easier than you think,” says Kompathoum. And once made, it can be the foundation for a variety of other craft ideas, including stationery, picture mats, lampshades, journals, 3-D castings and sculptures, even pulp painting. Kompathoum’s presentation will include a basic papermaking demonstration, as well as an introduction to the varied possibilities of pulp and paper art.

Kompathoum is currently a resident of Hendersonville but is a long-time member of the Sylva community. One of her interests is plants and the ways they can be used for food, medicine, inspiration, and art. She is also dedicated to teaching and inspiring people of all ages to be more creative in their daily lives. “Papermaking brings these passions together nicely,” according to Kompathoum, and she has been experimenting with new materials, techniques and applications for more than 12 years.

For more information contact the Library at 586.2016. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Jackson County Public Library will host a special evening storytime for children at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Storytime Room. The event will feature Thomas Rain Crowe reading from his new book for children, entitled The Wake Up Man.

In the tradition of the “Sandman,” who visits us at night and with his magical dust and puts us to sleep, the Wake Up Man, with his own unique magic, wakes us up. Crowe’s book is the tale of who the Wake Up Man is and how he came to be. This charming picture book is illustrated by Crowe’s mother, Mary King Dawson.

Crowe, who lives in Tuckasegee, is an author, poet, translator, and publisher. This is his first book for children.

For more information call the Library at 586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

Starting on Oct. 21, a spooky Haunted Trail will be set up at the Oconaluftee Indian Village in Cherokee. The last night of the Haunted Trail is Halloween, Oct. 31. Tickets are $10 a person and children 12 and under must have adult supervision. The trail opens at 7 p.m. each night.

www.cherokeeadventure.com/oconaluftee-haunted-trail/.

The National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China will perform at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at 4 p.m. on Oct 23.

Direct from Beijing, this company of 35 performers is known for its stunning displays of the best in Chinese martial arts, illusion and acrobatics, all set to traditional music.

Since its founding in 1950, the National Acrobats of China have become recognized as the premier large touring acrobatic troupe in the world, winning high honors and awards, including the Presidential Gold Award at the Cirque de Demain Festival in Paris, and the Golden Clown Award at the 28th Monte Carlo International Circus Festival.

Tickets are $15-$60 and are on sale now at the Asheville Civic Center Box Office, ticketmaster.com, or by calling Asheville Bravo Concerts at 828.225.5887. Student tickets are half-price. www.ashevillebravoconcerts.org.

Comedian Bo Burnham will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

Burnham rose to fame in 2006 — while still in high school — after posting YouTube videos of himself in his bedroom performing autobiographical songs such as “My Whole Family Thinks I’m Gay.” The videos have since had millions of views worldwide. He soon had secured a four-record deal with Comedy Central Records, releasing “Bo Burnham” in 2009, and four days after his 18th birthday became the youngest person to record a “Comedy Central Presents” special. He subsequently debuted a second Comedy Central special, “Words, Words, Words,” and with it released a companion CD/DVD.

Entertainment Weekly named Burnham one of the “12 Rising Stars of Comedy” and Variety named him one of the “10 Comics to Watch.” He has toured the nation and taken his show abroad, is developing a show with MTV, and has appeared in the films “American Virgin,” Hall Pass” and “Funny People.” Burnham lives in Massachusetts.

Last Minute Productions, a student-run organization that has provided entertainment programming to WCU students for more than 30 years, is the event sponsor. LMP strives to bring artists to campus who will have wide appeal, said Rotimi Ariyo, interim associate director for University Center programs and LMP staff adviser. “We look forward to this event and to bringing more high-caliber concerts and comedians to Western Carolina,” said Ariyo, who called Burnham an “exciting and dynamic performer.”

Tickets are now on sale and cost $15 or $20 on the day of the show (WCU students pay $10 prior to the show and $15 on the day of; IDs will be checked at the door). Tickets are available at the Bardo Arts Center box office by calling 828.227.2479 and online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu. For more information about LMP, call 828.227.7479 or visit lmp.wcu.edu.

The Arc of Haywood County’s third annual “Arc”toberfest will be held from 7-11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Gateway Club in Waynesville.

The $50 per person ticket includes music, dancing and heavy hors d’oeuvres. The event provides The Arc of Haywood funding to support the residential programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

“Each year there is a mix of guests dressed in Halloween costumes as well as regular street clothes. We just want everyone to come and have a great time,” said Rhonda Schandevel, event chair.  

For a contribution of $500 business and organizations who are sponsors may receives 10 tickets and a reserved table as well as recognition. Contributors can also sponsor the event at $300, $200 and $100 levels and will also receive special recognition.

“This activity is not just a fund raising event for The Arc, it provides a wonderful opportunity for our residents and other individuals with developmental disabilities to interact and be involved with our community,” said Schandevel.

To purchase tickets or sponsor the event call the Arc at 452.1980 or Rhonda Schandevel at 421.4190. Proceeds from the event, will be used to support the residential programs and services of The Arc of Haywood County, a United Way Agency. For more information about The Arc programs and services please go to www.arcofhaywood.org . You can also like Arctoberfest on Facebook.

The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands has set the standard for fine craft shows across the country since its first year in 1948. The tradition continues this year on Oct 20-23 in Asheville.

More than 200 craftspeople fill two levels of the civic center selling their works of clay, glass, leather, metal, fiber, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood and jewelry.

All exhibitors are mountain artists who are masters of their craft and have been accepted into the Southern Highland Craft Guild. The Guild is a non-profit organization that has been supporting local and regional craftspeople since 1930. The Guild has grown to represent more than 900 members living and working in the mountain counties of nine states from Maryland to Alabama.

Crafts rooted in Appalachian customs are featured along with the work of contemporary artists. Tradition and innovation are trademarks of the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, setting it apart from other shows.

Throughout the show, the Guild sponsors educational craft demonstrations. Some demonstrations for the 2011 Craft Fairs include natural dyeing and spinning, raku firing, and doll making.

In addition to crafts for sale, there will also be ongoing craft demonstrations all weekend and there will also be live music.

At a glance

What: The 64th Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands

Where: Asheville Civic Center

When: Oct. 20-23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Admission: Adults $8, children under 12 free. Group discounts available

Additional information: www.craftguild.org/ or 828.298.7928

Historic Downtown Franklin is gearing up for the 15th Annual Pumpkinfest to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22. During this event you can take part in some traditional and some very non-traditional fall festivities.

Bring your pumpkin (or purchase one downtown) and sign up early for the World Famous Pumpkin Roll sponsored by the Franklin Fun Factory. The “roll” takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with signup running from 9 to 1. The winner receives $100 cash. Other highlights of the day include a pumpkin carving contest sponsored by DNET, a costume parade and contest along with crafters, food, and live entertainment for all ages.

Among this year’s acts scheduled to perform is Magic by Chaz. Magician Chaz Misenheimer, a North Carolina native, is a festival specialist with more than 20 years experience and though he often performs from the stage, he’s best known as an elite roving entertainer.

Roxy, the miniature horse, will be back offering rides to kids beginning at 10 a.m. Roxy, a pintaloosa, will be located in front of the Macon County Historical Society on Main Street. There is a rider weight limit of 80 pounds. A small fee will be charged.  

www.pumpinfestfranklin.com or 828.524.2516.

The vibrant hues of autumn come to life Saturday, Oct. 22, at the third annual “ColorFest, Art of the Blue Ridge” showcase.

ColorFest transforms downtown Sylva into a Paris-like setting with artists painting at easels along Main Street surrounded by the wonderful fall foliage of North Carolina’s mountains.

Joining the painters is a variety of other artists, showcasing their talents in glass, clay, sculpture, fiber art, caning, wood carving, ceramics and fine furniture.

Visitors are encouraged to navigate sidewalks filled with colorful umbrellas and watch as the canvases yield their treasures.

Local musicians and street entertainers add live music to festivities, while restaurants and shops are open to serve the crowd throughout the day.

“ColorFest, Art of the Blue Ridge” is produced by the non-profit Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, in partnership with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Jackson County Visual Artists Association.

Funding for the program is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and the Jackson County Arts Council.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free. Attendees making a donation to Catch the Spirit of Appalachia receive a ColorFest 2011 tote bag.

800.962.1911 or www.MountainLovers.com.

See Green Energy Park glass artist in action

New Jackson County Green Energy Park resident glass blower Tadashi Torii won the Best in Show Oct. 8-9 at MeccaFest Fine Arts Festival in Carrollton Cultural Arts Center Downtown Carrollton, Ga.

Tadashi and his partner, artist Corina Pia, are both participating in ColorFest which is Oct. 22 in downtown Sylva (see above). Friends of the Library bookstore has art by both artists on display and is hosting the live demonstrations the day of the festival. A Jackson County radio interview featuring the two artists will go on air the day of ColorFest Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. and will be online at www.storiesofmountainfolk.com.

Live Glass Blowing demonstrations will be given at the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro Sunday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. It is a free event and open to the public. Inquire about upcoming glass blowing classes, events for couples and families including birthday parties and custom events. No experience required.

www.jcgep.org or 828.631.0271.

Western Carolina University will host a screening of the movie “The King’s Speech” followed by a discussion focusing on stuttering, including treatment, self-help groups and other resources for people who stutter and their families, on Sunday, Oct. 23.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is hosting the event, which is free and open to the public, at 2 p.m. in the theater of A.K. Hinds University Center. The discussion will be led by David Shapiro, WCU’s Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor and author of “Stuttering Intervention: A Collaborative Journey to Fluency Freedom.”

The movie is an Academy Award-winning historical drama inspired by the true story of King George VI and how speech therapist Lionel Logue helped him gain control over severe stuttering and deliver critical radio addresses during World War II.

“‘The King’s Speech’ reminds us that everyone has a voice, that every burden is lightened when it is shared, and that there is no replacement for the strength gained from human interaction,” said Shapiro. “Indeed, when people gather with a common focus and shared purpose, willing to learn and grow together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.”

The event is being held in honor of International Stuttering Awareness Day. Shapiro also is participating in the 2011 International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference. His paper, “Stories of People Who Stutter: Beacons of Hope, Portraits of Success,” is posted on the conference website at www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad15/papers/shapiro15.html. Shapiro is answering questions posted in an online forum, which is open through Oct. 22.

Dr. Shapiro will host a discussion after the movie as part of International Stuttering Awareness Day.

828.227.3291 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Time to get those lines wet, via the Rumble in the Rhododendron in Cherokee coming up Oct. 21-23. The cost is $225 per fly-fishing team.

“Fips Mouche” rules for two-person teams apply. Additionally, there will be a separate casting competition. Non-competitors can enter the casting competition for $25 per attempt.

The tournament is limited to 30 teams, with 15 teams competing on Saturday morning and 15 on Saturday afternoon. The top seven from each session move on to Sunday morning. The top seven fish that afternoon for $10,000 in cash.

The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce in association with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fish and Wildlife Department is presenting the event, with assistance from the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team.

Volunteers and judges for the tournament are needed. Anyone interested should contact Larry Hofferberth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.497.6700.

Fly fishermen are passing on their craft with a series of how-to classes in Sylva.

Members of the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold basic fly fishing courses from 6 to 8 p.m. the first and second Thursdays of each month at St. John’s Episcopal Church. They will cover the basics of mountain trout fishing and will be followed with a half day on a local stream for those who decide to take up trout fishing and purchase the necessary equipment to fish.

$50 donation to cover expenses and support a youth fishing camp in the summer.

828.631.2613 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 Kids ages 12 and older can take a free fly-fishing class Oct. 15 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education.

The “Kids’ Introduction to Fly Fishing” class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Instructors will cover equipment, knots, casting techniques and aquatic entomology. Equipment and class materials will be provided free of charge. Space is limited and pre-registration is required; call 828.877.4423.

The center is located about 50 minutes south of Waynesville on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County.

Want to find the best fall color? The U.S. Forest Service of North Carolina has posted a new leaf viewing page on its website. It describes the colorful foliage that folks can enjoy in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and the scenic roadways from which to enjoy the vibrant hues.

To access the page, go to www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc and click on “Leaf viewing in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.”

An environmentally friendly weed-eradication strategy that has been gaining popularity across the nation made its way to Western Carolina University recently in the form of 70 kudzu-chomping goats.

The goats were transported from Wells Farm in Horseshoe to eat away a massive kudzu patch that had covered the site of WCU’s old landfill, said Roger Turk, grounds superintendent for the department of facilities management.

The three-acre landfill, located in a wooded area off Monteith Gap Road, closed in 1994, but it is still subject to annual inspections by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“After this year’s inspection, DENR officials expressed concern that the kudzu growing on the landfill site could attract groundhogs, which might then burrow into the cap, which is the compacted soil and clay cover on the landfill, and compromise it,” Turk said. “We did find evidence that groundhogs had been burrowing at the site, but no indications that the cap was breached. But we still had to remove the kudzu to eliminate the problem.”

Turk had read a newspaper account of goats being used to eradicate kudzu, and he suggested that method as an economical and green alternative rather than trying to remove the invasive plant with repeated applications of chemical herbicides.

Two trailer-loads of rented goats arrived during the second week of August and were let loose on four acres, encompassing the landfill site and a surrounding buffer zone, that had been enclosed with a solar-powered electric fence. The goats, which prefer browsing on any kind of plant life before resorting to grass, immediately went about their business of eating the kudzu, Turk said.

The goats remained at the site until the end of September. They were watched over for the entire seven-week period by a guard dog from Wells Farm that was bred and trained to protect the herd. The grounds staff fed the dog and kept a water trough filled for the goats, and the goats’ owner drove from Horseshoe once each week to give the goats supplemental feed.

“It was amazing to see how quickly and effectively they were able to clear the site,” Turk said. “The goats were able to do in a few weeks what would have taken my undermanned staff a few months to do by hand. I’m glad we were able to take care of an overwhelming issue of three acres of mature kudzu in an environmentally safe and fiscally responsible way.”

The goats will make a return visit next spring to eradicate whatever kudzu starts growing again, and then the grounds staff will apply a small amount of herbicide and seed the site with native grass to keep the kudzu from coming back in force, Turk said.

Learn all about beef cattle in two upcoming workshops scheduled for Macon County.

The first is designed to teach the basics, from genetic selection, herd health and management, on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Macon County N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Cost is $5.

A Beef Quality Assurance certification class will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24. This is a voluntary program in which cattle producers assume responsibility for producing beef that is a healthy, wholesome, quality product and is free from defects such as injection site lesions and bruises. A test must be taken at the end of the class to become certified. The fee is $15 for members of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association and $40 for nonmembers.

Space is limited and a headcount is needed for materials, so please pre-register for the classes by Wednesday, Oct. 18, by calling the Macon County Cooperative Extension office at 828.349.2046.