Broadway singer Jeri Sager takes the stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, at the Martin Lipscomb Performing Arts Center in Highlands.  

Sager will perform songs from “Cats,” “All That Jazz,” “Evita,” “Sweet Charity,” “Cabaret,” “Sound of Music” and many more. She is best known for her portrayal of “Grizabella” in “Cats,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning musical.

Sager has enjoyed critical acclaim for her portrayal of Fantine in “Les Miserables” and Eva Peron in “Evita.”

In addition to her Broadway roles, Sager has worked other theatrical productions such as “City Of Angels,” “Brigadoon,” “West Side Story,” “Pippin,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Pump Boys and Dinettes.”

When not touring with her one-woman show, Sager can be seen co-hosting the cable TV show, RV Today.

828.526.9047.

Music lovers are starting to gather again each Friday at the historic Rickman Store in Franklin. Everyone is invited to join to play and sing along.

Sally DeLawter from the Nikwasi Dulcimer players opened the musical season and will continue offering her musical talents every week. Visitors will also be able to enjoy tunes by Richard Byrd on the mandolin, his grandson Tristan on the banjo and Arnold “Smoky” Burnette on the guitar.

The Friends of the Rickman Store invite the community to visit the historic building every Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A special exhibit of collectibles will be in display.

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 12. The dance will be held at the new Jackson County Library Complex.

There will also be a potluck dinner following the dance. Please bring a covered dish, utensils and a water bottle.

The dance is free. No previous experience is required and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing.

Local musicians will play music and all musicians in the community are invited to sit in with the band to learn how to play music for dancing.

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

The 27th-annual Dillsboro Arts and Music Festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 11.

Featured will be two dozen artisans, and attendees can browse and purchase a variety of crafts, including pottery, paintings, metal works, gourd art, hand-made jewelry, wood carvings, basket weaving, quilts and homemade soaps. There will also be raku and horse-hair pottery demonstrations all day beside Tree House Pottery.

Music will be provided by Rock III, a band from nearby Cullowhee, who will play from 12 to 3:30 p.m.

The Spirit of Appalachia will take the stage for live storytelling from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Food vendors will also be on hand, and free parking is available.

828.962.1911 or visit  www.visitdillsboro.org.

Brandon Kirkley and the Firecrackers will play at 7 p.m. on June 16 on the University Center lawn at Western Carolina University. With a vocalist and guitar and bass players from Charlotte and Raleigh, pop-savvy BKTF mixes catchy lyrics, melodies, guitar solos and rhythm to inspire fans to pump their fists and sing along.

The show is part of WCU’s 2011 Summer Concert Series, held on Thursdays in June and July. The events are free and open to the public.

The 2011 Folkmoot Festival will take place July 21 through 31 throughout 12 counties in Western North Carolina, with new performances in Hickory and Jonesborough, Tenn.

Folkmoot performances can be seen in 16 cities, including Asheville, Hendersonville, Franklin, Burnsville, Maggie Valley and Waynesville.

Dancers and musicians in colorful traditional costumes from Trinidad, Croatia, Finland, Burundi, Puerto Rico, China, Guadeloupe, Turkey, Italy and the USA are expected to appear in more than 70 performances during the two-week event.

Performers travel to North Carolina for two weeks of entertainment, cultural exchange and education, to share cultural traditions with broad audiences and ensure these traditions are not lost in a fast-paced modern world.

Festivals like Folkmoot do not provide payment to the groups for their performances. Instead, all expenses are covered by the Festival, from the group’s arrival at a nearby international airport to their departure from the same airport two weeks later. Folkmoot staff will prepare 20,000 meals for performers and buses will travel more than 10,000 miles transporting groups to performances.

There are more than 300 international festivals like Folkmoot USA across the globe, but Folkmoot is one of only two similar international festivals in the United States.

The Parade of Nations is scheduled for Friday, July 22, from the historic courthouse down Main Street in Waynesville to the Waynesville First Baptist Church. The Folkmoot 5K Run/Walk & Kid’s Fun Run will be held Saturday, July 23, in front of the Folkmoot Friendship Center.

Haywood County Arts Council’s International Festival Day takes place on Saturday, July 30, and features Folkmoot performers on stages throughout the day. In addition to 21 ticketed public performances, Folkmoot dancers and musicians are featured at many other private and charitable performances during the two-week Folkmoot Festival.

For a full performance schedule and to purchase tickets, visit www.FolkmootUSA.org.

The Haywood County Arts Council’s Quilt Trails project will dedicate its sixth quilt block at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June 10, at the historic Boone Orchard Apple House in Waynesville.

The Apple House block joins other blocks on the Shelton House in Waynesville, the Shook House, Lil’s, and Haywood institute in Clyde, and Town Hall in Maggie Valley.

The Boone Orchard block is based on the Biloxi or Fox Chase quilt pattern design and was selected by Waynesville artist Sylvia Everett. The block is a gift from the neighbors of the Apple House on Wolf Pen Mountain for allowing them to park at the Apple House in inclement winter weather.

The 8-foot by 8-foot 8 wooden block is the largest square on the Haywood County Quilt Trails and is comprised of four 4-foot by 4-foot blocks hung together. The block was painted by Sylvia Everett, Dawn Johnson, and Zibs Reiter.

The Boone Orchard Apple House was built around 1920 and was in operation until 2010. At one point, some 20 varieties of apples were produced on the adjacent land.

As the Haywood County Trail grows, self-guided trails maps will be developed to direct sightseers to view these icons of tradition.

For up-to-date information and block locations visit www.haywoodquilttrails.org.

The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts at historic Shelton House in Waynesville will host three Civil War commemorative groups from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 11.

The Civil War tribute event is held in conjunction with Downtown Waynesville Association’s Appalachian Lifestyles Celebration. The occasion will also recognize the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  

The Shelton House, built in 1875 by Civil War veteran Stephen Jehu Shelton and his wife Mahala Conley Shelton, will be open and free to the public all day. Curator Jackie Stephens and docents will conduct guided tours until 4 p.m. Civil War era clothing and memorabilia will be on display during the house tour.  

The 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Company C, will be re-enacting the enlistment of the 25th NC Infantry, Company C, which was the second unit to enlist in Haywood County. The group will set up a recruitment table and portray new raw recruits and how they may have been trained when they first enlisted.

The Captain Julius Welch, Camp 229, Sons of Confederate Veterans, will also participate. The group will set up a memorial of 294 replicas of the Southern Cross of Honor, engraved with each soldier’s name, rank, unit and company, cause of death, and death date.  The chapter will also display a large interpretive board with information about soldiers, Haywood County’s part in the Civil War, and photographs.

The third assembly of Civil War partners will be representatives from Mountain Rose, Chapter 33, Order of the Confederate Rose, an auxiliary of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Members will dress in period clothing.

The Blue Ridge Watermedia Society will meet from 6:45 until 9 p.m. on June 14 at Haywood Community College.

The meeting will feature Jo Ridge Kelley, who will demonstrate the various techniques she uses to get started, mix the correct values and color temperatures and accent with textural impasto using painting knives.  

Jo is also offering a Plein Air Painting Workshop in July and September.  

828.456.3003 or 828.226.0549 or visit www.joridgekelley.com.

Haywood Community College will offer a “Handles and Guards” course through the American Bladesmith Society, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on June 13 through 17. Students will be instructed on how to create a knife of professional quality.

Students should know how to forge and grind blades before taking this course and should have at least two finished blades to bring to class. The course will cover handles, guards, butt caps, decorative file work, spiral dagger handles, silver inlay work, finished blades and more.

The course will be taught by John Perry, a mastersmith since 2005. His specialties are investment grade and working with folders, Bowies, and hunters.

The cost is $700. 828.565.4243.

The Jackson County Green Energy Park is offering a new round of blacksmithing courses this summer, taught by blacksmith Brock Martin.

Beginning knife-making and an introduction to medieval chainmaille armor will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 7 p.m. on June 11 and 12.

The knife-making course is designed for adults with some blacksmithing experience. Participants will learn the proper technique for making knives ranging from butter knives, to larger examples.

The chainmaille course focuses on the creation of chainmaille weaves. Students will learn the European 4-in-1 weave and will begin creating a chainmaille hood, or coif.

A parent-child blacksmith class will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. on June 18 and 19.

The course is designed as a cooperative learning experience, where participants will learn basic blacksmithing through the creation of a simple object. From there, they will apply those skills to create larger tools, such as a grill set.

828.631.0271 or visit www.jcgep.org/events.html.

Cashiers’ Groovin’ on the Green concert series, now in its third year, opens at 6:30 p.m. on June 10, at the Village Commons. Shows will continue on selected Friday evenings into October.

The 2011 season opens June 10 with return artists Moonshine Babies, a popular group with concertgoers.

New to Groovin’ this year is the opportunity for organizations and businesses to sponsor specific concerts. RE/MAX balloon rides will be available at the June 10 concert, weather permitting.

The free concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. rain or shine, at the Village Commons on Frank Allen Road. For complete descriptions of each evening and additional information on bands and sponsors, visit cashiersvalleyleaffest.com and click on Groovin’ on the Green.

A drumming circle for all ages will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, on the Courthouse Plaza on Main Street in downtown Franklin.  

Mary Eileen Ferrick is the circle leader. People may bring their own drums and rhythm instruments, or choose from the wide assortment provided, including African djembes, guiros, shakers, and buffalo drums. Large take-home “can” drums will be provided for the children. Bring a lawn chair and sit in the shade of the Macon County Courthouse. Peppermint Patti’s ice cream is sold at all Council outdoor concerts.

This program is part of the Arts Council’s Sunday-on-the-Square series, which ends June 19 with an old-time sing-along and a demonstration by Franklin’s Umbutu a cappella ensemble.

828.524.7683, or visit www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

To the Editor:

As the opening of the new Jackson County Library Complex draws near, it brings to mind the many contributions The Smoky Mountain News made during difficult as well as good times. From timely editorials, feature articles, and the printing of many letters, this newspaper truly served the community as it fostered a gorgeous new facility.

I am especially appreciative of the feature article regarding “The Sounds of Jackson County” which appeared five years and six months ago. I call attention to a mini “Sounds of Jackson County” to be performed this coming Saturday evening (June 11) at 7 p.m. in the new community room at the library. Performers are Will Peebles with the GamelanGunung Biru (Blue Ridge Gamelan), the Deitz Family Band, Liberty Baptist Choir, “Sugar” Barnes with Dave Magill, the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, and the Sweet Tater Band with Betty Brown.

Linda Watson

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

Jeff Minick has always provided informative and insightful book reviews. His review of Till We Have Faces reads like a college presentation. His contributions are a valuable addition to your fine newspaper.

Bill Sullivan

Raliegh

To the Editor:

It was shocking to read the article entitled “Crossing the Line” published June 1 in The Smoky Mountain News. This was classic tabloid reporting with more drama than fact reporting, filled with innuendos and hypotheticals.

It is impossible to take Ms. Ellison’s article seriously additionally because of her amazingly inadequate writing skills. It is astounding The Smoky Mountain News would publish an article riddled with poor grammar (i.e., incomplete sentences and entire paragraphs without a clear subject matter) and illogical progression of reporting “details.” The element of foul, four-letter words only emphasized the desperate nature of this article in portraying a seemingly judicial injustice, according to Ms. Ellison.  

There is no room for tawdry sensationalist journalism in a local newspaper which prides itself on reporting facts to keep the community abreast of information and events.

Carrie Hahn

Franklin

When planting season is upon us, gardeners and farmers of all stripes are making plans and counting seeds. As long-time gardeners and seed savers know, the winter months make for great opportunities to do both easily from the comfort of an easy chair beside the woodstove.

Last growing season I raised a couple of varieties of squash and a watermelon that were big hits at the market and here at home, so I kept the best fruits for next year’s seed and set them in the cool storage in October to fully mature. A chilly winter day is perfect for cutting into a still beautiful squash and seeing next season’s opportunities hanging in sweet-smelling strands of vegetable innards. I carefully separated the magical capsules from the slippery gook and set them in a container of water for a relaxing bath, the first of their life’s projects accomplished.  

After a day or two of soaking and a good rinse, I set my five types of seed aside on dinner plates in the kitchen where they’ll sit for a couple weeks while being irregularly rearranged for optimum drying and personal reassurances that spring would return. A week quickly passed and soon we were hosting a get-together at our home, whereupon my wife instructed me to “move my seed mess” from the dining table, which I dutifully did for the safety and protection of the seeds, as well as my own personal welfare. I marched the plates into the living room and tucked them out of the way on top of our wine cabinet, sliding aside the old, Chinese-style vase that my wife rescued from her grandmother’s throw-outs 40 years ago. A week or so later I remembered that they were still there and went to finish the job only to discover the seeds missing — all of them — everything. Ouch. The picture of a starving hill family flashed in front of my eyes at the thought of next year’s crop being robbed before even being planted.

After the initial shock had worn off and my heart rate returned to more normal levels, I began to examine the evidence. I suspected a visiting (or resident) mouse had made off with the goods in the still of the night and had stashed those hundreds of gene packets somewhere for later distribution and use, probably as dinner. Like Sherlock Holmes, I set out to recover the stolen merchandise the little nemesis had absconded. Applying my best mouse-like intelligence, I began my search, checking both the obvious and the most dubious of possible caches, but I came up empty-handed.

The search continued for days, even reluctantly enlisting the help of my wife, who found the whole parade quite amusing, and thinking the thieving rodent’s antics were “cute.” A couple of days later, when I had all but given up my quest, I went to move the old vase from the top of the wine cabinet for some overdo dusting. The chunky, sentimental artifact has graced our homes all these years, and we’ve often kidded about taking our “Ming” vase to the “Antiques Road Show” and discovering it to be a rare piece worth thousands, if not millions.  

As I moved the vase aside from the oncoming cloth, I heard a strange rattle from deep inside. I shook it once again and turned it over to find the source of the noise and seeds of several shapes and sizes began to flow from its mouth, my stash of garden hopes being found.

That silly old vase may not be a rare antique nor worth the stack of cash we’ve joked about, but this year it proved itself quite valuable, and I doubt I’ll ever look at it in quite the same way again, thanks to my own neglect and one small, forward-looking mouse.

(John Beckman is a farmer, builder and part-time seed saver in Cullowhee. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

A free class covering the basics of food preservation will be offered at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library from 1  to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 9.

Cheryl Beck, a family and consumer sciences agent with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, will show how to can, freeze and dry food. Resource materials will be provided. Beck will test dial pressure gauge canner lids from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Lids should be checked each year for accuracy. Registration is required by June 7.

828.586.4009

The Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has awarded a $500 scholarship to Candace Erin Ridley, a senior at Smoky Mountain High School.

Her father, Merle Ridley, is a Jackson Paper employee. Ridley will attend Southwestern Community College in the physical therapist assistant program.

Jackson Paper has awarded scholarships annually since 1992. Recipients are selected based on grade point average, letters of recommendation, honors and activities.

www.jacksonpaper-nc.com

This month’s lunch with the League of Women Voters of Macon County will focus on a presentation discussing the background and mission of the organization.

The event will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin in the Celebration Hall in the lower level. Lunch is $5 by reservation made by June 14.

The program will begin at 12:15 p.m.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that promotes participation in government and public policy through education and advocacy. It regularly meets on the second Thursday of every month at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Meetings are open to the public.

828.371.0527

Those interested in the history of world wars can join a new discussion group launched by Western Carolina University history Professor David Dorondo.

The group, called Carolina Round Table, will address various aspects of world wars and the interwar period covering the years from 1914 to 1945. It will focus on the military history, political, economic, technological and social factors associated with the wars. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Registration is open for the Meet Me in the Smokies Open at Sequoyah National Golf Club.

The event will have a gunshot start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 18.

This captain’s choice golf tournament is $100 per golfer. Each registration includes 18 holes of golf, a boxed lunch at the start of the round, refreshments throughout the round, an Oakley backpack, Oakley T-shirt, post round sit-down dinner, prizes and more. There will be prizes for hole-in-ones, men and women’s longest drives, first and second place foursome in two flights and more.

Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $75 and ending at $1,000, and have limited availability. Volunteer opportunities available.

The tournament is hosted by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce with a portion of the proceeds going to the Sequoyah National Junior Golf Program to teach Native American children the enjoyment and lifelong values of golf.  

828-497-6700 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Human Race 5K Road Race/Walk is scheduled for 8 a.m. on June 11 at the Waynesville Middle School. The annual race is sponsored by the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center.

Proceeds from the event will be used to help the center continue to connect volunteers and help educate seniors on Medicare. The Human Race was started in 2002 as a major source of financial support. For four years, the race was a hilly course around The Shelton House.

In 2006, the race moved to the Waynesville Middle School and now features a course in Waynesville and Hazelwood. It is a lollipop-shaped loop, the flattest and fastest race in Western North Carolina during the month of June.

The first 130 people to register will receive a T-shirt, and are eligible for category.

828.356.2833 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The 4-H Summer Golf Day Camp will be each Thursday beginning June 9 through July 28. The day camp is free and will meet at the Junaluska Golf Course.

4-H is a community of young people from ages five to nineteen who “learn by doing.” Though a historically agriculture focused organization, 4-H today focuses on citizenship, healthy living and science programs. There are six 4-H clubs in Haywood County, and numerous day camps and special interest programs are offered to promote youth leadership and life skills. The 4-H Summer Golf Day Camp is an opportunity for novice golfers to learn the basics of golfing. The 4-H dress code will be followed at the golf course.

Participants must bring their own equipment, including balls, tees, clubs, snacks and water bottle. Registration deadline is June 9. 828.456.3575. Limited spots are available.

A short online survey to help guide a new comprehensive bicycle plan for Haywood County is available for completion at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Haywo-odBikePlan. The survey may be shared with anyone, including children, residing in Haywood County.

Input received from the survey will help identify both obstacles and opportunities for cyclists of all abilities and ages — including commuters, recreational riders, racers and touring cyclists. To alternately print out the survey and mail it in, or to learn more about the Haywood County bicycle plan, visit www.bicyclehaywoodnc.org/BikePlan.html.

Lifeguard training and group swimming lessons will be provided by Medwest Health & Fitness Center beginning June 2 and June 10, respectively.

In response to high demand, the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course will be offered again this summer from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 2-3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 4 and 11 and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 5 and 12 at the Medwest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County. All classes are required to achieve certification. Enrollment is $150 for members and $175 for nonmembers and includes all instructional materials and CPR certification.

The center will also be offering the American Red Cross group swimming program’s summer session, beginning June 10. Classes will be held on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings for eight weeks (except July 1 and 2 for the July 4 holiday) at the Medwest Health & Fitness Center. Enrollment is $30 for members and $50 for nonmembers.

828.452.8056

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy needs volunteers to eradicate invasive plants choking out native flora on the AT in Graham County on Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4.  

Volunteers will target multiflora rose, Japanese stiltgrass, Chinese privet, autumn olive and other weeds known to occur around Stecoah Gap. Volunteers get a free guidebook for the identification and control of invasive exotic plants, as well as a T-shirt, in appreciation for their efforts.

Meet at 10 a.m. at the Stecoah Gap parking area on N.C. 143 (seven miles east of Robbinsville). Bring lunch, two quarts of water, rain gear, sturdy hiking boots or shoes, durable pants and long sleeve shirts. 

The second workshop coincides with the 2011 National Trails Day.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 828.254.3708.

A discussion about the future of Pinnacle Park outside Sylva will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4, followed by a short hike from the Fisher Creek trailhead.

The 1,100 acre tract once served as Sylva’s source of drinking water and has now been preserved.

Those interested in the hiking and biking potential of the park, as well as those who use the park for birding, wildlife and native plant activities, are encouraged to attend, and future volunteer opportunities will be discussed. Information from the discussion will help the town of Sylva and the Pinnacle Park Foundation determine future park needs.

The Jackson County Greenways Project is organizing the event in honor of National Trails Day.

828.293.3053 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“Growing Up Wild,” a free professional development workshop sponsored by Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District for educators who work with young children, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, at the USDA Service Center in Waynesville.

Tanya Poole, an education specialist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, will teach the workshop. Participants will receive the activity guide Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children and six hours of renewal credits or .6 CEUs with the option of adding .4 with homework.

The workshop will be held downstairs at the center at 589 Raccoon Road, across from the Mountain Research Station. Participants should bring a bag lunch and wear comfortable clothes for outdoor activities. Call Gail Heathman 828.452.2741, extension 3, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“From Mowing to Growing,” a workshop with Sara Martin, a biology instructor at Haywood Community College with a B.A. in wildlife management, is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, as part of the Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society summer program and event schedule.

A main goal of the Audubon society is to help the community create and preserve an appropriate habitat for butterflies, dragonflies, flying squirrels, bees and more in their own backyards.

The “From Mowing to Growing” workshop will focus on transforming a backyard into a habitat of native flowers and plants. Martin will help participants “go native,” so they should bring a photograph of their backyard, as well as a notebook, pen and packed lunch to the event.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maggie Pavilion and costs $20.

828.550.5449.

The Main Street Mile, a series of 1-mile races highlighting the state’s Main Street Program, will hit the streets of Sylva Friday, June 3.

Sylva’s Main Street Mile course will start in Sylva’s Bridge Park, cross Grindstaff Cove Road and take a left on Central Street. The figure-8 route then takes runners to Brendle, Storybrook Lane and Bartlett Street.

Sylva’s leg of the Main Street Mile is being held in conjunction with the “Concert on the Creek” series held at Bridge Park. Race awards will be presented during the concert’s first intermission. Blue Ridge Multi Sports, Main Street Mile’s race producers, will donate $2 from every race entry to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s Concerts on the Creek Series.

Start times for a men’s and women’s heat will be staggered by approximately 15 minutes. Awards will be presented to the top 10 overall finishers. Results from each of the Main Street Mile Series races will be combined and calculated to determine the overall series winners. Runners must participate in at least three Main Street Mile events to be eligible for series awards.

Registration is $15 in advance or $20 day-of. www.MainStreetMiles.com or 828.400.5868.

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will hold its fifth-annual summer picnic at 6 p.m. Friday, June 10, on the banks of the Tuckasegee River at Carol’s Cabins (formerly Ward’s Cabins).

All members of the watershed association are urged to attend, and any others interested in learning more about the nonprofit organization that works with many others to help preserve the Tuckasegee River and its feeder streams.  

Bring a dish to share. Soft drinks and tea furnished. RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.488.8418.

The annual summer membership meeting will be held on Monday, June 17, with the location to be announced.

A Mountain Black Bear Festival is set for June 10 and 11 at the Highlands Civic/Recreation Center, featuring exhibits, artisans and programs related to black bears.

• A free program on “co-existing with bears” will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 10, by renowned photographer Bill Lea, co-founder of the American Bear Association. One of Bill Lea’s large framed bear prints will be raffled off.

• From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, there will be exhibits, fine art, crafters and bear experts, including Lea. A chainsaw carver will be there with his chainsaw and recent creations. Bear-oriented activities for kids will be provided by bear experts Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard of Appalachian Bear Rescue. Fine art prints by Jan Lemmons and  Robert Tino prints will be for sale, as well as other art and crafts.

• At 2 p.m., Joel and Kathy Zachry will present a program based on their book, Bears We’ve Met.

The cost of admission on Saturday is $2, with kids 12 and under free.

The program is sponsored by Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance, which has launched the Bear Smart Initiative. Its mission is to “reduce conflicts between bears and humans and to promote their peaceful coexistence by fostering appreciation for bears, addressing the root causes of bear-related problems, and teaching principles for living safely with bears.”

828.526.0890, ext. 320.

Author Alice Sink will read from her new book, Hidden History of the Western North Carolina Mountains, at 1 p.m. on June 4 at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.

In her book, Sink introduces readers to the people, customs and folklore of the region, exploring old-time traditions, real-life characters and tall tales.  

Sink is author of several other books on North Carolina history, including The Hidden History of the Piedmont Triad and Wicked Greensboro.

828.586.9499.

Jackson County writer Thomas Crowe and illustrator Marilyn K. Dawson will celebrate the publication of their children’s book, The Wake Up Man, at Grateful Steps Publishing and Bookshop at 159 S. Lexington Ave. in Asheville at 10:30 a.m. on June 4.

In the tradition of the tale of “The Sandman,” poet and author Crowe and illustrator Dawson have brought to life an imaginary sequel to the Sandman myth with the creation of The Wake Up Man.

Since it is the Sandman who visits each night and with magic dust puts people to sleep, it is only logical, therefore, that there should be a “Wake Up Man” who is responsible — with his own brand of magic — or waking us up. This is the tale of who the Wake Up Man is and how he came to be

The public is welcome and refreshments will be served along with the reading, talk and booksigning. Children are welcome at both the evening and following morning’s events.

The Liar’s Bench has been adopted by the Mountain Heritage Center

The one-year anniversary of The Liar’s Bench will be held at 7 p.m. on June 4 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The Liar’s Bench, started by Gary Carden, is a gathering of writers, storytellers, musicians and other artists who give informal performances for audiences in Jackson County.

The one-year anniversary show will feature Lloyd Arneach, the Cherokee storyteller; Paul Iarussi, a claw-hammer guitar specialist; and Carden, who will tell “Blow the Tannery Whistle.”

In July, The Liar’s Bench will move to the Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center auditorium and future programs will be held on Thursday nights. A “murder ballads” program is planned for the July show at the Mountain Heritage Center.

For more information email Carden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When Congress passed the Wilderness Act back in 1964, it immediately became one of the most important pieces of conservation legislation in United States history. Worked on for years, with bi-partisan support, the act protected nine million of acres of public land forever from logging, road building, oil and gas leasing, and other forms of development. Importantly, the act protected all the rights of all Americans to hunt, fish, camp, horseback ride, and hike in these areas — forever. Since that time over 100 million acres have been protected with the Wilderness Act, ranging from Alaska to Florida, and millions more remain in need of such protection.  

Yet Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has proposed legislation that would roll back existing protections for tens of millions of acres of unprotected wilderness-quality public lands and national forests across America. If passed, this legislation would open up some of our nation’s most fragile natural landscapes to oil and gas development, road construction, uncontrolled off-road vehicle use, and other unchecked development.

Interestingly, two Republicans in his own state have introduced Wilderness Bills in the current Congress that the legislation would seek to undermine. H.R. 1581, the “Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act,” would undermine decades of land protection in one fell swoop. The legislation would be more aptly named the “Wilderness Elimination Act” because, if it is signed into law, tens of millions of acres of America’s wild lands could be forever lost. Here’s what the legislation would do to America’s scenic treasures: roll back protections for nearly 60 million acres of unroaded national forests

In 2001, the Forest Service finalized a policy that protects nearly 60 million acres of roadless national forest lands by prohibiting road-building and commercial logging on those lands. The policy was the result of years of public outreach, including 600 local public hearings, and remains one of the most popular environmental initiatives ever. The “Wilderness Elimination Act” would overturn this policy and open up these unroaded national forest lands to road building, commercial logging, and other development.   The act also has language to release Wilderness Study Areas.  

Western North Carolina has 1.1 million acres of national forest land, with 178,000 acres of this inventoried as roadless and currently protected under the roadless policy. These are some of the best conservation lands we have left in this part of the state, and 27,500 acres of these roadless lands are Wilderness Study Areas, so designated in 1984 when North Carolina’s had its last Wilderness bill.

Close to home, the 3,200-acre Overflow Wilderness Study Area near Highlands would be a victim of HR 1581. Overflow was designated a Wilderness Study Area in 1984 when North Carolina had its last wilderness bill. Since that time it has been protected from logging and development, and Congressman Shuler (D-Waynesville) has committed to protecting the area permanently if the Macon County commissioners will pass a resolution in support. Yet passage of H.R. 1581 will reverse this designation and place the area back in the timber base.    

The time has come for us to act on Overflow, for the sooner we get legislation introduced to protect it, the less we will have to worry about such legislation as HR 1581 seeking to destroy it. I have heard comments over the last year from commissioners and members of the public that they would be the first in line to stop Overflow from being logged, but yet they would not support Wilderness. The fear seems to be that someone would lose something with such a designation. But legislation to protect Oveflow would guarantee that it remains open to hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking in its current state – and forever.   The Wilderness Act guarantees it.  

Please write Congressman Shuler and ask that he vote against HR 1581 and let him know you support protecting places like Overflow. Time could be running out.

(Brent Martin is the Southern Appalachian Regional Director for The Wilderness Society. His office is in Sylva and he can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

To the Editor:

The fact that Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, refers to the radical budget being proposed down in Raleigh as the state “living within its means” is a joke. The farce of this proposal is the false notion that businesses are being wildly burdened and that our private sector suffers.   

Unmentioned is North Carolina remaining as the “No. 2 Best State for Business” awarded by 500 CEOs in Chief Executive Magazine. How is our great state outdoing the vast majority of other states, if the government is “on the back” of job-creating businesses? Thanks to North Carolina’s educated workforce, this state has shifted from manufacturing to more knowledge-based jobs such as banks, high-tech endeavors and pharmaceuticals.

The same educated workforce is being dismantled by this proposed budget. Davis touts “we’re fostering early childhood education by adding more than 1,000 teachers to classrooms in grades 1-3.” This stems from the common sense concept that reducing the workload on the professionals hired to educate our children works.  

If adding teacher assistants to grades 1-3 improves the results they produce, why doesn’t the same rule apply for teachers in grades 4-12? Moreover, why doesn’t the same rule apply to mental health workers, prison guards, and all other state employees? While flaunting an addition of 1,000 teachers, Davis neglects mentioning the elimination of 13,000 teaching assistant positions in those exact grades. In total, the Senate budget would eliminate 19,744 jobs.

Davis says “we’re eliminating vacant positions, consolidating departments, and reducing administrative costs and bureaucracy.” Just like the late television direct-response advertisement salesperson Billy Mays would say “… and that’s not all!” What else does this proposed travesty do?  Substantially reduces funding from Smart Start, rape crisis programs, veterans affairs, domestic violence programs, and eliminates the Teaching Fellows program to name just a few.  

Davis claims “the budget slashes taxes and returns more than $1 billion to the private sector, where it will help businesses create thousands of new jobs.” He fails to mention that those are corporate income taxes (sorry everyday citizens) and the 1-cent sales tax about to go before the legislation for reinstatement.   Their proposal is to decrease taxes for large corporations and slash the heavy burden of a penny; while the folks on Main Street suffer. Though the penny tax, if kept, could add up to an estimated $2.26 billion of revenue to state resources over the next two years.

To conclude, the Senate Republicans believe nothing creates jobs like passing ideologically-driven symbolic measures such as defining marriage, getting pro-life commemorative license plates, and naming a “state-mineral” all the while appeasing their corporate financiers. They are all quoting from the same flawed study that never asked what would happen to the state’s economy if 19,744 positions are eliminated and thousands of state workers are in unemployment lines. While the opportunities for the working and middle class are diminished continuously, the radical Raleigh Republicans can rejoice in not paying a penny.

Justin Karr Conley

Macon County native

To the Editor:

It appears that the radical Republicans in control of the N.C. legislature are starving funding for public education to make public schools fail. Then they will ballyhoo privatization as the silver bullet to “fix” education.  

North Carolina is now ranked as the 46th state in the country for per pupil education funding. If the Republican budget passes, we will be at rock bottom. No matter how Republican State Sens. Jim Davis (R-Franklin) and Ralph Hise (R-Spruce Pine) spin it, North Carolina will be below even South Carolina and Mississippi. It is not a big deal to push for devastating cuts to public schools when you don’t believe in them in the first place.

Competition based on the profit motive works well for many discretionary goods and services. From the consumer’s point of view, it’s easy to change the TV channel if you don’t like the program, visit a different restaurant if you didn’t like the meal at your regular, or use a different dry cleaner or car dealer if you’re not satisfied with the service received.

But the profit motive should not be the driving force for essential services such as national security, public safety (police, fire fighters), highways, roads, clean water and air, safe food, and health care. Education is one such essential that would not be served by rampant competition and the profit motive.

Profit is revenue less expenses. The higher the revenue, the lower the expenses, the greater the profit. I’d hate to think skimping would be done on educational expenses for my child to increase some company’s profits. A child is not a car. The profit motive should not drive decisions in providing education.

Carole Larivee

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Republicans are cutting off education from beginning to end in North Carolina.

The new cuts will take away a significant amount of funding from the Smart Start pre-kindergarten program and also from the UNC school system, where cuts are already taking effect. The cuts also include the loss of 13,000 teacher’s aides and more teachers from schools across the country. Class sizes will increase and with the loss of teachers aides a more difficult learning environment for students will arise.

In an effort to make class sizes smaller, the budget is only stifling the current classroom situation at the start and the end of each student’s educational life. North Carolina needs to re-think the cuts to education as a favor to the future of the state and the image of the system as a whole.

Kaley Davis

UNCG student

To the Editor:

This letter is further comment on Quintin Ellison’s column about the Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake Junaluska (The Smoky Mountain News, May 18-24). After reading about the garden, my husband and I set out to find it, and we were not disappointed.

This is truly a spot to be treasured and enjoyed in all seasons. The collection of native plants is amazing for the relatively small area. With the help of pamphlets available for a self-guided tour, and labels on plants along the way, we were able to identify many varieties we’d never seen before. 

Walking through the garden is not only educational. It is pure pleasure, a treat for all the senses: plants to see and smell, texture for touch, hearing the chorus of birds, and tasting air freshened by greenery. Well-placed benches along the way also allow one to sit quietly and simply contemplate the wonder of this “gem at Junaluska”.

Many thanks to those who maintain this beautiful hideaway and to Quintin for sharing her knowledge of it.

Lenore Snell

Dillsboro

To the Editor:

Republican Sens. Ralph Hise, R-Spruce Pine, and Jim Davis, R-Franklin, promised “jobs, jobs, jobs” and “better times” for Haywood County during their campaigns.

Did you hear them promise to make the largest budget cuts to education ever made in North Carolina history? You didn’t?  

Did you hear them promise to “create jobs?” You did?

The Republican budget cuts $1.2 billion dollars from state monies crucial to our kids’ educations. Their budget cuts teacher assistants’ jobs, teachers’ jobs, librarians, janitors and staff jobs in our Haywood County Schools. These folks are losing their jobs — jobs that support their families. And our kids will be the worse for it.

Hazelwood prison is being closed. These jobs support Haywood County families.

Gas prices are up and the tourism industry is hurting in Haywood County.

Food prices are up. Unemployment continues to climb. Home foreclosures are increasing.

Where is the help for Haywood County? Where are these jobs and these “better times”?  

Tell us exactly what promises you have kept to Haywood County, Sen. Hise and Sen. Davis?

Chuck Dickson and Sybil Mann

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Jackson County Commissioner Jack Debnam’s recent comments on the proposed SCC spur road are valid and show that he is willing to go to bat for Jackson County’s citizens despite opposition from DOT and other commissioners. He has shown that he will ask the difficult questions, even if his actions put him at odds with others who feel differently about the issue.

It appears that this particular project is receiving special attention from DOT despite much opposition from the community. Most agree that the safety of SCC students and staff is important, but logic and common sense need to be applied in this decision, not favoritism and good-old-boy networking.

I would suggest that the county and DOT look at this project in a different light, and attention be given to alternatives other than another big intrusive road project of questionable value. If emergency access is truly the reason for this project, then it would seem to me that short, simple emergency access roads could be built from SCC onto neighboring DOT and Armory property, which would provide two additional means of access at a fraction of the $13 million price tag.

If reducing traffic on N.C. 116 is the key factor, then we should look at relocating DOT offices and equipment storage to other places in the county where they wouldn’t be adding to the problems. I see little reason why we need these operations on N.C. 116, when offices can be located virtually anywhere and equipment could be stored along the major county routes that it is supposed to service. This would reduce traffic on 116 by around 10 percent in my estimation, provide plenty of room for emergency access and additional room for the future needs of an expanding community college.

We need to look at some creative alternatives and address the really key issues that affect the county’s traffic concerns, not simply offer more pavement and expensive fly-over bridges to move the county forward.

John Beckman

Cullowhee

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and year in review is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on June 2.

The chamber will honor leaders in the business community with awards.

The dinner will be held at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Tickets are $45 per person or $410 reserved seating for eight people. 828.456.3021.

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The Community Kitchen’s annual golf tournament will be held Friday, June 3, at Lake Junaluska. The pre-registration fee is $50 828.648.0014), and day-of registration $55. Registration includes green fees and golf cart, snacks and drinks, a door prize ticket, T-shirt and dinner provided by the Black Bear Café. The kitchen is still accepting sponsors for the holes and t-shirts and one sponsor for the potential hole-in-one. 828.593.9319.

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The Knights of Columbus, Father Michael Murphy Council #12478, will host its sixth-annual local charities golf tournament at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, June 11, at Lake Junaluska Golf Course.

The tournament will benefit a number of Haywood County charities. There will be a captain’s choice, with a shotgun start. For a donation of $60, each golfer gets 18 holes of golf, a barbecue dinner catered by Nico’s Cafe, and an opportunity to win cash and door prizes. All golfers also have a shot at a new car in the hole-in-one contest.

828.550.1711 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar, “Financing Your Small Business,” on Tuesday morning, June 7. The session is from 8-10 a.m. on campus in the boardroom of the Frazell Administration building.

828.627.4512.

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A $600,000 housing grant was awarded to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create housing or economic opportunities for low- to moderate-income families. The competitive grants are provided through HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant Program.

Recipients can use funds for various housing projects, including rehabilitating housing, building new housing or buying land to support new housing construction. The grant can also used to build infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer facilities.

A local Dillsboro inn had four recipes featured in the Southern Living cookbook, Off the Eaten Path: Favorite Southern Dives and 150 Recipes that Made Them Famous.

The Jarrett House, a favorite Dillsboro bed and breakfast for the past 127 years, has received national recognition for its regional expertise. Pages 160 to 163 of the cookbook contain photos of the Jarrett House, an introduction to the restaurant and four of its famous recipes.

Morgan Murphy, the former travel and food editor for Southern Living magazine, toured the South in his old Cadillac, searching for the region’s best restaurants and recipes. He stopped at the Jarrett House, giving the GPS coordinates for fellow travelers, on his way through North Carolina.

“The cooking here is as straightforward and simple as their buttery biscuits. You won’t find complex ingredients or cutting-edge techniques. But what you will find is delectable Southern fare served with a smile,” Murphy wrote about the Jarrett House.

Murphy’s favorite was the chicken and dumplings. “I’d be a dumpling myself if I lived anywhere near the Jarrett House,” he wrote. The cookbook lists the ingredients and preparation instructions for the dish, including the diner secret: two kinds of pepper give the recipe a “country kick.”

Murphy included the Jarrett House’s 3-step recipe for Vinegar Pie, describing the taste as “something between a poundcake and a pecan pie without pecans. Yum.” The Jarrett House’s “easy, four-ingredient biscuits” and house apples (2 pounds sliced apples, 1 cup sugar) were also featured.

The Hartbargers have owned the Jarrett House for 36 years; in that time, Southern Living has visited the restaurant and written articles about it periodically, which the restaurant has kept for display. According to Jim Hartbarger, Southern Living has always offered an extremely positive response.

Hartbarger said the Jarrett House was chosen over other restaurants “because of its age and standards. It was a no-miss situation.” When Murphy came to visit the restaurant last year, he sat down for lunch and interviewed the staff, making sure he had a story to accompany the recipes.

“Southern Living has always been good to us. It’s an honor, and we’re really proud,” Hartbarger said.

By Tessa Rodes • SMN Intern

An Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration will come to downtown Waynesville from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June, 11. The festival is a heritage-themed event providing educational and entertainment opportunities for guests of all ages, where traditional crafts are demonstrated and offered for sale. Two stages will feature live entertainment throughout the day.

Four-time Grammy award-winner David Holt and Grammy nominee Josh Goforth will join together to bring old-time mountain music and stories to audiences. Holt and Goforth combine guitar, banjo, fiddle, slide guitar, mandolin and rhythm instruments from hambone (body slapping) rhythms, to spoons, stump-fiddle, rhythm bones, jaw harp, and even paper bag.

Michael Reno Harrell, a songwriter and veteran storyteller, along with The Hominy Valley Boys and the Hill Country Band and other favorites will also perform.

Former N.C. state senator Joe Sam Queen will lead a square dance at 12:30 p.m. at the center stage.

Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy storytelling by local authors, folk toys, arts and craft, vintage tractors and tools. Watch demonstrations of basket making, blacksmithing, quilting, weaving, woodworking, wood carving, pottery, painting and soap making. Traditional food will also be offered.

828.456.3517 or visit downtownwaynesville.com.

The Bach Chorale Children’s Choir of Lafayette, Ind., will perform a program called “Ireland Ascending” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at the Fines Creek Community Center in Clyde.

The choir will be accompanied by local resident Anne Lough, who will share some of her favorite songs and relate the history of the songs’ origins. She will play both the stringed and hammer dulcimers.

The concert is free and open to the public, though donations will be requested. 828.627.1113.

A summer music series will kick off at 7 p.m. on June 9 with musician Dusk Weaver at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.  

This year’s line-up will offer local music for the community every second and fourth Thursday. Weather permitting, these programs will be presented on the front porch of the library; otherwise, they will be moved to the library auditorium. Snacks and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Marianna Black Library.

For this performance, Dusk will sing lead vocals and will play acoustic guitar, autoharp and a variety of diatonic harmonicas. He will be accompanied by Caroline and Tristan Carr who add vocal harmonies, djembe, mandolin, and wazoogle to the act. The ensemble will appear as Dusk & Sky.

828.488.3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is coming to Haywood Community College at 7 p.m. on June 10, and 2:30 p.m. on June 11. MusicWorks! Studio of Performing Arts is producing the show under the direction of Lynne Wells-Meyer.

Adapted from the animated film by its original screenwriter, the heart-warming musical is the classic love story of Belle and the Beast, who is really a prince trapped in a spell. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved in return, the spell will be broken and he will be transformed back to his former self. However, time is running out, and if the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he will be doomed for all eternity. The show features original music from the movie, plus additional songs written especially for the stage.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 17. 828.456.2283.