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Two Swain County men were convicted and sentenced in federal court last month in Bryson City for stealing ginseng from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Billy Joe Hurley, 42, and Jeffrey N. Hurley, 34, of Bryson City, were found guilty and were sentenced to a jail term for illegal possession of American ginseng. Billy Joe Hurley was sentenced to 75 days in jail and fined $5,540 in restitution to the park for possessing 554 wild ginseng roots; and Jeffrey Hurley was sentenced to 14 days in jail and fined $2,510 in restitution to the park for possessing 251 roots.
In late October, as part of an ongoing investigation, a ranger caught the Hurley brothers in the North Carolina area of the park with more than 11 pounds of freshly dug roots that had been poached in one day’s time. The roots were later aged by park biologists, and it was determined that most of the roots were at least 10 years old, but some of the larger ones were found to be 30 to 40 years old. The offense carries a maximum misdemeanor penalty of up to 6 months in jail and/or fine of up to $5,000.
One of the original elk brought to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 10 years ago as part of a reintroduction of the magnificent species was shot and killed by a poacher in February.
The killing took place in Haywood County just outside of the park, in the 12 Mile Strip along the Pigeon River Gorge near Waterville heading toward the state line. Elk are listed as a species of special concern by the state, so it is illegal to shoot them even if they have wandered outside the national park.
A reward of $5,000 is on the table for information leading to the poacher’s arrest and conviction. A group of elk fans calling themselves Friends of the Elk have put up the reward money.
“The hope is the announcement of the reward will loosen some tongues,” said Bill Burkett of Weaverville, who has contributed to the reward kitty. The shooting has been under investigation by the N.C. Wildlife Commission but was kept quiet until now.
Burkett said they decided to pitch in and offer a reward “when it seemed like the law enforcement investigation wasn’t going anywhere.”
The area where the elk was shot is very remote. It’s possible no one saw anything, but Burkett suspected whoever shot it may have told his friends. Poachers took the antlers, hide, hooves and meat.
Based on the carcass left behind, poachers had butchered the elk, which is no small job.
“To get the quarters and the back strap and any salvageable meat small enough to carry off, I would guess three to four hours. This is a big critter so it took these people a while to do this,” Burkett said.
Hooves are sometimes mounted on the wall pointing upwards like a hook to make a gun rack or coat rack. As for the antlers, elk drop theirs every winter. The spot where the antlers grow had been cut away by the poachers anyway.
Poachers wisely left the radio collar behind — the collar can be tracked by park rangers. In fact, the motionless collar may be what altered rangers there was a problem and led them to the spot.
“When the collar stops moving something is wrong,” Burkett said.
It is unlikely the poacher was out hunting and accidentally shot the elk, or that it was even an impulse shooting. Dear and bear season are over by February. While grouse and rabbits are in season, those are hunted with shotguns, and it would take a high-power rifle to bring down an elk, Burkett surmised. Burkett is a member of the Great Smoky Mountains chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which provided financial support for the elk reintroduction in the park.
The park is still concerned about the loss of the elk, even though it is outside the park boundary.
“The illegal poaching outside of the park borders interferes with our ability to manage and protect resources inside the park,” said Nancy Gray, park spokeswoman.
The park is phasing out the use of radio collars and ear tags as the 130-member herd proves it can survive (unless poached illegally) without being actively managed by park rangers, Gray said.
This was the third elk killed since the reintroduction took place, and marks the second elk slain outside of the national park. Last year, Bruce Wayne Cromer, of Stovall, was charged with shooting an elk on Nov. 13, 2009, in Cataloochee. He was fined $15,000 in restitution to the park and his truck and firearm were confiscated. He was also sentenced to six months in jail.
The poacher of the first elk killed eluded prosecution.
Information about the poaching can be reported at 800.662.7137. Information can also be reported to local N.C. wildlife officers, Daniel Cable at 828.450.7894 or Jeff Jackson at 828.450.7895.
A bald eagle was shot and killed at the Maggie Festival Grounds, a large open field off the main drag through town, in early May.
A reward of up to $2,500 is offered to anyone for information leading to a conviction of the person responsible for killing the eagle. U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the N.C. Wildlife Commission are investigation the shooting.
Bullet fragments were removed from the carcass. The eagle was an immature bald eagle and lacked the characteristic adult white head and tail feathers.
Bald eagles were taken off the endangered species list in 2007, but are still protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Violations carry a fine of up to $100,000 and up to one year in federal prison.
Anyone with information should call Special Agent Tom Chisdock with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement at 828.258.2084 or Captain Greg Daniels with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at 828.337.9425.
Mast General Store in Waynesville will donate a portion of its sales on Saturday June 4 to the to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in honor of National Land Trust Day. Since 2004, Mast has donated $54,000 to the conservancy during the annual land trust event.
Also, a guided “wild edibles” hike on a protected tract near the entrance to Cataloochee Valley in Haywood County will be held June 4 starting at 11 a.m. The tract is situated on the Cataloochee Divide adjacent to the Smokies national park and features good views. The landowners, Chip and Kay Hultquist, will lead the group on a hike in a search for edible plants, which will be served up for an evening meal prepared in a cabin on the property, followed by a campfire.
The cost is $25 for SAHC members; $35 for non-members. RSVP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.253.0095 ex. 205.
Rain barrels, which hook into your gutters to catch rain coming off your roof, are being sold for $75 in a joint conservation project by Haywood Waterways Association, the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Haywood County. Proceeds will benefit each organization.
Rain barrels are good for water conservation and are an investment for maintaining healthy gardens and landscaping. During drought they provide a source of water for irrigation, and reduce the strain on rivers and wells. By capturing and retaining rainwater they help reduce stormwater impacts when it does rain.
The 55-gallon barrels are made from recycled pickle containers. They are fitted with connections for a garden hose, overflow pipes or to connect multiple barrels in series. The barrels also have a drain and bug screen. The tops can be removed for easy cleaning and maintenance.
The barrels will be at the Agricultural Service Center on Raccoon Road, on Thursday, May 26 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Rain barrels can also be ordered through Eric Romaniszyn, Haywood Waterways’ Executive Director at 828.631.2823 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Display models are at the Chamber of Commerce, extension office or Waynesville Fly Shop.
A Waynesville watershed hike is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Naturalist Don Hendershot and Western Carolina University Forestry Professor Peter Bates will lead the group. Bates and Hendershot will discuss the flora and fauna of the watershed, as well as the watershed management plan that governs it.
The Waynesville watershed is a 9,000-acre preserve, flanking the mountains to the south of town, running from Allen’s Creek to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The watershed is normally closed to public access, with hikes offered just twice a year in the spring and fall.
Participants must be able to hike 3 to 5 miles in moderately strenuous terrain. Birders should bring their binoculars. No pets allowed.
Directions will be sent after registration.
828.452.2491.
Botanist Tim Spira will present a program based on his new book, Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Applachian Mountains and Piedmont, at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.
Spira, a botanist at Clemson University, takes a holistic, ecological approach that enables the reader to identify and learn about plants in their natural communities.
He will show slides from the book and give a talk on the plant communities that local hikers can find in this area.
828.586.9499.
The Cherokee Gourd Artists Gathering, themed “Gourds in the Wind,” will take place from Friday, June 3, to Sunday, June 5, at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds.
Classes, demonstrations, displays of finished art, vendors and contests fill the schedule for the weekend event. Some early activities begin on Thursday, June 2.
The gathering is free to attend and the classes are volunteer-taught, though there may be a fee for supplies. Sign-up for classes like bowl carving, gourd basketry and primitive pyrography continue through Sunday, May 29.
828.497.9131, ext. 238 or visit gourdgathering.net.
A Mahjong Party will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at the home of sponsor Kay Isserman in Waynesville as part of the 2011 FUNd Party Series by the Haywood County Arts Council.
Mahjong is a Chinese game usually played by four people with 136 or 144 tiles, the object being to collect winning sets of these. Participants can play in any style and lunch will be offered at the event, located at 209 Rocky Knob Road.
Tickets are $30. The registration deadline for foursomes or individuals is May 31. 828.452.0593 or visit at www.haywoodarts.org.
Who’s Got Talent?, a local talent competition featuring singers, dancers and variety acts, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
About 20 acts and performers of all ages will compete for the audience’s vote and the winner will receive a cash prize. The success of the first Who’s Got Talent? presented last spring, encouraged the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts to offer a second, larger event this spring and again in the fall.
Tickets are $5. 866. 273.4615 or visit GreatMountainMusic.com.
Local artist Silvia Cabrera Williams will teach an experimental watermedia workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. each Thursday in June at the Leapin’ Frog Gallery in Waynesville.
Many common household items such as shaving cream, dishwashing rinse aid, petroleum jelly and aluminum foil will be used to produce experimental art. Feel free to bring failed watercolors to revive.
Williams has been an artist for many years and is a member of the International Society of Experimental Artists. Her favorite media are watercolor, ink and acrylics.
Cost is $100. Supply list available upon registration.
828.456.8441 to reserve your space.
Katharine Whalen and Chimney Choir will perform on Thursday, June 2, and The Back Pages will perform on Thursday, June 9, as part of the Western Carolina University Summer Concert Series.
The concerts and will be held on the University Center lawn at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Katharine Whalen, a vocalist for 90s band Squirrel Nut Zippers, will be accompanied by her current band, The Fascinators, as they combine jazz and modern electronic effects.
Chimney Choir, a Colorado-based band, will combine vocal harmonies with their multi-instrumental arrangements.
The Back Pages, a local classic and southern rock band, will perform the following week. 828.227.3622 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
One hundred quilts made by the Shady Ladies quilting group will be on display at their annual Quilt Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, at Lake Logan Episcopal Center.
Admission is $3 and will be donated to Lake Logan Summer Camp Program. One quilt, a queen-size named Birds of a Feather, will be raffled off. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Haywood County charities and residents in need. Lake Logan’s Dining Hall is open for lunch on Friday and Saturday and brunch on Sunday.
828.456.8885 or visit www.lakelogan.org.
Country music, film and TV star Reba McEntire will perform from 7:30 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, May 29, at Harrah’s Cherokee casino.
McEntire has produced 63 top 10 hits, starred in a hit TV show on The WB and is the only female in country music history to attain a number one song in four decades. She won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Association awards four years in a row and Favorite Country Female Artist at the American Music Awards 12 times.
Tickets are $75 to $125. You must be 21 or older to attend the concert or enter the casino.
800.745.3000.
Accordion virtuoso Tony Lovello will perform at the Smoky Mountain Accordion Jam at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at The Maggie Valley Club.
Since 2000, Lovello has returned to show business and recorded 14 CDs, performed 250 concerts, received five Lifetime Achievement Awards and was hailed as “The Living Legend of the Accordion World” by the National Accordion Association. The Smoky Mountain Accordion Jam will begin at 2 p.m. and anyone can play until 5 p.m., when food and beverages will be available for purchase at the Pin High Bar and Grille.
Tickets are $16.50. 828.734.2975.
Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts in Cherokee is offering the chance to learn mixed media drawing and realist oil painting in June.
Mixed media drawing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays from May 30 to June 6. This course will invite students to be experimental with a variety of materials by drawing on paper, then adding collage materials to create layers and two-dimensional depth. Participants will learn how to build a multi-layered drawing and collage composition using a variety of drawing and scrap materials on sturdy paper primed with gesso. The cost is $36.
A course titled “Learning from the Old Masters” will run from 6 to 8 p.m. each Wednesday from June 1 to 22. Students will learn to construct a realist oil painting using techniques similar to that of 16th and 17th century European masters such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer.
Participants should provide their own materials, which consist of a basic paint set, selection of brushes, mediums and a surface to paint on. The cost is $62.
828.497.3945 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Tatting, caning, quilting and spinning demonstrations will highlight the 6th annual Patchwork Folk and Fabric Festival scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.
The festival is presented by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, the Appalachian Homestead Farm and Preserve and the Jackson County Parks and Recreational Department.
Participants may purchase homemade lunch, made by the board of directors of CSA.
828.293.3053.
Maybe it’s the fear of snakes, mountain lions, or Bigfoot. Or the perceived boredom of time spent unplugged. Perhaps it’s basic opposition to exertion and sweat. Whatever the reasons, fewer people nationwide are spending time in the great outdoors.
If you like getting away from it all, though, this trend might not seem so bad. You can enjoy a hike on a remote trail or cycle down a country road without someone next to you blabbing on their cell phone or barking about some divisive political issue.
But I also see danger in the isolation — and not just the obvious risk of getting injured or hopelessly lost and needing help, though that’s reason enough to welcome human company.
To me, the greater problem may be that if very few people experience the great outdoors, then only a small number will care when our wild or rural areas are threatened by sprawling development, exotic species, pollution or other problems. And if these open spaces suffer declines, so will important community resources like clean water, clean air, fresh food, tourism dollars, wildlife, and more.
Meanwhile, a fair number of doctors, teachers, and others are concerned that children who don’t play outside may experience higher rates of obesity, attention-deficit disorders, and other maladies. They’ve written books like Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder and launched myriad “No Child Left Inside” efforts.
With so many people working on the issue, I wasn’t surprised when a recent news story announced a “positive trend” in outdoor recreation. The Outdoor Foundation had released its 2010 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, which highlighted “many encouraging trends-especially for youth.”
Unfortunately, their “positive trend” consisted of a smaller annual rate of decline in outdoor recreation compared to the previous study. I’m no math expert, but to me, a decline in a decline is still a decline.
That left me wondering who or what can truly reverse the trend. A new website, www.planetexplore.com, marks one major effort to help people find ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Partners include major outdoor gear companies and conservation groups. Sounds promising, right? When I first searched for local events, the site offered up a drumming class and a winery tour. More recently, they’ve listed a plant sale, a tree-drawing workshop, and a “mini-landfill” project to help you “learn how things rot.” Hmm.
In case fermentation and decomposition aren’t your idea of getting back to nature, consider the basic walk in the woods. For anyone with children or grandchildren, check out www.kidsinparks.com, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The site has great ideas for getting kids excited about hiking.
Of course, we don’t need the internet to lead us outdoors. Step one: fold up the paper or turn off the computer. Step two: go outside. Step three: take a nature photo or take a hike, but whatever you do, take someone with you — a spouse, a friend, a parent, a child, or anyone who hasn’t been outside much lately. Maybe I’ll see you there. And maybe the next report on trends in outdoor recreation will be truly positive.
(George Ivey is a Haywood County-based consultant and author of the novel Up River. Contact him at www.georgeivey.com.)
To the Editor:
I’d like to thank the state House of Representatives for putting rich white kids first in North Carolina with your vote on May 3. It’s about time! I am so tired of these hard working, poor and minority children who go to school everyday trying to make their lives better in the only safe environment they know.
I want to thank you for creating jobs in North Carolina, specifically at the ESC to handle the larger unemployment lines coming our way in the next few years. It will feel good to get rid of these high-paid, fat-cat teacher assistants, counselors, school nurses, custodians and secretaries that help to feed and put clothes on the backs of these little leaches on society. The $600,000 House Bill 351 alone will take care of the salaries of seven teaching assistants right away, and showing my driver’s license when I vote will always trump a child’s welfare in my book.
I applaud you for your efforts! I know that you really want to look into the faces of these children as you sign the bills to eliminate the positions of the only trustworthy person in their lives; however, I can understand that it is probably more beneficial to your busy schedule not to mention your re-election campaigns to pass the responsibility of job layoffs to the State Board of Education. Why become involved with the needs and concerns of your constituents now? After all, life is like golf, lowest score wins! And now, you’ve put North Carolinaright on par to take the lead!
House representatives, I want to thank you for helping Art Pope, your very own “Skip” Stam, and of course your campaign contributing friend Bob Luddy to make some money off of these kids backs. You could have done the easy thing and continued the 1 cent sales tax that 70 percent of North Carolinians support, maybe even closed the captive Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) tax loophole that would actually generate income from big corporations who owe back taxes here in North Carolina. Or any number of smaller cuts in different areas, but you didn’t so thanks.
Really, we didn’t hire you to be creative thinkers, and you certainly haven’t disappointed. I want to thank you for the sound financial advice I have learned from you. From now on when I am in financial straits at home I will cut out my food budget and stop cashing my paycheck! Because I know that not feeding myself and having no income to pay the bills will always keep me healthy and get me out of debt.
N.C. House Representatives, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! The great state of North Carolina thanks you! I am sure that kids who are affected by the elimination of the state’s dropout prevention programs and the other members of the gangs they join will be thanking you and the rest of us some time in the near future as well. Especially when you have to cut law enforcement jobs in the next budget because God knows those people will be sucking the life out of our state by then! That however is for another letter, for another time.
Frederick Sean Parnell
Hickory
To the Editor:
Do you think more of your car than you do of your children?
If something is wrong with your car, you take it to a dealer to be fixed. When you get it back and it still is not right you either take it back to the dealer until you are satisfied or you go to another dealer. Competition forces the dealers to do a better job and satisfy their customers.
You send your child to school for 12 years and your chances are 2 to 1 that they will graduate. Even if they do, they have a 75 percent chance that they are behind grade level and will require 1 to 1.5 years of remediation to make it through college or to prepare for a productive and successful life.
Why do you not demand the same level of “customer service” and results from the business you have entrusted to educate your children? After all, is this not your most important responsibility as a parent?
You say, “Well there are no other options.” Whose fault is that? You continue to elect politicians that refuse to allow you the options a parent needs to see that their child receives the best education possible for that particular child. Every year since 1996, your previous state senators and state representatives voted to deny you those options by refusing to allow competition to exist. Your current state representatives, Phil Haire, D-Sylva, and Ray Rapp, D-Mars Hill, continue to do this. When will you realize that they vote for their best interests (campaign contributions) and the best interests of the monopoly, not the best interests of your children and grandchildren?
We have a lot excellent teachers in our public school system, but too often the best of them are frustrated by the bureaucracy that stifles their ability to teach. We can do better for our children and competition will cause all options to improve.
Bruce Gardner
Waynesville
To The Editor:
I attended the recent public hearing on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan and came away confused. First, according to the Division Engineer who manages Division 14 of the N.C. Department of Transportation, of which Macon is a part, all this hoopla about requiring a Comprehensive Plan or we’ll be cut off from road projects is not accurate. Yet it seems that the county administration is under the impression that this is the case.
Aside from the confusion over why the plan is necessary, I’m trying to understand its purpose, which, among other things, is ostensibly to create an environment that attracts jobs. Yet, there are many provisions and recommendations that make home construction more difficult and more expensive.
Considering the current plight of the construction industry and the attendant businesses — developers, realtors, well drillers, septic system contractors, landscapers, heating and air contractors, furniture stores, carpet layers, appliance stores, appraisers, cabinet makers, surveyors, interior decorators, tile contractors and so on — one wonders why county officials would consider the recommendations included in the Plan.
To trade the possibility of attracting job creators in the future, a task that has proven to be unsuccessful in the past, for the certainty of job destruction in the here and now seems like a fools game to me.
Don Swanson
Franklin
To the Editor:
I’d like to thank Quintin Ellison and The Smoky Mountain News for Ms. Ellison’s excellent article about the Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake Junaluska (www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/3978-don’t-rush-by-this-little-lake-junaluska-treasure). She gave a succinct history and an accurate and appealing description of what a visitor will find there. It is a true treasure and represents years of work by a small staff and many volunteers. We appreciate her taking the time to stop by for our annual plant sale and to take a closer look at our garden. We hope her enthusiastic endorsement will encourage your readers to come and take a thoughtful walk through.
Linda McFarland,
Chair of the Board
Corneille Bryan Native Garden
To the Editor:
Having served for more than a decade as president of Southwestern Community College, I was dismayed by what was reported in The Smoky Mountain News and the Sylva Herald as opposition by some Jackson County commissioners to the building of a much-needed and long-planned access road for Southwestern Community College. After 10 years of intense planning and tireless effort in securing legislative action and state support for funding, it boggles my mind that our local commissioners would consider opposing what is obviously an overwhelming need where a workable solution has been found along with the funding to fix the problem.
Is it wrong for Southwestern Community College to seek the necessary roadway infrastructure funding that other North Carolina public educational institutions routinely receive from the state? Are the commissioners aware of the safety risk posed by a single entrance and exit point to and from the campus? This was the primary reason for seeking funding to build a connecting road to eliminate the risk. Enrollment growth has now made the road an imperative.
From my perspective, opposition to the building of an essential ingress and egress roadway for the Jackson Campus must be based on something other than what is a factually and reasonably obvious need and proposed solution to a problem destined to grow worse unless addressed. Why not solve the problem while state funding is available rather than put the burden directly on local taxpayers as some schools have done? It troubles and confounds me that a public institution is being criticized for doing what is in the best interest of its students, the general public and local taxpayers.
Whatever the political persuasion or position, most agree that an educated citizenry is essential to the preservation of our freedom and a trained and knowledgeable workforce is critical to our economic prosperity. No one addresses these issues better than Southwestern Community College. Southwestern has more than proven its vital importance to the citizens of Jackson County and Western North Carolina. What better evidence is there than the soaring enrollment of local citizens, young and old, seeking a better future for themselves and their families? With its singular dedication to student teaching and learning, Southwestern offers the highest return-on-investment of taxpayer dollars.
Finally, I am most grateful to the Board of Trustees at Southwestern. During my tenure as president, board members never asked individually or collectively that a decision be made based on political or personal consideration. Decisions were made based on what is best for the students and the communities served. Appropriately, the naming of the new building in honor of Conrad Burrell was based on his years of dedicated service and accomplishment for all the citizens in Western North Carolina and especially for his support and advocacy at the local, state and national levels on behalf of Southwestern Community College. To allege or infer otherwise is wrong.
Cecil Groves
Former President,
Southwestern Community College
Haywood Vocational Opportunities has donated 103,500 black medical table covers to AmeriCares, a global disaster relief organization that delivers medicine and supplies to those in need around the world. The donation is being shipped to the AmeriCares warehouse in Haiti to help with ongoing medical care in relief efforts. The final shipment weighed more than 55,000 pounds and was shipped free of charge by the Wal-Mart Hearts program.
828.456.4455 ext. 1138 or visit www.hvoinc.com.
MedWest Health System is expanding its access to health care to the communities served by its hospitals in three counties. A third urgent care center will soon be available in Jackson County and a new one will be built in Canton.
The third urgent care center in Sylva is located at 176 Wal-Mart Plaza and will open August 1. The facility will have nine examining rooms and X-ray and lab services. It will provide 14 medical positions including two physicians, two physician assistants, two registered nurses, two radiology technicians, two lab technicians and two office assistants.
Another Urgent Care Center will open off Exit 31 in Canton and will have 16 treatment rooms. There will also be sleeping rooms and showers for EMS workers and a room for the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office and the N.C. Highway Patrol.
The rooftops of both offices of Smoky Mountain Foot and Ankle Clinic are now equipped with solar electric modules that will generate electricity through solar energy. Sundance Power Systems installed the panels at both the Waynesville and Asheville locations. The Waynesville installation was one of the first in Haywood County where the permitting and inspection processes were new for grid-connected solar systems. They were among the first systems in the area to participate in Progress Energy’s SunSense Program. 828.452.4343 or visit www.smokymountainfootclinic.com.
Two cardiologists with MedWest Health System now offer the first pacemaker designed, tested and approved by the Federal Drug Administration for use in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) environment.
Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Glenn Harris have successfully implanted the pacemaker on March 31. The procedure and follow-up is the same as the traditional procedure. Mary Lou Rinehart of Waynesville is the recipient of the first new pacemaker at MedWest Haywood.
The procedure is a one- to two-hour outpatient service with one overnight stay for observation. The new pacemaker cannot be used as a replacement for an existing one and it is not meant for someone who has other reasons to not undergo an MRI. 828.564.9222.
Clyde Fire Department recently underwent a state inspection that improved their insurance rating.
The businesses and homeowners in the Clyde/Central Haywood fire district will most likely see a reduction in their insurance premiums as a result. A homeowner who lives in the rural district could see an average decrease of $150-$180 of their insurance premiums annually, depending on the size and value of their home. The Clyde Fire Department currently has the lowest insurance rating in Haywood County.
The North Carolina Rating system is on a five-year cycle but departments can request an early review. Things such as new equipment and improvements to water systems play an important role in the rating.
A blower upgrade to the landfill gas system that helps power Jackson County’s Green Energy Park has been completed.
The upgrade, which included a moister separator, should help the system be more efficient, according to Director Timm Muth, director of Jackson County’s Green Energy Park, located at the old county landfill in Dillsboro.
The new blower has nine stages of operation that should better regulate the gas output pressure while facilitating a steadier and possibly higher level of gas flow to the forges and kilns.
The Jackson County Green Energy Park uses landfill gas and other renewable energy resources to provide fuel for blacksmith forges and the foundry, glassblowing studios and greenhouses. www.jcgep.org.
Southwestern Community College this week got a new president, Donald Tomas of Aledo, Texas, who takes over July 1.
Tomas replaces Richard Collings, who served in the top slot at SCC for just six months before resigning suddenly. Collings, who replaced SCC President Cecil Groves after his retirement, suffered a stroke after coming to North Carolina to start his new job.
Tomas is the college’s sixth president. The State Board of Community Colleges approved the board of trustees’ pick May 20. SCC’s service area is Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, plus the Cherokee Indian Reservation.
SCC Board of Trustees Chairman Conrad Burrell described Tomas as “a good fit for our college and the communities it serves. We feel he has the knowledge and skills to move our college forward to the next level and ensure we complete our mission of providing a quality, affordable education to the citizens of Western North Carolina.”
Tomas said he is excited about the opportunity.
Tomas currently serves as vice president of instruction at Weatherford College in Weatherford, Texas.
Tomas described his role at SCC as one of “servant leader,” with a focus on creating an atmosphere of innovation and success.
Tomas has holds a doctorate from Grambling State University in Louisiana, plus degrees from Texas State Woman’s University and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Weatherford College, where he currently serves, is a comprehensive two-year community college serving a rural four-county region of more than 202,000 residents. His previous positions include chief administrative officer for the Southwest Texas Junior College-Del Rio in Del Rio, Texas, and associate dean of instructional services at Southwest Texas Junior College.
Tomas and his wife, Allison, are the parents of three adult daughters.
A summer day camp for children from the ages of 6 to 12 will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from June 15 through August 17.
The camp is run by Haywood Community College’s Regional Center for the Advancement of Children will offer campers the chance to take field trips around campus, such as working in the vegetable garden with horticulture, disc golf, trips to the library, computer lab, a bug camp and other hands-on learning activities.
Cost of the camp is $460 per month. 828.565.4187.
A new associate degree program at Haywood Community College will upgrade the existing one-year diploma program in auto body this fall.
The Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology program will prepare students to become qualified technicians to perform repairs and refinishing techniques on automobiles and diagnose and repair mechanical and electrical problems. Graduates will be qualified to take the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification examinations and also for entry-level employment in automotive dealerships, independent repair shops or self-employment as collision repair and refinishing technicians. Early registration is June 7 through June 8. 828.627.4581.
Know someone, maybe yourself, who should be minority businessperson of the year?
The Minority Enterprise Development Week Committee is now accepting nominations for this year’s awards.
Businesses open for at least two years can nominate themselves. In addition to the overall winner, awards will be presented to category winners in construction, manufacturing, restaurant, retail and service. For businesses open fewer than two years, a nomination for a new award, Outstanding Emerging Business, can be submitted.
The awards are open to minority small business owners from Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Madison, Buncombe, Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Henderson, and Transylvania counties.
All nominations must be received by June 30. The self-nomination forms can be found at www.wncmedweek.org, or 828.497.1670.
A grandparent support group will meet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, at the Jackson Family Resource Center in Sylva. Grandparents will have opportunities to share their own experiences as a grandparent, including struggles or successes. Topics include grandparents as parents again, seeking visitation, activities and more.
Health and Prosperity
Two of the main arguments in favor of Corridor K construction are safety and economic growth. Road advocates maintain that having an easily traveled corridor into the area will allow larger companies — and their requisite supplies and equipment — to set up shop there. It would also give faster, safer access to health care. Residents must now traverse steep and winding two-lane roads to get to nearby hospitals and doctors’ offices. Ambulances can take up to two hours getting to Asheville’s Mission hospital, since their rescue helicopter can only reach the area in clear weather.
Melba Millsaps
Job: Nurse
Lives in: Robbinsville – her home is in the road’s path
Position: Supports
“I really love where I live, and as much as I love living there, even more than that I want this road built. I know how important it is to receive quick medical care when you need it. We need to have quicker access to health care, which could mean the difference between life and death, so I’m for the road. Is it going to impact me? Yes, it is. But you know what? I’m thinking about my grandchildren and how to make it easier on them in the future.”
The Brain Drain
Many in Graham County are concerned about the brain drain that lack of economic opportunity creates there. Unemployment is high — just above 16 percent in March — and there is no community college within the county. Some road proponents are hopeful that a 4-lane will allow their top young minds to commute to college instead of leaving the county, and that it will entice industry that can provide them jobs after graduation.
David Matheson,
Job: Principal at Robbinsville High School
Lives in: Robbinsville
Position: Supports
“Our No. 1 export in Graham County is our young people. The young people that we are exporting are the top 10 or 15 percent of our graduating class, every year. Our school is performing miracles with our kids, but they don’t have the ability to come back to Graham County and make a decent living. This road is the first step and this road needs to be built, even if you have to bulldoze my house to start it.”
Environmental Destruction
Deleterious effects on the environment and natural mountainous character are the reasons some opponents list when making their case against the road. The new highway would cut a wide swath through Stecoah, and opponents highlight the changes it would bring to the region’s rugged mountain character. They also point to the road’s potential for environmental damage from leaching from acidic rocks to threats to native species.
Instead, they advocate for improving the existing two-lane road, making it less narrow and curvy, rather than building a brand-new highway.
Ken Brown,
Job: Chairman of the Tuckasegee Community Alliance, a chapter of the WNC Alliance.
Lives in: Sylva
Position: Against
“The WNC Alliance has long been opposed to the Corridor K proposal because of the effects on rare and endangered species and the Stecoah valley. We believe that growth should be appropriate to the region and should be managed to maintain the world-class natural resources we have here. We want [the North Carolina Department of Transportation] to undertake a more in-depth analysis of upgrading the current right-of-ways.”
Whole Road or No Road
One opposing camp believes the proposed segment of highway would be useless unless the final link of Corridor K — section A, stretching from Robbinsville to Andrews — also gets built. They say a four-lane highway into Robbinsville petering out to a two-lane wouldn’t bring a significant increase in traffic, just a significant expense.
Josh Carpenter
Job: Cherokee County planner
Lives in: Robbinsville
Position: Against
“I think the most important section of this road is the A section. If that’s not completed, I don’t think we’ll have any positive impact from the overall impact of the road. The road will make change and I think that Robbinsville and Graham County need to prepare for that.”
Way too costly
Other challengers to Corridor K cite its high cost — $383 million. $197 million of that would build the tunnel. Corridor K is a part of the Appalachian Development Highway System, and the federally allocated ADHS fund would foot 80 percent of the bill, with a 20 percent match from the state. Detractors say that the $3.46 million per mile is far too much, and that economic benefits won’t offset the costs.
Jim Grode
Job: Executive director of WaySouth, a group that promotes sustainable transport in Appalachia
Lives in: Asheville, N.C.
Position: Against
“If we make the generous assumption that North Carolina keeps getting about the same annual amount of federal money for this highway, the earliest it could have enough money to finish this project is in 2028. The bumper stickers that say ‘the money is there, build the road now’ would be more accurate if they said ‘a fifth of the money is there, build the road in 20 years.’ It will take over 75 years for the benefits to equal the cost. That’s a payback period no investor would ever touch, and this road may literally never pay for itself.”
Bryson City resident Jane Spotted Bird will read from her recently published memoir, Still Here: Dancing to the Beat of My Own Drum, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.
The book tells the story of her journey after receiving a diagnosis of state IV cancer in 2008, when she was given six months to a year to live. She has now survived well beyond what her doctors expected and is healthy.
Spotted Bird will read selections from the book and take questions and comments from the audience. An signing will follow her remarks.
828.586.9499.
The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will host an afternoon with Kim Michele Richardson, author of The Unbreakable Child: a Memoir of Forgiving the Unforgivable, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. She will discuss her book and present a program on the publishing process.
Richardson currently works with universities, schools and libraries, focusing on writing and the steps to publication.
828.488.3030 or visit fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer TetraBrazil Soccer Camp for ages 10 to 18 July 11 through 15 at the Waynesville Recreation Center.
The camp will offer Brazilian coaching staff, individual technical development and a unique cultural experience. Learn new fakes, moves and tricks. Also, register by May 27 and receive a free soccer ball and camp T-shirt.
There will be a morning or afternoon half-day camp, or a full-day camp. The half-day camp is $135 per person and the full-day camp is $182 per person.
Since 1999, TetraBrazil Soccer Academy has been bringing Brazilian soccer expertise to American soccer players. www.challengersports.com or 828.456.2030.
Carolina Mountains Soccer Club in Haywood County is holding tryouts May 24 through 26 for the coming season.
The soccer club is designed for youth players who have the skill, drive and desire to take their development to the next level. There are three programs ranging in their level of competitive play. The club is affiliated at the state level with the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association.
Go to www.cmsoccerclub.org for the try-out schedule. 828.593.8280 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Adults with a hankering for soccer this summer can sign up to play in a league run by the Haywood County Recreation and Parks.
There is a open league and a women’s league. Teams in the open league (maximum of 10 teams) may include women, but don’t have a co-ed requirements. The women’s league (maximum of six teams) is for women only. Maximum roster for teams in either league is 13.
Games are on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Allen’s Creek Park from June 13 through August 3. Games will consist of seven versus seven, with each half lasting 25 minutes. The registration fee is $365 per team, which includes a soccer jersey for each player and tournament prizes.
To register a team, or for those who want to play but don’t have a team to play on, contact Scott Worley at 828.452.6789 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Do you want to attract more birds, butterflies, beneficial insects and other native species to your backyards? It’s easy, fun for the family and an important way to help restore native habitats.
Friends of Rickman Store, in the historic Cowee Valley area of Macon County, has joined an effort through National Wildlife Federation to certify backyards as “wildlife habitats” by meeting some simple, but important goals. The components for certification are to provide adequate water, food, cover, places to raise young and sustainable gardening practices.
The group is hosting several outings and workshops as part of a summer Gardening for Wildlife Series.
On May 22 visit Mary and Stan Polanski’s certified backyard in Oak Grove. This small treasured patch hosts an old-fashioned kitchen garden surrounded by native plants and wildlife-friendly features that portray a quiet respect for nature.
Meet at Cowee Elementary School at 3 p.m. 828.349.5201 or 828.369.5595.
For future programs in the series, call 828.349.5201 or watch the Outdoors calendar in The Smoky Mountain News
The Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society will hold a Backyard Habitat Workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the Maggie Valley Pavilion.
Come learn how to transform yards into native plant and wildflower paradises. Presented by Sara Martin, biology instructor at Haywood Community College. Bring photos/layout of your yard, notebook and lunch.
Register by sending a $20 check payable to GSMAS, P.O. Box 1262, Maggie Valley, NC, 28751. 828.550.5449 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Western North Carolina stargazers will be able to witness a rare astronomical phenomenon this month when four of the five planets visible to the naked eye can be observed close together in the early morning sky.
That’s the word from Paul Heckert, professor of astronomy and physics at Western Carolina University. Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury will be very close together just above the southeastern horizon in the predawn sky during May, Heckert said.
“For sky-watchers in Western North Carolina, the planets will be low in the sky, and anyone wanting to observe them will need a very good southeastern horizon, such as on a mountaintop or high on a southeastern slope,” he said. “Also, because they will be low, the fainter planets could be lost in the glare of the morning twilight without binoculars or other optical aid.”
Jupiter and Venus will be the two brightest objects visible, he said. In the second half of May, Jupiter will be easy to spot and higher than Venus in the sky.
Venus, Mercury and Mars have their closest approach on the morning of May 21, a close grouping that will last until the morning of May 25. For the rest of May, the four planets will move further apart.
“Providing one last treat for stargazers, the thin waning crescent moon will pass close to these planets from May 29 to May 31,” Heckert said. “The fifth naked-eye planet, Saturn, will be visible all night in May, but will be setting in the west in the twilight hours, not in the east where the other planets can be seen.”
The Mountain Sports Festival returns to Asheville on May 27-29, with a line up to entice any pro or amateur athlete to test themselves in mountain sports.
The festival brings in more than 15,000 visitors and competitors.
Competitions will take place throughout the weekend beginning with Rock-2-Rock Trail Run in Black Mountain and the Disc Golf Challenge at Festival Village, followed by the brand new Cyclocross Race and Longboarding.
Saturday, there’s a full schedule of high-energy competition highlighted by the Mountain Disc Golf Challenge, French Broad Challenge Triathlon, Urban Mountain Bike Challenge, 2011 Wheel Ride for Food, Dodgeball Tournament and the Climb Max Climbing Competition.
Sunday, the events are still in high gear with more of the Mountain Disc Golf Experience, Sand Volleyball Tournament and the Ultimate Frisbee Clinic.
A wildcrafting, general make-your-forest work for you workshop is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 26 at the Cashiers library in Jackson County.
Topics include new ginseng regulations, how to start an agro-forestry business, green certification and branding and more. The event is sponsored by Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance, the WNC Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project, the Forest Service Southern Research Station and Land of Sky Regional Council
On tap to speak are specialists such as: Jeanine Davis, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service; Alyx Perry, director of the Southern Forests Network; Brian Schneider, management forester at DuPont State Forest.
Call or email if planning to attend. Donations accepted. 828.526.0890, ext. 256 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Volunteers are needed at the bird-monitoring station at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Macon County.
The program is a nationwide effort coordinated by the Institute for Bird Populations to monitor productivity, survivorship and population trends of breeding birds throughout North America.
Southern Appalachian Raptor Research, based in Mars Hill, is conducting the second season of monitoring at the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve, a tract owned by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee.
Volunteers can help by setting up nets, picking and banding birds, birding surveys, vegetation surveys, paperwork and data management. Data samples are taken once every 10 days during late spring and summer. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Want to see some of the best fly-fishing imaginable? The 2011 U.S. National Fly Fishing Championship will be held May 19 through May 22. It will be headquartered in Cherokee with fishing held on several waterways in the region
The event is hosted by the N.C. Fly Fishing Team, in partnership with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians Fish and Wildlife Management and the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce.
This is the first time the event has been in the Southeast. The championship will see 60 of the top fly fishermen from around the U.S. Competitors for the 2011 National Fly Fishing Championships first had to qualify at regional competitions around the country.
Numerous businesses, organizations and volunteers have worked together to host the event here.
“There has been a true partnership with everyone doing what they can to help make the event successful,” said Matt Pegg, Executive Director of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce, who is excited about the exposure the event will bring.
More than 100 volunteers are assisting with the event. To help out, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Catch some of the action
Spectators are welcome to watch the competition. Competitors are split into groups and dispatched to one of five rivers. They then rotate over the course of the competition. Each river is divided into sections, with anglers assigned a specific section so they won’t be bumping into each other.
• Lower Nantahala River from just above Little Wesser Falls to the double bridge at Winding Stair Road.
• Cherokee Trophy Waters of the Raven’s Fork River, from the Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge to the pedestrian bridge at a campground.
• Tuckaseegee River, from the N.C. 116 bridge in Webster upstream to the N.C. 107 Bridge
• Upper Nantahala River from the confluence of generation canal just beside the Duke Energy Power Plant upstream to White Oak Creek.
• Calderwood Reservoir below the Cheoah Dam.
Anglers will be practicing on other area waters all week, but are barred from fishing on the competition sections until the competition day.
A “Bike to Work” ride will be held in Waynesville May 20 on National Bike to Work Day. The length is about three miles and is mainly over flat terrain.
The ride will begin at the large parking lot beside the new Super Wal-Mart at 8 a.m. The ride will follow South Main Street to Brown Avenue, go through the Hazelwood and by Waynesville Middle and Central Elementary School, a cruise down Waynesville’s Main Street before ending at the town’s mini-park at the intersection of Depot and Main streets.
At the conclusion of the ride, participants will be treated to coffee and pastries by ride co-sponsor Smoky Mountain Café. Members of BicycleHaywoodNC will be available to answer questions and take comments about the Haywood County Bike Plan currently under development.
Participants should arrive early to register, and should provide their own bicycle and helmet. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.bicyclehaywoodnc.org.
Hiwassee-Valley Land Trust, a project of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, has purchased the 100-acre Salman Farm that lies on Valley River near Andrews.
The farm was acquired by the land trust last month, and is now protected by a conservation easement that ensures the land will remain available for agriculture, stream and wildlife habitat, and passive recreation. The conservation easement allows one residence, as well as barns and other farm structures.
Lying near Andrews, about a mile and a half west of the airport, the Salman Farm contains exceptional surface waters, productive farmland, cultural history and scenic beauty. In addition to almost 4,500 feet of Valley River frontage, the farm holds portions of three creeks as well as 3,000 linear feet of oxbow wetlands — the old, meandering channel of Valley River — which provide outstanding waterfowl habitat. Streams and oxbows will be protected by buffer areas of native trees and shrubs, leaving two-thirds of the land for farming.
The sandy loam soil in the Valley River floodplain has a history of exceptionally heavy crop yields. This year, a local farmer will lease most of the farmland for corn, soybeans, and beef cattle, while a smaller section will be a community garden tended by local young people through Cherokee County Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program.
The cultural significance of the Salman Farm rests on its being a part of the historic Welch Farm; indeed, the property contains most of the cropland and river frontage of what was, in the early-to-mid 1800s, a two-square-mile estate.
“Welch’s Town” consisted of two village areas in the lower Snowbird Mountains north of today’s Salman Farm, where several Cherokee families escaped the 1838 removal by accepting safe haven provided by John and Betty Welch.
To the Editor:
The Natural Resources Leadership Institute is a multi-faceted instructional and community service program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension at North Carolina State University.
North Carolina is facing tremendous growth and development pressures in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the state. Resource extraction, urban and industrial development, and agricultural production can result in diminished resource and environmental quality. These increasing pressures place a premium on natural resource management.
Yet, management of our natural resources is plagued with controversy. Increasingly, disputes arise over such issues as endangered species; private property rights; forest, nutrient, and wetland management; industrial recruitment; air and water quality; and recently, floodplain management.
We believe that people involved in these disputes can reach mutually acceptable solutions by communicating in a more meaningful and effective way, opening the dialogue to include all stakeholders, and negotiating to settle disagreements. However, this will involve unprecedented cooperation from a cadre of strongly committed leaders representing many interests. To settle disputes and reach collaborative solutions to tough environmental issues, leaders must be able to access a network of diverse interests, possess the skills to effectively negotiate for mutually beneficial scientific, technical and social solutions, and work to implement those solutions.
Leadership development is the cornerstone in a larger effort to improve environmental decision-making in North Carolina by expanding our capacity to resolve problems effectively and collaboratively. Building on this foundation, we see the need to teach citizens across the state the fundamentals of collaborative problem solving and participatory decision making. In situations where people disagree on how natural resources should be used, conserved, and protected, citizens and communities often need support in the form of third-party intervention to help them reach collaborative solutions.
We also believe that North Carolinians can take a more proactive approach to collaborative problem solving by coming together to discuss important issues before a dispute arises. Local, regional, and statewide problem-solving forums organized around emerging issues can enable people to engage in meaningful discussion and move to collaborative solutions.
Robert Hawk
Jackson County Extension Director
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
