Needtobreathe will play at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. The 4-piece rock band will perform songs from their current album “The Outsiders,” which debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard Top 200.

With non-stop touring and performances at festivals such as Bonnaroo, the band’s live show has helped build a dedicated fan base.

Tickets are $20. 866.273.4615 or visit greatmountainmusic.com.

Animal lovers and those in the mood for a laugh will find plenty of entertainment when Popovich Comedy Pet Theater comes to Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1.

Comedian Gregory Popovich leads the family-friendly show along with a cast of professional clowns and jugglers and trained animal performers, including cats, dogs, geese and parrots, all originally rescued from animal shelters.

As the son of Russian circus performers and dog trainers, Popovich discovered his passion for animals and onstage entertainment at an early age, joining the Moscow Circus at age 17.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens and $5 for students and children.

828.227.2479 or visit fapac.wcu.edu.

The Great Smoky Mountains chapter of the Audubon Society, based in Maggie Valley and Waynesville, has been officially recognized and accepted by The National Audubon Society after initially forming a year ago.

The mission of the chapter is to promote an awareness and appreciation of nature and to encourage responsible environmental stewardship through education, protection, conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

The Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month, April through October, at the Maggie Valley Pavilion beside town hall. It also has a full line-up of programs and outings planned for the spring.

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

• “Wolf Tales”, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26.

Rob Gudger, a wildlife biologist who works with wolves, and animal handler Robert Edwards will introduce Wayah, Amaroc, & Mohican for a multifaceted “hands-on” program on the life of a wolf. Held at Maggie Pavilion.

• “Spring Migrants”, Saturday, April 30. Birding Field Trip led by Don Hendershot, a naturalist, biological consultant and freelance writer. His column “The Naturalist’s Corner” has appeared in The Smoky Mountain News for more than a decade. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Super Wal-Mart parking lot on the side closest to Verizon.

• “Return of the Songbirds”, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. Program Curtis Smalling is the Important Bird Areas Coordinator and Mountain Program Manager of Audubon North Carolina. Held at Maggie Pavilion.

A pesticide disposal collection day has been scheduled in Haywood County from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Center at 589 Raccoon Road.

The primary objective is to assist farmers and homeowners in properly disposing of any unwanted pesticides. There is no charge for this service. Bring any pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.) that are in their original containers and are clearly labeled. Materials of unknown identity, paints, or other hazardous waste will not be accepted. 828.456.3575.

Help protect the creeks in the Tuckasegee River Watershed by learning to collect and identify aquatic insects, considered key indicators of how polluted a creek is.

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR) will hold a one-day training on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at the Whittier Community Center. Participants will learn how to report water quality problems, identify aquatic insects and collect valid field samplings. Volunteers work in small groups to take samples on at least twice a year, usually spring and fall, for a total of about eight to 10 hours per year. Agencies use this information to identify waterways in need of additional attention.

For those oriented to environmental education, it is an opportunity to build your resume and earn credits. Anyone, age 17 and up, and all levels of experience are welcome. For ages 15 and 16, call ahead to the WATR office to discuss participation. A $5 donation or more is requested to help cover costs for materials. Participants should either bring a lunch, or purchase a lunch for $5.  

828.488.8418 or www.WATRnc.org.

Western North Carolina has one of the highest concentrations of summer camps in America, and an economic-impact study completed in January by a team of researchers from N. C. State University found it amounts to about $365 million.

The researchers looked at residential summer youth camps in four counties: Buncombe, Henderson, Jackson and Transylvania. The study also estimated a direct economic impact of $218 million; more than 10,000 full-time equivalent jobs created in addition to camp staff; $260 million in increased resident income and $33 million in tax revenue during the summer of 2010.

Seasonal staff, who traveled specifically to WNC because of the residential camps, were shown to spend an average of $2,402 during their stay (before, during, and after camp) in WNC.

Incremental visitors, who traveled specifically to WNC because of residential camps and did not live in the four-county WNC region, each spent an average of $2,096 during multiple stays in WNC.

The study also examined families’ perceptions of the benefits of summer camps. More than 93 percent of camp families felt camps made a positive difference in their children’s lives, and 95 percent would not only recommend a camp experience, but would send their child back to camp.

The two Jackson County camps included in the study had an $11.5 million total economic impact, $7 million direct economic impact, and $800,000 in tax revenue.

Families can discover how the great outdoors exists in their own backyards during “Outdoor Adventure Day,” from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, in Asheville. The event is being put on by the N.C. Arboretum but will be held at the Asheville Outdoor Center on Amboy Road in West Asheville.  

The event is designed to introduce families to fun and low-cost outdoor entertainment and activities offered by the Arboretum and Asheville Outdoor Center. Children and adults will learn about local wildlife through live animal presentations. Arboretum staff will lead nature walks, as well as geocaching activities and make-and-take crafts. Visitors can enjoy some friendly competition through nature-centered field games, complete with prizes.

www.ncarboretum.org or 828.665.2492.

Several plant sales are coming up for gardeners and flower lovers.

• Haywood Community College will hold a Spring Plant and Craft Sale from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday, April 29. The sale will be held on campus at HCC’s horticulture parking lot. All plants for sale were raised by students in the Horticulture Program and all crafts were made by students in the professional crafts programs.

828.627.4672 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• The ninth-annual plant sale of the Macon County Master Gardener Association will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Environmental Resource Center next to the landfill in Franklin. There will be a wide selection of plants – perennials, woody ornamentals, annuals, vegetables, herbs – at reasonable prices. New this year will be the raffle of a quilt, handmade by two of the gardeners. All proceeds of the sale go to the further development and maintenance of the demonstration gardens.  

• The Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Frog Level district of downtown Waynesville will feature locally-grown garden starter plants, including annuals, vegetables and herbs, as well as perennials. 828.734.5819.

• And, finally, the Corneille Bryan Native Garden, at Lake Junaluska in Haywood County, will hold a plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m Saturday, May 14. The sale will be held at the top of the garden, at the junction of County Road and Ivey Lane. Plants will include native perennials grown from seed collected in the garden.  

828.778.5938.

The grand opening of a 14.5-mile trail system near Hayesville in Clay County is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 30.

The Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association, Clay County Communities Revitalization Association and Tusquitee District of the Nantahala National Forest will host the celebration of the Jackrabbit Mountain Bike and Hiking Trail.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association will lead group rides, the Young Harris College cross country team will lead group trail runs, and the Mountain High Hikers will lead hikes. There will be music, food and other presentations as well.

Construction on the trail started five years ago, and a practice trail and restroom were recently constructed at the trailhead to provide users with additional facilities. The trail system skirts the edge of peninsulas along the lakeshore. The layout allows riders to pick from multiple loops with various lengths and difficulties. The system is not open to horses. Mountain bikers reviewing the trail system in online forums have given it five-out-of-five-stars.

Jackrabbit Recreation Area has a large campground with several loops, a swimming area with a sandy beach and boat put-ins. www.sabacycling.com or 828.837.5152.

Nantahala Outdoor Center and The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa have unveiled plans for NOC’s Basecamp Asheville, solidifying a strategic relationship between two classic Southern travel destinations.

NOC will operate an experiential retail and outdoor activity concept shop within the luxury resort, serving as an on-site

activity concierge for hotel guests. The outfitter will offer outdoor trip planning and provide expert advice for exploring the mountains, from rafting to mountain

biking to canopy tours. NOC will also have a retail shop including men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear and

accessories from leading outdoor brands such as Patagonia, The North Face and Keen.   

NOC’s Basecamp Asheville will be located immediately off The Grove Park Inn’s Great Hall. It will be the first LEED- certified retail project in downtown Asheville and one of the first nationally within a historic hotel. NOC’s Basecamp Asheville is expected to celebrate its grand opening in early summer.

Other elements of the alliance include convenient buttons on all in-room telephones, multi-day adventure packages and numerous on-premise experiences such as workshops, clinics and outdoor activities.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is seeking volunteers to help remove the invasive weed garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) from the trail’s corridor at Max Patch in northern Haywood County this Saturday, April 23.

Teams will competing to pull the largest amount of the weed. Garlic mustard escaped cultivation and has spread aggressively in North American natural areas because of a lack of natural controls, and its release of allelopathic chemicals that inhibit seed germination of other species.

The Great Garlic Mustard Gathering will also teach people about the threats of invasive exotic plants, how to identify them and what techniques are used to monitor and remove these infestations.

After a morning of garlic mustard removal, the group will gather on nearby Max Patch for an optional potluck and picnic.

Meet at 9 a.m. Work gloves and all other materials needed for the garlic mustard removal will be provided. In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for the following Saturday, April 30.  

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

A meteor shower with up to 20 meteors per hour will happen Friday night, April 22.

The most meteors are expected Friday night and early Saturday morning, but might be as good Thursday night as well. Unfortunately, the light of the moon will interfere with optimal viewing.

The spring meteor shower, which happens every year about this time as the Earth intersects with a trail of particles left behind by a comet, had its first recorded observation in 687 B.C.

Wildflowers, Waterfalls and Vistas will be featured in an upcoming Field Photo Program by Bob Grytten beginning May 17 to June 14. Participants will meet at the Waynesville Armory Recreation Center Wednesday morning at 8 a.m., and carpool to the shooting location, returning about noon. Then, on every other Tuesday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the group will meet to discuss and review the shoots. The program will be centered on helping participants with composition, light and what to shoot when. Field shoots are $40 per session, Tuesday meetings are $10 each, with a 20 percent discount for taking all sessions for a more comprehensive program. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.627.0245. Bob Grytten photo.

Asheville writer and poet Holly Iglesias will read from her new collection, Angles of Approach, at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 22, at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.

Iglesias, who teaches at UNC Asheville, is a recent recipient of a major fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Iglesias is also the author of Souvenirs of a Shrunken World, a collection of poems focused on the 1904 World’s Fair, and a critical work, Boxing Inside the Box: Women’s Prose Poetry.

An autograph session will follow.

828.586.9499.

Cyrano’s Book Club will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in the Senior Citizen’s Center in Sylva.

The current book discussion will deal with Tom Franklin’s new novel, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. New members are welcome.

Additonal information about this meeting and future meetings can be obtained by contacting Gary Carden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To the Editor:

The Republican design on Medicare comes straight from that dubious chapter of the Vietnam War in which “it became necessary to destroy the town to save it.”

Rep. Paul Ryan’s voucher scheme would destroy Medicare as surely, if not as fast, as repealing it. It is wrong in so many ways as to be diabolical:

• By making it easier for Congress to freeze payments and then slash them. For all their presumed influence, seniors have less lobbying clout than the doctors and hospitals Medicare presently pays directly.

• By putting America’s elderly on the hook for ever-increasing costs, captives once again to the health insurance racket and the vagaries of charity care.

• By pitting those who are already seniors against those who hope to live to be. Nothing could be more cynical than to say to some of us, “You can keep your Medicare. We’re throwing only younger folk under the bus.”

We have already tried “consumer choice” and “competition.” The notion that patients can spend more wisely out of pocket is woefully unrealistic. What are your options when you’re felled with a stroke or heart attack? Only to go where they take you, or lie there and die.

If the commercial market were as efficient as the Republicans pretend, health care would not be costing America nearly half as much again as the average of all 30 nations that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Health consumes 16 percent of our gross domestic product, compared to 10.3 in Canada, 11.2 in France, and 10.5 in Germany, to name only a few of the nations that provide universal coverage without socializing doctors. The excuse here is that we have the best health care in the world, but do we really? Our life expectancy of 77.9 is nearly two years less than the OECD average.

As a citizen on Medicare, I’m willing to do my part for our country’s future. For starters, I could pay more for the prescription drug plan that a Republican president failed to finance. I could also pay higher taxes. But the Republicans don’t want to share the burdens fairly — not when they refuse even to consider tax increases for people like Donald Trump.

Martin A. Dyckman

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Circumstances have prevented the organization of the annual county-wide litter pick-up/recycling event to celebrate Earth Day here in Macon County.  

Because there has been no one able to fill this breach for a spring-time effort, let me personally urge all Macon County residents to please go outside, pick up and appropriately recycle the glaringly evident roadside trash, the plastic bags blown into the fields, brush and trees, and the various junk decorating our streams and mountain vistas.

It is my hope we can organize a county-wide litter pick-up later in the year, on Saturday, Sept. 24, to coincide with an international earth effort taking place at that time.

Shirley Ches

Franklin

To the Editor:

In the April 6-12 issue of The Smoky Mountain News, Carole Larivee wrote a letter to the editor that was headlined “GOP legislators try to block federal money.”

Larivee referenced House Bill 422 sponsored by three Republican state representatives, claiming it would block “a $461 million federal grant to improve rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte, creating 4,800 jobs over the next two years.” She claimed the money “comes with no strings attached.”

I believe Larivee’s letter misled readers.

First, HB 422 prevents the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) from applying for, accepting, or expending federal grant funds unless the project had been approved through an act of the General Assembly. Under current law, NCDOT is given unlimited authority to receive funds for rail programs from the federal government, and spend those funds, without legislative oversight.

HB 422 is not draconian! N.C. county commissioners must approve applications for state or federal grants before they are made by county departments. Why shouldn’t the same apply to state departments?

Gov. Perdue is proud of reorganizing DOT to remove political cronyism from its decision-making. Passing HB 422 would be another excellent way for her to bolster that goal.

Second, the Obama administration allotted $8 billion of its $862 billion stimulus program for high-speed rail projects. This stimulus spending has been one factor in adding around $3 trillion to our national debt in two years. The DOT grant is more borrowed federal money.

Third, the $545 million grant will not create 4,800 jobs in two years, as Larivee wrote. The DOT’s own press release from Aug. 10, 2010, on the award claims “It is estimated to create or maintain 4,800 private-sector jobs.” These are jobs over four years. Furthermore, the way the estimate was made counts one job which lasts four years as four jobs. How’s that for creative accounting?

Finally, Larivee says the money “comes with no strings attached.” There are strings. If the rail project turns out to be a failure, and is shut down, N.C. would be required to repay the $545 million. N.C. will also have to provide supplementary operating funds in perpetuity. This project could be our State’s Amtrack.

Governors and legislators in Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio have declined the free federal high-speed rail grants totaling in excess of $3 billion. I would not be disappointed to see N.C. come to its senses and decline to use its grant.

Vic Drummond

Franklin

Once more the Department of Transpor-tation will come to Macon County, in the name of listening to community input, when they hold a hearing on the fate of McCoy Bridge Monday evening, April 25, at 6 p.m. at Cowee School.

Spanning the Little Tennessee River between the Oak Grove and Rose Creek communities, McCoy is one of about thirty truss bridges remaining in service in North Carolina. It is part of an historical and scenic corridor along the northern reach of the Little T, starting with the West’s Mill Historical District, embracing the Cowee Cherokee Mound and McCoy Bridge, passing the buried remains of long forgotten Cherokee settlements and taking the slow pace of a winding highway on one side and the uniquely beautiful Needmore Road on the other. And the river itself, of exceptional quality, boasts a number of rare aquatic species as well as ancient fish traps that appear in times of low water.

When the state DOT last held a McCoy hearing in January of 2009 and presented only their preferred alternatives – all of which were quite similar – they were perhaps taken aback by community reaction and memory, which recalled the 2002 hearing and DOT promises made then for a detailed study of how the bridge could be refurbished. They had not done that, but promised to have a thorough analysis available at the next hearing, which is now at hand.

DOT would have us believe that truss bridges are unsafe. This simply is not true. To emphasize the fear associated with an unsafe bridge, shortly after the last hearing DOT lowered the McCoy Bridge load limit from 15 to 3 tons. This for a bridge that has been posted at 15 to 21 tons for over 70 years. The crossing at McCoy Bridge is slow speed and low volume. There has never been a recorded accident at or on the bridge.

Refurbishing – a highly successful practice for keeping historic bridges in service in other states – is not the only option. Two retired engineers – one in Rose Creek and the other in Oak Grove – presented a redesign proposal in person to the NC-DOT in May of 2009. This proposal would upgrade the capacity of McCoy Bridge to 26 tons, widen the bridge slightly while keeping its one-lane character, and have trusses remain as historical, rather than load-bearing, members. This plan was largely ignored by DOT, who was unable to deviate from the policy of “we don’t replace one-lane bridges with one-lane bridges.”

Other states do. Pennsylvania has over 700 truss bridges in service; Iowa over 1,200. These are both states comparable to North Carolina in geographical size. Indiana makes a point of restoring and bringing its historic bridges up to modern load-bearing standards. But North Carolina is rapidly losing its history to rigid policy standards that breach no exceptions. This must stop if we are to have any living history left. Come out Monday to Cowee School at 6 p.m. to meet with NC-DOT and make your voice heard. Safety and history are compatible.

Doug Woodward

Macon County

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “Business Owner’s Guide to Facebook and Twitter: Starting from Scratch to Online Success” from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26.

The hands-on workshop will be held on campus in Room 219, with each business owner at a computer station. During this workshop you will learn to:

• Create a Facebook business page

• Add information about your business

• Learn how to post on your wall and how to share information

• How to build a following

• Interact on Facebook as your business page

• Add and manage photos

• Open and manage a Twitter account

• Set goals and manage success

Cintia Listenbee is a journalist and the owner of Listenbee Media (cintialistenbee.com), a consulting firm that works with businesses and non-profits developing social media strategies, offering training, coaching and managing social media campaigns.

Bring a few photos of your business and you will leave this workshop with a Facebook business page as well as a Twitter Account ready for use. Space is limited so please pre-register early to reserve your seat. Call the Small Business Center at 828.627.4512 for this free seminar.

Jackson County is one of four counties in North Carolina that has decreased its dropout rate the most, according to a report recently released by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Jackson County’s dropout rate fell from 4.43 percent in 2008-09 to 1.99 in 2009-10. That state’s average dropout rate is 2.55 percent, the lowest rate ever recorded in North Carolina.

Steve Jones, Jackson County’s assistant superintendent, said he couldn’t point to “any one thing that made the difference, but rather a hundred little things designed to meet kids where they are in life and take them as far as they can go.”  He did point to two of Jackson County’s student retention initiatives – the Bridge Program which targets 9-12 graders, and Momentum Victory, which is geared toward 7-9 graders.

The Bridge Program is funded by Southwestern Commission’s Workforce Investment Act Youth Program and works one-on-one with high school age students to keep them in school, help them graduate, and move on with their lives. The Momentum Victory Program is funded through a grant from the General Assembly and is dedicated to early intervention and prevention among middle-schoolers and early high school age students.

The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 25, regarding alternatives for replacing the McCoy Bridge on Rose Creek Road over the Little Tennessee River in Macon County.

NCDOT has proposed replacing the existing bridge with a new bridge located downstream from the current location. The proposal will require additional right of way. The public hearing is the final opportunity for the public to ask questions and state comments before an alternative for replacing the bridge is chosen.

The public hearing will take place at the Cowee Elementary School gymnasium in Franklin. It will be conducted as a question and answer session with a moderator and panel of NCDOT and Federal Highway Administration representatives. Maps displaying the bridge replacement alternatives will be available prior to the public hearing from 5 to 6 p.m.

For additional information, contact Christy Huff, Project Development and Environmental Analysis, Bridge Unit, at 919.707.6173 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A trash pick-up of Veterans’ Boulevard and U.S. 19 is being organized by the Swain County Chamber of Commerce beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 30. Participants will meet in the Ingles’ parking lot and the chamber will provide trash bags and safety vests. Volunteers are responsible for gloves and grabber sticks.

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

A presentation on a state bill to overhaul energy consumption will be given by the Canary Coalition at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in Sylva.

Avram Friedman, director of the Canary Coalition, will explain the Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill, H135/S367, which has been introduced in the General Assembly.

The bill would lead to a new method of billing for energy use on a sliding scale. Those who conserve and use less energy will pay a lower rate. Those who use more will pay exponentially more.

Separate rate structures would apply for residential, commercial and industrial users. The bill also creates an Energy Efficiency Bank to provide low-interest loans for energy-efficient projects that would be administered as part of monthly utility bills. Seven other states currently have implemented similar rate structures.

The presentation will be held in room 220 of the Jackson County Justice Center.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan will meet with constituents Thursday, April 21, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Southwest Development Commission in Sylva.

The office is at 125 Bonnie Lane, across from Southwestern Community College. The purpose is to help people “navigate issues with federal agencies,” according to an announcement of the event titled, “Conversations with Kay.”

Waynesville resident Kristen Wall, a trainer with the Asheville Compassionate Communication Center, will present two workshops on conflict resolution.

“Communication: Skills for Transforming Conflict” will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville and at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, at Blue Ridge Books at 152 S. Main Street in Waynesville.

“‘Nonviolent’ doesn’t just mean the absence of physical violence,” says Wall. “The ‘nonviolent’ in Nonviolent Communication means being powerful by being your most vulnerable human self, and refusing to dehumanize the other.”

For more information about upcoming presentations and classes, visit www.ashevilleccc.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A two-day preview of The Main Street Artists Co-op gallery will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23.

Twelve returning artists will join nine new members displaying a wide spectrum of the visual arts, ranging from wall art to 3-D works at the gallery on Main St. in Waynesville.

The gallery will officially open on May 1.

828.926.2043.

Western Carolina University’s Concert Choir and University Chorus will present a free concert at 8 p.m. Monday, April 25, in the Coulter Building recital hall.

This will be Director Robert Holquist’s final concert before he retires after more than 30 years of teaching at WCU.

The two ensembles will perform pieces by Schubert, Andrew Lloyd Webber and a selection of spirituals.

828.227.3259 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Local lawyer Bill Jacobs will chronicle his cycling journey across the United States in a program at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 28, at the Albert Carlton Library in Cashiers.  

Starting in California last September, Jacobs spent 40 days traveling through 10 states, averaging 80 miles a day to finish in Wild Dunes, S.C. The trek totaled more than 3,200 miles.  

Jacobs’ bike and equipment will also be on display.

828.743.0215.

Students ages 16 to 22 who dream of a life on stage can have the opportunity to work with musical theater professionals at Western Carolina University’s 2011 Triple Arts Broadway Series, to be held July 17 through Aug. 1.

Broadway veterans Terrence Mann and Charlotte d’Amboise will lead a two-week workshop where skills in auditioning, dancing, singing and scene interpretation will be developed and honed.

A staff of expert choreographers, vocal teachers and directors will assist in the program.

To register, applicants must submit a registration form along with a $35 fee, a resume, a photographic headshot and a video audition of a song, dance or dramatic performance as well as a letter of recommendation from a non-relative vocal, dance or drama professional.  All accepted applicants are required to provide a non-refundable $250 deposit by April 30.

828.227.7397 or visit triplearts.wcu.edu.

The documentary “Waiting for Superman” will be screened at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, at the Albert-Carlton Library in Cashiers. The movie chronicles the state of the nation’s public schools.

After the film, charter school advocate and activist Ned Fox Jr. will lead a question and answer session. Fox served as headmaster for Charlotte Latin School from 1976-2001 and is active in the charter school debate.

828.743.0215.

A free flute and oboe concert will be held at noon on Thursday, April 21, at Grace Church in the Mountains on North Haywood St. in Waynesville.

The concert is the next in the Grace Noon series, now in its third year.

The concert will feature two local musicians, Tiffany Powell on flute and Patricia Stone on oboe. Powell is a graduate of Western Carolina University. Stone earned a bachelor and masters in music from the University of Georgia.

The Grace Noon concerts are free and begin at 12 p.m., concluding just before 1 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring and enjoy their lunch during the program.

Taste of Chocolate is coming April 30 to the Maggie Valley Country Club, and the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center is looking for bakers to bake their favorite chocolate recipe.

This year’s categories are Amateur, Bed and Breakfast, and Professional. A panel of judges will sample each recipe and award first, second and third prizes in each category.

Tickets for spectators are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

828.456.6456 or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When the new Jackson County Public Library Complex opens in early June, an active team of volunteers will be needed to make the library run smoothly.

Jeni Silver, the library’s new volunteer coordinator, is ready to recruit local volunteers for jobs from tour guides to book repairers to readers.

Individuals who would like to become part of the Jackson County Public Library Volunteer Team, or wish to get more information, may contact Jeni Silver at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With the Jackson County Library poised to move to its new home, patrons with valid library cards are asked to make the move easier by checking out library materials for an extended period of time. The more books and other items which are checked out by patrons, the less the library staff will have to move.

During the week of Monday, April 25, through Saturday, April 30, patrons can come into the current library and check out one or more containers full of library items. Each item checked out during this week will be stamped with a due date of Monday, June 13. No return items will be accepted on Saturday, June 11, the date of the grand opening. Items returned after June 13 will incur the usual late fees.

828.586.2016.

The Haywood County Arts Council’s Quilt Trails project will unveil its first quilt block in Maggie Valley at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, at the Maggie Valley Town Hall.

The Maggie Valley Town Hall block is the fifth block on the Haywood County Trail, joining other blocks on the Shelton House in Waynesville, and the Shook House, Lil’s, and Haywood institute in Clyde.

The Town Hall block design is a traditional Little Red School House pattern selected and purchased by the High Country Quilters and given to the Town of Maggie Valley as a gift. Elsie Orrell, president of the High Country Quilters Guild and Kay Ross, member of the Guild presented the Guild’s proposal in late 2010 at a Town Hall meeting where the Town Board voted to hang the block on the left front of the building which was originally a school house.

The four-foot-by-four-foot wooden block was painted using traditional colors of vivid red and bright white and will be on the left side of the building near the front entrance. The block can be easily viewed and photographed from Soco Road or from the parking lot of the Maggie Valley Town Hall.  

The beautiful rock school house was built in 1930 with assistance from the W.P.A. at a cost of $8,000. It consisted of four classrooms, an auditorium, and indoor plumbing. Families in the community donated sled loads of rock which mostly came from nearby creeks.

In 1952, two brick classrooms and a cafeteria were added. The building was used as an elementary school until 1986. For 80 years the building has served as a stabilizing force in the community as a center for education, sometimes as a place of worship, sometimes as a clinic, sometimes for quilt shows, and other times for meetings to grow a better community. The former school now houses the Town Hall and the Maggie Valley Library.

Anyone who would like a quilt block installed on their barn or building, or need more information about the Haywood County Quilt Trails project, can call Kay S. Miller, executive director at the Haywood County Arts Council at 828.452.0593 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Who: Haywood County Arts Council and Haywood County Quilt Trails

What: Unveiling of First Quilt Block in Maggie Valley at the Maggie Valley Town Hall

When: April 26 at 5 p.m.

Where: Maggie Valley Town Hall

Great art isn’t often associated with speed – the Mona Lisa wasn’t painted in an hour. Michelangelo took more than four years to perfect the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

But for the last 10 years, a special event has laid out a challenge to local artists: create a finished piece, ready for sale, all in under an hour. It’s not a simple task, but Quick Draw has proven a popular challenge for artists, whose pieces are auctioned off at the end of the hour to support the arts education in Haywood County.

Now in its 10th year, Quick Draw is a fast-paced event that provides a new environment for people to experience art and for artists to create it, while providing funds to support the next generation of artists.

For the artists themselves, the event supplies a challenge and a chance to interact with the public that the studio just can’t provide. And with space for only around 50 artists, Jo Ridge Kelley — artist, owner of Ridge Runner Naturals in Waynesville and Quick Draw committee member — said they’ve now had to make it an invitation-only event.

“You know, it’s become so popular that we have to say that it’s by invitation only,” said Ridge Kelley. “Now we work with the ones that have been faithful to Quick Draw all these years.”

One of those artists is Ann Vasilik. Vasilik is a Western North Carolina native whose watercolor paintings can be seen in galleries and public spaces around the region. For her, the challenge, the crowd and the buzz of artistic creation make the event a unique experience every year.

“I enjoy the challenge and then just adding the time element on top of that just makes it even more exciting for me,” said Vasilik. “I certainly love doing watercolor, and this is an opportunity to show the medium at it’s best.”

Not all of the artists at Quick Draw can work against the clock, of course. Some art, by its very nature, takes a lot longer than an hour to come together. But around half will race the time limit to get their creations completed before auction time.

With a bustling and interested crowd milling around, working for an audience can be vastly different to creating solo.

While strategies for withstanding the pressure from both audience and deadline vary, Vasilik said her preferred method is blocking them out completely.

“What happens at Quick Draw is I totally block out the audience in front of me — the sounds and what they’re saying — because I’m so focused on the painting,” said Vasilik. “I have a little sign on my board that says ‘right brain at work, speech impaired.’”

For the spectators, even if the artists are too busy to chat with them about their work, just watching so much creativity burst forth in one place is an exciting experience.

Ridge Kelley said she hears art lovers singing the event’s praises all year long.

“I have people come into our gallery and say it’s their favorite event of the year, they wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “The creative energy is what I hear the most about. It’s just so amazing to see that many artists all in one place.”

While an event like this is fun for both participants and onlookers, the point, of course, goes beyond simple art appreciation.

Quick Draw raised $13,000 last year to fund art in local schools, as well as funding two scholarships for students studying the arts at a collegiate level.

This year, according to Ridge Kelley, they’re shooting for the $20,000 mark and trying to fund three scholarships.

But in addition to the funds generated by ticket sales and auction proceeds, Vasilik sees the event itself as an opportunity to turn more and more people on to arts education.

“I think the journey through the painting is the exciting part, seeing it come together,” said Vasilik. “I think you gain appreciation for what the artist puts into it, and a large part of it is entertainment, so you want to educate and entertain at the same time.”

WHEN: Saturday, April 30 • 4:30-9:30

WHERE: Laurel Ridge Country Club • 788 Eagle Nest Rd., Waynesville

HOW MUCH: $50 in advance

MORE INFO: www.wncquickdraw.com

The Jackson County Recreation/Parks Department is still accepting registration for this year’s 5K Run/Walk at Greening Up the Mountains. The annual race takes place at 9 a.m. prior to the opening of the festival events in downtown Sylva. This year, all proceeds will benefit the greenway trail being built at the Webster Department on Aging complex. 

This year’s course is new, providing a much more friendly terrain for the race than in previous years. The course runs from Mark Watson Park across Business 23 and down Old Dillsboro Road, then turns around in Monteith Park and comes back on the same route to the finish at Mark Watson Park. This course is primarily flat, with few slopes, but does have one gravel section.

T-shirts are provided with registration and are guaranteed to the first 75 to register. Pre-registration is $20; race-day registration is $25, and begins at 8 a.m. the day of the race. Registration forms may be printed from www.downtownsylva.org.

What child wouldn’t love to be a super hero for the day? The Downtown Sylva Association is sponsoring a “Recycled Superhero” contest for children during Greening Up the Mountains this year.

All superhero costumes will be made from donated recycled materials – and we need your help to make these dreams a reality. Recycled materials – everything from fabric scraps to paper towel rolls, aluminum cans to cardboard boxes – can be dropped off at Town Hall in downtown Sylva.  

Children will be able to use their imaginations to come up with their very own superhero costumes from your donated items, get their faces painted by volunteers from Western Carolina’s University Players, and come up with their very own unique super powers.

Children can build their costume between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the DSA Children’s Booth at Bridge Park; judging will start at 2:30 p.m. near the Children’s Booth. Winners will be announced in several categories at 3:15 p.m. and can take home prizes from local sponsors.

Bring all household items and related materials that could help us make superhero costumes for these kids.

The 2011 Heritage Alive! Mountain Youth Talent Contest at Greening Up the Mountains has really exploded.

The start time for the contest has been changed from 10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Bridge Park stage to accommodate the large number of youth who want to perform. Approximately 24 acts will take the stage before the program draws to a close at 11:15 a.m.

Entertainers ranging from 10- to 18-years-old will perform on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, buck dancing, vocals and poetry.

Cash prizes for all participants have been donated by the Catch the Spirit of Appalachia Board of Directors, parents of the 4-H youth, First Citizens Bank, United Community Bank and Champion Credit Union. Judges for the contest are Judy Rhodes (guitar/piano/singer entertainer); Pam Dengler (fiddle/piano entertainer); and Ron Smith (guitar/banjo/singer entertainer).

Jackson County 4-H is joining with Catch the Spirit of Appalachia to produce the Mountain Youth Talent Contest. The Heritage Alive Mountain Youth Talent Contests started in 1997 and is for youth ages 5-18. The purpose is to discover, develop, and encourage talent in the youth of Western North Carolina and to provide an opportunity for local youth to perform on stage before an audience.

Participants in the Talent Contest will now also be eligible to participate in “4-H Entertains” at the district and state level. The Mountain Youth Talent Contest will be offered in three locations and “Best of Show” winners will perform at Mountain Heritage Day at WCU.

• Greening Up the Mountains Festival (Sylva) – Saturday, April 23.

• The Franklin Folk Festival – Saturday, July 16.

• Great Smoky Mountains Railfest in Bryson City – Saturday, Sept. 17.

The two organizations are also working together to bring the JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) program to Jackson County. 4-H is working with a group of community members to start this after-school music program next year. Classes will be taught by regional musicians who will pass along their skills in guitar, fiddle, and banjo.  

The JAM organizing group is currently seeking funding through grants and individual contributions to get this program off the ground. The program is also in need of instruments (guitars, violins, and banjos) so that costs for participants can be kept low. For more information contact Ray Menze at 293.3407 or Pam Dengler at 506.8802.

Smoky Mountain Stage

(Suntrust Parking Lot, Area D)

10-10:15 — Jackson County Heritage Preservation Commission Poster Contest Awards

10:30-11:30 — Triple Threat Performing Arts Academy (including an audience participation dance lesson!)

11:45-12:15 — Lions Gate Kung Fu Academy

12:30-1:30 — Marshall Ballew

1:45-2:45 — Dan River Drifters

3-4:30 — The Freight Hoppers, with special dancing guests the Cullowhee Valley Cloggers.

Tuckaseigee Stage

(Bridge Park, Area E)

9:30-11:15 — Heritage Alive! Youth Talent Show (sponsored by Jackson County 4-H)

11:30-12:15 — John-Luke Carter

12:30-1:15 — Total War

1:30-2:15 — Buchanan Boys

2:25 — Announcement of Superhero Costume Contest Winners!

2:30-3:15 — Big House Radio

3:30-4:30 — Vertigo Jazz Project

Mother Earth Day Jam

All musicians invited to participate in an open jam session. Tuckaseigee Stage, 4:30-6.

The 14th annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival is slated for Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Sylva.

The spring festival, named for the way spring creeps up the mountain sides, began over a decade ago as a celebration of Earth Day. Crafters, environmental groups, non-profits, local businesses, and farms and nurseries will provide more than 135 engaging booths for this year’s attendees.

The festival’s music lineup includes headliners The Freight Hoppers, Vertigo Jazz Project and Big House Radio and local favorites Marshall Ballew, the Dan River Drifters, John-Luke Carter, Total War and the Buchanan Boys. Performances by Triple Threat Performing Arts Academy students and the Cullowhee Valley Cloggers will add to the day’s festivities, as will the Heritage Alive! Youth Talent Contest sponsored by 4-H and the presentation of the Jackson County Heritage Preservation Commission’s Poster Contest Awards.

The day begins with a 5K Walk/Run at 9 a.m. from Mark Watson Park, sponsored by the Jackson County Greenways Project.

This year’s festival centers around the theme of supporting local businesses, providers and residents as the best way to create a sustainable economy. The festival will showcase demonstrations, booths and educational displays from environmental groups, “green” initiatives and those focused on learning and sustaining traditional mountain crafts and arts.

New this year, a “Market Square” will provide an open-air space for farms, CSAs, nurseries, beekeepers and others to showcase their traditional agricultural wares, and a full complement of children’s activities will encourage their participation in environmental stewardship and local economies.

The festival brings an estimated 10,000 people to downtown Sylva each year.

Sponsors for this year’s version of Greening Up the Mountains include: Howard Allman-Allstate Insurance, Pepsi, Duke Energy, Harrah’s, United Community Bank, Charles Wolfe-State Farm, Jackson County Arts Council, Soul Infusion, Bubacz, The Smoky Mountain News, Tuck Reader, WRGC Radio, McNeely Companies, Dogwood Women’s Health, Stanberry Insurance, Suntrust, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Western Carolina University, Annie’s Naturally Bakery, and Southwestern Community College.

For information call 828.586.1577 or visit www.downtownsylva.org.

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and the Franklin Bird Club will host a bird outing at the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve on April 15.  

The preserve is located in Macon County, south of Franklin. Birders will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Tessentee Preserve parking lot and will walk approximately 2 miles along an old wagon road that follows the Little Tennessee River, which lies in the heart of a major flyway. The Tessentee Preserve is stop No. 53 on the N.C. Birding Trail.

The outing will last about three hours and will be led by John and Cathy Sill. Participants should bring water and binoculars. No dogs are allowed.  

To get to Tessentee Bottomland Preserve from Franklin, take the U.S. 23-441 south for approximately 5.2 miles, turn left onto Riverside Road and follow for .5 miles, turn right onto Hickory Knoll Road and follow for about 1.9 miles — the preserve is located off a private drive (2249 Hickory Knoll Road) on the right-hand side of the road. The parking area is on the left, before the farm gate. To RSVP contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.524.2711, ext. 209.

LTLT acquired the 60 acres of bottomland and river bluff land at the confluence of Tessentee Creek with the Little Tennessee River in November 1999. The acquisition was the first land protected along the free-flowing Little Tennessee. Today, more than 5,200 acres and 35 miles of river frontage have been conserved. LTLT’s Tessentee Bottomland Preserve now encompasses 70 acres and includes a granite outcropping above Tessentee Creek with commanding views of the broad Little Tennessee Valley looking south. For more information about the conservation and restoration projects of LTLT, please visit www.ltlt.org.

Haywood Community College’s Earth Day celebration will include demonstrations of renewable energy and sustainable technologies, a Green Business Expo, green games and green films.

The Earth Day activities will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, on the college campus in Clyde.

Some of the renewable energy/sustainable technology demonstrations include wood gassification by James Nowack; biodiesel production and operation; hybrid vehicle demo and electric bicycle by the Land of Sky Regional Council; compressed natural gas vehicle by Alt Tech Eco; and a Chevy Volt electric vehicle, which is the only one of its kind in Western North Carolina.

Some of the Green Businesses participating in the Expo include HCC’s Small Business and Technology Development Center, Haywood Waterways Association, Haywood County Public Library, Haywood Builders Supply, and Sundance Power Systems.

For more information contact Preston Jacobsen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.565.4033.

In honor of Earth Day, Steve and Mary Abranyi of Green Mountain Builders & Realty Group are collecting unused cell phones. Any proceeds received from the collected phones will be donated to local environmental organizations.  

Cell phones can be dropped off at the office of Green Mountain Builders & Realty Group, located between Laurel Street and Spruce Street in Highlands.  

828.526.9523.

The annual Freestyle Shootout and Demo Days are set for April 15-17 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

The competition in the shootout, which includes some of the top professionals, begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday lights will be set up so competitors can practice their moves under the stars in preparation for the weekend.

The 2011 event, says the NOC website, will likely be the last year of competition on the original freestyle feature in the Nantahala River before enhancements are made for the 2012 World Cup event and the 2013 ICF World Freestyle Championships in the Nantahala Gorge.

All the boats in NOC’s massive demo fleet will be available for free test-paddling on the Nantahala River during Demo Days. The normal one-hour free demo has been expanded to two hours except for the most popular boats.

Manufacturer reps will also be on hand to answer questions about new boats and gear. The outfitter store is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday; and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The weekend’s festivities also include live music.

For more details visit ww.noc.com.

More than 200 riders are expected to participate in the 19th anniversary of the annual Tour de Cashiers on April 30. The tour has grown to three routes, ranging from 25 to 100 miles.

Once again, this year the tour will partner with a similar ride in Walhalla, S.C., “Issaqueena’s Last Ride.” The combination of these two rides form the Blue Ridge Double. The events will be on consecutive weekends.

All rides for the Tour de Cashiers start at the Village Green in Cashiers on Saturday morning April 30 at 9 a.m.  The early-registration cost is $40, or $35 for riders who sign up for the Double. The entry fee includes a T-shirt, light breakfast and a hearty post-ride lunch, as well as on-road support and well-stocked rest stops.  www.TourdeCashiers.com.

Volunteers, too, are needed to man rest stops, ride support vehicles along the routes, assist with registration, and so on. 828.421.2658 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

BicycleHaywoodNC is sponsoring group rides for new and newly returning bicycle riders.

The focus of the rides will be to assist cyclists in enhancing their fitness and including bicycling as part of a lifestyle change. Rides start at Rolls Rite Bicycle Shop on North Main Street just past the Haywood County Board of Education in Waynesville. The rides are part of the Haywood Fitness Challenge for 2011.

Interested participants should be at Rolls Rite by 5:30 p.m. with their own bicycle and helmet. A brief safety chat and bicycle check will be held before each ride, and participants are required to sign either an annual release and waiver of liabilities, or an individual release and waiver each ride.

Children under the age of 18 must have parent or guardian signatures on the releases, and children under the age of 15 must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian.

No rider will be left behind. Dress for the rides should be comfortable clothing that will not bind or get caught in the bike drive train.

In the event of inclement weather, rides will be postponed until the following week.

828.276.6080 or www.bicyclehaywoodnc.org, “local rides” page.