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The monthly meeting of Coffee with the Poet is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The featured poet will be Barbara Duncan of Cherokee, author of Crossing Cowee Mountain and education director at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. 828.586.9499.
The next community music jam at the Marianna Black Library will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, in the library auditorium.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer – anything unplugged – is invited to join. Singers and listeners are also welcomed to join. The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs.
828.488.3030
John Davidson, star of television and Broadway for more than 50 years, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24, at Western Carolina University as part of the 2010-11 Galaxy of Stars Series.
Davidson will present a vocal and banjo performance of his favorite songs and stories from his career, which has included leading Broadway roles as well as stints as host on such television shows as Hollywood Squares and The $10,000 Pyramid.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens, and $5 for students and children. Group rates are available.
828.227.2479 or www.wcu.edu/fapac.
Mad Divas Junior Derby is looking for new members at a registration session at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20, at Smoky Mountain Sk8way in Waynesville.
Mad Divas is an all female, flat-track, low-contact roller derby league specifically for girls between the ages of 12 and 17.
The registration event will include guest speakers as well as members of both the Mad Divas and The Blue Ridge Rollergirls, who will talk about what it means to be a derby girl, how to buy gear and how to sign-up and get started.
The Divas are an organization that strives to create a safe, fun and positive environment - where girls can be athletic, obtain new friendships and increase self confidence.
Local residents are invited to join a stained glass course to be offered in February and March by Western Carolina University’s Division of Educational Outreach.
Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays beginning Feb. 21 and continuing through March 31 in the Cordelia Camp Building.
The course will follow the Tiffany method of stained glass, which involves each piece of glass being wrapped in copper foil and soldered. Students will complete a project in plain glass and a small panel in colored glass while learning about safety, proper cutting techniques, foiling and soldering techniques, and simple metal framing.
The class will be lead by veteran glass artist Moya O’Neal.
Cost is $85. Registration is required and will continue through the first week of classes.
828.227.7397 or 800.928.4968. learn.wcu.edu.
Poetry Alive! will present a program of poetry performance at 7 p.m on Tuesday, Feb. 22, in the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Bringing poetry from the page to the stage, the Poetry Alive! team of two professional actors presents memorized poems in theatrical style. To commemorate Black History Month, the program will include works of prominent African-American poets.
828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.
Pan Harmonia will perform music of Latin America, new sounds by American composers and Carmen Fantasy at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20, in the Swain County Center for the Arts.
Musicians are flutist and artistic director Kate Steinbeck and classical guitarist Amy Brucksch. Impressionistic oil and pastel paintings and stone jewelry by Jenny Buckner of Waynesville are on exhibit and available for viewing before and after the free concert.
Founded in 2001, Pan Harmonia is an independent, artist-directed collective based in Asheville whose mission is to transcend the boundaries of traditional chamber music.
Christian illusionist Brock Gill will appear on Feb. 25 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, bringing a new brand of illusions and daring escapes to the stage.
Gill has been performing since 1997, when he left work in a saw mill to take his show of humor, tricks and escapes to audiences around the country.
Tickets are $15 and packages are also available.
GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.
Richard Collings has submitted his resignation as president of Southwestern Community College after just six months on the job.
The resignation was submitted Tuesday, to be effective Wednesday, Feb. 9. No reason was given for the resignation. Collings suffered unexpected health problems shortly after taking the job at SCC late last summer.
The board of trustees is moving quickly ahead to begin the search for a new president, according to Conrad Burrell, chairman of the SCC board of trustees.
In the meantime, the board selected Janet Burnette, executive vice president for administrative services, to serve as interim president. She served briefly as interim president before Collings came on board in August.
“Ms. Burnette has served previously as interim president of the college, and we feel her knowledge of the college and level of experience will best serve the college during this transitory period,” Burrell said in a statement.
The SCC board had approved the selection of Collings in June 2010 upon the retirement of longtime president Cecil Groves. At the time, Collings was president of Wayne State College in Nebraska. He was a former administrator at Western Carolina University, where he served as vice chancellor for academic affairs from 1996 to 2004.
• Click to read about Collings health problems after being hired at SCC and his background
• Click to read about Collings initial hire and his background
White-nose syndrome, the disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of bats in the Eastern United States, has been discovered in a retired Avery County mine and in a cave at Grandfather Mountain State Park, marking the arrival of the disease in North Carolina, according to a media alert sent out today (Feb. 9) by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
On Feb. 1, a team of Commission biologists were conducting a bat inventory of the closed Avery County mine where they saw numerous bats displaying symptomatic white patches of fungus on their skin. Five bats from the mine were sent to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study unit at the University of Georgia for testing, which confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome.
In late January, a team of state, federal, and private biologists were conducting a bat inventory of a cave at Grandfather Mountain when they discovered a single dead bat. Following state white-nose syndrome surveillance protocols, the bat was sent for testing and it has been confirmed for white-nose syndrome.
“White-nose syndrome is confirmed in Virginia and Tennessee, so we expected we would be one of the next states to see the disease,” said Gabrielle Graeter, a biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “This discovery marks the arrival of one of the most devastating threats to bat conservation in our time.”
In the Northeast, the disease has decimated some species of bats. It seems to be most fatal during the winter months, when hundreds of bats are hibernating together in caves and mines. It’s not known if the disease will similarly affect all species in all regions of the country, though bat mortality and the diversity of species affected in the Northeast suggest the impacts will be significant.
The discovery of white-nose syndrome comes as Commission biologists work through bat inventory and white-nose syndrome surveillance efforts at numerous caves and mines in Western North Carolina this winter as part of a grant awarded by the Service to several states on the leading edge of the disease’s spread.
North Carolina is home to three federally endangered bats, the Virginia big-eared, Indiana, and gray. Virginia big-eared bats are known from the.
“The discovery does not bode well for the future of many species of bats in western North Carolina,” said Sue Cameron with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Although researchers are working hard to learn more about the disease, right now so little is known. There has been some evidence that humans may inadvertently spread the disease from cave to cave, so one simple step people can take to help bats is to stay out of caves and mines.”
“Cavers are passionate about what they do and we truly understand that asking them to stay out of caves is no small request and we greatly appreciate their sacrifice,” said Cameron, noting that the western North Carolina caving club, Flittermouse Grotto, has been very supportive of efforts to protect the area’s bats.
In 2009, fearing the disease could be transferred from cave to cave by humans, the Service released a cave advisory asking people to refrain from entering caves in states where white-nose syndrome has been confirmed and all adjoining states. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission holds a protective easement on the mine and both it and the Grandfather Mountain cave have been gated and closed to the public for years to protect hibernating bats.
Read an in-depth article about the deadly bat syndrome that was published in The Smoky Mountain News in November 2010
Travelers can sign-up to receive status updates about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s most frequently used roads via text message or the Internet.
Previously, travelers had to place phone calls to the park to determine the status of the roads, which can change frequently with changing weather conditions.
“While better serving the public, we can also reduce the workload to the park’s communications center,” said Dale Ditmanson, GSMNP superintendent.
Those wishing to be notified of the status of the park’s four most popular roads —Newfound Gap (U.S. 441), Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road and Cades Cove Loop Road — can get text messages to their cell phones by texting: follow smokiesroadsnps to 40404. To stop receiving the text message alerts, text stop smokiesroadsnps to the same number.
Standard text rates will apply.
You can get that same information via the Internet by going to: www.twitter.com/smokiesroadsnps to read recent road notification postings.
Anyone having a Twitter account can go an extra step and choose to have updates set to them by going to the site listed above and clicking the “follow” button to see the updates on their own account page and receive the notifications in the manner they specify.
The Wilderness Society recently appointed Jill Gottesman as outreach coordinator in an effort to increase conservation efforts in North Carolina. She will work out of the conservation group’s Sylva office.
Gottesman, former outreach director at Georgia ForestWatch, will be responsible for expanding community awareness and participation in the region for legislative protection of national forests in North Carolina.
“Jill’s wilderness background and community practices experience will benefit Western North Carolina for years to come,” said Brent Martin, Southern Appalachian program director at The Wilderness Society, who is also based in Sylva. “She brings a wealth of experience and expertise working with communities.”
Gottesman has an extensive background working with people and wilderness. She got her start studying outdoor recreation and resource management at the University of Georgia. Throughout her time there, she augmented her experience by working on a trail crew in the Pacific Northwest. She also studied desert ecology and wilderness education with a backcountry class in Utah and led a volunteer spring break trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where she and her crew assisted with wetland restoration projects.
Gottesman hopes to build local partnerships and broader political support for wilderness designations in North Carolina.
You’ve heard of deer crossings? Well, fish need crossings too, the Little Tennessee Watershed Association announced recently after the Franklin-based conservation group and some partners studied the group’s river namesake from the North Carolina state line to Lake Emory in Macon County.
A fish-passage assessment for small streams draining into the Little Tennessee River was recently completed, identifying areas where fish might be “cut off” from good habitat in sections of some of these tributary streams. Improper placement of culverts often creates habitat that is difficult, if not impossible, for a fish to swim through. This is a problem because it limits the range of habitat that a fish can occupy.
To understand the study, you must first understand this: just as different types of fish have specific behaviors, each species are also shaped differently and have various swimming abilities.
For the fish-passage project, culvert assessments were based on three groups of fish:
• The strong-bodied swimmers, such as adult trout.
• The medium-skilled swimmers, such as young trout and shiners.
• The darters, which cannot jump well and have the most difficulty swimming against strong currents.
The Little Tennessee Watershed Association, with help from government agencies when needed, inspected about 160 stream crossings. The crossing will be evaluated now for all three groups of fish. This project was designed as a follow up to previous cooperative barrier assessment efforts begun in 2007. The information from this project will influence future restoration projects in the Little Tennessee River watershed.
Good news on the hemlock front — the U.S. Forest Service reports it has had some success in ongoing efforts to protect these trees from the hemlock woolly adelgid.
The non-native invasive insect has killed thousands of hemlocks in the Southern Appalachians.
Treatments include soil injection of insecticides containing the active ingredients imidacloprid and dinotefuran, both of which have proved effective in reducing adelgid populations. Predatory beetles have been released in several areas across the two national forests in the region — Nantahala and Pisgah — with additional species of beetles studied as options by partner researchers and universities. An adelgid-killing fungus applied through aerial spray is also being considered.
The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Working Group includes the National Forests in North Carolina, USFS Forest Health Protection, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, WildLaw, Western North Carolina Alliance, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, a local arborist, and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
For more information about these hemlock conservation efforts, visit www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc and search on the keyword “hemlock.”
Whether you love to hunt, fish, bird watch, or just want to do your part to ensure that wildlife in North Carolina flourishes, you can help conserve the state’s wildlife and wildlife habitats by checking line No. 30 on your income tax form.
This provides money for projects that help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission conserve non-game wildlife and their habitats. Turtles, freshwater mussels, fish, birds, bats, frogs and salamanders all benefit from tax check-off donations to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.
A few of the projects supported by tax check-off donations in 2010 included: managing wetlands for the benefit of pond breeding amphibians such as the gopher frog; developing a conservation tool called the Green Growth Toolbox to help county and local governments statewide plan for future development while sustaining priority wildlife habitat; and supporting local wildlife recreation economies through the North Carolina.
Starting March 1, the executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will have the power of implementing an emergency response plan in the event of a wildlife disease outbreak.
An emergency response plan would be developed in consultation with the governor’s office and the state veterinarian. It would allow the commission to quickly regulate public activities in order to contain disease.
The plan would be effective for 90 days, unless an additional rule was adopted within that time to continue the provisions in the emergency plan.
Author Deanna Klingel of Sapphire Valley will be at City Lights Bookstore at 2 p.m. on Feb. 12 to discuss her new book, Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog.
Klingel says the book is not so much a memoir as a collection of moments exploring the special gift of therapy dogs. Klingel has two golden retrievers who work as therapy dogs, and one of them, Lily, will accompany her to the store.
Just for the Moment focuses on the inexplicable times when a therapy dog touches the heart and soul of a human and makes a difference in that life, even if it’s just for that moment. The three most frequently asked questions about therapy dogs (what is a therapy dog, how did she get to be a therapy dog, and can my dog be a therapy dog) are answered in these stories.
Klingel and Lily will be available to answer audience questions, and Klingel will autograph books at the conclusion of the event.
City Lights welcomes Ron Rash back to the store at 2 p.m. on Feb. 13 to celebrate the release in paperback of his highly acclaimed short-story collection, Burning Bright.
Rash teaches writing at WCU and is a nationally recognized gem of the Western North Carolina writing community. His previous books include Serena, Saints at the River, The World Made Straight, and One Foot in Eden.
He will “launch” the paperback edition of Burning Bright with this appearance and reading at City Lights. Seating may be limited as turnout is expected to be high, so attendees may want to come early.
For more information, or to reserve a signed copy, call City Lights at 828.586.9499.
To the Editor:
Jackson County truly has a hidden gem in its midst, the Green Energy Park. This innovative county program is based in Dillsboro and, for the most part, goes unnoticed by the average citizen.
Recently, my husband took a blacksmithing/knife course at this facility and it was a huge success. The blacksmith was informative, provided individual attention and instilled in all a beginning skill and love for the art that they can build upon in the future. We’re hoping there will be lots more classes in the future.
Kudos to Timm Muth and the rest of the staff at Jackson County Green Energy.
Jan Moore
Franklin
To the Editor:
I must agree with Carole Larivee’s letter last week. Everywhere you go people are watching Fox News! Why? What would prompt more Americans to watch Fox News than all the other networks?
Could it be because for decades all we had were the “mainstream media” networks which helped create the evil, corrupt, freedom-taking, unborn-baby-killing, education-destroying, ambition- and competition-smashing, hard-working-people’s-income-redistributing, antichristian, rotten to the core government that a lot of us, in addition to Fox News, want to change. Thank God for Rupert Murdoch (and Australia).
Carole is correct, our nation is divided and was divided before Fox News. I could fill the next 10 pages with the tragic history of the evils and failures of the socialist type government developing in our country at this time. Along with Rupert Murdoch, there are millions of us who hate it and will fight it at the polls and with the constitutional rights we have remaining, while others watch the Weather Channel as their remaining rights are taken from them.
Paul Boone
Maggie Valley
To the Editor:
As I was reading The Smoky Mountain News this morning, I was encouraged after reading a letter to the editor. I was glad to hear that Fox News is playing all over the place, which gives me hope. At least Fox News gives a balance of opinions from both the liberal and conservative sides that the others do not. So what’s the problem? NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC and CBS only give their opinion, and they are the ones that are causing the controversy and confusion. As for the weather channel, who owns that channel? NBC. So there you have it. Personally, we thank God for Fox News.
Ray and Frances Givens
Balsam
To The Editor:
I want to commend The Smoky Mountain News for reporting on issues that are not popular. The Haywood Emergency Physician’s case took courage to write about a few years back and the paper risked hard-to-earn cash dollars from advertisements. The paper did lose those dollars and it persevered. I hope the new leaders at Haywood Regional Medical Center will take note and continue to advertise in The Smoky Mountain News.
In a small town where all enjoy the warmth and kindness of a community there is also the bad entangled with good. We all live with that in our lives. As we seek to be better citizens in our community, it is important to know we have a newspaper willing to shine the light on some of the dark or confusing places. Thank you Smoky Mountain News.
Margaret Osondu
Waynesville
By George Ivey • Guest Columnist
Many years ago on Capitol Hill, a politician said to me, “George, as you get older, the world feels colder, and you’ll like the idea of global warming. And it’s a lot easier than moving to Florida.” At the time, I thought he was kidding.
I’m not nearly as old now as he was then, but after last year’s endless snow and cold and much of the same this winter, I’m starting to agree with him.
Maybe you wonder if I’m kidding, too.
Sure, some people see one snowflake and declare global warming to be a myth. Others say “global warming” is the wrong term altogether; we should call it “global climate change,” because some places will get hotter, while others get colder. I’ve tended to accept that theory, but honestly, I never really understood why a hotter world would make some places colder.
That all changed when my fiancée and I visited the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute near Rosman last spring. The PARI campus formerly served NASA and the Department of Defense in their satellite tracking and data collection efforts. Now the facility hosts people of all ages to advance the study of astronomy, science, and more. That particular evening, Jim Reynolds, an associate professor of biology at Brevard College and former Fulbright scholar, turned around everything I thought I knew about global climate change.
The key take-away message is this: be afraid, very afraid, especially if you don’t like snow and ice.
Reynolds reviewed the standard theory about an increase in greenhouse gasses trapping the earth’s energy, in turn causing glaciers and sea ice to melt, in turn causing sea levels to rise, among other things. But he was just, uh, warming up, you might say.
Reynolds then detailed how the melting sea ice; Earth’s varying orbit, tilt, and wobble; the movement of the oceans’ waters; and the planet’s predominant wind patterns might combine forces to launch a very sudden ice age — perhaps in less than 20 years. It’s the same basic concept as the “lake effect” snows of the Great Lakes, but on a much grander scale.
Reynolds covers far more theories and data than I can possibly try to explain in a short newspaper column, such as Croll-Milankovitch cycles and thermohaline circulation. Fortunately, for those of you who want to learn more, Reynolds has posted his entire PowerPoint presentation on his webpage: www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/.
I’m glad we have people like Reynolds and places like PARI around here to help us learn more about the world beyond our little mountain valleys — even if what they present scares me a little.
Of course, one cold, snowy winter might prove to be the exception rather than the rule, but now that we’ve had two in a row, I’m wondering if Florida might be in my future after all.
(George Ivey lives in Haywood County and is a consultant and author of the novel Up River. Contact him at www.georgeivey.com.)
Winners of the Commission for a Clean County’s 10th-annual awards were announced recently.
The Community Pride program honors businesses, community groups, civic clubs, schools and individuals (both adults and children) for exceptional efforts in the categories of litter pick-up and control, recycling, beautification of public areas and environmental stewardship.
The latter category includes energy conservation, cleaning of air, use of biofuels, “green” building and other methods of nurturing our environment.
The winners were:
• James Mashburn, Clyde alderman, for his dedicated service in aiding the revitalization of the Town of Clyde.
• Katie Finegan, recent Tuscola graduate, for outstanding environmental work enhancing the safety and aesthetic appeal of her church, St. Johns, in Waynesville.
• David Raulerson and sister-in-law Teresa Raulerson, for their continuous litter pick-up along N.C. 276 and for landscaping the Cruso Community Center.
• Plus Linen, owned by Gary Harkins, for excellent, committed environmental stewardship in the Canton plant.
• Sue Pendley, for devotedly both supervising and working on the annual Maggie Valley Fall Days decorations along five miles of Maggie Valley.
• The Master Gardener Volunteers, and their Coordinator Tim Matthews, for the oversight and management of three school gardens and for supplying both the plants and work in landscaping the county’s extension center.
• The Evergreen Circle Community and the Sonoma Masonic Lodge No. 472 for showing true “community pride” through long hours, hard work and expense rehabilitating the property of a neighbor in need.
This year, Mast General Store will contribute $1 to MANNA FoodBank for each pound of candy purchased on Feb. 12 and 13. The eighth annual Be a Sweetheart, Feed the Hungry event is designed to raise awareness of hunger and help everyone have a meal this Valentine’s day.
828.299.3663.
Haywood County Animal Services officers are canvassing the Beaverdam community in search of stray animals, after hikers discovered a rabid raccoon in the area on Jan. 30.
The raccoon tested positive for rabies, after being killed following a fight with the hikers’ dogs.
Rabies is a fatal disease in humans, and residents in the Beaverdam area are encouraged to take steps to limit exposure of both humans and pets.
Animal Services at 828.456.5338 or the Health Department at 828.452.6675.
A six-part seminar series on financial management and updated business strategies is being offered by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and Asheville consulting firm BluePrints for Business. The seminars, sponsored by Champion Credit Union, Waynesville, will run six Thursday mornings beginning Feb. 10 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
Register at www.haywood-nc.com.
The third-annual Mardi Gras dance, sponsored by Old Town Bank to benefit the Haywood County Schools Foundation, will be held at the Gateway Club March 5.
This will be an evening of fun, food, pageantry and dance.
A limited number of tickets are available. The tickets cost $100 each. The proceeds will be used to recruit and retain highly qualified employees in Haywood County Schools. Last year, the Haywood County Schools Foundation provided the school system more than $40,000.
828.456.3006 or 828.456.2400.
The League of Women Voters of Macon County will play host to Macon County Manager Jack Horton and Commission Chair Brian McClellan Feb 10 at noon.
McClellan and Horton will discuss projects, plans, issues and the county’s economy. They plan to accept and answer questions.
The program will be held at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Lunch is available by reservation. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.371.0527.
The Leopold Land Ethics Leaders Program will hold a conservation discussion and training session from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 8 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
The program is rooted in renowned conservationists Aldo Leopold’s developing a personal land ethic.
The training, facilitated by Jackson and Swain County Extension Agent Robert Hawk, directly addresses the issue of ecological problems by offering a chance to explore, question and reaffirm beliefs, deepening commitments to conservation and communities through conservation literature, conservation work project and group discussion.
828.586.4009 or 828.488.3848 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Healthy Carolinians of Macon County will launch a telephone survey of 400 county residents starting next week.
The question to be answered: Is the health of Macon County getting better or worse?
The survey is part of a comprehensive health assessment under way by the Healthy Carolinians group with the assistance of Stiles Healthcare Strategy, a health-care consulting organization based in Chattanooga, Tenn. The assessment also includes interviews and focus groups with community representatives and health providers.
The 2011 survey will be a follow up to one conducted in 2007, said Kathy McGaha, program director of the Healthy Carolinians of Macon County.
“The telephone study will give us an opportunity to hear from a large number of local residents, evaluate where we are on a number of health issues and measure our progress over the past few years,” she said.
Completing the survey will require 15 to 20 minutes. Bilingual interviewers will be involved to facilitate participation by Spanish-speaking residents.
The 16-member search committee tasked with helping select Western Carolina University’s next chancellor has developed a list of questions it will use to choose long-time chancellor John Bardo’s replacement.
The questions will cover a range of topics gleaned from November’s public forums, held for faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members and fans.
The goal is to have a new chancellor named and ready to lead the university by July 1.
Annie Lough, a nationally known folk musician, will give a talk and musical presentation on Appalachian musical heritage and culture at Lake Junaluska.
The program will be held Thursday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. in the Bethea Welcome Center. The public is invited to this Live and Learn program.
Lough is an instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, and a frequent presenter. She is a performer of traditional music, the dulcimer, folklore, dances and stories. Lough is dedicated to the preservation of the traditional music and heritage of our mountain region as well as or country.
828.452.2881 ext. 540.
NAMI Family-to-Family Education, a free, 12-session program for relatives and friends of people diagnosed with a mental illness, will be offered from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, starting March 8 in Franklin.
Sponsored by NAMI Appalachian South, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the course provides up-to-date information about bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses.
Trained family members teach the course, which balances education and skills training with self-care, emotional support and empowerment.
Confidentiality is maintained.
Ann at 828.369.7385, Debbie at 912.481.2339, or Carl 706.746.5139.
Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free ARTSaturday arts and crafts workshop hosted by the Macon County Arts Council at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Franklin library.
The Council provides all materials and instruction for make-and-take projects including Valentine collage cards and hearts and beads jewelry. There will also be live music by keyboardist Lionel Caynon, coloring projects and a special Valentine’s party for kids at 11 a.m.
828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton will give a free concert at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, at Western Carolina University.
Carlton is best known for her song “A Thousand Miles,” and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and an American Music Award.
She was selected to perform by WCU students who were polled on different artists they would like to see in concert on campus.
828.227.7206.
The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be on Sunday, Feb.13, at the Barkers Creek Community Building on U.S. 441 three miles north of Dillsboro.
Dancing will go from 3 to 5 p.m. followed by a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. The dance is free, but dancers are asked to bring a covered dish, plate, cup and cutlery and a water bottle, and donations are encouraged.
No experience is required; all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing.
Ron Arps at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Civil War re-enactor Randal Garrison will speak on the Shelton Laurel Massacre in Madison County at this month’s Western North Carolina Roundtable at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14 on the second floor of the Justice Center in Sylva.
Garrison is a high school teacher and instructor at Western Piedmont College on the subject of the Civil War.
Currently, he holds the rank of major with the 26th NC Reactivated Civil War Regiment.
Chuck at 828.456.4212 or Chris at 828.293.9314.
A half-day post-production photography clinic with Bob Grytten will show photographers how to work with photos after they’re taken.
The $45 class will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb 16, at the Waynesville Old Armory Rec.
Participants can also bring their own computers to learn more about photo editing software.
Discounts are available for Lens Luggers who have previously taken Rec Center workshops with Grytten.
828.627.0245.
A Valentine’s Day Open House Arts and Crafts Festival will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, in the Community Service Center in Sylva. The event will be hosted by the Jackson County Extension and Community Association and crafters will be on hand to demonstrate and exhibit items that will be made in 2011 ECA Craft Club workshops, such as crystal acetate lacquer cards, stepping stones, and baskets.
There will also be a crafter’s exchange for unwanted books and craft supplies.
828.586.4009
Second City, the world-famous improvisational comedy troupe, is bringing its show ‘Fair and Unbalanced’ to Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17.
Originally formed in Chicago in 1959, Second City has since built its reputation as a major starting point for aspiring comedians, actors, writers and directors.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for WCU students. The show is intended for audience members 18 or older.
828.227.2479
Children of all ages are invited to a Fancy Nancy Valentines Party from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Fancy Nancy is a popular picture book series written by Jane O’Connor. Children can make cards, play games, and much more at the party. 828.488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
The N.C. Cooperative Extension’s Good Cooks Series will continue with a Native American flair at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11, in the Conference Room of the Community Service Center in Sylva.
Jennifer Siweumptewa, an assistant in the Culinary Arts Department at Southwestern Community College, will demonstrate the art of making Indian fry bread.
Fry bread is a specialty of many Southwest Indians tribes (mainly Navajo and Hopi) and is often enjoyed with savory foods or drizzled with honey and enjoyed as a sweet.
Cost for the class is $5. 828.586.4009 to register.
The DAYDREAMZ project and Kids at Work, two local non-profit organizations, are offering an afternoon of community baking and creating sweet treats for underprivileged.
“heART,” a community baking event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Open Door Kitchen/ at 32 Commerce St. in Frog Level.
Bring rolling pins, cookie cutters, cookie sheets, baking pans, measuring cups and spoons (to use while we bake) and friends and family members.
Ingredients needed, if you can spare, are flour (unbleached if possible), sugar (white, brown and powdered), eggs, oil and butter (only the real thing), cream, chocolate chips and bakers chocolate (semi-sweet), rice crispies cereal, marshmallow or fluff, cookie decorations (sprinkles and such).
The purpose is to have fun and make and bake sweet treats for local seniors, the homeless, and others in need to remind them they too are cared about on Valentine’s Day. For more information or to donate ingredients or funds call 828.456.3952 or 828.454.5165.
A new exhibit featuring research and displays developed by the Appalachian Women’s Museum in Dillsboro is now open for public viewing at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
The exhibit addresses topics such as the evolution of canning technology, the community legacy of Edna and Edith Monteith of Dillsboro, and the accomplishments of notable Jackson County women such as famed traditional musician Samantha Biddix Baumgarner and pioneer political figure Gertrude Dills McKee. Exhibit topics have been enhanced with images and artifacts from the Mountain Heritage Center, the office of Special Collections of WCU’s Hunter Library, and family members of the individuals featured.
The exhibit will remain on display at the Mountain Heritage Center through Wednesday, June 8.
Located on the ground floor of H.F. Robinson Administration Building, the center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (and until 8 p.m. Thursdays) and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, June through October.
For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129 or visit www.wcu.edu/mhc.
By DeeAnna Haney • SMN Intern
All it took was a knack for guitar playing and a single visit to Nashville, Tenn., to spur a lifelong passion in one Tuscola High School senior’s life.
Singer/songwriter MacKenzie Leigh Wilson recently released her first extended play record in January featuring four original songs. With rhythms as bouncy and lively as her personality, the record is just a small taste of what Wilson has to offer.
The young musician moved to Western North Carolina from Charlotte two years ago when her father Chuck Wilson, a minister, transferred to Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church.
Although Wilson describes a childhood full of singing in church and community choirs, she admits she never considered pursuing it as a career. But a family vacation to Nashville for her 16th birthday ignited inspiration to try her hand at songwriting.
Since her fateful visit to Nashville, Wilson has written more than 60 songs.
“My mind is constantly spinning with new song ideas,” Wilson said. “That’s what I love so much about songwriting, you can write anywhere, anytime.”
She often writes songs when inspiration hits, and will sometimes not write for weeks at a time, she said. Other times, she may write multiple songs in one week. One thing is certain — she writes best when alone without distractions.
Even though Wilson started playing guitar at age 15, she didn’t find a true love for the instrument until she started writing her own material. Her guitar instructor, Larry Watson, was immediately impressed by Wilson’s raw talent and dedication to her music.
When it came to “teaching,” Watson only provided a little guidance on music theory and chord progressions.
“When you take someone like MacKenzie who’s already talented, you don’t have to do a whole lot because they grab it really quick,” Watson said.
Taking her talent to the stage, Wilson has performed locally, is a member of Summit choral group at Tuscola High School and won the local talent competition “Haywood Idol” in 2009.
But you won’t catch Wilson performing many covers of other musicians. While she admires and draws inspiration from many famous names — including Michelle Branch, Sara Bareilles, and Loretta Lynn — Wilson seeks to set her writing style and vocals apart from others.
“There’s something about when you’re playing your own songs and when you’re singing your own song, it’s just so different than just covering someone else’s,” Wilson said.
With an evident country twang and soulful, upbeat melodies, Wilson’s overall musical style is a country-pop hybrid sound akin to a mix of traditional Patsy Cline and contemporary LeAnn Rimes. She also draws inspiration from folk, bluegrass and classic rock to create her unique sound.
Wilson’s songs typically aim to reflect who she is as a person and where she is in life, with themes of young love, heartache and growing up.
“I am much more honest with my music than I am in real life — it’s much easier for me to put things in a song than it is to just sit down and talk to someone,” Wilson said
With the help of Watson, Wilson decided to explore creating an extended play record at Crossroads Records in Arden. Known mainly for bluegrass recordings, Crossroads Records has produced albums for such popular artists as the Kingdom Heirs, The McKameys and The Greenes.
Having never spent time in a studio, Wilson had no idea what to expect of the project and began knowing only which four original songs she wanted to record.
Wilson first recorded a base track with raw vocals and guitar, then the studio band built on the original to complete the sound. She went back and added her own harmonies.
The four songs range from ballads to energetic country, offering a balanced sound each with strong commercial appeal. The most popular so far, Wilson said, is “She Plays You,” a fresh take on the story of the girl who wants to be noticed.
“I kinda say that that’s like my anthem because I’m the girl who goes home and plays guitar, not the girl who is out chasing boys,” Wilson said.
And just like the lyrics from her slower, more emotional song, “Tennessee,” Wilson says, “Carolina’s in my heart but it’s time for a new start.” She plans to attend Belmont University in Nashville in the fall of 2011 and hopes to major in songwriting. She wants to take piano and mandolin classes while she is there.
But Wilson’s main goal in Nashville is not to achieve fame and fortune. Instead, she is most excited about being able to interact and work with fellow songwriters and hopes to learn new techniques and become stronger in her craft.
Of her future, Watson predicts great success.
“She is an extremely talented person and no one person could take the credit for anything she’s done,” Watson said. “I was just fortunate enough to get to help her.”
Wilson believes in the importance of having an identity as an artist and hopes to gain more sense of her own as she continues to write, perform, record and evolve. In the meantime, she intends to finish her senior year and enjoy being a high school student.
“I’m just like every other high school girl out there, I’m just the girl who goes home every day and writes songs about it,” Wilson said. “I want to stay that girl.”
In the hunt for an informal camping club with no annual dues and no actual meetings except for actually going to campouts? Check out the Vagabonds, which is now seeking new members.
While there are no planned activities, members do sometimes get together to play cards or games or horseshoes. And they share a love of the outdoors, good conversation, fellowship and roaring campfires.
A schedule for upcoming campouts for the second weekend of each month, March through November, is being compiled now. For March, the group is looking for a campground out of the mountain area that has an indoor room for use by the group. Otherwise, campgrounds chosen are generally within 100 miles of Franklin, in states bordering North Carolina.
Each participant receives a camping schedule and makes their respective reservations.
828.369.6669 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The U.S. Forest Service is distributing free copies of a new guide, titled “A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests,” that gives homeowners, gardeners, land managers and others information on controlling and removing invasive plants in the South.
“The guide provides the latest information on how to create and carry out prevention programs, implement management practices, and rehabilitate and restore land,” said Jim Miller, an emeritus Southern Research Station research ecologist based in Auburn, Ala., and lead author of the book. “The guide serves as a staple for foresters, natural resource managers and others who want to remove invasive plants that have become a serious problem in the 13 southern states.”
Invasive plants often harm forests and other natural areas by pushing out native plants, which degrades habitat and adversely affects wildlife. Exotic plants often reduce forest productivity, native plant and animal diversity, and water quality and quantity.
Get free copies of “A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests” by sending your name and complete mailing address, along with book title, author and publication number GTR-SRS-131 to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.257.4830.
Runners can register now for one of Western North Carolina’s most storied summer road races.
Registration for the Maggie Valley Moonlight Race opened this Feb. 1, and continues through race day, Saturday, Aug. 27. The fee to participate in this 8K race is $25 through July 30 and $30 during August.
“After a two-year absence, Glory Hound Events is proud to bring the Moonlight Race back to the Western North Carolina running scene,” Greg Duff, race organizer, said. “Runners should be pleased to know that we are planning to restore some of the traditions of the past, as well as incorporate some modern aspects for the 30th running.”
The Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the evening race, which starts at the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds and uses the same course as in 2008.
That course takes runners 1.2 miles up the valley to Ghost Town, then 2.4 miles in the opposite direction, before returning them 1.2 miles to the finish line back at the fairgrounds.
Major sponsors for the returning Moonlight Race to date include Mission Health Systems and The Smoky Mountain News. All event information, including a link to online registration, is available at www.maggievalleymoonlightrun.com.
Wild South, a regional nonprofit that works to restore the South’s natural landscapes, wants help on accessing wildlife resources.
An online survey has been set up at: www.wildsouth.org/index.php/component/content/article/3-newsflash/400-wildlife-survey.
Wild South says concerns regarding wildlife resources have arisen, including: illegal activities, human/wildlife conflicts, habitat loss and habitat management. The purpose of the WNC Wildlife Advocates’ survey through Wild South is to seek solutions to protect the region’s wildlife, and educate the public on responsible behaviors that minimize conflicts. The survey is designed to identify priorities for action and to explore potential solutions that the group will champion in the future.
