The Lilly of the Valley half-marathon attracted a whopping 164 runners last weekend, triple what organizers expected for the inaugural race.

The top female runner, Jennifer Bell, 37, of Brasstown (shown here) finished the 13.1-mile course along the Tuckasegee River with a time of 1:35:57. The first place male winner was Robert Martinez, 17, of Clayton, with a time of 1:24:31. The male winner in the masters category (40 and older) was Bradley Knops, 43, of Highlands, with a time of 1:33:30. The female winner in the masters category was Julie Richards, 44, of Bryson City, with a time of 1:37:51.

The race raised more than $7,000 for professional development opportunities for WCU students. Full results at halfmarathon.wcu.edu.

Raft loads of volunteers will take to the Tuckaseigee River on Saturday, April 16, for the 27th annual clean-up organized by Western Carolina University’s Base Camp Cullowhee.

The Tuckaseigee River Cleanup is the largest single-day effort to clean up a river in the country. Last year the event drew more than 600 volunteers, who removed about five tons of garbage from 27 miles of the river.

Registration will be on the A.K. Hinds University Center lawn from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. After registering, volunteers will be issued a life jacket and paddle. Base Camp Cullowhee will provide transportation to the river, where participants will listen to a safety talk and receive trash bags. After working to clean up the river, volunteers are invited back to the University Center lawn for a free cookout, live entertainment and the chance to win prizes donated by local businesses.

Volunteers must weight at least 40 pounds to be allowed in a raft. Those who don’t want to raft can work the shoreline from walking trails. The first 600 volunteers to register will receive free T-shirts. Volunteers should wear old clothing and shoes that will not come off in the water. No prior rafting experience is needed. 828.227.3625 or visit basecamp.wcu.edu.

From kayaking to rock climbing, elementary and middle school students can sample outdoor adventure through the Catamount Adventure Camps this summer.

Teaching young people new outdoor skills, as well as the value of teamwork and an appreciation of nature, are among the goals of the program. Each activity will involve small groups of eight to 10 students facing challenges and overcoming obstacles together in safe and encouraging settings.

Western Carolina University’s Base Camp Cullowhee sponsors the camps and provides guides for the activities.

There are three camps depending on age. The camp for rising third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders is July 11-15. Rising sixth- and seventh-graders have camp July 25-29, and rising eighth- and ninth-graders Aug. 1-5. Each program lasts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Cost is $225 per kid. 828.227.7397 or go to learn.wcu.edu and click on “Camps and Programs for Kids.”

Gorges Gratitude Day will be held Saturday, April 16, featuring special presentations on a variety of topics, live music, food, and hayrides.

Speakers will share programs on falconry, black bears, mountain ecosystems, folklore and geology. Community organizations will provide food and beverages, with BBQ being the main course.

Gorges State Park, located on the border of Jackson/Transylvania counties, is a relatively new state park in the process of being developed with park roads, parking lots, observation platforms and waterfalls. This year construction will begin on a visitor center, two picnic shelters, and a maintenance facility. Plans and models of the buildings will be on display and park staff will be available to answer questions on upcoming development plans.

Volunteer assistance is needed for the event. Free. 828.966.9099.

Tuckasegee poet Thomas Rain Crowe will be at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 8, to read from his newest poetry collection, Crack Light.

The book features photographs by Simone Lipscomb and more than 40 of Crowe’s poems that celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of the Southern Appalachian mountains.

828.586.9499.

To the Editor:

Jackson County Commissioners are ranking road improvement projects in the County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) at their meeting April 18. Here are some reasons why I feel commissioners should follow the example set by Sylva to leave the 107 Connector (Sylva bypass) off their priority list.

First, the N.C. 107 feasibility study given to this county by NCDOT did not include any of the congestion management solutions provided by the Transportation Task Force and imbedded in the CTP. Also, the DOT’s own modeling showed that the bypass would not relieve congestion on N.C. 107, and that congestion is caused by land use.

Second, when developing the CTP the Transportation Task Force was only asked to look at traffic counts and traffic projections. We did not consider and discuss any of the economic, environmental or community impacts of our decisions. I recommend that this community’s leadership study and understand these impacts before they endorse the NC107 connector. The Task Force was not asked to look at the economic impact of diverting traffic from one of our main commercial corridors. The Task Force also did not discuss the impact, location or footprint of the cloverleaf overpass required by the bypass.   

Also, a final consideration regarding the Transportation Task Force’s decision-making process is that we included the developments at Legasus and Balsam into our traffic forecasts, and those have since slowed down. Another area of growth included in the traffic counts that has also slowed down was the projected growth of WCU.

If you also feel that the N.C. 107 Connector should be left off of the priority list, contact the commissioners before their April 18 meeting. For more information visit Smartroads.org.

Jeannette Evans

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board has voted to cut funding to the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. This will seriously hinder – if not cripple – tourism events the H.C.C.C. sponsors each year. Any staff cuts to this small but effective non-profit chamber will have a ripple effect to our local economy.

How so? Look at this outdated traffic counting method TDA is using as science to make these critical cuts. The Balsam Visitor Center is located at a rest stop area in a tiny closet-sized kiosk that barely two people can fit in. Staffing it in winter is also difficult, but TDA spends $25,000 a year on what could simply be restocked every week.

On the way to Maggie Valley visitors can stop at the beautiful new welcome center at Lake Junaluska. Even with Maggie‘s visitor center on the main drag, it is almost invisible to any driver, not very inviting and with poor parking. The Canton visitor center is closed and until it can be housed in something other than an old car was building … please! Canton has too many nice historic settings and deserves better anyway!

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is finally in a great location in a beautiful setting that we should all be proud of. As southern charm demands, we want our company to feel welcome and at home, especially when they come to spend money. Chamber-sponsored events like the new Blue Ridge Breakaway, which will double this year, and the annual Apple Harvest Festival bring over 40,000 tourists to Haywood County each year. These events require a great deal of planning and cannot rely on volunteers only. So as a former TDA paid employee of this visitor center, I can tell you that this ”traffic” counting method is obsolete because it does not include the thousands of phone calls, emails, letters and various requests that a dedicated staff handles every year.

Since becoming executive director of the chamber, CeCe Hipps has dedicated herself to promoting Haywood County not only as a great place to visit but a place to call home and open a new business. People rely on local chambers for many reasons, but tourism plays a major role in all functions of a chamber.

We are very fortunate to have people like CeCe and TDA Executive Director Lynn Collins working for us. The new TDA visitor guide is the best yet and the website update shows what an excellent job Lynn does marketing our area. But two visitor centers a few blocks apart is a waste of funds in my opinion.

The motels, diners and stores already have tons of the same brochures all over the county anyway. I think the TDA board should reconsider this decision and ask how many visitor centers do we really need?  Budget cuts in a recession are understandable, but using outdated techniques to cut critical chamber funds is unwise. As the busy summer and fall traffic start up again, the chamber visitor center will easily have hundreds of guests each week, of which many will – as before at the chamber’s Russ Avenue location – enjoy those rockers on the porch.

Mylan Sessions

Clyde

To the Editor:

The good news is the North Carolina Department of Transportation has received a $461 million federal grant to improve rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte, creating 4,800 jobs during the next two years. Many of the jobs will be permanent since a new maintenance facility will be located in Charlotte. The $461 million comes with no strings attached. No matching state funds are required.  

The bad news is that Republican state representatives Ric Killian (R-Mecklenburg), Phillip Frye (R-Spruce Pine), and Phil Shepard (R-Onslow) have introduced House Bill 422, “No High-Speed Rail Money from Federal Government.” If this bill passes, the $461 million will go to other states to create jobs for their citizens and upgrade their transportation infrastructures.

The Employment Security Commission reported that the North Carolina unemployment rate in February was 9.7 percent. There are more than 435,000 people on our state’s unemployment roles. The 4,800 jobs are desperately needed.

Please tell your legislators to oppose H422. What possible reason could the Republicans have for refusing this grant? Disliking President Obama is not a good reason to sacrifice North Carolina jobs.

Carole Larivee

Waynesville

To the Editor:

As an advocate for seniors and senior services, I find I am more and more concerned about the Voter ID bill that was introduced in the state Senate by Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Spruce Pine). I absolutely believe that any case of voter fraud, when discovered, should be prosecuted, but I think more thought should be put into the process before passing a bill that would hinder our seniors from using the one right every American citizen is afforded – the right to vote.

According to facts I have read, votes per million cast in North Carolina from 2004 to 2010 that involved fraud that a Voter ID law would have prevented is five. With a state budget that must be balanced by law, why would our elected representatives want to add so much more to the deficit. My understanding is the potential cost of a comprehensive voter ID program in North Carolina would be around $20 million. I have read that the annual cost to each county in Maryland to hire and train elections’ officials to examine IDs of voters is $95,000.

Our county governments are also strapped to the max. The cost of outreach efforts about Voter ID laws to avoid voter confusion and make sure legitimate voters aren’t turned away at the polls has been estimated at an additional $16.9 million.

At a time when cuts to our senior programs and services may be forthcoming at both the federal and state level, I would think these projected Voter ID funds could be better spent to help our seniors, who are already struggling with escalating costs of everything, and no cost of living adjustment for the past two years. I hope our elected representatives would think long and hard before passing this legislation.

Juanita Dixon

Canton

An indoor yard sale will take over the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at Western Carolina University from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 9.

The sale, now in its 21st year, will feature a broad range of items and proceeds will go to the Jackson County Arts Council.

Learn to make scented soap, bath salts or a hooked mug rug in three new classes from 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, at Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro. Supplies will be provided for a small fee and participants will take home six bars of soap, a jar of bath salts and a hooked mug rug. Children are welcome.

828.586.4686.

Heather Newton, author of Under the Mercy Trees, will be the speaker for the Mountain Writers’ Network at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

Under the Mercy Trees, a tale of family, love and redemption, is Newton’s debut novel, though her short stories have appeared in regional and national publications. Newton lives in Asheville, where she is an author and mediator.

Mountain Writers of North Carolina meets on the second Tuesday of each month to advance the professional interests of creative writers through networking, advocacy and education.

828.456.6000

The Haywood Arts Regional Theater is gearing up for its next production, “Shipwrecked,” showing at 7:30 p.m. on April 8 and 9, and 3 p.m. on April 10.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $8 for students. Every full-price adult ticket will also get a free student or child ticket.

“Shipwrecked” is a family-friendly comedy about a Victorian gentleman and his storied past as a wandering seafarer.

For tickets call 828.456.6322.

A free contra dance will be held from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, at the Bridge Park Pavilion in Sylva.

There will also be a potluck dinner following the contra dance, starting at 5:30. Dancers should bring a covered dish, plate, cup and cutlery and a water bottle.

The dance will be called by Asheville caller Diane Silver and accompanied by local musicians.

No partner or previous experience with contra dancing is required and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. There will also be a short beginners’ workshop at the start of the dance. No partner is required.

828.586.5478 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Western Carolina University theater students will present the unconventional “The Atrainplays, Vol. 2” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, through Saturday, April 16, and at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 17, in the Niggli Theatre.

The production is six short plays, each crafted by a different playwright during a single round-trip on New York City’s A train, along with two additional miniature works that were written on the Staten Island Ferry.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for faculty members and senior citizens and $5 for students. The show is intended for mature audiences.

828.227.2479 or visit fapac.wcu.edu.

Western North Carolina’s renowned youth choir Voices in the Laurel will perform with award winning composer and guest conductor Dr. Rollo Dilworth at 3 p.m. on April 10 at the First Baptist Church in Waynesville.

Voices’ 15th Anniversary Concert will include the premier of two newly written choral compositions, including one written expressly for Voices in the Laurel. In addition, Dr. Dilworth will conduct the mass choir, whose musical selections will include some old favorites like “Shine on Me” and “Walk in Jerusalem.”

Dr. Dilworth recently released a recording titled “Good News”, which features 12 of his choral compositions. He was recently appointed as associate professor of Choral Music Education at Temple University’s Boyer School of Music in Philadelphia, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music education.

Voices in the Laurel is comprised of regional students in grades 1-12. Voices focuses on providing young people quality choral education in fun and innovative ways. Founder and Artistic Director Martha Brown teaches music in the Haywood County Schools, and has coached and guided Voices through 15 years of public performance.

Voices in the Laurel pairs an open-door policy with one of the lowest choir tuition costs in the U.S. Fully one-fourth of choristers receive scholarships to fund tuition financial aid covering costs of sheet music, supplies, and uniforms. Proceeds from ticket sales and donations fund Voices scholarships.

What: “Voices in the Laurel 15th Anniversary Gala Concert” Performance Fundraiser for Voices in the Laurel

When: 3 p.m., Sunday, April 10

Where: First Baptist Church, 100 S. Main, Waynesville

Info: Concert tickets are $10 each, with children 12 and under $6. Tickets are available online @ www.voicesinthelaurel.org or call 828.335.2849.

Franklin’s Overlook Players will perform Rogers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” April 14 through 17 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

The classic musical will be staged by locals and stage veterans alike and will be directed by the Center’s Artistic Director Scotty Corbin.

For tickets and information call 866. 273.4615 or visit greatmountainmusic.com.

By DeeAnna Haney • Smoky Mountain News Intern

Although Curly Hollow might sound like the perfect picnic area down some country road, it’s really more a product of imagination than a destination. In fact, the members of the band Curly Hollow aren’t even sure if such a place truly exists — the name simply resonated with them during their search for a title.

The country-pop band has come a long way since the members first met at a showcase in Nashville in July 2010. Now, less than a year later, members Keil Smith, Zakk Merrill, Charlie Lance, Chris Pruett and Ryan Riddle are celebrating the release of their first extended play record, “Love in Theory.”

Curly Hollow’s sound is mellow and modern at the same time, with a touch of many different musical styles. Each member contributes pieces from varying musical influences such as The Temptations, Jason Aldean, and Miles Davis.

“We try to blend different genres together – jazz, rock, country, blues – and just put our own twist to it and it’s fun that way,” said Zakk Merrill, the band’s bass guitarist.

Lead guitarist Charlie Lance tries to ensure the band’s sound stays original and fresh, not sticking with the same chord progressions in each song. He often incorporates what he learns while practicing for his jazz studies classes into songs for the band.

Most reminiscent of the sounds of Rascal Flatts, Curly Hollow’s songs have attracted traditional country music lovers as well as those who normally steer clear of the genre. The band believes they appeal to a wide variety of musical palettes because of the genre infusions and the passion behind each song.

“It’s one thing when you see a band get on stage but their hearts aren’t really in it,” Lance said. “But there is something cool to be said about seeing somebody do something they’re extremely passionate about and that’s what we try to do.”

Already signed to a Christian label before joining Curly Hollow, lead vocalist Keil Smith said he always harbored a penchant for country music. With an admittedly sappy songwriting style, Smith’s lyrics come directly from the heart.

Each member typically contributes to the songwriting process, although Lance has a difficult time putting his thoughts into words. His preference, he said, is to evoke emotion through his guitar.

“Love in Theory” is a collection of six original songs each exploring love in the best and worst forms, from falling in love to heart break. The EP features a satisfying sample of Curly Hollow’s various sounds such as the rock-and-roll duet with Ami Pruett “Home of Glass,” the simple acoustic guitar accompaniment to “Because,” and the traditionally country twang in “fairytale.”

Spectators attending a Curly Hollow show should expect a high-energy concert, Smith said, because the band is eager to play on stage for the first time. His hope is that the band’s chemistry and camaraderie will radiate through the songs.

“When a band does a good job on stage I feel like I know every member when I leave because they put so much into their performance and that’s what we want,” Lance said.

Visit www.reverbnation.com/curlyhollow or iTunes to preview Curly Hollow’s music.

See Curly Hollow at the Colonial

Curly Hollow will play its debut concert with opening act Rewind Blue at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. A CD release party will follow the concert. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the Colonial Theatre or at Simple Taste Grill in Canton.

Men and their families are invited to Take A Walk In Her Shoes, a sexual assault awareness event, will run from 11:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 from in front of the Historic Haywood County Court House. The walk will be around the perimeter of the Court House lawn on the sidewalk. Sponsors will provide women’s shoes for the participants who need them, both heels and flats, as well as signs to carry and refreshments. Face painting and toe nail polishing will also be available for those who would like to have that experience.

The Ripples of Hope, artistic expressions from survivors of abuse, will also be on display at the event and then they will be distributed throughout Haywood and Transylvania counties at galleries and other community locations.

828.456.7898 or 828.476.4231.

The Haywood County Red Cross is encouraging boys and girls ages 11 to 15 who would like to start their own babysitting business to enroll in the Babysitters Training Program.  

This course is also aimed toward older siblings who care for their brothers and sisters while parents are away.

Red Cross Babysitter’s Training Program teaches skills to be a safe babysitter and smart business owner, including how to tell when there is an emergency.

The class is taught by an authorized Red Cross Babysitter’s Training Program instructor. Other skills taught include supervising children and infants, diapering and feeding and more.

The next class is April 13 and April 14, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Haywood County chapter office. The cost of the course is $45 and includes a guidebook, CD-ROM, first aid kit and a carrying bag.

828.456.8141 or www.haywoodredcross.com.

Jackson County Schools’ dropout rate has decreased by 56.2 percent – from 4.43 in 2008-09 to 1.99 in 2009-10.   

Jackson County has been highlighted as one of four counties across the state for achieving the greatest decrease in dropout rates.  

Two of Jackson County’s student retention initiatives include the Bridge Program, which targets 9-12 graders and Momentum Victory, which is geared toward 7-9 graders.

A bridge will be replaced over the Cullasaja River on Mirror Lake Road near Highlands in Macon County.

A $577,544 contract was awarded to Dane Construction Inc. of Mooresville. Work can begin as early as April 25 and is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31.

The bridge, constructed in 1960, needs to be replaced due to its age and condition, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

An off-site detour will be in place directing motorists to continue on U.S. 64 through Highlands, turning left on Hicks Road and following back to Mirror Lake Road. The detour is approximately five miles.

The League of Women Voters of Macon County will present a program on affordable health care in North Carolina at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, at Tartan Hall in Franklin.

George Six, a volunteer with Healthcare for All North Carolina, will be the speaker. He will discuss how our current health care issues developed, tracing the history of commercial healthcare insurance, an affordable health care act and the situation after passage.

828.371.0527 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The author of “Grown Man Now,” and Western Carolina University professor Jane B. Schulz, will speak at a program geared toward encouraging families with members who have disabilities.

The free program is hosted by Pure in Heart and will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in the Fellowship Hall of Longs Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake Junaluska.

Schulz will be accompanied by her son, Billy, a 55 year-old with Down Syndrome. The two will discuss their experience with a disability through slide shows about Billy’s childhood, school, work, church and personal activities and encourage the audience through the debut performance, “Lessons from Billy.” 423.239.0804.

Paint a bowl to fill a bowl – proceeds from pottery painting at Claymates from April 1 to April 17 will support The Community Table’s annual empty bowl fundraiser.

The Community Table is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving nutritious meals in a welcoming environment for those in need. Visitors to the paint-your-own-pottery studio can pay $10 to paint a bowl to be donated to the empty-bowl event which will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 22. Tickets are $20 and include a handmade bowl donated by local potters, soup, bread and desserts from local restaurants and live music. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.586.6782.

Easter Butterflies: Magical, Mystical, Majestical is the topic of an April program through the Lake Junaluska Live and Learn Committee.  

Butterflies are often included as natural and spiritual symbols of the Easter Resurrection story. A program relating to this interesting story will be presented by entomologist John Strayer, retired distinguished service professor at the University of Florida and a resident of Lake Junaluska.  

The program will be at 2 p.m., April 21, in the Gaines Auditorium of the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska. Admission is free and visitors are  welcome.  

800.222.4930.

Ladies Night Out is holding a special follow-up program in Macon County to a March event on overcoming depression and reducing stress.  

This program will provide participants with tips and exercises to deal with depression and stress. This special program will be held on Tuesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Angel Medical Center. The Ladies Night Out speaker will be Sarah Altman, community based clinician with Smoky Mountain Center.   

Ladies Night Out is a partnership between Macon County Public Health and Angel Medical Center to provide free monthly programs on a variety of health topics for women with an emphasis on the importance of regular health screenings.

828.349.2439.

Canton’s Evergreen Packaging mill’s is due for major maintenance this spring, bringing more than 1,000 contractors to the area to upgrade the mill.

The work is scheduled for the week of May 2, bringing people, and spending, to the Canton area. The value of work scheduled is around $20 million dollars and the influx of personnel is expected to bring $500,000 to the local economy.

The last large-scale maintenance outage at the Canton Mill was in April 2003.

The Pasquale’s Charity Golf Tournament is coming to the Waynesville Golf Resort on Sunday, April 17, to benefit Friends of Meals on Wheels in Haywood County.

Registration is at 11 a.m. at Pasquale’s, and tee times start at 12:08 p.m.  

The four-man captain’s choice is $80 per person, which includes refreshments, hats and balls and a barbecue-awards banquet to follow at Pasquale’s. Sponsorships are available.

828.454.5002 or 828.400.0659.

After sprinting out the front door a few weeks ago, an escaped Haywood County inmate is back behind bars.

Frank Evans, who gave sheriff’s deputies the slip last month, was captured Myrtle Beach, S.C. and is now in state prison in Lexington.

Haywood County Sheriff Bobby Suttles said he couldn’t divulge specific details about just how they found Evans, but said they were operating on a tip that he may have gone in that direction.

Before Evans slipped out the front door, a deputy discovered him trying to punch a hole in the ceiling of a holding room where he was awaiting transfer to state prison.

A roof escape from the holding room isn’t unheard of, and had proved a successful means of egress for a jail prisoner in the past. The job was quite labor-intensive, however.

“It would’ve probably taken him some time to do that, and the jailer noticed,” said Suttles.

Instead, the prisoner was brought into the lobby to wait until the transport arrived, and that’s when he slipped out the door.

According to his record, Evans is something of a career criminal. He’s already done several stints in prison and had just been sentenced to 22 to 28 months following a week-long trial for larceny and breaking-and-entering, along with parole violations.

This time, Evans had been caught stealing commercial and industrial tools from a storage building last June. He was spotted by a suspicious onlooker and the tools and equipment that had gone missing from the building were eventually found in his truck.

There is, as yet, no word on what Evans’ bid for freedom will do for his sentence.

The Macon County Special Olympics Games will be held Friday, April 8, at the Macon Middle School track.  

Opening ceremonies start at 10 a.m., with words from state and local dignitaries. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office, along with officers from Highlands Police Department, Franklin Police Department and the N.C. State Highway Patrol, will carry the torch for the event in the second-annual torch run. The rain date for this event will be the following Monday, April 11.

For an athlete to be eligible to compete, they must be at least eight years old and meet the intellectual disabilities requirements set by Special Olympics, North Carolina.

828.371.1404 or 828.349.2081.

Take advantage of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a classroom through the Spring Parks as Classrooms program, running through May 27.

The fieldtrips are offered to schools or other groups of at least 15 students. The ranger-led outdoor-education programs are free and synced to the North Carolina school curriculum for that grade. Each session enhances classroom learning by using the park’s cultural and natural resources as teaching tools.

The following programs are available:

• Sensory Exploration (kindergarten): Students use their senses to learn about various plants and animals in the park. They will also tour the Mountain Farm Museum and learn about mountain culture and history while speaking with Barney, the “talking barn.” Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• Have to Have a Habitat (first grade): People and animals all need good habitat. The students learn about the needs of plants and animals at Deep Creek through an in-depth investigation of soil organisms, role-playing bears and scavenger hunts. Students also walk to a picturesque waterfall and spend time quietly reflecting and drawing. Location: Deep Creek.

• Mingus Mill Community (second grade): Students compare and contrast communities past and present as they tour the mill and learn the role corn played in lives of residents over 100 years ago. Students also learn about edible and medicinal plants and make a wooden toy to take home. Location: Mingus Mill.

• Plants Make the Smokies Great (third grade): Thick forests provide classrooms for students to build an understanding of plant adaptations and soil properties. The students conduct hands-on explorations of soil properties, plants and pollinators while learning about life cycles, interrelationships, and biodiversity.  Location: Collins Creek Picnic Area.

• Mountain Farm Hands On History (fourth grade): Students study past rural mountain communities and lifestyles by cooking at an open hearth, blacksmithing, examining artifacts, studying exhibits and playing with historic games and toys. Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• On Top of Old Smoky (fifth grade): Newfound Gap serves as the high-elevation classroom where students learn about sky-islands and spruce–fir ecosystems. Students build their understanding of air pressure, weather and landforms through direct observation and the use of maps, instruments and activities. Location: Clingmans Dome

Exploring the Soils (sixth grade): Students study soil characteristics, food chains and threats to soil health using augers, leaf litter sifting boxes, identification guides and microscopes. Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• Deep Creek Stream Scientist (seventh-eighth grade): A mountain creek serves as a laboratory for students to study streams. Students conduct chemical water tests and determine stream health by assessing population and diversity of stream organisms. Location: Deep Creek.

• Air Quality Interactions (best suited for seventh grade): Students collect data on snail and lichen populations for on-going monitoring studies looking at air pollution impacts on various natural resources. Location: Clingmans Dome.

• Biodiversity, Salamanders and Insects (Best suited for eighth grade): Student hypotheses guide examinations of insects and salamanders. Using identification guides, students classify their finds and learn how pollution is impacting aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Location: Mingus Mill.

Most activities are half-day programs. Class size is limited to a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 50 students. All units include a pre-visit materials package with logistical information and pre- and post-site lesson plans for use in the classroom. 828.497.1942 or www.nps.gov/grsm/forteachers.

Registration is under way for the Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp at Lake Logan Center in Haywood County the week of June 19 - 24.

The program is designed to teach the ethics of coldwater conservation to youth and is sponsored by the North Carolina State Council of Trout Unlimited.

Campers will receive instruction by volunteer experts in specialties such as geology, entomology, herpetology, stream restoration techniques, wetlands ecology and environmental policy. In addition, fly-fishing and fly tying instruction will reinforce traditional values of patience, technique, attention to detail and a general love of the outdoors.

Sixteen boys and girls ranging from 13-15 years of age will be selected to attend camp. The cost of camp is $595. Registration deadline is March 31. Tuition is not due until candidates have been notified of selection.

www.nctu.org/rivercourse or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has given $500,000 in funding for projects and programs on the parkway.

The projects for 2011 include:

• Continued funding of the Parks As Classrooms initiative for next school year: Parks as Classrooms is the Blue Ridge Parkway’s outreach program to children, instilling values of parkway protection to students in all 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties that border the parkway.

• Relocation of the park communications center: A 1,200 square foot communications center will be constructed at the Blue Ridge Parkway Headquarters in Asheville that will house the parkway’s interagency dispatch operation.

• The “Roots of American Music Program:” Funding for a series of concerts at the Blue Ridge Music Center on the parkway in Virginia.

Haywood County landowners can learn about conserving their land Monday, April 4, at the Haywood Agricultural Center in Waynesville.

The workshop will review how conservation agreements work and why they are beneficial to landowners of rural lands. A conservation easement is a voluntary and permanent agreement that limits certain development on a property in exchange for possible federal, state, and local tax benefits, a cash payment, or some combination.

The meeting is part of an ongoing series of “Saving Rural Lands and More” workshops supported by the Pigeon River Fund.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.712.6474.

Jackson County resident Thomas Crowe will read from and sign copies of his new collection of poems, Crack Light, at 7 p.m. on April 1 at Grateful Steps Publishing at 159 S. Lexington Ave. (behind and one block over from Orange Peel) in Asheville.

The book includes powerful and stunning black and white photography by Simone Lipscombe.

This is Crowe’s first collection of poems that are exclusively focused on the Western North Carolina region. Combined with more than 20 original photographs by Lipscomb, it is a multi-dimensional look at the landscape of the mountains, as well as it’s cultural and environmental diversity.

“Crowe has become one of the most interesting writers in this region to follow. He has established a lifestyle and a voice that are both universal and local …,” wrote reviewer Rob Neufeld in the Asheville Citizen-Times

For more information contact Grateful Steps at 828.277.0998 or email Laura Hope-Gill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jennifer Pharr Davis will discuss her book, Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

After graduating from college with a classics degree, Jennifer wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. She was drawn to the Appalachian Trail, a 2,175-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine. Though her friends thought she was crazy and her mom worried about her safety, she set out alone and spent four months hiking the trail, an experience that changed her life.

828.456.6000.

It wiggles nicely on a hook at the end of a fishing line. It also has such a large appetite for decaying vegetation that it can eat its body weight every day, so it’s great for composting. It’s no wonder that fishermen and gardeners love it so much.

It can also jump nearly a foot, more than enough to escape from a bait bucket or composting bin, and once loose in the natural world it seems to have few limits, if any. It plows through the forest floor, eating all the leaf litter in its path, leaving no place for creatures like salamanders and millipedes.

Researchers have even found it in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where fishing with live bait is prohibited, and no one is left to practice any gardening or composting. They haven’t found it in just one isolated spot, but in half of all the sites they have sampled.

I’m guessing there’s one somewhere near you right now. Probably a lot more than one.

It goes by more names than a secret agent. It’s often called an Alabama Jumper or Georgia Jumper, though it’s not native anywhere in the United States. It’s more accurately known as the Asian Jumping Worm, and scientists refer to it as Amynthas agrestis. However, since different species of worms look fairly similar to the untrained eye, it may be mistakenly bought or sold with the name of any of the dozens of native and exotic earthworms now found in the United States.

Most of the time, earthworms actually offer a lot of benefits to almost any vegetation trying to grow on land, from forests to agricultural crops to home gardens, because they aerate the soil and produce nutrient-rich “castings,” the official scientific name for worm poop.

After traveling to the Galapagos Islands back in the 1800s, some guy named Charles Darwin spent several decades studying earthworms and their impacts on soil health, thus becoming one of the world’s first experts on earthworms. His conclusion? “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organised creatures.”

Both before and after Darwin’s time, humans have traveled the globe in trips both big and small, bringing with them potted plants, bait, mulch, and more, in the process transferring many species of earthworms to new locations. As is often the case (kudzu, multiflora rose, hemlock woolly adelgid, and so on), the new arrivals have done more harm than good, but the Asian Jumping Worm has set a new standard for forest floor destruction.

Current methods of controlling this worm are few and far between. We can slow its spread by being much more selective about what’s in our bait buckets, nursery plants, composting bins, and mulch. Also, since worms are high in protein and low in fat, we might all want to pick up some ideas from Thomas Rockwell’s 1973 novel How to Eat Fried Worms. Perhaps Rockwell, like Darwin, was ahead of his time. Just make sure you eat the exotic ones, and let the native worms be.

(George Ivey is a Haywood County-based and author of the novel Up River. Contact him at www.georgeivey.com.)

To the Editor:

Humans need to know that our lives have meaning. Our searches for meaning are labeled religion and philosophy. Often, unforeseen tragedies such as the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami check our progress in these disciplines. Our emotions rage and reason fails when we consider the instantaneous and overwhelming destruction and loss of life. Even so, the world remains in anticipation, awaiting the final outcome of the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor.  It’s too late for disaster to be avoided, but we wait to find out the final magnitude of the environmental cost of this disaster.

Our worries over the fate of this ongoing nuclear emergency are well-founded. Nuclear power plant emergencies are potentially far more dangerous than any nuclear weapon ever detonated in war. The Chernobyl disaster, for example, produced more widespread and persistent radiation contamination than the bombs released on Nagasaki and Hiroshima combined.

The obvious risks of nuclear power are in contrast to the more subtle costs posed by other means of electrical generation. Coal is our most abundant form of fossil fuels and produces most of our electrical energy needs. However abundant and cheap it may be, coal has costs, and despite modern pollution prevention techniques, still contributes to poor air quality. As a result, rates of adult and childhood asthma are radically increasing. Burning coal liberates sulfides and mercury, which acidify rain and pollute our food supply. Hydropower satisfies a much smaller proportion of our electrical consumption but radically alters natural environments by disrupting thermal, chemical, and physical processes in rivers. As a result native fish communities with specific habitat needs are displaced by other species that can better survive in the new and novel habitats.

I’m extremely thankful that plugging in a lamp in my house produces light and that my freezer allows me to store food easily for long time-periods. However, just because electricity is cheap and easy to use, I must remember that the sum of its costs that accumulate beyond my monthly power bill.

I recognize some of these costs as a necessary evil. It’s impossible to survive in contemporary society without electricity or the internal combustion engine. Even if you absolved yourself of these conveniences, you would still find yourself participating in an economy that depends on modern energy sources.

However, the relevant question is what level of energy consumption is appropriate? If I must contribute to environmental degradation, am I minimizing the problems I cause? Is my environmental footprint as small as possible?

A few minutes of consideration will reveal a substantial collective guilt. With complete callousness, we consume energy without considering inherent environmental costs and risks. Our televisions and stereos are left on continually, even when no one is paying attention. Rather than endure a 60-second boot-up time, we let our computers, printers, and routers run idle, needlessly consuming energy. We leave for vacation without turning off our hot water heaters. We have believed the lie that our house should never be more than 70 degrees and never less than 60 degrees, regardless of occupancy. Further, we have bought into the central-air fallacy that every room in our home should be the same temperature. We consume and consume and pretend the only cost is the (apparently acceptable) damage our power bill does to our wallet. We know better.

We refuse to connect the dots. We burn coal to meet our wasted-energy requirements and never consider the impact of asthma and mercury-contaminated seafood on our children. We over-consume energy and then wonder why someone would consider building a nuclear plant in a vulnerable location.

While our faith and understanding are challenged by the apparent meaninglessness of the recent tragedy, we should note that the ongoing nuclear emergency is far from an un-interpretable occurrence but rather a direct result of mankind’s wanton consumption. Let’s continue hoping for a miracle at Fukushima and a chance to reconsider the way we’ve always done things.

Powers Wheeler

Clyde

(Powers Wheeler is a fisheries biologist and a teacher and lives in Clyde, NC. He considers himself fortunate to work in nature and teach others about her. )

To the Editor:

Where are the jobs? The new Republican majority in the North Carolina state legislature promised just that if elected. As of now there have been more than 420 bills introduced, and not a single job created or even suggested. In fact, many of the bills actually eliminate jobs.

The most obvious job killer yet is HB422. This bill is to reject a $480 million grant from the federal government for improvement of infrastructure and high-speed rails. It outright kills the creation of 4,800 new, good-paying jobs.  The Republican majority will cut off its nose to spite its face with this one.  

How many times do we need to be hit in the head with a brick to know that it hurts? Call your new Republican representatives and senators and let them know we are not fooled. Their actions are telling us their campaign promises have proved to be a ruse. In other words, they lied about their intentions for wanting public office. North Carolina needs this grant, and if we don’t take it another state gets it.

Sylvia Blakeslee

White Oak

To the Editor:

Hypocrisy is defined as the “condition of a person pretending to be something he is not, especially in the area of morals or religion; a false presentation of belief or feeling.”

Mike Huckabee recently described an unmarried Hollywood starlet as a disgrace because she was getting ready to have a child. Yet when Bristol Palin had a child out of wedlock he defended her and her appearance at the 2008 convention. Classic hypocrisy.

The Tea Party Republicans rails against “BIG” government. They want it out of our lives and our business, so we can be free to pursue our lives as we see fit. Yet it is a basic tenant of the Republican agenda to tell woman how to manage the most sensitive and private aspects of their lives. In general, they want to tell us what God we should worship, who we can marry, and what we can and can not do in the privacy of our bedrooms. Well, which is it?

Every time the Democrats mention the terrible and growing disparity in income in this country – the top 1 percent own 80 percent of all the wealth – we are accused of class warfare. Yet teachers, police, fireman and government workers are roundly criticized by Republicans for making more money than non-union workers. I guess it is OK for them to use Class warfare as a tactic, but heaven forbid we point out the destructive social inequity caused by the super rich.

It appears to be OK for oil companies to use any pretense to raise their gas prices and maximize their profits. Any company can charge any price, only the market place should govern what they can charge. Yet when a union negotiates a contact using the same market forces, they are accused of being socialist out to destroy capitalism.

During the financial crisis Republican were particularly angry at the millions of homeowners who took out risky loans that put the housing market in jeopardy of collapsing. Yet the real damage was done by the big Wall Street speculators who manipulated these mortgages into risky financial instruments. Republicans to a person refused to pass legislation to rein in Wall Street, but came down hard on all those homeowners. So I guess it is OK to risk billions of dollars in other people pension plans, but it is not OK to risk your own house.

The concept of the individual health insurance mandate originated in 1989 at the conservative Heritage Foundation. In 1993, Republicans twice introduced health care bills that contained an individual health insurance mandate. This mandate is at the heart of Obamacare, a market-based private health insurance plan. Every Republican now calls this Republican idea socialized medicine. I call that stupendous hypocrisy.

I have no problem with real fiscal conservatives. Government must be leaner, more efficient, and more focused on the real needs of the citizens of this great country. Republicans on the other hand have taken hypocrisy to a new low in public discourse.

Louise Vitale

Franklin

More than 100 restaurants will participate in the Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s annual Dining Out for Life benefit Thursday, April 28.

Restaurants in Arden, Black Mountain, Brevard, Flat Rock Hendersonville, Maggie Valley, Saluda, Waynesville, Weaverville and Woodfin will donate 20 percent of their gross sales to the WNC AIDS Project.

Last year’s event raised more than $120,000. Money raised will help the organization continue its mission of increasing awareness to at risk individuals through their outreach education and prevention programs and provide case managed care to those already affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Waynesville Kodokan Judo Club has moved its classes to the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Classes are from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are offered for adults and children as young as four.

Judo club members must purchase an annual membership to the Waynesville Recreation Center plus pay $20 per month for club dues.

The club travels to state and national tournaments throughout the year, most recently to Atlanta, Raleigh and Jacksonville, N.C.

828.506.0327.

The first 2011 luncheon and business meeting of the Mountain High Republican Women’s Club will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5, at The Oak Street Cafe, (formerly Cafe of the Arts) on Main Street in Highlands.

The featured speaker will be Orville Coward Jr., a Jackson County attorney, whose topic will be the history of the North Carolina Republican Party. The cost is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. 828.200.0437 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Renovations are set to begin on Harrill Hall, a residence at Western Carolina University, including energy efficiency improvements that would qualify the building for nationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

WCU’s board of trustees approved funding for the project earlier this month and work is scheduled to begin in May. The project will cost $15 million and should be completed by August 2012.

A free bridal show is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 9, at the Whistle Stop Mall in Franklin. The event will feature more than 40 vendors from across the region, covering all aspects of the wedding industry, including caterers, bakers, florists, travel agencies, venues and more. Guests will also be eligible for $500 in door prizes.

The show is hosted by the Center for New Mountain Business.

828.369.8660 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A heavy load sky air crane helicopter, one of the world’s largest commercially available helicopters, lifted 15,000 pounds of air conditioning equipment into place at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel this week.

The RTU-6 Semco rooftop air handler was installed as part of the casino’s $633 million expansion plan. The Sikorsky helicopter, which can lift up to 25,000 pounds, carried three separate pieces of the equipment to the roof. The air conditioners are chilled with water units with heat recover wheels and will condition all outside air to decrease smoke within the property.

Faculty and staff at the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University in northern California have built a hydrogen fuel cell power box for Southwestern Community Center.

Ron Poor received grant funds through the Appalachian Regional Commission to purchase the fuel cell, which will be used to teach the concepts of hydrogen based renewable energy.

“It’s basically the same hydrogen fuel cell technology NASA uses,” said Poor.

In the system hydrogen, stored in a small-pressurized cylinder, is fed to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell to produce direct current electricity.

The patented low air pressure design ensures high fuel cell system efficiency, Poor explained. The 16-cell PEM fuel cell power system has a peak power of 125 watts.

In basic terms, Poor said a small inverter converts the fuel cell’s 12 volts direct current output to 110 volts alternating current. It’s a pollution-free renewable energy system and the only by-products, he said, are water and heat.