November 2007 Archives
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce has kicked off its first-ever Shoppers' Hotline to help residents and tourists shop in local stores. Doing so, they hope, will help boost the local economy for small businesses and store owners, keep profits within the community, and promote the wide array of useful, interesting, unique goods and services supplied by Jackson County businesses.
Call the Shoppers' Hotline at 586-2155 (within the county) or toll-free at 1-800-962-1911. When you call, you'll receive immediate personal contact with Executive Director Julie Spiro, staffer Mary Kelley or other Chamber of Commerce personnel, eliminating an automated approach. Then, you can specify what you're looking to shop for -- whether an item or a service -- and they'll give you a list of businesses in Jackson County offering that particular item or service.
Lists of good places to go for Christmas gifts also are available; stores are listed by the category of item or service they carry. Several stores have supplied the Chamber with their sale flyers and lists of holiday specials, so you'll get the latest information on what's available and where it is.
"The reason why we're doing this is simply to encourage people to shop locally in our area, to spend their money here," said Spiro, who has nurtured the project for a few years. "We know the products our members carry, and whatever you're looking for or need to find, we know how to find it around here."
Spiro said the Chamber has carried out "Shop at Home" campaigns for the past two years, but that those hadn't provided the level of personal, professional service that this hotline could.
"We just wanted to try something different, because anything that we can do to keep that money local, we will."
Some stores, like Radio Shack, are providing flyers with the electronics they offer, eliminating the need to drive to bigger "box" stores in Asheville or Waynesville. Other questions, like one Julie fielded the other day, are a little different: when someone called in asking for bagpipes and related services and items, it turned out that Allan Moore, co-owner of City Lights Bookstore, is a bagpiper and could perfectly answer the caller's questions!
"So there's more around than you think," Spiro added. "Almost any idea people can bring to us, whether it's a service, an outlet for quality pottery, or a piece of handmade local jewelry, we can find it for them here in Jackson County."
The Jackson County hotline follows a growing national trend to make it easy for people to keep money within their communities. Economic studies show that more money spent in locally-owned stores translates into a much larger margin of profits remaining in the community. By staffing with local labor, purchasing local goods and services, and making local charitable contributions, local businesses sometimes return as much as 80% of their profits back out into the community. In contrast, national chain stores peak at about 40%.
Shopping locally also is promoted as being environmentally friendly, keeping gas usage, transportation costs, and pollution from vehicles, to a minimum. A web site at www.civiceconomics.com has links to the economic studies and to tool kits provided by several organizations, like the American Booksellers Association and the San Francisco Locally-Owned Merchants Alliance.
Jackson County Magazine says: Be sure to experiment with the benefits of shopping locally yourself this holiday season - with the Chamber's unique contribution, there's no better reason to start now!
You also might wish to visit the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce on the Web at www.mountainlovers.com.
Call the Shoppers' Hotline at 586-2155 (within the county) or toll-free at 1-800-962-1911. When you call, you'll receive immediate personal contact with Executive Director Julie Spiro, staffer Mary Kelley or other Chamber of Commerce personnel, eliminating an automated approach. Then, you can specify what you're looking to shop for -- whether an item or a service -- and they'll give you a list of businesses in Jackson County offering that particular item or service.
Lists of good places to go for Christmas gifts also are available; stores are listed by the category of item or service they carry. Several stores have supplied the Chamber with their sale flyers and lists of holiday specials, so you'll get the latest information on what's available and where it is.
"The reason why we're doing this is simply to encourage people to shop locally in our area, to spend their money here," said Spiro, who has nurtured the project for a few years. "We know the products our members carry, and whatever you're looking for or need to find, we know how to find it around here."
Spiro said the Chamber has carried out "Shop at Home" campaigns for the past two years, but that those hadn't provided the level of personal, professional service that this hotline could.
"We just wanted to try something different, because anything that we can do to keep that money local, we will."
Some stores, like Radio Shack, are providing flyers with the electronics they offer, eliminating the need to drive to bigger "box" stores in Asheville or Waynesville. Other questions, like one Julie fielded the other day, are a little different: when someone called in asking for bagpipes and related services and items, it turned out that Allan Moore, co-owner of City Lights Bookstore, is a bagpiper and could perfectly answer the caller's questions!
"So there's more around than you think," Spiro added. "Almost any idea people can bring to us, whether it's a service, an outlet for quality pottery, or a piece of handmade local jewelry, we can find it for them here in Jackson County."
The Jackson County hotline follows a growing national trend to make it easy for people to keep money within their communities. Economic studies show that more money spent in locally-owned stores translates into a much larger margin of profits remaining in the community. By staffing with local labor, purchasing local goods and services, and making local charitable contributions, local businesses sometimes return as much as 80% of their profits back out into the community. In contrast, national chain stores peak at about 40%.
Shopping locally also is promoted as being environmentally friendly, keeping gas usage, transportation costs, and pollution from vehicles, to a minimum. A web site at www.civiceconomics.com has links to the economic studies and to tool kits provided by several organizations, like the American Booksellers Association and the San Francisco Locally-Owned Merchants Alliance.
Jackson County Magazine says: Be sure to experiment with the benefits of shopping locally yourself this holiday season - with the Chamber's unique contribution, there's no better reason to start now!
You also might wish to visit the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce on the Web at www.mountainlovers.com.
An old wooden bench on Sylva's Spring Street seems happy to host dozens of delicate lavender leaves coaxed off of a nearby bush by last week's light rain. (Click photo to enlarge.)
Smoky Mountain High's seniors were recognized Nov. 2 during an emotionally charged evening football game against Pisgah High School, the last home game of the season, which was dedicated by both teams to SMHS Coach Dale Galloway. This year's ceremony fell close to the tragic death of the respected coach's son.
The annual recognition includes senior cheerleaders, football players and marching band members, who are given a single red rose in appreciation of their excellence in extracurricular activities.
Senior football players had their hands full holding off rival Pisgah in what was eventually a hard-fought 51-30 loss for SMHS; however, those players recognized included Jonathan Tannehill, #1; Jared Jones, #10; Sam Allison, #22; Shad Eller, #26; Jack Cooper, #29; Ethan Crowe, #30; Jesse Brooks, #32; Roscoe Woodard, #34; Andy Potter, #39; Nick Zoda, #42; Chad Harris, #48; Doug Allen, #57; T.J. McKay, #65; Jake Brooks, #66; Shawn Gunter, #71; Ryan Moore, #78; and John Brown, #81.
Senior cheerleaders recognized included, from left, Laura Hambrick, Cayla Preston, Janelle Midgette and Laura Coleson. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Senior marching band members included, from left, (back row) Josh Young; (middle row) Amy Thompson, Emily Stearns, Sabine Moses (drum major), and Robert Rice; (front row) Emily Gonzalez, Jessica Beach and Kelly Ensley. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
[We thank WCU student Katy Elders for her contributions to this story.]
The annual recognition includes senior cheerleaders, football players and marching band members, who are given a single red rose in appreciation of their excellence in extracurricular activities.
Senior football players had their hands full holding off rival Pisgah in what was eventually a hard-fought 51-30 loss for SMHS; however, those players recognized included Jonathan Tannehill, #1; Jared Jones, #10; Sam Allison, #22; Shad Eller, #26; Jack Cooper, #29; Ethan Crowe, #30; Jesse Brooks, #32; Roscoe Woodard, #34; Andy Potter, #39; Nick Zoda, #42; Chad Harris, #48; Doug Allen, #57; T.J. McKay, #65; Jake Brooks, #66; Shawn Gunter, #71; Ryan Moore, #78; and John Brown, #81.
Senior cheerleaders recognized included, from left, Laura Hambrick, Cayla Preston, Janelle Midgette and Laura Coleson. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Senior marching band members included, from left, (back row) Josh Young; (middle row) Amy Thompson, Emily Stearns, Sabine Moses (drum major), and Robert Rice; (front row) Emily Gonzalez, Jessica Beach and Kelly Ensley. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
[We thank WCU student Katy Elders for her contributions to this story.]
The folks at the Community Table, Jackson County's combination soup kitchen and community gathering center, are gearing up for a holiday season filled with warmth, fellowship and, most importantly, food.
This Christmas season, Timara McCollum, the Table's executive director, is encouraging everyone to give a little time to helping make holidays for those in need. She's joined by the Table's newest addition: Kitchen Manager Samantha Crawford, who joined the Table in August.
Crawford's role is to take whatever donations, Table garden produce and stocked items are available and magically create delicious, nutritious home-cooked meals for hundreds of people. The Table has served more than 100,000 hot meals since its inception in 1999.
She also coordinates the volunteers and garden workers who serve, clean, cook, cut desserts and wash dishes during special events and the four-times-per-week meals.
"I've made stuffed peppers, because we had so many out of the garden once. They also really like that Southern favorite of beans, greens and cornbread," she says, when asked what her most creative or favorite recipes have been. "But then, I've made Chinese stirfry before, and they ate that too," she adds, smiling.
Crawford encourages everyone to volunteer, and promises she can find a job to suit just about anyone -- even kids can play a role in volunteering at the Table. And she finds herself completely in line with the group's mission and goals. To find out more, you can call her at 586-6782.
The Table will hold a Holiday Cookie Bake on December 1, 5, 7, 8 and 12, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on each of those days. The baking event will use donated sugar cookie dough, cookie cutters and decorations like sprinkles to bring together kids, adults and Table patrons and staff at the holidays.
Parents are encouraged to bring children, and community members are encouraged to come help bake holiday cookies for distribution to patrons of the Table as well as to their friends and families. (There'll be lots of tasting for the chefs, too!)
RSVPs are requested for the Cookie Bake. Call Timara McCollum at 586-6782. If you'd like to donate items for the bake-off, you can call the same number to find out what's needed.
Another holiday event for the Table is an upcoming Christmas feast. The date has not yet been determined.
The Table feeds home-cooked meals to anyone and everyone in need in a homey, restaraunt-style atmosphere, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m. In addition, they offer a Blue Plate Special the last Wednesday of the month during which local chefs provide food for $5 per plate, with all proceeds going to the Table. More information is available by contacting McCollum at 586-6782.
The Table is located at the corner of Storybook Lane and Bartlett Street in Sylva, next to the Church of Christ and 2 blocks from St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Shown below: volunteers and staffers at the Community Table (click photo to enlarge). From left: Josh Schond, a WCU student volunteer; Samantha Crawford, the Community Table's Kitchen Manager and Volunteer Coordinator; and Tim and Linda Rice, longtime volunteers. They're working on putting together pots and pots of homecooked spaghetti for dinner.
This Christmas season, Timara McCollum, the Table's executive director, is encouraging everyone to give a little time to helping make holidays for those in need. She's joined by the Table's newest addition: Kitchen Manager Samantha Crawford, who joined the Table in August.
Crawford's role is to take whatever donations, Table garden produce and stocked items are available and magically create delicious, nutritious home-cooked meals for hundreds of people. The Table has served more than 100,000 hot meals since its inception in 1999.
She also coordinates the volunteers and garden workers who serve, clean, cook, cut desserts and wash dishes during special events and the four-times-per-week meals.
"I've made stuffed peppers, because we had so many out of the garden once. They also really like that Southern favorite of beans, greens and cornbread," she says, when asked what her most creative or favorite recipes have been. "But then, I've made Chinese stirfry before, and they ate that too," she adds, smiling.
Crawford encourages everyone to volunteer, and promises she can find a job to suit just about anyone -- even kids can play a role in volunteering at the Table. And she finds herself completely in line with the group's mission and goals. To find out more, you can call her at 586-6782.
The Table will hold a Holiday Cookie Bake on December 1, 5, 7, 8 and 12, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on each of those days. The baking event will use donated sugar cookie dough, cookie cutters and decorations like sprinkles to bring together kids, adults and Table patrons and staff at the holidays.
Parents are encouraged to bring children, and community members are encouraged to come help bake holiday cookies for distribution to patrons of the Table as well as to their friends and families. (There'll be lots of tasting for the chefs, too!)
RSVPs are requested for the Cookie Bake. Call Timara McCollum at 586-6782. If you'd like to donate items for the bake-off, you can call the same number to find out what's needed.
Another holiday event for the Table is an upcoming Christmas feast. The date has not yet been determined.
The Table feeds home-cooked meals to anyone and everyone in need in a homey, restaraunt-style atmosphere, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m. In addition, they offer a Blue Plate Special the last Wednesday of the month during which local chefs provide food for $5 per plate, with all proceeds going to the Table. More information is available by contacting McCollum at 586-6782.
The Table is located at the corner of Storybook Lane and Bartlett Street in Sylva, next to the Church of Christ and 2 blocks from St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Shown below: volunteers and staffers at the Community Table (click photo to enlarge). From left: Josh Schond, a WCU student volunteer; Samantha Crawford, the Community Table's Kitchen Manager and Volunteer Coordinator; and Tim and Linda Rice, longtime volunteers. They're working on putting together pots and pots of homecooked spaghetti for dinner.
Shown above is the handsome new monument to Jackson County's veterans, both living and deceased, recently erected in front of the old courthouse. (Click the photograph for a larger view.)For more information, see an article in the Sylva Herald (click here) about the monument and the 2007 Memorial Day ceremony that was held at the monument on November 10. (The Sylva Herald is not affiliated with the Jackson County Magazine.)
BRING ON THE SEASON with local bluegrass and blues jam sessions at the Mountain Heritage Center on Western Carolina University’s campus.
The traditional pickin’ sessions and concerts kick off this year on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.
The first concert of the 2007-2008 season will feature Marshall resident Don Pedi and Celo resident Bruce Greene, both of whom are widely recognized throughout the Appalachians for their talents in transcribing old fiddle tunes for the mountain dulcimer and performances of old-time Kentucky fiddle music, respectively.
Each concert is followed by a jam session, open to any interested musicians and audience members.
The concerts continue on the first Thursday of each month through March. Performing at future concerts are the McDowell Family on Jan. 3, Chuck Norris and Daybreak on Feb. 7, and Charles Shuler and Friends on March 6.
As part of the focus on mountain music styles, the MHC also will host a third-Thursday open jam session (sans concert), which kicks off next month on Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.
All interested musicians, singers, and audience members are encouraged to attend the free event; the MHC is located on the ground floor of the H.F. Robinson Administration Building (the large white building at the main entrance to campus).
For further information, call the MHC at 828-227-7129.
The traditional pickin’ sessions and concerts kick off this year on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.
The first concert of the 2007-2008 season will feature Marshall resident Don Pedi and Celo resident Bruce Greene, both of whom are widely recognized throughout the Appalachians for their talents in transcribing old fiddle tunes for the mountain dulcimer and performances of old-time Kentucky fiddle music, respectively.
Each concert is followed by a jam session, open to any interested musicians and audience members.
The concerts continue on the first Thursday of each month through March. Performing at future concerts are the McDowell Family on Jan. 3, Chuck Norris and Daybreak on Feb. 7, and Charles Shuler and Friends on March 6.
As part of the focus on mountain music styles, the MHC also will host a third-Thursday open jam session (sans concert), which kicks off next month on Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.
All interested musicians, singers, and audience members are encouraged to attend the free event; the MHC is located on the ground floor of the H.F. Robinson Administration Building (the large white building at the main entrance to campus).
For further information, call the MHC at 828-227-7129.
The Downtown Sylva Christmas Parade is coming! Don't miss it. The parade is this Saturday, Dec. 1, starting at 5 p.m.
The event is a downtown tradition, hosted by the Downtown Sylva Association. This year's parade could be one of the biggest ever, and will features some new elements:
* All parade vehicles and floats will be required to be decorated in a holiday theme.
* To encourage the implementation of DSA's theme, "Home for the Holidays," a cash prize will be awarded after the parade to the winner of the decoration contest.
* No candy or treats will be thrown from the floats and vehicles themselves, but walkers beside vehicles can dispense candy and goodies to onlookers. (Safety and insurance issues prevent throwing the candy from moving vehicles.)
This year's route begins on Scotts Creek Road, with vehicles and floats coming down Asheville Highway and picking up walkers and the Smoky Mountain High School Marching Band at the United Community Bank parking lot, just before the intersection with Highway 107.
The parade then turns toward downtown on Main Street towards the old courthouse. The parade ends at Mark Watson Park on West Main Street.
Shops and restaurants are encouraged to stay open for business in the evening. Many will have special holiday sales and activities on parade day. Sylva's town decorations already are gracing light poles and the traditional tree at the base of the steps of the old courthouse.
Also, the "Pictures with Santa" 2nd annual fundraiser for the Bridge Park Project takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., before the parade. A photo with Santa in the courtyard of Restaurant 553, next door to the Sylva Herald on Main Street, will be taken by local photographer Terri Clark and developed by Livingston's Photo. Both are donating their services, so all profits go towards the Bridge Park project, the park to be built on the town's municipal parking lot on Railroad Avenue. The cost for a 5x7 photograph is $15. Extra photos are available for $5. Each photo includes a holiday frame card.
Drivers should be aware that Main Street will be closed on Saturday, starting in the early afternoon. Traffic will be rerouted to Jackson Street, where vehicles can follow Evalina Street back down to Main Street and then continue west on Main Street towards Highway 107.
Sylva and Jackson County police and emergency personnel will be onsite to help direct traffic and parking, which will be available at the site of the future Bridge Park, at Town Hall and at the public parking lot across from Mill & Main Restaurant.
It promises to be a good year for a Christmas parade, so be sure to come and bring the entire family! Remember to dress warmly.
For more information, call DSA Director Sarah Graham at 586-1577 or write her at info@downtownsylva.org.
Additional coverage by The Sylva Herald is in their online article (click here) about the parade. (The Sylva Herald is not affiliated with Jackson County Magazine.)
The event is a downtown tradition, hosted by the Downtown Sylva Association. This year's parade could be one of the biggest ever, and will features some new elements:
* All parade vehicles and floats will be required to be decorated in a holiday theme.
* To encourage the implementation of DSA's theme, "Home for the Holidays," a cash prize will be awarded after the parade to the winner of the decoration contest.
* No candy or treats will be thrown from the floats and vehicles themselves, but walkers beside vehicles can dispense candy and goodies to onlookers. (Safety and insurance issues prevent throwing the candy from moving vehicles.)
This year's route begins on Scotts Creek Road, with vehicles and floats coming down Asheville Highway and picking up walkers and the Smoky Mountain High School Marching Band at the United Community Bank parking lot, just before the intersection with Highway 107.
The parade then turns toward downtown on Main Street towards the old courthouse. The parade ends at Mark Watson Park on West Main Street.
Shops and restaurants are encouraged to stay open for business in the evening. Many will have special holiday sales and activities on parade day. Sylva's town decorations already are gracing light poles and the traditional tree at the base of the steps of the old courthouse.
Also, the "Pictures with Santa" 2nd annual fundraiser for the Bridge Park Project takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., before the parade. A photo with Santa in the courtyard of Restaurant 553, next door to the Sylva Herald on Main Street, will be taken by local photographer Terri Clark and developed by Livingston's Photo. Both are donating their services, so all profits go towards the Bridge Park project, the park to be built on the town's municipal parking lot on Railroad Avenue. The cost for a 5x7 photograph is $15. Extra photos are available for $5. Each photo includes a holiday frame card.
Drivers should be aware that Main Street will be closed on Saturday, starting in the early afternoon. Traffic will be rerouted to Jackson Street, where vehicles can follow Evalina Street back down to Main Street and then continue west on Main Street towards Highway 107.
Sylva and Jackson County police and emergency personnel will be onsite to help direct traffic and parking, which will be available at the site of the future Bridge Park, at Town Hall and at the public parking lot across from Mill & Main Restaurant.
It promises to be a good year for a Christmas parade, so be sure to come and bring the entire family! Remember to dress warmly.
For more information, call DSA Director Sarah Graham at 586-1577 or write her at info@downtownsylva.org.
Additional coverage by The Sylva Herald is in their online article (click here) about the parade. (The Sylva Herald is not affiliated with Jackson County Magazine.)
WestCare Health System will hold its annual Community Memorial Services for Sylva and Bryson City locations this Sunday, December 2.
The program is designed to help families cope with loss during the holiday season by honoring those who have passed away and providing comfort and care to their survivors. WestCare Chaplain Ron Allen will preside.
The service in Sylva begins at 2 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church. The Bryson City service is 4 p.m. at the Swain County Hospital.
"Losing a loved one can be traumatic and the first holidays that follow can be difficult. There is healing in being gathered together with others who have had a similar experience," Allen said.
For more information call WestCare's Sylva office at 586-7000.
The program is designed to help families cope with loss during the holiday season by honoring those who have passed away and providing comfort and care to their survivors. WestCare Chaplain Ron Allen will preside.
The service in Sylva begins at 2 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church. The Bryson City service is 4 p.m. at the Swain County Hospital.
"Losing a loved one can be traumatic and the first holidays that follow can be difficult. There is healing in being gathered together with others who have had a similar experience," Allen said.
For more information call WestCare's Sylva office at 586-7000.
The Western Carolina University School of Music will present its annual Sounds of the Season concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the performance hall of the Fine and Performing Arts Center on campus. The traditional concert uses nearly all the school's choral and instrumental ensembles to present a variety of Christmas and holiday arrangements, ranging from traditional compositions of carols to more modern arrangements of old favorites and newer pieces.
But the concert isn't your typical holiday event. Each year, the performances are structured as a "prism concert," which means a succession of ensembles perform at various locations throughout the performance hall.
All proceeds from ticket sales go to the School of Music's scholarship fund.
Tickets (in advance or at the door) are $10 for adults and senior citizens, and $5 for students and children. No reservations are necessary, but if you'd like more information or to reserve tickets, call the music office at 227-7242.
More musical entertainment is available at WCU Tuesday, Dec. 4, as the Wind Ensemble gives its second concert of the season. The show begins at 8 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, and will feature several (non-holiday) pieces. The Wind Ensemble concert is free and the public is invited. For more information, call 227-7242.
The Jackson County Grounds Department has been working hard -- like Santa's elves -- to prepare for Christmas. Elaborate decorations are being installed at the old courthouse, in Sylva.Windows will be lined in lights, with two lighted Christmas trees on the balcony above the front entrance. More lights will be stationed around the courthouse and along its stair steps.
The Grounds Department has placed 40 Frasier fir trees around the courthouse. The trees were harvested from a tree farm in Little Canada.
Shown above is Johnny Bradley of the Jackson County Grounds Department placing a ribbon atop one of the trees on Thursday.
Many of the fir trees can be seen in the photo below.
(From a press release.)The Trail of Light Drama Team once again brings to life the song “Mary Did You Know?” by producing the popular interfaith play of the same name.
“Mary, Did You Know?” begins with the birth of Jesus and follows the child as he grows into an adult.
Actors include Henry Wong from NCCAT, as Gabriel; Britney Acosta from Smoky Mountain High, as Mary when she was a young girl; Jim Harbin of Ela will be Joseph; and Polly Huff of Cullowhee is playing the adult Mary. Sarajane Melton, also of Cullowhee, plays the midwife; Ron Huff from Cullowhee will be Herod. Dawn Fincher of Cullowhee will be the narrator.
A child “Angel Choir,” ages 3 through 9, will be featured, as well as 7 dancers who will perform three dance scenes.
Jesus will be seen as a newborn baby, at 2 years old (David Sluyter of Dillsboro), at 12 years old (Billy Durning of Cullowhee) and as an adult (Caden Painter of Maggie Valley).
Songs featured include “Ave Maria,” “Mary Did You Know?,” “O Holy Night,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Joy to the World,” “We Four Kings,” “I Wonder as I Wander,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain” and “Sweet Little Jesus Boy.”
Assisting Amy Ammons Garza (Sylva) with direction is Dianne Yount, producer is Etheree Chancellor and choreographer is Suzanne Kehrberg, all of Cullowhee.
Pre-show entertainment starts one hour prior to the play. Special guests will provide old-time gospel. Performers include Jeanette Queen Schrock (youngest daughter of the late Mary Jane Queen) on vocal and autoharp, and Ron and Julia Thompson of Alarka, on vocal and guitar. Others spotlighted will be Henry Wong, guitar and vocal; Ally, Elizabeth, and Tonya Vickery, flute and piano; Britney Acosta, vocal; Sarajane Melton, vocal; Teresa Eberly, vocal.
The 53-member cast and crew are drawn from churches of different faiths spanning three counties -- Cullowhee Baptist Church, Cullowhee United Methodist, The Summit of Cullowhee, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Franklin, Fall Cliff Baptist from Webster, Webster Baptist Church, East Sylva Baptist Church of Sylva, God’s Holy Tabernacle of Sylva, St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Sylva, First Baptist of Waynesville and Lakeview Church of the Nazarene in Lake Junaluska. A troop of seamstresses and background workers of many faiths also supports the cast and crew.
Come share the Christmas story on Friday, November 30th (pre-show at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.) or Saturday, December 1st (pre-show at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m.), at the Cullowhee Baptist Church on the campus of WCU, next door to the Hunter Library.
Hot chocolate and hot cider will be provided on the lawn after the productions, courtesy of the board of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia.
Admission is free.
For more information, call 828-631-4587.
(Shown above: representing the Angel Choir are (left to right) Brittney Lee Collins, Casey King, and Ally Vickery.)
Shown below: from King Herod’s Court are (left to right) Ron Huff, Phillip Huff, Naomie Edmonds and Fred Harris.
Shown below: Irene Hooper will be playing Anna in the Simeon scene.
DO GOOD this Friday: a benefit concert for Malawi drought victims, organized for a Smoky Mountain High School Senior Project by student Sabine Moses, will be held in the school gym from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
All donations at the door (no tickets, suggested donation is $5 per family) will go to help victims of severe weather conditions in Malawi, Africa.
Featured local performers include the Summit Church Band, Eric Barnes, the Retroblenders and Matt Williams.
For more information, call Sabine at 399-0694.
All donations at the door (no tickets, suggested donation is $5 per family) will go to help victims of severe weather conditions in Malawi, Africa.
Featured local performers include the Summit Church Band, Eric Barnes, the Retroblenders and Matt Williams.
For more information, call Sabine at 399-0694.
Looking for something to do? Don't forget that we are surrounded by sights and sites that attract tourists from around the world. Get out and explore! Recently I did just that.
Some of the best-known peaks in the Plott Balsams mountain range lie just north of Highway 23/74. The Blue Ridge Parkway (which has an entrance on 23/74 just past the Jackson County line, heading towards Waynesville) can take you to Waterrock Knob, Blackrock and Pinnacle Peak. All 3 are splendid hiking destinations, with fantastic 360-degree views that include Sylva, Cullowhee and Cherokee.
I've never been an avid hiker, so when I agreed to hike from Waterrock Knob to Blackrock it was because my hiking partner told me it would be an easy walk... just a few uphill parts, some great views, and barely any driving needed to get there. It sounded perfect for my day off, because I love being outside for camping and gardening.
So off we went, hiking along a single-file game trail, up several steep inclines and then along the top of the ridge from Waterrock over Double Top and Yellow Face. We continued around Table Rock and then hiked through to Blackrock.
The views were wonderful, when I could breathe enough to see them clearly. Catamount Gap is clearly defined, with Cullowhee sleeping right behind and Sylva getting bigger by the second in the foreground.
When the burning in my legs got too bad (I discovered some muscles I didn't know I had), I stopped to take a closer look around. I could see wild berries, sleeping spots where bears had patted the grass flat, pine and birch forests that hadn't been disturbed in hundreds of years, and oaks just turning the barest hint of red.
Our route included wildflowers of every kind, huge rocks the size of cars teetering on the edge of one ridge where they’ve been teetering for centuries, laurel slicks and fallen birch with the bark peeling off like reams of paper. It was a wonderland, heightened by the abandoned feeling of a forest at such an elevation.
Any local can tell you there's a deep sense of contentment that comes from spending even a small afternoon in the company of nothing but mountains, sky and trees. It's really more than a guidebook can describe. At higher elevations there's a magic to be found in the solitude, where not even small animals move. I felt the sense of place our mountains provide -- safety, security, beauty and timelessness.
Unfortunately, the differences between isolation and civilization became all too clear when we crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway. While waiting for traffic to let us cross, we experienced the smell of car exhaust, the sound of engines, motorcycles and airplanes, and the heavy traffic at the Waterrock Knob overlook. There, at a parking lot filled with cars and motorcycles, we saw people drinking beer and taking videos of the vista, but the trail itself was devoid of walkers.
Later our senses were jarred by the flat, lifeless green of Balsam Mountain Preserve’s golf course at however-many-thousand-feet, where we had expected to see more ridges, valleys, trees and small pastures.
And as we walked down a road and rounded a curve we discovered a sudden, secret view of blue peaks and ridges against a bluer sky -- but it was interrupted by a glaringly white, huge new house on the side of the foremost mountain. Why do people paint mountainside houses bright white?
Ironically, such encroachments might keep us from taking for granted the natural beauty of the place where we live.
I know I have a renewed appreciation for these mountains, and I'll bet you will, too -- so take a hike!
Some of the best-known peaks in the Plott Balsams mountain range lie just north of Highway 23/74. The Blue Ridge Parkway (which has an entrance on 23/74 just past the Jackson County line, heading towards Waynesville) can take you to Waterrock Knob, Blackrock and Pinnacle Peak. All 3 are splendid hiking destinations, with fantastic 360-degree views that include Sylva, Cullowhee and Cherokee.
I've never been an avid hiker, so when I agreed to hike from Waterrock Knob to Blackrock it was because my hiking partner told me it would be an easy walk... just a few uphill parts, some great views, and barely any driving needed to get there. It sounded perfect for my day off, because I love being outside for camping and gardening.
So off we went, hiking along a single-file game trail, up several steep inclines and then along the top of the ridge from Waterrock over Double Top and Yellow Face. We continued around Table Rock and then hiked through to Blackrock.
The views were wonderful, when I could breathe enough to see them clearly. Catamount Gap is clearly defined, with Cullowhee sleeping right behind and Sylva getting bigger by the second in the foreground.When the burning in my legs got too bad (I discovered some muscles I didn't know I had), I stopped to take a closer look around. I could see wild berries, sleeping spots where bears had patted the grass flat, pine and birch forests that hadn't been disturbed in hundreds of years, and oaks just turning the barest hint of red.
Our route included wildflowers of every kind, huge rocks the size of cars teetering on the edge of one ridge where they’ve been teetering for centuries, laurel slicks and fallen birch with the bark peeling off like reams of paper. It was a wonderland, heightened by the abandoned feeling of a forest at such an elevation.Any local can tell you there's a deep sense of contentment that comes from spending even a small afternoon in the company of nothing but mountains, sky and trees. It's really more than a guidebook can describe. At higher elevations there's a magic to be found in the solitude, where not even small animals move. I felt the sense of place our mountains provide -- safety, security, beauty and timelessness.
Unfortunately, the differences between isolation and civilization became all too clear when we crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway. While waiting for traffic to let us cross, we experienced the smell of car exhaust, the sound of engines, motorcycles and airplanes, and the heavy traffic at the Waterrock Knob overlook. There, at a parking lot filled with cars and motorcycles, we saw people drinking beer and taking videos of the vista, but the trail itself was devoid of walkers.
Later our senses were jarred by the flat, lifeless green of Balsam Mountain Preserve’s golf course at however-many-thousand-feet, where we had expected to see more ridges, valleys, trees and small pastures.And as we walked down a road and rounded a curve we discovered a sudden, secret view of blue peaks and ridges against a bluer sky -- but it was interrupted by a glaringly white, huge new house on the side of the foremost mountain. Why do people paint mountainside houses bright white?
Ironically, such encroachments might keep us from taking for granted the natural beauty of the place where we live.
I know I have a renewed appreciation for these mountains, and I'll bet you will, too -- so take a hike!
Jackson County's Greenway Commission met Nov. 13 to discuss serious possibilities for a "greenway" connector between Sylva's Poteet Park, the Bridge Park, Mark Watson Park and Monteith Park in Dillsboro.
The Greenway is a planned pedestrian footpath that would connect all the municipalities and communities in Jackson County along major corridors. Implementing the Greenway will be complicated -- with tricky issues like rights-of-way, property valuation concerns, safety and health issues and railroad operations -- but Greenway supporters think the pedestrian pathway will be worth it. Users would include families, hikers, bikers, walkers and joggers.
Soon the commission members will visit one of the most difficult stretches of proposed Greenway, to look at ways to get the project started. The stretch lies along Scotts Creek between Old Dillsboro Road and Grindstaff Cove Road, where they intersect with Business 23/Mill Street. Several properties conflict with the planned footpath, and board members hope to come up with some solutions when they meet at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11 for a walk through the area. A regular meeting then begins at 5:30 p.m. in Room A227 of the Justice Center.
Commission Chairman Jimmi Buell can provide more information at 586-8994.
The Greenway is a planned pedestrian footpath that would connect all the municipalities and communities in Jackson County along major corridors. Implementing the Greenway will be complicated -- with tricky issues like rights-of-way, property valuation concerns, safety and health issues and railroad operations -- but Greenway supporters think the pedestrian pathway will be worth it. Users would include families, hikers, bikers, walkers and joggers.
Soon the commission members will visit one of the most difficult stretches of proposed Greenway, to look at ways to get the project started. The stretch lies along Scotts Creek between Old Dillsboro Road and Grindstaff Cove Road, where they intersect with Business 23/Mill Street. Several properties conflict with the planned footpath, and board members hope to come up with some solutions when they meet at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11 for a walk through the area. A regular meeting then begins at 5:30 p.m. in Room A227 of the Justice Center.
Commission Chairman Jimmi Buell can provide more information at 586-8994.
The Community Table in Sylva will host a thanksgiving dinner this Tuesday, November 20, and everyone is invited.
Local contributors have made the free dinner possible. A traditional dinner of turkey and trimmings will be served from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
No reservations are required. Diners are welcome regardless of need or income.
The Community Table is located at the corner of Storybook Lane and Bartlett Street in Sylva, next to the Church of Christ and two blocks from St. Mary's Catholic Church. It is Jackson County's only facility for providing free or low-cost meals to people who might otherwise go hungry. More than 100,000 hot meals have been served since 1999.
For more information, contact executive director Timara McCollum at 586-6782.
Local contributors have made the free dinner possible. A traditional dinner of turkey and trimmings will be served from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
No reservations are required. Diners are welcome regardless of need or income.
The Community Table is located at the corner of Storybook Lane and Bartlett Street in Sylva, next to the Church of Christ and two blocks from St. Mary's Catholic Church. It is Jackson County's only facility for providing free or low-cost meals to people who might otherwise go hungry. More than 100,000 hot meals have been served since 1999.
For more information, contact executive director Timara McCollum at 586-6782.
The Western Carolina University School of Music will present the Christmas portion of George Frideric Handel's oratorio "Messiah" in WCU's Fine and Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19. The performance will feature a chorus of more than 200 members, composed of the Concert Choir and University Chorus at WCU and the Western Carolina Community Chorus.
The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra, with Robert Holquist conducting, will join the chorus to help re-create the grandeur of the Victorian-era performances that made the "Messiah" a famous piece of music history. The masterpiece was performed for the first time in 1742.
Both WCU choral groups are directed by Holquist, WCU professor of music, and the community chorus is led by James E. Dooley, professor emeritus of music at Western. William Henigbaum, director of the civic orchestra, is a member of the WCU adjunct music faculty.
Vocal soloists include Colby Coren, Lance Newman, June Thomas, Ralph Wright-Murphy, Ashley Setzer, Liz Geeslin, and Heather Hallmark.
The evening's proceeds will benefit WCU music department scholarships.
Tickets (which will be sold at the event) are $10 for adults and senior citizens, and $5 for children and all students with identification. Tickets also can be purchased in advance at the WCU music office in the Coulter Building or at WCU's Fine and Performing Arts Center box office, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra, with Robert Holquist conducting, will join the chorus to help re-create the grandeur of the Victorian-era performances that made the "Messiah" a famous piece of music history. The masterpiece was performed for the first time in 1742.
Both WCU choral groups are directed by Holquist, WCU professor of music, and the community chorus is led by James E. Dooley, professor emeritus of music at Western. William Henigbaum, director of the civic orchestra, is a member of the WCU adjunct music faculty.
Vocal soloists include Colby Coren, Lance Newman, June Thomas, Ralph Wright-Murphy, Ashley Setzer, Liz Geeslin, and Heather Hallmark.
The evening's proceeds will benefit WCU music department scholarships.
Tickets (which will be sold at the event) are $10 for adults and senior citizens, and $5 for children and all students with identification. Tickets also can be purchased in advance at the WCU music office in the Coulter Building or at WCU's Fine and Performing Arts Center box office, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
On November 17, 2007 beginning at 5 p.m. at the Sylva Community Center, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will present “Passing It On,” a performance with stories, songs, and spontaneous art in a fast-paced production. Featuring The Ammons Sisters as the teller and illustrator of the story, the presentation will spotlight the prose, poetry, music and creativity of local writers and singers. Admission is free.
(The Sylva Community Center is located at 538 Scotts Creek Road.)
One storyteller will be Karen Greenstone from Sylva, whose story is called "Baseball Bonanza," an example of a "shaggy dog story" (where the teller spins a long yarn ending with a clever punch line). Karen has taken the skeleton of a particular shaggy dog story about baseball that she heard years ago and has embellished the original tale to create a fictional account of the most memorable kids baseball game ever in the New Orleans neighborhood of her childhood in the 1960s.
Other stories include “The Detour/Two Sides of a Secret” by Erik Hicks; “The Early Years” by Serena H. Dossenko; “Steal Away Home” by Victoria A. Casey McDonald; “The Long Road Home” by Samantha Ganly-Hicks; “The Legend of Mountain Laurel” by Judy Rhodes; “Without Lies,” by Chelsea Greene; “Remembering Grandpa,” by Lauren Hicks; and “The Cow Story,” by Barry Dossenko.
Immediately following, CSA will present special entertainment featuring “The Muses,” a 3-woman a cappella group singing an ingenious mix of Celtic, Americana, traditional Appalachian, and World music. Their repertoire covers a wide range and includes original compositions, spirituals, soul numbers, and songs from Scotland and Ireland.
This year’s Pastel Art Exhibit will include artists Paul Knoepp of Otto, Becky Nelson of Whittier, Nikki Hinke of Cullowhee, Lucius Salisbury of Franklin, Margot Johnson of Glenville and Doreyl Ammons Cain of Tuckasegee. These pastel artists have painted the bright colors of the mountain land with a creative flare. This pastel exhibit brings together many views of our mountains.
A special part of the exhibit will display Art Chairs from the animal relief fund raiser for Catman2 and ARF. Highly imaginative scenes of animals, painted on many different types of seating furniture, will be offered to the highest bidder in a silent auction. For holiday giving, the sale of books, photography, Limited edition art prints, greeting cards and original art will be offered for sale, so come ready to purchase an unforgettable treasure.
Finally, at 7:30 p.m., Harold Sims will draw the winning ticket for this year’s Catman2 Quilt Raffle.
Included in this free evening of creative arts and opportunities are homemade refreshments by Becky Nelson from Barker’s Creek -- salmon loaf, carmel apples, cheese and fruit, Baklava, hot cider and hot chocolate and more -- served by members of the CSA Board of Directors.
Shown below: Karen Greenstone of Sylva demonstrates the art of storytelling.
(The Sylva Community Center is located at 538 Scotts Creek Road.)
One storyteller will be Karen Greenstone from Sylva, whose story is called "Baseball Bonanza," an example of a "shaggy dog story" (where the teller spins a long yarn ending with a clever punch line). Karen has taken the skeleton of a particular shaggy dog story about baseball that she heard years ago and has embellished the original tale to create a fictional account of the most memorable kids baseball game ever in the New Orleans neighborhood of her childhood in the 1960s.
Other stories include “The Detour/Two Sides of a Secret” by Erik Hicks; “The Early Years” by Serena H. Dossenko; “Steal Away Home” by Victoria A. Casey McDonald; “The Long Road Home” by Samantha Ganly-Hicks; “The Legend of Mountain Laurel” by Judy Rhodes; “Without Lies,” by Chelsea Greene; “Remembering Grandpa,” by Lauren Hicks; and “The Cow Story,” by Barry Dossenko.
Immediately following, CSA will present special entertainment featuring “The Muses,” a 3-woman a cappella group singing an ingenious mix of Celtic, Americana, traditional Appalachian, and World music. Their repertoire covers a wide range and includes original compositions, spirituals, soul numbers, and songs from Scotland and Ireland.
This year’s Pastel Art Exhibit will include artists Paul Knoepp of Otto, Becky Nelson of Whittier, Nikki Hinke of Cullowhee, Lucius Salisbury of Franklin, Margot Johnson of Glenville and Doreyl Ammons Cain of Tuckasegee. These pastel artists have painted the bright colors of the mountain land with a creative flare. This pastel exhibit brings together many views of our mountains.
A special part of the exhibit will display Art Chairs from the animal relief fund raiser for Catman2 and ARF. Highly imaginative scenes of animals, painted on many different types of seating furniture, will be offered to the highest bidder in a silent auction. For holiday giving, the sale of books, photography, Limited edition art prints, greeting cards and original art will be offered for sale, so come ready to purchase an unforgettable treasure.
Finally, at 7:30 p.m., Harold Sims will draw the winning ticket for this year’s Catman2 Quilt Raffle.
Included in this free evening of creative arts and opportunities are homemade refreshments by Becky Nelson from Barker’s Creek -- salmon loaf, carmel apples, cheese and fruit, Baklava, hot cider and hot chocolate and more -- served by members of the CSA Board of Directors.
Shown below: Karen Greenstone of Sylva demonstrates the art of storytelling.
Western Carolina University's Mountain Heritage Center is hosting a presentation on Tuesday, Nov. 13 by Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger Brad Free. The talk is entitled "Trade, Timber and Tourism: The Trans-Mountain Road of the Smokies," and centers around the Oconaluftee Turnpike built to connect North
Carolina and Tennessee in the 1830s.
The toll road was the only crossing in the Smokies for several years. It followed a Native American trail across passes and over high ridges through what is now the national park. Ranger Free will describe the changing landscape along that road and how it differs from other ecosystems in the Smokies.
Free is an experienced speaker. As an employee with the national park's Division of Resource Education and Visitor Services, he guides history hikes, presents campground evening programs and provides costume interpretation at the national park's Mountain Farm Museum.
The program begins at 5:30 p.m.
WCU's Mountain Heritage Center is on the ground floor of the H.F. Robinson Administration Building. For more information, call (828) 227-7129 or visit www.wcu.edu/mhc.
The toll road was the only crossing in the Smokies for several years. It followed a Native American trail across passes and over high ridges through what is now the national park. Ranger Free will describe the changing landscape along that road and how it differs from other ecosystems in the Smokies.
Free is an experienced speaker. As an employee with the national park's Division of Resource Education and Visitor Services, he guides history hikes, presents campground evening programs and provides costume interpretation at the national park's Mountain Farm Museum.
The program begins at 5:30 p.m.
WCU's Mountain Heritage Center is on the ground floor of the H.F. Robinson Administration Building. For more information, call (828) 227-7129 or visit www.wcu.edu/mhc.
If you're looking for a volunteer community project about strong women and local heritage, the town of Dillsboro is looking for you.This Saturday, Nov. 10, the Monteith House Restoration Committee is looking for helpers to get "down and dirty" at a volunteer clean-up event at the Monteith Farmstead in Dillsboro. The event begins at 10 a.m. and continues through the afternoon.
Volunteers will help clean, repair and catalog at the turn-of-the-century Monteith Farm, which has a four-level farmhouse, a canning house, a flower house, a greenhouse and a barn. Workers are needed for a variety of tasks, including sweeping down cobwebs, cleaning and organizing artifacts, and fixing broken windows and boards.
More opportunities to help will be on Wednesday Nov. 14 from noon to 5, and on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. continuing through the afternoon.
The restoration eventually will bring the home to almost-original condition. It will house the Southern Appalachian Women's Museum, which will showcase the lives and contributions of sisters Edna and Edith Monteith, who were the home's last owners, and other outstanding Appalachian women.
The town of Dillsboro purchased the 16-acre property from the estates of the sisters. Edna and Edith lived in the farmhouse with their family and were its last surviving members. The 2 women, one of whom was married for a time, ran the farm themselves. They had gardens, chicken coops, butchery, beehives, greenhouse, canning and laundry rooms.
A lot of dust and dirt needs to be removed because the house was unoccupied for several years, but it already has yielded treasures, including the sisters' school essays on the then-recent passage of the 19th amendment allowing women the right to vote; dozens of shoes and dresses in near-new condition; letters, postal records and other documents that describe the history of Jackson County as it grew in the 1950s though 1980s; and the orignial beehives the women kept to make honey.
According to Volunteer Coordinator Tim Osment, the two events also enable the all-volunteer restoration committee to put other events in motion. By cleaning out the first floor of the house and cataloging its contents properly, the committee then can use the space to collect donated items for a planned January attic sale fund-raiser. Early next year the committee plans to jump-start its fund-raising drive with a traveling Appalachian exhibit and opening gala. Osment would like the house to be in "tourable" condition for people participating in those events.
Attic sale items can be donated during the 3 clean-up days, and those interested in information about the park are encouraged to stop by, whether or not they can help clean.
To volunteer, wear old clothes and sturdy, close-toed shoes. If you'd like to dust artifacts, bring a new or clean paint brush. Flashlights, permanent markers, and any food or drinks would be useful, too. Come to the park for one, two or all three of the events (for a map, click here).
From Sylva, take west Main Street towards Dillsboro to the first stop light after passing the Dillsboro Court shopping area. Turn right at the light and then approach the farmstead using the first road on the right. Parking is in the gravel lot. From Highway 441, turn into downtown Dillsboro at the traffic light (Haywood Road) and continue to the first stop light; turn left and then approach the farmstead using the first road on the right.
If you'd like to pre-register (not necessary, though) or to get more information, contact Osment at 828-273-7619 or by email at timosment@gmail.com.
The town of Dillsboro's website has an article about the project (click). The town plans to run a section of its portion of the Jackson County Greenway through the farmstead, and to build a fine arts theater, visual arts gallery, public restrooms, playground and picnic shelter.
Shown below is the flower house, one of the outbuildings scheduled for restoration and salvage. Here the Monteith sisters grew plants and stored canned goods. Beehives were in the top portion of the shed. (Click photo to enlarge.)
The photo below shows, from left, the main farmhouse, the butchery shed and chicken coops (which shared a building), and the canning and laundry house. A fireplace grill in the laundry house was used for boiling vats of laundry and canning vegetables. The building contains one of the first Maytag washers made. Its upper floor is clear of nearly all items; volunteers are still trying to determine its use.
As it has done each year since 1970, Western Carolina University is inviting the public to attend a Madrigal Dinner presented by students, faculty and staff. This year 2 dinners will take place on Friday Nov. 30 and Saturday Dec. 1.Each Madrigal Dinner is an evening of dinner, theatre and music in the tradition of the Elizabethan period, presented by characters in elaborate period dress.
Dr. Jim and Barbara Dooley, co-founders of the Madrigal Dinners, will serve as "lord and lady" of the dinner theatre, as they have since its inception.
"It's a tradition steeped in people. The same people have been putting this on, and the same people have been coming back again and again to participate," said Diane Harris, director of the University Center, whose staff will co-produce the dinners. "It seems to be very contagious." Harris has been with the university and participating in the Madrigal Dinners for 26 years.
The dinners will be held in the University Center. WCU's Musical Theatre Department, directed by Dr. Bob Holquist, will provide entertainment. The campus foodservice group, Aramark, will cater a three-course meal including the historical staples of Wassail, Cornish game hens, glazed carrots and plum pudding. (Click here to view the menu.)
Guests don't need to wear period costumes or fancy dinner attire but many do, Harris said. The guests, called patrons, will be seated at tables of 8 in the UC Grand Room. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. on each night but patrons must be in their seats by 6:25 p.m.
Tickets sell out fast; the sale began on Tuesday, Nov. 6. WCU student admission is $18; all others are $30.
The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., and is located on campus on the first floor of the University Center.
Tickets also can be purchased by Visa or MasterCard, at 227-7206.
Additional information is available from UC office manager Kim Davis at 227-3621 or UC director Dianne Harris at 227-3619.
How many plant species do you see in this image? (Click it to see a larger version.) Stop reading and count them first.Back already?
Bet you didn't count the bench.
This former tall tree, whose branches stretched skyward to gather sun for thousands of days before he became lumber, now waits on Sylva's Spring Street for passers-by to take him up on his offer of rest and reflection.
Prepare to be plundered! It appears pirates have boarded Sylva's Spring Street, somehow navigating the now-shallow waters of Scotts Creek. This Jolly Roger was spotted flying from the mast of a large stationary brick ship across from City Lights Bookstore.
Presumably these pirates are not the Pirates of the Tuckaseigee, a musical group co-founded by Sylva attorney Jay Coward over 15 years ago.
But could it be more than a coincidence that Jay's law firm is expanding its downtown Sylva offices only two blocks away?
The Jackson County Magazine will keep a close eye on the situation.
Construction begins this week on a new kindergarten building at Fairview Elementary School. Parents are warned to watch out for construction traffic and to expect traffic snarls during pickup and dropoff times.
The new building will be behind the current teacher parking lot (shown here), next to A Pod. That parking lot will be roped off for construction supplies, trucks and other equipment, but a smaller gravel lot has been added. Construction should affect the bus parking lot, as well; new bus pickup and dropoff procedures are coming.
Although building plans were completed several years ago, construction has been deferred until now so that various improvements to neighboring Smoky Mountain High School could be made, such as the new bus route through Jones Street.
Local contractor Philips and Jordan, Inc. has scheduled the building for completion in December of next year.
The new building will include a common playroom and learning center, and a washer and dryer room.
More details are available from Betty Brown at the Board of Education at 586-2311 and from Fairview Elementary School principal Dennis Proffitt at 586-2819.
Shown below: a view of Fairview Elementary School.
The new building will be behind the current teacher parking lot (shown here), next to A Pod. That parking lot will be roped off for construction supplies, trucks and other equipment, but a smaller gravel lot has been added. Construction should affect the bus parking lot, as well; new bus pickup and dropoff procedures are coming.Although building plans were completed several years ago, construction has been deferred until now so that various improvements to neighboring Smoky Mountain High School could be made, such as the new bus route through Jones Street.
Local contractor Philips and Jordan, Inc. has scheduled the building for completion in December of next year.
The new building will include a common playroom and learning center, and a washer and dryer room.
More details are available from Betty Brown at the Board of Education at 586-2311 and from Fairview Elementary School principal Dennis Proffitt at 586-2819.
Shown below: a view of Fairview Elementary School.
A series of fortunate events has a brought a retail fabric store to downtown Sylva.
Jerry Szlizewski is now the proud owner of Mrs. S Fabrics, located between Main Street Apartments and Vance Hardware on Main Street in Sylva. But she said she couldn't have guessed she'd be sitting behind the counter of her own fabric store even as few as six months ago.
Szlizewski, who came to Jackson County several years ago from Indiana, took an entrepreneurship class at Mountain BizWorks in Sylva, for which she was required to create a hypothetical business. She decided hers would be a fabric store because she has a lifelong love of needlework and hand-stitching. The class required her to draft a mock business plan and then perform research to see what it would take to put the plan into action, so she talked with several people about fabrics. Many said they were very disappointed that Wal-Mart recently stopped selling fabric, meaning they now must drive 10 to 40 miles from home to buy needed fabric.
Not long thereafter, two things happened: Szilzewski passed a "For Rent" sign on a door on Sylva's Main Street, and while doing research for her class she came across a fabric store going out of business looking to cut loose its inventory. When those factors came together, Szlizewski said, it was an easy decision for her to open her store about a month ago.
Mrs. S Fabrics includes dozens of quilt patterns, fabrics, pre-cut bundles of coordinating colors, threads, manuals, books and notions. Beautiful quilts hang on the walls of the clean, cozy shop.
Szlizewski renovated an outdoor patio next to the shop, painting and decorated it with new furniture and a sign that declares it to be a "Sit-N-Stitch" area. She hopes to use the patio for social events, classes and regular quilters' meetings.
The shop sports an attractive awning on the front, partially funded by a "façade grant" from the Downtown Sylva Association.
Regular shop hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. A class on appliqué technique will be held on Nov. 10 and 17 from 10 a.m. to noon.
For more information, call "Mrs. S" herself at 828-273-0344 or e-mail her at mrssfabrics@yahoo.com.
Jerry Szlizewski is now the proud owner of Mrs. S Fabrics, located between Main Street Apartments and Vance Hardware on Main Street in Sylva. But she said she couldn't have guessed she'd be sitting behind the counter of her own fabric store even as few as six months ago.Szlizewski, who came to Jackson County several years ago from Indiana, took an entrepreneurship class at Mountain BizWorks in Sylva, for which she was required to create a hypothetical business. She decided hers would be a fabric store because she has a lifelong love of needlework and hand-stitching. The class required her to draft a mock business plan and then perform research to see what it would take to put the plan into action, so she talked with several people about fabrics. Many said they were very disappointed that Wal-Mart recently stopped selling fabric, meaning they now must drive 10 to 40 miles from home to buy needed fabric.
Not long thereafter, two things happened: Szilzewski passed a "For Rent" sign on a door on Sylva's Main Street, and while doing research for her class she came across a fabric store going out of business looking to cut loose its inventory. When those factors came together, Szlizewski said, it was an easy decision for her to open her store about a month ago.
Mrs. S Fabrics includes dozens of quilt patterns, fabrics, pre-cut bundles of coordinating colors, threads, manuals, books and notions. Beautiful quilts hang on the walls of the clean, cozy shop.
Szlizewski renovated an outdoor patio next to the shop, painting and decorated it with new furniture and a sign that declares it to be a "Sit-N-Stitch" area. She hopes to use the patio for social events, classes and regular quilters' meetings.The shop sports an attractive awning on the front, partially funded by a "façade grant" from the Downtown Sylva Association.
Regular shop hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. A class on appliqué technique will be held on Nov. 10 and 17 from 10 a.m. to noon.
For more information, call "Mrs. S" herself at 828-273-0344 or e-mail her at mrssfabrics@yahoo.com.
Help build Jackson County's new library and have fun, too, by participating in the Great Smoky Mountain Book Fair in Sylva on Saturday, November 10.
More than 50 regional authors will gather to read from and talk about their work with you, including local authors Gary Carden, David Lamotte, Curtis Blanton, Rob Neufeld, Barbara Duncan and Bob Terrell.
Tickets ($5) will be available soon at many Sylva businesses.
On the evening before the Book Fair, hear a one-woman performance of “On Agate Hill,” a Lee Smith story, by Barbara Bates Smith (accompanied by musician Jeff Sebens playing banjo, hammered dulcimer, and lap dulcimer). The cost is $25. Hors d’oeuvres are included.
Both the Friday night performance and the Saturday book fair will take place at the First United Methodist Church of Sylva.
By participating in one or both events, you'll be helping to build our new library. All ticket proceeds and 20% of book sales will be added to a construction fund for a new building.
The book fair is produced by the Friends of the Jackson County Library, Sylva's City Lights Bookstore, and the Honors College at Western Carolina University.
For more information, visit the City Lights Bookstore page about the event and visit the web page of the Great Smoky Mountain Book Fair.
The Sylva Herald has more coverage about the book fair in an online article (click) (not affiliated with JacksonCountyMagazine.com).
