• Inside • Volume 10, Number 13 Internet PDF Version at www.HighlandsNewspaperPDF.com Thursday, March 29, 2012 FREE every Thursday SUMMER HOUSE Mon.-Sat. 9-5 • Year Round! 2089 Highway 106 828-526-5577 ‘Home Furnishing Center’ The Letters ............................. 2 Obituary ......................... 3 Wooldridge ..................... 4 Salzarulo ........................ 5 Back Days ....................... 6 Swanson ......................... 8 Investing at 4,118 Ft. ...... 9 Spring Home Imp. ......... 12 Out of Honduras ............ 18 •See EMPLOYEES page 19 •See CALENDAR page 21 By Ryan Potts The Highlands Biddy League Eagles and the Highlands Junior League Eagles made history last Tuesday by becoming the first two Highlands teams to win Macon County League Championships in the same season. In addition to both teams earning championships, they both finished the season unblemished, which is also noteworthy in that Highlands has also never had two undefeated county league teams in the same season. The Biddy League Eagles, coached by Ryan Gearhart and Justin Watson, finished their season at 14-0 with a win in the championship against the Franklin Yellow Jackets. The Eagles won their championship in a thrilling game that finished with a 27-25 score. Representing the Eagles are Destin Gearhart, Colby Harris, Sage Potts, Jordan Powell, Jimmy Passmore, Pablo Jimenez, Taj Roman and Highlands youth teams make history with undefeated seasons Noah Carver. The Junior League Eagles, coached by Carla Gates and Brent Harris, also finished their season with a record of 14-0. They defeated the Franklin Yellow Jackets by 18 in their championship game in an outstanding performance. On the Eagles team are Mattson Gates, Joey Harris, Harrison Shomaker, Cole Wilkes, Drew Chalker, Ben Avery, Caden Smolarsky, Logan Houston and Luke Nix. Biddy League Eagles: Destin Gearhart, Colby Harris, Sage Potts, Jordan Powell, Jimmy Passmore, Pablo Jimenez, Taj Roman and Noah Carver with coaches Justin Watson and Ryan Gearhart. The U.S. Forest Service granted a stay, halting the Forest Service's plans to permit boating on 17 miles of the Wild and Scenic Upper Chattooga River NO BOATING allowed on Upper Chattooga •See BOATING page 8 Thursday, March 29 • Taize at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31 • Oliver Rice and the Dixie Blue Ridge Mountain Boys will play two sets, one at 5 p.m., the second at 7 pm. Saturday at the Satolah firehouse on NC 28. Food served beginning at 4. All proceeds to benefit fellow firefighter Joe Munger and family. • At The Bascom. Chicks, It’s All Gone to the Birds Exhibition Opening Reception. 5 – 7 pm. • Barn Dance at The Bascom cele- brating police, fire & rescue and EMS. 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 but free to police, fire & rescue and EMS. • At The Bascom. The Artist Talks, Gallery Talk, Susan Taylor Glasgow, artist. 6 pm. • At The Bascom. Friends Around the Globe. 1 – 3pm. Explore world cultures through these fun, creative and entertaining activities. No pre-registration required.Ages 8-12. Tuition: $5 per class. • At The Bascom. Discovering the Image. 10am – 4pm. Instructor: Diane McPhail. Levels: I, II & III. Tuition: $75 member/$110 non-member per class. • At The Bascom. Art Cinema. Sit back and enjoy our weekly feature presen- tation “The Silver Pharaoh” 2 pm. Sunday, April 1 • The movie “Courageous” at High- lands Central Baptist Church at 670 N. 4th St., at 6:30 p.m. • Clear Creek Baptist Church new fellowship hall dedication at 11 a.m. and again at 6 p.m over a fellowship dinner. All are invited. Tuesday, April 3 • Highlands Dialogue, 10-11:30 a.m. at The Hudson Library. “Why Religion Must Be Confronted” by Victor K. Stenger. Free Inquiry July 2011, pp. 23–25. (Handout). Coordinator: Creighton Peden. For more info, contact John Gaston [email protected]or Karen Hawk [email protected]. • Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. in the Community Building by the ballfield. By Ryan Potts The Macon County Board of Education met on Monday night for their monthly meeting, this time in Highlands. The first item on the BOE agenda was to honor longtime Highlands Coach and Athletic Director Butch Smart, who retired effective April 1 st . While Coach Smart was unable to attend due to health complica- tions, Highlands Principal Brian Jetter accepted the award certifi- cate on his behalf. The Board then heard an up- date from the Lindamood-Bell representatives about the progress of the Lindamood-Bell reading process within Macon County Schools. Drew McMahen provid- ed the BOE with a report via tele- conference, and then two repre- sentatives from Lindamood-Bell were on site to answer questions from the Board. Board members 2012-’13 school calendar adopted If the Town Board didn’t have a heart before, it probably grew one after Thursday night’s meet- ing with town employees. At its March 8 retreat where a course was set to cut costs and raise revenue for the town, commis- sioners discussed the likelihood of doing away with 100% family in- surance coverage for employees in 25% increments over a four-year period. Currently, the town pays 100% employee and family cov- erage and the family coverage costs the town more than employ- ee coverage. At current rates, do- ing away with family coverage would save the town $281,022.61 per year. It pays $241,067.52 for employee coverage. Given the state of the econo- my, those figures on paper speak Employees speak out at TB meeting
Transcript
• Inside •
Volume 10, Number 13 Internet PDF Version at www.HighlandsNewspaperPDF.com Thursday, March 29, 2012
FREE every Thursday
SUMMER HOUSE
Mon.-Sat. 9-5 • Year Round!
2089 Highway 106
828-526-5577
‘Home Furnishing Center’
The
Letters ............................. 2Obituary ......................... 3Wooldridge ..................... 4Salzarulo ........................ 5Back Days ....................... 6Swanson ......................... 8Investing at 4,118 Ft. ...... 9Spring Home Imp. ......... 12Out of Honduras ............ 18
•See EMPLOYEES page 19
•See CALENDAR page 21
By Ryan PottsThe Highlands Biddy League Eagles and the
Highlands Junior League Eagles made history lastTuesday by becoming the first two Highlands teamsto win Macon County League Championships inthe same season. In addition to both teams earningchampionships, they both finished the seasonunblemished, which is also noteworthy in thatHighlands has also never had two undefeated countyleague teams in the same season.
The Biddy League Eagles, coached by RyanGearhart and Justin Watson, finished their season at14-0 with a win in the championship against theFranklin Yellow Jackets. The Eagles won theirchampionship in a thrilling game that finished witha 27-25 score. Representing the Eagles are DestinGearhart, Colby Harris, Sage Potts, Jordan Powell,Jimmy Passmore, Pablo Jimenez, Taj Roman and
Highlands youth teams make historywith undefeated seasons
Noah Carver.The Junior League Eagles, coached by Carla Gates
and Brent Harris, also finished their season with arecord of 14-0. They defeated the Franklin YellowJackets by 18 in their championship game in anoutstanding performance. On the Eagles team areMattson Gates, Joey Harris, Harrison Shomaker, ColeWilkes, Drew Chalker, Ben Avery, Caden Smolarsky,Logan Houston and Luke Nix.
Biddy League Eagles: Destin Gearhart, Colby Harris, Sage Potts, Jordan Powell, Jimmy Passmore,Pablo Jimenez, Taj Roman and Noah Carver with coaches Justin Watson and Ryan Gearhart.
The U.S. Forest Service granted a stay, haltingthe Forest Service's plans to permit boating on 17miles of the Wild and Scenic Upper Chattooga River
NO BOATING allowedon Upper Chattooga
•See BOATING page 8
Thursday, March 29• Taize at the Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation at 5:30 p.m.Saturday, March 31• Oliver Rice and the Dixie Blue Ridge
Mountain Boys will play two sets, one at 5p.m., the second at 7 pm. Saturday at theSatolah firehouse on NC 28. Food servedbeginning at 4. All proceeds to benefit fellowfirefighter Joe Munger and family.
• At The Bascom. Chicks, It’s All Goneto the Birds Exhibition Opening Reception.5 – 7 pm.
• Barn Dance at The Bascom cele-brating police, fire & rescue and EMS. 7p.m. Tickets are $5 but free to police, fire &rescue and EMS.
• At The Bascom. The Artist Talks,Gallery Talk, Susan Taylor Glasgow, artist.6 pm.
• At The Bascom. Friends Around theGlobe. 1 – 3pm. Explore world culturesthrough these fun, creative and entertainingactivities. No pre-registration required. Ages8-12. Tuition: $5 per class.
• At The Bascom. Discovering theImage. 10am – 4pm. Instructor: DianeMcPhail. Levels: I, II & III. Tuition: $75member/$110 non-member per class.
• At The Bascom. Art Cinema. Sitback and enjoy our weekly feature presen-tation “The Silver Pharaoh” 2 pm.
Sunday, April 1• The movie “Courageous” at High-
lands Central Baptist Church at 670 N. 4thSt., at 6:30 p.m.
• Clear Creek Baptist Church newfellowship hall dedication at 11 a.m. and againat 6 p.m over a fellowship dinner. All areinvited.
Tuesday, April 3• Highlands Dialogue, 10-11:30 a.m.
at The Hudson Library. “Why Religion MustBe Confronted” by Victor K. Stenger. FreeInquiry July 2011, pp. 23–25. (Handout).Coordinator: Creighton Peden. For more info,contact John Gaston [email protected] Karen Hawk [email protected].
• Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. in theCommunity Building by the ballfield.
By Ryan PottsThe Macon County Board of
Education met on Monday nightfor their monthly meeting, thistime in Highlands. The first itemon the BOE agenda was to honorlongtime Highlands Coach andAthletic Director Butch Smart,who retired effective April 1st.While Coach Smart was unableto attend due to health complica-tions, Highlands Principal BrianJetter accepted the award certifi-cate on his behalf.
The Board then heard an up-date from the Lindamood-Bellrepresentatives about the progressof the Lindamood-Bell readingprocess within Macon CountySchools. Drew McMahen provid-ed the BOE with a report via tele-conference, and then two repre-sentatives from Lindamood-Bellwere on site to answer questionsfrom the Board. Board members
2012-’13school
calendaradopted
If the Town Board didn’t havea heart before, it probably grewone after Thursday night’s meet-ing with town employees.
At its March 8 retreat where acourse was set to cut costs and raiserevenue for the town, commis-sioners discussed the likelihood of
doing away with 100% family in-surance coverage for employees in25% increments over a four-yearperiod.
Currently, the town pays100% employee and family cov-erage and the family coveragecosts the town more than employ-
ee coverage. At current rates, do-ing away with family coveragewould save the town $281,022.61per year. It pays $241,067.52 foremployee coverage.
Given the state of the econo-my, those figures on paper speak
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• LETTERS •
Dear Editor,Mayor Wilkes is wrong.Neither the Mayor nor any of his cro-
nies on the town board are entitled to “re-spect” just because they hold an office. Andno non-living entity (such as the office ofMayor or Town Manager) is entitled tosomething that is only reserved for livingthings.
I was taught that in order to deserverespect you must first give respect.This has not happened. When the townboard voted to cut their employee’s pay(yes to remove a benefit IS, in effect, a paycut) without discussing with their em-ployees the town’s problems or trying tounderstand their needs; they were simplytelling them how little their service isworth. Therefore, when they complain ofnot being respected, they might realizethat they have only themselves to blame(they should expect no respect becausethey’ve given none).
I am surprised that at least one of theaffected employees didn’t say to the May-or and Town Board—in the words JohnnyPaycheck’s great country music classic—to (respectfully) “take this job and shoveit.”
The Mayor and his cronies have for-gotten that they were elected to serve, notrule. They have forgotten that HighlandsIS the people who live here, the peoplewho work here, and the people who visithere; and IS NOT the non-living, non-thinking businesses and other institutionsthat have been the focus of so much oftheir attention.
The Mayor and some of the TownBoard are hurting our community. It istime they resign from office.
John GastonHighlands, NC
On ‘Lack of Respect’
Abraham Lincoln said “It is true thatyou may fool all of the people some of thetime; you can even fool some of the peo-ple all of the time; but you can’t fool all ofthe people all of the time.” In the 2010election voters were fooled into electing acandidate whose campaign was largelyfinanced with corporate money coming
How FreedomWorks
from outside this district. This money fi-nanced an attack campaign to smear hisopponent, misrepresenting his record. Arelocal voters going to be fooled again in 2012?Will they vote for candidates whose cam-paigns outspend their opponents withmoney coming from outsiders? Will expe-rienced candidates devoted to serving ourcommunity be defeated by big money againin this election cycle?
FreedomWorks, a national organiza-tion, funds local candidates for election whowill promote its agenda. It evolved in 2004from a merger of an organization fundedby David Koch and a group founded bymembers of the first Bush administration.The chairman of FreedomWorks is DickArmey. Armey presents himself as a politi-cal “outsider,” but he is not. A Texas Repub-lican, he served in the House of Represen-tatives and later as a Washington lobbyist.Armey wrote a book, “Give Us Liberty-ATea Party Manifesto,” and inserted himselfinto the Tea Party movement as its de factoleader. He is the main author of The Con-tract with America, which numerous TeaPartiers have signed. Dick Armey visitedFranklin in August 2010, to speak and signhis book, at a gathering dominated by TeaParty supporters.
Armey’s FreedomWorks participates in
ALEC, a group of corporate leaders, lobby-ists and Republican legislators. ALEC’s goalis to influence lawmakers to enact legisla-tion reflecting corporate interests. Legisla-tion supported by ALEC includes tax breaksfor the wealthiest Americans, privatizingSocial Security, eliminating federally fund-ed health care and elimination of regula-tions to protect our environment. One ex-ample of ALEC initiated legislation, alreadyadopted in some states and currently beingpushed by Republicans in the N.C. state leg-islature, is the Voter ID Bill. This bill hasthe potential to disenfranchise minorities,students and the elderly.
The Supreme Court decision, CitizensUnited, allows corporations to contributeunlimited campaign funds to candidatesrunning for public offices. Candidates win-ning elections with corporate financingrepresent corporate interests and not “Wethe people…” Traditionally, candidates run-ning for local offices relied on funding fromdonations generated by supporters in theirhome communities. FreedomWorks dol-lars are used in elections to purchase bill-board space, bumper stickers, yard signs,and advertising for local candidates whowill represent FreedomWorks interests.Most candidates for local offices don’t havethe resources to fund expensive election
campaigns.Supporting evidence points to indi-
viduals locally connected to Freedom-Works contacting area Democrats to re-cruit a candidate for the upcoming prima-ry election. Local candidates with finan-cial backing from a national organizationhave a tremendous advantage. In electioncampaigns where one candidate has anoverwhelming financial advantage thecandidate with limited funding usually los-es. Financial disclosure laws clearly illus-trate an example of this. In 2010 Jim Davis,backed by corporate funding, defeatedJohn Snow funded mainly by local dona-tions. Do we care about the future of thiscommunity? Are we going to vote for thecandidates with the most billboards andadvertising backed by outsiders with na-tional agendas? Or do we want elected of-ficials with proven records of love for andservice to our local community? Thechoice is ours to make.
“Fool me once, shame on you. Foolme twice, shame on me.”
Margery AbelFranklin, N.C.
Dear Editor,We’ve all heard the remark “Follow
The Money.” It’s more important thanever to look behind all those proposalsmade by the current crop of Presidentialcandidates.Who is paying howmuch? Why? Whose pocket will thosePAC dollars ultimately benefit?
Current positions taken bythese men about Women’s Health Careare an abomination. We women need tolook at the reasons for these remarks. Whois pulling the strings behind all the false,implausibe and detrimental information.
President Obama’s health care lawrequires that New Health Insurance Planscover preventive services with no co-payor deductible. In the last 18 months, a newprovision of the Affordable Care Act hasdone exactly that for approximately 20.4million women with private health in-surance.
The requirement is that women’sinsurance carriers include this protection,and importantly, do not
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• OBITUARY •
Anne Edith Keener Wiley, 92, of theBertrand Community, died Monday,March 19, 2012. She was born in the Gold-mine Community of Western North Caro-lina on August 29, 1919 to the late Georgeand Callie Keener. She was preceded indeath by her husband, David E. Wiley; fourbrothers, Grover L. Keener, Ira L. Keener,George M. Keener, and Richard C. Keener;four sisters, Ella V. Peek, Margaret G. Hous-ton, Martha G. Keener and Dorothy M.Bryson. She was a member of the PineGrove Baptist Church, Gniess, NC.
Mrs. Wiley retired from Federal Ser-vice with the Department of Defense in1985, to pursue her lifelong passion for gar-dening and the outdoors. She was espe-cially adept at identifying, collecting, andcultivating many varied species of wildflowers. Equally skilled at the art of fresh-water trout fishing, none were safe if shewas in pursuit.
Unable to continue negotiating riverand creek banks, she relocated from herhome in Northern Virginia to LancasterCounty in 1997, where she spent manyhours tending her flowers and pursuing
•See OBITUARY page 9
Anne Edith Keener Wileyother varieties of fish.
She is survived by three sons and twodaughters; Richard E. Wiley of Heathsville,William H. Wiley of Ottoman, John A.Wiley of Millenbeck, Elizabeth J. Short of
1152 N. 4th St. (a mile from Main St. on Cashiers Road)Made in the U.S.A.
GRAND OPENING Saturday, April 14Join us for the Celebration!
• LAUGHING AT LIFE • with Fred WooldridgeFeedback is encouraged!
The Adventures of Frisky • Part 4 of 4A boy and his dog
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It was incredible how fast Frisky’s broken leg healed. Aweek had passed and it seemed he could run as fast asever while wearing the cast on his front leg. Winter turned to spring and
life was good for me and my dog. I worried about Frisky getting hit againand maybe dying the next time. I knew it would be impossible to restrainthis dog after a lifetime of running the streets. Frisky was as carefree as anydog could be.
It was a hot summer day and I was returning fromWyandotte Park where I splashed in the fountain eachafternoon. Frisky didn’t like the water and always ploppedin the nearby shade or chased squirrels he never caught.
As we walked home, I decided to jump up on top ofthe cemetery wall and finish my walk. I did it often. Atone point the wall was over 10 feet above the ground onthe street side and was pretty scary for a little guy like me.Frisky kept pace with me, stopping periodically to sniffthe presence of another dog.
Then a squirrel appeared from nowhere and shot rightin front of Frisky. He took chase and they headed for thestreet. I saw the milk truck barreling down on him andcalled out. It was too late. I held my hands over my head inhorror as I watched my dog get hit and roll under thetruck. The driver slammed on the brakes as Frisky rolledout from underneath the back of the truck. Frisky pickedhimself up, shook, and ran for home, not waiting for me.I couldn’t get off the wall as it was too high a jump. Whenthe driver saw my dog hightailing it home, he started hisengine and left. We never spoke.
I had at least another block of high cemetery wall tonegotiate before I could jump off. I ran home at lightningspeed. There sat Frisky on our front stoop. When he sawme he came running. Except for several grease marks onhis back, he was fine. He must have just been tumbled bythe truck’s undercarriage and nothing more.
Several days later I noticed a major change in Frisky’sbehavior. He would stop at the curb and look both waysbefore crossing the street. This smart little dog had learnedhis lesson the hard way. I was so relieved. From that dayforward, Frisky would wait at the curb until all oncomingtraffic cleared before crossing. It was amazing to watch.
Five years passed before my Dad gave me the badnews. My parents had bought another restaurant and wewere moving. Pets were not permitted in our new rentalhome. My sister and her husband volunteered to takeFrisky and I could visit as often as I wanted. Tears flowedthe day I said goodbye to my little dog I loved so much.
I called my sister each day to check on how Friskywas doing. Within a week, Frisky was gone. As usual, shelet him out in the morning before work but this time shenever saw him again. I’m assuming Frisky was out look-ing for me, was hit by a car or fell in love. I’m hoping itwas the latter.
My sister and I went out several times hunting forhim, asking everyone we met on the street if they hadseen him. Posters were stapled to poles on every blockwith phone numbers. Finally, after weeks of hunting andcalling the dog pound numerous times, we gave up onhim. The adrenaline that filled my body daily instantlyevaporated. I grieved for weeks but in the end, I had tomove on. But, to this day, the memories of my lovingfaithful little dog are still in my heart and memory. I stilllove you, Frisky.
Martin? Will he stand trial,or will white America betried as surrogate racists?
Mr. Zimmermanclaims he acted in self de-fense and the “stand yourground” law under whichhe acted will surely be tried.It is certain that racism stillflourishes in America.What is not so certain isthat George Zimmerman’sactions were racially moti-vated, or even if Mr. Martin is a racist.His previous actions would suggest theopposite.
Two facts seem pretty clear. GeorgeZimmerman didn’t leave home to patrolhis a neighborhood with the idea of kill-ing an unarmed black teen. He didn’tlovingly cradle his 9 mm semiautomaticand say, “Let’s go find us a nigga.” Andyoung Trayvon didn’t pull on his hoodie,trek to the local 7/11, buy an iced tea anda bag of Skittles, and say to himself, “I’vegot just enough time before the start ofthe second half to scare the shit out ofsome cracker.”
We can also be reasonably certainthat a white kid wearing khakis and apolo shirt would not have aroused Zim-merman’s suspicion. My guess is the vic-tim would be alive today if he’d beenwearing kahkis and a polo.
President Obama’s white grand-mother admitted she was afraid whenshe saw a black man walking down thestreet. Juan Williams, a black news ana-lyst and long time NPR contributor, wasfired by public radio after he told BillO’Reilly he was nervous and worriedwhen he saw people in Muslim garb onan airplane. There aren’t many peoplewho’d think of Juan Williams as a racist;the bosses at NPR being the exception.White people, and a good many blackcitizens, are nervous and worried whenthey see a young black man in gangstaattire. I haven’t heard if Travyon worehis pants around his knees, or his base-ball cap sideways. Only his hoodie hasbeen mentioned. I love a hood, neverbuy a sweatshirt without one, but I’m a
70-year-old white guy, unlike-ly to evoke fear.America has done a great dealto atone for the sins of slavery.Some black activists, whothink we’ve done too little, arestill demanding that we makegood on our promise of 40acres and a team of mules,plus interest. I think we’ve lev-eled the field about as muchas we can, although I’m not inthe group that believes we’vetilted it to favor minorities. Ifone wants to crash a weddinghe should look as much as he
can like the invited guests. If he wants tojoin mainstream America, he might fore-go his right to dress, speak, and behave ina manner that frightens his neighbors.
Something about Trayvon Martinfrightened George Zimmerman. That factin no way justifies the shooting. PresidentObama’s grandmother didn’t shoot any-one, nor did Juan Williams fire on Mus-lims. Stereotyping is a reality and profil-ing is stereotyping in action. The hoodiehas become the symbol of this tragicevent, more so even than the slain boy.And that seems foolish and misguided tome. It’s like serving banana splits at a dia-betic’s funeral, or toasting a dead alcohol-ic.
We’ve witnessed the Million HoodieMarch and seen churches overflowing ithhooded congregates. What a shame!
Look where stereotypeshave gotten us
Open Mon – Saturday • 10am to 5pm450 Main Street Highlands, NC 828-526-5226
• BACK DAYS •Those who came before and after them – Part 9
The story of the JohnEdwin and Ellie
Pierson Potts family,cont.
•to be continued ...
John Edwin and Ellie Pottscourtesy of the Highlands His-torical Society
By Eva Potts MasseyWe have wonderful mem-
ories of our play-and-work ac-
tivities in the big, roomy yard at the housewe lived in on 5th Street. Mama and Daddy(John Edwin and Ellie Pierson Potts) hadplanted a circle of white pines with onepine in the center with enough sand aroundit for us to spend hours building sand cas-tles.
As we got older, we used this same spotfor work activities, such as peeling peachesand apples and stringing and shelling beansfor canning.
We had to rake our yard in the springand fall and pick up things in between butI don’t remember our mowing it. We wouldstake the cow from one spot to another andlet her mow the yard for us.
We had a cow named Chris that we allliked real well. She became dry and we soldher to Luther Rice for the meat market. Hegot the cow and tied her up behind the meatmarket that was below the old school. Thecow bawled all day. We could hear her andknew what was going to happen. To make along story short, we didn’t eat beef for along time for fear we’d eat some of Chris.
After selling Chris, we needed anothercow. Bill (William Roderick) and Little LukeRice heard of one for sale and they went toget her. They got side-tracked and didn’t gethome until after dark. When Mama andBill went to milk the next morning, Billasked, “Mama, what will we name her?”Mama looked and said, “Old Boney Parts,for she’s nothing but skin and bones.”
In the summer we’d take the cows tothe pastures up near Kalanta and the Bow-ery. We’d imagine we were Heidi in the Alps.We also rode “Old Bones,” a donkey, thatbelonged to Uncle Mack Pierson. UncleMack would go with us, because he workedup that way. We’d take the cows in the morn-ing, return home, and then go back up tothe Bowery Road to take Uncle Mack lunch,return home and then go up around 5o’clock to bring the animals back.
We all had chores to do such as churn-ing, cleaning, cooking, ironing and weed-ing the garden. We always had a good vege-table garden as well as raspberries andstrawberries. We had help with our wash-ing at times, but it was done on a scrub boardand the white clothes were boiled in a bigpot over a fire in the back yard or kitchen.The hot water was in a tank on the cookstove in the kitchen. When electricity wasavailable in Highlands, we were among thefirst to have lights, a radio, a washing ma-chine and a refrigerator. However, we didn’tget an electric stove until later years. Daddy
always thought cooking was better on thewood stove.
Daddy was transferred to Pisgah For-est by the Forest Service. We were the onlyone of the Potts families to move awayfrom Highlands. Travel in the 1920s wasnot as pleasant as it is today. The road fromHighlands to Pisgah Forest wasn’t paved.Daddy went ahead of us and bought newfurniture for the house there. Raleigh Hop-per, who ran a taxi service, took Mama andthe children. Uncle Mack Pierson drovehis truck, taking our clothes, toys and a fewarticles of furniture. Uncle Wendell McKin-ney rode Peggy, the horse and led Donnie,the cow. We didn’t have a car, because Dad-dy didn’t drive. He said the vibration tick-led his feet.
The house we moved into was inter-esting. It was a lovely home built around alarge dining room that was over a hundredyears old, put together with wood pegs. Inthe woods back of the house there weremany large grapevines and all of us learnedhow to be Tarzan on the swinging vines.One day when I swung down and startedto drop, I looked down and saw a big blacksnake. I called to the others to help me, butthey thought I was teasing. Finally after Iwas about to drop, Bill came and killed thesnake.
At Pisgah Forest, Bill, Mary and I firstattended a two-teacher school just in sightof our house. The building was called En-glish Chapel because of church servicesheld there on Sundays. The next year theschool was consolidated and we rode theschool bus to Pisgah Forest.
Once on the first day of fishing sea-son, Daddy had all his Rangers appointedto their posts. He didn’t tell us he was go-ing to patrol, too. Mama told us childrenwe could go down to the Big Hole in frontof the house to fish. She was setting breadand would join us in a few minutes. Whenshe got there, none of us had caught a fish.She had brought along a little dough justin case and she baited our hooks with it.
The fish loved the bait and before weknew it we were hauling those fish in.Mama had on a big apron which she usedas a net. She helped us land and removethe fish from our hooks and then baitedour hooks again. I’m sure we had morethan the limit in a few minutes.
Just in the middle of our fun, Daddycame walking up and Mama felt caughtbetween a rock and a hard place...
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• For the first time inmany years, Rick Pitino is theplucky underdog facing thejuggernaut that is the Ken-tucky Wildcats. Kentucky hasbeen running on all cylindersin the tournament-blowingthe competition away by dou-ble digits in each victory.Meanwhile, Louisville had astretch where they fell off themap during the regular sea-son, but used a Big East titlerun to propel themselves to the Final Four.(sound familiar? UConn did the samething last year) One thing is for certain-Pitino certainly will embrace the role ofRobin Hood to John Calipari’s King John.
• There is power on the blocks in NewOrleans-every team in the Final Four fea-tures stud post players. Kansas’s ThomasRobinson and Kentucky’s Anthony Daviswere competing for Player of the Year allseason. Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger is cer-tainly a part of the conversation when talk-ing about the best post players in Ameri-ca. And while Louisville doesn’t have oneplayer the caliber of the aforementionedbigs, they have a dynamic duo in GorguiDieng and Chane Behanan that can rivalthat of any left in the tournament. Whilecollege basketball is often referred to as aguard’s game these days, these teams haveproven that it helps to have some muscleon the blocks.
• Defense is the name of the game inthe Final Four this year. Each of the fourteams remaining were the best in theirregion defensively according to KenPomeroy, and all of these teams have acommitment on the defensive end. Forthree of the four teams, the paint is pa-trolled by extraordinary shot blockers.Gorgui Dieng was a one man eraser forLouisville in both the Big East tournamentand in the NCAA tournament thus far.Anthony Davis is the national DefensivePlayer of the Year, and Kansas’s seven foot-er Jeff Withey saved the game for the Jay-hawks against North Carolina with a cou-ple of key rejections. While Ohio Statedoesn’t have a true shotblocker, they havethe best defensive guard in the country inAaron Craft, who will look to pester Ty-shawn Taylor into numerous turnovers.
• The picks. I have a hard time seeinga scenario in which Louisville beats Ken-tucky. The Cardinals are an average offen-
Final Four: Things to watch forsive team but a great defen-sive team. Kentucky is an oth-erworldly defensive teamwhen they want to be, andthey are dynamic offensivelyas well. I think the Wildcatswin by double digits. In theother matchup, I think thatOhio State will be preparedfor Kansas’s assortment of de-fenses, and the outside shoot-ing of the Buckeyes will ne-gate Thomas Robinson’s
strong inside play. Buckeyes by 4 in thatmatchup. In the finals-I think that Kentuckyis just too strong on both ends of the court,but Ohio State will keep it close with theirthree point shooting. In the end, Kentuckyis going to be your national champion, notjust because of their talent, but because oftheir balance on both ends of the court.
WayfindingDeadline extendedIf citizens have not already filled out
this second questionnaire on paper at theLibrary, Town Hall, or the Chamber of Com-merce, they will also have until Sunday,April 15, to complete it online.
Questions or comments can also bedirected to Ran Shaffner [email protected].
If you thought that March Madnessrelates only to basketball, you justhaven’t been paying attention. For
example, I have been a political observerfor approaching 60 years, and I can’tremember such a scurrilous, inane, self-serving, ill-advised remark in a politicalcampaign by any candidate in an electionat any level. Frankly, I wasn’t on board withRick Santorum from the start.
Didn’t know why then, but I do now.Quoting from CBSDC: “Presidential
candidate Rick Santorum said recentlythat Republicans should give PresidentBarack Obama another term if Santorumisn’t the GOP nominee. You might as wellhave Obama over Romney. Santorumreiterated an argument he has madebefore: The former Massachusettsgovernor is not conservative enough tooffer voters a clear choice in the fallelection and that only he can provide thatcontrast. ‘You win by giving people achoice,’ Santorum said during a campaignstop in Texas.”
Well Rick – if you are the choice, I’llpass. It occurred to me that your bio readsquite similarly to that of your choice,
March Madness marches onBarack. You went to lawschool, played at being alawyer for four years, ran foroffice and became a careerpolitician until Bob Caseybeat the snot out of you inthe 2006 election. You lostyour Senate seat, allowingCasey to be the firstPennsylvania Democratsince 1962 to be elected to afull term.
Enough of him. Well,almost. While Santorum wascommitting political
hari-kari, Jeb Bushjoined a long list of respectedconservatives publiclybacking Mitt Romney. You,Rick, were quoted in the PRNewswire justprior to the 2008 Presidential campaignseason: “In a few short days, Republicansfrom across this country will decide morethan their party’s nominee. They will decidethe very future of our party and theconservative coalition that Ronald Reaganbuilt.
Conservatives can no longer afford to
stand on the sidelines in thiselection, and GovernorRomney is the candidatewho will stand up for theconservative principles thatwe hold dear. GovernorRomney has a deepunderstanding of theimportant issues confrontingour country today, and he isthe clear conservativecandidate that can go into thegeneral election with a unitedRepublican party.”
My, talk about theultimate flip-flopper. I used tolove you before I hated you.Madness. Speaking of flip-floppers, how about our
cherished president, who recently put thekibosh on the Keystone XL Pipeline project,frosting everybody but a handful of far leftenvironmental whackadoodles. He did thisin the middle of spiking gasoline prices inan election year. Mmm – smooth.
So, the other day, Obama jumped intohis fossil fuel powered 747 and went downto Cushing, OK, to try and demonstrate tothe country that he is, in fact, in an electionyear.
Just to refresh, the XL project wouldbring Canadian oil and production fromthe vast fields in North Dakota to therefineries on the Gulf Coast, passing throughCushing. So Obama tells the world (andAmerican voters) that he is going to giveapproval of the construction of the southernleg of the pipeline, from Cushing south.Barack, it’s already approved to go ahead.You don’t have a thing to do with it.
The absurdity of it all is that, withoutbringing the oil south from where it isproduced to Cushing, what have you done?Make a transparent campaign speech, that’swhat. You have got yourself so tangled up inyour alternative source of energy schemes;reality is bearing its fangs and biting you inthe behind.
Madness.I don’t know if this is Madness or not,
but it was an item that I thought wasinteresting. Maybe I’m going crazy since it’snearing the end of the Month of Mad. Fromthe Weekly Standard: “’Danish TV HostMocks Obama for His Rhetoric.’ ThomasBuch-Anderson, host of the Danish TVshow Detektor, mocked President Obama’spolitical rhetoric in a recent episode.
‘Obama used a metaphor fromboxing to explain Denmark’s role in theworld,’ says Buch-Andersen, introducingthe segment. He then rolls the tape. ‘That’sfairly typical of the way that Danes havepunched above their weight ininternational affairs,’ President Obamasays at a press availability in the Oval Officewith Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt of Demark.
“It’s nice to be praised,’ Buch-Andersen remarks. “We punched harderthan our weight class would suggest. Buthow much should we read into his words?According to Obama, are we doing anybetter than, say the Norwegians?’ The TVhost again turns to the tape, this timeshowing President Obama andNorwegian prime minister JensStoltenberg. ‘I’ve said this before, but Iwant to repeat: Norway punches above itsweight,’ Obama says.
Back to Buch-Andersen. ‘Hmm. SoNorway packs a punch, too. But what aboutthe Netherlands? Here, their head ofgovernment, Mark Rutte, visits Obama.’The tape rolls yet again. ‘We have nostronger ally than the Netherlands,’ saysObama. ‘They consistently punch abovetheir weight.’ The TV host continues,pointing to the similar rhetoric Obamaused when Ireland’s head of state came totown, and the Philippines.
Buch-Andersen wonders aloud,‘Maybe the copy key got stuck on thepresidential speechwriter’s keyboard.’”
Maybe Obama has taken one toomany in the head. Something has toaccount for his normal semi-consciousstate. Maybe Hillary punched above herweight in 2008.
this season."The request to stay the permitting of
boating between the confluence of GreenCreek in North Carolina and Lick LogCreek in South Carolina between Dec. 1and April 30 at flow levels of 350 cfs orhigher is granted," said Reviewing OfficerKen S. Arney. The stay request states thatboating without officially designated put-ins, take-outs, and approach trails will causeerosion and sedimentation and will marthe beauty of the Upper Chattooga.
Arney said a review of all appeal issueswill be conducted based on their merits,and independent of this stay decision.
Spring has definitely arrivedearly after an almost
non-existent winter inHighlands . Flowers (andweeds) are taking a peek tosee if it’s safe to come out.All locals know,,as I was toldeighteen years ago when Imoved here: “never plantbefore Mother’s Day –afrost will surely comeagain.” And as nature ruledI threw out many gerani-ums and pansies that froze and died pre-maturely. This year I am questioning oncemore.
What a glorious time spring is in ourarea! Nothing is nicer than a chilly morn-ing for hiking warmed by the mid daysun and then graced once again by crispevenings just right for nestling by the fire-place with a favorite glass of wine orlibation…sweet!
If you’ve been visiting our area foryears or if you just discovered us, what anopportune time to invest and buy proper-ty here! Prices are lower than I’ve seen inmany years and banks are finally lendingagain. And when have we seen such lowinterest rates? Even buyers who can af-ford to pay cash are getting loans becauseof the historically low rates. The optionsare wide open to fit your specific needs.
Now that Highlands has been ratedby Barrons as one of the top places in thecountry to invest and buy a second home,and with the Spa at Old Edwards Inn be-ing rated number one in the country bythe readers of Conde Nast Magazine, we
have “bragging rights!” Toknow us is to love us. Dine inour fabulous restaurants,shop in an array of boutiquesand art galleries, attend a per-formance at The Playhouseor PAC Center, create a mas-terpiece at The Bascom FineArts Center or simply grab abasket and picnic next to awaterfall or perched high ona mountaintop.
Is it time to buy in High-lands? Absolutely! Highlands
is no longer a hidden gem. Invest in a dia-mond and stop kicking around stones. Di-amonds hold their value and last forever!
• Pat Allen, SRF, CLHMS, is the ownerand broker in charge of Pat Allen RealtyGroup. She is the only Certified Home Mar-keting Specialist in the area and was votedBest Realtor in Highlands. Her expertise innegotiations and service during and aftersales has made her a top agent in High-lands. Pat may be reached at 828 526-8784or 828 200 9179. Her email [email protected] and website isPatAllenRealtyGroup.com.
Lottsburg and Martha A. Palmer of Chesa-peake; 17 grandchildren; 29 great-grand-children; and three great-great grandchil-dren.
Funeral services were held at BethelUnited Methodist Church, Lively on Sat-urday, March 24, 2012.
Another funeral service was held atWednesday, March 28, at Bryant-GrantFuneral Home in Highlands, NC. Memo-rials may be made to the Highlands Me-morial Park, Highlands, NC 28741. Bry-ant-Grant Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.
... OBITUARY frompage 3
Join us this Easter atHighlands United Methodist Churchto celebrate the resurrection of Jesus(315 Main Street with Pastors Paul Christy & Beth Bowser)
THURSDAY, APRIL 5 – MAUNDY THURSDAYPlease join us at 7 p.m. for our Maundy Thursday service.
We will share together in Holy CommunionFRIDAY, APRIL 6 – GOOD FRIDAY
Please join us at 7 p.m. for our Good Friday serviceSUNDAY, APRIL 8 – EASTER SUNDAY6:45 a.m. - Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service
Join us and other churches at the amphitheatre behind theBiological Research Center for our sunrise service.
Worship Services / The Living CrossJoin us as we celebrate at 8:30 and 10:50 a.m.
Bring a flower from your garden or one purchased to place on the crossbefore each service.
Dehumidifiers Serviced and InstalledTired of mildew on your walls and in your closets?Trade your old dehumidifier in and get one thatwill do the job once and for all. 5-year warranty.
If you want to spark a lively debate, tryasking people how they feel about theexistence or non-existence of angels.
Of course, people have argued for yearsover whether or not there are ghosts,fairies, or UFOs. One thing I know forsure, though. I believe in dragons. I knowit, because two of them taught me English.
Waiting ‘on’ GodotThe kind of English I learned in school wasnot the casual Emeril Lagasse-type whereyou threw around metaphors, added apinch of hyperbole, and – bam! - casuallyignored the agreement of subjects and verbs.No, I was taught never to end a sentencewith a preposition, split an infinitive, or tobegin a sentence with “And” or “But.” This
doesn’t mean I don’t breakthe occasionalgrammatical rule, but atleast when I do, I have thedecency to feel guilty.
In the 1950s and early1960s in Waynesboro, welearned by memorizingpoetry and rules ofgrammar. There were popquizzes, and regular exams.These days, such methodsmay be consideredoutdated, and blamed forreducing children tomindless zombies. I neverthought I’d defend this old-fashionedmethod of teaching, but I still remembermuch of what was taught me 50 years ago.Learning might have been fun at times, butwe didn’t expect it. Prepositions, inparticular, were drummed into our headson a regular basis. Both Mrs. Smith andMrs. Forbes were relentless about gettingthe right preposition in a sentence. Forexample, you brag “to” someone, or youbrag “about” someone. You never brag “on”anything. The same goes for “waiting onsomeone.” You wait “for” someone; youdon’t wait “on” them, unless you’re a serveror a sales person. Yet people in Highlandsare always telling me how they’re “waitin’on my husband/children/girlfriends.” Youthink we depend on foreign oil? How aboutdepending on the preposition “on”? Wereour ancestors so heavily laden when theybraved the mountains to come here that
they only had room tobring one preposition?
What surprises me isthat all sorts of peoplebutcher the Englishlanguage. They are notalways the people you’dsuspect of bad grammar.News presenters – allnetworks and channelscombined – don’t maketheir subjects and theirverbs agree, even thoughwe assume they arereading Teleprompters.They also use words
incorrectly, especially words which soundalike. On the regional news the other day,a female news reader solemnly presenteda story about a local sheriff who wasresigning, as his bi-polar disease causedhim to exhibit “erotic” (she meant”erratic”) behavior.
I guess it says a lot about me that I ammore offended by bad or incorrectgrammar than I am by profanity. After acertain age, there isn’t much you haven’theard. My own use of profanity was greatlycurbed by an off-handed compliment bya colleague on my first job after collegegraduation. I had used the f-word (alas,picked up from others in my universitydays) at the office, and he had frowned indisapproval. “You’re a bright person,” hesaid. “You are clever enough to saysomething much more appropriate,without resorting to that kind of language.”It’s a comment I took to heart. Sure, I stillswear every once in a while, but try to avoidfalling in to the trap of using the f-word asa synonym for “very,” unlike mycolleagues on the Trading Floor of the bankin New York. By the way, I don’t use theterm “f-bomb.” Bombs kill, not the f-word.I don’t believe in giving bad language thatmuch power.
It would be nice if people didn’t judgeus by all the superficial clues we drop –language, dress, grooming – but the fact is,they do. People assume that a sloppyappearance is proof of a careless,irresponsible person. As the original jeansand t-shirt girl, this used to bother me. Why,I was just as bright as the girl in the primblouse and skirt, whose well-polishedloafers fairly sparkled in the sunlight. Why
• Registration is now open for the 2012 summer nature day camps at theHighlands Nature Center. Five different camps are offered: “WOW! – a Worldof Wonder” (ages 4-6), “Amazing Animals” (ages 7-10), “NatureWorks” (ages8-11), “Mountain Explorers” (ages 10-13), and “Junior Ecologists” (ages 11-14). Most camps are offered more than once during the summer. Sessions runfrom Tuesday to Friday each week. For complete schedules, costs, and otherinformation, please call 828-526-2623 or visit www.wcu.edu/hbs.
Daily• CORE classes at Mountain Fitness on Carolina Way. Tues., Thurs.,
Sat.,. 9:30; Mon., Wed., Thurs., 5:15. $10 per class or ask about specials.Call 526-9083. (st. 6/9)
Mon., Wed., Fri.• Heart Healthy Exercise Class at the Rec Park. 8:30-9:30 a.m. $20/
month.• Step Aerobics with Tina Rogers at the Rec Park, 8-9 a.m. $10 per class
or $40 a month.• Zumba at the Rec Park, 9:05a-10a. $5 per calss. First class free. Call
Mary Barbour for Franklin schedule: 828-342-2498.Mondays•All meetings of the Mountain View Group of Alcoholics Anonymous will
be held in the Faith and Fellowship Center of First Presbyterian Church. Entervia the entrance on 5th St. and proceed a few steps down to the library.
Tuesdays• Highlands Rotary Club meets at noon at the Highlands Conference
Center at noon.• Closed AA Women’s meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Church at
Fifth and Main streets.• NAMI offers Peer-to-Peer Recovery Education Course. NAMI Appa-
lachian South, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, isoffering a 10 week education class in Franklin on Tuesdays, starting March 13,6:30-8:30. This is a nationally recognized course designed for individuals living
with the challenge of mental illness. The course covers the major mentalillnesses, treatments, coping strategies, relapse prevention, recovery andwellness in a confidential setting. There is no charge. Pre-registration is re-quired. For more information or to register contact: Paul 524-9133 or Hank342-34789.
Wednesdays• The Highlands Mountaintop Rotary meets at 7:30 a.m. in the dining
room at the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Enter the hospital in the main oremergency entrance and follow the signs downstairs. Visitors are welcome.Meetings end at 8:30 am.
• Men’s interdenominational Bible Study at 8:30 a.m. at First BaptistChurch.
• The Homegrown Buds, a homeschool 4-H club, meets at noon at theMacon County Library on Siler Road in Franklin at 1 p.m.
Wednesdays & Fridays• Open AA meeting at noon at the Episcopal Church at Fifth and Main
streets.Thursdays• Al-Anon meeting, noon at the Episcopal Church on Main and Fifth
streets.• The Highlands Writers Group meets at 1 p.m. at the Hudson Library
on Thursdays. Free writing exercises. Bring a seven-minute writing piece toread. Newcomers are welcome. Call Anne Doggett at 526 8009.
• Free Dinner at the Cashiers Community Center froim 5-7 p.m. Mostlyorganic, healthy food. Donations accepted. Call 743-5706 for more informa-tion. Volunteers needed!
Thursdays - Mondays• At Paoletti’s, 15%-25% off promotions. Call 526-4906 for reserva-
tions.Every Saturday through March• The Art Room, 45 East Main St. in Franklin is having free Make &
Take Classes from 10am to 12:30. Come make a Card...Ages 15 and upplease! For More Information call Dianne 828-349-3777 or Robin 828-421-9891.
Every Third Saturday• The Highlands Memorial Post #370 of the American Legion meets at
the Shortoff Baptist Church. Breakfast is at 9 am. Meeting is at 10 a.m. Allveterans are invited to attend.
By March 30• April is Public Health Month in NC and to raise awareness about the
important role public health plays in our lives, Macon County Public Healthwill recognize a “Public Health Hero” in the month of April.Citizens maynominate community volunteers for this award by completing the shortnomination form found at http://maconnc.org/public-notices.html. We’d like tohear your stories about people who’ve made a difference in the health of ourcommunity, so nominate a deserving volunteer by March 30th.
Sat. - Fri., through March 30• At The Bascom. From Mud to Art Highlands High School Ceramics,
Landing Gallery. Explore with the students as they not only demonstrate theirproficiency in pottery but their understanding of the science and chemistry thatmakes it happen. Student work and an explanation of clay bodies, firing andglazing will be on view. Now in its third year, the High School CeramicsClass is an ongoing partnership between Highlands School and The Bas-com.
Thursday, March 29• Taize at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation at 5:30 p.m.Friday, March 30• The High Mountain Squares will dance this Friday night, March 30th
at the Macon County Community Building on Route 441 South from 6:30 to9 PM. Ace McGee from Anderson, SC will be the square dance caller. MikeMcDonald from Clayton, GA will be calling the round dancing. We dance
•See EVENTS page 14
Local Audubon Societypartners with The Bascom
on upcoming exhibit
By Michelle StyringFrom March 31 through June 17 The Bascom in
Highlands will be presenting the exhibit "Chicks: It'sAll Gone to the Birds" in partnership with HighlandsPlateau Audubon Society (HPAS) and the HighlandsBiological Station. Audubon NC, the state office of Na-tional Audubon, is a sponsor of the exhibit.
In early May, as HPAS begins its new and ambi-tious schedule of weekly walks this season, a uniqueopportunity awaits those who participate. The up-com-ing bird-themed exhibit at The Bascom will be aug-mented by walks and programs offered by HighlandsPlateau Audubon Society and Audubon NC. All HPAShappenings are open to the public, and there is no costto participate!
The Highlands meeting place for all May walkswill be in The Bascom parking lot, so that participantsmay return from seeing the birds in nature to the joy ofthe birds in The Bascom's excellent exhibit. The firstwalk of the year will be on Saturday, May 5th, meetingat 7:30 am, and will be especially directed at beginners.Following the walk, Bascom staff will offer a guidedgallery tour at 11:00 am, enabling participants to learnmore about the birds, art and artists. Lunch will beavailable for purchase at the cafe following the gallerywalk.
If you have been wondering about our wonderfulSpring birds and would like to know more, this is agreat opportunity to enhance your enjoyment of oneof Highlands Plateau's greatest natural assets.
Curtis Smalling, Audubon NC’s Coordinator NCImportant Bird Area Programs & Mountain ProgramManager will talk on "The Birds of the Highlands Pla-teau: Amazing Stories from a Remarkable Place." AndMark Hopey, of The Monitoring Avian Productivity andSurvivorship Project (MAPS), and director of the mist-netting and bird-banding program at Tessentee Farms,a Land Trust for the Little Tennessee Reserve in Otto,will be presenting for Audubon. Both men are capti-vating and instructive speakers.
Watch the local newspapers and check the HPASweb-site at www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org for spe-cific times and for other exciting outings and programsduring the course of the exhibit.
New Kindermusik Baby Class to start this week!The 8 week class, “Cock-a-Doodle Moo,” is for chil-dren newborn to 18 months and will meet weekly inCashiers at the library. Enrollment is open for ongoingmusic classes for children 1½ to 5 years. Activities arebased on the latest brain development research to helpchildren become better learners, and include singing,dancing, playing instruments, and fun! Call Lori Rich-ards at The Music Village 828-293-5600 to try a freeclass or visit the website at www.themusicvillage-nc.com for more information.
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(StatePoint) You can’tjudge a book by its cover,but you can judge a homeby its exterior. And withwarmer weather comesthoughts of outdoor homeimprovement projects.
If you’re looking toboost your house’s curb ap-peal this season, thinkabout adding color fromtop to bottom.
“ H o m e o w n e r sshouldn’t be afraid of col-or. Contrasting colors, com-plementary colors and col-or accents on a home, whendone right, can all add tre-mendously to the curb ap-peal of a house,” says na-tional color expert KateSmith, CMG and owner ofSensational Color.
This season Smith is of-fering some top-to-bottomtips to homeowners readyfor bold change:
The RoofIf your roof appears old
and dingy, is leaking orwearing thin, it’s time to re-search replacement op-tions. Consider durablesynthetic slate or shake tilesin a variety of hues. For ex-ample, DaVinci Roofscapesoffers 49 roof colors along
BoostingYour
Home’sCurb
Appeal
with 28 standard colorblends.
“Selecting roofing col-ors that complement therest of the home helps youreye move from the topdown,” says Smith. If you’reoverwhelmed by the choic-es, a free “FRESH ExteriorsColor” guide is availablefor download atwww.sensationalcolor.com .
The WindowsWhether you’re look-
ing for low-maintenancevinyl replacement or newconstruction windows, adda splash of color to comple-ment your home’s exteriorand interior as well. A boldcolor contrast, like red win-dow frames against crispwhite trim pieces is a clas-sic eye-catching look.
“A window is like atwo-sided canvas,” says
Smith. “The colors on theframe exteriors enhance thehome’s overall appearancefrom the street. And, whenyou get inside and selectstylish woodgrain frameinteriors, you’re addingbeauty to the room set-tings. That’s a ‘win-win’ ex-perience for any homeown-er.”
The Decorum collec-tion by Simonton Windowsfor example, provides a va-riety of custom color op-tions like brick, chocolate,bronze and pine green.
The DoorThe door to your house
should make a statement.A door with a smooth paint-able surface, made withlow-maintenance fiber-glass, allows you to make anew statement as often asyou’d like. For example,
Therma-Tru’s Classic CraftCanvas Collection hasthese features, as well aswide center panels and richembossment details thatrival high-end customwood doors.
To further enhance theentryway to your home,consider installing decora-tive glass inserts in thedoor. Then, flank the doorwith a set of easy-to-installFypon urethane pilasters, astylish crosshead and ped-iment. Resistant to mois-ture, insects, rot and hu-midity, both the urethanetrim and fiberglass entrydoor are great low-mainte-nance solutions to addingcurb appeal for the home.
From top to bottom,color and detail can giveyour home a bold, stylishmakeover.
Low maintenance products can create a stunning home exterior.
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(StatePoint) Whetheryou’re an environmentalsteward or a smartconsumer, you may bedreaming up ways toincrease the energyefficiency of your homeduring the warmermonths.
Here is a check-list ofitems that can help youbring down your energycosts, and lower yourhome’s carbon footprintall season long:
• Draw blinds: Avoidthe greenhouse effect inyour house by drawingblinds during the sunniesthours of the day.
• Plant trees:Strategically plant treesand shrubs in your yard.You’ll provide muchneeded shade inside yourhome. Also, an airconditioning unit that isshaded will use less energy.
• Dress properly: Inthe office, you may needto go for a buttoned downlook no matter the season,but at home, dressing forthe weather will help youstay cool, so you won’t need
MakeYour
HomeEnergyEfficient
to rely as much on airconditioning.
• Cook smart: Thewarmer months are a greattime to avoid cooking.Gazpacho, salad and otherdishes served cold can helpyou keep your energy costsdown. But of course you’llsometimes still want toprepare your favorite hotmeals. When cooking, usea natural gas stove and ovenfor optimum energyefficiency.
Better yet, grill outsideto eliminate any heat youwould generate from usingyour stove or oven. A naturalgas grill is clean-burning,and has no particulateemissions.
• Open windows: Take
advantage of those dayswith a nice breeze to turnoff the air conditionercompletely and circulatesome fresh air in your home.
• Give your AC anagenda: Don’t keep anempty house cool all day forno one to enjoy. Aprogrammable thermostatcan help you create an airconditioning schedule thatmatches your schedule.
• Do low carbonlaundry: This time of yearinevitably means moreheavy duty laundry. Tohandle the extra loads,consider using a natural gaswater heater, which emitsup to half the carbonemissions of an electricwater heater. And, on
average, you can do twoloads of clothes in a naturalgas dryer for the sameamount it would cost youto dry one load in an electricdryer.
• Seal drafts: You maythink of drafts as a winterproblem, but leaks in yourwalls, doors and windowscan send all that cool airright out of the house.Sealing these drafts willallow you to turn up yourthermostat for immediatecost-savings.
You don’t need to eatthe expense of an inefficienthome this season. A fewsimple tweaks to yourlifestyle will keep your billsdown, and be great for theplanet too.
Cooking outdoors keeps the inside of your home cool.
Bringing Your Ideas toLife with Fine Custom
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Conveniently located at 2543 Cashiers Roadacross from Highlands Lawn & Garden
Western Style Square Dancing, main/stream and pluslevels. Everyone is welcome. For information call 828-349-0905, 828-524-4930, 828-524-2280, orwww.highmountainsquares.org.
March 31 – June 17• At The Bascom. Chicks It's All Gone to the Birds,
Bunzl Gallery. The gallery will be filled with a plethora ofart works that portray an avian theme. Despite the focuson a single theme, the exhibition offers rich variety. Artistspursue the topic through a range of approaches and me-dia. This exhibition, devoted to our feathered friends, pro-vides a broad look into the world of contemporary andtraditional art, letting divergent approaches take wing. Fromthe traditional to the way out and wacky, visitors willexperience a flight of fancy. Presented in partnership withthe Highlands Biological Station and the Highlands Audo-bon Society.
Saturday, March 31• Oliver Rice and the Dixie Blue Ridge Mountain
Boys will play two sets, one at 5 p.m., the second at 7pm. when the Satolah, Georgia, volunteer fire department
holds its annual benefit, Saturday at the firehouse on Route28. Food served beginning at 4, with bluegrass and gospeltunes over supper. All proceeds this year to benefit fellowfirefighter Joe Munger and family. The public is invited tothis annual, family-friendly outing.
• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate6.5-mile loop trail from Betty Creek Gap to Timber RidgeTrail with a side trip to Big Laurel Falls. Meet at WestgatePlaza in Franklin opposite Burger King at 9 a.m. Bringwater and lunch. Drive 44 miles round trip. Call leaderGail Lehman, 524-5298, for reservations.
• The Macon County Republican Party will hold its2012 Convention on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the MaconCounty Community Building, 1288 Georgia Road,Franklin. Registration is $2 and is from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m..Precinct Meetings are from 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.. Lightmorning foods will be available and complimentary. TheKeynote speaker will be Representative Dale R. Folwell,Speaker Pro Tempore, NC House of Representatives.For questions call Chairman Chris Murray at 421-2191.
• At The Bascom. Chicks, It’s All Gone to the Birds
Exhibition Opening Reception. 5 – 7 pm.• Barn Dance at The Bascom celebrating police, fire
& rescue and EMS. 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 but free topolice, fire & rescue and EMS.
• At The Bascom. The Artist Talks, Gallery Talk,Susan Taylor Glasgow, artist. 6 pm. A native of Duluth,Minnesota, Susan Taylor Glasgow migrated south withthe geese one fall and studied Design at the University ofIowa. Now a resident of Columbia, Missouri, her studio isa wonderful old 1930’s house in downtown Columbia thatshe and her husband rescued from demolition.
• At The Bascom. Friends Around the Globe. 1 –3pm. What in the world is going on? Explore world cul-tures through these fun, creative and entertaining activities.No pre-registration required. Ages 8-12. Tuition: $5 perclass.
• At The Bascom. Discovering the Image. 10am –4pm. Whether you are a veteran painter or have alwayswanted to hold a brush in your hand and make a mark onthe canvas, this class can benefit you. Instructor: DianeMcPhail. Levels: I, II & III. Tuition: $75 member/$110non-member per class.
• At The Bascom. Art Cinema. Sit back and enjoyour weekly feature presentation “The Silver Pharaoh” 2pm.
• The 25th Academic Foundation Academic Auctionin the Cartoogechaye School cafeteria. Preview and meal5-6 pm. Adults, $5; children $3. Drawings 6-8:30 p.m.Admission fee of $5 buys 20 chances for valuable prizes.Tickets are available at the MC Schools Administrativeoffice or from any foundation member. Call 524-4414 formore information.
Sunday, April 1• The movie “Courageous” at Highlands Central
Baptist Church at 670 N. 4th St., at 6:30 p.m.• Clear Creek Baptist Church will be dedicating its
new fellowship and the glory of God at 11 a.m. and againat 6 p.m over a fellowship dinner. All are invited.
• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy 2-mile hike on the Mud Creek Falls trail near Sky ValleyGA, a gentle climb to a beautiful waterfall. Meet at theSmoky Mtn. Visitors Center in Otto, NC, at 2 pm. Drive12 miles round trip. Call leader Kay Coriell, 369-6820, forreservations or alternate meeting place.
Tuesday, April 3• Wolfpack Club’s 2012 Coaches Caravan Stop in
Dillsboro with Coach Tom O’Brien, 6:30 p.m. at the JarrettBuilding, 100 Haywood Road, Dillsboro, NC. $15 foradults, $7.50 for children ages 6-12 and free for childrenages 6 and under. Contact Nikki Young at (828) 293-1514or (828)-293-0456 or emailing [email protected].
• Highlands Dialogue, 10-11:30 a.m. at The HudsonLibrary. “Why Religion Must Be Confronted” by Victor K.Stenger. Free Inquiry July 2011, pp. 23–25. (Handout).Coordinator: Creighton Peden. For more info, contact JohnGaston [email protected] or Karen [email protected].
Thursday, April 5• Taize at the Holy Family Lutheran Church at 5:30
The March Winter Barn Dance at The Bascom. Honoring police, firefighters andEMS on Saturday, March 31st; the fun begins at 7 pm. The Bascom's Winter BarnDances are sponsored by The Bascom, The Highlands Area Chamber of Commerce andVisitor Center, Mountain Fresh Grocery, the Ugly Dog Pub and the Highlands HistoricalSociety. Special thanks to caller Donnie Calloway.
The Bascom is open year-round - Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm andSunday, 12 noon to 5 pm. Enjoy workshops, exhibitions, special events and qualityprograms throughout the year at The Bascom. For more information, to register forBascom workshop offerings or for more details on all Bascom activities, visitwww.TheBascom.org or call 828.526.4949.
discriminate against women. Womencollectively already pay 1 billion dollarsmore than men do for health care, report-ed in a recent study by the Women’s LawCenter.
Furthermore, this is not a ”War onReligion!” Women’s access to health carehas nothing to do with religion - yours ortheirs. It is only about women’s completeaccess to necessary and available healthcare. “Access” and “availability” are key!This contrived “War on Religion” is actu-ally a ”War on Women,” solely motivatedby political and financial gain.
No government entity is forcing un-needed benefits on you, and tax dollarsare not paying for coverage within theseinsurances. Despicably, these candidateswould not only impose their religiousbeliefs on all of us, but would actually haveyour tax dollars pay for unnecessary,and often invasive medical procedures onwomen.
No candidate calls for similar medi-cal processes for men nor speaks to thehypocrisy of covering costs for men’s end-lessly advertised (ahem) problems.
Women’s reproduction and healthissues are not the business of men run-ning for office, nor the business of menof “the church!” The issues of our com-ing election are many and important.This is not one of them!
Who “wins” if women are deniedhealth insurance coverage for contracep-tion, prenatal care, pregnancy related sit-uations, cervical cancer tests, mammo-grams, ovarian cysts – the list is long. De-nying insurance coverage certainly won’tbe a “win” for you, me, our daughters, orgranddaughters.
Look closely at claims made byevery office seeker for town hall, statehouse, or the halls of Congress in D.C.Are they speaking to benefit you and me,or the corporatocracy? Will theyadvocate for our future, or the bottom lineof company profits?
And you! Will you vote against yourown best interest? Will you wakeafter the elections and realize you’ve ru-ined your own and your children’s future?You surely want needed benefits for yourfamily. You’re told budget cuts will reducethe deficit? How will that work when tax-payers must cover the cost of thosewhose only option will be to crowd emer-gency rooms, the welfare offices, and stateinstitutions?
Who is in charge in the U.S.A. thesedays? Us or the beneficiaries of the Citi-zens United v. FEC decision? Follow theMoney!
Shirley Ches, Franklin, NC
... LETTERS from page 2
Highlands Area Events
• HEALTH MATTERS •Highlands’ Newspaper - Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 828-526-3228 - Page 15
You are only 50 miles away from 30 years experience intop-notch, high-tech, one-stop dentistry known for its
gentle touch.
• Dental Implants• Root Canal Therapy• Single Visit Crowns
• Orthodontics including Invisalign• Wisdom Teeth Extractions
and of course Fillings and Cleanings!(IV Sedation, too)
COMPLETE DENTAL CARE UNDER ONE ROOF!
•See HEALTH MATTERS page 19
Dr. Robert Buchananwww.PlasticSurgeryToday.com
Plastic surgery has developed in threedistinct ways. First,
we have improved ourmethods to achieve morenatural results. Second, wehave reduced the proce-dures’ risks. Lastly, we haveworked to make those pro-cedures as painless as pos-sible and to reduce downtime to as near zero as pos-sible. In many cases, wehave been spectacularlysuccessful.
For instance, today’sFacelift, which I have been improving forthe last 10 years, is markedly more natu-ral, has fewer risks, and the recovery fre-quently is less than a week. We have beenable to shorten the scar in breast lifts andimprove the contour of the breasts, withmore longevity of the results. We have re-duced infections to near zero and havealmost eliminated venous thromboses, apotentially lethal complication of any sur-gery.
Fat reduction is an especially remark-
New technology near idealable story. Initially the onlymethod to remove fat wassurgery with large incisionswith a very slow recovery.Approximately 25 yearsago a French surgeon de-veloped liposuction, basi-cally vacuuming of excessfat from the body usingsmall cannulae throughalmost imperceptible inci-sions. This also markedlyreduced the down time tojust a couple of days. Wehave since modified this byinjecting a solution into
the fat before aspiration to allow us to usesmaller and smaller cannulae to achievethe same results. With new technologycame different suction methods. However,none of these, including laser and ultra-sound, really provided any advantage.
Recently there has been a flurry of oth-er new technologies to fat reduction. Ofthese, two have markedly advanced our abil-ity to reduce fat and one has come close toreaching the absolute ideal of no down time,no pain, no surgery, no bruising, normal-
appearing results and essentially no com-plications.
The first of these essentially froze the
PULL OUTRandy Reed, Pastor
828-421-9172• 165 S. Sixth StreetSundays: Worship – 11
HIGHLANDS CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCHPastor Dan Robinson
670 N. Fourth Street (next to the Highlands Civic Center)Sunday: School 9:30 a.m.; Morning Worship 10:45 a.m., Evening
HIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCHHIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCHPastor Paul Christy 526-3376
Adult choir (nursery provided for Wed. p.m. activities)Thurs:12:30 – Women’s Bible Study (nursery)
HOLHOLHOLHOLHOLY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY LUTHERAN CHURCH – ELCAY LUTHERAN CHURCH – ELCAY LUTHERAN CHURCH – ELCAY LUTHERAN CHURCH – ELCAY LUTHERAN CHURCH – ELCAChaplain Margaret Howell
2152 Dillard Road – 526-9741Sundays: Sunday School and Adult discussion group 9:30 a.m.;
Worship/Communion – 10:30HEALING SERVICE on the 5th Sunday of the month.
MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCHMACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCHMACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCHMACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCHMACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH8 miles south of Highlands on N.C. 28 S in Satolah
Pastor Roy Lowe, (828) 526-8425Sundays: School – 10 a.m.; Worship – 11
Choir – 6 p.m.Wed: Bible Study and Youth Mtg. – 7 p.m.
MOUNTMOUNTMOUNTMOUNTMOUNTAIN SYNAGOGUEAIN SYNAGOGUEAIN SYNAGOGUEAIN SYNAGOGUEAIN SYNAGOGUESt. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, Franklin
Independent Bible ChurchSundays:10:30 a.m. at Big Ridge Baptist Church, 4224 Big Ridge
Road (4.5 miles from NC 107)Weds: Bible Study 6:30 p.m.; Youth Group 6 p.m.
OUR LADY OF THE MOUNTOUR LADY OF THE MOUNTOUR LADY OF THE MOUNTOUR LADY OF THE MOUNTOUR LADY OF THE MOUNTAINS CAAINS CAAINS CAAINS CAAINS CATHOLICTHOLICTHOLICTHOLICTHOLICCHURCHCHURCHCHURCHCHURCHCHURCH
Rev. Dean Cesa, pastor – Parish office: 526-2418Mass: – Sun: 11 a.m.; Thurs & Fri.: 9 a.
SCALSCALSCALSCALSCALY MOUNTY MOUNTY MOUNTY MOUNTY MOUNTAIN CHURCH OF GODAIN CHURCH OF GODAIN CHURCH OF GODAIN CHURCH OF GODAIN CHURCH OF GOD290 Buck Knob Road; Pastor Alfred Sizemore • 526-3212
BLUE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCHBLUE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCHBLUE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCHBLUE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCHBLUE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCHRev. Oliver Rice, Pastor (706) 782-3965Sundays: School – 10 a.m., Worship – 11
Sunday night services every 2nd & 4th Sunday at 7Wednesdays: Mid-week prayer meeting – 7 p.m.
BUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHBUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHBUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHBUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHBUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHSundays: School – 10 a.m.; Worship – 11
CHAPEL OF SKY VALLEYCHAPEL OF SKY VALLEYCHAPEL OF SKY VALLEYCHAPEL OF SKY VALLEYCHAPEL OF SKY VALLEYSky Valley, GA
Church: 706-746-2999Sundays: 10 a.m. – Worship
Holy Communion 1st Sunday of the monthWednesdays: 9 a.m. Healing and Prayer w/Holy Communion
Wed.: 6pm: CBC University ProgramEPISCOPEPISCOPEPISCOPEPISCOPEPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE INCARNAAL CHURCH OF THE INCARNAAL CHURCH OF THE INCARNAAL CHURCH OF THE INCARNAAL CHURCH OF THE INCARNATIONTIONTIONTIONTION
526-2968 • Reverend Bruce WalkerSunday: Education for children & adults and choir rehearsal
beginning at 9:00am. Holy Eucharist Rite II Service held at 10:30amin the Main Nave of the Church.
Ideally, voters only cast their ballots for political candidates that have been properly “vetted.” Right? By “vetting” we mean that a voter has come to an under-
standing of the candidate’s past, their personal and polit-ical views, experience level, endorsements etc. In otherwords, a candidate is deemed worthy of votes based on anestablished and earned level of authenticity.
Once in office, our elected officials function in a po-litical system that thrives on tension. Isn’t it great that wehave political parties that keep one another in check.This is good tension.
Wouldn’t that be cool if every voter really “vetted”the candidates? Seemingly, if that actually happened, ourpolitical system would only improve, right? That is to saywe often end up with less than what we want or need ifwe draw important conclusions based on a less than thor-ough investigation. As is often said, “You shouldn’t judgea book by its cover.” Right?
What book has the most boring cover ever? That’sright, the Bible. I think many people vote for or againstthe Bible apart from a thorough “vetting” process. I don’tthink many Christians have properly “vetted” the Bible.That’s not cool. It doesn’t mean their “vote” is wrong itjust means they need to further investigate. For instance,I am pretty sure that the Bible is not properly understoodin its relationship to science. Science is simply the pur-suit of truth through empirical, measurable and repeat-able means. How then can true science be an enemy ofthe Bible? We all need to do some quality “vetting”.
We live in the “Bible-belt,” but typically Christ isn’tproperly “vetted.” His claims, death, burial and resurrec-tion often remain “unvetted” in many people’s mindsand hearts. Many immature Christians need to further“vet” the authenticity of Christ. There is nothing to beafraid of-He can take it. I used to be a skeptic. But thenagain, in all honesty, I never really tested Scripture. It justfelt better doubting so I could justify myself. It felt goodand I like feeling good so that worked at least for a littlewhile. Eventually, you have to deal with it-one way oranother.
Unfortunately, I don’t think many skeptics have beenpresented with a properly communicated defense of theBible. I have spent a lot of time as of late listening toatheists and Christians debate cosmology, the authorityof Scripture, the resurrection and historicity of Christ,the authenticity of the Bible etc. It’s an important endeav-or but it does get boring and redundant after awhile. It islike watching professional ping-pong --a lot of back and
didn’t people give me a chance to showwho I was? Later in life, I wholeheartedlyembraced the spirit of Casual Friday at theoffice. It bothered me to conclude – as didthe hierarchy – that sloppy dress oftenleads to sloppy thinking. By the time Iresigned from my job to move toHighlands, management was rethinkingCasual Friday. Not usually one for NewYear’s Resolutions, I made one this year. Iwould never leave the house withoutwearing make-up, and I would make aneffort to always dress a little better. It doescheer me up to present a better morepolished image to the world, and I’venoticed that people react to me in a morepositive way. After all, giving folks someonenice to look at is surely a courtesy to thepeople you are going to interact with thatday. The same goes for the language youuse.
Several months ago, I was corneredby a woman who boomed in a loud voice,“Can I bore you with photos of my newgrandbaby?” Before I could answer, shegrabbed my arm, and propelled me into achair. She opened up a huge purse – thesort of thing that looked like Louis Vuittonwas now making garbage bags - and hauledout a photo album the size of a smallaccordion. For the next 20 minutes, sheproceeded to explain details of people Iwould probably never meet in person, anddidn’t particularly care to know. Happy asa clam to have a captive audience, she was
blissfully unaware of my eyes glazing over,and the stifled yawn I barely couldsuppress. With a final grand gesture, sheshowed me the last photo, snapped thealbum shut, and declared “Oh, I just can’thelp braggin’ on my grandbaby!” It wasthe last straw.
I’m not saying that I don’t makegrammatical mistakes in what I write.Rumor has it that a local retired Englishteacher reads both of the Highlands’papers, circling our mistakes in red pencil.This fills me with terror, because I know Imust give her plenty of ammunition. Still,I dedicate this column to my fellowcurmudgeons who still battle to keep theEnglish language from deteriorating intototal chaos. And me? Well, I’m going backand reading En Attendant Godot bySamuel Beckett. There’s a nasty rumor thata new modern translation is calling itWaiting on Godot.
• Michelle is a writer and translatorwho moved to Highlands after years ofliving in Baltimore, Sydney, Paris and NewYork. She lives in town with her two veryspoiled cats, Orion and Weasel. Michellediscovered a fun website, and took theirtest on prepositions (http://www.better-e n g l i s h . c o m / g r a m m a r /prepositions.htm). Her score was 95%. Forthose wanting to know more aboutobscure words, check out the Olive ForbesWord of the Day on Facebook.
What would you do if youchopped off your little fingerwith your machete while on
the job in Highlands? Sounds like atotally ridiculous question, doesn’t it?First of all, and luckily, we don’t typi-cally use machetes in Highlands.
Secondly, if someone did have anaccident while working, there is awonderfully-run hospital that offersstate-of-the art services just down theroad. In San Luis Planes, Honduras,the mountain town where I lived andworked for two years as a Peace Corpsvolunteer, that’s simply not the case.But at this moment, a group of peopleis working hard to change this reality.
Like in many rural villages acrossthe Third World, the overall healthconditions in San Luis Planes are notthe best because of the general povertyand lack of education there. The mostcommon health problems are thingsthat we treat and prevent quite suc-cessfully in the First World, like water-borne parasites, malnutrition, and dis-eases carried by mosquitoes. Shouldn’twe, as humans inhabiting this sametiny planet, breathing the same air, beable to eliminate this stuff everywherein the world?
That’s exactly what this a projectI’m involved with is all about.
My friends and neighbors in SanLuis Planes have become tired of wait-ing for the Honduran government todo something to help them solve theirhealth problems and decided to takematters into their own hands.
The Town Council declared ex-panding the Health Clinic its top pri-ority. As it stands now, the HealthClinic barely covers 700 square feet.That’s about the size of a master bath-room in some of the homes in High-lands. The one nurse who works thereis over-worked and underpaid and
doesn’t have the adequate equipment orsupplies to meet all the area’s healthdemands. In other words, there is a lotof work to be done.
An architect has drawn up theblueprints of an expansion that will tri-ple the square footage of the building,adding or converting ten new roomsincluding a maternity ward, a doctor’soffice, and a larger waiting room. It willalso meet the minimum requirementsthat the Honduran Ministry of Healthhas in order to be sent a full-time doc-tor.
Thus, the Health Clinic will be ableto offer new health services and theywill be able to begin doing health edu-cation and preventative health, whichare really the sustainable solutions totheir health problems.
The entire project, materials andlabor – everything — costs almost800,000 lempiras, which is approxi-mately $40,000. I went with this HealthClinic committee to talk to the mayorof their municipality about the projectand she agreed to provide 65% of thetotal costs. That’s a notable differencefrom a lot of projects in the ThirdWorld, in which the beneficiaries ex-pect most funds to come from outsidesources.
My town members will also be put-ting up all the manual labor which, bythe estimates of our architect, comesout to be about 900 person-days ofwork. The fact that locals are contribut-ing most of the funding and work andwill directly benefit from the projectmeans that they are totally invested inits continuing success.
My town is only short about$15,000 to buy the rest of the construc-tion materials. Originally, we had beenexpecting to get this money from thePeace Corps, but since all Peace Corpsvolunteers had to be evacuated from thecountry, our grant proposal was ulti-
mately rejected. I decided that insteadof letting this project fall by the waysidebecause of things totally out of thesepeople’s hands, I would take on thefundraising myself.
Currently, I am raising awarenessabout this project, hence this articleand various talks I have given aroundtown. But this summer I will be holdingmy central fundraising event in High-lands.
In the meantime, if you would liketo contribute to this project, you canmake a tax-deductible donation throughthe Methodist or Presbyterian churchesin town or you can do it online athondurashealthcenter.weebly.com. Ev-ery penny counts! I am also very happyto answer questions and always love thechance to talk about my town and Hon-duras and the exciting developmentwork that’s going on there. My email [email protected].
Having grown up here in High-lands, then leaving and coming back, Inow realize how unique a place High-lands really is. People in this little townhave done so much to support a greatdeal of worthy causes around the worldand continue to do so now. I am grate-ful for that positive influence in my lifeand hope that good work never stops.
The Health Clinic from the front, with patients waiting outside because ofthe lack of space in the waiting room inside—luckily, that day it wasn’t raining.
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fat causing it to break up and be absorbedby the body. There is no down time andexcellent results; however, the procedure issignificantly painful. The other method isZerona. This has a laser on each of five armsthat can be placed in various positions overthe body. One simply lies under the ma-chine three times a week for two weeksand the fat actually melts away. Unlike theother method, there is no pain whatsoever.The laser penetrates the skin into the fatcausing the fat to simply leak out of the cellswhere it is absorbed by the body and ex-creted. Although skeptical that this was toogood to be true, the data supported the ma-chine’s efficacy. Since we have had it avail-able we have had remarkable success inreducing fat. A recent patient lost severalinches each from the abdomen, hips andthighs and nine pounds in two weeks.
Like liposuction, this does not shrinkskin but simply removes fat. One might,therefore, ask if it has replaced liposuction.The answer is “not yet.” Thus far, this meth-od reduces fat more generally than liposuc-tion. However, we are working with posi-tioning the Laser arms and have been ableto eliminate fat in very specific areas as wellas in the generalized areas for which themachine was originally designed.
If we are able to further develop local-ized fat reduction, then Zerona may replaceliposuction except for very small areas, suchas under the chin and the neck and in areasof irregularity around scars, etc. There, how-ever, the liposuction can be done easilyunder local anesthesia with essentially nodown time and no pain.
What, then, are its present uses? Prob-ably the best is where the fat is more gener-alized in multiple larger areas such as theabdomen and thighs. Here liposuction is
not a good alternative because the moreareas one suctions the higher the risks andthe slower the recovery.
Since Zerona is an excellent, non-in-vasive way of losing inches, one of its betteruses has proven to be jump-starting a moregeneralized weight-loss program.
Weight loss is, theoretically, simply tak-ing in fewer calories than you need eachday. However, in reality, it is much morecomplex. The calories have to be availableat the right time and of the proper compo-sition so they are not stored as fat. Addi-tionally, the brain partially determineswhether you are successful or not.
We have known for years that peoplewho undergo liposuction or have an ab-dominoplasty after losing as much weightas they could, frequently lose significantlymore weight after the procedure. We be-lieve that the brain resets its body image toone of a skinnier person and, therefore, sim-ply does not allow you to eat as much asyou previously did.
After Zerona, you should regain whatyou lost since Zerona does not modify thecell; it simply pulls the stored fat from it.However, we have been seeing the inchesremain off. We believe that the brain resetsitself after Zerona also and you simply eatas your skinnier self should.
Though there are still many areaswhere further development can significant-ly reduce down time, risks and discomfort,we do now have one methodology thatmeets all these criteria.
Dr. Buchanan practices full time at TheCenter for Plastic Surgery on the campus ofthe Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and hasthe Zerona technology available. For moreinformation, visit him atPlasticSurgeryToday.com.
... HEALTH MATTERS continued from page 15
... EMPLOYEES continued from page 1volumes, but once the human element isfactored in, another story emerges.
There are 53 permanent full-timeemployees and two retirees covered by thetown’s insurance plan and the majorityof them showed up Thursday, March 22for the special called Town Board meet-ing.
Mayor David Wilkes opened themeeting saying there wouldn’t be a voteon the matter, but the board was there togive employees an opportunity to speakand the board would take their commentsunder advisement.
But before the insurance issue wasdiscussed, employees made no bonesabout being insulted by Mayor Wilkes’comment made at the March 20 TownBoard meeting where is said “I won’t ac-cept or tolerate the disrespecting of elect-ed officials over decisions this boardmakes.”
Employees took offense to being“painted with a broad brush” when theactions Wilkes referred to were due to onlyone employee.
According to Commissioner BrianStiehler, a town employee vandalized hisproperty on three occasions and it wasassumed it was due to the board’s deci-sion concerning family insurance cover-age. Though Stiehler reported the incidentto the town, he chose not to press chargesor bring it up publicly.
However Wilkes did, and he directedhis scolding to “all” employees and that’swhat they took offense to.
The insurance issue soon took overand to the person, the message was thesame. Taking away family coverage wouldeconomically affect town employees andtheir families.
“Please reconsider so we don’t haveto be the working poor,” said Dawn James,who works at the water plant.
Each month the employee portionof the dependent premium costs $161.43for family coverage, $92.06 for employ-ee/spouse coverage and $59.25 for em-ployee/child coverage.
Broken into 26 pay periods, it wouldcost an employee $74.51 for family cover-age, $42.49 for employee/spouse cover-age and $27.35 for employee/child cover-age per paycheck.
Some employees said they couldmake more money if they lived elsewhere;and if they had to buy family coveragesome said they could purchase cheaperinsurance than what the town offers, butit was the principal of the thing and theywould just rather have the current pack-age.
“Look elsewhere for money,” said
James. “Cut somewhere else.”As the town’s “invisible” people, she
suggested commissioners and citizensdon’t really know what goes on behind thescenes and how much work town employ-ees do not only daily but on holidays likeThanksgiving and Christmas.
To a person, the employees said theyare happy working for the town; that theyappreciate the town and they love their jobs.
Tommy Carpenter who works in theSanitation Department said paying 100%family coverage isn’t unique to Highlandsand suggested commissioners do some re-search on the matter but if they have to cut,at least consider a 50% cap in two years.
But Clay Talley, who works in the Elec-tric Department said frankly, he doesn’t carewhat other towns do. “Highlands standson its own. Be different than other towns.Highlands ain’t broke.”
Yogi McCall, who is in charge of theElectric Department, said cutting familycoverage will make a liar out of him. “I hiredthese people who came with the intent thatinsurance was totally paid for. Please recon-sider,” he said.
Joe Allen said he quit a job he had for25 years and took a job for Highlands witha pay cut because he got 100% insurance.“We need insurance for our families. If wedidn’t like it here, we would hit the road.Taking away the insurance is disrespectingus,” he said.
David Leffler said it was nice that theboard was holding this meeting, but itwould have been nice to hear about thetown’s plans first-hand rather then in thepapers and through hearsay. “That shouldhave been the first meeting,” he said.
Wade Shope said it was a slap in theirfaces when Town Manger Frye discussedthe board’s plans with them after it was dis-closed and said if the employees didn’t likeit they could “hit the road” and that thereare plenty of people who would want theirjobs.
Matt Shuler, GIS/IT, said according tothe MAPS study done a few years ago, thesalaries Highlands pays employees is a lit-tle below the norm but the insurance pack-age is the drawing card.
He also said the town’s employees aretop-notch and not just “warm bodies.” Hesuggested the town look elsewhere for in-surance saying that Kevin Corbin in Frank-lin might be able to offer a better package.The town currently buys insurance fromWayah. He, too, suggested a cap for familycoverage.
Mike Hampton said his wife suffersfrom Lupus and her medical bills are $8,000a month. “I really need this coverage. I pay$1,000 out of my pocket every month for
that lady to draw another breath. Losinginsurance will kick slats out from underme big time. Please do your best to keep asgood of insurance as you can,” he said.
Magistrate/citizen Pat Taylor told theboard that Highlands offers wonderful ser-vices to citizens, visitors and second-homeowners. “It’s this body of employees whoare responsible for delivering those servic-es. You should provide the best for our em-
ployees.” At the previous Town Board meet-ing, he suggested the town look elsewhereto cut costs and other ways to raise reve-nues, even a milage increase.
Visibly moved by the testimonies,commissioners said how much they ap-preciate the town employees.
The issue will be discussed at the April3 Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. in the Com-munity Building. – Kim Lewicki
You know us as RUNNERS, butdon’t forget we are also NCREAL ESTATE BROKERS.
You can count on us every stepof the way to get you to thefinish line. We train hard for
FRESSERS EATERY NOW HIRING TEAM PLAYERS.Servers must be experienced and have good references.Pleasecome by Helen's Barn location to fill out an application or drop off a
• Service Directory •$17 weekly – add $5 for color
CLASSIFIEDS – $6 FOR 10 WORDS, 20 CENTS EACH WORD AFTER, ADD A HIGHLIGHT FOR $2resume.
SALES ASSOCIATE FOR HIGH END RETAIL CLOTHINGSTORE IN HIGHLANDS. Part time to full time. Must workweekends.Retail clothing sales experience preferred. Please call 828-526-4407. (st. 2/29)
COMMERCIAL SPACE PLUS RESIDENTIAL APT. -- 535N. 4th St. In town. Great location. $285,000. Fresh remodel. Businessupstairs, one-bedroom apartment downstairs. Call 770-827-0450.(St. 2/8)
2/2 SINGLE-WIDE WITH GREAT VIEW AND PRIVACY,backs to national forest and move-in ready. $89,000. 526.1971or482.2050.
$103,000! LOWER CLEAR CREEK. 5.5 miles from MainStreet. 2 Lots .55 & .95 acres. Septics installed. Borders NationalForest. 2005 2/bed, 2/bath. Very cozy with fabulous view. Call 828-482-2050. (st. 11/11)
SERVICES
NEED HELP FOR A LOVED ONE? 18 yrs exp. References.Clara: (828) 349-3479 or 342-1603. (4/12)
AVON - for catalogs & orders, call local sales representativeAmy Jenkins Ramey 342-2279.
ACUPUNCTURE & HEALING ARTS — Herbs, bodywork,women’s health, healthy weight, all ailments, wellness. 828-526-0743. (7/19)
HANDYMAN SERVICE – electrical, plumbing, pressuecleaning, painting, carpentry, yardwork. References. Call Al Edgar at332-7271 (cell) or 369-6245.(st. 3/8)
J&J LAWN AND LANDSCAPING SERVICES – CompleteLandscaping Company, Design, Installation and Maintenance. Alsofeaturing Plants, Trees, Hardscapes, Water Features, Rockwork,Fencing, Drainage, Erosion Control and RR-Tie work. 20 yearsserving Highlands area. 828-526-2251.
LANDS LOOKING FOR HOME WITH LEASE OPTION. Range$1,250 to $3,000 per month depending on location and size. Pleasecall 828-787-1673. (st. 2/29)
RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL FOR RENT
SMALL FURNISHED APARTMENT FOR LEASE RIVERRUN II Washer Dryer Large Deck. Walking distance to Skiing,Swimming, Restaurants, Exercise Amenities , Meeting rooms andRed Bird Public Golf Coarse $550 a month annual/$850 Seasonal561-626-7467. (4/18)
2B/2B + LOFT – Large Apartment in town on Carolina Way.New appliances. $1,200/month. Call 828-526-4646. (st. 3/29).
COMMERCIAL -- In Town on Carolina Way. 1,480 sq. ft.Attractive buildout. $1,500/month. Call to see. 828-526-4646 (st. 3/29)
FOR RENT/SALE – 2 bed, 2 bath house, gas fireplace, hugeopen kitchen, wine bar. Two blocks from Mtn. Fresh. 828-342-6838.(st. 3/22)
2BR/2BA FURNISHED CONDO IN TOWN. $800 per month.Call 828-342-4277 (st. 3/22)
VACATION RENTAL: Architect’s private home with stunningfeatures. Three bedrooms, plus den, three full baths, and an openliving area, two stone fireplaces and two decks overlooking streamand private stocked trout pond. Full Privacy. Designer furnished.Walking distance to town. Rate dependant on term. Non smokers
Med/Surg RNInpatient Coder
Emergency Room RNPart Time Charge Nurse
PRN Dietary AidePRN CookUnit Clerk
TOWN OF HIGHLANDS JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
POLICE LIEUTENANT- Under the supervision of the Chiefof Police. An employee in this class is assigned special adminis-trative and management work in addition to general duty andsupervisory law enforcement work. Duty hours will fluctuate.
Salary- D.O.Q.EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE RE-
QUIRED: A total of 6 years continuous L.E. experience full-time.Graduation from an accredited community college or universitywith a degree in criminal justice supplemented by law enforce-ment training and supervisory training and considerable super-visory experience in law enforcement; or an equivalent combi-nation of education and experience highly recommended.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSBefore assignment to sworn duties, employees must pos-
sess a valid North Carolina driver's license and a Law Enforce-ment Certificate issued by the North Carolina Justice Trainingand Standards Commission. Successful completion of thoroughbackground investigation.
First Line SupervisionPossess Intermediate law enforcement certification.Prefer advanced law enforcement certification.A full job description and applications are available at the
Town Office or on-line at the Town’s website:www.highlandsnc.org. Application deadline is Friday, March 30,2012. The Town of Highlands is an Equal Opportunity Employ-er. (3/29)
2012 Town of Highlands Boards andCommittee Vacancies
The Town of Highlands has current and upcoming vacan-cies for the following Town Boards and Committees:
1. Zoning Board ~ 1 Alternate position2. Planning Board ~ 3 openings3. Appearance Commission ~ 2 openings4. Scholarship Committee ~ 2 openingsBoard and Committee applications can be accessed at
www.highlandsnc.org or at Town Hall. For more information,feel free to contact the Town of Highlands at 828.526.2118. (4/26)
... CALENDAR continued from page 1Jim Breedlove and Stephanie McCall had several ques-tions for the representatives, particularly in regards to howprogress is to be measured at the end of the school year.
During the public comment section of the BOE meet-ing, Mrs. Sabrina Hawkins, who is aligned with and hasbeen the local spokesperson for the Raleigh-based organi-zation Save Our Summers, presented her case against theproposed school calendar, noting that she did not agreewith the proposed start date because it did not mesh wellwith the Southwestern Community College Calendar andthat a Fall Break provided “no educational value” and wassimply in place because the teachers wanted a Fall Break.The BOE thanked Mrs. Hawkins for her time and her com-ments and moved into the consent portion of the agenda.
At the start of the consent portion, a motion was madeto move the consent agenda into executive session, and
that motion was seconded. The BOE then moved to ap-prove fundraisers from Highlands, Franklin and East Fran-klin Elementary. After a short recess to reconfigure thesetup of the tables within the Highlands Gymnatorium,the BOE then moved to discuss the two items up for ap-proval in regards to curriculum and instruction.
The first item of approval was the 2012-14 Technolo-gy Plan for Macon County, which was approved by theBoard. The second item was the 2012-13 School Calen-dar, which contains a start date of August 9th 2012 and anending date of May 24, 2013. The calendar contains 180school days, a shortened fall break, a full spring break andbuilt-in days in case of inclement weather. HighlandsPrincipal Brian Jetter was excited about the calendar say-ing “it is a great calendar because it works well for boththe students and the teachers.”
Highlands-Cashiers Hospi-tal’s nursing team member, DixieStewart, RN has recently receivedher Medical-Surgical Nurse certi-fication through the AmericanNurses Association. Medical-Sur-gical certification is an advancedstudy of nursing that focuses onepisodic patient events andchronic conditions. The academ-ic curriculum ranges from traumaand acute to respiratory and postsurgery care. “I believe it is impor-tant to keep up with the continu-ally changing and improving med-ical procedures and treatments inthe nursing profession. Our HCHnursing team strives every day andwith every patient to exceed thetypical standards of care,” saidStewart, who has 30 years experi-ence. “This certification gives meadded knowledge and confidenceto provide my patients the best pos-sible care.”
“Our hospital has more than75 nurses working alongside ex-perienced and committed Medi-cal Staff with one goal in mind, toprovide the highest levels of qual-ity health care available,” said Ei-leen Lipham, Chief Nursing Of-ficer. “Achieving advanced nurs-ing certifications, says that ournurses are committed to an ongo-ing process of education, and stay-ing up to date in their skills andabilities to treat our patients.”
Thanks to the Hospital’s Aux-iliary, Dixie Stewart received a
H-C Hospital nursing staffcontinues to excel
Dawn Stewart, Med/Surg Cer-tifiedscholarship to fund the cost of thecourse and materials. The Auxil-iary Scholarship Program providesup to four awards per semester forHCH staff members who pursueadditional training in the health-care field.
“We are very proud of thededicated members of our nurs-ing staff. They are committed toproviding outstanding, compas-sionate care to all of our patients.There are so many times our well-being is put into their hands; it’stime to express our gratitude forthe exceptional care they contin-ue to give,” said President andCEO, Craig James.
The Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department andHighlands Police Department collected a total of 32,310 dosage unitsof medication during Operation Medicine Drop on Saturday, March24, 2012. The Sheriff’s Office Narcotics unit will transport the med-ication to the NCSBI office in Asheville so that the drugs can bedestroyed safely and properly.
Operation Medicine Drop netsthousands of pills
forth but never really going any-where. There is definitely some-thing missing.
I have spent a lot of time re-cently thinking and preparing fora new format to communicateand lovingly deal with these is-sues this spring. So, since I wasasked to write this article, here aresome of my conclusions. First,many Christians need to beef upon their defense of the gospel.Christ needs some more “vet-ting.” In this respect, we need togrow up a bit. Logic and faith arenot so far apart. Jesus said he wantsall of our hearts and minds. Let’sthink more. Not everything hasto be taken at face value. Second-ly, some who truly oppose the Bi-ble are typically agitated on somelevel about it. I’m just saying. Re-lax. It will be OK. I also observethat most of the time, the agita-tion is towards the Bible not oth-er “holy books.” Why do youthink that is? Tension is good andexpected when confronted withtruth. By nature, that’s what truthshould do. Agitation, in that re-spect, is a form of confirmationthat truth is being encountered.In the spirit of learning, growingand developing, it wouldn’t hurtto expose yourself to a unique pre-sentation of Scripture that hasmore in common with your cur-rent views than you may realize.
I don’t like lifeless dead reli-gion either. I get it. You actuallycan properly search out the Bibleand really enjoy it! Before you castyour final vote as a skeptic, makesure you have properly vettedChrist. Before you exercise yourGod-given volition make sure youhave a “whole,” balanced perspec-tive. In the end, if the Christian isactually dead wrong, well OK. Yet,in the end if your disbelief is deadwrong, well ? Not so ok.
In the meantime considerinviting this type of tension intoyour life. The tension betweenwhat you currently are bettingyour life on and He who alreadyput his life on the line so youwouldn’t have to risk anything. Iwelcome your comments, chal-lenges to Scripture and questionsdealing with all aspects of the Bi-b l [email protected]
... SPIRITUALLYfrom page 16
Helens Barn Ave
CivicCenter
Rec Park
Newspaper
RestRooms
Carolina WayPlay
HouseTown Hall
EMS
H w y64w
The Bascom Covered Bridge
GAS
GAS
GAS
To Nature Ctr >& Sunset Rock
Main Street Inn & Bistro on Main526-2590 • www.mainstreet-inn.com
H-C Players
H-C Chamber Music
Police
78
Hwy. 64w to:
///Bridal Veil FallsDry FallsCliffside LakeBust Your Butt FallsCullasaja Falls
8485
“Ace is the Place!”
At Main & 3rd streetsHighlands 526-2157
HardwareReeves
Greenleaf Gallery
Custom Picture Framing • Art Pottery• Jewelry • Home Decor
Robert Tino Art
211 S. 4th St. • 526-9333
gree
nleaf
galle
rygif
ts.co
m
“We’re All About Birds”Next door to
Mountain Fresh Groceryat The Falls on Main
828-526-3910
Village Square • Oak at 5th526-3901 • 800-526-3902
Needlepointof
Highlands
Barbara B. Cusachs
EnjoyWine
Tastingsevery
Saturdayafternoon
Country Club PropertiesCountry Club PropertiesCountry Club PropertiesCountry Club PropertiesCountry Club Properties“Y“Y“Y“Y“Your local hometownour local hometownour local hometownour local hometownour local hometown
Cosper FlowersNow Open Year-RoundSpring Hours: Thurs-Sat
10a to 5/6p
In Highlands Plaza(828) 526-8671
www.cosperflowers.com
Where Smiles are in Bloom All Year Long!
22
Saturday, March 31• Oliver Rice and the Dixie Blue Ridge Mountain Boys will play two
sets, one at 5 p.m., the second at 7 pm. Saturday at the Satolah firehouseon NC 28. Food begins at 4. All proceeds to benefit fellow firefighter JoeMunger and family.
• Barn Dance at The Bascom celebrating police, fire & rescue andEMS. 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 but free to police, fire & rescue and EMS.
Sunday, April 1• The movie “Courageous” at Highlands Central Baptist Church at
670 N. 4th St., at 6:30 p.m.• Clear Creek Baptist Church new fellowship hall dedication at 11
a.m. and again at 6 p.m over a fellowship dinner. All are invited.
www.firemt.com • (800) 775-4446
CCCCCASHMEREASHMEREASHMEREASHMEREASHMEREScotland’s Best Knitwear
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