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Editorials - 09/26/02Community has lost dedicated public servant |
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It doesn't seem possible that it's already been 28 years since Western Carolina began its tradition of setting aside the last Saturday in September as a time for celebrating mountain life, history and culture.
That first Mountain Heritage Day was a far cry from the daylong festival crowds will enjoy this Saturday. Held in E.J. Whitmire Stadium, it didn't begin until 1 p.m., and the featured event was a mid-afternoon Founders Day program to formally honor past university presidents W.E. Bird and Paul Reid. WCU's inaugural Mountain Heritage Day was not heralded as the start of something big; rather it was seen as just one part of the university's celebration of the American Revolution's Bicentennial. A 1975 press release talked about "the kind of mountain celebration folks used to have - where everyone would come down out of their coves to some central place for an all-day get-together. "The women would bring their jellies and home-canned goods - the men might bring their whittling, and there would be games for the young'uns. Along about sundown someone would fetch their banjo up to the fire and the twang of square dance music would echo off the mountainsides 'til well after dark. "That kind of festival will be repeated at Cullowhee when everyone in the valley gets together at E.J. Whitmire Stadium to celebrate Mountain Heritage Day. When crafts booths and exhibits open, it will be like turning back the hands of time a hundred years or so." Things are different now. WCU's fall festival has 27 successes under its belt and draws crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. But all in all, Mountain Heritage Day has stayed true to its roots. No fast food is available, and crafts on display are handmade. Mountain music echoes through the valley, children play, people visit with old friends and eat and talk. Instead of whittling knives, men bring their chainsaws, but baked goods and home-canned foods are still on display. People who wouldn't know a cove from a holler can join with those who do for a day of old-fashioned fun. Saturday's event will feature two plays by Sylva storyteller and playwright Gary Carden - "Birdell" and "Coy," two one-person shows. "They're about as mountain heritage as you can get," Carden said of his scripts, which resonate with the sounds of bygone days in Appalachia. Also on the entertainment bill is Jackson County's own mountain musical matriarch, Mary Jane Queen, who will perform with her family, as well as with other traditionalists in the banjo showcase. Mountain Heritage Day is like a gift from the university to the community - an event where everyone feels welcome, and all ages are drawn to its glimpses of the past and present-day fun. |
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