IF YOU PLAY...
a rhythm guitar, fiddle, dobro, banjo, bass or mandolin and have a few extra hours per week to volunteer to help young people better understand their mountain music culture, please contact Joe Cowan at the Jackson County School of Alternatives (The Hub) at 586-4328.
LAST WEEK...
in listing local students who qualified for the dean's list at Elon University we failed to include the name of Patrick Dowling's father, Henry Dowling of Webster. We apologize for the oversight.
THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU...
has issued a caution to the public to beware of questionable appeals in the wake of the recent space shuttle tragedy. Reports have surfaced of Internet auctions and appeals to raise money for the families of the seven Columbia astronauts. While the BBB encourages the public to contribute to causes that will assist the families and victims of any catastrophe, donors should make certain that the charity is properly registered and is willing to provide written information about its organization. To check out charities, contact the BBB at 1-800-452-2882. Information on national charities is available from the BBB online at www.give.org.
IN CASE YOU WERE...
wondering, North Carolina has a state toast. It was written by Lenore Martin and Mary Burke Kerr in 1904. "Here's to the land of the long-leaf pine/The summer land where the sun doth shine/ Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great/Here's to 'Down Home,' the Old North State!"
A FREE PROGRAM....
offered by local Edward Jones representatives on Tuesday, March 11, will feature decorated U.S. Army General Barry McCaffrey. McCaffrey served as U.S. drug czar under President Bill Clinton and was a member of the president's cabinet. The program will offer an in-depth look at war and terrorism in America, said Graeme McGufficke, investment representative. The live, interactive broadcast is part of Edward Jones' investor education series and will be presented through the firm's private satellite network. For more information or to reserve space for the March 11 program, call the local Edward Jones office at 586-3848.
SINCE FRIENDS...
of Great Smoky Mountains National Park launched its specialty license plate program in late 1999, the specialty tags have earned the group a grand total of more than $250,000. The most recent quarterly payment of $29,000 brought total receipts from the specialty plate program to $256,040.
This quarterly payment represents an increase of more than 40 percent over the same period a year ago. The bulk of the fees have gone to the experimental return of elk to the Smokies and the park's new Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob near Maggie Valley.
"These two projects are very important to the park, and the revenue from the plates helps make them possible," said Stephen Woody, vice president of the Friends of the Smokies. "The impact of these funds extends well beyond park borders. The elk have had a very positive result on local tourism, and the new learning center served more than 3,800 students and researchers in the last year."
The plate money has also funded Fraser fir research and protection, the Parks as Classrooms program for local schoolchildren, and handicapped access at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.
"We owe it all to more than 6,000 people who have bought tags since the program began," said Woody. "This is their money at work, and we can't thank them enough."
The Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park license plate is available any time from any local license plate agency office. Of the added fee, $20 goes to Friends of the Smokies to support park projects and programs.
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