Gary Carden

Two plays crafted by Sylva writer Gary Carden will be presented at Western Carolina University in March to benefit the new library fund of the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library. Carden's "Birdell" will be staged at 7 pm Friday, March 12, in the auditorium of WCU's Coulter Building (printable directions), while "Nance Dude" will be presented Friday, March 19, at the same time and location. Both presentations will feature actress Elizabeth Westall (pictured below) and are being co-sponsored by WCU's Mountain Heritage Center and School of Music, the Jackson County Arts Council and the Friends of the Library.

 

Both plays are one-act monologues that portray the authentic voices of Appalachian women. "Birdell" is based on the lives of families who lived on Hazel Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains until the coming of the national park, and is told from the perspective of the fictional character Birdell as she reflects on her long life. Carden based his play "Nance Dude" on the book "The Legend of Nance Dude" by Maurice Stanley. Both play and book depict a Haywood County woman who was convicted of killing her granddaughter in 1913.

 

A native of Sylva, Carden earned two degrees at WCU and for more than four decades has presented traditional mountain culture to the public as a teacher, storyteller, novelist, historian, screenwriter and playwright. WCU recognized Carden's body of work in presenting him with an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2008.

 

Westall, a Yancey County native who earned degrees at Berea College and Duke University, taught English and drama before her retirement in 1985. Since then, she has acted and directed in numerous regional productions.

 

Ticket prices for the shows are $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students. For more information about the March 12 and 19 presentations, contact the Friends of the Library at 828-507-0476.

 

Directions to Coulter Auditorium at Western Carolina University

Enter the University via the main entrance

Go left around the roundabout; continue straight

Follow road up hill; take the first right

Continue past the Bookstore and University Center (UC)

Coulter is the third building on the right, immediately past the UC

The work of Western North Carolina artists will soon become a part of the new library complex. Within the new facility there are several spaces where permanent art work can be displayed. In January, a request for proposals was sent out for artwork from local artisans to embellish the three main desks within the new addition – Circulation Desk, Children’s Desk and Reference Desk.

 

Lynne Wilson, Interior designer of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Spartanburg, SC said, "After extensively reviewing the proposals, we were very impressed with the quality of all the artwork. As a result, we decided to use a portion of the work each artist submitted in various areas within the new library complex, not just the desks." The artwork includes several types of media.

 

In the Children’s Area four zones will be enhanced by the artwork. Three zones will feature art designs in the form of painted tiles by students at Smoky Mountain High School, under the guidance of Gayle Woody. The children’s desk will display an alphabet design; the restroom will have framed tile designs by the students; and Cherokee Clan tiles will serve as wall art. The study room will be enriched by cake walk paintings by Doreyl Ammons Cain. Cake walks featuring homemade cakes were historically held in the Appalachian region to raise funds to benefit needy families. Cain often joins her sister, Amy Ammons Garza, in storytelling sessions, making the stories come alive by illustrating various aspects of the story.

 

The large Circulation Desk will feature a bas relief scene by Mark Tomczak of Old Fort. Bas relief is a sculptured artwork piece in which a modeled form is raised, or lowered, from a plane on which the main elements of the composition are highlighted. This panel will feature a scene of the courthouse and the mountains behind it, showcasing not only the beauty and quaintness of downtown Sylva, but also capturing the historical significance of the courthouse to this region.

 

The Reference Desk will feature stained glass and metalwork by local artist Owen Hutchinson. Hutchinson’s design is a panorama of a mountain vista, primarily using brass and copper metalwork, with Carolina blue stain glass representing the sky. His work can be seen in the silhouette family who are climbing the "steps to success" on the courthouse steps. The family will become part of a permanent sculpture at the entrance to the library complex.

 

The Computer Room will be enhanced by handmade red earthenware clay tiles featuring wildflowers and plants native to Jackson County. Gayle Woody, an art teacher at Smoky Mountain High School, is the artist who will be crafting these tiles.

 

Dottie Brunette, Jackson County Librarian, says, "The dream of our new Jackson County Public Library is emerging right before our eyes. As we embrace this bright future of the library and of our historic courthouse, we are pleased to include the contributions of these creative Western North Carolina artists."

 

Samples of these artists’ work will be featured at the Open House at the Jackson County Public Library on Wednesday, March 10. Also featured during the Open House will be actual samples of carpets, fabrics and wood which will be used in the new library complex. Lynne Wilson, project interior designer, will be present to explain the chosen elements and to answer any questions.

Karl Nicholas of Sylva places his name of the Wall of Fame at the Jackson County Public Library after making a walk-in donation to the new library building fund.

In today’s economy, everyone wants to stretch their dollars to the max. What if you could actually double your money? A number of people in Jackson County are doing just that by contributing to the new Jackson County Public Library building fund at a crucial point in the campaign.

 

“We are drawing close to 90% of our $1.6 million goal and have an unprecedented opportunity,” said Mary Otto Selzer, co-chair of the campaign. “Through individual community members’ donations, we have matched over $185,000 of the $250,000 SECU Foundation grant. The next $65,000 raised will be matched by the Foundation. As has been true throughout the campaign, every dollar counts, but at this point, every dollar counts as two.”

 

No one realizes the importance of each contribution any more than Michelle Allison, office manager of JCPL. It was her awareness of the impact each dollar can now make that inspired her and other employees at the library to create the Wall of Fame. “We were talking about how we could bring attention to the campaign here in the library and I thought of a Wall of Fame,” Allison said. “With each contribution someone makes at the library, we give the donor a certificate to post on our walls. We want to fill up all the walls with the certificates. We put a jar on the desk and when people come up, we explain that everyone who puts a contribution in gets a certificate to go on the wall. We’ve gotten donations from a few cents on up.”

 

According to Dottie Brunette, head librarian, the response has been gratifying. “We really mean it when we say that every dollar counts,” she said. “We’ve had small children come in and contribute their allowances to the building fund and it’s been so nice to see the pride they have when they mount their certificate on the wall. We’ve had strangers drop in to ask directions to Waynesville or Asheville, see our information about the Wall of Fame, and say, ‘Here, I’ll contribute.’ We’ve had contributions from a dollar and up and it’s obvious to us that each and every one is from the heart. We really feel so supported by the community through this campaign.”

 

Of course the Wall of Fame isn’t the only way to contribute. Contributions can be made in person at the Friends of the Library Used Book Store, also on Main Street in Sylva, or mailed to: Friends of the Library, PO Box 825, Sylva, NC 28779-0825. For more information call Mary Otto Selzer at 828-293-0074 or 828-507-0476 or email at dmselzer@aol.com.

This ARF rescue dog performed some work and earned $60 for his labors. The dog decided to give his "salary" to the capital campaign. Tom Kapp, Friends of the Library treasurer, is shown receiving the cash donation.

 

The $60 will be matched by the SECU Foundation matching grant, making the donation worth $120.
 

 

The citizens of Jackson County are invited to an open house on Wednesday, March 10, 2:30 – 5:30 pm at the Jackson County Public Library, 755 West Main Street. During this event, attendees will have the opportunity to view display boards which feature the actual samples of the fabrics, carpet, paint and wood that will be used in the interior areas of the new Jackson County Public Library Complex.

 

Members of the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library and Dottie Brunette, the county librarian, will be available to answer questions guests may have about the materials or other aspects of the project. Refreshments will be served during the open house.

Tell us what you’d like to see in the new Jackson County Public Library. When the new library complex is complete the library will increase in size from the current 6,400 square feet to 26,000 square feet. We will have a lot of room for new materials and we'd like some input from you on what you would like included in the expanded collection. To help us gather this information please fill out our quick, online survey. Please choose between the adult survey, the teen survey, or the children’s survey. Just pick the one that’s right for you!

(l-r) Tracy Bailey, Dr. Ben H. Battle, Jr., Alan Salzano, and Mary Otto Selzer at the Courthouse steps. There is only one more step to climb - the final step to $1.6 million, the campaign goal.

The Capital Campaign for the New Library Fund has reached a new milestone. The Campaign Steering committee has announced that the balance in the fund is now over the $1.4 million mark.

 

Dr. Ben H. Battle, Jr. has made a significant donation to the campaign and has decided to take the Genealogy Society area as a naming opportunity. This generous donation by Dr. Battle was made in memory of his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Ben H. Battle, Sr. Both of his parents were educators and were deeply involved in the Jackson County community.

 

Dr. Battle’s donation was matched by the State Employees Credit Union Foundation through their challenge grant. Any funds raised between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 will be matched by the challenge grant up to the $250,000 limit on the grant.

 

Alan Salzano, Senior Vice President, State Employees Credit Union said, "The credit union’s foundation is very excited about its participation in this project, what it stands for and what it means to the community. I think this is a great project and our foundation is proud to be involved in it."

 

"Another milestone has been reached in the campaign to raise funds to restore the historic courthouse and incorporate it into the new Jackson County Public Library Complex," said Mary Otto Selzer, co-chair of the campaign. "To date we have received cash and pledges of $1,418,000 which is nearly 90% of our goal. Thanks to the generous support of the community we have matched over $185,000 of the $250,000 SECU Foundation grant. The next $65,000 raised will be matched by the SECU Foundation, bringing the campaign to within $52,000 of our $1.6 million goal."

 

Contributions can be made in person at the Friends of the Library Used Book Store or at the Jackson County Public Library, both located on Main Street in Sylva. They can also be mailed to: Friends of the Jackson County Main Library, P.O. Box 825, Sylva, NC 28779-0825. For more information call Mary Otto Selzer at 828-293-0074 or 828-507-0476 or email dmselzer@aol.com.

Significant progress has been made on the new Jackson County Public Library Complex within the last few months. While weather conditions have put the 20,000 square foot addition portion of the project behind schedule, the renovation of the historic courthouse is several months ahead. The estimated completion date is now December 20, 2010 with a spring grand opening.

 

During the early years of its existence, the 1914 Jackson County Courthouse featured beautiful period windows. Work has begun to replace these with new energy-efficient windows in the period style (see photo, right). Already much of the interior woodwork has been completed.

 

The addition is now dried in with insulation, giving the building a hauntingly bright yellow look. There have actually been lots of questions about why the building was painted that unusual color. The roof is in place and the concrete has been poured for the first and second floors. Construction workers are installing interior wall supports, conduits for plumbing and electrical wiring and HVAC features in the interior.

 

The project architect, Donnie Love of McMillan Smith and Associates of South Carolina, is working closely with Lynne Wilson, interior designer of the firm, on finalizing the interior features, including carpet, draperies, lighting, wood enhancements, etc. The Friends plan to host an open house at the current library to showcase the display boards which will show the materials to be used at the complex.

 

The circulation, children’s and reference desks will be prominent features in the new complex. Recently the library and the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library sent out a request for proposals from local artisans to design embellishments for these three desks.

 

You will be able to keep up with the project here on the website. We'll periodically post photos showing the progress of the construction and add them to a photo archive as new updates are made. Enjoy the photos and check back often to see what's happening on the hill.

We held our Annual Half-Price Sale in January and it was extremely successful. (Click here for a photo gallery of the sale.)

 

Immediately following the sale, the Bookstore was closed for five days to allow volunteers to conduct a thorough cleaning of the store and the merchandise. Several King Day of Service volunteers joined us on the Monday holiday, including some from WCU bringing the total to twenty volunteers. Tuesday was a continuation of cleaning projects. In addition to the regular weeding and cleaning of the books and shelves, we also installed two area lights to illuminate dark corners, a roll-up shade to combat the afternoon glare, and a printing calculator for volunteers’ convenience. The heat pump’s filter was changed. The fans, lights and globes were washed. On Wednesday the carpet was cleaned and deodorized. On Thursday, everything went back in place and on Friday we reopened. (Click here for a photo gallery of the cleaning.)

 

Beautiful t-shirts displaying the capital campaign logo are for sale at the bookstore. The shirts cost $15 each or are free with a $100 or more donation to the new library. Show your support by wearing one of the shirts!