• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2007-04-17_Vol73_No04_02

April 17, 2007 Western Carolinian | Page 2 CULLOWHEE NEWS CURVE: Wiping Cullowhee Back Into Shape way CuRvE has adopted. So far, the group has discussed several options that will help rehabili- tate the town. According to the CuRvE website, the committee is dedicated to expanding and adding new shopping, dining and entertainment facilities. The group is also dedicated to building paths connecting Cullowhee to WCU and creating recreational areas around the Tuckaseigee River. All-in-all, CuRvE hopes to make Cullowhee a thriving town, full of life and beauty. Known for its ghost town ap- pearance, Cullowhee has not always been that way. Norman West, owner of Cullowhee Real Estate, remembers the time when Cullowhee was a thriving town. . There used to be up to fifteen restaurants, five clothing stores until the mid-70s, West said. Alpine Apart- ments had eight stores in it at one time. We used to be a town. Now, its a bunch of empty buildings. A flyer, provided by CuRvE, gave a list of restaurants and other busi- nesses that lined Old Cullowhee Road from 1975 to 1980, including: Local Community Group Rebuilding Cullowhee By Amanda Talbot Staff Writer CULLOWHEE\Litter, old houses and dilapidated shops line Old Cullowhee Road, which is located on the back side of WCUs campus. It is probably not the best spot for a picnic or a night out on the town. How can we make Old Cullowhee a much better place? A com- munity group called Cullowhee Revi- talization Endeavor (CuRvE) is trying to answer that question. CuRVvE is a group of commu- nity members dedicated to reviving Old Cullowhee. Mary Jean Herzog, a professor of education at WCU and committee member, said that the group already has one plan in effect. We have a road side clean up, Herzog said. We have adopted a small stretch of Old Cullowhee Road _ be- tween the intersection of the four-lane and it goes about three miles, stopping just about where the ope start on Old Cullowhee Road. Nine restaurants: Committee member Rick Ben- 1- Cullowhee Truck Stop nett said that they try to involve a lot 2 Bel Harbor Fish Camp of people willing to help. He said that 3 EI Gatos several different groups volunteer each 4 Cantebury Inn Pizza Hut month to help clean the stretch of high- 5. 6. Speedys Pizza Ts Cullowhee Caf 8. Western Sandwich 9, Hardees Seventeen businesses: 1. Cop Shop Clothing 2: Childrens Shop 3. Smokes Jeans 4, Nantahala Outdoor Ctr. 5, Bridge Sound Comp. 6. Roadrunner Gas/ Groc. We Car Wash 8. The Brown Company 9. The Village Store 10. College Gulf 11. Mosss General Store 12, Cullowhee Automotive 13. Cullowhee Bait/Tackle 14. Freeman Insurance 15. Mincey Real Estate 16. Bradleys Beauty Shop 17: Basset Real Estate West is happy to see a commit- tee dedicated to making his town a bet- ter place. He said that anything positive was good and that bringing in more businesses would help. Why did Cullowhee just fall apart? Christopher Blake, assistant pro- fessor of English at WCU and a com- mittee member, said that the construc- tion of Highway 107, which bypasses Cullowhee, was the main contributor to the disintegration of the town. West believed that the combina- tion of the bypass and the degeneration of the summer school program at WCU contributed to the closure of many Cul- lowhee shops. He said that without the traffic the town just died. No matter what kind of busi- ness you have, its hard to stay open withonly eight months of business you get during the school year, West said. Now, the question is how to get Cullowhee back the way it was. Herzog said that the group has great expecta- tions for Cullowhee. What we want is for it to be a picturesque atmosphere, Herzog said. We hope that Cullowhee will eventu- ally be a town. Blake anticipates that one day ~Cullowhee will be a destination for many coming down the mountain, as well as a destination for local people. We want people to feel ownership, Blake said. Bennett stated that the commit- tee has not had people adverse to the project. He said that everyone, so far, seemed to be in approval with the proj- ect. The ideas are on the table and all it will take is hard work and cooper- ation among the community to get the plans into action. TIts about rolling up our sleeves and using the expertise we have, Bennet said. The Green Party Ten Key Values: 1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY Every human being deserves a say in the: decisions that atiect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public represen- tatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations, which expand the process of partici- patory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process. 2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously con- front in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law. 3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future genera- tions will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy ef- ficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems. 4. NON-VIOLENCE It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to societys current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass de- struction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in help- less situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, com- munity and global peace. 5. DECENTRALIZATION Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restruc- turing of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bu- reaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens. 6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a living wage which reflects the real value of a persons work. Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our quality of life. We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation. 7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and eco- nomics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and con- trol with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity t between the sexes, interpersonal re- - sponsibility, and honesty must be developed with. moral: conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as , important as achieving the outcome we want. 8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of peo- ple who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity. 9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic jus- tice, and the health of the planet. 10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or unmaking all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short- term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. The GP is committed to non-violence, though we are not anti-military. There is a vast difference, we believe in a good defense, which means we do not support attacking countries offensively, without provocation. We do not accept any corporate donations. This is one of the reasons no one hardly knows anything about the Green Party, of if they do it is often misinfor- mation. Consider the common misunderstanding that Ralph Nader caused the Democrats to lose the election in 2000. This is plainly untrue. Al Gore chose to not respond to the illegality of the Bush Administrations winning the electorate and not the popular vote. Gore could have fought it and he did not. Also consider that Ralph Nader was forced out of all the televised debates that election. How can you know anything honest about him when he is not allowed to even speak? Is that democracy? Is that freedom? You can You Tube the video of him not be- ing allowed into the debate between Gore and Bush even when he had a ticket to enter as a citizen! How shady can you be! The GP does not support the War on Drugs. It is simply a war on our own people. And if you actually have a drug problem then we need to get you help, not put you in jail where you can learn to be a better criminal and less of a citizen. How can our country know peace when we have been involved in wars, constantly, for longer than most WCU students have been alive? Animosity only creates animosity, this lesson is ancient and timeless. -The Buddha We do not focus on pro or anti choice. The GP believes this to be a non-issue, something like Gay Marriage that is thrown into the political arena to keep you from focusing on the important issues. We support the end to all current wars, ihe end to all forms of pollution, the end to corporate control of your government and your culture, universal healthcare, and living simply, which is to say not wastefully.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2008-04-17
• Extent
  • Dimension: 14" x 11.5"
  • Pages: 14
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2007-04-17_Vol73_No04
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library