Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 4, 2007 issue
Year in Review – January 2006
2006 The World in Review |
By Kathleen McFadden
Aside from the nostalgia factor, the coolest aspect of a yearlong news retrospective is its fresh look at how we arrived where we are today, providing both context and history.
In 2006, a number of projects made it out of the conceptual world and into reality—the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center being one of the most notable—and significant progress was made on other projects, such as the new high school in Watauga County.
The high school emerged as one of the significant issues of the year, along with the Boone Town Council’s steep slope regulations, the demise of the Appalachian Cultural Museum, the construction of Laurelmor and the proposed logging of the Globe Area.
The 2006 election was noteworthy for its Democratic sweep in Watauga County, a sweep that ousted an incumbent commissioner, sheriff and State House representative. Although she won district-wide, incumbent U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx did not carry her home county of Watauga in the election.
In addition to highlighting a number of local notable events by month, we’ve compiled longer pieces on some of the significant happenings in 2006. We hope you enjoy the journey
January 2006
• WAR: Members of the National Guard 1451st transportation unit prepared for deployment to Iraq. The Watauga High School gym was packed on January 29 with community members and family for a farewell ceremony for the soldiers.
• PEACE: The I Have A Dream Task Force presented a week’s worth of programs for the annual Unity in Diversity I Have A Dream Week. The Watauga County Board of Commissioners voted to designate Martin Luther King Day as a holiday for county employees.
• MONEY: In Watauga, Department of Social Services Director Jim Atkinson reported that DSS would have to cut daycare subsidies for low-income families because of reduced state funding.
• APATHY: Few residents showed up at the joint meeting on January 9 of the Boone Area Planning Commission and the Boone Town Council to comment on the updated Boone Comprehensive Plan.
• POLITICS: Representative Virginia Foxx held a listening tour on January 25, announced as an opportunity for the Congresswoman to hear from her constituents. Most of the meeting, however, consisted of presentations from civic and government officials, with little time devoted to fielding questions from the large crowd that attended. Several attendees objected.
• DEFERRED: Executive Director Jeff Clark announced construction delays at the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center and that the facility would open in August rather than July.
• LAND: The Western Youth Network asked the Watauga County Board of Commissioners to provide land at the Brookshire Road property for the construction of a youth center.
• HEALTH: Watauga County High School goes smoke free.
• FAREWELL: Watauga County Library sponsored its last Watauga High School Quiz Bowl on January 21.
• PROTEST: Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains held a meeting on January 26 to discuss their opposition to the proposed Ginn Corporation development near Heavenly Mountain.
• GENESIS: Founding members of the Appalachian Skatepark Council created a logo and took weekend trips to view other skateparks in the region. County Commissioner Keith Honeycutt sent a letter to the council saying that although the commissioners had not made any definite plans, they supported the idea of locating the skatepark at the county’s Brookshire Road property. Members of the ASC explored partnering with the Western Youth Network for tax-deductible fundraising purposes.
• GRANTS: During the first grant cycle of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the Crossnore School received a grant to renovate the school’s Weaving Room and develop new exhibits; ASU received a grant to develop a Web-based museum exhibit of North Carolina traditional songs from the years 1825 to 1945.
• BUILDINGS: Dan Godwin of Weber, Hodges & Godwin reported “a great deal of interest” in the former Shadowline factory in Boone.
• ANIMAL CARE: Dr. David Linzey, DVM, opened Animal Emergency Clinic of the High Country in Boone.
• ASU: New York residents Bill and Maureen Rhinehart donated more than 600 rare books on British history to ASU’s Belk Library.
• ASU: The university announced that the Quality Inn would be renovated for a dormitory and would be completed by fall 2006.
• NEXT DOOR: The Newland tag office reported booming business from Watauga County customers in the wake of the tag office closure in Boone.
• SCENERY: In Avery, a motion billboard was installed on Highway 184 above Sugarfoot Shops.