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 – March 2006

• PUNISHMENT: New Watauga County Law Enforcement Center opened on Oak Grove Road. The facility cost $5.9 million.

• TRAGEDY: Four Banner Elk firefighters died in a boating accident off the coast of Oak Island on March 15.

• GOOD NEWS: High Country United Way exceeded its 2005-06 campaign goal, raising $406,520.

• PROTEST: Five petitioners filed a lawsuit against annexation by Sugar Mountain.

• CONGRATS: Vilas resident and woodcarver Tony Bua came in a winner at the East Carolina Wildife Arts Festival for his carving of a goldeneye drake.

• FOR SALE: A spokesperson for Heavenly Mountain reported that the resort had not been sold but was on the market.

• DENIED: Seven Devils denied Hawksnest owners Lennie and Leonard Cottom a special use permit to expand the ski resort.

• VOTING: Responding to university concerns, the Watauga County Board of Elections changed the Boone 3 polling place from ASU’s Newland Hall to Farthing Auditorium. Board member Stacy Eggers’s motion to move Boone 2 from the ASU Student Union to Legends died for lack of a second. Board members Stella Anderson and Eggers presented opposing opinions to the Board of Commissioners regarding the proposed closure of the North Fork precinct and Board Chair Jim Deal expressed his hope that the Board of Elections would not close the precinct.

• HONORS: Dr. Phillis Crain, director of Crossnore School, proposed that a section of Highway 221 in Avery County be named in honor of Dr. Mary Martin Sloop who with her husband founded Crossnore School.

• ASU: The McKinney Geology Teaching Museum opened in the Rankin Science South Building.

• ASU: Whitener Hall demolished to make way for a parking deck.

• ASU: The university announced the availability of applications for its new nursing program.

• WATER: Three ASU professors installed gauges to monitor flow, chemicals and stormwater impact in Kraut Creek.

• WATER: Hydrogeologist Dr. William Anderson announced the need for access to unused private wells for his research of the area water supply.

• KICKOFF: Relay for Life kicked off 2006 campaign.

• NATIONAL EXPOSURE: The Weather Channel broadcast live from Grandfather Mountain on March 11 and 12.

• AG ISSUES: NCA&T kicked off Small Farms Week celebration in Boone, featuring a tour of What Fir! Tree Farm owned by North Carolina’s 2005 Small Farmers of the Year, Nathaniel and Kirby Maram.

•’BOARDING: Watauga County Commissioners approved the Appalachian Skatepark Council’s request to locate a skatepark on the site of the tennis courts off Hunting Hills Lane. Dozens of skatepark supporters attended the meeting wearing green T-shirts calling for “A Safe Place to Skate.”

• FIRE: Because of dry conditions, the Blue Ridge Parkway temporarily banned campfires and charcoal fires along the Parkway corridor.

• REQUIEM: Local storyteller Jim Wolf died on March 21, one week after his 75th birthday.

• TAXES: Watauga County Tax Administrator Kelvin Byrd announced the county’s revenue-neutral tax rate of 31.3 cents, down from the previous year’s rate of 39.5 cents.

• HEALTH: Hunger Coalition announced plans to start a free health clinic.

• GAMBLING: Lottery tickets debut statewide on March 30.

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