THE LAKE LURE TRIBUTE

LAKE LURE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Newsletter Coordinator & Editor: Mary Flack

Telephone: (828) 625-9983 Fax: (828) 625-8371

First, thank you for electing me to be your new mayor. My main platform as candidate for mayor was, "we are one community." I believe the best thing we can all do for our town is to think and act as one community. Not, this side, or that side. Not, us and them. Not, what can I do for my one group of friends. But rather, what can I do for the whole town. What can we do for the whole community?

Sure there are plenty of issues we will have to look at in more detail, such as, the budget, sewer system, water system, power generator, lake use, traffic problems, and lots of individual issues. But, ultimately, the solutions to our problems will come from the question, "what is best for our community as a whole."

In the last few years our Zoning and Planning Board have surveyed most property owners and completed a Land Use Plan. The Strategic Steering Committee has submitted its recommendations. The Lake Advisory Board has made recommendations for future lake use. Now is the time to study these recommendations and plan for the future.

I look forward to serving you and working with the town council and town manager for the next two years. Please let me know your thoughts and wishes.

It happens every two years. The citizens of this nation exercise their right to select their leaders. This is such a commonplace event that many take it for granted and don’t realize how rare it is in world history. In our case, three new members of Town Council were elected November 2nd and took office on November 9th. This was a textbook model of the orderly transition of authority with the new members being sworn in and replacing their predecessors one at a time. After the meeting, a reception was held in honor of both new and former council members. I just wish my crusty old Civics teacher could have been there to see it. That meeting would have been the subject of countless lectures in her classes.

Native son Jim Proctor was elected Mayor of the Town of Lake Lure on November 2nd. He bested former council member Beth Rose by a vote of 336 to 87. At the same time, while, George Presley received 319 votes and Dick McCallum received 292 votes in their successful race for seats on the Board of Commissioners (Town Council), defeating former mayor Jack Powell who received 175 votes. As Commissioner Blaine Cox was only recently appointed to serve the unfinished term of the late Gene Sheffield, Jack Stanier is the sole remaining member of the previous council. Mayor pro tem Carolyn Cobb did not run for reelection.

Congratulations to the newly elected officials from the town staff and thanks to the retiring members for your past efforts for the citizens of Lake Lure.

The flooding associated with Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd is unprecedented in the history of North Carolina. This disaster met or exceeded the 500-year flood for many communities. Hurricane Floyd has resulted in 48 confirmed fatalities. Current estimates show that approximately 30,000 homes have been flooded because of Hurricanes Floyd and Dennis. Not only have the rains associated with the hurricanes flooded more homes than any previous event in the history of North Carolina, the depth of the flooding is unprecedented. Entire towns throughout Eastern North Carolina were flooded to the rooftops.

The high waters also caused 22 dams to fail and overtopped 52 others. Federal disaster recovery funding triggered by the President’s disaster declaration will help North Carolinians rebuild. However, massive shortfalls exist between available funds and the broad needs that are unmet by federal and state funds. If you can, please send donations to:

Office of the Governor

20301 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

(Make payable to Hurricane Floyd Relief Fund )

The United Way is administering these funds at a minimum cost to the state.

The Town of Lake Lure and the Village of Chimney Rock will be hosting three Flash Flood Educational workshops on November 29^th and 30^th, 1999. These workshops are designed for the citizens of Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, and Rutherford County. These meetings will be sponsored by the Lake Lure Emergency Management and will address the following topics: (1) National Flood Insurance Program; (2) local flood plain ordinances; (3) how to mitigate from flood damage; (4) the new Lake Lure/Chimney Rock flash flood warning system; and (5) how to prepare your family for a flash flood.

The guest speakers for these workshops include: the State of North Carolina Division of Emergency Management Flood Plain Engineer, Branch Manager, Area Coordinator, Local Flood Plain Managers, Local Emergency Management, and others.

November 29, 1999, 3:00 p.m., at Lake Lure Municipal Center

November 29, 1999, 7:00 p.m., at Chimney Rock Fire Department

November 30, 1999, 6:30 p.m., at Bills Creek Fire Department

The same topics will be discussed at each meeting. The different times and locations are for your convenience. If you have any questions or comments contact Ron Morgan, Lake Lure Emergency Management Coordinator at 625-9333.

Employee of the month, Matthew Hooper has been with the Town of Lake Lure since February 12, 1999. Matthew is a Lake Lure Police Officer and comes to Lake Lure from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. During Matthew's employment with the Department of Transportation, he also worked as a reserve officer with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department. Matthew graduated from R-S Central High School and attended Isothermal Community College where he received his B.L.E.T. Certification. Before his employment with D.O.T., Matthew served a term with the United States Marine Corp. at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina. Matthew takes advantage of every opportunity for additional law enforcement training, and we feel that he is a real asset to the Lake Lure Police Department and the Town of Lake Lure. Thank you Matthew.

REGULAR MEETING: The regular Town Council meeting was held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 9, 1999.

Under the "Consent Agenda," Council approved the minutes of October 12, 1999 (Regular Meeting), and October 21, 1999 (Special Meeting); and scheduled a public hearing on December 14, 1999 to amend Section 92.005 of the Town Zoning Code Regarding Building Setbacks.

In other activities, Town Council:

* Held a public hearing on proposed Ordinance No. 99-11-09 (amending Chapter 85 of the Town Code of Ordinances, also known as the Lake Regulations), providing for moratoria on fishing and limits on numbers of fish caught. This Ordinance was added;

* Approved the Lake Advisory's Committee proposal to mandate delayed harvest (catch and release) for all within the corporate limits (apply only to the waters of Lake Lure) of the Town of Lake Lure, from December 15, 1999 through February 28, 2000. This means that no fish may be kept during these two and one half months. Individuals fishing must use single hook artificial lures only, and all hooks must be barbless. This will help to ensure that fish caught at this time will be released nearly unharmed. No fishing with live bait, natural, or prepared bait will be permitted at this time. It is important that this policy be enforced with fines high enough to discourage anyone from fishing in any other manner than that stated above. (Note: the penalty will upon conviction be guilty of a misdemeanor as provided in G.S. Section 14-4). Town Council had previously authorized a total ban on fishing. This moratorium was rescinded;

* Adopted Resolution No. 99-11-09 naming the Town Park area as "Morse Park" in honor of Lucius B. Morse;

* Authorized the Town Manager to settle the Manatron account totaling $40,433 and approved a budget amendment of $18,500 to be transferred from fund balance. Also, authorized the Town Manager to renegotiate a contract with Manatron;

* Mayor Powell disbanded the Strategic Planning Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee;

* Outgoing Town Council members thanked town employees, family members, boards, and committees for their support during their term in office;

* Judge Laura Bridges administered oaths of office to the following incoming Town Council members: Mayor Jim Proctor, Commissioner Dick McCallum, and Commissioner George Pressley;

* Mayor Jim Proctor presented awards of appreciation to outgoing Town Council members including: Mayor Jack Powell, Commissioner Cobb, and Commissioner Beth Rose;

* Appointed Jack Stanier as Mayor Pro tem;

* Approved a sludge disposal contract for three years between the Town of Lake Lure and Southern Soils Builders, Inc.;

* Recognized Town Clerk Mary Flack for becoming the 6th Municipal Clerk from the State of North Carolina and the 160th out of over 10,000 IIMC Municipal Clerk members to be accepted into the third sustaining level of the IIMC (International Institute of Municipal Clerks) Academy for Advanced Education; and

* Scheduled a special town meeting on November 22, 1999, 2:00 p.m., at the Municipal Center to consider the beach, marina, and lake tours agreements between the Town of Lake Lure and the Lake Lure Tours. Also, to discuss the flood relief fund for victims of the Eastern part of North Carolina;

Please remember that the Lake Lure Police Department maintains a daily house check service for residents that are away. Your community police officers will physically check requested homesite daily. Telephone us at 625-4911, if you wish to utilize this service.

The Lake Lure Police Department recently received two new police vehicles which will enhance their ability to serve you. These vehicles were purchased at the North Carolina State contract price, which was first set in September of 1998, thus avoiding an increase in the price for two vehicles.

Congratulations for a job well done goes to Patrolman Phillip Conner who, while on routine patrol, recovered a stolen motor vehicle on November 17, 1999 and arrested the perpetrator following a chase into the County.

Tremendous quantities of silt, clay, sand, animal waste, fertilizers, and debris are flowing into area streams during every rainstorm turning normally clean mountain streams into muddy rivers. These pollutants are the result of erosion and runoff from areas cleared for roads and housing construction or from agriculture and forestry. The Buffer Zone Program, Cost Share Program, and Low Interest Loan are programs to protect our environment. These programs are available to purchase ease-ment, stabilize critically eroding sites and reduce stream bank erosion using standard erosion control practices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

This new anti-erosion, land restoration and easement programs are available to residents and businesses residing within the 95 square mile regions of the Upper Broad River Watershed. This includes approximately 30 square miles each of adjoining Rutherford, Henderson, and Buncombe Counties. Target areas include the Reedy patch Creek and Hickory Creek and their tributaries in Henderson County and the Broad River and its tributaries in Buncombe and Rutherford Counties. Target sites include stream bank erosion and existing eroding sites on agricultural and non-agricultural lands.

Stream bank restoration and erosion control measures are planned and implemented at existing eroding sites of landowners in the Cost Share Program. Participants will receive 75% average cost reimbursement after erosion control practices have been properly installed. The Low Interest Loan Program provides a low interest loan of up to 50% of erosion control costs at new construction sites using approved erosion control methods.

Participants of these programs are provided with a Conservation Plan from the Erosion Control Specialist that includes a detailed description of best management practices required in implementing erosion control measures. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing technical assistance in developing critical area treatment practices. Following certification that practices were properly installed and implemented the participant will be reimbursed their cost share amount.

The Buffer Zone Program is a conservation easement that enables property owners of land adjoining a flowing stream financial benefit and long-term protection of their riparian buffer. The conservation easement is a legal document that restricts certain uses of the property in exchange for compensation based on the value of the riparian buffer. The Buffer Zone Program also includes a maintenance program that provides funding to maintain conserved land.

For information about these programs contact the Town of Lake Lure, Erosion Control Specialist Pamela Pyles at (828) 625-9983, extension 123.

Fairfield Mountains Volunteer Fire Department serving the citizens of Lake Lure is looking for a few more good men and women. Serving as a volunteer firefighter you will experience a unique opportunity to serve your neighbors, work with fellow firefighters from other fire departments and know YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Please call Ron Morgan, Lake Lure Fire Coordinator at 625-9333 or Chief Gary Wilson at 625-4410 to learn more. Last year, Fairfield Mountains VFD answered 70 calls to assist folks needing help. The comrade, selfless efforts, of our volunteer firefighters - all well trained - helped those in need. We are looking for a few good volunteers willing to serve and reap unusual rewards serving the citizens of Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge.

Lake Lure Newcomers invites those who are a new residents in Lake Lure (24 months or less) to join them in various activities which include: potluck, gourmet, out'n about, theater, bridge/poker, book club, and hiking. If you are interested in becoming a member, call Fred Noble or Jeanine Noble at 828-625-8706.

Chimney Rock Baptist Church invites you to join them Sunday, December 5, 1999, at 11:00 a.m., in preparing the sanctuary for Christmas season. The church will be decorated with the "Hanging of the Green" involving all ages and organizations of the church. This activity will take place with a musical called "Color It Christmas" presented by the choir. Come celebrate with us!

Lake Lure VFW members will hold meetings every third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Lake Lure Community Center.

Chili Cook off Friday, December 4, 1999. Contact Linda Thompson at 625-9534 or 625-1740.

Events on Saturday, December 4, 1999 include: 1. Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber Boat Parade (contact Robin Stanier at 625-2789 or Meg Penny at 625-1373); 2. Chimney Rock Park luminaries; 3. HNG Chamber light up the gorge; 4. decorating contest (contact Candy Enloe at 625-1902) and a HNG Chamber "we deserve it party" (contact Vicki Smith at 625-4121).

The Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a Christmas auction and dinner on December 13, 1999. Contact Judy Beeson at 625-2725 for reservations.

Chimney Rock Park will sponsor a Christmas tree recycling on December 25, 1999 through January 31, 2000.

Esmeralda Fireman's New Year's Eve Celebration will be held on December 31, 1999. Contact Joanne Okpych at 625-9105 for reservations.

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