Town of Lake Lure,
North
Carolina
Town of Lake Lure, North
Carolina
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THE LAKE LURE TRIBUTE Published by Town of Lake Lure, P.O. Box 255, Lake Lure, NC 28746
Newsletter Editor & Coordinator: Linda
Ward MAYOR'S COMMENTS by Jim Proctor Ride for Kids On August 21st, the eleventh annual Ride For Kids will once again come to If you would like to donate this year please mail a check made out to "PBTFUS"
to
TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT by H.M. "Chuck" Place III, AICP What's Happening? From time to time, I like to let folks know
what's happening in town. Here's a sample:
And speaking of the sewer system, we are
exploring alternatives that will allow us to either add new manholes or improve
access to existing manholes. This will make it easier for property owners to
connect to the system without having to get access easements from their
neighbors
TOWN COUNCIL ACTIVITIES by Town Clerk Mary Flack, MMC, CTC REGULAR MEETING: The regular town council meeting was held
on Tuesday, July 13, 2004, 7:00 p.m., in the meeting room of the Under the "consent agenda," Council: * approved the minutes of June 8, 2004 (regular meeting and closed session); * approved request from E. Charles Watkins to suspend the town alcohol ordinance in order to serve beer and wine during a 50th wedding anniversary party inside the Community Hall of the Lake Lure Municipal Center on August 14, 2004, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.; and * approved a fabric structure permit for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
"Ride for Kids" fund raiser event.
* held a discussion concerning a complaint regarding amplified music outdoors at Lake Lure Golf and Beach Resort; received a petition for elimination of amplified music outdoors at the Lake Lure Golf and Beach Resort; * received a request from Tommy Hartzog asking the town to help assist with an application for grant monies to develop trails for hiking, biking, jogging, and walkers; * approved a request from John A. Kampe on behalf of the Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber of Commerce to close a portion of town street temporarily for a "Business After Hours" meeting being held at the Lake Lure Arcade Building and suspend the town alcohol ordinance in order to serve beer and wine during this meeting on July 20, 2004, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.; and; * tabled agenda item as requested by Collin Brown on behalf of Mike McPherson, Tom Dixon, and Faye Dixon regarding a boathouse dispute until the next regular town council meeting being held August 10, 2004; * approved a budget amendment to transfer $40,000.00 from the water/sewer fund equity to the sewer department's line item #308200.5300 for extending a sewer line to an existing manhole on Harris Road; * appointed Nancy McNary to serve as alternate board member on the Board of Adjustment/Lake Structures Board; * appointed Paula Jordan to serve as a regular member on the Parks and Recreation Board; * tabled action on proposed amendment to the pay and classification plan to create positions of codes administrator and assistant zoning administrator; and * agreed to lower lake level starting January 1, 2005 to 4' and return lake
level to full pond by February 14, 2005 for the purpose of installing a new town
sewer line.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
The Marine Commission: * adopted Resolution No. 04-07-13 establishing a * held a discussion regarding a complaint concerning a problem of boating activities of certain renters creating wake problems on the lake in the North Shore Drive area.
PERSONNEL UPDATE by Anita Taylor, Personnel Director,
Deputy Town Clerk, MMC
The town is also in the process of advertising for a Community Development Administrator. This individual will function as the zoning administrator, planning administrator and codes administrator. We welcome Tonya Vakco to the police department as Police Office Assistant. Tonya replaced Daniel Denton which resigned July 2, 2004. We also would like to welcome Officer Windy Hobson who replaced Officer Lamar Burch. Officer Burch resigned his position July 11, 2004. As mentioned in last month's newsletter, Lewis McDade retired his position with the public works department June 30, 2004. Gunar Harris filled the position July 19, 2004.
COMMUNITY POLICING NEWS by Chief Mike Bustle Department Promotions It gives me great pleasure to report to you that there have been several
promotions made within the Lake Lure Police Department. Following an intense
competitive process that took into consideration leadership skills, work
history, training and experience, these promotions were made: Sgt. Eric Hester
has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant; Janie Schutz has been promoted to
the rank of Sergeant; Rick McWhorter has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant;
Sean Humphries has been promoted to the rank of Corporal; and Robert Owens has
been promoted to the rank of Corporal. These personnel changes will enhance the
overall performance of department members and ensure the professional level of
service the citizens of
"Hey, You ... Pay Attention!" Distracted drivers beware, you soon could be the recipient of a traffic enforcement action, or even worse, be involved in a traffic accident as a result of not paying attention to road conditions. According to a recent USA Today article, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that up to 30 percent of the 3 million accidents per year may be due to distracted drivers. This statistic becomes even more easy to believe when one considers the
findings of a Mason-Dixon poll conducted earlier this spring. Of those surveyed,
91 percent of the drivers said they engaged in some sort of risky behavior while
driving, including speeding, eating or reading during the previous six months.
Police in Therefore if you eat, talk, change CD's, apply make-up, watch TV or answer
your cell phone while driving, you should start weaning yourself of these bad
habits now, before they cause you to be involved in an accident.
Swimming Thanks to the recent donation from the eastern VROC motorcycle club, Hickory Nut Gorge children were offered a total of four weeks of swimming instruction by Carolyn Black at the Geneva Motel. Approximately 68 children participated in two 2 week sessions of Red Cross certified courses of instruction. Special thanks are extended to Vicki and Lynn Smith of the Geneva Motel for their hospitality and the Lake Lure La La Queens for their fundraising.
PROTECTION PROGRAM by Clint Calhoun,
Erosion Control Specialist
As I mentioned before and will probably say many times in the future, stream health can be easily determined by the things that are living there. Some aquatic organisms can tell you about oxygen levels, some are indicators of major pollution, all have a particular role that they play in the ecology of aquatic systems. Last month I talked about what I consider to be a highly important group of organisms, the mollusks, and the role they play in our rivers and creeks. This month I want to talk about some less important organisms, but worthy of mentioning just because they might be encountered during your stream studying activities (I know everyone is getting in the water right now with their sieves, nets and taxonomic keys). I am sure everyone is familiar with aquatic sponges. If you've ever watched the Discovery Channel or National Geographic when some kind of SCUBA program was airing, you may have seen these giant barrel shaped things with big holes in the top. Those are sponges. Sponges vary in all shapes and sizes. Some are hard and rigid, others are soft and pliable. Sponges are a living organism that are filter feeders. They do not breathe but do require oxygenated water to live. Sponges have a series of holes and pores. The pores, called ostia, take in water and microscopic organisms. The food is trapped by a series of cells that carry out digestion and the nutrients are then transported to other cells that carry out other functions associated with growth and reproduction. The water is then removed via the larger holes, called oscula. While most sponge species are marine, there are 150 freshwater species in North America, some of which are found in North Carolina streams and lakes. Sponges reproduce both sexually and asexually. While interesting, freshwater sponges are not particularly abundant. They are found in clear water attached to vertical surfaces such as docks, dams, and canal walls. They will also attach to boulders and logs. Very few things prey on sponges so their overall contribution to stream productivity is very low. The hydroids are another interesting group of organisms. While rare in freshwater ecosystems, they do occur and like sponges, contribute very little to the overall productivity of the benthic community. Hydroids are very cool. Hydroids are in a group of organisms known as Cnidarians (pronounced NI-as in Aeye@-DAR-IANS). Some that most folks would be familiar with are corals, jellyfish, and Portuguese Man-o-War. Cnidarians typically have two life stages: a medusa stage and a polyp stage. Some have only one (either polyp or medusa). The polyp stage is usually the adult stage and looks like a tree stump with branches. The stump is like an anchor that allows the organism to attach to things. The medusa stage is usually a larval stage and is what most people would call the jellyfish stage, although this is somewhat of a misnomer. Cnidarians can reproduce either sexually or asexually. All cnidarians have tentacles which possess nematocysts or astinging cells@ with which they attack and capture their prey. The most common freshwater cnidarian is hydra which grows as a polyp. Hydra can only barely be seen with the naked eye but are incredible to watch under a microscope. They feed primarily on one-celled organisms, water fleas, and sometimes larvae of mosquitos and midges (gnats). As the prey swims by, it gets tangled in the tentacles, stunned by the stinging cells, and then ingested by the hydra. A less common sighting are freshwater jellyfish. They look like normal jellyfish only they are about the size of a quarter. They actually float around and eat whatever happens to run into them just like marine jellyfish. I have actually seen these down in Mirror Lake in the Riverbend Development. They are of course harmless to humans. Hydroids are not necessarily indicators of water quality because they can live in some pretty polluted situations, as long as there are plenty of one-celled critters to eat. Another group of organisms found in freshwater are the flatworms. Most flatworms are parasitic but some are free-living and belong to the class Turbellaria. The best known of these are Planarians. These worms can survive in poor quality streams and are usually found in slow-moving waters. They have a feeding tube through which they eat very small invertebrates. Of course, planarians aren't that big themselves, measuring around 2 to 3 centimeters at the most. Planarians make good science projects because of their regenerative abilities and primitive light sensing organs. The last group I want to mention this month are the nematodes or roundworms. Again, most are parasitic, but some are free-living. Many of these are widely distributed through many different freshwater ecosystems and contribute significantly to benthic productivity. Some species are carnivores, some herbivores, and some feed off detritus. Roundworms are also a source of food for many aquatic organisms. Nematodes are found mainly in sediments of lakes and streams. One commonly seen roundworm is called a horsehair worm. Named because they were commonly seen in horse watering troughs along with horsehair, these nematodes are found not only in bodies of water but also in puddles, and practically any wet area that an insect might visit. They can grow as long as 14 inches. The adult form lives in water. These actually parasitize insects. The aquatic adult worms will come out on dry land, bury into the soil, mate and lay eggs which are eaten by crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, etc. The larvae grow to maturity inside the insect and when the insect gets near water, the worm comes out and spends its adult life in the water. By the way, horsehair worms do not use humans for their hosts. I hope you are finding our exploration of stream life interesting. The fun is just beginning as next time we'll be looking at some things that are a little more obvious and play a larger role in aquatic ecosystems. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime at 828-625-9983 ext. 123 or clintcalhoun@blueridge.net.
LAKE LURE TREE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES OPEN FORUM by Paula Jordan Lake Lure Tree Management Committee announces its first Open Forum to hear public opinion on the protection of trees within the Lake Lure town limits. The meeting will be held in the Community Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 11th, and will be free of charge to all Lake Lure residents. The committee was created by the town Zoning and Planning Board and has been delegated to study the management of trees by other towns in North Carolina and to recommend ordinances that will be fair and reasonable for our unique environment. The intention is NOT to ban tree removal altogether, but to prevent the excess cutting of trees such as recently took place at the corner of Hwy 64/74 and Washburn Rd. The purpose of the August 11th meeting is to present the committee's findings to date and to hear the community's response at this point in the project. The committee welcomes every point of view on the subject, and plans additional meetings as the study progresses to ensure that everyone who wishes to speak out has a chance to do so. Those who would like to assist with the committee's work should contact
Patricia Maringer at 828-625-0093 or Paula Jordan at 828-691-5008. Your help
will be much appreciated.
GARDEN CLUB NEWS by Martha Ledford
Our next meeting will be a day to roll up our sleeves, put on our gloves and have a good time working together to help beautify the grounds around our very own Mountains Library with new plantings purchased with the proceeds we have netted. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 14th and bring your shovels, spades and rakes to the library between 9 and 11 a.m. We promise not to work you too hard! If time and energies permit, we will continue on to the Lake Lure Post Office to do some much needed weeding and cleanup. Come and help us share our love of flowers and other plants with the wonderful community in which we live. Remember, many hands make for lighter work and the more, the merrier!
SUMMERTIME
LAKE REMINDERS This is a reminder to any one who has permanently moored inflatable floating platforms. The platforms shall be removed from the lake between November 1 and April 1 of each year and at any time they deflate or are in a state of disrepair. Also, don't forget that all the platforms must have white reflectors affixed to both sides of each corner or, for circular platforms, at least every six feet of circumference. Have fun and be safe!
NEWS AROUND LAKE LURE
Lake Lure Lakefront Owners Association (LLLOA). If you are interested in lake issues and concerns and own lakefront property on the shores of beautiful Lake Lure, the LLLOA invites you to become a regular member. Associate memberships are also encouraged for those who are interested in our lake. Each year members receive a directory of members, informative Muse Letters, and a first class mailed subscription to the Town of Lake Lure monthly newsletter, The Lake Lure Tribute. Members meet at the Town Community Center socially at least annually to meet neighbors and discuss issues. Annual dues are currently a modest $17.00. You may pick up an application for membership at the Municipal Center or call President Chuck Watkins at 828-625-2122 or Treasure Hugh Pinney at 828-625-0867 for an application or with any questions you may have. Football - The Rutherfordton Raiders Youth Football League
is looking for more players from around the Hickory Nut Gorge area. They need
children from ages 5 to 12. No child will be turned away. For more information,
please call 828-287-0808. Chimney Rock Park - August 13th join the park for
"Night Under the Stars". This is a program on stargazing with the
option of overnight camping. An astronomer from Pisgah Astronomical Research
Institute will present a slide show and program about stars, planets and what
happens during a meteor shower. For more information about this program and many
more activities going on during the month of August, you may call 828-625-9611
or 1800-277-9611. Fashions With Heart - The Women of the Church of Fairfield
Mountains Chapel is sponsoring a fashion show on Monday, September 13th
at 11:30 a.m. at Larkins on the Lake. The clothing is by Chico's of Asheville,
N.C. The cost is $25.00 and all proceeds will benefit local area mission work.
Advance tickets are a must. For more information, please contact Pat Bowen at
828-625-2515 or 828-625-2411.
NOTICE The Lake Lure Town Council has authorized drawing the lake down by four to five feet during the month of January, 2005. The drawdown will commence on January 3, remain at the -4' level for two weeks and return to full pond by February 14. The purpose of this drawdown is to complete a town utility connection. (See the Town Manager's article in this issue for more details.)
NOTICE
The deadline for newsletter articles to be received at Town Hall for
the September issue is August 18, 2004.
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