by Jim Proctor

Lake Lure Dam’s Diamond Jubilee!

On December 30, 1924, Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc. created a subsidiary called the Carolina Mountain Power Company. In February 1925, Carolina Mountain Power Company sold $550,000.00 in bonds to finance the building of a 104-foot dam across the Rocky Broad River at Tumbling Shoals. One month later the contract to build the dam was given to Mees & Mees Engineering from Charlotte, North Carolina. Soon thereafter, construction was started. Since the main highway was in the impoundment area, construction of a new highway was started at the same time. The Lake Lure dam was completed on September 20, 1926 at a final cost of more than $1,000,000.00.

Please plan on joining the Town of Lake Lure in their plans to celebrate the town’s diamond jubilee this coming year. Please let me know if you have any information or photographs about Lake Lure. The North Carolina Department of Archives and History has offered to help us copy photographs and other historical documents. We need your input and contributions. If you would like to add to our "seed" fund, make the check out to the Town of Lake Lure and indicate in the lower corner "for Diamond Jubilee 2002". Your donation is tax deductible. Donations of $200 will entitle you to an engraved brick within our "Jubilee Pathway." All donations are welcome. For more information about Lake Lure’s diamond jubilee call the town office.

Lake Size?

You may have heard that the size of the lake has been calculated to be around 720 acres with a shoreline of 20 ½ miles. This is of course much smaller than most folks thought. The good news is Lake Lure is still one of the prettiest lakes in the world regardless of the size. The conflicting information appears first in a 1925 sales brochure about Lake Lure. In this brochure the acreage was stated to be "around 1200" acres. Later in 1937, Rutherford County Historian Clarence Griffin stated that Lake Lure is "1500 acres with a shoreline of 27 miles." Only in recent years has the size been questioned. The Isothermal Planning Commission calculated the acreage at 717 and I have calculated the area to be 733 acres. As the county expands their GIS programs, an exact full pond acreage will be determined.

Lake Use Survey

Last month the Lake Lure Town Council asked the Lake Advisory Committee (LAC) to create a Lake Use Study. This study will be used by the town council in its ongoing efforts to keep Lake Lure as safe and beautiful as possible. The LAC will soon send out a Lake Use Survey. Please take time to complete the survey and return it to the town.

I would like to remind folks that any permanent floating platform on Lake Lure is required to have a permit. Please note that personal inflatable floats up to 80 square feet or 10 feet in diameter need no permits. These do however need to be used only by swimmers and must be removed from the lake when not in use. Larger permanent floating platforms need permits and must adhere to all the other requirements for lake structures. Large floating platforms will be required to follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations, so check these before buying to make sure they meet the various lake regulations. If the manufacturer states that personal floatation devices or life jackets (PFDs) are recommended, all users of the float must wear PFDs. The complete ordinance is available at the town office.

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by H. M. "Chuck" Place III, AICP

This has been a traumatic period for our little town hall family. Town hall is usually a very happy place; the folks here generally enjoy their work and there is a lot of laughter about the place. But it was a somber hall in August. First, Utilities Director William Grimes’ mother Martha past away after a prolonged illness. The very next day, receptionist Linda Ward’s parents, Vannie and Virgil Hull, were involved in a serious car accident and her mother died as a result of her injuries. And then the following day, our police chief, Mike Bustle, was stricken with a heart attack while vacationing with his family in Myrtle Beach. Thankfully, Mike has recovered after surgery and is back at work, but our hearts go out to Linda and William and their families for their loss.

About 25 years ago, a three-tier fountain was placed in the median parkway in front of the Arcade Building in honor of Cal Wilson. Cal was the long time maintenance manager for the town who passed away in 1975. That fountain lasted for many years, but being made of concrete, was subject to spalling and other forms of deterioration. In recent times, both the fountain and the rock work surrounding it were subject to some minor vandalism and it was really looking very bad.

Well, it no longer looks bad. Cal’s current day successor, Public Works Director Tony Hennessee and Maintenance Worker Gary Roberts have completed the renovation of the pond and have replaced the old concrete fountain with a beautiful cast iron model, also three-tiered, that should last for ages. The rock work around the fountain has been repaired and the inside wall of the fountain painted a light blue.

Regarding the coins in the fountain, folks have been throwing assorted change into the fountain for good luck since the day it was first installed. We collect the coins from time to time and use it to help maintain the fountain. But Tony and Gary assured themselves of a permanent source of luck. They used pennies under the rim of the fountain to level it before bolting it down.

I had the opportunity to sit in on a meeting withj Bill Bush, chairman of the 75th Anniversary Committee, and Mary Ann Dalton of Earth Connections, Inc. to discuss the landscaping plans that Mary Ann is graciously donating for Morse Park and Memorial Point. The landscaping of this park will be one of the main features of the coming Diamond Jubilee celebration that kicks off this month on the 75th anniversary of the completion of the dam itself and will run through next summer. This park will be beautiful when finished and a credit to the dreams of Dr. Morse for whom it is named. I am impressed with the ambitious efforts proposed by this committee. The town council has authorized seed money for the project, but the majority of the funding for the celebration, including the park, will come from donations. Contact Bill Bush at 828- 625-2692 to find out how you can be a part of this wonderful activity.

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Linda Ward, employee of the month, came to work for the Town of Lake Lure on May 9, 1995. She worked in the clubhouse at the Lake Lure Municipal Golf Course from 1995 to 1999. In June of 1999, Linda transferred to the Lake Lure Municipal Center as a receptionist. Her duties are many and varied, but she is never too busy to help her coworkers. Linda moved to North Carolina from Florida where she worked as a trainer and office cashier for Publix Supermarket in Ormond Beach for fifteen years. Linda, her husband Brian, and daughter Lexus reside in Lake Lure. We say thank you Linda for a great job.

WELCOME NEW TOWN EMPLOYEE

We welcome our newest employee Monica Stofer to our staff. Monica is working with Zoning Administrator Terri Potts. We are fortunate to have Monica on our staff.

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REGULAR MEETING: The regular town council meeting was held on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Lure Municipal Center.

Under the "consent agenda," Council:

* approved the minutes of July 10, 2001 (regular meeting), and July 17, 2001 (workshop meeting); and

* approved request from the Hickory Nut Gorge Kiwanis Club to suspend the town's peddling ordinance on October 13-14, 2001 (Oktoberfest) and November 2-3, 2001 (Halloween activities) and the use of town property surrounding the Lake Lure Arcade Building for selling crafts and food, fund raising, and music during these events;

In other activities, Town Council:

* held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 01-08-14A amending the zoning map;

* adopted Resolution No. 01-08-14 requesting the Rutherford County Board of Education to include the Lake Lure Area as a site for a new school;

* adopted Ordinance No. 01-08-14B amending Chapter 94 of the Town Code of Ordinances regarding the Lake Structures Regulations Relating to Moored Floating Platforms;

* appointed James A. Hullender to fill Carolyn Cobb's position on the Diamond Jubilee Committee;

* authorized the sale of town property (parcel one is a 2.43 acre tract on the northwest corner of NC Highway 9 and Girl Scout Road and parcel two is a 3.76 acre tract on the southwest corner of NC Highway 9 and Girl Scout Road) declared surplus and the advertisement for upset bids;

* heard a report from the town manager on the town's water systems projects;

* authorized an expenditure of $1,500 for McGill Associates Inc. to prepare a grant application to the Rural Center for funds to do a comprehensive study on the merits of various alternatives for establishing a cooperative utility system for Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Village, and the immediate surrounding region; and

* authorized the Lake Advisory Committee to send out a lake use survey to Lake Lure citizens.

SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE ZONING AND PLANNING BOARD: Town Council held a meeting with the Zoning and Planning Board on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, at 9:30 a.m. at the Lake Lure Municipal Center.

Town Council:

* held discussions on Zoning and Planning issues including: a. expansion of the town water system, b. moratorium for major subdivisions within the town, c. subdivision ordinance relating to open space dedication, d. enforcement of town ordinances, e. logging control ordinance, and f. signs with internal lights;

* reviewed regulations for soil erosion and sedimentation control;

* directed the town attorney and town manager to draft an ordinance establishing a moratorium on the review and approval of new subdivisions within the Town of Lake Lure for six month period effective August 28, 2001;

* expressed interest in establishing a Rural Transportation Planning Organization in this area; and

* approved the sale of two parcels of town property located at the intersection of Highway 9 and Girl Scout Road to Jose A. Perez for a total of $160,000.

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by Police Chief Mike Bustle

As summer draws to a close, remember that the Lake Lure Police Department continuously conducts an intensive security program throughout the community. Every day of the month, approximately thirty-four town roads are checked during the day at least once and fifty businesses are specifically checked during the morning.

Your community police officers encourage you to use these security enhancing programs in our area, and report any suspicious circumstances when observed.

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by Bob Washburn, LAC Chairman

At a July workshop, Town Council members gave the Lake Advisory Committee the charge of performing a lake use study to determine the lake's boat carrying capacity and to examine commercial use of the lake. The LAC committee plans on completing their study and making recommendations to Town Council later this fall. The focus of this study is to look at preserving the safety and quality of life that we have enjoyed over the years while boating on Lake Lure.

During the 2001 boating season, we have seen a dramatic increase in boat traffic on the lake. While this is inevitable with the current surge in development, the LAC committee hopes to explore all avenues of solving the possible over saturation of boats on the lake during the peak season. Coupled with the increase in boat permits sold, was the confirmation that the lake is much smaller than everyone thought. The lake size is approximately 720 acres instead of 1,200 or 1,400 acres.

The Lake Advisory Committee is mailing out a survey to all of the citizens of Lake Lure to gather information that will assist them with their deliberations. Sometime in early September, you should receive an invitation to fill out an enclosed survey dealing with a variety of lake issues. If you are a taxpaying citizen of the Town of Lake Lure and do not receive a questionnaire, please stop by Town Hall to pick up a copy.

Please take the time to review the current lake regulations, complete the survey and mail it back to the Town Hall. This is a critical time for making some significant decisions on the future of the lake. The Lake Advisory Committee would appreciate your input.

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There have been complaints about signs in Lake Lure being placed in the road right-of-way. The Lake Lure sign ordinance is very specific about signs within the right-of-way. They are not allowed. The right-of-way is defined as any area 10 feet from the edge of the pavement, regardless of topography. If you have questions pertaining to the placement and/or about your sign, call the Zoning Administrator at 828-625-9983 ext. 107.

We would prefer advising someone about their sign rather than removing it from an area which is prohibited and assessing a fine.

The Lake Lure Zoning and Planning Board have changed their regular meetings to the last Tuesday of each month instead of the first Tuesday. They voted to change their meeting schedule with the goal of expediting any possible amendments to the zoning ordinance.

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I want to thank everyone here in the Gorge for their love, concern, thoughts and prayers, kind words, phone calls, cards, and flowers that I received after my mothers sudden death. It was overwhelming to see how many people cared about me and my family. This has been the hardest time of my life. I was deeply touched by the love I felt from so many people. We live in an unbelievable community.

My mother was killed senselessly by a drunken driver. Please don't drink and drive!

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LAKE LURE LIONS CLUB FUND RAISING DRIVE. The Lake Lure Lions Club will conduct a Humanitarian/White Cane Candy Days. There will be handmade brooms by the blind sold on Labor Day weekend at Highway #9 South/US 64/74A intersection. Funds raised will be used to support these programs and services for the blind/visually impaired and deaf/hearing impaired. The money raised will be used in the Western part of Rutherford County to pay for eye exams, eye glasses, hearing aids, white canes, supporting needs, and our Lions Camp Dogwood for the blind at Lake Norman.

OKTOBERFEST 2001 at the Lake Lure Arcade Grounds. The Kiwanis Club of Hickory Nut Gorge announces "Oktoberfest 2001" featuring toe-tapping live music, regional arts and crafts, and a variety of tasty foods. This festival will be held Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the lake Lure Arcade Grounds across from the beach. Admission is free. A number of bands will be on hand for this event to provide regional, traditional, and up-tempo tunes in wide variety throughout the weekend. Artists and crafters, both local and from across the region, will set up booths offering a bounty of handmade pottery, quilts, afghans, sketches, jewelry, watercolors, oil paintings, photography, needlecraft, leather craft, woodcraft, kitchen craft, and decorative crafts. Food booths will provide a variety of hot and cold foods, popcorn, cold drinks, and other refreshments. Proceeds from this festival, together with charitable collections from Kiwanians and the community at large, will be used to support a variety of Hickory Nut Gorge service and charitable efforts, such as Helping Neighbors, Inc., Hickory Nut Gorge Recreation Association, Lake Lure Police Department Children's Fund, Friends of Mountains Branch Library, the Hospice organizations of Rutherford and Henderson Counties, several local beautification projects, and the Kiwanis of Hickory Nut Gorge Educational Grant.

BOOKS NEEDED. The Friends of Mountain Branch Library are requesting donations of hard cover or paperback books, audio books, video tapes and music CD's for our October 6th book sale. Please bring donations to the library and help make our book sale a success once again.

CENTENNIAL PHOTO CONTEST AT CHIMNEY ROCK PARK. In the year 2002, Chimney Rock Park will celebrate 100 years of private stewardship by the Morse family of St. Louis, MO. In preparation for this big event the Park is sponsoring a Centennial Photo Contest and accepting entries until November 15, 2001. Entries in the contest should reflect the photographer's interpretation of the best of Chimney Rock Park. Emphasis will be placed on creativity and composition, and the contest is open to amateur and professional photographers. Prizes include a weekend for four in Hickory Nut Gorge, a day in the Gorge for four, and Park Annual Passes. Youth contest winners (under the age of 16) will receive a unique commemorative centennial medallion and a $50 U.S. Savings Bond. Chimney Rock Park is a privately-owned, natural scenic attraction located 25 miles southeast of Asheville on Highway 64/74-A in Chimney Rock, NC. Admission is $10.95 for adults and $5.00 for youth ages four through 12. Children under four are admitted for free. Annual passes are available for $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for youth (Grady's Kids Club) and are good for 12 months of unlimited Park visits, quarterly event updates, and discounts on food, gifts, workshops, and at the Old Rock Café and Old Rock Sweet Shop. New for 2001, a Chimney Rock Park Adult Annual Pass also offers discounts on admission at Carrowinds, Biltmore Estate, Grandfather Mountain, and Tweetsie Railroad as well as discounts at Mast General Stores. For more information and to receive a Centennial Photo Contest entry brochure, call the Park at 828-625-9611 or toll-free 1-800-277-9611 or visit the Park's web site at www.chimneyrockpark.com.

Linda Weeks and Dan Akers from your local Merrill Lynch Team invite you to attend a luncheon workshop "updating your estate plan" on Friday, November 2nd, at the Esmerelda Inn in Bat Cave, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Guest speaker is Estate Planning Attorney William Johnson. Reservations required. Please call Lori Ann at 828-696-4483.

The Church of the Transfiguration, located off of Highway 64/74A, Bat Cave, is sponsoring a Fall craft fair Saturday, September 1, 2001, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Come for the fun, meet new friends, and get the best bargains in Western North Carolina. Great food, lots of fun, and bargains! This is our big fund-raiser for the outreach program. Each year, we have provided thousands of dollars to help people and organizations within our community. Join us and help support those in need. With your help, we can make a difference!

Lakeside Chapel Worship Service, sponsored by Chimney Rock Baptist Church, began on Sunday, May 6, 2001 and extends through October 14, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. The Lakeside chapel is located across from the Lake View Exxon Store, Memorial Highway 64/74-A. Everyone is welcome to come worship.

The Town of Lake Lure Parks and Recreation Board is pleased to announce the 2nd season of the "Music on The Point" concert series, being held in the pavilion on the point beside the Lake Lure Marina. These performances will be every Sunday afternoon in September at 2:00 p.m. and will feature American roots music from bluegrass to rockabilly. Residents and visitors alike are invited to bring a blanket or chair and enjoy the music free of charge.

The Parks and Recreation Board is very grateful to the area businesses that have joined to help make this year's music possible. The Cajun Pig in Chimney Rock along with JAS Books in Lake Lure and radio station WGWG-FM 88.3 in Boiling Springs have been very gracious and supportive of the idea of community-sponsored events like "Music on The Point."

The series kicks off with David Via and Corn Tornado on September 2, 2001. Playing everything from bluegrass to "blues-grass." This group creates their own brand of music that still owes a great deal to the traditions of the mountains. Billboard Magazine recognized this band as one of the "20 Best Unsigned Bands" for 2001.

The following Sunday, September 9, will feature songwriter Michael Reno Harrell with his keen observations on life, love and the South. Michael's combination of "wit and grit" have made him a regional favorite and gained him national recognition.

Sunday, September 16, the Shelby, North Carolina-based group Mama Said mixes together country, Cajun, bluegrass and a little pop for an inviting musical stew. They’re "rural alternative" sound features rich harmonies and a wide range of musical textures.

The series' only double bill will be on September 23, as MOTP, welcome The Domino Kings from Missouri and The Way backs from California. Despite the fact that neither group is "from around here," their music reflects the influences of the South. The rollicking rockabilly - country of The Domino Kings is infectious and sure to inspire a dance or two on the lawn. The Way backs are another band that doesn't hide their versatility or their virtuosity when it comes to different styles of music. They swing, they sure can pick and they have been known to break into an occasional cowboy song.

Closing out the season on September 30, will be the traditional bluegrass of Hickory Flat. With members hailing from both North and South Carolina, Hickory Flat is steeped in the great bluegrass traditions of the region.

While the concerts are free, donations will be accepted with a portion of the proceeds being contributed to the Lake Lure Youth Center. There will be food and beverage available for purchase from The Cajun Pig. This is a family event where coolers are acceptable however, no alcohol is allowed on the grounds.

"It's a beautiful thing," remarks Hermann, "the lake, the mountains and the music all in one place. It makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon!"

For more information on the artists contact: Greg Hils at 828-286-4728.

Lake Lure Newcomers invite those who are 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. Anyone interested in becoming a member, call Fred Noble or Jeanine Noble at 828-625-8706.

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