Town of Lake Lure, 

North Carolina

THE LAKE LURE TRIBUTE

1927-2002

75 YEARS OF PROGRESS

Mayor: Jim Proctor

Commissioners: Blaine Cox, Lea Hullender, Dick McCallum, Chuck Watkins,

Town Manager: H.M. “Chuck” Place, III

 NOVEMBER 2004

 Published by Town of Lake Lure, P.O. Box 255 , Lake Lure , NC 28746

Newsletter Editor & Coordinator: Linda Ward

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

Website:     www.ci.lake-lure.nc.us                               E-mail:  lakeluretown@blueridge.net

MAYOR’S COMMENTS

by Jim Proctor

                        Happy Thanksgiving!

          As I write this article I can look out my office and see beautiful mountains, the lake and children playing at our playground. We are all very lucky to live not only in one of the nicest areas in the world but in the greatest nation in the world. We are a community of friendly people that look after each other. We certainly have much to be thankful for!

  Lake Lure is held in trust by the Town of Lake Lure for the benefit of the citizens of Lake Lure .

          On October 27^th there was an historic joint meeting of the Lake Lure Marine Commission and the Lake Advisory Committee.  Even before the meeting we all agreed that the above title of this paragraph was the basis for all the town council and the LAC does in its dealing with lake issues.  This joint workshop meeting was the culmination of many years of research, hard work, meetings with attorneys, meetings with lake experts and untold hours of previous town council and LAC meetings. In the course of this six and a half hour meeting we made quite a few recommended changes to the various lake regulations and we also made proposed changes to the lake permit schedule.  There will be a public hearing after the regular town council meeting on November  9^th to talk about these proposed changes.  Copies of these proposed changes will be available starting the first day of this month.  I wish to thank all of the volunteers that have help gather and assimilate the information that made our decisions possible.  As stated in my first paragraph I am very thankful for all of our wonderful volunteers.  Thanks Again!!

TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT

by H.M. “Chuck” Place III, AICP

 Community Development Administrator.

      Those of you who read my ramblings on a regular basis may remember my whining two months ago about having had to fill in as the zoning administrator since June.  I reported that we had hired a new code enforcement clerk who took some of the load off.  I am now very happy to report that the new position of community development administrator has been filled!

      I noted in my previous article that the community development administrator (CDA) would function as the zoning administrator and the planning administrator (a new job encompassing aspects of comprehensive planning and grants administration). In addition, the position includes administering all the various other regulations in the code relating to subdivisions, street construction standards, erosion control, unkempt property, abandoned vehicles and the like.

      This job will be filled by Shannon Baldwin starting November 1.  Shannon has a degree in public administration with an emphasis in planning and more than 10 years experience in planning and zoning. He is both a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a certified zoning administrator in North Carolina . Shannon has been the zoning administrator in Highlands, town manager and town planner in Banner Elk, and town administrator (including zoning administration) for Saluda . On top of all this, he is a member of the Henderson County Board of Commissioners.  We are fortunate, indeed,  to have Shannon in Lake Lure . Stop by and help make him welcome.

                                         Regarding Certification.

      Which North Carolina small town has two MMC’s (Master Municipal Clerks), two NCAZO’s (North Carolina Certified Zoning Officials) and two AICP’s (members of the American Institute of Certified Planners)?

       Do you know how rare it is to have any one of those certified officials on the payroll, much less two of each? And theses aren’t the only professional and technical certifications among our employees.  We have certified water system operators, waste treatment operators, police officers and fire fighters.  The mayor, commissioners and I encourage our employees to participate in certification and other training programs to improve their knowledge of their jobs. This points out our commitment to have the highest quality, best trained employees possible. 

      I think this commitment is paying off.  What do you think?   

TOWN COUNCIL ACTIVITIES

by Town Clerk Mary Flack, MMC, CTC

 REGULAR MEETING: The regular town council meeting was held on Tuesday, October 12, 2004, 7:00 p.m., in the meeting room of the Lake Lure Municipal Center .

   Under the “consent agenda,” Council:

 * approved the minutes of September 14, 2004 (regular meeting) &  September 29, 2004 (special meeting & closed session); and

 * approved a budget amendment of $10,000 for a sewer line extension on Harris Road as submitted by the finance director.

 In Other Activities, Town Council:

 * approved a request from the Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber of Commerce to: (1) hold Halloween activities on October 29-30, 2004, around the town marina, Lake Lure community center, and Lake Lure Arcade Building; (2) hold a Lake Lure holiday boat parade including a fireworks show to be held on Saturday, December 4, 2004 and allow a bonfire on the town beach for this event; and (3) suspend the town’s peddling ordinance for these events;

 * authorized the town manager to enter into an agreement with McGill Associates for engineering services to do a lake bottom contour survey to determine the extent of dredging needed to remove the silt deposits caused by hurricane Frances and the cost of this project; town council requested that the town manager furnish the total cost of this project for a budget amendment to be considered at the next town council meeting;

 * approved a budget amendment of $6,000 for engineering services with McGill Associates for a TEA 21 Pedestrian Facility project on Buffalo Creek Road;

 * approved a budget amendment of $3,250 for professional legal services provided by Dr. George Sherk; and

 * appointed the mayor as voting delegate and the town manager as alternate voting delegate for the  annual meeting sponsored by the North Carolina League of Municipalities.

REGULAR MEETING OF THE LAKE LURE MARINE COMMISSION: The Lake Lure Marine Commission held a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 12, 2004, following the regular town council meeting held at 7:00 p.m., in the council meeting room of the Lake Lure Municipal Center .

 The Marine Commission:

 * heard an update report from Russell Pitts regarding the town’s dredge;

 * held a discussion clarifying the definition of a boat slip in the lake structures regulations; and

 * scheduled a special joint workshop meeting with the Lake Advisory Committee to be held on Wednesday, October 27, 2004, 9:00 a.m., in the council meeting room of the Lake Lure Municipal Center, for the purpose of reviewing the town’s proposed boat permit schedule and marina slip fee schedule for 2005, and discussion relating to lake issues.

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE LAKE LURE MARINE COMMISSION: The Lake Lure Marine Commission held a special joint workshop meeting with the Lake Advisory Committee on Wednesday, October 27, 2004, at 7:00 p.m., in the council meeting room of the Lake Lure Municipal Center .

 The Marine Commission:

 * reviewed the town’s proposed boat permit schedule and marina slip fee schedule for 2005;

 * reviewed and held a discussion regarding recommended changes to the lake regulations submitted by the Lake Advisory Committee and boat permit fees;

 * scheduled a public hearing following the regular Town Council meeting on Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. or thereafter, at the Council Meeting Room of the Lake Lure Municipal Center, for the purpose of receiving comments on adoption of proposed amendments to the Lake Regulations, and the proposed 2005 boat permit and marina slip rental fees schedule (see proposed boat fee  schedule on

 pg 8) ; and

 * designated five locations for posting lake regulations notices which include the lake lure town hall, town marina, dam marina, Lake Lure Golf and Beach Resort (Fairfield), and Lake Lure Village Resort.

               NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

 The public will take notice that the Lake Lure Marine Commission has called a public hearing following the regular Town Council meeting on Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. or thereafter, at the Council Meeting Room of the Lake Lure Municipal Center, for the purpose of receiving comments on adoption of proposed amendments to the Lake Regulations, and the proposed 2005 boat permit and marina slip rental fees schedule. Citizens are invited to make written or oral comments.

 A copy of the proposed amendments to the Lake Regulations, and  proposed 2005 boat permit and marina slip rental fees schedule are available for public inspection at the office of Administration, Lake Lure Town Hall, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Fridays, holidays excepted.

COMMUNITY POLICING NEWS

by Chief Mike Bustle

 Voter Registration Scams

       Have you received an unsolicited telephone call from someone claiming to represent your local election board or another civic group who asks for your Social Security number or credit card number to confirm your eligibility or registration  to vote?  According to the Federal Trade Commission, America ’s consumer protection agency, unsolicited calls from people who claim to need your personal information as a pretext to register you to vote or to confirm your registration could be a scam designed to steal your personal information.  The scammers may use the information to commit identity theft.

      As a rule, federal officials say, organizations conducting legitimate voter registration drives either contact you in person or provide you with a voter registration form that you fill out yourself.  And they will not ask you to provide any financial information about yourself.

      If you get an unsolicited telephone call from someone who claims to need your personal information to register you to vote, report it to the FTC.  You can file a report online at www.ftc.gov, or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.  If you already have not shared your personal information with someone you do not know, you may be the victim of a scam.  File your complaint, then visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

 To register to vote, contact your local election office, or check the Federal Election Commission’s National Voter Registration Form at www.fec.gov/votregis/pdf/nvra.pdf.  Most states accept this form, but be aware that individual states and localities have their own rules about how far in advance of an election you must register to be able to vote.

 Quote: “It is very important that in the first line of defense against terrorism – the seven hundred thousand officers on the street – be given adequate training and background information on terrorism, the methods and techniques of the terrorist, and the likelihood of an imminent attack … it is simply that these officers know their territory and are on the street 24 hours a day.  Considering that the terrorist who attacked the World Trade Center were stopped on several occasions by the local police prior to the attack for minor traffic violations, it is logical to assume that this pattern of random interception will continue in the future.  If and when situations occur, our local and state officers should have background knowledge by which to arrive at a reasonable suspicion.” (Tully and Willoughby May 2002)

 House Check Program.

       As we enter the fall of the year, don’t forget that your Lake Lure Community Police Officers maintain a year-round house check program.  When you are away for a significant period, your officer on duty will visit your home daily and personally inspect it for overall structural integrity and security.  Contact Tonya at the police department desk or any other officer for further information concerning this helpful crime prevention program.  

GOLF COURSE NEWS

by Chris Shute, Golf Course Manager

                   With all of the improvements here, you might not recognize us. We will stay dry and warm in the club house this winter with the new roof James Watkins installed. The grounds immediately surrounding the club house have been spruced up.  We trimmed the hemlock trees so the club house is more visible from the road, put fresh mulch in and planted fall blooming mums.

      The biggest improvement at the pro shop is the addition to our staff. Nancy Ledford started at the beginning of October and we can’t express how happy we are with how well she is doing. All of you regulars out there might know her as John Ledford’s daughter in-law, but she prefers to be called Nancy .

      Out on the course, all of the sand traps have been cleaned up and cut around, so if you are unlucky enough to end up in one it’s a little easier to get out. With all of this, and the over-seeded fairways and tees coming in great, we are looking good for the winter. To insure that there are no excuses not to come out and see  our improvements, we have a special winter rate this year. Monday through Friday you can play nine holes with a cart for $12.50 or play eighteen holes for only $13.50.

      Now that the days are shorter we will be closing earlier. The last tee time for  eighteen holes with a cart is 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. for nine holes with a cart.

Also due to time constraints, the Friday night Captain’s Choice has ended for this season. It will resume next year some time in April. 

UPPER BROAD RIVER WATERSHED

PROTECTION PROGRAM

by Clint Calhoun , Erosion Control Specialist

 This month we are still talking about arthropods that are living in our streams.  We have now moved into the class known as the crustaceans.  Crustaceans have five pairs of legs and are mostly aquatic.  Most of the crustaceans we are familiar with are marine organisms such as shrimp, crabs, and lobsters.  What we are going to talk about this month are crayfish.

       Crayfish are found on six of the seven continents of the world.  They are known by many names.  In the U.S. they are known as crawdads or crawfish.  In parts of Europe and Australia , they are referred to as yabbies.  No matter where you are from or what you call them, crayfish are intriguing.  More than half of the more than 500 species occur in North America, with the majority occurring in Kentucky ( Mammoth Cave ) and Louisiana .  Nearly all crayfish live in freshwater but a few can survive in saltwater.

      Crayfish look basically like miniature lobsters and their colors can range from sandy yellow, green, white, pink, red, dark brown, and black.  The average length for a mature adult is about 3 inches.  Some do get larger than this.  One of the smallest occurs in the southeast and measures only about 2.5 centimeters.  Crayfish have a complex anatomy consisting of many parts.  The head has two pairs of antennae and one pair of movable eyes.  Attached to the thorax (middle part of the body) are a pair of claws and four pairs of walking legs.  The claws are used for cutting, capturing food, attack, and defense against predators or other crayfish.  A pinch to a human finger from a large crayfish can actually draw blood.  In addition to their claws and walking legs, crayfish have other leg-like appendages.  One group of these appendages is called bailers and they help to cycle water over the crayfish’ gills.  They also have five pairs of swimmerets underneath their abdomen.  Crayfish have the ability to regenerate practically any appendage that gets broken off.  They can re-grow legs, claws, antennae, even eyes if they happen to get snipped off in a fight.  They have a thick exoskeleton that provides protection and allows movement, but limits growth.  As the crayfish grows it sheds its exoskeleton in a process known as molting.  It then grows a new larger exoskeleton.  Shortly after a molt, the new exoskeleton is very soft, making the crayfish much more vulnerable to predators.  A crayfish may molt many times in its life.  The average crayfish only lives about two years.

      Crayfish live in a variety of aquatic habitats including swamps, streams, streams, and lakes.  Several species live in streams of caves.  Many will burrow into banks.  Crayfish will often conceal themselves under rocks or logs to hide from predators or to ambush prey.  They are most active at night, feeding on snails, algae, insect larvae, worms, tadpoles, and occasionally minnows.  They will also eat decaying plant matter and debris.  Studies have shown that older crayfish (one year old) tend to most actively feed from dusk to daybreak, while younger ones are more likely to be out on a bright sunny day.  Crayfish generally walk along the bottom as they search for food, but if startled, can rapidly swim backwards using rapid flips of their tails.

      Because crayfish are fairly short-lived, they have a high-volume reproduction rate.  Crayfish will mate in October or November and the eggs will be laid in the following spring.  The female will actually attach the eggs to her swimmerets, use her tail as a protective flap, and carry the eggs around with her until they hatch.  A female may lay 10 to 800 dark brown eggs that will become translucent as they get ready to hatch.  When the eggs hatch, the newborn crayfish will remain attached to their mother until after their second molt.

      Crayfish are preyed upon by many different predators.  Various gamefish, particularly smallmouth bass, eat crayfish as do many birds such as grackles, herons, cormorants and ibis.  Raccoons, otters, and minks will also catch and eat crayfish.  A lot of traditional Cajun dishes have crayfish as a major ingredient so humans also have an appreciation for these delightful crustaceans.

       Crayfish are relatively tolerant of pollution with the exception of chemical pollution which harms their delicate gills.  The water must have plenty of oxygen in order for them to survive.  They can survive a wide range of temperatures but are generally more active in warmer waters.  As long as there is an adequate food source, crayfish will thrive. 

      So go out and look in your stream or lakefront area.  If the habitat is good, there may be crayfish and they will certainly be active since this is the breeding season.  If you have an erosion problem or if you know somebody else that does, please call me anytime at (828)625-9983 Ext. 123 or e-mail me at clintcalhoun@blueridge.net for details.

  LAKE LURE YOUTH CENTER ’S HAPPENINGS

by The Kids At The Lake Lure Youth Center

   We are happy to report that this month has been a blast at the youth center! We went all out this year in decorating for Halloween and the fall season. We keep growing in numbers everyday. Everyone is welcome. You can see us on the tennis courts enjoying free lessons or shooting some hoops on the new basketball court, which we all love.

      Thank you to everyone who made that possible. Any donations like food, drinks, school supplies etc. for the youth center is accepted at the Lake Lure Police Dept. and very much appreciated.

NEWS AROUND LAKE LURE

       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 Rod or Yvonne Anderson at 828-625-0464.

                                          A Community Thanksgiving Service will be held at Chimney Rock Baptist Church on Wednesday, Nov. 24^th at 6:00 p.m.  Everyone welcome.

      Please bring one can or box of nonperishable food items to this service to help stockpile the pantry  for the ministry Shepherd’s Care Inc. which is distributed here in the Hickory Nut Gorge area.

        The Children’s Christmas Party will be held from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11^th in the Community Hall.

      For more than 15 years, with the help of a number of dedicated volunteers, Miss Martha Jane Power’s annual Children’s Christmas Party has brought joy and much-needed gifts to the children of the Hickory Nut Gorge. For the past two years, at Martha Jane’s request, the Kiwanis Club of Hickory Nut Gorge has assumed responsibility for carrying on her tradition.

      As usual, they are looking forward to it with great anticipation. Attendance in recent years has grown to more than 80 children.

      The party features refreshments, Christmas caroling, and hands-on games and crafts, plus a visit from Old Saint Nick himself. Each child also receives a gift consisting of a small toy, mittens, school supplies and other useful items.

      To those volunteers who have served as Santa’s Helpers during past years’ parties, or who have provided financial assistance, thank you! Your help has meant everything in making these parties a success. Please know too that your energies and assistance continue to be just as necessary and as deeply appreciated for this and future year’s parties.

      Advance donations may be made to the HNG Kiwanis Christmas Party, care of the Kiwanis Club Treasurer, Lyn Weaver at 153 Tryon Bay Cr., Lake Lure, NC 28746.

      As for your personal assistance, just come to the Community Hall sometime between noon and 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 11^th and get a joyful early start on your Christmas spirit!

      Thank you from Martha Jane, the Kiwanis Club and the children of the Hickory Nut Gorge for whatever assistance you can give.                  

       The Garden Club meeting for Dec. will be held Thursday, Dec. 9^th at the Mountains Branch Library 9:00 a.m. to noon.

      We have reserved the community room and will be making natural evergreen Christmas wreaths. Last year’s class was cancelled due to unpredictable weather and poor sign up. Let’s hope the weather holds and those who wish to participate call early to reserve a wreath ring. We have 25 left over from last year and will sell at cost. We will furnish some of the greenery at cost to the club. If you have access to other greenery such as Leyland Cypress, white and black pine, boxwood, juniper, cedar or fir please bring enough to share. (You may also bring a purchased evergreen wreath to decorate instead of making your own). Also collect holly berries, nandina, pine cones, nuts and any other natural decorations we can use.

      You will want to bring gloves, scissors, wire cutters, hand clippers, glue gun, glue sticks and 3 yards of the ribbon of your choice for the bow. We will have a lot of these items on hand to share, so don’t buy them just for this meeting.

      We will have refreshments and door prizes and great fun. Again, call early! Contact either Martha at 625-9496 or Saundra at 625-1065.

NOTICE

 For comments about the operations of the Lake Lure Tours , call 828-625-1373.

The deadline for newsletter articles to be received at Town Hall for the December issue is November 17, 2004.

Send mail to  Webmaster@ci.lake-lure.nc.us  with questions or comments about this web site.

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This Site is dedicated to the memory of former Mayor Jack Powell.

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