May 2009 Archives

Watauga County Schools remind folks that the last day of school for kindergarten through twelfth grade students in Watauga will be Monday, June 8th. The K-8 schools will dismiss at 12:00 and Watauga High School will dismiss at 11:30 on June 8th. Lunch will be served in all K-8 schools and a bag lunch will be available for students at the high school. School buses will run their usual routes. Students riding home on buses will depart from the K-8 schools shortly after 12:00 and from the high school at approximately 1:00. The last day of the after school program and the last day of school for pre-kindergarten students will be Friday, June 5th. Both the after school and pre-kindergarten programs will operate on their usual hours on that date. 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will close the southbound lanes on Highway 421 near exit 286B in Wilkesboro overnight Friday to begin repairing the collapsed area of the roadway. The exit ramp off 421 onto 268 washed away Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning due to the heavy rain. The section will be closed from 8:00 Friday night until 8:00 Saturday morning. DOT says one lane will be reopened after 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. The DOT has a detour route set up with signs to take drivers around the closure during the overnight hours.

The rain struck again in Blowing Rock Thursday. The Town reported two more wastewater spills, and in the same places.  One spill occurred at a manhole located on Ransom Street overflowing approximately 4,500 gallons into the South Fork of the Middle Fork of the New River. The other occurred on Cornish Road overflowing approximately 4,800 gallons into the New. Again, no known fish kill occurred and the division of Water Quality was notified and will be reviewing the matter.  

The Blowing Rocket reported last week that the Green Park Inn is closed, and may not reopen. The hand-printed sign on the front door of the Green Park Inn tells visitors that the hotel will be closed for repairs until Monday June 1. But it may be closed much longer than that. Green Park Inn owner Ronnie Wrenn has put the hotel up for sale and has no plans to re-open it. According to the story, the electricity is turned off, and the repairs that were being done invole painting. The Inn is a landmark in the High Country, first opened in 1891, and is one of the oldest resort inns in western North Carolina. According to the Inn's website, Eminent guests included  Herbert Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Mitchell, Calvin Coolidge, even Annie Oakley. John D. Rockefeller, true to form, tipped everyone a thin dime. Green Park Inn in early times was so isolated that it was a self-sufficient community, with its own post office and resident physician. The hotel dairy provided milk and butter. Produce came from the inn's fields. Ice was cut in winter from a nearby lake, then stored in sawdust under the hotel. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and that desgination puts some additional requirements on any repairs and upgrades that any potential new owner will have to include in their plans. 

Starting next week, Highway 321 south of Blowing Rock will be closed on Monday nights as work continues on the four lane project. The road is already closed Tuesday and Thursday's from noon till 2pm for blasting, but in an effort to get back on schedule, the highway will be closed from 8pm Monday nights until 5am Tuesday mornings until all blasting is complete. DOT officials expect that will take about three months. 

 

They're helping out surrounding businesses and the environment. High Country Bank is hosting a Free Shred Day event for individuals and businesses. A certified information destruction company called Shred South will be at the bank to shred personal and business documents for free, including any materials containing sensitive, private or confidential information. Despite popular belief that most identity thefts happen online, majority of the time it occurs through non-electronic documents. When all of the materials are shredded, they will be recycled. This shred day event will be held on Thursday, May 28^th from 11 a-m to 1 p-m at the New Market Bank in Boone, and also from 2 to 4 p-m at the bank's Linville office.

 

                       

Most take the SAT exam when they're just graduating high school, after studying for months or even year's to get a good score to head into college. Well for seventh grader at William Lenoir Middle School, Benjamin Rohr, his situation is a little different. He was recently honored in May for having earned a higher score on the SAT than 90 percent of high school seniors heading off to college. Rohr is apart of the Duke University Talent Identification Program's Seventh Grade Talent search, which identifies students in sixteen states in the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest who have scored in the 95^th percentile on a grade-level achievement test. As part of the program, these talented students take the SAT to learn more about their abilities. This year, of the over 67,000 participants nationally, 3 percent of them, including Rohr, were invited to the grand recognition ceremony at Duke University. Benjamin Rohr is entering high school in the fall and enjoys computers, reading and video games.

 

 

                             

 

There is some big news in Boone. Representative Cullie Tarleton and Senator Steve Goss recently announce that their area has been awarded $500,000 dollars from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency for the Hospitality House in Boone. The money will be used to complete the second phase of construction of the 64-bed facility. Once constructed, the facility will provide emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for homeless persons. This program serves seven counties and is the only home of its kind in the area. In a recent press release about the shelter, both Senator Steve Goss and Representative Cullie Tarleton say they are happy the Hospitality House received this money and that it will improve the lives of others, especially during these tough economic times.

 

                            

People were dressed in red, white and blue, listening to patriotic music and seeing the American flag stand tall.... and it was all in celebration of Memorial Day.... a day to recognize those who have sacrificed their lives for our country. On May 25^th at the Boone Mall, dozens of people came together to honor those not only in their area... but all over the country. The guest speakers were Representative Cullie Tarleton and former Chancellor of ASU Dr. John Thomas. The celebration is sponsored by the Watauga Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Watauga Community Band played throughout the event, which was conducted by Steve Frank.

 

                                   

ASU aren't the only ones that will be waving a huge American flag for Memorial Day. There will also be a celebration for Memorial Day at the Boone Mall on Monday, May 25^th. The event will be held from ten to 11:30 a.m. sponsored by Watauga Chapter of the American Red Cross, the event is open to the high country region and the surrounding communities. The purpose of the celebration is to commemorate U.S. men and women who have passed while serving the country. There will be a music concert given at 10 a.m. including a solute to the memorial by community band conducted by Steve Frank. Special guests will be veterans of the high country, along with local elective officials; Senator Steve Goss and Representative Cullie Tarleton. There will also be a highly decorated combat veteran as the guest speaker.