Recently in Parkway Category

Due to recent severe winter storms and heavy accumulations of snow and ice, as well as downed trees, the majority of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed.  While many sections of the Parkway are gated closed at this time, motorists should be aware that it is not physically possible to gate many hazardous sections of the Parkway.  North Carolina counties of Alleghany, Ash, and Wilkes all have sections which are NOT gated and are extremely hazardous or in fact, impassable due to snow, ice and downed trees.  When major accumulations of snow, ice or other road hazards such as downed trees and tree limbs are present, it often takes Parkway personnel several weeks to clear the road, especially at higher evaluations where snow pack is deeper and cooler temperatures impede the melting of snow and ice accumulations.  It should be noted that all closed sections of the Parkway that remain accessible via state roads, and any travel on uncleared or unplowed sections of the motor road, present extremely hazardous driving conditions and should be avoided.  Visitors who drive in the closed sections of the Parkway travel at their own risk and may be subject to fines and/or citations from Park Law Enforcement Rangers.
 

Sue McBean, the former superintendent of Haw River State Park, has been named the first superintendent of the newly authorized Grandfather Mountain State Park, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. As superintendent, she will be the chief of operations and administration at the state park with wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing, training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection and environmental education.

 Lewis Ledford, the state parks director said, "Sue has done an outstanding job of guiding the development of Haw River State Park, created in 2005. She was directly involved in developing staff and creating a draft master plan and building a close relationship with the local community. Her skill and experience will be invaluable as we fashion our newest state park on one of the most beloved landmarks in the state."

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, McBean graduated in 1987 from Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in natural resource management. She worked in seasonal positions for the U.S. Forest Service and for state parks systems in Ohio, South Dakota, Massachusetts, California, Colorado and Alaska before joining North Carolina's state parks system in 1993. She worked as ranger at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area before being promoted as superintendent at Haw River in June 2006. She holds certifications in environmental education and advanced law enforcement and has been a law enforcement instructor for the division. Grandfather Mountain State Park was authorized in June following the acquisition of 2,456 acres along the crest of the famous mountain from the Morton family's Grandfather Mountain Inc., which continues to operate its famous attraction alongside the new state park. The scenic property in Watauga, Avery and Caldwell counties is laced with a 12-mile network of popular hiking trails and a series of remote campsites. As the first park superintendent at Grandfather Mountain, McBean will be involved in forming a citizen park advisory committee, hiring initial park staff and developing management plans in conjunction with the Grandfather Mountain attraction staff.

A Watauga County man died Saturday after being involved in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer.  The victim was Craven Presson of the Huckleberry Knob subdivision near Blowing Rock. Presson may have suffered a heart attack before the wreck.  According to Jim Landis of Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue, the wreck occurred around 4:40pm on Highway 321 between Mystery Hill and Aho Road. Presson was pinned in his compact car briefly until rescue workers were able to free him.  WINGS Air Rescue airlifted Presson to Johnson City Medical Center, where he later died. The truck driver suffered from minor injuries.  He was taken to Watauga Medical Center where he was treated and released. Landis said the tractor-trailer flipped on its side and one of its diesel tanks ruptured, spilling fuel across all four lanes of the highway. Traffic was routed onto the Blue Ridge Parkway until Highway 321 could be reopened around 11:30 Saturday night. The N.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck. 

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. 

The ASU Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway assisted parkway biologists recently with the removal of debris from an historic dam. In 2008, the parkway hired a local contractor to take apart the concrete dam on Sims Creek in Price Park... but the site is not accessible to vehicles, so the parkway could not afford to pay the contractor to remove the debris from the site. Due to the cost, the parkway contacted the Appalachian State Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway for help. The organization provided approximately 50 hours of volunteer labor over the two workdays, saving the parkway five thousand dollars. Appalachian Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a student-run club dedicated to preserving and protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

                                

By Lindsay Ward

 

The university and the high country residents may be coming together to better the community. The public service research program at a-s-u is seeking input from high country residents. the honors class is titled parkway research seminar and is geared toward community-based research techniques. The class is funded through a three-year learn and serve America grant and led by dr. Norman Clark. Clark said community-based research works to research specific areas by creating partnerships and answering questions posed by the community. The grant will be spent in a partnership with the Blue Ridge parkway. For the current school year, the class is focusing on the Hebron falls in Boone. The students are addressing several concerns including illegal camping in the area, parking and littering. Members of the class will be interviewing the public from six to 7:30 p-.m on Monday through Wednesday. Each participating individual will be asked about personal experiences, recommendations and how each uses the area. Those interested in providing input for the study are asked to register for a time through the web site at p s r p dot appstate dot edu, or by calling (828) 773-7056. Dinner will also be provided.