Town of Lake Lure, 

North Carolina

TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT

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

As this is budget crunch time, the regular Town Manager's Report will be delayed until June.

DO YOU HAVE A KIDNEY CAR?

Your car's ability to save lives goes a long way beyond seat belts and airbags. When you donate your vehicle to the National Kidney Foundation, it will go on saving lives.

Approximately 14,000 people in North Carolina suffer from kidney and urinary tract disease. Money raised from the Kidney Cars Program helps pay for emergency needs such as medication, rent, transportation and utilities. Proceeds also directly support research, organ donor awareness and other patient services. And the savings may come back to you if you qualify for a tax deduction.

Here's how the program works. You donate your vehicle to the Kidney Cars Program and, depending on its condition, it is either sold at auction or its parts are recycled. No matter what, you get a letter acknowledging your donation and because it is a charitable donation, you determine the value. Make your car a Kidney Car, a car that saves lives. For details or to donate a vehicle, call 1-800-488-CARS.

William Grimes, Hydro-Plant Operator and Wastewater Supervisor, has been selected as employee of the month. He has been employed with the town since October 5, 1982 and his duties are varied. William is certified in both wastewater collection and wastewater treatment. His educational training includes attending High School in Goldsboro, Rutherford-Spindale High School in Rutherfordton, and graduated from Blue Ridge Technical College of Hendersonville. He also served with the US Navy for two years. William resides on Buffalo Shoals Road with his wife Jackie and daughter Jennifer. Thank you William for a great job and watching over Lake Lure during the nights when residents are sleeping to the sound of rain.

REGULAR MEETING: The regular town council meeting was held on Tuesday, April 11, 2000, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Lure Municipal Center.

Under the "consent agenda," Council approved the minutes of March 14, 2000 (regular meeting) and Proclamation No: 2000-1 (Designating May 4, 2000 as National Day of Prayer in Lake Lure).

In other activities, Town Council:

* held a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance rezoning C-1 districts;

* adopted Ordinance No. 00-04-11 (amending the zoning map of the Town of Lake Lure);

* scheduled a public hearing to be held on Tuesday, May 9, 2000, 7:00 p.m. or thereafter, at the Lake Lure Municipal Center for the purpose of considering a petition to rezone the property (map 539, block 1, lot 1) on which the Sunny Daze Store is located. If approved, this request will change the current zoning from R-3 (Resort Residential) to CN (Commercial Neighborhood);

* heard a report from Rebecca Driscoll of the Local Census Office of the Bureau of the Census (see census note on page 3 of newsletter);

* approved temporarily a request from the Hickory Nut Trolley Co. to park their trolley vehicle in the parking lot located behind the town playground during night hours. Town Council will reconsider this request once again in two months at the regular Town Council meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2000, 7:00 p.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center;

* recognized Police Officers Shane Ramsey and Bill Smith who were both promoted to the rank of Corporal;

* scheduled a special workshop meeting of the Lake Lure Town Council and the Chimney Rock Village Council to be held on Tuesday, April 18, 2000, 7:30 p.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center for the purpose of discussing water and sewer systems;

* scheduled a special Town Council workshop meeting to be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2000, 9:00 a.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center for the purpose of discussing and reviewing a draft copy of the proposed capital improvements program (Fiscal Year 2000-2006 for the town; and

* authorized town employees to receive one complimentary boat permit with the stipulation that the boat permit be issued to the employee only and this permit is not transferable to a relative name or any other person.

SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING: A special workshop meeting of the Lake Lure Town Council and the Chimney Rock Village Council was held on Tuesday, April 18, 2000, 7:30 p.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center for the purpose of discussing water and sewer systems.

SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING: A special workshop meeting of the Lake Lure Town Council was held on Wednesday, April 26, 2000, 9:00 a.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center for the purpose of discussing and reviewing a draft copy of the proposed capital improvements program (Fiscal Year 2000-2006) for the town.

I would like to commend the recent actions of one of your community police officers. During the early morning hours of Saturday, April 22, Officer Jeff Eller was on routine patrol of the town when he observed an unusual glow in the sky. Eller's further investigation revealed a house fire on Luther Burbank Road. Officer Eller quickly summoned fire fighting officials and directed them to the scene, making certain as best he could that no one was inside the residence. Officer Eller made helpful observations at the scene which became important during the ensuing investigation of cause and origin. Officer Eller even went beyond the call of duty by helping suppress a fire in the nearby wooded area, ignited by the house fire.

Officer Eller's actions were instrumental in limiting this dangerous house fire at a time when high winds and dry conditions existed in our Town. It is with pleasure that I commend the actions of Officer Eller in helping prevent a potentially disastrous outcome to an already dangerous situation.

This year, the Lake Lure Police Department will be participating with the Forest City Police, Spindale Police, Rutherfordton Police, Rutherford County Sheriff's Department, and the Highway Patrol in the Governor's Highway Safety "Click It or Ticket" program. Our officers will be hosting six local area checkpoints from Monday, May 15 through Friday, June 2, for the purpose of ensuring that all occupants of vehicles have their seat belts fastened:

(1) Monday, May 15th, 11:00 p.m. -12:30 a.m., at the intersection of Highway 64/74A and Highway 9

(2) Friday, May 19th, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., at Buffalo Creek Road

(3) Thursday, May 25th, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., at the Lake Lure Beach area (media day)

(4) Saturday, May 27th, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at the Lake Lure Beach area

(5) Monday, May 29th, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at Highway 64/74A and Highway 9

(6) Friday, June 2nd, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., at the Lake Lure Beach area

Hopefully this program will enhance highway safety in our area and therefore, reduce injuries and save lives!

According to Rebecca Driscoll of the Local Census Office of the Bureau of the Census, Lake Lure (including Fairfield) and Chimney Rock are being treated as a special area for the purpose of the 2000 Census count. This is because of the number of hotel, motels and time-share properties in this resort area. Residents of this area will not receive survey forms in the mail but will be visited by enumerators who will interview them in person. The interviews are being conducted through June of this year. The bureau is still looking for enumerators to work in this area. The pay ranges from $9.75 to $11.25 per hour plus 32.5 cents per mile. Call 1-888-325-7733 for further information.

General: Samples were collected on February 26 and March 25. The February samples were collected during dry weather conditions, but the March samples were collected a few days after a very heavy rain. However, most streams had cleared fairly well by the time the March samples were collected.

The Broad River watershed: Ten sites are monitored monthly. These include one site each on the Broad River, Hickory Creek, and Reedypatch Creek which all flow into the Rocky Broad River at Bat Cave, two sites on the Rocky Broad River at Chimney Rock and at Lake Lure, and one site each at Pool Creek, Cane Creek, the Public Golf Course Creek, Buffalo Creek, and Fairfield Mountains Creek. All of the latter sites are located just upstream from Lake Lure.

Most sites showed good to excellent water quality both months. However, phosphorus concentrations were significantly higher at the Hickory Creek site than at the other sites. Turbidity and ammonia-nitrogen levels were higher at the Public Golf Course site in February and at the Rocky Broad River site approaching Lake Lure in March.

The heavy rainstorm in March brought very large amounts of sediment into the streams and rivers. Results from the special sediment sampling program that is taking place in the Broad River watershed would suggest that at least a few hundred tons of sediment likely flowed into Lake Lure during that rain event. Probably ninety-five percent of the sediment that settles into Lake Lure comes in during storms such as these.

Lake Lure: Lake Monitoring resumed in March. Testing carried out on March 25th showed the lake was well oxygenated throughout the water column at all locations tested. Surface temperature was 14 degrees C (54 degrees F) and lake bottom temperatures were 6 to 8 degrees C (43 to 47 degrees F) suggesting that stratification was just beginning.

The purpose for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund is to implement conservation measures for watershed protection. What does this mean? The UBRWP Program which begun in the middle of October has been delegated to implement erosion control measures at existing erosion sites. How does this work? An appointment will be made with the property owner for an erosion control specialist to inspect the erosion on your property. After the initial evaluation the erosion control specialist will put together a written conservation plan outlining site-specific erosion control measures. This may include improving surface water drainage, hydroseeding, planting vines for slope stabilization and other conservation measures. We also offer a low interest loan for implementing erosion control measures at new construction sites. Please call for further information on the low interest loan program. Another part of our program is identifying landslide areas and stream bank erosion. We will implement bioengineering techniques to repair damage and prevent further erosion.

How are we doing? We need greater awareness and support from property owners, grading contractors, and landscapers to make this program the success it should be. A quote from the US Environmental Protection Agency website states: "Once individuals become aware of and interested in our watershed, they often become more involved in decision-making as well as hands-on protection and restoration efforts. Through such involvement, watershed approaches build a sense of community, help reduce conflicts, increase commitment to the actions necessary to meet environmental goals, and ultimately, improve the likelihood of success for environmental programs."

The UBRWP Program provides technical advice and assistance which are free and non-regulatory. The goal of the UBRWP Program is protecting soil and water resources in the Upper Broad River Watershed. Please call Pamela Pyles at (828) 625-9983, ext. 123 for program information.

Spring has sprung! Now is the time to bring a friend, or come alone and pair up at the Municipal Golf Course, to enjoy nine holes of "Captains Choice". Starting time is at 5:30 p.m. every Friday. Also, check our bulletin board for upcoming events and tournaments.

There is now for your convenience a membership committee. Any past or present members who would like to share their input regarding the Lake Lure Municipal Golf Course, may do so by contacting Woody Price at 828-625-4548. Any time is a great time for golf and, as always, the course is here for your enjoyment.

The Lake Lure Lions Club will be hosting their 14th Annual Open Golf Tournament on Friday, May 12, 2000. This event will be hosted at the beautiful and challenging Apple Valley Country Club in Lake Lure, North Carolina. A USGA handicap is required for all players.

The entry fee of $45 covers:

Green fees and electric cart for 18 holes

Prizes for the top five foursomes in the MEN'S Division

Prizes for the top three foursomes in the LADY'S Division

Coffee and doughnuts prior to the start of play

Hot dogs and liquid refreshments during and after play

Tee prizes for all golfers

A raffle and awarding of all prizes after play is completed

All net proceeds go toward helping the blind, deaf or otherwise handicapped people in the area. Call for an entry form at 828-625-1878, 828-625-3042, or 828-625-2888. There are openings for 120 players.

There is a new professional architectural firm which has opened in the downtown arcade building. Architect Len King has recently moved his practice from Fairfield Properties to the heart of Lake Lure, where he will be more accessible to newcomers and current residents alike. Len established his practice here in 1993 along with his wife, Mary Liang, an interior designer and textile specialist. The couple has worked on many projects in the area, including various private residences and the Ivivi Lake and Mountain Lodge, a high-end, luxury inn and corporate retreat. The company offers design services and construction management for residential, commercial, and institutional projects.

The Lake Lure Lions Club will again be sponsoring a free medical health clinic with the cooperation of the North Carolina Division of Services to the Blind, on Saturday, May 6th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lake Lure Community Center. The clinic will be offering free glaucoma screening, diabetes testing, and blood pressure checks. The clinic is open to everyone as a public service. The Lions, whose central focus is to eradicate preventable blindness most often caused by diabetic eye disease and glaucoma, urge everyone to take advantage of this opportunity, since early detection of any health problem is extremely important. For additional information, call Marian Krull at 828-625-9511.

Friends of Mountains Branch Library invite you to their semi-annual meeting on May 21st, from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Wilt Browning, a North Carolina author, will be the guest speaker. Mr. Browning wrote the book titled "Linthead" which chronicles his life growing up in a North Carolina mill town. In addition, Mr. Browning was a prominent sports writer for the "Charlotte Observer" for many years. Also, he is a recipient of the North Carolina "Sports Writer of the Year" award. Everyone is invited to attend. There will be refreshments served.

REMINDER! Friends of Mountains Branch Library Book Sale will continue through May 1-6 during regular library hours.

The VFW Post 10473 and Ladies Auxiliary will be offering "Buddy" poppies to you on the streets soon. These poppies are assembled by disabled veterans throughout the Unites States. Show your gratitude to these disabled veterans for their sacrifice when you purchase and wear a "Buddy" poppy.

The Chimney Rock Baptist Church will hold worship services on Sundays (May 7 through October 8, 2000), 9:00 a.m., at the Lake Lure Chapel located across from the Lake-View Exxon Store. Come Worship with us!

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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The Official Government Site of the Town of Lake Lure.

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

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