A look back at 2011
Jeff Eason
This weekend we will bid adieu to 2011 and welcome in 2012.
As 2011 slides into the annals of history, it is a good time to look back at the year it was.
January
2010 ended much the way 2009 did, with High Country residents trying to keep warm.
December 2010 was the fourth coldest December on record at Grandfather Mountain. The average high temperature for December of 31.62 degrees was 6.97 degrees colder than normal. The average low temperature was 14.43 degrees, 9.52 degrees colder than the 55-year average for the month.
The coldest temperature of the month was minus 4 degrees on Dec. 15, breaking the record for that date of minus 3 degrees set in 1963.
A daily low temperature record was tied on Dec. 8, when the temperature dipped to minus 1 degree, tying a mark set in 2006.
Blowing Rock eatery Knight’s on Main was featured in the January 2011 issue of Our State magazine. The cover story for the issue was titled “Rise and Shine: 32 Places for a North Carolina Breakfast.”
Knight’s on Main is featured in the article and given more than light praise for its use of Neese’s livermush.
Winterfest 2011 attracted thousands of folks to Blowing Rock for the last weekend of January.
Chef Guy Thomas of the Meadowbrook Inn took top honors in the professional division of Winterfest’s annual Chili Challenge.
Also in January, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum announced that the Charlotte-based Dickson Foundation made a generous pledge of $50,000 to the museum’s capital campaign. The gift was matched in full by BRAHM’s “Season of Opportunity” campaign.
February
In February, the Blowing Rock Town Council unanimously approved BRAHM’s request to sublease portions of its new museum buildings to outside parties. That eventually led to the museum’s subcontracting the operation of the gift shop and allowing office and floor space to be used by the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority.
The BRTDA was displaced from its previous location on Valley Boulevard due to the impending widening of U.S. 321.
At the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards dinner, Ensemble Stage was awarded the 2010 Cultural Enrichment Award.
In addition, Holiday Inn Express in Blowing Rock won the 2010 Award for New Construction/Renovation, Blowing Rock Methodist Church won the 2010 Award for Service to Community, Canyons of the Blue Ridge won the 2010 Green Business Award, Melissa Picket won the 2010 Award for Volunteer of the Year and Westglow Resort and Spa won the 2010 Business of the Year Award.
In addition to the awards, recognition was given to Nancy Santay, the chamber’s outgoing president for 2010.
Margaret Holder picked up the mantle as the 2011 president of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.
After five years of debate, environmental groups and the U.S. Forest Service announced an agreement in February on logging plans in a national forest near Blowing Rock. The agency reduced its original logging plan for the Globe Forest by 75 acres, including dropping plans to log a stand of 300-year-old trees.
It also reduced temporary road construction in the area and eliminated the need for new permanent roads.
The revised plan still allows the forest service to log 346 acres in Pisgah National Forest, but protects old growth forest habitat and views from nearby communities.
In February, Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. (Children Are Really Extra Special) held a special 5th birthday party for Moses Haley, a local boy suffering from a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.
The Spiderman-themed party was attended Haley’s family and friends from Blowing Rock School.
In February, Blowing Rock sculptor Alex Hallmark finished the clay version of a special statue of Watauga County’s Grammy Award-winning musician Doc Watson. The statue was eventually used to make a mold and a bronze version of the statue was made from that. The statue was unveiled in downtown Boone in June.
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx visited Blowing Rock Elementary School on Feb. 25. She met with the school’s fourth-graders in the library and media center and spoke about background in the mountains of North Carolina and how her love of learning led to her current status as a public servant.
March
On March 1, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, through Watauga Medical Center Inc., purchased 43.393 acres in Blowing Rock near the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Lentz family for a reported $2.9 million.
On the property, the ARHS plans to build a new facility that will replace Blowing Rock Hospital, one that will specialize in long-term care and rehabilitation.
On March 11, the town of Blowing Rock celebrated its 122nd birthday. At the celebration, new historic markers were unveiled for four historic areas, including Maymont, circa 1887, the home of Sylvia and Cullie Tarleton; Springhaven Inn, circa 1889, owned by Linda High; St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, circa 1921; and The Blowing Rock Memorial Park, circa 1939.
During its monthly public meeting in March, the Blowing Rock Town Council gave unanimous approval to Ron Anderson, owner of the Six Pence Pub in downtown Blowing Rock, to tear down the cinderblock building next to his restaurant and construct an outdoor eating area.
The soon-to-be-demolished building was home to Sonny’s Grill for more than half a century before it closed for good in March 2009.
During the March meeting of the Blowing Rock Historical Society, author Chris Hartley gave a presentation based on his book, “Stoneman’s Raid 1865.”
Stoneman’s Raid is the name given to a push through Blowing Rock and Boone by Gen. George Stoneman and several thousand Union soldiers during the last months of the Civil War.
In March, the Carolina Bird Club announced that it would hold its spring meeting in Blowing Rock in May. Later, Audubon North Carolina announced that it, too, would be meeting in Blowing Rock.
April
The 32nd annual Blowing Rock Trout Derby was held on April 2 and 3. Beautiful early spring weather attracted hundreds of anglers of all ages to the event, held at Broyhill Lake, Trout Lake, the New River and other area fishing sites. Historian and documentary filmmaker Kyle Grove spoke at the April meeting of the Blowing Rock Historical Society. Grove had recently finished production of a documentary film on the history of the Shulls Mills area, near the entrance to Hound Ears, on the Watauga River.
Grove subsequently produced a short film that is shown in the lobby of the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
During the annual Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival in Blowing Rock, chef Michael Barbato of the Manor House at Chetola Resort took top honors in the annual Fire on the Rock Chefs Challenge.
In a final against Nicole Palazzo of Sorrento’s Bistro at the Hayes Center, Barbato won the event based on a panel of celebrity judges.
May
More than 50 people gathered at Edgewood Cottage in downtown Blowing Rock on Sunday, May 1, for the dedication and planting of a sapling white oak. The tree was planted in memory of Jerry Burns, who died April 19, 2010, after a short battle with cancer.
Ginny Stevens of the Blowing Rock Historical Society presided during the memorial event and read the official dedication: “In memory of Jerry Burns, June 18th, 1940 to April 19th, 2010. As editor of The Blowing Rocket from 1965 to 2009, historian and chronicler of the people and the town, Jerry’s love for Blowing Rock encouraged us, made us better by his example, and left deep footprints for us to follow. This white oak will grow to shade and shelter the village in his memory as he did in life.”
May marked the return of the seasonal resident and tourist seasons in Blowing Rock, and with that, the return of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Art in the Park, farmer’s market and Concerts in the Park events, as well as BRAHM’s Third Thursday lecture series and the Blowing Rock Historical Society’s Artist in Residency series at Edgewood Cottage.
On May 8, Blowing Rock resident Alice Guion Roess received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Appalachian State University. The degree was presented during graduation ceremonies for the Walker College of Business in the Holmes Convocation Center on campus.
The honorary degree recognizes Roess’ significant contributions of service and leadership to the university, the lasting impact she has made on the institution’s quality of education and the opportunities provided for students.
In May, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners voted to fund the Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation Department with $15,000 of county money.
In May, the board of directors for the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center announced the hiring of Todd Morgan as the interim managing director of the Blowing Rock arts center for the 2011 season.
Morgan’s duties include overseeing the day-to-day operations of the 348-seat Hayes Center.
Hayes Center operations were suspended in September 2009 and the organization has since then been restructured and repositioned.
At a meeting of Friends of the ASU Library, Cullie Tarleton presented Blowing Rock resident Pinky Hayden with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, on behalf of Gov. Beverly Perdue.
“Many of you have heard me say that I believe that people who have basically devoted their lives to community service deserve to be recognized for their dedication and service,” Tarleton said. “Such it is with Margaret ‘Pinky’ Hayden.”
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest civilian honor awarded citizens of North Carolina.
June
On June 2-4, Blowing Rock hosted an event called “Return to Mitford.” Best-selling author Jan Karon returned to Blowing Rock, the basis for her fictional town Mitford, for a series of events at Chetola Resort and the Hayes Center for the Performing Arts, including book readings and signings, and a special performance called “An Evening with Father Tim.”
In June, according to the Blowing Rock Police Department, a resident of the town was a victim of what is known as the “Jamaican Scam.” The woman freely gave $400 to a person or persons who contacted her via her home phone and promised to give them a title to a car in exchange for the money.
In June, dozens of people who loved and admired Jerry Burns turned out for a dedication of a new stone bench in front of Elliott Daingerfield’s Edgewood Cottage on Main Street.
Organized by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, the dedication ceremony featured speakers Margaret Holder, president, board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce; Blowing Rock Mayor J.B. Lawrence; Ginny Stevens, president, Blowing Rock Historical Society; and Jan Karon, author of the Mitford Series.
In June, during a kickoff event for the annual Blowing Rock Hospital Fashion Show and Luncheon fundraiser, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System president Richard Sparks showed the public the preliminary plans for the new Blowing Rock Healthcare Facility.
In July, 16 months after a tragic car wreck took the lives of two Blowing Rock volunteer firefighters and a third victim, an Avery County volunteer firefighter pleaded guilty to speed competition, acknowledging his role in the drag race that directly led to the two-car collision.
Tyler Jordan Vance, 18, of Elk Park, pleaded guilty to the charge in McDowell County District Court in Marion on June 13.
The charges stemmed from a March 21, 2010, wreck on U.S. 221 just north of Marion. Vance and Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue volunteers Jeremy Gordon Bolick, 23, and Charles Thomas “Tommy” Wright, 20, were all traveling back to the High Country from a training session at McDowell Fire and Rescue College.
The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum’s “Season of Opportunity” drew to a close on June 30, having raised $857,475 during the yearlong challenge.
At the June 2010 annual meeting, the board of trustees announced that eight previous donors had generously offered $405,000 to be used to immediately match all gifts and pledges made to the museum within the next six months.
July
In July, it was announced that for the first time, the North Carolina State Bar will hold its summer quarterly meeting in Blowing Rock. The event took place from July 12 through July 15 and featured a gala dinner, committee meetings and other events.
“We usually hold our summer meeting in Pinehurst, or occasionally Asheville, so this is a nice change,” said Tony di Santi, a Watauga County attorney who served as the 2011 president of the North Carolina State Bar.
In July, Travel+Leisure named Westglow Resort and Spa one of the Top Ten Spa Destinations in the World.
At the election filing deadline, two candidates filed to run for mayor of Blowing Rock, including incumbent J.B. Lawrence and Blowing Rock Town councilman Tommy Klutz. In the race for three open council seats, incumbents Albert Yount and Phillip Picket filed, as did newcomers Regina Pelsmaeker and Dan Phillips.
The 88th consecutive season of the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show opened in July. The oldest continually running horse show of its kind in the country, the event took place during three long weekends and attracted hundreds of equine enthusiasts to the area.
In July, Blowing Rock Police Department Detective Angel Mahaffey tracked down $28,000 worth of stolen jewelry that had been taken from a private residence in Blowing Rock.
Found in a pawn shop off of the mountain, Mahaffey and other BRPD members recovered all but one piece, a sapphire that had been removed from its setting.
The pawn shop owner promised to reimburse the victim of the crime for the missing sapphire.
In July, the Blowing Rock Jazz Society released its first full-length album, a series of recordings made during the society’s monthly concerts held at Meadowbrook Inn.
The project was finished with assistance from the ASU School of Music.
On Saturday, July 30, a Lenoir man, Michael Dean Greene, 53, died after exiting his truck and falling into a stream in the Blackberry community, just south of Blowing Rock.
Investigators determined that the wheels of the man’s pickup truck had become stuck off the side of a culvert, said Sgt. B.J. Fore, public information officer for the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office.
When he exited the truck, Michael Dean Greene, 53, fell about eight feet to a stream below, striking his head on rocks.
In July, Moses Haley, a 5-year-old who should have been getting ready for his first days of kindergarten instead lost his 19-month battle with cancer on Saturday, July 19, at his home.
Haley had been unofficially adopted by many residents of Blowing Rock and the “More for Moses” campaign set up by the organization Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. (Children Are Really Extra Special) helped publicize his situation and helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for his family’s medical expenses.
August
In August, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum was awarded a $5,000 Arts and Audiences Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council for one of the museum’s grand opening exhibits, “Elliott Daingerfield: Art and Life in North Carolina.”
On Thursday, Aug. 18, Appalachian State University officially dedicated its new Walker Education Building in Boone, featuring a giant indoor mural created by Blowing Rock artist Brenda Councill.
On Aug. 23, an earthquake that registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale, with an epicenter near Mineral, Va., hit a little before 1 p.m., and the initial quake and its aftershocks could be felt in places as distant as Toronto and Atlanta. Many people in Blowing Rock, particularly those in upper floors of buildings, reported feeling the quake, which lasted less than 30 seconds.
At its annual meeting in August, the membership of the Blowing Rock Historical Society elected new officers and directors.
New officers include Doug Pegram, president; Marcia Quinn, vice president; Kitty Norris, secretary; and Lowell Thomas, treasurer.
Directors elected for the class of 2014 are Barbara Ball, Marcia Quinn and Albert Yount serving their first term, and Cindy Kebelbeck, Bob Miller and Ted Treadwell serving their second three-year term.
In August, the BRPD and Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue participated in a multi-agency disaster simulation, organized by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
The simulated event involved an elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease wandering away from Blowing Rock Hospital. A search party then stumbled upon a clandestine meth lab near the Blue Ridge Parkway and is ambushed by gunfire. Rescue crews from BRF&R had to work with the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office to coordinate a rescue of the victims and apprehension of the shooters.
In August, potential gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory held a fundraiser at Blowing Rock Country Club’s Lake House. About 40 attended the fundraiser, mingled, wrote checks and listened to McCrory speak on a variety of issues.
September
In early September, Linda Laughter of Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. received a check for $12,500 from Rick Pedroni, owner of Casa Rustica, at Blowing Rock Elementary School. The money was raised during the fifth annual Casa Rustica Charity Golf Tournament, held at Red Tail Resort on Aug. 25.
On Sept. 9, Blowing Rock mayor J.B. Lawrence was honored with the Charles Von Canon Regional Leadership Award. It was presented to him when the High Country Council of Governments (Region D) held its annual awards banquet to recognize outstanding contributions and achievements by elected officials, local government employees, and advisory committee members.
On Sept. 11, seasonal park guide Amy Renfranz of Blowing Rock was named the Blue Ridge Parkway Employees and Alumni Association’s 13th Employee of the Year at the organization’s 27th annual meeting held at Peaks of Otter Lodge. Ranger Renfranz is the first seasonal recipient of the honor.
In September, illustrator Gail E. Haley and writer Jonathan Graves released a new children’s book set in Blowing Rock titled “Isabella Propeller and the Magic Beanie.”
On Sept. 30, dignitaries gathered for the official ribbon cutting and opening of a two-story parking deck in downtown Blowing Rock, located next to the new Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
October
On Oct. 1, years of hard work and fundraising came to fruition with the opening of the new Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in downtown Blowing Rock. The new facility features galleries with permanent and rotating exhibits, an education room, gift shop, meeting rooms, offices and a small movie theater.
Opening exhibits for the new museum include those dedicated to the art of Blowing Rock painter Elliott Daingerfield and the history of tourism in Blowing Rock.
In October, Blowing Rock master gardener Graeme Justice helped install a memorial weeping cherry tree and plaque dedicated at Blowing Rock School’s Fall Festival to young student Moses Haley.
Haley succumbed to cancer in August after a long, brave battle that inspired the entire Blowing Rock School community.
The Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. (Children Are Really Extra Special) organization and Trish Kolash led the effort to install the memorial at the school.
At the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, Blowing Rock potters Janet and Michael Calhoun were named Craftswoman and Craftsman of the Year in the fair’s Village of Yesteryear.
The annual awards are determined by a vote of the approximately 100 craftspeople demonstrating their skills at the Village of Yesteryear.
Gov. Beverly Perdue visited Boone and Blowing Rock on Oct. 28. In the evening, she attended a campaign fundraiser held at Appalachian Ski Mountain.
In late October, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System received approval from the North Carolina Certificate of Need Agency to go forward with its plans for a new Blowing Rock Healthcare Facility to replace Blowing Rock Hospital and increase its capacity by 30 beds.
November
Incumbent J.B. Lawrence defeated mayoral candidate Tommy Klutz in the general election to remain mayor of Blowing Rock.
In the race for two open Blowing Rock Town Council seats, incumbent Albert Yount won, as did newcomer Dan Phillips, defeating incumbent Phillip Pickett and newcomer Regina Pelsmaeker.
According to Blowing Rock Police Department Detective Angel Mahaffey, police found an operational still capable of making alcohol out of rice at a Blowing Rock residence on Nov. 12. One man was arrested and charged with the manufacture of liquor.
On Sunday, Nov. 13, FaithBridge United Methodist Church officially opened and dedicated its new house of worship on Aho Road in Blowing Rock.
December
At the monthly meeting of the Blowing Rock Town Council, outgoing councilman Phillip Picket was honored for his years of dedication and service to the town.
Mayor J.B. Lawrence and commissioners Albert Yount and Dan Phillips were sworn into new terms for the town.
In early December, Blue Ridge Electrical Membership Corporation announced that it would begin moving power lines on Valley Boulevard (U.S. 321) in Blowing Rock along a four-mile stretch between Blackberry Road and the Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway (Possum Hollar Road).
The project is the first step in the process that will lead to the NCDOT widening the road from two lanes to four.
Asplundh Tree Experts began cutting down trees so that power lines could be moved in early December.
In early December, Appalachian Ski Mountain opened for its 50th consecutive season in Blowing Rock. The ski and snowboard resort’s golden anniversary will be celebrated with a number of special events throughout the winter sports season.
As 2011 slides into the annals of history, it is a good time to look back at the year it was.
January
2010 ended much the way 2009 did, with High Country residents trying to keep warm.
December 2010 was the fourth coldest December on record at Grandfather Mountain. The average high temperature for December of 31.62 degrees was 6.97 degrees colder than normal. The average low temperature was 14.43 degrees, 9.52 degrees colder than the 55-year average for the month.
The coldest temperature of the month was minus 4 degrees on Dec. 15, breaking the record for that date of minus 3 degrees set in 1963.
A daily low temperature record was tied on Dec. 8, when the temperature dipped to minus 1 degree, tying a mark set in 2006.
Blowing Rock eatery Knight’s on Main was featured in the January 2011 issue of Our State magazine. The cover story for the issue was titled “Rise and Shine: 32 Places for a North Carolina Breakfast.”
Knight’s on Main is featured in the article and given more than light praise for its use of Neese’s livermush.
Winterfest 2011 attracted thousands of folks to Blowing Rock for the last weekend of January.
Chef Guy Thomas of the Meadowbrook Inn took top honors in the professional division of Winterfest’s annual Chili Challenge.
Also in January, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum announced that the Charlotte-based Dickson Foundation made a generous pledge of $50,000 to the museum’s capital campaign. The gift was matched in full by BRAHM’s “Season of Opportunity” campaign.
February
In February, the Blowing Rock Town Council unanimously approved BRAHM’s request to sublease portions of its new museum buildings to outside parties. That eventually led to the museum’s subcontracting the operation of the gift shop and allowing office and floor space to be used by the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority.
The BRTDA was displaced from its previous location on Valley Boulevard due to the impending widening of U.S. 321.
At the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards dinner, Ensemble Stage was awarded the 2010 Cultural Enrichment Award.
In addition, Holiday Inn Express in Blowing Rock won the 2010 Award for New Construction/Renovation, Blowing Rock Methodist Church won the 2010 Award for Service to Community, Canyons of the Blue Ridge won the 2010 Green Business Award, Melissa Picket won the 2010 Award for Volunteer of the Year and Westglow Resort and Spa won the 2010 Business of the Year Award.
In addition to the awards, recognition was given to Nancy Santay, the chamber’s outgoing president for 2010.
Margaret Holder picked up the mantle as the 2011 president of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.
After five years of debate, environmental groups and the U.S. Forest Service announced an agreement in February on logging plans in a national forest near Blowing Rock. The agency reduced its original logging plan for the Globe Forest by 75 acres, including dropping plans to log a stand of 300-year-old trees.
It also reduced temporary road construction in the area and eliminated the need for new permanent roads.
The revised plan still allows the forest service to log 346 acres in Pisgah National Forest, but protects old growth forest habitat and views from nearby communities.
In February, Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. (Children Are Really Extra Special) held a special 5th birthday party for Moses Haley, a local boy suffering from a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.
The Spiderman-themed party was attended Haley’s family and friends from Blowing Rock School.
In February, Blowing Rock sculptor Alex Hallmark finished the clay version of a special statue of Watauga County’s Grammy Award-winning musician Doc Watson. The statue was eventually used to make a mold and a bronze version of the statue was made from that. The statue was unveiled in downtown Boone in June.
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx visited Blowing Rock Elementary School on Feb. 25. She met with the school’s fourth-graders in the library and media center and spoke about background in the mountains of North Carolina and how her love of learning led to her current status as a public servant.
March
On March 1, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, through Watauga Medical Center Inc., purchased 43.393 acres in Blowing Rock near the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Lentz family for a reported $2.9 million.
On the property, the ARHS plans to build a new facility that will replace Blowing Rock Hospital, one that will specialize in long-term care and rehabilitation.
On March 11, the town of Blowing Rock celebrated its 122nd birthday. At the celebration, new historic markers were unveiled for four historic areas, including Maymont, circa 1887, the home of Sylvia and Cullie Tarleton; Springhaven Inn, circa 1889, owned by Linda High; St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, circa 1921; and The Blowing Rock Memorial Park, circa 1939.
During its monthly public meeting in March, the Blowing Rock Town Council gave unanimous approval to Ron Anderson, owner of the Six Pence Pub in downtown Blowing Rock, to tear down the cinderblock building next to his restaurant and construct an outdoor eating area.
The soon-to-be-demolished building was home to Sonny’s Grill for more than half a century before it closed for good in March 2009.
During the March meeting of the Blowing Rock Historical Society, author Chris Hartley gave a presentation based on his book, “Stoneman’s Raid 1865.”
Stoneman’s Raid is the name given to a push through Blowing Rock and Boone by Gen. George Stoneman and several thousand Union soldiers during the last months of the Civil War.
In March, the Carolina Bird Club announced that it would hold its spring meeting in Blowing Rock in May. Later, Audubon North Carolina announced that it, too, would be meeting in Blowing Rock.
April
The 32nd annual Blowing Rock Trout Derby was held on April 2 and 3. Beautiful early spring weather attracted hundreds of anglers of all ages to the event, held at Broyhill Lake, Trout Lake, the New River and other area fishing sites. Historian and documentary filmmaker Kyle Grove spoke at the April meeting of the Blowing Rock Historical Society. Grove had recently finished production of a documentary film on the history of the Shulls Mills area, near the entrance to Hound Ears, on the Watauga River.
Grove subsequently produced a short film that is shown in the lobby of the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
During the annual Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival in Blowing Rock, chef Michael Barbato of the Manor House at Chetola Resort took top honors in the annual Fire on the Rock Chefs Challenge.
In a final against Nicole Palazzo of Sorrento’s Bistro at the Hayes Center, Barbato won the event based on a panel of celebrity judges.
May
More than 50 people gathered at Edgewood Cottage in downtown Blowing Rock on Sunday, May 1, for the dedication and planting of a sapling white oak. The tree was planted in memory of Jerry Burns, who died April 19, 2010, after a short battle with cancer.
Ginny Stevens of the Blowing Rock Historical Society presided during the memorial event and read the official dedication: “In memory of Jerry Burns, June 18th, 1940 to April 19th, 2010. As editor of The Blowing Rocket from 1965 to 2009, historian and chronicler of the people and the town, Jerry’s love for Blowing Rock encouraged us, made us better by his example, and left deep footprints for us to follow. This white oak will grow to shade and shelter the village in his memory as he did in life.”
May marked the return of the seasonal resident and tourist seasons in Blowing Rock, and with that, the return of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Art in the Park, farmer’s market and Concerts in the Park events, as well as BRAHM’s Third Thursday lecture series and the Blowing Rock Historical Society’s Artist in Residency series at Edgewood Cottage.
On May 8, Blowing Rock resident Alice Guion Roess received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Appalachian State University. The degree was presented during graduation ceremonies for the Walker College of Business in the Holmes Convocation Center on campus.
The honorary degree recognizes Roess’ significant contributions of service and leadership to the university, the lasting impact she has made on the institution’s quality of education and the opportunities provided for students.
In May, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners voted to fund the Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation Department with $15,000 of county money.
In May, the board of directors for the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center announced the hiring of Todd Morgan as the interim managing director of the Blowing Rock arts center for the 2011 season.
Morgan’s duties include overseeing the day-to-day operations of the 348-seat Hayes Center.
Hayes Center operations were suspended in September 2009 and the organization has since then been restructured and repositioned.
At a meeting of Friends of the ASU Library, Cullie Tarleton presented Blowing Rock resident Pinky Hayden with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, on behalf of Gov. Beverly Perdue.
“Many of you have heard me say that I believe that people who have basically devoted their lives to community service deserve to be recognized for their dedication and service,” Tarleton said. “Such it is with Margaret ‘Pinky’ Hayden.”
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest civilian honor awarded citizens of North Carolina.
June
On June 2-4, Blowing Rock hosted an event called “Return to Mitford.” Best-selling author Jan Karon returned to Blowing Rock, the basis for her fictional town Mitford, for a series of events at Chetola Resort and the Hayes Center for the Performing Arts, including book readings and signings, and a special performance called “An Evening with Father Tim.”
In June, according to the Blowing Rock Police Department, a resident of the town was a victim of what is known as the “Jamaican Scam.” The woman freely gave $400 to a person or persons who contacted her via her home phone and promised to give them a title to a car in exchange for the money.
In June, dozens of people who loved and admired Jerry Burns turned out for a dedication of a new stone bench in front of Elliott Daingerfield’s Edgewood Cottage on Main Street.
Organized by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, the dedication ceremony featured speakers Margaret Holder, president, board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce; Blowing Rock Mayor J.B. Lawrence; Ginny Stevens, president, Blowing Rock Historical Society; and Jan Karon, author of the Mitford Series.
In June, during a kickoff event for the annual Blowing Rock Hospital Fashion Show and Luncheon fundraiser, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System president Richard Sparks showed the public the preliminary plans for the new Blowing Rock Healthcare Facility.
In July, 16 months after a tragic car wreck took the lives of two Blowing Rock volunteer firefighters and a third victim, an Avery County volunteer firefighter pleaded guilty to speed competition, acknowledging his role in the drag race that directly led to the two-car collision.
Tyler Jordan Vance, 18, of Elk Park, pleaded guilty to the charge in McDowell County District Court in Marion on June 13.
The charges stemmed from a March 21, 2010, wreck on U.S. 221 just north of Marion. Vance and Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue volunteers Jeremy Gordon Bolick, 23, and Charles Thomas “Tommy” Wright, 20, were all traveling back to the High Country from a training session at McDowell Fire and Rescue College.
The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum’s “Season of Opportunity” drew to a close on June 30, having raised $857,475 during the yearlong challenge.
At the June 2010 annual meeting, the board of trustees announced that eight previous donors had generously offered $405,000 to be used to immediately match all gifts and pledges made to the museum within the next six months.
July
In July, it was announced that for the first time, the North Carolina State Bar will hold its summer quarterly meeting in Blowing Rock. The event took place from July 12 through July 15 and featured a gala dinner, committee meetings and other events.
“We usually hold our summer meeting in Pinehurst, or occasionally Asheville, so this is a nice change,” said Tony di Santi, a Watauga County attorney who served as the 2011 president of the North Carolina State Bar.
In July, Travel+Leisure named Westglow Resort and Spa one of the Top Ten Spa Destinations in the World.
At the election filing deadline, two candidates filed to run for mayor of Blowing Rock, including incumbent J.B. Lawrence and Blowing Rock Town councilman Tommy Klutz. In the race for three open council seats, incumbents Albert Yount and Phillip Picket filed, as did newcomers Regina Pelsmaeker and Dan Phillips.
The 88th consecutive season of the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show opened in July. The oldest continually running horse show of its kind in the country, the event took place during three long weekends and attracted hundreds of equine enthusiasts to the area.
In July, Blowing Rock Police Department Detective Angel Mahaffey tracked down $28,000 worth of stolen jewelry that had been taken from a private residence in Blowing Rock.
Found in a pawn shop off of the mountain, Mahaffey and other BRPD members recovered all but one piece, a sapphire that had been removed from its setting.
The pawn shop owner promised to reimburse the victim of the crime for the missing sapphire.
In July, the Blowing Rock Jazz Society released its first full-length album, a series of recordings made during the society’s monthly concerts held at Meadowbrook Inn.
The project was finished with assistance from the ASU School of Music.
On Saturday, July 30, a Lenoir man, Michael Dean Greene, 53, died after exiting his truck and falling into a stream in the Blackberry community, just south of Blowing Rock.
Investigators determined that the wheels of the man’s pickup truck had become stuck off the side of a culvert, said Sgt. B.J. Fore, public information officer for the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office.
When he exited the truck, Michael Dean Greene, 53, fell about eight feet to a stream below, striking his head on rocks.
In July, Moses Haley, a 5-year-old who should have been getting ready for his first days of kindergarten instead lost his 19-month battle with cancer on Saturday, July 19, at his home.
Haley had been unofficially adopted by many residents of Blowing Rock and the “More for Moses” campaign set up by the organization Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. (Children Are Really Extra Special) helped publicize his situation and helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for his family’s medical expenses.
August
In August, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum was awarded a $5,000 Arts and Audiences Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council for one of the museum’s grand opening exhibits, “Elliott Daingerfield: Art and Life in North Carolina.”
On Thursday, Aug. 18, Appalachian State University officially dedicated its new Walker Education Building in Boone, featuring a giant indoor mural created by Blowing Rock artist Brenda Councill.
On Aug. 23, an earthquake that registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale, with an epicenter near Mineral, Va., hit a little before 1 p.m., and the initial quake and its aftershocks could be felt in places as distant as Toronto and Atlanta. Many people in Blowing Rock, particularly those in upper floors of buildings, reported feeling the quake, which lasted less than 30 seconds.
At its annual meeting in August, the membership of the Blowing Rock Historical Society elected new officers and directors.
New officers include Doug Pegram, president; Marcia Quinn, vice president; Kitty Norris, secretary; and Lowell Thomas, treasurer.
Directors elected for the class of 2014 are Barbara Ball, Marcia Quinn and Albert Yount serving their first term, and Cindy Kebelbeck, Bob Miller and Ted Treadwell serving their second three-year term.
In August, the BRPD and Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue participated in a multi-agency disaster simulation, organized by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
The simulated event involved an elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease wandering away from Blowing Rock Hospital. A search party then stumbled upon a clandestine meth lab near the Blue Ridge Parkway and is ambushed by gunfire. Rescue crews from BRF&R had to work with the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office to coordinate a rescue of the victims and apprehension of the shooters.
In August, potential gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory held a fundraiser at Blowing Rock Country Club’s Lake House. About 40 attended the fundraiser, mingled, wrote checks and listened to McCrory speak on a variety of issues.
September
In early September, Linda Laughter of Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. received a check for $12,500 from Rick Pedroni, owner of Casa Rustica, at Blowing Rock Elementary School. The money was raised during the fifth annual Casa Rustica Charity Golf Tournament, held at Red Tail Resort on Aug. 25.
On Sept. 9, Blowing Rock mayor J.B. Lawrence was honored with the Charles Von Canon Regional Leadership Award. It was presented to him when the High Country Council of Governments (Region D) held its annual awards banquet to recognize outstanding contributions and achievements by elected officials, local government employees, and advisory committee members.
On Sept. 11, seasonal park guide Amy Renfranz of Blowing Rock was named the Blue Ridge Parkway Employees and Alumni Association’s 13th Employee of the Year at the organization’s 27th annual meeting held at Peaks of Otter Lodge. Ranger Renfranz is the first seasonal recipient of the honor.
In September, illustrator Gail E. Haley and writer Jonathan Graves released a new children’s book set in Blowing Rock titled “Isabella Propeller and the Magic Beanie.”
On Sept. 30, dignitaries gathered for the official ribbon cutting and opening of a two-story parking deck in downtown Blowing Rock, located next to the new Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
October
On Oct. 1, years of hard work and fundraising came to fruition with the opening of the new Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in downtown Blowing Rock. The new facility features galleries with permanent and rotating exhibits, an education room, gift shop, meeting rooms, offices and a small movie theater.
Opening exhibits for the new museum include those dedicated to the art of Blowing Rock painter Elliott Daingerfield and the history of tourism in Blowing Rock.
In October, Blowing Rock master gardener Graeme Justice helped install a memorial weeping cherry tree and plaque dedicated at Blowing Rock School’s Fall Festival to young student Moses Haley.
Haley succumbed to cancer in August after a long, brave battle that inspired the entire Blowing Rock School community.
The Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S. (Children Are Really Extra Special) organization and Trish Kolash led the effort to install the memorial at the school.
At the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, Blowing Rock potters Janet and Michael Calhoun were named Craftswoman and Craftsman of the Year in the fair’s Village of Yesteryear.
The annual awards are determined by a vote of the approximately 100 craftspeople demonstrating their skills at the Village of Yesteryear.
Gov. Beverly Perdue visited Boone and Blowing Rock on Oct. 28. In the evening, she attended a campaign fundraiser held at Appalachian Ski Mountain.
In late October, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System received approval from the North Carolina Certificate of Need Agency to go forward with its plans for a new Blowing Rock Healthcare Facility to replace Blowing Rock Hospital and increase its capacity by 30 beds.
November
Incumbent J.B. Lawrence defeated mayoral candidate Tommy Klutz in the general election to remain mayor of Blowing Rock.
In the race for two open Blowing Rock Town Council seats, incumbent Albert Yount won, as did newcomer Dan Phillips, defeating incumbent Phillip Pickett and newcomer Regina Pelsmaeker.
According to Blowing Rock Police Department Detective Angel Mahaffey, police found an operational still capable of making alcohol out of rice at a Blowing Rock residence on Nov. 12. One man was arrested and charged with the manufacture of liquor.
On Sunday, Nov. 13, FaithBridge United Methodist Church officially opened and dedicated its new house of worship on Aho Road in Blowing Rock.
December
At the monthly meeting of the Blowing Rock Town Council, outgoing councilman Phillip Picket was honored for his years of dedication and service to the town.
Mayor J.B. Lawrence and commissioners Albert Yount and Dan Phillips were sworn into new terms for the town.
In early December, Blue Ridge Electrical Membership Corporation announced that it would begin moving power lines on Valley Boulevard (U.S. 321) in Blowing Rock along a four-mile stretch between Blackberry Road and the Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway (Possum Hollar Road).
The project is the first step in the process that will lead to the NCDOT widening the road from two lanes to four.
Asplundh Tree Experts began cutting down trees so that power lines could be moved in early December.
In early December, Appalachian Ski Mountain opened for its 50th consecutive season in Blowing Rock. The ski and snowboard resort’s golden anniversary will be celebrated with a number of special events throughout the winter sports season.