Area quilters displaying their work on Saturday

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Area quilters will display their work during the National Quilt Day exhibit at Blue Ridge Mall this Saturday, March 15.

Quilters Hardy Chandler [of Flat Rock] and Dawn Bartholic of the WNC Quilting Guild helped organize this year's exhibit, whose theme of "Initial This!" required quilters to incorporate their initials into the pattern. . . .

Read it all.

Why the Times-News editorial board is wrong again

Just as they were with the soccer complex fiasco, the Times-News editorial board is wrong again--this time on the dog park issue:

People who thumb their noses at the rules and behave badly should not be rewarded, it’s true. But dog owners in and around Flat Rock should not be punished by the actions of a few scofflaws.

Dog parks are extremely popular, as evident by the hordes of people and pets using one that recently opened at the Mills River Park.. .

Henderson County has six county parks and only Jackson Park includes a dog park. The other parks allow dogs on leashes. These parks do not have lots of dogs running loose just because they don't have dog parks. The Jackson Park dog park is just three miles from Flat Rock, so there is more than enough space there for dogs to run in the immediate area. [ed. - I deleted info on the size of the dog park at Jackson Park because I have not confirmed that with the Parks Dept.]

This issue came up last September as well, before I was on the council. Here is an email I sent the council members at the time that still holds true:

At last Thursday’s village council meeting [held 9/12/13], at the Flat Rock Park Development Advisory Committee presentation, the idea of including a dog park was suggested by several people, including some council members. At yesterday’s park development advisory committee meeting, Ed Lastein showed his latest design of the park, which included an area designated for a dog park.

I am strongly opposed to including a dog park for several reasons:

1) The village council went to great effort to ensure transparency and accountability on the park issue.

• The Flat Rock Park Exploratory Committee provided a survey for residents to complete, held a public forum on the park, and encouraged all residents to participate in letting the village know what they wanted to see in a park.
• Based on that information, the exploratory committee created a list based on number of responses.
• The Flat Rock Park Development Advisory Committee then took that list and determined that they would include the top seven items in the park design.
• This allowed the process to be public, since the exploratory committee’s report was public, and all Flat Rock residents could understand why these particular seven items were to be included: they are the top seven rated features gathered from residents’ input.
• To now preempt that process negates the work of the Exploratory Committee and the decision by the Development Advisory Committee. It also makes unclear how park decisions will be made. All residents were informed of the survey and the public forum. The residents who took the time to come or respond to a survey could now consider that their input is being dismissed. Based on the initial input, they could well ask why these items are not being included:

      Community garden
      Tennis/pickleball/multi-use courts
      Community center
      Bocce court
      Horse shoes

All of these features rated ahead of a dog park in the survey/public forum.

I understand that the needs of residents will change over time and that at a future date, a dog park may be something the village decides to build, but to include it now—to even show a future site (because as soon as it’s on paper, people will assume it will happen)—brings into question the methodology for deciding park features.

2) One of the top concerns I heard from residents was the ongoing maintenance costs of a park. A dog park will require extensive maintenance, including clean-up, providing a water supply, and continuous replenishment of whatever ground surface is used inside the dog park. Some municipalities are also concerned about increased liability with a dog park.

3) While all parks have some of the same features, they do not need to duplicate each other. Jackson Park has a wonderful dog park—it’s where we take our dog. It is just a few miles away and very accessible. There is no need for Flat Rock to duplicate that facility.

4) While the homeowners nearest the park cannot dictate what goes into the park, I do think their wishes should get some weighted consideration. Their understanding was that there would be no dog park in the foreseeable future—that is one reason they welcomed the park. To make a switch to including a dog park at this date seems very counterproductive to maintaining good relations with those most affected.

Thank you.

Unleashed dogs spur call for dog park in Flat Rock [Update]

Update: My thoughts on the issue can be found here.

From the Times-News:

Faced with a pack of complaints about loose dogs at its new village park off Highland Lake Road, Flat Rock council voted 3-2 Monday to lay plans for a contained dog park and, in the meantime, increase signage that pets must be leashed.

“The park has gone to the dogs,” said former Councilman Dave Bucher, who now chairs the village's Park Advisory Board. When approached and told their unleashed canines are breaking park rules, “people have been pretty darn nasty and rude,” he said. . . .

“Let's make it official,” said Councilman Don Farr, who made a motion to erect fencing and establish a contained dog park. He later amended his motion to instruct the Park Advisory Board, working with Project Manager Ed Lastein and Park Development Director and Councilman Jimmy Chandler, to plan for a dog park.

But Councilwoman Anne Coletta said she opposed the idea because a fenced dog park wasn't compatible with the “look and feel” of the passive, dawn-to-dusk park, which she said was conceived by an advisory committee and council largely as “a nature park with observation areas to look at the wildlife.”

Coletta added that not every park has to “provide everything to everybody,” pointing out that Jackson Park has a dog park for those who want to exercise their pups.

“We're also rewarding people that are breaking the rules,” she said. “It's clearly stated that dogs must be on a leash. And I know that it's difficult to keep them on a leash and that right now it looks like a big, open field. But I think once the (new entrance) road goes through and once it starts to look like a park, that perhaps some of this problem will disappear.”. . .

Read it all.

Ken Grossman, Cassandra King to headline Bookfest

It's that time of year, again--the Blue Ridge Bookfest is six years old!

From the Times-News:

Ken Grossman, co-founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and author of “Beyond the Pale,” and novelist Cassandra King, author of “Moonrise,” will be the featured speakers at the sixth annual Blue Ridge Bookfest at Blue Ridge Community College on April 25 and 26.

The theme for the 2014 festival is “Tell Us Your Story.”

Grossman will speak at the Friday evening reception. King, wife of well-known author Pat Conroy and an established writer in her own right, will speak at the luncheon on Saturday. . . .

For more information, visit www.blueridgebookfest.org.

Read it all.

More work set for The Park at Flat Rock

The Park at Flat Rock

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The Flat Rock Village Council last week authorized a $15,411 contract for stream and creek work and tentatively committed about $150,000 to renovate the clubhouse for restrooms at the village’s new park.

The council also agreed to appropriate $23,000 to operate the Flat Rock Recreation Foundation, which has set a goal of raising $567,950 for the park over three years through grants and donations.

The council agreed to move ahead on public restrooms in the clubhouse when cost estimates for a planned pavilion and separate restroom building came in above forecast.

Project manager Ed Lastein told the council that the village could achieve most of what it planned for the clubhouse including the restrooms, a park information area, office space and required changes for wheelchair access for about $147,000.

“I think this really satisfies all our needs,” he said. . .

Read it all.

A spring trip to the Aiken-Rhett House

Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, SC

If you're planning a springtime trip to Charleston to see the gardens, you may want to visit the Aiken-Rhett House Museum (48 Elizabeth Street). Built around 1820, it was bought by William Aiken, Sr. in 1827 and remained in the family until 1975 when it was sold to The Charleston Museum.

Interior of the Aiken-Rhett House

William Aiken, Jr. (S.C. governor, 1844-1846) acquired property around Flat Rock's Highland Lake:

William Aiken, Jr. died at his summer home in Flat Rock, North Carolina, in 1887. He left his property to his wife and daughter. Harriet Lowndes Aiken [his wife] continued to live in the [Charleston] house until her death in 1892. Her daughter, Henrietta, and son-in-law, Major A.B. Rhett (CSA), raised their four sons and one daughter in the house. Upon Henrietta’s death, the house was divided between her children and their heirs. Two sons, I’On Rhett and Andrew Burnet Rhett, Jr. continued to live in the house until the mid twentieth century. . .

Aiken's daughter, Henrietta, was given the Flat Rock property in 1873 and it remained in the family until the 1910s.

Harriet Lowndes Aiken, wife of Gov. William Aiken

Nonprofit bookstore drops prices to counter e-books

From the Times-News:

With e-book sales up and paperback sales down, The Book Exchange of Flat Rock said it will change its prices and exchange procedures to bolster declining revenues.

The Book Exchange is a nonprofit bookstore in the old Flat Rock Post Office. Run by roughly 50 volunteers from the Ladies Aide Society of Flat Rock, the bookstore donates its profits back into community nonprofits, but because of lagging sales, its contributions are dropping.

In 2012, the bookstore was able to give $16,000 to nonprofits, but in 2013 the donation total dropped to $12,000. . .

Read it all and go buy a book!

Snowy day reflections

These were taken this morning when the snowfall was fairly light. Since the lake is drained, a light covering of snow really accentuates where the streams and the mud flats are. The main stream is King Creek, coming in from the south and running north, then over the dam to run alongside Statonwoods and the new park.

Looking south at King Creek

Causeway over to what we call "Big Island"

From Big Island looking north to the point

Bonclarken

King Creek winding through the lake bed

Towards the north end of the lake, right past the point

Resting

Uncle Burney's

Northern part of the lake, looking at the school

Northern part of the lake (the dam is at the far end)

Another candidate for Henderson County commissioner, district 1

Flat Rock is in Henderson County District 1, so we now have three candidates running for county commissioner to represent our district (primary in May).

From the Times-News:

But there were also a few surprises on the first official day candidates can file for the 2014 elections. Retired GE worker Hogan Corn declared his run for the District 1 seat on the Board of Commissioners held by fellow Republican Mike Edney. That raised the field to three, as retiring county GOP Chair Andrew Riddle also came in after the noon filing opener to pay his $207 fee and officially challenge Edney for his post during May's Republican primary. . .

Read it all. 

Attic fire damages Flat Rock house

From the Times-News:

Contractors remodeling a home at 68 Mountain Close Lane, near Highland Lake Inn & Resort, were putting up new drywall in the otherwise vacant home when they smelled smoke Tuesday afternoon.

Michael McCarthy said they had started a small fire in the home’s fireplace to keep the chill out while they worked in the house.

“They didn’t know it… but somebody had roofed over the chimney,” said Blue Ridge Fire & Rescue Chief Gary Brown.

The smoke and intense heat from the fireplace backed up in the house’s attic, sparking a fire shortly before 2 p.m. McCarthy called 911.

Heavy smoke was escaping from the eaves of the house when firefighters arrived. “There was a good-size fire in the attic,” Brown said.

Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to access the fire in the attic when they noticed it had spread, but were relieved to find the flames had not sizzled through to the lower floors. . .Water was pumped up from Highland Lake to extinguish the flames.

Water was pumped up from Highland Lake to extinguish the flames. . .

Read it all. And here's the location:

Sandburg trail section closed for repairs

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Trail Crew will begin trail work on a portion of Memminger Trail on Tuesday.

The work will focus on correcting erosion control along a steep .18-mile part of the Memminger trail between Little Glassy Mountain trail and the Glassy Mountain trailhead. The work should conclude by Jan. 27. Closed signs will be posted and the remaining 4.8 miles of trails will be open. . .

Read it all.

A (tenuous) local connection. . .

From CNN:

Alicia Rhett, who had been one of the oldest surviving cast member of the classic film "Gone With the Wind," died Friday in her longtime hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, a retirement community spokeswoman said. . .

Rhett was doing local theater productions when she was spotted for a role in the 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind," a film based on Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

She was cast as India Wilkes, sister of plantation owner Ashley Wilkes who was at odds with Scarlet O'Hara, played by Vivien Leigh.

While the runaway success and continued notoriety of "Gone With the Wind" made Rhett recognizable nationwide, she did not pursue the limelight. Instead of heading to Hollywood, Rhett went back to Charleston. . .

Alicia Rhett's grandfather, Col. Alfred Rhett, CSA (1829-1889), was the brother of Maj. Andrew Burnet Rhett, CSA (1833-1879), who married Henrietta Aiken (1836-1918), daughter of Gov. William Aiken (SC). Henrietta Aiken Rhett inherited the Highland Lake (then called Rhett's Mill Pond) property from her father in 1873. . . if I've figured out the family tree correctly.

Flat Rock celebrates greening of village

From the Times-News:

The Park at Flat Rock, as the former Highland Lake Golf Course is now being called, wasn't just the biggest thing to happen to the village in 2013, Village Administrator Judy Boleman said.

"It's also the biggest capital project in the village since we incorporated in 1995," Boleman said, looking out over the 66-acre park last week. Flat Rock residents cherish their trees and open space, she said, "and this park is very much in alignment with that concept."

Village Council agreed in May to buy the former links from Course Doctors Inc. for $1.15 million to protect open space at the village's gateway and create a dawn-to-dusk park with passive features such as walking and biking trails, playground equipment and picnic areas.

The park officially opened to dog-walkers and exercisers Dec. 13, although there are no restroom facilities or amenities, yet. But the village has installed benches, trash cans, signs outlining park rules and a donated doggie waste station. . .

Read it all.

Buyer wants to resurrect Braewood plan

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

A Fletcher developer who bought the 88-acre Braewood property in a foreclosure sale this month said he would like to resurrect a site plan that called for a 121-home residential development on West Blue Ridge Road next to the Mill House Lodge.

Matt King bought the bank-owned property for $1.078 million in a foreclosure auction on Dec. 10.

"It is under contract and I expect it to close by the end of the year," said Frank Smith of the auction company Stephen Jax & Associates. "It was a good auction. Almost every (registered) bidder placed a bid. It's a very appealing piece of property for a lot of different reasons."

The property was owned by TD Bank, the successor to Carolina First Bank, which in February 2008 had loaned $2.5 million for the development proposed by Hilton Swing and his father, Ken Swing.

King also bought the Fox Glen property in Fletcher in a foreclosure sale and developed the subdivision. He has spoken several times with Flat Rock Village Administrator Judy Boleman about the process for reactivating a special use permit the village issued in 2007. . .

Read it all.

Merry Christmas!

Flat Rock Village Council again waives pay

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The Flat Rock Village Council said farewell to three veteran council members and welcomed three replacements this month.

Anne Coletta, Albert Gooch and Sheryl Jamerson replaced retiring members Dave Bucher, Jim Wert and Ron Davis. . .

The council continued the tradition of waiving council pay, which is budgeted at $3,000 a year for council members and $6,000 for the mayor. . .

Read it all.

Flat Rock Village Council can't fudge on crucial vote

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

It started with talk about fudge. Then it became a challenge.

Ron Davis and Jimmy Chandler, members of the Flat Rock Village Council, both said their moms made the best fudge. The obvious solution: A Fudge Off, as Chandler dubbed it. There was a brief discussion about nut allergies. "Ron and I discussed it but we could not adulterate our mother's recipe by leaving out the nuts," Chandler said. The fudge was laid out, labeled A and B. Ballots were handed out.

Tension was as thick as chocolate batter. . .

Check it out to find out whose fudge won!

Three retiring Flat Rock council members interviewed

For those who missed the print edition of the Hendersonville Lightning a few weeks ago, the stories on the three retiring Flat Rock councilmen are now online:

• Dave Bucher
• Ron Davis
• Jim Wert

The Park at Flat Rock is open

The Park at Flat Rock is open! From the Hendersonville Lightning:

So far use of the Park at Flat Rock has been light, with a few walkers and dogs sighted since the park opened on Friday, Dec. 13.

The Flat Rock Village Council last week announced the official park opening, showed off the first two park benches and appointed a park advisory committee. The Village Council bought the former Highland Lake golf course property for $1.15 million. It has appropriated roughly $832,000 for park improvements for the budget year ending June 30, although no major work has been authorized yet. . .

The Village Council also created a new Park and Recreation Advisory Board and appointed retiring council member Dave Bucher and former park exploratory committee members Ginger Brown and John Dockendorf to serve. The Village Council scheduled a planning workshop Jan. 7 to discuss park development. The first two priorities are an improved walking trail, rest rooms, a picnic pavilion and a new entrance off Highland Lake Road. Walking the entire perimeter of the parkland would be about a 1.5-mile trip. . .

The council decided to go ahead and open the park despite the fact that no park improvements have been made. "The park is in development phase and portions of the park may be closed to tbe public at times," a sign says. "Obey all construction zone instructions." The Park is open from dawn until dusk. For more information about the Park, contact Flat Rock Village Hall at 697-8100.

Read it all.

Park workshop to be January 7

At today's regular village council meeting, the council decided to hold a workshop to discuss various issues on the park development. The workshop will be held Tuesday, January 7, at 9:30 a.m. at the village hall.

All council meetings/workshops are open to the public, so see you there!