The Beech Mountain Visitor Center By Kate Gavenus, Tourism and Economic Development

Director

The Visitor Center on Beech Mountain is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m. on Sundays during peak ski season weekends and 9-1 p.m. on Sundays during peak summer weekends. It is staffed by a combination of Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (TDA) personnel and volunteers. During 2015, the two months with the largest numbers of visitors were January, with 2021 visitors, and June, with 1123. The other ten months had a record-breaking number of visitors as well. Visitors were able to use new toilets, enjoy newly painted walls and new seating. A new storage area was also added to the Center. Extra staff was hired for key times during the year to expand the hours of operation. The Visitor Center is always looking for more volunteers and the Ambassador Program, which consists of volunteers who have agreed to come in and help with visitor inquiries and phone calls, helps meet that need. A great range of opportunities is open to them. The Chamber of Commerce depends on events for most of its funding and uses around 200 event volunteers annually. Office-based volunteers may choose to work regular shifts or come in as needed in the Visitor Center. All of these opportunities provide lots of interaction with the public, a sense of community and great fun. Applications are available in the Visitor Center and we welcome you to join our team of volunteers. The TDA Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Beech Mountain has been named the #1 Value Travel Destination in North Carolina. Our occupancy tax receipts are up by 19% over the previous year. The TDA

New Town Council By Jennifer Broderick, Town Clerk

Election Day for the Town of Beech Mountain’s Town Council was Tuesday the 3rd of November, 2015. Voting began promptly at 6:30 a.m. with the polls open until 7:30 p.m. This year residents were able to vote for three of the five positions that form the Town Council. A total of eight individuals threw their hat into the ring; Renee Castiglione, Wendel Sauer, Rick Owen, Carl Marquardt, Tony Ananea, Fred France, Cindy Keller, and Dottie Moretz. Three weeks after the elections, the results were certified by the Watauga County Board of Elections and State Board of Elections. The top two vote getters, Renee Castiglione and Wendel Sauer, will each serve a 4 year term with the third top voter getter, Rick Owen, to serve a 2 year term. Each of the three newly elected Town Council Members was administered the oath of office at the Organizational Meeting of the Town Council held Tuesday, December 8, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. at the Town Hall in the Council Chamber Room. They joined the other two Council Members, E. ‘Rick’ Miller and Paul Piquet to form the Town’s five member Council. Elections for Mayor and Vice Mayor were held and E. ‘Rick’ Miller was selected by the five member Town Council to serve a two year term as Mayor. Paul Piquet was selected by the five member Town Council to serve a two year term as Vice Mayor.

For current up-to-date reports concerning Town business visit the Town’s website at

www.townofbeechmountain.com.

successful audit. Appreciation goes to everyone that pitched in with suggestions, thoughts and extra eyes proofing and reviewing the budget. With the budget being top priority on day one of Steven’s new administration it was soon wrapped up; and, it was on to the Annual Financial Audit. The Town received a passing grade for the sixth year in a row. In between the budget and the audit the Finance Department was able to assist Interim Town Manager, Jes Scott, with closing the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Bond purchase and securing the interim financing with First Citizen’s Bank to complete the financing arrangements for the new Buckeye Lake Water Treatment Facility. The Finance Department and Town Clerk Jennifer Broderick produced a Purchasing and Procurement Policy and Procedures Manual for the Town which both benefited the Town by enhancing good business practices and by assisting the Police Department in applications to receive matching grants for body cameras and weapons upgrades (16K) and for ballistic vests (8K). The Department plans to develop a Policy and Procedures Manual for Finance, research the need for an Asset Management System along with Work Order and Inventory Control Systems.

Beech Mountain Happy Hill Report By Sean Royall, Parks and Recreation Director

The Town’s Sled Hill hosts a bunny slope for young children who can be accompanied by an adult and the Bobcat slope for the older kids—no adults allowed! Bathrooms are available in the Visitor Center.

Hours of Operation are as follows: Monday - Friday: 1PM - 5PM

Saturday - Sunday: 9AM - 5PM

Be on the lookout for events happening this winter both on the Sled Hill and at Buckeye Recreation. Check out our http://beechrecreation.org/ for more details.

BEECH MOUNTAINEAR THE NEWSLETTER OF THE TOWN OF BEECH MOUNTAIN

January - March

Winter

2016

BEECH MOUNTAIN TOWN COUNCIL Mayor: E. ‘Rick’ Miller [Term ends 2017] Vice Mayor: Paul Piquet [term ends 2017] Renee Castiglione [term ends 2019] Rick Owen [term ends 2017] Wendel Sauer [term ends 2019]

TOWN HALL MEETING SCHEDULES The Beech Mountain Town Council meets at 4 p.m. the

second Tuesday of each month: January 12, February 9, March 8, April 12.

The Planning Board meets at 9 a.m. the last Tuesday of each month: January 26, February 23, March 22, April 26.

The Tourism Development Authority meets at 3 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month: January 6, February 3, March 2, April 6.

The Recreation Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. the first Thursday of each month (minus January and March): February 4, April 7.

The Board of Adjustment meets, as needed, at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month: January 5, February 2, March 1, April 5.

The Tree Committee meets as needed at 10 a.m. on the first Monday of each month: January 4, February 1, March 7, April 4.

TOWN HALL ADDRESS

403 Beech Mountain Parkway Phone: 828-387-4236

Website: www.townofbeechmountain.com

February 6 Snowman Contest

March 26 Easter Egg Hunt

May 1 Town Birthday & Arbor Day Party

21 Beech Mtn. Metric Cycling Event

June 1-30 Family Fun Month

4 Kiddo Fishing Derby

10 Taste of Beech

11 A Cool 5 Race

20 Buckeye Summer Kids Camp Begins

23 Beech Mountain Museum Opens

25 Street Dance

25 Fire Department Open House—Station 2 (on St. Andrews)

2016

Beech Mountain Calendar

(January to June)

is committed to funding fireworks for annual 4th of July celebrations, Christmas lights, landscaping and decorating of public areas, and trail maintenance. They also seek grant applications for other capital or marketing projects each April. For more information about what’s going on in your community, the Chamber or the TDA, please call us at 828-387-9283 or come by and see us. You are always welcome at the Beech Mountain Visitor Center!

Buckeye Lake Water Treatment Plant Construction Project Update

By Dale Schepers, Construction Administrator, West Consultants

The Buckeye Lake Water Treatment Plant Construction Project kicked off September 21, 2015, with notice to proceed given to the contractor, Frizzell Construction of Bristol Tennessee. The contract requires the new filtration process to be fully operational, meeting all water quality standards, by February 12, 2017. Final completion for any remaining items shall be no later than March 14, 2017. As of December 1, 2015, 19% of the contract time has elapsed and the contractor has completed roughly 11% of the work. This rate of progress is acceptable given the need to break and remove very hard rock that was encountered during the initial excavations for the underground piping and preparing for the building foundations. Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) — the federal agency financing the project — conducted several site visits and determined the work-site and construction progress to be acceptable. The work completed to date includes approximately 90% of the foundation excavations, 70% of the underground piping, and 15% of the exterior electrical work and a small

percentage of the upgrading of the pumping equipment that will be reused in the existing building. The engineer continues to review and approve all materials and equipment for compliance with contract specifications and is monitoring workmanship and construction progress on a daily basis. Utility Director Robert Heaton concurs with the engineer’s assessment that “to date, the contractor’s quality of work has been determined to be acceptable and the project is progressing on schedule and within budget.” We look forward to placing this highly efficient advanced technology water treatment plant in service to meet the needs of our community well into the future.”

Have Fun and Be Safe By Shawn Freeman, Police Chief

Whenever you leave town for business or pleasure, we want to help you stay safe

while you’re enjoying your trip and to keep your home secure while you’re away. Leaving Your Home When it comes to your home, the secret is to make it appear as though you never left! Some points you may want to consider: Keep shades and blinds in their normal positions STOP mail and newspaper delivery, or ask a neighbor

to pick them up every day. Put several household lights on timers so they turn on

and off at appropriate times. Arrange to have grass mowed (or snow shoveled)

while you’re gone. Make sure all your door and window locks are in

working order — AND USE THEM! You may want to leave a radio on — or put it on a

timer. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway overnight —

anything that might suggest someone is home. Activate your home alarm. Packing for Your Trip Planning can decrease the chances of crime joining you. Consider what you to take: Clean out your wallet or purse

before you go; take only essential credit cards. Plan to use credit cards or traveler’s checks instead of cash whenever possible.

Carry your purse close to your body, or place your wallet in an inside front pocket. Take a “fanny pack”

or wear a money pouch under your clothes. Pack as lightly as possible if you are walking to your

final destination. Lots of heavy, cumbersome bags will slow you down and make you more vulnerable to getting robbed.

Keep a separate record of the contents of checked luggage. Keep anything of value such as medicine and jewelry in a carry-on that stays with you.

If you are going on an extended vacation, consider shipping large bags to your destination in advance. For the return trip, mail or ask merchants to mail bulky new purchases to your home.

Out and About Tourists make tempting targets for thieves. Often lost or distracted, weighed down with bags, carrying cameras, plane tickets, and money, unsuspecting travelers attract crime like a magnet. The following suggestions are good steps to take: Try to blend in with the crowd. Don’t display expensive jewelry, cameras, bags and

other items that might draw attention. Check maps before you go out so you can tour

confidently. Stick to well-lit, well-traveled streets at all times —

DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS. ALWAYS lock your car when it’s parked. Keep

valuables OUT OF SIGHT, preferably locked in the trunk. Don’t leave maps and guidebooks on the seat or dashboard. Lock them in the glove department.

By Bob Pudney, Fire Chief

During this fall and winter we have five new members who are completing the North Carolina Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification class. They will be a welcome addition to our professional Emergency Medical Team. Winters here on the mountain bring a special beauty and a transition to winter activities. With that in mind, take these few simple steps to ensure your winter here is a safe one:

Check all of your smoke detectors for proper operation. Change the batteries when you change your clocks from daylight savings time and be sure you push the “test” button at least once a month to ensure proper operation.

Check your Carbon Monoxide detectors. With the recent tragedy in Boone motel that claimed several lives, we should all be reminded to check these detectors for proper operation. This would be a good time to change those batteries as well.

Before using your wood burning fireplace or stove, have it professionally inspected and the chimney cleaned. Now is the time to remedy a problem with your chimney, not when it’s cold outside and the chimney is on fire!

As Benjamin Franklin once stated, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Take the time to prepare your heating systems for winter now. So please “Help Us Help You” by making sure your home is fire safe. The Life We Save May Be Yours! Until next time, be safe and enjoy Beech Mountain!

Litter Prevention Efforts Continue By James Scott, Planning Director

The Public Works Department is now emptying the dumpsters at the Town Recycling center into the Town’s garbage trucks at approximately 2 p.m. daily — Monday through Friday. The trash is compacted and enclosed so that it is inaccessible to bears and other animals. Although the hours of operation of the Recycling Center have not changed (open 24/7), please consider bringing your trash to the recycling center before the dumpsters are emptied. Trash that remains in the dumpsters overnight attracts wildlife and often ends up scattered in the nearby woods or in neighboring properties. Remember that bears are not “tame” and should not be approached or fed.

Finance Department By Steven Smith, Finance Officer

This has been a year of change. Former Finance Officer, Nancy Johnson, sought opportunity elsewhere during the year making room for new Finance Officer, Steven Smith. The Finance Department, after undergoing a major leadership change this year, was still able to pull off a