Greetings from BRCA 28605!

BRCA to Interview Ray Pickett

Representative Ray Pickett (R) will be our guest on BRCA 28605 next week.  Tom and Jean are interviewing Mr. Pickett on Sunday at 2:00 PM and it will air next week on BRCA 28605.  We will discuss legislative activity in Raleigh that would be of interest to Blowing Rock residents.

From the Winter Retreat:

Main Street Water and Sewer Projects

• Water System Upgrades:
  • Total Cost: $3.8M
  • 9,200 linear feet of new water lines installed.
  • 8-inch diameter piping for improved flow capacity.
  • Replacement of fire hydrants and water meters.

• Sewer System Upgrades:
  • Total Cost: $1M
  • 1,150 linear feet of sewer line replacements.
  • 8-inch diameter piping installed.
  • New manholes and service connections added.
• Project Financials:
  • The project came in $500,000 under budget.
  • Savings allocated to Maple Street and 221 Water & Sewer projects.
  • Delays caused by Hurricane Helene, but work is ongoing.

• Upcoming Paving & Crosswalk Improvements:
  • Paving work planned for Spring/Summer 2025.
  • Crosswalk discussions scheduled for the next meeting.

Water Meter Upgrade Project

• AMI Meter System Implementation:
  • $1.2M project, nearing completion.
  • 2,263 meters installed, fewer than 50 remaining.
  • Provides real-time hourly monitoring.
  • Enhances leak detection and water conservation efforts.
• Technology Features:
  • Acoustic leakage detection for early issue identification.
  • Intelligent alarms to notify of unusual water usage.
  • Battery life up to 20 years, reducing maintenance costs.
  • They will work out the “bugs” before we go live.

·          

·         Dr. Heather Norris named chancellor of Appalachian State University

• Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris has been named chancellor of Appalachian State University, effective March 1. University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans made the announcement upon election by the Board of Governors of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System on Feb. 27.
• Norris brings more than two decades of academic leadership, vision and expertise to the role. She arrived at App State in 2003 as assistant professor in the Walker College of Business’ Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance. She became assistant dean for undergraduate programs in 2005 and interim dean in 2015. A national search led to her being chosen as the seventh dean of the Walker College of Business in 2016. She served as App State’s provost and executive vice chancellor from 2020-2024. On April 19, 2024, Hans announced her appointment as interim chancellor, succeeding Dr. Sheri Everts.
• Her career has been characterized by her strong, collaborative leadership and service to both App State and the greater community.
• “Dr. Norris has risen steadily through the ranks of academic and campus leadership, showing a deep capacity for aligning institutional incentives to student success in a way that has strengthened her university and benefitted a generation of Mountaineer graduates. Everyone who has worked with Dr. Norris praises her ability to take on complex problems without losing sight of the university’s core mission of service.”
• —UNC System President Peter Hans
• “I was first drawn to App State because of the university’s commitment to student success, which remains strong today. In the 125th year of the university’s history, I’m excited and humbled to help create the next chapter of our history. Our existing strengths are numerous and include our tremendous faculty and staff expertise, our amazing students, our passionate alumni base, our highly successful athletics programs, our well-poised research and innovation enterprise, and our growing pathways to open even more access to education and lifelong learning. It is my great honor to continue to serve this university, and the communities we serve. Together, we will continue building upon a strong foundation of academic excellence and commitment to the people of our region.”
• —Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris, Chancellor, Appalachian State University

On behalf of all of us at BRCA we sincerely appreciate your financial support and your ongoing engagement.  Thank you for following us.  We also want to welcome our new members and viewers; we welcome you to BRCA. 

Tom Barrett
Vice President
Executive Committee