October 31. 2024
Greetings from BRCA 28605 and Happy Halloween!
Being the last Thursday before election day there is a lot of news today.
Voting is Under Way
Voting Calendar
November
2nd – Early Voting Ends at 3:00pm
5th – Statewide General Election
5th – Deadline for Absentee by Mail ballots to be received at office is 7:30 pm
15th – General Election Canvass
Sample Ballot District 5 Watauga County
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ncsbesb/20241105/76_95_B0003.pdf
Caldwell County BR District Sample Ballot:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ncsbesb/20241105/120_14_B0002.pdf
BRP Continues to Open Sections
The first area is located between milepost 411.8 and 421, from U.S. Highway 276 to Black Balsam, including Graveyard Fields overlook and trailheads at milepost 418.8.
The second section was located between milepost 423.2 and 469, from State Highway 215 to U.S. Highway 441 in Cherokee, North Carolina, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance. The NPS said this also includes all trails and trail crossings in that corridor, as well as Heintooga Spur Road to the Masonic marker and the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and Park Store at milepost 451.2.
Hurrican Helene Recovery
Helene death toll surpasses 100 in North Carolina
Nearly five weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated several states on the East Coast, the storm’s death toll continues to rise.
As of Wednesday, North Carolina reported 101 fatalities from the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDH HS). The was another body found yesterday evening in debris from a campground, two from that location remain unaccounted for.
Construction Cost for Rebuilding Continue to Rise
Total reconstruction costs, including materials and retail labor, increased nationwide by 4.9% from October 2023 to October 2024.
Concrete material had the largest quarterly increase, up 1.77%, and the largest yearly increase at 8.5%. Paint increased 5.1% year over year, while metal roofing, roofing, interior trim, carpet, and drywall increased in a narrow band of around 2%.
As our area of the mountains begins to heal from the devastation, we want to express our appreciation to those who have given of their time and resources to help others. This has truly been a time of witnessing the kindness and compassion of others, as a show of our faith and humanity.
We want to thank many in the BRCA community who stayed in Blowing Rock or came back from communities where they have jobs and other obligations to help in person on food lines and in sorting donations and in bringing donations from other areas of the state. They pitched in with many others, like Sam Garrett and Cathy Baker who so tirelessly worked at the American Legion building day after day sorting donations. BRCA members served thousands of meals daily alongside many other volunteers from the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation nonprofit group. We read about Wayne Miller’s kindness in helping to get water to people in need.
Above all we want to recognize the oneness of the residents of Blowing Rock as clearly exhibited in working together with love to help each other and others in a time of great need. When a call was shared by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation for donations to fund their efforts in Watauga and Avery County, BRCA 28605 on its online video asked its members, many of whom were in other areas of North Carolina and out of state, to contribute if they could; and they poured out their desire to help and kindness, raising over $150,000. We love our community and want to be there for each other.
In closing, we pray that an outcome of this time in coming together to help others will be a chance to put the divisiveness sometimes seen concerning homeowners who do not live in Blowing Rock full time, often because they still are working, behind us and begin a new chapter in Blowing Rock. We look forward to being able to show appreciation for each other and to treat our fellow residents with kindness. We all share a love for Blowing Rock; much can be accomplished if done in unity.
Jean Kitchin, Chair, Blowing Rock Civic Association
On behalf of the Executive Committee
Downtown Development Standards Draft Proposal
There will be a Public Hearing on November 12, 2021, at 6:00 PM at Town Hall. This is about the proposed building heights and setbacks proposed from Planning Board and being recommended to Town Council for approval. This is the product of a series of six months of Public Meetings from the Subcommittee. The following link is a “clean draft” of the proposed new Standards:
Downtown Development Subcommittee Meeting
The next scheduled meeting of the Downtown Development Standards Subcommittee is scheduled for November 6, 2024, at 1:00 PM at Town Hall. This is a public meeting, and citizens are welcome to attend and observe. The top focus for the meeting is construction materials.
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. Happy Halloween!
Tom Barrett
Vice President
Executive Committee Member