Downtown Boone Development Association

Parade Application July 4th 2010

July 4th Brochure 2010

Mast General Store Celebrates
Land Trust Day on June 5th

The Mast General Store celebrates Land Trust Day on Saturday, June 5th. Recognized for the eighth year at Mast Store, Land Trust Day is a friend-raising event encouraging new memberships in local land trusts as well as an educational opportunity to learn how these groups unite the past and future by preserving our land heritage.

“According to the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, the state has lost 2.8 million acres of cropland and forest land to development over the last 20 years.  By 2022, it is projected that certain areas of North Carolina will experience an additional 50% decrease in their forests and cropland,” said John Cooper, president of the Mast General Store. “With those statistics in mind, it’s more important than ever to have an active plan to protect our open farmland, scenic vistas, and significant landmarks for future generations to enjoy and benefit from, not just in North Carolina, but throughout the southeast. Our annual Land Trust Day helps highlight local organizations that are working hard to do just that.”

Representatives from local land trust organizations will be on hand at the Mast Stores in the High Country on June 5th to share with guests the activities they are undertaking to conserve the open spaces in the region. The Mast General Store will donate 20 percent of sales on that Saturday to these organizations.

The land trust movement is not new. Some land trusts have been in place for over a century. In the past five years the amount of land protected by local and regional land trusts has doubled nationwide. Currently, there are more than 1,600 land trusts active across the nation. These organizations are extraordinarily successful in their missions, having protected more than 37 million acres of land according to the National Land Trust Census.  The two land trusts in the High Country area have different main focuses that translate into many of the same goals – preserving our land heritage.

The National Committee for the New River (NCNR) is the oldest organization, founded in 1974 to stop two dams proposed for the free-flowing New. Although its land trust arm is not as old as the organization itself, it is quite active in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. NCNR envisions a permanently protected New River as a treasured natural resource. The mission of NCNR is to advocate for successful protection of the New River, to restore eroding river and stream banks and enhance riparian habitat, and to permanently protect land along the River.

Over the last 31 years, the organization has protected nearly 5,000 acres of land important to the River’s water quality, scenic and natural values, and has restored over 56 miles of river and stream bank. The NCNR recently protected the Crossover Farm in Alleghany County, where the New River crosses into North Carolina from Virginia for the first time. The farm is a working cattle operation and has been in the family for at least five generations. Encroaching second home development across the river motivated the family to protect their farm and preserve their agricultural heritage. Canoeists, kayakers, and fishing enthusiasts will forever enjoy the viewshed on this spectacular part of the river. The easements encompass 206 acres and a mile of riverfront. With the help of NCNR donors, the family was able to purchase an adjacent parcel just downstream and donate an additional conservation easement on this land as well.

The recently formed Blue Ridge Conservancy unites the efforts of two very active land trusts based in the High Country. By joining forces of the High Country Conservancy and the Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust, it hopes to provide greater potential for accomplishing its land conservation mission.

Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) continues to protect land at the headwaters of the New River, and on Snake Mountain, adding to one of the state’s most beautiful parks, Elk Knob. With two critical projects completed in the past year, BRC added over 300 acres to Elk Knob State Park. On Snake Mountain, BRC partnered with The Nature Conservancy to complete two significant projects. The first protected was 195 acres on the high, grassy ridge at the northern end of the mountain, known as Snake Mountain Bald. This ridge offers incredible views of Grandfather Mountain State Park to the south and Mt. Rogers, VA to the north. Extending down from Snake Mountain’s ridge to Meat Camp Road, the second project protected 119 acres and includes two headwater streams of the New River as well as excellent wildlife habitat.

“We are excited about providing this opportunity to the land trusts in our local areas,” said Cooper. “President Theodore Roosevelt said in 1912 ‘There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.’ Those words still ring true today. The preservation activities in our area are beneficial to the quality of life for residents and go a long way to further the sustainability of the tourism industry, a mainstay of our economy.”

For more information on land trusts, stop by the information table on Saturday, June 5th in all Mast Store locations. Visit the local land trusts’ websites – www.blueridgeconservancy.org, or www.ncnr.org – for more information on current projects and how to become a member of the organizations. For further information on land trusts in North Carolina, go to www.ctnc.org/landtrusts/trusts.htm. To learn more about land trust activities in general, visit the Land Trust Alliance online at www.lta.org.

Board of Directors’ Meeting – Thursday, June 3rd @ 9:00 a.m.

The next DBDA Board of Directors’ Meeting will be on Thursday, June 3rd, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the conference room of the Watauga County Library.  This meeting is open to the public.

Outdoorsman and Travel Writer Randy Johnson Will Sign Hiking Books at Mast Store in Boone

Randy Johnson, internationally-traveled photojournalist, author, and outdoorsman will sign Hiking North Carolina: A Guide to Nearly 500 of North Carolina’s Greatest Hiking Trails, Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Best Easy Day Hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Mast Store in Downtown Boone from noon until 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 29.

Hiking North Carolina provides detailed descriptions of 500 trails across the state from leg-stretcher trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway to urban adventures on greenways to venturing into a marsh along the outer banks. Not only can readers find out about the length of the hike and the location of the trail head, including GPS coordinates, but Johnson also includes interesting tidbits of information on the history of the area, the elevation gain or loss, and listings of trail-related internet addresses.

His two Blue Ridge Parkway books provide in depth descriptions of the trails, directions, and information along the way. The Best Easy Day Hikes edition invites everyone to take to the trail. Its descriptions focus on history and climate, culture and geography, and even sights that would be of interest for kids along the trail. Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway has been called “the definitive guide for Parkway hikers.” This guide provides detailed topographical maps and the most complete Parkway Mileage Log available to the public. In addition, it includes rugged wilderness walks and overnight backpacking trips for those who are more adventurous.

Johnson began his writing career in high school with an interview of Peter, Paul & Mary for an article appearing in his school newspaper and has been smitten with hiking and backpacking since climbing his first mountain on a bitterly cold Boy Scout camping trip to Virginia’s northern Blue Ridge Mountains. Since that time he has written for The Charlotte Observer and was the founding editor of The Mountain Times. He also helped revitalize and created a plan for maintaining the trails on Grandfather Mountain and has won several national journalism awards.

The book signing is a great opportunity to inquire about hiking the trails in the local area and to find out about Johnson’s favorite trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. For more information, contact the Mast Store in Downtown Boone at 828-262-0000.

Town of Boone and Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) Contract Renewal Process – An Update

We have had some recent inquiries about the contract renewal between the DBDA and the Town of Boone. I thought this would be a great opportunity to update you on the process of our contract renewal as the Town of Boone’s Main Street Agency. Our focal point as the Town of Boone’s Main Street Agency focuses on the Main Street Program which consists of four areas of focus – Organization, Design/Public Art, Promotion, and Economic Restructuring. We start our contract renewal process at least 30 days prior to the end of our current contract on June 30th with a presentation & renewal request to the Boone Town Council. This presentation includes reporting on the DBDA’s yearly spending, a proposed plan‐of‐work for the next contract period, and descriptions of the organization’s activities and their outcomes that have taken place during the current contract period. In September of each year, the DBDA submits an independent annual audit to the Town of Boone & NC Dept of State, which includes reporting such as: itemized & verified expenditure records and accounting for all of our funding & funding sources. This year, the Town of Boone is also conducting a survey of downtown land and business owners, in addition to our regular reporting, in an effort to determine the value of the Downtown Boone Development Association and the role it playsin the Main Street Program. Please be looking‐out for this survey, your input is very important! Survey results will be submitted to the Boone Town Council by May 1st. As always, we are happy to answer any question that you might have regarding our programming, so please don’t hesitate to contact our office.We are already working towards renewing of our contract with the Town of Boone by June 30th, and we are looking forward to another productive year in 2010‐2011!

DBDA Member Announcement

John Mena has asked the DBDA to pass along a wonderful idea that he started to thank the Town of Boone Public Works Department and their families for all of the hard work they have been doing this winter. John asked us to announce on his behalf: “An account at High Country Bank has been started so that business owner and private citizens can contribute to a party for all of the Town’s snow removal guys and gals. These guys and gals have done a great job and I feel like we should reward them and their families with a party. Mark Lewis, owner of Beef‐O‐Brady’s, said that he would be willing to host the event and Footsloggers has also agreed to contribute. Our Town of Boone Public Works Department has been putting in some long tough hours and I think that we as a community should show ourappreciation.
If you could send this out to DBDA members and let them know that they can help with this event by making a contribution to “The Snowmen of Boone” account at any High Country Bank Location, or they can drop checks by Haircut 101.No set date yet, it will depend on the weather. This is not a tax deductible contribution. All monies donated will go toward the event expenses.”

We are very proud to be sponsoring the Jones House Community Center’s Summer Concerts on the Lawn Series again this year! Please feel free to print up any coupon or promotional materials for distribution during the events this summer.Please bring these items to Mark Freed at the Jones House Community Center before the event to be displayed for consumer consumption.

REMINDER: Please attend our monthly Board of Directors meeting the first Thursday of every month at 9 am in the conference room of the Watauga County Library.

Parking Charrette and Time‐Limited Parking Task Force in Review

The Town of Boone has facilitated a parking charrette that, included many stakeholders interested in downtown parking, and the recommendations have been presented. “One of the recommendations is the formation of a time limited task force to develop priorities and to make recommendations to the Council in regard to the parking issues that were submitted at the parking charrette.” The suggested time frame for the task force is four‐months. “The group will consist of twelve‐members with one representative from the following agencies and/or groups: Boone Planning Commission, DBDA, Watauga County, TDA, ASU administration/parking, ASU student, Town Council, downtown property owner, downtown merchant, McLaurin Parking Company, Chamber of Commerce, and one at large member. We will be bringing you updates on the parking task force each much in our DBDA Newsletter.*Information provided by the Town of Boone.

A Little Bit About the DBDA

A little bit about the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA): The mission statement of the DBDA was adopted in 1995. This mission statement includes: promotion of the historic preservation; take remedial actions to eliminate the physical, economic and social deterioration of downtown Boone; to disseminate information of and promote interest in the preservation, history, culture, architecture and public use of downtown Boone; to hold meetings, seminars and other activities for the instruction of members and public in the areas of design, economic restructuring, and planning management to foster understanding and appreciation of downtown Boone’s history, culture and architecture; to aid, work and participate in the activities of other organizations, and individuals engaged in similar purpose. Our membership contains four types: property owners; business owners/operators; sponsoring and art crawl members.

REMINDER:

Please attend our monthly membership meeting the first Thursday of every month at 9 am in the conference room of the Watauga Library.

A Piece of Wayne Trapp

A sculpture named Sky Walk, created by Wayne Trapp, was donated to Downtown Boone via the DBDA, in honor of Joni & Peter Petscham for their many contributions to artists and the arts in our community. We would like to send a BIG thank to WayneTrapp and Joni & Peter Petscham for their very generous donation to our downtown! This piece is currently located at WataugaCounty Public Library. If you have not had a chance to see this piece, please stop by and check it out! To learn more about the artist Wayne Trapp please visit him on facebook at Wayne Trapp, Artist.

Coming Next Month

We are looking for downtown businesses that have something to share. Please email me at boone@goboone.net your upcoming events and specials to be posted in our monthly newsletter!

2009 Christmas Parade in Review

We partnered again this year with the Town of Boone to facilitate the ever-popular, family fun Boone Christmas Parade. This years parade proved to be better than ever! Our Grand Marshall was Doc Hendley of Wine to Water, a CNN honored hero.

We had well-over 45 group and floats in the parade, complete with a sleigh carrying Santa Clause. I f you did not have a chance to be a part of the fun this year, please put it on your calendar for 2010!

2009 ToB Semi-Annual Report

The DBDA will be making a presentation to the ToB Council at the Council Meeting on December 17, 2009. We will be presenting a Semi-Annual Report and requesting a six-month contract renewal with the ToB to serve as their Main Street Program Contractors. This Semi-Annual Report will highlight the numerous completed activities by the DBDA including but not limited to: Membership Updates, Board Member Elections, Annual Membership Meeting Report, Main Street Training Program Report, Main Street DBDA Committees Report, Presentation of Measurable Plan of Work Goals, DBDA Accounting Report, NC Licensing Update, DBDA Board Member Handbook Update, Report on Positive Channels of Communication Efforts, Public Art Update, and ToB Community Appearance Committee Site Furnishings Update. More to come in our January 2010 DBDA Newsletter.

The DBDA will be making a presentation to the ToBCouncil at the Council Meeting on December 17,2009. We will be presenting a Semi-Annual Reportand requesting a six-month contract renewal with the ToB to serve as their Main Street Program Contractors.This Semi-Annual Report will highlight the numerous completed activities by the DBDA includingbut not limited to: Membership Updates, Board Member Elections, Annual Membership Meeting Report,Main Street Training Program Report, Main Street DBDA Committees Report, Presentation of MeasurablePlan of Work Goals, DBDA Accounting Report, NCLicensing Update, DBDA Board Member HandbookUpdate, Report on Positive Channels of Communication Efforts, Public Art Update, and ToB CommunityAppearance Committee Site Furnishings Update.More to come in our January 2010 DBDA Newsletter.

REMINDER:

Please attend our monthly membership meeting the first Thursday of every month at 9 am in the conference room of the Watauga Library.

Coming Next Month

Next month we are going to be covering the details from the ToB Parking Charrette and the resulting recommendations.

So please look for the January 2010 DBDA Newsletter.

2009 Boone Boo in Review

We partnered again this year with the Town of Boone, Jones House Community Center and the Watauga County Library to host the ever popular 2009 Boone BOO! This year was a great success and we estimate about 450 children and their parents came out to have some Halloween fun. We started at the Watauga County Library with treats, crafts and balloon creations next, we had a
parade to the Jones House Community Center for a haunted house and then, we all hit the streets for trick or treating with our local downtown businesses. I n fact, one of our participating businesses estimated that about 700 people came to his shop during the event. If you didn’t make it out this year, please try and join us next year. We would like to give a big THANKS to all of
the local businesses that provided donations, without your support these wonderful events would not be possible.

2009 Christmas Parade

We have another great event coming up on December 12th, the 2009 Boone Christmas Parade. Come to the parade and experience small town at its finest with a procession down King Street complete with decorated floats, beauty queens and fire engines. We are excited to be partnering with the Town of Boone this year and things are shaping up to be better that ever. The parade will start at 10:00am and line -up for participants will start at 8:00 am. If you are interested in participating in the parade please contact us for a parade application. All are welcome and it is a free community event. Before the parade join the Watauga Education Foundation for a $6 pancake breakfast with all the trimmings at the Watauga High School from 7:30 am to 11 am. Then after the parade join the Friends of the Library for a Family Christmas Party with hot drinks, snacks and music at the Watauga Library, located one block behind the Mast General Store.

Coming Next Month

Next month we are going to be covering the DBDA semiannual report, which will highlight the organizations accomplishments from September 2009 thru December 2009. So please look for the December 2009 DBDA Newsletter.