CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — FairPoint Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRP), a leading communications provider, today announced it will host one-on-one meetings with investors as part of the Sterne Agee CRT Media Internet Summit at the Westin New York Grand Central, on June 11, 2015. Representing FairPoint will be CEO Paul Sunu and Paul Taaffe, vice president of corporate communications and development.
About FairPoint Communications, Inc. FairPoint Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRP) provides advanced data, voice and video technologies to single and multi-site businesses, public and private institutions, consumers, wireless companies and wholesale re-sellers in 17 states. Leveraging an owned, fiber-core Ethernet network — including more than 16,000 route miles of fiber in northern New England — FairPoint has the network coverage, scalable bandwidth and transport capacity to support enhanced applications, including the next generation of mobile and cloud-based communications, such as small cell wireless backhaul technology, voice over IP, data center colocation services, managed services and disaster recovery. For more information, visit www.FairPoint.com.
From challenging mountain hikes, to easy strolls along a blackwater creek to a longer treks through the sandy pine forests, South Carolina has something for everyone to enjoy on National Trails Day, which is Saturday.
Here are 10 fun trail treks in the state:
Congaree National Park’s boardwalk is ideal for a family outing, even in its current incomplete state. You can’t do the full 2.4-mile loop because a portion of the high boardwalk damaged in early 2014 remains unrepaired. But you can go out and back on the undamaged portion of the boardwalk, immersing yourself in a thick forest of massive trees, thick vines and loads of wildlife. Like on almost any trail in South Carolina, remember to pack bug repellant during the summer. www.nps.gov/cong.
The new Timmerman Trail in Cayce is a paved path following the blackwater Congaree Creek. It works for youngsters on bikes, dogs on leashes or babies in strollers, yet you feel almost as immersed in nature as at Congaree National Park. The full trail system is 3.5 miles, but you can shorten it some by sticking to the main loop. Park just along SCANA Parkway off 12th Street extension or at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center. http://riveralliance.org/Timmerman_Trail.html
The namesake sandstone formation was toppled by vandals last year, but Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve in Lexington County remains one of the most interesting places to hike in the state. Dozens of sandstone outcroppings, and a small but fun waterfall, dot what once was oceanfront property. Once hikers descend into the park, there’s a half-mile loop and a 1.5-mile loop. The dirt trails feature enough elevation changes to make the hike a workout. www.sctrails.net
The cross-state Palmetto Trail has dozens of great segments for one-day hikes. The 7.2-mile Wateree Passage in Sumter County offers a couple of choices. There’s a short hike in Poinsett State Park, or a longer hike along the Wateree River ridge and then down through the floodplain on recovered railroad trestles. http://www.palmettoconservation.org/wateree.asp
Want to mix a hike with a dip in the ocean? Try Hunting Island State Park in Beaufort County. The park has about 8 miles of hiking and biking trails through maritime forests and marshes. You even can climb the 167 steps to the top of the lighthouse. http://southcarolinaparks.com/huntingisland/introduction.aspx
The hike to the top of Table Rock in Pickens County is a classic. It’s a rugged 3.6-mile climb up 2,000 feet, and the trip back down can put more strain on your joints and muscles. But the view from the top of the mountain is worth every step. http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/tablerock/introduction.aspx
For a relatively easy trip to a waterfall, head to Station Cove Falls next to Oconee Station State Historic Site in Oconee County. The hike to the 60-foot waterfall is only half a mile, but it is steep. The mountain wildflowers and other vegetation are as amazing as the falls. http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/oconeestation/os-trails.aspx
For a more difficult waterfall trek, try Raven Cliff Falls in Caesars Head State Park in Greenville County. The loop trail to the suspension bridge running over the falls is 7 miles, and some sections will test your balance and strength. If you simply want the long-distance view of the falls, you can go to the overlook, which is only a 4.4-mile hike. http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/caesarshead/introduction.aspx
June is the ideal time to check out the 1.5-mile Canal Trail at Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County. It’s a flat, easy hike along the Catawba River. The challenge this time of year is finding parking because people flock here to see the blooming rocky shoals spider lilies that blanket the river. You’ll wish you had a kayak. http://southcarolinaparks.com/landsfordcanal/introduction.aspx
Head to the northwest edge of the state and check out the 15.5-mile Chattooga Trail along the Chattooga River. You can’t go wrong with any section, but one classic S.C. hike is the 3.5-mile walk from Burrells Ford Road to Ellicott Rock, the spot where South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia come together. You’ll see waterfalls and vegetation along the way. http://www.sctrails.net/Trails/ALLTRAILS/Hiking/Upcountry/Chattooga.html
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Raleigh — Governor Pat McCrory visited the State Highway Patrol Training Academy today to discuss Connect NC projects proposed for the State Highway Patrol.
“The State Highway Patrol Training Academy desperately needs new buildings on their campus,” Governor McCrory said. “The Connect NC bond package funds the building of new facilities which will greatly improve training for our cadets.”
Connect NC proposes $25.6 million for improvements at the academy. Bond funds will go towards building a cadet dormitory, a professional/instructor dormitory, an armory, a VIPER/TSU office center, and a tactical training/classroom building. The project also includes a new surfaced parking lot for approximately 400 vehicles and a new entrance to the academy. The governor also highlighted additional investments to the State Highway Patrol throughout the state, totaling close to $800,000.
Connect NC is targeted investments in North Carolina’s roads, education, public health, parks and military. From small farming towns to large cities, Connect NC projects will benefit every community across the state while creating thousands of jobs along the way.
The proposal includes two bonds of approximately $1.5 billion each – one for roads, the other for infrastructure – which would go before the voters for approval either in October or November. The proposed transportation bond would pay for 27 permit-ready highway projects throughout North Carolina that have completed environmental documents.
In addition, the bond would fund the paving of 176 unpaved secondary roads totaling 113 miles. Because of the state’s fiscal strength and strong balance sheet, no tax increase is needed to fund the bonds and the state’s AAA bond rating would be preserved.
To learn more about Connect NC, visit http://www.connect.nc.gov.
In the following weeks, councilors will decide the fate of a bike share program that aims to facilitate access to transit and enhance the bike culture in Raleigh.
Wikimedia Commons
A bike station in Melbourne, Australia
The bike share program was most recently discussed in a March 17 work session. City staff unveiled a plan that would establish 30 bike stations throughout Raleigh, including five on the campus of NC State University.
“This is a terrific opportunity to accomplish our Comprehensive Plan goals,” councilor Russ Stephenson said at the time.
80 Percent of Capital Costs of Program to be Covered by Grant
The bike share program has been in the works for the past two years. It started with a feasibility report to analyze whether such a program would be suitable for Raleigh. The report, which was published in the spring of 2014, looked at peer cities such as Washington D.C. and Charlotte to see how those cities ran their bike share programs.
There are two costs — the initial capital funding, which will be used to construct the system, and then the ongoing operating costs. 80 percent of the capital costs are covered by a grant through the North Carolina Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. That leaves a local match of around $400,000 for the remainder of the capital costs.
In the March 17 work session, councilors were given scenarios for how to handle the operating costs once the bike stations are constructed. Other cities had done so through a mix of public-private partnerships, with the addition of sponsors paying money to advertise on the bikes or stations. Revenue from the bike rentals are only projected to cover one-third of the operating costs.
Bike Share Program would Increase Access to Transit
Eric Lamb, the transportation planning office manager for the city, said that the benefit of having a bike share program outweighed the challenge posed by the lack of rental revenue.
The bike share program would improve access to transit as well as extend the range of travel when getting off a bus. He talked about the “last mile experience” where individuals would have to hike to their destination after getting off a bus. With the bikes, that journey would be much quicker.
“The one thing I’ll point out is that there has been some conversation about bicycle tourism,” Lamb said.
As stated in the March 17 work session, memberships would be staggered based on length of use and other special categories. The first 30 minutes of bike rental would be free. Every additional half-hour is $4, or $2 for students. Annual memberships would cost $80 for the general public and $50 for students, and a 24-hour rental is $8.
Karen Tam
Biking on Hillsborough Street
Two Councilors Express Desire for Bike Share Program
In Monday’s budget work session, councilors Gaylord and Stephenson spoke out in favor of the bike share program.
“This is an opportunity to move forward in a way to help transportation and economic development,” Stephenson said.
Lamb said the bike share program would be another step to making Raleigh a bicycle friendly activity — a process that started in 2009 with the bicycle plan and has led to the adding of bike lanes along Hillsborough Street and Wilmington Street.
“The bike share system fits very nicely in that mindset,” Lamb said.
The battle to be named Outside Magazine’s “Best Town Ever 2015” will be called at 11:59 p.m. EST, and whichever town has the most votes — Chattanooga or Port Angeles, Wash. — will prevail.
At stake are a year’s worth of bragging rights and branding opportunities. As the competition enters its final hours, more than 100,000 votes have been tallied, with Chattanooga holding a slim lead of a few thousand votes.
In the later rounds of the competition, things have gotten a little chippy. After Chattanooga defeated Boone, N.C., in the round of eight, Boone sympathizers launched an ABC (Anything But Chattanooga) hashtag on Twitter. The final round hasn’t been exempt from negativity or controversy, either.
In the comments section on the competition’s website Wednesday, proponents of both towns squabbled over things such as humidity, bugs, smell and grammar, and attempted to out-“nature porn” each other, posting idyllic pictures boasting the natural beauty of both areas.
There were even allegations of “robo-voting” — there was an 8,000-vote spike in Port Angeles’ favor during a one-hour period Saturday. Outside Magazine added a “CAPTCHA” test — prompts to type sequences of slightly distorted letters or numbers to determine whether a user is human — to its voting process shortly after. Messages left with Outside Magazine to verify why the CAPTCHA test was added went unreturned.
Russ Veenma, executive director of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he had heard about the claims of robo-voting. While he assumed that was the reason the CAPTCHA was added, he said he’s been focusing on the positive aspects of the competition.
“We feel really good about making it to the finals,” Veenma said. “It’s been a lot of positive PR for the town outside of this area, as well as inside the community on a bonding basis.”
Veenma said local residents, small businesses and leaders have joined to promote the contest. He said the coastal town of 19,500 is confident about its chances — despite having a much smaller population than Chattanooga — because of national exposure from having Olympic National Park in its backyard.
“We’d love to win, but second place is good, too,” Veenma said. “Chattanooga is a deserving town.”
Chattanooga, which is seeking to become the contest’s first two-time winner, isn’t resting on its laurels. The Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau issued a “10-Minute Challenge” email blast urging people to vote and share the contest link with 20 contacts — 10 in Chattanooga and 10 outside.
Bob Doak, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the competition isn’t just about bragging rights. He said superlatives are big in his business and they help a lot when singing your town’s praises, especially coming from an unpaid third party.
“Those intangibles turn into tangibles pretty quick,” Doak said. “Superlatives don’t just increase tourism, they attract businesses, and people wanting to relocate to the area.”
More than the financial rewards, Doak said being named “Best Town Ever” for a second time would emphasize what so many people in the area already know.
“It would speak volumes to the great assets we have here and our people,” Doak said. “One thing we’re proud of is we’re an authentic city. This is a special place we call home.”
Contact Will Healey at whealey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.
The University of North Carolina published the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations against the school on Thursday afternoon, a step toward closing the book on 18 years of academic improprieties.
The next step for UNC is to either agree to the charges listed in the notice of allegations or participate in a hearing in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, a process that Syracuse fans will certainly follow closely. Along with UNC being an ACC rival, Syracuse was punished significantly for improprieties that appear minor in comparison to UNC’s.
Despite the difference in severity, the NCAA spent eight years investigating Syracuse, while initially finding that the UNC case was out of its jurisdiction. This initial finding was based on the fact that non-athletes also took fraudulent classes in the school’s African-American Studies department.
Investigative reporting by The Raleigh News Observer’s Dan Kane, however, showcased deeper links between the classes and the athletic department, forcing UNC and the NCAA to re-visit the potential issues and revealing much more significant issues than the school initially acknowledged.
The result was Thursday’s notice of allegations, which can be read below.
ASHEVILLE – Don’t honk the next time you’re trying to drive past a stream of cyclists on a country road or on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Those bikers just might be your next meal ticket.
Bicycle rides, races and tours in the mountains are on the rise, not just as a covert operation to annoy motorists, but as a calculated way to bring more tourism to Western North Carolina.
The offerings of rides such as Sunday’s nearly sold-out, 100-mile Fletcher Flyer, offering Oskar Blues beer and “the flattest century ride in the mountains,” as well as the upcoming Cycle to Farm in July, connecting bicyclists to gourmet rest stops at farms, are becoming as popular as the well-known bicycle rides through California wine country.
And they are bringing in the big bucks, especially noticeable in the shoulder seasons, or off-peak tourist seasons.
Jennifer Perkins, who owns Looking Glass Creamery with her husband, Andy Perkins, is one of the farm stops on the fourth annual Cycle to Farm Tour, which will roll through the back country roads of Fairview on July 18.
“It was kind of a gamble the first year because you never know. It was a totally different concept,” Perkins said. “Our facility is very small and we can’t accommodate many cars, but we can have as many bicycles as they want. People always have good intentions, but you never know how it will turn out.”
Velo Girl Rides owners Jennifer and David Billstrom organize the tour, partnering with the nonprofit Black Mountain Parks and Greenways. Ingles Markets sponsors the ride.
Perkins was so impressed with the turnout and the meticulous organization, not to mention the boost in farm product sales, that she has been back as a stop on the tour every year since.
“People also came to the stops who weren’t bike riding, but were supporting riders. It’s better than a day at the tailgate market and definitely better than a typical day at the shop,” Perkins said. “Jen is an organizational whirlwind and made sure everything worked.”
An expected 300 bicyclists from at least 13 states will join the Cycle to Farm tour, starting at Recreation Park in Black Mountain for a 100-kilometer (or 62-mile) tour of the east and south Buncombe County countryside, with stops for rest and refreshments at local farms.
At each stop, cyclists will sample homegrown goodies, such as cucumber slices with chevre cheese or goat cheese on strawberries at Looking Glass Creamery, blueberry smoothies at Cloud 9 Farm, fresh ice cream or cured meats at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, or lamb sausage balls at Highlander Farm.
They will also get the chance to buy more of what they like. And since it would be tricky to finish the ride lugging sides of beef or rounds of cheese, the Billstroms will pack all purchases in coolers and have them waiting for the cyclists when they finish the ride at an after-party.
Jennifer Billstrom said 135 people rode the first year, but the ride has sold out the 300-capacity field each year since.
“I think it’s an absolutely wonderful event,” said Ann Sitler, sales and relations manager for Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview. “A lot of people will take a beef stick with them, because it gives them a punch of protein.”
The farm in Fairview, which is open seven days a week, year round, also sells fresh beef and pork in Ingles, Whole Foods, Earth Fare and the French Broad Food Co-op. But Cycle to Farm is a nice, one-day shot in the arm, Sitler said.
“It definitely increases sales. It gives us a nice little boost. We do get riders every spring, summer and fall visiting Asheville and this is one of the things they want to see. With the expansion of greenways, I think it’s really going to take off here.”
Help for Smokies
Janet Peterson, owner of Cloud 9 Farm, will be participating on Cycle to Farm for the fourth year in a row. Her small farm in Fletcher offers beef, chickens, eggs, honey and beeswax products such as lotions and balms, but has become famous for its blueberry smoothies and blueberry granola the cyclists get to sample. She also rents vacation cabins and hosts weddings.
“I think it’s a great way for the neighborhood to be seen. The bicyclists aren’t all necessarily from this area. They see this place on Cycle to Farm and then want to come back to rent a cabin or have a rural wedding,” Peterson said.
Bicycle touring, a la the well-known tours of the California wine country, and in Europe, such as tours through the vineyards of Tuscany, is already here, and getting bigger, Jennifer Billstrom said.
Ben VanCamp, executive director of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, said biking in general, whether it’s touring, organized rides or races, is growing in the mountains and helping tourism-related industry, as well as nonprofits.
The commission worked with the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies to bring the sixth race in the Gran Fondo National Championships Series to downtown Asheville on Aug. 30.
“The Gourmet Century — a bike ride that goes to different restaurants and farms and meets with different chefs, is coming Aug. 22, starting and finishing at Taylor Ranch. I think we’re going to see a lot more of that.”
The Gran Fondo, which will be partly ride, partly race, will have a big impact, said Holly Demuth, North Carolina director of Friends of the Smokies, which raises money for projects and programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The second annual ride will have three options — a 100-mile with 10,612 feet of elevation gain, a 60-mile and a 30-mile, all starting and ending at Pack Square Park downtown. Parts of the rides will be timed, and riders can choose to race those sections for points.
Demuth said last year brought out 140 riders and raised $27,000 for the Friends group. This year the goal is 500 people.
And those travelers are not only riding, but staying in hotels, eating, drinking beer and bringing home souvenirs, VanCamp said.
The sixth annual Blue Ridge Breakaway is a ride through Haywood County on Aug. 15. It offers options of 105, 74, 60 and 28 miles, with the longer routes spending a portion of time on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“We do have a large number who are staying one night,” said Melissa Tinsley, events and membership coordinator for Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. “About 47 percent of people stayed in a cabin or a local motel and hotel. Cyclists spend more dollars than average tourists — they stay for more than one night and come with family and friends. If a husband is riding, for example, the wife is shopping and sightseeing.”
Tinsley said the ride has been a huge boon to the region at an off time — when school starts, but before leaf peeping season, when tourism money drops off.
Making the corporate to cycling switch
Jennifer Billstrom grew up “a stone’s throw” from the Blue Ridge Parkway in southwest Virginia, riding horses on the family farm. Now 47, she picked up cycling in 1999 and fell in love with it as a sport for fun. She worked professionally in corporate finance for many years, but was always looking for something different.
She started Velo Girl Rides four years ago, offering custom-designed bike tours in and around Asheville and along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Cycle to Farm developed at the same time.
“I had been designing training routes for a hobby, so starting my own bike touring company seemed like a perfect fit,” she said. “The idea originated when I moved to Black Mountain in 2009. I realized that I was passing the farms of the same farmers I shopped with at tailgate market in Black Mountain. The idea came to have a traditional bike ride that used farms as the rest stops instead of a gas station or a church parking lot.”
She said farmers were skeptical at first.
“Now they know they sell 50 percent more on Cycle to Farm than at tailgate markets.”
The metric century ride, also known as 62 miles, is challenging, Billstrom said. After all, it is in the mountains. But she and husband David, a corporate trainer, help train people for the ride.
With Cycle to Farm, Velo Girl Rides, which runs 10-12 bike tours a year, and now taking on the role as director of the second annual Bookwalter Binge, which will be Oct. 31 in Black Mountain (founded by Tour de France rider and Asheville resident Brent Bookwalter and his wife, Jamie), Billstrom makes her living completely from bicycle riding.
The most popular tours, she said, are the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile, 10-day ride, which many people use to check off their bucket list, and the Beer City Tours, where cyclists ride hard each day and finish with a cold one at a local brewery. She will also do custom rides. For example, a group is coming from the Cayman Islands this summer to do a four-day ride of the entire Parkway.
North Carolina has already reached Sonoma County (California) status, said Chuck Hobgood, president of North Carolina Amateur Sports, which hosts bike tours across the state.
“People want to come to our state because they can cycle in the mountains, on the coast or Piedmont or all three. I think the craft beer taking off in state (is) helping with that, and all the visitor and historic sites. I think we’re right at the top of the list of other cross-state rides,” Hobgood said.
The company has been hosting a Mountains to Coast ride since 1999 and this year will start in Waynesville on Sept. 7 and end at Oak Island on the coast seven days later. They also started a Lake Lure ride last year. This year it will be Aug. 1 and 2 with different mileages riders can choose from each day.
The Mountains to Coast started in 1999 and switches its start and finish points each year, he said. It draws up to 1,200 participants from at least 35 different states and two to four different countries. Cyclists ride 450 miles over seven days, either camping or staying at BBs along the way.
Weeklong rides cost $310, which includes bike ride support, rest stops every 15-20 miles, camping spots, luggage transport, shower trucks, mechanical support and more.
As for the Cycle to Farm, just helping connect neighbors, farmers, cyclists, good food and good feelings is driving the Billstroms.
Once back at the finish, cyclists enjoy a farm-to-table meal at the “Fabulous After Party,” sourced from the farmers they visited during their ride. The farmers and the many volunteers who work the event also join in the meal.
“I really have three goals — I want to have a safe, fun event. Second, I want people to understand how fortunate we are to live in a place where local food is so accessible, you can buy vegetables on a bike,” Jennifer Billstrom said.
“And third I hope we will have a greenway that goes from Black Mountain to Asheville. I hope we have a successful enough fundraiser so we can have something like the Swamp Rabbit Trail.” The Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail runs some 18 miles along the Reedy River connecting Greenville County with schools, parks, and local businesses.
Want to ride?
The fourth annual Cycle to Farm bike ride starts at 8 a.m. July 18 at Recreation Park in Black Mountain. Entry fee is $85. For more information, and to sign up as either a volunteer or rider, see http://CycleToFarm.org.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Friday:
1. THIEVES STEAL PERSONNEL DATA OF 4 MILLION FEDERAL WORKERS
China-based hackers are believed responsible for the massive breach of U.S. government computers.
2. JEB BUSH TO ENTER PRESIDENTIAL RACE, AIDES SAY
His decision to run ensures the possibility of a general election showdown between two political families as Hillary Rodham Clinton eyes the Democratic nomination.
3. EPA: NO WIDESPREAD HARM TO DRINKING WATER FROM FRACKING
The agency’s draft report also warns of potential contamination of water supplies in the U.S. if safeguards aren’t maintained.
4. WHICH DRUG IS GETTING AN ENDORSEMENT
U.S. government experts are recommending approval for a pill to boost sexual desire in women.
5. POLL: MOST FAVOR ALLOWING IMMIGRANTS IN US ILLEGALLY TO STAY
The Pew survey also finds that about half of Americans think a lot more can be done to secure the nation’s border.
6. WHAT US MIGHT DO TO COUNTER RUSSIA
Options being weighed by the Obama administration include deploying land-based missiles in Europe.
7. ISLAMIC STATE EXTREMISTS REDUCE WATER IN IRAQ’S ANBAR PROVINCE
The move highlights the use of water as a weapon of war and puts more pressure on Iraqi forces struggling to claw back ground held by the militants.
8. TEXAS CANCER PATIENT RECEIVES SKULL-SCALP TRANSPLANT
It’s thought to be the first such transplant from a human donor, as opposed to an artificial implant or a simple bone graft.
9. ’19 KIDS AND COUNTING’ INTERVIEW A RATINGS HIT
Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly reaches 3.1 million viewers with her show about TLC’s Duggar family and their son’s sexual misconduct. It’s her largest audience of the year.
10. WHO OVERCAME ILLNESS TO REACH FRENCH OPEN WOMEN’S FINAL
Serena Williams, battling the flu, loses the first set in the semis before rallying past 23rd-seeded Timea Bacsinszky.
