Cities do not reinvent themselves. It takes many people, dedicated people. Fortunately, Asheville has had such people.
There was a time, not that many years ago, when downtown was a 9-to-5 place. Asheville Mall had become the commercial heart of the city. Once the banks and government offices and other institutions were closed for the day, the streets were given over to the pigeons.
There were so many vacant buildings that some people even wanted to destroy part of downtown in order to save it. They would have, had not voters in 1981 rejected the $40 million in bonds necessary to level and prepare most of the area between Haywood Street and Broadway for a mall with department stores, a hotel and office space.
Whatever the voters’ motivation – some probably just didn’t want to spend the money – their decision was the right one. The area today is a booming part of a booming downtown. North Lexington Avenue is eclectic even by Asheville standards.
Downtown as a whole has a new life. The dining and club scene gets the headlines, but there also are a lot of independent merchants who make the daytime as busy as the nighttime. Hotels and apartments are bringing more people downtown to live or spend the night.
Many small decisions, and a number of big ones, can be cited. Among the latter was the successful campaign to replace an erstwhile movie theater and the old library with the Pack Place Education, Arts and Science Center. If one single person can be said to be responsible, it would be Roger McGuire.
McGuire was both a leader and a major fund-raiser in the public-private effort that led to opening of Pack Place in 1992. He once told an interviewer his favorite quote was spoken in the musical “Man of La Mancha.” by Don Quixote.
“He said, ‘Madness is seeing things as they are and not as they might be.’ The group of people who worked on Pack Place … are people who insisted on seeing things for Asheville as they might be,” McGuire said.
Others also have dreamed the impossible dream. Consider Julian Price, whose Public Interest Project has renovated many downtown buildings. He formed a group that pushed for improving facilities for pedestrians, helped lead an effort to preserve trees on Tunnel Road and contributed to the environmental publication Green Line, predecessor of MountainXpress.
The good times also have rolled into South Asheville. Jack Cecil’s Biltmore Farms has built residential developments and a city-within-a-city named Biltmore Town Square. Pulliam Properties, founded by Winston Pulliam and run by his son Rusty, has been responsible for much of the Hendersonville Roade development.
The most recent boom area is the River Arts District, where old buildings are being renovated or replaced by new ones, notably the New Belgium brewery on the west side of the French Broad River. The public role here is significant, $50 million worth, but there should be an additional $200 million in private investment.
The new Asheville has its critics. These critics say it has become too dependent upon tourism and the low-wage service jobs such an economy provides. They have a point, but the remedy is to create more high-wage jobs and not to turn away from the path to rebirth.
Government has a role to play in redevelopment, as demonstrated by the Pack Place money then and the River Arts District spending now. But so does the private sector, in the form of visionaries such as Roger McGuire and Julian Price. Working together, the two sectors can make Asheville even better.
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WebAssign is a powerful online instructional system designed by educators to enrich the teaching and learning experience. WebAssign provides extensive content, instant assessment, and superior support. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
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WebAssign is a powerful online instructional system designed by educators to enrich the teaching and learning experience. WebAssign provides extensive content, instant assessment, and superior support.
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WebAssign is a powerful online instructional system designed by educators to enrich the teaching and learning experience. WebAssign provides extensive content, instant assessment, and superior support.
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RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — WebAssign today announced it has been selected as a finalist for the NC Tech Awards Industry Driven Technology award. The NC Tech Awards is North Carolina’s only statewide technology awards program, recognizing companies and individuals who have characterized excellence, innovation and leadership, presented by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA).
–> RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — WebAssign today announced it has been selected as a finalist for the NC Tech Awards Industry Driven Technology award. The NC Tech Awards is North Carolina’s only statewide technology awards program, recognizing companies and individuals who have characterized excellence, innovation and leadership, presented by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA).
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RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — WebAssign today announced it has been selected as a finalist for the NC Tech Awards Industry Driven Technology award. The NC Tech Awards is North Carolina’s only statewide technology awards program, recognizing companies and individuals who have characterized excellence, innovation and leadership, presented by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA).
online instructional system designedby educators to enrich the teaching and learning experience.WebAssign’s technology delivers extensive content, instant assessment, and flexible features.
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online instructional system designedby educators to enrich the teaching and learning experience.WebAssign’s technology delivers extensive content, instant assessment, and flexible features.
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WebAssign is a leading provider of an online instructional system designed by educators to enrich the teaching and learning experience. WebAssign’s technology delivers extensive content, instant assessment, and flexible features.
Brooks Raiford, President and CEO, NCTA. “As a finalist in this year’s awards, WebAssign has distinguished itself as one of the state’s technology leaders.”
–> Brooks Raiford, President and CEO, NCTA. “As a finalist in this year’s awards, WebAssign has distinguished itself as one of the state’s technology leaders.”
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“The NC Tech Awards recognize and honor the best of innovators and innovations,” said Brooks Raiford, President and CEO, NCTA. “As a finalist in this year’s awards, WebAssign has distinguished itself as one of the state’s technology leaders.”
November 12, 2015 at the Raleigh Convention Center where nearly 800 leaders from across the state will gather to celebrate the tech sector and honor the winners and finalists in each category.
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November 12, 2015 at the Raleigh Convention Center where nearly 800 leaders from across the state will gather to celebrate the tech sector and honor the winners and finalists in each category.
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A review committee comprised of non-profit, media, education, and technology leaders representing various regions of the state selected this year’s finalists. The awards process culminates with the NC Tech Awards Gala on November 12, 2015 at the Raleigh Convention Center where nearly 800 leaders from across the state will gather to celebrate the tech sector and honor the winners and finalists in each category.
Alex Bloom, WebAssign president and CEO.
–> Alex Bloom, WebAssign president and CEO.
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“WebAssign has provided educational technology tools to the academic community for more than 16 years. We are honored to be recognized by NCTA as a finalist for our use of technology in education,” said Alex Bloom, WebAssign president and CEO.
About NCTA The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is a not-for-profit, membership-driven trade association and the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina. NCTA is the intersection of leadership and technology, fueling the growth of North Carolina through Executive Engagement, Public Affairs, and a Knowledge Workforce. For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.
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About NCTA The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is a not-for-profit, membership-driven trade association and the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina. NCTA is the intersection of leadership and technology, fueling the growth of North Carolina through Executive Engagement, Public Affairs, and a Knowledge Workforce. For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.
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About NCTA The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is a not-for-profit, membership-driven trade association and the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina. NCTA is the intersection of leadership and technology, fueling the growth of North Carolina through Executive Engagement, Public Affairs, and a Knowledge Workforce. For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.
About WebAssign WebAssign is a flexible and fully customizable online instructional system that puts powerful tools in the hands of teachers, enabling them to deploy assignments, instantly assess individual student performance, and realize their teaching goals. More than eight million students have used WebAssign to submit over one billion answers to homework assignments, tests, and assessments.
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About WebAssign WebAssign is a flexible and fully customizable online instructional system that puts powerful tools in the hands of teachers, enabling them to deploy assignments, instantly assess individual student performance, and realize their teaching goals. More than eight million students have used WebAssign to submit over one billion answers to homework assignments, tests, and assessments.
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About WebAssign WebAssign is a flexible and fully customizable online instructional system that puts powerful tools in the hands of teachers, enabling them to deploy assignments, instantly assess individual student performance, and realize their teaching goals. More than eight million students have used WebAssign to submit over one billion answers to homework assignments, tests, and assessments.
Raleigh, NC, WebAssign is an independent, employee-owned benefit company dedicated to education technology. For more information, visit www.webassign.com.
–> Raleigh, NC, WebAssign is an independent, employee-owned benefit company dedicated to education technology. For more information, visit www.webassign.com.
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Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, WebAssign is an independent, employee-owned benefit company dedicated to education technology. For more information, visit www.webassign.com.
NCTA Media Contact: Ellen Williamson ewilliamson@nctechnology.org 919-890-0779
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NCTA Media Contact: Ellen Williamson ewilliamson@nctechnology.org 919-890-0779
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NCTA Media Contact: Ellen Williamson ewilliamson@nctechnology.org 919-890-0779
WebAssign Media Contacts: Kristi Lee-John, Crossroads PR Marketing, for WebAssign klee@crossroadsprm.com 919.821.2822
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WebAssign Media Contacts: Kristi Lee-John, Crossroads PR Marketing, for WebAssign klee@crossroadsprm.com 919.821.2822
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WebAssign Media Contacts: Kristi Lee-John, Crossroads PR Marketing, for WebAssign klee@crossroadsprm.com 919.821.2822
The Hampton Roads economy seems to be stuck in neutral.
That’s essentially what Old Dominion University economists told about 700 people during the 16th annual State of the Region address hosted by LEAD Hampton Roads at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Tuesday morning. The event coincided with the release of the annual report.
“We’re not doing badly but we’re not doing very well,” Old Dominion University economist and President Emeritus James V. Koch said. “We’re sort of putt-putting along.”
Last year, Hampton Roads’ inflation-adjusted gross regional product actually shrank 0.14 percent. Economic output last contracted in 2010 with a 0.08 percent decline, according to the latest figures released in Tuesday’s presentation. Regional economic growth has been hovering around 1 percent and below since 2008.
And again for 2015, ODU economists predict an economic growth rate of just 1.1 percent. This compares to 2.28 percent in 2007 and 4 percent in 2005.
Why? Jobs.
Hampton Roads has yet to recover 22,000 of the jobs lost in the economic recession, said ODU economist Vinod Agarwal. This compares to Charlotte, N.C., gaining 42,700 jobs while Raleigh, N.C., added 37,400 jobs from 2007 to 2014, according to the report.
Hampton Roads unemployment drops, labor force shrinks in August
In August, Hampton Roads unemployment dropped to its lowest rate in nearly seven years.
The region’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.2 percent in July to 4.8 percent in August, according to the latest Virginia Employment Commission data. That’s the lowest rate since it was 4.6 percent in November…
In August, Hampton Roads unemployment dropped to its lowest rate in nearly seven years.
The region’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.2 percent in July to 4.8 percent in August, according to the latest Virginia Employment Commission data. That’s the lowest rate since it was 4.6 percent in November…
(Tara Bozick)
Additionally, decreased defense spending, including reduced personnel compensation, has forced the economy to diversify. Just 39 percent of the economy in 2014 was dependent on defense spending, down from 45 percent in 2011.
Yet, the private sector hasn’t stepped up to fill in the economic gaps left by defense-related spending, Agarwal said. Hampton Roads created only 1,100 jobs in 2014, the report indicates. Regional median income growth has stalled and was lower in 2014 than in 2008.
“We’re losing higher-paying jobs and creating lower-paying jobs,” Agarwal said. “That is a problem.”
Still, there are bright spots in the region’s economic future.
Agarwal said that 2015 should be the first year that the hotel industry surpasses its 2007 peak revenue.
Virginia Beach has become the region’s tourism engine with 41 percent hotel revenue market share in 2014, up from 33 percent in 1999. Williamsburg used to have nearly a third of the market 16 years ago, but declining demand dropped its share to 17.6 percent.
While home prices aren’t what they were during the housing boom, owning a home in Hampton Roads has become almost as affordable as it’s been in 40 years, according to the report. Still, the housing market won’t recover until there’s improvement in distressed homes, as bank-owned and short sales accounted for 1 in 5 existing home sales in 2014.
Nonprofits economic boost
While Hampton Roads works to jump-start private sector job growth, nonprofits — the third economic sector — continue contributing to local economic health.
More than 2,000 organizations in the region filed IRS tax returns totaling more than $9.6 billion in revenue in 2012 with health care organizations earning the highest, according to the report. These nonprofits also received more than $1.5 billion in gifts and grants and paid more than $2.6 billion in wages and benefits to their employees in 2012.
In 2012, Hampton Roads residents gave 3.41 percent of their income on average to charity, which is higher than 2.85 percent statewide but lagging behind the U.S. at 3.7 percent, according to the report. Hampton in particular gives generously at 4.2 percent.
The United Way of the Virginia Peninsula distributed $2.5 million for 64 programs through 34 partners in 2014 to help with basic needs, school success and community heath, President and CEO Ty Joubert said. Additionally, agencies received about $2 million donor-designated gifts through the local United Way.
Since the recession in 2008, total contributions fell from $4.8 million to $4 million and local combined federal campaign contributions fell from $2 million to $1.3 million, he said.
The Peninsula Community Foundation distributed more than $1.8 million in grants last year, CEO Mike Monteith said, estimating the Peninsula had about 500 active and viable not-for-profits. Additionally, the foundation focuses on reducing poverty and revitalizing older communities in Newport News and Hampton to attract and retain higher income workers and families.
“If you’re trying to improve the quality of life in a community, it starts with really focusing on the people who currently live here and are going to live here,” Monteith said.
Bozick can be reached by phone at 757-247-4741. Sign up for a free weekday business news email at TidewaterBiz.com.
It could take until the weekend for the threat of flooding to ease in storm-tattered South Carolina, where a senator warned of a potential billion-dollar cleanup bill, two more people died in the floodwaters and the flagship university sent a home football game 700 miles away.
Rivers rose and dams bulged as storm water from days of heavy rains made its way to the Atlantic Ocean, causing a second round of flooding downstream.
Gov. Nikki Haley paid a visit to the coast, which she said would still be in danger for another 24-48 hours.
“We’re holding our breath and saying a prayer,” she said.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham warned the disaster could “break the bank” of federal emergency funds, possibly topping more than $1 billion.
In another image of the storm’s otherworldly toll, state officials said caskets have popped out of the ground in 11 instances in six counties.
At least 19 people in South Carolina and North Carolina have died in the storm, while many survivors returned home to discover they’d lost everything.
Wendy Dixon burst into sobs after realizing her wedding album and dozens of photos of her two sons and three grandchildren were destroyed.
Overcome with emotion and barely able to walk across her waterlogged carpet, Dixon grasped the arm of a niece inside the Columbia apartment.
“Everything is gone!” she wailed. “My clothes and all can be replaced. But my little things, my pictures, are all gone.”
It was another anxious day of waiting for floodwaters to recede around the capital city.
About 1,000 residents near the compromised Beaver Dam were told to evacuate Wednesday morning, though the order was lifted several hours later when crews shored up the dam.
Haley said 62 dams across the state were being monitored, and 13 had already failed. However, she said South Carolina was fortunate that those represented only a small fraction of 2,000 or so dams regulated by the state.
At a news conference, Haley and other officials were asked repeatedly about whether the state had spent enough in previous years to maintain dams and other infrastructure.
“I think the analysis of this can be done after” the danger from the floods passes, she said in one testy response.
But Graham said the federal lifeline must be treated with care to avoid a “pork-laden monstrosity” like the federal government’s aid package to the Northeast after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He warned state and county officials not to use the disaster as an opportunity to ask for money unrelated to flood damage.
He also said it would take weeks to get a reliable damage assessment.
“We’re talking hundreds of millions (of dollars), maybe over a billion,” he said while visiting a shelter in Columbia.
As they waited for floodwaters to drop, officials also struggled to preserve Columbia’s water supply. That supply was threatened earlier this week when a portion of the Columbia canal collapsed. Workers have been trying to build a dam and have dumped giant sandbags into the water to plug the breach. But when a second portion of the canal collapsed Wednesday afternoon, they were forced to look at other options, Mayor Steve Benjamin said.
Benjamin said contingency plans include pumping water from the canal to the reservoir that feeds the water plant and working with the National Guard to pump water directly from the Broad River. In the meantime, he asked the city’s 375,000 water customers to conserve water.
And in an extraordinary move for the football-crazy South, the University of South Carolina announced it was moving Saturday’s football game against No. 7 LSU some 700 miles to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university said more than 80,000 fans expected for the game in Columbia would have put too much stress on weakened infrastructure.
In the most recent storm-related deaths, a group of five railroad workers were in a pickup truck when it drove past a barricade and plunged into the water where pavement was washed out. Three men in the pickup managed to get to safety around 3 a.m. Wednesday and divers later found the bodies of two men, authorities said.
The workers were in town to help repair washed out tracks.
Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Curtis Wilson said the barricade was in the wrong lane, but regardless, the railroad workers should not have been out because there was a city-wide curfew in place.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said all nine deaths in the county have come from people trying to drive in flooded areas. Officers have located the cars belonging to several other missing people.
ASHEVILLE — City voters in northern neighborhoods played a key role in picking Tuesday’s City Council primary winners.
Voters in the south and west and those in the home precincts of candidates also helped sway the primary election.
But every one of the six winners relied heavily on votes from residents living in the north, according to a Citizen-Times analysis. The top vote producer was the neighborhood around St. Eugene’s Catholic Church off Merrimon Avenue with 1,687 votes or 20 percent of the 8,580 ballots cast in the city. Next was Montford with 1,491 votes, then the area around Ira B. Jones Elementary School on Kimberly Avenue with 1,436 votes. Nearly 13 percent of registered voters participated in the primary, an increase from the previous nonmayoral primary in 2011.
Northern residents vote in higher numbers because they have learned political engagement serves their neighborhoods, some longtime political activists say. Residents in Montford, for example, feel they are more affected by many city issues because of their proximity to downtown, said David Patterson, an officer in the Montford Neighborhood Association.
“I think there are some issues that hit home more with our neighborhood than others, like the city property near the Basilica (of St. Lawrence) because it really is the gateway that we walk through on the way to downtown,” Patterson said of a controversial piece of land that many voters say they want to become a park. “I don’t know if the people in South Asheville are even aware of it, or care.”
The primary winners will compete in the Nov. 3 general election for three seats on the seven-member council. They are environmental nonprofit director Julie Mayfield, Habitat for Humanity assistant manager Brian Haynes, Vice Mayor Marc Hunt, deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court Keith Young, LGBT advocacy group campaign manager Lindsey Simerly and financial advisor Rich Lee.
North: Park, affordable housing
The issue of whether to build a park — or a tax-revenue producing building with public space on the Haywood Street property — did, in fact, resonate with some voters in the south. But it was even more important to voters in northern precincts who were interviewed by Citizen-Times reporters. Along with green space, the park symbolized many things to voters including the fast pace of development, the proliferation of new hotels and the sense that a booming tourism industry has meant prosperity only for a few.
“I’m very passionate about not seeing one more retail business opportunity downtown that will most likely be a restaurant that may not pay adequate wage,” said St. Eugene’s voter Ellen Kaczmarek. She said she voted for Haynes, Young and Lee. “Asheville can’t sustain another hotel.”
Other top issues for northern precinct voters were affordable housing, managing growth and sidewalks.
Diane Davis, who voted at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Montford, said she supported Hunt and Haynes. She felt Hunt, who retired from a nonprofit land conservation organization, might favor development in some cases but would also look at the broader picture of city growth. She said she thought Haynes would look at the city “holistically.”
“It’s important we have a council that monitors development in the city and makes sure we have the services here to match the needs of residents,” Davis said.
The two candidates found themselves on different sides of the park issue. Hunt said he favored selling the $2.6 million property for a private development that would include public space such as a plaza. Haynes and fellow park supporters Young and Lee were endorsed by Councilman Cecil Bothwell, who was not running but who is leading the park push.
Northern precinct voters didn’t all fall behind winning candidates. St. Eugene’s residents cast the most votes for Hunt who lives nearby, giving him 254 votes. The second-most popular candidate was fellow progressive Mayfield with 233 votes. But getting the third-most votes in the precinct was conservative Carl Mumpower with 196. Mumpower, a psychologist and former vice mayor, came in seventh overall.
South: Conservative — liberal
The polling site based at Roberson High School in South Asheville had the fifth-most voters with 1,036 or 12 percent of ballots cast.
Some voters interviewed there said they also favored the new park. But there were a host of other issues on their minds including the environment, a better bus system, safer roads and the need for a council member from the city’s south. There also was an ideological split among some interviewed.
Voter Shawn Fuller said he wanted to promote progressive values.
“Asheville has always been a bastion of liberalism amid conservatives and it’s important it remains that way, different than the rest of Western North Carolina,” Davis said.
Tom Davis, meanwhile, didn’t identify any particular issues, but said, “I’m a Republican” and said it was important to stand with his party.
Though he wouldn’t divulge who he was voting for, he said he supported conservative candidates.
While the primary was nonpartisan, Mumpower identified himself as a Republican who wanted to break up liberal dominance of the council.
North, south, west: Where the votes came from
Asheville residents voted in 40 precincts during Tuesday’s City Council primary. The four top precincts in terms of votes cast were in north Asheville, according to the latest figures from Buncombe County Election Services. The fifth was in South Asheville, and the sixth was in West Asheville.
1,687 votes Precinct 5.1 – St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, 72 Culvern St.
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(L to R) James Braswell, Langston Construction Co. of Piedmont LLC; Dave Simpson, CAGC President CEO; U.S. Senator Richard Burr; Edison Cassels, Edison Foard; Marty McKee, King Asphalt, Inc. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
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(L to R) James Braswell, Langston Construction Co. of Piedmont LLC; Dave Simpson, CAGC President CEO; U.S. Senator Richard Burr; Edison Cassels, Edison Foard; Marty McKee, King Asphalt, Inc.
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(L to R) James Braswell, Langston Construction Co. of Piedmont LLC; Dave Simpson, CAGC President CEO; U.S. Senator Richard Burr; Edison Cassels, Edison Foard; Marty McKee, King Asphalt, Inc.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Carolinas AGC (CAGC) leaders descended on Washington, D.C., last week for an annual AGC National Chapter Leadership Conference that included visits with key members of the Congressional delegations in the Carolinas about construction issues such as expanding transportation funding and cutting bureaucratic red tape for business.
–> CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Carolinas AGC (CAGC) leaders descended on Washington, D.C., last week for an annual AGC National Chapter Leadership Conference that included visits with key members of the Congressional delegations in the Carolinas about construction issues such as expanding transportation funding and cutting bureaucratic red tape for business.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Carolinas AGC (CAGC) leaders descended on Washington, D.C., last week for an annual AGC National Chapter Leadership Conference that included visits with key members of the Congressional delegations in the Carolinas about construction issues such as expanding transportation funding and cutting bureaucratic red tape for business.
Sept. 27-29, 2015 meeting were among several hundred attendees representing the 93 AGC chapters around the nation, focusing on key issues including:
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Sept. 27-29, 2015 meeting were among several hundred attendees representing the 93 AGC chapters around the nation, focusing on key issues including:
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The CAGC representatives at the Sept. 27-29, 2015 meeting were among several hundred attendees representing the 93 AGC chapters around the nation, focusing on key issues including:
Passage of a multi-year transportation bill for a reliable tool to secure funding for federal highway and transit programs.
Opposition to a federal rule that expands Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jurisdiction over navigable waters without further clarification, a move that would massively increase the number of construction sites required to obtain a federal Clean Water Act permit and, in turn, increase unwarranted delays and construction costs. The new rule was finalized in May 2015.
Promotion of a sound approach to the immigration issue.
Ensuring that reforms to tax and spending policy promote long-term economic growth.
James Braswell, Chair of the CAGC Board of Directors. He was joined in meetings with the AGC chapters and AGC of America staff, and on Capitol Hill by Edison Cassels, CAGC Board Chair-Elect; CAGC Treasurer Marty McKee; CAGC Vice Chair Paul Mashburn and CAGC President CEO Dave Simpson.
–>James Braswell, Chair of the CAGC Board of Directors. He was joined in meetings with the AGC chapters and AGC of America staff, and on Capitol Hill by Edison Cassels, CAGC Board Chair-Elect; CAGC Treasurer Marty McKee; CAGC Vice Chair Paul Mashburn and CAGC President CEO Dave Simpson.
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“We hit a home run on Capitol Hill by encouraging members of Congress and their staff to take common-sense approaches to major construction issues involving transportation, immigration, long-term economic development and navigable waters,” said James Braswell, Chair of the CAGC Board of Directors. He was joined in meetings with the AGC chapters and AGC of America staff, and on Capitol Hill by Edison Cassels, CAGC Board Chair-Elect; CAGC Treasurer Marty McKee; CAGC Vice Chair Paul Mashburn and CAGC President CEO Dave Simpson.
Richard Burr (R-NC), Chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence; Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), former House Speaker in the NC General Assembly; Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-2) and staff representatives of other members of the Congressional delegations in North and South Carolina.
–> Richard Burr (R-NC), Chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence; Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), former House Speaker in the NC General Assembly; Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-2) and staff representatives of other members of the Congressional delegations in North and South Carolina.
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The CAGC delegation visited with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence; Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), former House Speaker in the NC General Assembly; Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-2) and staff representatives of other members of the Congressional delegations in North and South Carolina.
Carolinas AGC is the construction industry association in the Carolinas, bringing value to our thousands of members through networking, government relations, job leads, meeting with owners/designers, education and training involving such issues as safety and open shop, and community development. Visit us at www.cagc.org, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Carolinas AGC is the construction industry association in the Carolinas, bringing value to our thousands of members through networking, government relations, job leads, meeting with owners/designers, education and training involving such issues as safety and open shop, and community development. Visit us at www.cagc.org, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Carolinas AGC is the construction industry association in the Carolinas, bringing value to our thousands of members through networking, government relations, job leads, meeting with owners/designers, education and training involving such issues as safety and open shop, and community development. Visit us at www.cagc.org, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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For more information contact CAGC President CEO Dave Simpson, 919/608-0683
Burgaw, North Carolina, a blip near the coast, doesn’t seem like much — a correctional institute, a Food Lion, an interstate exit on the outskirts — but it happens to be the horse-drawn theater capital of the United States.
So quipped Gabriel Harrell, who founded the equine-powered enterprise that is the Rural Academy Theatre with his brother, Noah Harrell. Although Burgaw is the theater company’s base, Western North Carolina is its stage.
Every year for the past four years, the brothers have departed their hometown at summer’s end with horses, wagons and a small theater company of friends to tour the back roads, pastures and small towns around Asheville, offering accessible, original productions that feature live music, puppetry, vaudeville- and cabaret-inspired sketches, allegories and more.
The Harrells haven’t always worked in their home state — they honed their skills throughout the country. New York City’s theater scene beckoned, and so did Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont. But the brothers decided they had work to do in the South.
“People from small communities in the South often feel like there’s nothing going on, there’s no cultural events, that you have to go to big cities, that you have to leave, that the only art coming in worth seeing is in galleries in Asheville or Charlotte or big theaters, and that just seems like such a lie,” said Gabriel, who plays a tuxedoed waiter who serves books instead of food in this year’s production. “There’s so much culture and there’s so much art, creativity in those communities, so it’s sort of a way to call attention to that. To celebrate it.”
Gabriel got to know the Appalachian Mountains while spending summers at Turtle Island Preserve, legendary woodsman Eustace Conway’s outpost near Boone. That’s also where he learned about horse-drawn wagons. As much as a vehicle for transport, the wagons seemed like vehicles for conversation.
The people the company meets on the road connect with the novelty and the slow pace of the wagon, said Jeff Reinhardt, who joined the Rural Academy Theatre three years ago. Like the other troupe members, he doesn’t exactly have a job description — he figures out how to do whatever needs to be done. But his specialties are music — particularly the clarinet — and puppetry.
“We’re contradicting modern society, but we’re also getting an emotional reaction out of people, which is unusual because we’re not protesting; we’re doing,” he said. “I’ve been in a hippie school bus. I know what kind of reaction you get when you’re driving around in a hippie school bus. But when you’re on a wagon with horses, people who would otherwise not listen to anything you have to say are immediately engaged.”
Although humor and levity are major components of the Rural Academy Theatre’s work, the 10-person troupe doesn’t shy away from controversial topics in its sketches, such as fracking and racism. This year, they weren’t invited back to perform in Lenoir. Gabriel suspects a fracking sketch last year as part of the larger show was not well-received.
“If it did cause a stir, and those people contacted their local arts council and started talking with their neighbors and other people in the audience about fracking, it did what it was supposed to do,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the job of art to change people’s minds about something — I think that happens so rarely — but to start a conversation about something, to start a dialogue. It’s a common language, art is, that we all speak.”
If this were played upon a stage
On a Monday night in Mars Hill, the Rural Academy Theatre has stationed its crimson and gold wagon, which converts into a stage, on the university’s green. They’ve set up chairs, but those fill quickly, and the audience spreads out on the grass — adults, students, kids and dogs.
There are no microphones, so when the players project their voices into the night, the setting feels like friends around a campfire or a family telling stories. The stage is small but intricate, and the lighting is basic, but the players use it to create shadow puppets and projections.
An atmosphere of enchantment descends as the actors move through the sketches. Two women pantomime the parts of dour Russian beet farmers. Diners feast on books. A garden grows in light and shadow. The actors recruit a volunteer to perform a dance with them in which only their feet are visible, leaving the audience in stitches.
Sometimes, as in a sketch about the coming of winter, the material mixes whimsy and sadness in a way that makes children giggle and adults sigh. The effect of the theater is complicated, but the presentation is not.
“It’s not a theater of illusion,” Noah says as he prepares for the performance. “It’s accessible. We love people to say: ‘This is amazing. I could do this.’ It’s not a big flashy show.'”
A cluster of children huddle at the front of the audience, about six feet from the actors, and laugh throughout the performance. Four-year-old Max Engel is among them. Afterward, he praises the jokes and a dancing ghost character, his favorite part of the show.
His grandmother, Evelyn Baker, traveled with her family from Burnsville to Mars Hill to see the performance. She had never heard of the theater until a few days earlier, when the horse-drawn wagons passed down her street.
Near the “cheap art emporium” as the troupe calls its tent of handmade souvenirs, a group of Mars Hill University students discuss the show. None of them are studying theater, but for a moment, they all wanted to abandon their studies and run off with the Rural Academy Theatre.
The players begin to pack up almost as soon as the show is over. They have horses to care for and wagons to pack before they hit the road the following morning. The trip from Mars Hill to Marshall is comparatively short, but it will still take nearly three hours, and the weather looks like rain.
Hoping for hay For the six weeks of tour, the theater troupe lives on the road. They plan out their routes to avoid mountainous climbs and busy stretches, but when it comes to accommodation, they rely on strangers. On nights when they have scheduled a performance, the host usually sets them up with a place to graze their horses and pitch their tents. But after a full day spent on the road, they often don’t know where they’ll sleep.
Four people drive the two wagons. The remaining members ride ahead on bicycles, scouting out possible campsites. When a field or pasture looks promising, they find the owner and ask for a place to stay. It’s that simple.
“More often than not, people are hesitant and say, ‘Well, I guess it’s OK as long as you’re out first thing in the morning,'” Noah said. “Then as soon as the wagons and horses pull in, the mood changes. They’re calling their grandkids. ‘How long can you stay?'”
The horses reach people. There are four: two Percherons (big black draft horses), Happy and Missy, a dappled Appaloosa named Strangely, and Mona, a Saddlebred. They’ve become a crucial part of the operation, even though they don’t take the stage.
“We’re not even sure if they like theater,” Gabriel said. “They get really good gas mileage. … They not only pull our wagons from town to town, but they put us traveling at a speed that allows us to connect with the communities through which we travel.”
Gabriel remembers a night when the theatre had nowhere to camp. The cyclists asked to use a field, but the woman who rented it turned them away. That is, until she saw the horses. She ran into the yard and flagged the wagons down and explained she had changed her mind. She cooked the players biscuits and sang them shape note music under the stars.
“Those are the interactions that stick with us,” Noah said. “The show itself is the reason we’re all together, but there’s so much more … You physically can’t have those interactions when you’re going 70 miles an hour and you’re only stopping at gas stations.”
Rural Academy Theatre’s Asheville area shows Shows begin at 8 p.m. Admission is donation based, but the troupe suggests $10-20 per adult. For more information, visit theruralacademytheater.com.
Oct. 1, Marshall High Studios, 115 Blannahasset Island in Marshall Oct. 2, Franny’s Farm, 22 Frannys Farm Road, Leicester Oct. 4, Sparklebark, 180 Stony Knob Road, Weaverville Oct. 7, Wedge Brewing Company, 37 Paynes Way, Asheville Oct. 8, UNC Asheville Oct.10, White Horse Black Mountain – 105 Montreat Road, Black Mountain Oct. 12, Earthaven Eco Village, 7 Consensus Circle, Black Mountain
Tour on two legs The Rural Academy Theatre isn’t the only group moving differently this week. A quartet of musicians from Nashville, The Walking Guys, will pass through Asheville on a 1,600-mile foot tour.
The 20-somethings departed Portland, Maine, in July, and they’ll arrive back home in November.
“In the music industry these days, I feel like you have to do something a little bit different … to at least get your music heard because there’s just so much,” said Benjamin Butler, who sings and plays guitar. “Going on this walk and playing music isn’t going to make me this incredible musician that everybody knows. But I am really good, and if my name gets out there, then people have a chance to hear me.”
The Walking Guys will play two shows in the Asheville area. They’ll share their blend of pop and roots sounds and tell stories from the road. They play Root Bar, 1410 Tunnel Road, on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. They visit The Town Pump in Black Mountain on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. As in every town, the Walking Guys are looking for somewhere to rest their heads. For more information, visit thewalkingguys.com or send an email to info@thewalkingguys.com.
After speaking with a number of business owners across a variety of industries in Watauga and Avery counties and looking at the occupancy tax revenue in Watauga County, this past summer was a busy one in terms of summer tourism.
“We were jammin’. It was very busy. Thankfully, it went very well,” said Dominic Geraghty, a native Englishman and co-owner of Eat Crow restaurant in Foscoe. “We are all very [exhausted].”
Sandy Bryum, owner of Troy’s Diner in Boone, also had a “very good summer,” which featured a mix of locals, daytrippers, weekend warriors and and seasonal residents.
“We’re very lucky Boone has such a sustainable presence in the tourism industry and if I am busy, then the shops are busy, the motels are busy, the rental houses are busy,” Byrum said, adding that she’s heard positive reports from builders, realtors and other business owners.
Watauga County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Executive Director Wright Tilley shared the occupancy tax revenue figures with High Country Press that show double-digit, year-over-year growth so far for 2015 and this summer.
In terms of summer, Blowing Rock was up more than 12 percent for June, about 14 percent for July and nearly 7 percent for August over last summer. Boone was up nearly 4.5 percent in June, about 14 percent in July and just over 16 percent in August over last year. The rest of Watauga County was up 19.6 percent in June, 25.4 percent in July and 19.2 percent in August.
As for the entire county, June featured a year-over-year increase of 11.3 percent; 18.5 for July and 14.1 percent in August. While Tilley says that new reporting requirements for online travel companies contributed to July and August tax increases, those “changes alone would not have produced the large increases we saw this summer.”
“It has been a strong summer for tourism in the Boone area. Many lodging properties, attractions, and restaurants have indicated to us that they were up over last year and that the summer season was a really good one,” Tilley said. “Several visitors who called the TDA office seeking visitor information said that they were taking a vacation for the first time in several years. I think hot temperatures off the mountain, the lower gas prices and the need for a vacation helped make our summer season successful.”
High Country Press also spoke with Cathy Johnson at Mountain Dog and Friends in Foscoe; John Davis at Banner Elk Realty; Jack Sharp at Camp Sky Ranch in Blowing Rock and Toni Carlton of Carlton Galleries in Banner Elk.
“ I had a great [summer]. I am very pleased,” Johnson with Mountain Dog and Friends said.
Johnson added that this is the best summer/year so far in her nearly five years in business.
On the adventure side of things, Jack Sharp of Sky Valley Zip Tours and Camp Sky Ranch in Blowing Rock said that the “really great summer [was] punctuated by the beautiful weather.”
“I think we’ve had a really great summer… It seems like people were traveling and the economy was such that people were out spending money and getting to enjoy the area’s offerings,” Sharp said.
Sharp noted that his guests were coming to town and taking in multiple attractions, such as visiting Tweetsie and going rafting after ziplining at Sky Valley Tours, which has also seen its business increase year-over-year.
Just down the road on N.C. 105 near Foscoe and Banner Elk, Carlton Galleries noted that this summer has been just as great as last summer, which was apparently very nice as well.
“It’s been great – even this last weekend with all the rain. A lot of people came in. We offered art demonstrations inside and it gave people an indoor event when they couldn’t be outside golfing or playing tennis or hiking,” Carlton said.
Carlton noted that July, August and October are the three peak months for the gallery.
Two of those months – July and August – are two of the biggest sales months of the year in the real estate world, according to John Davis of Banner Elk Realty, who has been in the business locally for 35 years.
Davis said that August “certainly didn’t disappoint” and that he hopes October will be the same. Davis noted that this year was better than last year.
“We had quite a few sales this year, more than last year,” Davis said, adding that the High Country Association of Realtors reported that this summer has been the “busiest” since 2007. “So, it’s certainly spicking up.”
Davis mentioned that since the High Country is a tourist region with plenty of second homes, we lag behind other areas in the country as far as the “general trends” go.
“Folks tend to take care of business at home before they start looking for a second home, and, of course, Banner Elk is a solid resort area. The second-home business has been good. It’s a lot better than it has been and looks to continue,” Davis said. “It seems like we continue to climb out of the downturn.”
Rainy weather and flooded roads did not stop some tourists from following through on plans to vacation at the beach this past weekend but road conditions through several states still have tourists concerned.
A group of businesswomen, determined to get to the beach for some much needed relaxation, drove through pouring rain Saturday all the way from Ashland, Ky., to get their vacation started.
“There were supposed to be seven of us but three bailed. They were afraid,” Joyce Rakes Boggs said Monday while enjoying a pedicure with her friends. Boggs said the group had looked forward to time with “no men, no kids” and leaving behind hectic jobs with long hours.
The rain did not prevent them from enjoying their time while it pelted Myrtle Beach and flooded roads. “We stayed in our pajamas all day Sunday, cooked dinner in, read books and relaxed,” Boggs said.
“We’ve been telling visitors all day, as long as you can get here, you’re going to have a great time. However, the challenge is getting here. They may want to push their travel out a day or two and look for alternate routes.” Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
The only problems they had occurred when water started pooling in the parking lot at Pelicans Landing and they had to move their cars across from their rented condominium to a higher elevation. On Monday, in addition to their pedicures, the women planned a day of shopping and a movie in place of a day at the beach.
“We had planned this trip and we were not stopping,” Boggs said. She quoted her friend Tammy Wheeler who said, “A bad weather day at the beach is still better than a day at home or work. We’ll take the hurricane.”
Other vacationers were not quite as brave as Boggs’ group. Tom Moore, general manager of the Hampton Inn Suites on South Ocean Boulevard, said he had counted 135 cancellations as of Friday afternoon and finally lost count.
“That hurt. That was tough. But when people see the bad weather coming that’s what happens,” he said. Moore said everyone who canceled received a 100 percent refund.
“We took a strong hit but what could we do. Things like that happen and we don’t hold them (tourists) to it,” he said. “They’ll remember us down the road when they come back.”
Moore said some visitors who had planned to leave over the weekend had to stay longer because of road conditions. He also noted that some of his staff could not make it to work because they could not get there due to the flooding.
Moore said the outlook for this week is good and callers were already booking rooms for the Columbus Day weekend. He said the hotel as of Monday only had 30 rooms open out of 227. “I feel like the way the forecast looks, we’re going to do good,” he said.
Inquiries have poured into the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce mostly from people trying to determine if they should move forward with plans to visit the beach this week.
Chamber President Brad Dean said from the number of inquiries it “looks to be a pretty busy week.”
Dean said his office is fielding calls letting potential visitors know that there are some closures but with sunshine expected to return, the beach is “up and running.”
“We are urging people to take care getting here,” Dean said. “But once they are here their problems will be few and far between.”
The chamber, along with Horry County officials, is urging travelers to visit Department of Transportation websites to get updated information on road conditions.
“We had planned this trip and we were not stopping.” tourist Joyce Rakes Boggs
“They need to evaluate the different road options and take into consideration closures,” Dean said. He said the chamber has been working with a number of groups that had meetings or conferences planned, working to relocate their activities if they were scheduled for outdoors.
“We had a large group of Brazilian media here this week and they’ve gotten to see Myrtle Beach indoors more than planned,” he said. “The good news is they also spent more time in Myrtle Beach than they had planned.”
Dean said calls coming in to the chamber are mostly from people trying to decide whether to come or to cancel.
“We’ve been telling visitors all day, as long as you can get here, you’re going to have a great time. However, the challenge is getting here. They may want to push their travel out a day or two and look for alternate routes,” he said.
Whether to come or cancel is the question nagging a group of 45 women scheduled to attend a Pisgah Seventh-Day Adventist Church retreat/vacation. Gloria Dorsey said her group has traveled from just outside Washington, D.C., for the last 15 years to hold their retreat at Island Vista Resort in Myrtle Beach.
Late Monday, the group’s leadership decided to brave the conditions and head for the beach, leaving on Wednesday or Thursday.
“The resort says they are in good shape but when you are in leadership you don’t breathe until everyone is back home safely,” Dorsey said. She said that while some of the women fly into town, most drive separately coming at different times and from different directions.
Dorsey said she had been listening to Gov. Nikki Haley on TV and had been monitoring the DOT websites about flooding, downed trees and damaged bridges across South Carolina.
“The other scary thing,” she said, “is where is all that water from Columbia going when it has to move downstream toward the ocean.”
Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said while the county has “boots on the ground” checking all the roads, the best advice they can offer is to visit DOT websites for the routes in each state that people plan to take.
“They may need to cross check websites to see what roads have been impacted,” she said.
Angela Nicholas can be reached at aknicholas28@gmail.com.
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