Fewer than 500 votes separated Catawba County incumbent from Democratic challenger Steve Hunt
Each candidate won half the county's precincts; about 35% of registered voters cast ballots
Friday, November 10, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A margin of less than 500 votes in one of the state's sturdiest Republican strongholds narrowly secured David Huffman's job Tuesday for one more term as Catawba County's GOP sheriff.
For a sheriff with six terms in office and a couple of messy political bouts behind him, the race against Steve Hunt, a formidable Democratic challenger and 30-year veteran of the Hickory Police Department, was hardly an easy win.
Each candidate won exactly half of the county's 40 precincts, and about 35 percent of registered Catawba County voters cast their ballots, which officials at the Board of Elections said was higher than expected.
Huffman knew, he said, that his challenger would likely take Hickory, where Hunt teaches criminal justice at Catawba Valley Community College and worked as a police officer for three decades.
And Hunt did just that, securing nearly all of the city's 22 precincts.
Hunt could not be reached for comment by Thursday morning.
Many voters said that, in addition to concerns about the national political climate, it was this year's hotly contested sheriff's race that brought them to the polls.
Hickory resident Martha Scott said she voted Tuesday because she worries about family values and wants her elected officials to represent that conservative view.
Although she said she's a staunch Republican, she also said she didn't vote a straight party ticket and picked Hunt as her candidate.
"I voted for the man who would do the best job," she said. "We went through the citizens' police academy (a public class on law enforcement) with him, and I love that man."
Hunt won 57 percent at the Highland precinct, where Scott and 705 voters cast their ballots.
But in Mountain View, less than six miles from downtown Hickory, Huffman dominated the polls, winning 56 percent of the vote. The same was true in other rural areas.
Betty Canupp voted at Mountain Grove Baptist Church, where Huffman secured 59 percent of the ballots cast. She said she always votes on a straight party ticket. Huffman, she said, has been running the Sheriff's Office well.
"He's done us a fantastic job for the last 24 years, and it will be a sad day when he isn't our sheriff," Canupp, 78, said.
Later Tuesday night, when the Board of Elections posted the first results - absentee, mail-in, and curbside ballots - it looked as though Hunt held a secure lead with 55 percent of the vote, to Huffman's 45 percent.
"Right out of the shoot, we were 1,000 in the hole," Huffman said of the race he expected to win by close to 2,000 votes. "We didn't think it'd be that close."
The results began trickling in, with Hunt monitoring from Hickory Dickory Dock amusement center on U.S. 70 and Huffman monitoring the incoming ballots at the Board of Elections.
As more ballots were counted, however, Huffman began inching closer to Hunt and, by 9:30 p.m., the pair each held 50 percent of the vote. The last posting, with all precincts reporting, announced unofficial results with Huffman winning, 51 percent, or 17,179 votes to Hunt's 49 percent, or 16,698 votes.
"When those boxes came in, we kind of took a sigh of relief," Huffman said.
Hunt, a newcomer to politics, ran on a platform that called for a new direction and encouraged voters to help revitalize the Sheriff's Office, which Huffman has run since 1982.
Though he said he isn't sure if he'll say in the political scene, Hunt told the Observer in October that talking to county residents about their concerns was inspirational.
"It never was so evident to me what people in this county wanted until I started visiting people," he said. "All people want is a safe place to live and raise their families."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
11/10/06
Vehicle misses turn but not home
Man gets trapped in his bathroom when SUV crashes through house
Friday, November 10, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR -- Bobby Davis likes to sleep in. But a Thursday morning doctor's appointment forced him out of bed early, shortly before an SUV crashed through his bedroom wall at 7:30 a.m.
Davis, 73, had just walked into the master bathroom of his ranch house on Union Grove Road in Lenoir and was getting ready to lather his face in shaving cream when he heard a loud boom, he said.
Glass and thick pieces of drywall scattered onto the bathroom floor, and the couple's mattress flew across the doorway, trapping him inside the room. No one was seriously injured.
"My husband would have been in bed at 7:30," said Davis' wife, Lou, who was in the kitchen when the crash happened. "It just wasn't our time."
The driver of the 2001 Acura sport utility vehicle, 34-year-old Jason Barlow of Hudson, told authorities that he was trying to pick something up off the floor of the vehicle and veered off the right side of Union Grove Road, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper M.K. Davis, no relation to the couple.
The road curved slightly, the trooper said, and the driver overcorrected. The SUV went down a slight hill and through Bobby and Lou Davis' front porch, living room and bedroom, he said.
Authorities from the Highway Patrol, Catawba Fire and Rescue, Caldwell County EMS, Lenoir Rescue, and Lovelady Rescue responded within minutes and quickly built makeshift support beams so the northwestern side of the house wouldn't collapse, the trooper said.
Bobby Davis said rescue crews helped him climb out the bathroom window while the house was stabilized.
The Davises finished construction on the 1,800-square- foot home, which cost $135,000 to build, in March and moved to Caldwell County from Florida in June to retire, Lou Davis said.
M.K. Davis said the SUV was totaled and guessed it would cost about $80,000 to repair the home. Barlow was charged with one misdemeanor for reckless driving, he said.
"It was car versus house," he said. "Neither one won."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Friday, November 10, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR -- Bobby Davis likes to sleep in. But a Thursday morning doctor's appointment forced him out of bed early, shortly before an SUV crashed through his bedroom wall at 7:30 a.m.
Davis, 73, had just walked into the master bathroom of his ranch house on Union Grove Road in Lenoir and was getting ready to lather his face in shaving cream when he heard a loud boom, he said.
Glass and thick pieces of drywall scattered onto the bathroom floor, and the couple's mattress flew across the doorway, trapping him inside the room. No one was seriously injured.
"My husband would have been in bed at 7:30," said Davis' wife, Lou, who was in the kitchen when the crash happened. "It just wasn't our time."
The driver of the 2001 Acura sport utility vehicle, 34-year-old Jason Barlow of Hudson, told authorities that he was trying to pick something up off the floor of the vehicle and veered off the right side of Union Grove Road, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper M.K. Davis, no relation to the couple.
The road curved slightly, the trooper said, and the driver overcorrected. The SUV went down a slight hill and through Bobby and Lou Davis' front porch, living room and bedroom, he said.
Authorities from the Highway Patrol, Catawba Fire and Rescue, Caldwell County EMS, Lenoir Rescue, and Lovelady Rescue responded within minutes and quickly built makeshift support beams so the northwestern side of the house wouldn't collapse, the trooper said.
Bobby Davis said rescue crews helped him climb out the bathroom window while the house was stabilized.
The Davises finished construction on the 1,800-square- foot home, which cost $135,000 to build, in March and moved to Caldwell County from Florida in June to retire, Lou Davis said.
M.K. Davis said the SUV was totaled and guessed it would cost about $80,000 to repair the home. Barlow was charged with one misdemeanor for reckless driving, he said.
"It was car versus house," he said. "Neither one won."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
11/9/06
Two accused of bringing gun to high school
Official says 1 student sold stolen firearm, other sought to resell it
Thursday, November 9, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Two teenagers were charged Tuesday with having a gun at a Burke County high school last week.
Jimmy Dean Chaney, 16, and a 15-year-old, both students at Burke County Alternative School, face felony charges of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm on school property, said Capt. Scott Kerley of the Morganton Public Safety Department.
Kerley said a 9 mm handgun was stolen from a vehicle at Southmountain Children and Family Services in Morganton on Oct. 29 and that a teenager on Oct. 31 brought the gun to Freedom High School, where students transfer to buses headed for the alternative high school.
The teenager then sold the gun to the 15-year-old student, who tried selling it to another student at the alternative school last week, Kerley said.
Investigators don't believe the students planned to fire the weapon or harm anyone with it, Kerley said.
"It sounds like this was more of a money-making a venture," he said. "But that doesn't lessen the seriousness of having the gun on campus."
Both students were arrested last week, Kerley said.
Chaney, who has been charged as an adult, was being held at the Catawba-Burke County jail with bond set at $10,000.
Officials at the Department of Juvenile Justice would not say where the 15-year-old was being held.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Thursday, November 9, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Two teenagers were charged Tuesday with having a gun at a Burke County high school last week.
Jimmy Dean Chaney, 16, and a 15-year-old, both students at Burke County Alternative School, face felony charges of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm on school property, said Capt. Scott Kerley of the Morganton Public Safety Department.
Kerley said a 9 mm handgun was stolen from a vehicle at Southmountain Children and Family Services in Morganton on Oct. 29 and that a teenager on Oct. 31 brought the gun to Freedom High School, where students transfer to buses headed for the alternative high school.
The teenager then sold the gun to the 15-year-old student, who tried selling it to another student at the alternative school last week, Kerley said.
Investigators don't believe the students planned to fire the weapon or harm anyone with it, Kerley said.
"It sounds like this was more of a money-making a venture," he said. "But that doesn't lessen the seriousness of having the gun on campus."
Both students were arrested last week, Kerley said.
Chaney, who has been charged as an adult, was being held at the Catawba-Burke County jail with bond set at $10,000.
Officials at the Department of Juvenile Justice would not say where the 15-year-old was being held.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
11/8/06
Incumbents holding on to leads
In Burke County, candidates have faced each other in 3 races
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Incumbent Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark appeared headed to victory Tuesday night, while results in the Burke County race were inconclusive.
Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark, a Republican, will likely return for another four-year term after an apparent victory over challenger Terry Harris.
Results in Burke County were incomplete, but incumbent Democratic sheriff John McDevitt held a lead over challenger Richard Epley.
In Caldwell County, with 23 out of 27 precincts reporting, Clark, a Republican, led with 57 percent. Harris received 43 percent.
With 17 of 32 Burke County precincts reporting, McDevitt, a Democrat, led the race with 65 percent to Epley's 35 percent.
Clark's administration has been marked with controversy, including a 2002 vote-buying scandal led by a few renegade supporters and two current investigations by the State Board of Elections.
But, as of Tuesday night, it didn't appear to cost him the election.
Throughout the race, Clark continued to tout his tough stance on drug dealers. He said he plans to bring anti-drug programs to the county's middle and high schools.
Harris, a former Granite Falls police chief, said he would promote a community policing plan that could help deputies establish better working relationships with the community and decrease turnover in the department.
McDevitt and Epley, meanwhile, have faced each other in three consecutive races for sheriff. McDevitt first beat then-incumbent Epley in 1998.
The candidates agreed that they didn't want to repeat the past two races, marked by high campaign spending and animosity, and instead tried to focus on the issues.
Epley said he wanted to see more cooperation between law enforcement agencies and better response times by deputies, and McDevitt touted accolades his office has won for drug enforcement and asked voters to elect him on his record.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Incumbent Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark appeared headed to victory Tuesday night, while results in the Burke County race were inconclusive.
Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark, a Republican, will likely return for another four-year term after an apparent victory over challenger Terry Harris.
Results in Burke County were incomplete, but incumbent Democratic sheriff John McDevitt held a lead over challenger Richard Epley.
In Caldwell County, with 23 out of 27 precincts reporting, Clark, a Republican, led with 57 percent. Harris received 43 percent.
With 17 of 32 Burke County precincts reporting, McDevitt, a Democrat, led the race with 65 percent to Epley's 35 percent.
Clark's administration has been marked with controversy, including a 2002 vote-buying scandal led by a few renegade supporters and two current investigations by the State Board of Elections.
But, as of Tuesday night, it didn't appear to cost him the election.
Throughout the race, Clark continued to tout his tough stance on drug dealers. He said he plans to bring anti-drug programs to the county's middle and high schools.
Harris, a former Granite Falls police chief, said he would promote a community policing plan that could help deputies establish better working relationships with the community and decrease turnover in the department.
McDevitt and Epley, meanwhile, have faced each other in three consecutive races for sheriff. McDevitt first beat then-incumbent Epley in 1998.
The candidates agreed that they didn't want to repeat the past two races, marked by high campaign spending and animosity, and instead tried to focus on the issues.
Epley said he wanted to see more cooperation between law enforcement agencies and better response times by deputies, and McDevitt touted accolades his office has won for drug enforcement and asked voters to elect him on his record.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Incumbent wins 7th term in tough race
Huffman narrowly beats 30-year veteran of Hickory police force
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A six-term GOP incumbent and one of the state's longest-serving sheriffs won again Tuesday, securing another four years as Catawba County sheriff by narrowly defeating a formidable Democratic challenger.
David Huffman will return for another term as sheriff after a slim win Tuesday over Steve Hunt, a retired 30-year veteran of the Hickory Police Department.
With all 40 precincts reporting, Huffman won the race with 51 percent, or 17,179 votes, to Hunt's 49 percent, or 16,698 votes. About 35 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots, which officials at the Board of Elections said was higher than expected.
"It was probably one of the best races I've had in many years," Huffman said. "(Hunt) is top notch and was a class act from the start to the finish."
While Huffman enjoyed the advantage of being an incumbent, he has faced a couple of bitter races in recent years.
A messy, but close, 2002 battle for a seat in the 10th congressional district against Patrick McHenry left him disenchanted with politics, he told the Observer in September.
An expensive and equally bitter primary in May against Mike Ledford ended with Huffman receiving only 140 more votes than his opponent and with only $359 in his campaign fund.
Hunt, a newcomer to politics, ran on a platform that called for a new direction and encouraged voters to help revitalize the Sheriff's Office.
Huffman responded by saying his office has continually adapted to new trends in crime and that his long tenure hasn't left law enforcement stale. He pointed to an array of programs geared toward helping the elderly and handicapped and highlighted OffenderWatch, which monitors sex offenders.
Throughout the campaign, Huffman also touted his connections in Washington, noting that his tenure as sheriff has left him with a long list of links to the federal government that he said has helped him secure millions of dollars in grants.
Hunt, who teaches criminal justice at the Catawba Valley Community College, focused on accreditation.
He also said he wanted to build a multilingual staff, emphasize advocacy projects and encourage law enforcement to train residents to recognize and help decrease crime.
Huffman has run the Catawba County Sheriff's Office since 1982 when he beat a 24-year veteran sheriff with nearly 51 percent of the vote and has vowed this term will be his last.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A six-term GOP incumbent and one of the state's longest-serving sheriffs won again Tuesday, securing another four years as Catawba County sheriff by narrowly defeating a formidable Democratic challenger.
David Huffman will return for another term as sheriff after a slim win Tuesday over Steve Hunt, a retired 30-year veteran of the Hickory Police Department.
With all 40 precincts reporting, Huffman won the race with 51 percent, or 17,179 votes, to Hunt's 49 percent, or 16,698 votes. About 35 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots, which officials at the Board of Elections said was higher than expected.
"It was probably one of the best races I've had in many years," Huffman said. "(Hunt) is top notch and was a class act from the start to the finish."
While Huffman enjoyed the advantage of being an incumbent, he has faced a couple of bitter races in recent years.
A messy, but close, 2002 battle for a seat in the 10th congressional district against Patrick McHenry left him disenchanted with politics, he told the Observer in September.
An expensive and equally bitter primary in May against Mike Ledford ended with Huffman receiving only 140 more votes than his opponent and with only $359 in his campaign fund.
Hunt, a newcomer to politics, ran on a platform that called for a new direction and encouraged voters to help revitalize the Sheriff's Office.
Huffman responded by saying his office has continually adapted to new trends in crime and that his long tenure hasn't left law enforcement stale. He pointed to an array of programs geared toward helping the elderly and handicapped and highlighted OffenderWatch, which monitors sex offenders.
Throughout the campaign, Huffman also touted his connections in Washington, noting that his tenure as sheriff has left him with a long list of links to the federal government that he said has helped him secure millions of dollars in grants.
Hunt, who teaches criminal justice at the Catawba Valley Community College, focused on accreditation.
He also said he wanted to build a multilingual staff, emphasize advocacy projects and encourage law enforcement to train residents to recognize and help decrease crime.
Huffman has run the Catawba County Sheriff's Office since 1982 when he beat a 24-year veteran sheriff with nearly 51 percent of the vote and has vowed this term will be his last.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
11/7/06
Catawba man indicted in fatal September car crash
Accident killed Hickory woman and critically injured her husband
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Catawba County man was indicted by a grand jury Monday in connection with a September crash that left a Hickory woman dead and her husband in critical condition.
Enrique Cardenas Zavala, 20, was indicted on one felony count of murder, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, one count of driving while impaired, one count of driving by a person less than 21 years old after consuming alcohol and one count of failure to stop at a stop light, according to a news release issued by District Attorney Jay Gaither.
Cardenas Zavala was indicted in connection with a Sept. 29 accident that killed 55-year-old Rena Moore and critically injured her husband, 58-year-old Jerry Moore, who was released from Frye Medical Center last week.
Cardenas Zavala was driving a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix when it ran a red light and crashed into the Moores' pickup truck, said Capt. Clyde Deal of the Hickory Police Department.
Cardenas Zavala's blood-alcohol level was 0.13, Deal said. The legal limit is 0.08.
It was the second time Cardenas Zavala had been charged with DWI in less than 14 months. In August 2005, he was charged with DWI in Catawba County, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and served 30 days in jail and paid a fine.
Cardenas Zavala is being held at the Catawba County jail without bond and will make his first appearance at Administrative Superior Court on Dec. 11.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
11/5/06
State adds fun to park's map
PLANS FOR NEW LAKE JAMES ACREAGE INCLUDE MORE PLACES TO SWIM, CAMP, BIKE AND HIKE
Sunday, November 5, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LAKE JAMES -- A few months ago, the summer heat lured thousands of vacationers and residents to the Lake James State Park swimming area.
But large crowds often forced people to abandon plans for swimming in the 120-foot-long and 120-foot- wide space, said Tim Benton, superintendent of the park.
Now, overcrowding might soon be a thing of the past.
The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation recently adopted a master plan for the 2,915 acres added to Lake James State Park in a 2004 purchase from Crescent Resources, Duke Energy's development arm, said state parks spokesman Charlie Peek.
The plan, he said, breaks down a long-term recreational development strategy into three phases and will bring a new swimming beach, camping facilities, fishing and boating opportunities and more than 30 miles of hiking and biking trails to the park, which straddles Burke and McDowell counties, in upcoming years.
In November 2004, the state bought nearly 3,000 acres from Crescent Resources for $18 million, Peek said.
The purchase increased the size of Lake James State Park from 606 acres on the lake's south shore to 3,521 acres, Peek said, creating the largest waterfront park in the state. The acquisition allowed state officials to conserve more than 24 miles of shoreline on the 6,500-acre lake.
This followed a settlement between Burke County and Crescent over land use on the lake, according to Observer archives, and Crescent still plans to develop subdivisions on much of the remaining land.
A year later, the state hired LandDesign, a Charlotte landscape architecture firm, to help create the plan for the expanded park. The firm started by holding public hearings in counties bordering the lake to gauge what recreational improvements residents wanted, according to Observer archives.
Since then, Peek said, state and park officials have formulated a plan that incorporates an array of recreational activities into the expanded park.
Susie Hamrick Jones, executive director of Foothills Conservancy in Morganton, said the group has been working on the project with officials and said she's happy the state is about to start developing it.
"People certainly have needed a place to go at Lake James for a long time," she said. "(Putting) a kayak or fishing boat in and spending the day exploring a wilderness lake is possible now. In the past, the shoreline was all private."
The first phase of the project, which state officials are hoping to begin in mid-2007, focuses on the Paddy Creek Peninsula on the lake's north shore, Peek said.
Adding a swim beach six times larger than the current swimming area on the south shore and a bathhouse will be the centerpiece.
Peek said he hopes swimmers will be able to take the first plunge into the new, 700-foot-long swimming area by summer 2008.
"It would be the best of all possible worlds if that could happen," Peek said.
Benton said phase one also includes building a 2-mile access road from N.C. 126, which would lead to an interim visitor center, two additional 12-table picnic shelters, a maintenance facility, a ranger station, a concession area and a parking lot with nearly 400 spots, which quadruples the current parking area on the south shore.
The estimated $7.6 million price tag for the first phase will come from the state's Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, which also helps pay for projects at several N.C. parks, Peek said.
Construction dates for phases 2 and 3 haven't been set, and Peek said the next steps in the project won't start until phase 1 is completed.
"This seems slow if you want to go out on the lake or fish, but we're moving at a good speed," he said of the project, which has required the state to secure funding and to work with Burke County, the state legislature, environmental groups and residents to come up with a plan.
Phase 2, Peek said, is also concentrated on the Paddy Creek Peninsula and will bring three kinds of camping options, including primitive, tent and RV, or recreational vehicle, sites.
"It's pretty much a full slate of what campers want," he said.
Peek said LandDesign estimated that phase 2 will cost about $6.9 million and phase three $1.6 million.
Once phase 2 is finished, developers will move northeast to the Long Arm Peninsula to begin phase 3, which will add boating camp facilities, Benton said.
"Boating is one of the biggest draws," he said. "We pretty much just need to get water to them."
Phase 3 will also add ranger stations parkwide and will expand the Paddy Creek Peninsula visitor center to include a museum, auditorium and classrooms, Benton said.
Maynard Taylor, vice chairman of the Burke County Board of Commissioners, said he hopes the expansion will bring a spike in tourism to the area, which has been hard hit by factory closings in recent years.
"The area will become a real tourist attraction for people to come for recreation and relaxation," he said. "It will be beneficial for hundreds of years."
Donna Davis and her husband, a retired environmental project specialist, moved to a subdivision on Lake James' north shore from South Port four years ago and attended public meetings when they heard about the expansion.
"I didn't want to see this get overdeveloped," she said of the neighborhood, which includes a view of the lake from her front porch.
The Davises, avid canoeists, said they're looking forward to spending more time on the lake and will likely use the new picnic areas. They lived in Kentucky a few decades earlier, and said they were hoping for a repeat of the way park officials developed the state's wilderness lakes.
"We were so glad to see that start to happen," Davis said. "We're hoping to have the next class act here."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, November 5, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LAKE JAMES -- A few months ago, the summer heat lured thousands of vacationers and residents to the Lake James State Park swimming area.
But large crowds often forced people to abandon plans for swimming in the 120-foot-long and 120-foot- wide space, said Tim Benton, superintendent of the park.
Now, overcrowding might soon be a thing of the past.
The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation recently adopted a master plan for the 2,915 acres added to Lake James State Park in a 2004 purchase from Crescent Resources, Duke Energy's development arm, said state parks spokesman Charlie Peek.
The plan, he said, breaks down a long-term recreational development strategy into three phases and will bring a new swimming beach, camping facilities, fishing and boating opportunities and more than 30 miles of hiking and biking trails to the park, which straddles Burke and McDowell counties, in upcoming years.
In November 2004, the state bought nearly 3,000 acres from Crescent Resources for $18 million, Peek said.
The purchase increased the size of Lake James State Park from 606 acres on the lake's south shore to 3,521 acres, Peek said, creating the largest waterfront park in the state. The acquisition allowed state officials to conserve more than 24 miles of shoreline on the 6,500-acre lake.
This followed a settlement between Burke County and Crescent over land use on the lake, according to Observer archives, and Crescent still plans to develop subdivisions on much of the remaining land.
A year later, the state hired LandDesign, a Charlotte landscape architecture firm, to help create the plan for the expanded park. The firm started by holding public hearings in counties bordering the lake to gauge what recreational improvements residents wanted, according to Observer archives.
Since then, Peek said, state and park officials have formulated a plan that incorporates an array of recreational activities into the expanded park.
Susie Hamrick Jones, executive director of Foothills Conservancy in Morganton, said the group has been working on the project with officials and said she's happy the state is about to start developing it.
"People certainly have needed a place to go at Lake James for a long time," she said. "(Putting) a kayak or fishing boat in and spending the day exploring a wilderness lake is possible now. In the past, the shoreline was all private."
The first phase of the project, which state officials are hoping to begin in mid-2007, focuses on the Paddy Creek Peninsula on the lake's north shore, Peek said.
Adding a swim beach six times larger than the current swimming area on the south shore and a bathhouse will be the centerpiece.
Peek said he hopes swimmers will be able to take the first plunge into the new, 700-foot-long swimming area by summer 2008.
"It would be the best of all possible worlds if that could happen," Peek said.
Benton said phase one also includes building a 2-mile access road from N.C. 126, which would lead to an interim visitor center, two additional 12-table picnic shelters, a maintenance facility, a ranger station, a concession area and a parking lot with nearly 400 spots, which quadruples the current parking area on the south shore.
The estimated $7.6 million price tag for the first phase will come from the state's Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, which also helps pay for projects at several N.C. parks, Peek said.
Construction dates for phases 2 and 3 haven't been set, and Peek said the next steps in the project won't start until phase 1 is completed.
"This seems slow if you want to go out on the lake or fish, but we're moving at a good speed," he said of the project, which has required the state to secure funding and to work with Burke County, the state legislature, environmental groups and residents to come up with a plan.
Phase 2, Peek said, is also concentrated on the Paddy Creek Peninsula and will bring three kinds of camping options, including primitive, tent and RV, or recreational vehicle, sites.
"It's pretty much a full slate of what campers want," he said.
Peek said LandDesign estimated that phase 2 will cost about $6.9 million and phase three $1.6 million.
Once phase 2 is finished, developers will move northeast to the Long Arm Peninsula to begin phase 3, which will add boating camp facilities, Benton said.
"Boating is one of the biggest draws," he said. "We pretty much just need to get water to them."
Phase 3 will also add ranger stations parkwide and will expand the Paddy Creek Peninsula visitor center to include a museum, auditorium and classrooms, Benton said.
Maynard Taylor, vice chairman of the Burke County Board of Commissioners, said he hopes the expansion will bring a spike in tourism to the area, which has been hard hit by factory closings in recent years.
"The area will become a real tourist attraction for people to come for recreation and relaxation," he said. "It will be beneficial for hundreds of years."
Donna Davis and her husband, a retired environmental project specialist, moved to a subdivision on Lake James' north shore from South Port four years ago and attended public meetings when they heard about the expansion.
"I didn't want to see this get overdeveloped," she said of the neighborhood, which includes a view of the lake from her front porch.
The Davises, avid canoeists, said they're looking forward to spending more time on the lake and will likely use the new picnic areas. They lived in Kentucky a few decades earlier, and said they were hoping for a repeat of the way park officials developed the state's wilderness lakes.
"We were so glad to see that start to happen," Davis said. "We're hoping to have the next class act here."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)