Franklin Wins Contest in Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine Voted Top Town in the Small Town Category

Franklin has won a contest in the small town category run by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. The contest consisted of people rallying others via social media to vote in the contest. People were allowed multiple votes from multiple machines in a day. The contest webpage. 

Winners by category:

Small Town: Franklin, NC

Medium town: Roanoke, VA

Large town: Knoxville, TN

The article featuring Franklin can be seen on Blue Ridge Outdoors.

The Mayor and several local politicians have gathered at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin to celebrate the official announcement. The exclusive full video of the event announcement is embedded below.




Background 

A representative of the magazine visited the Franklin TDA September 2015 meeting to share details of the contest along with several business owners and a reporter who had widely shared the contest on social media. The representative sought $2,000 from the tourism authority to subsidize advertising by Franklin businesses in the article that would accompany the announcement of the winners in the small, medium and large town categories. The board decided to authorize subsidizing the advertisements up to $3,000. 

Due to a quorum not being present when the board voted to approve the funds a re-vote took place in the October meeting, when, in order to achieve a quorum in that meeting, board member Connie Gruberman participated in the meeting via telephone while she was out of town. I was unable to attend the October meeting because I was recording the candidate forum at The Lazy Hiker that evening.

Video of the September meeting is embedded below.







MEDIA ROLL CALL (media outlets with reporters/photographers present)

Macon Media (me)
The Franklin Press
WNCC-FM/WFSC-AM
The Macon County News and Shopping Guide


PHOTO SLIDESHOW





See photos on Flickr.


CROWD FUNDING


If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. If you have a business or event you are interested in advertising opportunities, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com to apply. Serious inquiries only.


You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at my crowd funding page.

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59 People Cast ballots on First 4 Days of Early Voting 55 in Franklin and 4 in Highlands

Only 59 voters have cast ballots in Franklin and Highlands on the first four days of early voting in the 20156 Municipal Election, 55 in Franklin and 4 in Highlands. Early voting began on Thursday, October 22nd.

Here are the stats:


FRANKLIN 

By party registration: 27 Democrats, 14 Republicans, 14 Unaffiliated and 0 Libertarians

By sex: 28 Females and 27 Males



HIGHLANDS

By party registration: 1 Democrat and 3 Republicans.

By sex: 2 Females and 2 Males.



If you are eligible to vote and wish to be an informed voter, you can check out video of the two voter forums held in Franklin (I was not notified of any forums in the Highlands contests).

League of Women Voters October 9th Forum

Lazy Hiker October 12th Forum


And here is a voting calendar and locations to let you know where and when you, if you are eligible to vote in these elections, can cast a ballot:


One Stop early voting locations and hours for 2015 Municipal Election:

Macon County Courthouse
5 West Main Street, Franklin, NC
Room 127, Board of Elections Office
Thursday, October 22nd , Friday, October 23rd and Monday, October 26th - October 30th 
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday, October 31st from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Highlands Civic Center
600 N 4th Street
Highlands, NC
Meeting Room 1
Thursday, October 22nd , Friday October 23rd and Monday, October 26th - October 30th 
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday, October 31st from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Absentee by Mail ends October 27, 2015

One Stop Voting will end October 31, 2015 at 1:00 pm

Municipal Election Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Seats open for the Town of Franklin 
Mayor: Bob Scott
Alderman: Verlin L. Curtis
Alderman: Joyce Handley
Alderman: Farrell Jamison

Seats open for the Town of Highlands
Town Commissioner: John (Buz) Dotson
Town Commissioner: Eric Pierson
Town Commissioner: Brian J. Stiehler


If you live in the Towns of Franklin or Highlands and are eligible to vote, but don't...and you aren't happy with the results, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

CROWD FUNDING



If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. If you have a business or event you are interested in advertising opportunities, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com to apply. Serious inquiries only.


You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at my crowd funding page.

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Entrepreneur Networking Night VI and Release Party for CEC Promotional Video

The Macon County EDC [website] and the Macon County CEC Leadership Team hosted the Entrepreneur Night VI and Release Party for a promotional video designed to entice entrepreneurs to relocate their businesses to Macon County. This event was held at The Lazy Hiker Brewing Company in the former Franklin Town Hall. A video of the launch party and the promotional video are embedded in this article.

The vieo was funded by a public-private partnership using tax dollars and private money.

Macon County NC EDC/CEC Promotional Video
Macon County EDC and Certified Entrepreneurial Community present the official release of the Macon County CEC promotional video produced by Joel Collins of 99 Hills Creative Media.
Posted by Macon County Economic Development Commission on Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The event was attended by nearly two dozen members of the EDC Board, the CEC [Certified Economic Community] Leadership Team and members of other tourism related boards and business owners.

MEDIA ROLL CALL 
(a list of the local media organizations with staff covering the event)
Macon Media (me)
The Franklin Press (an editor and a reporter)


CROWD FUNDING

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

Macon Media is currently the work of one person and I hope, with your help, to be able to expand to cover more events and report local news in ways that the local papers and radio station cannot.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at my crowd funding page.

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Regular October 2015 Meeting Macon County Commissioners

The Macon County Commissioners met for their regular October 2015 meeting, and it was a marathon session. The meeting started at 6:00 pm and ended shortly before 11:00 pm.

The video of the meeting has been divided into three parts and various supporting documents are posted below. There will also be other videos released and posted in separate articles, each with supporting documents embedded that relate to that segment of the meeting.



Part 1


Part 2

Part 3

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OCTOBER 13, 2015
AGENDA

• Call to order and welcome by Chairman Corbin
• Announcements
• Moment of Silence
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Public Hearing(s) - 6:05 p.m. Section 5311 (Community Transportation Program Application) and Section 5310 (Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program Application) - Kim Angel, Macon County Transit Director
  
  NOTE: Following the close of the public hearing, the board will consider approval of the applications.
• Public Comment Period
  
  NOTE: Following public comment, the board will go into closed session for the purpose of preserving the attorney/client privilege - NCGS 143-318.11(a)(3)
• Adjustments to and approval of the agenda
• Reports/Presentations
  • Recognition of employees involved in June 4, 2015 incident at South Macon Elementary School
  • Presentation of appreciation to Jeannie Beets Garrett
  • Presentation of County Government Partnership Award from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
  • Presentation regarding robotics program for middle school students - Stan McCormick with Must-Innov8.inc.
• Old Business
  • Presentation of Building Inspections and Environmental Health Department fee analysis - County Manager
  • Change orders for Union Academy and Highlands School renovation projects - Terry Bell with Macon County Schools
• New Business
  • Consideration of franchise and haul agreements with J&B Disposal - County Attorney
  • Recommendations from the Community Funding Pool Task Force - Karen Wallace
  • Resolution and lease agreement with Vitrum -- La Collezione, LLC - Economic Development Director Tommy Jenkins
  • Update on E-waste recycling - Solid Waste Director Chris Stahl
  • Change Order Number One for Cullasaja Park - Doug Johnson with Macon County Soil and Water Conservation
  • Resolutions and leases for community care clinics in Franklin and Highlands - County Attorney
  • Agreement for recreational opportunities with the Scaly Mountain Historical Society, Inc. - County Attorney
  • Ratification of e-mail polls:
    • September 11, 2015 e-mail regarding NCDOT priorities
    • September 18, 2015 e-mail regarding revised concession stand contract
• Consent Agenda - Attachment #11
  All items below are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. No separate discussion will be held except on request of a member of the Board of Commissioners.
  • Minutes of the September 8, 2015 regular meeting
  • Budget Amendments #43 - #49
  • Tax Releases
  • Tax Refund
  • Monthly ad valorem tax collection report
• Appointments:
  • Town of Franklin Extra-territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) Board (one seat)
• Closed session (if necessary)
• Adjourn/Recess

Here is the full agenda packet that is shared with members of the local media. Currently, Macon Media is the only media outlet to share these public documents with the public.

Press Packet for OCtober 2015 Commissioner Meeting by Thunder Pig

MEDIA ROLL CALL (a record of which media outlets were present for the meeting)

Macon Media (me)
WLOS-TV (a reporter and a cameraman. Both left after the Recognitions of Valor were handed out) LINK TO COVERAGE
Macon County News and Shopping Guide (one reporter)
WNCC-FM/WFSC-AM (one reporter)
The Franklin Press (one reporter)

CROWD FUNDING

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

In September 2015, 13 people pledged $75.00 and 9 followed through with $55.00. If you have pledged to support Macon Media and have updated your bank card, you need to update your info on Patreon in order for your pledge to be accepted by Patreon and then transferred to Macon Media.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at my crowd funding page.

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National Forests in North Carolina: Hunting is permitted on all National Forests in North Carolina

PRESS RELEASE

National Forests in North Carolina 160A Zillicoa St. Asheville, N.C. 28801

Be Aware - Hunting is permitted on all National Forests in North Carolina 

Outside of developed recreation areas, hunting is permitted throughout the National Forests in North Carolina. Hunters must have the proper licenses, or permits needed to hunt. Hunting is a seasonal activity and state regulations for seasons, dates and licensing apply on national forest land. For information about specific dates and times, please visit: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting.aspx, or call the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at 919-707-0010.

Safety Tips for Non-hunters visiting the National Forests

• Wear bright clothing. Make yourself more visible. Choose colors that stand out, like red, orange or green, and avoid white, blacks, browns, earth-toned greens and animal-colored clothing. Orange vests and hats are advisable.
• Don't forget to protect your pet. Get an orange vest for your pet or bright colored scarf/bandana.
• Make noise. Whistle, sing or carry on a conversation as you walk to alert hunters to your presence. Sound carries well across mountain basins, and hunters should be listening for any sounds of animal movement.
• Be courteous. Once a hunter is aware of your presence, don't make unnecessary noise to disturb wildlife. Avoid confrontations.
• If you do hear shooting, raise your voice and let hunters know that you are in the vicinity.
• Know when hunting seasons are. Continue to hike, but learn about where and when hunting is taking place.
• Know your own comfort level. If hunting makes you uneasy, choose a hike in a location where hunting is not allowed, such as a national park or a state park, or schedule your outings for Sundays.

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Recognitions of Valor Presented at County Commissioner Meeting

Pictured (L-R) Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland, School Bus Driver Alice Bradley,  Deputy Audrey B. Parrish, Deputy Anthony Hopkins, Deputy Blake Buchanan,  Sgt Mike Langley, Corporal Jonathan Phillips and  Deputy Director of the NC Center for Safer Schools Mike Anderson
Last night, at the October 13th meeting of the Macon County Commissioners, Alice Bradley and several members of the Macon County Sheriff's Office were recognized for their actions in the predawn hours of June 4, 2015 outside South Macon Elementary School. [South Macon Press Conference] First, the Macon County Commissioners recognized them, then Mike Anderson, the Deputy Director of the NC Center for Safer Schools, recognized them on behalf of Pat McCrory, the Governor of North Carolina, and Frank Perry, the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety. Sgt Mike Langley also presented Alice Bradley with a black baseball bat with the appreciation of the Macon County Sheriff's Office.

A video of these events is embedded below.

Additional Coverage of this story from other media outlets: (others added as they go to press)

WLOS-TV  (Oct 14, 2015)

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Local Candidate Forum Held at Lazy Hiker Brewing

Last night, at The Lazy Hiker Brewing Company, six candidates participated in a forum where the questions were solicited via Social Media by David Linn. Linn organized the event to appeal to younger voters in Franklin and arranged for The Lazy Hiker Brewing Company to host the forum on their property.

About 30 or so people attended the forum and these people mingled with the candidates before and after the event.

A video of the entire forum has been posted below so those of you who could not attend to be able to see and hear for yourselves first hand, without being filtered through a reporter or editor. A couple of photos are below the video.

-note- There were segments of the video during which noise from a landscaping crew at the Wells Fargo Bank using weed eaters and leaf blowers overwhelmed the forum. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Civic-minded Citizens Watch Forum



The source of all the noise during the forum
MEDIA ROLL CALL 

(a list of the local media organizations represented at the event)

Macon Media (me)
Macon County news and Shopping Guide (one reporter)
The Franklin Press (one reporter, one editor and one photographer)

CROWD FUNDING

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

In September 2015, 13 people pledged $75.00 and 9 followed through with $55.00. If you have pledged to support Macon Media and have updated your bank card, you need to update your info on Patreon in order for your pledge to be accepted by Patreon and then transferred to Macon Media.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at my crowd funding page.

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League of Women Voters Host Candidate Forum

The League of Women Voters hosted a forum for candidates in the 2015 Municipal elections in Franklin, NC. Five of the six Alderman candidates showed up. Susan Irvin read a statement from Joe Collins, who had a previous engagement and could not attend the forum. Mayor Bob Scott, who is running unopposed, also made a brief statement.

The full forum has been embedded below so you can see and hear what the candidates said without filtering through a reporter or editor.





The Candidates for Alderman (as pictured in the photo from left to right)

Verlin Curtis, incumbent. No campaign website or Facebook page. Contact at vcurtis@franklinnc.com
Joyce Handley, incumbent. No campaign website or Facebook page. Contact at jhandley@franklinnc.com
Brandon McMahan, challenger. Facebook Page
Adam Kimsey, challenger, Facebook Page
Angela Moore, challenger. Facebook Page
Joe Collins, challenger (absent).

If I have left out a webpage oR Facebook page, please do not hesitate to contact me at editor@maconmedia.com and I will edit this post to include the data.


MEDIA ROLL CALL (media organizations with reporters present)

Macon Media (me)
Macon County News and Shopping Guide
The Smoky Mountain News
WFSC-AM/WNCC-FM
The Franklin Press

CROWD FUNDING

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month, or, if you own a business or are running for office, please consider a sponsorship.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

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