Town of Franklin Skatepark Soft Open

A soft opening for the Town of Franklin Skatepark took place earlier today. The Town Manager, and Councilmen Stacy Guffey and Michael Lewis, town employees, and members of the public were in attendance. Reporters from The Franklin Press and Macon Media were present. The skatepark will have a more formal opening in late September.

Town of Franklin Skatepark Soft Open | Macon Media

The skatepark will be an unsupervised park open from daylight to dark. Rules for the park and references to local ordinances and state law are posted below:

Town of Franklin Skate Park

NOTICE TO ALL: This is an UNSUPERVISED skate park. Skating and riding is permitted during park hours only. Park is open from daylight until dark. Any use of this facility is at your own risk. Use of this facility may result in serious injury. The following rules and regulations have been established for the use of skate park participants in order to ensure everyone's safety.

PLEASE OBEY THE FOLLOWING RULES:

• This is an unsupervised skate park and its use is free of charge.   

• No motorized equipment is allowed on the skating surface.   

• Bicycles without pegs are allowed; in-ine skates, scooters and one-wheels are allowed.   

 • Strollers or wagons are not allowed on the skate surface.   

 • No one under the age of 8 is allowed without adult supervision.   

 • No other items such as portable ramps or equipment or tables may be used in the skate park.   

 • No modifications may be made to the skating surface.   

 • Avoid skating when skate park surfaces are wet or icy.   

 • Every person riding a skateboard or skating in the facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads per Town Ordinance Chapter 72 section 72.12.   

 • Drugs, alcohol, glass containers, tobacco products, profanity, fighting and destroying or defacing public property are prohibited. Vandalism, including graffiti, stickers and tagging are illegal. If this occurs, it may require the park to be temporarily closed.   

 • Food and beverages are not allowed on the skating surface area.   

 • Spectators should not be on the skating surface area.   

 • Show respect to others using the skate park and to spectators.   

 • Under North Carolina law, no governmental entity or public employee who has complied with NCGS § 99E-23 shall be liable to any person who voluntarily participates in hazardous recreational activities for any damage or injury to property or persons that arise out of a person's participation in the activity and that takes place in an area designated for the activity.   

 • Please use the trash containers and keep the skate park clean.   

 • Contests or events are prohibited unless approved through the Town's special events process.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Town of Franklin at 828.524.2516.

Ordinance references:


Town of Franklin § 72.12 HAZARDOUS RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
    (A) The town has provided recreational areas for the enjoyment of hazardous recreational activities, including but not limited to skateboarding, inline skating, and freestyle bicycling. Any person who participates in or assists in hazardous recreational activities assumes the known and unknown inherent risks in these activities, irrespective of age, and is legally responsible for all damages, injury, or death to himself or other persons or property that result from these activities.
    (B) The town does not provide regular supervision of hazardous recreational activity facilities.
    (C) Any person riding a skateboard at a municipal skatepark facility shall wear all of the following safety equipment:
      (1) Helmet;
      (2) Elbow pads; and
      (3) Kneepads.
  (D) Signs shall be posted at the facility, affording reasonable notice that any person riding a skateboard in the facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads.
  (E) In addition to the penalties provided for in § 10.99 of this Code, any person who violates the provisions of the article may be subject to sanctions imposed by the town including, but not limited to temporary suspension or permanent revocation of the privilege to skate anywhere within any town parks or recreation areas.       (Ord. 2022-002, passed 1-3-23)

State of North Carolina NCGS § 99E-23 Duties of operators of skateboard parks. 

 (a) No operator of a skateboard park shall permit any person to ride a skateboard therein, unless that person is wearing a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads. 

(b) For any facility owned or operated by a governmental entity that is designed and maintained for the purpose of recreational skateboard use, and that is not supervised on a regular basis, the requirements under subsection (a) of this section are satisfied when all of the following occur: 

(1) The governmental entity adopted an ordinance requiring any person riding a skateboard at the facility to wear a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads. 

(2) Signs are posted at the facility affording reasonable notice that any person riding a skateboard in the facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads and that any person failing to do so will be subject to citation under the ordinance under subdivision (1) of this subsection. (2003-334, s. 1.)

Photos

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Published at 7:15pm on Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins

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Town of Franklin Seeks Input From Citizens Regarding the Whitmire Property

PRESS RELEASE (02-02-2023)
TOWN OF FRANKLIN


CITIZEN SURVEY FOR RECREATION PLANNING

The Town of Franklin has partnered with McGill Associates to develop a recreation plan for the Whitmire Property. The Town is seeking input from citizens related to recreational priorities in that area. The survey is available online and only takes a few minutes to complete.

To access the survey online, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Whitmire_Survey. Copies of the survey are also available at Town Hall. The survey will close on February 24, 2023.

Public meetings will be held on Thursday, February 23 at various locations throughout Town and representatives from McGill Associates and the Town will be present to answer questions.

All ages are encouraged to participate. For more information, please contact the Town of Franklin at 828-524-2516.

 

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Bear Spotted at the Big Bear Bark Park

A bear was spotted near Big Bear Dog Park on the Greenway this morning. It was in a Sycamore Tree, having apparently crossed the river. Officer Dwayne Cabe estimated the bear was about 165 lbs in size.

 Franklin Police Officers and personnel from Macon County Parks and Recreation kept an eye on the bear and warned people away from the tree from around 8am to 10:30am when it finally made a break for it and it fled into the swamp for some privacy from all the prying eyes. Photos by Bobby Coggins.

The Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are receiving reports of bear encounters throughout western North Carolina. Reports over the past few weeks were concentrated in the Pisgah, Appalachian, and Nantahala Ranger Districts. Bears are most active around sunrise and after sunset.

  The forest service reports bears have been tearing down bear bags from trees, carrying off backpacks, spending hours near campsites and being unaffected by efforts to scare them away. A hard-sided, bear-resistant canister is the best way to keep bears from accessing human food and scented items.

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Here are some tips on keeping safe around bears from Bearwise.org:

If you encounter a bear:

• Do not panic. Stop what you are doing and evaluate the situation.
• Make your presence known by speaking in a calm tone. Don’t startle the bear.
• Alter your route or back away slowly, preferably in the direction you came.
• Walk, do not run, and keep your eye on the bear so you can see how it reacts. In most cases, the bear will flee.
• If the bear walks toward you, act boldly, yelling and throwing something at it. Do not climb a tree.
• If you have bear spray, remove the safety, and be ready to use it if the bear approaches you.

Special Precautions For Dogs In Bear Country

Bringing your dog into bear country? Chances are good that sooner or later your dog may encounter a bear. Understanding why some encounters end peacefully and others end with dogs and people injured or killed can help keep people, dogs and bears safe.

Bears don’t like to be chased or cornered; letting a dog chase or bark at a bear is asking for trouble. The bear may feel threatened and respond by defending itself. Why put your dog, your family and yourself at risk? Keep dogs leashed at all times, even in camp, or leave them at home. For lots more information, download our free BearsWise bulletin about bears and dogs.

BearWise Jogging And Cycling

Traveling quickly and quietly makes it easy to surprise a bear. Sometimes bears don’t respond well to surprises. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings; try not to disappear into “the zone.” Talking to your group or making noise now and then is good; listening to music or talking on the phone is distracting. Bear spray is tough to get at if it’s buried in a backpack but fits nicely into a bike’s water cage or hip or fanny pack.

Do Your Homework

Standing at the trailhead isn’t the best time to discover that the trail you picked goes through active bear country and you left your bear spray at home.

If you’re away from home, talk to your host or the locals about bear activity. Local outdoor stores and visitors’ centers can be great sources of information.

If you’re headed to a park or forest, visit their website before you go and then stop in at the visitor’s center and talk to staff and check trail conditions or closures. Some visitor’s centers and trailheads have wildlife activity signboards you can check. Many parks and forests have food storage guidelines and other regulations, so be prepared and know before you go.

If you’re heading into the backcountry, it’s even more important to familiarize yourself with the local food storage regulations and recommendations before you go. Losing all your food on day one will take all the fun out of a multi-day adventure.

Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Check the expiration date before you leave home. And brush up on the bear spray basics so you understand how to use it effectively. Local regulations on using bear spray may vary, so know before you go.

Bears everywhere thank you for reading up on how to be BearWise outdoors. Have fun, stay safe and thanks for helping to keep bears wild.


Published at 11:40am on Monday, June 13, 2022

Author: Bobby Coggins, with excerpts from Bearwise.org and National Forests in North Carolina.

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