Story by Kathleen McFadden
Two rezoning cases were on the agenda for Boone’s Quarterly Public Hearing on November 13. ASU requested a change in the zoning of the rock building on the corner of Rivers and Depot streets from B-1, Central Business District, to U-1, University District. Boone Five, LLC requested rezoning a tract on Highway 105 from a split B-3, General Business, and R-1, Single-Family Residential, to CDB-3, Conditional District General Business.

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Story by David Brewer
Sheri Baker, owner of Dragonfly Theater & Pub, quit her job 2.5 years ago to focus her work and attention on Boone’s new movie theater and pub. The Dragonfly Theater and Pub is absolutely the only venue in the High Country that has, in four months, hosted major motion pictures, independent movies, live concerts, church meetings, fundraisers, multimedia events, political debate viewing parties, Monday Night Football and a beer tasting. To say that the Dragonfly is versatile would be a bit of an understatement.

Click here to read the story from High Country Press

Click here to visit the Dragonfly website

ps. EDITOR- I recently held my sons 5th birthday party at Dragonfly and it was great!  They let us bring in our DVD and served all the children lunch and popcorn.  Best of all, the cost was very reasonable.

The new-well permit fee will increase from $225 to $300 on Tuesday, July 1. The fee includes the cost of inspections, fieldwork and a water sample.

Here’s the article from the High Country Press

Along with watching fireworks and grilling out, everyone in North Carolina can celebrate Independence Day by casting a line in their favorite fishing hole - no license needed!

Here’s more from GoBlueRidge

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed the movement to help buy the land on which Tweetsie operates during a public hearing held on Monday evening.

Here’s the article from Go Blue Ridge

UPDATE: Opinions divided

Watauga County’s property tax rate will remain the same in the next fiscal year, though the overall county budget will increase 4.6 percent.

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners adopted a balanced $60.1 million budget Monday morning, with a $44.6 million General Fund budget for county operations.

Click here for the article in the Watauga Democrat

“The law of this nation says that the water of this country belongs to the people,” said Donna Lisenby, former Catawba Riverkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance board member and new Upper Watauga Riverkeeper, responsible for the protection of the Watauga and Elk rivers. “Riverkeepers protect the people.”

Here’s the article from the High Country Press

Watauga County and Tweetsie Railroad are exploring a proposal that would keep the Wild West theme park at its current location “for the next 50 years and beyond.”

Watauga planning director Joe Furman, who is acting economic developer for the county, presented a proposal to the commissioners Monday in which the county would buy land to support the theme park in exchange for a long-term commitment to keep the business operating.

Here’s the article from the Watauga Democrat

Lots of people are really interested in the new Watauga High School.

Here’s some facts:

• The town has set a price tag of $60 Million
• The groundbreaking began September 20, 2007
• The town will borrow $70 Million Read More
• The school will be 274,000 sqft
• the new campus is 94 acres (20 more than current site)
• the estimated traffic flow is 40% west and 60% east
• Students that live outside watauga county will pay tuition Read More
• There will be 972 parking spaces.
• The project is scheduled for completion spring of 2010
• Classes begin fall 2010

Click here to see exactly where the campus will be via Google maps

Click here for a blog dedicated to the new highschool

Update: Concrete being poured 4/13/08

The Watauga County Tourism Development Authority is exploring a regional trail-mapping project that’s designed to capitalize on the tourism value of scenery and outdoor recreation.

Click here to read the article from the Watauga Democrat

In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Watauga County, N.C. is a place of amazing beauty with pristine natural resources and a rich cultural heritage. Preserving and protecting these assets is good for the environment and the local economy. The Watauga Green Business Plan is a voluntary, market‐driven program that educates, certifies and recognizes small businesses that have made a commitment to reduce their environmental impact and help build a sustainable community.

Here’s a link to their website

A big road. Here they are, in case you haven’t seen them yet, the state released computer mock-ups of the new highway 321.

Reck wrote, “The decision to rezone flies in the face not only of good planning; it flies in the face of any planning. Let’s face the truth: the university’s request and the decision to rezone were never the result of planning. They were the result of the opportunity presented to the university to purchase property, which the university did without an ounce of credible cooperative planning with the town, or even with itself. ”

Click here for the complete article from the High Country Press