June 14, 2019. A total of 11 town council seats and one mayoral seat in four Watauga County towns will be up for grabs in November as the filing period for candidates will begin at noon on July 5 and will last through noon on July 19. “In order to file for these seats, candidates must live within the town limits of which they are applying,” said Donna Houck, Watauga County Board of Elections Deputy Director. The Boone Town Council will have three seats up for election, currently filled by Marshall Ashcraft, Lynne Mason and Loretta Clawson. In Blowing Rock, two town council seats held by Albert Yount and Jim Steele will be up for election as well as the mayoral seat currently held by Charlie Sellers. Blowing Rock’s mayoral seat is up for election every two years while Boone’s mayoral seat is up every four years. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 14, 2019. A day in the North Carolina mountains can be so magical you never want it to end – and the year’s longest day is just around the corner. Blue Ridge Mountain Club is thrilled to help families and fans of the High Country celebrate the occasion with Summer Soulstice 2019. Once each year, the BRMC community in Blowing Rock opens its gates to the public for a day of camaraderie and community – and next Saturday, June 23, is that day. Summer Soulstice will offer a host of exciting activities for guests of all ages, and it’s sure to be a memorable way to kick off the season. Best of all, the day-long event benefits the Boone Hospitality House, a non-profit agency devoted to helping those in crisis, poverty and homelessness rebuild their lives. For the adventurous, a full view of the property’s 6000+ acres and gorgeous mountain views can be enjoyed via guided UTV trail rides, and the new Lamborghini Urus SUV will be available on-site.  / Read more…

June 14, 2019. The proposed 2019-2020 budget has been presented to the Boone Town Council and will be discussed at a public hearing Tuesday, June 18 followed by a meeting on Thursday to adopt the new $28,749,600 budget. The budget was put together by Finance Director Amy Davis and will be presented by Town Manager John Ward. The budget will maintain the current tax rate of $0.41 but there will be an overall 1.18 percent tax increase for the Town of Boone of 1.82 percent from $5,713,950 to $5,782,321 for the Boone. The general fund totals $17,071,448 – a 2.3 percent increase above the current year budgets. With that comes many other increases, such as the Narcotics Department which will increase $5,600 (from $27,000 to $32,600). Water and Sewer will rise $920,730 (from $7,074,900 to $7,995,630). By Laura Boaggio / Read more…

June 14, 2019. Avery County Schools Superintendent Bryan Taylor has formally announced his resignation. Taylor told the Avery County Board of Education members of his intent to step down from the post during a closed session of the Avery County Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, June 11. Taylor sent an email throughout the Avery School System the next day (June 12) to announce the resignation. The email reads: “After much thought and prayerful consideration, I have decided to resign as Superintendent of Avery County Schools. The unexpected death of my father and unexpected health issues have led me to reevaluate various aspects of my life. I am very proud of the achievements we accomplished during my tenure. Thank you for all you do for the young people of Avery County. I wish you the best moving forward.” By Tim Gardner / Read more…

June 13, 2019. Boone, North Carolina drone pioneer Nelson Aerial Productions has taken home first place in the Second Annual Engineering Drone Video of the Year contest held at AUVSI Xponential in Chicago, IL. The video titled “The Big Boom” documents 10 separate building implosions across the United States. Of the 10 implosions, eight were for Greensboro, NC based D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company and two were for explosives demolition company, Pettigrew Inc., based out of Swedesboro, NJ. Jordan Nelson of Nelson Aerial Pros was in attendance to receive the award. “Most people will never get to experience the raw power of an implosion. I love the challenge of telling the story from every angle,” said Nelson.  / Read more…

June 13, 2019. At Tuesday’s Blowing Rock Town Council meeting, a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the hotly discussed Rainey Lodge was approved by a 3-1 vote. Doug Matheson, Jim Steele and Virginia Powell voted to support the permit while Albert Yount voted against it and Sue Sweeting was recused from voting. Rainey Lodge is a proposed 40-room hotel that will be constructed in downtown Blowing Rock on less than one full acre of land near Rainey Street, Morningside Drive and U.S. Highway 221. The project has drawn the ire of elected officials and residents in Blowing Rock with complaints ranging from traffic impacts, the height of the building and property valuation. “This has been a very tough situation for all of us, council and citizens,” said Blowing Rock Mayor Charlie Sellers prior to the council’s vote on Tuesday. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 13, 2019. Avery County High School held its annual commencement and graduation ceremony on June 7th in the school’s gymnasium, sending off the latest group of graduates into the next journey of their lives. There were 134 in the 2019 graduating class, which marks the 50th in the school’s history. The ceremony had to be moved indoors from the school’s MacDonald Stadium due to heavy rain. According to Avery Schools Superintendent Bryan Taylor, the 2019 graduating class received a half million dollars ($500,000.00) in scholarship awards to attend colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning. The Avery High Band and chorus were featured during graduation as “Pomp and Circumstance” was played as the graduates marched into the gymnasium in front of a capacity crowd of family, friends, special guests, teachers and school system officials.  By Tim Gardner / Read more…

June 13, 2019. The beginning date for replacing the bridge that crosses the Watauga River on Highway 105 will be March of 2020, according to North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 11 Project Manager Ramie Shaw. “Our letting schedule is March 17, 2020, for this project,” Shaw said Wednesday afternoon. Construction will begin soon thereafter and will include both daytime and nighttime construction and there will not be any required detours for travelers. “We will not be closing the bridge so there will be no detours. We will be doing staged construction, building one lane of the bridge at a time keeping one lane open to traffic,” Shaw said. There will also be some blasting needed at times for this project, however, Shaw said that the blasting will not be done during peak travel times. Lane closures during blasting are expected to be around 30 minutes. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 13, 2019. Virginia “Ginny” Stevens – a woman whose respect for Blowing Rock’s history was so sincere that she spent the last 3 decades of her life ensuring its preservation – will be leaving one more indelible mark on the town’s rich history. At 4 pm this Sunday, June 16th, the Friends of Ginny Stevens will commence the dedication of the street formerly known as Chestnut Street. As of Sunday, it will be known as Ginny Stevens Lane. Ever since she arrived in town with her husband David in 1985, Ginny Stevens had made her love for the town of Blowing Rock clear. In addition to co-founding the Blowing Rock Historical Society and leading its important work for many years, Ginny Stevens worked at the 1888 Museum (housed in the last remaining cottage of the historic Watauga Hotel), was active in Preservation North Carolina (in which role she helped to preserve many historically relevant buildings in Raleigh), and made herself heard often at Blowing Rock Town Council meetings. By Tzar Wilkerson / Read more…

June 12, 2019. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

June 12, 2019. Chetola Resort and artist/curator Brenda Councill have created an event filled weekend featuring renowned national artists, celebrities and star entertainment, including imaginative, family-friendly activities. August 9-11 from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. each night features continuous engaging entertainment for the entire family. Chetola Resort’s lakeside setting provides the outdoor venue that has achieved landmark status among travelers to the High Country. The lake provides a dramatic backdrop for juried exhibition of over 50 nationally renowned sculptors traveling from the west coast, the southeast and midwest. Monumental scale and mid-scale works of art curated by Ms. Councill will be temporarily installed along the path around the lake. / Read more…

June 11, 2019. Rarely does a high school student graduate at the age of 15 — even before obtaining a driver’s license — but that’s exactly what is happening this week in Boone when Christian Hughes walks across the stage for his diploma. Set to graduate from Watauga High School on Friday night, Hughes will head to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall, the top Aerospace Engineering program in the nation for 16 years. It is at that prestigious school that he plans to prepare for a career in aerospace engineering, and also hopes to one day become an astronaut and go to Mars. On the surface, Hughes seems a lot like other teenagers. He likes to play video games, particularly Counter Strike. He hangs out with his family, goes bowling with his father every Monday night and looks forward to “Wing Night” at Elevation 3333 every Friday night. Most days, he wakes up around 6 a.m. and goes to sleep around 9 p.m.  By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

June 12, 2019. The area’s housing market in May continued its shift to the benefit of sellers as the busy summer selling season got off to a strong start, according to the High Country Association of Realtors® monthly rest estate report. Sales prices continued to increase, both in median sales price and price per square foot. Sellers also received more of what they were asking for at closing, with the listing price to sales price ratio the highest recorded for a month in at least three years. Local Realtors® sold 235 homes worth $71.79 million in May, according to the High Country Multiple Listing Service (MLS). It tracks the sales activity of all member Realtors® located in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties. It was the busiest May for local Realtors® in more than 13 years, with sales up 18.7 percent compared to last May (198 homes sold). It was also the busiest overall month since last August (295). / Read more…

June 12, 2019. Some consumer survey results indicate that neckties still top the list of Father’s Day gifts. We know that all dads — or even most dads these days — do not wear ties on a regular basis, so if yours doesn’t, offer a “subtle” hint or two by wrapping up a few helpful tools for him to use around the house — like hammers, wrenches and screwdrivers. Or, if he is a self-professed handyman and already pretty punctual in his attempts to take care of those squeaky doors and drippy leaks, think about dropping by a sporting goods store for a new fishing rod or set of golf clubs — or a hammock. Even if your funds are low and the best you can do is show up on Sunday with a few brownies or cookies on a colorful paper plate and tied up with a bow, it will mean the world to him just to know you care. See below for a few ideas. If your father is alive, spend the day with him and make every moment count. Your time will prove to be the best gift you can give him. Let us not forget those children who have lost a father this year, and those fathers who have lost a child. I dedicate this column to my husband, Van Norris, who has been —and continues to be — the greatest father and grandfather that a child could possibly hope for. Happy Day, Dads! / Read more…

June 11, 2019. The wait is almost over for the start of Beech Mountain Resort’s Summer Concert Series. This Saturday, the Steep Canyon Rangers will take the stage as the headliner for the first show of the summer. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and then the music will get underway at 7 p.m. with Acoustic Syndicate opening the show. Acoustic Syndicate considers themselves to be “newgrass legends” from western North Carolina. They have been playing songs and instrumental jams for 25 years. After a brief intermission at 8 p.m., the Steep Canyon Rangers will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m. and will play until 10 p.m. The Grammy-Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers are from Asheville. In addition to winning a Grammy Award for their album “Nobody Know You,” the group also won the International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year Award. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

What’s Happening This Week at Lost Province Brewing

North Carolina Native Plant Society Blue Ridge Chapter is Meeting on Wednesday

Events Happening at the Banner Elk Artists Gallery

This Week’s Ranger Programs at Cone Manor

Community Yard Sale on June 15 to Benefit Historic Banner Elk School

Birds, Bugs, & Blooms Nature Walk is this Saturday

Baha’i Devotional Meeting on “God’s Love and Guidance” is Sunday

Summer Soulstice Happening June 22

Kent Paulette will be Painting Each Saturday Evening at Studio 140

Call for Artists and Crafters for “Art Around Caldwell Studio Tour” to be held July 13

Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

June 11, 2019. The June edition of the High Country Magazine is officially back and ready to pick up at your favorite businesses across the High Country, or at our office located at 1600 Highway 105 in Boone. You can also read the magazine cover to cover online if you are not in the area. This year’s June edition features stories on the High Country United Way, the Western Youth Network, Mt. Bethel Reformed Church, Rev. Edgar Tufts, local designer Dianne Davant Moffitt and the 100th anniversary of the Tweetsie Railroad. / Read more…

June 11, 2019. Watauga County Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott was recently named Northwest North Carolina Superintendent of the Year by the Northwest Regional Educational Service Agency (NWRESA), an organization that provides professional services, staff development and support for public schools in the region. The Regional Superintendent of the Year Award winner is chosen by fellow superintendents from the 12 school districts in Northwest North Carolina. Award winners from each of the eight regions are eligible to go on to win statewide recognition for their work. NWRESA Executive Director Don Martin said Elliott was chosen for the award for his dedication to public education and commitment to Watauga County Schools. “Elliott was selected by his peer superintendents for this award because they recognize his hard work and leadership both in Watauga and the state and regional levels,” Martin said. “He is well known and highly respected across our state as a vocal champion for both Watauga County Schools and for public education.” / Read more…

June 11, 2019. The Watauga County Board of Education voted unanimously Monday, June 10 to appoint Phil Norman Principal of Hardin Park School. Norman is set to take the job at Hardin Park after an extensive interview and vetting process led by Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott. The process is designed to evaluate candidates for administrative roles in the district. The hiring process began with a stakeholder survey in which teachers, parents, students and community members were given the opportunity to express traits they’d like to see in a leader at their school. Hardin Park’s survey received 416 public responses. Norman, who has served as Principal of Green Valley School for the past five years, was chosen after a four round interview process with an interview committee of 30 people and a one-on-one interview with Elliott. Elliott said Hardin Park, Watauga’s largest K-8 school, required a skilled and experienced candidate to lead effectively. / Read more…

June 11, 2019. The rain on Friday, June 7, did nothing to dampen the spirits of 125 fourth-grade students, five teachers, several volunteers and the school superintendent from delivering random acts of kindness throughout Watauga County. In fact, the “Love Bus” participants made 60 stops along their designated route as unsuspecting public servants, community leaders, business owners, medical staff and patients in various healthcare settings, individuals and many others were astonished by being handed a gift certificate, flowers, coins at the laundry, snacks and a plethora of other thoughtful gifts. While the unique community outreach might still be the best kept secret around, it has grown by leaps and bounds since it’s humble beginning five years ago.  By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

June 11, 2019 Six to near-ten inches of rain fell across Avery County from late last Thursday night into Monday evening, resulting in some flooding. However, the problems it caused were only minimal when compared to other nearby regions such as Watauga County, which suffered major flooding issues in some regions. “We dodged a big bullet from these rains,” said Avery County Manager Phillip Barrier, Jr. “The situation certainly wasn’t as bad as it could have been and there were only a few problems. Most of rivers, streams and creeks in the county reached capacity, but did not exceed their banks. Our fire departments, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), communications and sheriff’s departments as well as various volunteers did a wonderful job of helping anyone in need during this period of near-continuous and sometimes heavy rain.” By Tim Gardner / Read more…

June 10, 2019. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the FBI hosted an informational seminar today in Charlotte, to educate older adults about financial scams and how to prevent becoming victims of fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray. Scammers are targeting seniors at an alarming rate. Across the country, victims of all ages lost $2.71 billion dollars to fraud in 2018, according to statistics collected by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Victims over the age of 60 account for $649,227,724 of those losses. According to the same statistics, in North Carolina, more than 7,500 people lost more than $137 million dollars. In March 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI announced the Western District’s Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid getting ripped off by scammers; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. / Read more…

June 10, 2019. The Community Plant Sale began at 7 a.m., on a particularly stormy Saturday morning, with hundreds of undeterred plant fanatics in attendance. Jerry Williamson, an organizer for the sale, described the crowd: “Despite flood conditions, hundreds of people showed up and were cheerful, in a good mood, with water streaming down their faces. So despite everything, it was a successful day.” Indeed, judging from the photos of participants, everyone in attendance was enjoying themselves to the fullest! Williamson joked about the rainy event “I’m now calling it ‘Yard Bird’s Mud-Stomp and Community Plant Sale.’ Our yard is, in fact, tapioca pudding now, it’s an incredible mess, but it will recover and we are not concerned.” The nickname seems appropriate, given the torrential rains that hit the high country over the weekend.  By Tzar Wilkerson / Read more…

June 10, 2019. An elegant penthouse in Chestnut at Blowing Rock has just sold for $2,005,228, the first sale in the new luxury enclave of 23 single-story luxury residences. The penthouse encompasses 2,860 square feet of open concept living, barrel cathedral ceilings in the great room, four bedrooms, four full baths and a full laundry/pantry. Marketed exclusively by Ashley Hutchens and Jerry Hutchens of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Blowing Rock office, new residences in Chestnut at Blowing Rock are available. “Sales in Chestnut at Blowing Rock are off to a strong start. We are very pleased to have closed the beautiful penthouse residence; with numerous upgrades, it offers the new homeowner a luxurious retreat. We anticipate a busy summer for this exclusive neighborhood, which features stunning amenities and is close to all the restaurants and shops on Main Street,” said Ashley Hutchens.  / Read more…

June 10, 2019. Steady rains arrived on Thursday and hung around the High Country all weekend long, bringing along with it some serious flooding issues in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties. Many roads were closed and even some of the main highways in and out of Boone had brief lane closures, including Highway 421 in Deep Gap where a mudslide closed one lane. One of the hardest hit areas in Watauga County was Valle Crucis where approximately seven inches of rain fell and left much of the Valle Crucis Community Park underwater. and many side roads closed. Valle Crucis Elementary School was also hit hard again in the storm as is typical for large rainfall events such as this one. “We saw impacts from this weekend’s storms across the county affecting several of our schools in different ways. Valle Crucis was affected most directly. We saw flooding there that’s unfortunately very typical for this type of storm at that school. Several classrooms in the lower lying areas of the school were flooded with groundwater,” said Garrett Price, Director of Communications for Watauga County Schools.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 10, 2019. During a recent Sunday worship service at Mountainside Lutheran Church in Linville, the congregation paid tribute to two long-time members who have helped the church to grow and thrive over the past fifteen years. Don Baker and James Stanton were presented with plaques in recognition of their many contributions to the church. “Both men helped shape this congregation as a community centered in the Word of God, in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit to help us love one another and serve our neighbors,” states Pastor Bryan Chestnutt. / Read more…

June 10, 2019. The Deep Gap Ruritan club recently presented six scholarships to deserving students for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. Five one thousand dollar scholarships were made possible through the generous support of community members who purchase a ticket to the annual steak dinner fundraiser. Recipients included: Hannah Taylor, Samantha Watson, Jonathan Hodges, Sydney Watson and Alison Cook. Lisandra Mejia received a $2500.00 award from the Charles Rogers Scholarship fund, given in memory of club member Charles Rogers who passed away last year. / Read more…

The new “Shaft” Full is an upgrade that’s also a downgrade. It’s not a Shaft 2019 Online movie, whatever that would now Free like (at this point, the concept is meaningless). It is, rather, a rudely conventional, entertainingly junky badass-for-the-megaplex action comedy. Yet since the film has the audacity — or maybe it’s just the shameless huckster savvy — to go out with the exact same title as the 1971 Gordon Parks classic, Read more…

The “ Men in Black 2019” #MIB 4 series was absurd, bombastic, outrageous and a whole lot of fun. Watch Men in Black: International Sure, Part 4 the trilogy Online may have been uneven Free in terms of quality, Streaming but the unlikely duo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have always managed to provide laughs with their fun-packed adventures.   Watch   :  https://hcpress/MIB4INTERNATIONAL   Aside from aliens, a few familiar faces, Read more…

June 7, 2019. Boone’s first and only boutique hotel and rooftop bar, the Horton Hotel, has been open for 4 months now, but service on the 900-square foot rooftop bar has recently become available within the month just in time for the summertime. The building was first built in 1929 by Henry Walter Horton, whose picture now hangs near the entrance of the modern hotel. The original one-story edifice was a Studebaker dealership before it was later replaced with a five-story department store and apartment building. The 9,000 square-foot-building is today owned by Fulton and Denise Lovin, founders of Boone’s White Fence Farm event venue. The two, who have been married for 21 years, have presented their own version of the Horton Hotel which puts emphasis on local businesses as well as remembering the history behind the building by incorporating a 1920’s aesthetic with a modern spin. By Gianna Holiday / Read more…

June 7, 2019. If everything goes as planned for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, there will soon be a senior living community in Blowing Rock. According to Vicki Stevens, the Director of Marketing for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, an agreement for a partnership between ARHS and Liberty Senior Living has been reached to develop a senior living campus on the 68-acre tract of land at Chestnut Ridge in Blowing Rock. Liberty Senior Living is based in Wilmington and prides itself on being a family-owned and operated company. Liberty Senior Living currently has five senior living campuses operating in North Carolina, one in South Carolina, and two others currently being developed in North Carolina. Chestnut Ridge is where the Foley Center is located, another ARHS facility for post-acute treatment for patients “healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital but not quite ready to safely return home.” Chestnut Ridge is also home to the Harriet and Charles Davant, Jr. Medical Clinic and Boone Drug’s Village Pharmacy. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 7, 2019. The 2019 Ensemble Stage Professional Summer Season gets underway on Friday night with the Deborah Zoe Laufer’s romantic comedy “Fortune.” “Fortune” will be performed from June 7 through June 15 at the Ensemble Stage Professional Theatre in Banner Elk. This is a special moment for Ensemble Stage as it is the season opener but it also marks the North Carolina premiere for “Fortune.” “Fortune” is the story of Maude, a lonely, surly, storefront psychic has accepted that love is not in the cards for her. She can see the future and knows this to be her fate. But when she takes pity on a love-hungry customer whom she tells is destined to the same fate, she decides fate is in need of a real butt-whipping. Thus begins a hilarious and clever, no-holes-barred, wrestling match, pitting love against predestination. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 6, 2019. The installation of the large-scale kinetic sculpture by renowned sculptor, Mike Roig occurred on June 3 from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Main Street at Chetola and marks the beginning of the inaugural cultural event, The Sculpture Walk on Chetola Lake August 9-11  from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. The Town of Blowing Rock approved the sculpture placement and the 900 lb., 13-foot tall kinetic sculpture will enhance the sidewalk along Main Street, (US 321) for a period of one year.  The sculptor was contacted by organizers of this major cultural event. Norma Suddreth, Arts Advocate and the First Sculpture Chair of The Sculpture Celebration, Lenoir, NC advocated Mr. Roigs work as he is distinguished nationally.  She relates, that a signature piece by Mr. Roig became the first public art piece to be placed along the US 321 corridor in Lenoir, NC.  “ A public art initiative enhances and provides visitors a first impression of how art can transform communities.” , Ms. Suddreth stated. / Read more…

June 6, 2019. Two separate rescues took place at Grandfather Mountain State Park to bring injured hikers to safety. The first incident happened on May 26 near MacRae Peak. The most recent incident happened on Wednesday, June 5 after a hiker broke his ankle and had to be rescued by members of the North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team (NC HART). The injury was reported late Wednesday morning, allowing for area rescuers to reach him on foot to provide on-site treatment. However, with the steep terrain and being roughly 1.5 miles from the nearest parking area, the decision was made to request a helicopter rescue. According to Frank Ruggiero, the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the hiker was injured near Attic Window inside Grandfather Mountain State Park. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 6, 2019. This June, visitors to Grandfather Mountain will be able to meet some true party animals. On Wednesday, June 12, the Linville, N.C., nature park will host its annual Animal Birthday Party, a day of celebration and special events designed to honor the black bears, bald eagles, river otters, cougars and elk that call Grandfather Mountain home. Most activities are included with regular admission to Grandfather Mountain. “This is a great way to celebrate all of the habitat animals, from our oldest bear, Gerry, at 30 years old, to Uno, our youngest river otter, who’s only 2,” said Christie Tipton, animal habitats curator for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park. “We want to use this day to thank the animals for all they do to enrich our lives and to educate people about our native wildlife.” / Read more…