Franklin TDA 07-31-2012 Continuation Meeting

**11.45pm** Here is the video of the meeting:


**6.50pm** Here is the audio of the meeting:

Download MP3


The Franklin Tourism Development Authority (TDA) will have a continuation meeting on Tuesday July 31, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Town Hall Boardroom, 95 East Main Street, Franklin, NC.

The main object of this meeting will be to determine if the organizers of the Smoky Mountain Rumble motorcycle rally have finally comlied with the request of the TDA to obtain proof of liability insurance. See video of the last meeting.

I plan on being there to cover this meeting on Google Plus. I will post the video/audio/photos from the meeting as soon as I can in this article.

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Sunset

This is an interpretation of Thursday's sunset, a photo of which is below.

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The Summer Meeting of the Macon County Republican Party

The Macon County Republican Party held it's summer meeting last night at the Boiler Room restaurant in Franklin, NC. Please visit their website to find out how you can become involved.

After the meal, Roger West presented Wayne Carringer with a Bataan Survivor Medallion from the Macon County Republican Party. More information on Wayne Carringer's experiences in World War II, including his eyewitness account of the detonation of an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, Japan can be found at this website.

A video of that follows:



Wayne Carringer leads the pledge and is presented with a Bataan Survivor Medallion by Roger West.

Then the party, led by Chairman Chris Murray, took care of business and the various clubs made a series of announcements about upcoming events.



Mark Meadows thanked those gathered for their support during the primary and the runoff. He remarked that 80% of Maconians voted for him in the runoff and he looked forward to the general election.

Please visit his website for more information on his campaign.



Justice Paul Newby dedlivered the keynote address. He is running for re-election to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Please visit his website for more information.

Here are some of the photos that I took at the meeting:


Wayne Carringer leads the pledge of alleigance to the flag.


Macon County Republicans listen to a speaker at the Boiler Room Restaurant.


Mark Meadows thanks Macon County Republicans for their support during the two primaries held this spring.


Roger West poses for a photo. Please visit his website for more information on how you can help him win re-election.


Gary Dills and Jenine Crossman enjoy a conversation.


Mark Meadows and Wayne Carringer.


 Chris Murray and Paul Newby pose for a photo with some of the fabulous ladies of the Gem Country Republican Women's Club. Please visit their website for more information on their activities and for information to join them in their efforts.


A gratuitous photo of the beautiful sunset that was taking place after the meeting was over.


Another gratuitous photo of the beautiful sunset that was taking place after the meeting was over.

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Mark Meadows at the Macon GOP Summer Meeting

Mark Meadows and his son Blake at the Macon County GOP summer meeting in Franklin, NC. Video will be forthcoming after he speaks.

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Special Called Meeting of the Franklin TDA July 24, 2012

**6:30am** Here is the video of the meeting:



And here is the audio of the meeting:

Download MP3



The Franklin TDA is having a special called meeting to discuss the Smoky Mountain Motorcycle Rally.

My "nearly live" coverage can be found on Google Plus. The agenda is below and I will be uploading the audio and video as soon as I can after the meeting.

Special Called TDA Meeting Agenda

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Franklin ABC Store Loan Denied by BB&T

Sam Greenwood, the Franklin Town Manager, sent out a memo to Town Aldermen and members of the press that indicated the loan on the new ABC Store had been denied by BB&T. I have embedded a copy of it below.

The ABC Store has generated a lot of controversy recently, with many in the town feeling that there was no consultation with the public on the need for a new ABC Store or where such a building should be placed. The video of the recent meetings of the Town Board of Aldermen where the ABC Store has been discussed can be accessed via the links below:

July 2, 2012


June 7, 2012 

June 4, 2012


May 21, 2012 






Franklin ABC Store Financing Memo from Sam Greenwood

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Scenes from the Battle of Frogtown

During the annual Franklin Folk Festival, Civil War reenactors create a fictional Battle of Frogtown that is inspired by a skirmish that took place in the Iotla Community near where the present day Iotla bridge crosses the Little Tennessee River.


In the real battle, if reports are to be believed, only one Union soldier died. The local home guard, composed of men too old for war and boys too young to run off and join it, managed to fend off an attack by Kirk's Raiders.


A young Confederate soldier warns his fellow soldiers that the Yankees are coming...


Everyone loads and prepares for battle.


The home guard forms a line.


A confederate shoots at Yankees in the tree line.

Kirk's Raiders charge the defenders of Frogtown...


...and find a nasty surprise waiting for them...


...the officer who led the charge is struck down.


A union soldier lies dead. A confederate is mortally wounded as his comrades fight their way into the tree line thanks to supporting fire from the cannon.


The battle continues to rage among the dead.


A captured member of Kirk's Raiders escapes and rushes to join his comrades.




If you would like to see this reenactment for yourself, mark your calendars for the third Saturday in July next year, when it will be fought again. 

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Fire Apparatus Parade Celebrating 100th Anniversary of Franklin Fire-Rescue During 9th Annual Folk Festival

Video and photos taken during the Fire Apparatus Parade celebrating the 100th anniversary of Franklin Fire-Resuce during the 9th annual Franklin Folk Festival in Franklin, NC.

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Macon County Planning Board 07-19-2012

Here is the video of tonight's meeting of the Macon County Planning Board, the first since the death of long time member Al Slagle. 


I am still trying to get the board to send me an electronic copy of the agenda when it meets. So far, I have been unsuccessful.

**Note** I missed the previous meeting of this board due to a misunderstand of the time on my part. I apologize for that error.


Copy of the obituary for Al Slagle as provided by Bryant Funeral Home:

Charles Alfred Slagle

Charles Alfred “Al” Slagle died at home June 28, 2012. He was born Feb. 27, 1950, was a native of Macon County and lived in the Cartoogechaye Community. The cause of death was lung cancer.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Siler Slagle and Nina Waldroop Slagle of Franklin, paternal grandparents Carl and Louise Slagle and maternal grandparents Charles and Kate Setser Waldroop.

He was a 1968 graduate of Franklin High School. After two years at Western Carolina University, he joined the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1974. He finished his B.S. in geology at WCU in 1976. He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for graduate school furthering his studies of geology. Most of his professional career as a hydrogeologist was spent working in the public water supply section of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. He was a long time member of the Association of Engineering Geologists and served as the president of the NC chapter of AEG. He was also a member of the National Groundwater Association. He served the people of Macon County as an active member of the Macon County Planning Board.

He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Candace; son Chris Williams and wife Barb; daughters, Erin Marsten and Megan Marsten and sons, Carl Slagle and partner Erika of Charlotte and Jake Slagle and wife Vanessa of Franklin; one grandson, Owen Siler Marsten and granddaughter, Haley Williams; sisters, Chris Slagle and husband Robert Martin of Black Mountain and Kathy Tinsley and husband Dan of Franklin; aunts, Nell Waldroop Ray of Fletcher, N.C. and Myra Slagle Waldroop of Franklin; cousins, Betty Waldroop, Mary Pittman and Carl Southerland of Franklin and I.B. Southerland of Winston-Salem; several nieces and nephews; step-siblings Carlene White, Wayne Meacham, and Gary Meacham who live in the Chapel Hill area; and step-mother Clydie O. Slagle of Franklin.

At his request no funeral services will be held. At a later time the family will gather and celebrate by the Nantahala River where he enjoyed fishing and camping for many years. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to a charity of one’s choice or to the Cartoogechaye Democratic Precinct c/o Betty Waldroop, 12660 Murphy Hwy., Franklin, NC 28734; Angel Hospice General Fund, 170 Church Street, Franklin, NC 28734 or the UNICEF TAP project, 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038. This organization provides communities with safe drinking water world-wide.

Bryant-Grant Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
PDF Copy of Obituary


Read online condolences

Online condolences may be made at www.bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.

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Peter Robinson Interviews George W Bush

Here is an interview Peter Robinson recently conducted with President George W. Bush on life after the White House.

Source: Uncommon Knowledge

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Mark Meadows Wins Runoff Election Margin of Victory 76.32% to 23.68%

Precinct-level map of last night's results (larger image)
**note** Thanks to Jason Chappell for notifying me of a grievous error in the map.

Mark Meadows won the second primary in the US House of Representatives race in the 11th Congressional district yesterday by a very wide margin, taking 15 of the 17 counties. Those number are below:

Unofficial tally of the Meadows vs Patterson race (larger image)

Vance Patterson conceded the race early, the first twitter report of that coming in around 9pm.

The results here in Macon County were much the same as in the rest of the district, with Meadows taking 84.11% of the vote and sweeping the 15 precincts in the county.

Results of the Meadows vs Patterson race in Macon County (larger image)

The results in the rest of the races can be viewed on the North Carolina Board of Elections website.


Now, the task becomes winning the Congressional race in the fall.

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Today is the Second Primary Get Out and Vote

Today is the second primary for several races in North Carolina. If you know where your polling place is, get out and vote.

The only candidate that I'm endorsing is Mark Meadows for Congress in the NC-11 Republican Primary.

The only candidate I'm anti-endorsing is Richard Morgan in the Insurance Commissioner race. Vote for Mike Causey just because he isn't Richard Morgan.

Who is Richard Morgan, you ask? Publius 2013 has the answer.

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Macon County Commissioners 07-10-2012

**6.30am** Here is video of the meeting and photos of the power of the summary of the "Compensation and Classification Study" by John Anzivino and Stephanie Davis with Springsted, Inc.



Here is a slide show of the power point summary of the Compensation Study. You can press the square button to stop the slide show and advance the photos one at a time by pressing the arrow buttons.



You may view the indidual photos by clicking here. Once on photobucket, you may click each photo that you wish to see for more detail.

**10.25pm** Here is the audio of tonight's meeting

Download MP3







The Macon County Commissioners will be meeting this evening at 6pm and I'll be there to cover the meeting. My nearly live play-by-play is on my preferred social network, G+

The agenda for the meeting is embedded below (followed by some last minute adjustments below that) and I will post the audio and video as soon after the meeting as I can.


Macon County Commissioner Agenda Packet 07-10-2012


NC Public Employee Deferred Compensation Plan EMPLOYER –THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR AGREEMENT


Revised 457 Resolution


Budget Amendments 10 and 11

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StreetFest 2012: July 13th Edition

Venture Local Franklin and local merchants are hosting a StreetFest (one of three planned for the season) this Friday night on Main Street in Franklin, NC. The event will feature shopping, music by two bands (The Unawarewulves and The Arrogant Americans), dining indoors and outdoors on Main Street followed by a showing of the movie Ghostbusters on a 26 foot screen outdoors at Town Hall. Bring a lawn chair and/or a blanket for the movie, which begins shortly after sundown.

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