ashe

I agree, just don't know what it takes to fix it. And the question remains would the voters in our county vote for this scum we have for commissioners and manager anyway? Sad.

Skittles, I don't know if now is worse or better. That addition of modern technology like cellphones, mobile cameras, and the internet make it easier for people to get access to information. This makes it harder for corruption to hide and easier for the public to expose the truth. Maybe it's worse, maybe it's always been this way and we didn't know it. Truth is, it doesn't matter what it was before, what matters is now and what we can do to fix it.

Sks
No, don't recall a time of corruption like this. This is the worst county manager, some of the bottom of the pit commissioners (Rose, Perry & Roark),and certainly the worst "so called" Sheriff in the history of my life...going back to the sixties.
I am a very positive individual but this bunch leave absolutely nothing to work with other than to get their corrupting butts out of here. It must happen before this county can bounce back and have a chance again!

Speaking about how we've grown, can anybody raised here remember a time in this counties history when there has been such an open corruption of local government? I mean the sheriff is one thing but I can't recall a time that I've ever heard of such a corrupt bunch of commissioners, county manager, who have made the local Jefferson Post and a big time TV news station like WBTV? Boy you talk about growing, we've went to the rats, thirty years ago these crooks would have had to go down the mountain to buy tires, groceries, ect. Cause they would have been kicked to the curb for such behavior. THINK ABOUT THAT NEXT ELECTION!

Many maybe not most but many of the small businesses are run sadly by owners who think that it's all about stuffing their pockets, they take to much out of the businesses and don't leave enough extra for lean times, and also don't share that earnings properly with their employees through raises and such. That's why I believe many are about 1 really bad season from bankruptcy.

For example, Shatley Springs. It was a huge draw in the 80s and early 90s. If proper maintenance had been maintained all these years on it it might still be a big draw, but sadly people thought maintenance wasn't important. As such it has a rather run down look to it compared to its heyday.

And it's not the only example of that in the county.

I get the impression that Jefferson, and West Jefferson think they dont need to advertise and push tourism. They had better be waking up. There are professional consultants that would earn their keep were the towns to explore those options.

Most businesses are on the edge of going under because 1. people come up with horrible ideas for businesses and 2. Most people are horrible at running businesses and don't do the research needed or learn how to manage a business or finances.

Good point, Lansing is doing well and hopefully that continues

Such mandates also though increase the cost of business, and most Ashe county small businesses are one bad season from declaring bankruptcy.

I do agree that the County Government does not do enough to promote Ashe County, Lansing does about the best job of promoting itself, but you don't see that level of promotion for West Jefferson or Jefferson, and that is sad.

Tourism will have to continue to be a source of revenue. It is not a bad thing as long as County and city leaders do more to promote small business growth. For example you would think tourism towns like Jefferson and West Jefferson would mandate all business' would need to keep their properties in shape such as landscaping and upkeep. This would help landscaping business', money would stay in the county and you have well maintained buildings. Just a small example but it gets the point. Manufacturing jobs are most likely not coming back as much as that would help. But, in all honesty you speak to most employers and they cannot keep good help in this county. It has become easier to collect a check and stay at home. Drug testing is a thing of the past because you could not keep a crew. It's sad to see the state of Ashe County in some ways.

When Hugh Morton died in June 2006, his heirs vowed to continue his mission to preserve and protect Grandfather Mountain in its natural state. In September 2008 they announced a plan to sell the undeveloped “backcountry” of Grandfather to the state of North Carolina for a state park. In the summer of 2009, the Morton family began the process of transferring the operations of the travel attraction to the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. The new non-profit organization continues to make the property accessible to the public and will devote all resources to preservation, conservation, education and recreation.

You forgot tourism. Our leaders should be promoting it at every turn. If you want to call them leaders.

Skidmark, at what point has anyone ever claimed that jobs would come back as a result of 221. Those jobs are gone, and like I said, we should not want them back. As a rural community we can thrive if we get out of the way. 221 is essentially to keep jobs that are here and to provide infrastructure to those that want to start a business. If Ashe is going to grow economically it will have to do so within the county. Specialized homegrown manufacturing and small business is the only way that we can grow.

Just got back from China on a business trip, good news because of Hwy 221 being built they will consider bring in a major computer company creating thousands of jobs ranging in salaries from $30-$100 per hour! LMAO

At $12 million, they got to claim a huge loss on a property that they couldn't do anything else with anyway

The foundation the Morton family started still run the park area along with the State. Trust me the Mortons sold the rights to the land in the park. In the paper and website it may be the foundations, but in the agreement, the State has all rights to the land. There was a reason it was sold for only 12 million dollars, the foundation wanted to stop paying property taxes. Only way they could accomplish this was to give the land to the State.

Highlands may not appeal to you, but it and Cashiers are huge second home and vacation markets. And the area is probably smaller than Ashe. My point is it doesn't take amusement parks or airbrushed t-shirts to attract visitors.

Grandfather Mountain is split into two. The formerly undeveloped areas became the State Park. The formerly developed areas were transferred to a nonprofit foundation that runs the former developed part. The State does have the right to stop new development in the area run by the nonprofit, but it's still privately run other than that.

You do realize based on published data that the median income in Ashe is higher than the median income in Highlands. To my knowledge I've not been, perhaps when I was a kid but certainly not as an adult. My parents took us all over when I was younger so we might have gone there on a trip to Cherokee or someplace else.

I don't golf (I have a bad hip, bad knee and bad ankle on the left leg and a bad back), as such I don't hike anymore (used to enjoy it as a kid), I don't drink wine (or any alcohol), and as such the appeal of Highlands isn't great enough for me to go as an adult.

Ashe could be the next Highlands

http://www.highlandsinfo.com

Skiddy, you are so far off that I need to go and check my liquor stock because I do think you must have been in it. Your claim that there is nothing here for the tourist is wrong. Just look at the nightly and weekly home rental sites at the number of home rentals we have. Did you forget about the New river?