10 years ago
* Graham County’s plans were to acquire 36 acres from Stanley Furniture, to build a recreational complex – which would include a 315-seat amphitheater. The park would include multi-use fields, soccer fields, covered pavilions, exercise trails and a concession stand. According to Graham County Economic Development Director Andy Cable, there was already a minimum of $500,000 in grants in “dollar-per-dollar” matching funds available through the N.C. Parks and Recreation Department. Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team Director Rick Davis said, “The key is a lot of inactivities that are going on in the county.”
* The Town of Fontana Dam council gave notice to Fontana Village Resort that they would enforce the tax-occupancy law, after the resort failed to make payments over the past two months. The decision was based on the $14,000-plus that the village owed the town. “We can also collect an additional $10 per day, if the tax isn’t paid, as well as an additional month not paid,” said Jessica Cooper, town administrator and tax collector. The tax is added to the sales price and is passed on to the customer, instead of being paid by the owner of the business and is due to the tax collector on a monthly basis.
25 years ago
* The new Snowbird Recreation Center was finally under construction, after 22 years of basketball games, gospel singings, Christmas dinners and signs observing the gains and losses of the community. The $785,000 building will house the previous “Jacob Cornsilk Community Center.” The 7,000 square-foot building would include space for a regulation gym, bleachers, a new fitness center and offices. Funding for the new center was provided by the Drug Elimination Grant, along with money from a separate grant. “This building would serve the community much better,” said Bucky Brown, director of Snowbird Recreation Center. “Lack of space was the biggest reason for the new building.”
* Two county residents were accused of making illegal requests for donations during the Christmas season. Patricia W. Daniels was arrested for allegedly collecting donations for Robbinsville Head Start and altering the amounts of the checks. In a second case, a young person had been going to homes requesting donations for the cancer society. Chief Deputy Jerry Crisp said that the solicitation was used to check out homes. The youth allegedly went back and stole several items from one of the homes. The sheriff’s department requested citizens that were contacted by either of these persons to please help with the investigation.
-Editor’s note: A Graham Star for 50 years ago could not be located.
-Compiled by Diane West