Friends of Morrow Mountain State Park

A meeting of the Friends of Morrow Mountain State Park (FMMSP) was called to order at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2015. Present were: Robert Flake, Tevis Smith, Tanya Davis, John Young, Vanessa Mullinix, Phil Lowder, Greg Schneider, and ten additional members. Chair Mullinix distributed the agenda for the day and opened with a welcome to all at the Spring 2015 meeting.

Minutes from the February 22, 2015 meeting were briefly discussed, and a motion was made by Greg Schneider to accept minutes as written. A second motion was accepted.

Next Treasurer Tevis Smith presented a Treasury report to the group. Tevis explained the two existing accounts (FSP Raleigh account and local account) and presented balances. The local account balance as of 5/12/2015 was $3,015.73. The Raleigh account balance as of 5/8/2015 was $7,551.12. This amounted to a combined balance of $10,566.85. A discrepancy of $600 (Run the Trail contribution) with the Raleigh account was noted, and Tevis had contacted the FSP office to discuss. The difference was noted as an error on the Raleigh account, and a correction was made to adjust the balance. Several expenditures have recently taken place to include approved educational expenses for the new Park Ranger, Jason Murvine, in amount of $575.00, and other small expenses such as postage stamps, mulch for a landscaping in front MMSP Lodge, etc. Membership renewals have been steadily coming in, and Tevis reported that the required IRS documentation had been filed for 2014 for the organization.

Next on the agenda were committee reports. On behalf of the History Committee, John Young discussed the purchase of the new computer/software and the process of transferring historical files from an old MAC system to the newly purchased system. With peak season underway at the MMSP and staff working at full capacity, the possibility of identifying an intern to assist park officials with the file transfer was discussed and is an ongoing possibility.

Ken Knight was not present to update everyone on Hiking and Trail Maintenance, but it was noted that Ken has organized several hikes, with two generating great interest and high participation. All information on upcoming hiking and trail maintenance events can be found on the FMMSP website. Janet Davis and Laura Krug were not present, but both assisted with the Run the Trail event which yielded $600 for FMMSP. This event brought individuals from across the region and was a success. Efforts are underway to continue to grow this event, and FMMSP would like to continue to support this event.

Chair Mullinix noted and Marketing and Fundraising had recently completed a mail-out to all members. At this point, FMMSP has approximately 200 members, which includes current and expired memberships. The recent mailing has prompted those with expired memberships to renew. Chair Mullinix commended Phil Lowder on his efforts to establish an online membership renewal and donation capability through the organization website. It was noted that while this capability now exists, we are still in a learning process, and it may need a few tweaks along the way.

Two large projects are on the table that will require major fundraising efforts. The first is the completion of the south entrance wall. The newly completed north entrance wall was successfully accomplished with a total cost of $12,000. The south entrance wall is longer, which will require approximately $19,000 to complete. Chair Mullinix discussed beginning the south wall entrance project in June, and noted a generous in-kind donation had been granted, along with a $3,000 grant award from the Friends of State Parks. It is likely that additional funding will be available in amount of $2,000 from Friends of State Parks after their current fiscal year ends on July 1st 2015. This will be a future determination based on grant fund availability. Chair Mullinix has spoken with Special Forces who assisted in the disassembly and reassembly of the north entrance wall, and one again this group graciously agreed to assist with volunteer labor on the south entrance wall.

The second large project on the table for discussion was the renovation of the old CCC Barracks. Vice Chair Robert Flake is continuing an effort to secure donations for this project. Historic preservations grants may be a possibility, and Robert hopes the new PowerPoint presentation may be a catalyst to generate interest in this project as well. Superintendent Schneider noted that the entrance wall projects had been a wonderful enhancement for the park entrance, but commented that the barrack renovation would allow many wonderful opportunities to host seasonal employees, university professors and students, as well as training experts for professional development opportunities for park staff.

Vice Chair Flake briefly discussed the land acquisition effort, and remarked the project was slowly moving forward. This acquisition will be made possible through current land owners, the Land Trust of Central North Carolina, and the state of North Carolina. The acquisition includes a 73-acre tract of property, as well as a 5-acre tract of land. Following a series of complications, the 5-acre acquisition is now moving forward to become property of the park. While the ALCOA land gift remains uncertain, FMMSP is hopeful that one day the additional acreage to include the Hardaway site will become a reality for MMSP.

Planning for Old Fashioned Day, which will take place the first Sunday of November, is ongoing. Superintendent Schneider would like to entice additional vendors to support the event, and is open for suggestions to expand current craftsmen, etc. to participate. This is a free event to the public, but in an effort to entice additional vendors, they will be able to sell their crafts to the public that day as long as they are demonstrating their art as well. It is possible a couple local food vendors could participate, and the Eastern Band of Cherokees are interested promoting their cultural heritage/history at this event. Along these lines, Superintendent Schneider thanked FMMSP for covering the educational cost for Ranger Jason Murvine to attend the Native American bow making class this summer. As a new MMSP Ranger, Jason brings a genuine interest in Native American customs and interpretations. His current expertise includes leather drying, flint knapping, authentically constructing dugout canoes, and more. One of Jason’s canoes is now on exhibit in Eastern North Carolina, and as interests in Native American culture increase, his knowledge and proficiency in this discipline will be serve as a valuable educational resource for children and adults in this region.

Chair Mullinix opened the floor for suggestions or comments. One member asked about the possibility of a Goldwing Ride to be organized at the mountain. Chair Mullinix noted poor participation from the first ride, but was certainly willing to revisit the possibility of hosting another ride. The member noted connections with Goldwing chapters across North Carolina, and suggested a willingness to help grow the event.

One member asked if installation of bike trails (mountain bikes) may be considered by park officials. Superintendent Schneider discussed at length the emphasis of hiking and equine trails since the inception of the park. Many hiking and equine trails have been established over the years, making it difficult to position bike trails in locations where hiking and equine trails currently exist.

Additionally, another member has a desire to see more items with the MMSP logo for sale (i.e. sweatshirts, mugs, hats, etc.). Superintendent Schneider remarked that the park would very much like to add additional promotional items for sale, but one obstacle had been finding appropriate space to sell the items. The park office offers little room for displaying such items, and the boathouse has little space as well. Park officials are working toward such goals, and plan to accomplish this with construction of a display case in the Park Office Lobby. This would allow park staff to display and sell an expanded line of T-shirts, hats, walking sticks, and other MMSP logo items.

Superintendent Schneider concluded with discussion on state projects that had been funded and completed, and others that are funded for future completion. Park officials understand the need to educate community leaders on the local economic impact of MMSP, and are continuous in their efforts to develop innovative means to direct out-of-county dollars to the local economy. To promote this effort, Superintendent Schneider is currently collaborating and speaking at community events to educate the public. Listed below are a few highlighted facts from his presentations:

• MMSP has approximately 400,000 visitors annually.

• At full capacity, MMSP can accommodate up to 906 individuals for an overnight stay.

• MMSP employs 10 full-time employees and 27 seasonal employees.

• For every $1 spent - $4 is generated as a benefit to the local community.

• Park hours have been extended to include earlier gate opening and later gate closing.

• Registered guests also have the potential to request a late gate arrival, which allows them to spend $$$ in the local area.

• Cabins may now be booked for shorter intervals of time (2 day minimum versus 1 week minimum)

• Approximately 35-40 weddings take place each year in the park lodge.

• MMSP is one of a small number of state parks producing a significant amount of funding for their local operating budget.

Lastly, MMSP will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Dedication of Morrow Mountain State Park on June 29, 2015. While still in an early discussion phase, Superintendent Schneider would like to host some type of event in celebration of this significant anniversary. More to come on this as plans unfold.

Those attending were presented with a PowerPoint presentation on the history and economic impact of MMSP on the surrounding community. This presentation will be used to promote awareness to local groups in hopes of gaining donations for the proposed projects. Questions and comments regarding the presentation were requested from members. As no other business or matters were presented for discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 3:41 p.m.