Dear Friend,

Like most of us this Holiday Season, Cynthia Luedtke has a checklist.

Cynthia and her husband, Dwight Luedtke, own Sigma Planning Group in Cloverdale, Virginia. Their website lists Sigma as a small, woman-owned business -- and Cynthia is that woman.

So what drove her to contact FRIENDS and offer a corporate contribution?

“Our four boys grew up playing soldier in the forest between our house and the Parkway," Cynthia explained. “We got a letter in the mail from FRIENDS about how federal budget cuts on the Parkway have left the Park Service seriously understaffed. And the light went on. The Parkway has always been there for our family," Cynthia noted, “and we want to make sure we don’t lose the beauty and scenic views it offers."

Micah and Ben love music and track. Both boys serve as student council officers and belong to the chess club – which they helped revive at Lord Botetourt High School. Aaron served two tours of duty in Iraq maintaining and repairing helicopters. Josh is a combat veteran at age 22 – serving in Afghanistan from July 2004 to July 2005.

Cynthia hopes some of her sons can help plant trees this spring when FRIENDS holds its viewshed planting not far from her home. She hopes to inspire other businesses in the Parkway corridor to join her in making a difference. The business communities bordering the Parkway receive benefits from the Parkway presence.

“After all,” she says, “the community advertises the Parkway when recruiting employees and attracting businesses to the area, so it only makes sense that they should help FRIENDS maintain its natural beauty.”

Cynthia even hopes to return to a passion of hers: quilting. “I’d like to make a beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway quilt that could be auctioned at a fundraiser for FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway – maybe in my spare time?”

By Kitty Coleman, Director of Marketing and Development, FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway

If you're not currently a member, JOIN TODAY!

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Gift Ideas for the Holidays!

NEW CD! Cleansing Fountain

An acoustic instrumental journey down the Blue Ridge Parkway with Timothy Seaman

Price: $16.99 / Click here to order.

A Holiday Message from Timothy Seaman:

FRIENDS and Belle Aurora Partner to Benefit the Blue Ridge Parkway!

In November, Belle Aurora partnered with FRIENDS by establishing a plan to contribute a portion of the proceeds from its Blue Ridge Collection to FRIENDS to help preserve the Blue Ridge Parkway! Belle Aurora's products are made with the finest quality ingredients, alluring aromas and beautiful packaging.

The Blue Ridge Collection features candles, notecards, soaps and gift sets and is available in six refreshing fragrances: Apple Orchard, Dogwood, Highland, Mountain Mist, Southern Pine and Wild Flower.

Create a relaxing retreat for yourself or someone special by ordering online today! CLICK HERE for more information.

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Give a Gift Membership to FRIENDS!

Visit FRIENDS' Online Store!

FRIENDS Welcomes New Staff Member Debbie Mowrey!

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the appointment of Debbie Mowrey as our Director of Programs and Development for the Asheville area of the FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Debbie brings a wealth of non-profit knowledge having served as the Executive Director of the Girl Scouts in major metropolitan areas across the United States for over 18 years. Most recently Debbie was the Executive Director of the Asheville Education Coalition and the Colburn Earth Science Museum. She is a great asset for both development and programs in the Asheville area.

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FRIENDS Announces Photo Contest Winners for 2007!

FRIENDS' Second Annual Photo Contest was a huge success! We received over 250 submissions this year. Selecting our winners was quite a difficult task for our judges. All the entries were beautiful and inspiring! (Though we here at FRIENDS don't believe one can take a bad photo of our beloved Parkway!) After such a wonderful response, we're looking forward to next year, so keep your cameras handy! The categories this year were flora (including landscapes), fauna, friends, and family.

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted a photograph this year! And a special congratulations to our honorees! Take a look at their works of art below and we think you'll understand why these photos earned top honors!

Second Place Morning Reflections #2 Daniel Jones from Fincastle, VA

Third Place Bluff Tree at Sunset Dan Leeper from Ridgeway, VA

YOUTH DIVISION  First Place Fawn Delight  Brianna Capps from Mountain City, TN

Second Place Sunset Road Jessica Huffman from Forest, VA

Third Place Mushroom Even in Dry Weather Along the Parkway Perry Brown from Asheville, NC

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Youth Volunteers in Parks Programs

National Youth Programs Junior Ranger Program

From the National Parks Foundation E-Newsletter - November 2007

Daniel Callahan is the son of a park ranger and the stepson of a park ranger. He started participating in Junior Ranger programs when he was four years old. He completed his first Junior Ranger program (with help from Mom) at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Since then, he has completed an impressive 13 Junior Ranger programs at other national parks throughout the country.

National Park Service Youth Programs

The National Park Service works to ensure that young Americans age 5 to 24 from different economic, ethnic, social, and cultural backgrounds gain access to the national parks. Through programs such as the Student Conservation Association (SCA), the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), Job Corps, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC), and Public Land Corps (PLC), young people are provided with the opportunity to develop a life-long commitment to support our national parks and protect our natural environment and cultural heritage.

Members of the Youth Conservation Corp work together on projects, acquiring important team-building skills. In addition, our partnerships, active for many decades, are becoming increasingly important. Through partnerships with other Federal, State, and local agencies and nonprofit organizations, a nationwide system of parks provides educational, recreational, and conservation benefits. Partnerships can also provide technical assistance at the initial stages of project conceptualization and planning.

Participating youth learn valuable natural and cultural resource management skills and develop a greater appreciation of American history and our nation’s most renowned ecosystems. These partnerships are key to producing high quality youth programs.

Parks frequently develop partnerships locally with schools, social service agencies, scout groups, or other youth-focused organizations based on informal, volunteer, or cooperative agreements. With longstanding traditions of preserving and protecting national treasures, the Service has superbly served wide ranges of visitors who represent all segments of the American society.

Through efforts of non-profit partners, SCA and NASCC, diversity is maintained by reaching underrepresented populations and preparing them for possible jobs and careers in the NPS. In addition, this promotes a greater diversity of park visitors, in terms of social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

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Local Youth Programs

Youth Volunteers in Parks (YVIP) Program Seeks Funding

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway was awarded a $7,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina for the development of a Youth Volunteers in Parks (YVIP) Program in North Carolina.

To help FRIENDS secure funds to keep these young Parkway Ambassadors working on the Parkway and inspiring them to carry these conservation ideals into their adult lives, please call the FRIENDS office at 800-228-PARK (7275) or send email to staff@friendsbrp.org for information on how you can make a difference!

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Parkway News

Tina White, Highlands District Interpreter - Blue Ridge Parkway Employee of the Year

The 2007 Blue Ridge Parkway Employee of the Year wore many hats during 2007 and ably handled many assignments. As a testament to a job well done, Tina White was nominated for Employee of the Year by her co-workers in the Highlands District and at Headquarters.

She competently carried out the duties of the Parkway’s Acting Chief of Interpretation for one-half of 2007. While doing so she continued with her regular responsibilities, successfully fulfilling her role as District Interpreter. Additionally, with the January 2007 retirement of the Parkway’s Public Affairs Officer, Tina was frequently called on to serve in this role as well. She provided liaison with both print and electronic media, and appeared on local and national television as the Service’s spokesperson.

As Acting Division Chief, Tina managed the park-wide responsibilities of the cooperating association, the volunteer program, seasonal hiring and Milepost printing; successfully completing all of the necessary tasks and activities for the 2007 season. In this role she was also tasked with oversight of several major projects such as the Destination Center and Explore Park exhibits, and she carried out a variety of work with partner groups to ensure that programs operated successfully.

Tina handled her HQ responsibilities while capably dealing with the rigors of seasonal start-up and the “routine” activities required for her District’s operations! Her district co-workers report that she is uniformly pleasant and easy to work with, frequently volunteering to take on additional tasks such as taking notes and writing the minutes for the district’s management team meetings.

She also co-instructs (with Supervisory Park Ranger Dave Bauer) the annual first aid and CPR training for both permanent and seasonal staff.Tina has trained as an Incident Public Information Officer and has served in this function on wildfires, major special events such as the First Flight 100 year anniversary on the Outer Banks, and other all risk hazards.

She wrote a district SOP dealing with media contacts. In March of 2007 she was the PIO for the Michael Auberry Search in Doughton Park which received extensive nationwide media coverage for over three days and found herself in front of the television cameras in a high pressure situation for much of that time. Throughout the many days of the search, she exemplified a spirit and demeanor that served to comfort the lost youth’s family and friends, and reflected the highest level of NPS service. The Incident Commander and Deputy Incident Commander for that search received numerous accolades from various members of the media on Tina’s performance. She made the National Park Service and the Blue Ridge Parkway look good during and after the successful resolution of this event.

Every year since her arrival Tina has coordinated the portion of the Overland Victory Trail celebration that occurs on BLRI lands as well as a host of smaller events in Moses Cone Memorial Park that she planned and conceived herself, such as Heritage Days and an annual egg hunt on Easter Sunday. She has instituted some new and innovative interpretive programs including a very popular tour of the upstairs portion of the Cone Manor House. The program was popular enough from the outset that reservations need to be made in advance to attend the program.

In appreciation for her accomplishments and her ability to juggle multiple positions and assignments, while always maintaining a positive attitude and smile on her face, it is our great honor to present the 2007 Blue Ridge Parkway Employees & Alumni Association Employee of the Year Award to Highlands District Interpreter Tina White.

Submitted by:
Linda G. Brown, President
Daniel W. Brown, Vice-President

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Safety Improvements at Abbott Lake Dam

The Blue Ridge Parkway’s Abbott Lake Dam will be closed from December 2007 through October 2008. The lake is in the Peaks of Otter Developed Area, Milepost 85.9 on the Parkway.

Visitors will be prohibited from the general area surrounding the dam, including the picnic area, Pollywood’s Ordinary cabin and the Abbott Lake trail. Visitors will still be able to access the trails from the Peaks of Otter visitor’s center.

Parkway officials said the closure is necessary for implementation of safety improvements for the Abbott Lake Dam, part of the Peaks of Otter developed area, near Bedford, VA. In its present condition Abbott Lake Dam poses a “significant” downstream hazard during periods of extreme flooding as defined by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) who regularly conducts formal inspection of National Park Service (NPS) dams. Abbott Lake Dam was identified as deficient in modern safety standards for its classification. Improvements will include repair and modification of the outlet works, installation of a toe drain system, installation of an impact basin, and placement of concrete cellular matting on the downstream face of the dam. The BOR, in partnership with the NPS, will provide the engineering and acquisition services for the project.

Construction activities will require that Abbott Lake be temporarily drained. Officials plan to lower the lake level beginning in December and begin refilling in the late spring. This schedule is intended to minimize the impact on visitor’s experience by limiting the period of low water to the winter and spring months. November through April is traditionally the period of lightest visitation along the 469-mile scenic highway.

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Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant Remain Open

During improvements to the Abbott Lake Dam the Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant, located at Milepost 86 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, will remain open year-round. The lodge facilities include 63 rooms and the full-service restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

The Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant are owned and operated by the Virginia Peaks of Otter Company as an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service. Reservations can be made by calling 540-586-9263.

These facilities remain open as safety improvements to the Abbott Lake Dam and draining of the lake begin in December 2007. Visitors will be able to access the trails from the Peaks of Otter visitor center.

Parkway officials said in a News Release dated November 7 that the closure is necessary for implementation of safety improvements for the Abbott Lake Dam, part of the Peaks of Otter developed area, near Bedford, VA. The fact that there are close surrounding communities who would be impacted by any default in the Abbott Lake Dam makes this dam a high downstream hazard dam.

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Explore Park Closed

Explore Park's Historic Areas closed to the public at 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 18. The Historic Areas and the Brugh Tavern, which closed at the end of October, will not re-open next season. The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, which also includes a permanent exhibit chronicling the early histories of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke region, will close for the season on November 18 but will re-open next spring to provide information services for Blue Ridge Parkway travelers. Several recreation areas will remain open for the time being, including the mountain biking trails, Society of American Foresters hiking trail near the Brugh Tavern, and fishing at Rutrough Point (at the end of Rutrough Road).

Explore Park is awaiting Virginia Living Histories' decision to exercise a 50-year lease option of Explore Park property. If the lease is activated, Virginia Living Histories plans to develop an experiential family destination attraction on Park property. An answer is expected next spring."This is a bittersweet time for all of us," remarks Explore Park's executive director, Debbie Pitts. "The outpouring of care and concern from the Roanoke Valley community has been heartwarming," she adds, "making things a little easier. We're confident that the future of this beautiful land and all that it represents - education, recreation, and conservation, among others - will have a new lease on life."

Explore Park's historic artifacts, reproductions, and antiques will be wrapped and stored off-site. All buildings will be secured, winterized, and treated for potential pests.

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Parkway Section (MP 382.5 to 330.9) to close in November

(Asheville, NC)—The 51.6-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkwaybetween US Route 70 East at Milepost (MP) 382.5 in Asheville and NC Route 226 at Milepost 330.9 at Gillespie Gap will be temporarily detoured due to a retaining wall failure at MP 364.6.

This detour will be in effect from November 16, 2007 until corrective actions are completed. This section of the Parkway will be closed to all traffic from Milepost 355.3 (just south of the entrance to Mt. Mitchell State Park) to MP 375.6 (just north of the Ox Creek Road intersection).

The detour will begin for visitor traffic traveling south at MP 330.9 with the intersection NC Route 226. Visitors will follow the detour signs along this route to I-40 West at Exit 86, exit I-40 West at Exit 55 to US 70 West which will bring them back to the Parkway at MP 382.5.

Visitors traveling north will begin the detour at Milepost 382.5 at the intersection with US Route 70. Visitors should follow the detour signs along US 70 East to the intersection of I-40 East continuing on I-40 East to Exit 86 where they will take NC Route 226 North. This will return them to the Parkway at MP 330.9 at Gillespie Gap.

The total distance of the detour will be approximately 47 miles. Parkway officials said the closure is to allow repairs to be made to the retaining wall at MP 364.6, which has failed. Officials emphasized that the scenic motor road will be open to Mount Mitchell State Park from the north only at MP 330.9, as weather permits. No public access to the Parkway will be allowed south of the entrance to Mt. Mitchell State Park (MP 355.3) and north of the Ox Creek Road intersection (MP 375.6).

Planned tunnel repair, which required a section of the road to be closed, is within this 51.6 mile-section and is underway. Visitation to the Parkway is at its lowest levels in the winter, and the closure was scheduled to cause the least possible impact on public use and enjoyment of the scenic road.

Due to emergency closure of the motor road, the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (VC) is now closed for the season.

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National Trails Day 2008

On June 7, 2008, American Hiking will once again commemorate National Trails Day (NTD) - a long standing celebration of America's magnificent trail system and its countless supporters and volunteers.

The slogan for NTD 2008, Join Us on the Trail, is an open invitation to all Americans to join-up with a local hiking club, outdoor retailer, local park and recreation department, or federal land managing agency to get outside and experience everything the great outdoors has to offer.

Hosting a National Trails Day event is easy and American Hiking will support you every step of the way! Just for registering your event, you have the option of receiving (at no cost!) two NTD posters and one NTD banner, both customizable for your local event information. Additionally, American Hiking will promote your event on our website and provide other support materials and promotional opportunities.

Starting in January, please visit American Hiking's website to register your 2008 NTD event and to download the updated 2008 Event Organizer's Manual. Beginning in February 2008 National Trails Day merchandise will be available for purchase at American Hiking's Hiker's Store.

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Mountain To Sea Trail News - FMST Hires Executive

Chapter News

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPTER - Submitted by Caroline Thompson, Chapter President

The first official Appalachian State University Chapter was held November 14, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Multicultural Center, room 112, on the first floor of the Plemmons Student Union. Eight people came who had not attended the initial interest meeting. 

It's so exciting that there is interest on campus and people want to be involved!  We introduced our officers, explained how we started the club, gave some background info on FRIENDS, and explained what some of our hopes were for next semester- when we could actually get out there and be involved in projects.  Some of the members who attended expressed interest in participating in at least one project a month, and they seemed very willing to volunteer for anything the NPS needs from us.

One boy said that he wanted to do anything he could that was for the betterment of the parkway.  Very exciting stuff :)  Some students also shared their ideas on how to get our name out more on campus and how to target students who would be likely to join.  We wrapped up the meeting by encouraging them tell their friends about our club and to try and bring people with them when we have our first meeting of the semester in January. 

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Parkway Visitors Return Often

Parkway visitors Sue-Ellen and Virgil Klassen from Welland, Ontario, Canada, wrote to FRIENDS to express their appreciation of the Blue Ridge Parkway and our volunteers.

Hello Friends of the Blue Ridge:

I would like to say thank you for helping to save and maintain the most beautiful area in the world! My husband and I travel the Blue Ridge every year for our vacation by motorcycle. There is just no better way to enjoy the views, accommodations and the people of the Blue Ridge.

It's become our special trip for so many reasons. In 2006 we were married and honeymooned on the Blue Ridge with a stay at Peaks of Otter. This year we returned with a two night stay at Otter. I call it my own little piece of heaven on earth.

Virgil has been up and down the Parkway at least sixteen times from the late eighties to present and now I am on my ninth trip. The last two years we have concentrated on shorter areas of the parkway to really see and enjoy the surrounding towns and villages.I would love to come for a winter holiday visit and a spring visit (mountain laurel season). Autumn is the time we always travel.

This year we are considering joining the Friends organization. We really feel that it's important and not just for us but for everyone.

Thank you for your many volunteer hours that make my trip so memorable every year!!!Your Great Canadian Fans, Sue-Ellen and Virgil KlassenP.S. The exchange rate never mattered to us!!

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Donate or HELP Support FRIENDS

Help Us Preserve the Legacy

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway offers young and old, together, the opportunity to connect with friends and family to save the Blue Ridge Parkway for their continuing enjoyment - and for future generations. The Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Shenandoah National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is America's most scenic drive encompassing 469 miles traversing 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina. Over 20 million people touch its borders annually - making it America's most frequented park treasure! By joining Preserving the Legacy you will be supporting projects that will protect this extraordinary Parkway and adjacent land and views for yourselves and for future generations. FRIENDS is an official National Park Service partner. Please join us by choosing one of our deserving Programs today!

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