Mariel Williams
editor@mitchellnews.com
The Spruce Pine Town Council voted last week to approve closing Lower Street (Locust Street) for the annual Hilloween festival in October.
However, Mayor Phillip Hise expressed concern about how much trash Hilloween typically produces.
“We amended the actual application with a note that the town of Spruce Pine will not provide garbage pickup during [the] event,” Town Manager Darlene Butler said.
Gina Phillips, organizer of the annual festival, addressed the council during the public comment period.
“Hilloween uses the background of the harvest season to celebrate local history,” Phillips said. “The last day of all our festivities — it’s about a five-day long event in all parts of the county — we close it with a special street festival in Spruce Pine and we bring in a band. Last year was the first time we did that … it went beautifully.”
Phillips said five merchants in the downtown Spruce Pine area told her that last year’s Hilloween was their busiest day ever. Phillips noted that bluegrass musician Del McCoury performed last year.
“This year … we’ve got an even bigger name band,” Phillips said. “However, I cannot legally announce who that band is until Sept. 1, and I think you will be happy with the crowd that they’ll bring.”
Groundhogs on Oak Avenue
Butler said there have been complaints about property damage from groundhogs.
“We’ve been getting some reports of the groundhog population on Upper Street,” Butler said.
Butler said that it may be necessary to reduce the numbers of groundhogs on Upper Street (Oak Avenue), either through hunting or trapping. However, trapped groundhogs, she said, cannot be relocated — they must be euthanized.
“It’s a catch-22 situation — we’re going to have the same number of folks that are upset over killing them that you’re going to have that are upset over them being there,” she said.
Buchanan suggested that poison might be an option, but Council Member Wayne Peight suggested it would be better to find someone who is a good shot to kill some of the groundhogs with a small caliber rifle.
Nuisance ordinances approved
The council voted to approve revisions to the Spruce Pine abandoned and junk vehicle ordinance. Butler said that the revised ordinance has been made available to the public on the town website and there have no comments or concerns reported about the changes.
Butler noted that the resolution approving the ordinance postpones enforcement for 20 days to allow members of the public time to voluntarily comply with the ordinance.
The council also approved revisions to Spruce Pine’s noise ordinance, and a revised general nuisance ordinance.
Bakersville yard sale
The council discussed the success of the town-wide yard sale held in Bakersville recently and considered whether or not a similar event would be popular in Spruce Pine. Council members said they would like to discuss the possibility with local merchants and find out whether such an event would likely have a positive impact on the local economy.
Council member Rocky Buchanan said multiple Spruce Pine residents had suggested that the town could benefit from a yard sale.
“If I was just asked by one person it would be different,” Buchanan said.