Montreat Minute 9/6/24

September 6, 2024

Bear Survey Closes Saturday

We thank everyone who has completed the bear survey and have had an excellent response. We will be closing it at 6:00pm tomorrow, Saturday. If you have not completed the survey, please take a few minutes now to complete it by CLICKING HERE. We want to hear from you. We will share results at the Town Council meeting.

Town Council Meeting Thursday, September 12, at 6:00pm

The Montreat Town Council will meet for its monthly meeting next Thursday, September 12th, at 6:00pm in the Town Hall. Please note the change in time, as this is a permanent change from 7:00 to 6:00pm, with the Public Forum beginning at 5:30pm.

For a copy of the agenda, CLICK HERE. The meeting will be live streamed and recorded. For information about streaming the meeting, CLICK HERE. The Public Forum will begin at 5:30pm. Everyone is invited.

Recycling Battery and Printer Cartridges

We are happy to announce that we will be collecting alkaline, single use, and rechargeable batteries and printer cartridges for recycling at Town Hall. Drop by and leave your batteries and empty cartridges in the designated containers for disposal.

Congratulations to Landcare and Flat Creek Crossing

The Montreat Landcare Committee, on behalf of the Town, was recently informed the Town was the recipient of a NC Division of Parks and Recreation grant for Flat Creek Crossing in the amount of $255,923. The grant, along with previous fund raising, will allow Landcare to move “full speed” ahead with construction of the accessible trail. The unique trail is expected to be complete by mid-2026.

Leading the effort for fund raising and grant writing are Jean Norris and Patti Pyle, along with significant support from Grace and Eric Nichols. For further information on the Flat Creek crossing project, CLICK HERE.

Beware of Copperheads

Living in the mountains, we learn to co-exist with, respect, and enjoy the wildlife- bears, deer, birds, racoons, bobcats, and yes, snakes. However, snakes need some special attention. There are two venomous species in WNC, rattlers and copperheads. Recently, copperheads have been seen more frequently in Town. NC Wildlife Resources attributes their presence due to the heat of the summer and their search for food.

Please be careful. They blend with and become part of the environment. You will find them in wood piles, brush, and dark, cool places. Due to their excellent camouflage, many copperhead bites result from carelessly placing a hand or foot too close to one that is resting. But a large percentage of bites occur when people try to capture, kill, or handle copperheads. The great majority of bites can be prevented by exercising common sense: copperheads should be left alone. Please DO NOT kill them. They do much good for our environment, preying on rodents and other “pesky” critters.

The best response to finding a copperhead or other snake is leaving it alone and giving it plenty of space. In most cases, given some time, the snake will move out of the area on its own. For more information on copperheads, CLICK HERE.

Updates and Other Reminders

  • Donations are still being sought to “light the Montreat Gate”. The Town of Montreat, MRA, and the Montreat Adult Summer Club have joined together to light the Montreat gate for the holidays. Please make a donation to help purchase the lights and other needed supplies. Make your tax deductible check out to the Town of Montreat and note it is for Gate Lights. Send it to Town of Montreat, PO Box 423, Montreat, 28757.
  • The Montreat Tree Board will hold a Special Meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live streamed. CLICK HERE for additional information and streaming instructions. The public is welcome to attend.
  • Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!

Questions or Comments?

Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angie Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!