Montreat Minute 02/7/25

February 7, 2025
Circular seal for the Town of Montreat, North Carolina, featuring a brick archway labeled Montreat, trees, and the year 1967 in the center, with the town and state name around the edge.

Town Council Meeting Thursday, February 13, at 6:00pm

The Montreat Town Council will meet for its monthly meeting next Thursday, February 13th, at 6:00pm back in the Town Hall. After four months of meeting in Convocation Hall, we are moving back to our restored Town Hall. The Public Forum precedes the Council Meeting, beginning at 5:30pm. Everyone is invited to attend.

The meeting will be live streamed. CLICK HERE for streaming information.

For a copy of the agenda, CLICK HERE.

Again, we are most grateful to MRA for allowing us to use Convocation Hall and other meeting facilities during the four months when the Town Hall was closed.

The Welch Field Rubbish Pile is Gone!

A red bulldozer sits on cleared, bare ground behind a wooden fence, with trees and brush lining the background and a road in the foreground.

If you have driven by Welch Field this week, you no doubt noticed a change in the landscape: the 30’ high vegetative rubbish pile is gone! It is definitely a sign of progress in our Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. The final loads were removed on Monday. All material in the pile came from Town property/rights of way.

The pile was removed over a four week period by FEMA contractors and taken to the former Beacon blanket manufacturing company property in Swannanoa to be mulched. FEMA reported that 8,000 cubic yards of material was removed and mulched. To put it in context, 8,000 cubic yards of mulch would cover the football fields of all SEC and ACC football teams 1” thick, plus there would be enough for eight more fields- a total of 42 football fields!

In yet another collaboration between the Town and MRA, we are extremely grateful for MRA providing Welch Field as the staging area for the pile. Now, Town Public Works staff will oversee the refurbishing of Welch Field to make it ready for the summer season.

Post Office Appreciation Party to be Held on February 14

A red wooden building with a steep roof and multiple windows sits surrounded by trees. There is a small porch with steps and ramps leading up to the entrance, and a paved area in front.

The party to celebrate the return of our Post Office, and to express our thanks to Nova and Jordan, will be Friday, February 14, from 10am to noon.

Volunteers are needed to provide sweet and savory finger food, drinks, ice, and paper plates, napkins, and cups (for hot and cold). There is a signup sheet on the Post Office bulletin board.

If you have questions, contact Nancy Midgette, Martha Campbell, or Susan Wiser. Come show your gratitude to Nova and Jordan for their extraordinary efforts in keeping the mail coming during the four months post hurricane.


Bears are Back!

Nighttime security camera footage shows two black bears walking under a covered stone patio area. The scene is illuminated by infrared lighting, and one bear is closer to the camera while the other is farther away.

The cold January weather sent bears (at least most of them) to sleep it off. As you may know, bears do not hibernate. Instead, they go into a state called torpor. Torpor is similar to hibernation, but it’s a lighter state of sleep that’s more like a daily cycle. Torpor involves a decrease in body temperature, breathing rate, and metabolic rate caused by cold weather and food scarcity.

But due to the recent warmer temperatures, bears have been seen moving about. The above video image was taken last night as two bears (notice the other one out in the driveway) walking through a resident’s carport— evidence that they are awake and hungry.

What does this mean for you? First, if you have been feeding the birds during the cold weather, rethink your strategy. Either suspend feeding for the season or at the very least, bring feeders in before dark (although they are prowling during daylight hours too). Secondly, be mindful of your trash. Do not put trash out for Monday pickup until Monday morning and even be careful about the time you put it out.

Updates and Reminders

A hand is writing the word REMINDERS in black marker, with a red underline, on a white background.
  • The re-opening celebration of the Town Hall has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 25th, from 4:00 to 6:00pm. More details to come but put it in your calendar now.
  • The Montreat Tree Board will meet on Tuesday, February 11th, at 9:00am, in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will not be live streamed. All are welcome to attend.
  • The Montreat Board of Adjustment will meet for the Board’s annual training on Wednesday, February 12th, at 2:00pm, in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will not be live streamed. All are welcome to attend.
  • The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Adjustment has been cancelled.
  • 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!
  • Do you receive Montreat Code Red alerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane? If you would like to be added to the list, CLICK HERE.

Questions or Comments?

Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angie Murphy at info@townofmontreat.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!