Newspapers / Brevard College Student Newspaper / Jan. 31, 2018, edition 1 / Page 1
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A clarion.brevard.edu ; - ■ Volume 83, Issue 18 Web Edition SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935 Superbowl ,LII is this SundaylJ " Vote on^.ur^l . ,Fa^b^W IforAwhol i^y^iwaritl ^u^winjji Brevard College to obtain 59 acres of land from Pickelsimer estate Zach Dickerson Campus News Editor If approved by the Board of Trustees, Brevard College will obtain 59 acres of land from the Pickelsimer estate to be used for academic purposes. Charlie Pickelsimer died in 2011 and in his will his estate went to multiple charities, a family friend and the land that was left over went to Brevard College. The family decided to contest the will in court, which ended up being the longest trial in Transylvania County history. The family lost in local court, they then sent it to the appeals court and also lost there, and then went to state supreme court which upheld the decision of the lower courts. The college then went into negotiations with the family directly. The two parties met on campus one day without lawyers to figure out how to make everything work. With the deal, the college received the land and some money. There were multiple plots of land, but the main portion that the school is considering working with is a large open field that also has an airstrip and an airplane hangar. The land is not guaranteed to be used by the college though. Brevard College is owned by the Board of Trustees and as a result the school can’t buy and sell property on its own. The Board must discuss the value and best use of the land and decide whether the college needs the land and if they should sell it or keep it for college use. In a letter by Assistant Professor of Agriculture and Environmental Studies Gina Raicovich to the Board of Trustees, Raicovich talks about how having the land can benefit majors at the school, I L«o«nd h SMi W CMM |72f Map of Dupont State Forest show in brown, with the yellow signifing the land given to Brevard College by Charlie Pickelsimer after his death In 2011. and how it will help build more of a connection with the community. For the Sustainable Agriculture major, because there is so much open land, students can learn to develop vegetable, horticultural, and animal production skills by providing a place for students to get hands-on experience. Also because of the land’s close proximity to other institutions, such as Brevard High School, Brevard Elementary School, and the Boys and Girls Club, the college can work to build garden and farming programs with them. For Environmental Science, Ecology, and Biology majors, the property provides opportunities for these majors to study riparian, floodplain, and aquatic ecosystems that are present on the property. The programs would also explore the process of restoring natural ecosystem functions on the property. The school can also work to engage the community in the sciences on the property. The Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education majors would also benefit from this land because the property offers access to the French Broad River. It would save the WLEE students significant time and resources when they need to practice with their boat and technical skills. Also, because the property provides a good amount of outdoor space away from campus, it gives the WLEE students a place to practice basic camp craft skills to prepare for when they go into Pisgah for immersion. For the Teacher Licensure/Teacher Education major, because of the property’s close proximity to Brevard High School, Brevard Elementary School, and the Boys and Girls Club it will give the students working on their teacher licensure opportunities to work with these institutions on their facilitation skills. In addition to this, they can expose the children to the community and to the projects that will be developed on the property. For the Astronomy department, because of See 'Pickelsimer estate' on page 6
Brevard College Student Newspaper
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Jan. 31, 2018, edition 1
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