The Montreat Co
WH
S t,^ d e n t Voice
NE
Volume IV, Number XI Montreat- NC 28757 May 7, 2004
Montreat Dam Safe
-Press Release
“The dam is safe,” said envi
ronmental technician Steve Par
rott who is with the Division of
Land Resources of the North
Carolina Department of Envi
ronment and Natural Resources.
“As soon as the failure
occurred, the people here in
Montreat put their Lake Susan
emergency plan into action. The
problem is a localized slope fail
ure. This problem is not serious
and the structure of the dam is
still intact. There is no seepage
down stream.” >
Montreat Conference Center
implemented its Lake Susan
Emergency Response Plan just
after 9:00 am Tuesday, May 4. A
portion of the earthen dam near
the Moore Center on the south
side ' of Lake Susan collapsed
into the lake. Patrick T. Dunn, an
engineer with Calloway Johnson
Moore & West, was called to the
site to begin the investigation of
the damage. Marvin Dillingham
of Schnabel Engineering arrived
to evaluate the extent of the
damage.
Montreat Police barricaded
portions of .Montreat streets
below the dam and evacuated
some residents from houses
that might be affected should
the problem worsen. The retail
shops at the Moore Center in
Continued on Page 3
Board Meeting Targets Retention and Expansion
by Lyndsay Mayer
The Montreat College Board
of Trustees met on April 22-23,
convening in several sub-com
mittees on Thursday and as a
whole on Friday. The 25 mem
bers are charged with the impor
tant duties of fundraising, pro
moting, recognizing the vision
of the college and setting policy
which governs the college.
Trustees volunteer their time
and money to help the college
prosper. Chairman of the Board
Bob Wynne reports that the exec
utive committee, “just a handful
of people,” pledged $350,000 for
a land purchase that will greatly
benefit the College. This demon
strates the trustees’ “love for the
college and their dedieation to
[its] mission,” affirms Wynne.
The projected land purchase
is for 17 acres that will join the
Black Mountain Campus with
the intersection of Interstate 70
and Blue Ridge Road. The state
is planning the installation of an
additional interchange off 1-40
at that intersection, creating an
opportunity for the College to
receive much more visual expo
sure to the general public.
Ih addition to the expansion
of the college campus, the Board
has been involved in negotiations
with Black Mountain Mayor
Mike Begley, who met with
the Board on Friday afternoon
at the site of the new land pur
chase. Anticipated joint ventures
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice
of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks
to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing,
with such sacrifices God is pleased. ”
- Hebrews 13:15,16 NIV
for
include collaboration with a new
YMCA, performing arts center,
ball fields, and a health facility in
Black Mountain.
The Black Mountain com
munity has been increasingly
supportive of the efforts of
Montreat College’s expansion.
Joe Tyson, of Tyson Furniture
in downtown Black Mountain,
donated $100,000, with a pledge
of an additional $150,000 raised
by the community. The money
for land purchases by the col
lege comes solely from outside
fundraising and does not affect
the operational budget of the col
lege.
Mayor Begley is working with
senior advancement associate
for the college, Jerry Bobilya, to
secure a possible $500,000 grant
from the state, under the Clean
Water Aet. The state would
potentially buy back a margin of
the land that borders the Swan-
nanoa River to ensure the sur
vival of the plants and animals
dependent upon the health of the
river.
During the Board’s sessions
Dr.. Dan Struble stepped in as
full-time president of the col
lege, relieving Dr.. Don King of
his interim position as president
on Friday, April 23, Dr.. King
plans to take a semester-long
sabbatical in the fall to concen
trate on his writing.
With Dr.. Struble securely
stationed in his new position.
Chairman Wynne announced
Struble’s intention of beginning
the yearlong process of conduct
ing a comprehensive plan for
the future of the college, which
has not been done in ten years.
Interviews, starting in the fall,
of faculty, staff, students, board
members, community members,
and “every possible constitu
ency,” says Wynne, will be used
to deduce what changes need to
be done for improved retention,
,what majors should be added,
and which facilities could use
renovations. “Planning is second
nature to Dr... Struble, thanks to
his military experience,” adds
Wynne.
Looming issues on the board’s
agenda included the addition of a
Continued on Page 2