Tag Archive for: #kerrlake

Vance County Tourism

Vance County Tourism Director Nancy Wilson Retiring End of March

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire

After 20 years of service, Nancy Wilson, the long-serving director of the Vance County Department of Tourism, is looking forward to retiring at the end of the month.

“I’ve been working all of my life,” said Wilson. I’m ready to retire.”

Wilson’s career in tourism began in 1998 when she was hired as a contractor by the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission (EDC). According to Wilson, the first assignment given to her was to increase the number of fishing tournaments held at Kerr Lake. “At that time, we were not competitive with South Hill or Clarksville, VA,” Wilson said. “I had to beg the tournament directors to give us a chance; please just let us host a tournament and see how it goes.”

Wilson’s efforts paid off by way of an increase in fishing tournaments, including high dollar $100k tournaments such as the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW). “When it showed up on the front page of USA TODAY that Vance County hosted a tournament, it was great publicity for us and was worth all of the time and effort,” said Wilson.

In addition to fishing tournaments, Wilson has also been instrumental in increasing tourism at Kerr Lake thanks to the addition of a Fourth of July fireworks display. “We never had a firework display around the lake area and I thought we needed to entertain our visitors while they were there,” said Wilson. “That’s one of the biggest holidays for the parks.”

Wilson knows from experience how special the fireworks are for many visitors. “People start calling the tourism office as soon as the fireworks are over wanting to know the date for next year’s show so they can book their campsite.”

A success since its inception 20 years ago, the patriotic fireworks are held on the Saturday closest to the 4th of July to better accommodate visitors’ schedules.

Wilson is also proud of creating the Parade of Lights on Water, a floating parade featuring Kerr Lake’s best-decorated boats. A staple for several years, a decline in participation led to the cancellation of the event.

Another one of Wilson’s successful endeavors is the annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame event held each fall. What started as a small gathering of friends grew into the economic boom that it is for Vance County today.

“It started as a group of people meeting at my house. Then we had to move it to the community building at Satterwhite Point because it kept growing and people were coming from everywhere,” Wilson said. “I thought about it for a long time and thought I could make a tourism event out of it.”

Wilson presented her idea of combining a car show and a drag car hall of fame to the Henderson-Vance EDC Board and they implemented the first event in 2001.

The exact economic impact of events such as fishing tournaments, Fourth of July events and Show, Shine, Shag & Dine is hard to calculate, but the increased spending on gas, hotel rooms, restaurants and entertainment are a huge boost to the local economy.

According to Wilson, visitors come from all over the country to attend these events, thanks in part to a strong, nationwide advertising campaign that includes multiple publications. “We advertise in recreation magazines, recreation guides, motorsports magazines, car show magazines, at welcome centers, in airports, online, on the radio and in print,” said Wilson.

When asked what advice she has for the next tourism director, Wilson said they’ll have their own ideas that will bring value to the area.  She said, “I’m sure they’ll put their own twist on it and do what they think is best. If I can help in any way, I’ll be glad to.”

Wilson plans to remain active in the Roanoke River Basin Association, an organization that she feels is vital to the lake area. “I will continue to serve on the association and try to keep the County informed on issues,” Wilson said. “It is so important. That water is like liquid gold.”

As for life after retirement, Wilson says it will be a continuation of traveling all over the country, playing with cars and attending car shows.

“I don’t have a bucket list,” Wilson said. “People say when they retire they will do this or that, well, I’ve already done all of that.”

Park Fees at Kerr Lake

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A WIZS TownTalk listener (11 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. M-F) recently submitted a written topic request via wizs.com/towntalk about the fees to enter the parks on Kerr Lake.  On this topic, WIZS can address those fees for parks in North Carolina.

As Bryce P. Fleming, park superintendent at the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area explains, “Park fees are set system wide for the N.C. State Park System, and state parks have needed to increase revenues over the last few years.”

Park fees may include things like entrance fees, facility rental fees, permit fees and more.  Fleming wrote in an email to WIZS News, “I do not see the entrance fees being reduced at Kerr Lake.  However, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation did introduce the discount for active military and veterans this year.”  Fleming said the division “also instituted dynamic pricing for campsites in the last year.  It offers lower pricing for campsites during the week when they typically have a lower occupancy rate.”

According to the information provided by Fleming, the entrance/parking fees are charged on weekends only starting in April then seven days per week from Memorial Day through Labor Day before going back to weekends only in September.  The entrance/parking fees are:

$7 per car on weekends – $5 per car for Seniors 62 and over and for active military and veterans.

$6 per car on weekdays – $4 per car for seniors 62 and over and for active military and veterans.

There is no entrance/parking fee October – March.

Also, visitors can obtain a season pass for $60 that permits entry April through September at Kerr Lake, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake.  Fleming said the season pass can be used also for the “Hammocks Beach State Park ferry, a one hour boat rental at parks where that is offered and a swim pass at parks where there is a fee for swimming.  There is no additional fee to swim at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area other than the entrance fee.”

When asked about using proceeds from vending and food trucks as an alternative way to raise money and reduce fees, Fleming said, “N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation has considered food trucks as a way to generate some revenue and provide an additional service that some of our customers may enjoy.  We now have the ability to issue a permit to food vendors to operate in parks.  We have not been approached by food vendors yet at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.”

 

Kerr Lake Readies For T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Opener Presented by Navionics

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WHAT: The 2017 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament season will open Saturday, March 25, for Piedmont Division anglers with a tournament on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day tournament.

WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2017

Piedmont Division

Kerr Lake

Nutbush North

115 Jack Wade Farm Road

Henderson, N.C.

Hosted by the Vance County Department of Tourism

NOTES: Piedmont Division anglers can expect Kerr Lake to produce some sizeable bass for this BFL opener. Fans following the action will likely see competitors flipping and pitching to flooded bushes with jigs and Texas-rigged soft-plastics. A variety of moving baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits and umbrella rigs may also play a role near wood. A five-bass limit nearing 18 pounds should be enough to take top honors at this late-March BFL event.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

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Connect NC bond and Kerr Lake

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(Full Press Release)

CONTACT: Frank Timberlake (919) 269-4300

info@kerrlakeparkwatch.org

CONNECT NC BOND PASSES – WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN WE EXPECT AT THE 7 NC KERR LAKE STATE RECREATIONS AREAS?

News about what is going on with NC State Parks out of Raleigh is rare, even hard to get.  And now that there is big news like the passage of the Connect NC bond, those of who ardently support the parks on the shores of the John H. Kerr Reservoir are wondering about the plan for expenditures and improvements on the North Carolina side.

“We’re wondering if there will be opportunity for public input as to what things are needed at the SRA’s (state recreation areas).  Historically, NC State Parks have operated in a vacuum passing down already decided policies from Raleigh, said Kerr Lake Park Watch spokesman Frank Timberlake, adding, “I think I can count on one finger the number of press releases or meeting invitations we’ve had from the Division of State Parks in recent years.  They’re certainly not famous for seeking public involvement.  But mark this; we intend to be involved, visible and vocal on the expenditure of these funds, maybe the last dollars of their type for quite some time.”

Timberlake said that the support group is generally pleased with the passage of the $2 Billion Connect NC bond (last week).  North Carolina’s infrastructure has been crumbling for some time.  A big concern is that NC State Parks is that the system has been acquiring more and more land areas without committed development funds to provide more and improved visitor services.

“Our biggest concern now is how the $100,000,000 will be split up among parks and the state zoo.  Larger and more pertinent than that split is determining what amount of bond funds will come to the seven state recreation areas that NC STATE Parks operates on Kerr Lake.  Transparency has not happened as no known groups including Kerr Lake Park Watch have been asked by the Division of State Parks on how the public, who use the seven parks, think they should be improved,” said Timberlake.

Kerr Lake Park Watch wants to see a survey of campers and others who use the parks about their views and some public input meetings.  Kerr Lake Park Watch will now start digging through the bureaucracy to find these answers and to bring them out to view for our members and the public.

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(Press Release provided by Kerr Lake Park Watch) – kerrlakeparkwatch.org/ – facebook.com/KerrLakeParkWatch

Kristy Wins Shamrock Contest

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Kristy from Vance County found the Shamrock this year. The Shamrock was hidden on the very far point past the glass house under some of Kerr Lake’s famous shells. Didn’t win this year? You only have 350 days until the start of the next WIZS Shamrock contest. The prize this year was $400. Congrats goes to Kristy!