At
the Spring Quarterly meeting of the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse
Foundation, the announcement was made that the group has been awarded
funds that will cover the cost of telecommunications and computer
technologies for the Mitchell County SECU Virtual Learning and
Communications Center.
The funding comes from an NTIA grant, Broadband
Technology Opportunity Program, made possible by ARRA legislation. The
proposal was selected from over 1800 submitted nationwide and sent
forward from North Carolina by Governor Perdue as her first choice for
funding. Other proposals from North Carolina included those from Chapel
Hill and High Point among others.
Charlie Pittman from the e-NC
Authority said that the competition was great and that the Foundation
should be proud to have been selected. The technology will mean that
Mitchell County will be among seven Business and Technology Centers
statewide that provide distance learning, teleconferencing for farmers
and small business people, and continuing education and conferences for
government and emergency workers. Julie Sitton from the Governor’s
Western Office congratulated the Foundation and indicated that the
Governor selected the project because it will have a positive impact on
economic development, education, and jobs for Mitchell County and the
surrounding area.
Also in attendance was Senator Joe Sam Queen who has been a strong supporter of the NC Rural Center who provided funding to the Foundation early on to help restore and renovate the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse. Other state and national political leaders who also have supported the work of the Foundation were invited, but were not able to attend because of previous engagements.
The
meeting was preceded by music provided by Ray Dellinger and William
Ritter played on instruments made by Mr. Dellinger on a stage that has
seen the likes of Bill Monroe, Carl Story, and Roy Acuff. Sallie’s
Mountain View catered the event and Joe Young provided a blessing for
the gathering and the building. Other invited guests included members
of the three Courthouse Committees appointed by the County Commission,
current Commissioners, Bakersville and Spruce Pine Town Councils,
Mayland Community College Administration and Basic Skills, and NC
Cooperative Extension Office.
Dr. Daniel Barron, Chair of the
Foundation said “this event is really a report to the stock holders, to
celebrate the people who have helped make this dream possible and let
them know what we will be doing with their investments.”
A much larger
open house and celebration will take place on May 22, when the
technology applications will be in place and can be demonstrated and
the entire community will be invited to participate. In the meantime,
Mayland Community College and the Mitchell County Historical Society
will begin moving their furnishings into the building.
The event took place in Phillips Hall named in honor of a contribution by the Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation. Additional support for the project has come from the Janirve Foundation, HandMade in America, Ms. Carolyn Morphy, the Cannon Foundation, the NC Rural Center, State Employees Credit Union, United Community Bank, and the Mitchell County Historical Society. Less than 1% of the funding has come from local tax dollars and that was from the Town of Bakersville, to help stabilize the rear wall prior to the renovation process. The Foundation also expresses deep appreciation for the many other dollars that have been contributed privately by residents of the County for their Historic Courthouse.