April 16, 2004
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C M Y K Inside: FREE Ask Fred pg. 5 Sports Picks pg. 6 Cooking pg. 7 Movie Pix pg. 8 Features pg. 12 Classifieds pg. 20 Volume 2, Number 15 Locally Owned & Operated Friday, April 16, 2004 The week of April 16-23 April 16 Room tax audit coming to Macon County • LIVE MUSIC – Zorki at Buck’s Cof- By Kim Lewicki At the April 12 Macon County to see how many lodging business- fee Cafe on Main Street at 8 p.m. Very soon proprietors of the Commissioners meeting held in es are registered, who is paying oc- • PARTY PREP – SCC presents “Per- county’s lodging establishments fectly Posh Party Prep” with local caterer Highlands, commissioners voted to cupancy tax and if the paid amount Holly Roberts from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Fri- will be asked to prove how many hire an independent auditor to can- is correct. day, at the Crosby Center. Contact Cost of guests use their establishments. vass the county’s lodging industry •See ROOM TAX pg 2 the seminar is $50. April 17 • BENEFIT – Hot Dog Benefit at Easter eggs galore at Rec Park Board juggles Highlands Rec Park for Bill Webb at 5:30 p.m. Two bands for live entertainment. • LIVE MUSIC – Hurricane Creek at parking issues Buck’s Coffee Cafe at 8 p.m. By Kim Lewicki • CROP WALK – Starts at 9 a.m. at HUMC. A fund-raiser pancake breakfast Parking, for one reason or an- will be held at HUMC from 8-10 a.m. other, is often the topic of discus- • LITTER PICK UP – Gorge Road sion at Town Board meetings. Clean-Up. Meet at the Cliffside Lake Group At the April 14 meeting, com- Picnic Shelter at 9 a.m.. missioners voted to designate three April 17 & 18 • JOB FAIR – Old Edwards Inn & Spa parallel parking spaces on west Fifth Job Fair at the Conference Center. On Street in front of Village Square as Saturday, it’s 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday, two-hour spots. it’s 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Barbara Cusacks owner of Nee- April 18 dlepoint of Highlands, said since • HOME SHOW – Southern Living all-day parking isn’t allowed on Home Show, 2-4 p.m. at HUMC. Items for every taste. streets elsewhere in town, custom- April 19 er parking on Fifth Street has dried • SOFTBALL – An organizational up. meeting for Adult Softball at 6 p.m. at the “Business owners from other Civic Center. parts of town are parking all day in April 20 front of our shops,” she said. • FLOWER WALK – A wildflower walk sponsored from Whitewater Falls to “Though I think we have to be Bad Creek Parking Area. Meet at the Ga- careful about designating two-hour zebo near Bank of America at 9:30 a.m. to parking spaces in front of specific carpool. We will return about 3 p.m. stores, I am empathetic to a situa- • MOVIE TIME – A film “Strangers tion we created by making Fourth in Good Company,” at 7 p.m. at the Per- forming Arts Center. Donations. and Church streets two-hour park- April 21 ing,” said Commissioner Amy • FLOWER WALK – A wildflower Patterson. “People have to park walk sponsored by the Land Stewards. somewhere.” Meet at the gazebo near Bank of America Village Square is the only BI at 9:30 a.m. Call Jim Whitehurst at 526- business complex on the street from 8134 for more information. April 22 Oak Street on north, and custom- • LITTER PICK UP – Town-wide litter ers park on the street. pick up on Earth Day, Thursday, at 11 am. “There are plenty of parking at the Gazebo on Pine Street. spaces on the other side of Fifth April 22 & 23 Street stretching all the way to the • LIVE PERFORMANCE – ITC Photo by Kim Lewicki presents “Voices from the High School” Catholic Church,” said Mayor Buck Bunny Maricia Owens, escorted Savannah Shaheen, 17 Trott. In the end, commissioners 7:30 p.m. at PAC. Admission is FREE. For months, around the Highlands Rec Park Saturday, April 10 reservations call (828) 342-9197 agreed to the arrangement on a one- April 23 for the Town’s annual Easter egg hunt. About 60 children year basis. • LUNCHEON – Senior Luncheon at ages 1-10 turned out for the event. the Rec Park at 12 noon. Donations. •See PARKING page 3 C M Y K C M Y K Page 2 - Highlands’ Newspaper - Friday, April 16, 2004 ... ROOM TAX from page 1 Spring Special! “In Western North Carolina, no County received $403,000 back #1 Nails 20% Everything for Students one has ever gone around to audit from the state. The county kept a Wright Sq. in Highlands 10% off Spa Pedicure & Manicure the occupancy tax,” said Gary $20,000 collection fee and 526-0222 10% off full set or fill-in Nicholson, Macon County Human $382,000 was divided up between Resources Director. “We have always Franklin and Highlands. “Histori- Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Specializing in Solar Nails Sat. – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. operated on the honor system. Busi- cally, Highlands receives the great- Sun. – Closed ness owners voluntarily register and er portion of that money based on 10 Appointments & Walk-ins Welcome voluntarily pay. But the truth is, we a pro-rata share,” said Nicholson. don’t really know who’s in business Independent tax consultant, Jer- Highlands Outdoor Tool and who isn’t, even if some busi- ry Howard who was with the North nesses are paying at all.” He said the Carolina Dept. of Revenue in West- problem is likely three-pronged — ern North Carolina for 25 years, will Sales & Service in: under-reporting of occupancy tax conduct the audit. He will earn 30 Chain saws & collected, complete non-payment percent of what is collected due to and non-registration of the lodging his findings. Trimmers business. Nicholson said he will start in “That non-compliance repre- the phone book, compare those list- sents a loss of money desperately ings with businesses listed with the (828) 526-4925 needed by the chambers in both chambers and compare that to who 11 Highlands and Franklin,” he said. is actually filing occupancy tax. 2330 Cashiers Road “They need that money to promote He said he may even look at Highlands, NC 28741 tourism in their areas.” cash flow and bank statements. “For By law, lodging establishments instance, if a proprietor deposits – hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, $100,000 in the bank but only pays inns, lodges, vacation rental homes $50 in occupancy tax something is New Log Home rented less than three months – levy clearly out of whack,” said Nichol- Located on 1.38 acres, with a view, a 10 percent occupancy tax which son. four miles from the town limits, in is paid to the state, partially reim- Howard expects to begin work Hemlock Ridge a small private com- bursed to the county and then sent as soon as the season is in full swing munity. Three bedrooms, two baths, to the area chambers. Three percent and all the lodging establishments three covered porches, vaulted ceil- is sent back to the county. are open for business. ings, 6x12 hand-hewn western hem- In fiscal year 2001-2002 Macon lock logs, community water, paved road and drive. Offered at $425,000. MLS #21871 Supreme Court rules on Bowery (828) 526-4983 Fax: (828) 526-2453 By Kim Lewicki years. The town tried to buy the need- 12 www.jcrealty.com Though it’s long from over, on ed rights-of-way but Nelson et al JOHN CLEAVELAND REALTY April 2, the Supreme Court of North claims the funds set aside for the pur- 223 N. Fourth Street Carolina released its opinion on Nel- chase were raised illegally when prop- son et al versus The Town of High- erty owners on the back side of Bow- lands. ery contributed to a fund to purchase The court ruled that 10 property the rights-of-way. owners along the first seven tenths of Meanwhile, the Town says it has Bowery Road have the right to ask for the right to condemn the property an “injunction in the eminent do- along the road for the purpose of Highlands’ only main case.” improvement. The state DOT has locally owned & operated Town Attorney Bill Coward said long said it will pay to improve the newspaper. it doesn’t mean they will get the in- road, if the town obtains the rights- junction, only that they have the right of-way. Once improved, the state has FREE every Friday; circulation 5,000; to ask for one. said it will turn the road over to the more than 100 distribution points The main case is still pending in town. court whereby Nelson et al is trying Both the police department and Adobe PDF version at Publisher/Editor – Kim Lewicki to keep the town from improving the the fire and rescue department have www.highlandsinfo.com Copy Editor/Proofreader first part of Bowery Road through gone on record that the winding, nar- P.O. Box 2703, Tom Merchant widening and paving. A group of row, dirt road is unsafe in its current Highlands, N.C. , 28741 Production – Darlene Melcher landowners along that first seven- state. (828) 526-0782 Circulation & Distribution – tenths don’t want the road improved Oral arguments were heard six email: [email protected] Jim Lewicki because widening the road will en- months ago but Coward said the fi- croach upon their property – proper- nal decision could take up to a year All Rights Reserved.