Alfred A. Cunningham Bridge - Scheduled On the Hour Openings MUMFEST Weekend

Alfred A. Cunningham Bridge

Although Swiss Bear and the New Bern Police Department work closely to insure the public’s safety and security during festival weekend, one of my biggest concerns was for the safety of festival-goers as they stream across the Alfred A. Cunningham Bridge.

Many people park on the James City side of the Trent River and walk across the bridge by the hundreds as pedestrians along with heavy vehicular traffic. The festival also attracts many recreational boaters requiring the continual opening and closing of the bridge. The intense frequency creates a situation where pedestrians become very frustrated and between openings, get careless and take great risks, sometimes trying to jump across before the bridge is completely closed and gates opened. This is repeated throughout the two days. Although we haven't had any injuries or accidents so far, I am fearful it is just a matter of time.

With this major safety concern,  I contacted NCDOT (the Bridge owner) voicing my concern to Ms. Mary Moore, Assistant Division Traffic Engineer, with a request from Swiss Bear for scheduled bridge openings festival weekend. Following up, after a conversation with Waverly Gregory, Jr., Bridge Program Manager, 5^th Coast Guard District, Portsmouth, VA  requesting on the hour openings of the Alfred A Cunningham Bridge during festival hours, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14^th, I submitted a written request to NCDOT.

On September 26^th, I received a copy of a letter from Waverly Gregory, Jr. addressed to Ms. Mary Moore, NCDOT, responding to Swiss Bear’s request to restrict the operations of the Bridge. It states,

“to facilitate the free and safe movement of 83,000 attendees during the annual MUMFEST on October 13 and October 14, 2012, between 9 am and 6 pm, the drawbridge need only open on the hour.” 

Since the festival is just two weeks away, the challenge now is to try and get the word out so boaters are aware the Bridge openings will be scheduled on the hour festival weekend. Please help us pass the word to your boating friends and we will notify the press and area yacht clubs.

It may be a bit of an inconvenience to some, however, it would be tragic if there was a major accident on the bridge. We ask for everyone’s cooperation and patience for these two days, be it pedestrians or boaters. 

Tell us what you think.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Shooting For the Charleston Look...Southern Charm

Round-a-bout at Broad and East Front Streets.

(L-R) Steve Hollar & Paul Haddock
wrapping up round-a-bout planting project

Downtown’s planting beds will be transitioned with fall plants and mums over the next few weeks.

Two new (April) Parks and Recreation employees, Eva Osteen and Steve Hollar have been busy coming up with new designs to include a larger variety of plants for the city beds than in past years. Both are up for the challenge and very qualified. Eva worked for Tryon Palace caring for the gardens and plantings for almost 16 years and Steve worked for his father Gary for many years as the lead landscape designer for Gary’s Nursery.

Their newest project was developing the planting bed in the round-a-bout at Broad and East Front Street…so needed, and best of all  the mums will be bright and showy for festival weekend. Over the next few weeks, they are concentrating on transitioning the beds in Bear Plaza, James Reed Lane, City Hall and all the beds in Union Point Park and planting mums around the Gazebo.

I personally couldn’t be more thrilled as the usual question festival weekend from visitors has been “so, where are the mums?” By the sound of it, mums will abound not only at Tryon Palace but also in the downtown festival area.

Future plans include identifying plants in beds with name/plant tags, beautifying the gateways and looking for other planting areas.

When they were interviewed by Thurman Hardison, Parks and Recreation Director, Eva said they both had the same response to his question “what is your vision for the city?”  ”Shooting for the Charleston look…Southern charm… lush and beautiful.”  The perfect answer!!!

We are thrilled with their vision and look forward to enjoying the beauty that comes with it. What do you think?

  

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Executive Director

Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps - A Call For New Members

Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps

On Tuesday, Florence Wootten, a member of the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps came to our office inquiring if there was any possible way the Corps could  perform at the festival. She said, in 2005, Tryon Palace initiated  this new program to re-create a colonial fife and drum corps as musicians were an important part of the 18^th century military. Captain John F. West, New Bern Police Department, is an instructor and played a major role in organizing this new program now directed by Kim Bennett. The program and membership has grown in skill and reputation and the Corps play
at many events year round, in and out of the area.

Florence plays the fife and thought being able to perform in the festival would be the perfect way for the group to “show their colors” and recruit new members.  We agreed, and fortunately had an opening. They will perform in the Dance-arena area (parking area between the county administration building and the Sudan Temple) on Saturday, October 13^th at 3:30 p.m. We are excited to add them to the list of performers in this venue, a very popular festival attraction featuring local dance groups showcasing a broad range of talent in this community.

Anyone 10 and over can join the group. Musical experience is not a requirement, though helpful.  Festival-goers are invited to come and enjoy their performance. Corps members will be available following their performance to answer questions and encourage people to join. So if you’ve ever played in a band, or wanted to, or just want to have fun and make new friends, now is the time to consider joining the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum  Corps. This unique performing group  is one of Tryon Palaces’  most visible and popular programs.

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Executive Director

Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps...on the move.

Carven Arts Festival - September 29-30

The place to be for art lovers this week-end is the Craven Arts Festival in the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. This is a perfect time to meet artists who specialize in many mediums from handmade jewelry, pottery, sculpture, photography, mixed media, fiber arts to hand crafted furniture, much of it available for sale.

In addition to the artist’s booths, there are demonstrations and workshops. The workshops, for a modest fee, offer a wide range of choices… from Ikebana Flower Arranging and Raku/Smoke Pit-fired Pottery, Fabulous Earrings, Photography, Strong Composition, Bookmaking, Watercolor Layering/Masking to Painting En Plein Air, all by well-known artists.

The Wine Tasting and Bernie Awards Party, a ticketed event Saturday evening ($30/ members, $35/nonmembers) promises to be lots of fun along with the opportunity to be a part of the award festivities and see who receives the Bernie Award for their outstanding contributions  to the arts in Craven County.  Event proceeds benefit the Craven Arts Council & Gallery.

The Festival is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, to sign up for classes and buy tickets for the Party, go to http://www.cravenarts.org/craven-arts-festival.html or call (252) 638-2577.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Take The Easy Way

If readers don’t want to deal with hunting for a parking place festival week-end, we suggest they take the easy way as there several other options.

Thanks to the generosity of  Little Caesars Pizza and the little bank, we were able to contract with New Bern Tours to offer free continuous pick-up/drop-off service from the New Bern Mall (parking in the lot behind the JC Penny store) to three points in the festival area…Broad @ Hancock Street, Hancock @ South Front Street and South Front @ Craven Street. Additionally, the City Parks & Recreation Department will provide several buses to insure there is adequate transportation for this popular service.

Service hours are Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For the very first time, Palm Coast Tours & Outings is providing free shuttle service from Fairfield Harbour, thanks to sponsors Robinson and Stith Insurance and Audiology of New Bern. Departure from Fairfield Harbour is on the hour to one location only - Broad @ Hancock Street. Return trips to Fairfield Harbour are on the half hour.

Water Taxi Service will also be available between Dock # 2 in Union Point Park and the end of the BridgePointe Marina near the small channel. A fee of $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $1 for children under 10 each way, helps defrays the spiraling cost of diesel fuel.

A map of the festival-area and pick-up/drop-off locations can be downloaded from our www.mumfest.com website and the map will be included in the Sun Journal tabloid/official program distributed to 18,000 households in the Wednesday, October 10^th edition. 

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director 

Constitution Week Celebration: Why Not At His Gravesite?



Gravesite and sepulcher of Richard Dobbs Spaight



National observance of Constitution Week began on September 17 at 3:30 p.m. with Ringing of the Bells locally at Tryon Palace by the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution, other DAR Chapters, schools and groups across the nation. The Ringing of the Bells commemorates the time on Sept. 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, including New Bernian Richard Dobbs Spaight, met for the last time to sign the document they created.

My thoughts, as I read in the Sun Journal, the Ringing of the Bells ceremony by the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter would be held at Tryon Palace, were “why not at his gravesite?”

We are so fortunate to have the honor of having a signer of the constitution buried in our community. Since the purpose of this week of observance is to promote study and education about the constitution, does it not seem we should be commemorating Constitution Week with an observance ceremony at Richard Dobbs Spaight’s gravesite?

This famous New Bernian, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr., a Revolutionary War patriot, a delegate to the Federal Constitution Convention of 1787 and the North Carolina Ratification Convention of 1788, and the first native born Governor of the state of North Carolina (serving three terms) is buried in his family’s sepulcher at Clermont adjacent to Madam Moore’s Lane. This property, owned by the MacDonald family for many years, was bequeathed by the late Ms. Hughrena MacDonald to the state of North Carolina as a part of Tryon Palace to insure this historic property/site was preserved for perpetuity.

Constitution Week presents the perfect opportunity to bring public awareness to this very historic site, especially since the actual initiative to have President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Congress officially proclaim September 17 – 23 as Constitution Week was led by Gertrude Caraway of New Bern, a member of the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter and President General of the National Society of the DAR.

Perhaps, Constitution Week 2013, the 226^th anniversary of the signing of the constitution, will include an observance at this hallowed gravesite.

Tell us what you think?

Susan Moffat-Thomas

MUMFEST... a Swiss Bear/City Partnership

Keith Jernigan, Craven County Health Dept.,
Jeremy Blalock, NBFD,
Mark Stephens, Public Works Director,
 Police Chief Touissant Summers

Jeremy Blalock, NBFD, Lt. Ronnie Lovick, NBPD,
 Mark Stephens, Public Works Director, Police Chief Summers,
Joe Bailey, Security, Danielle Glynn, Swiss Bear,
Bud VanSlyke, Chairman, Boat Show/Outdoor Life

Bud VanSlyke, Chair, Boat Show/Outdoor Life,
Debra Yarbrough, Craven County Health Dept.,
Dalton Gaskins, City Water Treatment Plant,
Danielle Glynn, Swiss Bear, Joe Bailey, Security

As October 13 – 14 draws closer and closer, our days at the office become longer and more hectic, assigning spaces, marking spaces on the streets, inventorying signs, ordering new ones, preparing 300+ vendor packets filled with set-up information, the continual ringing of phones…an endless list! However, it is worth the wear and tear as it insures a well-organized event that vendors appreciate and the festival-goers love.

What also insures a well-organized and well-run event is our partnership with the City, our elected officials and administration. Many of the departments have a role that is critical to MUMFEST. Electric, under Jon Rynne installs the temporary power panels to provide power to the vendors; the Police, under Chief Summers, oversees safety and security; Thurman Hardison’s Parks & Recreation staff provide manpower for delivering and setting up bleachers, trash pick-up through-out the weekend, getting the parks and planting areas in order; Water Resources, under Jordan Hughes' direction, provides water hook-up connections important to food vendors.  Mark Stephens, Director of Public Works, is responsible for overseeing all the rest…everything from hanging street banners, directing vendors to their spaces, putting up signage, barricades, stages, hauling trash, disposing of the vendor’s gray water each day, sweeping the streets. The list is long and the work load is immense.

Additionally, the Health Department inspects every food vendor before they can set-up and Fire Department staff inspect each food vendor’s set-up to insure they are following fire regulations and have fire extinguishers on site.

My objective in pointing this out is not to exhaust readers, but to provide a glimmer on how important this partnership is and the team work it takes to produce MUMFEST.  The public’s safety and enjoyment is paramount and the success of MUMFEST is directly related to the relationship MUMFEST and Swiss Bear has built over the past 32 years with the City, its various departments and its personnel.

When you see City employees working festival weekend, please take a moment  to stop and say thank you. Your safety and enjoyment is in their good hands.

Tell us what you think.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director