Something for everyone at Mumfest 2013

Sun Journal: September 19, 2013

New Bern’s largest outdoor festival — Mumfest — is less than a month away, with crowds of 90,000 expected to flood the city streets and waterfront Oct. 12 and 13.

More than 300 commercial and nonprofit exhibitors will be on hand with pottery, crafts and art, along with dozens of food booths.

The festival fits everyone’s budget, since it is two days of free entertainment, including live bands with music ranging from beach to barbershop, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters and clowns.

In addition to all the free entertainment, there’s a riverfront amusement park with lots of ticketed rides.

Here is a glimpse at some of the other top attractions:

The Richard Childress Racing Team knows all about exciting rides, and title sponsor Joe Alcoke Auto and TruckCenter brings NASCAR to Mumfest with three famous stock cars — including the No. 3 of the late Dale Earnhardt.

Two simulators will allow fans to feel the racing experience.

Free family entertainment also features the X-POGO Stunt Team performing the most extreme pogo exhibitions in the world. The team has won several world championship titles in competition held in New York City.

Many favorites return, including comedian/stunt man Alex Clark; the Purina Incredible Dog Team; the Silver Drummer Girl; a huge model train show; New Bern Police’s K-9s and the Weller Kennels Labrador retriever demonstrations.

The 12th annual Mumfest Boat Show features coastal and offshore vessels on display in Union Point Park.

The N.C. Songwriters Co-op performs Oct. 13, sharing songwriting tips and critiquing visitors’ songwriting ability. The Co-op will also entertain original songs.

The traditional Lil’Kidstuff stage has programming both days, with magic shows, storytellers and other entertainment.

The Christ Church Ministry Center has several programs on Oct. 12 — the Fairfield Harbour Chorus, ENCORE, the Craven Community College chorus and also the Down East Dulcimers and New Bern Suzuki Strings.

Wine and beer connoisseurs will enjoy a variety of wine and beer samples at the Galley Store’s “Juice on the Neuse Wine Fest.” N.C. grown wines can be sampled and purchased at the Little River Wine Tasting Room on Craven Street.

Every Mumfest needs lots of chrysanthemums and Tryon Palace serves them up in their magnificent gardens, which are open free Oct. 11 to 13. The palace also has its bi-annual Heritage Plant Sale on Oct. 11 and 12. Gardeners will be on hand to answer your planting questions. Inside tours require a ticket, but outside tours of the palace’s many gardens are free.

The New Bern Firemen’s Museum is a popular venue to learn about New Bern’s fascinating firefighting history.

New Bern Parks and Recreation is offering a 5K run Oct. 13, with registration at 7 a.m. The 5K is at 7:30 a.m. Those events start and finish at Union Point Park. It features a flat course that winds its way through downtown New Bern. The cost is $25 for pre-registration and $30 for day of registration. Registration forms can be filled out on Active.com.

Contact Trevor Freitas at 639-2907 or freitast@newbern-nc.org

There is also a 1-mile Fun Walk scheduled after the 5K begins.

Visitors can come to the festival by water taxi, trolley or park downtown.

On the web: mumfest.com

Program helps build a small town's image

In October 1987, New Bern was one of 15 communities selected from 61 potential communities in the Main Street programs of Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, to participate in the Pride In Place: Small Town Image Building Program.

Pride In Place was a collaborative program sponsored by the North Carolina Arts Council, South Carolina Arts Commission and Tennessee’s Arts Commission. Main Street co-sponsors were the North Carolina Main Street Center, South Carolina Downtown Development Association and the Tennessee Main Street Project.

The program matched and provided a resource team of architects, urban planners, art directors and preservationist to spend three days in a town to review the issues and opportunities presented by the community, determine its feasibility and to design a conceptual framework in which it might occur.

In the application, the Swiss Bear director noted the issues and opportunities were to determine if it would be feasible to renovate the vacant 23,000 square foot Kress Building into a cultural arts/conference meeting center type facility and the five-story Elks Temple (75 percent vacancy) into a modern public office/mixed use facility. Downtown was faced with a lack of adequate meeting space for larger groups wishing to hold conventions in New Bern and there was need for a cultural arts center to serve area residents.

Both buildings and a vacant parcel of land on Hancock Street were available for development. The Kress Building, in the 300 block of Middle Street, recently donated to the city by C.C. Robinson of Elizabeth City, appeared to have the potential for meeting New Bern’s need for a cultural arts and conference center.

A small group meets to discuss the
Kress building

Declining memberships and poor maintenance led to the Elks Lodge membership’s interest in selling the Elks Temple, at the corner of Pollock and Middle Street. The city’s need for additional office space and the potential/feasibility of rehabbing the building, a pivotal commercial downtown landmark, for this purpose needed to be explored and the vacant lot (on Hancock Street) had adequate parking. The Kress Building was within three blocks of two hotels and four inns and four blocks from two other hotels. With the increase of tourism, lack of meeting space for small conventions and cultural activities was beginning to hamper downtown’s expanding tourism market.

Swiss Bear organized the team’s three day stay in February 1988 that included meetings with state representatives, county commissioners, the Mayor and Aldermen, downtown merchants, members of the Craven Arts Council, Tourism Development Authority, New Bern Historical Society, New Bern Preservation Foundation New Bern Civic Theatre, Tryon Palace and the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce. The team, which worked inside the Kress Building during its visit, heard many positive comments from the public and an evening open house meeting drew more than 200 people. The dialogue and synergy between the community and the team resulted in a proposal/report that went beyond the original request.

The team members, Nancy Howell, executive director, Lancaster County Council for the Arts, S.C.; Ray Huff, architect, Charleston, S.C.; John Jaques, professor of architecture, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.; John Morgan, economic development, Columbia, S.C.; Stroud Watson, urban designer and professor of architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were immediately impressed by the over-all beauty and scale of the town and its surroundings. After listening to presentations by the city, county and various organizations, the team clearly understood the sense of purpose in the downtown effort and the importance of maintaining its sense of place.

While the team’s immediate task was to investigate the potential re-use of the Kress and Elks Buildings, this action needed to be viewed within the context of the downtown as a whole.

They were very impressed with the city’s “ideal plan” prepared in 1710. The nine blocks of the original settlement and the Tryon Palace grounds, set apart within the neighborhood immediately to the south of the downtown, bordered on the converging rivers forming the town’s northern and eastern edges. As the town grew and the nine blocks filled in with buildings, certain potentials and problems emerged they identified as:

Legibility: It was important to provide visual clues so visitors could find their way within the downtown. It was difficult to gain a sense of direction/orientation with many landmarks and few vistas to specific points.

Circulation: Broad Street should have a visual emphasis as the major north/south connector; Pollock Street emphasized as the link between Tryon Palace and the Neuse River; and, Middle Street as the major shopping street with its link to the Trent River.

Open space: New buildings constructed to the sidewalk’s edge with parking and open space in mid-block areas. Landscape those areas and preserve the beautiful greenery surrounding Christ Church.

River edges: Steps should be taken to carefully plan for the futures of the river edges. Public access, visual corridors, community functions etc. needed to be choreographed with commercial development in order to ensure this most valuable physical asset is enjoyed by all.

The team recommended New Bern should locate a convention/conference center along the river-edge as part of a coordinated plan. Union Point Park needed to be redeveloped along with other forms of public and private community-oriented activities along the scenic waterways.

Consistent lighting standards, special pavers, festive banners and well-designed street furniture were needed to provide further clarity in the downtown.

Their main task led to the conclusion the city would soon need a full service conference center. The short-term conferencing needs could be alleviated by renovating the Kress building for meeting room, break out spaces and exhibitions areas, however, a conference/convention center should be developed as part of a coordinated river edge development program. They determined the Elks Temple was adaptable for office or residential uses at the upper levels and retail at the lower level.

Their final recommendation: commission an Urban Design Plan to develop a long-range plan for the future development of downtown New Bern. The progress of the city now depends on redefining current issues and addressing them.

NBFD Kid's Fire Safety House at MUMFEST

NBFD Kids Fire Safety House

We are happy to announce the NBFD's Kids Fire Safety House will be at MUMFEST again, thanks to the Robinson and Stith Insurance Agency.

Sparky the Fire Dog

The agency is providing the funds to have Kids Fire Safety House at MUMFEST 2013. Their employees provide the volunteer help, distribute free fire prevention coloring books, crayons and stickers and Sparky the Fire Dog will "meet and greet" adding to the fun.

The City acquired the Kids Fire Safety House in the early 1990's, funded through a FEMA grant targeted for fire safety education. It was seen as an opportunity to expand fire safety education by the fire department and connect with the community and school children.

The House, stored at the Main Fire Station on Broad Street, is primarily utilized during Fire Prevention Week. It is taken to public and private schools to educate first graders on the proper way to evacuate a house in case of fire and the importance of defining a meeting place outside the home for all members of the family so everyone can be accounted for. Designed to resemble a home with a kitchen, living room and bedroom, the children are taken through it by firemen, room by room who teach fire safety with lectures and hands-on exercises. Simulated smoke teaches kids how to safely evacuate from a second floor bedroom and how to properly call 911.

This is an important teaching tool and we appreciate Robinson and Stith for making it possible to have this venue at the festival. We invite families with young children to embrace this opportunity and have their children take the tour. It is a fun way to learn fire safety lessons and how to act quickly and decisively in life threatening emergencies.

The Fire Safety House will be located on Craven Street near City Hall during festival hours October 12-13.

Susan Moffat-Thomas
Executive Director

Transition of the Neuse River waterfront and Union Point Park

Women's Club Building

Model of winning concept for
 Union Point Park

Design Competition - First Place
winning design

In the late 1970’s, the redevelopment and integration of the area along the Trent River and Neuse River into the core downtown area focused on creating amenities that would enhance the area as a destination.

Union Point’s prominent location at the confluence of the two rivers and its close proximity to downtown made it a keystone in the redevelopment of the waterfront.

Historically, Union Point served as the site for commercial sawmill operations, seafood processing and naval stores and in the early 20th century as a government dock. New Bern’s decline as a port city led to the gradual deterioration of the Neuse and Trent waterfront and by the 1920’s, Union Point degenerated into a city dump.

Union Point showed some
deterioration again in the 1980s

In 1931, when a development project to construct a multi-story hotel failed, the New Bern Women’s Club initiated clean-up of the area to convert it into a public park and construct a Club House. The Board of Aldermen approved the project “provided it could be done without any cost to the city other than City labor, when it could be spared.” 

With President Roosevelt’s announcement municipalities could borrow W.P.A funds with a local match of funds, the Woman’s Club Committee requested some of the relief-employed labor be diverted to the park project.

When the building was completed, Mayor Tolson’s donated a lily pool. The building and park became a rallying point boosting the morale of the city and the place community activities took place for many years.

In the 1950’s, Cedric Boyd, Public Works Director, developed the park further with a picnic area, boat ramps, a pavilion and restrooms. Throughout the years it continued to be a highly used park.

By the mid-1970’s, hurricanes, frequent flooding and deferred maintenance led to its deterioration. The restrooms were frequently vandalized. The piling and pier decking were decaying. Stress cracks in the exterior walls of the Women’s Club along with the sinking and heaving of the concrete slab floor lead to the building’s closure in the early 1980’s.

Adjacent to Union Point, the three acre abandoned Texaco site, surrounded by a chain link fence, housed seven fuel tanks, a vacant service station and warehouse with a large expanse of asphalt paving.

In the early 1980’s, with waterfront redevelopment a major objective in the downtown revitalization effort, the City and Swiss Bear agreed acquisition of the Texaco land would provide the opportunity to expand Union Point Park.

In September 1982, learning Texaco was exploring having the tanks removed from the site, Tony Hooper, City Manager, contacted Jim Nay, Texaco’s Division Manager, Bellaire, Texas inquiring if the company would consider donating the property to the city for use as a public park. Although Nay responded the tract, appraised at $300,000, was too valuable to give away, correspondence continued.

In late October, when Texaco agreed to donate the waterfront section to the City and sub-divide and sell the front two parcels for a bargain sale of $10,000, Swiss Bear’s Board made Texaco an offer of $10,000 for the two lots. After months of negotiations, on June 15, 1983, Jim Nay, Division Manager presented deeds to Swiss Bear Chairman Harold Talton and Mayor Paul Cox at a press conference in Bear Plaza. 

In July 1983, the Board of Aldermen granted Swiss Bear the authority to develop a plan for the highest and best use of the Texaco property and Union Point and flexibility in negotiations with the City on disposition of the Texaco property owned by Swiss Bear.

An East Waterfront Task Force, appointed by the Board of Aldermen and chaired by John Ward included representatives from the City, County, Swiss Bear, Chamber of Commerce, Weyerhaeuser, Hatteras Yachts, Neuse River Foundation and was later expanded with sub-committees from the business community for fundraising, project design and grants to cover costs incurred.

After visiting numerous waterfront cities and meeting weekly, Task Force members concluded the best use was development of a visitor and river resource center dedicated to the identification, study and resolution of water quality problems adversely affecting residential and industrial development.

In April, 1984, they held a Design Competition for the design and layout of the 6.5 acre site. Seventeen architect and landscape architect firms submitted entry drawings. The award-winning design by Edgar Carr & Associates called for the excavation of most of Union Point to create a protected harbor with a barrier island, a resource center, waterfront promenade, amphitheater for outdoor performances and boat docks.

The Kellenberger Historical Foundation approved a $5,000 grant for the design phase and the Board of Aldermen approved $9,000 for a feasibility study. Commitments to fund the $3-4 million project received financial support from several local major industries.

In 1986, Swiss Bear sold its two Texaco parcels to the City for $14,500, covering costs incurred to demolish the two buildings and clean up site debris.

Throughout the next three years, the project remained controversial in spite of numerous public meetings and modifications to the design. Residents voiced anger at losing the use of the park and fishermen the loss of the boat ramps. To address that issue, Swiss Bear took the lead and paid $2,000 for a plan to up-grade Lawson Creek Park (also a dump site in previous years), the City of New Bern appropriated $27,000 and the County provided the labor to build four new boat launching ramps.

In December 1987, failing to gain state support for a major appropriation to help fund the project, Task Force members, the Swiss Bear Executive Board and Board of Aldermen determined the Union Point Task Force should work with Edgar D. Stone and Associates (EDSA), Design Competition third place winner to come up with a plan for Union Point.

However, other waterfront controversies arose that laid the groundwork for development of the 1990 Urban Design Plan which, in addition to providing a clear vision for all of downtown, would include a new design concept for Union Point Park.

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director

Run for the MUM's ... a festival favorite!

The 5K Run sponsored by New Bern Parks & Recreation Department, is a featured festival favorite. This venue continues to grow in the number of registrations every year offering awards in various age groups.

5K Run Mumfest 2012

Beginning and ending in Union Point Park in the early morning Sunday, October 13, the flat course goes throughout New Bern's scenic historic district.

The 5K Run begins at 7:30 a.m. Awards are presented to the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place male and female runners in each age group.

Mumfest 2012 - 5K Run winners in
respective groups

Early registration is $25 and $30 the day of the race. Pre-registered runners will receive a t-shirt.

To register on line click here or for more information, contact Trevor Freitas at (252) 639-2907,  email freitast@newbern-nc.org

Facade and building rehabs: More than just a pretty face

The central business district stock was
deteriorated and the backs of buildings
were in poor condition. Shown is the old
City Hall in the late 1970s.

Shown is the old City Hall in 1983

The Central News Facade Renovation
is underway

Central News in 1983

Becoming a Main Street City in 1981 under the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development (now under the N.C. Department of Commerce) offered New Bern the chance to mobilize its forces to develop a successful revitalization project.

In March 1981 at a public meeting of 140 citizens prior to New Bern officially becoming a participant in the state’s new Main Street Program, the Main Street Resource Team from the National Trust for Historic Preservation pointed out the rehabilitation of buildings is just one of many components in downtown revitalization, however, it is a very important one and facade and sign improvements needed to be implemented as soon as possible.

The central business district building stock was deteriorated, upper floors abandoned for the most part, upper portions of a number of facades were left to crumble and often the only signs of attention were aluminum and plywood cover-ups hastily applied over historic building fabric. The backs of buildings were in poor condition due to neglect, understandable considering they were not in the public view; however, the back facades would become visually important as the interior off street parking lots were developed.

As a first step, a $30,000 Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation grant to the N.C. Main Street Program funded a full-time architect for a year to work with N.C. Main Street cities. Each city had $2,500 to use at their discretion for incentive programs or design assistance for merchants/owners who agreed to undertake facade or sign improvements. N.C. Main Street architect, Jo Ramsey was hired to work with the Main Street cities conducting workshops and providing renderings, working drawings and consultation services with selected owners who were interested in renovating the facades of their buildings.

In September 1981, City Planner, David Rowland and Swiss Bear Director, Kay Williams, submitted an application to the Kellenberger Historical Foundation and received $20,000 for design assistance in developing facade renderings and working drawings for a minimum of 10 historic buildings in the central business district to insure rehabilitation work was based on good design in keeping with the character of the building. The grant funded an architect to prepare working drawings and cost estimates based on research of the original appearance of the building and on-site consultation as needed.

The Kellenberger Design Assistance Committee included a representative from the New Bern Preservation Foundation and Historic District Commission. Participating property owners had to commit to undertake and complete the work within 12 — 18 months complying with the plans developed during the design phase.

Applications were received from 12 property owners. By the end of 1983, five of the property owners completed facade and other major improvements to their buildings. Jo Ramsey completed back facade drawings for North Carolina National Bank (NCNB), front and back drawings for Central Office Supply (Pollock Street businesses with back facades facing the new parking lot under construction) who followed through with facade renovations.

Swiss Bear acquired a grant for a New Bern Paint Bucket Project and hired Peter Sandbeck, Architectural Historian to conduct paint research on original and early paint colors and make recommendations of appropriate period colors for historic buildings being rehabbed.

Swiss Bear and the New Bern Preservation Foundation co-sponsored training sessions on the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, administered by the National Park Service which offered a 20 percent federal tax credit for qualified rehabilitation expenses.

City Planner, David Rowland completed tax certification applications for six downtown tax incentive projects and the Historic District Commission re-addressed its sign ordinance regulating policies in the Downtown Historic District. Swiss Bear and the N.C. Main Street Program sponsored restoration workshops for property owners conducted by architect Jo Ramsey and Peter Sandbeck.

The City and Swiss Bear worked with eight local banks creating a two million dollar low interest tax exempt loan pool used to assist with the major renovation/rehabilitation of four major downtown buildings including the Belk/O. Marks Building.

As a added incentive, the Neuse River Council was approved to administer the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program in nine counties, including Craven, which required a business owner to put in a minimum of 10 percent, a conventional lender 50 percent and the SBA pay the remaining 40 percent for bricks and mortar projects that could be borrowed over 25 years at a fixed rate.

Swiss Bear hired Land and Community Associates, Charlottesville, Virginia to document downtown buildings and develop a series of pamphlets that were widely distributed to owners interested in renovating their buildings. The topics of the six pamphlets included the history of downtown New Bern; a commercial building inspection checklist; design and maintenance of front and rear facades; appropriate commercial signage, awnings and window displays for commercial buildings; and, planning your rehabilitation/working with architects and contractors.

By December 1986, 31 facades were restored in varying degrees. The assessed tax value on the 31 properties in 1980 was $2,057,560. In 1986, the assessed value on the 31 properties after rehabilitation and 5 new construction projects was $16,596,180.

In 1987, to keep the momentum going, I applied to the Kellenberger Historical Foundation for a $15,000 grant and developed the Downtown Facade Incentive Grant Program providing financial assistance to building owners in the Municipal Service Tax District who would improve the facades of their buildings. Grants were awarded on a 50/50 matching basis with a maximum participation of $1,000 per facade. Fourteen property owners received grants for projects ranging from replacing awnings to major renovations of the front and rear facades.

The numerous strategies produced significant results and were a catalyst for promoting good design. Over the years, the momentum continued. Today, approximately 95 percent of the facades on downtown’s buildings have been rehabbed in varying degrees.

In 1980, downtown appeared beaten, bruised and neglected. Through strong leadership, a coordinated strategy, teamwork and cooperation, both public and private, facade improvements implemented in keeping with the historic character of the buildings played a major role in transforming downtown. Downtown is once again known for its distinctive “sense of place.”

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

MUMFEST Street Entertainment...meet and greet Willy the Hillbilly!

In addition to Gary Shelton, Steve Wille, the Silver Drummer Girl, Alex Clark and other street entertainers, Willy the Hillbilly will be at MUMFEST to meet and greet, compliments of the Pepsi Minges Bottling Group.

In the l960s the Mountain Dew bottles were green with red and white labels including a picture of a hillbilly character shooting at a revenuer as the trespasser runs out of an outhouse. Mountain Dew was advertised as "zero proof moonshine" and the saying "It'll tickle your innards!". In the early 1970s a different marketing agency replaced the label for a more modern look. Thirty seven years later, Willy is back on a new drink called Throwback, this time with the cork of the Mount Dew jug shooting through his hat, making a hole.

Festival-goers can meet Willy the Hillbilly in person, shake his hands and pose with him for photo ops!

For those old enough to remember the 1960s and would enjoy jogging their memory with a 1966 Willy the Hillbilly commercial, click here: youtube Willy the Hillbilly