Message from the Mayor - Saluting 20 Years of the Lake Lure Olympiad!
By Carol Pritchett
July - August 2024
It is hard to believe August is quickly approaching! This month brings with it one of Lake Lure’s beloved annual events, the Olympiad! It is remarkable that this year will be the 20th anniversary of these spectacular games!
The Lake Lure Olympiad is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers, bringing people together in the spirit of friendly sports competition for the benefit of charitable giving. The Olympiad board members, race directors, and over 250 annual volunteers are strongly committed to promoting health and wellness in adults and children, regional tourism, and economic development.
The Olympiad brings over 1,000 annual participants and their families to the Town of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge communities and many of them eagerly return to our area each year. The Olympiad board generously gives back to the community each year with funds that are raised during the event. These funds have supported Lake Lure area first responders, Lake Lure Classical Academy, Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach, and many other charitable organizations over the years.
We Salute You: I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the founders of the Lake Lure Olympiad: Bob Keith, Kay Dittmer, and JoAnne Ellingson along with the original Olympiad Board members show below. These dedicated individuals have made an invaluable contribution to our community through the promotion of health, wellness, regional tourism, and economic development in Lake Lure! We salute each of them for their tireless effort over all these years. And we are thankful to the current Olympiad board led by Chairperson Debbie Warren, for carrying the Olympiad torch forward into the future.
Left to right: Ray Moylan, Joe Sommers, Skip Marsh, Tommy Hartzog, Kay Dittmer, Bob Keith, Valerie Hoffman, the late Doug Long, Monica Geyer, and Woody Turner
Buoy Placement Update: As you are enjoying the summer and being out on beautiful Lake Lure, you may have noticed a change in the placement of the “No-Wake” Buoys. The Parks, Recreation, and Lake Department and the Lake Advisory Board carefully reviewed the placement of each buoy this year. The Lake Lure buoy placement was analyzed this year and the Lake Lure Marine Commission approved the new buoy placements in June 2024.
The buoys are now strategically placed around Lake Lure to alert boaters to dangers and to serve as reminders of the 75-foot no-wake zone around the Lake shoreline. This is particularly the case in areas that are prone to having boats operate too close to the shore or too fast for conditions.
While a buoy can provide an additional measure of protection in front of a property, putting buoys in front of every lot would be prohibitively expensive and would diminish the beauty of the Lake. If you have questions regarding the current buoy placement, please contact the Parks, Recreation, and Lake Department at 828-625-9983 x 505.
Lake Drawdown Schedule: Each summer, Town Council establishes the drawdown schedule for the upcoming year. The purpose of the Lake Drawdown is for dredging, inspections, assessments, testing, repairs and maintenance. We are pleased to announce that we will not need to lower the lake until 1/1/25 so you will be able to enjoy the Lake for the remainder of the calendar year.
Please be sure to secure all boats and personal property well in advance of the Lake Drawdown. The plan is to lower the Lake to 20 feet below full-pond. It is estimated that the Lake will be lowered by about a foot per day. The Town plans to prioritize the work that needs to be accomplished at the 20-foot drawdown level. Lake Levels may range between 4 - 20 feet below full pond during the Lake Drawdown. All contractors must be out of the Lake by 3/15/25. The plan is to begin refilling the Lake to full-pond beginning on 3/15/25 so we will be ready for the spring season.
I hope you will enjoy the remainder of the summer in lovely Lake Lure. Please stay tuned to the Town News at www.townoflakelure.com for daily updates along with our calendar of meetings and events. Thank you for your support as we continue to work together to preserve Lake Lure for current and future generations.
