January 2015 Buckeye Buzz

Message from the Staff

Happy 2015! December was an awesome month, filled with exciting events and special visits from families and friends. January is already getting off to a great start. Many members are heading down to Buckeye, eager to begin the new year with some action! New at Buckeye...an evening fitness class and we have also launched a new website for everyone to checkout. We hope you enjoy this issue of the Buzz and we are looking forward to seeing you at Buckeye in the New Year.

For more information or to find out about volunteering for any of the events/activities in the Buzz, please call the Buckeye Recreation Center at (828) 387-3003.

Special Events and Happenings

Builders Wanted!

Beech Mountain is holding its Annual Snowman Building Contest on Saturday, February 7th from 10 am - noon on the Free Sledding Hill next to Town Hall (weather permitting). Last year over 40 snow creatures were built on the Hill and we expect another great turnout. We will have some accessories to dress our frosty friends, but we encourage you to bring your own to personalize your creation. Hot chocolate will be provided by the Chamber of Commerce and prizes will be awarded. For more information on this FREE event please call 387-3003. Please remember to dress warmly for this event.

Special Event Recap

Santa & Mrs. Claus Visit Beech Mountain

Thankfully, Santa & Mrs. Claus were able to take some time from their busy pre-Christmas schedule to meet and greet some lucky children before the big day. Santa flew by the 4 Seasons at Beech listening to last minute wishes. He ate a few cookies to keep up his energy for the late nights ahead and thanked Calder and Elaine Smoot for their hospitality.

Down at the Buckeye Recreation Center a week later, Mrs. Claus hosted a yummy breakfast. After breakfast, families enjoyed a few stories by the roaring fireplace, and Mrs. Claus collected some colored photos to take back to Santa! All the families loved taking photos in front of the beautiful Christmas tree from Fred's. They learned about Buckeye and summer camp.

Special thanks to Gloria Alge for cooking all the pancakes this year, Susie O'Connell our cookie queen, Therese Barry for greeting our guests and taking photos, Kevin who kept the food coming and our wonderful Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Hayride-Big Hit with Holiday Families

Over 250 parents and children enjoyed the taste of roasted marshmallows and a starry hayride through Woodland Meadows at the recent Yule Log Bonfire. The Chamber served hot cider and cocoa and the hay wagon took six trips, making sure all our guests had a chance to feel the cool, sweet mountain air on their faces. Special thanks to the Brick Oven, Superlative Realty, the Moretz and Freeman families, and all the local merchants who helped warm up this magical winter night for our families visiting during the holidays.

Kids' Balloon Drop at Buckeye FunFest

Buckeye rocked into the New Year with over 350 guests at our annual FunFest event! The Bounce House was jumping and Jazzy DJ Julia kept the rest of the place hopping with great dance music. Kids loved trying out the obstacle courses, hoola hoops, corn hole toss, basketball and just running around. Our kid-friendly buffet was filled with chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, pizza rolls, mini subs, roll ups, fruit and more! Parents made generous donations for the party. As always, we would like to extend a big thank you to our many wonderful volunteers and Officer Joe for helping keep our guests safe in the parking lot. For more party pics, check out Buzz Photos on the right.

Fitness

Welcome Kate!

Kate Prisco has been teaching our fitness classes at Buckeye since the fall. She has taken on Zumba, Ab Attack & More and now started a new evening class, Work-it Circuit. She is very passionate about teaching fitness and helping others make and reach their fitness goals. Graduating from Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN with a K-12 Physical Education degree, Kate believes strongly in lifetime fitness. In her free time she enjoys snowboarding, cooking and meeting new people. If you have not had a chance to meet Kate, stop by Buckeye or better yet join her for a fitness class.

New Evening Fitness Class

Work-it Circuit is an exciting new fitness class we have added to our schedule. Held from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays so that individuals can join us down at Buckeye after they finish work. This class is a quick moving, all around body work out created to keep you and your body from getting bored. The hour will fly by and the class is great for all ages and fitness levels. Kate Prisco will instruct the class. She also teaches Zumba and Ab Attack. Lace up your sneakers and join us for some evening fun! Hope to see you there!

R U in a Pickle?

Buckeye now has two indoor Pickleball courts for your enjoyment. This new activity is becoming very popular. Give us a call to reserve a court at 387-3003. We will have the net set up and all the gear ready for you to play this exciting game. Bring your friends...the more the merrier! Thanks to the Beech Mountain Club for helping us provide you with this new addition.

Town Talk

Parks & Recreation Launches New Site

Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation is proud to launch a new website for 2015. The website was designed to showcase all of the wonderful activities, special events and programs available to Beech Mountain residents and visitors. Easy navigation buttons help you find information about all our parks, trails and activities like fitness classes, fishing, boating, hiking and biking. Grids and links to calendars and photos are just a few of the new improvements. Special thanks to Kathy Khalifa and Sean Royall for their design expertise. Everyone should put www.beechrecreation.org on their desktops and share the website with family and friends. Please email Sean Royall any photos of you and your family enjoying activities that you would like us to share with the public.

Congratulations Roger!

At the December Town Council Meeting, Mayor Rick Owen presented Roger Turbyfill with a certification of appreciation for his 23½ years of service as Beech Mountain's Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor. Roger is planning to spend more time with his wife, daughter and 4 grandchildren now that he is retired. Roger is a native of Elk Park and a car enthusiast. His plans also include continuing to work on automobiles. Roger, best wishes to you and your family. We know you will keep humming along.

Hiked it - Liked it

We have had many calls about snowshoeing already this year. While the sledding hill and the ski resort have been making a lot of snow, we have unfortunately not had that much of the natural stuff falling on the trails. Unless we have a good three inches or more of snow on the trails, we are not able to rent our snowshoes. So everyone...think snow!

In This Issue

Message

Special Events and Happenings

Wellness Tip of the Month

WINTER

Operating Hours

Mon - Fri, 10 am - 6 pm

Saturday, 12 pm - 5 pm

Sunday, closed

Holiday

Operating Hours

Martin Luther King Weekend

Sat. January 17th, 10 am - 8 pm

Sun. January 18th, noon - 5 pm

Presidents' Day Weekend

Sat. February 14th, 10 am - 8 pm

Sun. February 15th, noon - 5 pm

Sledding Hill

Operating Hours

Weather permitting, the regular sledding hill operating hours are below. It is a good idea to call the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce for current weather and hill conditions before you go.

The Sledding Hill is FREE and for children 12 and younger.

Mon. - Fri. 1 pm - 5 pm

Sat. & Sun. 9 am - 5 pm

Call the Beech Mountain Chamber for more information.

(828) 387-9283

Group Fitness Calendar

Click on the link above

to view the Buckeye Recreation Fitness Calendar.

Wellness Tip of the Month

Happy New Year!!

Did you known an hour work out is only 4% of your entire day. Buckeye offers many classes and also 24/7 access to the fitness room. So come on down to Buckeye and we will help you get your hour in!

Family of the Month

The Appelrouth family visited Buckeye Recreation Center during the holidays and helped us ring in the New Year in style. Then, they donated a 39" flat screen television for the lobby. Below is a photo of our first guests who enjoyed the new TV. Thanks to Stewart and Gail for their generous donation and Best Wishes for 2015!