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Comments are rather interesting, and show alot of ignorance... but can be humorous at times.
See article here...
Incase it goes bye bye later...
Krey
See article here...
Incase it goes bye bye later...
BRYSON CITY — Graham County emergency crews have spent years negotiating the winding mountain roads leading to and along the “Tail of the Dragon” while responding to motorcycle crashes on the legendary route.
But it's getting a little too costly, county officials said Tuesday in talks with neighboring Swain County.
Sections of the route known by motorcyclists worldwide cross both counties. But a long-standing agreement has left Graham County to cover accidents and law enforcement on the section of U.S. 129 in Swain County.
The road starts in Blount County, Tenn., and packs 318 curves in 11 miles. At least two people a year are killed on the North Carolina side of the road.
Graham County Commissioner Steve Odom, a former sheriff, said the two counties agreed 15 years ago that rescue workers in his county would respond to accidents in Swain County.
It takes about 22 minutes for an ambulance to get to the part of U.S. 129 in Swain County from Robbinsville in Graham. It can take as long as 50 minutes to get there from Bryson City in Swain.
He said the agreement was fine when the calls into Swain were rare. But, he said, Graham County now gets about 30 calls a year to the 10 miles of U.S. 129 in Swain County.
That means one of the county's two ambulances is spending a lot of time out of the county, which could put Graham residents at risk.
“The issue for us is, I would say, the daily service we are voluntarily providing for Swain County,” he said. “It is really all about what we can and can't afford. We are good neighbors. We try to be good neighbors.”
Graham Commissioner Sandra Smith said the services — including fire, emergency medical service and law enforcement — cost $100,000 a year.
She recently asked her board to consider approaching the state about annexing that part of Swain County. She has since tabled that idea to conduct more research.
Swain pays Graham $21,000 to pick up garbage along its part of U.S. 129 but doesn't contribute anything directly to rescue services, Swain County Manager Kevin King said.
King said Swain County last year responded to 55 emergency calls in Graham County at the popular Tsali Recreation Area, which has mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. The area is closer to Swain rescuers than it is to those in Graham.
He also said Swain County, which like Graham runs two ambulances, transports about 100 Graham County residents annually from the Swain County Hospital to Harris Regional in Sylva or to Mission Hospital in Asheville.
Graham County doesn't have a hospital. Patients with serious injuries are often stabilized in Swain County before they are taken to a bigger facility.
Most of the serious accidents on U.S. 129 happen in Graham County, according to N.C. Highway Patrol records.
Troopers last year responded to four wrecks involving injuries on U.S. 129 in Swain County and 20 in Graham County. Troopers wrote one speeding ticket in Swain County and 91 in Graham County.
King said the 19,000 acres of private land in the far corner of Swain County generates $195,000 a year in property taxes. He said Swain would be better off buying another ambulance to serve U.S. 129 than giving the land to Graham County.
Some in the motorcycle community say the idea of switching the county lines seems a little drastic. The move would be unusual in North Carolina and could be expensive.
Brad Talbott, who owns Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, said both sides should work out a fair reimbursement.
“To move county lines is not an intelligent way to go about it,” he said.
But Smith, the Graham commissioner who suggested doing just that, says adopting the far corner of Swain makes sense.
“If we are going to take care of it, we should just take care of it and have it part of Graham County,” she said.
Glenn Jones, the chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners, disagreed with a laugh.
“Well, that may be your suggestion, and I appreciate your thoughts,” he said.
The joint meeting on Tuesday was to share information. The boards will meet again in a month.
But it's getting a little too costly, county officials said Tuesday in talks with neighboring Swain County.
Sections of the route known by motorcyclists worldwide cross both counties. But a long-standing agreement has left Graham County to cover accidents and law enforcement on the section of U.S. 129 in Swain County.
The road starts in Blount County, Tenn., and packs 318 curves in 11 miles. At least two people a year are killed on the North Carolina side of the road.
Graham County Commissioner Steve Odom, a former sheriff, said the two counties agreed 15 years ago that rescue workers in his county would respond to accidents in Swain County.
It takes about 22 minutes for an ambulance to get to the part of U.S. 129 in Swain County from Robbinsville in Graham. It can take as long as 50 minutes to get there from Bryson City in Swain.
He said the agreement was fine when the calls into Swain were rare. But, he said, Graham County now gets about 30 calls a year to the 10 miles of U.S. 129 in Swain County.
That means one of the county's two ambulances is spending a lot of time out of the county, which could put Graham residents at risk.
“The issue for us is, I would say, the daily service we are voluntarily providing for Swain County,” he said. “It is really all about what we can and can't afford. We are good neighbors. We try to be good neighbors.”
Graham Commissioner Sandra Smith said the services — including fire, emergency medical service and law enforcement — cost $100,000 a year.
She recently asked her board to consider approaching the state about annexing that part of Swain County. She has since tabled that idea to conduct more research.
Swain pays Graham $21,000 to pick up garbage along its part of U.S. 129 but doesn't contribute anything directly to rescue services, Swain County Manager Kevin King said.
King said Swain County last year responded to 55 emergency calls in Graham County at the popular Tsali Recreation Area, which has mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. The area is closer to Swain rescuers than it is to those in Graham.
He also said Swain County, which like Graham runs two ambulances, transports about 100 Graham County residents annually from the Swain County Hospital to Harris Regional in Sylva or to Mission Hospital in Asheville.
Graham County doesn't have a hospital. Patients with serious injuries are often stabilized in Swain County before they are taken to a bigger facility.
Most of the serious accidents on U.S. 129 happen in Graham County, according to N.C. Highway Patrol records.
Troopers last year responded to four wrecks involving injuries on U.S. 129 in Swain County and 20 in Graham County. Troopers wrote one speeding ticket in Swain County and 91 in Graham County.
King said the 19,000 acres of private land in the far corner of Swain County generates $195,000 a year in property taxes. He said Swain would be better off buying another ambulance to serve U.S. 129 than giving the land to Graham County.
Some in the motorcycle community say the idea of switching the county lines seems a little drastic. The move would be unusual in North Carolina and could be expensive.
Brad Talbott, who owns Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, said both sides should work out a fair reimbursement.
“To move county lines is not an intelligent way to go about it,” he said.
But Smith, the Graham commissioner who suggested doing just that, says adopting the far corner of Swain makes sense.
“If we are going to take care of it, we should just take care of it and have it part of Graham County,” she said.
Glenn Jones, the chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners, disagreed with a laugh.
“Well, that may be your suggestion, and I appreciate your thoughts,” he said.
The joint meeting on Tuesday was to share information. The boards will meet again in a month.
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