Foothills Parkway section opening attracts 8,019

Blount residents took advantage of the weekend opening of the 'Walland-to-'Missing Link' section of the Foothills Parkway.

Despite windy and inclement weather, 2,565 toured the section on Saturday. Weather was much better on Sunday and 5, 454 saw the significant scenery. That is a total of 8,019 for the whole weekend.

Arranging for and supplying the volunteer support of the opening were the members and alumni of Experience the Smokies Leadership program. They were the volunteers on site passing out information and answering questions.

Organized in Blount County in 2001 by Executive Vice President of Tourism Herb Handly of the Great Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau, Experience the Smokies helps community leaders to learn more about the park's operations, strengths and issues.

Over a period of several months, each year's class visits various park operations for a day once a month to more fully comprehend how it operates and what its personnel does to preserve the park, protect its wildlife and interpret the park to visitors.

In 2001, Great Smoky Mountains National Park won a National Park Service Keeper of the Light Award because of the establishment of the Experience the Smokies program to help create a better understanding of the park and its day-to-day operations.

It has since become a stand alone organization, obtained a charter as a non profit organization and has its own officers and board of directors. Jeff Deardorff is current chairman of the organization.

This added channel of communication between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the community is important to better understanding and mutual cooperation such as occurred with the opening of this section of the Foothills Parkway for the weekend.

Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and his staff are commended for making the weekend opening possible. They should also be commended for the outstanding job they have done in maintaining the overlooks and this section of roadway which has been closed for many years.

The outlook for completing the "Missing Link" in the near future is the best it has been in a number of years. Both Rep. John J. "Jimmy" Duncan and Senator Lamar Alexander are in key places where they can help see completion of the project which was approved by Congress in 1944 and began construction in 1960. On many needed projects, the Smokies park has a new and vital supporter in Rep. Heath Shuler, former UT quarter back who represents the North Carolina area of the park.

We hope and think it could be possible to have a similar opening of this segment during the peak of fall color in October since new construction is not expected on the Walland end of the "Missing Link" prior to that time.