Good morning,

I know it has been a very difficult time for Rich Cove residents that suffered because of the mudslide in February 2010 and my heart, hopes and prayers continue to go out to each of them.  On a more positive note, I wanted to share a before and after picture that really shows the progress made during the repair project to the retaining wall atop Ghost Town in The Sky.  I also wanted to thank all of the elected officials and Manager Barth of the Town of Maggie Valley as well as Mike Hentin with the USDA for their hard work and support of the Rich Cove residents and Ghost Town during this  very challenging time.  I also want to thank Phillips and Jordan, the Contractor who did a remarkable job in a very difficult environment.  I have posted additional pictures on the Ghost Town in The Sky Facebook page if you would like to view them.  If you are a Facebook user you can follow the link below to view the Ghost Town in The Sky Group Page.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=53104733242

Recently, I received several calls after a WLOS news clip ran concerning Ghost Town and I wanted to clarify that report.  Although we have no definitive information about our opening date for the 2011 season if any, we continue to make significant progress and are currently awaiting a decision by a third party regarding the disposition of the property.  All indications are for a favorable resolution within the next month so we will keep you posted accordingly. I truly appreciate the encouraging phone calls and emails of support we continue to receive for reopening Ghost Town in The Sky.   As always, please keep in touch and feel free to email me personally with any concerns or additional questions you may have.  Also, I have been told before that my emails didn’t reach all concerned so please feel free to forward this information if you would like.

Warmest Regards,

Steve Shiver

Already being referred to as one of the hottest young pianist, Anthony Molinaro puts on a show that is stunning and full of versatility. He has performed at a number of different major theaters and has continued to captivate audiences since his victory at the 1997 Naumburg International Piano Competition New York.

Ticket pricing is $20 for adults and students get in free. So join the show and see Anthony and many more up and coming musicians. For more information CLICK HERE.

1997 Naumburg International Piano Competition in New York City

After a day at the playground with the kids last Friday (and a 65 degree day) we stopped to get the kids a treat (and of course us as well) at Deanos Italian Ice and Gourmet Popcorn.

I had the creamsicle italian ice, my daugher the Red White & Blue (very tasty), and Christine had a creamsicle shake. Since my son was in trouble he did not get anything, but on the way out, Dean offered him some fresh popped popcorn which he willingly accepted and quickly devoured.

A great place to get a snack or a cool treat on a warm Spring day. Check out the video below and meet Dean, owner/operator of Deanos. He is located close to the intersection of HWY 19 and HWY 276 in Dellwood/Lake Junaluska.

The snowfall came fast here in Maggie Valley NC.  Arrived back at Realty World-Heritage from Clyde NC at 2:15pm & there was no snow at all..  but the weather was cold.. then at about 3pm, it was white when we had peeked out the windows.  Had to share a video of what accumulated at 3:15pm outside the office.. 

If you’re looking for a new construction home or would like to preview newer homes in Haywood County, NC…  now is your chance.  The Haywood County Home Builders Association has put together 16 homes for you to view beginning today, tomorrow & Sunday from 9am-5pm. Realty World in Maggie Valley has 7 homes listed in the parade out of a total of 16.. We hope you can come join us..

For a map & route to all the homes, Click on picture

Row, row, row your boat gently up the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. Rain, rain, go away, come on back another day..Oh sorry! I just cannot seem to get those songs out of my head lately. Wonder why? Maybe because it has rained for like 2 months straight? Or at least it feels that way.

As you will see, we are well above normal both for the year and the month of September and it is STILL raining.  I have lived in some gray places including Lansing, MI, but this is starting to really get to people. There is hope for brighter days ahead, but at this point no one believes it.  For all of those out there that would like a home with a mountain view and lake side, we may have more and more of these type properties if this keeps up.

Went to Asheville NC earlier this afternoon & on the way back to the office, the weather was CRAZY..  talk about driving through heavy rain, lightning, thunder, wind & sun just in a 35 minute drive back was eye awakening..  plus there were semi-trucks driving tailgating… not really understanding why.. but they did… I hope mother nature makes up her mind soon as to when this madness will show sunny & brighter days…

When arriving at the office, apparently lightning hit the side of our building knocking out the phone lines.. but at least we still have internet to make sure we still up & running to service clients.. so if you’re curious about the weather, follow us on twitter or facebook.. We give regular updates of what’s happening in Maggie Valley…

Ghost Town in the Sky in Maggie Valley NC needs our HELP!

We received this letter from Ghost Town in the Sky.. Hope you’re able to help!

-Realty World-Heritage Realty

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All friends of Maggie Valley and Ghost Town in The Sky,

I can’t thank you all enough for the support and continued emails regarding beautiful Maggie Valley and Ghost Town in The Sky. Today, we passed the final State of NC inspection for our House of Terror and Scenic Train and we are extremely thankful for Jonathan Brooks, Tommy Petty and Preston White of the NC Department of Labor for their continued assistance.

We have invested millions of dollars and thousands of man hours getting Ghost Town back in shape and the NC Department of Labor has been extremely helpful. We are on the verge of getting everything in this park open and operational for the first time since we acquired the park in 2006 and are now one inspection away from that significant milestone. Today at 5pm, we are scheduled to open the House of Terror and the Cliffhanger Roller Coaster to a host of dignitaries and media as well as local elected officials, business owners and those dependent on Ghost Town’s survival. I can’t impress upon everyone enough the critical nature of this inspection to take place today or tomorrow. We are mindful of the stress on the department with current economic conditions and budgetary concerns that face almost every state in the nation.

We realize the inspectors in this region are extremely busy, but need our supporters to call Commissioner Cherie Berry or Andy Frazier asking them to allocate the necessary resources to get this done today or tomorrow. They have the resources in our area to help us but apparently due to budget cuts and being short inspectors in this region, they are not able to get to us.

GT will pay for overtime, if necessary, just to get this done. They must be made to realize that this is essential to our economy and the future of the Park, and the success of this Park means added revenue for the State, and continued employment for Maggie Valley and all of Western North Carolina.

With this in mind, please join us in making the NC Department of Labor understand the extreme need to support the tourism industry here in Maggie Valley and to get the inspection done on our Cliffhanger Coaster. Please contact the following to urge them to do everything possible.

Honorable Cherie K Berry, Commissioner, NCDOL Phone 919-733-7166 Email: cherrie.berry@labor.nc.gov
Andy Frazier, Deputy Commissioner, Standards and Inspections, NCDOL Phone 919-807-2794 Email: andy.frazier@labor.nc.gov
Jonathan Brooks, Elevator & Amusement Device Bureau Chief, NCDOL Phone 919-807-2770 Email: jonathan.brooks@labor.nc.gov

Once again, it has been a significant challenge to get Ghost Town in The Sky back to its former stature as one of the largest economic engines in Western North Carolina. On behalf of our employees, investors and myself, I want to express our heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude to all of you that believed in us and continue to make us a success.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, you can email me any time at steve@shiver.com

I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend and we all look forward to seeing you here in Maggie Valley, NC at Ghost Town in The Sky.
Travel Safe, Steve Shiver, President/CEO Ghost Town in The Sky

The 2009 North Carolina General Assembly has enacted legislation that provides for a temporary additional 1% State sales and use tax effective September 1, 2009 and will expire on July 1, 2011.  Senate Bill 202 was ratified by the House of Representatives and the Senate on August 5, 2009 and has been signed by Governor Perdue.

As a result of the additional 1% State rate increase, the combined State and county tax rate will increase to 8.25% in Mecklenburg County, 8% in Alexander, Catawba, Cumberland, Haywood, Martin, Pitt, Sampson, and Surry Counties, and 7.75% in the remaining ninety-one counties.

The combined general rate of tax, which applies to telecommunications service, ancillary service, video programming, and spirituous liquor other than mixed beverages, is the State’s general rate plus the sum of the rates of local tax authorized for every county in the State.  Therefore, since the additional 1% has been temporarily increased, the combined general rate will increase to 8% in all counties, including Mecklenburg County, until July 1, 2011.

The following resources provide additional information about the State rate increase and you can link directly to them:

• Important Notice: Sales and Use Tax Rate Change
• Important Notice: Increase In “Combined General Rate” of Tax Revised August 19, 2009
• Form E-502P – 7.75% Combined State and Local Sales and Use Tax Chart
• Form E-502M – 8% Combined State and Local Sales and Use Tax Chart
• Form E-502Q – 8.25% Combined State and Local Sales and Use Tax Chart
• Form E-589E – Affidavit to Exempt Contractors from the Additional 1% State and Use Tax
• Application of Additional 1% State Tax to Construction Materials
• Worksheet for Completing Form E-500, Sales and Use Tax Return, for Quarter Ending September 30, 2009 (available on or before September 1)
• Worksheet for Completing Form E-500, Sales and Use Tax Return, for Month Ending September 30, 2009 (available on or before September 1)
• Worksheet for Completing Form E-500E, Utility and Liquor Sales and Use Tax Return, for Quarter Ending September 30, 2009 (available on or before September 1)
• Worksheet for Completing Form E-500E, Utility and Liquor Sales and Use Tax Return, for Month Ending September 30, 2009

Not sure what kind of spider this is.. but it was huge & scary on the outside of our car window. Turns out it was living in our left hand mirror.. not sure how long or where we picked it up…

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