Thumbs-up: to a request for public input on the future of Daniel Boone Park. The park is home to not only “Horn in the West,” but  Daniel Boone Native Gardens and the Watauga County Farmers' Market, among other facilities. Now, the Boone Tourism Development Authority and Southern Appalachian Historical Association are rightly asking if the park is being used to its potential. Also rightly, those authorities know they don't have all the answers. Asking end-users how best to enhance the 36-acre property within the resources of a potential $5 million capital campaign will yield a spectrum of responses valuable and unobtainable in any other format. Many former visitors to the facilities, especially the “Horn in the West,” have been asked to respond to a survey concerning a vision for the park. If you haven't been afforded an opportunity and want to share your own vision, visit http://www.danielboonepark.com to complete the survey.
Thumbs-up or thumbs-down: you decide. The groundhog said six more weeks of winter for the High Country, but the dangling question this season: What winter? If you like the snow, you've likely had to travel a mile or two to higher elevations to seek it out. If, after the past couple of seasons, you were ready for a break, you've probably not ventured much toward ski country if you could avoid it. Still, it's only February. For those looking for a few white weeks, hope springs eternal. For those happy with the status quo, spring springs eternal also. There's something for everyone in the High Country.
Thumbs-up: Boone Town Council members are considering expanded uses of the town-owned Jones House on King Street. Is this National Register of Historic Places home meant for more than what the Watauga Arts Council can currently offer?  We agree that the arts council is a good fit for the facility, but exploring if more community programming options are available for the structure is the right question to ask.