Advisory board meets to determine direction for Bear Creek Education Center
The new Bear Creek Education Center Advisory Board discusses plans for Bear Creek Education Center’s rehabilitation.
By Alison James
alison.james@fct.wpengine.com
Oct. 14 was the first meeting of the Bear Creek Education Center Advisory Board.
What is the Bear Creek Education Center Advisory Board?
The board is a task force of community leaders and other movers and shakers, brought together by Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, to oversee and inspire the work being done at Bear Creek Education Center to bring it back to life for generations of children.
“We want to recreate. We want to bring back so children of today, children of tomorrow, can have this opportunity,” said Morrow.
The coalition includes Mountain Lakes Tourist Association’s Sandra Burroughs, local engineer Tracy Burns, RCS Superintendent Heath Grimes, FCBOE Superintendent Gary Williams, FCBOE Assistant Superintendent Donald Borden, local part-time teacher Rocky Stone, who was present when ground was first broken on the education center, Extension coordinator Katernia Cole, Rock Bridge Canyon Equestrian Park Director Mike Franklin, RBCEP events and public relations coordinator Tina Lawler. Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Director Cassie Medley, Mike Nichols, who was instrumental in helping to restore Overton Farm in the ’70s, Franklin County Development Commission’s Kathy Hall and Back Country Horsemen’s Dottie Stidham, in addition to Morrow.
“There is so much potential over there,” Stidham said, painting a picture of paddleboats and canoes on the lake for the task force to visualize and drive toward. “We’ve got to get it up and ready for people to camp and maintain it.”
Hodges has already secured a large chunk of funding, and the Back Country Horsemen have already committed to donating their time and labor to the efforts.
Advisory board members spent nearly an hour asking questions, brainstorming, batting ideas back and forth and making plans to see the rehabilitation of Bear Creek Education Center carried out successfully.
In addition to workshopping ideas to raise funds for the project, the board discussed ways to enhance and improve the center, particularly how to update it in order to accommodate current and future generations.
“Education has changed so much since the time this was built,” Franklin said. “While we’re in the planning stage, we need to know what would work for educators, for the 4-H Club, for the Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts and all these other groups.”
The advisory board plans to meet regularly to discuss progress at Bear Creek Education Center.
