Balsam Range Band Honored by Hometown and County!

 

Balsam Range was honored by their home county on August 10, 2012 by an official proclamation by the Haywood County Board of Commissioners (North Carolina) that that would be BALSAM RANGE APPRECIATION DAY in Haywood County!

The band was read the official proclamation at a BOCC meeting…and given the opportunity to speak and have some pictures made.  Here is how the proclamation read:

“WHEREAS, the members of the award-winning Bluegrass band Balsam Range started as five friends from Haywood County; and

WHEREAS, the members of the band-Buddy Melton, Darren Nicholson, Marc Pruett, Tim Surrett and Caleb Smith-have achieved remarkable success in the music industry as individuals and as members of the band; and

WHEREAS, Balsam Range promotes the understanding and enjoyment of traditional Appalachian music, performs concerts that reflect wholesome family values; and

WHEREAS, Balsam Range has received international acclaim by winning the 2011 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Song of the Year for “Trains I Missed;” and

WHEREAS, Balsam Range is a viable Haywood County-based small business that gives back to the community through numerous benefit concerts for nonprofit organizations; and

WHEREAS, Balsam Range promotes their home county and its history to the nation through concert tours and their media organization Balsam Nation; and

WHEREAS, their newest recording “Papertown” pays tribute to Canton and its paper mill and the official premier will be held at 7:30 p.m., Friday, August 10, 2012 at Canton’s restored Colonial Theater.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Haywood County Board of Commissioner’s, in recognition of their individual and collective achievements and dedication to Haywood County, officially designates Friday, August 10, 2012 as Balsam Range Day.”

The resolution was signed by Chairman Mark Swanger and County Manager, Marty Stamey.

Additional Honors

As wells as having the official proclamation, the city of Canton’s Mayor, Mike Ray presented each member of the band with a KEY TO THE CITY at the concert that night!!!

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About Haywood County

Haywood County is centrally located in the Southeast region of the United States and easily reached from most places, either by automobile or plane. Haywood County is located only 20 minutes west of Asheville, NC and 20 minutes east of Cherokee, NC.

With a 546-square mile radius and a population of about 57,000, Haywood County is the third largest county in western North Carolina after Buncombe and Henderson Counties.
First established in 1808, Haywood County was named for John Haywood, North Carolina treasurer from 1787 to 1827. Unlike the other 99 counties in the state, all the water in Haywood County originates in Haywood County, including the Pigeon River. The annual average temperature is 54 degrees; the temperature averages 38 degrees in January and 71 degrees in June. Haywood County averages 47.5 inches of rainfall and 12.2 inches of snowfall each year.

The Blue Ridge Parkway winds its way around the county with four entrances to this scenic byway and its many hiking, viewing and picnic spots along the way.
The most famous natural attraction in the area is the Great Smoky Mountains. Haywood County is home to part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the U.S. The area has recently been designated a Blue Ridge Heritage area and is well known for its creativity in arts and crafts.
Fourteen peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains soar to elevations of at least 6,000 feet (more than any east of the Mississippi River), and the county is one of the highest, with a mean elevation of 3,600 feet, east of the Rockies. Notable mountain peaks include Cold Mountain—the basis for the award-winning, best-selling novel by Charles Frazier and the ensuing 2003 major motion picture—at 6,030 feet, Mt. Guyot at 6,621 feet and Richland Balsam at 6,410 feet in elevation.

Other mountain ranges include the Balsam Mountains, which borders on the west side of Haywood County. The Balsams offer seven types of forests and has peaks of more than 6,400 feet. There are also the Nantahala Mountains nearby. The Nantahala National Forest at 516,000 acres is North Carolina's largest national forest, spanning from Waynesville to Murphy, Fontana and Cashiers. It is also home to the Nantahala River Gorge, a nine-mile stretch of the Nantahala River, which offers a haven for whitewater rafters.

• Canton was originally Cherokee Indian Territory. A post office first opened here in 1837 and the community at the time was named Pigeon River.
• Two of the world’s largest sapphires have been found in Canton’s Old Pressley Sapphire Mine, now open to visitors.

Read More About Haywood County.