Foundation To Cut Ribbon On Comfort Station October 8
Cone Bass Lake Restrooms Are Priority Resource Provided Through Partnership of Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Blue Ridge Parkway, Town of Blowing Rock and Generous Donors
What happens when well over 300 people come together with one single mission?
It’s spelled S U C C E S S for the project and R E L I E F for those who will benefit from its service.
On Thursday, October 8th, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will celebrate the completion and opening of the new Bass Lake comfort station. It is built as a miniature replica of the grand Flat Top Manor, the mountain home of Moses and Bertha Cone that overlooks the picturesque lake that is a recreation destination for thousands. The need for restrooms at Cone Bass Lake was identified by Parkway patrons as a priority for the park. It has become one of the busiest spots along the entire 469-mile national scenic highway that connects the Shenandoah in Virginia and Great Smokies in North Carolina.
As has been the case in numerous projects along the most visited National Park in America, the first to step up to meet the need was the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. In partnership with Parkway officials, the Town of Blowing Rock, and over 300 donors, the Foundation led the effort to design and construct a unique facility that will not only fill the need, but make it an architecturally appealing asset to the Moses Cone Park.
The Bass Lake Comfort Station will become an important resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Moses Cone Estate, so important that a special ceremony is being planned to celebrate its opening.
“I’ve seen a lot of structures celebrate their completion with a ribbon cutting,” said a daily Bass Lake walker. “But I believe this is the first time I’ve heard about one to celebrate the opening of a restroom.”
“But I’ll be there,” she said. “It should be fun.”
Fun will be the emphasis on October 8th when dignitaries come together at 10 a.m. to lead donors and friends in a dedication ceremony that will feel more like a party than a serious and formal program of events.
For instance, you could be “King (or Queen) for a Day” by giving the comfort station a creative and funny name just for the day of the celebration, bringing a smile and a chuckle to those attending the ribbon cutting.
Norris Barnes of Blowing Rock, who has been a contributing patron of the celebration committee, put this part of the program into perspective.
The Aussies call it the “Thunderbox’”, he said. “Some call it the ‘Long Drop’, ‘Half Moon Mansion’, or even ‘Grandpa’s Office’. We’re hoping that our friends and neighbors will submit their creative name for the Comfort Station, one that will be for one day only, on October 8. The winner will claim their throne as the king or queen for the day, and the first to answer nature’s call at the brand new comfort station.”
Barnes said the rules are simple, just mail or e-mail the suggested name to committee member Jerry Burns (P.O. Box 1373, Blowing Rock, N.C. 28605), or email at burnsjn@bellsouth.net. The winner will be selected by the committee and announced at the October 8 ceremony.
The naming of the new comfort station is just one of the activities planned for the ribbon cutting. While at least one of the events will remain secret until the ribbon cutting, some of the other activities on the program include a number of local and regional dignitaries, including Harvey Durham, Vice-Chair of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Joining the Vice-Chair will be the Parkway’s Superintendent Phil Francis, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Houck Medford, Blowing Rock Mayor, J.B. Lawrence, and a number of other special guests from the Town of Blowing Rock, Watauga County, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Each person attending the event, to be held near the Bass Lake Parking area at the new Comfort Station, will be given a ticket making them the possible winner of a magnificent panoramic photograph of Flat Top Manor in Autumn by Foundation Board member David Combs and beautifully framed by Tim Miller of Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery.
Another framed print from the collection of artist Richard Tumbleston will go to a second winning ticket holder at the gathering.
Refreshments will be provided by the Blowing Rock Historical Society, and there will be special commemorative souvenirs for everyone present.
More detailed information about the ribbon cutting ceremony will follow. The event is open to all and those planning to attend should mark the date (Thursday, October 
and time (10 a.m.) on their calendars.
