MAYOR PETER O'LEARY UPDATE | 2025 Thanksgiving Message

 

As we approach the second Thanksgiving after Helene I am reflecting on the year that has passed and trying to remember Thanksgiving 2024. It seems so long ago. We were still reeling from the storm and its aftermath and I remember just being thankful that we had survived.

So much has happened it is hard to write about it all. The first few months after the storm were chaotic, dusty, dirty, messy, inspiring at times, depressing at times. Existence was definitely day to day with new challenges, new problems, new hopes, and new solutions arising daily. It took a lot of support to just keep going every morning.

But things slowly got better. Roads were put in, temporary bridges built. Sewer lines were repaired and buildings passed inspection. Chimney Rock Park opened and then the downtown business district started reopening. Tourists came to support us. So many people told me how they were visiting to support us and buy something, eat at the restaurants, visit the Park and do their part to bring the Village back.

I am so thankful for this support and for all the incredible support that has poured into the Village from the moment First Responders crawled over the debris to this morning when the Chimney Rock Firemen and others put up Christmas lights in the Village. What a year and what a journey. It has been an honor to take this journey alongside so many wonderful, caring, and unselfish people. My eyes have been opened to the depths of caring in this Village and to the impact that Chimney Rock has had on so many people from around the country.

Thousands of volunteers, organized and directed by Spokes of Hope, giving their time and treasure to come to our aid. The Amish from Lancaster, PA building anything and everything; Jake Jarvis with Precision Grading, moving boulders and building walls; Mountain Bizworks conjuring up grants, loans, and financial support from numerous donors and agencies, City Serve and their considerable resources. These people are amazing and we are so thankful for them and for everyone else that has contributed in
both large and seemingly small ways. We would not be open for business and optimistic about our future without you and what you have done for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I am especially thankful for Steve Duncan, our Chimney Rock Village Administrator. He has done everything to keep the Village Government moving forward and works tirelessly to serve and do
whatever is asked of him. He has assembled a team, Barbara Meliski and Kristen Sotille, along with our Village engineer, J. Meliski, who are guiding us relentlessly through FEMA, grant opportunities, portals, and other obstacles as they navigate us toward recovery.

I am thankful for the Chimney Rock TASK Force and Don Cason’s leadership as Chairman. This group put together a Master Plan that has already secured $5.5 million in grant money for the Village and will guide our recovery for years to come. I am thankful for the Village business community and their resourcefulness and resiliency in reopening. They have brought the spark of life back into our community and given us hope for the future. I am thankful for our two restaurants and the gathering places they have provided for our visitors and our residents. It is so important to gather together over food and drink and rekindle the fire of hope and recovery to keep us moving forward.

I am thankful for our Village Council and their dedication to rebuilding this Village. We are on a path of many years and I know they will guide us in the right direction through the fits and starts that are sure to accompany us along the way.

I am thankful for the people around me. The residents and business owners, our neighbors in Bat Cave and Lake Lure, and the larger community of supporters who visit and encourage us. You are lifting us up and keeping us going. Your support is more important that you realize.

I am most thankful for my family. They surround me and support me with their presence and their love.

I pray that all of you remember your families, spend time with them, and thank them for their love and support on this Thanksgiving weekend. And to the family that we call “Chimney Rock Village” I wish a very happy Thanksgiving and many happy
days, weeks, and years to come.

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