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Ellerbe, NC Launches New Website
Posted At : August 13, 2008 11:03 AM | Posted By : Tim
Related Categories: Ellerbe

The Town of Ellerbe launched its new website this week, you can find it on the web by visiting www.townofellerbe.com or www.ellerbenc.com.

There are many people to thank for making this possible. Dana Redfern at CS Design Team designed the site, Ellerbe Telephone underwrote the site's development, and Sandhills Digital will be hosting and updating the site. Many residents of Ellerbe contributed pictures, text, and wrote the town's history. The revitalization group in Ellerbe did a large amount of the "heavy lifting" including editing and continued revisions of the site design. There are too many members to thank here but their efforts are appreciated.

The website is a work in progress but the revitalization committee hopes to have the site running smoothly in the coming months. A big 'thank you' to everyone on the revitalization team who made this possible.


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Rankin Museum is an Undiscovered Gem of a Museum
Posted At : May 16, 2008 11:39 AM | Posted By : Tim
Related Categories: museum,Ellerbe

Bet you didn't know that central North Carolina has a small museum that is considered by many to be a world class institution.

Located in the quiet town of Ellerbe, the Rankin Museum of American Heritage has a collection of exhibits covering natural history, early America, paleontology, and archaeology. The items on display were collected by Dr. P. R. Rankin Jr from his worldwide travels as well as exploration in the Ellerbe area. Last year was its twentieth anniversary, during that time the museum has grown to offer programs that complement its contents. This summer it is holding several workshops that bring young people in contact with the museum's holdings. There is a $20 registration fee but that is a pittance compared to the behind-the-scenes experience had by the participants.

Ellerbe is a wonderful small town with lots to do throughout the area. Why not plan an afternoon at the Rankin Museum with lunch at Ellerbe Springs or Mama Nois Pizza and a side visit to the Town Creek Indian Mound. If you're lucky there will be lawnmower racing in Ellerbe that night as well.


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Signage in Ellerbe
Posted At : April 21, 2008 11:22 AM | Posted By : Tim
Related Categories: Ellerbe

The good news for Ellerbe is this - the number of trucks streaming noisily through the town has slowed to a trickle.

The bad news for Ellerbe is this - the number of trucks and summer beachgoers stopping to purchase gas and food has slowed to a trickle.

Here's a real dilemma for small towns, what do they do in the wake of major events affecting their economy? For Ellerbe, it's a question of a temporary fix as they try and figure out how to recapture some of the business that was lost as the result of the town being bypassed by the construction of Interstate 73/74.

Central Park NC and Jim Lane of Ellerbe Springs teamed-up to invite NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) officials, Richmond county officials, and Ellerbe merchants to a meeting last week to put together some possible answers. Roughly 30 people attended, a remarkable number for a 3pm meeting, and there were running questions and commentary as NCDOT presented information on signage programs available to businesses.

The upside is that there are some programs that Ellerbe merchants can possibly afford and use. The downside is that it will take nine months to a year before any of these signs are placed on the interstate. What will these businesses do in the meantime?

One answer is temporary signage and this is something that the merchants and Ellerbe's elected officials will have to pursue with the state traffic engineer. Another answer is signage on private land abutting the interstate - there are a number of regulations regarding this sort of signage and we're seeking clarification on whether the town itself can place a generic sign close to the interstate. Ellerbe's Small Town Revitalization group may have something to say about it as well depending on whether they can complete some of their other initiatives in the coming months.

As we all work to provide some answers, even temporary ones, to these challenges it is good to see so many people in Richmond County interested in helping Ellerbe. From elected officials to county employees to private citizens it is heartwarming to see the effort and care that everyone is putting into helping Ellerbe's merchants. Now we look forward to seeing some of the solutions mentioned at that meeting implemented.


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