The boat ramp at Jamison Mill on Philpott Lake was reopened Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ramp, on the Franklin County side of the lake, has been closed for about 20 years and the park was slated to be closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2007.

The Friends of Philpott received a mini grant from Franklin County for dredging and matched it with fundraising efforts to get the ramp reopened, said Linda Drage of The Friends of Philpott. "This is a happy new beginning for an area forgotten due to federal government budget cuts where citizens came to the rescue," she said.

Forty-three people attended the ceremony. Speeches were given by Bobby Pruitt, Franklin County park system manager; Craig Rockwell, program manager for the U.S. Corps of Engineers; Bobby Thompson, Franklin County supervisor from the Blue Ridge District; and the former congressman Virgil Goode, who has worked in the past to help keep Jamison Mill Park open.

 

Also:
Jamison Mill now has a new picnic shelter -
since this photo was taken the shelter is finish and has tables.
Come on down and enjoy the day!!