By ROBERT JUMPER
One Feather Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Scare-okee event manager Mollie Grant led the planning session on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at the Shawn Blanton Emergency Operations Center. Those in attendance included: Justin French (Facilities Management), Chris Watty (Commerce), Jayson Crusenberry (Communications), Chavella Bailey (Public Safety Communications Center), Ashley Martin (Communications), Bill Paul (Risk Management), Sean Ross (Commerce), Lisa Frady (Destination Marketing), and Neil Ferguson (Cherokee Indian Police Department).
Grant announced that Principal Chief Michell Hicks had approved the funds needed for the construction and decoration of haunted houses and candy booths. This ensures $750 per haunted house construction (for the first 10 EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) program-constructed haunted houses) and $250 per candy booth decorations (for the first 10 EBCI program-decorated candy booths). She also informed the committee that the Chief’s office is working on the trophies needed for the haunted house and candy booth prizes and that they would be ready for the event. As of the time of this writing, six tribal programs had registered to construct haunted houses and nine tribal programs had committed to have candy booths.
There is room for additional programs, organizations, and businesses to participate in haunted houses and booths, but they will need to take care of construction and decorating costs on their own. The committee decided that the haunted house and candy booth location would be on a first-come, first-served basis.
EBCI Finance’s purchasing department was contacted for guidance on the use of tribal bankcards. The proper purchasing procedure will need to be followed using the cards, with the purchasing program providing a list of items, and purchases are limited to Walmart and Lowes. Programs will need separate card requests for each vendor.
A donation of $10,000 was received for the Scare-okee event candy from the Tribal Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE). Grant stated candy would be purchased and that once all the candy booths were signed up, the candy would be equally distributed among them.
Justin French said that the new EBCI Destination Marketing Halloween season lighting on the Oconaluftee Island Park has been installed. Now his team is working on putting colored gels (light filters) on the streetlamps around the islands. The members of the Destination Marketing team in attendance stated that they have several decorations from previous events that may be used for decorating the Island Park.
The signup applications may be filled out electronically at the following links:
Tribal Programs who want to do haunted houses or booths- https://airtable.com/appaHD55dSbaZCsPC/shrUMLeYHGm4gkwZh
Vendors/Sponsors who want to donate, sponsor a haunted house or candy booth, also any vendors who may want to set up- https://airtable.com/appaHD55dSbaZCsPC/shrfAhKwbXb1ySroD
Volunteers who would like to help set/tear down, be parking attendants, or help with the overall safety and execution of the event- https://airtable.com/appaHD55dSbaZCsPC/shr64p3OcSABBwBka
For those without access or the ability to use the web links for entry, you may contact Kristina Queen to get entry forms. Her contact information is krisquee@ebci-nsn.gov or (828) 359-6444.
Several additional activities are either planned or proposed for Scare-okee, including a community pumpkin carving contest, horror movies, and scary video clips on an outdoor screen. The Cherokee Bonfire focuses its storytelling on some of the darker myths and legends. And Oconaluftee Indian Village is putting on the “Sgili (Ghost) Hunt” (admission fee of $10).
A detailed safety map was shared that outlined security barrier locations and personnel stations throughout the event area to assist guests and ensure the public safety.
Reminder: There will be one public entrance to the event on Tsali Blvd near the Tribal Council House and Drama Inn. The plan is to close Tsali Blvd. from the Museum intersection to the intersection of US Hwy 19. The road will be blocked to all traffic at that intersection (near the Art Market and ABC Store). The committee indicated that this sectional road closure on Oct. 31 will last from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. to allow for setup and teardown of the event.
Scare-okee is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
