FontanaDam

Fontana Ventures responds to council’s allegations

Kevin Hensley

Friday, March 14, 2025

Fontana Dam – Amid rampant speculation that a county municipality could cease to exist in just a few months, the lessee of a popular local resort appeared at a recent council meeting. The first 15 minutes of Feb. 26’s Town of Fontana Dam assembly were arguably the most contentious on record.

Town could close by May

Kevin Hensley

Friday, January 31, 2025

Fontana Dam – It may seem to many that the Town of Fontana Dam is relatively new. That’s because – relatively speaking – it is: its first council was sworn in May 8, 2011. But only 13 ½ years after its formation, the final months of Fontana Dam as a municipality could very well lie ahead.

Fontana Dam in financial trouble

Kevin Hensley

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Fontana Dam – Almost five years ago to the date, Fontana Village Resort & Marina owed the Town of Fontana Dam $95,000 in unpaid user fees. Fast forward to Nov.

As a mist rises off the water, volunteers sift through garbage strewn about a bank that normally is underwater during warm months on Fontana Lake during last month’s clean-up. Photos courtesy of Brandon Jones/Fontana Village Marina

Beauty preserved

Latresa Phillips

Monday, November 18, 2024

Fontana – In 2017, community members and volunteers in the Fontana Dam area joined Brandon Jones for the inaugural lake clean-up. In a day and a half, 12 people had collected 22,000 pounds of garbage. It was a start.

Water loss continues to dampen town

Kevin Hensley

Friday, May 10, 2024

Fontana Dam – An overhaul to one local municipality’s aging water system cannot come soon enough. Temporary repairs made to Fontana Dam’s pipelines are no longer a sustainable solution.

Fontana Village Resort has underwent major changes since last summer – both professional and cosmetic. Photo by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

What’s old is new ... again

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Fontana Dam – Perhaps the most-significant overhaul since one local resort opened 50 years ago has Fontana Village Resort & Marina looking as stable as it has in years. The changes align with the newest lessees purchasing the expansive property last year.

Source of town’s water loss narrowed down

Kevin Hensley

Friday, March 8, 2024

Fontana Dam – After years of searching, the source of a substantial water leak in one county municipality may have finally been discovered. At the Feb. 21 Town of Fontana Dam council meeting, the water plant’s ORC (Operator-in-Responsible-Charge) Carrie Stewart briefed the panel on the discovery.

Now or never

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Fontana Dam – In a nearly two-hour council meeting Jan. 17, Fontana Dam’s woes bubbled to the surface, much like the town’s operator in responsible charge hopes a lingering water leak will soon do. Pure and simple, the smallest municipality in North Carolina has drifted into dangerous waters.

Lake Santeetlah council shuffled again

News Staff

Thursday, November 9, 2023

At the local level, only two races were contested during the 2023 election season: seats on the councils of Graham County’s two smallest municipalities, Fontana Dam and Lake Santeetlah.

Fontana Village Marina Manager Brandon Jones helps unload trash during the Fontana Lakeshore Cleanup on Saturday. Photo by Ruby Annas/news@grahamstar.com

65,000 pounds lighter

Ruby Annas

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Fontana Dam – All were encouraged to help keep Fontana Lake beautiful during the sixth annual Fontana Lakeshore Trash Clean-Up, which was held from Friday-Sunday.