02-05-2025
Meeting scheduled to discuss proposed windmills in Pickens, Helvetia
PICKENS, (WBOY) — Officials in two small Randolph County towns are encouraging landowners to attend a meeting on Saturday to learn more about a proposed windmill project.
Public details about the project are limited, but according to the Helvetia Restoration and Development Organization, landowners in the Helvetia and Pickens area have been mailed fliers about a proposal to build windmills near the towns. A Facebook account associated with the town of Pickens said that 'some very misleading information being spread by the people who are contacting local residents regarding this project.'
The meeting will be held in the Pickens Fire Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 and is open to the public. It is meant to help residents gather information about and assess the impact of the proposed project. The meeting will also be available virtually, here.
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Although they are small communities, Helvetia and Pickens are known for their unique, Appalachian way of life and have fought to prevent unwanted modernizations and changes. Helvetia is known for its Swiss and Germain heritage, which have been preserved in part because of its isolated location, and its festivals like Fasnacht.
Amid economic hardships for Randolph County Schools over the past year, the communities fought to keep Pickens School, which also serves Helvetia, open to preserve its unique mountain culture. The Randolph County Board of Education canceled the vote on the Pickens School closure in January.
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