North Carolina's governor is citing distance and cost for her decision to skip today's ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported on its Web site yesterday that Gov. Bev Perdue had been invited to the Governors' Proclamation Day at Clingmans Dome in the park, but a park spokeswoman said that Perdue declined.
"The governor was invited and did give serious consideration, but given the length of the trip and the potential travel cost involved, she declined," said Chrissy Pearson, Perdue's spokeswoman. Pearson said that the ceremony was too far out of the way and that Perdue was trying to cut back on travel.
Late last night, Perdue spokesman David Kochman said that she had another speech scheduled and couldn't make both appearances on the same day because of the travel time.
The National Park Service said Wednesday that Perdue will send a representative.
State Sen. John Snow, a Democrat from Murphy, said that sending a representative to stand in for the governor is good enough. "I don't have a problem with it," he said.
Park officials said that Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee will attend.
The purpose of today's ceremony, according to the park service, is "to recognize the important role that local citizens and community leaders, state legislators, and governors played in establishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to pay tribute to the vision and sacrifice of the people of North Carolina and Tennessee."
The proclamation at Clingmans Dome is closed to the public. It is a news-media gathering to start the park's seasonlong anniversary celebration. The first big public anniversary celebration will be a performance June 13 at Cades Cove by the Knoxville Symphony.
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