CEDAR MOUNTAIN NEWS FOR THURSDAY APRIL 30, 2017
CMFRD PRACTICE BURN
There was controlled live fire burn training for Cedar Mountain, Connestee, and Rosman Fire/Rescue Departments recently. The Transylvania County Rescue Squad provided medical stand by for the training. A donated home on Cascade Lake Road was used for the fire practice. The Firefighters were taken through several different situations in properly approaching and attacking the fires in a controlled environment. It allows firefighters to experience first hand how fire behaves in different circumstances and is the most closely supervised and monitored event any department can undertake. New and experienced firefighters benefit from this training. Fortunately there are not as many house fires as there used to be so even veteran firefighters benefit from a burn. Fire behaves differently depending on the combustibles involved. A garage fire for example could have materials such as magnesium (in a car engine) which is not usually found in a house although many appliances now include it. Fire involving magnesium is extremely hazardous and explosive. Water does not extinguish it. A truck, carrying a load of magnesium caught fire in Chicago and the fire department could only evacuate the surrounding area and let the fire burn out. The trailer burned at 2,030 degrees Fahrenheit, which melted the aluminum and steel trailer.
COMMUNITY MEETING APRIL 10TH Torry Nergart, Conservation Easement Manager for the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC), will present our program on Monday, April 10th. It will include Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy's Work In and Around Cedar Mountain" including the Cedar Mountain Bog. He is very knowledgeable about the Cedar Mountain Bog and will also highlight other projects CMLC has been involved in within Transylvania County, and particularly the geographic area of Cedar Mountain.
Please bring your covered dish, salad or dessert to the center by 6:15pm so we can begin eating at 6:30. It's always a feast! The meeting should begin shortly after 7:00 pm.
BOOKLET: A TRIP TO CLOUDLAND Christine Pace will bring 40 copies of the "A Trip to Cloudland" booklets to the April 10th meeting. Cost is $3 each and proceeds will go to the care and maintenance of our community center. This booklet, written by George E. Taylor, is his journal telling about his trip by wagon & hack, from Greenville, SC up Jones Gap Road to Caesar's Head; to the old Buck Forest Hotel (which had been located at the present entrance to the DuPont State Recreational Forest); on to Brevard and Gloucester and his return to Greenville during the week of July 5th thru 12th, 1877. It is a very interesting booklet and was reprinted by a relative, Hazel G. Taylor, who, prior to her death, gave permission to the Cedar Mountain Community Center to reproduce it with proceeds to benefit our community center. It's a treasure for sure!
GOODBYE TO RANGER
The community recently lost a dear sweet friend and companion, Ranger. Ranger was a part of Candy Gray’s family. Although he was at one time her deceased husband’s dog and then her son Mark’s dog we all knew Candy was mother to Ranger.
He was born. Oct 5, 2005 His kind eyes and sweet hard working temperament made him the perfect gift for her husband, James. Ranger completed training and received many titles including, Canine Good Citizen and Country Good Citizen and Service Therapy Dog. He assisted other dogs in training for their certification. He continued to update his training and take new and different classes to improve his knowledge and skills He visited hospitals, assisted living centers, and nursing homes, to bring a ray of sunshine to everyone he met. His favorite places to help, was PTSD wards at Veterans Hospitals and Bereavement Outreach at funerals for South Carolina soldiers. His priority job was helping James cope with PTSD and bring emotional support for Candy and Mark.
When he moved to NC with Candy and Mark, he continued to influence those around him. He was like a magnet that the people could not resist. He was a regular at Safe Interiors, where Candy was a Volunteer. He attended activities at Rocky Hill Baptist Church, Cedar Mountain Community Center, and Brevard public celebrations. He even acted as ball dog for the Cedar Mountain Tennis Demonstration. He was the mascot for the Cedar Mountain Fire Dept. Auxiliary. He attended the blood drives and at Fire Dept. Open Houses he would meet and greet all visitors. People young and old alike all wanted to pet this kind creature. He inevitably brought a smile to their faces He spent his fun time hiking and chasing sticks in our beautiful National Forests.
Although well cared for he became ill this past year, He fought a valiant battle but could not win. As the honorable loyal dog, he was, he rallied on his last day to give Mark and Candy one more day of joy by chasing sticks, hiking and eating ice cream and at the end of the day closed his eyes and said farewell, we will meet again.
Well done good and faithful friend. It was an honor to have you in our lives. You will be missed.
ROCKY HILL UPDATES Last Sunday members & visitors to the Rocky Hill Baptist Church 11:00 am service enjoyed a message given the Transylvania County Baptist Association head, Dr. Mike Miller. Dr. Miller is rightly impressed with the beauty and spirit of Rocky Hill church, and the community as a whole! He and his wife Jan enjoyed a home-cooked lunch following his insightful message from James 1:19-25. Though everyone enjoyed meeting and listening to Dr. Miller, they are excited to see their pastor Dr. Leland Holland & wife Deb upon their return from visiting family in Indiana. We didn't save any desert for you Pastor Leland; sorry.
HULLABALOO AT THE LIBRARY Every Tuesday in April is "Hullabaloo" at the Transylvania County Library located at 212 S. Gaston St. in Brevard. Hullabaloo is a program for children from birth to age 3 or so. Located in a large & colorful room in the children's section of the library, this entertaining program of early literacy begins at 10am sharp and lasts about 20 minutes. If your child is able, there is a craft project following Hullabaloo. The program is free! Christine says she has taken her youngest grandson, who will be 3 year's old next month, since he was 3 month's old. They both adore this program! For more or any other information you may call the library at (828)884-3151.
They open at 9:30am Monday thru Saturday, closing at 5:30pm though on Monday's & Thursday's they're open until 8:00pm. There's so much to see & do at our Library!
APRIL HAPPENINGS: BIRTHDAYS:
Pam Crosby April 3rd, Jean Dunlap & Joe Pace on April 9th; (Joe will turn 82 year's old)! Angie Skerrett Beeker on the 11th, Brandon Bandhauer the 13th; Charleen Galloway - April 18th; (Not only does she look like her mother, she almost shares the same birthday as her mom Gail Smith) who turns another year older on the 19th. Patty Stahl, April 21st. Claire Skerrett 27th; Cody Brown 28th; Odell Owens 29th and Gayle Rich on April 30th. Happy Birthday to all! Though not Cedar Mountain residents, Christine says she must say "happy birthday" too to her granddaughter Cassi Harris who will turn sweet 16 on April 2nd, and her grandson Cooper who turns 3 on April 10th. Grandma loves you!
ANNIVERSARIES: "April Fools"! But it's true; Bob & Barbara Streeper were married on April 1st! Fred & Gayle Rich celebrate on April 8th. Shawn & Megan Raines' anniversary is on April 14th. Congratulations & best wishes!
COMING UP IN MAY Sunday May 14th is "Mother's Day" this year! Also on the weekend of May 13th & 14th will be the spring Tour de Falls at DuPont State Recreational Forest. Mark your calendars now! For more information please visit www.dupontforest.com
CHRISTINE'S CORNER On Saturday morning, March 25th a crew of four smiling faces showed up at Joe & Christine Pace's house and offered to "lift, sweep, haul & fix whatever we needed doing". They mowed too! Brevard Police Chief Phil Harris has, for six year's now, organized a day when he and members from the police department, and other volunteers, "give back" to the community by donating their time and muscle to those unable to do all the little things that need doing. We feel really blessed to have been included in this effort, as Joe has greatly diminished strength & energy while going through chemo treatments.
Our four volunteers were Paula & Greg Hunter and Joe & Barbara Johnson. Together they jumped in and hauled off many items that were donated to charity groups; some of which included items the previous owners had left, such as a great futon and an outdoor grill. Hopefully these items will bring more help to our community. Paula & Greg, Joe & Barbara are special folks; we had fun and worked very quickly, before the rain came in! Here then is a big "Thank You" to "our" volunteers and to all the other volunteers including members of the Brevard police department, and especially to Chief Phil Harris. God bless you all!
AROUND THE HOUSE
The thunderstorm last week was the demise of my microwave. I was heating some soup when the lights flickered and the microwave croaked. Literally speaking, that was the sound it made. You don’t miss something like a microwave until it’s gone. It was back to the stove and toaster oven. I was a kid again for a moment, went out during the storm, and picked up a few pea size hailstones on the porch to eat.
What’s happening with you or in the community? We’d love to hear what’s going on, if you would like to share.
All news for next week has to be received by Tuesday evenings in order to be published in the Thursday edition of the Transylvania Times. Please send all news to cedarmountainnews@hotmail.com. Thanks
