CEDAR MOUNTAIN NEWS FOR THURSDAY JULY 31ST, 2020

DEAR READERS

Take care of yourselves and others by wearing your masks, washing your hands and keeping social distancing recommendations. During this Covid-19 crisis, many lives may depend on it.

BUILD A BIRDHOUSE CONTEST

On Saturday, August 8, 2020, there will be a Bird House Contest for all ages. You may pre-register at http://sherwoodforestfriends.org/events/birdhouse-contest/. There will be separate entry levels for youth, families, and adults. If you haven’t had a chance to pre-register for the contest, DON’T WORRY! Just bring your birdhouse on August 8th to the Cedar Mountain Community Center. You might win!

Entries need to be dropped off between 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Cedar Mountain Community Center. Masks are mandatory. Judging will be from 10:45 a.m. to noon and will be closed to the public. Awards will be announced at noon and entries must be picked up by 1 p.m. The birdhouses will be judged on craftsmanship, aesthetics, and imagination.

Cash and “surprises” will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each category. All kids who enter in the “Youth” or “Family” category will receive a ticket for a free ice cream cone at Creekside Market.

This contest is sponsored by Sherwood Forest Friends, Nature Nuts, and the Cedar Mountain Community. All attendees must wear masks and practice physical distancing during drop off and pick up.

FREE DRIVE-THRU COVID-19 TESTING

The Brevard Music Center (BMC) in association with the Pisgah Health Foundation announces a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site exclusively for those on Medicare and those who are uninsured. Keystone Laboratory of Asheville will administer the COVID-19 tests and antibody tests, with results available within 96 hours. Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. Testing will be at the Brevard Music Center Main Parking lot (entrance is on Music Camp Road off Probart Street). This testing is available exclusively to those who are uninsured and those on Medicare, not for persons with private health insurance or on Medicaid who should consult their doctor for testing

Appointments are not necessary. Participants will be served in the order of their arrival and will be asked to complete an affidavit of having no insurance or being on Medicare. Participants will choose to be tested for COVID-19 via nasal swab or have the COVID-19 antibody test via blood sample. Participants will receive their test results at the contact information provided at check-in, typically within 96 hours.

A driver's license is helpful, but not required. A doctor's order is not required. If you have Medicare, please bring your Medicare card with you. Please wear a mask and stay in your vehicle while on BMC's campus.

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please seek medical attention from your medical provider, urgent care, or the hospital. Please leave pets at home.

If you have questions, please email covidtesting@brevardmusic.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Kalen Lawson, Donor Services Coordinator. Brevard Music Center

FREE MOVIES ON THE LAWN AT CREEKSIDE MARKET

A True Story (NR) Friday (7/31), Calendar Girls (PG-13) Monday (8/3), Big Fish (PG-13) Friday (8/7) - Cold Mountain (R) Monday (8/10), Brave Friday (PG) (8/14) and The Waterboy (PG13) Monday (8/17)

Bring your own lawn chair, beverages, and snacks if you wish. The movies start at 9 p.m. Call Creekside Market at (828) 885-2810 for more information.

HELP OFFERED

John Wiseman and Kim Coram have offered to make sure that if anyone in Cedar Mountain is in need food or conversation to call them at home 828-966-5367. With schools out we are concerned that some local children may be going hungry, especially on the weekends. We are concerned about those who are laid off too. We want to help those in need in our community.

HOMECOMING AT ROCKY HILL Everything is different this year, due to Covid-19, and church services and such are no exception. After discussing the annual "Homecoming" the 4th Sunday in August each year, Rocky Hill Baptist Church has decided to keep the same schedule, but with some modifications. If everyone is careful with social-distancing and washing their hands there will be less chance of any problems occurring. Homecoming at Rocky Hill this year will be limited to 45 folks inside the church, with room in the Family Life Center building for overflow, where a radio will be tuned to FM 87.9 so all can hear what is being said in the sanctuary. Everyone is invited to stay in their vehicle at the parking lot of Rocky Hill church if they'd rather, and listen from their car radio. Radio station FM 87.9 can reach up to one & one-half mile. Homecoming services will begin as usual, at 10:30 am on Sunday, August 23rd. There will be no bulletin. Music will predominate, as usual, with special singing as well. A visiting preacher, Ralph Lee, will give the message, and a list of "remembrances" of church members who have passed this last year will be read.

Offering plates will be placed outside the front door. No meal or fellowship will take place following Homecoming services this year. Still, everyone is welcome!

FIRST BIRTHDAY HERE A wonderful new “neighbor” to the Cedar Mountain area just celebrated her first birthday as a resident here, on Tuesday July 28th; Margie Smith was celebrated, and perhaps spoiled by her husband Bob too. They moved here from Connecticut and, due to COVID19, we’re unable to travel back there to celebrate with their children. If you see Margie please say a big “Happy birthday” and give her a virtual hug!

CEDAR MOUNTAIN HISTORY by Patricia Stahl

This Cedar Mountain News column of June 1913 was published on the front page of the Sylvan Valley News as were the Horse Shoe Notes and the Etowah Items. This was not an unusual occurrence for the Transylvania County community columns.

Pink, William Pinkney, Summey was fifty-eight years old at the time of the fire at his home. According to the census reports of 1900, 1910 and 1920, he lived in the Blue Ridge Baptist Church area of Cedar Mountain with his wife Mary and children. Mary Burns, his second wife, was the daughter of Newton Marshall Burns and the granddaughter of James Burns. Blue Ridge Baptist Church was organized in 1836 and in 1855 James Burns gave them the land on which they had been meeting. Pink’s first wife, Magdalene Warren Summey, died at the age of 30 and she was the mother of Pink’s three older sons. At the time of the fire, the seven children of Pink and Mary were living with their parents. Pink was a farmer and rock mason. He died in 1928 at the age of 72 and is buried in the Blue Ridge Baptist Church cemetery.

All-day singings were immensely popular spiritual and social occasions for the churches in Transylvania County. The Cedar Mt. Choir would have traveled approximately fifteen miles down the Green River Road (not in a church van) to Cedar Springs Church in Green River. The published schedule for a 1906 all-day singing at Rocky Hill Baptist Church announced an opening song, “Now we meet to join in singing,” at 9:30 am, scripture readings, prayer, singing sessions of thirty minutes to an hour by each of the choirs in attendance, sermons, lunch on the grounds for an hour and dismissal after announcements at 3 pm. On May 20, 1921, an all-day open air singing with dinner on the grounds was held at Connestee Falls with Carr’s Hill, Rocky Hill and Glady Branch Baptist Church members attending. In July of 1909, Blue Ridge Baptist Church held an all-day singing featuring “old time” and modern singing. I am sure that shape note songs would have been on that program. Jerry Burns of Cedar Mountain was a well-known director at these events. Singing schools were also held in the county churches.

Joe McCrary was the son of William “Billy” and Adelaide Bryson McCrary. He was the brother of Janie and Martha McCrary and an uncle to Cedar Mt. natives Paul, Claude, Markley, Corrie, Eva, Vera, Dixie, and Annie Jones, among others.

The Rev. Mark Osbourne married Dora Bishop of Cedar Mountain four years later. He was a Baptist minister in SC and often returned to Cedar Mt with his family to visit.

Louie Bishop was the son of Jerry and Nancy Bishop and would have been 19 years old. Four years later he would marry Eula Dacus and live in Greenville, SC working as a carpenter. He also has many great nieces and nephews that are living in Cedar Mountain today.

Uncle Billie was the reporter for the Cedar Mountain News and Jack’s Wife was the same for the East Fork News. The reporters for these community columns often addressed each other in the columns with encouragements to write more often, jokes about stills in the communities and political “jabs.”

HERE IS THE COLUMN FROM 1913.

Cedar Mountain News from The Sylvan Valley News of June 6, 1913

Bad luck came to Mr. Pink Summey Sunday night. His house caught fire at 2 o’clock p. m. and was totally destroyed. He only saved two feather beds and a few other articles. He thinks the fire was started by rats in a feather bed upstairs.

Cedar Mountain singing choir joined Cedar Springs Church in an all-day singing Sunday.

Mr. Joe McCrary spent Sunday night with his father.

Rev. M. R. Osbourne passed through this section on his way to Greenville, S. C. to attend the commencement of Furman University.

Mr. Louie Bishop has returned from Greenville, S.C. where he has been going to school.

Uncle Billie hopes to meet his cousin, Jack’s wife, soon for the first time.

Many good wishes to the editor and readers of the Sylvan Valley News.

SHERWOOD FOREST LADIES' GOLF LEAGUE RESULTS

Sherwood Ladies Golf League results for July 27: Twenty-one players competed on the back nine in a game of total team putts. The winning team of Marcia Bryant, Gloria Clouse, Sara Skowran, and Charlotte Albright scored 65 putts. Low net: Judith Davis with a 23. Low gross Nancy Waclawek with a 35.

AROUND THE HOUSE by Linda Young

A lightning bolt hit close enough to shake the house last Thursday and knocked out my DirecTV receiver. They promised a new one would be delivered on Saturday but that didn’t happen. My neighbor who just loves to tackle things like this interceded for me and found out that as of Monday it hadn’t even been sent out yet. She canceled the order. She loves tackling stuff like this so I let her. So far she has made arrangements for service on 8-1 which is sooner than what they had told me and is after them to come sooner. She has grit. I am not techy so I would need help setting up the receiver. DirecTV didn’t want to send anyone because it is “easy to set up”.

Thank you for reading The Cedar Mountain News. Your contributions are encouraged and welcome. We’d like to hear what’s going on if you would like to share. Please email your news or any questions to cedarmountainnews@gmail.com by Monday evening.