Fire department hosts fundraiser for new building

    Brasstown - After three years of raising money to build a new fire station, the Brasstown Volunteer Fire Department is close to starting construction. So far, they’ve raised $65,000, with an additional $20,000 in pledges. This is enough to get the infrastructure started and make the department eligible for a mortgage, Fire Chief Paulette Tonielli said.
    “It’s just very exciting for all of us to be this close,” she said.
    Tonielli said they couldn’t have gotten this far in three years if it wasn’t for the support of the community. The department is asking for residents’ support again at its third auction fundraiser at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Brasstown Community Center on Settawig Road.
    For $15 per person, supporters can enjoy Brasstown Beef Firehouse Chili, cornbread, pasta, cookies, hot coffee and cider. The Pressley Girls will be musical entertainment.
    The live auction will feature works donated by local artists and crafters. The department is still accepting donations for the auction.
    The new building is estimated to cost $300,000, but it’s still early in the planning stages. Tonielli said they plan to build a metal building at 90 degrees to the road for easier maneuvering of trucks in the parking lot. It is also planned to have four larger bays, a good-size training room, kitchenette, seating space, storage areas and nice bathrooms. She also hopes it can have space for sleeping quarters.
    “We’re trying to plan for the future,” Tonielli said.
    Land for the new fire station was donated by daughters of the family that donated the land for the current fire station. For details, call 837-2063 or 305-923-9493.

District honors
student winners
    Murphy – The Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District announced winners in its annual conservation awards program last week at Murphy First United Methodist Church. Students in grades 3-8 were asked to create posters, write essays,
create presentations and
give speeches for the
 theme “Wetlands are Wonderful.”
    “We hope they learned
a little something about
wetlands while they researched and worked on their entry,” said Ed Wood, chairman of board of supervisors for the district. “The soil and water district feels it’s very important for our children to learn about their natural resources, and the role each of us play in their protection.”
    First-place winners advance to the Area 1 competition, to be held in Haywood County on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Teachers of students who won first place received a monetary prize to be used for their classrooms. Students who placed received gift cards.
    Poster winners were:

•     Third grade – Kendall Leitner, first place; J.J. Cutting, second place; and Sara Drew, third place, all from Martins Creek Elementary/Middle School.
•     Fourth grade – Mattie Mustin, first place; Mya Byrd, second place; and Taylor Hardin, third place, all from Andrews Elementary School.
•     Fifth grade – Mason Ray, first place; Conner Arrowood, second place; and Tristen Lovingood, third place, all from Peachtree Elementary School.
•     Sixth grade – Emma Laney of Murphy Middle School, first place; Bridgette Chodos of Murphy Middle, second place; and Elisha Dockery of The Learning Center charter school, third place.

    The sixth-grade essay contest’s first-place winner was Sawyer Templeton of Martins Creek.
    The sixth-grade PowerPoint program winners were Paisley Johnson, first place; Kadence Walton, second place; and Kaitlyn Decker, third place. All are students at Murphy Middle.
    First-place winners in
the public speaking contest will travel to Waynesville on Feb. 25 to present their speeches. Olivia Silver won first, while Brayden Killian was second for seventh grade.
    For eighth grade, Taylor Conner won first place, Lacy Gallman took second and Mollie Rogers was third. All are students at Murphy Middle.
    Silver won second place in the state last year for her PowerPoint presentation.
    Five schools participated in the competition. Sheri Goodlet, administrative assistant and education coordinator for the district, said she would like to see every school participate.
    “If we can teach our young people to conserve our soil and water, as they get older it will be something they pass on,” Goodlet said.
    Samantha Sinclair is the Scouting Around columnist for the Cherokee Scout. You can reach her by phone, 837-5122, Ext. 24; or email, scoutingaround@cherokeescout.com.