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April Fool’s Day kicks off that month every year, but thankfully we have a whole lot more to be thankful for than to make fun of in Cherokee County. I was fortunate to be able to witness some of that firsthand.
One of the funnest things I get to do all year is the Rotary Reads program, where members of the Murphy club go into Cherokee County Schools, read a special book to student in pre-kindergarten through second grades, then gift the book to the classroom. This year’s program wrapped up on April 17 with the book My Mouth is a Volcano, which despite being a work of fiction contains many truths youth need to learn.
One of the things that sets me apart from the other readers is I wear interesting socks, all given to me by my kids and grandkids, that entertained the students so much they started asking to see the socks before even knowing what the book was during every visit. So I ended the year in style at Martins Creek Elementary School by wearing a Barbie sock on one foot for the girls, and a Buzz Lightyear sock on the other foot for the guys.
The Rock Gym in Murphy hosted the table-tennis finals of the Cherokee & Clay County Senior Games on April 24. I was going to try to intimidate any future competition by bragging about winning my 10th-grade physical education class’ ping-pong tournament – I still have the blue ribbon, so you know it’s legit – but after seeing that some of those guys can really play, I decided to practice first and maybe get somewhat good again before opening my mouth and removing all hope for the future.
Actually placing “gold,” “silver” and “bronze” medals around the winners’ necks was a much neater experience than I thought it would be, especially for those wearing glasses or hats. It made me that much more appreciate of what the Senior Games is all about – helping older residents stay active, and have a lot of fun while doing it.
MountainView Church in Murphy held a special service on April 26, when community partners had a chance to share their ministries on a Sunday morning. It was inspiring to see all of the things just one local congregation is helping support, good works like:
• Choices of WNC, a nonprofit organization run by trained volunteers that’s a resource for women, men and families in Cherokee and surrounding counties who have a planned or unplanned pregnancy.
• Garden 58, which exists to prevent trauma through early intervention; preserve caring homes through foster and adoption support; and provide healing and support to women who need a safe place to heal, grow and thrive.
• Renewed Hope Ministries, a 12-month residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Peachtree, focused on Christ as the only source of healing. One of the men in the program gave a written testimony Sunday that was beautiful to hear and showed just how much he had grown spiritually.
Sadly, tragedy also struck, when Murphy businesswoman Anne Rose died a week ago Monday after being in an accident the Saturday before. Anne was the kind of person nonprofits like the Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House homeless shelter in Murphy and Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties called when they had needs, and she never failed to offer a helping hand to people staying in those shelters.
Anne’s death will leave a huge hole in the community, but it’s been nice to see residents rallying around her family, loving and supporting them. And that just may be the best thing about living in Cherokee County – you’re not just a number in a corporate game here, you’re part of an extended family that cares about you as an individual.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 828-837-5122 or email dbrown@cherokeescout.com.