CEDAR MOUNTAIN NEWS FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 17, 2024

BLOOD DRIVE The next blood drive at the Cedar Mountain Fire Rescue Volunteer Fire Department will be October 19 from 8:30am to 12:30pm.  Bring your Red Cross or Photo ID.  Your donations are needed now more than ever.  Please come to donate.

Make your appointment now at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time.  You may also call 828-606-0949, or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter Sponsor Code “CedarMtn”. 

Treat yourself.  Donors will receive a $10 Gift card by email.  See rcblood.org/treat. 

You may also ‘Download a Blood Donor App at RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

CEDAR MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY CENTER submitted by Terie Girolamo, President of the Cedar Mountain Community Center

The Cedar Mountain Community Center along with businesses of Cedar Mountain joined together to become a safe haven for the community to gather for food information and fellowship. 500 to 600 meals were served each day after the hurricane thru Friday Oct 11. The food was supplied by Cedar Mt Cafe, Creekside Market, The Cedar Mt Canteen, and The Outpost. The Velvet Cup and The Hiker and the Hound also contributed to the cause. To the line about cooks Generators and propane were supplied by these businesses as well as Studio 276 Moonshine and generous residents. The cooking and an abundance of food came from Val Gerdes and a multitude of volunteers including Nick and Sarah Busbee. Now that power has been restored and the roads are open the Center must start restoration resulting from three feet of water flooding the building.  We are immensely grateful for the donations of food, labor and money that made this possible.

The Community took care of our residents when 276 was closed both north and south and Staton and Crab creek and Kanuga Roads were all impassable. Many thanks go to the Cedar Mountain Volunteer Fire and Rescue for clearing roads, checking each residence for damage or injury, giving daily updates of road closures, gas and propane deliveries and rescue information. Thanks to Wendy Caughey and Creekside Market and the Cedar Mountain Fire Dept Auxiliary.  Three hot meals a day were prepared for the local and additional Fire and Rescue workers working 24hrs a day. 

 Medical assistance was donated by a doctor, nurse and a PA to check blood pressure, vitals, and health concerns as well as write prescriptions.   Help was also provided in completing FEMA applications and unemployment applications.

It is going to take months to restore CMCC and the area businesses. We hope the immense value of the Community Center and our local businesses is remembered when they finally reopen. Thank you everyone. We are truly blessed to live in a loving caring community. 

HUNGER COALITION

The Hunger Coalition food distribution will be held at Rocky Hill Baptist Church Family Life Center from 3p – 5p Thursday afternoon the 17th.  The church is up the hill and on the left going south on Greenville Hwy from the community center.

SEE OFF COMMUNITY CENTER

Greetings, neighbors and friends, our October potluck at the community center is this Sunday, October 20th.

Our community has been through a lot.  If we ever needed time together for relaxed fellowship, this is that time.  Bring your dish at 5:30 pm and we’ll socialize for a bit before eating at 6:00 pm.  Paula and I will be your hosts.  Bring your own utensils if you are of a mind to do so – it reduces our contributions to the landfill.

Our program speaker will be Todd Lester, Co-chair of Braver Angels’ Western North Carolina Alliance.  Braver Angels (www.braverangels.org) is a national organization with local alliances that seek to “build a house divided” by bringing Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.”  I think we would all agree that this is not only a very noble mission, but one that is critical for the health of our country and society.

You may have heard that neighbors Wendy & Eric Manners’ Puckerup Berry Farm was literally buried by the landslide on Becky Mountain Rd.  This farm is their labor of love and service to the larger community.  If you are of a mind to help them recover and rebuild it, you will be able to contribute to that effort at the potluck, or via a GoFundeMe drive that you can access at https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-pucker-up-berry-farm-support-the-manners.

Best regards to all,

Doug Poad  President & Secretary

See Off Homesteaders Community Center

90 Old Orchard Lane, Brevard, NC 28712

828-883-5673 (H) / 330-323-0316 (C)

CHRISTINE’S NEWS BITE by Christine PaceI endured Hurricane Helene with no damage to my house but lost power for six days. I emptied my fridge and freezer and took the contents to the landfill for free. I was able to restock most of my necessities at Ingles two days after power was restored. I ordered a two-pack of 6-volt batteries and withdrew cash from the ATM. I don't plan on getting caught short the next time the power goes out. Fortunately, my Kia Soul had enough gas to get me through the week.  Check Nextdoor for more news from Christine.

AROUND THE HOUSE by Linda Packer Young

We survived Hurricane Helene with virtually no damage. Three trees went down in our wooded area, but not near the house.

Our motorhome came in handy, as we spent most of the daylight hours "camping" in it and retreated to the house at bedtime. At least we had power, refrigeration, TV, and heat.  When the weather cooled, we had to get more gas for the generator in the motorhome. What we missed most was the lack of water. We filled large containers with water at the fire station for cooking and flushing. 

We got by fairly comfortably until my honey fell and broke his arm. With no cell service, I had to leave him alone sitting on the rocky driveway and drive to the Cedar Mountain Fire station for help. The ambulance originally came from Michigan but was stationed at CMFRD. The ER doctor and nurses at Transylvania Regional Hospital were from Florida. It's amazing how far help came to aid in our recovery.   My honey came home with his arm in a sling, but fortunately it wasn't a bad break and didn't require extensive treatment. Of course, he's temporally handicapped now and I have to help him get up most times and get his arm in sling. We consider ourselves very lucky even though we spent 13 days without power, phone or cell service.

I want to thank those who came from afar to do what they could to assist in this disaster and commend the Cedar Mountain Fire & Rescue for checking on us more than once.  I’ve never seen so many Tree and Electric companies that came from afar to help.  Considering the tremendous damages done to electrical components and roads I think all was handled well.

Photo is of our friends and neighbors Joyce and Ronnie Gula who cleared our (amazingly undamaged) Jeep from the upper limbs of a fallen tree from across the road so we could get out.  Amazing people.  Thanks

“I believe for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows.” We had over 26 inches of rain on Duncan Mountain.  That’s a LOT of flowers.