#ridgeviewNewsOntheroad (Opinion Editorial) by Publisher Shari Johnson
With a typical attitude of ”going where the wind blows” David Johnson and I left Tuesday for Gatlinburg with an open mind and an expectation of enjoying not only our time together but the sites and sounds of Tennessee. Our first day was spent driving the scenic Great Smokey Mountains. They did not disappoint. On the second day we spent the first part traveling the streets of Gatlinburg on foot, which for our taste of entertainment was a huge disappointment. It was basically different shops, filled with the same merchandise (with a few exceptions) all at extravagant unworthy prices. Multiple food choices of the chain variety, street sales vendors vying for your attention to sell you the latest in face cream and huge crowds of couples and families willing to unload thousands upon thousands of dollars. I guess we’re just to country or too tight to buy into the hype of touristy attractions. So we decided to forgo Gatlinburg and head to a place more our style, Cherokee, North Carolina, just 33 miles away.
A trip a little further into the Smokey Mountains allowed us to see elk grazing along the highway… What respectable West Virginian doesn’t get excited about antlers!
They were not fearful of us and looked extremely well nourished from the grass provided along the highway.
Once in the City of Cherokee, critters of another kind captured my attention and a rich heritage and history that David and I both enjoyed. I won’t tell you that it wasn’t geared for tourists as well, but the difference being, the commercialization was history centered, the stores were operated by well versed locals who knew and shared that history. They were proud of their community and honored to share the information with visitors.
Several of the uniquely painted bears were located throughout the city. The one above was in Veterans Park with monuments and statutes paying tribute to those who lost their lives in multiple wars, throughout multiple branches of service.
Pictures from Veterans Park below
A drive past the Cherokee Fire Department caught Chief David’s eye (who’s never met a stranger or a firetruck he didn’t like). It’s been my experience that the common bond between Emergency Service personnel will create immediate conversation. But what makes the conversation of interest is the way each department conducts business and what the number of calls in a community looks like.
Cherokee has three separate departments, much like Calhoun. But unlike Calhoun county, the population of Cherokee is 750,000 during the summer months, then it drops to what the firemen called a ghost town of 20,000 in the winter. That’s pretty funny in comparison to our total county population of 7,638. They are also a paid department running 40 paid personnel on 24 hour shifts followed by 2 days off, and the have 11 volunteers. They tackle approximately 3,000 runs annually. The Firefighters must be trained, not only as a firefighter but as an EMT-Basic. Each department rotates quarterly to another location, keeping everyone aware of all aspects of the community.
The vision statement of the Cherokee Fire Department speaks well of their community spirit saying ”Our vision is to become the premier emergency service delivery agency in the region by developing an organization of professionals serving with pride and integrity. We strive to use the latest technology and business practices to meet the current needs and future growth of our community while consistently reflecting the history and culture of the people we serve.” They clearly believe in their ability to make a difference.
I spoke with Ryan, a 17 year old volunteer who rides with the department for the purpose of training. His dream is to become a paid member and continue to serve in the Cherokee Department. He shared his very first call of a ”trash barrel fire” called in as an entrapment, and his first fatality that the vivid images will forever be in his mind. It doesn’t matter the location when it comes to tragedy, community is still the same. We all know our people, and the loss hurts.
This probably isn’t too many other people’s idea of a vacation stop, but for David and I, who love where we live, seeing what makes other communities work entertains us.
And finding a cute pair of Minnetonka Moccasins was the icing on the cake!
