Gibson Promoted to Fire Marshal Barry Gibson was promoted as the new Fire Marshal for Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services during a recent ceremony held at the Cherokee County Administrative Offices. Gibson joined Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services in 2001 and graduated at the top of his recruit class. He has worked at multiple fire stations throughout the county and achieved the rank of sergeant in 2003. In 2007, Sgt. Gibson interviewed for a position in the fire marshal's office as fire inspector and worked in that capacity until 2010, when he was promoted to the rank of captain/deputy fire marshal. He is certified as a firefighter, EMT-I and fire inspector, and is nationally recognized as an NFPA-certified fire protection specialist. Gibson replaces Chief Rick Ruh, who retired in April. In other news, Thomas M. Brady with American Legion Post #45, located in Canton, honored several firefighters and staff members with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services during the organization's annual Community Service Awards Banquet. Recognized at this year's banquet were: Cheri Collett, Battalion 1 Firefighter Award; Sgt. Phillip Carlisle, Battalion 2 Firefighter Award; Lt. Mike Jones, Battalion 3 Firefighter Award; Mark Cornelius, Volunteer Firefighter Award; Nate Sullivan, EMS Employee of the Year Award; Tamarin Gullett-Tyrrell, Fire Administration Award; Sgt. Babette Davis, Fire Prevention Award; and Capt. Frankie Martinez, Special Operations Award.
Historical Society to Document Bell's Store in Photographs Cherokee County Historical Society has launched a new initiative to preserve the history of the Bell's Store building, which will be demolished at the end of the month to accommodate a new Flash Foods gas station at the corner of Union Hill and Highway 20 in Canton. While the history of Bell's Store was chronicled in the book, "Buffington and Macedonia in Days Gone By," by W.F. Bell, Cherokee County Historical Society will photograph and document the interior and exterior of the building prior to demolition. Also, in an effort to preserve remnants of the building and begin a seed fund for future preservation projects, Cherokee County Historical Society will receive some of the exterior bricks from the building. "We would like to use the bricks as a fundraiser to begin an endangered properties preservation fund," says Stefanie Joyner, executive director of Cherokee County Historical Society. "Our president, Jeff Brown, came up with the idea as a way to honor the legacy of Bell's Store and also generate some start-up money if we are faced with a similar scenario in the future." Individuals can support future preservation efforts by purchasing a commemorative brick, which will be engraved with the donor's name and placed at a new courtyard at the Cherokee County Historical Society's Rock Barn. Volunteers will be needed to clean the bricks and assist with moving them offsite. Contact Stefanie Joyner at 770-345-3288, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
New Members Join Rotary Club of Canton Cherokee County's oldest civic service club, Rotary Club of Canton, has grown its membership with the addition of six new members. Joining Rotary Club of Canton this spring are Zach Blend, Goshen Valley Boys Ranch; Dee Dee Doeckel, Chattahoochee Technical College; Deidre Hollands, CASA for Children; Jennifer Stanley, Northside Hospital-Cherokee; Anita Summers, Sequoyah Regional Library System; and Matthew Thomas, City of Canton. Rotary Club of Canton meets for lunch at noon on Tuesdays at the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Conference Center at The Bluffs in Canton. Guests are welcome; lunch is $15. For information, find Rotary Club of Canton on Facebook.
Stewart Selected to GFB Womens Leadership Committee Nichelle Stewart of Canton has been selected to a three-year term on the Georgia Farm Bureau's (GFB) Women's Leadership Committee. A member of Cherokee County Farm Bureau (CCFB), Stewart will represent GFB District 1 and promote Georgia agriculture and healthy nutrition choices. Stewart is an active member of the CCFB and currently serves as chairman of the CCFB Promotion & Education Committee and as co-chairman of the CCFB Women's Committee. She and her husband, Tim, raise fruits and vegetables on their farm in Canton, which also includes a farm market. Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the largest general farm organization in the state. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.
Cherokee County Firefighters Place First in Fight for Air Climb Several Cherokee County firefighters participated in the Fight for Air Climb, held recently at the One Ninety One Peachtree Tower in downtown Atlanta. The climb, which is sponsored by the American Lung Association, is metro Atlanta's largest vertical competition. Participants climb 51 floors to help raise awareness for the 35 million Americans who suffer from asthma. Participants in the Fight for Air Climb include individuals, families, teams and public safety officials. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services finished in third place in the team competition. Cherokee County firefighters Sgt. Eric Robidou and Jonathan Gottfried took first place in their respective age brackets. Also participating in the "quick dress" drill were firefighters Chris George and Chris Roberts. Other Cherokee County firefighters who participated in the event were Lt. Ric Mitchell, Lt. Alec Adams, Sgt. Frank Madonna, and Doug Hocker.
Canton Opens New Park The Canton Main Street Program and Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of the new Fincher-Adkins Park with a special ribbon cutting ceremony on May 14. The event featured live music by Jordan Grassi, along with grilled hot dogs and hamburgers served up by Michael Buckner and Ryan Quinlan of Audio Intersection. The park is located at 101 E. Main St. in Downtown Canton, at the site of a commercial building that was destroyed by fire in December 2009. The building's owners, John Fincher and John Adkins, agreed to lease the property to the City of Canton for the new park. Fincher-Adkins Park is open to the public to enjoy lunch on the lawn. Meghan Griffin, director of Canton Main Street Program, said the space has the potential for hosting a variety of events in the future, including movies and music in the park.
Farm Bureau Hosts Safety Camp Cherokee County Farm Bureau will host a Safety Day Camp June 18, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., at Lazy D Farm, 848 Bishop Road, Ball Ground, for area youth ages 8-12. The camp will cover ATV, tractor, animal, bike, gun, electricity, fire, water, severe weather, and Internet safety. In addition, children will be provided lunch, a camp T-shirt and goody bag. Safety Day Camp is free, but registration is required by June 9. Call the Cherokee County Farm Bureau office at 770-479-1481, ext. 0, to register.
Battle of the Bands Contest to Benefit Pancreatic Cancer Research Hopewell Baptist Church will host a Battle of the Bands contest to benefit pancreatic cancer research in support of youth worship leader Robbie Miller, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The event will feature several Atlanta-based worship bands competing for the Battle of the Bands title, along with special guest speakers, including Miller sharing his personal story. Donations and proceeds from the event will support pancreatic cancer research. Come out and wear purple to show your support. The event will be held 6:00-10:00 p.m., May 10, at Extreme Life youth center at Hopewell Baptist Church, 78 Ridge Road, Canton.
Cherokee County FES Best in Region Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services was honored with the Region 1 EMS Service of the Year Award at the Region 1 EMS awards banquet, held recently in Dalton, Ga. The Region I EMS Service of the Year Award is presented to any Region 1 EMS Service, Licensed First Responder Service or Air Ambulance Service that has maintained a high performance level and spotless record; made improvements or contributions that benefit the citizens it serves; and contributed significantly by going above and beyond the call of duty at the community, regional and state level. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services also won the Region 1 EMS Service of the Year Award in 2008. This award automatically places Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services as a nominee for the statewide award, to be presented May 22. In addition, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Medical Director Dr. Jill Mabley was honored with the Dr. Virginia Hamilton Special Service Award. This award is given to a person who has given outstanding contributions to the development, implementation and delivery of emergency medical services in Region 1 and the state of Georgia.
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Donates to Goshen Valley Boys Ranch Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services presented a check for $2,930 to Zach Blend, director of Residential Life at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, located in the Salacoa area of Cherokee County. The donation was from the fire departments winnings from the recent Guns and Hoses 5K Run. The purpose of Goshen Valley Boys Ranch is to provide hope and a family-model home for boys who do not have either. According to Blend, the money will be used to pay for fees in order for the boys to play any of the sports offered at Cherokee High School.