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Volume 117 • Issue 49
75¢
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Letters To Santa Inside This Week
The family of retiring City Manager/Fire Chief Jeff Cash at his Monday, Nov. 29 reception at the CFD station house are: son and daughter-in-law, Chad and Heidi Cash; the man of the hour, Chief Jeff and wife, Cynthia; and son and daughter-in-law, Quentin and Erin Cash. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)
City Manager/Fire Chief Cash’s retirement reception well attended Many came by to wish him well and good fortune in his future by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
City Manager/Fire Chief Jeff Cash’s retirement reception – which took place on Monday, Nov. 29 – was well-attended by his many friends, family members, city employees, and many fire associates with whom he has worked or interacted with over his 40-plus years of local government and community service. They all met at the CFD station house to wish him well in what is sure to be a bright future, filled with plans for family time, resting, reading, and exploring Mr. Cash’s many hobbies
and fire service-related activities. Fire service and community service is in the blood of the Cash family, as is evidenced by his long service to the Cherryville community; his wife’s service as a CFD wife and mother to two young men – Chad and Quentin – whose lives also are entrenched in working for the fire service and their communities in which they live. According to an earlier Eagle article City Manager/ Fire Chief Cash, announced his retirement as Fire Chief and City Manager to become effective on Jan. 1, 2022. Also announced in that same article is the upcoming promotion of Assistant Fire Chief Jason Wofford to Fire Chief, effective Jan. 2, 2022. For the four-plus decades
Chief Cash has served the City of Cherryville, his career at the Cherryville Fire Department says it all, starting his fire services life (in earnest) in December of 1981. Cash was later promoted to Fire Chief in 1984, and then promoted to City Manager/Fire Chief in 2018. When asked how it felt to have so many friends, and well-wishers come out to share you great day, he replied, “It was a great day and I was so blessed to have so many family members, peers, colleagues, citizens, and friends come to my reception drop-in. It was an especially nice event and I thank Assistant Chief Wofford, the troops, Brittany, and my wife, Cynthia for hosting the event. It was also very special to me that some of the vendors we See CASH, Page 8A
City Council’s work session discussions pave way for December regular topics by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
In the Tuesday, Nov. 30 City Council work session Council heard first from Mr. Will Puckett, speaking for the Cherryville Little Ironmen organization. Mr. Puckett noted how their organization was finishing up on what he termed a “positive note this season”, in that when he came into the program, they had about $3,000 on hand but that they now are ending the year with $28,000. He also spoke about the organization’s upcoming basketball program, noting that they are allowed to use Mt. Zion Baptist Church’s gym for practices and such. Mr. Puckett was
A typical Cherryville City Council work session, like this one from January 2021, is where many of the topics that appear at the Council’s regular sessions are discussed. (Eagle/CF Media file photo by Michael E. Powell) curious if the City would consider helping them, at some point, with the possibility, or the feasibility, of getting a court erected at Ballard Park. “I am going to try to my
part,” he said to get something like this done for the Little Ironmen teams. Puckett said what the Little Ironmen do is teach young kids about respect, See CITY, Page 6A
Two-thirds of likely N.C. voters support Opportunity Scholarships CHERRYVILLE’S “A VERY CHERRY WHOVILLE CHRISTMAS!” filled the City’s Mini-park and Main Street area last Friday night, Dec. 3, as folks came from miles around to see the Grinch and his Dr. Seuss-related characters and friends. Chamber President Mary Beth Tackett said they were glad to be back after COVID shut down the 2020 event. The event was from 6 to 10 p.m. Cherryville’s Christmas Parade is Saturday, Dec. 11, starting at 10 a.m. See more photos on page 4A. (photos by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)
by DAVID BASS Carolina Journal
A new poll from a statewide school-choice advocacy group shows that nearly two-thirds of likely general election voters in North Carolina support the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Sixty-two percent of respondents favor the scholarship, compared to 28 percent who oppose it. The poll, commissioned by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, found an enthusiasm gap, as well, with 36 percent of those in favor of Opportunity Scholarships expressing that support “strongly,”
North Carolina parent Melissa Mitchell during a news conference on Opportunity Scholarships held on April 28. (photo courtesy of Parents for Educational Freedom in N.C.) compared to 18 percent of those opposed to the program doing so “strongly.” Opportunity Scholarships are valued at up to $4,200 a year and help
low- and moderate-income families send their children to a private school. Due to a significant expansion included in the new budget, See VOTERS, Page 6A
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