The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

April is spring clean-up month

Whitesburg


Ruth Frazier will turn 95 on April 18.

Ruth Frazier will turn 95 on April 18.

Grass mowing going on, flower beds being raked off, vegetable gardens being prepared, tulips trees in bloom, redbuds starting to get their blossoms, Bradford pears in bloom, also apple and other fruit trees all bloomed out, forsythias in bloom, daffodils all over everywhere, grandchildren able to play outside, I am surely loving this time of year.

Spring clean-up month is also going on the month of April for Letcher County. This means you can take items to the transfer station on Millstone free of charge to Letcher County residents. I think there is a charge for tires though. This runs from April 5 through the 30th.

Letcher County Conservation District is holding its annual tree give-away this Wednesday, March 31, and Thursday, April 1, if any are left. This will go from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will be first-come, first-serve and will be drive-through only. There will be papaw, pecan, Chinese chestnut and persimmon. If you need more information, you can call 633-4448.

Lane Holbrook celebrated his birthday on the 29th. He is the son of Ken and Marlena Holbrook.

Lane Holbrook celebrated his birthday on the 29th. He is the son of Ken and Marlena Holbrook.

I noticed the rec center has changed its hours back to the same time before COVID. It is now open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and closed on Sunday. Masks are still required, though, and social distancing. I know a lot of people that want to go after they got off work in the evenings are glad about the new operating hours. I feel so much better when I can go first thing in the morning.

Last week while there, I got to talk to Debbie Baker and Carmen Brock again about our senior citizen program. Carmen sent me a picture of when KRADD and Letcher County Senior Citizens presented a plaque to the Letcher County Fiscal Court for going above and beyond for Elder Abuse Awareness. Like I’ve said many times in this column, I look forward to the day we can get our senior citizen program back to normal.

There was a wonderful picture on Facebook of one of my former co-workers and good friend, Martha Wynn Whitaker. She and her husband Marty Whitaker were able to have all their grandchildren on their first trip to Dollywood this past weekend. Martha and Marty’s daughters are Danielle Gateley, Cassie Stamper and Haley Johnson and along with their sons-in-law Tom Stamper and Logan Johnson they were able to have a great time.

Jebidiah Keel had a birthday on March 27.

Jebidiah Keel had a birthday on March 27.

Another event I loved on Facebook this past week was the one of our little miracle girl, Laney Webb, getting to throw the opening pitch for the Jenkins Lady Cavaliers on the 26th. Our community has fallen in love with Laney and we continue to keep up with her progress after God healed her from leukemia. She still isn’t eating solid food, but is fed through her feeding tube.

I have just a few birthdays to mention this week. They are one of my former students, Jebidiah Keel, and Norma Potter Collier on the 27th, Jesse Bates and Ernie Collier on the 28th, Debby Adams and Lane Holbrook on the 29th, Justin Rice on the 30th and Kim Sturgill, Ray Smith, and Shane Yonts on April 1.

Front row - Ezra Gateley, Colt Stamper, Lane Johnson, Gracie Gateley, Elijah Gateley, Paisley Stamper. Back row - Martha Wynn Whitaker holding Lincoln Johnson and Marty Whitaker holding Lawson Johnson.

Front row – Ezra Gateley, Colt Stamper, Lane Johnson, Gracie Gateley, Elijah Gateley, Paisley Stamper. Back row – Martha Wynn Whitaker holding Lincoln Johnson and Marty Whitaker holding Lawson Johnson.

A special birthday coming up on April 18 is Ruth Frazier. She will be 95 years old and loves getting cards. Her daughters, Connie Hogg, Brenda Hogg, and Cilla Fields, are asking you to contact them for Ruth’s address if you would like to send her a birthday card.

Congratulations to Larry and Lee Bates Adams on the birth of their first grandbaby, Emery Grace Adams. She was born on March 26. Her parents are Zach and Carley Martin Adams. She weighed 6 pounds and 9 ounces. I know they are ecstatic.

Please remember to pray for all the people that have been affected by the floodwaters our county has experienced this past week. Fleming-Neon was once again flooded. When my husband and I lived in an apartment in Neon back in the early ‘80s, we had a Dodge Dart washed out of our parking space at Donna Kaye Coal Company and down the street to where the Neon Church of Christ is located. There’s a picture of it on one of the Neon Facebook pages. We had to have it overhauled and there was still brown mud in the speedometer. It smelled so bad after that. I also saw that the Letcher County Fiscal Court had declared Letcher County a local state of emergency because of all the flooding.

Our little miracle girl, Laney Webb, got to throw the opening pitch for the Jenkins Cavaliers on the 26th.

Our little miracle girl, Laney Webb, got to throw the opening pitch for the Jenkins Cavaliers on the 26th.

We also must remember to pray for all the sick in our community. Betty Frazier asks that we pray for her son Orville Sturgill, Pat Miles asks that we pray for her brother Paul Bryant, who is on a ventilator. Also, remember the families of Mae Slone and Jordan Fields, and for the healing of Aaron Miles. Again, remember our pastor and his family, Bill and Sandy Jones.

I hope everybody is able to attend church this Sunday. We are holding our Easter services at Letcher Independent Baptist. You are more than welcome to join us.

Debbie Baker presents a plaque to Terry Adams on behalf of the Letcher County Fiscal Court.

Debbie Baker presents a plaque to Terry Adams on behalf of the Letcher County Fiscal Court.

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