Even though Mother Nature has thrown curve balls to the region this weekend, spring-like weather in its full abundance is right around the corner.
To welcome in the nicer weather and celebrate agriculture in the region, the Carter County Community Advisory announced Thursday plans are quickly coming together for the annual Earth Day celebration scheduled for Saturday, April 22, at Covered Bridge Park in Elizabethton.
Beginning at 10 a.m., the event will serve as a Community Garden Kickoff event along with a rally to support the Downtown Elizabethton Farmer’s Market.
The event is free and open to the public and will feature a variety of activities, including vendors, free crafts for children, do-it-yourself stations for adults and a special plant swap.
A pair of events will be going on with Celebration, Jilian Reece, CAB secretary, told members Thursday. The Great Cloth Diaper Change gets underway at 11 a.m. for any attendees looking to participate. Cloth diapers will be available for either swap or sell, and participants will look to break the world record for most cloth diapers changed at the same time across the world at a designated area.
Carter County Proud is also getting in on the fun, Reece added, by holding a Tweestie Trail cleanup beginning at 10 a.m. with participants encouraged to meet at Lions Field. Individuals are invited to pick up trash and rally for recycling while walking the trail to take part in the activities at Covered Bridge Park.
Serving as a kickoff for the Carter County Community Gardens, the public is invited to come out and learn more about the steps underway to help encourage the community to grow crops and live a healthy lifestyle.
For 2017, CAB is working to place five gardens at target locations in the community. The current gardens are also in the running for grant funding through Seeds of Change. Individuals can vote for the Carter County Community Gardens by visiting https://seedsofchangegrant.com/GalleryDetail.aspx?id=3419 online or can access the page by visiting the Carter County Community Advisory Board Facebook page.
Along with the gardens, Josh McKinney, chairman for the Downtown Elizabethton Farmer’s Market Board, added the event will serve as a rally for community members looking to learn more about the market and for possible vendor opportunities. The DEFM is holding an information session on Saturday, April 8, at the public library beginning at 10 a.m. to allow the public to learn more about rules and regulations for the market while having the opportunity to tour the location. Saturday’s event will be led by DEFM Manager Donica Krebs.
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During the guest speakers’ portion of the meeting, Becky Satern, nutrition educator with the Carter County Health Department, provided information about the WIC program offered in the county.
Bryon Smith and Patsy Pope with the Department of Children’s Service also spoke to attendees about the work they provide in the county.
According to the Department of Health & Human Services, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and serves as a time to highlight the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect, along with promoting social and emotional well-being for children and families.
Smith, who serves as Team Leader for CPS Assessment in the county, added his office has seven employees and they see over 90 cases a month. Pope, who is the lead investigator for CPS investigations in the county, added her department has three employees and they see roughly 33 cases a month.
While promoting the health and well-being for children, the duo added that foster families in Carter County are sought after. Any families looking to be foster families can contact the local office at (423) 547-5814. Anybody that needs to report any instance of child abuse can call 1-800-4-A-CHILD and the call gets filtered down to the county level. The local office serves Carter and Johnson counties.
For more information about the CAB, visit the Carter County Community Advisory Board Facebook page online.