Hendersonville Middle invites Ninth Avenue School alumni to Feb. 15 celebration
From staff reports
Hendersonville Middle is inviting Ninth Avenue School alumni and their families to a drop-in “Ninth Avenue School Day” Community Celebration on Monday, Feb. 15, from 3-4 p.m. at the school.
Celebrating the Ninth Avenue School heritage in Henderson County, this socially distanced, outdoor event will feature a walking tour of historical Ninth Avenue School markers by alumnus Ronnie Pepper, plus a chance for alumni to share their voices with the school community.
From 1951-1965, the Ninth Avenue School was the segregated 1st-12th-grade school for African-American students in a tri-county area, before area schools were integrated in 1965.
At 2:21 a.m. on Dec. 25, fire awoke occupants of the Echo Mountain Inn. The fire consumed an outbuilding that housed the inn’s business office and health spa. “Valley Hill Fire Department was here in less than 15 minutes,” said Bud Bonnema, a retired police officer from Minnesota who bought the property with his wife, Jan, in July of 2019. “They were great. Another two minutes and we could have easily lost more buildings.” The two-story 3,000-square-foot building, which stood less than 50 feet from the main inn, has been deemed a total loss. The fire marshal’s report did not determine a cause but did suggest that it could have been an electrical fire or it may have originated from a space heater. Built in 1896 as a summer home for John H. and Jessie B. Patterson of Jacksonville, Florida, the main building has been operated as an inn since the 1920s by numerous subsequent owners.
Looking back: Henderson County s top stories in 2020
The past year managed to bring both hardships and victories to Henderson County.
Countless lives have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with thousands of reported cases, nearly 100 deaths, and many people losing their jobs due to the economic fallout from the pandemic.
The community lost some of its beloved leaders, including Henderson County Commissioner Charlie Messer, who died suddenly in July; former Fletcher Mayor Bill Moore; and Sheriff s Office deputy Ryan Hendrix, who was killed in the line of duty in September.
Some light has come out of 2020, from developments bringing jobs and housing to the county to increased calls for social justice and a focus on equality.
Three Henderson County schools go fully virtual just before winter holidays my40.tv - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from my40.tv Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Craven was re-elected to a second term on the board on Nov. 3 when voters also put Kathy Revis, Robert Bridges and Stacey Caskey on the board. The board voted unamimously for Craven as chair. After Jay Egolf nominated Holt as vice chair, Caskey nominated Revis, who declined. The board then elected Holt as chair.
Board members thanked the school community for its support after a 13-year-old boy shot a 12-year-old classmate in the leg in the gym where students gather before homeroom. The girl recovered and is back in school now.
“Everybody came together and nobody felt unsafe, that I’ve heard from, about the particular incident, Craven said. We will be looking further into what we can do as a board to make our students and families feel even safer.”