Rutherford Weekly

On June 29, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina received a donation of 222 acres in the Thermal City area of Rutherford County from David and Martha Cameron and their son Rob Messick. This donation of land is the fi rst of a two-part planned gift by the Cameron family. In their estate, the Camerons will bequeath their remaining land to the conservancy — approximately 101 acres including two homeplaces. In 1978, David and Martha group-purchased the property with others who shared a similar desire to get out of the city and own land. As time passed, the land changed hands a few times, until the Camerons and another couple were the sole owners. They divided the land into two parcels — with the Camerons keeping approximately 100 acres and the old homeplace, which was built in 1852 (before the Civil War) and upgraded over the years. Twenty years passed, the Camerons built a new house and the other couple decided to sell their plot. The Camerons bought the remaining acreage back and have been the sole landowners since. The Cameron property is mostly undeveloped forested land in a mountainous section of the county that borders private conservation lands, through which the Wilderness Gateway State Trail is planned to run. The headwaters of Cathey's Creek fl ow across the property and continue downstream toward Bostic, where it empties into the Second Broad River. Conservation has always been the Camerons' ideal outcome for their property, so reaching out to Foothills Conservancy was the next step. "For us, it seemed logical to give our land to the conservancy," David said. "We've known about the organization for a long time. Rob has been good friends with Land Protection Director Tom Kenney for many years. We are really thrilled with the way this has all worked out." Kenney refl ected on the conservation project: "Foothills Conservancy greatly appreciates these generous property donations from David, Martha and Rob. It is a tremendous legacy that they will make by the permanent conservation of their ecologically signifi cant lands." The property includes several unique features and rare plants. One of the most signifi cant features is a balanced rock about the size of a van. The Camerons' historical account of the property notes that the rock came down from Harris Mountain during the Great Flood of 1916 and landed on a smaller rock, where it still sits today. According to David, the feature was a tourist attraction after the fl ood. "One of my favorite parts of the property is that, upon turning a corner, as you come up the relatively fl at driveway, there is a mountain right in our backyard," said David. "We call it 'The Foothill,' like it's our special piece of the region." It is the Camerons' dream for their property to become a new public park — appropriately named Cameron Park in memory of David's parents — and to be enjoyed by generations to come. "We would love to see trails built across the property for people to explore," David said. "We are really looking forward to sharing this land that we've loved for so many years." WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT 187 N Powell St., Forest City • 828-245-0923 BILL'S AUTO GLASS SHOP BILL'S AUTO GLASS SHOP WINDSHIELDS WINDOWS MIRRORS WINDOW MOTORS REGULATORS ©Community First Media Community First Media EXPERIENCE DOES MATTER 187 N P ll St F t Cit 828 245 0923 IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHERE YOU HAVE IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR VEHICLE REPAIRED! YOUR VEHICLE REPAIRED! LOCALLY OWNED FOR 55 YEARS QUICK FRIENDLY SERVICE ALL INSURANCE COMPANYS ACCEPTED WE WILL HELP FILE YOUR CLAIM ISSUE NO. 28 • July 15, ISSUE NO. 28 • July 15, 2021 • 2021 • RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408 Our 29 th Year • Over 25,000 Weekly Readers www.mooresautos.com www.mooresautos.com 345 South Broadway, Forest City 828-245-8067 M O O RE ' S AUTO S ALES ©Community First Media Community First Media Call or come by today! NO CREDIT, POOR CREDIT LET US DECIDE! LET US DECIDE! Rutherford County family donates land to Foothills Conservancy of NC in Ðirst step of a conservation legacy STRIVING TO HELP ALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED! STRIVING TO HELP ALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED! Rutherford County announces Dr. Matthew Kramer has accepted the position of EMS Medical Director to provide medical oversight of emergency medical services within Rutherford County. Dr. Kramer fi lls the position left vacant on July 1 when Dr. Guy Winker retired. The Medical Director provides oversight of all protocols that govern EMS personnel, fi re departments, rescue squad personnel, and 911 telecommunicators. Dr. Kramer will continue his business at Main Street Family Practice while providing oversight services to Rutherford County EMS. "Our EMS system is blessed to have Dr. Kramer come on board as our Medical Director. He is an excellent physician with strong experience in emergency medicine. We are excited to work together to grow and strengthen our entire emergency medical system, including our community paramedic program and other innovative programs." stated Kerry Giles, EMS Director. Dr. Matthew Kramer is a board certifi ed, family practitioner with Main Street Family Practice. Dr. Kramer resides in Forest City with his wife and three daughters. He served as a family physician in the United States Air Force for 11 years and continues to serve as a Flight Surgeon at McEntire Joint National Guard Base. He has multiple years as an Emergency Department physician at both Rutherford Regional Medical Center and Sampson Regional Hospital. County Manager, Steve Garrison also extended his support in this appointment. "The State Offi ce of EMS requires the Medical Director to be a practicing physician with emergency medicine experience. It is often diffi cult to fi nd a physician in a rural community who is willing to step up and provide this service to their community. We are so grateful that Dr. Kramer is willing to invest in the health of our citizens in Rutherford County." The medical director reviews emergency calls to ensure proper medical care is provided from the initiation of a 911 call through onsite treatment and transport to a hospital facility. Some of the key tasks performed include ensuring that medical control is available 24 hours a day; establishing and updating all treatment protocols, system orientation and continuing education of all EMS personnel, and medical review of care provided to patients. Rutherford County's emergency medical system consists of the County's EMS department with 65 trained personnel including Paramedics, Advanced EMT's, and EMT Basics. The system also includes 27 9-1-1 telecommunicators, 12 of the 16 fi re departments that function as fi rst responders, and both Hickory Nut Gorge EMS & Rescue and Rutherford County Rescue Crew. For more information on Rutherford County EMS, visit www. rutherfordcountync.gov or fi nd Rutherford County EMS on Facebook. For addition information contact Kerry Giles at 828.288.4505, kerry.giles@rutherfordcountync.gov EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ANNOUNCES NEW MEDICAL DIRECTOR Article Provided By: Jean Gordon. Photo Contributed Article By Hayley Benton Continued on page 3. David and Martha Cameron and their son Rob Messick. Dr. Kramer, EMS Medical Director

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