Cadets of the Jefferson HS Air Force Junior ROTC program paint the fence at the Middleway kiosk in April 2022.
Editor’s note from the September 2022 print issue
The short section of fence in Middleway (above) is more the idea of a fence than anything functional. Still, getting young kids to paint a fence for free is an American tradition, as the J-ROTC cadets above experienced during their service project. It will certainly look good for the upcoming Middleway Day, a village festival featuring music, crafts, kids’ activities, and history tours (Oct 8, 10 am – 3 pm, event details at MiddlewayConservancy.org).
Major Phil Suydam, commander of the program at Jefferson High School described the purpose of J-ROTC as developing “citizens of character, dedicated to serving their nation and community.” J-ROTC is an extracurricular activity at Jefferson High School, one of many that help the youthful participants learn outside of the classroom and understand the connections of community.
Jefferson County youth had a similar opportunity to demonstrate their hard work and perseverance at the recently concluded Jefferson County Fair. Browsing through the fair program, you realize that there are literally hundreds of categories to enter — lots of divisions, but all united under a common tradition of friendly competition to achieve and grow.
Opportunities to learn and grow are plentiful this time of year, and not just for kids. Later this month, the Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities will showcase the traditions and heritage of the wider Appalachian community with a week of events (see page 12). The events are free and you might even feel encouraged to join in and sing.
Read the September 2022 issue online.
By Steve Pearson