December President's Report

No surprise, friends—we are already experiencing a true winter at Cattail. Snow has more than once covered the peaks and has several times dipped below the magical 3,500-foot line. We even had a rare but bracing day of frigid cold that hovered around ten degrees for nearly 24 hours before finally lifting. That said, it will not be a white Christmas this year, with temperatures on Thursday likely reaching the high 50s!

FEMA crews have been hard at work once again, despite some challenging weather conditions. They have been working seven days a week around the Community Hall, upstream to the bend in the creek, and downstream to just past the large orange washout. The steel beams they removed from the creek were truly astonishing.

Speaking of good things happening, the Snowball Fundraiser for backpack food earlier this month was a tremendous success. The gala decorations, delicious food, terrific band and singer, and strong turnout of fancily dressed folks made for a wonderful evening in support of the school children of Yancey County. Cattail was well represented! It was wonderful to see our community come together in such good spirits after all that everyone has been through.

On the CCHOA front, the Building Committee met last week to continue exploring options for contracting and fundraising. Results from their recent survey confirm that membership sentiment strongly supports elevating and repairing the existing hall to the best and most reasonable extent possible, including the addition of proper handicap-accessible ramps at all entrances. The committee is also exploring grant and similar funding possibilities and is planning the details for a well-structured and informative fundraising campaign to cover expenses not met through other sources.

The full board will take up these matters in January and present a detailed report to the full membership at that time.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and optimistic New Year!

All the best,
Worth and Susan