By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Rodeo Week was in full swing when we met, and as I walked across the street to head into City Hall on the east side entrance, for a moment I tensed up as I saw the sidewalk. I had been concerned that dreadful stuff had been written in chalk as had recently been the case. Instead, what I was greeted with were upbeat slogans in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, including the one serving as the title of this edition of “Ronnie.” May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there had been an event at City Hall for people who serve and are served by our local commitment to the topic and the need. It really is a public safety as well as a quality-of-life issue for any thriving community, and Mayor Ronnie simply said, “Mental health is critically important.”
There had been a number of truly positive things that had just occurred in our city and county. “Relay for Life had the biggest crowd we have ever had,” said the mayor, and this year was also the largest amount of money raised by our community to battle cancer and honor its survivors.
Spark Academy just received a whopping $200K award from TVA for the youngsters’ work in educating the entire school as to things like turning out the lights, not leaving water running, simple things that were expressed all kinds of ways — art, essays, and more. The mayor showed me the video clip of the school assembly when they announced the award. The hilarious part was that the kids didn’t erupt over the monetary size of the award, but rather the fact that Kona Ice was going out to the whole school later in the day. Somehow that spoke to the kids much more loudly…
Tuesday had been the solemn, poignant annual “End of Watch” ceremony, which takes a few minutes to remember law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and we also recently had the National Day of Prayer ceremony on the courthouse steps. “We had more people for that than we have had in quite a few years,” said the mayor.
Lots of discussion on yet another successful year for the Mayor’s Youth Commission. As has been mentioned before, there are mayors not just from the Southeast, but from all over the country who contact Mayor Ronnie to find out how “li’l ol’ Athens” has done what it has done with and for our youth. Down the hall, Holly Hollman and Justin Travis were preparing for the last MYC meeting of the year. The agenda was a celebratory meal followed by a tour of our water treatment utilities, and we all laughed out loud at the optics. The graduating seniors who have been a part of the program always get emotional when it’s over, and it is a high point of the year.
The annual MTM/Unsung Heroes Awards had been a smashing success, and co-founder Jan Matthews along with Mayor Ronnie had the pleasure of presenting. There were 13 scholarships awarded, and several community members were honored. “We’ve got to keep this level of energy going,” said the mayor. And there was just one thing left to do, and that was to pray. So we did, and once again it was time for Ronnie to roll.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
