Tara Crisan Sweatt

There is an old saying. “It takes a village to raise a child.” No one knows where it came from. It is believed to be an old African proverb. If Ashville is a village, it is doing a very good job.

Joe Stevens set a school record and broke his personal record at the Jesse Owens Classic, a competition named for the most famous runner of all time…and an Alabaman. Stevens came in second out of 408 runners. Taylor Knight came in 15th out of 308 runners.

At Springville, Stevens took third place followed closely by junior, Ryan Matthews who placed 5th. This led to the boys team leading third overall. Taylor Knight took 6th place leading the girls’ team to come in fourth.

These and so many other victories are the product of the efforts of students, coaches, parents and volunteers. Even those who purchase a bunch of strawberries or a T-shirt play a part. It probably doesn’t hurt that Ashville Parks and Recreation Department has community sports starting for those who are barely out of diapers.

But Ashville doesn’t just take care of its kids. There is a steady stream of festivals and events all citizens can enjoy. There is also the Senior Center. It gives the eldest of the community an environment to spend time with members of their peer group. There is also just good old fashioned fun!

Over the next several weekdays, there will be karaoke, a nutrition class, an exercise class, and bingo. They also have card games and board games. and everyone gets a hot meal.

So many things make Ashville a great city. The historic and natural beauty puts it on the map as a must see place to be in many travel brochures. It is a low crime and reasonably priced place to live. But mostly, you take care of your own.