Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on June 15, 2017.  

“Green spaces make life better,” said Small Town Summer event organizer Dylan Locke at the first in a series of free events, held at the Warren Lineberry Park.

He explained that the series, featuring concerts, movies, theater productions and more, aren’t about generating tourism but are about “taking care of our locals” and providing something fun to do with our kids throughout the summer.

Face-painted kids with smiles passed by as Locke spoke. Most were headed for the free bounce houses.

Some toasted marshmallows at the Girl Scouts booth, enjoyed ice cream cones or checked out the big red fire truck that Floyd’s Volunteer Fire Department Station 1 had on display.

Tracy Ann Costello of Healthy Floyd served up fruit infused water and passed out flyers listing the group’s upcoming events that promote healthy lifestyles in Floyd. Nearby, members of Preserve Floyd took signatures for a petition encouraging local officials to abide by the Paris Climate Accord.  Their booth doubled as a merchandise tent for the featured band, Ray Scott.

There are no vending fees for community partners, like Healthy Floyd, Preserve Floyd, P-FLAG, the Humane Society and Young Life, to set-up booths and let people know what they have going on, said Locke, co-owner of The Floyd Country Store.  Their participation highlights how community action makes Floyd a better place and helps make the summer event series even more special.

“It took a lot of work to get this park here,” said Kamala Bauers, a member of the Partnership for Floyd, the group that spearheaded the park’s development and helped fund it through community fundraising.

 Bauers, who attended with her daughter and grandsons, described developing the park as a labor of love by many community members who donated their time and energy.  The newest additions to the park, a Streamline Timberframe stage and amphitheatre seating put the finishing touches on the project.

Crawford and Power, two musicians from Franklin County, warmed up the crowd, playing southern rock standards and originals, before Ray Scott took the stage with his band, which he jokingly referred to as the “guilty bystanders.”

Scott, a Nashville/Tennessee-based musician put on an engaging and high quality performance that had some attendees singing along and many laughing at the stories he told between songs.

–  Small Town Summer events are produced by The Town of Floyd and will take place on alternating Thursdays  from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. through the end of August.  Check out FLOYDSMALLTOWNSUMMER.COM for more information or check them out on Facebook.

________Our World Tuesday