Local News
Three Parks to Get New Pavilions
County Gets New Parks Division Director
Stephen Shrout is the new parks division director for the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency. He has served Cherokee County for the past four years in various roles, including parks Stephen Shrout crew leader, county arborist and parks manager. Shrout has a bachelor’s of science degree in forest resources and conservation from the University of Florida, as well as numerous certifications, including Certified Parks and Recreation Professional from the National Recreation and Parks Association, Certified Master Trail Builder from the Professional TrailBuilders Association and Certified Arborist from the International Society of Arboriculture. Shrout’s work history includes eight years at Arlington National Cemetery, where he served as a turf applications supervisor. The parks division manages the daily operations and maintenance of the county’s greenspace, trails and park grounds, in addition to supervising the administration of local, state and federal permits as they pertain to park greenspace, trails and natural resources.
Cherokee County’s Board of Commissioners approved constructing pavilions at Richard “Hunkey” Mauldin Sports Complex, Cherokee Veterans Park near the playground, and Patriots Park near the playground. The pavilions will be built one at a time in a six-month period, with the first to be at the Hunkey Complex, which has a small window for construction due to scheduled activities. The pavilions will be available for rent, and when not reserved, they can be used on a first-come, first-served basis. “Pavilions at our local parks allow families to enjoy shaded lunches and have outdoor birthday parties, and youth athletic organizations can host events like end-ofthe-season parties,” said Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley. “We believe pavilions will be great additions to these parks.”
The bus carries 2,500 pounds of food for 50 families per trip in the local communities.
Mobile Food Pantry on the Road in Cherokee MUST Ministries’ newest project, a mobile pantry unlike anything in the region, is on the road serving Cherokee, Cobb and Fulton county residents in need. It’s designed to reach our hungry neighbors who have little to no access to healthy food. On a weekly basis, the farmer’s market-style bus takes fresh produce, meats and other healthy foods to schools, churches, apartment complexes, extended stays, parks anywhere people need help. The pantry will serve people who may not have reliable transportation, work different shifts or work multiple jobs to support a family. Bringing food directly to “food desert neighborhoods” eliminates the transportation issues or minimizes the commute and gas use. It also frees up grocery money that can be spent on other essential items, such as shelter, utilities, healthcare or other critical bills. The families served also are at risk for 8
TOWNELAKER | December 2021
crisis, and providing direct access to groceries and other necessities reduces stress on the parent(s), improving the families’ chances for long-term stability. This project builds on the success of MUST’s Neighborhood Pantry program, supplying food pantries serving at-risk students from 100 schools in area communities. MUST also will extend the food services through the mobile pantry to neighborhoods already served by MUST’s Summer Lunch program, as well as others it has not yet been able to serve. The bus contains 2,500 pounds of food for 50 families per distribution. In the first full year of operating the Mobile Pantry, MUST plans to distribute food to 6,500 families (16,250 individuals based on 2.5 persons per family). Each family served will receive 50 pounds of fresh, healthy food (including meats and produce) once per week.
