The McDowell News from Marion, North Carolina • A1

PARTLY SUNNY 79 54 FORECAST, A3 Wednesday, april 6, 2022 mcdowellnews.com Child hit, killed by vehicle in Old Fort. PAGE A3 CLASSIFIEDS B5-7 COMICS B4 JUMBLE A4 OBITUARIES A2 OPINION A5 SPORTS B1 75 cents Volume 94, Issue 68 A Lee Enterprises Newspaper Copyright 2022 Follow us online: facebook.com/mcdowellnews.com twitter.com/mcdowellnews 16 PAGES FIND YOUR NEWS ONLINE mcdowellnews.com CAROLINE PARKER EducationNC Special to The McDowell News In 1909, 35 men from Marion, North Carolina, established Marion Manufacturing Com- pany in McDowell County. A large textile mill, it employed residents of the town for over 70 years. And while the mill itself was mostly dismantled in 2010, the smokestack and its legacy lives on in the people, careers and subsequently students, of this rural mountain area. This legacy is on display one Friday morning at Nebo Elemen- tary School.

Renata Crawley, a fifth-grade teacher in McDowell County, asks a group of students to raise a hand if someone they know currently works for Coats North America. A portion of the arms shoot up in the air. Textile man- ufacturing still exists in the area, and Crawley and her colleague Donna Pyatt have worked it into a traveling STEM lesson. Both educators are Kenan Fel- lows, and Crawley was awarded the Burrough Wellcome Fund (BWF) Career Award for Sci- ence and Mathematics Teach- ers (CASMT) back in 2019. The money from BWF is what par- tially fuels this science lesson and the STEM van that carries this type of learn- ing to fifth-graders around the district.

incorporating sTeM with community In both the fall and spring, Crawley and Pyatt are traveling to all eight elementary schools in the district and are providing one outdoor engaging STEM lesson for fifth-graders. This spring, the lesson involves fab- ric and thread, something the people of McDowell know a lot about. Crawley was able to spend three weeks working at Mari- own Coats North America in the summer of 2021 as part of her Kenan Fellows program, as did Pyatt two years ago. To- gether, they created a science lesson working with material from Coats while incorporating a fifth-grade standard, and cre- ated an exercise where students were able to explore the chal- lenges of a job site. In the lesson, students form groups of four, and after talking about different types of thread with Crawley and Pyatt, look at the materials under a micro- scope.

Then groups were asked to hypothesize which thread would be strongest and were able to put their guesses to the test. Using thread, a washer, ping- pong balls and a bucket, students were challenged to work to- gether, and against the elements, to see how many balls they could move from one spot to another. After each group got the hang of it, the teachers threw a wrench in their smooth-working sys- tems. Crawley explained to the students that sometimes at work people get sick or show up. Each group had to then figure out how to do the same exercise with fewer and fewer participants.

Crawley has been a science educator in McDowell County Schools for 30 years. She loves the evolution-to-inquiry-based learning she has experienced, and that her job is more about being a guide to the right answer. In this lesson, she and Pyatt are the facilitators and let the stu- dents find their way. Crawley and Pyatt are obvi- ously passionate about science. CarOline parKer pHOTOs, EDUCATIONNC Nebo Elementary students work on a STEM project.

FROM STAFF REPORTS For the first time in three years, McDowell County Schools Got Talent show will return to the stage on Friday. The show will be held at the East McDowell Middle School audito- rium at 6 p.m., where more than 30 talented students from McDow- ell County Schools will perform. Prizes will be given in elementary, middle and high school age divi- sions. The acts will include singing, dancing, comedy, instruments, gymnastics, aerials and even on- stage painting, according to a news release. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students, and free for children younger than kindergarten.

This event is hosted by the Key Club of McDowell Early College and McDowell Academy for Inno- vation. Organizer Jessica Sutton said this will be the fourth time the Key Club has hosted the event. took over in she said. to that, the Marion Kiwanis Club hosted it. The 2020 show had to be postponed due to weather and then canceled due to COVID.

There was a virtual talent show in 2021 that any student could contribute to via Flipgrid. So it has been three years since we had the last show on- stage. the previous winners are not eli- gible to compete again but provide entertainment at the end as judges deliberate. not happening this year but will apply to this winner in next Schools talent show set for Friday miss the fun on Friday night. METRO CREATIVE FROM STAFF REPORTS On Tuesday, April 12, the six Democratic primary candidates for the U.S.

House of Repre- sentatives will participate in a debate at McDowell Technical Community College. The N.C. 11 Democratic can- didate debate will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the McDowell Tech- nical Community Cedar Building audi- torium. The full slate of six Dem- ocratic primary candidates will participate in this debate moderated by Chris Coo- per, the Madison distinguished professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University.

The event is open to all who wish to learn more about these candidates, regardless of voter registration, residency or party affiliation, according to a news release. The McDowell County Demo- cratic Party is hosting the event to give primary voters an op- portunity to learn more about the candidates who seek to rep- resent them. The mission of the McDowell Democratic Party is empower members of the community to make their voices heard through voter recruitment and The six Democrats running for the nomination for the U.S. House are: Jay Carey of Hendersonville, Katie Dean of Swannanoa, Marco Gutierrez of Clyde, Bo Hess of Asheville, By- num M. Lunsford of Mars Hill and Jasmine Beach-Ferrara of Asheville.

About 29,000 registered vot- ers reside in McDowell County, about of whom are regis- tered Democrats; Republi- cans and unaffiliated. The 11th Congressional Dis- trict contains all of 14 counties including Cherokee, Clay, Gra- ham, Macon, Swain, Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Mad- ison, Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Polk and Yancey counties, and part of Ruther- ford County. Despite numerous changes in N.C. districts over the years, McDowell County has remained a core part of the 11th Congressional District since 1961. For more information about the 2022 NC11 Congressional Democratic Primary candidates, visit www.mcdems.com/candi- dates.php.

For questions about the can- didate debate, contact Michelle Price, chair of the McDowell County Democratic Party, at Doors open at 6 p.m. and Democratic candidates for US House to debate MCdOWell COUnTy sCHOOls State education news site highlights McDowell educators STEM van of McDowell County. Event is set for April 12 at McDowell Tech Cooper More than 30 acts ready to entertain FULL STEM AHEAD About EdNC EducationNC (EdNC) works to expand educational opportu- nities for all students in North Carolina, increase their aca- demic attainment and improve the performance of the public schools. We provide res- idents and policymakers with nonpartisan data, research, news, information and analysis about the major trends, issues and challenges bearing on education. We gather and dis- seminate information employ- ing the most effective means of communication, primarily through the internet.

In addi- tion to the content distributed, we encourage an active and connected community of those interested in education policy and practice throughout the state. Our work encourages informed participation and strong leadership on behalf of the students of North Carolina. Source: EdNC Please see deBaTe, Page A4Please see sTeM, Page A4.