Seven Springs Ole Timey Days celebrates heritage, honors community service

SEVEN SPRINGS — For Bailey Caroon, 9, the taste of victory couldn’t be sweeter — especially since it came at the expense of her older sister Layla.

Bailey won the bragging rights by tossing a hay bale 20 feet compared to Layla’s 17.5 feet.

The hay bale toss was just one of the many free events and activities Saturday, May 13, during the town’s 21st Ole Timey Days Community Celebration.

The girls and their parents, Josh and Melanie Caroon, were among those attending the event celebrating the heritage of Wayne County’s oldest town.Festival-goers could enjoy magic shows, face painting, antique tractors and cars, pedal-tractor races for children, free pony rides, horse-and-buggy rides and barrel train rides.

There was live entertainment in two different locations and church and other groups set up booths to provide information.Main Street was lined with arts and crafts vendors.

The town sold hot dogs and barbecue out of Mae’s Restaurant to raise funds for it annual fireworks display that will be held on July 1.

The day also included honoring several local residents for community service.

Bailey said one of the game workers had shown her how to swing the bale back and forth before throwing it. She added that she also got strength because of her sister’s trash talking.

“It was fun,” Layla said of the sisterly competition. “I want to ride the horses because we went riding in Tennessee and it was fun.”

Both said they wanted to ride the horses next, but Layla made it clear the competition wasn’t over and would continue with a race up the stairs when they got home.

The competition is never over with, she added.

“We try to catch it every year,” their father said of Ole Timey Days. “It doesn’t always work out, but it is always a good time. They have things like this (hay bale toss) that are free and kind of old fashioned and that is neat to participate in that.”

His bale flew 37 feet for a new record.

“It lets you see the faces you know and sometimes you get to talk with them and put a name with the face,” he said. “You know sometimes people recognize you and you recognize them, but you may not know them very well.

“This is a great thing to kind of get to know your community. That is why we like it. It’s cool.”

Jackie Ivey Rouse, owner of Mae’s Restaurant and a town board member, was honored as recipient of the Gladys Potter Community Service Award.The award is given to a person who has been an outstanding contributor to the community — they have gone above and beyond, Mayor Ronda Hughes said.

“And this year’s recipient really deserves it,” she said. “The Gladys Potter Community Service Award is presented to Mrs. Jackie Ivey Rouse in appreciation of your community service to the town of Seven Springs.Thank you for all you do, 2023.”

The presentation was greeted with applause and cheers.

“It was originally started by Stephen Potter, a former mayor, for his grandmother, I think it was, Mrs. Gladys.” Hughes continued. “She was a great leader of our community.”

The Dedication of the Day Award was given to James Bryant Rouse Jr.

Hughes said she was having to wait because Rouse, as always, was doing something for someone.

“This day is hereby dedicated to James Bryant Rouse Jr.” she added. “Thank you for all of your support. This year he helped us to put the flags up higher so they don’t keep getting torn up by the trucks coming through.

“He put up all of our Christmas trees and the brackets and took them down. So he really went above and beyond to help us.”

Special recognition was presented to Jeffrey Crumpler and Tim Draughon for their hard work, passion and dedication to the town.

“He (Crumpler) cuts our grass, but he also does a lot of stuff to try to keep the town looking good,” Hughes said. “Tim, this is given to you to thank you for all of the hard work you have done for our town this year.”

Also recognized was World War II veteran Thurston E. Quinn.

“Our next one, this should be dear to everybody’s heart because without our servicemen and women we wouldn’t be able to enjoy ourselves like we are today,” Hughes said. “This goes to Thurston E. Quinn.

“He was born Dec. 14. 1925. He is 97 years old.”

Hughes was drafted in May 24, 1944, reporting to Fort Bragg, and separated from the service on June 18, 1946.

Quinn served in Central Europe.

“For his service with the infantry he was awarded a Service Medal with two bronze service stars, World War II Victory Medal, an Occupation Medal and a Good Conduct Medal,” Hughes said. “That is just a little written about Mr. Thurston.

“This man, he is like that Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going and going. He doesn’t let anything get him down. We want to say thank you Mr. Thurston for your service to this country and probably for being one of the oldest alive that fought in World War II.”

Hughes also oversaw the lineup for the children’s pedal-tractor race.

Liam Grady, 4, of Seven Springs didn’t place first, but was still excited by his trophy — jumping up and down and holding it high in the air.

“I got a trophy. I got a trophy,” Liam sang before giving it to his mother, Cierra Medina, for safekeeping.

Then Liam was ready to ride a horse.

“We actually saw the sign when we were driving home one day, and I saw it on Facebook,” Medina said. “So Mack (Grady, Liam’s grandfather) told us about it (festival) and we just decided to come out.

“It is perfect. There is just enough. There is not too much that it is overwhelming. They have the horses. Liam is more excited about the horses than anything else.”

It is a good-size crowd, too, she added.

“He is looking for the horse-and-buggy rides,” Medina said. “That is his No. 1.”

Nathan Little-Harmony, 8, of Seven Spring, couldn’t resist the call to dance with Spring Creek High School students Brenda Garcia, Maria Vega, Eneyda Solis, Bertin Avilez who performed traditional Latin dances.

Nathan said he loves to dance, but that he does not have a favorite one.

“I just do my own dance,” he added.

Asked if he had been nervous about dancing in front of everyone, Nathan’s answer was an emphatic “nope.”

“We have been all the way down there,” said Nathan’s mother Mary. “They rode horses. They’ve got Icees and they just talked to the sheriff’s department (deputies).

“That’s about it so far. Next we are going this way. I think they want to ride some of the rides down here. I love it.”