The Shady Pines Lantern Project Shines Light and Love on People affected by Hurricane Helene
After The Storm
Okay everyone. Let’s get real. I’m Zulah Talmadge with The Shady Pines Gazette news. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves and help people affected in multiple states.
Just like us, I know you’ve seen photos and videos of the devestating destruction from Hurricane Helene. 
We watch homeowners knee derp in mud picking up the pieces.
Recue crews are out looking for folks whose homes and businesses were washed away or severely damaged by raging floodwaters.
Whole communities have been wiped out.
The impact from Helene will be felt by people in many states across the southeast for months – maybe years.
That’s why here in Shady Pines Story Town we are working together to find ways to help.
Let’s All Pitch In
We are calling this all- hands-on-deck effort: The Lantern Project. We aim to spread light and love through our efforts and donations to people in need. 
Rita Mallena, Director of the Shady Pines Community Center, has set up a donation location there. You can drop off daily living supplies, clothing, water and more. Zula has posted a list of items that are being collected.
One thing we learned right away is that we need to work with The Red Cross and other big relief organizations.
Local authorities don’t want a bunch of folks 
rushing into these hard hit areas and then getting stuck because of washed out roads.
They don’t need to do any more rescuing than necessary.
Even though we had very little damage from the storm here, 
we’ve got neighbors worried about friends and loved ones who live in some of the affected areas.
Because of that, Mayor Beauregard Fibbs has set up a communications center at City Hall.
He has staff members standing by to help our Shady Pines residents get in touch with local officials to see if they can get updates on missing relatives and such.
Restoring Power
Making these connections is proving to be hard to do. Crews are working round the clock to restore power and cell phone service knocked out by the storm.
But there are places that are very hard to reach.
These efforts may take more time than anyone wants and test the patience of a lot of people.
While all of this is going on, Scoop, the Cub Reporter, is working with teachers and parents whose children attend The Shady Pines Elementary School.
Their goal is to round up clothes, toys, books and educational materials to be donated to kids in the flood zones who are missing those things right now.
After all, their young lives have been turned upside downby Hurricane Helene, too.
While we here in our small Southern 
town continue to find ways to help those in need, we encourage you to do the same. No one is safe from the ongoing threat of severe weather. That’s something that unites all of us.
The Lantern Project is another way we express compassion as part of our ongoing Kindness and Caring Campaign.
As a symbol of support, maybe you’ll want to put out a lantern too!
– Zulah out
The shadows are longer. Football is back on TV.
Sunday, this weekend, the sun spends as much time above the hoizon as below.
For many families here in Shady Pines Story Town, 
it’s now a tradition to load everyone up in the car and head out to pick pumpkins. In a few weeks, we’ll have a story from 
Scoop the Cub Reporter as he goes on assignment for The Shady Pines Gazette to the local Pumpkin Patch.
Maybe this is a good time to see if you’ve got the right clothes for fall. Sweater weather is on its way. 
Don’t let this special time pass you by. With each new season comes another 
Here’s a fact that is hard to believe. We are marking Patriot Day 2024. It’s been 23 years since that horrible attack on our country, September 11, 2001. 
But there are many young people and children who weren’t around back then.
Planes were hijacked by bad men and flown into their targets. So many innocent people just going about their daily lives never made it home.
It seemed like a bad movie. It couldn’t be real.
And then we saw so many brave policemen, firemen, and other first responders race in to help others. Many didn’t come back alive. It was all too much to bear.
We would never feel as safe again.
As deep and painful as our wounds were, a sense of brotherhood swept over our nation in a way many of us may have never before seen in our lifetime. Above the black smoke and rubble, America still stood as a country – held together by the spirit of our people.
The thing is, these people woke up that morning just like the rest of us. They did not know what was to be asked of them in the next couple of hours. 
But, when it came time, they got up the courage needed and answered the call.
If you live near any of the
It wasn’t always that way. Let’s remind ourselves, and the children, of an important time in American history when we were united.
Halloween candy and costumes are already on display in stores. There’s no question about it. We’re heading into Fall.
Fabulous Fall Food Drive 2024
“Well,” say Rita. “The Food Drive kicks off this weekend at the gazebo in Stonewall Park at 10am with live music and all sorts of treats from Maggie’s Diner.”
“Here’s a list of the top 20 items. Mostly canned or boxed foods and staples are requested. Oh, and they can write a check if they want to give money instead of food.” 
The timing of this food drive is important. September is the month of The Harvest Moon.
Generally speaking, the first weekend in 
September signals the unofficial end of Summer. Yess-sir-eee. Labor Day on Monday, September 2nd becomes part of a three-day celebration for most folks in Shady Pines Story Town. I bet it’s the same where you live.
A National Holiday qualifies as a really good excuse to throw a party.
celebrate all the wonderful workers in our country who make our day-to-day living just that much better.
Ray’s father is in the Army and right now he’s serving our country overseas. 
Ray and his mom haven’t seen him in a long time. Staff Sergeant Robinson writes to Ray as much as he can.
And don’t forget to be grateful for all the grocery store workers who make sure you have enough of those picnic foods ready when you need them.
Finally, these hard working , underpaid United States workers decided they had to do something to improve their situation. So they joined
demanded better pay, fewer hours, and safer working conditions. 
Back here in Shady Pines our favorite mail carrier, Kim Dunworthy, is on a mission. She hurries to make her final delivery of our town’s letters and packages by Friday afternoon. Kim is excited to get to her parent’s home in nearby River City so she can help with party preparations.
It’s their Labor Day weekend tradition.
The Sanders’ family seems to be hatching a plan too. Once Harold locks the front door of his Nuts ‘N Bolts hardware store Saturday afternoon he’ll walk home. His wife, Edna, says she has something in mind.
“plan” on a holiday weekend, Harold arrived home to find a half filled blow up pool, an out of control water 
hose snaking 
in all directions, a drenched dog hiding in the bushes and a soaked cat howling in a tree.
Besides Boomerang the Australian Shepherd dog and Halley’s Comet a silver streak of a cat, Edna was waterlogged from the tip of her head to the toes on her feet.
Fortunately, this time the wooden table in the backyard is set for a picnic. Edna is humming as she brings out a pitcher of lemonade from the kitchen. Boomer dogs her heels and Halley tries her best to sneak up on a bird.
It’s the biggest mystery anyone can remember and a whole lot of people are talking.
Dozens of stories swirl concerning the condition of Shady Pines Story Town’s only school. People say the school will not be able to open to students in time for the Fall semester.
Scoop the Cub Reporter try to answer the questions they keep getting asked. But even they aren’t sure.
The first day of the new school year is fast approaching. Soon, big yellow buses will start rolling. Kids and their parents have been buying new clothes, backpacks and supplies.
The heating system was upgraded, classroom walls were painted, a few water pipes needed to be repaired and some student desks were replaced.
Mayor Fibbs is frustrated. “EEE-Gads. Enough of this!” The mayor calls over to The Gazette and asks Zulah Talmadge if she and Scoop can get over to his office.
The mayor shakes his head. “Well, I’ll be. What we have here is that little ‘ole game of telephone.”
