Dear Editor,
Something extraordinary happened on my property last Friday here in West Asheville. A good many members of the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) worked a few hours in my yard and a neighbor’s, helping us with the partial removal of the massive trees downed on our lots. From officers to detectives to staff to lieutenants to the chief of police herself, this crew had volunteered to come into town here and help people like me overwhelmed with the cleanup of the hurricane mess.
This impressive show of helpful force was organized by a delightful “ordinary person” named Tamara, who hails from Cherokee. For weeks she has been deploying various volunteer groups from Cherokee to help locals in Buncombe County and elsewhere dig out from Helene.
I wanted your readers to know about the comradery, good nature and roll-up-their-sleeves approach this group of CIPD men and women brought to the splitting and moving of big, heavy pieces of tree trunk to get them out of the way and get me to the next step.
I cannot thank the CIPD and the town of Cherokee enough. You all rock, and you definitely know how to roll lots of wood too!
Sincerely yours,
Susan Spies
Asheville, N.C.
