JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
The West Valley Volunteer Fire Department (WVVFD), near Whitwell, recently hosted its second annual open house, inviting residents to participate in the community event.
Will Adams, chief of the fire department and one of Whitwell’s commissioners, explained that the department’s open house event first began in June of last year. However, that inaugural event coincided with five other annual events held around the same time, creating scheduling conflicts for residents who wanted to attend multiple gatherings across the county. Combined with the high temperatures typical of the summer season, organizers decided to move future open houses to May, ensuring cooler weather and better turnout.
“We didn’t know when we planned it that there were five other things in Marion County going on,” said Chief Adams. “So we planned it this year for early May, and we’re gonna have it from now on the first Saturday of May.”
Many vendors from across the region attended this year’s open house, including Charlotte and Jim Scroggs of River Angel Creations. This marked their second time participating, having also taken part in last year’s event. The couple sells a variety of handmade crafts, jewelry, lotions, and body butters. Their business is named in honor of their granddaughter, who sadly passed away some time ago. They also offer a line of lotions and oils based on CDBG products—a market introduced to them by the late Kevin Hutchins of South Pittsburg, a former vendor who had sold similar items.
Maria Quarles of Whitwell returned again this year as a Scentsy consultant. Scentsy, a major fragrance company based in Idaho, offers warmers, waxes, air purifiers, and pods in a wide range of styles and scents. Quarles explained that the company also releases limited seasonal products tied to holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, and St. Patrick’s Day. Scentsy’s product line
