Image Above: OCMS Intern Cady Crawford operates the Main Street S'mores tent during the Fourth of July Pet Parade event, sponsored by Mayberry's Coffee Shop, while Michael Avila samples a s'more. photo courtesy Cady Crawford
Intern Spotlight: Cady Crawford As the daughter and granddaughter of Mayberry’s Coffee Shop owners, Cady Crawford is no stranger to most locals who patronize the shop. The coffee shop was a whole family effort from the beginning, and she credits the experience and her family for teaching her about working with the public and handling a variety of challenges. Mayberry’s is an enthusiastic OCMS business member and has sponsored events, such as the Gingerbread House contest for Holliday Brilliance and Fourth of July Pet Parade.
Being involved in the community is something Cady learned from her parents Brian and Molly Crawford, “Volunteering is so important, and everything starts at a young age. My parents are involved, and I participated in [Clarke High School] color Guard, volleyball, basketball and FCCLA.” Cady says the activities taught her about teamwork, leadership, and civic pride.
Cady took advantage of Southwestern Community College offerings and graduated with one completed semester. She is currently in her final semester at Northwest Missouri State and will graduate with a Marketing and Business Management degree in December.
Part of her education allows her to complete an internship for credit, so she reached out to Ashleigh knowing she needed help with events. Cady hoped to gain real world experience while leveraging classroom learning and putting that knowledge to practice, “I needed to put all the pieces together and the internship provides the experience I lacked.”
As the Event Coordinator position is open, Ashleigh presented the internship request to the board and Cady was approved immediately. With all the Fourth of July planning, plus the other events in the works, including the new “Experience Osceola,” it was perfect timing.
Cady says her involvement with OCMS allows her to coordinate with different people on a larger scale and accept more ownership of events, “These are the events I grew up going to and enjoying- they are familiar…the potential is crazy! Ashleigh has so many ideas, but we are sticking to the traditions and adding innovative details to grow them”
During the Fourth of July, Cady helped plan new activities, such as the Main Street S’mores Station, “It was a fun idea and unique way to be involved during the pet parade.” The Pie in the Face event was added to kick-off fundraising for new lighting on the square as part of OCMS’s 25th anniversary celebration.
OCMS is happy to report Cady’s college schedule will allow her to continue working part time and as needed until she graduates.
Image Above: OCMS volunteers, Lincoln and Mayzi Hill-SalonRed, water perennial plants twice a week throughout the summer. photo by Laura Langholz
Volunteer Spotlight
The intense summer heat and drought greatly challenged the courtyard landscape crew in their quest to keep the seasonal pots and established plantings alive and thriving. The watering crews of SalonRed- Mayzi and Lincoln Hill, Deb and Mark Yorba, Paula McLaflin and Jan Rychnovsky poured hundreds of gallons of water on the plants.
During a hot and dry summer, even the established perennials and shrubs need extra attention, which Russ Johnson’s courthouse team provided running the sprinklers a few times to soak all the plants.
The hot temperatures claimed a few seasonal plants right before the Fourth of July, which were replaced thanks to Stoney Oak Properties and Paula McLaflin.
The latest landscape bed maintenance yielded a small pickup bed full of lily stems, dead foliage, weeds, and trash, which took volunteers Deb Yorba and Jan Rychnovsky four hours to finish.
Collectively, this team has given approximately 65 hours toward the care of courtyard landscaping.
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