Willie Headley Service Awards

  When Willie and her husband Bob retired in Black Mountain, Willie hit the ground running, playing an instrumental role in making the Town Square what it is today. She worked with the women at the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women, helped to rehab their greenhouses and began a program for the women of the Center that continues to this day.  It has been said that if Willie wanted to get something done, no one told her no. She envisioned what she wanted for the town, and made sure that it happened.  

Unfortunately, Willie passed away before seeing the Town Square come to fruition, but her drive, determination and vision had an impact on everyone in the town, whether they were fortunate enough to have met her in person or not.

The Black Mountain Beautification Committee on June 17 presented the Willie Headley Service Award to Lyndall Noyes-Brownell.    

 “There is no one more deserving of this award than Lyndall,” said Barbara Reed, co-chair for the committee. “She is the glue that holds us all together and she does it with a soft touch.”

 
 A Beautification Committee member since 2014, Noyes-Brownell has been an officer for eight of these years. Not many people go from Co-Chair to Secretary, but thankfully Lyndall served for four years as co-chair and is now in her fourth year as secretary.   

 “Everything runs smoothly with Lyndall’s efficiency and organizational skills,” said Tucki Folkers, the committee’s other co-chair.   
 “The committee is able to accomplish its goals in part because of the intangible way she organizes us. And she does it with a good sense of humor.” 

 This is the 12th year the Black Mountain Beautification Committee has presented the Willie Headley Service Award. This award honors the first chairperson of the committee. Willie Headley, the deceased wife of Dr. Bob Headley, grew up in Black Mountain and when Dr. Headley and she returned from living in Winston-Salem, it was her vision that brought about the Town Square and many of the other enhancements to our town. When Willie died in 2012, the committee created this award as a way to honor her. 

 Noyes-Brownell’s work in Black Mountain exemplifies the words inscribed on the plaque, that features one of Willie’s hand trawls, “The Willie Headley Service Award (is) presented by the Black Mountain Beautification Committee to a member who shares Willie’s energy and vision   for a more beautiful community.”
 Noyes-Brownell has served on almost every sub-committee of the Beautification Committee. From being the first person to work with the primary school to have scarecrows at Town Square in the fall, to organizing the Greenery Committee for Christmas Decoration, to serving on the committee that created the box planters in town, to chairing the publicity committee for the annual garden sale, Noyes-Brownell is an advocate for the beautification of our town.   

 She revamped the website, blackmountainbeautification.org, for the committee. It is not hyperbole to say that it is a comprehensive and engaging website. She is so modest it will be a challenge for her to post this article on the site! 

 Her good works on behalf of the town do not stop with the Beautification Committee.   
 In 2018 she began the Seed Library which she continues to maintain.  

 In late 2020, she began selling donated vintage books on-line for Friends of the Library and all the money she raises helps support the Black Mountain Library. 

 For all these reasons, the Black Mountain Beautification Committee is proud to present the 2023 Willie Headley Service Award to Lyndall Noyes-Brownell.