Janice Benton and Clayton Owen were among several auctioneers throughout the week who encouraged listeners to bid on the many delicious items offered during the week-long Cancer Bake Auction.

“Incredible” is how Relay for Life Chairman Kay Wood described the week-long Cancer Bake Auction that raised $18,339.00 to help fight cancer. The monies will be counted in North Carroll Relay for Life’s totals and go to the American Cancer Society.

The bake auction has been chaired for the past five years by Mary and Harold Kee, whose tireless efforts and enthusiasm have inspired many each year to join the cancer-fighting event by baking, bidding and volunteering their time.

“It was wonderful,” said Mary. “We thank everyone for the outstanding participation – the auctioneers, volunteers who assisted with calling and helping each day with the auction, people who baked, and people who bought. Everything that was done is deeply appreciated.”

She said this year’s total surpassed last year’s final tally of $15,218.00 by more than $3,000.

Among those helping in the efforts at Winston Hall were volunteers Sara Owen, Margaret Baker, Shirley Vinson, Martha McCadams, Daisey Dudley, Keitha Chism, Doris Foster, Ruby Allen, John Barham, Jarrod Bailey, Stacey Browning, Andrea Damesworth, Becky Scates, Ann Anderson and Porter Dunlap.

Auctioneers included Jim Roberts, Clayton Owen, Fred Morris, James T. Reed, Harrell Nation and Gary and Janice Benton.

Phone operators included members of the Lions Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, McKenzie Regional Hospital and Carroll North Relay for Life.

“We also especially thank The McKenzie Banner for publicizing the event, WHDM-AM radio for broadcasting the event each day, and McKenzie Church of Christ for providing its facility for this year’s auction,” said Mary. “Each and every effort contributed to making the auction the success that is was,” said Mary.

    

MCKENZIE (April 3, 2007) – McKenzie School Board granted tenure to five teachers during their monthly meeting on Tuesday. Elementary teachers Amanda Oakley and Jeremy Maddox, middle school teachers Rebecca Jones and Mary Bess Toombs, and high school teacher Erika Cole, who returned to MHS after teaching elsewhere, were each recommended for tenure by their respective principals. Superintendent Jim Ward concurred with the recommendation. “I believe each of these has made us better,” said Ward of the teachers recommended for tenure.

The board granted a maternity leave for Mary Bess Toombs, beginning August 20 and accepted the resignation of Lindsey Holt, a teacher assistant, and Patricia Forgy, who is retiring from teaching. Forgy is the elementary music teacher. Holt is finishing her undergraduate degree and will start student teaching. Edyee Pinson was hired as a substitute teacher.

Approved on the first of two readings was an emergency preparedness plan and an emergency allergy response plan. Ward said the allergy plan deals with managing students with life-threatening allergies. The plan includes measures to reduce exposure to allergens and procedures to treat allergic reactions. Overall, the plan is 82 pages in length, said Ward of the state-mandated plan.

The state-mandated emergency response plan calls for school officials to cooperate fully with health departments and healthcare providers in case of a pandemic flu outbreak. It is a 205-page document, said Ward.

A state-mandated code of ethics was also approved. Following the state legislature’s Tennessee Waltz bribery scandal, the legislature forced each governmental body to pass ethics legislation. The one-page document approved by MSSD, as written by the Tennessee School Boards Association, requires board members to disclose any personal interest in their dealings with the school system and prohibits the acceptance of gifts, favors, or other items of value such as food, meals, refreshments, that might influence their vote.

Bids for the construction of a new field house at Rebel Stadium will be open April 10. Eight contractors have obtained bid information, said Ward. He said he contacted and encouraged local contractors to bid on the project.

McGraw-Hill publishing was selected for reading textbooks for grades K-6. Teacher Kim Smith, of the textbook selection committee, said McGraw-Hill offered a curriculum with more critical thinking and a higher application than other books. Ward said he applauded the committee’s work and selection. He noted that reading books and materials for each student is approximately $100. Some schools are moving to inexpensive laptop computers with the reading programs installed and away from the printed textbooks, noted the superintendent.

In other business, the board:

• approved the continued practice of allowing varsity basketball to practice one period during the school day. The ladies currently utilize the last block during the first semester and the boys use the second semester. The board also discussed the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s new sports practice calendar, which further limits organized sports practices. Ward said he thought it was good move to limit practices. High school sports were never intended to be year-round, said Ward. In a question concerning the basketball practice during the last period of school, Ward said the TSSAA cannot regulate any practices during the 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. school day.
  
• approved the disposal of surplus computer equipment with a value less than $250. The items can be disposed without bid.
  
• approved the final reading on a family and medical leave act which grants an employee, whether male or female, up to 12 weeks unpaid leave for the care for a child, spouse, or parent with serious health conditions, and up to four months due to pregnancy, childbirth, or adoption. Previously, the policy only granted leave to female employees for pregnancy, childbirth, or adoption.
  
• heard chairman John Austin report that a revised prayer and period of silence policy will be presented during the May meeting.
  
• heard that some proposed state legislation that is trying to limit fund raisers in the name of school organizations. Many times, fund-raisers from the band, football team, cheerleaders, or school trips were done by individuals with no direct financial ties to the school. The recent embezzlement from a Middle Tennessee PTO is one example of poor fiscal control that may have triggered the proposed legislation. The legislation is trying to require the schools to set policies for fund raisers and for the school to approve each fund raiser.
  
• heard that the updated prayer and moment of silence policy will be discussed during the May meeting. The School Board is using the City of Memphis Schools’ policy as a template for the new policy.

   

Reed Austin, son of John and Natalie Austin and grandson of Ben and Lenore Surber, holds a damaged corn plant in his hand at Surber Farms.

The extent crops and plants were damaged by the late freeze will not be known until later this week, according to Agriculture Extension Agent Steve Burgess. New record low temperatures were recorded at McKeller Field in Jackson at 25 degrees on April 7 and 21 degrees on April 8. The average low temperature is 47 for those dates.

Burgess surveyed corn and wheat crops Monday throughout Carroll County. The damage will depend on the stage of the plant’s development and temperatures in the next few days, said the agent.

Corn that emerged above ground was burnt and laying on the ground Monday. “It does not mean it’s dead,” said Burgess. Corn is usually safe as long as the growing point, which is usually deep inside, is below surface. Corn plants are usually safe below the 5-6 true leaf stage. The plants he inspected were at the four-leaf stage. Warm weather should make the viable plants re-emerge.

Wheat in the boot or heading stage can be severely damaged. If in the jointing stage, it can have slight to moderate damage. Even damaged wheat can recover and produce grain, although its yield will be adversely impacted.

The extent of damage on both corn and wheat will not be known until later this week or early next week.

On trees, the leaves that are blackened are dead. Blackened leaves will fall off and will re-leaf.

Rolled leaves, such as on red oak trees, usually means the tree reallocated its water supply to survive the cold. The rolled leaves should survive.

The trees will be stressed and should not be fertilized until May or June. Any dry weather will be particularly hard on trees this season because of the early season stress. During dry periods, Burgess recommends irrigating the trees by providing a deep soaking twice weekly.

On landscaping, Burgess said any new growth is probably damaged. Any blooms are gone. The extent of damage will be determined in the next few days.

Ben Thomas Surber, who farms in the Carroll, Henry and Weakley county area, said he has never seen such damage from the cold weather. Next to his home in the Hico Community a corn crop is laying on the ground. He said he hopes the corn will re-emerge since it was planted at a depth of two inches. Corn planted at more shallow depths will suffer more. Fortunately for the Surbers, some of their fields of corn have not emerged.

  

West Carroll Superintendent Eric Williams.

ATWOOD (April 5, 2007) West Carroll School Board approved a one-year extension to Superintendent Eric Williams’ employment contract during a meeting at the central office in Atwood. The board concurred with Williams’ request for one year and a one- to two-percent raise, in line with the raises teachers should receive once the state budget is approved.

Williams is currently paid a salary of $74,766. He requested a one-year, instead of the usual two-year extension. The contract allows the superintendent to renew for a second year if “circumstances change.”

“Unless I request to renew on or before the 15th day of May, 2008, it will serve, at that point, that I will not be renewed. There are some projects I feel need to be completed, I believe I can get those projects done. But, to commit to a two-year, I don’t believe is fair to anybody at this point.”

Chairman Jimmy Halford said the contract is the same as the previous contract except the noted changes of contract term.

FCCLA students Brianna Harmon, Desiree Williamson, and Asia McLemore presented their mock business plan for an embroidery business known as Magical Memories. The three will compete in state competition this week.

West Carroll Band assistant director Randy Wilson requested financial assistance to purchase new uniforms and instruments. The cost of 50 new uniforms is $10,687, said Wilson, who noted the uniforms could be delivered by the September marching competition season if ordered in April. Board member Jim Pirtle said the last uniforms were ordered about 10 years ago at a price of $26,000 for 70 uniforms. The school board and Band Boosters each paid one-half. The Boosters took out a loan to pay their share, said Pirtle.

Wilson also asked for assistance in purchasing instruments. He said he often borrows instruments from other schools’ band programs. He requested a ¾-size tuba ($3,649) for the middle school, a full size tuba ($5,179), timpani ($6,039), baritone saxophone ($3,879), vibraphone ($3,997), bells ($3,950), flute ($459), alto clarinet ($479), saxophone ($949), and tenor sax ($1,159). Wilson said the first three listed instruments are the most important. He said he realizes the prices for the student-quality instruments are exorbenent. He noted that Humboldt City Schools provides $10,000 each year for the band program to purchase instruments.

West Carroll Band has won the Milan Marching Invitational for seven years and the Color Guard won first in the state in the past. West Carroll always places well in state competition. Wilson said the number of students has dwindled in the past several years due to a number of reasons. Many of the students are in the middle school program, but drop out in high school because of the time commitment, lack of parental support, or the $200 annual participation cost. He said it’s hard to raise the needed funds for the students and the band program because of the changing demographics of the year. He noted that many of the garment plants have left the area, leaving fewer economic opportunities, despite the fact that Carroll County’s unemployment is the lowest in 11 years. He noted the cost of transportation for the band program has increased.

The board indicated they would consider the request during the upcoming budget process.

Just prior to Wilson’s request, the board accepted the resignation of band director Michael Martin, and teachers Kayla McSweeney (elementary), and Stephanie Pearson (primary). Resignations are effective at the end of this school year.

Re-hired non-tenured teachers include: Molly Ashley, Scott Ashley, Dacia Brewer, Leslie Brigance, Jim Cutlip, Susan Davis, Tracy Foster, Alicia Frazier, Michael Greer, Jason Martin, Kayla Martin, Mark Rich, Kristi Roehs, and Amanda Sullivan. Principals rehired include: Lex Suite, Claudia Argo, and Travis Carter. Central office staff hired include: Betty Wallace, Shannon Burton, Sheila Brawner, Shan Depriest, Lisa Newbill, Janet Wilson, Billy Rogers, Mack Jones, Lisa Kappeler, and Angie Hartz. Wendy Matheny, a kindergarten teacher, was granted tenure.

West Carroll juniors and seniors may have the opportunity to participate in dual credit English courses with Jackson State Community College. If approved, students could take college English I and II for $22 plus the cost of a textbook for each class. They would receive both high school and college credit. An adjunct professor would teach the courses. Williams said they are attempting to determine the level of student interest before offering the classes. History and upper-level math, and career-technical classes could be offered in the future, said Williams.

Williams expressed concerns about the dwindling student enrollment. In 2002, the enrollment was 1,091 in the entire system. In 2006, it was 1,013, a loss of 78 students. In the year 2011, the estimated enrollment is 984. Student membership in the primary and elementary schools are fairly stable, however, in grades 7-12, the numbers peaked at 551 compared to an enrollment on April 4, 2007 of 489.


The board took under review a code of ethics policy required by state law and drafted for all school boards by the Tennessee School Boards Association. Also under review is an emergency allergy response plan. Williams said the school nurse and administrators are already carrying out the procedures in the policy. He said students with certain allergies, such as food allergies, have been identified and the teachers are alerted to their special needs.

Approved was an Emergency Preparedness Plan that indicates the procedures to follow during a pandemic.

The board approved the 2007-2008 calendar in concert with the other school districts in the county.

Three students in the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) presented their district-winning program. Students Brianna Harmon, Desiree Williamson, and Asia McLemore presented their mock business plan for an embroidery business known as Magical Memories. The three will compete in state competition this week.