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Archives
10-11-2000 News
Floor Plans Drawn For New Library
Floor
Plans Drawn For New Library Architect John D. Hicks recently donated his time and talent to draw a floor plan and exterior view of the new Overton County Public Library to be built between West Main and Broad streets. Some changes to the plans may be made as the project progresses. Everyone is invited to visit the Library on East Main to study the drawings and offer suggestions as to how the building can be designed to serve the community best. Anyone wishing to be part of the planning committee, fundraising campaign, Friends of the Library, building committee, or serve the Library in any other capacity may contact Janet Gann at (931) 823-1888. Library board members are Sue Eldridge, Randy Dodson, Bruce Elder, Elmo Garrett, Jennine Huddleston, James Hunter, and Judy Moore.
School Board Asks For More Information By Dewain E. Peek The Overton County Board of Education held the regular monthly meeting Monday, Oct. 9, with Board member Larry Looper absent. The Board voted to be given attendance information on the number of court cases for the last year, the number of drivers licenses pulled for truancy, and the number of licenses pulled for poor grades, to be compared with the last three years. Director of Schools Eldon Davis spoke to the Board on the matter saying, "I guess everybody's got a different philosophy of how to have students attend school. I am one that believes that there's other ways of having people come to school besides taking those individuals into court. "I believe there is still room to talk to parents. I still believe that a phone call in many instances is more effective than a juvenile petition. "But with that said, I want to also tell you that I was in juvenile court last week. Mr. Oakley was in juvenile court last week and we had some people that was petitioned before the juvenile judge. It's not something that we try to do to see how many people that we can send to court or see how many people we can harass. "If it comes down where it's necessary that drivers licenses be pulled, then a recommendation will be made to the juvenile judge," he said. "But you've got the attendance for all the schools for the first period here, and when Overton County School System averages 97 percent, that's pretty good." A motion and second to hire a maintenance person and a technology troubleshooter received no opposition. The Board approved requiring a job performance evaluation for the school director. The Board also approved requiring the school director to fill out a weekly accountability report to provide for the School Board. The Board voted to require the chairman of the Board of Education to approve the agenda before it is mailed to the Board members. A committee was formed to look into where Early Childhood will ultimately be located. Committee members are Jerry Glasscock, Melody Williams, and David Langford. A meeting date for paraprofessionals to meet with the School Board to discuss insurance was set as Monday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. A combination maintenance and bus driver position was created to allow Bennie Sells to fill an open bus driver position. The position has a per day salary of $108.55 fixed salary for hours worked each day, plus an addition for overtime hours created at one-half the regular rate of pay, in effect paying $126.65 per week. The Board discussed filling in a low spot at Wilson Elementary school, but no action will be taken until the building program is underway. A request from Wilson Principal Alice Reed to help pay three hours overtime pay for a woman working in the TAPS tutoring program was approved. The total cost for the year will be approximately $200. The Certification of Compliance with TCA, Section 49-310-(4)(A) was approved to certify that students have been furnished all necessary textbooks. Maternity leave was approved for Kim Colson effective October 27. The Board accepted the resignation of Edith Reagan from the lunchroom at Allons Elementary. The second reading was approved to adopt a vision and hearing screening policy for all students in grades 2, 4 and 6. Any referrals and all Special Education students to be evaluated in the coming year will be screened for both vision and hearing. Students who do not pass the screening will be given a letter to take home to parents. The letter will explain the screening process and recommend the child be taken to a medical doctor for further testing in the area of the suspected problem. The second reading was approved to adopt county-wide gifted screening. All students in kindergarten through fifth grade and any referrals will be screened for possible certification as gifted. The Tennessee Department of Education mandates this process. The Board discussed the possibility of creating an elementary soccer team or teams. The matter will be discussed further in an upcoming work session. The Board approved a trip for the Allons Elementary seventh and eighth grade classes to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, on November 17. The group will leave at 7:30 a.m. and is expected to return at 10 p.m. The Board approved a trip for the Adult Basic Education class to visit Stearns, KY, on October 10. The group will visit mining towns and other places of interest. In executive action, the Board voted to rebid the building projects at Livingston Middle School and Wilson Elementary School. A bid opening will be held Thursday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. at the Central Education Office. The high bid for the sale of portable classroom #1 at Hilham Elementary was approved at $500 from Bob Turner. The high bid for the sale of portable classroom #2 was also approved at $550 from Rita Goodpasture. The low bid for HP 1100SE LaserJet printers was approved at $413 each from CDW Government Inc. The low bid for an LCD projector also from CDW Government Inc. was approved at $2,409 each. Director Davis issued the Director's Report to the School Board. The meeting adjourned.
Saturday Festivals Slated For Overton-Pickett Area By Dale Welch The Upper Cumerland air from Byrdstown to Livingston will fill with music and song of different types from bluegrass to rhythm and blues on Oct. 14, all part of the Festival of the Cumberlands. In Livingston, a special state historical marker will be dedicated to the late Gov. Albert H. Roberts that morning. Roberts took bold stands for his day including creating the State Police and calling a constitutional convention to ratify the Women's Suffrage Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. At 2 p.m. antique cars roll into the Mountain Rhythm and Blues Car Show and Music Festival, held on the courthouse square in Livingston. From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Livingston's square will be alive with rhythm and blues music. The featured band is Hal Newman and the Mystics of Time. Founded in Nashville in 1985, the Mystics are deeply rooted in the traditions of southern rhythm and blues. Newman, a native of Mobile and catalyst and creative force behind the band, is a crowd-pleaser on piano and lead vocals with his artistry and humor. Add the flash and brass of a sassy horn section anchored by rock steady rhythms and you have a powerful music machine that knows how to get the party up and keep it going. The Pickett County portion of the celebration, the Cordell Hull Folk Festival, begins at 10 a.m. at the Cordell Hull Birthplace Museum. Hull, who was born in the log cabin still standing on the site, went from rafting logs down the Cumberland River to Nashville to an attorney, a congressman, and eventually the longest-serving secretery of state ever in the United States and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. In special ceremonies Pickett County's Jamie Garrett, on horseback, will present the flag for the opening ceremonies. Along with special speakers including storytellers will be arts and crafts booths and games for old and young alike including the Tennessee Trivia Game. Winners in the essay and poster contests will also be announced. Bluegrass and gospel music will be played from the back porch of the Hull house, much like it was probably played in the days of Hull's youth. For more information about the Festivals of the Cumber-lands call Norma Kerbaugh, (931) 864-3247 for the Cordell Hull Folk Festival or Gene Gantt, (931) 823-3701 for the Mountain Rhythm and Blues Car Show and Music Festival. Blues festival chairman Gene Gantt is interested in finding folks in the Upper Cumberland who make musical instruments.
Overton County News
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