Newspaper Page Text
Com mini i y
ATHENS, 0602
Todays, Yesterdays
Joyce Matthews talks
about life in Peach County
See Page 3A
Wednesday, April
Vol. No. 108, Issue 16,18 pages
4 No class or dignity J
Art teacher board’s actions on
By Cindy Morley
The Leader-Tribune
it 1 can understand a money shortage, and I know that elimi¬
nation of somethings is a part of life. But 1 just wanted to do
this with a little class and dignity. There was no class or dig¬
nity in the way this was handled. M
Peach County art teacher Johnny Heller found out last Fri¬
day morning that he wouldn’t have a job next year when a
fellow teacher passed him in the hall and said, “We’re all
going to miss you next year.
Heller’s job was terminated Thursday night when the Peach
County Board of Education voted unanimously to do away
with the school’s art program. The Board called it a cost-cut¬
ting measure. Heller, who wasn’t notified of the decision by
school officials until Monday morning, thinks it’s more than
that.
Art will never be anything that pays for itself,” said Heller.
That’s a fact. Most school systems are aware of this and they
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Brooke Stewart decided to take advantage of sunny skies to hang out in the Fitness Court at Hunt
Primary School. She joined her second grade classmates in Jen Sculley’s class in enjoying Fitness
Friday. (Staff photo by Cindy Morloy)
hears plea
for change in policies
As an incentive, Peach County Sheriff Johnnie
Becham wants to offer his employees an annual
leave option.
Becham presented the proposed policy to members
of the Peach County Board of Commissioners last
Tuesday night. Officers using the annual leave would
be required to reach 120 hours of accrued vacation
or compensation time before cashing in. Becham also
said the officers would have to leave 80 hours in
reserve.
“To me, this is giving them an incentive to come to
work,” said Becham. “And it would be good for
those employees who can’t afford to pay for vaca
tions.”
Peach County Administrator Marcia Willis said the
policy has both pros and cons.
“Actually, in the long run, it would probably save
the county money,” said Willis.
The board agreed to study the proposal.
In other business, the board learned the renovations
and construction to the courthouse are running about
six months behind.
-Cindy Morloy
T
J>
• Another Trojan signs
• PGHS tennis Reghon-bound
• Baseball season takes a walk
%
See Page IB
I ort Valley, Ryron and Peach County’s source for news and sports for 100
over years
®I)e Heaber-®rtlmne
'What the people don't know will
adopt policies to support the arts despite numbers and costs.
Just like sports: Football and basketball are self-supporting.
Tennis isn’t. But they offer it anyway because students are
interested.
Some Peach County students are interested in art, and it’s
these students I’m worried about, especially my juniors, M
Heller added. “The kids asked me today what they are going
to do, and I didn’t have an answer for them.”
The Board cited a low enrollment for the elimination in
their unanimous vote.
tt The children just aren’t choosing to enroll in art,” said
Peach County School Superintendent Dr. Billy Pack. “The
teacher was talked to and asked to find ways to make the
class attractive.
There are 60 students currently enrolled in Heller’s art
classes.
“We're down a few this year, but we’ve shown an increase
every year since I took over the program,” said Heller, who
took over a program of 30 students nine years ago.
Collins announces run
The election isn’t until November, but one candidate
has already thrown her hat into the ring.
Beth Collins announced Monday that she will run for
Mayor of Fort Valley.
A resident of Persons Street and a lifelong resident of
Fort Valley, Collins has served
■ as owner and broker of Village
I Realty Company for more than
I 20 years.
She is no stranger to politics.
■ She has served on the Fort Val¬
I ley City Council and currently
serves as Chairman of the
Peach County Development
Hr Hp| Authority. Collins stated that she is
HSil aware of the many problems
COLLINS facing the city, but she also
appreciates Fort Valley’s many
assets.
I have given this a lot of thought, but feel like I am
qualified to lead the city of Fort Valley for the next four
years,” said Collins.
-Cindy Morley
“They did ask me in January to try to find a way to up the
numbers, but I was working on that for next year,” said
Heller. “You can’t recruit in mid-quarter.
“There is an irony here,” Heller added. “If the Board agrees
to go with block scheduling, I would teach three classes of
about 20 students, and that would be 60 students.
“I’m not sure what these kids are going to do, I don’t have
the answers for them,” said Heller. “The ones who want to
study art are going to be entering college without a back¬
ground in high school art. I feel sorry for them. I do believe
they will suffer.
I just don’t like the way this was handled,” said Heller.
“They are using the numbers situation as a scapegoat. It
should have been handled with dignity and class and it
wasn’t.”
Pack said the board should require 20 students in any elec¬
tive class.
“You have to look at classes that are not being participated
in and make decision for next year’s budget,” Pack said.
Summer school
must pay for
itself board
By Cindy Morley
The Leader-Tribune
The Peach County Board of Edu¬
cation will offer summer school
only if pre-registration shows that
fees will pay for the cost of the
summer session.
In an unanimous vote last Thurs¬
day, board members agreed to look
at pre-registration numbers to
determine if tuition will cover the
cost of summer school. The board
also voted to increase tuition to
$300 for students living in Peach
County and $400 for oul-of-county
students. Peach County students
paid $170 per unit last summer.
By comparison, Houston County
students pay $200 for summer
school classes.
i. Our program is totally self-sup
ported,” said Warner Robins High
School Principal. “The tuition cov
ers the cost of summer school.”
We discovered that we were los
ing money by offering summer
school,” said Chairman Mike
Gilstrap. “We want to make this
Shooting suspect still on run
Peach County Sheriff deputies have issued a warrant for a man
wanted in connection with a shooting on Andel Road last Friday.
According to Major Terry Deese, deputies are on the look-out for
Hubert Dickerson, 37, of Perey. He will be charged with one count
aggravated assault, Deese said.
Deese reported that Dickerson allegedly knocked on the door of a
house on Andel Road, and began arguing with David Lewis when he
answered the door.
Apparently, Dickerson just pulled out a gun and shot Lewis,” said
Deese.
According to reports, the bullet grazed Lewis’ stomach and then
went through his left arm.
Lewis made his way to a neighbors house where he called the Sher¬
iff’s department.
The incident occurred at approximately 11 p.m., Deese said.
-Cindy Morley
Chris Schuster, center, owner of the new Burger King in Fort Val¬
ley, presents a donation to Evelyn Hunt for the Relay for Life Can¬
cer Walk this weekend. Burger King officials taped money to the
ribbon used in the ribbon cutting last Thursday. (Mk*o w cmay Morwy)
Editorials
Teachers speak out
Letters, do we have letters
from teachers opposing board
See Page 4A
cost effective. w
We thought it was self-support¬
ing last year,” said board member
Billy Dick. “Rut it was not.
The board also voted to offer
only one class this summer - in
comparison, to two classes being
offered last summer. The board
also stated that each class must
have an enrollment of 20 or more
students.
Classes will meet four hours
each day for a mpnth.
“We have to increase the tuition
in order to have the summer
school fund itself,” said Peach
County School Superintendent Dr.
Billy Pack. “If pre-registration
shows that the summer session
will not fund itself, then you will
not offer the summer school.
In other business, the board
agreed to approve the school cal
endar for the 1997-98 school year,
The new calendar includes seven
days for students’ vacation on
Spring Break, including Good Fri
day, the week after Easter and the
following Monday.
50 cents
PEACH
THIS WEEK
Relay for Life set
for April 18-19 at PCHS
the Feacn county Cancer Society
has announced that its second Relay
for Life will
be held RELAY f
April 18-19 ►. 70
from 7 p.m. * (
to 6 p.m. *
Walkers and
runners will /C
go around
the clock in r *
the battle Y AMERICAN CANCIR Wl
against sociriY
cancer at the YIE4UM EVCHT VO
Peach K*HT CANCER
County High
School parking lot. Last year the
event raised over $42,000. The
Relay for Life concept involves a
team of runners/walkers competing
against each other to raise the most
money. Participants camp out
around the track and when not on
the track, take part in community
fun events. Teams from companies,
school, churches, banks, clubs and
organizations collect donations and
can win prizes for their efforts.
Registration forms for joining or
forming a team and information on
the event are available from Evelyn
Hunt at 825-3827.
‘Keep Rising...’
The Coca-Cola Company will
present Patricia Russell -McCloud,
J.D. in “Keep Rising” a portrayal of
the life and legacy of an African
American woman who evolves on
stage from a little girl to a grown
woman, Thursday, April 17, at 7
p.m. in the Pettigrew Center at Fort
Valley State University. Admission
is free and open to the public.
Picnic in the Park
Fort Valley MainStreet will spon¬
sor this year’s first “Picnic in the
Park” at the Triangle in downtown
Fort Valley, Wednesday, April 16,
from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
The Warner Robins Rockets and
the Fort Valley University Gospel
Choir will be featured. Various
food vendors will be on site to
serve lunch. The Triangle will be
blocked off from 10 a.m. until 2
p.m.
Habitat Golf tourney
The Peach Area Habitat for
Humanity will hold a golf tourna¬
ment Saturday, April, 19, at the
waterford Golf Club on Highway
96 in Bonaire. Congressman San¬
ford Bishop will be on hand to
strike a few blows for Habitat. The
format is a 4-person A,B,C,D
scramble and you may enter your
own team. Lunch begins at 11:30
a.m. and tee time is 1:30 p.m. For
more information, call 825-2704
or 328-7533.
PACT HOLDS AUDITIONS
The Peach Area Civic Theatre
will hold auditions for its produc¬
tion of the musical “The Fanta
sticks” Friday, April 18, at 7 p.m.
and Saturday, April 19, at 2 p.m. at
the PACT Auditorium. Perfor¬
mance dates are June 13 and June
14. Needed are six men, ages 18-
50 and a woman, age 18 -25.
Please come prepared with one
vocal selection. An aaccompanist
will be available. For more infor¬
mation, call Director Sue Jordan at
825-3450.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS COMING
The Area 8 Special Olympics will
held Saturday, April 26, at Fort
State University from 9 a.m.
1 p.m. Over 500 Special Olympic
from six counties will be
for medals. Fort Valley’s Kay
is asking the community to
involved and help the event
a success. Volunteers are
to help run the track and
events, jbne soccer, volleyball and
of biggest challenges is
for athletes and coaches.
interested, please contact
Youngblood at 825-3124.
