Newspaper Page Text
County Ledger
ljour Hometown Source of Cocal flews
Hometown Newspaper of Kyle and Melanie Lentz
Volume XXIV - Number 18
Leesburg, Georgia -- December 13,2001
Fifty Cents
Pictured left to right are Larry Hill, Lee County Emergency Management Agency
Acting Director; Randy Dowling, Lee County Administrator; Kenneth Cutts,
representative of Congressman Sanford Bishop; Eddie Hinman, Lee County
Commissioner; Bill Blackwell, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA)
representative; Billy Mathis, Lee County Commission Chairman; and James
Mays, Lee County Commissioner.
Lee County Receives Flood
Mitigation Grant Payment
Georgia Emergency Management Agency ministrator Randy Dowling and Lee County Emer-
(GEMA) representative Bill Blackwell presented a gency Management Agency Acting Director Larry
check in the amount of $367,123.02 to Lee County Hill. The check reimburses the County for expenses
Commission Chairman Billy Mathis, County Ad- related to its flood-prone property buyout.
Art Ford Receives Certification
From National Development Council
Arthur J. Ford, south Georgia
region manager for Georgia
Tech's Economic Development
Institute, recently received certi
fication as an Economic Devel
opment Finance Professional
from the National Development
Council (NDC). Certification is
a designation given to individu
als who successfully complete an
intensive economic development
finance training series conducted
by the NDC.
As part of the certification pro
gram, Ford received training in
credit analysis, real estate financ
ing, loan packaging, deal struc
turing, and negotiating and imple
menting development programs.
In his current position as region
manager for south Georgia, Ford
is responsible for providing
managerial and technical assis
tance to companies and commu
nities, and supporting south
Georgia's eco
nomic devel
opment ef
forts through
courses and
research. The
south Georgia
region en
compasses 32
counties
served by re
gional offices
in Albany and
Douglas.
The New
York-based
National De
velopment
Council was established in 1972
and is a private, non-profit cor
poration that specializes in eco
nomic development training and
technical assistance. NDC has
provided training to approxi
mately 20,000 development per
sonnel working
in the field of
economic and
housing devel
opment. Par
ticipants come
from city and
state govern
ments, public
agencies, com
munity-based
organizations
and profes
sional organi
zations, among
others.
Georgia
Tech's Albany
regional office is located at 1117
Whispering Pines Rd. and the
Douglas regional office is located
at 404 N. Peterson Ave. Ford can
be reached either by phone
(229.430.4188) or by e-mail
(art.ford(-edi.gatech.edu).
Parent Requests Changes
With Dance Line Guidelines
John Whitaker, a parent, ad
dressed the Lee County Board of
Education at their meeting Mon
day night. He informed the board
of events and their effects on his
daughter and other members of
the dance line.
Mr. Whitaker took issue with
the selection process of the dance
line members, the leadership se
lection process of the dance line
and selection of dance line mem
bers that performed solos. He
stressed that it was a time for
change in the process. He pointed
out that there was only one out
side observer in the selection pro
cess and that person lived in the
home of one of the students se
lected for the dance line.
Mr. Whitaker explained that try
outs were not held to determine
which dance line members would
perform the solos. He felt that
outside judges should select the
members for the solos. He also
suggested that changes should be
made in the process of selecting
members for the leadership team.
Mr. Whitaker felt that his
daughter had been singled out by
the sponsor. He said that Mrs.
Breeden had called his home in
reference to his daughter’s behav
ior and indicated that other dance
line members' parents were also
being contacted regarding their
daughters. Upon talking with oth
ers. Mr. Whitaker found that the
sponsor had called only his home.
He stressed religious issues con
cerning prayers led by the team
captain before the dance line goes
on the field to perform.
Mr. Whitaker said that he had
tried to meet with the sponsor and
high school principal but that Mr.
Taylor, the principal, would not
arrange a meeting. Mr. Whitaker
indicated that he was able to meet
with Mr. Taylor and Mrs. Breeden
only after the school superinten
dent was contacted. He pointed
out that rules and procedures
should apply to all activities.
The school board took no action
on this matter.
Brenda Davis addressed the
school board regarding her termi
nation. Mrs. Davis was teaching
at Lee County Middle School
until her termination at the No
vember 13 school board meeting.
According to a confirmed source,
she was terminated for making a
false statement on her employ
ment application. No action was
taken.
Wes Taylor, Lee County High
School Principal, recognized the
One-Act Play participants and
their coach, Robby Davis.
The board approved the em
ployment of three system-wide
substitute teachers, Shannon
Dixon, Michael Nelson and Vir
ginia Gray, Michelle Dollar, KPS
paraprofessional, Jenny Loud,
bus driver, Stephanie A.
Mackiewicz - seventh grade read
ing teacher replacing Pam
Saville, two special education
substitute teachers - Linda Carter
Webb and Melanie Marie Anto
nio, Alice Swain and LaVonda
Fletcher - substitute bus drivers.
Vickie Spargo was reassigned
to food service assistant manager
position 2 level 1 at Twin Oaks
Elementary School.
The board accepted the resig
nations of Pam Saville, a teacher
at Lee County Middle School ef
fective at the end of the semester.
Melody Hancock, a paraprofes
sional at Kinchafoonee Primary
School effective November 16
and Daphne Hanks, School Sys
tem Food Service Director, effec-
See Board, Page 5A
Doherty
Duggan
Rouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Lee County
Utilities
Authority
Board Will
Meet
6:00 p.m.
Thursday
Dec. 20
Ashley Diane Burt, a sixth
grader at Twin Oaks Elementary
School, was crowned "Junior
Miss South Georgia Sweetheart".
Ashley also received the "Junior
Miss Photogenic Award". The
pageant was held December 1 in
Cordele. Ga.
Ashley is the eleven year old
daughter of Tony and Tammy
Burt of Leesburg. She is the
granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs.
John McLeod, Mr. and Mrs. Jim
Burgess, and Mr. and Mrs. T.W.
Burt, all of Albany.
Ashley enjoys acting, reading,
and singing in talent competi
tions. She also enjoys competi
tion cheerleading at Cats Cheer
Center and is a member of the
"Tigers Youth All Stars Compe
tition Team".
Will Meet
5:30 p.m.
Monday
Dec. 17
Teachers of the Year from the Lee County School System are: (left to right)
Priscilla Hammond - Lee County Primary, Laura Pasteka - Kinchafoonee Primary,
Shea Fears - Lee County Elementary, Donna Mosteller - Twin Oaks Elementary,
Cindy Marshall - Lee County Middle and Phil Maxfield - Lee County High School.
Board Honors Outstanding Teachers
The members of the Lee County Board of Education recognized the Teachers of the
Year from the six schools
during their business meeting
Monday night. The Lee County
Teacher of the Year will be
named before the Christmas
holidays.
Recognized as Teachers of the
Year for their schools were
Priscilla Hammond - Lee
County Primary, Laura Pasteka
- Kinchafoonee Primary, Shea
Fears - Lee County Elementary.
Donna Mosteller - Twin Oaks
Elementary, Cindy Marshall -
Lee County Middle and Phil
Maxfield - Lee County High
School.
BUFFALO ROCK
Smithville
Junior Miss South Georgia
Sweetheart Crowned
City
Council
Goodin Presents Case
To School Board
Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Tim Goodin ap
peared before the Lee County Board of Education Monday night.
In an emotional address by Coach Goodin, that took place be
fore a large crowd of supporters, he said that he was not going to
make resigning easy for anyone. The coach said that dealing with
the school superintendent’s decision not to recommend him as
head football coach for the next season has been difficult.
Coach Goodin said that he was not expecting to be told that he
would not be recommended to continue as Lee County’s head
coach. Goodin said he was given a choice by the superintendent
to either resign or be terminated.
Goodin emphasized that he has always understood about win
ning and losing and submitted his resignation. He expressed con
cern that Dr. Lewis, the school superintendent, would not com
ment on his resignation. Goodin considered the lack of response
on the superintendent’s part as an attack on his character.
When Lewis would not comment on Goodin’s resignation,
Goodin withdrew his resignation. School Board Chairman Sylvia
Vann told Goodin that his name was not on the consent agenda
for the board to accept his resignation as head football coach.
Coach Goodin received several rounds of applause from the
parents, players and coaches that attended the meeting in support
of him.
After going into executive session to discuss personnel matters
and other issues, the board upheld the action of the hearing tribu
nal concerning a student but took no action concerning Coach
Goodin or any other personnel.