Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 - The Wiregrass Farmer, Nov. 25,2015
BOE approves loan increase
Diane Saylor with the R&M Cash Drugs crew. The Toys for Tots box at R&M was
full. Mrs. Saylor took the collected toys to the Shepherd’s Pantry for storage until time
to make up the Toys for Tots distribution bags.
The Board of Education set up a line of credit
at the bank to borrow up to $250K if needed.
That’s in addition to the $1 million loan already
in place.
The Board has borrowed money for several
years now between September and November.
The money is always paid back when property
taxes come in. The note is also renewed for a
tiny amount to keep the credit line open. This is
done to avoid paying all the fees associated with
starting a loan from scratch.
The loans are needed because the BOE does
not have the reserves it once had. Repeated cuts
from the state led to cuts at the schools. It also
meant the BOE wiped out the money it kept on
hand to cover the time when very little money
was coming in.
In Board discussion, Cornelius Ball said the
BOE has a limit on how much it can borrow, 75
percent of the local tax levy.
Interim School Superintendent Tommy Day
said the local taxes amount to more than $3 mil
lion.
“Adding to that (the original $1 million loan)
could put us over the 75 percent mark,” Mr. Ball
said.
Not quite. Adding $250K to the $1 million
loan is still less than half of the local levy. To
get to 75 percent, the BOE would have to bor
row $2.25 million.
Half of $3 million is $1.5 million, less than
the total amount the BOE could borrow under
the approved loans.
Mr. Day added the $250K is a cushion.
“We hope to not have to use it,” he said.
The School System was waiting in early No
vember for some state money. Mr. Day said he
hoped that would be enough to carry the system
forward until ad valorem taxes started coming
in.
“That’s exactly what you did last year. If you
don’t want it, don’t vote for it,” Mr. Day said.
Mr. Ball pressed his question about the 75
percent mark.
“I understand what you are saying. I’m say
ing I don’t know” an exact amount to reach that
75 percent mark, Mr. Day said.
The annual Missy Sunday
“Toys for Tots” drive is under
way. Collection boxes are
placed at many Turner County
businesses.
To help this effort, drop and
new and unwrapped toy in any
of the collection boxes,
Diane Saylor is the Turner
County Toys for Tots coordina
tor. said Chereen Daniels, the
region Toys for Tots coordina
tor. Mrs. Saylor has run the
Turner County programfor
several years, years.
If you would like a collec
tion box at your office, call
567-3655 and ask to leave a
message for Mrs. Saylor.
Mrs. Saylor is also running
a food bank (see related story
Page 1) in Turner County.
She said she’s doing this be
cause children deserve to have
a good Christmas and no child
should go hungry.
Toys for Tots is named for
the late missy Sunday who
headed up the efforts for years
before her death.
Toys for Tots is a Christmas
gift program for children
started by the United States
Marine Corps.
Turner County Connection-
Communities In Schools of
Turner County and the Tiftarea
United Way are assisting Mrs.
Saylor.
“We’re excited to be in our
11th year of our local toy
drive,” said Cherysh Green-
Caldwell, Connections interim
executive director.
Donations of toys and cash
go through Dec. 14. Either can
be taken to the Connections of
fices at the Alternate School or
The Wiregrass Farmer. For a
list of box locations, you can
check out the Facebook page
or www.cisturnerconnection
■org.
“We greatly appreciate the
tremendous support provided
by the many local businesses
and churches that place toy
collection boxes in their stores
and offices,” said Mrs. Green-
Caldwell. “Their partnership
allows members of our com
munity to more easily serve
children in need at Christmas.”
Families who need help
from Toys for Tots should
complete an application at the
Connections office.The DFCS
staff also works with TCC-CIS
of TC staff to screen for in
come level based on food
stamp and other benefits.
“Many applications come
from the DFCS office, there
fore information is immedi
ately verified and parents are
quickly told whether they qual
ify for assistance,” sais Mrs.
Green-Caldwell.
Because giving back is the very best gift
you can give this season....
PLEASE SUPPORT THE
+ • +
30tk yfnkmf
Tip, Tift Regional
JL ' MEDICAL CENTER*
7^
a; • •
V- V •
1 ' Thursday
l’Dec. 10
6:00 pm
+ TRMC
Remember your friends and loved ones by purchasing a light for the
30 th Annual Tree of Life. By supporting this event, your tax-deductible
gift will help provide for the special needs of patients of Hospice of
Tift Area and the Jlnita Stewart Oncology Center of Tift Regional
Medical Center.
Contributing is easy, Simply call (229) 353-6316, visit tiftregional.
com or fill out the contribution form below and send it with a check to
the address provided. Each light is in memory or honor of one person.
Tree of Life will be held on Thursday, December 10 th on the front lawn
of Tift Regional Medical Center at 901 East 18th Street in Tifton, Bring
your family and friends. The ceremony will begin at 6:00 pm. After
wards, join us for dinner, real snow and a visit from Santa at 6:45 pm.
JL
e
20t5 'XreebfUfe
Make checks payable to Tree of Life
Send to: Tree of Life
c/o Tift Regional Medical Center
P.O. Box 747, Tifton, GA 31793
Enclosed Amt:
$
D In Honor of:
D In Memory of:
Name of person honored or memorialized*:
Name of Person (Recipient) to be notified:
Recepient’s Address:
Your Name:
Your Address:
□ Care light - $10 □ Star light - $50
□ Love light - $20 □ Super Star light - $100
*Each light is in memory or honor of ONE person.
The next screening process
involves comparing the appli
cant list with lists from other
agencies providing toys at
Christmas. “It’s important to
cross-reference these
lists,’’said Mrs. Green-Cald
well, “so that no family re
ceives support from more than
one agency and so our commu
nity can provide toys to as
many different children as pos
sible.”
“It would be wonderful if
everyone in Turner County op
erated through a single appli
cation process,” said Patricia
McKinnon, executive director
of United Way of South Cen
tral Georgia. “Barring that, the
cross-referencing of lists is our
only mechanism for avoiding
duplication of services.
When a family is found on
more than one list, the family
is removed from one list.
When a family is found on
more than two lists, the other
organizations are notified in
hopes that they will eliminate
duplications.
After all of the toy collec
tion and client screening, toys
are packed into bags by volun
teers. When all is ready, par
ents pick up the donated toys
and other goodies provided by
community members.
“It’s such a great feeling
when it’s all said and done,”
said Mrs. Green-Caldwell, “to
look around the now-empty
room and know that every cent
donated was kept in Turner
County to provide a bit of
Christmas cheer to so many of
our own children in need.”
DEADLINE for
all copy
NOON
Monday
BRIEFLY
Christmas
pictures
Christmas is just around the
corner! That means it’s time to
get your child’s picture submit
ted for our Christmas issue. If
you didn’t have pictures taken
at the library be sure to bring a
picture to the office or email it
to:
wiregrassfarmer@ yahoo .co
m
If you have any questions
call the Wiregrass at 567-3655.
Birth certificates
Need a certified birth cer
tificate? If you were born in the
State of Georgia, the Turner
County Probate Court may be
able to provide you with a cer
tified copy. For more informa
tion call Probate Court Judge
Penny Thomas at 567-2151.
Turner County Pre-K students got to see a puppet show last week streamed lived
from Atlanta on the Internet.
FOOD
(Continued from Page 1)
Pantry Director Diane Say
lor said the money is being
used to buy food for the
shelves and especially for sev
eral families for Thanksgiving.
“I can’t tell you how much
this means to me. We have
worked so hard to get the food
bank started because there are
hungry people in Turner
County,” she said. “Our build
ing on N. Main Street is do
nated, we have the utilities
covered and now we have
food.”
PUPPET SHOW
April (I) and Frankie (c) Tedders present a check to Diane Saylor for the Shepherd’s
Pantry food bank.
HOME FURNITUREV.
640 East Washington Ave. Ashburn
ir prices, sale prices &
• only available Friday,
excludes iComfort
discount taken off regul;
even discontinued prices
November 27, 2015 «
bedroom packages
with purchase of matching loveseat
discount taken off select product's regular retail
price while supplies last • excludes sleepers
discount taken off select product’s regular retail
price • while supplies last • 5 pc bedrooms includes
headboard, footboard, rails, dresser & mirror
excludes kids bunk beds
discount taken off select product’s regular retail price
while supplies last • excludes iComfort
up to 40% off power base sets