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PAGE 6A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 19. 2017
Interim superintendent encourages long-range view
Dr. Charles Webb speaking at the latest school
board meeting. In this article he discusses some of
the top issues facing the school system.
Dr. Charles Webb
held “top secret”
security clearance
during military
career
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
In a brief interview last
week, the interim superin
tendent of schools for Pick
ens County advocated a
studied approach for the sys
tem, not quick action during
his tenure.
Dr. Charles Webb said
Thursday he will encourage
the school board to take both
time and public input before
moving ahead on the high-
profile issues facing the
school system.
Webb has been hired on a
six-month contract which
could be adjusted depending
on how the search for a per
manent superintendent goes.
The interim superintendent
has rented a house for him
self and his wife in Big
Canoe for that period of time.
Webb said he wanted some
where close enough to walk
to work, but couldn’t find
anything to rent for just six
months in Jasper.
During a 32-year-career in
education Webb has served
as an interim superintendent
in Gilmer County in 2015
and then remained in Gilmer
as their E-SPLOST construc
tion assistant working into
2016. During that tenure, the
Statesboro resident and his
wife purchased a mountain
home there. But for this in
terim job, he felt it is impor
tant to be part of the
community, leading him to
rent the home here.
In his impressive career,
gamering many awards at all
levels, Webb served in nu
merous classroom roles, as a
principal and a superintend
ent (Appling County 2006-
2008). He is also known for
providing planning work
shops and training for boards
and administrators around
the state.
Prior to accepting the job
here, Webb met with board
members, saying he was im
pressed by their “sincerity.”
The cooperative attitude
among all members, includ
ing incoming and outgoing,
persuaded him to accept the
temporary post.
“I want to help the board
become a team,” he said. “To
live up to the potential of
what they can do.”
Addressing some specific
issues:
• On hiring a permanent
superintendent: “I would
encourage the board to look
way down the road. There is
no rush.” He said it is impor
tant to define the commu
nity’s expectations first.
• On the decision regard
ing replacement/renovation
of Jasper Middle School:
during the six months of his
expected tenure, Webb said
he will encourage the board
to gather input and develop a
consensus on whether to
build a new school, combine
both middle schools at the
PCMS campus or put in a
new facility at the current
JMS location.
“They don’t need to msh
into this,” he said. “They are
under no pressure, it’s not
like the kids are overcrowded
or don’t have somewhere to
go to school.”
• On the interim high
school principal: Webb said
it was fortunate that Dr. Chad
Flatt stepped up to take the
lead there. Serving as a high
school principal “is one of
the toughest jobs in the
world,” he said.
Webb said it appears there
are excellent assistants in
place at the high school and
the parents should be com
fortable with the situation.
• Webb said the outgoing
superintendent left every
thing in order with him not
facing any imminent prob
lems on his first day. “Dr.
[Lula Mae] Perry left every
thing in great shape,” he said.
For his tenure, Webb says
his role is “to keep the train
going on down the track,”
and believes the teachers and
staff will support this with
their evident desire to serve
the students.
“For the next period, we
will expect the best from
every employee,” he said. “It
will be all-hands-on-deck.”
The snow days coming on
his first days didn’t catch the
Statesboro resident off guard.
Although it was something
he didn’t have to worry about
in Appling County, prior to
working in education Dr.
Webb held a command posi
tion in the military at a base
above the Arctic Circle. In
fact, the interim superintend
ent was “cited personally by
King Harold V of Norway
for Exemplary Command
Leadership dining the NATO
Winter Training Exercises
(February 1996),” according
to his resume.
With his previous military
experience, the interim su
perintendent is likely the first
Pickens school official to
have at one point held a “top
secret” government security
clearance. Webb retired as a
U.S. Army Colonel in 1998,
having commanded a Field
Artillery unit of the Army. He
retired at the rank of
Brigadier General for the
Georgia Army National
Guard, with overseas de
ployments to Norway (1996),
Former Soviet Republic of
Georgia (1997), Egypt/Mid
dle East (1999) and Kuwait
(2000).
Elementary schools hold social studies fair
Emery Steinhauer (Hill City Elementary), 1st Place (TIE)
Charlie Gibbons (Tate Elementary), 1st Place
HOW HAS
TECHNOLOGY
AFFECTED
FITNESS IN KIDS
HOW HAVE HUMANS
NEGATIVELY IMPACTED
SEA TURTLES LIVES
WORLDWIDE’
Emery Bryant and Kaite Morgan (Harmony Elemen
tary), 2nd Place; Cason Cannon (Harmony Elementary),
3rd Place.
Submitted by schools
Pickens elementary
schools hosted the annual
Social Studies Fair on Jan
uary 6th.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place winners will ad
vance to the regional com
petition at the KSU Center
on Saturday, February
11th. Thanks to all who
participated and congratu
lations to the winners.
Talking Rock approves budget & proj ects
By Ralph O. Dennis
Contributing writer
The budget for the town
of Talking Rock was ap
proved by the city council on
January 12. The budget as
approved will show a net in
come of $18,664. The coun
cil continues to use due
diligence when using the
city’s money.
Council member Cheryl
Sams gave the final 2016 re
port on Heritage Days. Al
though Heritage Days did not
make any money, she noted
that the town has received a
great deal of exposure from
it. The 2017 Heritage Days
festival is already in the plan
ning stages. More sponsors
for the event are needed.
The condemnation
process on the “little red
house” (the house between
the town hall building and
the old school house) was
brought up. On the advice of
the city attorney, the council
voted to have a professional
appraisal of the house and
property done. The city attor
ney has advised that this will
make the formal condemna
tion process easier and faster.
The council readdressed
the installation of speed
bumps and appropriate signs
inside the city on Old
Blairsville Highway. Council
member Espey Smith ques
tioned the city’s liability if a
car is damaged by hitting the
bumps while going too fast.
Council member Sams said
the city attorney has advised
that as long as the appropri
ate road signs are posted that
the city would not be liable.
The council voted to author
ize up to $1,000 for the proj
ect.
Additional parking for the
park was again discussed.
Mayor Randy Banks said the
area across the railroad tracks
from the park is the proposed
area. The property belongs to
the city and the residents ad
jacent to it have no problems
with the project. Council al
located $3,500 for the proj
ect. This expense would
include labor and material for
the lot as well as a fence
Funk Heritage Center presents
Georgia history programs
On Tuesdays in February,
the Funk Heritage Center of
Reinhardt University will
feature public programs on
Georgia history as part of its
continuing effort of keeping
history alive.
The Heritage Center is a
member of the Georgia His
torical Society, and each Feb
ruary, participating members
organize public programs on
Georgia history.
“We have found that
many people new to the area
are interested in learning
more about Georgia history,”
Small ads
big results
706-253-2457
said Dr. Joe Kitchens, execu
tive director of the Heritage
Center. “This fascinating lec
ture series will cover events
in the 19th century. You will
learn about the Cherokee re
moval controversy in Geor
gia through the eyes of Elias
Boudinot and the newspaper
he founded. William Rawl
ings returns to tell us about
his research on the Recon
struction Era. James Vann,
an influential Cherokee
leader of the Upper Towns of
East Tennessee and North
Georgia, is the subject of the
final History Month presen
tation.”
On Feb. 7, enjoy hearing
Dr. George Lamplugh on
who will talk about The
News from Cherokee
County: Elias Boudinot and
the Cherokee Phoenix, 1828-
1839.
An author of several
books, William Rawlings, is
a popular speaker. His lecture
on Feb. 14 is titled Contro
versial History: The Political
Nature of Reconstruction
1865-1877.
On Feb. 21, Dan Roper,
the editor of the Georgia
Backroads Magazine, will
present an interesting lecture
titled James Vann: A Man
Feared by Many and Loved
by Few.
All programs begin at 2
p.m. in the Funk Heritage
Center’s theatre, and admis
sion for each lecture is $10 or
$5 for members. Reserva
tions are required. Call 770-
720-5967 for additional
information and reservations.
along the railroad tracks.
These funds will come from
the SPLOST account. When
completed, the new lot will
add approximately 20 addi
tional spaces.
Council member Sams
suggested council decline the
approved grant from the
Land and Water Conserva
tion Fund. This grant was to
be used for more upgrades to
the park and the creek area.
She advised the council that
the matching funds that
would have to be put with the
grant could be better used in
making the repairs to the
Town Hall/Fire station build
ing. She has spoken with the
LWC people and was advised
that there would be no
penalty for not accepting the
funds provided the city ex
plains why. She also said that
the council can still apply for
another grant without being
penalized. The council ap
proved this suggestion.