A Guide to Thanksgiving and Christmas
in Monroe County and Middle Georgia (Inside)
Inside
Top UGA
scholars ...
from Brent
See Page 4A
Sports
Basketball
begins with
a bang
See Page 1B
Deaths
David Tooley Benjamin
Ralph Edward Powell
Annie Lee Tanner
Benjamin Zellner
See Page 3C
CO “O
^ TO
O CO
S* o> S §
S a. « 1
o> *S .* Jr °
> o in 00
R £ n n n
tf) O !.
V (■ 4
WILLIAMS
Controversial
first-year
HESprincipal
c re-assigned
toBOE office
BY GINA HERRING
AND WILL DAVIS
Monroe County school
board members listened
quietly on Monday as
about 75 detractors and
supporters of former
Hubbard Elementary
School principal Kay
Williams spoke on her
transfer to the central
office.
Williams, the controver
sial first-year principal at
Hubbard, was transferred
to a new central office
position by the board last
week. Sharon Hopper, the
assistant principal at T.G.
Scott Elementary, was
named the interim princi
pal at Hubbard.
Williams, who some
parents accused of stir
ring racial and
political strife
at the school,
was assigned
to the new
position of
coordinator of
the 21st
Century
Learning
Center. Her job
will be to head
up an after-
school pro
gram for mid
dle schoolers that Monroe
County had offered last
year but had discontinued
for 2009-10, sending the
grant money back to the
Hanwout
She has not been completely honest. I think what the board has
is the right thing.
Parents and interested citizens speak for and against former Hubbard Elementary School principal Kay Williams at a called board
of education meeting Monday night. The board re-assigned Williams to the central office on Thursday. (Photo/Gina Herring)
state. However, the school
system learned in
October that it could
obtain the
$286,000 federal
grant to re-start
the program at
both middle
schools.
Last Thursday,
superintendent
Anthony Pack
recommended the
changes and
board members
approved them by
a 4-0 vote, with
board member JP
Evans abstaining. Nolen
Howard and Eva
Bilderback were absent.
The board also
approved relocating
the office of Rayceen
King, the director of stu
dent services, from the
central office to Hubbard.
Pack said King will still
be the central office some.
The moves will not affect
any of the administrators'
pay, said Pack. Pack and
board members refused to
give any reasons for the
move.
On Monday, citizens on
both sides of the issue
came to a board meeting
called to discuss an unre
lated student disciplinary
matter. About half, includ
ing some members of the
local Southern Christian
Leadership Conference,
See WILLIAMS page 6A
Hopper named
interim principal
The new interim principal at
Hubbard Elementary School has a
long history with the school and
plans to put the focus on student
achievement.
Sharon Hopper, who was named
interim principal on Thursday, has
32 years of experience in teaching
and administration, almost all of it
in Monroe County.
"My plans are to make sure that the students at
Hubbard are getting everything they need to be aca
demically successful," said Hopper. Given the past
See HOPPER page 6A
HOPPER
Giving thanks -- for Christmas
Thanksgiving is this Thursday and that means Christmas festivities are about to get under way in Forsyth. At
6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, Forsyth Better Hometown will present the Forsyth Community Christmas Tree
Lighting on the downtown Square. Jackson Street entertainment will include Mary Persons High School
Band, New Providence Baptist Church Choir, St. Luke AME Church Men's Choir, Robert Ogletree, Encore
Dance Studio, CC Performers and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Christmas tree will be lit by two
brave girls recovering from auto accidents, Ivey Weldon and Christina Ligeikis. Then at 7 p.m. on Thursday,
Dec. 3, Forsyth will host its annual Christmas parade. The theme this year is Holidays Past and Present, and
entries will be decorated depicting a theme of a single decade of their choice, past, present, or future. Fi
nally, the Bolingbroke Christmas Parade will be Saturday, Dec. 5. (File photo-2008 Christmas parade)
Council
rejects
alcohol
license
BY LAURA THACKSTON
Forsyth's city council bowed to neighbor
hood opposition and rejected a request
from a Powerhouse Road storeowner that
she be allowed to sell beer last Tuesday.
Council refused an application for a beer
and wine license from Tonia and Walter
Mays, owners of Pansy's at 140
Powerhouse Road.
A slew of area residents, including many
from nearby Betsy Lynn subdivision,
voiced their opposition. But before council
could begin the public hearing, Tonia
Mays withdrew her request to sell wine.
She stated she only wanted to sell beer
and malt liquor. However, this still did
not appease folks like Dohn Bonner, who
lives on Lakeside Drive in nearby Betsy
Lynn subdivision. Bonner said he had a
few concerns, one being that alcohol was
going to be sold so close to a church and
the second being that there would be
neighborhood kids around. Bonner said
the pastor of Cathedral of Faith Family
See ALCOHOL page 5A
