Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2C
July 13, 2016
^Reporter
Around Monroe County
Forsyth children enjoy 18th kids day camp
Maj. George Foster speaks to campers before they perform for their families and community lead
ers on June 29. (Photos/Diane Glidewell)
BY DIANE
GLIDEWELL
news@mymcr.net
The 18th Annual
Community
Improvement Coalition
of Monroe County
Summer Camp wrapped
up on June 30 after
providing mental and
physical activities for
about 100 children for
the four weeks of June.
From 9 a.m.-l p.m. each
Monday-Thursday the
boys and girls were busy
with reading, sports
activities, arts and
crafts, learning about
safety and nutrition and
field trips to the city
park, library and Waffle
House.
The camp is free and
provides free breakfast
and lunch for the camp
ers. The camp was also
able to provide trans
portation
for camp
ers thanks
to Parker
Chapel
A.M.E.
Church
loaning its
bus and
Audrey
Brantley
driving it.
Annette
Lucear,
director of
the camp,
held a
program
on Wednesday morning
for the campers to show
their families some of
the things they learned
and thank some of the
city and county officials
who support the camp.
Some children from local
daycares attended the
program for a glimpse
at what they can look
forward to when they
are old enough for
summer camp.
Lucear said that
campers read over
275 books during the
four weeks using the
accelerated reading
(AR) program that
is used by Monroe
County schools. They
participated in work
shops led by Abbie
Bunn and Dana
Lynch of the Monroe
County Extension
Service/4-H.
Jeanette Threatt,
kitchen supervisor,
and Brenda Zellner,
LaQuindrick Battle
and Shawn Proctor
prepared over 5,000
meals during the
four weeks. A grant
from Bright from the
Start provided $13,000
to buy the food and pay
for two of the workers
who made the meals. In
addition to the campers,
the staff also fed chil
dren at several Vacation
Bible Schools, includ
ing St. James Baptist,
St. Luke, Mt. Zion and
Straight Street, and fed
50 hungry Mary Persons
football players after
morning practice.
“It was very success
ful,” said Lucear. “The
grant was to
provide summer
meals to young
people under 18.”
This year Lucear
was not awarded
the grant until
Wednesday before
camp started on
Monday, June 3.
She said she sub
mitted a 200-page
application for the
grant and then
hurried to make
sure the kitchen
was ready for
inspection. She was
proud that the kitchen
at Monroe County Head
Start, where the meals
are prepared, got a
perfect 100 score when
inspected by the Health
Department.
However, with the last-
minute rush, and the
grant only funding two
workers to make meals,
Lucear announced at the
kickoff for the camp on
June 2 that it would be
available for 50 children,
whereas in 2015 the
camp had been open to
125 children.
But Lucear said that
Major George Foster
of the Forsyth Police
Department, who has
given his time to the
camp for at least the
last 15 years, told her
not to turn any children
away. Foster was at the
camp working with the
children every day and
he recruited two police
cadets, Mr. Vernon
and Mr. Williams, to
volunteer at the camp,
too. They will be attend
ing mandate school to
become certified police
officers. With their addi
tion to other individuals
and groups that have
supported the camp
over the years, the camp
was open to about 100
Forsyth children.
“This was a good
camp,” said Lucear. “It
captured a sense of safe
ty, that they could trust
someone.”
“This is something I
look forward to every
year,” said Keith
Edge, Monroe County
Recreation Department
director, who worked
closely with the children
throughout the four
weeks of camp. “These
are my kids. They are
well-behaved. Our
future is in good hands.”
Edge thanked the
businesses in the com
munity who contributed
to making the camp spe
cial, including Wendy’s,
Dairy Queen and Waffle
House. “They never tell
us ‘no,’” he said.
Others who led camp
activities included
Vanessa Walker,
Arlesa Brantley,
Audrey Brantley,
Latosha Proctor, Neva
Shannon, Tori Proctor
and MarcQuii
Hicks. Retired
teacher Geneva
Mathis provided
an emphasis on
keeping young
people out of
gangs for the
camp. Officers of
the Community
Improvement
Coalition of
Monroe County
board of direc
tors are John T.
Lyons, president;
Herbert Gantt,
vice president;
Doris Ogletree,
secretary; and
Georgia Evans,
treasurer.
“I just want
to thank you
for keeping this
going,” said
Foster. “We’re going to
reap the benefits down
the road. It starts here
[with the children].”
Local businesses con
tributed to make pos
sible the 3rd Annual
Family Fun Day for
the last day of camp
with inflatables and a
cookout for the camp
ers to share with their
families. Those sup
porting the Fun Day
included the Forsyth
Police Department,
Monroe County Sheriff
Department, Monroe
County Extension
Service, Keith Edge,
Freeman Funeral
Home, Monroe County
Reporter, Monroe
County Library, Waffle
House and Monroe
County Memorial
Chapel.
The younger girls group of campers shows how
to cheer with enthusiasm.
Bingo for Books is a winner for Monroe County
BY SARA REED
Ryker Bogulski, age three, (pictured
with his mother, Michelle Bogulski)
and 57 other Monroe County chil
dren under age five are guaranteed
another year of books due to the more
than $2,000 contributed to Monroe
Reads with Ferst at its annual Bingo
for Books summer fun fest on June
24. Thank you to all who purchased
tickets! Thirty-nine players enjoyed
games of “Crazy L”, “Double Postage
Stamp” and “Nine Square”, among
types of Bingo games, each with priz
es valued at $25, some of which were
donated by local businesses: Publix, El
Tejado, Dairy Queen. Additional sup
port was provided by Walmart, and
of course, Forsyth United Methodist
Church which donated the use of their
Fellowship Hall (and technical sup
port!). The Grand Prize, generously
donated again this year by Oglethorpe
Power Corporation, was $150 VISA
gift card. Thank you to all our won
derful supporters.
In addition, everyone enjoyed a
complimentary hot dog dinner com
plete with all the fixings, including
chili and coleslaw as well as delicious
home-made desserts. And yes, Mrs.
Shirley Bostick of Juliette once again
donated her fabulous 14-layer choco
late cake which was offered alongside
Rhett McMurray’s delectable pine
Ryker Bogulski and mom, Michelle, smile with a
book for Ryker from Monroe Reads.
apple cake. Those Juliette folks sure
know how to bake!
Each $36 ticket from the event ben-
efitted Monroe Reads with Ferst’s
childhood literacy program and sup
ports a child for a whole year. Monroe
Reads with Ferst sends a book to
every registered child in Monroe
County, at absolutely no cost to their
families - one book every month from
birth to age five. Each book comes
with a newsletter for the parents,
to help make the most of their read
ing time with their child and provide
activities to enhance the
child’s reading experience. The
teachers and administration
within the Monroe County
School System support this
program as a way to improve
literacy among children and
better prepare them to enter
school ready to learn. The
program leads to more read
ing by pre-school children and
ensures that every child has
age-appropriate books readily
available in the home.
Monroe Reads with Ferst
is an affiliate of the Ferst
Foundation for Childhood
Literacy, a 501(c)(3) non
profit organization that
conducts a statewide pro
gram operating through
Community Action Teams
(CAT’s). Since its inception in
2005, Monroe Reads has sent
over 52,000 books to children in
Monroe County. Over that period
more than 800 children have
“aged-out” or graduated from
the program. Currently, approxi
mately 600 of the estimated
1,400 eligible children are regis
tered in Monroe County.
Monroe Reads has a great
need for donations to keep
the program going and reach
the additional 700 or so children
that have not yet been registered.
Donations may be mailed to Monroe
Reads with Ferst, P.O. Box 812,
Forsyth, GA 31029. Checks should
be made out to Ferst Foundation for
Childhood Literacy (FFCL). All dona
tions are tax deductible. Feel free to
join us as a volunteer at our meetings
at 4 p.m. on the second Wednesday
of every month at the CGTC Monroe
Campus at 433 U.S. Hwy 41 South
You can reach us at monroereadswith-
ferst@gmail.com or via Facebook at
www.facebook.com/monreo.reads. 1 for
further information. Thank you for
your support!
Bingo for Books grand prize winner, Jerie Wil
liams, with Bill Foley of Oglethorpe Power Corp
Children make
crafts and fun at
Forsyth city camp
From June 27-30 mother and daughter artist team Gloria Joy and
Linda Sosebee guided children ages 6-12 in making dreamcatchers
and bead art at the City of Forsyth Arts and Crafts camp at the Mon
roe County Recreation Department Youth Center. Joy and Sosebee
have donated their time and talents for a number of years to what
has become one of the summer’s favorite local activities for children.
Pictured, left to right, are, back, Autumn Dupree, Shyler Pressley,
Omeshia Walker; front, Gabe Pressley, Carlee Rawlins. (Photo/Alex
Kinsella)