Newspaper Page Text
September 7, 2022
Page 2B
Reporter
Hickman tells retired
educators of new challenges
Monroe County Retired Educators began their meetings for 2022-23 on Sept. 7. The of
ficers for the year are pictured, left to right, Catherine Chambliss, vice president; Sherrye
Battle, secretary; Dr. Margie Bryant, president; Deborah Woodward, treasurer.
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County Retired
Educators Association met
at the William Hubbard
Community Complex on
Sept. 7. The Retired Edu
cators are one of the local
organizations that are taking
advantage of the space now
available at the renovated
Hubbard School. The group
meets on the first Wednes
day of September through
June at 10:30 a.m. either in
the former cafeteria or the
designated MCREA room
in the former media center.
MCREA is ready to return
to activities as an organiza
tion and in the community
after a hiatus because of
the pandemic. It invites
all retired educators in the
area to join, whether they
were employed by Monroe
County Schools or by other
school systems. The group
welcomes all retired school
employees, not only teach
ers.
Current officers of
MCREA are Dr. Margie
Bryant, president; Catherine
Chambliss, vice president;
Sherrye Battle, secretary;
Deborah Woodward,
treasurer. Bryant said plans
are to feature an informative
speaker at each meeting and
then conduct a brief busi
ness meeting, share “Brag
Jar” announcements and
draw for door prizes. The
next meeting will be Oct. 5.
Monroe County Schools
Superintendent Dr. Mike
Hickman gave the MCREA
an overview of Monroe
County Schools. He said the
administration is working to
stay ahead as the culture and
diversity of Monroe County
changes. For 2021-22, the
school system had a 93 per
cent graduation rate. Hick
man said he worries about
the 7 percent who didn’t
graduate with their class
but remembers when the
graduation rate was closer
to 60 percent. He said the
improvement resulted from
the effort of many people.
“It takes a community to
engage kids,” said Hickman.
He said that the most
recent state Milestone test
results for Monroe County
Schools showed improve
ment in 17 out of 19 areas.
Hickman said that out of 52
counties in Middle Georgia
historically Monroe County
has competed with Hous
ton County and Bleckley
County academically. He
recalled that since 2006,
Monroe County has steadily
improved its performance
compared to its academic
competitors.
The number of students
at Monroe County Schools
grew from about 4,300 last
year to 4,516 at the opening
of the school year, with most
of the new students moving
to Monroe County from the
north side, especially Henry
County. Hickman said
Monroe County Schools
had national and state
winners in several CTAE
(Career, Technical, Agri
culture Education) fields,
athletics and fine arts. It had
110 Million-Word Readers
in the elementary schools,
and Cheyenne Simpson of
T.G. Scott Elementary won
the district spelling bee.
‘All of these accolades are
because of teachers, and
we want to retain them,” he
said.
Hickman said, like many
employers, Monroe County
Schools is facing difficulties
in recruiting employees. It
has about 630 employees,
including 346 certified
teachers. It has been hardest
to fill positions in grades
6-12, math and special
education. Currently two or
three special education co
teachers at needed at Mary
Persons. Hickman said the
difficulty in retaining teach
ers partly stems from the
stress on teachers during the
pandemic and from being in
the middle of a tug of war in
the political arena.
He said voters will decide
whether to approve a new
ESPLOST
cycle for
Monroe County Schools in
November and because of
state-wide elections, a lot of
voters are expected to cast
ballots. Hickman said it will
be the same 1 percent of all
goods and services bought
in Monroe County that it
has been since 1998 when
See RETIRED' Page 4B
Staton appointed to Public
Telecommunications Commission
Gov. Brian Kemp has ap
pointed Monroe Countian
Cecil Staton to the
Georgia Public
Telecommunica
tions Commission.
Brian Dill,
Jerald Mitchell,
Mark Parkman,
and James Alvin
Wilbanks were
reappointed. New
appointments are
Chris Brown, Vice
President of opera
tions and technol
ogy for Turner
sports, and Cecil
Staton.
The biography of Staton
says he has spent his career
as an academic leader,
Georgia State Senator,
and business owner and
entrepreneur. He served
as a professor at Brewton-
Parker College, a faculty
member and administra
tor at Mercer University,
and as a Vice-Chancellor
for the University System
of Georgia. Staton was
Interim Presi
dent of Valdosta
State University
before becom
ing Chancellor
of East Carolina
University in
Greenville, N.C.
From 2005
to 2014, Staton
served as a
Georgia State
Senator, repre
senting the 18th
district, which
included Mon
roe County. During his
legislative career, he served
on numerous committees,
including stints as chair
man of the Science and
Technology Committee
and member of the Com
mittee on Assignments.
He served on the Trans
portation, Finance, Higher
Education, and Appropria
tions committees during
his tenure and was chair of
the Senate Appropriations
subcommittee on Higher
Education. Staton served as
vice chairman of his caucus
before being elected major
ity whip for two terms.
Staton also founded pub
lishing and media compa
nies based in Macon. Those
companies havez published
books, including two New
York Times bestsellers,
and operated radio sta
tions throughout central,
southeast, and southwest
Georgia, as well as a televi
sion station, newspaper,
and various websites.
Staton holds a bachelor's
degree from Furman Uni
versity, a master of divinity
and master of theology
degrees from Southeastern
Seminary, and a doctor
ate in Philosophy from the
University of Oxford. He
and his wife, Catherine, live
in Monroe County.
Cecil Staton
Rotary Club hears of Great
Promise Partnership
Pictured, left to right, are Katie Hankinson, Hilda
Garrison, Sarah Alford.
The Forsyth Monroe County
Rotary speaker for Sept. 1 was
Hilda Garrison from Great
Promise Partnership (GPP).
Garrison, who has worked with
Great Promise Partnership for
the past 10 years, is the GPP
coordinator for this region.
GPP was once a non-profit
organization for at-risk gradu
ates. The program has now been
adopted by the Georgia Depart
ment of Education under the
Work Based Learning Program.
Work-based learning (WBL) is a
vital part of the learning process.
The Great Promise Partnership
is focused on empowering and
equipping “at risk” students with
the knowledge and experience to
be workforce ready. In order for
students to be selected to par
ticipate in GPP, students must be
identified as low income.
Students work half day in a business/
company and attend school for half day.
GPP students are required to be paid by
their employer, unlike some traditional
WBL students who may “volunteer” or
“shadow” for experience. Students are
provided a job coach and a fife coach
through the company/business under
GPP. Employers emphasize and focus
on employability skills and soft skills
and teach “hierarchy” in the workplace.
It's important for students to learn that
their boss is different from a co-worker.
Through GPP, schools still receive funding
under work-based learning. This program
is a win-win for the students, businesses
and school system. This partnership helps
combat workforce recruitment issues,
reduces the high school dropout rate, and
promotes success for the students.
Remember when...
1992
All local schools collected
supplies to assist Hurricane
victims in Louisiana, working
with Woodmen of the World.
Forsyth/Monroe County Min
isterial Association will spon
sor a rally to educate voters
on the state lottery issue. A
pre-rally concert will feature
Heartsong with Terry Baker,
Kelli Gilstrap and David &
Debbie LeFevers.
Unemployment in Monroe
County jumps to 79 percent.
Monroe County will secure
an $800,000 line of credit
through Monroe County
Bank at just over 4 percent
to pay operating expenses.
Commissioner Larry Evans
says the county has been
technically broke for about
three weeks.
Laurie Jossey carries an
Atlanta Olympic flag on
the last leg of its run from
Roberta and hands it to her
father, Mayor Paul Jossey, in
a brief ceremony at Forsyth
city hall.
Monroe County Hospital
will host a "Good Health"
fair with free screenings,
entertainment, give-aways
and door prizes to mark
the opening of the Monroe
County Surgical Arts office.
Forsyth will waive late fees
on utility bills for the rest
of 1992 for people now or
soon to be unemployed. Bills
must be paid in 30 days to
avoid cutoff.
The Left Banque Market
place on the square, owned
by Ann Cummings, features
gifts from Beary Baskets and
Hometown Memories.
New Exchange Club officers
are Bobby Ivey, Tony Black,
Felix King, Cecil Edge. Direc
tors are Lovell Duggan, Har
old Melton, Bessie Turner,
Eddie Bowen, Joe Chambers,
Marvin Wilson.
The 847 children registered
for Monroe County Library
summer reading club record
reading 21,845 books.
At Monroe County Saddle
Club's first meeting 15 fami
lies apply for membership;
the club provides recreation
al riding opportunities.
Commissioners reverse ear
lier action and return Town
Creek Road to it origina
name instead of changing it
to Jesse Dumas Road.
2002
Forsyth hosts a Market on
the Square with everything
from yard sales to cotton
candy.
Mary Persons will hold
Parents Night with visits with
teachers, door prizes and
refreshments for parents of
students in grades 9-12.
Monroe County will host
demonstrations of the new
electronic voting machines at
Monroe County Bank, Bank
of America, Mary Persons
H.S., Farmers Bank, Board of
Education office, American
Legion Hall, BB&T, Forsyth
Depot-Historical Society,
Hubbard Primary School,
Monroe County Courthouse
and St. Luke AME Church.
Three Monroe County teens
spend most of the weekend
in jail after they are arrested
for vandalizing the Jackson
High School football field.
A Holiday Inn employee is
charged with arson in the
first degree in reference to a
fire in one of the hotel rooms.
She is also charged with
three other counts of arson
for an earlier fire at the
Holiday Inn and two fires at
the Days Inn in 1999.
In celebration of the 215th
signing of the U.S. Constitu
tion, the new DAR Orga
nizing Chapter, Ocmulgee
Chapter NSSAR and
Monroe County Library wifi
sponsor a “Sign the Constitu
tion” event at the library.
Forsyth Fire Dept. Capt.
Bill Urquhart and firefighter
Jason Lott spend a day at
Mary Persons teaching Mr.
Evans and Mr. Poole’s auto
and construction classes the
proper use of fire extinguish
ers and giving them hands-
on experience.
Members of the Monroe
County community give their
thoughts on the first anniver
sary of the tragic events on
Sept. IT
Mary Persons football team
falls to Jackson, 27-20, at
Red Devil Hill.
Both boys and girls Mary
Persons cross country teams
finish second at the meet at
Northeast High School with
senior Ben Ham and junior
Amanda Coughenour first
place finishers in their 5K
events.
Corderius Pennington and
lesha Fuller are chosen from
the Monroe County area
to compete in Cycling at
the 2003 Special Olympics
World Summer Games in
Dublin, Ireland.
Commissioners approve a
rezoning request that clears
the way for a 123-lot sub
division called The Cedars
at Rum Creek just north
of Forsyth city limits off of
Highway 83.
Forsyth moves to Stage I
water restrictions as required
when water levels reach 75
percent capacity or 494.5
feet.
Erin Pennamon, a junior at
Mary Persons, wins Highest
Overall SAT at the Fort Val
ley State University’s annua
Pipeline Pre-Health Science
Seminar.
2012
Forsyth matriarch Merle
Freeman passes away three
weeks before her 101 st
birthday.
Board of Education guide-
ines require two days notice
for parents to visit their
child’s classroom and limits
visits to about 45 minutes.
Back by popular demand,
“Nunsense” returns to the
Rose Theater staring Eliza
beth Hunter, Kelli Gilstrap,
Kim Ducheneau, Judy Hunter
and Marion McDougall with
Janice Veal on the piano and
McDougall directing.
Forsyth's consultant reports
that he has possible buyers
for the city’s cable system,
but buying the cable system
isn’t a priority for the pros
pects.
Honey Boo Boos visit to
Forsyth for the Rock Star
Diva Pageant at the Centra
Georgia Convention Center
at the Ramada Inn is included
in her national TV show.
Grits Cafe co-owners
Wayne and Teri Wetendorf
tell the Forsyth Monroe
County Kiwanis Club their
plans for the new Grits with
construction set to begin in
two weeks.
Sarah Kimsey and Isabel
McLaurin, both of Monroe
County, win honors in the
Green Rider division at
a hunter/jumper show in
Madison.
Dr. John DeGarmo releases
his book, “Fostering Love:
One Foster Parent's Journey.”
Groups from First Baptist
Forsyth and Forsyth United
Methodist Church run in
Macon’s Labor Day 10K
and 5K.
Dollar General Literacy
Foundation awards a Youth
Literacy grant of $2,000 to
Hubbard Elementary.
Mary Persons cross country
adds junior Anna Leigh Nix,
a transfer from Veterans
who ran 19:34 to finish 3rd
overall in AAA at State.
Remember When
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Memorial Chapel
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Harley Ray "Spanky" Beck
86 West Main Street • Forsyth
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