The County Record, OCTOBER 4,2006, Page 16




Letters


 County? You were elected to rep-
 resent ALL of Calhoun County. I
 would like to thank those who
 are doing their job.'
 If it was approved today by
 the School Board to build a new
 high school, it would take 10
 years for this thing to even be
 built. I have a grandson who is
 not even in school now. He might
 have a chance to go to a new high
 school for about two years of his
 high-school career. Have five
 other grandchildren who will
 probably never see that new high
 school. And it's not just my chil-
 dren that I'm, concerned about.
 It's all the children.
 In the past 11 years, it has
 cost this county over $10 million
 '- almost $1 million per year just"
 to repair these old schools. So
 people, let's look at things as
 they are. ,In the next 10 years
 before this school is buiilt, I am
 sure it will cost around $10 mil-
 lion to $11 million. We, as a peo-,
 ple, need to step out of the dark.
 ages into the 21st century in
 order to make this world a better
 place.
 If you want to make the world
 a better place, take a look in the
 mirror and make that change.
 In closing, I'd like to say that
 you know in your heart what I1
 speak, is the truth, whether you
 look at it or not.
 Columbus Jackson
 To the Editor:
 I amin a concerned parent, I
 have been following the 'school
 consolidaLion controversy.'r ..
 have lived in Calhoun County
 since 2002. I moved to .Calhoun
 County from Leon County, pretty
 big difference as far as popula-
 tion. When I first moved here I'
 was very pleased with that wayv
 that. Altha School 'was estab-
 lished and had been for genera-
 tions, with the Pre-k through
 12th. i
 As a teenager I attended a
 school with the same system for'
 a brief time and I loved it So
 when I moved here I thought well
 this is good that my kids cani do
 the same (at the time just-start-
 ing school) but all-through, thetr
 schooling- for which I was not
 lucky enough'to do through my
 entire education.
 Now this brings me :to whyI
 a.m writing this letter. Last elec-
 tion certain candidates were,
 against the school consolidation.-
 But, it turns out that was not
 entirely true
 I have been following the con-
 solidation controversy and still
 don't know all of the answers and
 I am not sure that the school
 board miembes. do either.
 -' attended the. last schopi
 board meeting and, all I kept
 hearing was if. we had a vision.
 before and I-,.heard it at least a
 half a dozen times. (Well if I had
 a vision last week I would have
 played. the vwnning lottery ilum-
 bers) But, no one ever really
 knows what the future holds.
 I believe if they tally up what
 the citizens of this county wants.
 they just mrught have the answer
 they, are looking for. I for onie
 believe they should leave- the
 schools as they are. .
 The school board also states
 .they want the best education and
facility for the children. I agree
totally that yes they should have
the best education there is to
offer. In my opinion it' doesn't
matter if they are in a 820 million
dollar facility which will make
taxes go up and the county have
a' huge debt, or a 82 million dol-
lar facility I believe they will get
the same education in either
facility.
 Now as far as the current
 school board members in office,
 remember we the citizens of
 Calhoun County voted you in to
 represent the people and we will
 remember that come next elec-
 Lon .
 Concerned' Citizen
 .. .' i" and Parent.
 S .. Donna Skeen


Dear Editor, ,
 :Re:'The proposed tonsolida-
 tion of Calhoun' County, High
 Schools 'and the upcoming:
 Calhoun County School Board
vote... .
 I commend Calhoun County
 School Superintendent Mary Sue
 Neves for performing her elected
 duty to act in our children's best
 interests and provide them the
 best education possible. Thank
.God she has the backbone to:
carry out her duties even
though doing so has made her
the subject of. bitter opposition
and the rampant spreading 'of
misinformation and propaganda.
 Unlike ,others that have spo-'
 ken publicly without knowing the
 true facts coticerning the pro-
 posed consolidation, I investigat-
 ed these facts before concluding.
 that she is "right on" and deserv-
 ing of our complete support: The
 District School Board Office
 readily provided information I
 requested under citizens' rights
 to freedom of information and ,my
 comments' arid conclusions are
 based on .the Information provid-
 ed.
 Our Superintendent has
wrongly been accused of mishan-
dling, "our money," and not seek;
ing "grants." She has been criti-
cized for spending $5,000 (the
actual sum was $4,000) for the
services of an eminently qualified
School Facilities Management
consultant, (totally. appropriate
and responsible in light of the,
work to be done), and. then blast-
ed for not hiring a consultant to
perform a thorough analysis of
the economic impact of the con-
solidation. She is responsible for.
our school systems not county


economic development.
 As for. the allegation that she
 has not been seeking "grant"
 money: she is seeking grant
 money from the "granddaddy" of
 Florida Department of
 Education's school construction
 funding (its Special Facilities
 Construction Account). This
 funding was especially estab-
 lished to provide financial assis-
 tance to rural counties, such as
 ours, that do not have a suffi-
 cient tax base to fund necessary,
 school construction projects.
 Someone mistakenly referred
 to this account as "our money" in
 a letter to the editor It's not "our
 money"' until we claim it.* Sadly,
 and probably due to a lack of'
 vision and foresight by our prior.
 school administrators, Calhoun
 County has never claimed "our'
 :money," but neighboring coun-
 ties. including Holmes
 Washington, Jackson,', and
 Gadsderi have all claimed "their
 money Holmes ounmtv received
 $46 million m funding from this
 program for four different proj-"
 ects. The .taxpayers' contribu-
 tions to receive this money for
 'their children? Approximately
 10% of the total projects' 'costs!,
 Can there really be citizens
 opposed to investing in our chil-
 dren (in the form of a 2 mill '
 School Board levy) as these other
 counties have? Can there really
 be citizens that believe our chil-
 dren are not as deserving as
 theirs?
 To Superintendent Neves and
 the Calhoun County School
 Board: I trust that you will act in
 our children's best interests, vote
 to consolidate our county high
 schools, and do whatever neces-
 sary to ,claim "every last dime"
 that our children" are entitled to
 so they benefit from the best
 school system we can provide.
 Godspeed.
 Sincerely,,
 Patti Lynn Wood'
 FPrink
 Dear Editor:
 A passage'of the; school cohl-
 solidation issue 'could mean
 fewer morals in bur schools. In
 another world 1, remained quiet
 with such things. This 'was
 wrong. ,I now feel we are' on the'
'verge of losing our schools and
iUS. Withholding historical sub-
jects from our institutions is
wrong" (#47 Tyranny -; The
Federalist Papers. In Modern
Language Indexed for. Today's
:Poltical Issues Edited by Mairy E.
Webster), ., ', '. .
 i Through silence we are being
 spooked.' We apparently are
 keeping ourselves from knowing
 about connections/pghts/duties
 in constitutions anc biblical his-
Story School-government morali-
ty isn't on family-church agen-
das (Inspirational Study 'Bible
By Max Lucado. General Editor,
over 1564 Pages of Research
including hundreds of expert
support authors).
 So, what.would this old patri-
 ot-dreamer do? I would have a
 complete school complex within
 walking distance of every family
 (Mossy Pond/Altha/Ocheessee
 /Blountstown/Frlnk/Kinard/Hu
 gh Creek) 'I would immediately
 raise teachers' salaries to as high
 as qualifications. I would have"
 Children Homes on each corner
 (it need be -Charles Colson's
 elirrunating 44 million abortion
 murders would have hm-iminated
 immigrauog problem
 Go to the Pioneer Settlement
 and carefully look over the ihun-
 dreds of graduates-etc photosl
 on the wall at the old Frink
 School Gymnasium Don't miss
 the two-room school house with
 it's old books and tables, wood
 stoves, play hoops. and teacher's
 name-date. on wall-etc,. Sign up
 as a volunteer tour guide and
 learn that a member of the Yon
 Family donated this old school
 house: the same family who built
 the affluent house in the middle
 of'the Settlement
 Folks around here haven't
 appeared to be short on educa-'.
 fion. The first Florida politician I
 ever met occurred at the
 ULniversity of Miami Law School.
 (when located at the old Fish '
 Aquai-ium in. Coral Gables) His .'
 name was Fuller Warren, a resi-
 dent of Calhoun County, and a'
 soon-to-be elected Florida
 Governor. ..
 SOut-of-town engineers-con-
 solldation experts stated 'It will
 cost eight million $a each to
 rebuild three major; existIng
 schools Itrom Altha to
 Blountstownl The\ also stated
 that one big new consolidated
 school could run up to 34-35;
 million$ with over-runs-etc. I'
 couldn't help but think at the
 time that three times eight is still
 around twenty'-four (even at
 Georgia birthplace) ;
 Respectfully,
 (Mike Calhoun, cc/cc
 S (concernedcitizen/
 calhouncounity)


Sl'Rwcord

1.- ALL LETTERS TO-
IfHE EDITOR MUSIC
 BE SIGNED
' Deadline Monday Noon


66acd T~ecu


 i.en Wewa this,.. ;'Church of God wi
 Celebrate homecoming
 Blounislown Church of God will
 S be celebrating Homecoming October
 8th Morning Worship will begin at
 10 4-5 with special singing.' Rev.
 S- ..Robert Johnson will be the guest
 'speaker. Lunch will follow in the fel-
 ,lowship hail Everyone is invited to
 -.,..come and enjoy fellowship together.
 -The churcri is located one block
 Sotf' highway 20 behind R & R
Model aviators to host air show Warehouses For more information
 -all 674-8-137
Oct. 7-8 at Parker Farms Wewa Open house at new
 The public i, inited to the enter the pit areas fo'-ir a- up-,. Kingdom Hall Oct. 7,,


.16th Anntual Air Show of the'
Emerald Coast ., Model
Aviators in Wewahitchka on
October 7th and 8th. Pilots
from all over the southeast
will bring' their giant radio
controlled aircraft, mdst with
wingspans of 7 to 10 feet,
and. exhibit spectacular flying
skills for the enjoyment of the
spectators. Many of these
aircraft are scale models of
military and civiliafti aircraft
as well as some popular sport
.models.
 At noon each day, there
will be a thrilling RC combat
demonstration and an oppor-
tunity' for the spectators to


close "show and tell" as the
pilots show off, their. aircraft
anid answer your questions.,
 The, air show is held at
 Parker Farms Campground
 on CR 22A, two miles west of
 Wewahltchka just off Hwy 22.
. Follow the "IMAA Air Show:"
signs. Flying will begin at.
'9:00 AM and last until 4:00 
PM each day. This is a bene-
fit .for the Tatinfon Family
Children's Home. Inc. and a
parking donation of SI is
requested to that end. Visit
the Emerald Coast Model
Aviators' web site at www.lry-
ecma.org.


 The Blounistown congregation o
Jehovah's Witnesses would like to
invite, the .community to an opera
house ar their new Kingdom Hall or
Saturday October 7th The opera
house will be from 1:00 2:0,'p.m
CST with a dedcation 'talk following
The Hall is located at 20402 NE
Finley'Ave., 'behind the hospital. Al
are welcome
'Peanut Butter & Jelly
Wedding' encore set
 The Peanut Buttqr & Jelly
Wedding was played to a lull house
on Sunday. September 24, at St
Paul AME Church What an event'
 When the young people marched


I.


in the church singing I Feel Good"
opening the performance. every.
one's attention was on them from the
oeginnng ol mie show to the end! At
the end of the performance as peo-
pie were leaving the. church, the
most frequent comment I heard.was,'
"I m really glad that I came!"
Presented by St Mary's Missionary
Baptist and St Paul AME Churches,
it could not have been more exciting
to the community as they have
requested a repeat performance!
 If you missed the lirst snow you'll
have another chance to see the
Peanut Buntter & Jelly Wedding on
Sunday. October 22. 2006 at 4 p m
at St. Paul AME Church in
Blountstown. For more information,
call toll tree at 1-888-286-2773 x 81

Pine Grove Church to
start revival Oct. 9
 Pine, Grove ,Church will be in
Revival starting October 9th begin-
ning at 7 00 p.m., Pastor Raymond .
Spith will be the guest speaker The
church is located on Wrennie Moody
Road off ol Hwy 71 S



 ROBERTS
 The Roberts Family Reunion will
be held Sunday, October 8, at Sam
Atkins Park Bring a covered dish
and we will eat around noon. Call
Greta at 67-1-8059 for more details


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