DeKalb West School Holds 8th Grade Recognition

May 23, 2019
By: Bill Conger

The 8th graders at DeKalb West School will be heading up the hill in August after graduating May 21. During a special ceremony the students were recognized for their academic and other achievements.

Aly Griffith led the way with the academic awards. She won ELA with a 100 average, an Algebra award with a 100 average, Social Studies with a 99.5 average, and Science with a 99 average. Patricia Gassaway won the ELA award in her homeroom with a 96 average. Aniston Farler and Madison Martin won Algebra awards each with a perfect 100 average. Lane Goss and Wesley Wright won the Math award. They tied with a score of 95. Brett Walker and Bonnie Hale took home History awards from Sean Antoniak’s homeroom. They both had a final score of 98.25, and Kortnee Skeen in Karen France’s homeroom won the Science award with a 98.

Ten students made the All A Honor Roll: Isaac Brown, Luke Driver, Noah Evans, Aniston Farler, Aly Griffith, Emma Martin, Madison Martin, Bralin Moss, Kortnee Skeen, and Wesley Wright. Named to the A/B Honor Roll were Gavin Conger, Caleb Dies, John Ellis, Patricia Gassaway, Lane Goss, Bonnie Hale, Chevelle Lockwood, Jamison Marlar, Matt Nokes and Brett Walker.

Earning the Making Tracks (Most Improved) award were Chevelle Lockwood and Gavin Conger. The Citizenship Awards, which 8th grade peers vote on, are given to a boy and girl in each homeroom. Brett Walker and Kortnee Skeen in Sean Antoniak’s homeroom were presented with the award. From Karen Frances’s room, the honor was handed out to Luke Driver and Madison Martin.

Luke Driver also won the Perfect Attendance award for the second year in a row. He has not missed a single day nor been late or left early from school the past two years.

Junior Beta Club sponsor Jessica Antoniak presented Aniston Farler and Aly Griffith with the DWS Beta Club Community Service Award. Both girls volunteered more than 60 hours this past year. The 16 8th grade members volunteered 493 total hours of the 1252 hours that the entire club earned.

Service awards were given to all Betas who have earned at least 10 service hours this school year. Receiving a certificate were Gabby Wheatley 10 hours, Matt Nokes 10 hours 30 minutes, Bonnie Hale 11 hours, Patricia Gassaway 12 hours 15 minutes, John Ellis 14 hours, Brett Walker 18 hours – Vice President, Noah Evans 23 hours 15 minutes, Emma Martin 23 hours 30 minutes, Cameron Bailey 24 hours, Kortnee Skeen 28 hours 15 minutes, Bralin Moss 33 hours 45 minutes, Lane Goss 38 hours, Isaac Brown 43 hours 30 minutes, and Madison Martin 48 hours.

The 4 PAWS Award went to Lance Duke and Caleb Dies. That award recognizes awesome students who may not make the honor roll all the time but work hard, may be a good citizen, class helper or show improvement.

The Library awards were presented to Jamison Marlar and Destiny Strickland with 400 points; Noah Evans, Bonnie Hale, and Matthew Nokes for 600 points; Brett Walker, Isaac Brown, and John Ellis with 800 points. Awesome Accuracy awards went to Aly Griffith and Isaac Brown. Bralin Moss was honored for receiving over 1,000 points.

The members of the DeKalb West 8th grade class were Cameron Bailey, Jeanine Boody, Isaac Brown, Gavin Conger, Caleb Dies, Luke Driver, Lance Duke, Rebecca Eastes, John Ellis, Noah Evans, Aniston Farler, Patricia Gassaway, Jackson Gibbs, Lane Goss, Aly Griffith Bonnie Hale, Emily Hendrixson, Hailey Hendrixson, Kailyn Jordan, Olivia Knowles, John Law, Chloe Lockwood, Jamison Marlar, Emma Martin, Madison Martin, Devon Maxwell, Bralin Moss, Matthew Nokes, Braxton Page, Emily Poole, Kiara Shoffner, Kortnee Skeen, Jarrod Smith, Destiny Strickland, Faith Tripp, Cayalyn Turner, Brett Walker, Gabrielle Wheatley, and Wesley Wright.

May 23, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The 48th annual Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival is coming Friday and Saturday, July 5 & 6 and the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce invites all county businesses to again use their changeable signs or marquees to post welcome greetings for our Jamboree visitors.

“This marks the 19th year for the Chamber’s “Project Welcome Mat”, said Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Chamber. “With thousands of visitors coming into town, every effort should be made by the local merchants to show our guests that we appreciate them and welcome their business.

The program has been successful over the past years with many businesses participating. Let’s keep on showing folks how friendly the DeKalb County / Smithville area can be!,” she continued.

All businesses may participate in “Project Welcome Mat.” The wording may be only a simple “Welcome to the Jamboree” or as elaborate as you choose. There will be recognition awards in 3 categories: “Best Worded,” “Most Original” and the “People’s Choice Award.” Plaques will be presented to winners along with media recognition.

If your business would like to participate in the contest, email the Chamber at swilliams@dekalbcountychamber.org or call 615-597-4163. Wording should be in place no later than Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

May 23, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The county is planning to fund a full time director’s position for the Alexandria Senior Citizens Center as it does for the Smithville Senior Center.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, the county budget committee voted 3 to 2 to add the director to the county payroll subject to final approval by the county commission with passage of the 2019-20 budget this summer. The director would be paid $21,291 as a first year employee plus benefits for a total budget impact to the county of $28,051.

Voting for the full-time position were committee Chairman Dennis Slager and members Jeff Barnes and Jerry Adcock. Sabrina Farler and Anita Puckett voted no.

The Smithville Senior Director earns $23,352 a year plus benefits as a level 4 employee on the county’s wage tier scale. The total projected budget for the senior citizens program in Smithville is around $32,000 but the county receives a reimbursement each year from UCDD to help support the program of approximately $14,000 which puts the county’s actual cost at $18,000 per year.

Although the county budgeted $6,000 to help support the Alexandria Center for the 2018-19 fiscal year it provides no money for the director’s salary. Funding for the program in Alexandria currently comes through contributions from the Upper Cumberland Development District and United Way totaling near $10,000 and year-round fundraising activities. Up until January, 2019, the Alexandria Senior Director was paid $7.75 per hour for 24 hours per week with no benefits.

Judy Sandlin, Chairman of the Governing Board for the Alexandria Senior Center, made the formal request of the budget committee in April.

“The demands on this (Alexandria) position have outgrown the customary funding through the UCDD, United Way, and traditional fundraisers. It no longer can be limited to 24 hours per week; the demands extend to 40 hours each week,” said Sandlin.

“In addition to the Alexandria Senior Center being open and serving meals 5 days a week (up from 4 days), more advanced skills and experience have become necessary. The position independently manages the facility, volunteers, finances, and inventory, as well as researches, implements, and develops programs to enhance the health and well-being of the senior citizens in the county. Additionally, knowledge of service networks and the ability to communicate (both in writing and verbally) with clients and sponsors alike takes this well above the minimum wage pay grade,” She said.

Sandlin also provided the committee other “relevant statistics”:

*Attendance (Alexandria Senior Center) has gone from an average in 2017-18 of 20 members per day to 27 per day. This figure is expected to rise steadily in the coming year.

*2016 figures for DeKalb County put the age 60+ population at 22%, with 72% below the poverty line (website DataUSA.io)

*The 94 registered members come from all areas of DeKalb, Liberty, Dowelltown, Temperance Hall, Smithville, etc.

*The City of Alexandria funds the building’s electricity, water, and gas.

*The center relies heavily on volunteers for meal service, facility cleaning, and maintenance.

The Director of the Alexandria Senior Center is Sandy Brown. Pam Redmon is Director of the Smithville Senior Center.

Meanwhile the Juvenile Court’s Youth Service Officer will get a raise in the new budget subject to approval of the county commission. The budget committee voted Wednesday evening to recommend that his pay be increased from his current salary of $34,275 to $36,000 but that is less than the $3,300 increase he requested. The overall cost is partly offset by a $9,000 grant the county receives for the program.