WALKING ON
DRAWING THE LINE
JAKE MABE, A-4
GOVERNMENT A-3
Remembering a hero
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Paulette bus routes proposed
UNION COUNTY
Vol. 6, No. 4 • January 22, 2011 • www.ShopperNewsNow.com • 4509 Doris Circle, Knoxville 37918 • 922-4136
Back in black
Goforth gets good evaluation, raise By Cindy Taylor Students and teachers aren’t the only ones who must undergo evaluations and testing. Director of Schools Wayne Goforth recently received his review, and he passed with flying colors. Six of the seven school board memGoforth bers participated the evaluation. The board looked at six areas of expertise: board relationship, community relations, staff and personnel relations, facilities and finance, vision, and student achievement. Goforth achieved a rating from the school board of 18.943 percent out of a possible 20 percent. Because of this evaluation, Goforth will receive a $4,000 per year raise, which is called for in his contract. “The board never really went over the results in a public forum,” board member Don Morgan said. “I would rate Wayne as fair. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible. He has held his own.” “I think Wayne has done an exceptional job,” Union County High School principal Linda Harrell said. “He has accomplished a lot. He is very supportive of his staff and that is so important.” “Many people may have their opinions about the Director of Schools,” Goforth said, “but this position may be one of the principal factors in meeting AYP.” Only one school in Union County, Horace Maynard Middle School, failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress requirements. Goforth says the school system has already started making changes at HMMS because they knew this was coming. Before Goforth took the position of director, the high school was also on the list but has now made AYP. “He has worked hard getting our test scores up and has put a lot of people in place to make that happen. We have schools that are off the charts with test scores, and that is something to be proud of. I believe Paulette (Elementary School) will continue that after the new school opens,” board chair Brian Oaks said. “He has done a good job with communication. He has really stepped that up, keeping the board members informed.” “We have put a lot of things in place to ensure that our schools do well on test scores and make AYP,” Goforth said. “As soon as we can get back to school, we’ll be updating and working on the Master Plan.”
By Shannon Carey
Union County Mayor Mike Williams works in his redecorated office in the Union County Courthouse. Photo by S. Carey
I
f you haven’t visited the Union County Mayor’s office since Mike Williams gained the seat in September, it’s worth the trip. Williams has redecorated and revamped the two-room office at the front of the courthouse. The outer room, where Williams’ assistants work and greet visitors, is painted in soft gray, and historic Union County paintings adorn the walls. Step into Williams’ office, and the color scheme shifts to black, a choice which has raised some eyebrows. Williams said he thinks people hearing the news on the street are getting the wrong idea. “I think most people who have seen it like it,” he said. “We’re trying to put forth professionalism.” The wall facing the office’s windows is painted gray to reflect plenty of light into the room. The new flooring is high-traffic laminate made to look like tile. The glass desk came from Williams’ home. “With that desk, you could say the mayor’s office is the most transparent office in all of Union County,” joked Williams.
Luttrell talks salt, beer By Cindy Taylor Snow has affected most cities in Union County, and Luttrell is no exception. Mayor Johnny Merritt discussed road issues at the city council meeting Jan. 17. “Rebecca called Mike at Burkhart Enterprises last week and was told there was no need to come to get salt,” Merritt said. “They gave us a real hard time about getting it. They said they had salt but had been instructed to hold all of it for TDOT by North American Salt, the company we place our orders with and pay. We haven’t gotten our quantity yet that we ordered. They were waiting for a barge to come in, and we kept calling and calling, but then we were told they were holding it for TDOT. I plan to go ahead and get a load in case we have another snow soon.” Tim Jones, spokesperson for Burkhart Enterprises, said that if the salt was paid for and they (Burkhart) have been notified of the payment that someone coming from Luttrell to pick it up would not be turned away. Salt must be preordered in the spring or summer of each year, and the city is required to purchase the amount they preorder, even if they don’t end up needing it. Merritt said that Luttrell had preordered, but when the call was made they were still turned down. The city planned to pay for
Sam Jamani, owner of Bates Market, addresses Luttrell City Council about re-application for a beer license. Photo by C. Taylor the salt once they knew they could get it. Apparently, Burkhart had salt but TDOT had first dibs. “The regional director told me it is basically a supplier issue. They are struggling to catch up,” TDOT spokesperson Yvette Martinez said. “We had ordered 100,000 tons for the state, and up until last week we were not receiving regular shipments. Even though we are now receiving regular shipments, we are not receiving as much as promised.
“I know what the suppliers are up against. It’s been a tough winter to try and keep up. We have 24 counties, and before Monday’s big snow, we had dipped below 20 percent of what we need. It has been tough on everybody in this region, and suppliers are struggling to keep up.” The council discussed alternate means of dealing with future snows and the possibility of setting up for brine. Sam Jamani, owner of Bates Market, addressed the council
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regarding reapplication for a beer license. Jamani has a current license but is changing the parent name of his company from Bates Market LLC to Luttrell Inc. This requires the company to go through the reapplication process and pay the fees again even though Jamani had just paid for his license. “I would appreciate it if the council could make a decision before the end of the month,” Jamani said. “If you check the record, there are no violations on the store. I don’t mind going through the process again and paying additional fees.” The council scheduled a Beer Board meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at City Hall. Merritt gave kudos to the Luttrell Volunteer Fire Department, especially Jason Odom and Joey McBee. “We had a huge tree fall in the evening of New Year’s Day on Ridgecrest,” Merritt said. “I was sure glad to have the help while we waited on KUB, and I sure do appreciate these two and the other two boys who helped.” Mayor Mike Williams is planning town hall meetings in each city in Union County, and Luttrell was chosen for the first meeting. The city plans to host Williams at the community center at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3. All residents are invited.
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