By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Education Foundation this morning awarded more than $51,000 in grants to educators in the Forrest City School District for various projects.
Speaking before the grants were presented, Superintendent Lee Vent said the grants fill an important niche.
"I'm overwhelmed by the response to our foundation," Vent said. "Our foundation has been in place since May of 1997 and has grown by leaps and bounds."
He said the purpose of the money was to "grow our kids."
"That's why we're in business. That's why you and I have jobs," Vent said. "There are about 4,200 reasons why we're here, and we should never lose sight of that.
"And there is not enough federal money, there is not enough state money, there isn't enough local tax money to support the efforts we need for our students to be successful. It's going to take private contributions."
He also said the David Cohn family and Forrest City Grocery has been instrumental in the foundation. "They have gone the extra mile. They have been out there where the rubber meets the road and have made sure this foundation has been a success."
Cohn was asked to speak, and said the foundation was started for the good of the schools and the community's future.
"And we give a lot of thought to it," he said. "And one of my sticklers is, when we raise this money, and I give the money, I tell the board, let's spend it now. So many times we save it and we're thinking about the future. But at this particular time, there is so much stuff I think we need, we want to fulfill all the wishes we can."
He also encouraged more educators to apply for grants, and said the Cohn family was planning to expand into endowments.
Those receiving grants include:
*Vivian Ryan, principal, $4,788 for a "Growing with Mathematics" curriculum for preschools.
*Susan Berry, principal, $1,275 for a digital camera, carrying case and tripod.
*Barbara Haven, librarian, $500 for books for the Accelerated Reader Program.
*De'etta Houston and Lisa Morgan, second and first grade, $1,200 for five adjustable easels.
*Patricia Graves, fifth grade, $620 for two calculators, 15 dictionaries and 15 thesauruses.
*Sharon Miller, kindergarten, $275 for a dry erase blackboard.
*Albert Favor, music, $256 for four soprano glockenspiels and add-ons; and $1,130.45 for compact disc packages for grades 4 and 5.
*Janice Buford, music, $249.70 for lyric books, records, radio with CD player.
*Mary Katherine Vandiver, kindergarten, $385.07 for "Alphatales" kit, "Learn to Read" books and bookshelf.
*Susan Wheeler, fifth grade, $1,058.95 for five microscopes.
*Sandra Burke, third grade, $558.49 for measurement equipment.
*Bonita Poe, librarian, $536 for an overhead projector and cart.
*Ann Morocco, third grade, $495 for Phonics Readers.
*Paige Laws, Terry Isringhouse, Linda Cable and Lou Borden -- library, fourth grade and kindergarten -- $1,100 for three overhead projectors and carts.
*Debbie Montgomery, "Success For All" facilitator, $358.01 for overhead projector and cart.
*Sandra Reinhardt, kindergarten, $480 for theme boxes for reading, math and writing skills.
*Dina Potts, Spanish, $717.51 for Spanish games, videos, posters, incentives and rewards.
*Mattie Weaver, sixth grade, $1,056.83 for 28 dictionaries and supplemental English materials.
*Ginny Huckaba, math, $800 for six balance scales.
*Sharon McDuffey, art, $800 for art supplies including pottery, metal tooling, etc.
*Sandra Brown, seventh grade, $650 for books to improve vocabulary.
*Bettye Jones, principal, $1,275 for digital camera, carrying case and tripod.
*Mary Scott, pre-K, $1,351 for math literature books manipulatives, etc.
*Ennie Hardrick, kindergarten, $1,123.96 for listening centers with recorders, Kindermusic books.
*Sherrie Hernandez, pre-K, $706.02 for flannel board with cutouts for math and reading.
*Delois Morgan, first grade, $1,694 for four, Play and Read learning carpets.
*Steve Murray, Mustang 17, $5,000 for short distance transmitter system.
*Patti Long, social studies, $2,407.90 for World View computer software for world and American history.
*Barbie James, librarian, $1,275 for digital camera, tripod and carrying case.
*Don Williams, art, $2,495 for a "pug mill," used for reclaiming clay.
*Rob Lemke, yearbook facilitator, $2,000 for high school yearbook production, including color printer, scanner, camera, monitor, etc.
*Chris Howard, Cisco instructor, $1,000 for digital camera, memory stick and bag.
*Carmen Williams, English, $3,000 for books to enhance reading and writing skills.
*Suzette Garcia, English, $445.95 for 40 thesauruses and a writing teacher handbook; and $597.25 for 40 "The Bluest Eye" novels with teaching kit.
*Mary Hayden, English, $1,273.10, for novels required for 12th grade English courses.
*Lt. Nick Hutchins, NJROTC, $4,5000 for construction of a damage control simulator for simulated ship groundings.
STEWART ELEMENTARY
*Cynthia Williams, Darlene Washington, Sandi Schuchardt and Elizabeth Alderson, kindergarten, $770 for manipulatives, music, and literature for language development.
*Kathy Emmerson, FCSD webmaster, $632.96 for a CD burner, scanner and external CD drive.
*Kathy Proctor, G/T facilitator, $898 for books for Whole Group Enrichment in grades K-3.
A Madison man pled guilty today to second-degree murder and robbery in the death of Carlos Ivey.
Roger Dante Hill, 24, was sentenced to a total of 35 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He was sentenced to 20 years for the murder plea, which was reduced from a capital murder charge, and 15 years for the robbery charge which was reduced from aggravated robbery.
Hill also faced charges for a parole revocation and charges in connection with an escape from the St. Francis County Jail last November. Both charges were nolle prosequi.
On Tuesday, seven people were sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections during circuit court hearings at the St. Francis County Courthouse.
Corey Demetrius Bradley, 19, Forrest City, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft by receiving over $2,500. A previous suspended sentence on this charge was revoked. He was also serving a five -year suspended sentence once he is released from state prison.
Kevin L. Alexander, 19, Forrest City, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on a possession of a firearm by a certain person charge. He is scheduled to report to prison on Jan. 4, according to court records.
Lorenzo Rattler, 23, Forrest City, received a five-year prison sentence on a drug charge.
Vinnie DeWayne Randle, 24, Forrest City, was sentenced to five years in the state prison after his suspended sentence was revoked when he was arrested in August on charges of residential burglary and attempted rape.
Shawn Warren, 38, no address, was sentenced to five years in prison on burglary and theft charges.
James Darnell, 25, received a three-year ADC sentence for second-degree forgery.
Lawrence Boyland, 31, 702 N. Division, Forrest City, was sentenced to one year in the county jail for domestic battery.
Criminal cases are continuing this week in Forrest City.
Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute will hold its quarterly board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the school's campus in Forrest City.
Items on the agenda include discussion of the school's financial report, a report on the annual barbecue, proposed policies-campus identification and computer/Internet usage. Board members will also hear an update on the COE accreditation report.
The regular meeting is being held in conjunction with the advisory board meetings.
The East Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees will meet Thursday, Nov. 15 in the EACC board room, beginning at 7 p.m.
Among agenda items are a bid date and report on the remodeling of the Betty Jo Hodges Building.
Some of the other agenda items include: a special report on the EACC Literacy Program; a recommendation for employment; reports on Counselors Day and the first Miss EACC Pageant; and recommendations for the facade and driveway modifications.