Opinion

Normally late on Friday nights, after I get home from covering one of our Marshall County football teams, I get on the Internet and look for the score of the Hamilton, Ala., Aggies, my alma mater.

As of Tuesday, the weatherman was still predicting rain -- all the way through the weekend.

Me personally, I like rain. And my house hasn’t washed down the back of the hill into the horse pen yet, so I’m OK.

Whether I’m sitting outside on the deck or porch enjoying the rain or tucked inside my sewing room with a good book, or even better, actually sewing, the sound of rain is “peace inducing.”

One of my favorite occasions is coming up, the annual service for the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi and the blessing of the animals, at which I assist the Rev. Bruce McMillan in Christ Episcopal Church. This year’s occasion will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, October 4, and everybody is invited to participate.

Letters To The Editor

Thanks Byhalia police:
Dear Editor,

This letter is to commend and thank the Byhalia Police Department for the excellent job they do in serving our community. Their professionalism, expertise, and dedication are unlike any other law enforcement agency that I have come in contact with.

Very recently, I found myself in need of their services, as I experienced firsthand what it meant to be a victim of unforeseen circumstances. While it is easy to take them for granted, I found a new appreciation for their presence when I, too, became a victim of crime.

When I arrived at the police station, I was visibly upset and incoherent, in a state of shock. However, the staff and officers of our town did a superior job of diffusing the situation and gathering the facts from me. They informed me of the steps that would be taken to catch the perpetrator, my rights as a victim and diligently began to work on detaining the person responsible.

I am thankful that our police department is staffed with such well trained people. They are truly an asset to our community.

Special thanks to Chief Gary Looney, Teresa LeSeur, Jodi Brents, Dorie Rogers, and Deborah Osbourne. These officers were the ones I came in contact with that day. For the officers who are not mentioned here, your dedication has not gone unnoticed. Your efforts to uphold the law and serve our citizens are greatly appreciated.

The town of Byhalia is a more prosperous and secure community because of you. Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,
Marcella “Kitty” Mills
Byhalia

Let’s work together:
Dear Editor;

I have had many calls concerning ACT scores after recent statements in The South Reporter. To set the record straight, I would like to clarify that 100 percent of our graduating class took the ACT with a combined average of 20.92 reported by ACT to Marshall Academy. In addition, our graduation rate for the MA Class of 2009 is 100 percent, receiving over $740,000 in college scholarship funds for the fall of 2009.

Our goal at MA is to prepare our students for success in all facets of life: academically, socially, spiritually, and physically. One objective of our educational experience at Marshall Academy is to promote community spirit by volunteerism, leadership, and service. We work to prepare our students for future leadership roles in the communities in which they choose to reside.

I believe it is counterproductive for our leaders to compare academic achievement among schools. It is my belief that we should all work together to improve the educational programs, as well as social and spiritual development, within all area schools. As an ACT Testing site, I welcome all students in the Marshall County and surrounding areas to take the ACT at MA as well as participate in ACT test reviews or other programs that will help them improve their scores.

Promoting a sense of community and working together for the good of all students are vital components of a thriving community. It is my hope that all schools in Marshall County will join me in promoting our county as one, not dividing us through competition.

Sincerely,
Jane Hubbard
Headmaster
Marshall Academy

Dialogue needed:
Dear Editor;

In September an open forum was held during the monthly board of supervisors’ meeting. The main topic was the millage increase to aid in funding education for our county school system.

The debate seemed to be focused more on the increase in millage than the continued education of our young people.

Unfortunately, this community has multiple school systems: city, county, parochial, and private schools. We cannot continue with this approach, and hope to be able to properly fund all of these systems.

At some point in the not so distant future we, as a community, must approach this dilemma with openness and honesty; otherwise we will continue to be a stagnant community.

The position of many in this community is that we cannot continue to burden tax payers with increases in taxes, and we should not. The alternative must be a growing economy, better educational system, economic growth, investing in our community, and most importantly, sincere dialogue between the citizens of this community.

A community prospers together or it dies together. The problems we face are known: lack of jobs, deteriorating tax base, multiple school systems, and racial divide. The solutions are yet to be discovered.

If not now, when? If not us, who?

If you are interested in beginning a dialogue, contact me at cmd1061@aol.com or 901-857-3530.

Respectfully submitted,
Conery M. DeBerry
Holly Springs

Thank you:
Dear Editor,

The congregate meal and activity program is fulfilling the needs of Marshall County citizens, both the Chulahoma and Victoria sites.

The Victoria site thanks Marshall County Sheriff Kenney Dickerson for providing bingo prizes for the September 11 bingo game. These prizes mean so much to our seniors who participate.

For more information on becoming a participant or if you are interested in making a contribution toward the games and activities, call Delia Reid at the Victoria center at (662) 838-3224 or Queen Dean at Chulahoma center at (662) 544-2004.

I also want to thank Barry Burleson and The South Reporter for allowing us to highlight the great things that the citizens of Marshall County are doing.

Supervisor George Zinn
Holly Springs


Thursday, September 24, 2009
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