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Childers, ag officials visit ICS By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Photos by Sue Watson
College Street project
Electric
department manager Don Hollingsworth, U.S. Rep. Travis Childers and
consulting engineer Larry Britt show off the College Street repaving
project, which was paid for utilizing economic stimulus funds. |
Congressman
Travis Childers and undersecretary of USDA Rural Development Dallas
Tonsager were given a hearty welcome and “thank you” from ICS Head
Start and the city of Holly Springs July 7 on their tour through
communities in Congressional District 1. Childers
was joined by Johnny Shell with the Batesville office of Rural
Development, and by Trina George, state director of Rural Development
and many aids. The congressman and his entourage
met with the public at the Marjean Taylor-Myatt Headstart Center.
Director Eloise McClinton thanked Childers for helping ICS obtain a
$780,000 loan and a $350,000 grant under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act to build a new eight-classroom center in Crenshaw
which serves 100 children. Don Hollingsworth
with the city of Holly Springs presented an overview of a potable water
extension project that will bring clean drinking water to hundreds of
homes in the Marianna community. USDA Rural
Development has provided low interest loans and other funding of $12
million to $15 million in water projects in Holly Springs, Red Banks,
Victoria, Lake Center and along Highway 4 East into Benton County in
the last 15 years, he said. “We have enjoyed our relationship with Johnny Shell,” Hollingsworth said. “We all work so well together - a great team.” Future extensions are planned for Mt. Pleasant and Slayden, he said. Hollingsworth
said the City of Holly Springs has envisioned putting a water meter at
every household where it has an electricity customer. People can do
without electricity, but not water, he said. Tonsager,
who still claims his country and farming roots even while working in
Washington, D.C., said the purpose of his visit was to get to know the
state better. “I came to see the needs and to
see how we can better use our resources in the State of Mississippi,”
he said. “I’m a farmer myself, so I have a pretty good understanding of
agriculture. I love to see things that add value to agricultural
products.” The undersecretary and congressman met
with local agricultural leaders and farmers in DeSoto County and Benton
County while on their sweep through the northern counties. George said much of the rural development work would not be possible without the federal stimulus dollars from Congress. Childers
recounted an anecdote he heard when attending a reception in honor of
former Head Start director Arvern Moore - how many of the early Head
Start Centers lacked running water and indoor bathrooms back in the
1960s. It was the women in the community who cooked and carried food to
the centers. Arvern Moore said the ladies crawled
under the house and put in the plumbing for water at the centers to
help change lives one at a time. “This is how
government is supposed to work - in partnership - this is what it is
about,” he said. “Enhancing lives, changing lives, helping communities
- just because our children live in rural areas does not mean our
children should have substandard buildings. The 24 counties I serve,
with the exception of one, are rural. “We are not going to forget where we come from. We are going to stay country. “Dallas didn’t have to come here today. He chose to come because he is interested in your town and Mississippi.”  | Recognition
Congressman Travis Childers congratulates Erma Rogers for her service to Head Start. |
Childers
recognized Erma Rogers and Wencie Bailey for their service, including
the cooking and plumbing work, at the early Head Start Centers. ICS serves 13 counties and 4,041 children. Childers
thanked USDA officials for touring farming areas with him.
Undersecretary Michael Scuse toured the district in December and was
instrumental in helping get aid for farmers who lost crops hit by heavy
rains and flooding last fall. Also offering
appreciation to Childers and officials with Rural Development was Holly
Springs Mayor Andre’ DeBerry, aldermen Harvey Payne and Russell Johnson
and county supervisor Eddie Dixon. |
