Page 8B February 7,2018
l orter
e
e
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Valentine's Day is
approaching and it's time
to celebrate the joy of
love. There are wonderful
stories of marriages that
have endured "better or
worse" for decades and of
blossoming relationships
anticipating what life will
bring.
One special type of love
is that between daughter
and mother, often repre-
senting he bond between
two people who know
one another better than
anyone. Chandra Walton,
daughter of Annie Ree
Evans and Larry Evans,
decided to celebrate her
mother on Jan. 20. She
picked a day that wasn't
Valentine's Day, a birth-
day or retirement. Walton
chose a day when she
could completely surprise
her mother and the cel-
ebration would be totally
about her.
"I wanted to give my
morn her flowers while
she is alive," said Walton.
' I wanted to show her
how much she is appreci-
ated."
Working on allthe
details over about six
months, Walton, who
lives in Jacksonville,
Fla invited 120 guests,
including many family
members and her moth-
er's friends. No men were
allowed.
She created a magi-
cal semi-formal event
at the Monroe County
Clubhouse, decorating
in gold and white with
a theme of elegance and
roses.
"She likes pretty
things," said Walton.
"She's a girlie girl."
She arranged a special
dinner and entertain-
ment by Betty Stewart,
Sandy Buckner and
Ingrid Brown. She set
up the stage, decorated
tables and made name
tags for each guest. She
prepared her own trib-
ute to her mother and
arranged for special com-
ments from others. She
had some talented friends
helping her get it all
together locally, includ-
ing Winifred Berry, Lola
Zellner, Alecia Hansford,
Emma Hansford, Juanita
Pitts, Wanda Freeman
and more. Others
included on the evening's
program were MiKara
Brown, Janice Slaughter work in the community.
and Shirley Henderson. "She has a lot of daugh-
Annie Ree Evans ters but only one birth
taught school for many one," said Walton.
years in Butts County, Evans continues to
being summoned back give her time and tal-
several times even after ent to many as she
she retired. She was works with the Hubbard
especially known for her Alumni Association in
ability to teach young various ways, includ-
children to read and often ing organizing the King
volunteered to teach and Queen pageant each
those that others found year, Monroe County
hard to teach. Walton Workforce Development,
said her mother was her church and other
Teacher of the Year four groups. She also inspired
times, her daughter to develop
Annie Ree Evans is the her abilities to create and
wife of longtime Monroe organize.
County commissioner The scripture verse
Larry Evans and is the Proverbs 3:15 was placed
mother of twin sons in on the greeting table:
addition to Walton. She "She is more precious
has been like a mother to than rubies; nothing
many others through her you desire can compare
years of teaching and her with her." The statement
refers to Wisdom, but can
certainly also apply to a
wise woman.
The evening created
a lot of memories that
will long be enjoyed,
according to those who
attended. One of Walton's
greatest achievements
was keeping the event a
secret from her mother,
Right, Chandra Walton
transformed Monroe County
Clubhouse into an elegant
banquet hall for an event
to honor her mother. Left,
Walton, right, and her
mother, Annie Ree Evans,
are pictured together at an
earlier event.
with so many people
involved and so much
preparation. One of her
mother's classmates told
her they were going to
a church banquet to get
her to the surprise gala,
and Walton even helped
her pick a dress for the
'church banquet.' She said
she was 'super careful'
and thinks her mother
was truly surprised.
e
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Plans for Monroe
County Schools' new
agriculture-science build-
ing are moving forward.
School facilities director
Roger Onstott told the
school board on Jan. 23
the SP Design Group of
Macon had completed
a sketch of the planned
building that week.
The agriculture-science
building will be on 12.8
acres owned by Monroe
County Schools on
Thornton Road, near T.G.
Scott Elementary and
Monroe County Middle
School Banks Stephens
campus. The structure
is planned for the use of
high school and middle
school students.
When asked about a
projected completion
date for the agriculture-
science building, Onstott
said, "Everything has
flown through [getting
approval at the state
level]. All we have left is
grading; then we'll put it
out for bids."
The building will
include a cattle barn, hog
barn, pavilion, storage
areas for feed, fencing,
gates and a grassy area
for pasture in front.
'~here's a good buf-
fer all the way around,"
said Onstott. ' rhe space
is good. [Mary Persons
agriculture teacher Bill
Waldrep] has got room
to grow it however he
wants."
A board member asked
if there are any adjacent
property owners who
might object to animals
on the property. Onstott
said there is only one pri-
vate property owner next
to where the agriculture-
science building will be.
That owner does not
live on the property and
has not expressed any
concerns. Onstott said
that animals will not be
housed at the site con-
tinuously. They will be
brought there for activi-
ties like FFA shows or
specific classroom activi-
ties and generally housed
overnight and then
transported back to their
permanent pastures.
Board member Priscilla
Doster announced
that the FFAAlumni
Association will honor
parents of the Mary
Persons and Monroe
County Middle School
students who have
excelled in FFA team
competitions over the
last year on Feb. 8 at
Blue Tick Mercantile.
It was suggested that
she have a sketch of the
proposed agriculture-
science building to dis-
play at the event. Doster
emphasized that Monroe
Custom Designed
Metal Duct Systems
. Zoned Systems
Im
~w
" ,ql~
County teams have
done exceptionally well
in agriculture competi-
tions at region, state and
national levels, which
is one reason the school
system is investing in
the facility to meet the
interest in the field and
provide more opportuni-
ties.
In updating other facili-
ty news, Onstott said the
Monroe County Schools
maintenance crew had
cleaned out all the fil-
ters in the Hubbard
Elementary air circula- .
tion system in four days
He explained that recir-
culated air goes back to
the classrooms so that it
doesn't have to be reheat-
ed, but hot water coils
had gotten stopped up
at Hubbard Elementary.
Onstott said the crew put
new roofs on both sides
of the system.
'qCCe are always looking
to improve and to do in
house," said Onstott.
He said the crew regu-
larly replaces lighting
fixtures at the facilities
to keep lighting work-
ing well and to avoid the
need to replace too many
at one time. The crew
has also been busy tak-
ing bookshelves out of
the school media centers.
'qvVe keep getting
requests for more
computer space," said
Onstott. "It's valuable to
be able do it in house."
'2Vledia center have less
books because students
can access books online,"
said Superintendent Dr.
Mike Hickman.
Onstott was proud of
the work the mainte-
Pictured are Monroe County
Schools' working drawings
of the cattle barn, hog bam
and pavillion that will com-
prise the new agriculture-
science building.
nance crews had done
getting the Education
Center ready for Monroe
County Achievement
Center to move into at
the beginning of the
school year. Because
of the renovations, the
student and staff were
able to move into a nicer
building than the one
they left.
'%Vhenever the yard
crew was inside because
of rain, they were doing
the floors and ceiling," he
said. 'qCCe want the move
to be to their benefit."
Other projects com-
pleted over the summer
included moving the
bank of transformers at
Mary Persons as part of
replacing the switch gear.
AS a result, the high
school cannot lose power
because of problems
with the transformers
or'switch gear. Hubbard
Elementary installed a
new playground with the
same equipment as the
new playground installed
the previous year at
T.G. Scott Elementary,
Onstott said there are
good warrantees on the
equipment.
Assistant superinten- i:
dent Jackson Daniel ::
added praise for the C:
employees the school sy~
tern has hired that makE
it possible to take care
of much maintenance,
repairs and renovations
without hiring outside
contractors. Hickman
said he saw Onstott and
a crew going around with
a blowtorch to melt ice
in any dangerous spot
before students and staff
came back to school after:
snow days.
'The devil's in the
details," said Daniel.
'~/'ou don't see what goes
on day to day."
