August 7, 2019 Page 5C
iRL orter
e
By Calista Anne Koch
Annalynn McTyre Waddy, a
promising young harpist origi-
nally from Macon, is a 12-year-
old homeschooler. She began to
concentrate on the harp at the
age of seven, after more than
four years of previous study on
the piano. She has been a mem-
ber of Ingleside Baptist Student
Sessions Orchestra for two years
and Macon Youth Orchestra this
year. For several years, she has
been one of the youngest mem-
bers of the Middle Georgia Harp
Ensemble, under the direction of
her mother, Calista Anne Koch.
Two weeks after relocating
to Monroe County, Annalynn
Waddy premiered her original
composition on the national
stage. The American Harp Soci-
ety presented it's 13th Summer
Institute in Winston-Salem, NC.
There, harpists from all over the
United States came together to
learn from workshops, compete
in competitions and hear con-
certs by amazing artists. An-
nalynn's composition caught the
eyes and ears of the harp world
and was performed in front of
the entire gathering. Performing
her own composition, this young
composer wowed the audience.
As a member of the Middle
Georgia Harp Ensemble, An-
nalynn has had the honor of
: performing in the ensemble for
concerts including a Mercer
University Faculty Recital, the
Georgia Chapter's 2018 Harp
Odyssey in Atlanta, and during
a concert at the 2016 American
Harp Society's National Conven-
tion; there, she was also selected
as one of the youngest performers
to participate as part of the Youth
Harp Ensemble for the same
convention's dosing concert.
One of the directors of the
Youth Harp Ensemble composed
two of the pieces the ensemble
performed, which fascinated
Annalynn. A few months later,
Annalynn was inspired by the
sea creatures she witnessed and
imagined while on a family
cruise. She came home and began
putting on manuscript paper
what came to her as she plucked
out a melody. The first composi-
tion, "Creatures of the Deep: A
Song of the Ocean" was complet-
ed and submitted within a matter
of months and she was honored
to be named one of the American
Harp Society's Featured Compos-
ers for the 2017 Summer Institute
for the first bi-annual Young
Composers Project.
The 2017 Summer Institute,
held at St. Olaf College in Min-
nesota gave Annalynn the chance
to be mentored by composers
such as Libby Larsen, perform
in a master dass, get feedback
on her composition, and per-
form her first movement for all
assembled at the Institute. That
amazing experience motivated
Annalynn
her to continue composing and
working towards her goal of writ-
ing a three movement work. She
completed the second movement
a year later and concluded the
entire three movement work this
past fall. The Institute announced
the Featured Composers and
Annalynn went again as one of
the eight featured composers this
year.
The American Harp Society,
Waddy
Inc. Young Composers Project is
a biennial national educational
program for harpists ages 25 and
under. This project provides an
opportunity for young harpists to
broaden their relationship with
their instrument by compos-
ing an original harp score and
performing their composition
at the 13th Summer Institute at
the University of North Carolina
School of the Arts in Winston-
Salem, North Carolina. There,
they were mentored by compos-
ers Dan Locklair and Alyssa Reit
and not only performed their
pieces for all in attendance, but
had their pieces performed in a
masterclass and got one-on-one
feedback from seasoned compos-
ers.
Growing up around other
musicians, Annalynn has had
the opportunity to consult and
experience professional and
student composers and glean
from their experiences and
knowledge. "Creatures of the
Deep;' is a three movement work
and is Annalynn's first completed,
full-length composition for harp.
The first movement, '~ Song of
the Ocean" was written about a
pod of whales in the warm waters
of the Caribbean and included
special effects that mimicked the
sounds whales produce.
When she decided to write the
second movement, "Encounter In
The Abyss" she already knew that
she wished to continue the theme
from the first movement, but
altered it to sound how she imag-
ined a sperm whale sounding in
the deep abyssal plains. The third
movement, ' rctic Splendor;' was
composed with another variation
of the whales' theme, but was
intended to reflect beluga whales
gleefully playing near the calving
glaciers. All three movements
have a connected theme, but all
are vastly different.
F
Vulcan Materials Com-
pany's Macon Quarry was
recognized during the
2019 Vulcan Materials
Company's Macon Quarry
was recognized during the
2019 Georgia Construc-
tion Aggregate Association
(GCAA) Midyear Meeting
with the Eagle Award for
Community Involvement
- Silver Award. 2019 Eagle
Award winners were rec-
ognized by Scott Dickson,
Hanson Aggregates, GCAA
President in June.
The Eagle Award pro-
gram is designed to ac-
knowledge the efforts of
individual quarry loca-
tions. It is not a company-
wide program but focuses
on the activities of an
individual location. The
Community Involvement
Award looks at the activi-
ties of an individual quarry
location that demonstrates
a comprehensive approach
to community involvement
and environmental sustain-
ability.
Congratulations to Barry
Lawson, Plant Manager and
the 40 employees who call
the Macon Quarry home!
Pictured,
left to
right,
Georgia
Con-
struction
Aggregate
Association
President
Scott
Dickson
and Travis
Holman,
Vulcan
Materi-
als Com-
pany Area
Operations
Manager.
!
!
By Diane GlideweU
news@mymcr.nef
Summer projects to renovate
and improve school facilities are
going well, according to Monroe
County Schools Maintenance and
Facilities Director Roger Onstott.
He updated the Board of Edu-
cation on this summer's work,
including renovations at Mary
Persons, resurfacing of the track,
new lanes and parking at Monroe
County Middle School and com-
pletion of the Agriculture Science
Center, at its July 9 meeting.
The renovations at Mary
Persons, particularly at the front
entrance, were an opportunity
for aesthetic improvements that
should be noticed by everyone
who enters the building. Onstott
said the Mary Persons bulldog
logo has been placed on the epoxy
floor finish.
There have been some changes
in color and new LED lighting
added. Multi-levels of finish give
the floor a swirl effect that reflects
a lot of light, and the new lighting
amplifies it. Down the hall, the
tech lab has new lights, painting
and flooring. The old carpet is
gone.
"It's like walking into a hospital,'
said Onstott. "We hope to generate
excitement."
Most of the work on re-doing
the Mary Persons track is finished.
It still needs striping and a few
finishing touches but should be
ready for use by the end of August,
according to Onstott.
Work at the Monroe County
Middle School campus is pro-
gressing. The goal is to make
traffic coming and going from the
school smoother and help ease
the congestion that adding the 6th
grade to the Banks Stephens cam-
pus created at the beginning of the
last school year. New lanes and
parking areas have been graded
all around the school. There
will be parking in the back for
buses, teachers and athletic events.
Onstott showed board members
pictures of the work.
Onstott said it is taking a little
longer than expected to finish up
everything at the new agriculture
science building near the Banks
Stephens campus. The barn, con-
crete, gated pens and metal siding
are being finished. Last on the list
are finishing the back rooms and
fencing in some of the surround-
ing area for pasturing animals.
In other Monroe County
Schools news:
Board member Stuart Pippin
said it is time to look at creating
a better experience for visitors to
come to Mary Persons football
field by renovating the visitors'
stands and bathrooms.
"We need a timeline for renova-
tions ' said Pippin.
Superintendent Dr. Mike Hick-
man said that the total cost of
re-doing the visitors side of the
field is out of reach for the school
system right now, but there are
some enhancements that Monroe
County Schools can do. However,
most of the work will have to wait
until the next ESPLOST is passe&
He said plans for the current $23
million ESPLOST changed drasti-
cally when the school system had
to close the Middle School Wil-
liam Hubbard campus unexpect-
edly just before school started in
August 2018. Hickman said that
tax collections have been good
on the ESPLOST, but it is limited
to $23 million and must stop col-
lection if it reaches that amount
before five years.
About $7 million is commit-
ted to work at the Middle School
Banks Stephens campus, and the
school system has to make sure it
has funds for other essential items
like replacement school buses. He
said it is unlikely Monroe County
Schools will be able to provide
better visitors stands at the football
field any time soon because a lot
of grading is needed. However,
renovating the visitors' restrooms
is feasible.
"I don't see the stadium lasting
20-30 years like the buildings"
said Pippin. "I just think it's time
[for a plan.]"
Hickman said the Mary Persons
Bulldogs moved from their old
field house in 2001, and some
more work was done on the ath-
letic complex in about 2003. On-
stott said it will cost over $500,000
just to upgrade the lighting at the
baseball and football fields; he said
new poles are needed for some
of the lights. He explained that
the state's five-year facility plan is
for buildings and doesn't include
fields and other investments that
are for extracurricular activities.
"We only have so much money,"
said Hickman. We want the very
best for our kids, but there's a
price. We have to be good stew-
ards"
Hickman told the board on
July 9 that he had just received a
new contract from the Monroe
County manager for picking
up trash from the schools. The
board approved a contract with
the county for trash retrieval on
June 11, but county commission-
ers subsequently rejected that
contract even though the county
sent the contract to the Board of
Education.
The new contract between the
county and the school system for
trash retrieval was supposed to
start July 1. The county agreed to
pull trash containers at the schools
and not to charge the school
system tipping fees. It was a three-
year agreement, with the school
system to pay $16,500 the first
year, $17,000 the second year and
$17,500 the third year.
"This is a deal" said Assistant
Superintendent Jackson Daniel
as he recommended the board
approve the contract, which it did
unanimously.
Hickman said he was not ready
to present the new contract to the
board on July 9.
"We know there's some new fig-
ures, but we need to look at what
else is in there;' he said.
Daniel said the county will
continue to pick up trash from
the schools under the old contract
until a new agreement is signed,
and the school system will pay
the county retroactively under the
new contract. There won't be a gap
in service.
Board member Eva Bilderback
asked whether the contract the
board approved in June had
originated with the county and
was told it had. However, Hick-
man said the first contact came to
the school system several months
before it was signed. The school
system delayed signing the con-
tract as it tried to align it with its
fiscal year, which runs from July
through June. The county's fiscal
year follows the calendar year.
When commissioners discussed
the returned contract, County
Manager Jim Hedges told them
they should adjust the rates.
When Hickman told the board
he would discuss the new con-
tract with school board attorney
Ben Vaughn, Bilderback asked if
there would be a conflict of inter-
est since Vaughn is now also the
county's attomey. Hickman said
Vaughn is "bound by good faith"
to help find a fair solution for the
school system.
"We want to look at other op-
tions" said Daniel.
School board member Greg
Head said the school board needs
to make sure the contract includes
wording that it will continue
during negotiations so that the
schools are never without trash
removal.
Monroe County Schools Tech-
nology Director Valerie Mercer
told the board on July 9 that the
school system's website will have a
"cleaner, sleeker look" for the new
school year. She said she expected
to get feedback on the new look in
the next week.
"We will try to make it as sleek
as possible" she said. "It looks like
some of the other school system
sites you may have seen?
Mercer said she will try to keep
things in the same places on the
website to make them easier for
users to find, but everything that
was on the old website will not be
moved to the new one. She said
the school system will work with
parents to help them learn to use
the new site. She said she will give
board members Chromebooks at
their November meeting to famil-
iarize them with the new website.
Mercer said the new website
is suited to use on iPads and cell
phones. The webmaster at indi-
vidual schools will add their own
content.
Personnd actions approved by
the board on July 9 included hir-
ing Delaney Doolittle as a teacher
at Mary Persons and hiring
substitute teachers April Garner,
Katie Hardesty, Sylvia Hatcher and
Debra Timpson.
The board accepted the resig-
nations of two mechanics in the
transportation department, Cody
Jones and Don Spears. Fonda An-
derson was hired as a bus driver
trainee.
