Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 79

mum Area Notes 4 Clubs 3 Births 2 Meetings planned 8 FUVUS West and Northwest Jackson, including Georgetown, Hanging Moss, Lake Hico, Lakeover, Presidential Hills, Richwood, Woodhaven and Woodlea. The Clarion-Ledger Thursday June 13, 1991 Jackson, Mississippi 8 Pages Vol. 34 Meimtts ptaf parQ ion boncNssue syeeess Brinkley student-body president Cory Wofford and his classmates lobbied for the improvements. By Kim Darby Focus Staff Writer 1 y' earning 59.13 percent approval. Eddie Wofford said it would "do her mind good" to know that her son would eventually be learning in an air-conditioned school.

"I'm proud of my son for doing something himself to help his school, and I'm proud of the people of Jackson who voted on the school bond issue," she said. "There may have been racial problems, public and private school problems and other problems, but the main problem was giving our children a quality education. The people of Jackson have taken a step to do that" Work began last week to air-condition the 11 schools, and Superintendent Ben Canada hopes to have the schools cooled by spring. of Jackson voters supported five projects totaling $57.2 million. The pricetag for all 10 projects was more than $74 million.

It was the city's first successful bond issue in 27 years. The passed resolutions will provide money to cool 11 of the district's 57 schools, replace portable classrooms, build new classroom wings, buy library books and create science laboratories. Five projects to purchase computers, improve security systems, build an athletic complex, and improve soccer fields and football fields failed to receive approval by 60 percent of the voters, which is required by state law. Proposition 7, which would have installed security systems in schools, almost passed, the other students in schools around the city." Wofford, though not old enough to vote on the bond issue, was one of hundreds of Jackson school students who took matters into their own hands in terms of supporting it Wofford, student-body president at Brink-ley, said he and his classmates learned all they could about the bond issue and decided they wanted to do whatever they could to help get it passed. "We went out, got people to put up signs and told them how important the bond issue was to education," he said.

"The school bond issue was there to help us and I think we made a difference in its passing." Unofficial totals show more than 60 percent Cory Wofford won a personal victory last Tuesday when five of 10 Jackson school bond issue propositions were passed by voters. "My mom Eddie and I watched the news as they kept televising the way the voting was running," Wofford said. "I wish all of them would have been passed, but I think the most important of them got through. It really feels like a sort of personal victory. For me and all Boccrt StG7ui vet cayo fSicnto' Projects get $30,000 boost from Trust Grants ranged from $75 i a sk Tor reaaing caras to ,440 for a math program.

By Kim Darby Focua Staff Writer SL 'SOMETHING 10 i lr i I feiHH i AlJiriflllil r'n n- Kendall Watkinss Received a scholarship to Mississippi State. Provine player to participate in all-star game Kendell Watkins credits coaching staff for saving his football career. By Kim Darby Focu Staff Writer Kendell Watkins spent more time quitting football teams than playing on them. Now the 6-3, 245-pound Provine High School senior is about to play on one of the most important football teams in the state. Watkins will join 35 other high school seniors across the state to compete against top Alabama football players in the annual Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic, which will be held at Ladd Stadium in Mobile Saturday.

Watkins, who has received a full scholarship to Mississippi State, said he was thrilled at being considered one of the top players in the state and that he was determined to do his best. "I wanted to do anything but play football when I first started junior high school at Hardy," he said. "It was hot, and I had a lot of other things on my mind. But it's all paid off now, and I'm excited about playing in the all -star game." Watkins joined Hardy Junior High School's football team in the ninth grade, and he quit the follow Kim Darby Focus Sgt. Maj.

Marlon Anding was of miles away from home dur- a teacher at the school, helped the students send letters during the' ing the Persian Gulf war, but fifth-graders at North Jackson Elementary conflict. Anding, on a trip to thank the students, said that he'd never helped him through the loneliness. Dorothy Bell, Anding's mother and had better pen pals and Bell said she'd never seen her class happier. Mom's wish comes true; 1 0,000 grant OK'd An organization that funds educational projects proposed by local teachers recently awarded $30,000 in grants this year. The Educational Foundation Trust was organized in 1985 by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce.

It funds projects generated by teachers that aim to stimulate motivational skills and enrichment learning, said Lewis Slater, manager of government relations for the chamber and staff assistant to the trust. "This trust funds projects that can't be funded through the normal budgetary process," Slater said. "We started our five-year fund-raising drive in 1986 and our ultimate goal is to have $2 million in the endowment." Currently, there is about $750,000 in the trust fund endowment. More than 80 proposals were selected from the 245 submitted by area teachers. The grants ranged from $75 for reading cards to $1,448 for a schoolwide math skills improvement program using computer software.

Funding selection was based on whether the projects rewarded academic achievement, supplemented and enriched existing curriculums, affected a large number of students and demonstrated measurable results and could be initiated in 1991-1992. This is the fifth year that the education trust has given the awards. Slater said the trust initially raised funds for the trust by targeting 100 companies in Jackson while the the school board simultaneously raised a "substanitial amount of money." "We appealed to all chamber members, we even ran ads in the paper and did some TV spots to solicit funds," he said. The chamber asked for five-year pledges, so the trust money has been coming from those initial pledges. He said there had been "very little shrinkage in the collection versus the the pledges." The number of grants that will be given out per year is based on the amount of grant money the trusts' board of directors decides to award and the school districts' recommendation of the areas that require "specific interest." The project applications are reviewed by committees at each school, on the district level and finally by the education trust fund board.

This year a selection committee appointed by the principal at See GRANTS, page 8 The program was an answered prayer for Bailey and other parents of multi-handicapped children. i a i The money will be used for Jackson Public School's extended-day enrichment program. I uaiiey waniea 10 maxe kJj-- sure the program continued "rifT-. ti to grow and prosper. So she By Lisa Uzzle Gates Focus Staff Writer I applied for a grant from the Family Care Development Fund.

The fund, developed by the Communica Bailey ing summer. He returned to the game when he entered the 10th grade at Provine, then quit in the middle of the season. By Watkins' llth-grade year, Provine coach Stanley Blackmon i pulled the fickle football player aside and told him that the game could do a lot more for Watkins than give him something to do on weekends. i' The coaches' speech was the turn-around" motivation for him to get serious about football. "I didn't think I enjoyed the game all that much, but when I saw my friends out there playing, it felt wrong, like something was missing," he said.

"I really didn't have any idea how much football could do for me until I talked to coach Blackmon. After I did, I saw that football could get me into a good college and I could save my mom some money. I did." Watkins, who said he was offered scholarships to more than 20 colleges around the nation, is thinking of majoring in business administration at MSU. He is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America Club, the Future Teachers of America Club and the Kingdom College Preparatory Program. under the supervision of coordinator Loretta West, a former JPS special education teacher for 15 years.

She is assisted in after-school care by Jeanette Cavett and Nancy Barnes. The women also receive help from several "buddies" McLeod third-graders that are also students in the extended-day enrichment program. "A lot of time and love goes into (care for multi-handicapped students). We went around and did a program to give the other students a chance to get used to the multi-handicapped program being here. We signed up 55 buddies this year.

We have two shifts of buddies a day," Jones said. Jones said the program hopes to expand multi-handicapped care to another school in the district. The other parents are also grateful to Bailey for her effort in securing the grant. Kay Richardson, whose son Jon is multi-handicapped, said it's hard to find qualified babysitters. "Jon goes to North Jackson Elementary because I teach there.

I used to keep Jon in my room after school but I would have work to do or meetings to go to and I would have students keep an eye on him. But I never felt comfortable leaving him," she said. "Now I feel so comfortable with him coming over here. I know qualified people are over here. All I have to do is come pick him up." Helen Bailey looked long and hard to find a good after-school program for her multi-handicapped son.

When she finally found one, she was determined to lend a helping hand. And help she did to the tune of $10,000. Since her son, Paul Cannon, was 6 years old she has juggled her career and his special after-school care. Paul started kindergarten at North Jackson Elementary. Each day after school, Bailey would meet the bus at her home and take Paul to Willowood Developmental Center for after-school care and then return to work at the phone center in Northpark.

She had done this almost every school day for two years. But this year she got a break when Jackson Public School's Extended-Day Enrichment Program was expanded to include multi-handicapped children. The program, part of the Adult Community Education Department, already served 625 children in 17 school sites around the city. Six multi-handicapped students received after-school care at McLeod Elementary this year. tions Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, is open only to employees.

Bailey worked with Pam Jones, the director of the extended-day program, in filling out the application for the grant. The grants are for programs just getting started. Bailey said she applied for funding for two areas expansion of the program to another school and extension of the program to summer care. Bailey and Jones said they hoped to get at least one of the projects funded. "I was really surprised," Bailey said.

"The grants are for differing amounts. I was surprised we got $10,000. They range anywhere from $500 on up. But they funded both projects and we were just ecstatic." The McLeod multi-handicapped program is Gentry retiring after 22 years as Blackburn Junior High principal Improving the school remains a top priority in his final days on the job. By Kim Darby Foe Staff Writer and Gentry became principal.

He returned to Jackson in 1968, became principal of Blackburn and he's has been there since. Gentry, planning to thwart the stereotype that inner-city schools offered inadequate education, instituted a multitude of different programs to place Blackburn students on the "cutting edge." These programs addressed the academic and social problems of his students, and he said they reflected the "real world." Among these was a program that paired Blackburn male students with local ministers to act as role models, a program that brought in successful black businessmen to motivate the children to achieve I wouldn't be surprised at all to find myself up and on my way over here without thinking about it a lot of days." Gentry plans to "rest" during his retirement. Gone is the restless excitement of many soon-to-be retirees. They're eager to embark on trips, projects and other activities they never had time to do while working. Gentry faces retirement with the reluctant air of a man who feels he has much more to offer and achieve.

A native of Noxapater, Gentry chose his family's well-traveled road of education (eight, out of his seven brothers and two sisters, are teachers) in the fifth grade. "I remember my teacher then," he said. "Her name was Annie B. Hawthorn and she was wonderful. I remember Miss Hawthorn showing me where the Great Lakes were on the map and thinking she knew everything.

I knew I wanted to be a teacher, too." Gentry began pursuing his dreams of education by attending Jackson State University in 1955 as an elementary education major. He worked his way through college by waiting tables at night at the King Edward Hotel in Jackson, and hegraduated in 1959. He began his career teaching sixth-grade students at Henderson Elementary in Starkville. The school's name was later changed to Ward Middle School, and a program that took at-risk Blackbum students into the homes of various successful black businessmen and women to prove to them that "they could do it too." Gentry's drive to improve his students scores on standardized tests proved the most prolific during his administration. Calling the tests "a indicator that would be used in the real world," Gentry decided his students had to prepared and organized special study programs and incentives to motivate his students to do their best on California Achievement Tests and Basic Skill Assessment Program tests they are required to take throughout the year.

See GENTRY, page 8 Lepolian Gentry looms larger than life as he strides down the hallways of Blackburn Junior High School. Gentry, who will retire this year after 22 years as the school's principal, can't believe that he won't be walking down the halls next year. "I come to work every day not thinking that I won't be back here next year," said Gentry, "I keep thinking of how much these kids need, how much farther they can go. Lepolian Gentry: Retiring as Blackburn principal. Um.

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