Template change layout name - Greenville Renaissance Scholars

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Democrat Times
Delta
•
Greenville, Mississippi
Outside
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C h r o n i C l i n G t h e M i s s i s s i p p i D e lta s i n C e 1 8 6 8
School Board
to hear about
new grants
BEVERLY FORD
beverlyford@ddtonline.com
GREENVILLE — The
Greenville Public School
Board of Trustees will hear a
presentation from the School
Improvement Curriculum
executive committee at
today’s meeting, 5 p.m. at the
Child Guidance Center, 407
S. Main St.
President of the board
Henri Tillmon said the executive committee is made up
of GPS staff members.
“Dr. Franklin, the superintendent, formed the committee,” said Tillmon. “And this
committee is in charge of the
School Improvement Plan.
See SCHOOL on 2
INSIDE
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Movie ad .................. 5
Obituaries ................. 5
Opinion ..................... 4
Sports ................. 9-10
TV Listings ..............15
Weather ..................16
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141st Year, No. 163
75 Cents
Lobbyist back on board
More available info sways Councilwoman to change mind
DARYL BELL
darylbell@ddtonline.com
n One killed at
Ohio St., 7
n Attracting
backyard birds, 8
n Teams seek
tourney wins, 9
•
GREENVILLE – Steve Pruitt is
back as the city of Greenville’s lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
In a special executive session
Monday, the City Council voted 3-2,
with one abstention, to renew Pruitt’s
contract until December.
“I’m pleased,” said Mayor Heather
Hudson. “There are dollars in the federal government and he knows where
they are.”
Voting for Pruitt were councilwomen Ann Hollowell (Ward 5) and
Betty Watkins (Ward 4) along with
councilman Carl McGee (Ward 2).
Councilman Kenneth Gines (Ward
1) and Councilwoman Carolyn
Weathers (Ward 3) voted against
Pruitt; Councilman Errick Simmons
(Ward 6) abstained.
Simmons, who vehemently was
opposed to retaining Pruitt last
month, was unavailable for comment.
On Feb.16, Pruitt lost his $30,000
a year lobbying job when his contract
was not renewed. He had been a lobbyist for the city since 2005. He is
also a lobbyist for other municipalities.
Hudson, who has been a vocal supporter of Pruitt, was hoping to get city
council to reconsider its decision.
With a 5-1 vote, council voted to hear
more evidence about Pruitt in Monday’s special meeting.
According to city clerk Amelia
Wicks, the city received $7,372,490
in grants in 2006. In 2007, the city received $5,003,009 and $3,897,556 in
2008. Last year, the grant total was
$2,170,454.
Last month, with a 4-2 vote, Council decided in executive session that
Pruitt’s services were no longer
needed. Only Watkins and McGee
voted to retain him.
What tilted the second vote was
Hollowell, whose vote brought the
subject up for a second vote.
“There was more information
available,” she said. “I thought long
and hard over this. It wasn’t an easy
decision but I had a change of mind
after reading information that the
mayor presented.
“I’d like to think that I made the
right decision. I took my time and really thought about it.”
Weathers, who is in her third
month on the council, wasn’t swayed.
“My vote was cast for what I felt
was best for my constituents and the
city of Greenville,” she said.
Pruitt, who is a managing partner
in Watts Partners, was unavailable for
comment. Watts Partners is chaired
by former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts who
served in the Republican leadership
in the U.S. House of Representatives.
College
prepping
for Scholars
under way
BEVERLY FORD
beverlyford@ddtonline.com
GREENVILLE — Eighth graders in the
Greenville Renaissance Scholars program are systematically weeding through the college preparation process.
While that may seem to be a daunting task for
the students, they’ve got some help, and according
to GRS Executive Director Julia Melle, they’re enjoying the trek.
“So far, we’ve got 15 eighth graders in the college prep program. They seem very interested and
they’re enjoying the guided tour through the
process of learning about college and how to get
there,” said Melle. “The participation has been
great with students and parents.”
GRS’s ultimate goal is for their students to go
to college, and the GRS program is giving the students the opportunities, skills and knowledge to
get into a college of their choice.
“It is pretty essential that our eighth graders have
college on the radar,” Melle said. “They need to
start planning for college by the time they get to
the eighth grade so they will understand the scope
and intensity of the classes they will be taking in
preparation for college.”
The students have committed to a year-long
process of learning about how to plan their higher
education. They spend their Saturday mornings in
See SCHOLARS on 2
BILL JOHNSON / Delta Democrat times
Mable Starks, Youthbuild program director, emphasizes the importance of parental
support and encouragement during the eight month developmental growth of the
young adults enrolled in the program.
YouthBuild re-building youth
BiLL JOhnsOn
billjohnson@ddtonline.com
GREENVILLE – “I joined the program to
change my life for the better,” said 20 year-old
Hakeem Lott. “And they offered me that chance.”
Lott’s chance came through YouthBuild, a Mississippi Action for Community Education program. He aspires to absorb all the skills
YouthBuild can teach him, attend college for
cooking, and eventually open his own resturant.
The MACE-sponsored program was funded in
June 2009, and staffed by September. The twoyear program is committeed to graduating 60 stu-
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dents at 30 per eight-month enrollment cycle.
An open house was recently held for parents
and the community at their 819, suite A Main
Street Greenville location, behind Delta Foundation.
MACE’s previous CEO, Howard Boutte,
helped pioneer YouthBuild in Mississippis while
working with a Jackson-based afilliate. He later
facilitated funding for the program in the Delta.
“YouthBuild is the premier youth workforce
training program in the nation,” said Clifton Whitley, the president and CEO of MACE. “It targets
See YOUTHBUILD on 2