News from May 1, 2008 issue

Local News
The Crittenden Press (PDF)
(Selected pages from Sections A & B)
WARNING: PDF files will take longer to download, especially on low-speed ISPs.

Crittenden narrows superintendent search
On Friday, Crittenden County Board of Education narrowed its candidate list for a new superintendent down to five. A decision on a replacement for retiring Superintendent John Belt will not be made until after May 8, when the last of the finalists is interviewed.
Board Chairman Chris Cook said it looks like all five candidates – two women and three men – are familiar with Kentucky’s education system and have what the district is seeking in the next head of the school district.
“I’ve not heard anything negative on any of them,” Cook said Tuesday, just prior to the board’s initial interview with Victor Zimmerman, Lyon County’s Middle School principal. “We’ve certainly got the top five applicants.”
None of the finalists were from inside the local district, though four have current positions with rural western Kentucky districts. Aside from Zimmerman, who lives in Tiline, Dr. Shirley Menendez works for the Livingston County district, Travis Hamby for Trigg County and Dr. Rachel Yarbrough for Webster County. All three are assistant superintendents. The fifth candidate, James Francis, is a certified specialist with Jefferson County Schools.
Both Hamby and Menendez are also finalists for superintendent of Livingston County schools.
Zimmerman and Hamby have already interviewed with the board. The remaining three will be in the district within the next week, spending the day with educators and touring the community.
The community will have an opportunity to meet the remaining candidates at board meetings open to the public prior to scheduled interviews. Each meeting will convene at 5:30 p.m., at the law offices of Greenwell, Frazer and Peek on Main Street in Marion. That meeting will include a meal with the candidate at a local restaurant before the board goes into closed session for interviews.
Cook said that time will allow the board to ask questions of and get to know the applicants.
“This is the first opportunity that the board will have to really meet these people,” Cook said. “I’ve never laid eyes on any of them.”
More on each of the candidates can be found here next week.

The candidates
Interviews for Crittenden County Superintendent of Schools are currently under way by the board of education. The public is invited to meet each candidate at 5:30 p.m., the day of the interview at the law offices of Greenwell, Frazer and Peek in downtown Marion. The actual interview will be conducted in closed session.

Victor Zimmerman (interview April 29)
Middle school principal, Lyon County
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, Lamar University (Beaumont, Tex.).
Experience: In fourth year as Lyon County Middle School principal; seven years as middle school art teacher in Orange, Tex.; one year as assistant principal/intern in Orange, Tex.; previously interviewed for assistant principal at Crittenden County Middle School; also worked in construction and art to supplement income.

Jason Travis Hamby (Interview April 30)
Assistant superintendent, Trigg County
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, Murray State University.
Experience: In first year as assistant superintendent with Trigg County school district; three years as South Todd Elementary School principal; four years as Todd County Middle School assistant principal; three years as math teacher at Hopkins County Central High School; two years as math teacher at James Madison Middle School in Madisonville; also worked as support manager at Wal-Mart while attending college.

Dr. Rachel Yarbrough (May 2)
Assistant superintendent, Webster County
Education: Bachelor’s, Oakland City College (Ind.); master’s, Western Kentucky University; doctorate of education, Oakland City University (Ind.)
Experience: In ninth year as assistant superintendent at Webster County school district; three-and-a-half years as principal at Sebree Elementary/Middle School; five years as guidance counselor at both Slaughters and Sebree Elementary/Middle schools; two years as a language arts and social studies teacher at Slaughters Elementary/Middle School (grades 6-8); has also served as an adjunct professor at Oakland City University and Western Kentucky University.

Dr. Shirley Menendez (May 5)
Assistant superintendent, Livingston County
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, Murray State University; doctorate, Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, Ill.)
Experience: Serving as assistant superintendent at Livingston County school district; three years as principal at Ledbetter Elementary School; 20 years as director of the U.S. Department of Education's National Diffusion Network for Illinois; three years as instructional specialist with the Brookport, Ill., board of education; one year with the Paducah Board of Education as a curriculum specialist; eight years as a teacher at Lone Oak High School; has also served as an adjunct professor at Murray State University.

James Francis (Interview May 8)
Certified specialist, Jefferson County
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, Tenn.); master’s, Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, Tenn.)
Experience: In second year as certified specialist with Jefferson County school district; one year as superintendent at Laurel County (London, Ky.) school district; four years at Hazard (Ky.) Independent school district as superintendent; one year as superintendent at West Columbia, S.C.; four years as superintendent at Wilson County (Lebanon, Tenn.) school district; 15 years as acting principal and math teacher at Wilson County (Tenn.); also served six years as a county commissioner in Wilson County; worked four years at a convenience store while attending college.

Additional superintendent search in Livingston County
Livingston County Board of Education is conducting interviews with five candidates for superintendent of schools, with one of those currently serving as an employee of the district and another a former Crittenden County High School football coach.

The finalists are:
Riley Ramsey, currently serving as director of pupil personnel of Webster County schools;
Kennith Bargo, former Rocket football coach in the 1980s and currently director of pupil personnel of Warrick County Schools in Booneville, Ind.;
Shirley Menendez, instructional supervisor in Livingston County;
Jason Hamby, now assistant superintendent in Trigg County; and
Thomas Dimit, an education attorney and consultant from Toledo, Ohio.

Bookmobile returns to service Monday
Doctors don’t make house calls anymore, but the public library still does.
Regular bookmobile service in Crittenden County returns next week in style. Tabby Padgett, the operator of the public library’s bookmobile for the last two years, will be sporting a new 2007 Dodge van when she makes her rounds beginning Tuesday.
“We’ve got all new stuff,” Padgett said.
Padgett hasn’t maintained a regular bookmobile route since last summer, when the library’s old box-type truck effectively died. The tires, generator and radiator were all failing, “not to mention the exhaust leak that filtered into the truck,” Padgett added.
In fact, on one occasion she even hurriedly began unpacking the 17-year-old bookmobile when she thought it was about to blow.
“That day, we thought it was on fire,” Padgett said last week.
The new bookmobile should alleviate those concerns. The $60,000 vehicle was purchased with a $35,000 state grant with the balance from library savings.
Crittenden County Public Library Director Regina Merrick said the library’s bookmobile service accounts for about 700 transactions per month, or 20 percent of the facility’s total usage. Since August 2007, Padgett has been using Merrick’s personal vehicle to maintain an “emergency” bookmobile route.
When the bookmobile resumes full service Tuesday, complete with colorful graphics, gray and blue trim on the white body and identifying lettering, the more than 180 regular borrowers will once again be able to count on Padgett’s visit every other week.
Next week, she will begin with a visit to the communities of Shady Grove and Mattoon on Tuesday, as well as stops in Marion at the nursing home, and Bellville Manor and Creekside apartment complexes. Two days later, she’s heading out to the Dycusburg, Frances and New Salem areas and she’ll hit Youth Camp Road.
It’s not just books Padgett is anxious to get back to delivering, She’s got lots of friends she’s been missing.
“For some people, I’m the only one they see during the week,” she said.
The second week of May, Padgett will make one of her favorite stops – at the two day care facilities in Marion.
“The kids really like it,” she said. “They start screaming when I pull up.”
Besides that new-car smell, users will find a few changes. Because the van is considerably smaller than the old box-type truck, Padgett is not able to carry as many books, videos and DVDs as before. She is having to limit the number of checkouts by an individual per stop to 15.
“We’ve had some people who would check out 50 books for the two weeks,” she said.
Padgett welcomes calls or e-mails from patrons with special requests. She can be reached at 965-3354 or ccbookmobile@hotmail.com.


Marion woman heads to DC for spiritual event
A Marion resident will be among the hand-picked national leaders in the area of prayer to attend a National Day of Prayer event in Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Kennedy Dean is a significant voice in the current dialogue on spirituality and prayer, according to her Web site, www.prayinglife.org. As an author, speaker and conference leader, Dean's ministry addresses numerous questions about prayer.
Dean is the sister of Marion resident Priscilla Graham, who serves as her sister's media liaison. Dean speaks about prayer at conferences around the country, and is a member of the National Prayer Committee, the supervising body for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She is also the author of one of National Day of Prayer's signature books. She was the keynote speaker at Focus on the Family facilities for the National Day of Prayer coordinators this year.
In recognition of Thursday's National Day of Prayer, Dean will be in Washington, D.C. and, among other things, will participate in a private reception and cermony in the Rose Garden at the White House. This is by private invitation and to a very limited number of hand-picked national leaders in the area of prayer, Graham said.
Dean carries out her work in the area of prayer through the Praying Life Foundation, which offers in-depth seminars on prayer, keynote speaking, and retreat formats and publishes a newsletter with ministry updates and teaching articles.
To learn more about her and her ministry, visit www.prayinglife.org.