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franklin county times

May 16, 2001

By Staff
Royal treatment for Crestwood
To the Editor:
Our principal and lead teacher show us daily how much they appreciate us, but last week John Lisenbe and Teresa Mikell gave Crestwood's faculty the "royal treatment." All week, "Heaven on the Hill" was an exciting place to be, not just for teachers and assistants, but also for all employees.
Each morning, Mr. Lisenbe voiced appreciation and encouraged students to write notes and give hugs in appreciation for our dedication and commitment to education. Each day greeted us with something special.
Monday Mrs. Mikell hand-delivered to each teacher and assistant a beautifully decorated flower pot full of goodies. A poem accompanied and explained items in the pot  gum, because we stick to it; a Pay-Day, because teachers can never be paid what they're worth, etc.
Tuesday Teresa wheeled around a "special delivery" pastry cart and cooler full of soft drinks. Again, hand-delivered.
Wednesday All employees received a long-stemmed American Beauty red rose, yes, personally delivered.
Thursday The library was transformed into the Crestwood Caf. Tables were adorned with table cloths, attractive centerpieces and candles. Deli food, fruit trays and various desserts were served. Assistants normally monitor meal time, but on this day, Teresa single-handedly supervised lunch time so teachers and assistants could have a leisurely sit- down meal at the caf.
Friday For the past two weeks, we have written our names on a slip of paper and dropped it into a basket. "You'll be really sorry if you don't," Teresa told us with an "I know something you don't" smile. Every hour, she pulled several names from her basket and rolled a prize cart to those teachers' rooms. We drew numbers from a basket that correlated with specific prizes that had been generously donated for this special occasion.
What an incredible week! Many thanks to Mr. Lisenbe and Mrs. Mikell for the "royal treatment."
Janet Berg
2nd grade teacher
Crestwood Elementary
Meridian
Remembers Jimmie singing in Quitman
To the Editor:
As there is so much in the news about Jimmie Rodgers, I wanted to share something about him. My daddy, Walter T. Pugh, worked with him on the railroad at Hiwana, Miss. and Mr. Rodgers told my daddy, "I'm not always going to work like this."
He once came to the old theater in Quitman and sang. We applauded him so much he decided to sing one more song that hadn't been published. When he sang "All Around The Water Tank" he started out making a sound like a train and I thought a real train was coming through  and he only had one lung.
He was a great performer.
Mary A. Covington
Quitman
Teacher pay
To the Editor:
This letter is in response to the letter written by Michael McNeece ("Teacher pay a matter of priority, April 22). The fact that 2,386 classrooms are without certified teachers is not surprising if you look at the surrounding states.
Figures published by the Mississippi Department of Education show that:
In the 1990-2000 school year, the Southeastern region average classroom teacher salary was $36,969. For the same year, the Mississippi average was $31,897.
Why wouldn't a college graduate seek employment in another state?
Mississippi spends, on average, $5,590 per pupil in ADA. The Southeastern region average is $6,098. The U.S. average is $6,829.
As long as the salary remains low, then the teacher shortage will remain a constant problem for Mississippi. The solution is competitive salaries for teachers.
Dianne Sellers
Quitman
Who's liable?
To the Editor:
About two weeks ago, I was driving on North Hills Street and a golf ball came flying over and hit my windshield. I thought, no problem, I'll just go over to Northwood Country Club and notify them of what happened so that my windshield could be fixed.
They contacted their insurance company, only for them to tell me this would not be covered. So I called the manager of the country club, and he said there was nothing else he could do and that the golfer was at fault and liable.
I then called my own insurance agent to ask about this liability and he informed me that the golf course was liable. My insurance policy doesn't cover this and, even if it did, I still shouldn't have to pay to have my windshield replaced.
Only in Meridian, Mississippi, can you drive on a golf course by a main road and have golfers hit balls onto the road and not be liable for any damage. Something is wrong with this picture.
I am telling the public to be careful driving by North Hills Street by the golf course because you may just end up with a shattered windshield.
John D. Johnston
Marion

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