The Wakulla News Special Section Inside This Edition
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The Wakulla news Special Section inside this edition. Section B Our 118th Year, 15th Issue Published Weekly, Read Daily Two Sections Thursday, April 11, 2013 ServingServi Wakullakulla County For More ThanThan A CenturyCentury 75 Cents Anita Townsend, New superintendent longtime county nurse, dies at 93 faces challenges By JENNY ODOM Special to The News Anita Saunders Townsend, who was public health nurse in Wakulla County for 40 years and cared deeply about the people she served, died peacefully on Saturday, April 6, at her home in Craw- fordville surrounded by her family. She was born in 1919 in Brunswick, Ga., and graduated Sopchoppy High School in 1937. Anita Townsend Townsend was in- spired greatly by Eleanor Woolley, a nurse who was married to Dr. Woolley, for whom Woolley Park is named. Anita’s mother, Maddie Trice Sanders, was close friends with Eleanor Woolley and Townsend was drawn to nursing by Wool- ley’s passion for it. The friendship proved to be benefi cial in Townsend’s quest to enter nursing school at Chatahochee State Hospital, where nurses were trained at the time. Dr. Woolley pulled some strings, and Townsend was accepted into the nursing school. Turn to Page 2A WILLIAM SNOWDEN Superintendent of Schools Bobby Pearce at his offi ce. Four months into his job as superintendent of Wakulla James Taylor, schools, Bobby Pearce refl ects on what he’s learned founder of local By WILLIAM SNOWDEN shootings that drew wide pub- to bus drivers – have usually been [email protected] lic concern about the safety of given a raise when teachers get a schools. raise. VFW, is dead Bobby Pearce took over the “It was a major impact right Pearce said it’s been viewed as By WILLIAM SNOWDEN post of superintendent of schools away,” Pearce said. a matter of fairness. [email protected] from the man who had served the It’s prompted the Florida Leg- But if the state only funds longest term in the job. islature to weigh spending $11 teacher raises, what is the local James Taylor, who served Wakulla County as an In refl ecting on his more than million to $14 million for school district to do? elected offi cial and who helped found the local Vet- four months in offi ce, Pearce said safety funding. One aspect of that One initiative he’s been pursu- erans of Foreign Wars post, died on Saturday, April it had really become apparent to being considered for Wakulla is a ing is a shift back to expanding 6, after a lengthy illness. him while going through superin- buzz-in, buzz-out entrance and exit vocational opportunities. Taylor, who was 93, served terms on the both the tendent certifi cation training how at schools, plus fencing to funnel Years ago, he said, the move Wakulla County School generous former Superintendent people to a central location. was to get away from vocational Board and the Wakulla David Miller had been with him The Legislature is also look- programs and move students to County Commission, and other district staff – including ing at $480 million state-wide for college-bound. Now it’s clear that’s and R.H. Carter said he principals – keeping them up-to- teacher raises. not for everybody, he said. was the fi rst person to date on issues facing the district. But Pearce is concerned that the He is working with Lively Vo- serve as chairman of “Every day, I’m thankful for current budget language specifi es Tech in Tallahassee to set up a both those boards. the experience,” Pearce said. “His which teachers would get the pay satellite center in Wakulla that At his funeral ser- (Miller’s) style of leadership really raise. would, the fi rst year, offer automo- vice on Monday, April gave me a leg up.” And then there’s the local issue tive repair – and then add other 8, at the Revels-Nich- One of his own biggest chal- that other district employees – the offerings, such as HVAC. ols Cemetery in Otter lenges came a few weeks after support personnel from cafeteria Turn to Page 2A Creek, he was remem- James Taylor he took offi ce with the Newtown workers and maintenance people bered as a man who did what he felt was best for Wakulla County. It is his role as a founder of the local VFW post that was his lasting legacy. He was remembered for being in the kitchen on Veterans Day every year, Youth coalition holds town meeting cooking up pancakes and sausage for the post’s annual free breakfast, and urging those who were By WILLIAM SNOWDEN state. He attributed the as Campbell put it, since One of the most moving there to eat. [email protected] success to the “buy-in from the need also grew. presentations came from Taylor joined the U.S. Army in 1940. He fought at the community” – and not- The coaltion was also two students in the high the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. He rarely spoke of The Wakulla Coalition ed that those in attendance active the Empty Bowls school’s Advancement Via his military experiences, although one story, shared for Youth held its annual at the luncheon included fundraiser. The coalition Independent Determina- with his sons on one occasion while shucking oys- town meeting last week at County Judge Jill Walker, gets involved, Campbell tion, or AVID, program. ters, was of being baited into a boxing match with the Legacy Cafe and heard Sheriff Charlie Creel, Su- said, because of concern One student told her his commanding offi cer. Taylor didn’t want to fi ght several speakers talk about perintendent of Schools when “things aren’t right story of having a baby as the man, but the offi cer kept insisting. the problems, and success- Bobby Pearce, County Com- at home.” a freshman and then work- When the offi cer got up from being knocked out,= es of Wakulla’s youth. missioner Jerry Moore and Tonya Hobby, tobacco ing double-shifts to make he treated Taylor with new respect. The theme of this year’s County Administrator Da- program specialist for the money for her child while meeting, held on Wednes- vid Edwards – and dozens county health department, attending school. She cred- day, April 3, was “Changing of other people concerned and Molly Clore of Stu- ited lessons learned from OBITUARIES the conversation.” about or working with lo- dents Working Against To- AVID with keeping her Bruce Ashley, president cal youth. bacco introduced Erin Erin, in school and doing her Roberta Colter Martin of the coalition, noted that Coalition Director Gail a Wakulla High School best. Marilyn D. Shepherd the group’s success has Campbell noted that the junior and president of In the fall she will at- James Gilbert Taylor become a model for other organization started Opera- SWAT chapter, who talked tend Bethune-Cookman organizations around the tion Santa two years ago to about student involvement University where she Anita Saunders Townsend help with the needs of the in the candy-fl avored to- plans to study to become community around Christ- bacco issue. a nurse. mastime. That effort grew A video made by SWAT Turn to Page 6A this year – unfortunately, youth was shown as well. INDEX Public Notices ................................................................. Page 3A The Opinion Page ........................................................... Page 4A Church............................................................................. Page 5A Obituaries ....................................................................... Page 6A Community ..................................................................... Page 7A School ............................................................................. Page 8A Sports ............................................................................. Page 9A Outdoors ...................................................................... Page 10A Water Ways....... ...............................................................Page 11A Sheriff’s Report................................................................Page 12A Green Scene/Natural Wakulla ...........................................Page 13A Week in Wakulla................................................................Page 14A Thinking Outside the Book.................................................Page 15A Classifi eds ..................................................................... Page 16A Legal Notices ................................................................ Page 16A WILLIAM SNOWDEN Comics ............................................................ ..............Page 19A Attendees at the coalition town meeting listen to a presentation by Assistant Low Country Boil Photos ................................ ..............Page 20A Superintendent Beth O’Donnell and two Wakulla High School students. Wild About Wakulla Week .............................................Section B Page 2A – THE WAKULLA NEWS, Thursday, April 11, 2013 www.thewakullanews.com New superintendent From Page 1A standpoint, Pearce said heard for years that fam- the biggest challenge ilies moved to Wakulla Additionally, the dis- is that “The day is a lot for the schools. trict has been expand- more intense than my The measure he ing other “pathway” days as a principal.” looks for, to tell that programs – the Medical As principal at Me- he’s been successful, is Academy has been a dart Elementary, he when he hears people success, where students was responsible for one are moving here be- come out of the program school, he said. cause they want their as a Certified Nursing “As superintendent, child to graduate from Assistant, and STEM you’re responsible for Wakulla High School. Engineering is in the all school centers rath- It means the whole works. er than