Retired Educator, Businessman Rick Platz Named Recipient of Top JA Volunteer Award
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MONDAY 162nd YEAR • No. 140 OCTOBER 10, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 16 PAGES • 50¢ Retired educator, businessman Rick Platz named recipient of top JA volunteer award By RICK NORTON have witnessed Rick’s relentless and pas- Associate Editor sionate dedication to JA throughout the “As a JA board member, I have years. His commitment to this organization Rick Platz, a familiar face and longtime witnessed Rick’s relentless and has been inspirational, invaluable and fixture in the Cleveland and Bradley passionate dedication to JA immeasurable.” County business and education worlds, has throughout the years. His Platz, who retired as director of the Small been named recipient of Junior commitment to this organization Business Development Center on the Achievement of the Ocoee Region’s most has been inspirational, invaluable Cleveland State Community College cam- prized volunteer honor. and immeasurable.” pus in 2010 and who has since served as Described as a selfless, unpaid worker — Cheryl Dunson an adjunct instructor, follows a series of who has made a “significant difference in previous JA award winners he praised as the lives” of many local students, Platz friends and role models: Margaret Schenck, received the 2016 Ron Braam Award. financial footing when it appeared JA was Don Lorton and Ron Braam, the latter for The presentation came during the non- imminently on the brink of fiscal adversity,” whom the award was eventually named. profit’s recent annual meeting, its 51st said Cheryl Dunson, executive vice presi- Contributed photo “I am honored to receive the Ron Braam RICK PLATZ, left, a retired educator and businessman and former since the organization’s local establishment dent of marketing for Santek Waste Award,” Platz said in accepting the tribute. in 1965. Services who is also a longtime JA volun- “I admire the accomplishments and value board chairman for Junior Achievement of the Ocoee Region, has “Because of his resolve and countless teer and board member. the friendships of previous recipients.” been named recipient of the nonprofit’s top volunteer honor. During hours of study, budgeting and planning, Dunson made the award presentation. the organization’s 51st Annual Meeting, he received the 2016 Ron Rick put Junior Achievement on a strong She added, “As a JA board member, I See PLATZ, Page 4 Braam Award. At right is Melanie Connatser, JA president. Inside Today Special From the pens of youth JA event 7-part series will highlight requires journalism of help of MTSU students By RICK NORTON business Associate Editor Gaston Johnson Kellum Porter Snoddy Alligood A week’s worth of human interest features developed and written by a team of jour- leaders nalism students from Middle Tennessee State University One hour needed Titans reel off win will be spotlighted in a special Monday series in the during November over the Dolphins Cleveland Daily Banner begin- ning Oct. 17. Tennessee Titans quarterback By RICK NORTON The MTSU seniors, who Associate Editor Marcus Mariota threw for three spent several days in July in touchdowns and ran for another Cleveland compiling the sto- In a unique monthlong twist to in a win over the Miami Dolphins. ries and photographs, were its ongoing educational pro- The visiting Atlanta Falcons enrolled in Journalism 3560, grams, Junior Achievement of the snapped Denver’s nine-game an advanced writing and com- Ocoee Region will use November winning streak. The Georgia munications course taught by to further inspire area students. Bulldogs ran to a win over South 30-year newspaper veteran It’s called the JA Launch Carolina, in a game moved to Leon Alligood. Lesson and will operate with two Sunday because of Hurricane Known on the Murfreesboro principle entities: students, Matthew. The Lee Flames campus as the “Road-Trip which are automatically provided dropped a soccer doubleheader Class,” the course — which is with the classroom, and local to West Florida. See Sports, funded by a grant from the business leaders who are being Pages 9-11. Seigenthaler Chair of asked to give an hour of their Excellence in First time during the month. Still not much Amendment Studies — was The initiative, designed to originated by Alligood who coincide with National for ‘have-nots’ spent his journalism career at Entrepreneurship Month, puts entrepreneurs into high school The frustration among the mid- the Nashville Banner and The classrooms (grades 9-12) dle class is that even with the dra- Tennessean before joining the throughout the community to matic rise, family income, adjust- MTSU faculty in 2008. share what inspired them to ed for inflation, remains below the The idea behind Journalism start their own businesses and to 2007 level. The official poverty 3560 is to expose talented open students’ eyes to the oppor- rate, also improved in the new young writers, who are select- tunities provided by entrepre- Census Bureau figures, is still ed for the opportunity, to the neurship, according to Melanie unacceptably high at 13.5 per- real world of newspaper writ- Banner photo, ALLEN MINCEY Connatser, JA president. cent. See the guest “Viewpoint” ing, Alligood explained. It is FIVE JOURNALISM STUDENTS attending Middle Tennessee State University recently spent a “JA is known for bringing on Page 12 of today’s edition. done by taking the students week in Cleveland developing news stories and features in partnership with the Cleveland Daily to all three geographic divi- entrepreneurship education into Banner. The students and several Banner newsroom staff members ended the week with a cookout the classroom,” Connatser said. sions of the state — West, on the Lee University campus. Some of those attending included, front row from left: MTSU students Forecast Middle and East Tennessee — “What makes this initiative dif- where they partner with an Sara Snoddy, Agnes Porter and Jesse Kellum, and Banner staff writer Christy Armstrong. In the sec- ferent is that it is an intensive Columbus Day should see sunny established newspaper. ond row, from left, are Leon Alligood, MTSU journalism professor; Bettie Marlowe, Banner staff experience designed specifically skies, with a high near 77 degrees. In West Tennessee, the writer; Stephen Crass, Banner publisher; and Marissa Gaston and Shaina Johnson, MTSU stu- for today’s up-and-coming busi- Tonight calls for mostly clear skies group worked with a weekly dents. In the back row, from left, are Banner associate editors Rick Norton and Gwen Swiger. ness owner who might not other- publication and in Middle wise have time in his or her busy and a low around 47. Tuesday day to engage as a mentor to should be sunny, with a high near Tennessee the host newspa- per was a midsized daily, into the field in places where but neighboring Polk County, and Bradley County commu- young people.” 78. Tuesday night should be clear, much like their Cleveland they don’t know anyone and as well. Through his own nity by the Banner in a front- Connatser said the initiative is with a low around 46. Daily Banner partner in East don’t know the lay of the newspaper career, Alligood page news story and editorial not an incidental endeavor; it is Tennessee. land,” Alligood explained. became familiar with both prior to their midsummer the result of continued JA explo- Index “This is an immersion vari- Once in Cleveland, the counties and their respective arrival, included: Marissa rations into relevant offerings ety of journalism instruction group of seniors was quickly communities. Gaston, Murfreesboro; Jesse that the nonprofit can bring to Classified......................................15 where we take students out of immersed with story ideas — The students, who were classrooms and area students. Comics...........................................6 the classroom and put them not only in Bradley County, introduced to the Cleveland See YOUTH, Page 4 Editorials......................................12 See JA, Page 4 Horoscope......................................6 MINI Page......................................5 Obituaries.......................................2 Sports........................................9-11 Denise Rice works with industries TV Schedule..................................7 Weather..........................................8 Around Town to reach their ‘Peak Performance’ By ALLEN MINCEY Corning in New York. Betty Darnell enjoying a Banner Staff Writer Before that, she worked for a company hayride over the weekend with PERSONALITY in Fulton, N.Y., where she commuted to her church family ... Laney A graduate of Syracuse University, by from Syracuse, where she lived at the Callaway being asked to say now Denise Rice is used to orange, but time. She remembers that time well. hello to her mom from a friend ... now that orange is Tennessee orange. She PROFILE “It was about a 20-minute commute Olivia Williams going to the state said she has become a Volunteer fan and when you came into Fulton, they had golf tournament in Murfreesboro through and through. a sign that said ‘The City With a Future’ with the girls golf team from “On Saturdays you will find me at home, during the week you could find her but it was always covered with snow,” she Bradley Central High ... Mikey Neyland Stadium,” Rice said. “Gotta love at Cleveland State Community College, says with a laugh. Rice said that there Strickland and Matt Kennedy the Vols. It’s on my bucket list to visit where her business — Peak Performance was so much snow in that area, many traveling to Florida with their pas- every SEC stadium.” — does quite a bit of work. motorists had to have brooms in their tor to help with Hurricane Especially when she has two children in The upstate New York native had inspi- vehicles to clear them off. Contributed Photo Matthew recovery efforts. school at UT. Her daughter Nicole will ration from family, one of which went to Rice said that at one point, she went graduate in December, while her son Tyler Syracuse to major in engineering. Rice with a group to install one of the pieces of WORLD TRAVEL, such as this trip to will graduate next spring.