CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK $1.00 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014 /20 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS • fbnewsleader.com O SAY CAN YOU SEE New elementary school in Yulee KATHIE COLGROVE the project could move forward soon to NCR Reporter allow the school to open as soon as May 2017. Board members met in the A new elementary school will open Bryceville Elementary School cafeto- in Yulee as early as 2017. rium with host Principal Amber The Nassau County School Board Nicholas-Bovinette. voted 3-0 Sept. 25 to approve negotia- Chairwoman Donna Martin and tions with architectural firm R. Dean school board member Amanda Young Scott, Architect, Inc. on the proposed were absent. Superintendent John Ruis $17 million building project. was also absent, with Assistant Super- Mittauer and Associates will enter intendent Ed Turvey Jr. filling in for negotiations with the school district him. regarding the entrance road onto the A start date for construction has school property. Facilities Director not been set. The nearly 27-acre school Kevin Burnette said Tuesday, pend- ing negotiations with the two firms, YULEE Continued on 3A First aid for Some of the more than 580 participants in the Ben Byrns Runway Rally on Saturday at mental health the city airport sing the nation- al anthem MARY MAGUIRE community room at the Fernandina before the News-Leader Beach police station. event, above. Earlier this year, Mays said the William Weaver, Almost 20 percent of Americans Fernandina Beach Police Department left, took first will have a mental disorder this year, sent dozens of officers through the place in the such as anxiety, depression, substance program. She said there are plans to Male Overall abuse, social anxiety, an eating disor- involve other first responders as well as competition. der, bipolar illness or schizophrenia. healthcare workers and educators. More photos, So says a 2007 Harvard study that “I’d love to get the Nassau County 12A. local counselors say still reflects the sheriff involved,” said Mays. PHOTOS BY ED HARDEE current situation. Though this latest group largely FOR THE NEWS-LEADER “Think about it, that is one in every included professionals from social serv- five people,” said Carrie Anderson ice agencies, including Barnabas Mays, a senior therapist for Starting Center and Ark of Nassau, the pro- Point Behavioral Healthcare, the non- gram also was open to the general pub- profit agency in Yulee. lic. “That’s a significant number.” A businessman from Amelia Island That’s why Mays and her Starting said he attended because he once expe- Point colleague Katrina Robinson rienced depression so severe that he Wheeler are teaching a training course considered suicide. in Mental Health First Aid. “I thought about how to do it and “Early intervention is important,” could never quite figure out the best said Mays. approach,” he said. The program includes a five-step He said it took six months and the plan to help people in mental distress right combination of medication to feel with a multi-level goal to preserve life, better. provide help, promote recovery and Instructors said older men and ado- provide comfort and support. lescent males are at the highest risk of Eleven people paid $50 to attend completing suicide (the instructor’s last week the eight-hour training pro- gram held over two afternoons in the MENTAL Continued on 4A Homeless students get help they need MARY MAGUIRE Transition program through a grant News-Leader application process. Company officials said they liked the creative use of the Chachi Moses, 19, is a senior at school’s spending plan, which includes Fernandina Beach High School and taking homeless students on college is quarterback of the Pirate’s football tours. team. Last week he became a motiva- Angie McClellan came up with the tional speaker. idea and wrote the grant. She is the Moses lost his mother two years homeless liaison for the Nassau ago as well as his family home. He County School District. said he is determined to finish high “So many of these kids don’t get an school and head off to college in the opportunity to think about college let fall. His plan is to attend the University alone tour a campus as a high school of Florida and then build his career as student,” said McClellan before she a firefighter. stepped on the stage. “It’s eye-open- He shared his story with hundreds ing.” of Wells Faro employees from across McClellan reported to the crowd the state that were on Amelia Island to that 70,000 students in Florida are attend a company conference. homeless and 445 of them live in “I play football. I have for 14 years Nassau County. and I lost my biggest fan two years “A bigger portion of them are in ago. My mom. She taught me to keep Yulee and they are doubling up with pushing on,” said Moses. “I’m going to someone who has been kind enough do it.” to open their home.” The audience gave Moses a stand- She said it can be a difficult situa- ing ovation and executives gave him a tion for both sides and compared it to laptop computer to help him with his having a houseguest that never leaves. MARY MAGUIRE/NEWS-LEADER studies. “It’s fun for two or three days and FBHS student Chachi Moses speaks to Wells Fargo employees attending a conference on Amelia Island The bank recently donated $10,000 then real life sets in,” said McClellan. last week. The company donated $10,000 to the school district’s Students in Transition program. to Nassau County’s Students in [email protected] News-Leader INDEX SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON 160th year. No. 80 CLASSIFIEDS ...............................7B OUT AND ABOUT ................. 2B 2014: 116 (15 Lost to tides) Hatched: 6806 COMMUNITY ............................ 8A RELIGION .................................................. 3B Copyright, 2014 2012 Nests: 189 Hatchlings: 14,096 The News-Leader EDITORIAL .................................. 7A SERVICE DIRECTORY .......................7B Please turn off or redirect lights shining Fernandina Beach, FL MUSIC NOTES ..................................... 2B SPORTS .................................................... 10A directly on the beach. For a detailed count Printed on 100% recycled OBITUARIES ........................................... 2A SUDOKU ...................................... 2B newsprint with soy based ink. see www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com . CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK 2A FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014 NEWS News-Leader OBITUARIES WEEKLY UPDATE Gertrude H. Austin Baptist Church. Volunteers needed a prostate cancer educational ing breakfast options and She was preceded in death by her parents: support program, will meet Dick’s Wings will donate Gertrude H. “Trudy” Austin, 82, of Brennen and Maurine Browning Mann and two The Day Drop-in Center on Oct. 9 from 11:30 a.m.- lunch. Fernandina Beach, FL, passed away peacefully sisters: Celeste Martin & Julia Crawford. is looking for volunteers for 12:30 p.m. in the conference For information see Audrey on September 30, 2014 after a long battle with She is survived by her husband of 64 years: Tuesday and Wednesday room of Baptist Medical or Amanda at the gym, 474285 cancer. Rev. Bobby H. Richardson; three children: mornings. The center serves Center Nassau on 18th SR 200 in Yulee, at O’Neil Scott She was born Gertrude Helen Sowada on William Roger (Karen) Richardson, Kathy Ann people experiencing home- Street. To RSVP contact the Road. Call 432-8120. August 22, 1932 in Manhattan, (Del) Conner, Karen (Craig) Conner; seven lessness and those at high Ackerman Cancer Center at NY. In 1937 her family traveled to grandchildren: Corey Richardson, Ryan (Kim) risk of homelessness. The 277-2700. Music class Germany for an extended visit Richardson, Joyia Conner, Twain (Kristen) DDC provides showers and Amelia Community and were detained there until Conner, Jeremy (Andrea) Conner, Brenton laundry facilities, a mailing Teen mental health Theatre will hold a musical after WWII. The family returned (Victoria) Conner, Casey (Roger) Clark and 17 address, phone and comput- Starting Point Behavioral master class for youth ages to the U.S. in 1945 and settled in great-grandchildren. er use, help acquiring need- Healthcare is launching a 8-17 on Oct. 13 from 6-8 p.m. the small town of Marydel, MD. The family received friends on Thursday, ed documents and referral to new Youth Mental Health at 207 Cedar St. Kristin She was a member of the gradu- October 2 at the First Baptist Church of Hilliard local service providers. The First Aid program in Nassau Sakamoto, who directed the ating Class of 1951 from Greensboro High from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. Funeral services were Coalition for the Homeless of County. The agency will train past two Broadway musical School, Greensboro, MD. After graduation, she held at 1:00 PM with Dr. Craig Conner and Dr. Nassau County operates the adults that interact with theater summer camps for married her husband, Richard C. Austin, and Dorman Landtroop officiating. Burial was in program that is located at teens to improve mental ACT, will be the instructor. they moved to Wyoming, DE, to start their fam- Oakwood Cemetery. the Fernandina Beach health literacy by helping There is no advance registra- ily. In 1976, the family moved to the Pocono Condolences may be expressed by signing the Church of Christ, the corner them identify, understand tion; an optional $5 donation Mountains of Pennsylvania and then to Newark, guest registry at Shepard Funeral of Jasmine and South 14th and respond to signs of men- is suggested for those atten- DE, in 1980 where Trudy worked for the State of Home/Folkston Georgia funeral home at streets. Volunteers receive tal illness in an adolescent. ding the class. For more Delaware and retired in 1992. They moved to www.shepardfh.com. training and flexible hours Nassau County’s first Youth information, email acthe- Myrtle Beach, SC, where she attended Coastal Shepard Funeral Home are available.