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THANKS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE CITIZENS JOINING US.
WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION WE WANNA GIVE YOU TONIGHT.
A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE COUNTY.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS HERE TONIGHT.
A LOT OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE HERE TONIGHT.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.
THE WAY WE'RE GONNA DO THIS IS HAVE A SESSION ON WHAT COUNTY IS DOING AND THEN A SESSION ON WHAT SCHOOLS ARE DOING.
SO, PLEASE, UH, ASK QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A SECTION AT THE END, ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, SO IF I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE VIC CARPENTER, HE'S OUR NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT HIM TO THE TEST.
SO Y'ALL PUT HIM THROUGH THOSE PACES TONIGHT.
THAT IS, UH, MS. LASETTE, UH, WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION AS PART OF THE COUNTY.
ALSO, WE HAVE FROM THE COUNTY TONIGHT, UH, MR. NEIL SPOONER, OUR CHAIRMAN.
AND, UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, MR. KEN PETERSON, OUR VICE, NOT OUR, OUR SUPERVISOR,
UM, AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD WILL BE INTRODUCED TO YOU LATER.
I'M VIC CARPENTER AND I'M THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OF GSON COUNTY FOR, UH, AGAIN, ABOUT 14 WEEKS.
AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT 14 WEEKS.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME, UH, TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT AND FINE COUNTY.
SO, WE'RE GONNA START OFF THOUGH BY TALKING ABOUT GUCCI COUNTY.
WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU THE STORY OF GUCCI COUNTY THIS PAST YEAR.
THIS IS A GREAT STORY AND I'M GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, THIS IS THE FIRST MEETING OF THREE.
UH, YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE TWO MORE SCHEDULED ONE, UH, IN THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE COUNTY AT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON OCTOBER 17TH, AND ONE OF THE EASTERN PART OF, UH, THE, OF THE COUNTY AT THE MARRIOTT RESIDENCE IN, IN THE NOTCH.
SO LET'S START WITH OUR COMMUNITIES ITSELF AND KEEPING OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START WITH COMMUNITIES KEEPING SAFE, LET'S START WITH OUR FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, WE BEGAN OUR FIRE PREVENTION WEEK FIRE RESCUE SHOW THAT WE DID FOR THE FIRST TIME.
A NUMBER HAD ALMOST A THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS.
WE GAVE AWAY FREE, UH, SMOKE ALARMS AT THIS EVENT.
UH, WE HAD AN AMAZING ACTIVITY.
WE HAD FIREWORKS THAT MAY HAVE HEARD IT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO GOT GOING ON OUR FIRE SAFETY, UM, MONTH, WHERE YOU CAN GET FREE FIRES GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT FIRE SAFETY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES IS THAT IS A VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
SO WE DO HAVE CAREER INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED WITH IT.
WE ALSO HAVE A VERY STRONG VOLUNTEER COMPONENT.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS.
WE ASK YOU AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEER NEEDS AND OUR SERVICES.
WE'RE ALSO, RIGHT NOW, TRAINING 15 PEOPLE IN THE VOLUNTEER AND FIRE CAREER SERVICES AT OUR FIRE TRAINING CENTER.
IT SHOWS YOU THE CONTINUED COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN ONGOING AND REGULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE IN TO PROVIDE YOU THE SERVICES.
MOVING ON FROM THERE, OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE DENIED THE SHERIFF HIMSELF AND A NUMBER OF HIS, UH, EMPLOYEES WITH HIM.
UH, WOULD LIKE SHERIFF TO COME UP AND TELL YOU ABOUT THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
SHERIFF CREASY, I DON'T FIRST, ALTHOUGH I'VE HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS, UH, HERE THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS.
WHY ARE YOU GROWING THIS ON YOUR FACE? WELL, THE REASON WHY WE ARE GROWING PAIR OUR FACE, UH, THE LADIES WHO ARE DEPUTIES ARE HAVING DIFFERENT COLORED, FIGURING OUT POLISH DISPATCHERS ARE CAUSE WE ARE RAISED MONEY FOR MATCHINGS FILES FOUNDATION.
UH, MATTHEW SMILES FOUNDATION, HIS FOUNDATION TO HELP PREVENT, UH, THE STIGMA WITH MENTAL HEALTH, UM, AS A LOCAL BOY WHO LIVED IN THE COUNTY AND JUST AS A TRAGIC, UH, INCIDENT.
BUT WE PARTNERED WITH HIS FOUNDATION AND HIS FAMILY TO RAISE MONEY FOR THEM.
SO THAT IS WHY YOU WOULD SEE US WITH FACIAL HAIR GOING ON.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO DO TONIGHT TO JUST COME OVER IS JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE PROJECTS THAT WE DO WITH AS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT.
ONE THAT IS VERY POPULAR IS VACATION WATCH AND WHAT THAT IS, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN GO TO OUR APP, UM, AND YOU ASKED FOR A VACATION WATCH.
AND WHAT WE WILL DO WHILE YOU'RE AT THE BEACH OR WHEREVER YOU'RE AT, WHEN DEPUTIES ARE NOT BUSY, WE WILL COME BY AND CHECK ON YOUR HOUSE.
THEY WILL ACTUALLY GET OUT, WALK AROUND, MAKE SURE WINDOWS ARE OKAY, MAKE SURE YOUR DOORS ARE LOCKED AND THEY SEE ANYTHING THAT IS OUT OF THE NORMAL.
HATE THE BOTHER YOU ALL ON VACATION, BUT BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY.
UH, WE'LL GIVE YOU A CALL, MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT.
WE ALSO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH BUSINESS WATCH.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, WHAT I MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO IS A APP, UH, ON THE BACK TABLE.
YOU CAN GO IN THERE, YOU CAN SCAN THAT, UH, THAT, UH, PAPER UP THERE AND DOWNLOAD YOUR APP.
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USE THIS FOR THE, OKAY, THANK YOU.I HAVE TO USE THIS FOR ALL MY PEOPLE.
UM, BUT PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE APP.
WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD ACCIDENT ON 5 22 EARLIER TODAY THAT THE, THAT THE ROAD WAS SHUT DOWN, PROBABLY ABOUT 6 30, 7 30, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN IT DIDN'T OPEN UNTIL ABOUT THREE 30.
BUT YOU WILL GET ALERTS ON YOUR APP OF ROAD PLUGS IN THE COUNTY.
IF IT'S ACCENTS, TREES DOWN OR ANYTHING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT, WE WOULD SHARE THAT WITH FEW OTHER THINGS WE DO.
JUNIOR DEPUTY CAMP WILL COMING IN JULY.
UH, WE ALREADY GOT BASE FOR THAT.
KIDS HAVE A GREAT TIME THAT LAST THE CAMP.
THEY LOVE TO HAVE A WATER BALLOON FIGHT.
WE BY THE END OF IT, WE'RE STARTING KNOW THE CITIZENS ACADEMY IN FEBRUARY, UH, LAST WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND FEBRUARY.
UH, WE'RE DOING 'EM RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT, PLEASE DO IT.
YOU'LL LEARN ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THERE IS TO LEARN ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND THEN DO A RON ALONG WITH THE DEPUTY ON ONE OF THE NOTES.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A DATE FOR THE KIDS' FISHING DAY.
YOU CAN GET ALL THE INFORMATION ON THAT WEBSITE FOR OUR APP.
AND THEN WE ALSO DID OUR FIRSTHAND CAR SHOW, WHICH WAS OUTSTANDING.
WE ACTUALLY MAY BUMP IT UP AND DO IT IN THE SPRING.
UH, BUT THOSE DATES AND TIMES ARE COME HAVE A LATER DATE.
BUT PLEASE FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE, DOWNLOAD OUR APP.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, WE'LL BE HERE UNTIL THE END OF THIS.
I GOT CAPTAIN BAYER, UH, WHO'S BACK THERE.
WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER, UH, FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL DONK.
WE ALSO HAVE TAMMY WHIT IS A 9 1 1 DISPATCH SUPERVISOR.
AND WE HAVE OUR INVESTIGATOR, UH, MADELINE DAVIES IN THE BACK, WHO CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THIS.
CHRIS, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO THROW SOME KUDOS IN.
AS YOU KNOW, WE, UH, IN RECENT TIMES, RECENT MONTHS, WE'VE HAD SOME TORNADO NATIVES.
WE'VE HAD ICE STORMS, WE'VE HAD WATER MAIN BREAKS, WE'VE HAD RABBIT RACCOONS, YOU NAME IT.
WE'VE HAD A BUNCH OF STUFF IN THIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, KUDOS TO OUR 9 1 1 CENTER.
FOR THOSE OF PROFESSIONALS HANDLING EVERY CALL THAT COMES IN.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER, THAT PHONE THAT COMES IN, BUT THEY'RE THERE AND THEY'RE ENSURING THAT OUR SAFETY IS PROTECTED AND THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE ON THE SCENE ARE ON THE SCENE.
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE JOB THAT Y'ALL DO.
ANOTHER ONE OF THE AREAS WE USE OUR ANIMAL SHELTER AND ADOPTION CENTER, AND I DUNNO HOW MANY, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO BY THERE? BUT THIS IS THE RESULT OF AN AMAZING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PUBLIC GUC AND COUNTY AND GUCCI PET LOVERS, AND THE MONEY THAT THEY'VE RAISED AND THE FUNDS THAT THEY'VE PUT INTO IT.
WERE OPEN TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAYS, VARYING VARIOUS TIMES.
UH, THE ADOPTION FEES ARE GOOD.
IF YOU'VE EVER HAD THE CHANCE TO GO BY THE ADOPTION CENTER, PLEASE DO SO.
BUT OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, THEY'RE ALSO PROTECTING US, PROVIDING THAT PUBLIC SAFETY TO KIND OF MENTION RAPID RACCOONS.
BUT THAT WAS A VERY REAL THING THAT HAPPENED THE LAST COUPLE DAYS AND THIS PART OF THE COUNTY.
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO BE ON IT VERY QUICKLY.
THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND THE RACCOON.
THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF IT ACCORDINGLY.
AND AS IT KIND OF SPIRALED A LITTLE BIT OUT AND DID SOME ANIMALS AND WHATNOT, THEY'RE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WERE STABILIZED, PROTECTED, OR MOVED FROM THE POPULATION.
SO THEY'RE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY IN GUCCI COUNTY.
WE APPRECIATE GREATLY WHAT THEY DO FOR US.
WELL, FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, WE MOVE INTO OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES.
AND THIS LAST YEAR, YOUR COUNTY HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC FACILITIES IN GUCCI COUNTY.
WE BEGUN WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SEE DOWN IN THE GUCCI COURTHOUSE AREA, THE, UH, SPORTS COMPLEX AND THE BALL FIELD, THE LIGHTS, UH, THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, YOU'LL SEE THOSE LIGHTS BEING REPLACED.
UH, NEW LIGHT POLES, NEW LIGHTS, NEW WIRING.
UH, THESE ARE DARK SKY COMPLIANT LIGHTS.
IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN DARK SKY COMPLIANT LIGHTS AT BALL FIELD IS AMAZING HOW THEY CAN ILLUMINATE THE FIELD AND THEY CAN BE ALMOST TOTALLY DARK A HUNDRED FEET AWAY FROM IT.
SO THESE ARE VERY HIGH TECH LIGHTS.
THEY'RE COMPUTER CONTROLLED AND MODERATED.
AND, AND, AND WE CAN MONITOR THEM FROM DISTANCES, TURN 'EM ON AND OFF WITH A SWITCH.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE SKATE PARK.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE SKATE PARK RENOVATION START, UH, THE SKATE PARK RIGHT THERE IS ALSO THE SAME AREA OF THE COUNTY.
NOW I SEE SOME OF YOU, AND I CAN TELL THAT YOU'RE OUT THERE ON SKATEBOARDS.
UH, SO YOU'LL ENJOY WHAT THIS IS GONNA BE DOING TO YOU.
UH, PHASE ONE IS BEGUN AND PHASE ONE WILL BE TAKING THE WHOLE FRONT HALF OF AND REPLACING IT WITH CONCRETE AND WITH, UH, STEEL, UM, RAMPING FOR, UH, THE KIDS PARTICIPANTS.
PHASE TWO AND THREE IS STILL GONNA BE DETERMINED.
IT'S GONNA BE THE SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING THAT'LL LEAD US THERE.
WE'RE FORTUNATE, AGAIN, THIS IS KOLAND.
SO PEOPLE GIVE PEOPLE CARE, PEOPLE BUY IN.
SO WE'VE GOT AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S HELPING US RAISE FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT PHASE TWO AND THREE HAPPEN FOR OUR SKATE PARK.
AND THEN AT THE CENTRAL AREA, CENTRAL HIGH COMPLEX, THE GENERATORS, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST JANUARY, WE HAD NICE STORM, UH, LATER ON WHEN WE HAD TORNADOES.
AND IN SOME CASES PEOPLE HAD TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES.
UH, THE GENERATORS BEING PUT INTO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL WILL ALLOW IT TO BE AN EMERGENCY SHELTER.
IT ALLOW US TO OPEN UP IN THOSE CASES, SITUATIONS.
SO WE HAVE A PLACE WHERE OUR PUBLIC CAN GO IF THEY NEED TO IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'RE, UH, VERY PROUD OF THAT WE'RE DOING FOR YOU.
UH, CONTINUING ON IN OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, GIN, WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR FIRE
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RESCUE SERVICES.MOST OF THE FIRE STATIONS ARE ACTUALLY OWNED BY OUR VOLUNTEERS AND THE VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT FUNDRAISES AND MAINTAINS AND PROTECTS THEM FOR US.
YOU'LL SEE IF THE MANNEQUIN SIDE OF THE COUNTY FIRE STATION ONE HAS BEEN HAVING SOME SIGNIFICANT WORK TO UNDO IT, MOSTLY ON THE INTERIOR.
IF YOU DRIVE BY, YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW FROM THE OUTSIDE WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE, BUT TOTALLY REDOING THE INTERIOR OF STATION ONE.
UH, STATION THREE IN CENTERVILLE IS MOSTLY EXTERIOR WORK.
YOU'LL SEE THEM STANDING THE WOOD AND DOING SOME WORK THERE.
BUT THERE, AROUND HERE, FIFE JUST DOWN THE STREET, IF YOU'VE DRIVEN BY, YOU SEEN WHAT'S HAPPENED THERE.
IT LOOKED LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF.
CAUSE THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE BUILDING WAS GONE ONE DAY YOU DROVE BY, IT WAS, THERE WASN'T A FIRE STATION THERE.
WELL, NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING ON AND THEY'VE EXTENDED THAT OUT BY ABOUT EIGHT FEET.
AND THEY HAD TO WIDEN THE DOORS BECAUSE THE APPARATUS THAT WE PUT IN THERE COULDN'T FIT.
AND NEW APPARATUS IS LONGER, IT'S BIGGER.
SO THEY HAD TO TOTALLY REBUILD THE STATION.
SO THERE YOU SEE IN FIRE STATION FOUR, NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A RECENT PICTURE, UH, SHOWING AN EIGHT FEET BIGGER AND THE EXTENDED OUT.
AGAIN, OUR THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO THE, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT ACTUALLY HAS DONE THIS.
GUCCI COUNTY'S PARTNERS WITH THEM, AND WE WOULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
MOVING ON OTHER KIND OF INSTRUCTIONS.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT BROADBAND, BECAUSE BROADBAND IS SOMETHING THAT, FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTY IS GONNA BE CRITICAL GOING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE.
UH, ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT THIS COUNTY MADE A COMMITMENT ALONG WITH OUR STATE GOVERNMENT TO EXPAND, TO EXPEND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF FUNDS INTO BUILDING THAT BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED.
SO THIS COUNTY COMMITTED OVER $3.6 MILLION.
UH, THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTED ALMOST 80 MILLION INTO ENSURING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EXPAND BY 2025, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BROADBAND IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO THE KEY TAKEAWAYS OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, I THINK ARE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
AND THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW, OVER 110 MILES OF FIBER HAVE BEEN BURIED THAT WEREN'T THERE 18 MONTHS AGO.
ALSO, AS A RESULT OF BURYING THAT, AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN AS PART OF THE COUNTY, OVER 1,250 HOUSES AND BUSINESSES ARE NOW IN A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN BE HOOKED UP.
SO WE HAVE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT WE HAVE STARTED, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SUCCESS IN PARTS OF OUR COUNTY THAT NEVER HAD BROADBAND FIBER IN THE PAST.
YOU SEE THE MAPS, THE BIGGER MAPS ARE THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME.
YOU CAN GO LOOK AND SEE WHERE YOU ARE ON IT, BUT IT KIND OF GOES OVER ALL THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE IN WORKING IN THE COUNTY.
AND OF COURSE RIGHT HERE, THIS IS A BIG PART OF WHERE WE ARE.
BUT YOU HAVE DIFFERENT HANOCK, ELECTRIC, DOMINION ENERGY, UH, YOU'VE GOT, UH, GUCCI COUNTY, YOU'VE THESE PARTNERS THAT ARE WORKING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THE CENTER PART OF THE COUNTY, PORT 80 IS A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION IN THE CROZIER AREA.
AND PORT 80 HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS WELL SINCE 2021.
YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, ABOUT 19 MILES OF BACKBONE FIBER PUT IN AND NEW DROPS CONNECTED.
WELL, MOVING ON FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S CRITICAL TO THIS COMMUNITY IS THE PROVIDING OF OPPORTUNITY.
AN OPPORTUNITY CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS.
IT CAN MEAN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND SHOP, BUY FOOD, BUY GROCERIES, BUY SUPPLIES, THINGS, SERVICES THAT YOU NEED.
SO I'M GONNA GO OVER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART OF THIS COUNTY IN THE LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, RECENTLY COMPLETED OVER IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
GREENSVILLE GROWERS, WHICH IS AN AMAZING HYDROPONICS COMPANY THAT GROWS INDOORS, LEAFY GREENS, MOSTLY CABBAGE THAT THEY GROW.
UH, THEY'VE ALREADY SOLD OUT EVERY BIT OF THEIR PRODUCT LINE, SO THEY'RE EXPANDING.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE VERY BENEVOLENT KIND OF ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SENSE THAT THEY DON'T USE CHEMICALS.
UH, THEY DON'T POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S ALL INDOORS AND THEY'RE EXPANDING.
ALSO, WE'VE ADDED WT CURTIS, WHICH IS A NEW FACILITY, A LOCAL CONTRACTOR, BUILD NEW HEADQUARTERS IN THE COUNTY.
UH, THE COURTHOUSE CREEK SIDE, EXPANDED ADVANCED AUTO PARTS BUILD NEW LOCATION HERE, BROAD MILLS ELECTRIC OFFICE COMPLEX.
AND THEN OVER IN HAYDENVILLE DOLLAR GENERAL, NEARING COMPLETION, THESE ARE SOME BIG PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY, UH, AVERY POINT, WHICH IS A CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY.
IT'S ULTIMATELY GONNA HAVE 11 BUILDINGS THAT'LL ACCOMMODATE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, 55 AND OLDER AS THEY MOVE IN AND GO TO VARIOUS STAGES OF LIFE.
UM, AGAIN, NONE OF Y'ALL ARE READY FOR THAT, BUT AT SOME POINT, THIS IS VERY, A VERY CRITICAL SERVICE FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND RETIRE TO TIME IS CAR WASH.
AND B, HE IMPORTANT SERVICES FOR US.
YOU CAN SEE AS WELL UNDER CONSTRUCTION WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE HAVE APARTMENTS, WE HAVE MEDICAL OFFICES, WE HAVE MACHINERY COMPANY.
WE HAVE, UH, RETAIL, AND THEN FINDING REVIEW, MORE MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDINGS.
CHICK-FIL-A, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS EVAN ALWAYS SAYS.
WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET A TARGET, A PUBLIX AND A CHICK-FIL-A? WELL, I DON'T KNOW, WE'LL EVER HAVE A TARGET OF PUBLIX, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHICK-FIL-A SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTY.
ALL RIGHT? INDOOR TENNIS FACILITY IN.
AND VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY, I THINK IS HG MEETS.
UH, THAT'S A FACILITY THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REVIEWED UP IN THE HAYDENVILLE AREA.
IT'LL BE A FACILITY THAT ALLOW
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OUR, OUR SMALL FARMERS, OUR SMALL, UH, RANCHERS WHO, WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, CATTLE, A COUPLE CATTLE THEY'RE RAISING RIGHT NOW.THEY'VE GOTTA GO MANY MILES AWAY TO GET THOSE MEATS PROCESSED.
UM, WHEN IT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS, IT GETS BUILT AND OPEN.
IT'LL BE ABLE TO HELP OUR LOCAL GROWERS TAKE THEIR COWS, TAKE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR PIGS AND AND PLACE IN GIN COUNTY.
UH, AND SO IT'LL PROVIDE A VALUABLE SERVICE TO AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY FOR GUC AND COUNTY.
I'M SURE MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ABOUT PROJECT ROCKY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS I'VE EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF.
SO LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT PROJECT ROCK IS GONNA BE A 650,000 SQUARE FOOT DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
AN ECOMMERCE FULFILLMENT CENTER IS WHAT THEY CALL IT.
THAT'S HALF A BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN GUCCI COUNTY AND A THOUSAND JOBS.
IT'S GONNA BE UP IN THE, UM, NORTHEAST QUAD OF THE COUNTY.
IT'S GONNA BE ON, UH, LOCATED RIGHT THERE ON I, UH, I 64 ON ASHTON ROAD.
ONE OF THE BIG PARTS OF IT, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A SECOND ABOUT IT, BUT A FOUR LANE DDI IS GONNA BE BUILT THERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
UH, IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO Z CROSSROADS, YOU'VE SEEN WHAT A FOUR LANE DDI IS AND LOOKS LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT THERE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
WELL, WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE AS WELL.
THIS IS OUR PRESENT RIGHT NOW.
PROJECT ROCKY AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR WHERE WE'RE GOING.
SO PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL TO GIAN COUNTY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY INVOLVED IN IS OUR VILLAGE PLANS.
OUR SMALL AREA PLANS, WE CALL THEM.
WE GOT TWO OF THEM UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THEM IN THE CENTERVILLE AREA AND ONE OF THEM IN THE COURTHOUSE AREA.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE.
WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THOSE AREAS OR NOT, WE WANT YOU TO BE PART OF.
HERE'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
WE STARTED IN FEBRUARY WITH KICKING OFF THESE AREA PLANS.
WE HAD COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN MARCH.
WE HAD ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS, THE CITIZENS WITH DEVELOPERS WITH BUSINESSES.
WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S VIEWPOINT ON WHAT THESE COMMUNITIES CAN GROW.
AND TURN INTO APRIL TO JUNE, WE STARTED SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE HAD OVER 400 SURVEY RESULTS COME INTO US FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY, WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
AND THEN WE HAD OUR MIDWAY, HALFWAY POINT COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN JUNE, JULY.
SO TAKING ALL THE FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED TO DATE, WE'VE GONE BACK TO THE CONSULTANTS WE'RE WORKING WITH, AND THEY'RE FURTHER DEVELOPING THESE PLANS.
SO THE NEXT STEPS ARE GONNA BE THIS WINTER AND SPRING.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH COMMUNITY MEETINGS AGAIN.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DRAFT PLAN AT THAT POINT, AND WE'LL SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY SO THEY CAN LOOK TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE THOUGHT OF THE, OF THE, OF THE CONSULTANTS AND THE THOUGHT OF THE COMMUNITY IS AT THAT POINT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING THEN FOR MORE INPUT, WE WANT CITIZENS TO LOOK AT THE DRAFT AND SAY, YAY NA, THAT'S GOOD.
UH, SO THAT'LL BE OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
UH, AFTER THAT, ONCE YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO KINDA LET THAT PERCOLATE THROUGH AND, AND WE GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR CITIZENS, THEN THERE'LL BE A WORK SESSION BETWEEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND OUR PLANNING COMMISSION.
THESE ARE THE TWO BODIES THAT ULTIMATELY HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
SO PUTTING THEM TOGETHER SO THEY CAN DISCUSS THESE PLANS AMONGST THEMSELVES IN A WORK SESSION.
NO VOTES ARE TAKEN AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DIG DOWN AND LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS WHAT THEY WANT.
FROM THERE, WE'LL MOVE INTO PUBLIC HEARINGS BETWEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
AND THEN AT SOME POINT AFTER THAT, THE PLANS WILL COME TO, UH, CONCLUSION AND THE PROCESS.
SO SOMETIME NEXT SPRING, WE ANTICIPATE WE'LL BE AT A FINAL PRODUCT WHERE WE'RE GOING.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD AND THE COUNTY THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IF YOU'VE GOT ANY DESIRE.
SO HERE'S HOW YOU PARTICIPATE.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND YOU CAN GO ONLINE, YOU CAN CALL US, YOU CAN EMAIL US, YOU CAN LOG IN AT ANY OF THESE THINGS, BUT WE WANNA HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
WE WANNA GET YOUR INPUT CUZ IT IS IMPORTANT TO GUHA COUNTY THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE.
IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE IS EVERYBODY'S COUNTY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT? WELL, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, THIS IS A GROWING COUNTY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA MOVE HERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO BE HERE.
SO IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE AS AN ORGANIZATION ARE ABLE TO BETTER MANAGE THE WHOLE PROCESS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE INTER GO IS A NEW SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE MOVING TO.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M TELLING YOU ABOUT THIS IS, THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN HOW WE'VE DONE BUSINESS IN THE PAST.
WE'VE DONE BUSINESS THE OLD STYLE WAY.
IF YOU COME IN, YOU FILL OUT A PERMIT, YOU GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, THIS MOVES IT ALL ONLINE, IT BECOMES A DIGITAL PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE CAN, FROM A DISTANCE TO IT, THEY CAN PAY THE FEES FROM A DISTANCE, BUT JUST AS CRITICAL CITIZENS CAN NOW TRACK EVERYTHING.
SO IF YOU AS A CITIZEN WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH A PARTICULAR PROJECT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE AND SEE WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE STATUS IS, WHAT'S HAPPENED, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE PAPERWORK, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO FOR THIS, THIS IS NOT JUST PERMITTING SOFTWARE, IT'S CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, IT'S TRANSPARENCY.
IT'S LETTING OUR COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY, IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT I WAS MENTIONING RIGHT THERE THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO.
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AND AGAIN, IT'S GONNA GO LIVE ON NOVEMBER 15TH.AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH ANY KIND OF A ROLLOUT OF A NEW OPERATING SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE THAT WE'LL HAVE A BUMP HERE OR THERE, THINGS WON'T BE PERFECT.
UH, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR GRACE, UH, WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR MONTHS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, IT, IT, UH, UM, I WON'T TELL YOU IT'LL BE PERFECT, BUT IT'S GONNA BE DARN CLOSE.
WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WILL BE.
WHEN IT DOES ROLL OUT, TRANSPORTATION IS ANOTHER PART OF ENSURING THAT OUR FUTURE IS TAKEN CARE OF.
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, TALKING ABOUT IT.
ONE THAT THE LOT OF MAY SEE IF YOU DRIVE INTO THE COURTHOUSE AREA IS THE, RIGHT NOW THE, UH, BIG TRAFFIC CIRCLE IS BEING BUILT BY THE FOOD LINE.
UH, THAT'S THE FAIRGROUNDS SANDY HOOK ROAD INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT.
IT'S UNDERWAY NOW, UH, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THAT IS AT NO POINT IN TIME WILL, UM, HIGHWAY 5 22 BE CLOSED.
UH, THAT'LL BE OPEN THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE PROJECT FOR ABOUT A MONTH, MAYBE IN FEBRUARY, MARCH PART OF FAIRGROUNDS ROAD.
WE'LL HAVE TO BE CLOSED IN DETOUR, BUT THE DETOUR WILL BE, UH, THROUGH THE COLLEGE AND, AND DOWN AROUND.
SO IT IT, OR IT'LL GO BY THE HIGH SCHOOL AND DOWN AROUND.
SO IT WON'T BE A MAJOR DETOUR.
UH, BUT IT'LL BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW.
THAT'S SOME VERY IMPORTANT FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
ANOTHER ONE IS THE CORRIDOR STUDY.
AND FAIRGROUNDS ROAD IS A CORRIDOR, REALLY STARTS ALL THE WAY, TWO 50 AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN, OF COURSE, INTO THE COURTHOUSE ITSELF.
SO THIS STUDY, IT'S A VDOT PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA STUDY THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR, NOT JUST ONE LITTLE SECTION, BUT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR AS A WHOLE SYSTEM.
AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE NEXT 20, 30 YEARS, THE GROWTH IS GONNA IMPACT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA THAT AS THAT AREA DOES DEVELOP AND WE PUT MORE TRAFFIC ONTO IT, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PLAN, IS TO UNDERSTAND.
SO THIS CORRIDOR STUDY STARTED ALREADY.
IT'LL BE DONE IN DECEMBER AND THAT'LL GIVE US SOME VERY GOOD DATA SO WE CAN THEN BETTER MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF THAT AREA AND WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE PROUD ABOUT.
IF YOU EVER GO TO THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY USE HIGHWAY 2 88, UM, ONE OF THE STUDIES THAT'S UNDERWAY IS THE STUDY TO SEE ABOUT BUILDING A NEW INTERCHANGE.
YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT HAPPEN 20 YEARS IN THE FUTURE REQUIRE PLANNING NOW IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'LL HAPPEN IN THOSE 20 YEARS.
SO WE STARTED A PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO DETERMINE ABOUT WOULD, WOULD THERE MAKE SENSE TO BE A NEW INTERSECTION BUILT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE ON 2 88.
SO IF I'M BLOCKING YOU OVER THERE, UM, THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW YOU TO GET OFF AND GO WILKES RIDGE ALL THE WAY UP TO TWO 50 AND DIVERT A LOT OF TRAFFIC, UM, FROM THESE INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE ARE TROUBLESOME.
UM, SO THAT'S A, A LONG TERM KIND OF A PLAN THAT WE'RE STARTING TO PROCESS ON.
ANOTHER ONE THAT'S A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME IS OILVILLE ROAD INTERCHANGE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE INTERSECTION, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT FUNDING COMMITMENT FORWARD ALREADY.
UH, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE'LL HAVE THE REST FUNDS SECURED AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO START THE PROCESS ON THAT SOMETIME IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 18, 24 MONTHS OF DOING THAT.
AGAIN, THAT WILL BE THE WEST SIDE OF THE INTERSECTION AND IT WOULD MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE THE BACK, UH, THE BACKUP OF TRAFFIC AS WELL AS THE SAFE VIEW OF TRAFFIC AND THE OIL BILL EXIT.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN STUCK THERE, THEN YOU KNOW WHAT THAT CAN MEAN AND WHAT THAT CAN DO TO YOU.
WELL, THERE'S MORE BECAUSE WE'RE A GROWN COUNTY.
I JUST MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT PROJECT ROCKY AND THE HIGHWAY 64 DDI.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
A HIGHWAY 64 DDI, AGAIN, WOULD BE A FOUR LANE RIGHT NOW.
ASHTON ROAD IS A FAILING ROAD IF YOU'VE DRIVEN IT MANY TIMES A DAY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY A FAILING INTERSECTION RIGHT THERE IN 64.
SO WE'RE NOT UNAWARE OF THAT PROBLEM.
FORTUNATELY FOR US, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA HAS BEEN VERY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT.
BECAUSE A PROJECT ROCKY COMES IN, IT'S CERTAINLY GONNA ADD MORE TRAFFIC TO IT.
SO THE, THE DIVERGENT DIAMOND ON 64, UH, THE FUNDS THAT, UH, WE'VE SECURED ARE THE PROCESS SECURING WILL ALLOW US TO START.
IT SAYS CONSTRUCTION IN 2028, BUT WE THINK IT'LL BE SOONER THAN THAT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT WILL BE DONE, UH, THAT INTERSECTION IS TURN LANES ARE GONNA BE BUILT, UH, INTO PRO AND ONTO THE, UH, INTERSTATE HEADING WEST, AS WELL AS ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
THE, THE EXIT RAMPS IN THE WEST SIDE, WE'LL HAVE STOPLIGHTS PUT UP AS WELL.
SO THE STOPLIGHTS WILL MANAGE TRAFFIC.
UH, THE TURN LANES WILL HELP UNTIL WE CAN GET THE DDI BUILT.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG THING FOR US.
BDOS ALSO, UM, BUILDING A WHOLE NEW, UH, PARKING LOT AND THAT SAME INTERSECTION THAT'S NOT PART OF THE DDI, IT'S A, IT'S A PARALLEL PROJECT, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF, UH, VALUE ADDED IF YOU USE THE PARK AND RIDE SYSTEM.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE H ROAD REALIGNMENT, IF YOU DRIVE THAT PART OF THE COUNTY AT ANY, UH, ANY AMOUNT OF TIME, H ROAD CURRENTLY, UH, GOES ALL THE WAY FROM HIGHWAY SIX AND IT FOLLOWS ALL THE WAY UP TO, UH, TWO 50.
UH, THEN PEOPLE GO, THE INTERSTATE HAVE TO COME DOWN HERE AND GET ON ASHTON ROAD TO GO TO THE INTERSTATE.
SO THIS WILL ACTUALLY REALIGN HOCKETT ROAD SO THAT IT WILL BECOME ESSENTIALLY PART OF THE ASHLAND ROAD INTERSECTION.
AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO FROM HIGHWAY SIX ALL THE WAY TO I 64 IS A SMOOTH PROCESS.
[00:25:01]
MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY.AND THESE ARE ALL DRIVEN BY SAFETY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MOVE CARS FASTER, WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE CARS SAFER.
AND THAT'S WHAT FEES ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT THEY DO.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE ENGINEERING WILL BEGIN NEXT YEAR AND WE HOPE TO HAVE IT COMPLETED IN ABOUT THREE YEARS.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS YOUR COUNTY'S DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FUTURE IS SOMETHING WE THOUGHT ABOUT.
WE'VE PLANNED ABOUT, WE'VE ANTICIPATED.
WHAT ARE WE DO TODAY? LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, THE FUN STUFF, OKAY.
OUR PARKS REC PROGRAM, IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY PART OF THAT, IT'S AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT DO NEAT, NEAT THINGS.
UH, WE JUST RECENTLY STARTED OUR UNITED TUCKER CONCERT SERIES.
WE HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE COME TO THE VERY FIRST ONE OF THOSE BACK IN AUGUST.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE COMING UP IN NOVEMBER.
UH, IT'S LOCAL MUSIC, IT'S LOCAL FOOD TRUCKS, IT'S LOCAL GROUPS BEING OUT THERE.
UH, THE ONE IN NOVEMBER WILL BE ANOTHER FUN ONE.
IF YOU GET OUT THERE, COME OUT AND BRING YOUR FAMILY AND SAY, JUST GREAT EVENING AT TUCKER PARK.
OF COURSE, I DON'T NEED TO PROBABLY TELL YOU ALL ABOUT CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL COMPLEX AND ALL THAT IT OFFERS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT THE COUNTY HAS, UM, INVESTED SIGNIFICANT TIME AND EFFORT INTO ADDITIONAL THINGS.
WE'LL BE DOING OUR FALL FESTIVAL IN 2022.
IT'LL BE ON OCTOBER 29TH, 12 TO FOUR FAMILY FESTIVAL, FUN.
THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD OLD FASHIONED FAMILY FESTIVAL.
OKAY? UM, IT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU WANNA BRING YOUR KIDS TO IF YOU GOT YOUR GRANDKIDS TO IT OR JUST YOURSELF.
YOU WANNA BRING YOUR DOG, CAT, WHATEVER, BE A GOOD TIME.
SOMETHING NEW THEY DID LAST YEAR IS CALLED COMIC FEST.
AND COMIC FEST IS, IS A, A MODERN POP CULTURE, UH, FESTIVAL, UH, COMIC BOOKS, ANIME, UM, GAMING, UH, COSTUMING, THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, A NUMBER OF OF PEOPLE.
ALL MY KIDS ARE VERY INVOLVED IN.
THEY'RE VERY INVESTED IN IN IN SOME OF THOSE ASPECTS.
WE JUST DID IT LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME WE HAD GREAT TURNOUTS.
IT'S GONNA BE NOVEMBER THE 12TH AT CENTRAL PICKLE BALL, OUR PICKLE BALL TOURNAMENT.
IT'S OUR SIXTH YEAR COMING UP NOVEMBER 5TH.
A PICKLE BALL IS IF YOU PLAY PICKLE BALL, I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU WHAT IT IS, OKAY? IF YOU DON'T PLAY PICKLEBALL, IT'S A VERY FUN INDOOR SPORT THAT'S DESIGNED, UH, FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY CAN PLAY STARTING AT THE AGE 18.
THE OVER 55 CROWD, I WILL TELL YOU.
AND IT'S A GREAT SPORT, COURAGE YOU TO FIND OUT MORE IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY AWARE OF IT.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE KIND OF THINGS THEY DO AND THEY'LL BE PARTICIPATING IN.
WE'VE ALSO GOT OUR YOUTH SPORTS, OUR, OUR YOUTH REC LEAGUES, OUR OUR BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, UM, CHEERLEADING, FOOTBALL.
THOSE ARE ALL PROVIDED BY, AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE GREAT NON LOCAL NON-PROFIT RELATIONSHIPS THIS COUNTY HAS.
SO THE COUNTY DOESN'T PROVIDE THOSE PROGRAMS THEY'RE PROVIDED TO THE COUNTY BY A NORTHERN ORGANIZATION.
UH, SAME THING WITH, UH, WE ARE STARTING A LACROSSE LEAGUE, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
SAME THING WITH OUR SOCCER PROVIDED BY A LOCAL NONPROFIT.
SO THE COUNTY WORKS WITH OUR CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO THROUGH PARKS AND REC, A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED THERE REALLY NOT OUR PROGRAMS. WE JUST PROVIDE THE SUPPORT AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND THE ATMOSPHERE THAT LETS THEM BE SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT THEY DO.
SO NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FUTURE AND THE FUTURE WITH ELECTIONS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THING THAT I WANT KIND OF START TO WRAP UP AND, AND CLOSE WITH YOU ON BECAUSE THIS IS SO CRITICAL.
UH, THE ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 8TH, UM, IN VIRGINIA WE CAN VOTE UP UNTIL NOVEMBER 5TH AND EARLY VOTING, UH, THE EARLY VOTING SATELLITE OFFICE IS LOCATED IN GUCCI COURTHOUSE.
IT'S LOCATED IN THE SPORTS COMPLEX RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.
AND IT IS BEHIND THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ITSELF.
UH, YOU CAN VOTE THERE UP UNTIL NOVEMBER 5TH.
ON NOVEMBER 8TH, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO VOTE IN YOUR LOCAL PRECINCTS.
UH, WE HAVE BIG MAPS IN THE BACK THAT SHOW THE NEW PRECINCTS.
BUT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WANT TO GO OVER IS MAKE SURE, ESPECIALLY HERE, UH, IF YOU VOTE IN THIS PARTICULAR PRECINCT, YOU PROBABLY USED TO VOTE AT SBA CHRISTIAN CHURCH, UH, STARTING THIS YEAR, YOU'LL VOTE RIGHT HERE AT BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO, UH, PRECINCT 1 0 1 IS MOVED FROM MIBA TO HERE.
SAME THING IF YOU'RE IN A 2 0 1 AND THREE SQUARE.
IT'S MOVED FROM SMYRNA BAPTIST, CHIEF CORNERSTONE BAPTIST.
IF YOU'RE IN THE SANDY HOOK AREA, IT'S MOVED FROM THE GUCCI RECREATION CENTER TO THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE BEAVER DAM AND RANDOLPH IN THE OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY WHERE THEY MOVED TO AS WELL.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE AGAIN, YOU CAN GET BACK TO THE ROOM.
YOU SEE THE MAP, YOU GOT HANDOUTS THERE THAT WE'LL TELL YOU WHERE THE CHANGES ARE IN PRECINCTS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS SUPPOSED TO GO.
SO YOU GO TO THE RIGHT PRECINCT.
SO ALL THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU, THE CITIZENS GIN COUNTY WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT CITIZENS.
WE HAD NO TO BE HERE WITHOUT CITIZENS.
SO UNDERSTANDING OUR CITIZENS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE ENGAGED IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
SO HERE'S HOW YOU GET ENGAGED IN GUC AND COUNTY AND EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, EVERYBODY WATCHING EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY REALLY OUGHT TO BE ENGAGED.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE.
AND THIS IS, IS A, THERE'S NOTHING MORE DISAPPOINTING THAN HAVING A VERY
[00:30:01]
SIGNIFICANT TOPIC ON AN AGENDA TO BOARD MEETING.AND YOU LOOK OUT AND THERE'S NOBODY IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE, THE, EXCEPT FOR MR. LYLE OF COURSE
HOW CAN YOU DO IT? WELL THERE'S THE WEBSITE FACEBOOK.
IF YOU'RE NOT SIGNED UP TO CODE RED, UH, YOU REALLY SHOULD.
THIS PAST THURSDAY WHEN THE WATER MAIN BROKE, WE WERE ABLE TO SEND OUT INFORMATION TO PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST AFFECTED BY THE WATER MAIN.
SAME THING IN JANUARY WHEN WE HAD THE ICE STORM.
WE WERE ABLE TO SEND OUT INFORMATION THROUGH CODE RED AND TARGET PEOPLE.
UH, WE'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, TWITTER AS WELL.
YOU GOT OUR PHONE NUMBER, UH, THE SHERIFF'S APP, HE WAS MENTIONING IT.
UH, THAT'S A GREAT APP EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE ON THEIR PHONE.
PLEASE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT DOWNLOADED, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD.
YOU CAN COME TO OUR MONTHLY BOARD MEETINGS.
UH, THEY'RE HELD THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
UH, WE ALSO, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO ONLINE AND GET THESE SLIDES.
YOU CAN GET OUR AGENDAS, YOU CAN GET ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED OR TALKED ABOUT IN ANY MEETING OF GUCCI COUNTY.
SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF WAYS YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT YOUR COUNTY, THE WAYS YOU CAN BE PART OF WHAT YOUR COUNTY DOES.
AND IF YOU ARE INTO QR CODES, WE ASK THAT YOU UH, DO THE QR CODE OR IF NOT, YOU CAN GO ONLINE.
AND THE SURVEY JUST HELPS US BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.
SO WE AS A STAFF WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BEST WAYS TO REACH OUT TO OUR CITIZENS.
SO WE CAN ALWAYS BE PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF, OF COMMUNICATION AND THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT OUR CITIZENS WANT AND NEED.
SO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE TAKE PART IN THIS IN JUST A COUPLE MINUTES AND LET US KNOW.
AND WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR MYSELF OR MEMBERS OF THE STAFF? YES MA'AM.
IT'S NICE SEEING ALL THE UM, MODERN TECHNOLOGY, THE COUNTY SELLING FRUIT AND EVERYTHING.
BUT GUESS WHAT? I CAN'T GET ONLINE AT HOME.
I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN THE RISE PROJECT UM, CAME ALONG.
BUT I'M, I'M, AND THEY ARE SLOW AS MUD.
NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO EVERYBODY AROUND ME IS GETTING CONNECTED.
THEY'RE CENTRAL VIRGINIA OR, AND THIS IS GETTING CRITICAL AND I THINK SUSAN IN THE 2020 NOW BEFORE DOMINION WILL LISTEN, THEY'RE SAY 2025 TO GIVE THEMSELVES THE ROOM CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA FIND WHEN THEY START LAYING THE LINES.
WELL I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE OTHERS CAN GET CONNECTED.
THEIR, THE LINES ARE GOING DOWN FOR THEM AND YET THE MENU CUSTOMERS ARE LOST IN THE SAUCE AND I'M FRUSTRATED, I'M AGGRAVATED AND I'M HAPPY.
WE HAVE AND AIR DISH BILL IS RIDICULOUS.
AND THAT'S NOT EVERY INTERNET.
I MEAN IT IS GETTING UNREACHABLE.
IT'S NOT A AND WE NEED GOOD INTERNET.
EVERYTHING, DOCTORS, EVERYTHING WE DO, WE HAVE TO HAVE GOOD DOING THAT IN.
SO I THE COUNTY TO GO LIKE THE CHAIN TO DO SOMETHING, GET THIS TOO BLAH BLAH.
TO ME, IT WON'T EVEN RETURN MY CALL.
CAUSE I HAD, I TALK TO BILL CAUSE WE HAVE BLOCKED POWER, I DUNNO HOW MANY TIMES THIS YEAR SINCE THE JANUARY STORM AND IT KEEPS GOING OUT.
AND THEN WE WERE THREE PEOPLE, JUST THREE OF US OUT.
IT WAS 12 HOURS BEFORE DOMINION EVEN CALLED THE CONTRACTOR TO COME BECAUSE WE TALKED TO HIM.
THEY SAID, OH WELL POWER WENT OUT LIKE SIX THAT EVENING.
AND WE TALKED TO HIM THE NEXT MORNING AND WE SAW THE GUYS OUT THERE AND THEY SAID, WELL WE DIDN'T GET THE CALL TIL THIS MORNING.
JUST WHY DID HE GET THE CALL? YOU KNOW? SO I WANTED TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT AND ABOUT HOW OUR LINES ARE SO FRAGILE AND NOBODY EVER RETURN A CALL.
THEY DON'T, THEY'RE JUST TOO BIG.
SO, AND WE ARE AS RESPONSIBLE HAS SAID CONSTANTLY MAKING WITH FIRE IN RELATION TO THAT PIECE OF THE RISE PROJECT.
THERE IS WORK GOING ON, CAN'T SEE IT.
PART OF A FRUSTRATION, BUT WE'RE ALSO EVEN MORE WITH THE
[00:35:01]
DOMINION AND I AFTER, UM, WE MAY HAVE SOME CONTEXT TO ANSWER SOME OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL ALSO SAY SOME THAT FEEDBACK PROJECT STARTED BACK IN REALLY 2019 STARTED ON THAT.SO THOSE AREAS OUT HERE HAVE BEEN WAITING ON THAT PIECE AND THAT PROBABLY BEFORE THE RISE STARTED.
SO THAT'S WHY SOME OF THE CEC IS GOING AND THE PAYSVILLE AREA, SHARED HILL AREA IS ONE OF THE LABS IN THAT FLOW ON.
SO THAT HAS BEEN A YEAR PROJECT AS WELL AND ITS NOW FLOW THERE.
SO, UM, WE AS WE'RE FORTUNATE, ONE OF THE, WHERE THEY'RE WORKING ON ALL COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT IN SOME FORM FASHION, YOU CAN'T SEE IT AGAIN.
THAT'S THE FRUSTRATION AND WE WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE YOU CONNECT AS SOON POSSIBLE CAUSE THAT WAY YOU CAN BE MORE ENGAGED WITH US.
WE CAN TALK MORE LATER ABOUT REALLY FRUSTRATING IS THAT THEY HAVE HIGH SPEED AND LOOK HOW RURAL THEY ARE.
YOUR COUNTY'S IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, HASWELL ALL OUT IN THAT AREA.
THEY'VE HAD HIGH SPEED INTERNET FOR YEARS.
WHY ARE WE SO FAST? I MEAN IT'S LIKE WE'RE IN THE STONE AGES OR SOMETHING.
IT'S STILL WHAT WE WERE SAID STATE IS NOT ADD EVENT ON THE MARKET.
THEY WERE NOT BY ANY MEANS BUT THEY CUMBER AS C FOR MOST AND THEY TOOK CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMER.
AND SO THAT'S, I MEAN THEY STARTED ACTUALLY WANTED TO SERVICE THEIR THEIRS AND THEN IT EXPAND RIGHT TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
THANK GOD, PLEASE GET WITH US AFTERWARDS.
WE'LL TRY TO GET SOME NUMBERS.
MAYBE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, INTERCEDE ESPECIALLY ON THE POWER LINES.
UM, THAT THEY MAY NOT BE AS FORTHRIGHT WITH SOME OF THE UH, BROADBAND THINGS ON THE POWER LINES.
THEY'RE GENERALLY PRETTY GOOD.
SO YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GET THROUGH ON THAT.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THE PAUL MYSELF SO WE CAN HELP HAVE THE POWER ISSUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEE NONE THEN.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I AND MY STAFF HAVE TO SERVE YOU.
AND I WILL NOW TURN OVER TO THE SCHOOL.
DO WE HAVE THE QUESTION? OKAY, ALL LIKE, WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
I'M SANDRA BAREFOOT RE I'M YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE FOR THIS DISTRICT AND WE'VE HAD A WONDERFUL START FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
RAY HAS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM, YOU HOW MUCH WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
LET MR. CARPENT, THEY'RE ALL PRETTY EASY AS A ROOKIE.
COME ON NOW, LET'S MAKE A LITTLE TALKER HERE.
ALSO WANNA INTRODUCE MS. KAREN HORN WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT THREE ON OUR G COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD.
AND, AND AGAIN, WELCOME EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
I HAVE REALLY THREE OBJECTIVES TONIGHT I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU.
THE FIRST OBJECTIVE IS JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSIGHT REGARDING WHAT WE'VE BEEN THIS YEAR AND THE POSITIVE START WE HAVE HAD TO OUR SCHOOL YEAR.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMUNITY INVESTS 40 MILLION, 40 MILLION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION FROM STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL RESOURCES.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE GET MONEY FROM THE STATE AND FROM THE FEDS, IT IS STILL TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT WERE GENERATED IN HERE IN GOLAND.
SO ULTIMATELY OUR RESIDENTS GENERATE 40 MILLION TO OPERATE OUR SCHOOLS.
AND I WANNA LET YOU KNOW WHERE THAT INVESTMENT IS GOING AND TRULY HOW THAT INVESTMENT IS RESULTING VERY POSITIVE DIVIDENDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ENROLLMENT.
OFTENTIMES IT COME TO SETTINGS LIKE THIS AND FOLKS WANNA KNOW HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE AND ARE WE GROWING CERTAINLY BASED ON WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE DRIVE THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES ROADS.
THEN I WANT TO END WITH THE HIGH PROFILE PROJECT AND THAT BEING OUR NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GIVING YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE.
BUT WE TRULY ARE OFF TO A GREAT START.
WE ARE NOW FINISHING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WEEK NINE FOR US.
AND I'LL TELL YOU IT'S BEEN A VERY POSITIVE START.
WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES LAST YEAR.
WE'VE GOT THROUGH THE COVID AT PANDEMIC, GOT STUDENTS IN SCHOOL.
BUT WE ARE STILL REELING FROM SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HUMAN BEINGS WE'RE EXPERIENCING WHEN THEY COME BACK TOGETHER AND BE IN A SOCIAL SETTING ONCE AGAIN.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY POSITIVE.
WE'VE REESTABLISHED OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT WE EXPECT OF OUR STUDENTS.
A LOT OF AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN CLASSROOMS. LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT OUR TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND SO WE WERE RECENTLY RECOGNIZED FOR THE
[00:40:01]
WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH TECHNOLOGY IN OUR SCHOOLS.MOST NOTABLY AS AN APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL DIVISION.
THERE ARE LESS THAN 700 SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE THAT HAVE RECEIVED THIS RECOGNITION.
ALL FIVE OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE CONSIDERED APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE ARE USING THE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR SCHOOLS EFFECTIVELY AND WELL TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION.
IT'S NOT THE ONLY TOOL THAT WE USE, BUT IT'S ALSO A TOOL THAT WE USE TO SUPPLEMENT AND SUPPORT AND WE'RE USING IT VERY, VERY WELL CUZ COMMUNITY INVESTS A LOT OF MONEY IN TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT THAT INVESTMENT IS BEING RETURNED WELL AND BEING RECOGNIZED BY OTHERS.
UH, JUST RECENTLY WE WERE RECOGNIZED AGAIN FOR A YEAR FIVE YEAR FIVE IN A ROW AS THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE RICHMOND METRO REGION.
NICHE.COM IS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE GO WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO SEARCHING FOR COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY WANNA LIVE.
AND SO WHEN THEY LOOK UP GSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEY CAN SEE HOW STRONG WE ARE FROM A VARIETY OF METRICS.
THIS LOOKS AT A LOT OF DATA LIST THEY'VE EXPERIENCES PEOPLE ARE HAVING.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED AGAIN FOR THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE REGION AND THE TOP 10% OF SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
THIS IS THE NEW RECOGNITION FOR US.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON TUESDAY NIGHT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
UH, WE HAVE JUST BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A NATIONAL BANNER SCHOOL FROM THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS ORGANIZATION.
AND SO THIS WAS A PRETTY CHALLENGING, UM, ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR US.
AND, AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHEN YOU THINK OF THE GOLAND BULLDOGS, YOU MAY THINK OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE COMPETING IN CROSS COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL AND BASKETBALL, BUT WE HAVE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE WEARING THE BULLDOG UNIFORM AND THEY'RE COMPETING WITH STUDENTS, UH, THEIR NON-DISABLED PEERS IN BOWLING, CRICKET, BASKETBALL, KICKBALL.
AND SO WE HAVE NOT JUST VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM THAT YOU'LL SEE ON FRIDAY NIGHT, WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE COMPETING IN OTHER SPORTS AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF WHAT THAT HAS DONE FOR US TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO BE REALLY CLOSE AND, AND INCLUSIVE AND, AND JUST, JUST I'M TELLING YOU, I'LL SEND YOU SOME INVITATIONS TO SEE IT IN ACTION.
UH, AND AS I SAID, THIS COMMUNITY INVESTS 40 MILLION AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND SO WE ARE RECOGNIZED MOST RECENTLY FOR, FROM THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION FOR OUR WORK IN OUR BUDGET DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT.
UM, OUR BUDGET BOOK HAS BEEN WELL RECOGNIZED FOR THE DETAIL AND HOW IT CAN BE READ BY A LAYPERSON IN ANY SORT OF SETTING.
AND SO CERTAINLY PROUD OF THAT.
IT'S A RECOGNITION OF THE STRONG STEWARDSHIP OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT OUR SCHOOL DIVISION HAS.
AND REALLY PROUD TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THAT NATIONAL ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW, WE ARE ONE OF ONLY 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THIS COMMONWEALTH THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY ACCREDITED.
AND SO WE ARE AMONGST SOME ELITE COMPANY THERE AND REALLY STRONG WITH THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE GETTING ON OUR STANDARDS OF LEARNING ASSESSMENTS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST A SIGN OF STRENGTH OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION AND REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE WERE DOING ON THAT STATEWIDE MEASURE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE COMPETITIVE AND I AM EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE COMPETE AGAINST OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN OUR REGION.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE SOL TESTS FROM LAST YEAR, UH, WE AGAIN REMAIN VERY STRONG IN THE REGION WITH HIGH RANKINGS ON ALL OF THE CONTENT ASSESSMENTS AND CERTAINLY WE'RE AT THE VERY TOP THERE.
AND, UH, I WILL SAY THAT I THINK MUCH OF THIS IS A RESULT OF WHAT WE DID IN 2020 AND 21, WHERE EARLY IN THE PANDEMIC WE HAD STUDENTS BACK IN SCHOOL IN PERSON.
AND UH, I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE DID THERE.
AND CERTAINLY OUR STUDENTS, I BELIEVE IN GOLAND, HAVE AN ADVANTAGE AS A RESULT OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE THEN.
AND I SEE WE CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS CERTAINLY MANIFEST AS A MAJOR RESULTS HERE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE XOL TESTS, UM, WE SEE STATE AVERAGES AND ALL THE CONTENT AREAS AND SO REALLY PROUD OF ALL THAT.
SO WE ARE HIGH ABOVE WHAT, WHAT THE REST OF THE STATE IS DOING.
AND THEN THIS IS ONE METRIC THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF TOO, IS OUR GRADUATION RATE AT 97%.
THEY RECENTLY PUBLISHED THE STATEWIDE GRADUATION RATE AND IT WAS 92%.
MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OR ONE OR TWO STUDENTS AWAY.
AND OFTENTIMES WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS STUDENTS LEAVE OUR SCHOOL DIVISION AND WE LOSE TRACK OF THEM.
THEY JUST, THINGS HAPPEN IN LIFE AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S HELD AGAINST US.
CAUSE IF THEY DON'T ENROLL IN ANOTHER SCHOOL, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY END UP.
UH, THEY COUNTED AGAINST THIS.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
SO WE REALLY HAVE A GOAL TO ULTIMATELY GET TO ONE 100%, BUT REALLY STRONG GRADUATION RATES AS WELL.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD SEE WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH OUR SCHOOLS AND, UH, SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS TAKING THIS HIGH ALREADY HIGH PERFORMING AND EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL DIVISION AND BECOMING EVEN STRONGER.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT OUR FEET UP ON OUR DESK AND SAY WE'VE
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ARRIVED.WE WANT TO CONTINUALLY TO GROW AND IMPROVE.
SO OUR MOTTO THIS YEAR IS TO MAKE OURSELVES STRONGER AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WITH THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE, OUR INTERACTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING WE DO, WE'RE GOING TO BE STRONGER THIS YEAR THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
AND SO REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PROVIDE EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS.
AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT'S HAPPENED, IT'S HAPPENING FOR OUR BULLDOGS FOLLOW UP ON GIN SPORTS, BUT OUR VO TEAMS, VOLLEYBALL TEAMS HAVING AN EXTREMELY STRONG YEAR THIS YEAR.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE, UH, COMPETITIVE FOOTBALL TEAMS OR STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT ON THE GRID IRON THIS YEAR, BUT, SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF OUR BULLDOGS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME FALL SPORTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN GOLF CROSS COUNTRY AND OUR CHEERLEADERS ARE OUT THERE SUPPORTING OUR BULLDOG AS WELL.
HERE'S THE PICTURE OF OUR UNIFIED SPORTS TEAM.
REALLY PROUD OF THOSE STUDENT ATHLETES WHO ARE REALLY DOING SOME GREAT WORK OUT ON THE FIELD.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR BAND, A STRONG PERFORMING BAND THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF AS WELL.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT JUST FOR A SECOND THAT REMAINS EXTREMELY STRONG.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS INVESTED WELL IN OUR CTE PROGRAM AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING I EXPERIENCED TODAY.
SO WE HAVE, I THINK MAYBE THE ONLY SPANISH IN THE WORKPLACE CLASS IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
SO WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DRIVING BULLDOZERS, BUILDING HOMES, BEING PLUMBERS.
AND SO WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING SPANISH CLASS RELATED TO TOOLS, LANDSCAPING.
THE GOAL IS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LEAD OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY SPEAK SPANISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.
AND SO WE WENT ON SITE TODAY AT BOONE HOMES, WHICH IS ACROSS FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
AND OUR STUDENTS IN THIS CLASS HAD A CHANCE TO WALK THROUGH WITH BOONE HOMES TEAM, TALK ABOUT THE BUILDING PROCESS, PRACTICE THE VOCABULARY, AND HAD A CHANCE TO INTERACT AND PRACTICE THEIR SPANISH SPEAKING SKILLS WITH SOME OF THE WORKERS WHO ARE ON SITE.
REALLY COOL HOW WE'RE PREPARING THESE STUDENTS FOR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS WHEN THEY GET OUT IN THE WORKFORCE.
THEY WERE OFFER JOBS TODAY BY BOONE HOMES AS WELL.
UH, REALLY SOME GREAT THINGS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN THERE.
EDDIE AND STEVEN ARE HERE AND I'M EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE A PARTNER SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEM IN ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT DAILY, WE HAVE 2,600 CHILDREN, 500 EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WORKING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND ULTIMATELY IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND HEALTHY AND WELL.
WE HAVE RAMPED UP OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY EFFORTS.
THAT'S BEEN A TRUE PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
WALK THROUGH OUR BUILDINGS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
YOU DRIVE PAST THEM, YOU SEE SOME THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT TRAINING TOGETHER THIS SUMMER, UH, INCLUDING A LIVE PRACTICE SIMULATION, UH, WITH AN ATTACKER INSIDE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, AND IT WAS A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW AND COMMUNICATE TOGETHER.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER.
UH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT YOUR COMMUNITY IS WORKING VERY HARD TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE Y M C A.
THIS IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE LOCAL DENTISTRY THAT CAME ON SITE, WHICH PROVIDING FREE DENTAL AND HEALTHCARE TO OUR STUDENTS, UH, WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
SO A REALLY GREAT PARTNERSHIP THERE.
AND THEN CONTINUALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR MARINE CORPS JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM.
I INVITE EVERYONE TO COME OUT IN NOVEMBER TO BE A PART OF THAT.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST, KEN PETERSON, WHO'S GOING TO BE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER THERE.
AND CERTAINLY WE WANNA CELEBRATE AND THANK THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION ADMIRABLY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY COOL AS WELL.
RACHEL TATE, WHO TEACHES FOR US, HAS ESTABLISHED THIS VETERANS PROJECT WHERE WE HAVE 30 VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR STUDENTS, WHERE WE ARE BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP AND OUR STUDENTS ARE HONORING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT MEN AND WOMEN IN THE ARMED SERVICES HAVE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THIS NATION.
THEY'RE INTERVIEWING THE VETERANS.
THE VETERANS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BE AT THE COIN TO, FOR OUR FOOTBALL GAMES, CAPTAINS AT OUR FOOTBALL GAMES.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA GO ON A FIELD TRIP IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR TO THE WAR MEMORIALS IN DC AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP AT THE G DAY PARADE TOO.
SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STUDENTS WHERE WE ARE HONORING THE PAST AND RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE AND CERTAINLY HOW THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
AND SO WE HAVE INCREASED IN ENROLLMENT SLIGHTLY THIS YEAR.
UH, ACTUALLY A LITTLE MORE THAN SLIGHTLY.
WE'RE UP ABOUT 50 STUDENTS YEAR OVER YEAR.
EVERY SCHOOL EXCEPT FOR ONE, HAS INCREASED ITS ENROLLMENT.
UH, GULA MIDDLE SCHOOL IS DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT
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BECAUSE WE HAD A LARGE EIGHTH GRADE CLASS LAST YEAR THAT HAS MATRICULATED TO THE NINTH GRADE.SO WE SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A BUMP THERE AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL GLAND.
HIGH SCHOOL IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF 900 STUDENTS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
SO WHO WOULD'VE EVER THOUGHT THAT VILLE HIGH SCHOOL WAS GONNA HAVE 900? BUT IT'S, WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE.
SO OVERALL, UH, WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 25, 45 K THROUGH 12.
UH, YOU HAD A HUNDRED PRESCHOOL STUDENTS IN THERE.
SO WE CONTINUALLY TO SEE A LITTLE INCREASE.
ANECDOTALLY, WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT FAMILIES WHO MADE THE CHOICE TO HOMESCHOOL THEIR CHILDREN DURING THE PANDEMIC ARE RETURNING FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
FOLKS WHO HAVE MADE THE CHOICE TO EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN IN A PRIVATE SETTING ARE RETURNING BACK TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THANKFUL TO HAVE OUR FAMILIES BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WE'RE SEEING THAT LITTLE INCREASE.
SO SOMETHING FOR US TO MONITOR AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND, UH, LOOK AT THE NEEDED RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE ARE HOT AND HEAVY IN THE GVA BONDS PROCESS, RIGHT? AND CONTINUALLY THANKFUL FOR WHAT THIS COMMUNITY DID AND VOTED IN AFFIRMATION FOR THE TUNE OF 85% IN SUPPORT OF PROJECTS THAT THE SCHOOLS HAVE NEEDED, OUR, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS NEEDED AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS IN THE COURTS NEEDED AS WELL.
AND I'M JUST CONTINUE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT ONGOING SUPPORT.
SO I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT THE INVESTMENT THIS COMMUNITY HAS MADE IN THIS PROJECT RIGHT HERE HAS INCREASED SAFETY, HAS PROVIDED A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR ALL MOTORISTS IN THE PORTHOUSE AREA.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE SHOWED PICTURES OF CARS THAT WERE BACKED OUT ON THE BULLDOG WAY IN FRONT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, BACKED OUT ON THE ROUTE SIX, AND STEVEN AND HIS TEAM HAD TO COME IN WITH THEIR LIGHTS AND SAVED TODAY.
THEY HAVE BUSES AND CARS CONVERTING AT THE SAME TIME.
WELL, WE HAVE INTERSTATE 64 OUT IN FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S GREAT.
UH, WE HAVE TWO DEDICATED BUS LANES.
WE HAVE TWO LANES OF, OF PEDESTRIAN, NOT PEDESTRIANS, BUT PARENTS WHO DROP OFF THEIR KIDS.
WE HAVEN'T HAD HAD ANY ISSUES, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE MADE A 20 YEAR INVESTMENT OR MORE.
AND, UH, SO THOSE DOLLARS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS INVESTED CERTAINLY ARE PAYING DIVIDENDS.
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY IT CAME IN $550,000 LESS AND WE BUDGETED AND SCHOOL BOARD ON TUESDAY, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK THAT WE COULD USE THOSE RESOURCES FOR OUR FUTURE PROJECT, MOST NOTABLY THE NEW GEES.
SO THAT'S A POSITIVE WHERE WE CAME IN UNDER BUDGET AND, UH, SAVING THOSE RESOURCES FOR SOME OTHER NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR UNIT.
SO REALLY SOME GOOD THINGS THERE.
JUST ANOTHER VIEW OF THAT NEW PARKING LOT.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEW GEES.
THIS IS, WE'RE NEARING A VERY CRITICAL PHASE OF THIS PROJECT.
SO ON MONDAY THE 17TH OF OCTOBER, WE ARE GOING TO SEND A SEVERAL HUNDRED PAGE BID DOCUMENT TO EIGHT PRE-QUALIFIED VENDORS.
WE HAD THE FORESIGHT TO IDENTIFY THROUGH A PROCUREMENT PROCESS, INDIVIDUALS WHO MET CERTAIN SPECIFICATIONS OF QUALITY, EXPERIENCE AND BONDING REPUTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET A QUALITY PROJECT.
AND SO WE HAVE EIGHT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MET OUR PRE-QUAL, UH, QUALIFICATION, UH, SPECIFICATIONS.
WE'RE GOING SEND THE BIDS TO THEM.
UH, THE BIDS ARE GONNA BE ON THE STREET FOR 30 DAYS AND WE WILL KNOW THE TRUE COST OF THIS PROJECT WILL NOVEMBER THE 17TH.
UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONJECTURE, A LOT OF COST ESTIMATES, A LOT OF WONDERING, AND SO WE'LL FIND OUT WHEN THE 17TH IN NOVEMBER, WHAT THIS THING'S GOING COST.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT WITH EIGHT VENDORS THAT WE SHOULD GET COMPETITION.
UH, I THINK THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO ARE, ARE HUNGRY, UH, AND YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY MAY BE SLOWING DOWN AT THE RIGHT TIME, POTENTIALLY FOR THIS TIME WE WILL TELL, BUT WE WILL KNOW FOR SURE ON NOVEMBER THE 17TH.
SO LET'S WALK THROUGH THIS SCHOOL.
THIS IS A TWO STORY STRUCTURE.
WE HAVE AN ACADEMIC WING THAT YOU SEE THERE IN BLUE.
THAT'S WHERE ALL, UH, THE CLASSROOMS ARE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ON THE BOTTOM.
THAT'S THE FIRST FLOOR FLOOR PRINT.
THAT'S WHERE YOUR OFFICE SUITE IS.
CAFETERIA IN YOUR KITCHEN SERVER.
UH, WE DID BUILD THIS, OR WE HOPE TO BUILD THIS FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL SIZE GYM SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE GREAT PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, AS WELL AS MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
SO TWO STORY FOOTPRINT IN THERE IS A PICTURE OF WHAT IT MAY LOOK LIKE ON THE OUTSIDE.
UH, ULTIMATELY WE WANT THIS SCHOOL TO BE VERY, WE, WE RECOGNIZE THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVEN, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROUD OF.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE.
IT IS A, UH, YOU KNOW, A BRICK DESIGN ON THE OUTSIDE.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC SEPARATED COM BUSS TRAFFIC, AND
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SO, UH, HOPEFULLY A GOOD B ONE WALK UP TO THE FRONT DOOR AND HAVE SOME NICE CURB APPEALS.THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE INSIDE OF THE OFFICE SUITE.
NOTHING FANCY THERE, BUT JUST A NICE SIMPLE FOOTPRINT ON THE INSIDE.
THE MAIN OFFICE, THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD GREET OUR VISITORS.
AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN SEE THIS POTENTIALLY WITH SOME OF THE LIGHTING, UH, BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU WALK IN AND THIS IS THE CAFETERIA.
YOU WALK IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE AND YOU WALK INTO A TWO STORY VOLUME AND THE CAFETERIA SPACE IS THERE, UH, GLASS ON ONE END OF THE FACILITY SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME NICE NATURAL LIGHT IN AND HAVE A NICE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR, OUR END USERS ALWAYS GO DOWN TO THE LEFT, STAND INSIDE ON THIS PICTURE.
THAT'S WHERE ALL THE, THE CLASSROOMS ARE.
SO THIS IS JUST A PICTURE AS YOU WALK OUT OF THE CAFETERIA INTO THE ACADEMIC WING STAIRS THAT LEADS YOU UP ONTO THE SECOND FLOOR CLASSROOMS. HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THERE'LL BE A COMBINATION OF MATERIAL KIND OF LIKE THIS IN THE HALLWAYS.
THAT'LL BE DURABLE IN A FEW CARPETED SPACES JUST FOR COMFORT AND FEEL.
UH, BUT WE'VE LOOKED AT MAINTENANCE AS WELL.
THIS IS A, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A PERFORMANCE SPACE HERE.
THE FACILITY WILL NOT HAVE AN ODD AUDITORIUM.
THE COST OF A AUDITORIUM IS A LOT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE USE USAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO WE SOUGHT SOME COMPROMISE AND THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE A PERFORMANCE OF GRADE LEVEL AND GET SOME PARENTS IN THERE.
SO, UM, A VERY FLEXIBLE SPACE HERE THAT IT'S DEPICTED IN THIS PICTURE.
AND THEN THIS IS THIS VIEW LOOKING DOWN INTO THE LIBRARY FROM THE SECOND FLOOR, UH, CORRIDOR WHERE STUDENTS WOULD BE WALKING BACK AND FORTH.
SO THE LIBRARY IS THE HUB OF THE BUILDING.
SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES WANT TO HAPPEN.
AND SO IT'S CENTRALIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL.
AND THEN THIS IS JUST A PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE CALLING COLLABORATIVE SPACES.
OFTENTIMES WE WANT OUR WORK TO HAPPEN IN THE CLASSROOM AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.
IF YOU GO TO OUR SCHOOLS NOW, YOU'LL SEE STUDENTS SPILLING OUT INTO THE CLA INTO THE HALLWAYS.
WELL, THESE ARE SPACES THAT ARE DESIGNED FOR KIDS TO GET TOGETHER, DO TEAMWORK, COLLABORATE, WORK TOGETHER.
THIS IS JUST A VISUAL DEPICTION OF THAT.
AND THIS IS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO, UH, THIS STUDENT HERE IS WALKING INTO THE CAFETERIA ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AND THEN PLAYGROUND SPACED OFF TO THE RIGHT.
AND SO WE HAVE A PRESCHOOL PLAYGROUND, PLAYGROUND FOR KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE STUDENTS, AND THEN A PLAYGROUND FOR SECOND THROUGH FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS.
UH, SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF PLAY SPACE FOR THE STUDENTS, BUT EXCITED ABOUT THIS, HOPING THAT WE, UH, CAN GET SOME, SOME REALLY GREAT PRICING WHEN THE BIDS COME IN.
AND, UH, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE AND, UH, HOPEFULLY GET SOME ANSWERS HERE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
BUT AGAIN, IN SUMMARY, REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'RE OFF TO A FANTASTIC START.
UH, THANK THAT FOR ALL THE SUPPORT WE GET FROM INDIVIDUALS IN THIS ROOM AND OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
WE HAVE ONE OPENING, MR. PETERSON.
WE DID OPEN THE SCHOOL YEAR FULLY STAFFED, BUT WE DO HAVE A, UH, LIBRARIAN POSITION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND, UH, KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO'D BE INTERESTED IN THAT.
AND I'M LOOKING FOR A GIRLS' BASKETBALL COACH TOO.
THAT ONE HAS ME A LITTLE MORE NERVOUS THAN THE LIBRARIAN, QUITE HONESTLY.
UH, AND THEN WE MOST RECENTLY, UH, HAD DR.
CHRIS PAULER, OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, RECEIVE A PROMOTION.
HE'S, UH, ON HIS WAY TO SPONSOR COUNTY.
WE HAVE AN INTERIM PRINCIPAL THERE NOW.
SO WE ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITING FOR A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AS WELL.
SO, UH, I HOPE YOU LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME OR ANY COUNTY STAFF? HERE'S YOUR CHANCE.
OKAY, WELL I THINK MOST OF YOU HAVE MY PHONE NUMBER.
PLEASE CALL ME IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED.
I DO WANNA ADD ONE, ONE THING.
UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT WE DID LOSE ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD, UH, DON SHARP PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 17.
AND, UH, THE SERVICE WILL BE THIS SATURDAY AT RAGLAND MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH ON SUNDAY ROAD AT 2:00 PM IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN THAT, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING APPLICATIONS TO FILL THAT POSITION FOR AN INTERIM PERIOD, A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE YEAR TILL NEXT NOVEMBER WHEN WE HAVE ELECTIONS.
AND WE'LL ELECT SOMEONE GET THAT POSITION.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT FOUR THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED, UH, IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN CALL ME IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, DIRECT YOU THERE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
AND OH, NICE THING, THE TREATS, THE COOKIES ARE MADE BY
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THE RULAND HIGH SCHOOL CULINARY ARTS TEAM, SO PLEASE, PLEASE, THEY WOULD BE UPSET.