Deputies: Lake Butler bank robber caught

Union County Times
USPS 648-200 — Lake Butler, Florida
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012
100th Year —34th Issue — 75 CENTS
Deputies: Lake Butler bank robber caught
BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
Worth
Noting
Early deadline
due to Holiday
The offices of the Bradford
County Telegraph, Lake Region
Monitor and Union County
Times will be closed on Dec. 24
and 25. Deadline for the Dec. 27
edition will be Friday, Dec. 21,
at 5 p.m.
The publication schedule
has not changed. Newspapers
will be available on the street
on Wednesday evening and in
mailboxes on Thursday.
The Christmas
Shoe Tree
Farm
The Lake Butler Christian
Academy presents the Christmas
Shoe Tree Farm. All are invited
to join the adventures of LBCA’s
“Secret Service” as they visit
the Loggins unique Christmas
tree farm. The event will be held
Thursday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. at
the Lake Butler Church of God.
5th Annual
Christmas
Extravaganza
The 5th annual Christmas
extravaganza will be held at the
Lake Butler Hospital on Friday,
Dec. 21, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Register to win prizes including
a kindle fire with a $50 Amazon
gift card. All kids ages 10 and
under will receive a goody bag
and a small gift from Santa.
Take pictures with Santa for $6,
play carnival games, crafts, train
ride, cupcake walk, karaoke,
entertainment and more. For
more information call 386-4962323 ext. 9227.
Big
Red
Christmas
Drive
The Big Red Christmas Drive
will be held on Saturday, Dec. 22,
from 10 a.m. to noon at the Hal
Y. Maines Community Center in
Lake Butler. Families in need of
assistance for children ages 2-12
are asked to bring the child’s
social security card or birth
certificate and proof of residency.
Your child must be with you.
The Big Red Christmas drive
is funded through individuals
who want to provide a child
in need with a Christmas gift.
Families are asked to consider
their need before attending so
that those in severe need will
not do without. If anyone would
like to donate a gift, you can
drop it off at the office of the
Union County Times for pick
up. The Times is not affiliated
with the program but will contact
the appropriate individuals for
pick-up. Donations must be
made by Friday, Dec. 21. For
questions or information email
bigredchristmasdrive@gmail.
com
Bradford County deputies
Dec. 13, acting on an alert issued
by the Union County Sheriff’s
office arrested a suspect in two
area bank robberies.
The charges against McDonald are not proven and he is presumed innocent until adjudicated guilty by a court.
Union County investigators
obtained an arrest warrant for
Brian Shea McDonald, 45, earlier that day after identifying
him as the man who held up
Lake Butler’s Community State
Bank Dec. 7. Gainesville police
believe McDonald also robbed
a Capital City Bank branch in
Gainesville on Dec. 11.
A spokesperson for the Union
County Sheriff’s Office said tips
from the public initially led them
in the direction of the man they
identified as a suspect in a Lake
Butler holdup.
Lt. Lyn Williams said that after identifying McDonald as a
person of interest, Union investigators interviewed the man’s
neighbors and family members,
showing them photographs taken of the robbery.
Investigators used those interviews to obtain an arrest warrant.
Williams added that after
McDonald committed a similar
robbery in Gainesville Dec. 11,
investigators became more convinced they had identified their
suspect.
“He was already on the run,”
said Williams of the suspect.
According to the Bradford
County Sheriff’s office, Detective Dave Schlofman was working a DUI detail in the area of
Griffis Loop (C.R. 100A) and
S.E. 144th Street around 7:48
p.m. when he spotted a green car
with a broken taillight.
Schlofman recalled that a car
matching the description of the
one he was following had been
linked to the Gainesville hold
up. He asked dispatchers to run
the tag on the vehicle and was
told the car was connected with
the Union County warrant. The
detective continued to follow
the vehicle while other units
converged on the area. Deputies
then stopped the vehicle and took
McDonald into custody.
Capt. Carol Starling said McDonald was staying in a home in
the same area where Schlofman
first spotted the suspect.
Williams said a search of that
Brian Shea McDonald was taken into custody in Bradford County on an alert issued by
the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
residence, in addition to a search
of the car, resulted in investigators obtaining evidence linking
McDonald to the robberies.
Both Union County and
Gainesville investigators inter-
Union County School Board
awards Crews, Johns and FFA
BY TIFFANY CLARK
Times Editor
The Union County School
Board
recognized
several
individuals during the regular
school board meeting held earlier
this month.
Leslie James Crews, a deputy
with the Union County Sheriff’s
Office, was presented a plaque
of appreciation for his 5-year
service as the school resource
officer. Superintendent Carlton
Faulk thanked Crews for his
service to the school district.
Faulk
also
recognized
Sam Johns who received a
plaque from the school board.
Supervisor Mike Pittman stood
with Johns as he was thanked
for his excellent service. Johns
retired with 19 years of service
to the Union County Schools.
The FFA ParPro team was
recognized for their continuous
achievements
and
awards.
The team members received a
plaque from Faulk on behalf
of the school board. Members
included: Sponsor Charlotte
(Above) Sams Johns
retired after 19 years with
the school board. (L-r)
Superintendent Carlton
Faulk, Sam Johns and his
supervisor Mike Pittman.
(At right) Superintendent
Carlton Faulk thanks UCSO
deputy Leslie James Crews
for his five years of service
as the school resource
officer.
Emerson, Ryan Perez, Morgan
Dukes, Danielle Pate, Savannah
Woodall, Kayla Freeman, Taylor
Wilkins,
Michaela
Joyner,
William Brown, Case Emerson
and Advisor Tom Williams.
FFA member Case Emerson
was also recognized and
received a plaque for his recent
accomplishments at the National
FFA Agriscience Convention.
viewed McDonald in Starke.
Union deputies then transported
him to Lake Butler where he is
being held on a $300,000 bond.
According to Department of
Corrections records, McDonald
was convicted of forgery in Leon
County in 1998. In 2012 he was
convicted in Columbia County on burglary and petit theft
charges.
Lake Butler Elementary
School gave many thanks
to Crystal Rimes and the
Dollar General Distribution
Center of Alachua for
their recent donation of
toys and gifts to benefit
ten children within the
county. This is the fourth
consecutive year that
DG has provided this
generous service through
LBES. Pictured with the
gifts totaling $400 are (l-r)
LBES Assistant Principal
Christie Perez, Crystal
Rimes of Dollar General
and LBES Guidance
Counselor Amy Britt.
Dollar General
donations helps
ten UC children
See more photos on 2A
Deadline Monday 5 p.m. before publication • Phone 386-496-2261 • Fax 386-496-2858
•
[email protected]
•
www.StarkeJournal.com
•
2A
Union County Times • Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012
(Above) The FFA ParPro
team received plaques for
their accomplishments. (Lr) Superintendent Carlton
Faulk, Sponsor Charlotte
Emerson, Ryan Perez,
Morgan Dukes, Danielle
Pate, Savannah Woodall,
Kayla Freeman, Taylor
Wilkins, Michaela Joyner,
William Brown, Case
Emerson and Advisor Tom
Williams.
(At right) FFA member
Case Emerson was
recognized again
and received another
plaque for his recent
accomplishments at the
National FFA Agriscience
Convention.
LBES gifted
sends letters
to American
Soldiers
Wolfson named Project Learning
Tree Educator of the Year
BY TIFFANY CLARK
Times Editor
Florida Project Learning Tree
(PLT) recently named Rebecca
Wolfson the educator of the year.
Each year PLT recognizes two
individuals and one organization
for their outstanding support and
effort.
Wolfson is a PLT trained
educator at the Lake Butler
Elementary School. As a second
grade teacher, Wolfson shared
PLT activities regularly using
a variety of activities including
her own adaptions. Some of
her students favorites included
the living things butterfly unit
and an outdoor activity creating
different habitats for living
things. Wolfson also helped all
of the second grade teachers at
LBES to be involved with the
butterfly unit and the Mother’s
Day PLT activities.
Wolfson is dedicated to
sharing PLT opportunities with
other educators that link PLT
to the reading curriculum and
encourages teachers to use PLT
in their classrooms as well. She
works with the Union County
4-H and Extension office,
school board members, and 4-H
scholarship students, sharing and
promoting PLT.
Wolfson took huge steps to
promote PLT within her own
school by planning, coordinating
and
co-teaching
a
PLT
conference at LBES during preplanning in 2011. She also found
it important to get involved with
the organization by attending the
state PLT conference in 2011.
Forester
Bill
Kleinhans,
PLT’s
steering
committee
member made a wooden bowl
with an engraved nameplate and
presented it to Wolfson for her
achievement.
PLT is an international,
award-winning, environmental
education program for educators
and students ranging from Pre-K
through twelfth grade.
It is a program of the American
Forest Foundation that uses the
forest as a window on the world,
engaging the next generation of
America’s thought-leaders and
decision makers. They provide
educators with peer-reviewed,
award-winning environmental
education curriculum resources
that can be integrated into lesson
plans for all grades and subject
areas.
Developed in 1976, their
50-state network includes more
than 500,000 trained educators
and materials that cover the
total
environment.
PLT’s
vision for the classrooms is for
educators to teach tomorrow’s
decision-makers how to think,
not what to think about complex
environmental issues.
First and second grade
students from the Lake Butler
Elementary School viewed the
Red Cross’ Holiday for Heroes
video on YouTube recently and
created cards to be sent to the
Red Cross’ holiday mail for the
Heroes program.
LBES gifted teacher Kara
White said, “Seeing the program
in action touched many of the
students and made it more real
to them that many soldiers and
veterans spend the holidays in
hospitals away from their homes
and families. The students really
put their heart and soul into the
creation of the cards.”
White said that the students
wrote messages such as “Get
well soon” and “Thank you for
fighting for our freedom.”
The program accepts cards
from school-aged individuals to
hand out to military installations,
veteran hospitals and among
many other locations.
The cards provide a “welcome
touch of home” for the soldiers
according to the Red Cross’
website.
Visit the Red Cross YouTube
channel to see Red Cross
volunteers distributing cards
and messages in previous years.
More information can also be
viewed by searching for Holiday
Mail for Heroes on the Red Cross
website.
(At front) Carson Rogers
and (back, l-r) Lyndee
Griffis, Karleigh White,
Reagan Robinson and
Katie Wade work on their
letters to send to the Red
Cross Heroes program.
Got a Story?
Tell us
about it.
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 • Union County Times
Alexander
named Tiger’s
Den school
related
employee of
the year
Stidham
named LBES
Teacher of
the Year
Lake Butler Elementary
School recently named fourth
grade teacher Traci Stidham as
the teacher of the year.
Stidham, a mother of two,
began her career with LBES as
a kindergarten teacher shortly
after graduating with honors
from Saint Leo University in the
fall of 2009. After her first year
of teaching, Stidham requested
and was granted a position on
the fourth grade team where she
has remained ever since.
Stidham credits her success
to her teammates. “I work with
such a wonderful supportive
team that shares and motivates
each other to perform at the
highest level.”
Principal Stacey Rimes said,
“Her classroom is filled with
engaging activities and she
is dedicated to motivating all
types of learners. She strives to
make sure that every student is
successful and it is reflected in
her data.”
Aside from her students, one
thing that Stidham is very proud
Saunders
named LBES
School
Related
Employee of
the Year
Lake
Butler
Elementary
School’s Diane Saunders was
recently named the school related
employee of the year.
It takes a very dedicated and
hard-working person to be named
the employee of the year. It is
something that usually occurs
of is consistently high scores on
Teacher Angela Griffis said,
FCAT each year, something she “She pushes her students to do
attributes to teaching inclusion their best and works tirelessly to
math.
ensure each ones’ success.”
only once in a person’s lifetime,
but for Saunders, it’s a title she
now holds proudly for the third
time in her career with the Union
County School District.
A life-long resident of Union
County, Saunders began her
career with the district almost
immediately after graduating
from Union County High School
in 1974. Over the course of the
past thirty years, Saunders’
professional titles included
those of a substitute teacher,
a Para-professional, MIS data
entry clerk and school secretary.
“After 37 years of working in
the district, I have served under
three superintendents and nine
principals,” said Saunders.
Shirley
Alexander
was
recently named as the Tigers
Den Daycare’s school related
employee of the year. Alexander
also received this title last year.
Alexander is a Pre-K and
three/four year old teacher at
Tigers Den. An employee of
the school district for the last 18
years, 8 of those years has been
at Tiger’s Den.
A life-long resident of Union
County, Alexander graduated
from Union County High
School in 1977. Prior to her
career with the Union County
School District, she worked 16
years at the Lake Butler Apparel
Company before the business
closed their doors for good.
Alexander said, “ I do my
best to be well organized when
it comes to the curriculum
and lesson plans each day. In
working with the older children, I
do a lot of hands on activities and
work one on one. I cannot speak
enough about the children. They
are learning so much. Shapes,
colors, schedules, routines, I just
love to see them excel. Alexander
Her current job responsibilities
include general clerical tasks,
scheduling appointments and
meetings, printing quarterly
honor roll certificates, notarizing, (Top left) Traci Stidhamand answering phones, but named LBES teacher of
that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
the year.
Assistant Principal Christie
Perez, “She is professional and
courteous to everyone that calls
(Top right) Shirley Alexor comes into the office.”
ander
named Tigers Den
Saunders is known by many
at LBES as the “go-to” person. Daycare’s school related
“You have to be a jack-of-allemployee of the year.
trades to be a secretary,” said
Saunders.
“I love working at LBES
(At right) Diane Saunbecause of the wonderful family
atmosphere and for my love of
ders named LBES
children.”
school related employee
of the year.
Suggs named
district
Office School
related
Employee of
the Year
Brenda J. Suggs was named
the school district office school
related employee of the year.
Suggs is the wife of Jerry Suggs
is a Christian and member of
Santa Fe Baptist Church.
Suggs parents are J.T. and
Joyce Bass. She has four
brothers, Danny, Terry, Tony
and Jerome, and three sisters,
Annette, JoAnn and Judy. Suggs
has three children, Crystal
(spouse Chad), Ted and Melissa,
and has three grand children,
Alex, Chase and Cayden. Suggs
also has stepchildren and step
grandchildren.
Her activities, interests and
experience include Sunday
school, worship, singing with
her spouse, reading the word,
praying, helping the food
bank, traveling, movies, sports
(watching) “Go Gator and
Tigers,” said Suggs.
She was born in Gainesville,
raised in Brooker and attended
Brooker Elementary School.
Suggs went on to Bradford High
in the 9th grade and graduated
in 1973. She has been employed
with the Union County School
Board since Aug. 27, 2003 as the
payroll specialist
“In looking back on my
childhood I realize how much
of an impact that the education
I received while in school played
a significant role in preparing me
for the position I currently hold
with the Union County School
Board. I am truly blessed to hold
such a rewarding and challenging
position. I give my best to the
job realizing there is no room
for errors, but when made,
corrections are to be processed
immediately when found.
I
understand that accuracy is of
the utmost importance when it
comes to my job of serving and
being there for my co-workers.
Whatever I can do to help, I
will. Respect is not only earned
or gained but must be shown to
all,” said Suggs.
3A
(At left) Brenda J. Suggs
named school district
office school related
employee of the year
said that the new curriculum this
year was exciting. (Seasons all
over the World, In the City, in
the Country)
“It is more structured. It helps
the children learn and explore at
different levels and to focus on
their individual need. At the end
of the day, we reflect on the day.
I love the atmosphere at Tiger’s
Den. It’s friendly and family
oriented. I love the kids and the
parents. The kids also love it
there.”
Alexander said she loves to
read books and enjoys preparing
kits for the next level Pre-K and
Kindergarten.
4A
Union County Times • Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012
(Above) LBMS Junior Beta had the opportunity to receive team building training
from Charlotte Emerson, the Director of Student Development and Recruitment
for University of Florida’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. (Back row, l-r)
Jordan Snyder, Ty Hamilton and Greg Haggerty. (Third row, l-r) Taylor Lilliston, Dylan
Thornton, Jarett Shadd, Seth Hendricks, Taz Worrell, Morgan Eddy, Sidney Snowden,
Devin Lewis, Ridge Smith, Noah Wright, Molly Zapp, Ashley Roberts, Kasey Rhodes,
Lauren Eaton and Holly Roberts. (Second row, l-r) Deanna Olin, Macey Fulgham, Falyn
Rimes, Carly Hodgson, Noah Thompson, Brittany Manning, Lane Griffis and Charlotte
Emerson. (First row, l-r) Bethany Rose, Chase Williams, Kayla Williams, Ciara Kearns,
Samantha Cruz, Taylor Carroll, Allyson Ash and Mariah Griner.
(Below) The LBMS Junior Beta also traveled to Florida Gateway College recently
for a campus tour and orientation on what the campus had to offer the students
for their future. (Back Row, l-r) Falyn Rimes, Ashley Roberts, Carly Hodgson, Molly
Zapp, Morgan Eddy, Chase Williams, Taylor Lilliston, Brittany Manning, Ciara Kearns,
Deanna Olin, Alyssa Rose, Noah Thompson, Kasey Rhodes, Sidney Snowden, Kayla
Williams, Macy Fulgham, Mariah Griner, Laura Eaton, Devin Lewis, Holly Roberts,
Taylor Pate, Jarett Shadd, Maggie Parrish, Phillip Joyner, Greg Haggerty, Lane Griffis
and Taz Worrell. (Front row, l-r) Allyson Ash, Taylor Carroll, Bethany Rose, Samantha
Cruz, Seth Hendricks, Dylan Thornton, Jordan Snyder and Noah Wright.
(Pictured below, l-r) Associate Conductress, Sister Shirley Thomas and Treasurer,
Sister Lila Barber, pose with bags of stuffed animals.
Order of the
Eastern Star
The Lake Butler Chapter No.
40, Order of the Eastern Star,
recently re-supplied the Union
County Sheriff deputies with
stuffed animals to keep in their
vehicles for children.
The deputies give these stuffed
animals to children involved in a
crisis, which helps calm a child
in hopes of relieving emotional
harm from trauma.
The members of Lake Butler
Chapter No. 40 have been resupplying the Union County
Sheriff’s Office with these
animals for several years as a
community project.
FFA
scholarship
Murray Ford will join Ford
Motor Company in its ongoing
commitment to the National
FFA.
Ford has committed to a
sixteenth year of the Built
Ford Tough FFA collegiate
scholarship program, which will
award $1,000 scholarships to
hundreds of FFA members, each
co-sponsored by Ford Dealers
like Murray Ford.
Ford has sponsored the
Built Ford Tough collegiate
scholarship program since 1997.
The program, equally funded by
Ford Motor Company and Ford
dealers, has awarded more than
7 million in scholarships to FFA
members.
Murray Ford is sponsoring
the Built Ford Tough collegiate
scholarship program for Bradford
High School and Union County
High School. For the 2012-2013
school year, it will help two
local students attend the college
of their choice. To be eligible,
FFA members must submit
an online 2013 scholarship
application at www.ffa.org
and take the required signature
page to Murray Ford for the
dealer endorsement and official
dealer code; thus providing FFA
members the opportunity to meet
and thank the dealer for their
support of continuing education.
“We’re pleased to be able
to support the local chapter
and Ford Motor Company in
its strong commitment to the
National FFA,” said Frank
Bisacky. “All our previous
scholarship recipients tell us
how grateful they are for the
financial support and how the
FFA experience has changed
their lives.”
LEGALS
Middle School
gifted students
learn history in
St. Augustine
The Lake Butler Middle
School gifted students recently
took a trip to St. Augustine,
which marked the beginning of
an extensive study of Florida’s
history.
According to gifted teacher
Sherry Barnett, the students
learned about the native
cultures that inhabited Florida,
including the Timucuans of
Northern Florida and the Calusa
of Southern Florida.
They
also learned about the Spanish
explorer, Ponce de Leon, who
named Florida.
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 • Union County Times
5A
An interesting focus of study
was on the pirates who came
to Florida that often preyed
on shipwrecks caused by the
hurricanes and rough seas.
The history of the fort
Castillo de San Marcos was an
educational stop for the students
who learned about the coquina
that was used as its building
material. The state symbols and
the state flag were also studied.
Some of the educational
stops on the trip were the old
jail, Castillo de San Marcos,
the Pirate Museum and St.
Augustine Lighthouse.
Along with the state’s history,
the students have also learned
about the history of Union
County.
(Above) The group stopped for a picture in front of the Pirate Museum in St. Augustine.
(Back row, l-r) Tyler Eddy, Cory Watts, Ty Hamilton, Ridge Smith, George Metz and
Lane Griffis. (Middle row, l-r) JD Johnson, Karilyn Schreck, Karah Oden, Kaylee Molchan and Justin Pilcher. (Front row, l-r) Conner Beighley, Jonathan Schmidt, Kade
Peacock, Alex Perez, Sherry Barnett, Clifford Bryant, Jared Benton, Sierra Jones and
Cady Terry-Raisor.
(At right, l-r) Jonathan Schmidt, Conner Beighley and Victoria Lake pose at the Old
Jail in St. Augustine.
Substitute
Teacher
training set
Reception set
The Union County Courthouse
and the County Commissioners
office invites all to join for a
reception in honor of Patsy
Elixson, Ricky Jenkins, Regina
Parrish and David Reiman as
they retire after years of hard
work and dedication to the
citizens of Union County. This
event will be on Sunday, Jan.
6, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Lake
Butler Elementary School.
Tri-County
Beef Update
The Bradford, Baker and
Union
County
Extension
Services will be offering a TriCounty beef update on Jan. 17,
at 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. at the New
River Volunteer Fire Department
in Bradford County. Register by
Jan. 14, to reserve your place at
this meeting. Topics presented
will include information on
agriculture damage assessment
and a beef cattle production
panel. Special guests include the
University of Florida’s Dr. Todd
Thrift, Extension Beef Cattle
Specialist and Dr. Jason Ferrell,
Extension Weed Specialist.
Registration will begin at 5:45
p.m. with presentations starting
promptly at 6 p.m.
This
program
will
be
sponsored to offset any costs
so be sure to register by Jan.
14. Contact your local county
agent or the Bradford County
Extension Office 904-966-6224
for additional details.
Persons
with
disabilities
needing special accommodations
should contact the Extension
Office at least 10 working days
prior to the event so that special
consideration can be given to the
request.
support, encouragement and
guidance they need to succeed in
school. Mentors meet with their
mentees for 30 minutes every
week on the school campus. All
it takes is a little time to make a
difference that will last a lifetime.
For more information on Take
Stock in Children, contact the
program office at 386-754-4392
or mailto:antonia.robinson@fgc.
The Lake Butler Social Club edu.
dance will be held on Saturday,
Dec. 22, at the Lake Butler
Community Center. The doors
open at 6 p.m. and the potluck
covered dish dinner begins at
7 p.m. the dancing starts at 8
p.m. Members entry is $7 and
Activity programs have been
nonmembers is $8. This is a set at the Worthington Springs
smoke and alcohol free event community center to benefit the
and will end at 11 p.m. This is senior citizens of Worthington
the Christmas dance and will be Springs. Programs will be held
the last dance for this year. The on Mondays and Wednesdays
next dance will be on Jan. 5. For from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A
more information contact Sue variety of games are available.
Ann Waters-Moates at 904-263- Non-expensive meals are also
2438.
available to help raise funds.
Social
dance
Club
and other community leaders to
join.
The meeting will begin at 5:30
p.m. and end no later than 7 p.m.
Call 386-496-3211 and ask for
The Union County School Winnie Holland, administrator,
Board will be holding substitute if you have any questions.
teacher orientation on Thursday,
Jan. 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Training will be held at the
Adult Education Building.
Attendance at this workshop
and a high school diploma or
There will be free clothes
GED is required in order to be for “all of the family” on the
a substitute for Union County first and third Saturday of each
School Board, 2012-2013 school month, from 9:30 a.m. to noon
year. After you have completed at Fellowship Baptist Church in
training and the application Raiford right off Hwy 121 just
packet, you will also need to be before entering town. Follow the
fingerprinted. The fingerprint fee signs.
is $54.50.
Call the Union County School
Board, Personnel Department
and ask for Pam Pittman at 386
496-2045 ext 230 or send an
email to [email protected].
fl.us in order to pre register.
Free Clothing
for ‘the family’
Programs to
benefit Senior
Citizens of WS Health
Advisory meet
Become
mentor
a
The Take Stock in Children
program in Union County is
looking for new mentors to
help change young lives in
the community. Take Stock in
Children in a statewide non-profit
organization and the Foundation
for Florida Gateway College
serves as the lead agency for the
program in Baker, Columbia,
Dixie, Gilchrist and Union
counties. Take Stock in Children
pairs good students, who have
the odds stacked against them,
with mentors who provide the
The Union County Health
Advisory Group will not hold
a meeting in the month of
December. The next meeting
will be on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at
5:30 p.m. at the Union County
Health Department in the lobby.
Your involvement in the
Union County Health Advisory
Group is very important so be
sure to join and invite your
neighbors, business associates,
rear of the new Fire Department
in Lake Butler. Bring a shovel
and a vehicle to transport the dirt
in. No equipment to move the
dirt will be allowed. After Jan.
1, the dirt will be moved from
the current location and will no
longer be available.
Meeting notice
The
Lake
Butler
City
Commission meets at city hall at
5:15 p.m. on the second Monday
of each month.
The UC Board of County
Commissioners meet on the
third Monday of each month at 7
p.m. in the board meeting room
located in the courthouse.
The Worthington Springs
Town Council meets on the first
Tuesday of each month at 7:30
p.m. at the Worthington Springs
Community Center.
Meeting times or days may
If you live in the city limits of change in the event of a holiday.
Lake Butler and need dirt to fill
potholes, low areas, etc., go to the
City offers
fill dirt to
residents of LB
6A
Union County Times • Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012
Junior Friends of Library donate to Big Red, hold Christmas Bingo
The Junior Friends of the were two winners. The first backpack. The staff at the library
Volunteers for the Christmas
library recently donated toys for winner was awarded $25. The said that everyone walked away bingo event included: JFOL
the Big Red Christmas drive. second winner received a rolling with at least one prize.
President James Brown, Matt
This particular drive helps under
Brown, JFOL Vice-President
privileged children who live
Hannah Hicks, JFOL Sponsor
in Union County by providing
Tennille Brannen, William
them with a Christmas gift.
Brown,
JFOL
Secretary
The JFOL is a teen-based
Christian Vineyard, Wesley
group affiliated with the Union
Smith, Kierra Maxwell and
County Public Library that
Alex Hankins.
volunteers with the library
The JFOL’s next program
programs and fundraises for
will be held Saturday, Jan. 26.
their scholarship program while
This event will be a game night
helping to promote literacy
with a Halo 4 tournament.
around the community.
More information on this will
One of the fundraising
follow at a later date.
events of the JFOL was the
The Junior Friends of the
Christmas bingo that was held
Library, along with the staff
Amanda Snyder, Matt Brown, JFOL vice-president
this past Saturday. According
of the Union County Public Hannah Hicks, William Brown and JFOL President James
to the library, over forty people
Library said that they would Brown were some of the members that donated toys to
Some of the Christmas bingo players included (l-r)
attended winning great book
like to wish everyone a very
the Big Red Christmas drive.
bundles. The event ended with Hannah and Barbara Fisher and Kimmy and Fred Crews. happy holiday season.
a round of blackout where there
School
News...
Lake Butler Elementary
School
The LBES students who were
named Tiger Cub last week were:
Aiden Bell, Preston Bonsall,
Zoie Carriere, Kyra Castleberry,
Leehanna Chavarria, Vivien
Coldiron, Cole Crosby, Jatera
Cummings, Tripp Davis, Lucas
Forsgren, Major Gaffney, Jesse
Harden, Jordan Hendricks,
Chelsea Keen, Braedan Kimble,
Alex Locke, Victoria Madigan,
Bradley Miller, Landon Moody,
Isabella
Parmley,
Dolton
Parrish, Kaleb Parrish, Adan
Pomar, Keyonna Ridgeway,
Erich Seager, Lance Seay, Daniel
Shuler, Danielle Slown, Taleya
Smith, Gracie Stroud, Jameson
Tetstone, Charity Thompson,
Lucas Thompson, Savannah
Thompson, Hannah Warren,
Chelsea Waters and Tristen
Woodall.
The last day to pre-order a
yearbook at the reduced price of
$25 is Friday, Dec. 21. Following
the holiday break, the price will
increase to $30.
LBES would like to honor the
fourth grade students in the 20122013 yearbook by designating a
special page to show how much
they have grown over the past
five years. All parents are asked
to send a photo of their child’s
first day of school (pre-k or
kindergarten). Physical copies
are accepted and must include the
students first and last name. The
deadline to submit the photos is
Headstart visited the library Christmas storytime. Sowing off their colored Santa heads
are: Jaylin Webb, Bethannie Chandler, Lynze Thomas, Gavin Smith, Jamie Webb, Paris
Lacy, Rico Ridgeway, Jaylin Webb, Zaniyah Franklin, Alexander Pascual, Tranique
Thompson, Brianna Tomlin, Jaiden Leet, Amber Robinson, Jaslyn Thomas, Jarret Leet,
Andra Jones, Aaron Griffis and Lynn Thomas with Library Director Mary Brown.
The staff of Union County Public Library would like to wish everyone a blessed holiday
season. Preschool Storytime will resume in February of 2013. Call the library at 386496-3432 for more information. Call Dial-A-Story at 1-888-428-2531.
Friday, Dec. 21. Original photos
will be returned to students.
The photos can also be emailed.
For more information contact,
Yearbook Coordinator Tammy
Wilkerson at 386-496-3047 or at
[email protected]
The 50-point book club is
designed to acknowledge LBES’
top readers in the accelerated
reader program.
The newest 50-point book club
members are Cayden Cutford,
Kennedy
Dang,
Braxton
Dukes, Keely Durrance, Jayda
Hendrieth, Christopher Peraino,
Eli Rimes, Mark Seager and
Friday, Dec. 21, is the last
Anna Ward.
day to buy yearbooks for $50.
The newest 100-point book Purchase at UCHS or at www.
club member is Kindall Johnson. community.pictavo.com
Lake Butler Middle School
The Christmas formal dance
will be on Thursday, Dec. 20,
from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $5.
Any girls in grades 6-8 who
are interested in playing softball
need to have all paperwork in by
Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Union County High School
Cindy and Ian Bryant take a picture in front of the
Christmas decorations during storytime.