Students in the McKenzie Special School District will begin the 2001-2002 school year on Wednesday, August 8 at 8:00 a.m. and will be dismissed at 11:05 a.m. Students will begin a regular 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. schedule on Thursday, August 9. Bus routes and schedules will initially be the same as the 00-01 school year.

The school cafeterias will open for breakfast on Wednesday, August 8. Breakfast and lunch will be served beginning August 9. Lunch prices will be $1.25 for grades 8-4 and $1.50 for grades 5-12. Reduced price meals will be $.40 (cents) for all grades. Extra milk will be $.25 per carton. Students who were eligible for free or reduced price breakfast and lunch last year will remain eligible until new applications are processed in about one week. Breakfast charges will be 50 cents for grades K-4 and 75 cents for grades 5-12. Reduced price charges will be 30 cents for all grades.

In accordance with state law, a child entering school for the first time must present:
*A birth certificate or official evidence of date of birth.

*Evidence of a physical examination.

*Evidence of state-required immunization.

*Social Security number.

A child entering the first grade must be six years old and a child entering kindergarten must be five years old on or before September 30.

Transfer students will be required to present the Proof of Immunization Record (green card). Also, please be prepared to provide your child's Social Security number at the date of registration.

Parent orientation meetings are scheduled as follows:

Monday, August 6, 7:00 p.m.: Parents/guardians of students who will attend grades 2, 3 and 4.

Tuesday, August 7, 7:00 p.m.: Parents/guardians of students who will attend kindergarten and first grade.

Thursday, August 16: Fifth grade Open House. Times will be announced at a later date.
  

By Deborah Turner


In its regular session on Thursday, July 26, 2001, the McKenzie City Council approved the plans of the Streets Commission for the paving of certain city streets commencing this fall.

Streets included in the plan are as follows:

Georgia Avenue to Bailey to Tennessee;
Tennessee Street - Georgia Avenue to Brooks;
Bethel Court - 4-way to Cherry;
Randle Street - Old 22 to 124;
West End - McTyiere to Elm;
Locust Street - Alabama to Park;
Park Circle - complete;
Winchester Street - Witt to Walnut;
Park Lane - McDonald to Haynes;
Haynes Street - Park to Booker;
Booker Street - Haynes to McDonald;
Linden Heights - Hamilton to Linden;
Kay Avenue - Hamilton to Cheryl;
Cheryl Street - Kay to Thompson;
East Oak Street - Main to 79;
Field Street - Park to 124;
Owen Street - Brooks to End;
Linden Street and Thompson - Maple to Thompson;
The basketball court on Locust Street; and,
The parking lot at the tennis courts on Como Street.

The city expects to pay Tennessee Asphalt of Paris between $177,000 to $180,000 for the project.

In conjunction with the paving of Bethel Court, the parking lots on either side of the road will be paved at the expense of Bethel College. Costs to the college are expected to be $31,280.00.

Councilman Gene Hale stated that in a recent paving project along a housing area in Jackson, funding had been provided by HUD grant monies, suggesting that similar funding might be forthcoming for streets serving the housing projects in McKenzie.

Mayor Edwards and Councilman Jerry Arthur agreed that they believed that possibility had already been investigated. Councilman James Knolton stated that he thought the housing authority was responsible for the upkeep of those streets.

City Attorney Kent Jones cleared up the issue as he recalled that the streets along the housing projects were dedicated to the city 25-30 years ago as a part of the original contract which, he said, provided that "they do the streets, then we take them over."

In other business, the Council discussed Ordinance 379, an ordinance that would render the sales and use of fireworks illegal within the city limits. An ordinance prohibiting fireworks was passed in 1967, however, as Attorney Jones explained, the page had been left out of the books during a subsequent codification of the law, resulting in nullification of the prior law when the codified law was passed without the inclusion of the ordinance. The discrepancy was discovered when police officers brought apparent offenders of the ruling into city court where charges were dropped when it was discovered that the law no longer existed.

Councilman Gene Hale objected strongly to the re-passage of the law, saying, "I'd hate to see us ban our 4th of July (celebration.)"

Councilman James Knolton acknowledged that the city has more problems on Halloween with egg throwing than with fireworks.

The Council was unanimous in denying a new ordinance, however, it was noted that when fireworks are used as weapons or otherwise misused in a harassing manner, other laws governing disturbance of the peace or malicious mischief could be cited in order to curb any problems that may develop.

Returning to an item carried over from previous session, the Council agreed to give the mayor the authority to enter into a contract with the State of Tennessee regarding the management of the city's previously used landfill. The "contract in lieu of performance bond" specifies that the city will properly manage the landfill, with a penalty of $1,603,809.00 for failure to comply with management standards.

Attorney Jones, calling the landfill an "albatross around everybody's neck", recommended the action in order to avoid payment for an alternative insurance plan which, he stated, would not preclude eventual payment in the event of mismanagement. Relative to the performance bond, he said, "This is guaranteeing that we will do right."