Local ◆ A3
Friday, December 25, 2009 ◆ The Mountain Press
4-H prepares for public speaking contest Nervous jitters, weak knees and a butterfly in the stomach. These are often the feelings experienced when speaking before a group. 4-H members can learn to overcome these feelings by participating in the public speaking activity. Last year over 2,600 Sevier County members took part in public speaking, by giving a speech at their local club. This year’s public speaking emphasis is taking place in January 4-H club meetings. To help 4-H members prepare for this year’s speaking contest, public speaking workshops will be held Jan. 11 and 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the 4-H Office, 752 Old Knoxville Highway, adjacent to the Sevier County Fairgrounds. 4-H’ers attending should bring
tion how 4-H is related to your subject. 2) Collect and organize your thoughts: do some research on your subject and then put your thoughts into an easy to understand order. their speech to the work- Include an introduction, shop, to get the maxibody and conclusion. mum benefit. 3) Write your speech: Adults will work indiUse note cards. Become vidually and in small familiar enough with it groups with members to that you only need to improve their speeches glance at your notes. and speaking skills. A good speech is never Members can attend read. either one workshop or 4) Time your speech: both. Fourth through sixth The following suggesgraders should be two to tions will help you as you three minutes; seventh prepare that speech for and eighth grades should your January club meetbe three to five minutes ing. long and ninth through 1) Decide on a subject: 12th graders should not good speeches are based exceed seven minutes. on things you know about 5) Practice giving your or an experience you speech: say it in front of a have had. The speech mirror, your pet, parents does not have to be about and friends. Listen to 4-H, but you might men- their advice for improv-
ing your speech. Also, remember to have good eye contact, keep good posture and speak with a pleasant voice. Each member giving a speech will be recognized in their club meeting. Those wishing to speak competitively can participate in the county speaking contest to be held in February. Sponsors for the public speaking contest: The Mountain Press, the Sevier County 4-H Endowment Fund and the Sevierville Sunrise Rotary Club. If you need more information about the public speaking contest or other 4-H opportunities, please contact me. — Glenn Turner is a Sevier County agricultural extension service agent. Call him at 4533695.
Give your Christmas tree ‘life’ after holiday At the end of every Christmas season, various items find their way to local landfills. One of these items is a staple of Christmas: the Christmas tree. To make your Christmas greener this year, Wayne Clatterbuck, a forestry professor at the University of Tennessee, has some suggestions that will keep your holidays merry, bright, and green. When Christmas ends, Dr. Clatterbuck reminds consumers not throw away their trees. “There are many alternative options for recycling your
used as mulch for gardens, parks and trails. Christmas trees can be used for more than holding ornaments. After Christmas, Clatterbuck suggests placing your tree outside and using it as a birdfeeder. Utilize orange Christmas tree,” Clatterbuck slices, peanut butter, suet, and seed to attract birds. states. “Many communities offer Christmas tree recycling They will come for the food and stay for the shelter in the programs.” branches. The web site www. When placed in ponds and earth911.com offers a waterways, Christmas trees search engine that will locate places near you that provide excellent habitat, refuge and feeding areas for offer Christmas tree recycling. The trees are usually aquatic life. They can also shredded and chipped to be serve as effective barriers
Virginia standoff suspect was angry at government WYTHEVILLE, Va. (AP) — A man accused of taking three people hostage in a Virginia post office told them he was angry at the federal government because his son had died in Afghanistan and his beloved truck was about to repossessed, one of the hostages said Thursday. Suspected hostage-taker Warren “Gator” Taylor, 53, of Sullivan County, Tenn., was arraigned Thursday on kidnapping and other federal charges. The hostages were released unharmed after about eight hours Wednesday and Taylor surrendered without incident. Federal officials said Taylor was angry at the federal government and told them he had planned the standoff for months or years. Hostage Jimmy Oliver said Taylor told him he picked the small-town Wytheville post office at random because he was driving through the Blue Ridge Mountain town and it reminded him of Gatlinburg, Tenn., a tourist destination ... hours away. “He was really down on the government,” Oliver told The Associated Press on Thursday
in an interview at his mother’s floral shop. “About the government taking over the right to bear arms ... he was angry at the government over taxing us.” Oliver said he was at the post office to mail Christmas presents to his family when a man pushed his wheelchair in and slammed what looked like a bomb on the counter. The man, who had four guns, fired a shot at the postmaster as he fled, then ordered Oliver and two other
people to get down on the floor, Oliver said. Oliver suspected the man might have served in the military, so he tried to bond with him by introducing himself and talking about his own military service. He said the asked a negotiator for a pizza he shared with the hostages and asked for cigarettes for Oliver to smoke. At some points during the ordeal, Oliver said, he feared for his life, but he tried to win the man’s trust.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS I LOVE YOU!
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and filters to lessen soil erosion from adjacent lands into streams, much like a slit fence used during construction activities. Christmas trees can have many more uses than just for decoration during the holiday season. Look into recycling your tree in your community instead of allowing it to take landfill space. For more information, e-mail to wclatterbuck@utk. edu. — Alan Bruhin is the Sevier County agricultural extension service director. Call him at 453-3695.
ARRESTS Editor’s Note: The following information was taken from the intake reports at the Sevier County Jail. All people listed within this report are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. u Regina Gwen Collins, 35, of Alcoa, Tenn., was charged Dec. 23 with forgery. She was released on $2,500 bond. u Gabriel Douglas Fierstine, 33, of 1105 Lee Cardwell Drive in Pigeon Forge, was charged Dec. 23 with a juvenile court warrant. He was being held in lieu of $2,400 bond. u Jessie Lee Henry, 29, of 318 McMahan St. in Sevierville, was charged Dec. 23 with a circuit court warrant. He was being held. u William Howard Johnson, 32, of Cleveland, Tenn., was charged Dec. 23 with a third count of violation of probation. He was being held in lieu of $3,000 bond. u Leonardo Teodoro Mejia, 25, of 1038 Trotter Way in Pigeon Forge, was charged Dec. 24 with reckless driving, DUI and driving without a license. He was released on $5,750 bond. u Adam Lee Roberts, 29, of 237 Coyote Peak Way in Sevierville, was charged Dec. 24 with possession of burglary tools and unlawful possession of weapons. He was being held in lieu of $1,500 bond. u Robert Ray Shelton, 38, of Newport, was charged Dec. 23 with a misdemeanor warrant from general sessions court. He was being held. u Darren Scott Skeen, 28, of Kingpsort, was charged Dec. 23 with a fourth count of DUI, driving while revoked and violation of implied consent law. He was being held in lieu of $10,000 bond. u Angela Marie Smith, 32, of 634 Hawk Hollow Road in Sevierville, was charged Dec. 24 with theft of property. She was released on $5,000 bond. u Martin Edward Stone, 35, of 459 Lot 7 W. Mill Creek in Pigeon Forge, was charged Dec. 24 with public intoxication. He was released on $2,500 bond. u Dennis Ronald Trentham, 37, of 1411 Woodhaven Drive in Sevierville, was charged Dec. 23 with forgery. He was released on $1,000 bond. u Darrelyn Melissa Turner, 36, of 634 Hawk Hollow Drive in Sevierville, was charged Dec. 23 with theft. He was released on $1,000 bond.
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