I SUWANNEE DEMOCRAT/LIVE OAK
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
Community Continued From Page 1A are much appreciated by the family. There is also a Facebook page under Nolan Hancock that you can “like” to follow his progress. Nolan’s specific diagnosis is diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and it affects about 100-150 children per year in the United States and about 300 per year in all of North America and Europe, according to dipgregistry.org. “This is a very rare and aggressive brain tumor which is located on the brain stem,” Nolan’s aunt, Nikki Jackson, said. “It is extremely difficult to treat and only a few hospitals around the country are able to treat it.” Nolan may have to travel to hospitals as far away as Atlanta, Boston, North Carolina, Texas or California, and treatment programs can cost upwards of $55,000 and are not typically covered by insurance. “The ultimate decision will be made after researching and deciding on which program seems to offer the most promising treatment options,” Nikki said. Nolan wants his parents, Trey and Kasey Hancock, and his older brother, Maddox, at his side every step of the way and his parents will be unable to work during this time. The family faces medical, travel, lodging and personal expenses. Nolan’s grandparents are Rhonda and Richard Hancock and Terry and Debbie Mixon. Terry said he can’t thank the community enough for the love and prayers they have already
Power Continued From Page 6A of prying and prodding, my chuck proved to be an unyielding, immovable piece of metal. He refused my attempts to get him to turn (righty-tighty, leftyloosey) and I was beginning to think chuck didn’t want me to use the drill while my husband was unavailable to supervise my power tool proficiency (or lack thereof). Still, I was determined and wasn’t ready to chuck the project just yet. The Phillips head sat immobile as I contemplated my options. I did not want to let the darn drill win; but my back was against the wall and my choices limited. I plugged that bad boy in, gave a squeeze of the trigger and felt the satisfying vroom of the drill in action. I indulged in a moment of power tool induced euphoria. And then I went to work.
given his grandson and his family. “Nolan’s touched the hearts of this community,” Terry said. “We are a family of faith and we trust in the Lord for healing. We’ve got the doctor’s report, but we’re waiting on God’s report because He is first and foremost in our lives.” The basketball fundraiser on Tuesday, June 23, was the first of many more fundraisers to come. North Florida Shooters manager Candice Davis explained folks could donate by participating in the shootout competition, purchasing food or entering into a raffle for items donated by Lowe’s of Live Oak and L&J Gas and Diesel. Standalone donations were accepted as well. North Florida Shooters head coach Kalvin Starling organized the event as soon as he heard the news of Nolan’s diagnosis. He was Nolan’s soccer coach with Suwannee Parks and Recreation, and the boy quickly became Kalvin’s “little buddy.” “It was my first year of coaching soccer and he was the shortest kid out there,” Kalvin recalled. “I built a relationship with him and his family, and it’s been a blessing to get to know such great people.” Kalvin realized the mental and financial burden the Hancock family was facing, and said he just wanted to show them that the community cares. “We just want to be a blessing to them,” he said. “We want to show that as a small community we can come together, no matter what race, gender, size or shape, and care about a human life.”
Turns out the Phillips head drill bit is not the logical or preferred choice for boring holes into a plastic container, but it works in a pinch. I got my drainage job done and had the potatoes planted before my husband returned home. When he did, I showed him my project. He nodded appreciatively at my handiwork and said, “Too bad there aren’t drainage holes in the bottom.” “There are,” I said. “I them myself.” made (Pause.) “With your electric drill.” “My drill?” His look was disbelieving. “I thought you didn’t like power tools.” I got a chuckle out of that. Jill Pertler is an awardwinning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. She welcomes having readers follow her column on the Slices of Life page on Facebook.
Governor
BY THE NUMBERS
Continued From Page 1A Pinellas and Pasco. Some of Scott’s veto decisions were made based on projects not going through proper approval or request processes, projects duplicating existing programs, universities raising tuition while requesting projects, or a project’s lack of a clear return on investment. “Tax revenue is generated by Floridians who are working hard to provide for their families and we are committed to effectively using these dollars by investing them in areas with proven results,” Scott stated. What was approved in the next fiscal year’s budget was $427 million in tax
$78.2 billion - Florida’s 2015-16 budget. $461.4 million - Amount governor vetoed. $19.7 billion - for K-12 public schools. $9.3 billion - State roads, bridges, ports and airports. $1.2 billion - for Agency of Persons With Disabilities $427 million - tax cuts. 10 days - back to school sales tax holiday this August.
Governor Rick Scott cuts on things such as cell phone and television services and college textbooks. The tax cuts also provide for a 10-day back to school sales tax holiday this August. Scott’s “Keep Florida Working” budget makes
O’Brien man arrested for molestation By Amber Vann amber.vann@gaflnews.com
An O’Brien man was arrested for reportedly inappropriately touching two minor females between the ages of 12 and 16 on Wednesday, June 17, according to Gerard Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office records. William Cardinal Gerard, 27, 25287 CR 137, allegedly touched the girls on Wednesday around 5 a.m. “in a way that would be described as lewd or lascivious in nature,” the report states. Gerard admitted to the inappropriate acts, according to SCSO. Gerard was booked into the Suwannee County Jail on Friday, June 19, on two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation
Breakfast Continued From Page 1A The national debt is $18 trillion, Ronald White, representative for District 5, explained. “If we had to pay our debt today, thats $56,000 per person. Money coming from the federal government is not our money. It’s borrowing money, that’s what it is,” said White. “We need to make a stand for our country and our children to quit taking this federal money and things like this. This is gonna come back to bite us, because every dollar we take, we’re taking their freedom.” Catherine Cason, representative for District 2 said, “When you have children coming to school hungry, education is the last thing on
Five Continued From Page 1A 90 West and back up to Madison Street and will require five heritage trees to be removed for parking and driveways. The location is next to Mott’s car dealership and across from Pilgrim’s feed mill.
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substantial provisions for education with a recordhigh $19.7 billion for K-12 public schools. Just over $7,000 is now being invested in each Florida public school student. “The ‘Keep Florida Working’ budget continues Governor Scott’s commitment to providing Florida students with the opportunity to live their dreams,” Secretary of State Ken Detzner stated. “Florida’s K-12 system is focused on preparing every student for college or a career when they graduate.” The budget’s higher education funding also makes historical records with a total of $4.5 billion for universities and $2 billion for colleges. State roads, bridges, ports and airports will receive $9.3 billion, which Scott believes will help further Florida’s job creation. The state’s agricultural and natural resources will see $3.5 billion for land management, water quality improvements, springs protection and Everglades restoration. Despite the
outcry from many environmental groups about the lack of adequate funding for Amendment 1, Detzner states the budget “fully complies” with the new amendment by “including over $740 million for Florida’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund to support land and water programs.” While statewide prison reform legislation didn’t make the cut during this year’s session, the budget provides $16.5 million to fill “critical vacant positions” at state prisons, provides $500,000 to train new correctional officers at community colleges, and sets aside $10 million for prison maintenance and repair. Many budget items pertaining to persons with disabilities were slashed but the budget still provides some significant investments for those with special needs. Scott approved $1.2 billion for the Agency of Persons with Disabilities’ that will help over 2,000 people get off the agency’s critical needs waiting list.
said.
their mind. You have to balance it the best you can, because a hungry child is not concerned with reading, writing and arithmetic.” Lisa Dorris, Director of Food Services for Suwannee County Schools, said that during the pilot program at SPS, a cooler was wheeled to every class and was available during the morning bell. When the teacher took role, students could have milk, a breakfast bar and fruit. “The 25 teachers who participated said it brought calmness in the classroom and students were ready to learn from the get go,” said Dorris. She explained that this will be the model for each K-5 school in the county. “There will be a form of grab and go for middle school and above,” Dorris
Virtual school The School Board also chose to enhance the current Suwannee County virtual school program by adding an office at RiverOak Technical College (formerly SuwanneeHamilton Technical Center), which will be staffed by a full time teacher. This will allow parents and students involved in the elementary level virtual school program a place to go if they need to see someone in person for help. “We would like to start our own elementary teacher position at Suwannee Virtual School. This is modeled after Polk County,” said Janene Fitzpatrick, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for
Suwannee County Schools. The Polk County virtual school has been running for years. The kids take their classes online, but it’s really a true blended model because the parents can bring them in for face to face time, officials said. Fitzpatrick explained that most of the curriculum is completed at home, but a parent and child could have a one hour meeting with the teacher in person to get help on assignments. “It is truly blended where most of it takes place at home, but there is that support,” said Fitzpatrick. “I think that’s a model that could appeal to a lot of our homeschool parents in our district that are already using Florida Virtual School.”
Heritage trees are defined as live oaks with at least a 30-inch diameter or a circumference of seven feet and 10 inches, and they are protected by city ordinance. The removal of heritage trees requires a permit approved by either the city council or the planning and zoning board or both, stated Development Manager
George Curtis. Other non-protected trees are also up for removal, Curtis added, including an elm tree that is 48 inches in diameter. Curtis said site developers have proposed installing thirteen 14-foot live oaks as part of their landscaping. “City departments are still reviewing all the as-
pects of the proposed development, and minor changes in the plans or layout could occur,” Curtis stated. “The consultants have also submitted plans to the Florida Department of Transportation as well as the Suwannee River Water Management District for their review and permit processes.”