Honoring a quiet hero

Special to the Post-Telegraph

CAMERON April 13, 2023 would have been Bill Pollard’s 100th birthday. Although he wasn’t here to have a birthday party the Missouri Veterans Home at Cameron used the day to recognize and celebrate him by having a rededication and renaming of the library. Bill had a mission after he moved to the home to create a military library to educate young people about war, with an emphasis on World War II and the Holocaust. He felt they were not being taught that part of history in school. Bill was a combat medic during World War II and the Korean Conflict.

The Military and Remembrance Library was completed and dedicated in March 2018.

It is still the only library of its kind in any veterans home in the United States. It continued to grow after his death, with more than 1,000 books about the military and the Holocaust being donated. One thing born on that dedication day was a documentary written and produced by Gene Greenberg and Larry Pollard.

Their intention was to use the documentary for educational purposes at no charge to schools anywhere. The first school to view it was Princeton R-5 in a block class taught by Bill’s granddaughter, Rachael Sticken. A Promise to Our Fathers continues to be shown at Princeton as well as over 400 schools across the country.

Due to the continued growth of the library the Cameron Veterans Home decided more room was needed and new shelves were built to accommodate all of the books. After getting approval from Larry Pollard, the home decided to have the rededication and rename the library in Bill’s honor. The Memorial and Remembrance Library in Honor of Army Sgt. Bill Pollard is open to anyone who wants to visit. While visiting you can view A Promise to Our Fathers in the library. Locally, Bill Pollard wasn’t a stranger to anyone. While many knew about his military servic,e some did not know about his time spent at the Dachau con-

See Bill Pollard, Page 4

Six persons ran for three, three-year terms and two persons ran for a one-year unexpired term on April 4. Incumbent board member Heath West, along with Dana Stark and Matt Davis, received the most votes for the three-year terms. Makella Hagan, who was appointed to the board last fall, won the race for the one-year term. All four winners received the oath of office.

Board members then elected Ervin Taff as board president, West as vice president and Teri Noe as secretary/treasurer.

Other actions

• Changes were made to signatures on the district’s banking accounts. Taff, West and Noe will be on the school’s main checking and money market accounts at the Mercer branch of Farmers Bank of Northern Missouri.

Taff and Noe will be on the Millemon Math Award account, also at Farmers Bank.

District bookkeeper Jennifer Wilson will be allowed to ask about balances and rates, issue stop payment notices and, with board approval, renew certificates of deposit (CDs) and make internal transfers.

• As part of the consent agenda, superintendent Dan Owens informed the board that current taxes have come in over what had been budgeted. He anticipates delinquent taxes will be

• In old business, principal Wade Hall went over priorities and goals for the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). He’ll be working with teachers during the summer to make changes. A board member brought up that the area around home plate on the softball field needs work. Hall will get with athletics director Jeff Wyatt to get the work done before the summer ball season begins, and work on tracks that were left by equipment that was used during improvements made to the field.

New business

• Board members received a list of faculty and staff who have been with the district for 15, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years. Owens plans to recognize those persons on the last day of school during an awards ceremony.

• The board set the district’s MSHSAA “dead period” for July 1-9. Missouri State High School Activities Association members must have a nineday period during the summer break during which students can’t have any contact with coaches and advisors about MSHSAA-sanctioned sports and activities. The ban does not include social interaction, however.

• The district received its health insurance renewal notice from its current carrier, MEUHP (Missouri Educators Unified Health Plan), for the 2023-24 school year. The HSA plan had a 1% rate increase, and the PPO plan had a 2% increase. The board approved renewing the insurance plan,

See Mercer school, Page 6

Princeton’s Kelby Thomas splashed sand as he landed in the long jump pit during the Jim King Relays last Monday (April 17).