Jackson libraries request increased funding
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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER EACH of Macon County won’t find out for another month or so whether its application for a $909,000 grant toward a new building gets approved, but the shelter for victims of domestic abuse is optimistic about the outcome. Already, REACH is working to raise the $303,000 it would need to unlock the grant, and the organization is knocking on the doors of county government for help. At the Macon County Commissioners’ meeting last week, REACH’s board president Bonnie Peggs asked the county to kick in $50,000 toward the match. “We can’t show pictures of victims of domestic violence. We can’t show the children who are impacted by that,” Peggs told commissioners. “All we can do is tell you the story and say that REACH is more than a shelter.” REACH provides victims a safe place to escape abuse, help in planning their next steps and plenty of other supports as per the acronym that forms its name: Resources, Education, Assistance, Counseling, Housing. Currently, REACH rents a farmhouse 7 miles outside of Franklin as its shelter. It has six bedrooms and a maximum capacity of 12 people, which it reaches more nights than not. During the first three quarters of the 2013-14 fiscal year, 14 families were turned away due to lack of space.
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Local NAACP chapters elect officers Both the Haywood and Jackson county chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have elected officers. Haywood’s NAACP chapter elected officers in March. Chuck Dickson, a local attorney, was elected as president. The chapter also elected three vice presidents: Rev. William Staley, Rev. Reginald Eldridge and Phillip Gibbs. Rev. Walter Bryson will serve as treasurer, with John Vanderstar serving as assistant treasurer. The group elected Mary McGlauflin as secretary and Katherine Bartel as assistant secretary. The Haywood executive committee is comprised of Lin Forney, Mary Elizabeth Staiger, and Gail Mull. The Jackson Chapter elected its officers during a May 17 event at Liberty Baptist Church in Sylva. The Reverend Charles Lee, who serves at
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Liberty Baptist, was elected as president of the recently formed branch. Avram Friedman was elected first vice president, Enrique Gomez was elected second vice president, Mary Sue Casey was elected secretary, Joyce Stratton was elected treasurer, Marion Pryce-White was elected assistant secretary and Lorna Barnett was elected as assistant treasurer. Curtis Wood, Tracy Fitzmaurice, Stanley Rogers, Stella Moore, Lucy Christopher, Myrtle Schrader, Marie Cochran and Gene Keldon Austin were all elected to the executive committee. Both chapters plan to continue being active participants in the Moral Mondays demonstrations aimed at legislative actions in Raleigh, as well as working locally to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of all persons.
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“It’s an incredibly heart-wrenching moment every time we say, ‘Our shelter’s full, we can’t take you in,’” Peggs said. The new building would be built on property REACH owns and would include 20 bedrooms, expanded common areas, a state-ofthe-art security system and an in-town location with easier accessibility. The organization hopes to break ground in November. Commissioners expressed support for REACH’s request and plan to discuss it further at their May 31 budget work session. “What I would recommend is to take it under advisement, serious advisement,” said Commissioner Ronnie Beale, who is a former REACH board member. “Being a landlord for 30 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand seeing things that happen,” agreed Commissioner Ron Haven, who has served on the REACH board as well. Jackson County, whose residents account for about one-third of shelter users, is considering a similar appeal. County Manager Chuck Wooten included REACH’s request for $25,000 in his 2014-15 budget proposal. “For years we’ve been looking at building a new shelter, and now we’ve finally come to the place where we are,” Peggs said. REACH is also accepting personal donations as well. Give at www.reachofmaconcounty.org or mail to P.O. Box 228, Franklin, NC 28734.
May 21-27, 2014
BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR ackson County Librarian Tracy Fitzmaurice recently pitched her first proposal for library funding before county commissioners. She asked for a bit of a jump in the their financial commitment. “I feel good about it,” Fitzmaurice said. Public libraries in Jackson County are part of the Fontana Regional Library System. The facilities — one in Sylva and another in Cashiers, as well as a portion of a mobile book unit — rely on various funding sources, but most of the needed money comes One expenditure the proposal from the county. Last year, Jackson County funded the suggests spending nearly libraries to the tune of $919,000. For the next fiscal $36,000 less on is books. year, Fitzmaurice has requestConversely, the proposed e-book ed a bit over a $1 million. The proposed budget prebudget is $3,000 larger, due to sented by the librarian lists more people reportedly increased costs for various expenses. There’s a jump of requesting electronic books. nearly $7,000 for equipment maintenance, and an additional $2,500 for audiovisuals. An library budget will have to be looked at increase of $32,000 is being requested for with narrowed eyes. salaries, upping that total from about “We’ll look at hours we are open. It $592,000 to $624,000. would mean reviewing staffing and seeing Fitzmaurice identifies the biggest need where we could cut down, which would as money for an 18 percent uptick in mean people losing hours,” she said. “We employee health insurance costs. would first look to see where we could cut “Which is almost a $1,000 increase per books. But, then of course, you’re offering employee,” Fitzmaurice said. “That was a the public less and less.” big jump.” For now, Fitzmaurice is waiting for the One expenditure on which the proposal commissioners’ response. They will considsuggests spending nearly $36,000 less on is er the county’s budget in June. books. Conversely, the proposed e-book “It’s always sort of hold your breath and budget is $3,000 larger. Those requests see,” she said, “and then do the best with apparently reflect library patrons’ interests, what you get.”
Macon considers $50K for REACH news
Money on the books
with more people reportedly requesting electronic books. Fitzmaurice points out that while ebooks lack the tangible presence of their traditional counterparts, the price tags are actually higher per title. “They’re less affordable to buy, far less,” the librarian explained. “No, it does not make sense. It’s a publishing issue.” Fitzmaurice said that the relatively new media, while popular, has proven at times difficult. “Every publisher is different,” she said. “It’s a whole new world out there.” The librarian has found that “some publishers play well with libraries,” and others do not. “They don’t want libraries to check out e-books, they make it very difficult,” Fitzmaurice said. “Harper Collins will only let me buy a book and circulate it 26 times and then it disappears.” Jackson commissioners will be considering the libraries budget request, along with a myriad of other funding requests, later this month. If the funds aren’t available, Fitzmaurice said, the
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