Foundation Directors Hear What School/Business Partnerships Do BY SUSAN USHER A community school/business partnership can not only support school improvement efforts, but can help bring about radical changes in a local educational system, new direc tors and supporters of the Brunswick County Educational Foundation learned Monday night. At a reorganizational dinner for the not-for-profit foundation at Sea Trail Plantation, about 25 Brunswick County residents heard from three speakers about their experiences with partnerships. Mary Holdemess, senior develop ment officer for the Durham Public Education Network, told how the in dependent network has broadened its scope from that of traditional schools support to become a catalyst for community building in Durham County, where the county and city school systems recently merged. In Granville County Schools, partnership director Jan Allen said, the in-house Granville School /Bus iness Partnership operates a variety of programs with the support of the Granville Business/Industry Advis ory Council. These range from traditional, easy Bobcat Spotted At Sea Trail A state wildlife official says there's no reason to be alarmed about a bobcat spotted Monday night near a residential area at Sea Trail Plantation in Sunset Beach. "They're real shy and won't at tack you unless sorrse'hing's wrong," said Fred Taylor, local enforcement officer with the N.C. Wildlife Re sources Commission. "But you wouldn't want to corner it." John Penfield, who lives in a Sea Trail neighborhood called The Woods, said he saw a bobcat around 6 p.m. Monday on Sea Trail Drive West about 150 yards from the Maples Clubhouse. "I recognized it as a bobcat right away," Penfield said Tuesday. "I have seen bobcats in Pennsylvania on two occasions so 1 recognized this. It was bobbed in the tail and weighed about 25 to 30 pounds." Penfield said he got a good look at the cat's face. "I whistled and it stopped. When it turned it faced me and I could see it's face. It was act ing very normal. It slinked along af ter I whistled." Penfield speculated that the bobcat may have been attracted to the area by food that people had been leaving outside for dogs and other animals. Taylor said there are bobcats in Brunswick County, but it's unusual to see one in a populated area. "We've got a few. You don't run up on them that much," Taylor said. "They are real shy. It's real unusual to even see one. I don't see that many cats. You're average person will never see a cat." In most cases, Taylor said bobcats pose no threat to the humans or pets. "Even a small dog would be able to scare a cat off. They're very nervous about barking. A little old chihuahua could put a cat into conniption fits." Triple Tax-Free NC Municipal Bonds 5.60%* Equal to taxable yield of 8.75% for NC resident. North Carolina Municipal Bonds are exempt from Federal, state and local taxes. You keep 100% of what you earn ? and that's what counts. For more information call: 919/763-1641 or 1-800-288-5055 Frank D. Voli Financial Consultant Wheat First Securities (tenter N?w Stat* Ejchanga WA S?. 1 02 S. Second Street Wilmington, NC 28401 'Rate expressed as yield to maturity as of 11/15/93. Market conditions may affect prices, yields Subject to availability and early call for redemption AMT may apply. Assumes 31% Federal and 7% State tax brackets -to-do projects such as mini-grants for teachers to helping secure pas sage of a bond referendum, support ing SAT improvement efforts and securing agreements from business es that employ students to limit their hours and support efforts to keep student grades up and students in school. Newer partnership projects are aimed at bringing about a complete overhaul of the school system, from the foundation up. These "transformational" projects include staff development opportu nities. establishing a local teachers' pay supplement program later ac cepted for county funding, "guaran teeing" Granville school system gra duates to prospective employers and providing a portfolio that has helped students see how what they do in school relates to the workplace, and a "Cradle to Classroom" program that presents parents of newborns with a portfolio of helpful material and continue to do so until the child starts school. "This sends the message to par ents that 'the schools are on your side.'" said Allen. Most school/business partnerships arc mutually beneficial relationships initiated because local businesses and industries are concerned about (he quality of high school graduate, the type of worker they will be get ting. John Dornan, executive direc tor of The Public School Forum of North Carolina. He challenged directors of the lo cal foundation to follow the example of maturing partnerships and move beyond economic development into "deeper waters," the larger issue of quality of existence. "Counties are now asking 'What kind of quality of life are we going to have? What kind of people will we be? What kind of democracy will we have?" "I hope that your partnership will look at a broader agenda, but one that has economic development as an element," he said. Whatever shape the local founda tion takes, Dornan counseled that it will need "a strong desire" for school improvement coupled with leadership and hard work. The school system's actual needs versus the community's perception of its needs must be considered, and needs matched to resources. That, said Dornan, means the foundation and school system "must do a lot of talking to each other." Elected as directors of the founda tion Monday night were Dr. Marilyn Ain, psychologist; Kay Blackburn, Southern Bell, three principals to he named by the Brunswick County Principals Association; Dorothy Es sey, president of the Brunswick Board of Realtors; William Fairley, attorney and sitting school board member; Scott Irby, NationsBank; Superintendent of Schools Ralph Johnston; Eileen Kellagher; Carol Midgctt, an award-winning elemen tary school teacher; the Rev. Fred Roberts; Polly Russ. owner/operator of The Kids' Connection and a sit ting school board member; Dr. George Saunders, physician. The board will be expanded to include between 20 and 25 people. Bob Slockett is the foundation's We Take The Fear Out of Computers "Learn Basic Cocafmtor Operation in One Day! " Com^uteA- ?ad& 1 880 Gray Oaks Drtv* Conway. SC. 29526 Individual Sya torn Dmmign and. Training For Thm Homm or Officio That Will Satrm You Btrndrmd' $ ! 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