February 21, 2008

PCHS cheerleaders take fourth at state
By James Cook, Times Editor

Three weeks ago they thought their competing had come to an end. Months and even years of hard work were slowly coming to an end. They had placed second in the region and were preparing to cheer on the Pirates and Lady Pirates in the upcoming post season tournaments.
What a difference a few weeks can make.
Just over a week ago the Powell County High School cheerleading squad found out they had received an at-large bid to compete at the KAPOS State Cheerleading Competition in Bowling Green. The competition was held last Saturday, with Powell taking to the floor at 8:15 a.m. They did not waste their second chance. The cheerleaders put on a grand performance that helped them to place fourth in the state and bring back some excitement to their family and fans.
The squad, which competed against 15 other squads in the Traditional Category, admitted they were nervous but had a goal. “We just wanted to place in the state,” Powell Cheerleading Sponsor Cretia Mainous said as her squad celebrated with family and friends outside the high school, after returning Saturday night. “They only honor or give awards to the top five and we wanted to place in the tip five. I’m just so excited we reached our goal.”
The squad was caught a little by surprise at their fourth place finish. “The way it is set up, we have to go from station to station, like stretching, pictures, etc. then hit the floor,” Mainous said. “So we didn’t get to see a lot of the other teams’ performances. So we didn’t know how we compared.” But they knew they had done well. “They (the girls) hit everything as best they could. Their performance was clean and sharp,” Mainous said, “they were great.”
Pikeville took home the number one spot, with George Rogers Clark capturing second place. Lexington’s Bryan Station took third, Powell fourth and neighboring Estill County grabbed fifth place. “I found out later we missed third place by nine tenths of a point,” Mainous said. “But I was still very excited. Besides, there were two teams not only from the same region, but the same district winning at the state. I think that says a lot about the level of competition we have here and the talent we have here in our district. I’m proud of that too.”
After the competition and the winners were ready to be announced, some of the seniors were still hoping to reach the goal. “We were nervous but hopeful, especially after placing second at the regionals” squad member and senior Paige Crabtree said. But when the announcement was made and they realized they had won fourth place, the excitement took over. “It just took my breath away,” senior Sierra Bishop said as she reflected back on the moment she realized they had won. “I thought we had a chance after we got the video bid. “All I could think was ‘Wow’,” senior Samantha Strange added.
“I knew we had a chance, especially once the KAPOS board got to see the video of our performance,” Coach Dee Faulkner said as her eyes welled up with tears of joy at the teams’ success. “It’s our second year in a row we got to go to state and we hope to make it three next year.”
The seniors, who missed fellow senior Kayla Demmons who was not able to compete due to a recent surgery, also hope that the trips to the state continue for years to come. “We hope they keep looking up and make it three in a row,” Crabtree said speaking of the cheerleaders who will return next year. “We love them all and we hope the best for them to keep on going,” Strange added.
Mainous agrees with her seniors. “I think we surprised a few people today and we are making a name for ourselves,” she said. “I am so proud of our girls and I want to thank the administration, the parents, the band, the teams the coaches and the community for all their support.”

Proposals heard to drop net income tax and health insurance
By David J. Griffin, Times Staff Writer

Following a lengthy discussion at its meeting on February 12, the Powell County Fiscal Court voted to study the possibility of eliminating the Net Profit Tax. Because the tax has proven to be too difficult to effectively enforce, the court is considering a different form of tax instead – a compulsory Occupational Tax for businesses in the county. A sliding scale for businesses would be developed to implement such a tax in which smaller businesses would pay less than larger firms.
The motion was issued by Magistrate Harold Hurst and was unanimously accepted by the other members of the court. The magistrates will further address the proposal at their next regular meeting scheduled for March 11.
Additional business at the meeting included Judge Executive Darren Farmer opening sealed bids for a new Tri-Axle Dump Truck to be purchased by the fiscal court. However, only one bid was received. The bid for $102,655 was made by Worldwide Equipment of Prestonsburg. The magistrates voted to accept the sealed bid, with only one dissenting vote by Magistrate Hurst.
The court also unanimously passed a motion by Hurst for newly hired employees to be on the job for one full year before they are covered by the court’s health insurance. The one-year probation was part of the court’s action to hold expenses in check. The decision applies to all county-wide employees.
Judge Farmer presented an agreement with the Powell County School Board to use two school buses in transporting inmates to other local jails in cases of emergency. The buses will be driven by Powell County Jail officials who hold Commercial Drivers License (CDL) certification. The proposed contract putting the agreement in force was passed unanimously.
The Powell County High School Band was honored with Judge Farmer proclaiming February 29 as Band Appreciation Day in Powell County. “Over the past four years, the band has represented Powell County at the local, state, and national levels. The leadership shown, not only by the students, but by the adults involved in the program sets the example for others to follow. Their efforts do not go unnoticed,” said Farmer.
In other business, Judge Farmer appointed two jail employees to fill vacancies at the Waste Transfer Station. They are David Mathews and Wallace Begley. The inter-department transfers were approved.
The next regular meeting of the fiscal court will be Tuesday, March 11. All meetings are open to the public.

Shriners just love to help children
By James Cook, Times Editor

It has become a regular sight on a lot of weekends in Powell County. It is usually a group of people standing at the traffic lights, usually at the intersection of Main Street and College Avenue in Stanton. Each group holds buckets and hopes local drivers will stop and donate to their cause, and all of the causes are good. But last Saturday, the group hoping for help has provided many children in Powell County with help when they needed it. They still provid it today.
The Shriners from a local club that is forming to cover Powell, Montgomery, Menifee and Clark counties, were busy at the intersection asking for donations and telling anyone who wanted to know all about their mission. Their goal is simple; help kids and their families with their medical needs.
“The Shriners have 22 hospitals across the country and four burn centers that we fund,” Mike Gibbs of the local Shriner’s Club said. “We have a $715 million budget for those hospitals and burn centers, along with the hospital vans we run to take children to their outpatient appointments. We have a half a million Shriners, so you can see we have to work hard to keep helping those in need and we appreciate all the help we get from people.”
According to Gibbs, the Shriners set up a fund back in 1923 and uses the interest off that fund to help finance all the good work they do for the hospitals. “We use the interest off the fund and if the rates drop, then we have to work harder to keep the hospitals going,” Gibbs said.
The local club runs a hospital van that helps to transport 20 to 25 Powell County children to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Lexington. “We’ve helped many and we are still helping Powell County children,” Gibbs said. “In fact, being out here can give you instant gratification because you meet people we’ve helped. I’d say I’ve run into 15 cars today that thanked me for what we’ve done because they have been helped by us. A couple of them had children inside that leaned out and hugged us, thanking us for still helping them today. That makes it all worth it.”
The local club members were at traffic lights in Frenchburg three weeks ago, according to another member, Virgil Hunt who is from Menifee County. Hunt, spent last Saturday raising money in Powell County and wants to help even more. “We’ll be in Montgomery County in the next couple of weeks. We just want to help and we really appreciate all the help the community gives us,” Hunt said.
The club, whose most famous local member is Teddy Hughes and his clown persona, is hoping to raise even more funds with two other projects. “Soon we hope to set up containers at local businesses for donations that will go directly to help the hospital; van.” Gibbs explained. “All of that money will go to helping transport kids right here in Powell County.”
The second fund raiser sounds like it may be a lot of fun. “We are planning a circus at Montgomery County High School on May 2,” Gibbs added. “It is our biggest fundraiser and everyone seems to enjoy it.”
The Shriner’s Temple is in Lexington, but the local club meets at Jerry’s Restaurant at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. “We just want to thank everyone for all their help, because now we can continue to help the kids,” Gibbs said as he went back to his post at the intersection. “We really appreciate all Powell County does to help us.” Powell County and the children who have been helped by the Shriner’s return the sentiment.