Saturday, February 7, 2009

Rural education initiative finds need but more thanks; Bethpage Elementary worthy recipient




Thanks to The Westmoreland Observer, the above photos were taken of the beginning of a rural education initiative for middle Tennessee schools outside of Nashville to support good students and families and schools.

The outpouring of gratitude from the Bethpage Elementary community and Sumner County school officials has dwarfed the little received from Metro Nashville and the more than $100,000 in support and contributions I directed to schools there personally and through my newspaper column for 10 years.

Computers are really cheap, so my contributions shown above were quite manner. However, smart boards and laptops will follow soon for the school. This initiative is under the Vita H. Chavez/Our Lady of Guadalupe Charitable Trust under my direction.

I was most proud to have state Sen. Diane Black on hand and for the school to be in her district. She is a great leader in Tennessee, and I am proud to have helped her through my column to unseat then incumbent JoAnn Graves in that district. I did so by simply showing all the wrong then Sen. Graves had done in representing the few. And I featured Black as a representative battling for the many against the corrupt Naifeh machine.

More rural schools will join Bethpage. However, my health has declined so I must recover some lost ground, if possible. In whatever event, the initiative will continue. My estate executor is aware of the same needs and committed to addressing them. So all is good.

The appreciation that has poured forth has made this minor contribution such a blessed moment in my life. That work will continue for schools in counties around Nashville and for the precious children there -- who deserve to have their needs addressed, too, in media attention and society philantrophy.

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