Hodgenville, LaRue County and Preservation of Lincoln's Heritage, Inc., will dedicate and unveil the new bronze sculpture, The Boy Lincoln, Saturday, May 31, in Hodgenville. The in-the-round, life size sculpture depicting Abraham Lincoln shortly before his eighth birthday will be positioned on the town square so young Lincoln's gaze is into the face of himself: a seated portrait of President Lincoln by Adolph A. Weinman, dedicated 99 years ago, also on May 31.
Funding for the project has been provided by the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission through the Kentucky Arts Council, which worked in an advisory capacity for the public art commission of The Boy Lincoln.
Other activities of the day will include a flag raising ceremony, brunch at the Hodgenville Women’s Club, Kentucky Humanities Council Chatauqua Presentations of “Mary Todd Lincoln” and “Margaret Garner,” a school presentation of “A Land for All Times,” Lincoln Heritage Trail Marker Unveiling, sales of specially developed Lincoln products by Kentucky artists, Kentucky Historical Society HistoryMobile with Lincoln Exhibit, Children’s Pioneer Games, a viewing of the KET production “I too, am a Kentuckian,” as well as the exhibits at the Lincoln Museum and tours of Abraham Lincoln Birthplace.
Summer jobs for teens
With the end of the school year fast approaching, students will be looking to fill up summer time in a variety of ways. Some will go to summer school while others will merely relax before the start of the upcoming school year.
It’s safe to say, however, most teenagers will try to find a summer job to make some extra spending money or to save for college. Some will become lifeguards or babysitters, while others will start businesses, become camp counselors, work in movie theatres or do internships.
The National Consumers League (NCL) wants parents to know the serious dangers of several forms of summer employment. NCL’s top five most dangerous summer jobs for youngsters include:
· Field work and processing: Agriculture is the most dangerous industry for young workers, accounting for 42 percent of all work-related fatalities of young workers between 1992 and 2000.
· Construction and work in heights: Despite existing prohibitions that address specific types of hazardous construction work, it remains the third leading cause of death among young workers.
· Outside helper: Landscaping, groundskeeping and lawn service work often involves the use of dangerous power tools, such as chain saws, and machinery such as tractors, all-terrain vehicles and mulch spreaders. Workers also often work with pesticides, fertilizers and other hazardous chemicals.
· Driver/operator of forklifts, tractors and ATVs Tractor-related accidents are the most prevalent cause of agricultural fatality in the United States. Increasingly, tractors are being used in non-agricultural work as well, with resulting injuries and fatalities to young workers.
· Traveling youth crews Recruited to sell candy, magazine subscriptions and other items door-to-door or on street corners, children as young as 10 often work after dark, under dangerous conditions and unsupervised by adults.
Parents also need to become familiar with child labor laws. Click here to view employment standards for youngsters in Kentucky.
College for the first in the family
High school seniors are no doubt getting ready for college or the workforce as their high school careers are winding down. While those heading off to college may have decided what college they will attend and what they plan to study, for some, it may be a time filled with uncertainty.
Just imagine that uncertainty for those who will be the first in their family to attend college. For these students, this truly can be an exhilarating and stressful time.
ACT.org has several resources for parents and students who are totally new to college preparation, including Family Firsts, a series of booklets from ACT for first-generation college students and their families and online checklists for keeping students on track to a college education.
The Web site also recommends these resources for first-generation college students:
Watch out for scholarship scams
When people need money, scammers are usually close by. This is especially true for parents looking for financial aid to send children to college. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), parents need to be aware of the following signs of scams in scholarship offers:
- It is suggested that you can only receive a scholarship if you pay.
- Your scholarship will be held only if you provide credit card or bank account numbers.
- The organization is offering information about funding sources not available anywhere else.
- You receive any indication that you've been selected as a finalist for a contest you did not enter.
Click here to view current scams and a list of defendants in complaints.
Film helps bullies learn their lesson
Students at Franklin Middle School in Champaign, Ill., know a bully when they see one, even if that involves looking into a mirror.
"The Stories of Us," a 25-minute movie being sold to American schools as part of a new anti-bullying program, has been created by these students, some of whom have been bullied and others who have been bullies themselves. They wrote, produced and starred in the film, which many educators say looks similar to a documentary.
The movie can be viewed by clicking here.
Franklin will be among the first U.S. schools to use the film and accompanying curriculum next year, Principal Angela Smith told the Chicago Tribune.
Nationally, the number of those being bullied is on the rise. The number of those ages 12 to 18 who report the problem has grown from 5 percent in 1999 to 28 percent in 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Blues and barbecue festival
The 18th annual W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival in Henderson is a fun-filled exciting time to spice up some quality family time. This year’s event will be June 7-14, and admission is free to the public.
Children’s activities are set for Wednesday night, and the People’s Street Strut parade will be on Saturday, with workshops to prepare for the parade during the week. There are food concessions, children’s play concessions, parks with playground equipment and a water feature adjacent to the park.
The festival has become one of the largest free music festivals in the nation and serves as a celebration of life for Henderson resident and “Father of the Blues,” William Christopher Handy. Over 25 musical acts are set to perform during the week.
Gov. Beshear appoints KBE members
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed the following members to the Kentucky Board of Education:
- Austin W. Moss, of Hopkinsville, will represent the First Supreme Court District.
- Dorothy “Dorie” Z. Combs, of Richmond, will represent members-at-large.
- Stephen B. Neal, of Louisville, will represent members-at-large.
- Billy Harper, of Paducah, will represent members-at-large.
- Brigitte B. Ramsey, of Falmouth, will represent members-at-large.
The Kentucky Board of Education has 12 members, with the governor appointing 11 voting members - seven representing the Supreme Court districts and four representing the state at large. The additional non-voting member is the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education. Members serve four-year terms and are not paid, but receive modest reimbursement for expenses and travel.
The Kentucky Board of Education develops and adopts the regulations that govern Kentucky’s 174 public school districts. While the board has legal authority to establish performance standards for local school districts and to mandate corrective actions, the board respects the local autonomy of each school district.
The Kentucky Board of Education regularly meets two days every other month, either at the Frankfort offices of the Kentucky Department of Education or at other locations across the state.
Meyer special education Teacher of the Year
Selina Meyer, a teacher of students with functional mental disabilities at Indian Trail Elementary in Jefferson County, is the 2007-08 Special Education Teacher of the Year.
The award is presented each year by the Department of Education and the Kentucky Council of Exceptional Children (KYCEC) to an outstanding special needs teacher and provides recognition of the work done to help students reach high levels of achievement. The runners-up are Sandy Anderson, a teacher at the McCracken County Alternative School, and Tiffanie Keath, a teacher of students with learning behavior disorders at Mt. Sterling Elementary in Montgomery County.
School districts nominate individuals for the award. Meyer also will be Kentucky’s nominee for the National CEC Special Education Teacher of the Year award.
Links in this issue:
http://www.kylincoln.org/events/boylincoln.htm
http://www.labor.ky.gov/ows/employmentstandards/childlaborlaw
http://www.act.org/path/secondary/resources.html
http://www.actstudent.org/college/checklist.html
http://www.studentjobs.gov/e-scholar.asp
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
http://www.finaid.org
http://www.act.org/fane
http://www.hsf.net
http://www.studentaidalliance.org
http://www.storiesofus.com
http://www.handyblues.org