John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
It was a time of celebration for many and a big sigh of relief for others during the Town of Greenville's ground breaking ceremony for Greenville Elementary School's (GES) new lift station. The event took place across the street from GES, at the intersection of Ray Charles Ave. and Overstreet Ave., in Greenville, on Monday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. The ceremony welcomed many guests, including Madison County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Pickles and Greenville's Town Council.
School board member Ve'Etta Hagan began the ceremony by welcoming all guests to Greenville before Councilwoman Cynthia James led all in attendance in prayer. Also in attendance were County Commissioner Ronnie Moore, Greenville Mayor Barbara Dansey and school board member-elect Suretta Bell, among many others.
Lucille Day, a retired Greenville educator of 35 years and local historian, was on-hand to provide historical education about the Greenville schools and what significance they play to Greenville as a whole. Being at Greenville Elementary School was special to Day, as she attended school at Greenville Training School, which was located at the same facility. "There is something within us that I refer to as a giant and sometimes, that giant sleeps," said Day. "Sometimes, you need to awaken it. So, within some of us, that giant is awake. If it's not awake in some people you know, awaken the giant within them so that we can help our children."
Shirley Joseph, Principal of GES, introduced keynote speaker Dr. Pickles. "I've come full circle. I started out here and I need to thank the Superintendent for letting me in out here. We have some precious memories made out here and it's part of who I am today," said Joseph. "The district has many challenges, but the commitment to quality education is evident in each of our schools. We have high expectations and we do believe in high achievement."
"This is something that's been long awaited for and something much needed for our Greenville community," said Superintendent Pickles. "This ground breaking ceremony today marks the first part of the environmental improvements on behalf of the Town of Greenville, so that's a great thing on your small community. I need your help, Mr. Dean needs your help, these council members need your help. So how can you help? I need you to start coming up with ways to attract young families to come to Greenville. How can you make this town something and put it on the map?"
In February, Greenville Town Manager Edward Dean informed the council and citizens alike that GES was set to receive a new lift station after the existing station began failing, which was threatening the safety of the school's staff and students. Luckily, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded one million dollars to completely construct lift station number five.
Earlier, it was determined that GES cannot function without the proper equipment to serve the lift station and a failing lift station jeopardizes the school's future, as the Madison County School Board would have been forced to close the school without a reliable sewer system. The thought of GES closing was the source of anxiety within the community of Greenville for some time.
"This is a real important event," said Dean. "This is going to be phase two of an on-going process. Back in May, we brought the waste-water treatment plant online and now we're doing improvements to the school. This will set us up real nicely next year to begin to look at bringing more folks on board and decreasing the amount of nitrogen in our soil and in our aquifer. GES is the cornerstone of this community. By having the community be apart of the groundbreaking ceremony to bring environmental improvements, we're bringing this community together and moving in one direction for the greater good of this community."
GES is currently Greenville's largest employer with 16 faculty members, serving more than 135 students. In addition, the lift station will also serve approximately 20 Head Start students and five faculty members of that program.