The Lamar County Board of Supervisors is considering donating toward the purchase of the Gold Star Families monument that will be placed at Camp Shelby this year. Leonard Scardino, who has been working the past two years to have the monument built, said $3,000 is remaining to pay for the display.
“One of the things we hope that the board will be able to help us with is to get us over the hump,” said Scardino, who is spearheading the effort for the state’s first Gold Star Families monument. “We are right at $3,000 short. Anything that anyone can do would be appreciated. We do need your help. The presentation of the monument is set for May 16.”
The cost estimate for the monument is $42,600.
“Camp Shelby has taken on the cost of placing monuments,” Scardino said. “They already have prepared it; it is ready for it to come.”
The monument is 6.5 feet tall and 8 feet long.
The Gold Star Families monument is “for all parents that have lost a child or husband or wife in the military all the way back to World War I.”
Scardino’s 27-year-old son, Tony, had died of a heart attack while participating in a Land Navigation training exercise at Fort Gordon, Georgia. The four-panel granite monument that is a tribute to the families that have lost loved ones in service. Cut out of the panels is the silhouette of a soldier who is saluting, symbolizing those troops that didn’t return to their families.
In Mississippi, there are 1,121 Gold Star families.
In other action last Thursday, the Board of Supervisors:
n Heard the monthly report of Anthony Thompkins, Life Guard Operations Manager.
n approved the Feb. 5, 2018 Board Minutes
n quit notice: Glenn Davis, Sanitation Temporary/Full-Time Hopper, Position Expired effective Feb. 9, 2018.
n Status change: Austin Coker from South Road Light Equipment to South Bridge Heavy Equipment effective Feb. 26, 2018, from $13 per hour to $13.50 per hour.
n new hire: William Creel, South Road Light Equipment effective Feb. 20, 2018 at $12 per hour.
n exhaustion of family & medical leave: Andre Ross, Sanitation effective Nov. 10, 2016.
n Status change: Scott Hicks from Hopper/Fill-In Driver to Driver effective Feb. 12, 2018 from $11.70 per hour to $12 per hour.
n Court order: Appointing Tommy Schwartz, Esq.as Public Defender for Justice Court, for January through April each calendar year and Brad Touchstone, Esq. for May through December at a monthly salary of $1,800.
n new hire: Richard Moore, Sanitation Temporary Full-Time Hopper effective Jan. 26, 2018 at $10.50 per hour.
n approved paying lawful expenses of Dispatch Director, Rosemary Ezell and Dispatcher, Kaitlyn Haynes to attend the Navigator 2018 Annual Medical Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 22-27, 2018.
Approved paying lawful expenses of Danny Young to attend the annual Mississippi Mosquito and Vector Control Association Meeting (MMVCA), in Pearl March 13-15, 2018.
Approved advertising District 5 in the amount of $500 sponsorship for the renewal of a scoreboard advertising panel for the The Bobcat Diamond Club Scoreboard of Sumrall High School.
Approved advertising county resources from all districts in the amount of $500 with Wounded Minutemen of Mississippi annual golf tournament.
Approved paying lawful expenses of Phillip Carlisle, District 4 Supervisor, to attend the MAPDD 2018 Annual Conference in Biloxi, MS April 24-27, 2018.
Approved transferring $99.60 from District 3 Parks and Recreation to County Wide Road for work performed by the Road Department.
Approved for Michael Hershman, Senior Planner, to participate in the Planning Supervisor’s Playbook webinar presented by the American Planning Association for a cost of $200.
Approved paying lawful expenses of Judge William Andrews to attend the MS Trial & Appellate Judges Spring Conference in Bay Saint Louis, MS, April 18 thru 20, 2018.
Approved paying lawful expenses of Ruth Mossor and Amy Little to attend MS Court Administrators and MS Court Reporters Conferences in Biloxi April 18 thru 20, 2018.
Approved paying lawful expenses of Freda Rocker to attend the Intermediate QGIS Workshop at NASA Stennis Space Center, March 7 and 8, 2018.
Approved an Amended Order authorizing the amount of $1.50 per instrument for indexing land records to be paid from the general fund to the Chancery Clerk.
Approved a 16th section Lease Agreement between Lamar County Board of Supervisors and Lamar County School District for land located along Highway 98 near the County Barn.
Approved an Order Approving Rental Consideration Set in Lease of 16th Section Lands in Lamar County for Christopher Biggs.
New Hire: Taylor Hall, Jailer/Guard effective Jan. 26, 2018 at $15.05 per hour.
Resigned for Military Leave: Brandon Walker, Central Lamar Firefighter effective Feb. 11, 2018.
New Hire: Daniel Kelly, Central Lamar effective Feb. 17, 2018 at $9.75 per hour.
Approval for Rosemary Ezell to sign invoices up to $1,000 for Dispatch.
Approved the asset deletion list as submitted and dispose of as indicated on the inventory deletion form.
Approved changes in Assessments as submitted by the Tax Collector/Assessor.
Approved changes in Homestead as submitted by the Tax Collector/Assessor.
Approved Tax Sale Cancellations as submitted by the Tax Collector/Assessor.
Approved the development permit for Michael Gornak to construct a new 60-by-120 metal building to be located off of U.S. Hwy. 98, east of West Black Creek Road, in District 4.
Approved accepting a minor subdivision to be located off of Purvis-Oloh Road in District 3, by Lee Brister. This is a split of 18.5 acres into five parcels utilizing existing roads and utilities.
Approved filing the Oaks of Legacy Phase II plat, “for filing purposes only.” This development is located in District 3, off of Old Hwy. 11(within Legacy Subdivision), and consists of 24 lots.
The next Board meeting will be at 9 a.m. March 5.
