Holly Pond makes annual donation to local schools

Apr. 3—HOLLY POND — The town of Holly Pond switched up its monthly routine Monday evening. Rather than gathering at the Guy Hunt Public Library, the town opted to commemorate a yearly tradition by changing its venue — this year to Holly Pond High School.

Each year the town sets aside a portion of its annual budget to be donated to the K-8 school and high school. K-8 principal Karen Sparks and high school principal Nate Ayers were each presented a check for $5,000. Ayers said he was unaware of a council meeting ever being held at the school and believed the occasion was fitting as it has become a point for his administration to strive for a more unified synergy between the two entities.

"We could not do what we do on a daily basis without the partnership with the town of Holly Pond. Our major focus this year was to bring the community back into our school and to bring family back into our school," Ayers said. " ... I feel like we've done a really good job at that."

Ayers helped to broker a partnership with the town last month that will establish a 5k cross-country course spanning the school's and the town's properties which, when completed, will be available for public use during non-school hours.

Sparks echoed Ayers' sentiments and said the support the school receives from the town has always been welcomed.

"We are always so thankful for the support from our community for our schools. This money is well needed and we will put it to good use," she said.

That partnership may soon prove beneficial as Mayor Carla Hart reported that Monday morning she was informed a sinkhole had appeared on an access road where buses typically enter/exit the school.

Hart said Carcel and G Construction had inspected the road earlier in the day and had confirmed a culvert running underneath the road was the most likely cause for the damage. She said weather permitting crews were scheduled to return on Tuesday for a closer inspection to determine if the culvert was damaged — requiring a more extensive and costly repair — or simply clogged.

"I'm hoping it's clogged, that would be nice, but water has gotten under there somehow and caused a sinkhole. We may be dealing with a major repair there, but I will keep y'all [the council] informed on what's going on there," Hart said.

Hart said the worst case scenario could require the town to close the entire roadway for repairs, closing off bus access to the school temporarily. Ayers said a contingency plan has already been formed if that situation were to arise.

At the request of BNF Metals owner Jared Ibrahim, the town has agreed to review its ordinance regulating scrap metal and recycling facilities during a specially called work session scheduled to take place at Holly Pond Town Hall at 5 p.m. on April 15. Hart said Ibrahim had requested the sections of the ordinance prohibiting him from burning any material be lifted with the caveat that he would not burn any type of hazardous material.

Councilmember Ricky Carr, who suggested the work session, requested the entire ordinance be reviewed rather than the single section.

In other business the council:

* Proclaimed the month of April as Civitan Awareness Month.

* Approved the purchase of a small self-defrosting freezer to be used at the concession stand in the town's ballpark.

* Approved for Hart to speak with White Pine Landscaping about the possibility of contracting monthly landscaping services.