Getting ready to read

NEW CUMBERLAND - In two separate actions Monday, New Cumberland City Council voted to help fund summer reading programs for school children.

Council voted to donate $2,500 to Energy Express, a six-week program through the West Virginia University Extension Office.

Council also approved a $1,000 donation to the summer reading program at Swaney Memorial Library.

Council member Angela Skinner said she believes strongly in the program and made a motion for the city to donate $6,000. She amended the motion after discussion.

Retired teacher Laura Greathouse urged council to support Energy Express. Greathouse said about $160 covers the cost for one child.

Mayor Joe Sargent said he would donate his mayor's pay for May to the program, which would just about cover the cost for one child.

Greathouse and WVU Extension Agent Carole Scheerbaum have been working for several months to raise money and secure a location for the the program.

Greathouse said the Presbyterian church in Chester will be the site for the program; the church offered the space. Children in New Cumberland, New Manchester, Chester and Newell can participate, but must register. Greathouse said the WVU Extension Office will limit participation to eight children from each community; however, there will be a waiting list.

Sometimes children only participate for a day or two and don't come back, she said. She said she and Scheerbaum are still working on details for transportation.

Greathouse said the WVU Extension Office limits the number of participants based on the space available. Whether or not children participate in free or reduced-charge lunches, participate in reading enrichment or in other programs to improve skills, are among criteria the office uses to select participants.

Greathouse and Scheerbaum explained previously the six-week program is designed to help first- through sixth-grade students to combat the summer slide; in other words, to help them not lose knowledge over the summer that they gained in the previous school year. The children work with mentors who help with reading skills as well as life skills. The program is four hours each day and includes breakfast and lunch. During the meals, the children are encouraged to try different foods while being served a family-style meal, and proper table manners are discussed.

Anna Raines, director of Swaney Memorial Library, requested the $1,000 donation from the council. She said she did not believe the city had ever given any money to the library before.

Raines said the library's summer reading program is an annual event for children in preschool through 10th grade. She said 40 children participated last year.

The five-week program helps children hone their reading skills over the summer, she said.

In one summer, one boy read 1,000 books in five weeks, Raines said. The library staff plans a weekly meeting for about 90 minutes, she said. The staff reads to children and helps them with crafts.

Raines also said the city's donation would help with the purchase of books that would be awarded as prizes.

Raines also announced an Easter program at the library. Children can have breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 10 a.m. to noon March 27.

In other business, council voted to re-bid a project for cameras at the municipal building, the city park and Pride Park.

Sargent said the information provided to bidders was unclear as to whether the council wanted quotes on wired service, wireless service, or both.

Council voted to re-bid the project and requested pricing on both wired and wireless systems.

Police Chief Lester Skinner told council he has prepared a schedule up to June that has one officer working per shift. He said he doesn't mind operating that way, but hopes council won't have a problem allowing more officers to cover events and to work with more than one person per shift if there are issues such as a rash of break-ins or trouble with bar fights.

Council member Art Watson was adamant he does not see a need for more than one officer on a shift for any reason. He said the chief can call out officers as needed and the city also has the help of the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the West Virginia State Police. He also stated the city has no real need for police coverage on Sundays.

Sargent said the main issue with police scheduling has been that some full-time officers were being scheduled around the schedule needs of part-time officers. He said the issue was resolved with the schedule Skinner now has.

(Tullis can be contacted at ntullis@reviewonline.com)