Let’s take a look at things that are happening, have happened or will happen. Hands on your buzzers, contestants.
It’s time for today’s LightningRound!
Let’s bring out a Big Board…
- We reported this on our SouthsideCentral Facebook page earlier today. Hint: LIKE the page to get the latest things that we put out. >>> UPDATE: The plans for the new Danville Walmart Neighborhood Market in the Nordan shopping center call for the complete demolition of the existing Piggly Wiggly store and a new building to Walmart’s specifications. The gas station will be a 6-pump setup with 12 fueling stations along with a 750 square foot convenience store. This will be on the site of the soon-to-be-demolished old Super China Buffet location. <<<
- On Thursday night, SouthsideCentral was the first to report that Danville Public Schools has received a federal grant so that all students will get free breakfast & lunch in the coming school year. On my personal Facebook page, that brought up a discussion that called for a factcheck on what was really involved. In an email conversation with Stacey Emsminger, the Child Nutritionist for Danville Public Schools, she answered some of the questioned raised. Here’s her replies…
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a program that allows us to feed students free meals, while eliminating the free and reduced meal application process. It uses data reported to the state to determine the eligibility rate that we may claim for reimbursement and removes the need for identifying the eligibility of individual students. It has no bearing on food served or brought to schools. It is just a different funding formula and only affects reporting and finances.
Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) resulted from the First Lady’s initiative and governs the nutrition standards of food served and sold in schools. This is in place for all schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and receive federal funding. HHFKA has also set rules regarding fundraisers involving food sold during school hours on school campus. We are required to comply with these nutrition standards whether we choose CEP or not.
Child Nutrition Programs have no authority to dictate what students can bring to the school for lunch. The only thing we have to address this is found in our district wellness plan which states,
“Parents are strongly discouraged from bringing fast food into the cafeteria. Fast food brought into the cafeteria must have all original packaging removed or concealed with no visible logos to preserve the learning environment of good nutrition.”Finally, we would not elect CEP if it was not financially sustainable. We have done our homework. We know with the data from our district that we will actually do better and have additional funds to spend on improving the program, than if we just stayed with the free and reduced meal applications. We will get to claim 95% of our students at the free reimbursement rate. For comparison, although Pittsylvania County is considered eligible to participate, their data would only allow them to claim 70% free – that is a big difference financially and it is really not a viable option for them at this time.
I am so happy that we will be able to feed all students for free this coming year. Students can eat meals without the fear of charges that their parents can’t pay and parents in our community get a little relief that their children can eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch each school day for free. That is what CEP is all about.
- We can say “Happy Trails, Allison Roberts!” now that she has left the Register & Bee for the Spartanburg (SC) Herald-Journal. Roberts lasted over three years in Danville on the crime beat and was a decently good reporter. Let’s see who replaces her (if anybody).
- We’ll have two LIVE! meetings on Monday here on SouthsideCentral. We’ll start with the Regional Industrial Facilities Authority meeting at noon, then move to the Danville Planning Commission at 3PM.
- We’re also looking forward to Saturday night (June 13th). The Kentuck Volunteer Fire Department will hold their 2nd Annual Silent Auction & Steak Dinner at Dan River High School from 5 to 7 PM. Tickets are $12.50 in advance ($15 at the door). Your dinner will be a 8 oz rib-eye steak, baked potato, roll, salad, dessert, and drink. They’ve got a big assortment of items for the silent auction as well. Get your advance tickets by calling or texting Scott Barker at 728-5605. It’s an excellent value and the proceeds will go to the Kentuck VFD.
- Tickets for the Blackberry Smoke concert at Danville’s Carrington Pavilion are now on sale. You can get them at the Danville Welcome Center located off River Park Dr. calling the Welcome Center at 434-793-4636 or online at the Harvest Jubilee Concert Series website.
And that’s the end of this LightningRound! We’ve got more coming up on SouthsideCentral.
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