Pulaski schools bid farewell to longtime employees

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January 5, 2009

By SUSAN WHEELDON, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Mon Jan 05, 2009, 06:49 PM EST

Somerset — As the new school semester got underway this week, one key leader of the Pulaski County School System team did not return to her usual surroundings at central office.

Instead, Marlene Haney, who has served as assistant superintendent of curriculum since 1997, will be beginning her retirement after 38 years in education.

“(My career) seems to have gone really quickly and it’s amazing how quickly the years have flown by,” said Haney.

“I’ve never gone to work a day and dreaded my job,” she added.

While Haney may have not always envisioned herself retiring in the middle of a school year, circumstances such as her husband being elected as state Farm Bureau president helped her decide it was the right time.

“Mark went in as president of Kentucky Farm Bureau and this gives me the opportunity to travel with him,” said Haney, “and I wanted to travel with him.”

Haney began in education in 1970 when she was hired by the Pulaski County School as a teacher, then in 1975 she became supervisor of adult education in ten counties and with this position her employer was the Somerset School District. Then in 1993 Haney came back to the Pulaski County School System as assistant principal of Pulaski Elementary, then becoming principal of the largest elementary in the school district the next year, where she stayed for three years before being hired as assistant superintendent of curriculum in 1997 by former Superintendent Bert Minton.

Haney was the first assistant superintendent of curriculum in the history of the Pulaski County School System.

“The achievement we’ve made throughout the district including our advancement in the gifted program and our achievements measured by the KCCTC test is what I’m most proud of,” said Haney. “We’ve made improvement from the first year I was here to the present.”

Haney said though she is looking forward to retirement there are many things she enjoyed about being in the position and will miss.

“I’ve enjoyed the day-to-day operations of the job,” said Haney.

Haney said she enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many different people, as she tried to be in the schools every week or as much as possible since that was one of the best parts for her, as well as working with the curriculum team that has been built. She also said she relished seeing children in the school system excel and have accomplishments that will affect them the rest of their life.

Superintendent Tim Eaton said Haney has effectively led the curriculum charge, as well as placing some very strong people to work in the area of curriculum and instruction.

“Our district test scores have improved drastically under her leadership in the curriculum depart-ment,” said Eaton.

Eaton said from his standpoint, Haney has been very loyal to the district with students always first in her plans and the programs being about the children.

“...We will really miss the services of Mrs. Haney and really wish her well in the future endeavors of her retirement,” added Eaton. “She’s been a real team player.”

Haney said though she believes it has been a total team effort, as well as having a wonderful board and administration to work with that has moved the district forward.

“I will miss the job, the day-to-day operations, the people I work with and the relationships that were built,” said Haney.

Eaton said he is not planning to fill Haney’s position immediately.

“With the budget shortfalls we’re being cautious right now,” said Eaton. “Some of the other supervisors and myself will pick up her duties for the coming semester.”

The leader of the school system said they will look at the possibility of filling the position at the second semester of the school year.

Meanwhile, Food Service Director Lucille Hudson who has been with the Pulaski County School System since 1975 and played a role which affected all of the schools, also retired at the end of 2008.

Hudson explained she is proud of the opportunity she has had in helping the students throughout the school system have a good nutritious meal, while they are at school and has taken pride in making sure that happens.

“Many of our children come from homes where they are not fortunate enough to have the proper food for a balanced diet,” she added. “I like to be able to provide the fresh fruits and vegetables and the foods needed to keep them healthy ... There is never a reason for a child to go hungry in our schools.”

Hudson said though she couldn’t have accomp-lished the things she has over the years, without the great managers and cooks in the school system.

“Many districts and states are having their food processed,” said Hudson. “I am proud to say in Pulaski County our cooks still cook.”

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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