CHRONICLE HUMB
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‘Serving Humboldt, home of the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival, since 1886’
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VOL. 125, NO. 32
HUMBOLDT, TENNESSEE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012
‘McHeadquarters’
INSIDE... HPD assistant chief to retire
Students rank in academic growth HHS’ TCAPs among best improvement DANNY WADE STEVE SHORT After last year’s growth in student achievement, Humboldt City School officials predicted continued gains. When the Tennessee Department of Education released their 2011 reports for all school districts, the prediction came true. School superintendent, Steve Bayko, and Patrice RichardsonMartin, evaluator/data coordinator for Humboldt City Schools, have gone over the reports, looking at all aspects. Humboldt High School ranked among the best school systems in Tennessee in academic growth for grades 9-12 during the 2011-12 school year, according to data released by the Tennessee Dept. of Education. Humboldt High School ranked second in the state in academic growth or improvement from the previous year (201011) in two subject areas, Algebra I and English II. “We did not make as radical growth as last year but we’re proud of the growth this year,” Bayko said last week. BY
AND
Assistant Chief Bill Baker gave notice of his retirement this week. Page 3A
Watercolor exhibit reception
photo by APRIL G. JACKSON
FAMILY AFFAIR - Laurie and Emily Gamble (from left) show one of the McDonald’s art prints that will be on display at the Gambles corporate headquarters in downtown Humboldt. The historic building at the corner of Main and 14th Ave. is being renovated with an eye on its storied past and another eye on the future.
McDonald’s owners recapture vintage look at new downtown digs
A traveling exhibit of the Tennessee Watercolor Society is in Humboldt at the West Tennessee Regional Art Center until Aug. 15. A reception for the public is Saturday. Page 6A
BY APRIL G. JACKSON For years Jeff Gamble has kept an office in a humble storage shed behind McDonald’s eatery in Humboldt. But times are changing. Very soon, he’ll be relocating to a new office in a renovated downtown Humboldt building that dates back to the 1800s. Jeff and Laurie Gamble’s venture with McDonald’s has blossomed recently with the couple opening a new restaurant in Crockett County and breaking ground soon on a new restaurant in Medina. With the expanding business came the need for a more corporate type office. With their hearts in Humboldt, the Gambles invested in downtown. The two-story building with full basement at 1401 Main Street is one of two in downtown that survived the famed fire of 1881, according to local historians. “We love the building and wanted to keep
Humboldt Grand Jury Indictments handed down this week. Page 5A
Vikings scrimmage
lots of it intact,” says Laurie Gamble. She praised other improvements along Main Street’s downtown including renovations at Robinson’s Office Products and Pritchard Realty and the ongoing renovation that will create The Opera House Event Hall. “Lots (of Humboldt’s older downtown buildings) are in good shape and lots are improving to their original glory.” The first step for the Gambles was to have their building gutted, the floor jacked up and two layers of ceiling removed to expose the original wood ceilings, now painted black. Barn lights were hung. White plank sections create focal points on the neutral toned walls throughout the main floor. “We wanted it to look old,” says Gamble. She credits the work of Mike Hawks, Steve Laster and John Quaranto in achieving her goal. Old see DOWNTOWN page 2A
Patterson marks 50th year of teaching youngsters At day’s end, ‘math is math, reading is reading and students are students’
Humboldt Viking defensive end, Keeyon James, drags down this Bolivar Tiger for a short loss during a scrimmage game last Friday. Humboldt beat Bolivar 3-2. Page 1B
BY DANNY WADE At an early age, Betty Patterson always knew she wanted to be a teacher. This year will mark her 50th year in the classroom. Patterson is a third grade teacher at East Elementary School and has had a long career teaching the youngest of students. “I started teaching in 1960 after two years of college,” Patterson said. “My first job was at Bradford.” At Bradford, Patterson had a split classroom with first and second graders together. She left Bradford to take a job at Martin High School, teaching ninth grade science and 10th grade biology. Her next teaching position was at Dyer where she spent several years as a first grade teacher, before moving back to Bradford until she retired. Patterson was away from teaching for a total of two and a half years throughout her career. “My first job out of retirement was with Humboldt to teach Special Ed.,” she said. “I was hired by Mr. (Butch) Twyman. I told him these students can learn.” “And she proves this every day!” East Elementary principal, Charlotte Shively,
see TEACHER page 2A
‘You really should try
photo by DANNY WADE
50 YEARS IN CLASSROOM – Third grade teacher Betty Patterson gets to know her students during the first day of school last Friday at East Elementary School. This will be Patterson’s 50th year in the classroom. She said even at a young age, she always wanted to be a teacher.
see TCAPS page 2A
Voting turnout low Tues. DANNY JONES THE GAZETTE In the race for the Tennessee Senate, 24th District, Republican John Stevens with 1,068 votes won over Danny Jowers with 973 votes in Gibson County and will face Democrat Brad Thompson in the November 6 General Election, who running unopposed received 647 endorsement votes. As the county went so did the district that includes Gibson, Obion, Weakley, Henry, Carroll and Benton counties. Districtwide, Stevens received 5,418 votes to Jowers’ 3,475. Brad Thompson garnered 4,035. Assessor of Property, Gary Paschall, running unopposed received 2,258 endorsement votes. In Tennessee House of Representatives, 79th District, incumbent Curtis BY
see VOTE page 3A
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