Light-up McIntosh December 15
Light-up McIntosh will begin at the Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. The event will host Santa Clause and an area choir from six local churches will sing.
10.30.06 -- REPORT: School board to host Sunshine Law seminar
Sunday, October 29, 2006
By CHER PHILLIPS
The McIntosh Area School board will host a seminar to learn more about Florida's Sunshine Laws on Dec. 5 in the Civic Center with the First Amendment Foundation. While the school board is footing the bill for the developmental project, they are opening up the doors of the meeting to the public, as well as inviting public officials from McIntosh, Reddick and Micanopy.
The school board members approved a $300 budget to bring experts from the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee to McIntosh to educate the local boards and residents about the state's open meeting and open records laws. The First Amendment Foundation is a non-profit group who serve as experts on Florida's laws that govern what records and what meetings open to the public and exemptions that might close records and meetings. The First Amendment Foundation publishes a guide each year called the Sunshine Manual.
"There are so many questions about it," Joedy Smith, school board member, said.
He said having a seminar will help clear up any gray area in differing opinions people might have about the scope of the Sunshine Law.
Smith, the event organizer, said that as the school board is part of their board development. As the school prepares grants to build a new school, he said the purpose of hosting a Sunshine Seminar will help the board learn about protocol. He said the school's enrollment is now up to 70 students.
"As the school grows, it becomes more of an issue," Smith said.
In addition to inviting the McIntosh Town Council and citizen board members, Smith will be extending invitations to public officials in Micanopy and Reddick. He said since the board was paying for it already, the other commuties might as well benefit from the training, as well.
While the First Amendment Foundation does not charge for their seminars, the group hosting the seminar compensates for travel costs from Tallahassee to McIntosh. Smith said the board members agreed to kick in for a hotel room, as well as rental car.
The event is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5 in the McIntosh Civic Center in Van Ness Park on Avenue F.
posted by Cher @ 3:49 PM,
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Editor
Editor and Publisher:
I'm Cher From McIntosh, FL I'm a graduate student at the University of Florida working on a master's degree in Mass Communication. While I was finishing my undergrad degree in journalism last year, I reported on McIntosh, Fla. for an in-depth reporting class. I figured that the reporting and the public record files should go somewhere people can access them. Reporters don't report to keep the information they find to themselves. Some of that reporting is included here in a forum that allows response. McIntosh suffers because with no news coverage, the local government and the rumor mill have too much potential to run rampant over residents. I moved to McIntosh in the fall of 1999. My profile
About This Blog
The primary purpose of this blog is to accurately reflect what happens in town public meetings and dispel rumors. I record the meetings and make them available for download. One of the goals of this blog is to offer residents a place to voice opinions. The comments, views and opinions expressed there are not necessarily those of the editor.
