Friday, May 11, 2007 - Mark Brooks to update Rotarians on television changes coming

UC Native Mark Brooks with Report on Television Changes

      Today, Rotarians welcome former Union Citian Mark Brooks, director of sales at WBBJ-TV (Channel 7) in Jackson.
     Mark will talk about some of the many changes coming to broadcast television—particularly as they relate to the pending changeover to digital rather than analog.
     Mark grew up in Union City, the son of the late Verne and Shelby Brooks. After graduation from UCHS in 1976, Mark attended Lambuth University in Jackson, where he graduated in 1980.  From there, Mark followed in his dad’s footsteps and went to work in radio as an account executive.
     Within a few years, Mark joined WBBJ-TV, the ABC affiliate, which covers 43 counties in Western and Middle Tennessee.
     Mark and his wife, Kathleen, have one son, Evin, a junior at Trinity Christian Academy.  The husband-wife team are both drummers, and play on the praise and worship team at Highland Park Baptist Church in Jackson. 
     Welcome home Mark Brooks!

Rotary Ladies Night Thursday Night

     Next Thursday night, Union City Rotarians will stage their annual Ladies Night program here at the Hampton Centre. 
     Be sure to give your name to Barry Keathley by Monday if you and your “Lady” are planning to attend so that the Prathers will know how many meals to prepare.
     Barry tells us that Thursday night’s musical entertainment will be provided by vocalist Allison Butner and pianist Delana Easley.
     Ladies Night is a very special event in our Rotary Year and you’re asked to participate if at all possible—simply by attending. 
     Because of the special Ladies Night program Thursday night, there will be no Rotary meeting next Friday.

Rotary Scholarship Banquet Helps 115 OC Students

     Last week, the 26th annual Rotary Scholarship Banquet was held at First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center.  115 Obion County students received $146,500 worth of scholarships.  It took emcee Barry Keathley roughly fifty minutes to go through the list of recipients and donors.  Each name was accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation by Clint Joiner detailing the students’ name, the student’s school, and the donor’s name and scholarship amount.
     With last week’s scholarships, coupled with the upcoming Verhine Scholarships, the Union City Rotary Club has distributed nearly $3 million in scholarships since it all started back in 1982 with the very first scholarship—a $10,000 endowment set up by Hardy Graham to honor Union City Rotary’s first president, the late Gus B. White.
     “This is a pretty big job,” Scholarship Chairman Roger Williams conceded.  “I had a lot of help and want to recognize those to contributed to the program and members of the committee—Gary Houston, Steve Vaughn, Ron Green, Newell Graham, Jim Cawley, Bob Regen, Dave Schlager, Barry Keathley and Clint Jointer.”
     Guidance counselors Nick Parker and Kay Cooper of Obion County Central; Pam Burrow of South Fulton; and Winnie Logan of Union City were saluted for their assistance with the scholarship program.
     Committee member Steve Vaughn recognized the teachers, whom the students said had meant the most to their educational careers.  They were Brent Wilson and Peggy Lohaus of South Fulton, James West of Obion County Central and Andrea Byford of Union City High School.
     A moment of silence was held midway through the program to honor the memory of Sgt. Dustin Laird—a member of Union City’s 913th Engineering Company, who died in the Iraqi War in 2005 while fulfilling his National Guard obligations. Surviving family members were also recognized during the program.
     A special thanks to Roger Williams and his committee and to everyone who had a part in this year’s Scholarship Program!

Coming Attractions

5/17     Ladies’ Night at Rotary, featuring musical entertainment from Allison
             Butner and Delana Easley
             (Thursday Night)
5/25     Verhine Scholarship Program
6/1        Don Hutson-UCBMH Report
6/8        Jim Bradberry—Weakley County Juvenile Judge
6/15      Ashton and Andrew Jennings, Premier Racing Company
6/22       Bill Page-Youth Town TN
6/29       Kris Moore—Behavioral Health Care Center
7/6         Rotary Installation Program

Happy Birthdays

5/17      Lee Fry
5/18      Leland Davis
5/19      Phillip Pinion
5/20      Charles Denaburg
5/20      Dan Weber
5/23      Steve Conley

Happy Anniversaries

5/11     Charles and Larrabee Kirkland
5/12     Doug and Beverly Carter
5/14     Dan and Jean Weber
5/15     Fred and Vicki Wilkinson

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