The Greenwood City Council unanimously approved businessman Randy Clark to serve on the Greenwood School Board on Tuesday.
Clark, 66, the owner of Clark Insurance Agency, replaces Connie Johnson on the board and will serve a five-year term.
A graduate of Greenwood High School, Clark was a band director at Senatobia High School for five years before joining his father’s insurance agency. Both of his sons attended Greenwood High School, he said.
Clark said he is mindful of the task of getting the district turned around.
“We’ve always had an interest in the city schools,” he said. “I would be less than honest if I told you I had any answers for what everybody knows was disappointment with the grades for the school system for the last few years.”
He said he is ready to get to work. “Hopefully, I can offer some insights that will help us get around it. I think it is going to help the town and ultimately help us all.”
In other business, Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore told the council that telephone scams are in full swing for the holidays.
“People have called identifying themselves as the Internal Revenue — well, they’re saying IRS — and told the victim they made a mistake on their 2009, 2010 taxes and it’s got to be paid today” or the victim will be arrested, Moore said.
“‘The Internal Revenue Service isn’t going to call you on the phone,” Moore said. “They are going to send you a letter and another letter and another letter.”
Other popular telephone scams include a lottery contest or a “great relative in England” that left the person a great deal of money, he said.
The council also heard from Martha Lacy, who lives on Scott Street. She said a number of young men stand across the street from her residence.
“The boys are out in the street all night long. I can’t sleep in my house,” Lacy told the council.
Although patrols in the area have been stepped up, Moore said, the young men aren’t violating any laws while officers are present. For the police to act, he said, residents must be willing to sign affidavits against known individuals.
The chief promised, after prodding from Ward 6’s David Jordan, that patrols would increase in the area at night.
In addition, John Beard of the firm of Beard + Riser gave an update on the planned renovations of the police headquarters.
Initially, the project was estimated to cost around $2.7 million. However, with a planned extension of the building’s second floor, estimates are now running as high as $3.3 million.
Ward 4’s Charles McCoy expressed some concern about the increase. However, Mayor Carolyn McAdams said the city could make adjustments to keep the work on track.
The council approved:
• Allowing Greenwood Leflore Hospital to purchase five properties along Strong and Leflore avenues for the eventual construction of an “urgent care center.” The purchase on the leases comes to $365,000.
• The reappointment of Donny Whitehead to the Library Board.
• The reappointment of Boyce Robbins (Ward 2), Jesse Shavers (Ward 6), Douglas Carthledge (Ward 3) and Bruce Turner (Ward 7) to the Greenwood Advisory Park Commission.
• The reappointment of Dorothy Huggins (Ward 6), Ulysses Carl Cates (Ward 3) and Ruthie McDonald (Ward 7) to the Greenwood Tourism Commission.
• The reappointment of Robert Benford to the Civil Service Commission.
• The reappointment of attorney John P. Henson to the Greenwood-Leflore Airport Board.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
