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Staying afloat
Directors retire from swim program
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Longtime Red Cross swim program directors Kyle and Becky Phillips are retiring this year, but the program is staying afloat under new leadership.
Robyn Kirby will take the reins as the new director. She will be receiving assistance from Janet Phillips, Brittany George and Dana Grissom.
New leadership takes over as registration for this year’s swim classes is approaching June 26 beginning at 5 p.m. at McMinnville Civic Center. The two-week swim lessons begin July 7 and July 21.
Kyle and Becky are retiring after more than three decades with the swim program. Kyle began as an instructor in 1980, followed by Becky in 1983.
Through the years, both were very active in the program, often teaching three classes a night for the entire month of swim lessons. They became co-directors upon the death of Bill Gilley in 2003.
“The goal has always been to teach people to be safe in and around the water,” said Becky.
Added Kyle, “One of the things I like about these free lessons is people from all walks of life come together to volunteer and make it happen. You have doctors and lawyers, teachers and factory workers. They have all taken lessons over the years and they come back to teach.”
When asked about memorable moments, Becky told about a brother and sister who gave her gifts one year after swim lessons were finished. She said the girl gave her a homemade card, while the boy handed her a piece of paper that was folded up.
“It was folded really tight into a small square,” said Becky. “When I unfolded it and got to the middle, he had placed a nickel in there. That nickel might as well have been $1 million because that child did what he could and gave what he had. I still get tears thinking about it.”
With 500 to 550 swimmers coming through the program each year, Kyle estimates they have helped around 17,000 people learn to swim. Becky said they have been with the program so long, they are now teaching grandchildren of people they gave lessons to 30 years ago.
“When you get to that point, it’s time to start thinking about stepping aside,” said Becky, who said they have developed close relationships with many of the swim volunteers. “We have attended graduations and weddings, celebrated births of babies and other special events of instructors and volunteers.”
While teaching children is challenging, Kyle says the adults are usually more difficult because they often have built up a lifetime fear of the water.
“To see them put their face in the water or jump off the diving board for the first time is priceless,” said Kyle.
In turning over the swim program, Kyle and Becky know it will be in capable hands. Kirby says she has a strong core group of volunteers but knows it will take more help.
“These are free swim lessons so we need volunteers to make it happen,” said Kirby. “If we have a large group of volunteers, it prevents a few people from having to do so much.”
Swim lessons are offered in two-week sessions beginning July 7 with classes starting at 6, 7, and 8 p.m. each night. Anyone who wants more information about volunteering can call 808-7417.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community