By Sarah Gilbert
The beginning of the 2010-2011 school year is less than two weeks away and Alabama’s fifth annual sales tax holiday begins the same day so families can purchase those back-to-school necessities without breaking the bank.
The first day of school, a half-day session, will be Friday, Aug. 6. Alabama’s sales tax holiday for back-to-school shopping begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 6, and continues until midnight Sunday, Aug. 8.
Ozark is among the 265 cities and counties in Alabama that will not collect sales taxes on clothing priced $100 or less; school supplies valued at $50 or less; books that cost $30 or less; and computers and computer equipment with a selling price of $750 or less.
The list Includes all human wearing apparel suitable for general use, such as belts, boots, caps, coats, diapers, dresses, gloves, gym suits, hats, hosiery, jackets, jeans, neckties, pajamas, pants, raincoats, robes, sandals, scarves, school uniforms, shirts, shoes, shorts, socks, sneakers and underwear.
However, clothing accessories that are taxable include belt buckles, briefcases, cosmetics, costume masks, hair notions, handbags, handkerchiefs, jewelry, patches and emblems, sewing equipment, sun glasses, eye glasses, umbrellas, wallets, watches, wigs and hair pieces.
The tax exemption also does not include protective equipment, such as breathing masks, ear and hearing protectors, tool belts, helmets and welders gloves and masks, nor does it include sport or recreational equipment, such as cleated or spiked athletic shoots, band instruments, goggles or mouth guards.
While the law does exempt tax on a single computer purchase with a sales price of $750 or less, it does not exclude tax on furniture or any systems, devices, software, peripherals designed or intended primarily for recreational use, or video games of a non-educational nature.

Ozark Ciy Schools Awarded Advanced Accreditation
The Ozark City School System has been recognized as a quality school system by the Advanced Accreditation Commission.
The Advanced Accreditation Commission is the national commission that confers the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement accreditation seal. All schools in the Ozark City School System are accredited.
The accreditation process involves three ongoing components, Michael Lenhart, superintendent of Ozark City Schools, said. The first component is meeting high quality standards followed by implementing a continuous process of improvement, Lanhart said. The final component is engaging in quality assurance through internal and external review.
The visiting team conducted classroom walk-throughs and met with students, parents and staff members at each school in early February. They also reviewed system programs and pertinent documentation.
The accreditation is for a five-year term with regular monitoring of progress and reporting occurring during the term.
“District accreditation as conferred by the Advanced Accreditation Commission provides Ozark City Schools a nationally recognized mark of quality for our district and all the schools within our district,” Lenhart said. “It demonstrates to our community our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.”
Dr. Mark Elgart, president and CEO of the commission, said accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system on the primary goal of creating lifelong learners.
“Ozark City Schools is to be commended for engaging in this progress and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement,” Elgart said.

Concert to Feature Quartet

By Sarah Gilbert
Å Sunday afternoon performance at Flowers Center for the Performing Arts will feature the Passeri String Quartet including Hillary Kingsley, daughter of Ozark native Tom Kingsley.
The 3:30 p.m. Aug. 8 concert is free but donations will be accepted to benefit Flowers Center. A reception in the Sandra Blackmon Room to meet the musicians will follow the performance.
The program will include Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 4 in C minor and Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12 in F (American), as well as some contemporary favorites. Chuck Auman will serve as master of ceremonies. The event is sponsored by local banks and Mayor and Mrs. Billy Blackwell.
Formed in August 2009 at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music in Athens, Ga., the quartet has grown into an ensemble of talented performers devoted to the study and enjoyment of chamber music.
In addition to recitals every semester, the quartet has performed for weddings, receptions and other formal and informal events in the Athens and Atlanta areas.
Under the guidance of their teacher, Dr. Michael Heald, the quartet has ventured into the study of contemporary music with their performance of composer Aaron Kernis’s “Top 100 Greatest Dance Hits” for guitar and string quartet. In addition to regular instruction at UGA, the quartet has also participated in master classes with the internationally acclaimed Evene and Parisii Quartets.
Kingsley began playing violin at the age of eleven. She has performed with the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra (co-concertmaster), the Georgia Philharmonic, and the UGA Symphony Orchestra. She teaches both privately and as an instructor in the UGA String Project. Kingsley currently studies violin with Heald at UGA while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in violin performance and music education. She is a UGA Foundation Fellow.
The second member of the quartet, Jessica Daniel, began studying violin at the age of 12 with Holly Bryan. She has performed with the Gwinnett Youth Symphony, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta, and the UGA Symphony Orchestra. During high school, Daniel acted as concertmaster of her school orchestra and traveled to China and the Czech Republic with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. She currently teaches privately and is an instructor with the UGA String Project. She studies violin with Heald and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UGA in violin performance and music education.
Kayley Alden played violin as a child and studied the viola while attending Druid Hills High School. During those years, she performed with the DeKalb Youth Symphony and the Emory Youth Symphony. She also acted as concertmaster and principal violist of her high school orchestra and was chosen to study at the Georgia Governor’s Honor Program. She has studied privately with Atlanta Symphony member Paul Murphy and UGA Symphony conductor Mark Cedel. Miss Alden will continue her training under Maggie Snyder in the fall as a sophomore at UGA where she is pursuing a degree in music education with pre-med intent.
The final member of the quartet, Joanna Wheeler, has been playing cello since the age of 11. She has performed with the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony, and various ballet companies in the Atlanta area. Wheeler was recognized as the Gwinnett Symphony Concerto Competition winner in 2008. She teaches cello privately and is an instructor in the UGA String Project. She studies cello with Dr. David Starkweather while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music education and cello performance at UGA.

Ozark Police Arrests
The following offense and arrest reports were filed by Ozark police officers between July 21-27:
Possession of Marijuana
Police officers observed an individual entering and leaving a residence that was reported to be selling drugs and upon stopping her vehicle at U.S. 231 and Ala. 27, two bags of marijuana, two bags of cocaine, paraphernalia and other currency were found on her person.
Arrests
Myron Keith Brantley, 38, Ozark, unlawful possession of crack cocaine, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence.
Jeffery McCartha, 29, Ozark, failure to appear.
Gregory Abner, 51, Ozark, public intoxication, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Charles Kidd Jr., 35, Ozark, failure to appear.
Robert Golden, 28, Troy, two counts of failure to appear.
Adam Thompson, 42, Ozark, third degree criminal trespass, two counts of failure to appear.
Rebecca Lynn Grider, 34, Ozark, second degree possession of a forged instrument.
Joshua Miller, 22, Clio, second degree possession of marijuana.
Andrew Lawrence, 25, Ozark, second degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Marianna Powell, 41, Ozark, first degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance: cocaine.
Bradley Rice, 25, Ariton, unlawful possession of controlled substance: cocaine, first degree possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Michael Jeffery, 23, Ozark, domestic harassment.
Samuel Crittenden, 47, Ozark, domestic menacing.
Jessie Toney, 51, Ozark, second degree unlawful possession of marijuana.
Sandra Carver, 38, Ozark, second degree unlawful possession of a forged instrument.
Lawrence Allen, 45, Newton, first degree burglary, third degree criminal mischief, third degree domestic assault, third degree assault.
Lester Tellis, 45, Newton, first degree unlawful possession of marijuana.