By SABRINA GARRETT
The Wilson Post

Claudia Jett’s Pre-K class at Sam Houston Elementary in Lebanon was delighted Thursday morning when they received a visit from Amazon Fulfillment Center Manager Mark Marzano.

Marzano read several books, including I Am a Rainbow, authored by Imagination Library founder and country songstress Dolly Parton, to students before stressing the importance of books. “Reading to children prepares them for success in the future. Amazon is big into books and into helping the community,” he said.

Amazon, a statewide partner of the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, displayed its support for reading recently when company officials donated $25,000 to the books-for-preschoolers division of the program. The funds were distributed evenly in the four Tennessee counties where Amazon fulfillment centers are located – Wilson, Rutherford, Bradley and Hamilton. Each county received a sum of $6,250.

Funds will be used to provide free, high-quality and age-appropriate books to preschool children up to 5 years old. Wilson County Books From Birth Director Peggy Simpson said that “the Imagination Library is thriving in Wilson County because of the support we get from partners like Amazon, a company that understands the importance of having books in the home from birth.”

Children who are registered in Books From Birth receive one book per month until they “graduate” out of the program at the age of 5. The mission of the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation is to sustain and strengthen the Imagination Library Program in all 95 Tennessee counties. To learn more, visit governorsfoundation.org.

From Post staff reports

Korean War Veteran Jack Cato will be a special speaker at the Memorial Day ceremony at the Wilson County Courthouse in Lebanon at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Although Cato noted he is not “really a public speaker,” he was convinced to share excerpts from the more than 200 letters he wrote to his family during his 13 months stationed in Korea by event organizer, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Henderson.

Cato was drafted at the age of 21 and served as a combat engineer in the U.S. Army. He and his company cleared more than 1,700 land mines, built and maintained roads and bridges while in Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1953.

“It is the 60^th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty in Korea so they wanted somebody who served in Korea to speak,” Cato said.

Everyone is invited to attend the Memorial Day ceremony.

The name of USAF 1^st Lt. Joshua Hovies, 26, of Lebanon, who died in a training accident in South Korea in April has been added to the monument on the corner of the courthouse lawn. The ceremony Monday will include a reading of each veteran who gave their lives and whose names are listed on the monument.

American Legion Post 15, sponsor of the ceremony; Gold Star Mothers, Vietnam Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others will be participating in the wreath-portion of the event.

From Post staff reports

It should be no surprise to anyone here, but Mt. Juliet is the fourth fastest growing city in Middle Tennessee, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Even with its growth in recent years, due in large part to the Providence development off Interstate 40 and South Mt. Juliet Road, Lebanon still leads in population by more than 800 people based on a 2012 estimate from the Census Bureau.

Meals On Wheels volunteers are needed to deliver meals in Mt. Juliet to homebound older adults on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Meals are ready to be picked up by 9:30 a.m., at the Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center, 2034 North Mt. Juliet Road, and the delivery usually takes about an hour. Routes are typically less than 20 miles of travel. You can volunteer weekly, monthly or as your schedule permits. For information, call Dawn Cathey, site manager, at 758-2777.

Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center offers a number of activities. Join the “Over the Hill Choir” at 10 a.m. every Monday. In addition to weekly choir practice, the group performs for senior programs in the community. Karaoke is held at 12:30 p.m., every third Tuesday of the month. And a Good Old Time Country Music Show is from 1 until 3 p.m., every Thursday. Bring your acoustic instrument and join the performers or just come and listen. Call 758-9114 in advance if you wish join seniors for lunch. The center is at 2034 N. Mt. Juliet Road.

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church,

7463 Hickory Ridge Road

, Mt. Juliet, has opened a food pantry available to those who have a need. The pantry is open the third Wednesday of every month, from 5 until 6:30 p.m., and is for all Wilson County residents. For information, call 444-2390.

Attention Veterans: If you need information or help filing for Veteran’s Benefits, contact the Veteran’s Service Office, Suite 106, Wilson County Courthouse, or call 444-2460.

Celebrate Recovery: Support for hurts, hang-ups and habits, meets from 7 until 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, at Fairview Church, the left-side entrance, on Leeville Pike, Lebanon. For information, contact Sonny Warmath at 707-0305.

Telephone Pioneers of America has Volume Number 1 and Volume Number 3 cookbooks for sale. All sales benefit the Pioneer Museum in Fiddlers Grove at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center, Lebanon. For information, call 444-3096 or 444-0940.

Lebanon Toastmasters meet every Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce at 149 Public Square in Lebanon. Visitors are welcome. Toastmasters is an organization dedicated to improving communication and leadership skills. For information, call 444-0126.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Wilson County is in need of volunteers who would like to reach out to those in need in Wilson County. Volunteers must be age 55 or older. If you are interested in participating or partnering with the program, call 443-7606 or 742-1113, ext. 10.

Agape has contracted with Maple Hill church of Christ to provide counseling services in Lebanon. Matt Shoemaker, M.S., will be available for counseling at the church building on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. He sees children and adults. For information, call 547-4244.

Lebanon Friendship AL-ANON and ALATEEN Family Groups, for family and friends of alcoholics which meets at Our House at 115 North Greenwood Street, is changing the time of meetings to 7 p.m., Sundays and Thursdays. Contacts are Harriet at 444-2852 and Lynda at 444-8434.

HomeSafe Women’s Support Group meets Wednesday evenings. For information, or if you need help with an order of protection for domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, contact HomeSafe at 444-8955.

Piecemakers Quilt Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at First United Methodist Church. The Knitting and Prayer Shawl Ministry meets every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Craft Room of the Family Life Center, and Sit n’ Stitchers meet every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Craft Room. For more information, call 443-2354 or 444-1182.

Lebanon Special School District wants to notify parents of the availability of Special Education records for students born 1988-1991. The records may be picked up at the Special Education office at 507 Coles Ferry Pike, Lebanon. Call the office with questions at 444-6073. If your child’s record is not requested or picked up, it will be archived for reference purposes and then destroyed. Records will be available for the entire month of May.

Wilson County Conservative Republicans will meet at 9:15 a.m., Saturday, May 25, at Logan’s at Providence MarketPlace in Mt. Juliet. Julie West will make a presentation on the new Core Curriculum that is being implemented in schools. Come have coffee and a bagel.

Corn Hole Tournament, a fundraiser scheduled as part of Seven Months for SMA, in memory of Alana C. Whited, will be from 2 until 4 p.m., Saturday, May 25, in the field behind Wilson Bank & Trust’s main office in Lebanon at Castle Heights. First place winners will receive a prize. If you have any boards/bags organizers could borrow for the event, it would be appreciated. For information, contact Brittany Whited at 719-3065, Vickie Whited at 449-4165 or Heather Landers at 347-5745. You may also visit www.fsma.org/AlanaCWhited or www.facebook.com/brittany.whited.52.

USA Championship Wrestling, a benefit for Miss Cera of Lebanon, will be 8 p.m., Saturday, May 25, at the Smith County Ag Building in Carthage. Doors open at 6 p.m. A donation of $5 is asked, and there will be a silent auction, also. The event will help send her to the Alliance for Recreational Empowerment’s Family Summer Camp at Cordell Hull Lake in Gainesboro. The camp is for children diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. For ticket information to the event, call Randy Dixon at 486-9648 or Jamie Anderson at 559-3854.

PHOEBE Ministries, a ministry of widows connecting with widows, will meet at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, May 25, at Fairview Baptist Church. Greg Holbrook and Jane Hamlett will speak on Miracle Power’s latest visit to Kenya to help widows and orphans. All widows are welcome. A collection will be taken to provide grocery gift cards to families of needy school children.

Jones Hill Cemetery Decoration will be Sunday, May 26, on Old Statesville Road, Watertown. The business meeting will be at 2:30 p.m.

Lebanon Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 28, in the Town Meeting Hall, City of Lebanon Administration Building at Castle Heights.

Lebanon City Council will have a work session at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 29, in the Town Meeting Hall, City of Lebanon Administration Building at Castle Heights for a 2013-2014 fiscal year budget review.

Flag retirement ceremony will be 6 p.m., Thursday, May 30, on the ball field at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. American and Tennessee Flags will be retired paying tribute to veterans and law enforcement officers. If you have a flag that you would like to retire in someone’s honor, bring it with you and you can retire it yourself. Bring your chairs. The event is sponsored by Friends of Cedars of Lebanon, Inc.

Wilson County Commission’s Planning & Zoning Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 30, in Conference Room 1, Wilson County Courthouse, Lebanon.

Wilson County Civic League Community Center will host Troy Putnam, loan officer at Wilson Bank & Trust, at 5 p.m., Thursday, May 30. He will discuss the pros and cons of becoming a homeowner. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Wilson County Civic League Community Center is at 321 East Market Street, Lebanon.

Marriage 911, presented by Joe and Michelle Williams, will be at Life Assembly Church, 555 Pleasant Grove Road, Mt. Juliet, at 7 p.m., Friday, May 31. RSVP to Jim McCaskill at 554-2541. This is non-denominational and is free, but there will be a love offering taken at the end.

First Freedom Bank will host a Corn Hole Tournament to benefit Relay for Life at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 1, at the bank’s office at 1620 West Main Street, Lebanon. Cost is $10 per person. Refreshments and baked goods will be available for a small fee. Prizes will be given. Call 444-1280 if you would like to participate.

Republican Women of Wilson County will meet at 11:30 a.m., Monday, June 3, at the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce offices, 149 Public Square. Guest speaker will be Bill Haupt, founder of Tennesseans Against Force Annexation. People who live in unincorporated areas of Wilson County are invited to attend. Everyone is welcome. Feel free to bring your lunch or join members at a local restaurant after the meeting. To RSVP, or for information, call 288-4316 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Wilson County Board of Education will meet in regular session at 6 p.m., Monday, June 3, at the Central Office at 351 Stumpy Lane, Lebanon.

Joint Economic & Community Development Board Executive Committee will meet at 7:45 a.m., Thursday, June 6, at the JECDB office at 115 N. Castle Heights Ave., Suite 102, Lebanon.

Wilson County Schools will hold new student registration on Thursday, June 6, and Friday, July 19, for all students new to Wilson County. Schools will be open during normal school hours to accommodate parents. Parents are encouraged to bring their child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, Tennessee School Immunization Certificate and two proofs of residency (utility bill, copy of signed lease agreement, property tax statement, driver’s license with correct address, copy of payroll check, bank account statements or insurance documents). The first full day of school for students is Aug. 1.

CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, volunteer training will begin Monday, June 10, and will be from 9 a.m. until noon, Monday through Friday for two weeks. Volunteer advocates are trained and supported to speak in court for the best interests children in Wilson County who are victims of abuse and neglect. Deadline to register for training is Monday, June 3. For information, call 443-2002 or visit www.wilsoncountycasa.org.

Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency will distribute USDA commodities from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Wednesday, June 12, and from 9 a.m. until noon, Thursday, June 13, at the Garden of Prayer Church in Lebanon. Eligibility is based on total household income not in excess of the State-established maximum percentage of the poverty line for the appropriate household size. Also, anyone receiving aid from one of the following programs is eligible for USDA commodities: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps), Families First, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or documented residence in public housing.

West Elementary Backpack program will be extended through the summer. Families of children participating in the program may pick up food from 5 until 7 p.m., Wednesdays, at Cook’s United Methodist Church located at 7919 Lebanon Road, Mt. Juliet. Five days of breakfasts and lunches will be distributed to each child. To register for this program, call Joyce Gaines at 513-4318 or Cook’s UMC at 449-2573 with your name and number of children in the family.

To submit items for the calendar, you can mail them to The Wilson Post, 216 Hartmann Drive, Lebanon, Tenn. 37087, or e-mail them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Items for the calendar will not be taken over the phone. The Wilson Post reserves the right to reject items deemed not appropriate for the calendar.

Lebanon Police believe a teenager was accidentally shot Tuesday as he and a friend were on a front porch looking at a gun.

Police Chief Scott Bowen said in a news release that the incident occurred about 8:40 p.m., Tuesday, May 21, at 505 Fairview Ave., Lebanon.

Upon arrival by officers, they found a 14-year-old boy who had been shot in the leg. He was on the front porch with a friend who is also 14, looking at a gun when it was discharged.