Tag Archives: Greenetrack CEO Luther Nat Winn

Greene County Children’s Policy Council open “Little Free Outdoor Libraries” throughout Greene County

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Submitted by Children Policy Council Staff 

Shown L to R: Joycelyn Steele, Juvenile Officer Courtnei Cook,   District Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne, Marcus Steele, SPOT student Marcus Steele III,  Greenetrack CEO Luther Nat Winn,   Jennifer Watkins, Emma Jackson and Dr. Carol  P. Zippert, Policy Council Members.


The Greene County Children’s Policy Council is always looking for ways to improve the lives of children in Greene County. The Greene County Children’s Policy Council current project is to install “Little Free Outdoor Libraries” in designated areas throughout Greene County. Studies have shown that books in the hands of children have a meaningful impact on improving literacy. The more books in or near the home, the more likely a child will learn and love to read.

On last week the Policy Council held ribbon cutting ceremonies at six (6) sites throughout Greene County. The current libraries are located at the Eutaw City Park, Greene County Children’s Policy Council Resource Center, Carver Circle, Boligee Park, Steele’s Barber Shop, and the Forkland Youth Center. The Policy Council will be placing (10) additional libraries throughout the County within the next few months. These libraries are registered and will appear on the “Little Free Library” World map. The libraries will be maintained and stocked continually by students who are involved in the Council’s mentoring program. This project will not only teach the students about responsibility but also the value of community service.

According to Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne, Chairman of the Greene County Children’s Policy Council, this project was made possible by a donation from GreeneTrack and Mr. Luther ‘Nat’ Winn. She encourages parents and students to visit a “Little Outdoor Library” and pick up a free book to take home and read.

Black Belt Community Foundation establishes England-Hardaway Endowed Scholarship Fund

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BBCG hardaway, England

Participants in the launching of the England-Hardaway Scholarship Fund L to R: Cynthia Burton, Judge Eddie Hardaway, Judge John England, BBCF President Felicia Lucky and Greenetrack CEO Luther Nat Winn

On Monday evening, June 13, 2016, the Black Belt Community Foundation launched the England-Hardaway Endowed Scholarship Fund for students from the Alabama Black Belt to attend the University of Alabama Law School.
A reception was held at the UA Law School to launch and honor the two judges, for whom the scholarship is named. Circuit Judge John Henry England, Jr. of Tuscaloosa is a native of Perry County and graduated from the UA Law School in 1974. Circuit Judge Eddie Hardaway, Jr. of the 17th Circuit serving Greene, Sumter and Marengo counties, is a native and lifelong resident of Sumter County and graduated from UA Law School in 1977.
The Board of Directors of Greenetrack Inc., a Black owned gaming facility in Greene County, made the initial pledge of $25,000 to begin the scholarship Fund. An endowed scholarship to the UA Law School requires a principal fund of $180,000 to generate annual revenues to support one full scholarship.
At the reception, Felecia Lucky, President of the Black Belt Community Foundation explained, “This is our first endowed scholarship to honor two distinguished judges from the Black Belt, serving the Black Belt to make a way for future students from the Black Belt to have the opportunity to earn a law degree from the University of Alabama.”Lucky thanked Greenetrack and its CEO Luther ‘Nat’ Winn for providing the leadership and initial funding for the scholarship. Winn said, “Greenetrack wanted to recognize two outstanding judges, from and in the Alabama Black Belt – and to encourage young people to be able to attend UA Law School and contribute to the future of the Alabama Black Belt.”
Judge Eddie Hardaway said, “I am humbled by this action to honor me and provide opportunities to young people from the Black Belt. I also want to thank Greenetrack, its CEO and Board of Directors for their leadership in this scholarship effort.”
In his remarks, Judge England recalled the efforts of Ralph Knowles, a UA Law School faculty member who recruited him from Tuskegee and three other Black students from other colleges in Alabama – Michael Figures, Booker Forte and Ronald Jackson – to be the first Black students to attend the University of Alabama Law School in the early 1970’s.
“After we were selected, A. G. Gaston, Black millionaire, insurance and bank president, agreed to provide scholarship funds for them to attend the school. “Since that time, I have been thinking about ways to give back to the law school. This will be a beginning, facilitated by Greenetrack, to make a way for someone to follow me and serve the community,” said England.
England recognized his family members who were present, including John England III who is a Federal Magistrate in Birmingham and Chris England, who is a Tuscaloosa State Legislator. He also recognized Cynthia Burton, who was the office manager at his law practice, and John A. Bivens, his deceased law partner.
England said, “One of my goals was to have Black judges in every county in the Black Belt and I think we have achieved that and this scholarship effort will make it possible to train additional lawyers and judges for the future.”
Cynthia Burton, who is the Executive Director of Community Service Programs of West Alabama and Board chair of Maude Whatley Health Services, pledged $5,000 to the scholarship fund. She indicated that her contribution was to recognize the work of the late Attorney John A. Bivens, who was an integral part of the legacy of the England and Bivens Law Firm, which has done so much to nurture legal talent for Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Black Belt.
More on the background of Judges England and Hardaway
John H. England, Jr., a Perry County native, graduated from Tuskegee Institute with a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1969 and graduated from the University of Alabama Law School in 1974. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Tuskegee University in October 1999.
He began practicing law in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1974 and was elected to the Tuscaloosa City Council in 1985. He was appointed by Governor Jim Folsom to the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court in June 1993 and was elected to a full term in November 1994, where he served until he was appointed by Governor Don Siegelman to the Alabama Supreme Court in September 1999. Judge England served on the Alabama Supreme Court from September 1999 until January 2001. He returned to the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama in January 2001 and was re-elected to the Circuit Court in November 2002 and November 2008.
Judge England serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama Systems. He is a graduate of the 1996 Leadership Alabama Class. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Circuit Judges Association and is a past president (2013-2014).
Eddie Hardaway, Jr., a Sumter County native and resident, is the judge for Circuit 17th in Alabama. He is the first Black judge to serve on the 17th Judicial Circuit. Judge Hardaway received his law degree from the University of Alabama in 1977. He was admitted to the Alabama bar on April 28, 1978. Hardaway was a judge for the Sumter County District Court from 1980 to 1995. In 1995, he began working as a judge for Circuit 17. Judge Hardaway’s current term expires in 2018.
At the end of the speeches, Felicia Lucky distributed contribution envelopes and encouraged the persons present to contribute to the Black Belt Community Foundation for the England-Hardaway Scholarship Fund.
For more information about BBCF and to make additional contributions visit http://www.blackbeltfound.org or review BBCF on Facebook at “Black Belt Community Foundation”. You can also call or visit the BBCF offices at (334) 874-1126 in Selma at 609 Lauderdale Street or P. O. Box 2020, Selma. Alabama 36702.

Greenetrack sets up guarantee fund to assist Greene County Health System with payroll

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Greenetrack

Pictured L to R: Greenetrack Boardmember Toice Goodson, Sr., Greenetrack
 CEO Luther ‘Nat’ Winn, Jr., GCHS boardmember John Zippert,  GCHS
boardmember Shirley Isaac  and Greenetrack Boardmember Jimmy Pasteur

At a press conference on Friday morning at Greenetrack, Greenetrack CEO, Luther ‘Nat’ Winn Jr. and several board members presented the Greene County Health System (GCHS) with two checks totaling $150,000. These funds will be used to establish a guarantee fund in the Merchants and Farmers Bank to insure that the GCHS can meet its bi-weekly payroll, even when payments from Medicaid, Medicare and other health payers are delayed. The GCHS has 200 full and part-time employees.

The Greene County Health System, which includes the Hospital, Residential Care Center (nursing home) Physicians Clinic, Home Health Services, Rehabilitation Services and other health care benefits was represented at the presentation by Board members – Shirley Isaac and John Zippert. GCHS board members thanked the officials of Greenetrack for their concern and support.
In early April, according to Elmore Patterson, GCHS CEO, the health system experienced some difficulties in meeting a payroll because its Medicaid payments were delayed until later in the month. GCHS board members and Medicaid itself made loans and advances to assure that the payroll was met.
Luther Winn Jr., CEO of Greenetrack learned of these problems and agreed to assist by placing funds in a guarantee account to assure that the payroll could be met on a timely basis.
Luther Winn, Jr., CEO of Greenetrack and a member of the Greene County Industrial Authority, felt compelled to step in and assist.  “Greenetrack is committed to the Greene County community. As in the past, we have done what we could to improve the quality of life for every resident here,” said Winn, “and we cannot afford to lose our hospital.”  Winn went on to say that the Industrial Authority actively seeks new businesses for the area and without a hospital, he fears that businesses definitely will not consider coming to Greene County.
Winn informed the GCHS that Greenetrack was receiving $75,641.07, mostly in coins, back from the State of Alabama, in connection with litigation concerning the first raid on Greenetrack in 2010. These funds were awarded back to Greenetrack by Special Circuit Judge Houston Brown, in a summary judgment on February 3, 2016, in a hearing in Greene County. The case also involves over 800 electronic bingo machines seized by the state in the same raid.
The coins were in Greenetrack’s vault but the State of Alabama, who seized them, could not prove that these funds were derived from illegal gambling activities and thus agreed to return them.
Greenetrack’s Board of Directors agreed to match the State’s funds with an additional $75,000 to create a $150,000 guarantee collateral fund in Merchant and Farmers Bank to back-up the GCHS’s payroll account. If the GCHS has to draw upon this account to support payroll, it will have to replace the funds before drawing on the account again. “This will insure that the GCHS’s employees will never miss a paycheck,” said Winn.
Shirley Isaac of Forkland and GCHS Board member said  “ We are grateful to Mr. Winn and Greenetrack for their support and confidence in the hospital, nursing home and other services. This will surely help us to meet our responsibilities to our hardworking and dedicated staff.”
John Zippert, another GCHS Board member said, “ We appreciate what Mr. Winn and Greenetrack have done to help the GCHS but it is up to us as citizens of Greene County to do our part and use the facilities, health personnel and services available at the hospital, residential care center and physicians clinic.”
“We have 20 beds in the hospital, 70 beds in the nursing home, 3 doctors and 2 nurse practitioners at the clinic, a full lab, new X-ray machine, women’s health center with mammography, physical, occupational and speech therapy services, home health services and many other health services at our facilities. There is no reason to go to Tuscaloosa, Demopolis or elsewhere for medical and health services unless you are referred by GCHS. If we don’t use our facilities and staff, we will surely lose them,” said Zippert.
Elmore Patterson, GCHS CEO said, “We welcome this support from Greenetrack. We hope that we will also secure some regular monthly funding from Sheriff Benison’s bingo rules which will help us meet the costs for serving so many people in the county who cannot afford healthcare and those with Medicare and Medicaid whose reimbursements do not meet the full cost of providing care.”