On April 11, 2006  President James " Lynn" Cartlidge and the Board of Directors of the Pearl & Leaf Rivers Rails-to-Trails Recreational District honored Board member Mrs. Carolyn McRaney for her many years of exceptional service to the Pearl & Leaf Rivers Rails-to-Trails Recreational District, while representing her hometown of Prentiss. A reception in her honor followed the Award Ceremony. In 2005 Mrs. McRaney was re-appointed to another 4 year term as the Prentiss representative on the PLRRTR board of directors.

Her Award Letter read:

Mrs. Carolyn McRaney was first appointed to the Board of Directors of the Pearl & Leaf Rivers Rails-to-Trails Recreational District in 1996, representing the town of Prentiss, Mississippi, to fulfill the unexpired term of Director Louis "Tut" Williams. "Ms. Carolyn", as she is affectionately referred to by her fellow board members and associates, having served as city clerk and the Town of Prentiss for approximately 30 years, brought with her a wealth of experience and knowledge of governmental operations, and was immediately elected following her appointment to the office of treasurer of the District. She has since been reappointed by Mayor Dumas and the Board of Aldermen of Prentiss to the board for three additional four (4) year terms in 1997, 2001, and again in 2005, which she is currently serving. "Ms. Carolyn" quietly and efficiently established an accounting and records process to receive and disburse District funds and to maintain the numerous documents of the District in keeping with governmentally accepted accounting standards and with the laws of the State of Mississippi.

As the District completed the planning and design of its "Longleaf Trace", "Ms. Carolyn’s" responsibilities grew as she willingly took on the responsibility of accounting for and maintaining the records of the receipt and disbursement of federal and state grant funds during construction , along with assuring that the District’s records fully met both federal and state audit expectations. "Ms. Carolyn" continued this service in her usual quite, and always exceptional manner, until September 2003, as the District’s principal accountant, providing to the Board of Directors a detailed monthly report of income and expenses along with a record of each transaction and a reconciliation of District funds and their balances. Beginning in September 2003, "Ms. Carolyn" oversaw the transfer of the daily accounting and records keeping to the first staff member of the District employed for this purpose. Following the transfer, "Ms. Carolyn" has continued her service as treasurer of the District by monitoring and maintaining the District’s banking accounts and providing monthly, to the Board of Directors, a reconciliation of District fund balances. "Ms. Carolyn" has and continues to serve the District in an exceptional manner which requires much of her personal time and effort, without compensation.

This District is truly indebted to you, "Ms. Carolyn" for your unselfish and exceptional service, as your contributions are numerous in making the "Longleaf Trace" one of the nation’s best rails-to-trails conversions, a State of Mississippi and area point-of-pride that provides extensive economic benefits to our local communities and the state, and provides recreational opportunities for an improved quality of life for many of our citizens.