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Thursday, May 16, 2002 :
194 KM
Seniors
diploma
Commencement for
the Kings Mountain
High School Class of
2002 will be held Friday,
May 17 at 7 p.m. at John
Gamble Stadium.
One hundred and
ninety-four seniors will
receive their diplomas
from KMHS Principal
John Yarbro, assisted by
Superintendent of
Schools
Dr.
————— Larry
Special Allen,
and
salute I
to grads assis
inside Fant
; princi-
today’s pals
Dianna
Herald Bridges
and
Valerie Boyd.
The processional,
“Pomp and
Circumstance,” will be
played by the KMHS
Ninth Grade Band.
Class and Student
Body officers, Junior
Marshals and the class
valedictorian and salu- .
tatorian will also take
part in the ceremony.
Catherine Leanne
Gordon, Class vice-pres-
ident, will lead the"
Pledge of Allegiance
and Maegan Nichole
Spicer, President of the
Student Participation
Organization, will give
the welcome.
The Kings Mountain
High School Symphonic
Chorale, under the
direction of Eugene
Bumgardner, will sing
“Maybe Someday” and
“Forever Friends.”
Crystal Chante
Belinda Miller, Class
President, will present
the Class of 2002, and
Emily Elizabeth Owens,
Class Secretary, will rec-
ognize honor graduates.
Jennifer Lynn Scism,
Class Treasurer, will
present the class gift to
Shearra Miller, chair of
the Kings Mountain
Board of Education.
Principal Yarbro and
the valedictorian and
salutatorian will speak.
Junior Marshals are
Alexander Miles Hovis,
Lance Hunter Gaffney,
Joseph Wesley Griffin
IV, Molly Midyette
‘Hamrick, Virginia Adele
Neisler, Mandy Jane
Rhyne, Rachel Lynne
Hughes, Courtney Harte
Osteen, Danielle Marie
Rounds, Joel Jeffrey
Santora, Stacey Etta
Costner, Stephanie Lynn
Leeann Edwards,
Brandon Monyell
McClain, Danielle
Elizabeth Miller,
Rebekah Jane Miller,
Annie Phanthalack,
Kathryn Davis Bennett, -
and Matthew Alan
Frazier.
Senior class sponsors
are Donna Russ, chair-
person; Hannah Cole,
Nelson Connor, Allen
Dixon, Kathy Goforth,
Melva Huffstetler, Robin
Spicer, Kay Stowe, Kay
Walker and Betsy Wells.
to receive
KINGS
Vol. 114 No. 20
MOUNTAIN
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6A
State budget ax hits schools
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Early graduation may save Kings
Mountain Schools from taking such
a severe hit from the State’s budget
crunch, but unless the economy
improves the district could lose staff
development and other funds from
next year’s budget.
Supt. Larry Allen told the Board of
Education Monday night that the
State intends to cut $685 million
from the current education budget
from kindergarten through the uni-
versity level.
School systems statewide have
been told that they can’t hire any
additional employees for the rest of
the year unless they are directly
related to the classroom. Personnel
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Although David Baptist Church
Pastor Jody Griffin has been suffer-
ing from cancer, he doesn't want to
take credit with his congregation’s
involvement in a cancer prevention
Relay for Life.
came to Kings Mountain from
by year’s end he was dealing with
event - the American Cancer Society
In July 1998, Griffin and his family
Spring Flope near Rocky Mount. and
such as custodians, cafeteria work-
ers and clerical assistants who leave
the system cannot be replaced.
“Of course, our school year is
almost over so we don’t anticipate
that impacting us very much in per-
sonnel,” Dr. Allen said.
It is unsure at this point if Kings
Mountain will be able to fund staff
development activities this summer
unless funding sources other than
State funds can be secured. The State
has already frozen those funds, and
Allen said unless the economy
improves the system could be facing
a similar situation next year.
“We really don’t know at this
point what to expect,” he said, “but
we're going on with our plans and
we'll adjust when we have to.”
Allen said the school system is
CANCER AWARENESS
what
would be a
low-grade
lymph-
homa.
“Before
‘98 was
over [ was
dealing
with a
health
issue,” he
said. “I
had some JODY GRIFFIN
receiving updates on the legisla-
ture’s plans almost daily on the
State’s website.
“They've got to come up with that
much money ($685 million from
school funds) to balance this year’s
budget before July 1,” Allen said.
“They’ll be looking for all of the
education community to find ways
to cut that much out of this year 's
budget.”
Overall, the State’s budget short-
fall is estimated at between $1.5 and
$2 billion.
The forecast for next year is that
similar cuts will be necessary, but
Allen hopes that won't cause Kings
Mountain to make adjustments to its
2002-03 budget.
See Budget, 5A
“We really don’t
know at this
point what to’
expect. We're
going on with
our plans and
we’ll adjust
when we have
to.”
-Larry Allen
Wreck kills
: GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
David Baptist Church survivors hut was most creative booth at last year’s Relay for Life.
Pastor Griffin, David relay team
help cancer victims be ‘survivors’
legions appear on my body that
made me uncomfortable.”
After seeing a dermatologist the
lymphoma was discovered, and
since then. °
He's been taking different
chemotherapy and radiation treat-
ments to combat the disease.
Initially, the congregation got
involved in the Relay for Life to
assist Griffin.
See Griffin, 5A
Griffin said he has been in treatment
KM man,
teenager
found dead
Staff Reports
Two Kings Mountain resi-
dents died this week in sep-
arate incidents.
Andrew R. SherGill, 14,
was found dead Tuesday
afternoon at his home in the
Country Creek subdivision.
He is the son of prominent
Kings Mountain doctor
Pam SherGill and Bob
SherGill. He was a student
at Gaston Day School,
where he was a member of
| the tennis team, and attend-
ed David Baptist Church.
Kings Mountain Police
* Captain E.E. Johnson said
foul play is not suspected.
A Kings Mountain man
died early Wednesday
morning in a traffic accident
on Dixon School Road, just
south of the city.
The N.C. Highway Patrol
said, Timothy Alan
Hamrick, 36, 147 Wells
Road, was driving on Dixon
School Road when he ran
off the right side of the
road.
Tony Luckadoo, with the
Highway Patrol, said Wells
over compensated with the
steering on his 1998
Chevrolet pickup and came
back on the road where the
vehicle went out of control
and struck a ditch bank on
the left side.
After hitting the ditch
bank, the vehicle over-,
turned on its top and
stopped in the middle of
the road.
Hamrick died at the
scene of the accident.
See Wreck, 5A
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
During his youth, Ken George was
and a soldier.
High School and was soon drafted.
ed in the Army i in December.”
being drafted.
George had graduated from Kings Mountain
“I was in my last year of high school,” George
said. “And after I graduated in May I was draft-
He was in the infantry of the U.S. Army and
said many people went to the infantry after
“There were so many killed in the infantry
that’s just about where you ended up,” he said.
Thinking about being drafted was not on
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
George's mind at the time because he said his
mind was on helping out his family. His mother
and father both worked in the textile business
while he did odd jobs. He came from a family of
an athlete
10.
building.
“I was too young to understand what I was
getting ready to face,” he said.
After training he went to Fort Meade, MD,
then overseas. Then from Fort Meade, he went
During his time in high school he played foot-
ball and drove a school bus. All grades were at
the Central School Building on E. Ridge St. and
12th grade was added when George returned
from the military. Currently, Kings Mountain
District Schools administrative offices are in the
George was too young to know what war was
to New York and
Boston before head-
ing to Marsaille,
France in 1945.
From France he
left for Germany
where he was part of |
a group that was
headed there to
fight, since a lot of
allied soldiers had
been killed.
But as he was
headed toward
See George, 5A
KEN GEORGE
FIRST NAT
Celebrating 128 Years
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704-739-4782
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