KINGS MOUNTAIN
The Herald
Thursday, June 14, 2007 Vol. 119 No. 24
EMILY WEAVER / HERALD
Paul Ledford, left, pictured with his father, Bary Ledford, had
a perfect score on the EOG writing test at Kings Mountain
Middle School.
Despite MD and
wheelchair, Paul
Ledford aces EOG
writing exam
EMILY WEAVER
Tn
a WER IOH IARC
Kings Mountain Middle School 7th grader Paul Ledford has
proven that amazing heights can be reached, even from a wheel-
chair. He was rewarded with a trophy Friday morning for mak-
ing a level IV and perfect score on his End of Grade (EOG) writ-
ing exam. :
Since the test was changed several years ago, he is the only
student at KMMS to receive a perfect score on an EOG exam.
“He’s our third IV. We had one two years ago since they redid
the test grading and one girl this year, but he’s the only one to
receive a IV and a perfect score,” said his Math teacher Trent
Marty.
To make the achievement even more rare, statistics from the
Department of Public Instruction (DPI) state that of the 106,502
EOG tests taken in NC among 7th graders this year, there were
only 191 level IV papers or 0.17 percent with 99.82 percent scor-
ing below level IV. Only a fraction of the 0.17 percent level IV
students actually made a perfect score. Rarer still is the fact that
Ledford reached this mountain peak of success from a wheel-
“We're extremely proud of what Paul has done,” said
Principal Stephen Fisher. “His efforts, this year, have been very
phenomenal. So we're tickled to death for Paul. It’s a good moti-
vator for him and a pat on his back for a good job well done.”
“Paul worked really hard all year,” said his Language Arts
teacher Holly Robinson. “He has a major physical disability so
See Ledford, 3A
—He’s Perfect! —
Since 1889
50 Cents
nS
INV Vv
VINES
hina
‘The project that never ends’
School Board members say costs associated with KM vocational building keep climbing
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
With looks of disgust and frus-
tration, Cleveland County Board
of Education members realized
at their meeting Monday night
that the goal of eliminating most
of the 17 mobile units outside of
Kings Mountain High School
with the Phifer Road Project may
not be met.
The plans for the project, to
renovate an empty building
across the street from the high
school, were introduced to the
board last year. It entailed that
the new building would house
some of the classes in the mobile
units and a few shops from the
KMHS building. A few of the
other classes could then move
into the vacated rooms of the old
building. The golden egg was
that the empty mobile units
could then be removed, freeing
up more parking spaces at the
school. :
About $1,758,000 later, the
golden egg has lost its value. The
new Business & Industry
Technologies (BIT) Building that
is set to open in the Fall houses
12 classrooms. The’ classes that
moved to the new building free
up five rooms in the main build-
ing. Three mobile units will be
moved across the road to the BIT
building to house the instruc-
tional classrooms for the
Welding, Agriculture and
Construction shops.
Assistant Superintendent Dr.
Larry Allen told the board that in
addition to the three moving
across the road, West Elementary
has requested two of the mobile
units. But there are no plans yet
to remove any of the other units.
Board members Shearra Miller
and Philip Glover said that they
remembered that one of the pro-:
ject’s selling points was that at:
least half of the 17 mobile units:
outside of KMHS would be elim-:
inated. :
See Project, 3A
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Bear comes to town
for playtime and food
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
The bear went over the mountain (Kings Mountain that is) to see
what he could see and word has it, he’s seen a lot.
Mr. Bear visited the Hornes Sunday night on W. Mountain Street.
Bobby Horne said that he and his wife, Diane, were walking out
some of their visiting friends when she spotted the uninvited guest.
“Diane said ‘Oh my gosh, what is that?’ or something to that affect,”
he said. When they looked, they saw a black bear standing about
four to four and a half feet tall on all fours. “I was about 50 or 60 feet
away from him,” Horne said.
When they yelled and called 911, the bear took off across the street
toward Joe Champion's and NC Representative Tim Moore's hous-
es: The Hornes called around to their neighbors, warning them
about the bear and urging them to get their animals inside.
The unwanted traveler darted from house to house around W.
Mountain, Tracy, Gold, Watterson and King streets. “It never came
after anyone. It just kept running,” Horne said. The police and fire
! See Bear, 2A ;
Vit
GATEWAY TRAILS
GEE CR EL
Event raises over $10,000
>
Pe RR
to connect city to parks
~ EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
And the winner of the Mountain Mama
Beauty and Talent show is...former Mayor
Scott Neisler as Moonshine Myrtle Cobb.
Nelson “Boxcar” Connor announced
her last in the pageant. “She’s got the
looks that make blind men see and lame
men walk,” he said.
She looked tame enough as she came
out onto the stage in a long skirt and white
blouse clutching a picnic basket. But when
her song came on, her clothes came off to
reveal a sultry flapper dress, high heels,
white pantihose and a black feather boa
that was hidden in the basket. She sang
and performed Tina Turner’s “Private
Dancer.”
“I'm your private dancer, a dancer for
money, I'll do what you want me to do, I'm
your private dancer, a dancer for money,
And any old music will do,” he sang, as
the women wooed and the men tried to
avoid Myrtle’s come-hither stare.
One by one, the Mountain Mamas took
the stage. First in the competition was Jack
Rabbit Jenny (Jim Champion), whom
Boxcar said was “A sparkling beauty that
would make a mad dog break his chain.”
He came out dressed as a girl scout
troop leader and explained how he got the
name Jack Rabbit Jenny. “The boys chased
me so I had to run fast,” he said, then per-
formed a falsetto rendition of Jim
Connor's “Grandma’s Feather Bed.”
Next up was Dead-Eye Doris, Andy
Neisler. “She can skin a bobcat quicker
than the train coming through town can
toot the whistle at the crossroads,” Boxcar
said.
She wore a furry midriff top, a short
camouflage skirt and hiking boots. Her
long curly blonde hair was topped with a
See Mama, 3A
GRADUATION 2007
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Council approves
sewer application
for Ingles project
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain City Council practically laid
the pipes for the Ingles Incorporated Sewer Line
Project Monday night, after they approved an
application for a Community Block
Development Grant (CBDG) of $131,600 to fund
it.
~ Louncil held the last of two public hearings on
the application NM oraday, might and received no
opposition. Paula Kempton with the Isothermal
Planning Board reminded the council that their
first public hearing was “to review the CBDG
economic development fund and the possible
appropriations of the funds.”
She added that the second public hearing was
to address the final assessment policy and reso-
lution for the application of the $131,600 CBDG:.
The grant will be used to provide sewer service,
to a sight on Vestibule Church Road, adjacent to.
the Cleveland County Industrial Park. “Ingles,
Incorporated agrees to construct a grocery store
and a pharmacy on this sight,” Kempton said,
adding that at least 60 percent of the employees
hired at their initial start up will be from low or
moderate income levels.
She said that funding should be available for
the project in July. “This is a fully-funded grant,”
said Mayor Rick Murphrey, after the meeting. In
all confidence that they will receive the grant, he
added that they should have a ground-breaking;
on the property, hopefully within the next few:
weeks. :
The Council also approved the Kings
Mountain Economic Development Assessment
Policy for the grant. It states that future users
who wish to connect to the sewer line will be
required to pay, in addition to normal tap fees,
an assessment fee of $28 per lineal foot to the city
before connection.
The fee will not apply to any business owned
by low and moderate income individuals or any
residence owned or occupied by low and mod-
See Ingles, 2A
KMHS grads look to next chapter of lives
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
The Kings Mountain High
School Class of 2007
embarked on its next chapter
of life at commencement cer-
emonies Friday night at John
Gamble Stadium with many
fine words of wisdom to
guide them.
“Anxiety, joy and fear,
these are some of the feelings
that overwhelmed us nearly
four years ago when we
started high school,” said
Tayler Deaton, president of
the Student Participation
Organization. “Although we
were anxious and joyous to
embark on this journey, we
dreadfully feared = the
unknown. Four years later,
.memories that we hold
as we stand at the edge of
this new chapter in our lives
we reminisce on the vivid
dear.”
Seniors from thé
Symphonic Chorale sang
two emotional songs,
“Maybe Someday” and
“Forever Friends.”
Class President Monet
McClain said, “The time has
come to put our wishes and
dreams into action. Not only
with actions, but with pur-
pose behind them.”
She added that commence-
ment is not the end - it is the
beginning. “Remember that
life is precious and a privi-
lege. It begins sometimes
unexpectedly and it ends
See Graduation, 3A
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Seniors from the Symphonic Chorale serenade the graduating class and
audience with touching songs in tribute to the graduating Class of 2007.D
inn