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August 21, 2008
The Kings Mountain Herald
LOCAL
SPORTS
Chris Johnson wins
Ukama Award n Hickory
Kings Mountain native Chris
Johnson was recently honored
with the Ukama Award for
Outstanding Contribution to the
Community at the African
American Cultural Center
Summer Gala in the Hickory
Museum of Art.
After surviving tough struggles
in his life, Johnson channeled his
hard experiences into hope, found-
ing the “Young Men of Integrity”
initiative at Exodus Homes in
Hickory. Seven of his “Young
Men” served as ushers for the gala,
which celebrated the evolution of
the African American Cultural
Center from the dream of a build-
ing, to a reality as a comprehensive
online resource for the Greater
Hickory Metro Region.
The “Young Men of Integrity” is
an atrisk youth mentoring pro-
gram serving 25 young men from
the ages of 10-19 who do not have
fathers in their homes. Founded in
2006, the Exodus Homes' United
Way program pairs adult mentors
with youth who need healthy male
role models to learn about decision
making, entrepreneurship, living
drug free, treating women with
respect, getting an education, pre-
venting gang involvement, and
avoiding teen pregnancy. One of
the primary activities of the pro-
gram is keeping the young men
busy in community service projects
* such as Habitat for Humanity, the
Christmas Bureau, Charity Chase,
and neighborhood block parties
with healthy youth-centered
themes. They also participate in
cultural or leadership develop-
ment events such as the Western
Piedmont Symphony, Promise
Keepers, and the Man to Man
Conference.
Johnson, an Exodus Homes
graduate and substance abuse
counselor with The Cognitive
Connection, is a polished and
respected community activist who
grew up without a father in his
home. He knows how to motivate
young men. He helps them believe
that life holds great potential for
them if they will make good choic-
es that will help them reach their
goals. He says, “Inside every man
there is a boy, and inside every boy
there is a man. It's up to mentors
like us to reach inside a boy and
find out how we can pull out the
man inside.”
Six Young Men of Integrity have
been designated Heroes of
Hickory, African American leaders
of tomorrow from Hickory Hi
John Smith, Michael Boyce, Jamil
Johnson, Marlon Williamson, TJ.
Middlebrooks and Troy Wright.
Five are going to college this year:
Smith - Gardner Webb, Wright -
Livingston College, Middlebrooks
- Glenville State, Wilson - Alice
Lloyd College, Johnson - Lincoln
Memorial University.
Mace home from hospital
Short cuts from the world of
sports:
HB Kings Mountain High's
Sideline Manager Donnie Mace
is home from the hospital and is
itching to
get back on
the football
field.
It may be
a few weeks
before he
can resume
his normal
duties, but.
don’t be sur-
prised if you
see him at
this week’s
Cleveland
County
Jamboree. He got home late
Friday afternoon and actually
Gary Stewart
Sports Editor
talked about going to
Saturday's Gaston County
Jamboree at Gastonia
Forestview, but realized he was
much too weak to make the
trip.
Donnie still has some infec-
tion in his shoulder and Home
Health nurses are visiting about
three days a week.
“I've had a lot of good people
calling me and I really appreci-
ate it,” Donnie says. “I appreci-
ate all the prayers, too. They
really work.”
Donnie will be seeing several
doctors over the next couple of
weeks, and when the infection
is cleared up he will be facing
shoulder surgery again.
HB While Cleveland County
teams will be playing in their
annual Jamboree Friday night
at Crest, several other schools
across North Carolina will be
opening their regular season.
Right off the bat, in this area
you'll have the opportunity to
watch some games that should
let a lot of teams know how
powerful they will be this year.
One of the best ones will be at
Clover, SC, where the defend-
ing South Carolina state cham-
pions take on powerful Belmont
South Point, a team that has
state championship aspirations
this year. These two teams
should be among the best in the
area this year.
In Gastonia, Ashbrook faces a
formidable foe in its opener,
West Charlotte. The Green
Wave and Lions both hope to go
far in the 4A playoffs and theyll
showcase some of the best tal-
ent in Gaston and Mecklenburg
counties.
Just five miles from KM,
Bessemer City hosts R-S Central
in a game that should be very
exciting. Although neither of
these teams is very deep, both
of them have outstanding tal-
ent. The juniors on the BC team
won the Gaston County Middle
School championship three
years ago and R-S Central has
the most talented team it’s had
in years. The Hilltoppers beat
East Lincoln in the Rutherford
County Jamboree last week and
East Lincoln has most of the
players back from last year’s
team that went to the Western
2A finals last year.
From the colleges:
= Lineman Desmond
Thompson and linebacker
Lamar Womic of Kings
Mountain will be playing for
Carolina Prep of Gastonia this
season.
BM Marshia Meeks, a two-time
Southwestern 3A Conference
Player of the Year, begins her
freshman year of volleyball at
Catawba College when the
Indians host their Catawba
Invitational August 29-30.
Meeks is a 5-8 hitter.
HM Kristin Batchler, a teammate
of Meeks at KMHS, begins her
freshman season at Limestone
College in Gaffney, SC August
29-30 in the Limestone Labor
Day Tournament. Kristin is a 5-
9 side hitter and was a three-
time All-SWC player at KM.
BM Former KMHS and Crest
football players Jermaine
Strong and Chris Williamson
will be playing for Northwest
Arkansas this fall. Both played
on state championship teams at
Crest and Strong was a starting
defensive back at UNC last sea-
son.
Local artists to perform with ‘Elvis’ in Grover Friday
Debra Jones, of Grover, and
Chris Jackson, of Kings
Mountain, will perform
Country hits from their new
CDs at a Southern Fever
Productions concert 8 p.m.-until
Friday, August 22, 2008 at the
Grover Rescue Squad.
The show will be starring
Casey James of the Southern
Fever Band, who will be per-
forming two big show tributes
to the King of Rock-n-roll
"Elvis." Tickets will be sold at
the door for $7 each or $10 for
couples. Tickets will be sold on
a first come, first serve basis.
Refreshments and food will be
provided by the Grover Rescue
Squad.
Jones’ first two CDs, “Pure
Country Vol. 1” and “Pure
Country Vol. 2,” featuring cov-
ers from artists such as Tammy
Wynette and Patsy Cline, will
be available at the show.
Jackson's CD “Kicking Classic
Country” will also be available.
James plans to release five of his
CDs at the concert, “CJ's
Southern Fever Live in
Concert,” “CJ’s Tribute to Elvis
Vol. 1,” “CJ’s Tribute to Elvis
Vol. 2,” “CJ's Tribute to Elvis
Vol. 3” and" “Heartfeli
Collection of Gospel Music by
Casey James.”
James, who lives in Gastonia,
said that he plans to start the
show with about an hour-long
tribute to the King. Jones will
then perform about four songs
from her new albums, followed
by about four songs from
Jackson. James will then per-
form another set of tribute clas-
sics, followed by about three
songs each from Jones and
Jackson.
Donations from Jones’ and
Jackson's CDs will go tewards
financing their careers in the
independent entertaining mar-
ket.
During Friday night's tribute,
James said that he will be giving
out scarves, just like the “King.”
People should come to the stage
area to get their scarves.
“We intend on coming to
Grover and putting on a good
show and hope to come back to
Grover soon,” James said.
Jones started singing karaoke
at the Country Café and BBQ in
Grover, while she worked there,
before it closed recently. Jackson
Sih Butter
Funeral Home
704-629-2255
We offer a complete funeral
service package which includes:
Full Traditional Service
(including family car), 20 Gauge
Steel Casket, Protective Vault.
$3295.00
www.siskbutler.com
is relatively new to the music
industry, having just recorded
his first CD under the Southern
Fever label with James.
James records and produces
albums in his home in Gastonia
with the use of karaoke and
professional sound equipment.
For those interested in record-
ing albums, contact James at
cjsouthernfever@carolina.rr.co
m or call 704-691-1790.
King
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