Uptown Lexington prepares for 26th annual Barbecue Festival this weekend. See, Page 4.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Inside Today
THOMASVILLE
Catch previews for this Friday’s prep football games in today’s Sports, Page 7.
Times
119th Year - No. 10 50 Cents
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HPU helps teachers further education
Safety urged as Halloween approaches BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer
was a seamstress with a garage full of material. We went over and got it, and that’s how we get most of our supplies.”
With Halloween right around the corner, local enforcement agencies are encouraging people to have a good time while taking some simple precautions to ensure a safe Saturday night. One of the first things parents are urged to do is make sure an adult is supervising any children under the age or 12. Davidson County Sheriff ’s Office recommends planning any trick-or-treat routes in advance and advising children to travel only in familiar areas. Parents should tell their children to stop only at apartments and houses that are well lit and never go inside a stranger’s home. Children also should keep a slip of paper that has their name, address and phone number in the event they get lost from the group. “We hope everybody pays attention to who their kids are with and where they’re at,” Sheriff David Grice said. “Halloween is second to Christmas or their birthday in terms of excitement.” Children also need to be aware of traffic. With all the excitement of Halloween, Grice worries that some children may lose track of the streets and could wander into traffic. The fall time change will make it darker earlier and with children wearing masks and other costumes, the chances of an accident increase, particularly around driveways and alleys. “Be careful and watch out for cars,” said Grice. “If they wear a mask, make sure they can see. They run around and get candy and get to dress up, but sometimes they forget about the streets. The
See BEAR, Page 10
See SAFETY, Page 10
BY KARISSA MINN Staff Writer
High Point University is partnering with Davidson County and Thomasville City Schools to help teachers further their education without having to travel to the HPU campus. TCS Superintendent Keith Tobin said that the program, which will take place at a school in Davidson County, will offer either a master’s degree in administration or an addon license for an already existing master’s degree. “If we’re going to be successful today, we’ve got to partner with our universities and our colleges to make sure that we’re all on the same page,” Tobin said. “I believe that this offers our teachers and staff a convenience that they wouldn’t have if they had to go to the campus to take the course. They’re actually bringing it to us and to our teachers.” Approximately 60 teachers are currently enrolled, according to a press release from HPU, and Tobin said that seven of those are from the county school system. They will make up a cohort that will go through the master’s degree program together, adding an element of networking. Many of the teachers enrolled may be interested in entering school administration, Tobin said, but some may simply be looking to gain the experience — along with the increased earning potential — that comes along with a master’s degree. “I think it’s a big benefit to our folks, no doubt,” Tobin said. DCS Superintendent
See TEACHERS, Page 12
TIMES PHOTO/ELIOT DUKE
Children at Thomasville Primary School hold bears and books given to them Tuesday as part of the Smart Bear Program, which encourages children to read more books.
‘Bear Necessities’ Program encourages students to read more BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer Marie Bentley epitomizes the word commitment. For nearly 30 years, Bentley has dedicated her time and efforts into the Smart Bear program that encourages children to read with a furry friend and a book. The passage of time and struggling economy has limited both her resources and available help, but that hasn’t stopped Bentley from continuing her mission of getting kids to read more. On Tuesday, students at Thomasville Primary School got to enjoy the fruits of Bentley’s labor as she brought the Smart Bear program back to the Chair City. “The intent is to get the children to read because they don’t need to be in front of the TV all the time,” Bentley said. “You
have to read to get through this world.” The program started out with Bentley speaking to students on the importance of reading as she showed the children the different stages of how her bears evolve from an empty piece of cloth into the stuffed animal they will take home. All of the materials used for the bears are donated from anyone that wants to help out. The stuffing comes from recycled plastic bottles donated by an Asheboro company and all the books are acquired in thrift stores or local Salvation Armies. “We start from scratch, taking a piece of material and make it into a bear,” said Bentley. “We sew it up, stuff it and the children get to keep the bear. They can be washed and dried. One woman called and said her grandmother had died and she
TIMES PHOTO/ELIOT DUKE
Marie Bentley explains the Smart Bear Program to students.
Addition makes lunch easier to swallow BY KARISSA MINN Staff Writer
TIMES PHOTO/KARISSA MINN
The new cafeteria expansion at Ledford Middle School has made lunch more enjoyable for staff and students.
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Students and teachers at Ledford Middle School now have twice the room, and a bit more time, to eat lunch in the cafeteria. Approximately 2,000 square feet of additional space was added this year, doubling the size of the cafeteria. The addition was approved by the Davidson County Board of Education in August of 2008, and construction began that December. Principal Evan Myers said that the project was completed this
summer, so students are enjoying the new cafeteria addition for the first time this school year. “It’s just a better environment,” Myers said. “I’ve been around here seven years now, and if there’s one thing that we’ve done to improve the climate and environment of this school, it was that addition.” The cafeteria is located at the front of the school, so three more walls and a roof were added to the side of the building, and the former outer wall was turned into a divider. New tables with attached stools were bought for the whole cafeteria, as well.
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Myers said that in the smaller cafeteria, there was barely room for students to walk between the tables, and food spills would happen frequently as people bumped into and tripped over each other. “My kids went to school here, and this project was needed years ago,” he said. “We’ve got 987 students enrolled now.” Myers said that the school used to start lunch at 10:45 a.m. and end it at 1:30 p.m. Now, lunch begins at 11 a.m. and finishes at 1:15, because the larger cafeteria allows
See LUNCH, Page 12
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