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Kings Mountain Herald Volume 126 • Issue 24 • Wednesday, June 11, 2014
NC Lic. #09350
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KMHS seniors take diplomas plunge into summer and future DAVE BLANTON dave.kmherald@gmail.com
Overcast skies could not dim the enthusiasm of nearly 300 graduating seniors who assembled Saturday morning at John Gamble Stadium to collect their diplomas in a ceremony that ushered them into adult life. To a packed and cheerful stadium, administrators and senior leaders said that the class of 2014 had overcome many struggles to get where they are. “It’s had its share of struggles,� said Maury Allen Williams, the president of this year’s graduating class. “It’s that strength that will carry on.� The awkward years are
KMHS seniors collect $2.27 million in scholarship funds! See the story on page 2B over, said Haley McDougal, the president of the Student Participation Organization, in her opening remarks. For class valedictorian Will Boyles, graduation day presented an opportunity to reflect on what made the class of 2014 distinct, and to riff a little on some passing fads of the day. To the delight of the crowd, he paused to take a selfie (a quick photograph taken of oneself with a cell phone) and comment on some of the popular expressions of 2013-2014, such as
“YOLO� (You Only Live Once) and “swag� (a current synonym for cool). “But hard work is not a fad,� Boyles told his fellow 281 seniors. “Do not listen to the naysayers – shut them up with your accomplishments.� Following a performance of the senior song “Maybe Someday� by the Symphonic Chorale Seniors, the proceedings got under way and each member of the class of 2014 stepped forward to collect his or her diploma from Principal
Ronny Funderburke, Asst. Principal Julie Rikard and Cleveland County Schools Superintendent Bruce Boyles. The ceremony was punctuated by wild cheers from friends and family members in the crowd as each name rang out across the school’s football stadium. At the jubilant moment when Funderburke pronounced them all high school graduates, many flung their caps and tassels far into the air. The field quickly became a flood of hugs – and some tears – as seniors looked ahead to their own futures. “I’m happy to finally get out,� said graduate John Clay, who wore the purple
Valedictorian Will Boyles reflected on what made the class of 2014 distinct and reminded them not to listen to naysayers. Photo by ANGIE LYSEK and white sash of the National Technical Honor Society, and said his next stop before enrolling in UNC-
Charlotte to major in mechanical engineering was a trip to Myrtle Beach with friends. “It feels good.�
‘The Diviners’ Citizen fair on smart meters today opens Friday Public invited to learn about the new technology at the Joy Kings Mountain Little Theatre will present “The Diviners� Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., and again Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Joy Performance Center. Director Becky Reger is rehearsing a talented cast to bring this moving drama to the KMLT stage. Corporate sponsor for the show is Dilling Heating Company. Tickets are $10 for
adults. Senior citizens and student tickets are $8. Reservations can be made by calling the Joy Box Office ( 704-730-9408) or on the KMLT website www.kmlt. org and by email to tickets@kmlt.org. Winner of the American College Theatre Festival, this theatrical play is the story of a disturbed young man and his friendship with a disenchanted preacher in southern Indiana in the early 1930s. When the boy was See KMLT, 9A
Science-infused Summer Reading program begins Friday The Mauney Memorial Library is kicking off its Summer Reading program Friday with a full day of fun, including a puppet show, a Photo Booth event and a Story Walk. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. at Central United Methodist church across the street from the library, where the Red Herring Puppets will take children on an historical journey about the discovery of electricity and the impact it's had on human history. Children’s Librarian
Christy Conner will emcee the kickoff. From there, participants can head over to the library at 11 a.m. for a photo booth event where kids can have their pictures taken with wacky props like feather boas and fake moustaches. Next up is a 3:30 p.m. Story Walk at the Gateway Trail on Battleground Ave. Organizers hope to fuse exercise and reading as children and adults make their way through the popular trail reading sections of a children’s book as they go. The library’s summer reading program, which swelled to a record 1,400 registered children last year, is set to run from Friday through July 23. The library aims to See LIBRARY, 9A
The mayor will join city council members and staff members of the city’s Energy Services at a citizen fair Wednesday (today) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Patrick Senior Center to demonstrate the new Smart Meter technology and to answer questions from customers. Visitors to the fair will be able to sign up for a raffle at a chance to win iPads and a flat-screen television. Officials will help those interested sign up for access to the information portal at the fair, which will also offer popcorn and cotton candy. Last week, the mayor, city manager and other officials of Red Springs, a small town in Robeson County, visited to check out the project and meet with Murphrey and a number of staff members from the Energy Services Department. Red Springs provides water and electric services to its residents and is considering adopting smart meters. The idea behind smart meters is to give customers as much current information about their usage as possible. Homeowners and business owners will be able to access daily and even hourly information on their electrical use. For water and gas consumption, they will be able to get information on a per-day
basis. For electric customers, smart meters will generate a bill projection based on current usage and usage patterns. Smart meters eliminate the need for monthly visits from door-to-door meter readers, city officials said. They’re also intended to provide accurate informa-
tion about outages and restoration times and to increase efficiency – letting its workers spend less time on the road reading meters and hunting down problems. To learn more about smart meters, visit www.cityofkm.com/portal.asp.
Mayor Rick Murphrey, left, showcases the new Smart Meter program with Electric Director Derek Edge, Town Manager James Bennett and Mayor John McNeil, all of Red Springs. The city officials from Red Springs review the advanced technology that will be available to city utility users. The public is invited to a citizen fair on the new technology at the Senior Center today from 3-7 p.m. Photo by ELLIS NOELL
Foster warns of dangers of dehydration ELIZABETH STEWART lib.kmherald@gmail.com
Collin Foster is a lucky young man. He owes his life to his friends who dragged the unconscious athlete from a pool Saturday during a graduation party. Foster, a rising senior at Kings Mountain High School, runs track and cross country, competes in triathlons and knew all about proper hydration and what he should do to maintain it – until Saturday. “I had been outside all day around the pool drinking soda and not a lot of water,'' said Foster. He became dizzy while playing basketball with his friends in the pool and started to see spots. That was the last thing he said he remembered before he passed out and went under water.
Dalton Cash, realizing that his friend was in trouble, picked him up and got him to the side of the pool where everyone else helped drag the unconscious man out. He wasn’t breathing, his skin was clammy and turning blue and he began to have a seizure. In the hospital emergency room he received two liters of IV fluids and a couple scans and was able to return home. "All of this happened because I was dehydrated,'' says Foster. Foster said anyone can become dehydrated and it can lead down some dangerous roads.’’ I am thankful for everyone who was present at the party and able to get me out of the pool and keep me from seriously injuring myself when I was having a seizure. Without all these people the scariest day of my life could have easily been the last day
Collin Foster competed recently in the Over the Mountain triathlon and knows firsthand the dangers of dehydration. of my life,’’ he said. Foster passes along these warning
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See FOSTER, 9A
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