Killeen Homes for Sale

Ellison’s Jeff Jordan pins Bryan’s Rafael Aguilar during their first-place bout in the District 25 Meet on Saturday at Shoemaker High School.

By Alex Byington
Killeen Daily Herald

Last year, Jeff Jordan had a score to settle.

This year, he just had to score.

Exhausted after reversing a reversal from Bryan’s Rafael Aguilar in the final seconds of the third period to force sudden death in their 120-pound championship match Saturday, Jordan quickly found himself in a precarious situation.

With Aguilar in deep on a single leg, clutching Jordan’s left thigh and working to establish control, the Ellison senior scooted on his left hip and hooked his right heel into his opponents’ pelvis prompting a quick whistle from the referee.

Both wrestlers leaped up believing they had just won the match. Only Jordan was correct in that assumption.

“I knew I couldn’t lose, especially because my team looks up to me — I know they do — and if they see me lose, their whole morale is going to be down, and I wasn’t going to let that happen,” said Jordan, who was awarded the takedown for establishing control of Aguilar’s hips with the hook.

Jordan’s head-to-head victory over the Vikings’ Aguilar cemented his second straight district title and helped the Eagles do the same, as Ellison edged Bryan 161-154 to win the District 25 boys championship Saturday at Shoemaker High School.

“(Winning district) means everything to me, because really, wrestling is my life — this is what I live for,” Jordan said.

The top two finishers in each weight class advance to the Region IV meet next Saturday at the Blossum Center in San Antonio.

Despite having just four wrestlers in the finals, compared to seven for the Vikings, the Eagles made the most of their opportunities, as Jordan, Billal Maqsood (113) and Ronald Martin (170) won their respective weight classes. Ellison also had help in the consolation bracket, where Aaron Tovar (138), Miguel Diaz (145) and Royal Foster (152) each took third — with Tovar rallying to pin A&M Consolidated’s Chris Paulus with one second left in the consolation final.

“Those (third-place) points add up into the total and that’s great for us (because) again, they didn’t give up,” said Ellison wrestling coach Geoffrey Van Riper. “I’m very proud of them.”

Also repeating last season’s results were the Shoemaker girls, who won their third straight District 25 crown and sixth of the last seven by besting Ellison 163.5-157 as the championship round turned into a glorified dual between the two city rivals.

“We’re lucky at Shoemaker, we created a program and whether we come in first or we come in last, it’s irrelevant to the fact that we have a program now,” said Shoemaker coach Ken Soloff.

The Lady Grey Wolves advanced all nine wrestlers to the finals, while the Lady Eagles sent eight as the two schools squared off in seven of the 10 championship bouts (119 through 215 pounds).

Senior 148-pound champion Zana West, who won district for the third straight year, highlighted four individual champions for Shoemaker, followed by Alicia Vasquez (102), Daisy Mijango (185) and Tatianna Clemons (215).

“When you look at the finals, we had nine girls out of 10, Ellison had eight out of 10 — that was the difference,” Soloff said. “But it came down to a district dual between Ellison and Shoemaker, and we won the one we needed to I guess.”

Ellison, which won the Region IV tournament last season, nearly made a run at the district title when 119-pounder Chelsea Lopez pinned Ingrid Toro to start a run of Lady Eagles victories over their Shoemaker counterparts, followed by Fallon Christian (128), Nalani Brown (138) and Shilo Shortte (165). But the Lady Grey Wolves closed out the final two weights with pins as each squad earned four gold medals.

District 25 Meet
BOYS STANDINGS
1, Ellison, 161. 2, 2, Bryan, 154. 3, A&M Consolidated, 128.5. 4, Harker Heights, 124. 5, Copperas Cove, 114. 6, Killeen, 104. 7, Shoemaker, 69.
GIRLS STANDINGS
1, Shoemaker, 163.5. 2, Ellison, 157. 3, Killeen, 59. 4, Harker Heights, 55. 5. Bryan, 38. 6, Copperas Cove, 9. 7, A&M Consolidated, 0.
TOP 3 FINISHERS IN ORDER
Does not include wrestleback results
Boys
106 — Vino (HHHS), Frias (KHS), Carter (CCHS)
113 — Maqsood (EHS), Carpenter (HHHS), Knight (AMC)
120 — Jordan (EHS), Aguilar (BHS), Warren (CCHS)
126 — Pierce (BHS), Roberts (AMC), Thorton II (SHS)
132 — Bickey (AMC), McCann (BHS), Lloyd (SHS)
138 — Jimenez (BHS), Freeman (SHS), Tovar (EHS)
145 — Mongare (SHS), Wilson (AMC), Diaz (EHS)
152 — Soloman (KHS), Weise (AMC), Foster (EHS)
160 — Michael Duran (HHHS), Mireles (BHS), Bynog (EHS)
170 — Martin (EHS), Russell (CCHS), Cox (AMC)
182 — Doubleday (CCHS), Barbar (EHS), Clare (HHHS)
195 — Chivers (KHS), Turrubartes (BHS), White (HHHS)
220 — McPhall (CCHS), Jones (BHS), Collins (KHS)
285 — Leota (HHHS), Kidd (KHS), Brooks (CCHS)
Girls
95 — Wilder (HHHS), Wilson (EHS)
102 — Vasquez (SHS), Perez (KHS)
110 — Hawk (BHS), Jones (SHS), Hollis (EHS)
119 — Lopez (EHS), Toro (SHS), Johnson (BHS)
128 — Christian (EHS), Little (SHS), Mendez (HHHS)
138 — Brown (EHS), Farris (SHS), Owens (KHS)
148 — West (SHS), Lopez (EHS), Lilley (KHS)
165 — Shortte (EHS), Maitland (SHS), Neloms (KHS)
185 — Mijango (SHS), Castro (EHS), Perdue (HHHS)
215 — Clemons (SHS), Ruggles (EHS), Ogungbe (CCHS)

Lt. Col. James Geiser and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Eisenmann uncase the colors of the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, to mark the battalion’s return from Afghanistan Friday at Fort Hood.

By Colleen Flaherty
Killeen Daily Herald

WEST FORT HOOD — With the familiar sounds of airplanes taking off in the background, the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion uncased its colors Friday during a long-awaited ceremony at Robert Gray Army Airfield.

Unlike most Army units, the aerial exploitation battalion has had some of its troops in Iraq since 2007 and at least one-third deployed there since June 2009, the last time the colors were cased.

Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Eisenmann, who helped roll up the colors two years ago, said it felt “tremendous” to see them finally unfurled again at Fort Hood, signaling the successful completion of the deployment.

“There was never a time after we left that we were all together,” he said. “Now all our soldiers, for the most part, are back under one roof.”

Most of the battalion’s 240 soldiers returned from Iraq in December, and its RC-12 observation aircraft landed at Fort Hood from their flight back from theater in January. A handful of soldiers remain deployed to Afghanistan, assisting the long-standing aviation Task Force ODIN with unmanned aerial surveillance and reconnaissance.

Lt. Col. James Geiser, who assumed command of the battalion in 2010, said he was proud of his troops’ performance during the deployment, deeming it a “total success.”

“And it didn’t just happen,” he said. “There was a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment across the ‘Nighthawks” ranks.”

During operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, soldiers worked to develop signal intelligence from manned RC-12 airplanes and imagery intelligence from MQ-5B Hunter unmanned aerial systems, logging more than 1,000 flight hours each month. In between their six-month tours to Iraq, stateside Nighthawks helped process the intelligence back at home, up to seven days a week.

Although much of the battalion’s work was classified, Geiser said troops remained motivated by hearing feedback on the intelligence they produced and how it contributed to the larger fight. The 15th functioned as a theater-level asset, releasing information to U.S. forces throughout Iraq from its seat at Joint Base Balad.

The battalion, one of only four of its kind in the Army, is part of the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, headquartered at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Brigade commander Col. Patricia Frost attended the uncasing to welcome home what she called the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s “premier” intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset, deploying on a cycle more typical of the Army’s Special Operations Command than its more traditional Forces Command.

The colonel also alerted troops to their next mission: the Pacific Rim, where they’ll partner with allies including Malaysia, Japan and Australia to develop their aerial intelligence-gathering capabilities.

But the battalion has about two months before it begins preparing for that mission, and the rest period began with a formal social event that evening.

“It’s our first dining out in five years,” Geiser said.

Harker Heights Police Officer Dave Haley hands out information to students from a booth during the Harker Heights High School safety week demonstrations Jan. 26 at Harker Heights High School.

By Kim Steele
Harker Heights Herald

The Harker Heights Police Department is offering a wide array of crime prevention and protection services through its Community Services Division.

“We’re the eyes and ears of the police department,” said officer Dave Haley. “We see what’s going on because we’re out there dealing with the needs of our citizens and business owners. And Chief (Mike) Gentry relies on us to tell him what we can do to make things better for those who live and work here.”

Haley, who has worked in Community Services for about seven years and currently is its only member, handles everything from the bicycle patrol to classes at area schools to volunteer efforts. Haley will be getting another officer to help him with the growing program this summer.

The Community Services Division offers free home security inspections, takes surveys to help improve the police department’s interaction with the community, helps set up Neighborhood Watch programs, runs the Citizen Police Academy and is in charge of the Citizens Volunteer Program.

Also, the division gives free classes in Harker Heights elementary schools and provides KIDDO cards for parents with a photograph and vital information about their children. Also, the division offers free home safety classes for area groups and organizations, and participates in community events.

Roosevelt Wilson, administrative sergeant for the police department and Haley’s boss, said the Community Services Division is popular and continues to grow. In fact, said Wilson, the city considers the division so important that it has a separate budget for its programs.

In 2010, the department estimated that Community Services would provide 130 programs, said Wilson, but the division actually ran 157 programs. In 2011, the department estimated providing 125 programs and ended up running 253 programs. Wilson said the department estimates 160 programs in 2012.

“This division gives us a good working knowledge of our citizen base,” said Wilson. “If the department doesn’t have a good relationship with people, it can’t succeed. I see this division growing a lot more as the population grows. Our chief believes in saying yes when people call, so that’s what we try to do.”

Home inspections

Pulling out a kit with several deadbolt locks and a wooden block outfitted with strike plates, or metal-rimmed holes for bolts, Haley said he periodically performs free home security inspections for residents. Those include making sure the homes have the correct types of screws, deadbolts and safety locks.

Haley said his inspections are certified by the Texas Department of Insurance, which allows homeowners to receive a certificate that will save them 5 to 20 percent off their insurance premiums. Home security inspections are scheduled by appointment and include recommendations for improvements.

“Homeowners are shocked when I tell them that new homes are the easiest to break into,” said Haley. “They don’t have the proper screws and hasps. Homeowners can update for under $20 and make their homes three times safer. Just replacing the ¾-inch screws with 3-inch screws in the strike plate can triple the strength.”

Haley said the division began taking citizen surveys about three years ago to discover how the police department can improve. The survey includes community concerns, such as the most significant crime issues in the city, as well as neighborhood concerns, including the Neighborhood Watch Program.

Haley said the Neighborhood Watch Program is an important way to make sure houses in various neighborhoods are being watched while their owners are at work or on vacation. Haley said the program is gearing up for summer, and he just had 1,000 brochures printed so he can hand them out.

Currently, there are 10 active Neighborhood Watch programs in the city, but Haley would like to see more of the resident-run programs. Haley said he is available to come out to interested neighborhoods, meet with the residents and help get their watch programs off the ground.

Citizen police

Another program run by the division is the annual Citizen Police Academy, available free to those living or working in Harker Heights. The division is now taking applications for a 12-week academy scheduled in February. Participants learn criminal investigation, use of force, traffic enforcement and more.

They also make traffic stops on volunteers from previous academies who portray unruly drivers and take a field trip to the Bell County Jail. The academy, which started in 1996, usually has about 20 students, said Haley, and students must be at least 17 years old.

“The biggest thing participants do is get a working knowledge of what police officers do,” said Haley. “We’re not always sitting around in cars eating doughnuts. Almost 95 percent of an officer’s time is spent helping citizens, from changing tires to finding a lost child to handling disagreements.”

Academy graduates can go on to become members of the division’s Citizens Volunteer Program, helping out with the house watch program, in the police department or at the Harker Heights Pet Adoption Center. Haley said volunteers put in 1,946 hours in 2011. Currently, there are eight active volunteers.

Two volunteers, Robert Coyne, 71, and Jerry Spradlin, 72, each logged 2,380 miles, 1,400 house watches and 185 donated hours in 2011 for the division.

The men have ridden together twice a week for six years in Coyne’s truck, checking the houses of residents deployed in the military or enjoying vacation.

“We’ve talked to a number of the owners who are regularly on our list, and they always say they feel pretty good about their place being watched while they are gone,” said Coyne. “We want people to know we will be checking. For us, there’s satisfaction in knowing we are doing something that’s useful.”

Haley also teaches a variety of classes to adults and children in clubs and schools. Classes include winter driving for the elderly, domestic violence prevention, home safety for military wives, motorcycle and bicycle safety, crime prevention, bullying, drugs and smoking, and texting while driving.

“I love the classes, especially for kids,” said Haley, who also gives tours of the police department. “I think the whole future lies in our children, and I want to make a positive impression on them while they can be molded. If we do that while they’re young, they’ll come to us when they’re older.”

If you go
The Community Services Division will be offering free KIDDO cards to Harker Heights residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Harker Heights Walmart. Children will be photographed for their cards, which also will contain their vital information. Parents can keep the cards and present them to police if their child is missing.

Spc. Mike Murray, 3rd Military Intelligence “Ghostrider” Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, hugs his mother, Angela Murray, after being awarded the Purple Heart at a pinning ceremony Wednesday at the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Memorial at Fort Hood.

The crowd applauds after Spc. Mike Murray was awarded the Purple Heart in a ceremony Wednesday at Fort Hood.

Brig. Gen. Joseph DiSalvo, Fort Hood and III Corps deputy commander, pins a Purple Heart Medal on Spc. Mike Murray, 3rd Military Intelligence Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, Wednesday at Fort Hood.

By Colleen Flahert
Killeen Daily Herald

FORT HOOD — Spc. Mike Murray was on his way to develop an intelligence source in Najaf, Iraq, on June 8 when insurgents attacked his Mine Resistant-Ambushed Protected vehicle with a triple-array explosively formed penetrator.

The self-forging warheads pierced through the vehicle’s armor and showered its passengers and systems with shrapnel, killing Pfc. Matthew Joseph England and severely wounding Spc. Charles Lemon. In the aftermath of the blast, the MRAP careened, directionless, until it eventually ran into a structure.

“I didn’t know who was hurt or not, so I just starting talking and yelling,” said Murray, 3rd Military Intelligence “Ghostrider” Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, on Wednesday, following his Purple Heart-pinning ceremony at the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Memorial. “Lemon did respond, so I ran over there and helped him, and talked to him the whole time.”

Recalling the combat life-saver skills he’d learned in basic training, Murray applied tourniquets to Lemon’s bleeding legs and protected him until help arrived, still unaware of the extent of his own injuries — shrapnel in his shoulder and backside.

Lemon eventually lost his legs, but survived.

Rely on training

Murray, 20, had been in-country for three months, having deployed in support of Operation New Dawn just days after finishing his advanced individual training. He’d been in the Army for less than two years.

Capt. David Griffith, commander of Maddog Troop, 3rd “Thunder” Squadron, to which Murray was attached at the time of the incident, credited the soldier with saving Lemon’s life.

England’s death was tragic, Griffith said, and “the potential loss of another soldier would have been twice as painful.”

Brig. Gen. Joseph DiSalvo, Fort Hood and III Corps deputy commander, pinned Murray with his Purple Heart. Although the ceremony honored the soldier’s sacrifice, he said, it also honored his living out the fourth tenet of the Army creed: “I will never leave a fallen comrade behind.”

DiSalvo said he greeted Lemon and his mother, Cherl Towns, when they flew back to Fort Hood days after the incident after a stop in Germany. He told Murray that had Towns been at the ceremony, she would “hug you and kiss you for helping save her son’s life.”

Living the Army creed to the extent that he could, the brigadier general added, Lemon’s first words were, “‘How’s my team doing?’”

‘Selfless acts’

Col. John B. Richardson, regimental commander, said he couldn’t help but be touched by DiSalvo’s image of Lemon’s mother, who might have lost her son without Murray’s actions.

“These guys react and do such selfless acts,” he said. “(Murray) completely disregarded his own injuries to help.”

The incident also highlighted the importance of training, said Richardson, adding that he hoped those present would be inspired, “in that situation, to be able to react based on training, as Spc. Murray did.”

Murray’s mother, Angela Murray of Dallas, traveled to the ceremony with his grandparents, Mike and Ella Weatherford, and his sister, Nicole, 19.

Although Angela Murray was worried when she received word of an incident involving her son, she said, she was proud and not at all surprised to learn the details.

“It’s typical of these kids,” she said, referring to the soldiers gathered around her son. Of Murray, in particular, she said, “He’s always put people ahead of himself.”

His grandmother added, “Whatever he tackles, he tackles all the way.”

Mike Weatherford said it was “amazing” to see his grandson be pinned, “knowing what he went through.” But, he added, “He’s always been like this.”

True to Griffith’s description of Murray as a “quiet professional,” the soldier said he didn’t dwell on the incident and planned on an Army career. “It is what it is,” he said, shrugging. “It happened. Let it be.”

Killeen High School students review information about human services paths that will be offered at the Killeen Independent School District’s Career Center in the fall. Recruiters visited the high school Tuesday as they travel to the district’s four high schools to talk with students about enrolling at the new school. They’ve already visited Harker Heights and Ellison and will stop at Shoemaker on Thursday.

 

John Smallwood, a web technology and advanced photography instructor at Killeen Independent School District’s Career Center, speaks to potential students during a recruiting opportunity fair Tuesday at Killeen High School.

By Chris McGuinness
Killeen Daily Herald

Killeen High School’s cafeteria was packed with students who showed up to hear a presentation about what the Killeen Independent School District’s new Career Center will offer them next year.

“There has been a lot of interest by the students in the high schools we’ve visited so far,” said Alison Belliveau, a career technical education coordinator. “They are just as excited as we are about (the center).”

About 500 students attended a presentation by the center’s administrators and teachers, who visited the high school to generate interest and recruit students for the 2012-13 school year.

The 42,000-square-foot center will serve students from all of the district’s high schools and offer programs in nine career areas such as health science, information technology, audio/visual technology and communications, transportation, architecture and construction, and health science and corrections.

Students enrolled in the programs will not only graduate from high school with training, but will be able to earn professional certifications and licenses needed to get a job in their respective industries.

Students also will be required to learn “soft skills,” such as communication, teamwork, business writing and other traits to help them land a job once they graduate.

“This campus is going to present a really unique opportunity to students,” said Debbie Thompson, the executive director for career and technical education. “They will graduate with the knowledge and tools that will get them the job they want.”

The building will include 59 classrooms with capacity for 1,400 students. It was part of a $26 million project that included the construction of the adjacent Pathways campus, which opened in August.

Keondra Donald, a Killeen High School sophomore, was one of the many students to speak with the center’s 19 teachers who were on hand to pass out information and answer questions.

“It’s really interesting,” said Donald, who was considering the graphic design program. “I also think it would be really cool to be around kids who have the same interests and want the same career as you do.”

Diana Furgeson, a cosmetology teacher who has been with the district for 27 years, said the center would not only bring students with similar interests together, but would allow the district to offer career programs to all its students.

“Some of the programs were at some high schools and not others, which made this difficult for some students,” said Furgeson, who graduated from the district’s cosmetology program in 1977. “With everything located under one roof, it will help those students and create a sense of unity.”

Tuesday’s event was the third in a series of presentations at the district’s high schools. The center’s administrators and teachers will be at Shoemaker High School between 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday for a fourth presentation.

The center is under construction at the corner of Trimmier and Stagecoach roads, near Patterson Middle School. It is scheduled to open in the fall.

Interested students should talk to their school counselors about attending the career center.

Tom Klincar is the incoming chancellor of Central Texas College. He will replace retiring Chancellor James Anderson, whose last day on the job is today.

By Chris McGuinness
Killeen Daily Herald

As Central Texas College students settle into the second week of classes, outgoing Chancellor James “Jim” Anderson will end his nearly 25-year tenure as the community college’s top administrator.

Replacing the retiring Anderson, whose last day on the job is today, is incoming Chancellor Tom Klincar, who arrived in mid-January.

In a joint interview, the two administrators discussed the college’s first leadership change in more than two decades and the educational issues the institution will face in the coming years.

“(The transition’s) going terrific. I expect the process will be very smooth for everyone,” said Anderson. “When that first day comes, he’ll already have met all the key people, and he’ll be able to hit the ground running.”

‘Very productive’ meetings

During the leadership transition, Klincar has met with the college’s senior staffers and faculty and several leaders in the local education community.

Klincar said the “very productive” meetings are a critical part of the transition process. “I was able to have these two weeks, and it’s really given me insight into how we operate,” he said. “It’s like a marriage, you want to make that relationship work after the honeymoon is over.”

As Klincar takes the reins, he faces one immediate administrative issue. Anderson said many of the college’s overseas contracts are up for renewal this year.

With the U.S. Army planning to reduce its troop levels by 2017, Anderson said the college must prepare to meet that challenge.

“If you’re going to take 80,000 troops out of the Army, and we teach 40 percent of the soldiers, you do the math,” he said.

Growing enrollment key

Both Klincar and Anderson said one of the major keys to the college’s future success will be growing enrollment and programs at the Killeen campus.

The outgoing chancellor emphasized that the college will need to continue building relationships with local school districts and the Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

“We need to continue to get more high school graduates in Central Texas to make the choice to come to (the college),” said Anderson. “By continuing a strong relationship with (TAMUCT), students have a four-year package. They come to (the college) for two years and can make a transition to (TAMUCT) and get the four-year degree.”

Klincar agreed with Anderson, adding that he would focus on communicating the low cost of tuition and the high quality of education the community college offers.

“We have a unique opportunity to reach out to residents, and let them know you don’t have to send you son, daughter, niece or nephew off and drain your family’s finances to give them a good education,” said Klincar. “We need to let people know that the educational opportunities we offer are some of the best in the world.”

The incoming chancellor also said he would particularly like to reach out to potential first-generation college students.

“The people we need to reach are those (whose) parents didn’t go to college, but they had a dream about having chance at a better life,” he said. “We want to be there to open doors for them and give them that opportunity.”

Klincar said he would work to make the college experience more accessible to such first-generation students.

“It takes a lot of courage for (a first-generation college) student to walk through that door,” said Klincar. “We want them to know that we are here to help and that we are friendly, accessible and affordable.”

Anderson said he was confident that he was leaving the college in good hands with Klincar.

“He’s a good man,” said Anderson. “I have a lot of faith in him.”

Jane Apodaca, a teacher at Bellaire Elementary School, speaks as Tyra Reed, Charlesia Sheard and Mahogany Moore, all freshmen at Shoemaker High School, listen during a Texas Association of Future Educators club meeting Tuesday at Shoemaker High School in Killeen.

 

Brilina Bostic, a senior at Shoemaker High School, leads a Tuesday meeting of the Texas Association of Future Educators. Bostic revived the club this year to help students explore future careers as teachers.

Seniors Storm Tyler and Tim Domont listen during a Texas Association of Future Educators club meeting Tuesday at Shoemaker High School. Members of the club meet weekly to hear guest speakers, learn about the principles of teaching and study for the Education Leadership Fundamentals test — a competitive test members take at regional and state competitions.

Club at Shoemaker High School connects students with future career path

By Rose L. Thayer

Killeen Daily Herald

Every Tuesday afternoon, Brilina Bostic stands before her peers to address official club business for the Shoemaker High School chapter of the Texas Association of Future Educators.

The campus had a chapter last year, but it wasn’t very active, so Bostic, a senior, pushed to make the group more involved.

“Teaching is my passion in life,” she said.

By activating the chapter, she knew she could improve her craft and help others do the same. Members of the club meet weekly to hear guest speakers, learn about the principles of teaching and study for the Education Leadership Fundamentals test — a competitive test members take at regional and state competitions.

On Tuesday, Bostic went over the details of their upcoming state conference in San Antonio in February and the club’s plans for Counselor Appreciation Day.

The nearly 15 students chimed in, voicing their opinions and asking questions.

The meeting closed with guest speaker Jane Apodaca, a fourth-grade science teacher at Bellaire Elementary School, who shared her call to become a teacher.

“It’s not about the paycheck or the summers off, it’s about the kids,” she said.

Apodaca said she reached out to speak to the students after reading about Shoemaker’s teaching program, which allows students to try student teaching at Iduma Elementary School.

“I didn’t know how much I loved kids until I got my own classroom,” said Bostic, who plans to attend Texas A&M University-Central Texas and major in education. After teaching for a few years, she hopes to become an elementary or high school counselor.

Interested in teaching

Tina Tamplen, the club’s sponsor, said only a handful of the members are in the program and the rest are just interested in teaching.

“A part of the educator training program is to encourage young people to be involved in student organizations,” she said. Her idea was to incorporate the Texas Association of Future Educators into her classroom, but club members wanted to open it to the entire school.

“This program is wonderful,” said Apodaca. “It’s great to get a taste of what teaching is like.”

At the end of her talk, Apodaca asked the students questions about what they encountered at Iduma.

“Working with the kids now makes me have that drive to pursue that teaching career that I want,” said Jayna Pengelinan, a junior.

This is Pengelinan’s first year in the club and she’s taking Tamplen’s introduction to teaching class.

“I’ve really enjoyed learning about the baby steps to teaching,” she said. “I’ve gotten to tutor (students). … I really enjoy helping them with what they need to know.”

After graduation, she wants to become a third-grade teacher.

“(Texas Association of Future Educators) really is a good program to be in if you want to pursue a teaching career,” said Pengelinan. “It gives you the experience you need to jump start that career.”

Pengelinan plans to stay in the teaching program, even after she moves from Shoemaker to the new Career Center, where students from all Killeen high schools will be able to participate in the program.

Tamplen, who was named Shoemaker’s Teacher of the Year, will move as well, and while she’s not sure what the club’s future at Shoemaker will look like, she said she is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to keep the students involved and interested.

“It gives them an upper hand,” she said. “Those, if they plan their schedule accordingly, get two years of hands on, quality experience.”

By Sean Wardwell
Killeen Daily Herald

Book lovers will have a chance to indulge their love of books this weekend at the Friends of the Killeen Public Library’s annual book sale.

The event raises money for the library’s summer reading program and is one of the library’s largest annual events. However, before area residents get a chance to expand their personal libraries, Friends of the Killeen Public Library members on Friday got a first crack at thousands of books on sale.

“I’m loving it. I haven’t even made it a hundredth of the way in, and I’m already stacking up a box full,” said Raylene Gill, a Killeen mother of four who home-schools her kids. “I’m trying to keep the price reasonable, but I’m getting all kinds of books for them.”

Hardback books go for $1, while paperbacks go for 50 cents. Today, customers can get an even better deal. The library is selling books for $3 a bag from 2 to 3 p.m.

The annual sale is a highlight for library volunteers such as Beverly Kittinger, who is known as the “book sale queen” by library staff.

“I’ve been working on these book sales for 15 years,” she said. “I love the experience. The money we use primarily from here goes for children’s programming. It takes care of the summer reading program and maybe a Christmas or Halloween event during the year.”

Her husband, Karl Kittinger, serves as the treasurer for the Friends of the Killeen Public Library. He said last year’s sale raised more than $5,000 for children’s programming.

Most of the books were donated by library patrons or are materials withdrawn from the library because of their age or condition. Selections include reference and history materials and romance novels.

“I’m looking for nonfiction primarily — history, biography, that kind of thing,” said Josh Smith, a Temple resident who makes a point of coming to Killeen’s book sale. “Judging by this sale (Friends of the Killeen Public Library) does a great job.”

Spc. Willis E. Slaughter, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, receives a congratulatory handshake from Brig. Gen. Jeffery Sinclair, the 82nd Airborne Division’s deputy commander for support, after receiving the Purple Heart during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, on Jan. 10.

Special to the Hood Herald

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan — Four soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, deployed here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, received the Purple Heart military decoration Jan. 10 in a ceremony for injuries sustained during combat operations.

The guest for the ceremony, the 82nd Airborne Division’s deputy commanding general for support, Brig. Gen. Jeffery A. Sinclair, said although the soldiers already belonged to one of America’s greatest fraternities by simply wearing the uniform, the pinning of the Purple Heart also meant they now belong to a greater fraternity, one that will publicly recognize them for the sacrifices they’ve made for America.

“This also stands for the pride and sacrifices you’ve made,” Sinclair said. “In addition to that, the Purple Heart is also steeped in history because of what the soldiers in the past have done.”

The Purple Heart recipients were: Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dubois; Staff Sgt. Thomas C. Stephenson, of Cross Plaines; Spc. Scott M. Simpson and Spc. Willis E. Slaughter.