by TriangleTech - (Angela Walker)
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:47 am    Post subject: Transcript of this morning's news feature
 

Good Morning Southeast Texas on ABC KBMT 12 News
(5:30-7:00am, Thursday, March 1, 2007)

6:32am - announcement
Tracy Kennick: Coming up in the next 30 minutes... BISD wants to shut down the old South Park High School in their new bond issue plans. But there's a group fighting back. We'll have the latest from them.

6:39am - announcement
Tracy Kennick: Still to come, we'll visit with some BISD patrons who are not too happy about the possible closure of South Park Middle School, part of the new bond issue plans.

6:45am - begin segment

Tracy Kennick: Part of Beaumont history is slated for destruction. It's the old South Park High School. This Saturday, there will be a BISD community advisory bond committee meeting to discuss tearing down the building, and that's something that's not sitting well with everyone. Joining me this morning, Paula O'Neal, as well as Miriam Cade Nichols. Thanks for joining us, ladies. So talk a little bit about this. Why is it important to save South Park Middle School, which is now a middle school?

Miriam Cade Nichols: South Park has always been home for a lot of Greenies, and the school itself was there from 1915 to 1986, and we're just a big community that has stayed together all these years, and we want to keep it that way. South Park is important --

Paula Tate O'Neal: Tracy, I think what she's trying to say is, South Park High School was the center of the South Park community. Back in our day, it was family, faith, and school. And those of us who graduated from there, and it was such an important part of our lives, would just like the opportunity to visit with BISD, and see if there's the possibility of saving it. As a taxpayer, I want them to be responsible with my tax dollars. But we just feel like there has got to be some way to salvage the building that has such a history, not just for South Park, but for Southeast Texas as well.

Tracy Kennick: Why is this part of their proposal? Do you know, Paula? Why are they --

Paula Tate O'Neal: Well, I'm not that well-versed on it, but I think right now they're trying to get the most bang for the buck and trying to keep everybody happy, and we understand that and appreciate that, but --

Tracy Kennick: So what are their plans to do with it?

Paula Tate O'Neal: I think their plans right now are, I mean, I think it is still up in the air, and that is why we are meeting as well Saturday, to come up with some ideas, and to make a proposal that possibly they'll let us visit with them to see if there is any way to save the building. But as I understand it, there is the possibility of tearing it down and building a new facility on that site.

Tracy Kennick: And that is something that some parents may say, hey, these are old buildings, we need some better facilities for our students. What do you say to them, Miriam?

Miriam Cade Nichols: Tracy, as long as South Park has been there, there's thousands and thousands of kids who've gone through there. South Park is still a good school. They need to -- the roof, I know, needs to be fixed.

Tracy Kennick: So you'd rather see them do some repairs, rather than tear it down altogether.

Miriam Cade Nichols: Right. I mean, from 1915 to 1986, there's a lot of history there. I've got petitions already signed, by not only Greenies, but people that are concerned about tearing it down. They don't want it, and we don't want it. We're not going to let -- we're going to fight for it.

Paula Tate O'Neal: I think there are a lot of people that are interested in preserving history, and that's what we're interested in seeing, if it's a possibility.

Tracy Kennick: Again, that meeting coming up on Saturday at 2:00, for anybody wanting to turn out at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Beaumont, if you're interested in saving South Park Middle School, which was once the high school for many, many Greenies here in Southeast Texas. Thank you both for joining us, ladies.

Paula Tate O'Neal: Thank you.

6:48am - end segment

6:59am - item of interest
Tracy Kennick: What's coming up tomorrow on Good Morning Southeast Texas? We'll tell you about BISD's debate as it continues tonight, at the special school bond meeting with their advisory committee. We'll visit with a committee member, Mark Viator, about what's ahead.