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Live At Five on CBS KFDM 6 News
(5:00-5:30pm, Thursday, March 1, 2007)

5:01pm - item of interest
Jackie Simien: Just a few minutes ago, the Beaumont ISD's bond committee began its meeting. The group is working to finalize a plan to present to the school board, including when public should vote on replacing and repairing schools. The committee met last Saturday, and cut the potential size of the bond issue to about $450 million dollars. The board must call for an election by March 12 in order to get the bond issue on the May 12 ballot.

5:08pm - announcement
Jackie Simien: Coming up next, the fight to save South Park Middle School. Find out how you can participate, after this break.

Jackie Simien: For 71 years, high school students walked its halls, and for the last 20 years, middle school students have filled its classrooms. The South Park Middle School building has a lot of history, and those who call it their alma mater want that history preserved. Here to tell us about a meeting to organize an effort to save South Park are two graduates of the high school, Miriam Cade Nichol and Paula Tate O'Neal. Thank you both for joining us this afternoon.

Jackie Simien: And this effort is the result of discussions that have come about to potentially demolish the school, in order to save BISD money that they would be spending on renovations. Now you may find this to be some encouraging news, however. I spoke with the co-chair of the BISD community advisory bond committee, just before Live At Five started, and he wanted you to know that currently there is no money for a total demolition, he says, and he says that there is no plan at all to have the school demolished. He also wanted you to know that there will be a need for a middle school in that area regardless, and they will take a look at what can be salvaged of the South Park building. So what is it that would be the ideal for you?

Paula Tate O'Neal: Well, Jackie, the main thing that we want, needless to say, is what's best for the children. We want our children to have good and adequate schools. We also want to preserve some of the ambience, the culture, the atmosphere in South Park. We were reminded earlier today that that building has a Texas Historical Marker. We just would like to preserve the character of the building, and hopefully to preserve some of the community that South Park was for all of us that attended there. And we were also reminded -- we've been trying to remember everything we wanted to share -- that that was the first permanent home of Lamar University.

Paula Tate O'Neal: So it has quite a history. We want to work with the district to do what is best for the children, but also to do what we can to preserve the facility.

Miriam Cade Nichol: If it has to be, then make sure it's updated, and keep the trophies upon trophies upon trophies left in the school. There's a heritage room that has yearbooks from 1915 to 1986, that anybody can go and look at. We don't want-- I'm sorry, I get so upset.

Paula Tate O'Neal: To retain the character, you know, to retain the facade of the building, and as she was just saying, it does have historical importance. And all our history, and we would just like to retain some of that.

Jackie Simien: And you invite everyone who supports your efforts to join you at St. Paul's Methodist Church, at 4445 Pershing at Woodrow in Beaumont, this Saturday at 2:00, and for more information, you can call 899-1879. And hopefully most of the building will be able to be preserved, and there can be a happy medium here.

Miriam Cade Nichol: I pass by there every Sunday going to church at St. Paul's, and things come back that happened years ago. For instance, in '94 I had a stroke. When I came to, my door opened, and there were 25 of my classmates who came to see me to make sure I was all right.

Miriam Cade Nichol: Then I came home from the hospital and went to a nursing home, and they'd still come to see me, to make sure I'm okay. We're all still close. We have our 40 year reunion in '09, and we're all getting excited about it. I find classmates every day on email.