Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 276, Ed. 1 Monday, May 5, 2014 Page: 5 of 14
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LOCAL/NATIONAL
5A
Denton Record-Chronicle
Monday, May 5, 2014
ban on federal highways without
posting signs at the city limits.
The staff and commission
originally recommended a city-
wide ban on using handheld de-
vices while driving, extending a
statewide ban that has been in
effect in school zones since
2009. The recommendation
was made, in part, because it
would be easier for police offi-
cers to enforce.
Police Chief Lee Howell said
that Denton officers have writ-
ten about 100 tickets per year to
drivers found violating the
state’s ban on using handheld
devices in school zones. The pro-
posed texting ban wouldn’t af-
fect the school zone ban, Howell
said.
Monden said.
“I think that national cham-
pionship was her exclamation
point on a great year,” Monden
said. “It took a lot of work and
she fought through it.”
Nadia — who was hundreds
of miles away on her way to her
prom at the time of the an-
nouncement — got the news via
text messages, along with pictures
of her certificates and medal.
She couldn’t believe it and
thought, “Really?”
“Then it sunk in, Wow, I’m
the national champion.’ It’s pret-
ty cool,” Nadia said. “It’s a good
feeling.”
Childhood dreams
Nadia has always wanted to
teach and help others, her father,
Kenneth Williams, said.
“Even when she was a young
child, she would always play like
that,” he said. “She would line
her dolls up and teach them.”
“From day one, she was al-
ways bossy” Kimberly Williams
said with a laugh.
She and her husband would
read books to their daughter
when she was young, and Nadia
would read back to them.
“She was always a person
that was so mature before her
time ... had an old soul,” Kim-
berly Williams said.
And children love Nadia, her
mother said. Over the years, Na-
dia has been involved with the
youth and children’s programs
at her church, Westside Baptist
Church in Lewisville, and she
plans to spend the summer
working as a camp counselor.
‘As young as she is, she’s very
nurturing, and kids just flock to
her, so that lets me know... this is
her calling,” Kimberly Williams
said. “I’m just so proud of her. I
couldn’t have asked for a better
daughter. I just thank God.”
0n-the-job training
Nadia is a second-year intern
in the Ready, Set, Teach! pro-
gram at Shady Shores Elemen-
tary School.
Two to three days a week, she
spends three hours with a sec-
ond-grade class at Shady Shores
Elementary, and grades papers,
helps in teaching lessons, reads
to students, provides one-on-one
tutoring, files papers and works
on school bulletin boards. She
worked with third-grade stu-
dents her first year; currently, she
said, she’s helping second-grad-
ers learn to write complete sen-
tences and subtract from 100.
She’s fascinated by helping
people learn, she said.
“I like the feeling of when
they actually understand what
I’m teaching,” Nadia said. “I feel
like I’m doing something right
— they’re learning.”
Monden describes Nadia as
“a natural.”
“The future of education is in
good hands with students like
Nadia,” she said.
BRIEFLY
From Page 1A
From Page 1A
ACROSS THE NATION
Providence, R.I.
Fall injures 9 acrobats
during circus stunt
Williams
Texting
A goal fulfilled
caused by a distracted driver, ac-
cording to the Texas Depart-
ment of Transportation.
According to the National
Safety Council, it is difficult to
know how many people are hurt
and killed each year by distract-
ed driving — which can involve
other tasks consuming a driver’s
attention besides texting — be-
cause of underreporting. But the
federal agency estimates that
about 26 percent of all car crash-
es involve cellphone use, includ-
ing hands-free devices. Each
day, 100 people nationwide are
killed in traffic accidents.
Overall, distracted-driving
crashes in Texas were up 4 per-
cent last year from 2012, accord-
ing to state transportation offi-
cials.
Nadia’s winning journey
started with an aspiration to
compete at the national level.
“She had the vision for it,”
said Tonya Monden, the adviser
for the Lake Dallas High chapter
of the Texas Association of Fu-
A support frame collapsed
during an aerial hair-hanging
stunt at a circus performance
Sunday, sending eight acrobats
plummeting to the ground.
Nine performers were seriously
injured in the fall, including a
dancer below, while an un-
known number of others suf-
fered less serious injuries.
The accident was reported
about 45 minutes into the Rin-
gling Bros, and Bamum and
Bailey Circus’ 11 a.m. Legends
show at the Dunkin’ Donuts
Center in Providence.
Stephen Payne, a spokesman
for Feld Entertainment, the par-
ent company of Ringling Bros.,
said the accident happened dur-
ing an act in which eight per-
formers hang “like a human
chandelier” using their hair. He
said the metal-frame apparatus
from which the performers were
hanging came free from the
metal truss it was connected to.
The eight women fell 25 to 40
feet, landing on a dancer below.
Providence Public Safety
Commissioner Steven Pare said
officials and inspectors haven’t
yet determined what caused the
accident. He said none of the in-
juries appears to be life-threat-
ture Educators.
Monden said she learned
about Nadia’s desire to compete
last year, when the teen was
elected president of the state as-
sociation.
Becoming a national cham-
pion, Nadia said, simply boiled
down to being a hard worker.
She traveled to Minneapolis
last month for the national con-
ference, and on April 11 inter-
viewed for a mock classroom
teacher assistant job before a
panel of judges.
Prior to the on-site interview,
she had submitted an online job
application, presented a reference
letter, her resume detailing her
relevant work, volunteer and edu-
cation experience and a cover let-
ter explaining what made her the
best candidate for the position.
For her efforts, she won first place
in the job application contest
In another contest on explor-
ing an administrative career, she
shadowed Cory Hailey, associate
principal at Lake Dallas High,
for eight hours. The contest re-
quired that she submit various
materials, including an essay,
and present a PowerPoint pre-
sentation to a judges panel on
Hailey, his job, his impact on
students and herself, and how
what he does will help her fur-
ther her career choice.
The word announcing Nadia
as a national champion was met
with cheers from the 160 stu-
dents and teachers from Texas
who attended the conference,
He said he believed it would
be a little more difficult for offi-
cers to enforce a texting ban
than a handheld ban.
“It requires the officer’s ob-
servation, but it’s not too much
different from [observing] a
seat beat violation,” Howell said.
He said he also hoped Den-
ton drivers would make the
change needed once news of the
ban gets out and an educational
campaign gets underway.
The City Council asked that
the staff put together a local edu-
cational campaign about the
dangers of distracted driving as
part of the ban. The city staff has
allocated about $4,700 from
transportation and police de-
partment funding to pay for
such a campaign that will in-
clude video public service an-
nouncements, signs, bumper
stickers and other outreach.
Tuesday’s council meeting is
scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney St.
PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE
can be reached at 940-566-
6881 and via Twitter at
@phwolfeDRC.
Denton’s ordinance includes
an exception for drivers to text if
the vehicle is stopped and out of
traffic lanes, or in a life-and-
death emergency. Drivers would
still be permitted to use their
smartphones’ GPS if it is affixed
to the vehicle, to make a phone
call or to use the phone for text-
ing if it is done through voice-ac-
tivation or other hands-free
methods.
The ordinance does not ap-
ply to anyone driving an emer-
gency vehicle while acting in an
official capacity or a federal li-
censee using a radio-frequency
device.
Denton’s ordinance would
not apply to people driving In-
terstate 35, 35E, 35W or their
frontage and access roads. Dur-
ing council work sessions on the
topic, Mayor Mark Burroughs
has said he was concerned about
the city’s ability to enforce the
Bright future
Nadia will graduate from
high school May 31 and plans to
study elementary education at
Jackson State University in Mis-
sissippi.
She said she aspires to be-
come a school superintendent
one day. She’s on a path to be-
coming the first educator in her
family.
“I want to be a superinten-
dent because I want to help stu-
dents that have trouble learning
[be] better learners and prog-
ress in their learning abilities,”
Nadia said.
enmg.
Video taken by audience
members shows a curtain drop-
ping to reveal several perform-
ers hanging from an apparatus
suspended from above. Seconds
later, as they begin to perform,
the women fall, and the metal
apparatus lands on them.
“It just went crashing down,”
said audience member Sydney
Bragg, 14. “Everyone was freak-
ing out.”
Winning a national champi-
onship is just the beginning.
“Knowing that I did work
that hard... it just made me ex-
cited, and I can’t wait to see what
else I do,” she said.
BRITNEY TABOR can be
reached at 940-566-6876 and
via Twitter at @BritneyTabor.
OBITUARIES
— The Associated Press
Jfjl Billy Harley Finch
on FM455,10 miles east of In-
terstate 35, in Pilot Point. Reg-
ular park entrance fee is $7 for
ages 13 and older. For more in-
formation, call 940-686-2148.
The luncheon is a fundraiser
to support the Salvation Army’s
services in Denton. Tickets cost
$60 in advance and $75 at the
door. Sponsorships are avail-
able.
ty inclusion, according to a news
release.
Admission to Friday’s event
is a $65 donation in advance or
$75 at the door.
For more information, visit
www.specialabilities.net or call
972-317-1515.
From Page 1A
Billy Harley Finch, 82, of Lake Dallas
passed away peacefully at his home on Friday
May 2, 2014. Bill was born in Red River
County, Texas on June 1, 1931 the son of
Harley Roach Finch and Alma Beatrice
Leatherwood Finch. Bill served in the U.S.
Cockrell
associated with while in Denton,
according to an event an-
nouncement.
The concert will also feature
some of the major soloists who
have premiered and promoted
Lloyd’s compositions. The con-
cert will include choral music,
art songs, piano solos and organ
solos.
Cowboys exec to speak at
Salvation Army luncheon
Charlotte Jones Anderson,
executive vice president and
chief brand officer for the Dallas
Cowboys, will be the keynote
speaker at the Salvation Army of
Denton’s 2014 Doing the Most
Good Luncheon.
The annual event will be at
noon Tuesday, May 13, on the
Mean Green Club level of Apo-
gee Stadium at the University of
North Texas.
The event will include a live
auction featuring sports-
themed items. For more infor-
mation about tickets, call 940-
566-3800.
Navy during the Korean War and was a farmer
and rancher.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents and daughter
Gail Yvonne Finch Monroe. He is survived by his wife
Carolyn Minnis Finch of Lake Dallas; daughter Cindy Knight
and husband Jeff also of Lake Dallas; four sons, Aubrey
Finch of Corinth; Aaron Finch and wife Tina of Lake Dallas;
Anthony Finch and wife Lizzie of Fort Worth; and Billy Harley
Finch Jr. and wife Ramona of Muskogee, Ok. Bill is also
survived by four sisters and four brothers; Charlene Cass,
Joyce Coin,Vicki Veach, Ann Bettem, Travis Finch, Jack
Finch, Sammy Finch, and Dale Finch; 10 gandchildren, 22
great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday May 7, 2014
at 9:00 a.m. in the Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home Chapel, 705
N. Locust Denton, TX with a graveside service following at
2:00 p.m. at the Cuthand Cemetery located at CR 1412 & FM
1487 in Cuthand, TX. A visitation will be held on Tuesday
night from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
On line condolences may be made at
www.mulkeymasondenton.com
Fire department bagpipers,
others to perform Friday
More than 300 firefighter
bagpipers, drummers and hon-
or guard members from across
the country are expected to par-
ticipate in the annual Keeping
Tradition Alive Jam Session
scheduled for Friday, on the
steps of Lewisville City Hall, 151
W. Church St., according to a
news release.
The event will start at 6 p.m.,
with performances starting at 7
p.m.
LES COCKRELL is in-
terested in your input for Out
& About. Help share informa-
tion about Denton County
events and people by calling
him at 940-566-6887 His
e-mail address is lcockrell@
dentonrc.com.
First United Methodist
Church is located at 201 S. Lo-
cust St.
Interfaith Ministries offers
money management classes
Interfaith Ministries of Den-
ton will begin offering free
weekly money management
courses beginning Thursday, ac-
cording to an announcement.
The courses will be taught
from 5:30 to 7 p.m. each Thurs-
day at the Interfaith office, 1109
N. Elm St. Topics to be covered
include “Making Spending
Choices,” “Envelope Budgeting,”
“Planning Your Spending” and
“Understanding Credit.”
For more information, call
940-565-5479.
OBITUARIES
The free event, which draws
more than 1,000 spectators, will
include a series of performances
and presentations by partici-
pants and instructors at the
Keeping Tradition Alive sympo-
sium being held during the week
at the Lewisville Convention
Norma Charlene (Latham) Gray Smith
Norma Charlene (Latham) Gray Smith, 69
passed into eternal life on Friday, May 2,
2014. She was born on May 5, 1944 in
Denton, Texas to Euless Latham and Edna
(Fitzpatrick).
Norma was known for her paintings of
clowns, doing family genealogy research and
her love of dancing. Everyone that knew Norma will always
remember her for her "gift of gab".
Norma is survived by son Dirk, his wife Sheri Gray;
grandchildren Katelin, Montana, Jayden and Shelby;
great-grandchildren Paxton and Vanessa; brother Clarence
Edward his wife, Bonnie Latham; sisters Faye Black and
Karen, her husband Rudy Walz; and her loving nieces,
nephews and numerous other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held at DeBerry Funeral Directors at
2025 W. University, Denton, Tx from 6:00- 8:00 PM on
Monday, May 5, 2014. A memorial service will be held in the
chapel of DeBerry Funeral Directors at 10:00 am on Tuesday,
May 6, 2014. Burial will follow at New Hope Cemetery in
Mountain Springs, TX.
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2025 W. University * 383-4200
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MULKEY
MASON
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FUNERAL HOME
Jack Sckmtz. & Sm
Center.
Also performing Friday eve-
ning will be the Killdares, a Celt-
ic-inspired rock band. The Kill-
dares will take the stage at 7:45
p.m.
Stephen George Kniatt
Stephen George Kniatt, 83, died on April
30, 2014 at Denton Regional Medical Center.
He was born on September 17, 1930, in
Philadelphia, PA, to Stephen Joseph and
Cathryn Burg Kniatt. He married Mary Jane
Johnson in California in 1952. She passed
away in 1966, and he married Nancy Louise
Gorton in Bangkok, Thailand in 1967.
Following service in the US Air Force from 1949-1953,
Steve spent 20 years with Philco-Ford and RCA, working in
locations throughout the US as well as in Okinawa, Thailand,
and the Marshall Islands. In 1973 he moved to Denton,
where he owned and operated DEN-TEX A/C and Restaurant
Supply for over 40 years, always taking great pride in being
there for his customers 24/7. He had amazing mechanical
skills, and there wasn’t a heater, air conditioner, refrigerator,
or ice machine he couldn’t fix. He was a 32nd degree Mason.
Steve is survived by his wife Nancy; sons Stephen and
wife Linda of Corinth, Paul of Sanger, Mark and wife Robin of
Denton, and Richard and wife Kathleen of Alexandria, VA;
daughter Kimberly Usher of Hawaii; daughter-in-law Kathy
Kniatt of Branson, MO; grandchildren Stephen, Cheryl,
Curtis, Nathan and wife Courtney, Michael, Rachel, Jacob,
Cole and Anastasia Kniatt, Stacey Wolf and husband
Spencer, Mary Lindlau and husband Jonathan, and Amanda
Reynolds and husband Mason; 9 great grandchildren;
brother Joseph and sisters Ruth, Teresa, Anne and Mary,
and numerous nieces and nephews. Steve is also survived
by many friends, especially Guy Hammons and Mike and
Selena Zampino. He was preceded in death by his parents;
first wife, Mary; daughter, Mary Iva; and brother, Robert.
A brief memorial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May
8th, in the Chapel at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home, 705 N.
Locust Street in Denton. In lieu of flowers, please consider a
donation in Steve’s name to Denton Animal Shelter
Foundation, PO Box 486, Denton, TX 76205, or to Our Daily
Bread, 300 West Oak Street, Denton, TX 76201.
On line condolences may be made at
www.mulkeymasondenton.com
Guyer Silverados plan
annual spring show
The Guyer High School Sil-
verados drill team will present
its spring showcase, “Silverados
Leave It on the Floor and
Dance,” at 7 p.m. Thursday and
Friday.
Both performances will be in
the auditorium of the high
school, 7501 Teasley Lane. The
Silverados will showcase all
styles of dance from jazz, hip-
hop, lyrical and tap to traditional
high kick, according to an event
announcement.
Tickets cost $8 at the door.
Advance tickets, which cost $5,
will be sold through Wednesday.
Fundraiser to benefit Special
Abilities of North Texas
A silent auction and casino
night benefiting Special Abilities
of North Texas is planned for 6
p.m. Friday at Le Beaux Cha-
teau, 2701 Corporate Circle in
Flower Mound.
The event is the primary fun-
draiser for Special Abilities of
North Texas, a nonprofit agency
serving people with special
needs in Denton County and
surrounding areas. The agency’s
training center provides support
and development to people with
developmental
through vocational training,
continuing education, health,
fitness and nutrition, indepen-
dent living skills and communi-
Attendees are encouraged to
bring blankets and lawn chairs.
Food and beverage vendors will
be on site.
For more information, visit
www.lfdpipesanddrums.com or
www.cityoflewisville.com.
Ray Roberts Lake park
launches outdoor book club
The inaugural meeting of
Ray Roberts Reads, a book club
offered at the Isle du Bois Unit of
Ray Roberts Lake State Park,
will be at U a.m. Saturday.
Participants will meet at the
Lost Pines Amphitheater to dis-
cuss The Martian by Andy
Weir.
Mulkey-Mason
FUNERAL HOME
JaxJc ScJwdhc Sl Sort;
Ray Roberts Reads is part of
Arts in the Parks, a new program
offered by the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department. It will
meet every two months.
The goal of the Arts in the
Parks program is to provide di-
verse opportunities for everyone
to get outside, use their imagina-
tion and connect with state
parks through the arts, accord-
ing to a news release. Photogra-
phy workshops, nature journal-
ing, painting and haiku work-
shops have been part of the pro-
gramming thus far. Ray Roberts
Reads is the first book club of its
kind and will focus on works of
fiction that are 300 pages in
length or less.
The park’s Isle du Bois Unit is
We take every opportunity
to create the kind of
personal relationships
that allow us to provide the
individualized, sensitive
service your family deserves.
disabilities
MULKEY
MASON
H§m
705 N. Locust • Denton • 382-6622
FUNERAI HOME
Jack Schmitz & Sm
ED
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Cobb, Dawn. Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 276, Ed. 1 Monday, May 5, 2014, newspaper, May 5, 2014; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1132386/m1/5/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .