May 6 - 12, 2016
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
Kitley receives NCHSAA award
‘Ironman’ returns to the battlefield
by PATTI STOKES NW GUILFORD – Ralph Kitley, principal of Northwest Guilford High School since 2009, recently received the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Bob Deaton Principal of the Year Kitley award. The NCHSAA annually presents these statewide awards in seven different categories, all
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‘In God We Trust’ Stokesdale Town Hall to display national motto by PATTI STOKES
nwobserver.com
After a 10-month period of remission, Johnny Van Kemp, 12, is battling leukemia once again by PATTI STOKES SUMMERFIELD – This follow-up story was supposed to be about how Johnny Van Kemp, aka “Ironman,” a sixthgrader at Northern Middle School who we wrote about in 2012 after he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), was now cancer-free and living a happy, healthy life. Following his initial diagnosis, when he was 8 years old and only a third grader at Summerfield Elementary, Johnny endured a year of intense chemo treatment, followed by two years of daily chemo treatment which finally ended in June 2015. Throughout three years of being poked, prodded, medicated, sick, and in pain, Johnny was an inspiration to the wide circle of those who knew and loved him as well STOKESDALE – In the near future, Stokesdale Town Hall will have a new feature – the words “In God We Trust” will be prominently displayed on the front of the building. The town council’s unanimous decision to add the national motto to the outside of the town hall building was made after Mark Smith, a member of the U.S. Motto Action Committee, spoke at the council meeting on April 14 and invited the town to join
Johnny Van Kemp was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in April 2012. After over three years of procedures and chemo treatments, he celebrated his last treatment in June and the fact that his cancer was in remission. Sadly, after learning on April 14 that his cancer had returned, Johnny is back in the hospital and undergoing an intense 29-day treatment program.
as thousands more who didn’t, and he exhibited a sense of strength and courage far beyond his years. On June 26 of last year, Johnny had surgery to remove his chest port and the following Monday, June 29, he and his parents eagerly drove to Brenner’s Children’s Hospital to ring the bell, which signifies the end of chemo treatment. A few months later Johnny and his parents had a celebration party and shared with family and friends some insights as to what their journey with cancer had been like, and what the love and far-reaching support they had
...continued on p. 23 “the growing list of cities and counties all across the state to proudly and prominently display our U.S. motto on government buildings.” One hundred percent of the committee’s cost to install the national motto on governmental buildings is paid for by donations from private individuals, churches and businesses. “In God We Trust” was first placed
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IN THIS ISSUE News in Brief ......................................... 3 Your Questions ..................................... 4 Stokesdale Town Council .................... 6 Pets & Critters ........................................ 9 Friendship at the park ...................... 10 Pet Adoptions .....................................11 Youth/School News ........................... 12 High School Sports ............................. 14 Community Calendar ....................... 18 Out of the Garden Project ................ 19 Crime/Incident Report ...................... 20 Business Notes .................................... 22 Bits & Pieces ........................................ 22 Letters/Opinions ................................. 24 Grins & Gripes..................................... 25 Classifieds ........................................... 27 Index of Advertisers ........................... 31