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7 honored by Benton museum |
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Tuesday, 09 March 2010 |
 Honored Saturday night at the Benton Athletic Memorial Museum Wall of Fame are, from left, Robert Garrett representing the late Glen Hockersmith; Kinnis Pledger; Jim Miller; Barry Harper; Steve Landers; Pamela Lanise Wright Turner; and Leonard E. Hill. Hockersmith, Pledger, Miller, Harper and Turner were inducted into the Wall of Fame, and Landers and Hill received Distinguished Alumni awards. LYNDA HOLLENBECK/Courier
Inducted into the BAMM Wall of Fame were Kennis Pledger, the late Glen Hockersmith, Pamela Lanise Wright Turner, Barry Howard and Jim Miller.
In addition to the inductees’ honors, receiving Distinguished Alumni honors were Leonard E. Hill and Steve Landers.
Accepting the honor for Hockersmith were Bob Garrett and Freddy Burton, who were classmates and lifelong friends of Hockersmith’s.
Memorabilia from each Wall of Fame inductee was displayed at the museum before the banquet.
The museum is named for Tom Hardin, a BHS coach, who led efforts to establish the entity that recognizes Benton School District athletic groups, bands, choirs and other organizations.
The new award recipients and their special guests were honored Saturday night at the 15th annual Wall of Fame banquet at the Benton High School cafeteria.
Also recognized at the banquet were the following scholarship recipients:
•Destiny Dodson, who received the David Weaver Memorial Scholarship. Making the presentation was Lita Gattis, assistant principal of Benton High School.
•Katie Mills and Sara Sidebottom, who received BAMM Memorial Scholarships. Presenting the awards were Robin James, president of the BAMM Board of Directors; and Clark Brewster, vice president of the BAMM board.
•Julie Davis and Sidebottom again, who received the Coach Elbert Kizzia Scholarships. Mike Clayton, who played football under Kizzia, presented the awards.
Clayton also is a 2001 inductee into the BAMM Wall of Fame.
State Rep. Barbara Nix presented Arkansas General Assembly congratulatory citations to the various Benton High School organizations that have received national recognition during the school year. This included the baseball, golf, girls volleyball and quiz bowl teams and the cheerleaders.
Nix, who is a member of the BAMM Board of Directors, also presented the Distinguished Alumni Award to Hill.
Mary Kay Mooney, another BAMM board member, presented the alumni award to Landers.
Welcoming the guests and recognizing various individuals in attendance was Donnie Burks, executive director of the museum.
Shawn Arnell, ARN SportsTalk radio host, served as master of ceremonies for the event.
The invocation was given by Clayton.
The banquet meal was catered by the BHS cafeteria staff. Serving the guests were members of the BHS Key Club.
Corporate sponsors for the event were Everett Buick GMC, Ashby Funeral Home, Coca-Cola of Arkansas, Regions Bank and The Flower Cart.
The concept for BAMM materialized at a public meeting in February 1995. In April that year the Benton School Board accepted the concept and agreed that the structure could be built on a site adjacent to Cook Fieldhouse.
The Museum Board agreed to build the museum at no cost to the district and to administratively operate the facility upon completion of construction.
Th building was dedicated and presented to the School Board as school district property in October 1999.
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