Puckering up for a porker
Marisa O’Neil
When Ken Killian took over midyear as principal at Newport Heights
Elementary School, he didn’t know he’d have to get intimate with a
pig.
But when the school’s PTA asked him to follow through on a plan
laid out by his predecessor to kiss a pig as a reading reward for
students, he didn’t flinch. And at Friday morning’s flag deck, he
puckered up with a potbellied porker named Wilbur.
“I’ve always had new experiences no matter how many years I’ve
been a principal,” Killian told students. “There’s always something
new.”
Friday marked his first time smooching a swine.
The kiss was a culmination of a yearlong drive to encourage
students to read, said PTA member Cynthia Ridley, who organized the
program. “Pig Out on Reading” encouraged students to wallow in a good
book and challenged them to read 2-million pages.
They ended up reading 2.3 million, Ridley said.
Paige More and Devyn Williams, both 12, said they each read at
least 200 pages every week. All the students said they were looking
forward to the big day.
“It’s disgusting,” 10-year-old Paolina Ruiz said at the thought of
getting up close and personal with a pig.
“I think it’s cool,” 10-year-old Cece Beck countered.
Parent Sherrie Curfman, a 4-H member who keeps three pigs of her
own at the Orange County Fairgrounds, secured a black, 14-month-old
potbellied pig for Killian. It spent Thursday night at Ridley’s
house.
On Friday morning, the whole school gathered in the playground,
waiting for the big kiss.
Curfman carried Wilbur out for his big entrance. He dressed for
the occasion in a little lei.
Killian stepped up to the pig, gave him a little scratch on the
head then followed up with a peck on the snout. Wilbur didn’t
reciprocate.
In a flash, it was over and Killian got a pig-shaped topiary from
the PTA for his trouble. Some of the students cozied up to Wilbur
later on.
“Pigs are nice, not mean,” 10-year-old Sophia Evans said.
Devyn stole a kiss from Wilbur.
“His hair’s really course,” she said.
Now Killian, who will retire this year, can add another experience
to his long list.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought,” Killian said.
* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)
574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.