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Victory
Celebration? You betcha!
By Bob Robinson
“Honk if you support Greenville Schools!”
I haven’t heard that much honking since I was a sub and took my
kindergarten class to the Greenville Street Department on a field day.
The kids got into those huge machines and honked horns all morning.
That was what it was like Saturday around the Greenville Circle. Seems
they were celebrating a few days early. They were yelling, dancing,
waving signs.
Were they practicing for Tuesday night?
“We were getting thumbs up from a lot of the cars,” said one exuberant
supporter. School Superintendent Doug Fries said “you watch and some of
them just keep driving around the circle, honking and waving.”
Someone told me once that if everyone who has a sign voted… “we would
win in a landslide,” another supporter answered for me. Over 2,000
signs have been distributed throughout the district.
School Board member Fred Matix was hawking free hot dogs. You didn’t
have to ask. As I approached the tent next to the Wave Wagon he put one
in my hand and said, “Mustard okay? We have catsup.”
Mustard was fine, Fred.
I think the last time I saw that much traffic around the circle (other
than parades) was during the Great Darke County Fair last year when
visitors swelled into the tens of thousands.
True to form, the fountain was spewing bubbles from another dose of
soap. “We didn’t do it,” Fries said. “It was that way when we got here.”
Someone else said, “Too bad they didn’t use green coloring.” That’s
okay. If I recall correctly, Wave colors are Green AND White.
If I’d had more time, I’d have stuck around for the fun. It seemed
everyone was having a blast. They were “up,” enthusiastic, optimistic,
and celebrating three days early. It was exciting and heart warming at
the same time.
Watching the energy of these kids took me back to my high school days.
I tried to think if I had ever seen this much loyalty and support to a
high school… or district for that matter. I don’t think so.
Just one more reason, I think, why Greenville and Darke County are so
special. People come in all sizes, shapes and predispositions, but the
recurring theme in all Darke County communities is pride. Pride in your
values, who you are and the future of your community.
That is something special not seen often enough these days.
So is this “celebration” premature? Maybe. The vote won’t be counted
until Tuesday evening. But it will be the correct vote. Of that I have
no doubt. Get past the BS and adults are the same the world over. They
really do want to pass on a better life for their kids.
That’s the world I grew up in. That’s the world that exists today in
Greenville School District, Darke County, Ohio.
I think they were portending the future Saturday morning. Victory
celebration? You betcha!
See the full photo gallery here
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