Letter to the Editor

Great job Worthington principal, staff

Friday, February 8, 2008

To the Editor:

Dear Principal Keller and staff:

In mid December, I attended an eighth grade basketball game at your school in Worthington. What an enjoyable event.

I was so impressed by the care and cleanliness of your gymnasium. It is such a pleasure to see the beauty of the court, the clean and well cared for bleachers -- and even the rafters were bright and well cared for.

I did not experience any ugly blotches of old chewing gum, the gumminess of "last month's spilled pop," old dried-up popcorn from previous event or even those nasty, dusty cracks around the bleachers that one-pass dust mop will leave over time.

I cannot stress how I was impressed by the total cleanliness and care of your facility. I know it didn't just happen last week, but has been an on-going effort of many years. Fine care comes from the heart, be it raising a child, producing a clean field of soybeans or, in your case keeping an older facility in top shape.

As I sat there looking around, the nostalgia of "game time" past was dripping from the rafters. Having played ball for Edwardsport, Sandborn and Westphalia in the 1950s, I could just see the crowd packing in there every Friday night to support the locals against Bloomfield, Freedom, Lyons and all the other schools from back then.

Game night was special in all of Indiana back then.

In this "moronic age" of more new buildings, more consolidation, more "high tech" and no time for life with friends and family, you and your staff through much work, love and loyalty have preserved and maintained the real heart of your community, your school.

We all know that a building alone does not make a school. It is the heart and soul of all those who work there, each doing his or her part completes the training of the community's children.

Once again, I thank you and your staff for allowing me the privilege to share in your community pride. Your efforts have blessed me and thousands of others over the years.

I leave you with my coaching and playing axiom: "Perfection is not required, but, Excellence is mandatory!"

From "down the road."

Don Carnahan

Carlisle