Vacation Report part 3 (Jefferson School)

7-15-11 childish brain?
My friend Steve, who I grew up with during my school years K-12, has been teaching in Alaska for at least 30 years. Steve and I reconnected back in 1994 during one of our high school reunions and since then he visits our hometown over the July 4th holiday and we hang out together a lot. Of course Greg and Vanni (Steve's wife) are welcomed to join us, but I know often they can grow tired of hearing the same old stories of the neighborhood we grew up in.

One topic of great interest, this year, was the razing of our neighborhood elementary school, Jefferson School, which Steve and I attended K-6 grades. In fact we were the first class of kindergartners in this new school back in the fall of 1961. The demolition of Jefferson is also a hot topic on my Mother's mind these days and she has been attending all the school board meetings to keep track of what might happen to the 6-7 acres of land which is not far from our house.

Steve, Vanni, Greg and I walked over to the old school yard one evening over vacation, with the purpose of now getting a good look at "The Big Rock". This rock holds special memories to many of us who attended Jefferson School. It was like the center of our small universe back in the day. We loved playing on this rock.

 (it was hot that day, so I had my umbrella for shade)

Steve is so passionate about THE BIG ROCK, that he has been in contact with the school board and Jean Ann's husband Doug, who is in excavation, and there currently are plans to have the rock moved (if possible) to a city park by the museum. We are all patiently waiting to see IF the rock is not TOO BIG to be moved.

(Unlike when we were kids, the rock is now covered more with dirt)

Another solution we talked about was starting a fund drive to collect money to purchase the land outright, then donate the land to the city park association to create a new city park. The rock could remain in place for future generations to enjoy.

Well, time will tell.... there is still a lot of clean up work on the school grounds site and we will see who else might be interested in building on this land- IF anyone! So far there are no serious bids on the land.