In 1965, the price of Coke was going up and the Principal, Joe Mirenzi, asked me what we should do, should we put in a seven cent machine (it was currently a nickel) or a ten cent machine and keep the change. Now I don’t know why I was the advisor to the boss, but I must have been in the right place at the right time, it just made sense to me to go to ten cents and keep the change. No one wanted to deal with all those pennies, and a dime was a reasonable price. McDonalds was charging about a quarter at that time for a Coke.
The school secretary and I figured that she could keep the books on this and someday we’d do something with the money.
I turned in my resignation in 1970. We had gone through several principals by that time, and the only people who remembered about the Coke machine were the school secretary and me, even though we hadn’t mentioned it since 1965.
It was a hot May that year, and the end of school was always a warm and highly charged time, just because everyone, students and teachers alike, wanted summer to come and school to end. Teachers were complaining to each other about how hot it was, and for those of us sitting in the teacher's room, there were limited windows and the door had to, for sanity sake, be closed. Why couldn’t we have the teacher’s room air conditioned?
I asked the assembled group, what was stopping us? Well, first of all, in those days we needed a 220 electric line to air condition such a large space and we’d need an air conditioner? I said I’d work on that and everyone laughed and said, “Sure, you’re leaving anyway, what can you do?”
I went to the school secretary and asked if we had the funds. Yes, we did. I’d need the Principals permission although he didn’t even know about the money. I’d have to speak to an electrician and see about the 220 line and I’d have to get an air conditioner.
In order, that’s what I did, and the deed was done.
In the beginning of June, we had an air conditioned teacher’s room!
The secretary reminded me then that the Principal, Mr. Gibson, was on an eleven month contract, while we were on ten months, as was the secretary. He was alone in the school for the month of July.
Was there a way to help him?
There was no Coke money left, what resources did I have?
I went to the school’s PTA Board and explained the story you’ve just read, and detailed the hardship faced by our wonderful Principal, and asked for help. Mr. Nathanial Gibson, the Principal, was a great guy that we all admired, and we wanted to help him. His office was small, and we didn’t need additional electricity, we just needed a window unit. They all agreed with me and the deed was done!
When I left, my legacy was an air conditioned teacher’s room and principals office!
Many years later, as I drove down Maryland Route 175, I wanted to show my girls where I used to teach. No matter where I drove it just seemed to not be the right place. Sadly, the new road had come through and the County had torn down the school.
My legacy had a time limit!
The school secretary and I figured that she could keep the books on this and someday we’d do something with the money.
I turned in my resignation in 1970. We had gone through several principals by that time, and the only people who remembered about the Coke machine were the school secretary and me, even though we hadn’t mentioned it since 1965.
It was a hot May that year, and the end of school was always a warm and highly charged time, just because everyone, students and teachers alike, wanted summer to come and school to end. Teachers were complaining to each other about how hot it was, and for those of us sitting in the teacher's room, there were limited windows and the door had to, for sanity sake, be closed. Why couldn’t we have the teacher’s room air conditioned?
I asked the assembled group, what was stopping us? Well, first of all, in those days we needed a 220 electric line to air condition such a large space and we’d need an air conditioner? I said I’d work on that and everyone laughed and said, “Sure, you’re leaving anyway, what can you do?”
I went to the school secretary and asked if we had the funds. Yes, we did. I’d need the Principals permission although he didn’t even know about the money. I’d have to speak to an electrician and see about the 220 line and I’d have to get an air conditioner.
In order, that’s what I did, and the deed was done.
In the beginning of June, we had an air conditioned teacher’s room!
The secretary reminded me then that the Principal, Mr. Gibson, was on an eleven month contract, while we were on ten months, as was the secretary. He was alone in the school for the month of July.
Was there a way to help him?
There was no Coke money left, what resources did I have?
I went to the school’s PTA Board and explained the story you’ve just read, and detailed the hardship faced by our wonderful Principal, and asked for help. Mr. Nathanial Gibson, the Principal, was a great guy that we all admired, and we wanted to help him. His office was small, and we didn’t need additional electricity, we just needed a window unit. They all agreed with me and the deed was done!
When I left, my legacy was an air conditioned teacher’s room and principals office!
Many years later, as I drove down Maryland Route 175, I wanted to show my girls where I used to teach. No matter where I drove it just seemed to not be the right place. Sadly, the new road had come through and the County had torn down the school.
My legacy had a time limit!
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