LaPaz Elementary

Kids today simply don’t know the fun of attending a 19th century, or early 20th century for that matter, school building. LaPaz Elementary was the coolest. The earliest part of the building was constructed in the late 1800’s and featured a large tower we were all certain held the remains of troublesome students or ghosts of old teachers. It also featured a stone basement in which we had our art class, and a rickety wood staircase that led to the basement that was condemned my 6th grade year. A newer portion of the building had the classic early 20th century gymnasium with a raised stage and wood bleachers. Connected to that was a large garage area used for storage and for showing films. For some reason one film has stuck with me. It was a documentary of how donuts were made and featured a conveyor type mass production system that inspired me to go home and create on paper a number of other production lines. At the rear of the garage/movie theater was access to a basement under the main part of the building. This is where the older kids went for tornado drills. I remember my older sister telling me that the area frequently flooded, was filled with rats, and was thought to extend as a tunnel clear beneath U.S. 31. While the rats may have existed, I doubt the other stories were true. The other truly interesting thing about our elementary school was the newest portion of the building, constructed during the 1950s I presume, had its second floor connected to the second floor of the old part of the school by means of an elevated and enclosed “catwalk”. I do believe that this was condemned also in my last year there. I remember as we would go single file from one building to the other, we would all jump and stomp hoping that the catwalk would bounce. In our minds anyway, it did. What would have happened had we gone hurdling to the ground below, I’m not sure.

This is a picture of the school "tying yellow ribbons round the old" mulberry tree in the front lawn of the school, in hope for the release of the hostages in Iran

Life as an elementary student of course was exciting. Kindergarten-show and tell. First grade-I had a teacher both my dad and grandmother had, Mrs. Tornquist, who sent me to the Principal’s office for taking a whiz outside. I’ve never forgiven the student who told on me. Mrs. Tornquist-in her tight polyester pants with the old lady underwear showing on the back side-was never endeared to me. Second grade-I broke my arm just before school started and had to have an student assistant-Kim. I also had “fat” as a spelling word and promptly used my teacher’s name in the sentence “Mrs. so-n-so is fat”. I think my broken arm provided the grace I needed. Third grade-I became friends with Jeff, a guy who ended up being the best man in my wedding, and I in his, and am still friends with today. Together we built hangars and airplanes out of paper and pencils. Fourth grade-rather unremarkable. Fifth grade-a split class with a teacher I did not get along with, but it was in that grade I embraced geography and history, which haunts me to this day. Sixth grade-I remember holding a mock presidential debate and since no one else would be on President Carter’s panel I volunteered.

I sure miss the old school. It truly was full of memories for generations of folks in our community.