Grace High School does some spring cleaning

In observance of an annual tradition, Grace High School made its way out into the community to help clean the streets for spring.  Groups of students started from both sides of town—from the turnoff to the dump on one end of town to the highway south on the other—and met at the high school steps afterward for a popsicle from Mayor Barthlome.  

In addition to cleaning the roadside areas, one group of students made its way up the hill to repaint the “G”, another painted the curbs in front of the school, and yet another worked its way through downtown, working with the city crew and sweeping the sidewalks as they went.

While no one was entirely sure exactly when the tradition was begun, it was the commonly held belief that it had been initiated by past principal Brady as a way of instilling in Grace students the importance of giving back to the community.  “Every May they pick a date, and come out here to be a part of cleaning up the town.  It’s a wonderful thing,” Mayor Barthlome says, cutting the plastic tops off of frozen treats as kids trickle in from a variety of tasks around town, some covered in paint and other shaking the dust from their hair as the wind picks up.  

Students collected trash from along the sides of the highway, placing it in bags for the city crew to collect later on in the afternoon.  Some surprises were encountered along the way, including car parts, unidentified objects, unfortunate roadkill, and even live mice (which managed to escape).  

In addition to the mayor and the city crew, teachers Brandon Jackson, Kevin Manhart, Kirsten Burrell, volunteer Chuy Majia, and a number of other adults were out and about helping supervise and coordinate students.  

“Sometimes they need a reminder about what they’re doing out here,” City Superintendent Riley Crookston said, preparing to explain the sweeping process to a group of students freed to the outdoors on one of the first nice days of the year.  “But it’s great that they help out.”

The Grace Chamber of Commerce was also involved in the afternoon, bringing water to students as they made their way through the town from one end to the other.  As a community, Grace has a habit of pulling together and supporting each other, and that spirit was on clear display for one of the last days these kids would have together as students of their hometown high school.