Simon and Garfunkel’s “Old Friends” and Downtown Garrett Park Benches

Do you remember Simon and Garfunkel’s poignant 1968 song Bookends?
 

 

 

Old friends,

Old friends,

Sat on their park bench like bookends ...

 

Can you imagine us years from today,

Sharing a park bench so quietly?

So terribly strange to be seventy ...? 

 

 

 

 

Go ahead and click on the link above to play it …

Last fall I asked Garrett’s Mayor Tonya Hoeffel if the City might place some benches downtown, so people could spend some pleasant, idle time talking with a friend, or just taking in the town’s pulse as time runs its course. She agreed ...

And here you see Jim Burns and me testing one between the City Hall building and the small but nice memorial to Garrett Keyser Butler war veterans.     

 

 

 

They work!

We had a nice time,
talked with a couple
strangers passing by...



So might you!

 

 

 

And if someday you see a schoolmate sitting thus, won’t you stop and join him or her for a while?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Rowe welcomes correspondence of all sort at StephenRowe.OriGraphics@yahoo.com

(watch for the period between Rowe and OriGraphics)

Huge Garrett July 4th Pancake Breakfast + Run/Walk - Make It Happen!

 

 

 

 

 

How many remember Sherry Smith, Coach Ward Smith’s daughter (and possibly your old friend), who a couple years before graduating from Garrett moved to Beech Grove (I believe) in 1967?

 

 

 

 

Well, this is Sherry Smith Nidlinger accepting her second place award at last Saturday’s 2013 Lagrange Courthouse Classic 5k (2^nd in the female 60+ division). 

 

Sherry’s son Jeff won the overall first place (he wins a lot of races), and I met her grandson there as well, a very engaging young man who will be going to Carroll High school next year (and someone you will likely read about before long if you follow regional wrestling). 

 

Now, wouldn’t it be grand if Sherry and a greater-than-usual host of other Garrett expatriates and alumni from all classes would converge at this year’s Garrett Heritage Days July 4^th 2 mile walk / 5k run, which starts at the park across from the school?

 

The 9:00 walk/run is bracketed by a 7-11 pancake breakfast everyone can enjoy, walk/run or not. A lot of people do come every year, so imagine how many old friends you might discover there this year … COME AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

 

 

Stephen Rowe welcomes correspondence of all sort at StephenRowe.OriGraphics@yahoo.com

(watch for the period between Rowe and OriGraphics)