NYC

Most days we get up, go to work, and go through the humdrum motions of everyday life. That sounds very cynical especially from me because I really enjoy my job-even after 33 years! My point is some days we get a real surprise-something that makes everything else pale in comparison. On Monday it was an envelope in my mailbox at school. The return address was from New York City. I immediately thought it was bad news. I recently purchased (through the generous help of our PTO)the rights to a play The Guys, which I have written about in past blogs. The Guys, written by Annie Nelson, is a play based on a true story. Not long after 9/11 a NYC fire captain was asked to eulogize several of his guys. He struggled, but then was hooked up with a writer who helped with the process. The play is the two of them on a stark stage discussing the guys, life, and much more. I would like to present the play as part of our annual Flight 93 dinner on Saturday May 19th at St. Mary's Banquet Hall. I'm still looking for two actors. Being a producer is a new role for me. Ha! Back to the letter. It wasn't a rejection for my license to produce The Guys, but it was from a gentleman named Matthew Weiss. He is making a documentary about Welles Remy Crowther. Welles is the Man in the Red Bandanna. I first read about his story on the weekend before 9/11/11 in USA Weekend, then a day later saw the short film about him on ESPN. It is still on their website. After that weekend I knew I had to do something to share Welles's story. One of our teachers helped me. She runs our Junior Teen Institute and every fall schools across the country honor the memory of a DEA agent who was killed many years ago in Colombia. Red Ribbon Week involves a different activity each day of the week so one of our days was Red Bandanna Day. We sold red bandannas for $2.00 and many staff members and students participated. Our yearbook adviser took pictures-many pictures, and put together a very professional Power Point complete with music. I mailed it to The Crowther Foundation. I have received thank you e-mails from Alison-Welles's mother and his sister. Matthew Weiss, the filmmaker, was asking for permission to use this video in his film. The point of his project is to show how Welles's story affected people who never met him. I called him and we spoke for some time and I shared information about our 9/11 mural. When our artist Augusto Bordelois was asking for ideas from our students every class mentioned The Man in the Red Bandanna. Welles is part of our mural-right between a police officer and a firefighter!