Clarksburg Custodian Gets Royal Retirement Sendoff
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| Retiring head custodian Michael Peters with School Committee member Mary Giron, a former longtime employee at the school. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Custodian Michael Peters happily went through the "car wash" on his last day at Clarksburg School on Thursday.
It's a tradition at the school to send off their retiring personnel with a hand-waving gauntlet of children and a drive around town in a classy vehicle.
Decked out in a crown and a sash declaring "The Legend Has Retired," Peters stepped into Kevin Gamache's 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 to ride by a line of cheering children.
They stood waving and cheering on both sides of the long driveway to the back of the school, with first-graders holding signs saying "Thank you," "Happy Retirement, and "We Love" Mr. Peters. An older student declared, "I'm going to miss him."
Peters,of North Adams, worked for the school for 19 years, the last 16 as the head custodian, and said he felt pretty but also a "little anxious" as he pondered his next chapter.
"It's been fun. It's been really good. Everybody's been really great," said the Clarksburg native. "I've never had a problem with anybody, and it's been fun. It's been a really good, good time here."
His last two principals paid him high compliments not only on his work but the extra efforts he's put in over the years.
Oh, I think I think he's been amazing," said Principal Kimberly Rougeau. "He stuck out an extra year for me when I became principal last year, knowing that one more change might be a little tricky.
"He's willing to help out. He sees us working on something, and finds where he can jump in. So he's going to be missed."
Tara Barnes, now assistant superintendent, said, "Michael Peters was way more than a custodian for Clarksburg School. He's part of our family. He was reliable, always there for us, and we're going to miss him a lot."
Peters wasn't sure what he would be doing next, but would be taking it day by day.
"We'll find out. Yeah, we'll find out," he said. "We'll keep busy though. We got to keep busy."
Tags: Clarksburg School, retirement,
