For some reason this week I have been thinking about visits to the office.
Yesterday, it was the memory of one of my favorite readers, Theresa Guyer, and the special memory that her daughters wanted me to have - in the process honoring the promise they made to their mom.
Earlier this week, I was thinking about another visit to my office, one that also got me to thinking about what it is I do and the effect it has on our readers.
Although the memory was pleasant, the reason for it was anything but.
I was startled to receive an email from my friend Rick Durante at the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union. Any time I get an email with "Sad News" in the subject line, I brace for the worst.
But I wasn't ready for this.
John Unangst, the longtime head of the credit union, had passed away suddenly over the weekend.
My mind immediately raced back to a meeting held in my office several years ago.
John had called and said he and Harry Jamison, then the head of the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, had an idea they wanted to run by me.
I was all ears.
It turns out John and Harry were big fans of our All-Delco teams, the ones we put together after every high school sports season to honor outstanding achievement. We do one for every high school sport.
Their idea? They wanted to borrow the idea and adapt it to academics.
Specifically, they were planning to align with Hi-Q, the nation's oldest scholastic quiz competition, and create an All-Delco Hi-Q team.
They asked if I was interested.
I almost jumped across the desk and hugged them.
It has always been one of my goals to honor kids who excel at academics. The Daily Times is rightly proud of our reputation as "Delaware County's Sports Authority."
I was in part prodded by my wife, who would always remind me that our coverage of athletes was nice, but why didn't we do anything similar for kids who excel in the classroom?
This was my chance, and I jumped at it.
Every year since, we have presented the All-Delco Hi-Q team on our front page in the spring. We do it before the annual Partners in Education dinner, something else John was instrumental in establishing. It brings all the kids who participate in Hi-Q - not just the All-Delco Hi-Q team, together for a banquet at the Drexelbrook. It's one of the biggest events of the year, routinely drawing as many as 600 people.
It's been my good fortune to attend every year since it was established. I always tell people the same thing. It's important to take note of kids who excel academically, and more importantly to offer a more balanced view of the good things kids are doing. We certainly offer plenty when it comes to young people doing things they probably should not be doing.
After a few years, they added honors for the best teachers with the Excellence in Teaching Awards.
I don't know how he did it, but for the first Partners in Education dinner, John was able to get 'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek to act as emcee. Could there be a more perfect host? John followed that up the next year by reeling in 'Jeopardy' king Ken Jennings.
I will be forever grateful for that visit more than a decade ago from John and Harry. John was always extremely proud of his alma mater, Interboro High School, and each year offered a college scholarship in his name to a deserving student.
Rest well, John.
Be assured that you have left an indelible mark on Delaware County, honoring kids for their academic prowess.
You can take that to the bank.
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