ANOTHER CHAPTER ENDING IN CAPE

Long-time principal Barbara Blanchard views the closing of Washington School as a new beginning, but that didn't keep her tears from flowing as the flag in front of the school was lowered for the last time Saturday afternoon.

The flag lowering was part of closing ceremonies at Washington School, whose 88-year career as a building of education will end next month when a new school named after Blanchard will open."This really is a new beginning," said Blanchard, who was a student at the school in the '40s, taught school there beginning in 1961 and was principal from 1989-98. But she and the other approximately 300 former students and staff members of the school who attended the closing ceremonies found it difficult to say goodbye to an institution that was so much a part of their lives."I feel like I have lived here most of my life," Blanchard said. And while the new school that will take the place of Washington School and May Greene School will be named after Blanchard, she said much of the credit for her success belongs to people she encountered at the school at 621 N. Fountain."It's the greatest honor of my life to have the school named for me," Blanchard said. "I accepted it for a lot of people who have made me who I am."William Blaylock, another former student and teacher at Washington School, told the audience at the flag ceremony that they need to "remember the friends we had and the staff that affected our lives."To help keep the memories alive, those who attended the closing ceremonies were asked to write down their memories of the school, which will be put in a book.

One of Belle Niswanger Litzelfelner's favorite memories was the dandelion dig held each year."When the dandelions would come up in the spring, they would put us on teams and send us out to dig them up," said Litzelfelner, who attended first through ninth grade at Washington School, finishing there in 1943. "The team that dug the most got to name the queen."Litzelfelner helped organize the closing ceremonies and helped collect the memorabilia and photos that were displayed in several classrooms.

Three women who were all students at Washington from 1943-51 were chatting over photos from the 40s. As they caught up with the lives of each other and those they all knew, they shared some of their favorite memories.

JoAnn Mandrelle Drum remembered the cafeteria's great ham salad sandwiches, which she said set the standard for which she still judges sandwiches today.

Jackie Boswell Givens loved the musicals they performed and could recall all the words from "Buffalo Gals," which she sang in second grade.

Jane Brennecke Womack lived across the street from the school and remembered picking the lock on the gym at night to play basketball.

They all remembered wonderful teachers."Everyone I've talked to today has commented on the outstanding teachers we had here," Blanchard said."They didn't just teach us the three Rs," said former student Floyd A. Smith at the flag ceremony. "They also taught us character, discipline and integrity."As he prepared to lower the school's flag for the last time, he told the crowd that it would be displayed at the new school as a symbol of the values taught and learned at Washington School. "It will be a symbol of what Washington School has meant to all of us."