This is a friendly place

I attended last Friday’s senior night at Lake Roosevelt High School. The place was packed and the Raiders won all three basketball games.

I went to support my great grandson, Damon Landeros, who is a senior, and who has played four years for the Raiders.

It was quite a night, I watched three games and enjoyed probably an hour of recognition of seniors. It will be a night that these seniors will long remember.

What struck me was the display of friendship. It was a night that brought friendships back.

After the third game, a lot of people stayed in the gym to visit.

Each senior was called to midcourt and then joined by family members and friends and personally recognized with appropriate comments.

The gym was darkened so all the attention was on the seniors. Balloons, flowers and a ton of gifts floated around the gym.

The entire evening was testament to good things happening at our school. Athletes were courteous to the visiting teams, and there wasn’t evidence to some of the petty things you sometimes see.

Liberty Bell fans filled the area set aside for fans of visiting teams, and were very patient even though they were facing a two-hour drive home.

Sitting behind me were two friends, Jolene Marchand and Connie Babler. I hadn’t seen Jolene for a number of years. I see Connie nearly every week. She was there with some of her family. I would see her again on Saturday during her 90th birthday bash at the senior center. The senior center was packed and all the members of Connie’s family were there. There were dozens of little clusters of people chatting and renewing friendships.

At the game, Jolene sat right behind me. We had a brief visit then, and Jolene brought me up to date on her status.

She recently retired from her job at the Colville Tribes after working 49 years there. She said she had worked in the same office all that time. It says something, for both Jolene and the Tribes, that the work atmosphere where she worked was inviting and challenging.

Jolene also reported that she has been on the school board for 32 years. I remember from when I used to cover the school board for the Star newspaper.

It was an impressive evening, old friends, proud seniors, and plenty of positive happenings.

Yes, we are a friendly people.