Home best place for graduation

If someone had told first-year Douglas High School Principal Marty Swisher in December that he would have to find a spot for graduation because someone would donate $1.6 million to fix the track and renovate the football field, we doubt he would have believed it.

Even after news of Big George Venture's hefty grant to the school came out in January, it must have been hard to believe it would actually take place.

The high school's benefactor, Kingsbury resident Raymond Sidney, has only lived in Douglas County for a short time and it has only been five months since he came to public notice when he purchased land at public auction in November.

With the money secured for the track, Swisher had to make some quick decisions. It is to his credit that he didn't eliminate any possibilities for upcoming graduation ceremonies.

As much as it would have pained us to hold graduation ceremonies at Carson High School, the important thing was that the ceremonies would have been held.

We join Swisher in thanking Carson High School's administrators for their support in the Tigers' hour of need, and are sure we will extend the same courtesy should it ever be required.

However, we're thrilled that Douglas High School's Class of 2006 will be able to graduate on its home turf.

We know there will be some problems, as there are with any graduation, but the knowledge that a Douglas tradition will be upheld is a comfort to us and hopefully a touchstone for graduates. It will definitely be a year to remember.