Ottawa High School Class of ’71 dedicates renovated “O” area

Ottawa High’s Class of 1971 members gathered Friday in the “O” area in front of Ottawa High School to dedicate the newly-landscaped area in honor of their class.

Using Facebook, they were able to gather together and raise money to plant trees and landscape an area damaged by the derecho last summer.

“Last August, in the wake of the devastating windstorm that destroyed the trees in front of the school, classmate Rose Biffany Varney suggested on our Facebook page, ‘How about the class donate money to the school to purchase new trees?’ ” said Ottawa High graduate Dan Eilts. “But because we received so many donations, the Class of ’71 had money left over.”

Eilts said the class was able to contact Superintendent Michael Cushing to see if there were any other projects it could sponsor.

“Thanks to many more generous donations, what was just a patch of grass for years is now what you see, a dedication plaque and the cornerstone of the project, a Class of 1971 Ottawa Pirates stone,” Eilts said.

Eilts said the Class of 1971 wants to thank the faculty, staff and school board, including Don Harris and Roger Amm, who were both part of the Class of 1971.

“Every time I drive by the school now, every time I walk up to this entryway to go into Kingman Gym, this will serve as a reminder of why I am so proud to be a member of the class of 1971,” Eilts said.

Eilts said this project was a team effort, but Juanita Herrera Dixon did a lot behind the scenes to turn the project into reality.

The landscaping was done by Garden’s Gate in Ottawa, and the Class of 1971 also dedicated two benches, one to the Class of 1971 and another bench in memory of their 100 classmates who have died.

Eilts said the class stays in contact through a Facebook group, where they have more than 200 members. There, they reminisce about stories like the one he opened his speech with.

The late Craig “Cap” Capitani snuck a deer head into the school and hauled it up to the passageway right above the “O” area. Capitani wedged the deer head at the bottom of a window frame and stuck a cigarette in its mouth.

“How about it?” Eilts said. “A deer smoking a cigarette as pretty as you please looking onto Main Street witnessed by hundreds of students right in the heart of dear old Ottawa High.”

Eilts said science teacher and assistant football coach Ralph Nelson found the statue right around the time the deer “took its first puff.”

“Ralph pulled the deer out of the window and asked where it came from,” Eilts said. “Without skipping a beat, Everett Smith, God rest his soul, said, ‘it just flew in.’ ”

The school administration never caught Capitani.