Happy retirement to WCHS JROTC instructor to Don Gross

Over the last 20 years, Whitley County High School (WCHS) JROTC instructor Master Sergeant (MSG) Don Gross is a guy that I regularly bumped into when I was covering things after hours for work.

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal.

There were Friday night football games where his cadets presented the colors during the national anthem. There have been events, like the Whitley County Fair, where his cadets helped direct parking in the past.

There were numerous Memorial Day ceremonies at the Courtyard of Champions on the WCHS campus and at the veteran’s monuments in front of the old Whitley County Courthouse in Williamsburg.

I’ve seen him on Saturday mornings supervising cadets, who were picking up trash as part of the Cumberland Falls Cleanup. This is to name just a few things where we both found ourselves working after most people’s regular hours.

One thing is for certain, Don’s day usually didn’t end when the school bell sounded at 3 p.m.

While different commanding officers over the WCHS JROTC program came and went every few years, Don has been a constant, steadying presence for the program.

While Don’s version of student discipline may not have always been the most stringent interpretation of student discipline, as defined in the student discipline handbook (LOL), it worked.

Don got through to a lot of kids during his tenure as a JROTC instructor providing many of them with things that they didn’t get at home, such as discipline, guidance, and just having someone that they knew cared and wanted what was best for them.

There is no doubt in mind that Don’s efforts and the Whitley County High School JRTOC program overall have been responsible for a lot of kids, who might have otherwise dropped out, graduating and going on to become productive and successful adults.

After serving 20 years as an active duty member of the U.S. Army and now 20 years as a JROTC instructor at Whitley County High School, Don is getting his much deserved retirement.

I’m hoping that Don talks his wife into that camper and a little traveling around the country.

Good luck on your retirement my friend. You’ve definitely earned it.

Now, let me switch gears and say a few words about last week’s May Primary Election.

The 14 percent voter turnout in Whitley County was pretty disappointing folks. I know there was a lack of local races on the ballot, but come on. We can do better than this.

To those of you who didn’t bother to go vote for governor, secretary of state, and a slew of other offices, just shut your complaints up about state government. If you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain. (Believe me I would be using a much stronger word instead of “complain” if this weren’t a family publication…LOL.)

Let’s get at least 25 percent voter turnout in Whitley County for the November General Election. With three days of early voting and one of those days being on a Saturday, there really isn’t any good excuse not to go cast your ballot.

You can cast your ballots at any of the eight voting centers located in Whitley County on Election Day. If you live in Williamsburg and work in Corbin, you can go cast your ballot at lunch time in Corbin, and vice versa.

I think 25 percent is very realistic.

There is one pretty simple way to give this county more clout with the governor and the politicians in Frankfort, and it doesn’t cost a thing. Let’s be the county where everybody goes and votes.

If we regularly had a 40 – 50 percent voter turnout or more, then believe me, we would have a lot more Frankfort politicians showing up here to ask what they can do to keep us happy.