Local storm-chaser Carl Willoughby graduated from Hamilton Heights High School in 1976, when the current middle school building was the home of the high school. On June 2, he and some of his classmates walked through their school for what they believed would be the last time. Thanks to support from Heights administration and an outpouring of interest from other alumni, there will be one last chance for Heights graduates to tour their old school before the building is repurposed.
The current middle school, 420 W. North St., Arcadia, will soon be partially torn down, except for the gyms, offices and some classroom areas.
As previously reported in our pages, Willoughby and some of his friends talk on a Facebook livestream they call Nightcast Live (NCL), which Willoughby organizes. That is where they came up with the idea to walk through their old high school.
“We had fun,” Willoughby said when asked about the June tour. “There were a few of us who were starting to shed some tears because Heights means a lot to us. When we were in school the teachers believed in their students and made it fun to go to school.”
Sept. 29, 2018 will be your last chance to tour the facility in its current state.
According to Willoughby, this “will be the last tour of the old Hamilton Heights High School.” He called it “one last time to walk down memory lane. We will be meeting at 2 p.m. There will be and alumni group picture taken in the old gym. The tour will cover all parts of the school.”
If you want to attend, you can contact Willoughby on Facebook at facebook.com/carl.willoughby.52.