15 minutes with Scott Hey
What year did you graduate from Bluffton High School?
1982
Where do you live and what is your occupation?
I live outside of Blackshear, Georgia, and I'm the Supervisor of Recreation at the Federal Correctional Institution in Jesup, Georgia.
Give us the short version of how you came to live where you live today.
In 1983 I was fortunate enough to be hired on for $6.14 an hour at the Lima State Hospital for the criminally insane as a Psychiatric Attendant (and I haven't been the same since)... shortly thereafter I transferred to the Department of Corrections as an Officer when LSH was turned into Lima Correctional Institution and then to the Recreation Department around 1986.
In 1991 I applied and was released on good behavior to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Lexington, Kentucky and a few years later was able to get back in the Recreation field. An opportunity arose and I transferred to the Federal Prison in Ashland, Kentucky in 2000 where I continued in the Recreation field until 2007 when I received a promotion to the supervisory position at FCI Jesup located in Southeast Georgia.
Tell us about your family.
My wife Mitzi was born and raised in Louisville, Ky. We met in 1987 on a blind date and married two years later. We have two bright and beautiful daughters... Abby (16), and Maddie (13). Dad passed away in 2007 and Mom is still carrying the torch in Bluffton.
Do you have any pranks from Bluffton schools that you now care to admit you were involved in? (The statutes of limitations has expired). Who else was involved?
Most school pranks were "paddled" out of my generation during the Middle School years at Beaverdam in the mid 1970s. Most 5th & 6th grade teachers back then had a practice of reserving an upper corner section of their chalk boards to record the trouble makers names along with the number of warnings called "marks".
Three "marks" would get you three "whacks" and I recall them being quite stout swings! On one occasion Charles Weisenbarger took the fall for several of us and was held up after gym class to receive (our) punishment.
Being the team player, I offered him my pair of skateboard knee pads which he cleverly concealed in the seat of his pants. The shop teacher, "Mr. Z" eagerly volunteered to give his "lesson" to "Barger". Being the good Shop teacher that he was, Mr. Z had one of the most intimidating wooden paddles of them all. We were told it was illegal for the paddles to have holes drilled all the way through, but his was creatively drilled only half way, which could leave an interesting pattern on your rear (but not this time).
From our vantage point it sounded like years of pent up frustration was being channeled into each blow as they echoed out into the hallway. I don't know if Mr. Z ever found out that we tricked him, but when Barger came back out in the hallway he was smiling as he handed me back the padding leaving Mr. Z likely baffled and thinking to himself, "that son of a dentist sure has a tough butt."
Do you recall the model and year of automobile you took your driver's test in?
Ford Fairmont...I think it was a 1980...a good size car to take the cone drill test in (do they still do that?)
Do you stay in contact with any of your BHS classmates? If so, who?
I haven't missed a class reunion yet and there should be one this year, but haven't heard of any date yet. I'm behind the times as far as Facebook goes, but I do hear from Doug Simmons from time to time, and I ran into Mark Sommers during my last visit to Bluffton, and spent some quality time with Adam Rayl.
Can you point to any Bluffton teachers who, looking back, helped you in your career path?
Many come to mind, but the one that I didn't fully appreciate at the time was Florence Duffield! There were no such thing as personal computers at that time, but I took a basic typing class from her and I use the skills she taught each day on my computer keyboard.
She also taught my Mom and Dad back in the 1950's....likely with the same manual typewriters...(just kidding). I was able to personally thank her one day when I was visiting an Uuncle at the Mennonite Memorial Home. She was still very sharp and was able to recall many of my other family members she also taught. I'm glad I had the opportunity thank her before she passed away.
Did you paint your name on the street in front of the high school? Was it late at night and who else was involved?
In 1982 I recall there was a big push by the police to stop the practice, but I went with a car load of other kids and were able to pull it off late one night. The names have since faded and been paved over along with my memories of those who bailed out the back seat of my GTO. (The burnt rubber is also long gone).
You probably went fishing at the trout derby. Did you ever have any really good luck? Where at the Buckeye was the best spot to fish?
Early that morning, Dad always gave me a bunch of "dummy" cane poles to stake out a section for the family. We almost always set up by the tree they tied the old buoy and rope that sectioned off the swimming area of the quarry...to the left of the lifeguard raft on the railroad side. Never caught any low numbered tags but did well otherwise.
What's one of your favorite memories of growing up in Bluffton?
Summer time in the early 1970's, swimming with inner tubes in the Buckeye, listening to the AM station "CKLW" out of Detroit being blasted through the P.A. speakers with "Band on the Run", "Brother Louie", "Locomotion", & other top hits of the day... Schwinn bikes with banana seats, skateboarding, paper routes, playing in the "crick", and hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa on their porch overlooking the Buckeye!
