Tom Bell, member of the Bluffton High School class of 1965, wrote this story on how street painting in front of Bluffton High School first began. This story is included in the book, “A Good Place To Miss – Bluffton Stories 1900-1975.” Copies are available at the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center.

By Tom Bell

Ron “Gridley” Steiner actually masterminded the entire deployment. He recruited an unlikely group of artists to carry out his plan. Dick Herr, Larry Moser and I were selected for no obvious rhyme or reason.

We borrowed paint from our parents and mixed it all together. Barn white, porch gray and clothesline pole silver did the trick.

Security, or not getting caught, was a major concern. We knew that Carter Shisler of the police department would be on patrol. We also knew that he would cruise past the high school and use Maple Grove Cemetery as his turn around. We considered locking him in the cemetery, but since Wade Bechtel had experienced that, the police had been alternating the gates they entered.

Finally, after several creative plans were scuttled, it was decided that Larry Moser would be the lookout. He was to hide behind the ivy growing on the school.

CONTINUES

The lettering plan was simple: we were to paint “Seniors Rule 65” in three-foot letters to be clearly visible from the principal’s office, with our initials around it. With paint pans, rollers and paint at the ready, we went to work. Each person was assigned certain letters.

All of a sudden I realized that Larry was standing on a Dutch Elm sump at Main and College clapping his hands.

The conclusion of this story is at https://www.blufftonforever.com/post/it-started-as-a-nighttime-dare