Big Crowd on Hand to Celebrate Edgewood

There was laughter and much story-telling Saturday at Celebrate Edgewood, a day designed to mark the upcoming closing of Edgewood School after some 150 years in operation.

(LOCAL HISTORIAN DELAINE DONALDSON SPEAKS TO THE CROWD AT EDGEWOOD SCHOOL SATURDAY)

Local historian Delaine Donaldson shared information on the school from its beginnings including the years when there was a high school in Edgewood, Phil Ayers who was principal at Edgewood in the 1950s and his former student Bill Altman who is a past Unit 40 school board member shared some memories, and County Sheriff John Monnet, who has lived in the Edgewood and Mason communities throughout his life spoke of the days when his family lived in a home outside Edgewood so his father could keep an eye on the oil pumping system and then their years living in Mason.

(FORMER EDGEWOOD PRINCIPAL AND PAST UNIT 40 SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BILL ALTMAN)

Edgewood Principal Cheri Marten served as Master of Ceremonies, but yielded to those who've been in the community longer including local Tina Moore, who is very disappointed in the decision to close the school, but chose to help put together the celebration as a way to bring closure to the situation.

(EFFINGHAM COUNTY SHERIFF JOHN MONNET)

Moore said there are discussions afoot in the community to utilize the building, which is in great shape.

(SOME OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED "CELEBRATE EDGEWOOD" SATURDAY BROWSE THROUGH PHOTOS FROM THE SCHOOL'S PAST)

We'll have more on this story later today.