It was an ordinary day. Reading an article in the sports section of my daily paper when a name from the past surfaced in the midst of a high school football game story. The name was Joseph Kurjiaka who had worked for many years in the Manheim Township High School District Office before moving to the same job at nearby Hempfield High School. Joe was a good friend when he worked at Manheim Township School District. At the time I taught Industrial Arts at the high school level with Graphic Arts (printing) being my favorite subject to teach. I also worked summers in the print shop making stationery, envelopes, etc. for all the different schools in the district as well as the District Office. Joe worked in the District Office and brought me quite a few District Office printing jobs during summer months. I got to know Joe quite well during those many years at Manheim Township. Then he was offered a job at neighboring Hempfield School District, and since he lived in that district, decided to switch positions from one school to the other. Manheim Township missed him dearly, since he was a fantastic worker in all that he did. Well, Joe died quite a few years later, but when the fall football season came around, someone thought it would be great to give the winner of the yearly football game between Manheim Township and Hempfield a memorial Trophy named after Joe. Well, that was 14 years ago when the trophy was first given out to the winner of the football game between the two teams. Recently, Manheim Township and Hempfield played their yearly football team. It is always a big game between two of the largest and best teams in Lancaster County. Well, Township roared to a 5-0 record when they beat Hempfield with a commanding score of 38-0 in Neffsville, PA, the home of the Manheim Township Blue Streaks. They now hold an 11-3 yearly lead in the Joe Kurjiaka trophy hardware series between the bitter rivals. So...how would Joe feel about that? I'm sure Joe would be happy for the MT Blue Streaks, but just as sad for the Hempfield Knights. Being that I taught for 35 years at Manheim Township, I was proud to claim the win once again in Joe's name. Joe and I had been good friends when we both worked at Manheim Township, especially since I did much of the in-house printing for the district on the printing presses in my Graphic Arts shop. I'm sure Joe is misssed by both school districts as well as all those who got to know Joe while working side-by-wide with him. But...I must admit that I'm not sad when Manheim Township beats Hempfield during the fall football season even though my Grandson Caden graduated from Hempfield a few years ago. Always was, and still is, one of the biggest games of the year for both teams. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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