Wellborn, AL – Wellborn formally unveils new gym floor, dedicates it to beloved former principal and County Hall of Famer Howard Waldrep Jr.
Andy Carpenter had a vision for the new gym floor at Wellborn High School shortly after he became principal. It was a design he thought would project the future and direction of the school. Sometimes the vision and reality look different. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Wellborn principal, along with about 40 school and community dignitaries, formally cut the ribbon on the school’s new Howard Waldrep Jr. gym floor Thursday and it was, well, to use a baseball reference in a basketball gym, a home run. “It turned out so much better than I imagined,” Carpenter said. “When you plan something like this you have a vision in your head about what you think it’s going to be and then when you come in after it’s been stained, painted and sealed and look at it, it turned out so much better.”
Workers took the old finish down to the maple floor and left the natural color. The block W in the center and interior of the 3-point arc off the foul lanes are stained in smokey charcoal. The outside borders are black and carry the names or logos of the project’s major benefactors. The logos of the two primary donors are displayed within the court with Waldrep’s signature drawn in front of the Wellborn bench area and corresponding far right corner. After a highly successful career as an athlete and coach, Waldrep served as Wellborn’s principal for 25 years. He was inducted into the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. Fun fact: The signature is authentic. It came from the bottom of Alexandria assistant principal Doug O’Dell’s diploma Waldrep signed when his future son-in-law graduated from Wellborn.
“Mr. Waldrep’s signature on the floor, to me, really sets that nod to Wellborn history, which is great,” Carpenter said. “Having Mr. Waldrep’s signature on there means a lot to our community.” “That’s awesome,” Martha Waldrep O’Dell said as she looked at her dad’s signature on the floor. “My dad, my mom, would be grinning from ear to ear. My kids would be grinning from ear to ear if they were here, and I am. It’s just a wonderful legacy for my dad. Just looking at it brings lots of happiness and just … fun, because he loves it here.” No school funds were diverted to complete the project. The school raised more than $30,000 is private donations – and that doesn’t include the funds for the new entrance to the football stadium. [*** read more]
