News : Retired teachers Don Lyle & Herb McNeill to be Party in the Park Parade Grand Marshals

VSMS students present Don Lyle the sign that will honor him at the school. By Brad Barker, VPRD Summer has begun and things are heating up as we enter Party in the Park week! The sights, sounds and taste of Vinton later this week is sure to conjure up images of a festive summer atmosphere as we celebrate our theme "Fiesta Fest!" With the wrap-up of another successful school year just barely in our rearview, we are pleased to announce the retirement of two incredible teachers that have spent their careers at the Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School and have positively impacted many student lives over this span. To acknowledge the time, effort and dedication that has gone into this endeavor and their contributions towards both the youth and future of the community of Vinton, the Party in the Park Committee is pleased to announce that they have selected Mr. Don Lyle and Mr. Herb McNeill as Co-Grand Marshals for this year's festival! Well-respected as teachera, mentora and role modela among both the student base and their professional peers, Mr. McNeill and Mr. Lyle have had what undoubtedly would be considered very successful careers. Many former students recount Mr. Lyle and Mr. McNeill's smiles and positive personas as being infectious and their teaching style impactful. As coaches of their respective sports, they exemplified what it meant for youth to work hard so that they could come out of their sporting experiences as champions on-and-off the field when it comes to sportsmanship and maintaining strong moral character. Herb McNeill taught Industrial Arts for 6th through 8th grade, has coached several sports and has been with the school district for 43 years. Don Lyle was the 8th grade math teacher and has coached a variety of sports in middle and high school throughout his tenure, including track and football. Mr. Lyle has been with the district for 46 years. Both Don and Herb became fast friends in the early years of their careers when they were both coaching. Before scouting via film was commonplace, they spent numerous hours in the car together driving to distant locations to scout teams for upcoming games. "We sure learned a lot about each other on those car rides," they laughingly recall. Neither has immediate plans for their retirement years but they agree that some rest and relaxation is definitely in the cards. They note the feeling of being retired hasn't yet sunk in and, for the moment, this June feels like just any other June. September though...that's going to seem...different. However they decide to spend their newfound downtime, we certainly wish them all the best and hope they find a lot of joy in their retirement years! The countless Vinton students that have grown up in the district have benefited greatly from Mr. Lyle and Mr. McNeill's teaching and coaching talents and would agree that they certainly deserve every moment. Congratulations to our 2017 Party in the Park Co-Grand Marshals, Mr. Herb McNeill and Mr. Don Lyle!