By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
The circus is in town, in fact, it is right behind the high school.
So, school students in Okarche on Friday, Oct. 1, got to watch the raising of the Culpepper & Merriweather Great Combined Circus tent. Two circus shows were planned for later in the evening.
Pre-kindergarten class teacher Caitlin Timmons and her class dressed up in black and white costumes as pups from “101 Dalmatians.” She wore a half black and half white wig for the occasion.
“We are 101 Dalmatians. I’ve always wanted to do this with my class so we had a book day, a book character day, and I was able to do it this year,” Timmons said. The class read the story and watched the cartoon. Teaching assistant Valerie Rankin also dressed up and helped out. She walked in with Asher Ladd before the circus tent went up.
Third grade Okarche Elementary teaching assistant Savannah Gilley dressed as a well-known storybook character.
“I’m Winnie the Pooh,” Gilley said. “I’ve got my honey.” She had a picture of a jar of honey stuck to her costume.
Ron Dykes, who works for the circus, helped crews get ready. He was in charge of the pony rides. The day before, he had spent in Hennessey, and the next day the stop would be in Piedmont.
Leo Acton, the tour guide for the circus, welcomed Okarche students who got out of class for a tour of the grounds. They saw a tiger and a lion waiting in their cages for showtime.
Acton said he wears two hats with the circus.
“If you come back for the show I’m the clown,” Acton said.
He said he welcomed the schoolchildren to witness a “genuine American tent-raiser,” Acton said.
Circus shows Friday, Oct. 1 in Okarche are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
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