Mr. K Isn’t About to Leave His Post at School

When he is not sitting on his porch and keeping an eye on the elementary school across the street, 79-year-old Clyde Kuykendall can frequently be found inside the school working as a volunteer.

For the past 47 years, “Mr. K,” as he is known at Grant Elementary, has been a familiar face at the Long Beach school. Kuykendall, a retired assistant manager of Bank of America, has been in charge of ticket sales for the annual carnival for 27 years. He also is postmaster general of the in-school post office that opened in January.

“This school is so important to me. It’s kind of part of the family,” he said. “Our four children attended this school, and now my grandson Dan is a first-grader here.”

Every morning at 8:30 sharp, Kuykendall dons his official postal worker cap and hikes across the street to supervise two shifts of third-grade mail sorters and carriers. They deliver notes that students write to their friends in a Wee Deliver program sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service. With lots of smiles and pats on the back from Mr. K, the 8-year-olds finish their jobs and dash back to class.

“You learn a lot from these kids if you just pay attention to them,” he said after they left. It seems they learn from him, too.

“One little boy has improved 10,000% since he’s been with me. One day he up and kicked me. Now (after nearly four weeks of postal duty), he’s a different child,” Kuykendall said.

Georgia Jones, principal at Grant, values the assistance of Kuykendall and other volunteers. “It’s the one-on-one that helps so much. They can give individual attention, which teachers can’t,” she said.

“Some children have no men or older people living in their homes,” she said. “The value (of older volunteers) is so intangible. It’s like a larger family. It’s a connectedness that they give.”

Teachers also value Kuykendall’s contribution.

“He’s really a protector of our school,” said Betty Ann Ougland, a third-grade teacher at Grant for the past 11 years.

“He cares about all the teachers, and he looks out for us,” she said. “If one of us has a flat tire, he’s there to help. He sits out on his front porch and keeps an eye on everything. We can depend on him. We really love him.”

Over the years, the neighborhood has gotten younger and attitudes have changed. Children used to go to Kuykendall for a hug, but now he only pats them on the head, he said. And he has stopped giving them candy.

“You have to be careful these days,” he said.

The past few years have been difficult for Kuykendall. His wife, Velma, whose PTA work initially drew Kuykendall to the school, died last year after a long illness. He did not spend much time at Grant during the painful months after her death. But now he is back, and finds his involvement therapeutic.

“By giving of my time, I’ve gotten back tenfold,” he said.

“You’ve got to get involved in your community,” he said while watering his lawn. “It’s only as good as you make it.”

South Gate resident Frankie Adams has been appointed to the city’s Education Commission, which was created by the City Council last fall to serve as a liaison between the city and the Los Angeles Unified School District, which serves South Gate. Adams, who was appointed by the council, is executive director of Care Affair, a nonprofit organization serving children with learning disabilities. She also has participated in community-based efforts to discourage drug abuse and provide positive alternatives for youth.

Joseph P. Giesing has been selected as a McDonnell Douglas Fellow for his 30 years of technical contributions in aircraft structural mechanics. He leads the Analysis Technology Group at Douglas Aircraft Co. in Long Beach.

Wendy Furman, English Department chairwoman at Whittier College, has received the Arnold L. Graves and Lois S. Graves Award for outstanding young faculty scholars who teach humanities at private institutions.

Thomas P. Lonergan, administrative director of ancillary services at Downey Community Hospital, has been named a fellow of the American College of Cardiovascular Administrators. Lonergan joined the hospital as a cardiology technician 18 years ago and has been in charge of cardiovascular services for 15 years.