advertisement

Lisle school principal rides into sunset

Kennedy Junior High School Principal Don Perry ceremoniously rode out the same way he rode in 13 years ago - on his motorcycle.

It was an admitted gimmick when he rode into a school assembly his first day at the Lisle school.

"It was in January so I wanted the kids to be aware of the fact that there was a new principal at school," he said. "I thought I needed an attention-getter, so we had an assembly and I rode into the assembly on my Harley and they introduced me as their new principal. That got their full attention."

Today, his love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles is well-known to students and faculty.

So it was only appropriate that on Friday he rode his Harley into the school, addressed the student body, and rode off down a hallway to their cheers.

Perry's been an avid biker since his 16th birthday, when he and his dad went to the cycle shop and bought his first motorcycle. He said his mother hated it almost to the end of her life and then said to his wife, "Can't you do anything with him?"

Perry has visited nearly every state on his bike. This summer, he's planning to ride through southern New Mexico and Arizona to San Diego. He wants to see the actual scenery he's seen in the movies.

Although he has owned only one bike at a time, Perry thinks his current Harley is about his 20th.

Don Perry rides off the same way he rode in to Kennedy Junior High School 13 years ago - on his Harley. Scott Sanders | Staff Photographer