In a bit of irony that reflects all of those years, she reported progress on the long-out-of-commission clock atop the high school. She told the Arlington e-mail list that James Fortes, the president of the Class of 2008, concluded the ceremony by announcing the class gift and pointing to the clock in the cupola.

 

"Guess what ...it's fixed!" she wrote. "It will need a few adjustments still, but our thanks go out to Mark Miano, our supervisor of custodians and maintenance for finding just the right person who specializes in clocks like ours (from the early 1800s) and to the Classes of 2007 and 2008 for working hard to contribute to the repair."

 

Now, anyone glancing up from Mass. Ave. can expect to see the clock reflecting the ongoing push of daily time -- and not see the hands stuck in place -- what was it? at 3:50 p.m.? -- as it had been for years. Surely, it was a metaphor for a place that time passed by.

 

For Ms. Ortwein, the present graduation was a steamy affair.

 

"I wanted to tell you that yesterday 286 seniors graduated from Arlington High School in a ceremony held on our beautiful Peirce Field," she wrote June 9.

 

"I have a new appreciation for fried eggs ... the field has a black rubber (?) base, which means, I'm told, that the temperature on the field is about 20 degrees higher.

 

"It was very hot; the kids were in their caps and gowns, and this year in a new touch, about 40 staff members led the class wearing black caps and gowns and their university hoods. It was a wonderful sight to see the whole procession on the track.  The kids were just wonderful, in spite of the heat."

 

Ms. Ortwein also reflected to YourArlington on graduations past:

 

"Graduations in the '70s had been less than ceremonial. I just had to stop going because of student behavior.

 

"The last straw was when a family came onto the field, laid down a checked tablecloth and proceeded to have a picnic during graduation ... wine, cheese, etc.

 

"So, in 1979, we got a new principal. He met with small groups of people, and when I was meeting with him, he asked us to tell him things that we wanted to see changed. I launched a diatribe on graduation. The next morning there was a note in my mailbox.  It was from the principal.

 

"It read, 'Graduation? You do it'."

 

"And I have."