Every morning dozens of cars take a right out of Greenplace Terrace and cross an unnamed and underappreciated bridge before turning left into the student parking lot. To many of us, that’s just how we get to school and the bridge we cross is just another part of Wootton Parkway. But the bridge will not just be another part of the road for much longer-it will become a part of the school’s history by taking on the name of beloved educator and former principal Dr. Michael J. Doran.
On March 6, the Rockville Mayor Bridget Newton and the Rockville City Council unanimously voted to name the bridge after the late principal who passed away at the age of 64, two weeks before the start of the 2015-2016 school year.
After working to get the City of Rockville to adopt a formal public property naming and commemoration policy, alumnus Jon Glasser, class of 2015, made the first request under the new policy.
The request then went to the Traffic and Transportation commission, which asked for more documentation to show that the community approved of the idea. The commission received about 20 emails from the Wootton community, including statements from a member of the class of 2014, who according to the Rockville View wrote that “Dr. Doran was a key figure during my time at Wootton High School and by honoring him, we would not let his leadership in the community and his legacy of excellence be forgotten.”
Senior Fiona Bishop-Murphey also wrote in saying that “naming this bridge on behalf of Dr. Doran would be a tribute to his unique and beloved character, and would acknowledge how much he meant to everyone at Wootton and how much he has done for those he cared about and worked with.”
Phillip Hill, the school’s business administrator, who worked with Dr. Doran for 12 years, said “All of us thought we knew how much he was loved by our community, staff and students. We were so very wrong. To sit at the memorial service and hear story after story about his impact on individuals was mind-blowing. This man had a way about him that will live on for many years to come.”
After receiving these, and many more similar statements, the Traffic and Transportation Commission voted unanimously to make a recommendation to the mayor and council to approve Glasser’s request.
Now that the request has been approved, the City’s Sign Shop will work to create the appropriate road sign.
Details about the dedication ceremony will be available soon.

Shelby Ting

Front Page Editor