Frenchtown Elementary School Will Celebrate Alumni and Community at Centennial

On Saturday, September 26, Frenchtown Elementary School (FES) will commemorate its centennial. Alumni and members of the community are invited to attend the festivities, which will feature the opening of the time capsule behind the building’s cornerstone, remarks by local leaders and a presentation on a forthcoming history book by local historian Rick Epstein. The celebration is free and open to the public. More information can be found at frenchtownschool.org/article/3005260. To support the celebration, commemorative merchandise is available for purchase online at FES Centennial Gear: spcustomgear.store/frenchtowncentennial. Frenchtown Elementary School Will Celebrate Alumni and Community at Centennial

In recognition of this historic milestone, The Frenchtown Sun met with two FES alumni—Wayne “Wink” Hummer (Class of 1962) and David “Dave” Gano (Class of 1961)—to celebrate their more than 75 years in the borough and their rich history with the school.

Dave Gano and Wink Hummer, approx. 5 years old (left); Wink Hummer and Dave Gano in front of FES in 2026 (right)

At 79 years old, Wink Hummer has lived in Frenchtown his entire life. He grew up on 3rd Street and married his wife, Ruth, in 1973. After renting a home on 2nd Street, the couple bought their current home on 4th Street in 1978.

Wink has five brothers, all of whom went through the Frenchtown school system. At the time, students attended kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade at Borough Hall before moving to the Frenchtown School building, which housed 3rd through 8th grade.

Wink loved his experience at FES and fondly recalls his favorite teacher, Mr. Puperwinkle, who taught 1st and 2nd grade.

Unfortunately, in the 3rd grade, Wink contracted scarlet fever, causing him to miss six months of class. Following his illness, his mother requested that the school hold him back a year to catch up.

Later in middle school, Wink became a three-sport athlete, playing basketball, baseball and tackle football. After graduating from Frenchtown in 1962, he entered his freshman year at DVRHS. Keeping up the tradition, Wink and Ruth’s daughter and son also graduated from FES and attended DVRHS.

Dave Gano has lived in Frenchtown for 77 years, moving to the borough at just one year old.

Like Wink, Dave attended kindergarten through 2nd grade at Borough Hall and graduated from FES in 1961. He lived in various homes on 2nd and 3rd Streets until he was 38. He married his wife, Mel, in 1978, and they purchased their 8th Street home in 1981. Dave represents one of three generations of his family to attend FES—both of his daughters and his father went through the school system.

Dave played baseball and the tuba throughout middle school, frequently hauling the heavy instrument back and forth between home and school. He fondly remembers competitive recess games of kickball and dodgeball behind the school, back when the yard had no playground equipment.

Always a Terrier!

—Amelia Rodriguez