EAST PALESTINE Pupils salute veterans in community project

The pupils are collecting stories for a book about area veterans' achievements.
EAST PALESTINE -- Operation Enduring HEROES is under way at East Palestine Elementary.
Its mission: to express appreciation for the sacrifices made by area veterans, and to increase awareness of the veterans' service.
HEROES stands for Helping to Encourage Recognition of Every Soldier, explained Jean Metzger, director of Excel programs for gifted pupils through the Columbiana County Educational Service Center.
Recognition dinner: She said East Palestine Elementary Excel pupils participating in Ohio's community problem-solving competition enlisted the help of volunteers and area businesses to organize a recognition dinner for East Palestine area veterans and their spouses.
The dinner is tonight at East Palestine VFW.
Metzger said the pupils chose veteran recognition for their problem-solving project because they believe that area citizens need to realize the contributions veterans -- many of them friends, family and neighbors -- have made to defend and preserve a free society.
Besides organizing the recognition dinner, the Excel pupils have been interviewing veterans. The pupils plan to compile a book based on an oral history of area veterans' military achievements.
They are also using the information gathered from veterans to create a skit. She said a portion of the skit will be presented at tonight's dinner.