Mr. G keeps smiling, waving while protecting kids

SHARING A 'HOWDY'-Every morning during the school year Ron Gellenback waves as he greets vehicles that are entering Newbury Park High School. Maybe a parent and teen just had a "you can't wear that" fight, or possibly one of those "Mom, you forgot to buy ink so I can't print out my homework this morning" moments. Maybe it is just too much traffic and not enough time.

Whatever it is, dropping off a child at high school can be stressful.

Taking the edge off for everyone at Newbury Park High School is Ron Gellenback-also known as Mr. G-who waves at each and every passing vehicle.

From 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, Mr. G is there with a smile as hundreds of cars pass by. Most of those behind the windshield smile and wave back.

"About 95 percent of them are positive. Still, 5 percent don't wave, won't give you the time of day," Gellenback laments.

But, for the majority who've come to cherish the man who stands outside in the heat, the cold or the winter rain, Gellenback is there.

"Mr. G is a great guy-the anchor of Newbury Park High School," said Bill Doherty, father of five.

Three of Doherty's children have gone to Newbury Park High School, one of them a senior this year. He hopes Mr. G will still be there for his two younger children, ages 6 and 3, he said.

"He's been there so long, smiling and waving at every single person. I calculate it at about 2 million waves," Doherty said. "The kids count on him to be there, always happy, smiling-never grumpy. He gives them a powerful, happy memory of high school."

Many just know him as the man who waves at them, but others may also recognize his voice. He first came to the school as a sports announcer for the basketball, football and wrestling teams in 1978, when his son Don and daughter Terri were attending. Don graduated in 1979, Terri in 1981. His youngest child, Kristi, graduated in 1988. That year he started coaching girls' basketball, he said.

He's also been an usher at St. Julie's Catholic Church since 1973 and a confirmation teacher since 1974, he said.

In 1991, after 33 years, he retired from GTE as the state manager for building operations, where he oversaw 150 people and subcontractors who took care of the company's 283 buildings. Now he's the manager of Vallecito Mobile Home Estates.

"He's been at the school forever, making everyone's day a little brighter," said Steve Lepire, assistant principal.

What many don't understand, Lepire noted, is while he's doing that, he's also making everyone's day safer.

"Everyone's in a hurry, and he provides people with an opportunity to slow down for a minute," Lepire said.

While he's smiling, waving and making eye contact, Mr. G keeps his radio ready in case he sees anything out of the ordinary, Gellenback said.

"It was after Columbine they asked me to go out and watch people as they come in to see if there was anything unusual," Gellenback recalled. "I would be the one to notice, since I've been around so long."

While standing there watching, he got bored, he said, and started waving. That's how it all began.

Over the years, Gellenback's endured multiple sclerosis and cancer, his wife, Sandra, said.

"Sometimes I try to get him to stay home and rest, like when he was going through chemo, but he says they are depending on him," she said.

On cold days someone will come by and give him something warm to drink from Starbucks, he said. He also gets homemade cookies once in a while. But the real motivation to do what he does comes from his belief that the teenagers need him.

"I'll be there for as long as I can stand up," he said.