Just the Facts
2000: Year Pirate Saved
If Bristol Elementary School Principal Kevin Dean had prevailed, the Bristol Pirate Mascot would have walked the plank.
To coincide with the $12 million school renovation, the Pirate and traditional colors of black & orange were scheduled for extinction in 2000.
Retirement with "Honor"?
The Alumni of the old Bristol High School (closed in 1966) and others in the community were outraged that the long-used symbol was suddenly seen as outdated and unwholesome for children. All felt strongly about keeping one of the few remaining symbols of tradition with a unique identity and tie to the port city of Bristol, England, origin of some of the early settlers here.
3 month campaign
Beginning with a challenge from the Bristol Heritage Society, backed by the BristolSun, petitions to "Save the Pirate" in local businesses, letters from Town Council & Alumni, protest calls from a cross section of the community and extensive media publicity convinced Dean to officially poll community opinion.
Survey or Vote?
Although confusingly labeled a survey instead of a simple yes or no vote to keep the Pirate, the commmunity strongly responded with a "Yes, we want the Pirate."
Dean concedes
To the relief of Pirate supporters, Dean acknowledged that overwhelming community opinion was to retain the Pirate pride and spirit represented by the mascot and the colors. (Dean transferred to another school in 2005.)
2000: Year of the Pirate
Even as he posed in the center of the photo above with long-time Bristol teacher Tommy Thompson (left) and Chris Brown (right) in November of 1999 at the under-renovation Bristol Elementary School, Principal Kevin Dean was proposing that the Pirate walk the plank.
He wasn't prepared for the outpouring of objections from the community who put "Vote Pirate" stickers on their bumpers, and even his own pupils who plastered the stickers on backpacks worn to school.
The Town Council and Bristol Alumni Association wrote letters of protest, supporters signed petitions and after a three month campaign ending with the results of a poll/survey, Dean conceded that the Pirate should remain.
To celebrate the victory, the Year of the Pirate theme was declared for the 2000 Bristol Homecoming Parade which attracted the participation of over 95 individual units, nearly all pirate themed.
Working with the Bristol Alumni Association and Class of 1945, the BristolSun developed a campaign with street banners, T-shirts and other memorabilia that featured a new Pirate "gazing determined and wise," (according to the Elkhart Truth). The 30 business sponsored banners lined the downtown parade route in July 2000.
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