Published: April 30, 2008 09:52 am            

Clark County Commissioners name April 29 ‘Gil Daugherty Day’

The Clark County Commissioners called a special meeting Tuesday, and everyone there knew the agenda was a fake and the meeting a setup. Everyone except Gil Daugherty; the ruse had been organized to award him for his contributions to the community.

Of the 20 men gathered in the meeting room at the County Government Building — most from the Jeffersonville Optimist Club, where Daugherty once served as president — the only one who was unaware of the real reason for the meeting was Daugherty himself.

Daugherty served as the commander in charge of the Indiana Army Ammunitions Plant in the late 1960s and early 1970s, supervising the nearly 20,000 people working at the site.

For the past 30 years, he also has been involved in local radio broadcasting, most notably for giving the play-by-play of local high school sports over the airwaves at WAVG 1450 AM.

After continuing the farce for about 10 minutes, with Commissioners Ed Meyer and Mike Moore and the commissioner’s attorney, Dan Moore, playing along, the real reason was finally revealed and Daugherty was completely shocked.

“You’re a person that knows all the doors to be opened,” Dan Moore said, addressing Daugherty. “You’re a valuable resource to the community.”

The commissioners named Daugherty “Ambassador Extraordinaire of Clark County,” declaring April 29 as “Gil Daugherty Day.”

Daugherty accepted the honor saying, “I deeply appreciate it and I accept it on behalf of all the people in this community who’ve been so helpful and made us feel like friends here.”

        

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