By Jim Raykie
The Herald’s poll on the Internet wouldn’t pass any scientific criteria for accuracy or sampling, but for as long as I have been posting the questions, I have found the survey results interesting and entertaining, and at times right on the money.
Readers of The Herald’s Web site are from all parts of the world, and we have no idea who is responding from one poll to the other. It could be a GI in Afghanistan or a former resident living in Germany. We have had both, as well as others from far and remote places.
Our latest poll question, in step with the local news, has asked: “If you were a Sharon School Board member, how would you vote regarding the fate of Case Avenue Elementary School?” We have left the poll up for several weeks because it has shown steady activity.
At the heart of the question is a pending decision by the school directors to either renovate Case, or tear it down and build a new school on the site. Another option has been to buy and renovate the former Hadley Elementary School on Boyd Drive near Hermitage, former longtime home of the Shenango Valley School of Business.
While the poll is unscientific, the results have been interesting to say the least. The question has garnered 1,367 responses, and nearly 35 percent of them have recommended a solution that most who are involved in the decision deem unrealistic: tear it (Case) down and explore consolidation with Farrell schools.
Nearly 33 percent of the respondents said to renovate it and expand in the current location, and 21 percent said to tear it down and build a new school in the current location. That means that 54 percent, or a simple majority of the respondents, want to keep the school at Case Avenue and East State Street. Only 11 percent of the respondents have favored tearing down Case and renovating Hadley, which appears to be the favorite choice of several decision makers in the district.
I don’t know if any kind of consolidation would work in this case. But one thing that I do know is that consolidation of schools, no matter the district, only gets a little lip service without meaningful dialogue. I think people who favor looking into consolidation are so frustrated by the lack of a process that they throw up their arms in disgust.
We know that consolidation of schools, especially the five districts in the Shenango Valley, will become a reality down the road, it’s simply a matter of money. Because of shrinking population, tax revenue will dry up as student enrollment declines. If and when the state finally decides to quit handing out grants and matching funds to keep individual districts afloat, only then will area school officials take consolidation seriously and figure out how to do it.
The editor’s mailbag
I received some interesting information last week from Toni Sheehan, secretary of the Mercer County Genealogical Society, concerning a visit by Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller to Farrell nearly 50 years ago.
She had read my column in June about “Rapid Robert” spending an afternoon in Sharpsville on June 13 to celebrate the 70th birthday of Tom “Potsy” Patton, and given my Farrell roots, she knew that I would find the story compelling.
Feller spent a day in the Shenango Valley in August 1962 for the first of Farrell Booster Club’s annual picnics. After a luncheon at the Shenango Inn with booster, community and Sharon Steel Corp. officials, Feller was driven to Farrell City Park where more than 2,000 fans awaited him for the picnic.
According to a copy of the Sharon Steel Record, the newsletter of the former Farrell steel-making giant:
“After a short warm-up, Feller threw the first ball to start the volunteer Farrell Booster all-star Little League game for youngsters 10 through 12 years of age.
“Henry Evans (Sharon Steel) was the catcher and Farrell Mayor John Giroski was the umpire, pleasing the crowd by calling the first ball thrown by Feller a strike ...
“Camera bugs had a field day as Feller graciously posed for pictures, signed autographs and answered questions about baseball and his personal life.”
Our area is rich in all facets of history. We’re fortunate to have the good folks at the genealogical society, Bill Philson and his staff at the Mercer County Historical Society, and other individual groups in our communities helping to document that robust past.
Jim Raykie is the editor of The Herald and his column appears on Mondays. His e-mail is jraykie@sharonherald.com
