Residents of Beatty and Wood Streets, where a softball stadium is planned for the Ellwood City Area School District girls softball team, continued to fill the seats of the Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors meeting room, and they circulated a petition in the hallway of Lincoln High School in an effort stop the plan before Thursday’s voting meeting.
One resident mentioned that any community member in any neighborhood in Ellwood City is also welcome to sign the petition and can stop into R.W. Powell Real Estate, 500 Crescent Ave during business hours to add their signatures.
But not all in attendance are against the plan.
Kelly Kelly, Wampum Avenue, expressed her happiness in the plan for a stadium for the girls. She said she is in support of the girls getting a facility they deserve.
Softball Field
“Thank you for doing this for the girls,” she said directly to the Board.
Patty Colao, who lives on Wood Street and has attended numerous meetings, said the residents surrounding the planned stadium aren’t against the girls getting a facility of their own, but that the Ewing Park School Property is not the place for it. She expressed her concerns with safety for her family and neighbors and destruction of property from “fast traveling” foul balls in the proximity of her home.
“Not one of you would approve this if it was in front of your house,” she said. “We are asking for a true understanding of our concerns.”
Emily Denome, Wood Street resident, and Karen Mancini, who lives on Beatty Street, both mentioned concerns about unearthing the former school. Denome said the basement of the former school was basically left there and buried under the dirt. Denome said she is concerned that what’s buried there could contain asbestos and that digging anywhere in that area would release the substance into the air. She said she wants to know by proof of a right-to-know request exactly what happened during the demolition of the former school and that any potentially hazardous materials were properly disposed of. School Superintendent Wesley Shipley said Denome could request the information by filling out a right-to-know form.
Denome’s sister Lynn Jones, a resident of Orchard Avenue said she has the same concern.
“Knowing this, should the construction of a softball field take precedence over the health and well-being of an entire community?” asked Jones.
She implored the Board to reconsider the Borough of Ellwood City’s offer for the District to lease the Stiefel Park field for $1 and utilize it as a location for the girls field.
The District, in an FAQ on their Facebook Page, explained they considered the offer but ultimately turned it down because they felt like the offer did not meet their goals, which they had listed in the FAQ: “The option to build a new facility at the Ewing Park School property helps the district meet three goals: 1. Move the girls’ softball facility to closer proximity to all other district athletic facilities. 2. Provide an updated, safe field for our successful girls’ softball team. 3. Ensure that district athletic facilities are built on district owned property.”
Special Recognition:
Shipley and other administrators in attendance at the meeting commended, staff including teachers, cafeteria workers, and facilities workers for their quick action when a strong odor was detected at the high school building Thursday morning. Students were briefly evacuated to Hartman Intermediate School next door where all students were fed lunch until officials could determine that there was no gas leak and it was safe for staff and students to return to class.
Motions passed:
- Motion to Approve General Fund Treasurer’s Report in the amount of $ 36,843,721.15. The summary of accounts are as follows:
- WesBanco Checking $ 1,522,415.12
- Tax Accounts; $ 6,118,655.99
- PLGIT: $ 29,200,793.98
- PSDLAF: $ 1,453.01
- PA Invest: $ 403.02
- Motion to approve the General Fund Accounts Payable Report.
- Motion to approve vision insurance renewals for the District’s Administration, Professional Personnel and School Service Personnel plans for 10/01/2023 through 10/1/2025 as presented.
- Motion to approve additional substitutes for 2023-24 school year.
- Motion to hire Christine Guerini as an Instructional Aide in accordance with the current SEIU 32 BJ Bargaining Agreement effective October 2, 2023.
- Motion to hire Melvin Gray Beatly as School Police Officer for the 2023-24 school year in accordance with School Police Contract.
- Motion to approve Corey Biego and Jordyn Strabel as EC Transit bus drivers for the 2023-24 school year.
- Motion to approve the following Facility requests:
1. Andrew Palumbo, elementary girls basketball, is requesting the use of the Hartman gym for open gym and skills development weekly in October for third and fourth grade girls basketball, and practice for fifth and sixth grade girls basketball throughout their season at the principals discretion between 2:45 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. weekdays from October through April.
2. 5th and 6th grade girls basketball is requesting to use the North Side gym on Fridays from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM for practice at the Principal’s discretion.
3. Rotary Club is requesting the use of the Sgt. Leslie H. Sabo Jr. Memorial Auditorium and the LHS small gym for the Duquesne Tamburitzans performance on Sunday, March 17, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. - Motion to approve a wrestling Co-op with Big Beaver Falls School District for the 2023-24 school year.
- Motion to approve new/revised policies that have been on display since the last board meeting.
1. Policy #006 Meetings
2. Policy #216.1 Supplemental Discipline Records
3. Policy #251 Students Experiencing Homelessness, Foster Care and Other Educational Instability - Motion to approve the following field trips:
1. Felecia Greco, Choral Department, is requesting to take approximately 40-50 concert choir students to Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 over Christmas break, by coach bus to see a Christmas Show. The bus will depart at 7:00 a.m. and return at approximately 11:00 p.m.
2. History club is requesting to take their annual trip by charter bus to Bull Run NPS, Mount Vernon, Arlington, and Fort McHenry in Washington, D.C. from May 18, 2024 to May 21, 2024. The bus will depart at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday May 18, 2024 and return at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
3. Michelle Hall, Transition Program, is requesting to take 3 students by school van to Hiram G. Andrews Center in Johnstown, PA on Thursday, October 19, 2023 for the Hiram G. Andrews Transition Fair. The van will depart at 7:45 a.m. and return at approximately 2:30 p.m. - Motion to approve the Comprehensive Plan for the Ellwood City Area School District in accordance with PDE and State Board Regulations.
- Motion to approve Elizabeth Hawkins replace Georgeann Snyder as Commencement Speaker Coach at one unit.
what is the problem with this? they want to bring something nice to ellwood and people wanna do nothing but complain. They complained about the turf at the football stadium now this. Build the field and let the girls softball team finally have a real stadium. Quit crying