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Coaldale discusses best way to display trophies
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
By Chris Rebercreber@tnonline.com
The Coaldale High School Tigers sports teams stopped playing five decades ago when their school was consolidated into Panther Valley School District.

But the trophies they won are still a source of pride for the community. They have been stored in the school, which now belongs to the borough, since 1964.

A local business owner has proposed housing the trophies so that more members of the community have a chance to see them.

Mike and Deb Danchak, the owners of the Angela Theatre, would like to display the trophies so more people can see them. The Angela is a small movie house, but it has also been a location for town halls and other community events.

They sent a letter to the borough council before its meeting Tuesday night.

That prompted the board to discuss the trophies, and the challenges of moving them. The case is built into the school itself, Councilman Francis Hutta said.

“The case was custom-built into the wall. You would have to destroy it in order to move it,” he said.

Council member Yvonne Stoffey pointed out that there have been social media posts from residents wondering why they haven’t responded to the theater’s request.

Council members also shared their own ideas for how the trophies should be displayed. Claire Remington said she has plans to clean up the entranceway to the borough hall, and suggested they could be put there.

But the theater and borough hall have the same drawback — they would not always be accessible to the public. The school is used primarily by a Head Start program and youth sports teams. The Danchaks said they would make the trophies viewable by appointment if there is not a movie playing at the time.

Mike Doerr proposed a remedy for that. Doerr said they could create a display inside the building that would be visible from the street, allowing passers-by to see the trophies anytime.

Council President Thomas Keerans offered a compromise, suggesting the borough could split the trophies between the three locations. Remington said that the Coaldale alumni would not be happy.

“I think the Kassak brothers would have a fit,” she said.

Ed and Frank Kassak were both Coaldale athletes.

Ultimately, the board agreed to refer the issue to its building committee. Hutta said the committee will explore the costs and come back with proposals for the full board to consider.