MINERAL RIDGE Missing Rams mascot baffles school district

It's been at least two years since anyone remembers seeing the mascot at sporting events.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- Missing: One giant ram head and furry body suit.
No one seems to know where the costume for the Mineral Ridge Rams' mascot is, or just how long it's been missing. But some residents are on the hunt to track him down.
"Somehow it just disappeared," said Marilyn Besoiu, who is leading the charge to find the mascot costume. "You know how sometimes you put something away, and then you forgot where you put it? I think maybe that's what happened here."
Superintendent Rocco D. Adduci, who's been with the school district for three years, said he doesn't ever remember seeing the mascot at games.
Though no one seems to think the costume was stolen, Adduci theorized the outfit could have been misplaced on purpose.
"Maybe the kids were just tired of wearing it?" he wondered.
Rose Hinks, secretary for the Athletic Booster Club, said she didn't even realize the costume was missing. She said since she is often working concession stands at football games, she doesn't often catch all the action out on the field or along the sidelines.
"It might be five or six years since I've seen him," she said.
Could be misplaced
There's a good chance that the costume is still in one of the buildings somewhere, Hinks said, just in a spot where no one has thought to look yet.
"They did a lot of work at the high school, and a lot of things got moved around," she said. "It's probably just in there somewhere but no one is sure where."
Besoiu, whose three children graduated from Mineral Ridge High School, thinks finding the mascot costume and reviving the tradition would be a good way to boost school spirit in students and the community.
"Our school system suffered a tragedy recently," she said, referring to budget cuts deemed necessary by the district's recent loss of more than $600,000 in funding. The money came from property taxes paid by RMI Titanium Inc., which recently re-evaluated its tax situation and will pay fewer taxes in the future.
"We need something to raise school spirit. It's important for the students and maybe it will even conjure up some memories with graduates," she said.
Likely costs
Besoiu and Hinks guessed it would take at least several hundred dollars to create a new costume, but agreed the current costume would need some major repair work when and if it is found.
Besoiu is willing to make the repairs, once the costume is found.
"I really need to see the old one to use as a pattern, though," she said.
Anyone with information on the costume can call Besoiu at (330) 544-3790.
slshaulis@vindy.com