BROADWAY AVE. New name backed

Three other municipalities failed to support the idea in the past.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
FARRELL, Pa. -- City council supports a proposal by the Shenango Valley Ministerium to rename Broadway Avenue after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The problem is the road runs through four municipalities -- it becomes Dock Street in Sharon -- and the other three governing bodies (Sharon, Wheatland and Hermitage) have shown no interest in making the change.
The Ministerium first brought up the suggestion several months ago and Farrell City Council supported it alone that time.
Letter of support
Now, the Ministerium is renewing its effort and approached Farrell City Council Monday, asking for a letter of support for renaming the entire street in all four municipalities after King.
If that doesn't happen, the Ministerium asked that at least Farrell's section of Broadway be renamed for King.
Council voted to send the letter of support for the four-municipality plan but stopped short of guaranteeing to rename the street on its own.
Councilman Lou Falconi said that, should the other three municipalities not agree to the change, Farrell officials should sit down with the Ministerium and work out some other arrangement.
Other suggestions
He said he would then favor naming another street after King.
Councilman Robert Burich said Farrell should move ahead on its own now to name another street for King.
Mayor William Morocco said he favors renaming Idaho Street, which has developed a bad reputation as a drug center in recent years, after King.
The city is working hard toward the rebirth of that area and that's the type of thing King stood for, Morocco said.
"Right now, we're the only community committed to doing the right thing," said Councilman Rudy Hammond.
Councilwoman Olive Brown suggested the city look at naming a building after King rather than a street.
His name could be added to the Stey-Nevant Public Library or even Farrell High School, she suggested.
In the end, council agreed to wait and see what the other municipalities are willing to do.
Sharon City Council is slated to discuss the issue at its workshop at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.