Group keeps promoting message favoring levy

The committee's parade to help promote the levy will be tonight.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Friends of Weathersfield Schools is pulling out all stops in the effort to pass a tax levy.
The theme for the pro-levy campaign is "Preserve the Excellence." The committee has been hard at work for about two months trying to persuade voters to pass the 5.5-mill, five-year emergency levy Nov. 2 that would generate $558,680 a year for the school district.
A major part of the committee's activities, a "Community Spirit Day" parade, including 29 units, takes place at 6 tonight, beginning at St. Mary's Church on state Route 46.
William Rummel, former superintendent of schools in Weathersfield, will be parade grand marshal.
Cheryl Basista is committee chairwoman, and she also chaired the committee for the levy request for the same millage, which was defeated in the Aug. 3 special election.
Her husband, Bill, is treasurer for the committee, which has raised between $1,700 and $1,800 from individuals, business and other donors to fund all its activities.
There are between 25 and 35 committee members. They meet every Monday at 7 p.m. at the high school and have two meetings left before the election.
Activities
The parade will kick off the annual bonfire and pep rally at the high school held by the Mineral Ridge Rams football team each year they play neighborhood rival McDonald. The game will be Friday night at Mineral Ridge stadium.
The levy committee conducted a voter registration at the schools in September, Mrs. Basista said, and added an additional 46 voters to the list of those registered in the township's seven full and two partial precincts.
There also is a precinct in Still Meadows residential development that is in Austintown Township, Mahoning County, that will also vote on the Weathersfield Schools issue.
The levy committee has put up signs at residences and along Route 46 at local businesses. During this weekend and Oct. 30-31, the committee and volunteer residents, faculty and students will canvass neighborhoods and pass out brochures explaining the need for the levy.
Staff members have received signs that bear the school's ram mascot and ask for a yes vote, to be put in their cars.
Schoolchildren will be given fliers to take home that can be placed in a prominent place in the house.
The committee also passed out pro-levy trinkets at all home football games this month.