Scarsella emphasizes details of local history in new book

There's enough 'Memories and Melancholy' to publish a trilogy, the author said.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Richard S. Scarsella said he has a reputation as the patron saint of lost causes.
The 51-year-old Boardman man championed preservation efforts of Idora Park, Youngstown's former amusement park. He is president of the last existing William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society, named for the local man whose Eclectic Readers became nationally famous as reading instruction books during the 19th century.
If Scarsella roots for underdogs, it's because of his love for local history. Stories he has documented as a local newspaper columnist have been compiled into his first book, "Memories and Melancholy: Reflections on the Mahoning Valley and Youngstown, Ohio." It's self-published through iUniverse, which is backed by Barnes & amp; Noble Booksellers.
Modern society features technology -- computers, cell phones, e-mail -- that also contributes to isolation. That's why people recall old times with fondness, Scarsella said.
"I don't do it to be gimmicky," Scarsella said of his writings, which have been published in various community newspapers. "It's an attempt to document a way of life that is rapidly disappearing from the scene."
Scarsella left the Mahoning Valley in the early 1970s, first to attend Boston College, then to travel throughout Europe. When he returned home years later, he was shocked by changes such as the closing and demolition of the former Palace Theater in downtown Youngstown. The Palace was "truly palatial," he recalled.
Striking events
Scarsella believes other people also were struck by events such as fires at Idora Park, the boarding up of other downtown theaters and the demolition of the Jeannette blast furnace at Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube. "People realized that change could be abrupt, in your face," he said.
Some local institutions haven't done a good job of documenting history, Scarsella said, noting that Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube papers ended up in trash bins and Idora Park records were lost in fires.
"It's rather a shame," Scarsella said. "We have a very diverse culture here."
Remembrances of when the carnival came to Youngstown or old stories about gypsies may not make it into Ohio history books, so local lore became Scarsella's niche.
"Historians gloss over this stuff, but for people who live here, they have a certain facility with it," he said.
The book contains "a lot of social and cultural references that you have to be of a certain age to recall," Scarsella said. Those includes visits to Isaly's, the corner stores that preceded the modern convenience store; old hardware stores such as Stambaugh-Thompson, Cleverly on Youngstown's West Side and Johnston's in Poland; gasoline stations that carried Pure, Sinclair, Fleet Wing and other long-lost brands; and stories about foods and religious customs.
First-person accounts
Scarsella's essays are first-person accounts, but Scarsella said there's a great deal of research within them. Books with footnotes appear too scholarly to average readers.
"We're becoming a much more casual society. We're too stressed," he said.
"Memories and Melancholy" has the potential to become a trilogy. Scarsella has enough information to publish two more books, he said.
Scarsella, who is a special education teacher in Youngstown schools, was recently elected to serve on the board of Mahoning County Educational Service Center. He graduated from Ursuline High School, then Boston College and earned two master's degrees at Youngstown State University.
Scarsella's book is for sale on many Web sites, including Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes & amp; Noble. It's also for sale in the gift shop at Mill Creek MetroParks' Fellows Riverside Gardens. Scarsella awaits a "large print order" in time for the holidays, he said.
shaulis@vindy.com