Did you know the old Canton Elementary on Academy Street and the Jones’ Textile Offices in downtown Canton, Georgia are on the National Register of Historic Places as being in the historic section of Canton? And did you know Dr. Frank Petruzielo, of superintendent fame, plans to demolish the school building and or the Jones Canton Textile building? He does. And very soon.
Because he needs a new office, you know. And a better place to park his car.
Canton and Cherokee County, do we have to allow another piece of our history to fall victim to the wrecking ball? I really don’t believe we do…or should. But….if some backbones, some green paper and a few history lovers don’t come together, within the next few months, we’re going to lose another piece of our history. Or as Ms. Joplin sang, we’ll lose Another Piece of My (our) Heart(s).
If we don’t act, Dr. Frank P will have his way with a building we love. He’ll replace it with another modern eyesore. Canton has too many of those already.
I’ve been told Dr. P has withdrawn all but bare-bones maintenance of the school building…allowing decline. To anyone watching from afar, it would appear his plan is for Canton Elementary to fall into such a state of disrepair, it will be non-salvageable. I’m sure by now the building is in terrible shape, it’s over 100 years old, after all. And when the county “remodeled” it in the mid 1970s, they didn’t bother with sustaining the integrity of the building or the original interior character. They replaced the windows, installed a drop ceiling, covered the hardwoods with cheap carpet and called it remodeled. What an insult to that beautiful, genteel Southern Lady.
I no longer live in Canton, but it will always be my hometown. My parents are still there, my cousins and their children and a spattering of aunts and uncles are still around town. They’ll be there until their last breath. Your family is probably very similar. Dr. P, most likely, will not. He’ll rip down a 100-year-old building, and for a couple of years, he’ll settle himself into a big comfy chair within that building…and then he’ll move on. Canton will be a faded memory to Dr. P. But we’ll remember him. Every time we drive downtown and see what is no longer there, we’ll remember. And we’ll say to our grandchildren what we’ve had to say to our children about other significant buildings around town: “There used to be the best old school building standing right over there. You should have seen the architecture, Neoclassical Style. Nothing else like it around here….”
We have given up so much of this cotton mill town. We gave things up without a fight. We let the hotel go, the magnificent Sequoyah Library where my love of reading began as a five-year old, the train depot (what other town destroys its depot?), the elegant homes on Marietta Street (replaced by a couple of architecturally unattractive brick boxes). We’ve lost enough.
The Historical Society doesn’t want to lose these buildings either. Below is a link to an article on their page. Surely we can come together and help them save a bit of history for the future citizens of Cherokee County.
https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeCountyHistoricalSociety
Thank you,
Danita Clark Able
If you want to be a part of preserving the character of Downtown Canton. Please sign this petition created by the Cherokee County Historical Society. https://www.change.org/p/cherokee-county-board-of-education-integrate-downtown-historic-building-into-new-design
January 22, 2015 at 7:01 am
Will the taxpayers be responsible to renovate these buildings? Has the Historical Society or other such group raised any money to cover the cost differential assuming the renovation cost exceed the cost to demo and reconstruct? Can either building be remodel to meet modern building or ADA accessibility codes? If the building can be renovated will the space be sufficiency for the School Districts needs? Can the District build elsewhere? If so, what will happen to the buildings? In that case will the folks in downtown Canton be faced with 3 “Jones Buildings”? Would the new building bring an additional 50 people into the downtown everyday? Will the 100+ daily administrators and staff bring an additional 50 to 75 people downtown on a daily basis? Would these extra people shop and/or eat while in town. Could theses extra daily Canton visitors have saved the “Painted Pig”? Would theses extra visitors encourage other entrepreneurs to open new retail shops in Canton? Would these new storefront retail shops draw even more people to Down Town Canton above the extra 100 or so projected? What happens if the School Board does nothing? Will status quo encourage entrepreneurship? Just wondering….
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January 22, 2015 at 10:42 pm
Tommy,
50 extra people in town everyday couldn’t save the Painted Pig or any other business. Not unless great amounts are being spent daily.
The District has other options. They could sell the current property and remodel the Jones Mercantile Building. Is it still empty?
Fifty District employees will not revitalize Canton. Fifty people are not enough to encourage most entrepreneurs to move onto Main Street. It will take something else to draw people in. No, I don’t have an snswer as to what that might be. Perhaps take a clue from Cartersville….the radio station moved into the downtown area, live theatrical performances, concerts, poets, and ballets are schedule several times each month at the Grand, the theater on the square. Afterwards, attendees stroll to one of the many restaurants in town (several have been in operation many years).
I would love to see Canton back in bustling form. I like knowing that you, and Carla and Mike and Edwin are all carrying on the honorable legacies set in motion by your dads. It’s nice knowing you’re all there, in a place familiar to many who no longer are.
I want Canton to be a town capable of finically sustain future Cherokee families. There is a solution, I’m certain. But the solution isn’t fifty school district employees.
Thank you for taking the time to comment,
Danita
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January 23, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Well Mr.Roach you could let the building sit ,and build the King a new office on that property your BOE members just bought for One million bucks. I am sure with that much land you could find a small spot to build the king a new office. Then it would give our county and citizens a chance to figure out what to do with these buildings. So that we could save them.
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January 23, 2015 at 2:27 pm
Oh wait Mr. Roach that building is yours and the Boards, and the kings is it not? Not our the tax payers I just almost forgot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just like every person in office you and the board thinks this is their buildings and their money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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January 26, 2015 at 6:01 pm
They could build the new building on Keeter Road instead of downtown Canton. I guess Dr. P would have to drive instead of waddle to the hoagie shop though.
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January 22, 2015 at 7:51 am
Before he leaves Dr.P wants his name on a big shiney new building.
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February 5, 2015 at 3:53 pm
Due to the tactics he has taken, Dr. P. does not deserve to have his name on a new building in downtown Canton. Remember, he was never elected.
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March 4, 2015 at 6:48 pm
And thankfully, neither were you, Danny.
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March 11, 2015 at 1:41 am
Not very professional behavior for a school system employee, Cherokee Parent.
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January 22, 2015 at 5:40 pm
While I respect your opinion on saving historic buildings, I lose respect when you label a person as a bully because his agenda is not yours. I would love to see the buildings saved. However, as a taxpayer and a mother of school children, I have no desire to see money spent on preservation instead of students. My suggestion would be to find someone with money to buy the property at fair market value and allow the BOE, who is much more than just the Superintendent, to deal with school operations.
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January 22, 2015 at 10:13 pm
MS. Haggerty,
I surmised Dr. P’s bullish behavior from his actions as well as reports from his staff, faculty members, etc of every school system he has been employed with. My opinion of him is not based on an agenda. With a Google search, you will find reports and newspaper articles from Florida, Texas and Geirgia indicating his hostile work environment, mismanagement and so forth.
I agree, the BOE should not be responsible for preserving the buildings. They have proven they have already failed miserably at that endeavor. They should sell the property to someone willing to invest in it.
But Dr. P has threatened to take his employees out of the city if he doesn’t get what he wants. Which is a new building on the present, historical location. If he takes the BOE to the county, money goes with him. So in essence, he’s holding the city under his thumb.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Danita
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February 5, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Yes, Dr. P. did threaten to take his employees out of the city if he didn’t get his way. Well, Dr. P., your bluff has been called so move them out of the city. The Keeter Road site is ready when you are.
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February 5, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Canton’s downtown merchants don’t agree with your opinion.
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March 2, 2015 at 2:27 pm
“Cherokee parent” works for the school system. Typically this school system uses employees for the propaganda purposes when they want to sway public opinion in their direction.
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March 12, 2015 at 11:33 am
Please question my professionalism all you want Danny, because that is your right. However, I am not now nor have I ever been a CCSD employee or teacher, but thanks for thinking I’m capable of being one.
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January 22, 2015 at 11:11 pm
You don’t know anything about how Dr. P treats his staff, faculty members, etc because you are basing this on articles. He has done wonderful things for our school system. You are making the Historical Society look bad with the name calling and it’s a shame because they have done some good things. They have had years to come up with a plan or raise money to help fix the buildings or repair them.
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January 23, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Ms Emma he the king is not in it for the kids,if he was when my son was not getting what he needed from our school system OH and by the way the one I have spent 34 thousand bucks on ,the when I called his office to try to get my son help he would not have told his secretary that he did not have to talk to the parents. So yes he treats us parents like garbage. Did you know that Cherokee county has the highest home school rate. HMMMMM???????????? Wonder why we do so good on our test scores don’t we???????
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January 23, 2015 at 9:07 pm
It’s a shame that those whom are entrusted as the stewards of our children’s educational system which include subjects such as history are determined to destroy a part of it. There should be a reasonable solution that would allow this building to remain while still satisfying the needs of the county. It appears that once again, the almighty dollar is the only factor being considered here.
I read another recent post on another website regarding this subject. It stated that she was “a little tired of past residents wanting taxpayers to restore old dilapidated and outdated structures when they no longer live in area nor pay local taxes”, To that person, I say that I am a 3rd generation resident of Cherokee County and have been all of my life and I pay my taxes. In fact, my family have all been residents of Cherokee County for almost 100 years and continue to be today. I attended school in that building as a child and my Mother did before me.
“Some in our society are great at spending other peoples money!” was stated in the same above mentioned previous post. It’s disappointing that those same people are the ones that we have mistakenly elected to be the stewards of not only our educational system but also the funding that goes along with it. Fortunately, those same people are elected and can be un-elected as well.
I understand that it is an old building just like most of the buildings in downtown Canton. The author of the above mentioned previous post did make a very good point. She stated “If citizens want to preserve historical buildings they should pony up the money and buy them.” That is a great subject for discussion. While that would not be as easy as someone walking in and stroking a check, there are many old dilapidated structures that have been saved and/or restored by a combination of public and private funding and others by private funding alone. The Rock Barn, the downtown Canton theater, the current Canton City Hall, Canton High School, and the old Cherokee County Courthouse are good examples. There is a solution to this issue that would allow the building to remain while still satisfying the needs of the county. We just have to look hard enough to find it rather than automatically defaulting to the less expensive, more convenient option of demolishing such an important part of the downtown Canton landscape.
While it is only my opinion, but one that I feel that is shared by many, once these historical places are gone, they are gone forever and so is much of the history that lived and breathed in those places. Small towns are being ruined everywhere in the name of so-called progress but when it is at the expense of losing important parts of our heritage, is it really worth it ?
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January 23, 2015 at 9:26 pm
I agree with you, once gone, we aren’t getting them back.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I hope we can generate enough interest to find a solution.
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January 24, 2015 at 7:42 am
Please read the following documentation in its entirety before you continue with the name calling. In short, the Historical Society has had SIX YEARS to work on a solution. It hasn’t happened. Please reference the Cherokee County Ledger News’ front page article on June 24, 2009. http://www.cherokee.k12.ga.us/Lists/News%20%20Announcements/Attachments/344/Memorandum%20-%20Replacement%20of%20Administration%20Buildings%201%2022%2015.pdf
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January 24, 2015 at 11:45 am
The Historical Society depends on contributions and the efforts of volunteers. The public is now aware of the possible loss of the Canton Grammar school building, and will rally with the society.
From the Cherokee Tribune:
Historical Society: ‘We’ve tried to be cordial’: Superintendent accuses group of intimidation, requests proposals for demolition
Read more: Cherokee Tribune – Historical Society We ve tried to be cordial Superintendent accuses group of intimidation requests proposals for demolition
The Cherokee School Board began requesting proposals Friday for the demolition of one of two historic buildings in downtown Canton, despite strong community support for preservation efforts.
The decision to move forward with the demolition of the two buildings was made at a non-voting work session before the board’s regular meeting last week and came as a shock to many in the community. While no vote was taken, school board members indicated they were in agreement with the plan.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo recommended demolishing the former office of the Canton Textile Mills Inc., originally built in 1929, and a former schoolhouse built in 1914, which was the first accredited school in Cherokee County.
The plan would make way for a new administrative office and bring staff back into downtown Canton, he said.
The Board of Education advertised for proposals to demolish the old school, “Building ‘B’ located at 111 Academy Street,” in the legal section of Friday’s Cherokee Tribune.
Petruzielo and School District spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby maintain there was public notice the board would be discussing plans for the buildings.
“A capital outlay project update was included on the work session agenda that was posted a week in advance of the meeting,” Jacoby said Friday.
The online agenda, referencing “capital outlay projects update,” included no additional information and no mention of demolition plans.
In a six-page letter emailed to community leaders a week after the decision, Petruzielo said Historical Society leaders “were made aware of this in advance.”
But Historical Society Executive Director Stefanie Joyner said she received no official notice the buildings would be discussed at the work session. She said she was told at a meeting in November the issue could come back to the school board in early 2015.
An online petition was created by the Historical Society on Thursday after a wave of community members posted comments online about their desire to preserve the buildings.
The petition asks the school board to integrate one of the two historic buildings into its plans to build a new, three-story administrative building, rather than tearing both down and building in the footprint.
Created on Thursday, the petition had already garnered more than 400 signatures Friday at 6 p.m.
Historic district
In Joyner’s Wednesday email to school board members, copied to the Tribune, she noted “both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Canton’s Historic District.”
Petruzielo responded the next day, saying “neither building is individually listed” in the register, adding that the Historical Society applied for downtown Canton to become a historic district “without approval of individual property owners.”
Joyner said in response to Petruzielo’s comments that the buildings are listed as “contributing buildings” to the historic district, and said the superintendent is relying on semantics to diminish their importance.
The National Register of Historic Places is the National Park Service’s “official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation,” according to its website. Places deemed historic can be registered as individual places or as part of a historic district.
“It carries the same weight. If it’s in a district then there’s no reason to go get it individually listed. It’s a lengthy process, so it’s easier if you can do a group of buildings at the same time,” Joyner said Friday, adding that the Historical Society notified all property owners in the county that they were applying for the historic district nomination. “If 51 percent of the property owners who lived within the district had protested, we could not have gotten it to be a district. We did not get any rebuttal from anybody, and every property owner was notified.”
Responding to ‘fires’
Joyner said she met with school district leaders in November to discuss how the Historical Society and school district might work together to make a decision on the buildings. At the time, Joyner was told the topic would come up soon, but said she was never given notice the board would be discussing the issue during the Jan. 15 work session.
Petruzielo continued in his letter to say the Historical Society members “had the opportunity to speak during public participation at dozens of regular school board meetings.”
The fate of the buildings had been discussed most recently at a board meeting in 2009, records show.
Joyner said with thousands of historic buildings across Cherokee County, the Historical Society can’t focus all resources on one or two buildings unless the structures are in immediate peril.
“We did show up back in 2007 and 2009 and we made public comments,” Joyner said. “I can’t say it was at the top of my agenda to go to every school board meeting and make my protest known about this. … They were sent letters about this; they were notified about how we felt.”
Joyner said in the historic districts in Canton and Ball Ground alone, there are close to 500 historic buildings on the Historical Society’s radar.
“The unfortunate nature of this field is that these things flare up quickly. They’re kind of on the back burner with limited staff and trying to keep track of the entire county, we have to respond where there is a fire,” she said. “Last year it was Ball’s Store, then there was a little house out in Woodstock related to E.T. Booth. So you respond as quickly as you can with the resources that you have.”
Allegations of bullying
Petruzielo’s email Thursday had a 28-page document attached, which included a six-page letter responding to a Wednesday email from Joyner.
In his release addressed to school board members, Petruzielo accused Historical Society members of intimidation and making false allegations. The superintendent’s letter and supporting documentation was copied to principals, PTA presidents, county commissioners, Legislative Delegation members, Historical Society board members, local media and other community leaders.
“Unfortunately, public statements from Historical Society leaders, including blogs and social media posts, show that this organization’s focus is to intimidate and bully the School Board members into making a policy decision that is not in taxpayers’ best interest,” Petruzielo wrote to the school board members. “We are well aware that they have threatened you and that they have made false allegations against staff, including myself, which is disappointing.”
When asked Friday what Petruzielo was referring to, Joyner said she had no idea.
“We’ve tried to be cordial in all the letters that we’ve sent, which really there haven’t been that many,” Joyner said. “I have no control over the blogs out there, I’m not behind them. It was not repeated on our website, I did not share them. There is lots being said out there that I don’t have any control over. All the official statements from the Historical Society board, I don’t see anything in there as threatening or bullying.”
Many have commented online about their opinions about the demolition plans, some of which can be viewed at the online petition website, found at http://tinyurl.com/CantonPetition.
Joyner said the Historical Society has urged anyone who feels strongly about the preservation of the buildings to contact their School Board members, but said she didn’t consider this to be bullying.
“They’re elected officials, they’re supposed to respond to the public. That’s their role, they’re supposed to listen to their constituents,” Joyner said.
Times past
Canton Cotton Mills, later named Canton Textile Mills, was the main employer in Canton from 1899 to 1981, records show.
The former textile mills office, called Building A, sits on the right side of the road at the main entrance into downtown Canton, approaching Main Street from Waleska Street.
The former schoolhouse, or Building B, is situated at the corner of Academy and Archer streets, across the street from the Historic Cherokee High School’s School Board Auditorium where the board holds its meetings.
In 1974, a new Canton Elementary school was built near Cherokee High School and the Cherokee Board of Education reopened the former schoolhouse as an administrative office in 1976.
In 2009, the Historical Society launched its Cherokee County Sites Worth Saving initiative — an online voting forum where community members could vote on which historic sites they most wanted to see preserved, and the downtown Canton schoolhouse received the most votes.
In 2010, Building B was listed by The Georgia Trust as one of the year’s Places in Peril, noting “there has been little, if any, preservation work completed to the property.”
Six years ago, Building B was vacated by school district staff because of structural, safety and health concerns, including asbestos insulation and lead paint used in the building. But the former textile mill office, Building A, is still used by some departments. However, the basement of Building A was recently closed due to similar concerns, school officials said.
Next steps
Petruzielo said the cost to build a completely new administrative building would be less than trying to renovate the two existing buildings, adding that the School Board members are charged with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
“The school district’s mission is not historic preservation,” Petruzielo said in his letter Thursday. “It is clearly not in taxpayers’ best interest to renovate Buildings A or B.”
Petruzielo’s recommendation for the demolition of the two buildings to make way for a new, 75,000-square-foot, three-story administrative building in the structures’ footprint was met with no opposition from school board members at the work session.
Petruzielo and other board members at the work session expressed support for the idea, noting that renovation of the existing buildings would not suit the needs of the ever-growing school district.
The plans for a replacement building also include additional staff parking and new public parking on Academy Street.
Jacoby said the project is one of the options approved in the last three voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
“It was approved as part of all three SPLOST referenda (2001, 2006 and 2011), specifically through the language relative to ‘acquiring, construction and equipping new school buildings and other buildings or facilities,’” she said.
Petruzielo said he would bring an agenda item to the board Feb. 5, which, if approved, would begin the process to demolish the old buildings to build a new administrative building in the footprint.
Officials said school board members will be asked to take several votes in the coming months to approve proposals for site preparation and construction.
The next meeting of the Cherokee Board of Education is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Historic Canton High School’s School Board Auditorium, located at 111 Academy St. in Canton.
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January 24, 2015 at 1:27 pm
My grandfather was Olin Payne and retired from the old Canton cotton mill grew up spending summer’s there would be a shame to lose anymore history…been citified enough!!!
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January 24, 2015 at 2:38 pm
I agree, Mr. Payne! We will lose more than just a building if the demolition goes through.
Thank you for commenting.
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January 25, 2015 at 1:14 am
From everything I have read it seems like if someone had not seen The Board of Education’s request for proposals to demolish the old school, “Building ‘B’ located at 111 Academy Street,” in the legal section of Friday’s Cherokee Tribune. It would have been demolished before anyone had a chance to save them. Is this the way Canton is going to continue doing business. Slide it by the citizens and answer to them afterwards.
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January 27, 2015 at 9:44 pm
That’s how he demolished the gym.
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January 26, 2015 at 2:47 pm
I don’t know where to sign but please leave town alone. Been here 57 yr and seen our officials do anything to benefit them selves.
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January 26, 2015 at 3:13 pm
There is a link at the bottom of the article. It will take you to the Petition.
Thanks for signing!
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January 26, 2015 at 6:05 pm
Dr. P. and the rest of the Broward County rabble that followed him up here need to either stop with the bully tactics or get out of our county.
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January 26, 2015 at 7:07 pm
It appears to me that the new regime in Cherokee co have no regard for our history or heritage . I also agree that there comes a point where the cost of renovation out weighs the value gained in the process. I would love to see the downtown district look just as it did when I was a kid but time , money and other thought processes of the powers that be control what happens , good or bad. We as a community can and should voice our thoughts and opinions with the hope that the right thing for the county and the citizens are accomplished. We are at a critical time in this county . We can grow or be left behind from just a few bad decisions made by our elected leaders , attend your county meetings and become informed and involved .
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January 31, 2015 at 6:02 am
It seems from day one he Mr.P has wanted to do away with the old school.Go home and leave it alone..
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February 16, 2015 at 10:19 am
Although I do not like tearing down buildings, when a building no longer functions for a community’s needs, it might be time to take some pictures and say goodby. Cherokee has a fine school system with wonderful, dedicated teachers and administration. The school board members are intelligent and supportive. The Canton merchants need the CCSD and CCSD wants to stay in Canton.
At UGA they tore down my old dorm, Rutherford Hall and built a new one.
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February 16, 2015 at 10:27 am
P.S. Old Rutherford was lovely, but AC window units hanging from every window? It had to go and elements were used in the new building. I have fond memories of the old building, but it has to do with the friendships, not the bricks and mortar.
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