Community donates equipment toward West Middlesex schools
Nov. 20—WEST MIDDLESEX — Officials with the West Middlesex Area School District are thankful for some recent donations made by the community to district students.
One donation — a set of soccer goals — was made possible through a connection of musicians and soccer players, said Dr. Andrew Erb, president of the West Middlesex school board.
During the early 2000s, Erb performed in a band with Mark Tirabassi, the longtime owner of Hubbard Music, before he sold the store in 2020.
Tirabassi now plays in a band called "Five Deep," and was recently performing before an audience that included Veronica and Brian Harcar — the West Middlesex boys varsity soccer coach and junior high soccer coach, respectively.
During a lull in the performance, Tirabassi and the Harcars struck up a conversation that eventually turned to soccer and the district's need for new soccer goals, Erb said.
The district now has only one set of soccer goals, which must be moved by maintenance staff between the soccer field in front of West Middlesex Jr.-Sr. High School and the football stadium.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the goals' netting at previous board meetings.
As it turned out, Tirabassi's son Nathan played soccer for Hubbard schools and Mount Union College.
To give his son a chance to practice soccer at home, Tirabassi bought a set of soccer goals from Westminster College — goals that had been sitting idle since his son graduated, Erb said.
Since West Middlesex's student athletes needed some new soccer goals, Tirabassi said his family would be willing to donate their goals on behalf of Nathan.
"Brian and Veronica were very excited, and they brought the idea to me, so I brought it to the board and the superintendent," Erb said.
School officials plan to buyt new netting for the goals, and Tirabassi asked that a small plaque be installed on the on the back of the goals recognizing the donation by his son, Nathan.
However, the goals — which Erb described as "a little rough but solid" — will need refinished before they're installed at the school.
To that end, another member of the West Middlesex community has volunteered his services.
Rod Garrett, who owns a fabricating business and has a son on the varsity soccer team, will sandblast the goals. Once the goals are refinished, school officials hope to have them installed by next spring, Erb said.
"What I love about this community is that, even if we don't always agree with everything that happens, we always help each other," Erb said.
"When somebody is in need, the community steps up however they can."
The gifts don't end with new soccer goals are not the only gift that West Middlesex schools will receive.
The West Middlesex musical department received about 65 chairs to use for rehearsals and concerts, courtesy of the musical department at Grove City College, where Erb serves as a music professor and band director.
The college's music department was recently being renovated, and instead of sending the chairs to a landfill, the department's chair, Dr. Jeffrey Tedford, decided to donate the chairs to West Middlesex schools, Erb said.
West Middlesex's music department was previously equipped with molded, plastic armchairs featuring armrests — more conducive to a campfire setting than performing with instruments, Erb said.
"Most of the chairs at Grove City College were perfectly fine, so Dr. Tedford was gracious enough to let us recycle them," Erb said.
Tedford also serves on the school board for the Grove City Area School District.
"He understands that when schools have needs, sometimes you have to get creative," Erb said of Tedford.
The donations were unanimously accepted by the West Middlesex school board at their latest meeting on Nov. 13.
During the meeting, Superintendent Raymond Omer and the other board members expressed their appreciation toward the community members who made these donations possible.
Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.
