Petition to rename Route 981 after late state Rep. Mike Reese gains traction
Mar. 19—An online petition to rename a state highway after the late state Rep. Mike Reese has rocketed towards it goal of 2,500 signatures in short order.
Mt. Pleasant resident Nick Molitor created the petition on Change.org, where more than 2,200 people have already shown their support. He never met Reese, but corresponded with him several times and appreciated the work he did as a longtime representative of the 59th Legislative District.
"Every day when I go to work I pass his office, and I see all these posters in people's yards that say 'Mike Reese You'll Be Missed,'" Molitor said.
He was inspired to seek to have Route 981 named after Reese by the Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass, or Toll Route 66, which is named after a state representative who served nearly 20 years.
"A lot of (Reese's) district, or at least a good part of it, has Route 981 going right through it," Molitor said. "What a way to honor somebody who passed away at a very young age. As a public servant for our district he was willing to work on both sides of the aisle, willing to extend the olive branch."
Angela Reese said she hasn't met Molitor, but she has heard about the effort to name the highway in her late husband's honor. There's a chance it could result in legislative action, she said.
"I thought it was a really kind gesture," she said. "I was told (Thursday) that some of the House members in Harrisburg got word of it as well, and are making something happen there."
However, if a road is named after Mike Reese it probably won't be Route 981, she said. Part of that highway already has a name — thanks to Mike Reese.
In 2016, a four-mile section of the thoroughfare in Mt. Pleasant and Unity townships was named the James Paul Takitch Honorary Highway after a local World War II veteran. Reese sponsored the bill to name the road after Takitch.
After hearing about the potential issues with Route 981, Molitor edited the petition to include several other potential highways.
He said he has been pleasantly surprised with how much attention his petition has received, and wants to thank those who have supported and shared it.
"I honestly didn't think this would take off," he said.
Reese, a Republican, died in January at the age of 42 due to an apparent brain aneurysm. He had just been elected to a seventh term.
A special election to fill his seat will be held May 18. Westmoreland County Democrats nominated Ligonier Councilwoman Mariah Fisher for the seat, while Republicans nominated Leslie Baum Rossi, the Unity woman famous for creating the red, white and blue Trump House.
Molitor said Reese left big shoes to fill.
"I wanted this to be a way to honor his memory, to honor everything he did," he said.
Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@triblive.com or via Twitter .
