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WINTERSVILLE - A question about the denied annexation of Wayne Township into the Village of Bloomingdale was among the topics of discussion during the Indian Creek Local School District Board of Education meeting Thursday.

Bloomingdale Mayor David Gaffney addressed board members, questioning why they recently voted to rescind a motion that would have allowed Indian Creek schools in Wayne Township to be annexed into the village.

"They voted in January to annex Wayne Elementary School into Bloomingdale, but they rescinded, and they can't tell us why," Gaffney said.

Gaffney told the board that they'd like to be able to have their police patrol the area around the school because of complaints of speeding in the school zone.

Superintendent Jene Watkins noted that annexation can still be sought without the direct involvement of the school board.

"I think the position the board took is that, at this time, we don't feel comfortable making that move," Watkins said, adding that he and the board are willing to sit down and discuss the annexation with Wayne Township Trustees and Gaffney in the future.

Also addressing the board Thursday were Bob Smith and Jimmy Freiling of the Mingo Junction Business Association.

Smith asked the board if it would consider naming the new athletics facility to be built with the new middle school in Mingo Junction after former Chicago Bears linebacker Joe Fortunato.

Indian Creek was one of three school districts in Ohio that was approved for funding through the Ohio School Facilities Commission Exceptional Needs Program, Superintendent Jene Watkins previously noted. The 3.45-mill bond issue to build the middle school was passed during the November election.

Fortunato, who was born in Mingo Junction in 1930, played for the Bears from 1955 to 1966 and "was one of the most decorated athletes that came out of this area," Smith said.

Smith and Freiling also requested that a road to be constructed near the new middle school be named after another local celebrity, Rob Parissi, the lead singer of the rock group Wild Cherry.

Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Smith noted that Parissi may be making a visit to the area sometime in August, but plans are not definitive.

"We're just trying to recognize some of the prominent people who came out of this area," Smith said.

Board President Kim Mark noted that the board had previously discussed naming different structures after people and had decided not to do so.

"How can we pick one person over another?" Mark asked. "But this is something we'd like to discuss very soon."

(Sadler can be contacted at bsadler@heraldstaronline.com.)