About eight alumni of the shutdown Libbey High School met with the former principal of the school to continue discussing a plan for memorabilia on March 26.

Gayle Schaber, the last Libbey principal and current director of special projects and compensatory programs for Toledo Public Schools (TPS), told the group, “This is not going to get done in three months or six months; we’re going to be working together for the foreseeable future.”

Much of the group, including members of nonprofit Libbey High School Alumni Inc. (LHSA), attended a March 5 meeting. Schaber took the group’s ideas to the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission (OSFC) of TPS to get a response.

TPS has given Schaber the go-ahead to give trophies to individual winners or their families if the winner is deceased. Schaber said she would be “conservative” in giving the trophies away if multiple family members want the item.

On March 5, the group had suggested that they get together to better catalog the trophies, which are in storage. A list, compiled by Schaber and released by LHSA, is available at www.site.toledolibbeyhsalumni.com/.

However, although Schaber received permission to reinventory the items, she must do it without the group’s help per TPS. “By myself was the way I was assigned it,” she said and declined to expand.

After the March 5 meeting, Schaber was able to rescue three pallets of medallions and the letters L, H and S from being auctioned on March 6. At the March 5 meeting, alumna Janet Mohamed had said the Burroughs Neighborhood Association was interested in securing pallets to create a Libbey monument. However, her group’s plan has hit a snag as gas tanks are under where the monument was slated to be built at the triangle of South Avenue and Airport Highway.

LHSA members suggested the former Libbey campus as an option for Mohamed to take back to the association in addition to applying for grants to fund the project.

Much of the meeting centered on individual plans to take place before the next meeting. Alumna and activist Sue Terrill has been working with Councilman D. Michael Collins about where to place the Lt. Robert Craig plaque, commemorating the Congressional Medal of Honor honoree, and a plaque listing the names of 106 Libbey alums who gave their lives in World War II. One option is the Veterans Affairs medical facility, scheduled to open this fall on Detroit Avenue. Terrill requested dimensions of the monuments from TPS so that plan could move forward.

In regard to housing trophies, Larrie Baccus, president of LHSA, said he would reach out to The African American Legacy Project and Schaber said she would contact the Toledo History Museum, which has indicated that it may have a 20-by-30-foot room available for Libbey items. Mohamed said she wanted to contact the Toledo Museum of Art to see if it could help.

Yearbooks were another topic touched upon. Schaber said she had extra copies of some years and the group suggested finding other copies to fill the gap years and create a complete set. One complete set is available through the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, but the group agreed that having a backup set at Bowling Green State University or University of Toledo would be preferable.

“How often do you see an 18-year-old (Craig) who has become a medal of honor winner? You see him at 18 in the yearbook,” said Larry Farren, secretary of LHSA.

Another option would be selling the extra copies to fund the project, which is not receiving funds from TPS as of now, Baccus said.

“We need to move on this. I don’t like a project that lingers,” Baccus said. However, after the meeting, he expressed optimism about the project. “I feel like we’re moving forward … hopefully, I’ll have some good news to report at the next meeting.”

The group will report their findings at the next meeting, set for 6 p.m. May 21 at Jones Elementary School. Schaber will once more report TPS’ responses to the group’s ideas at that meeting. Regardless of where the team trophies are, TPS will retain ownership of the items.

Tags: Brigitta Burks, Gayle Schaber, Larrie Baccus, Larry Farren, Libbey High School, trophies

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at 8:31 am and is filed under Community, Toledo Public Schools.
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Two groups occasionally at odds, Libbey High School alumni and Toledo Public School representatives, plan to meet March 5 to discuss what to do with trophies and memorabilia from the closed school.

“We consider it a step in the right direction,” said Larrie Baccus, president of alumni group Libbey High School Alumni Inc.

About 350 trophies and memorabilia items are in a Toledo Public School storage unit at Libbey-Owens-Ford, according to TPS.

LHSA is seeking a home for the items in the community, preferably near Libbey. TPS indicated it would be open to this plan and also suggested displaying Libbey trophies with memorabilia from other shut schools.

Lisa Sobecki, president of the Toledo Board of Education, directed James Gant, chief business manager, to prepare a plan of what to do with the items in time for the Feb. 22 Ohio Schools Facilities Commission meeting. He was also asked to get in touch with alumni about two World War II pieces of memorabilia they requested at a Jan. 24 board meeting.

Gant said he tasked Gayle Schaber, director of special projects and compensatory programs and former Libbey principal, with arranging the meeting.

“[Schaber] understands a lot more than I would,” Gant said. “We have given her some clear direction on how we should proceed.”

“My goal for this meeting is to invite the Libbey community and hear what their concerns are and make a plan,” Schaber said. “The Libbey community needs to have input on 80 years of memories.”

After the meeting, Schaber said she will report to the TPS cabinet for approval of the plan.

“I don’t have a problem that Gayle has been charged with [memorabilia]. She knows what the issues are. I don’t think they want us in their hair at TPS about these matters, and I’m hoping on our end, we find a home short of leaving it up to them to do that,” Baccus said.

Baccus said he plans to reach out to government officials and organizations before the meeting to solidify a plan.

Warren Woodberry, a local activist involved with LHSA, said he contacted the Toledo History Museum/Old West End Antiques Market to house the trophies, but has not heard back.

Baccus said Schaber plans to invite other alumni representatives to the meeting. Francine Coogler Boyd, chair of the final roundup committee, said she had not heard from Schaber at press time.

Libbey alumni groups have not always gotten along in the past, Baccus said.

“There is some lack of understanding,” he said. “My view of what might transpire on the 5th is they will all have their little opinions and things, but we will have mapped out what we want.”

He added however that LHSA is willing to work with the other groups.

Boyd said she doesn’t think LHSA has always acted realistically in the past, adding that she hopes the trophy situation can get resolved, “where there’s not a lot of controversy.”

She added that she would be willing to go the meeting.

Baccus said Schaber also plans to invite a group of alumni from the late ’60s and early ’70s and that he will invite the Libbey Lunch Bunch, a group of older alumni.

In addition, LHSA is planning a Veterans Day celebration centered on a Lt. Robert Craig plaque, commemorating the Congressional Medal of Honor honoree, and a plaque listing the names of 106 Libbey alums who gave their lives in World War II.

Schaber said she takes the plaques very seriously as her second cousin is listed among the World War II veterans.

At a Jan. 27 meeting of six LHSA individuals, Baccus called for ideas from the public of what to do with the trophies. Anyone with suggestions of where to house the plaques or trophies can call Baccus at (419) 244-1236. LHSA is also interested in any photos of the memorabilia. A list of the memorabilia is available at www.site.toledolibbeyhsalumni.com/.

The meeting between alumni and TPS is set for 6-8 p.m. March 5 at Jones Elementary School. LHSA may also meet before then.

Tags: Gayle Schaber, James Gant, Larrie Baccus, Libbey High School, Libbey High School Alumni, Lisa Sobecki, memorabilia, Toledo Public School, trophies

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 9th, 2012 at 10:41 am and is filed under Community, Toledo Public Schools.
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