What will happen to the Heritage Conference?

[tubmill]

Tonight is the night that the Ligonier Valley Schoolboard votes on the fate of Laurel Valley Middle/High school. It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that they will destroy a community and close the venerable home of the Rams. I believe the only no vote will come from Skip Sansing. I hope that the residents of the north boycott the greenhouse in T. Hollow. You know who I mean. Also it would be nice if any friends of LV in our conference or in the area boycott the businesses in Ligonier along with Ft. Ligonier Days in the fall. Go to the Bedford Fall Foilage Days instead.

On a side note, two little birdies told me that United is very interested in taking the in LV students. So we shall see. I wonder if there will be financial assistance from BM for those students who chose to go there.

[tubmill]

It is official. The Ligonier Valley Schoolboard voted 8-1 to close Laurel Valley. Remember LV residents, do not patronize the greenhouse in T. Hollow. This board should be held accountable when the first student is injured or worse killed when traveling down the dangerous Rte 711

[costanza]

i feel your pain, tubby... it was/is a great school for its size. it accomplished so much more than many realize, and how alot of athletic success as well, for a "little out of the way country school" as the late andy pahach once described it. the memories will always be there.

[tubmill]

I just can't wait to see the savings roll in. We still owe 8 million dollars for renovations on the LV building. We are going to lose 1.3 million dollars in state subsidy when our building closes. This board of know nothings next will have a planning session on this years budget. They are hoping that they don't have to raise taxes. Go figure! If United doesn't take the LV students in, I have a suggestion on how this board can save money! Don't bother with your effort to pick a new school name and new colors! The only thing that the two communities have in common is that they are located in a valley along LAUREL Mountain. Give your new school the name of Laurel Valley. Keep the colors red and black. They were chosen by students of both schools forty years ago. Keep the mascot as Rams....much better than a drunken mountaineer. There you have it. No need for any new uniforms!

[cleaverstuart]

I'm interested in how all the other schools with holes in the their schedules are going to feel. The other schools can't even sign contracts with other schools for open dates until after the 90 injunction period is over. (the S.O.R.E. will file the papers for the 90 day stay shortly.) So forget any significant additions for fall sports. This school board (LV) is hell bent on starting combined schooling for the 2010-11 school year, forget having a one period to make sure all I's are dotted and T's crossed in your own district let alone make sure the impact is leesen for the neighboring communities. (I guess the LV school baord never heard of the new Central Valley, Central and Monaca waited one year). This position I'm sure will be just loved by other Heritage Conference Schools, especially in light of the stated policy of still wanting to be a member of the Heritaage Conference. Of all the teams and games cancelled I think United will be the most effected in football, taking a foriet win in week one most likely doesn't help to prepare for week two or three even when compared to the experience your oppent gains my playing every week.

[tubmill]

Cleaver,
Our illustrious board doesn't care. Boycott the greenhouse and shun Maier and Tantlinger!

[Head Roadie]

How will the Heritage deal with the football open dates down the road?

A. Will they try and attract another team (Cambria Hts?)
B. Will they wait it out till Blairsville-Saltsburg merge and they get an even # again?
C. Will they approach the WestPac about crossing over on bye dates?

[costanza]

cleaver--good points by you, but the schedule for this season is flipped upside down, so LV's first opponent would be Blairsville. United will open with MC. This does mean though that United would have the open date for week 9.

[Red and Black]

They could approach the WestPac and form two divisions, in essence reforming the Appalachian Conference. The current WestPac has 11 football playing schools. The Heritage, minus an LV, has nine schools.

Make a North Division = nine Heritage Conference teams plus a WestPac team, probably Blacklick Valley, or maybe Conemaugh Valley or Ferndale.

The other ten football teams in the current WestPac become the South Division

[costanza]

that's not bad, but what's the point in having 2 ten team sections when you can't play more than the other nine teams in your section anyway. you might as well attract one of the eleven west pac teams to come to the heritage, and the other ten just remain in the west pac. and a league championship game is not a good idea either. then you have the situation occurring again if blairsville and saltsburg combine sports. i think it is a mess right now. could push things toward section play throughout the whole district.