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Montoursville approves canopy for filming platform

The Montoursville Area School Board voted 6-2 in favor of an approximately $4,700 project to install a canopy over a film platform on the football field during its school board meeting.

“We received a very generous $2,700 donation to put a filming platform over our pressbox,” said William Ruffing, school board member. “We received it from the Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, which we are very grateful … However, there’s no canopy. It won’t include that.”

He said in order to include a canopy for the area so that it can be used in all types of weather, the cost is approximately $4,700.

“After receiving $2,700, I would think that the bulk of that money we need for the project, we would be able to put $4,700 towards that so that generous gift can be used any time of year in any type of weather,” he said. “This is obviously not just for football games. This is for all events that occur on the football field … I think it’s the right thing to do so that can be used.”

The money for the project came from construction money.

“You realize Mr. Ruffing that any money — that extra money you’re using out of the project money — is money that is taken away from possibly another school in our district that needs work, that is for education and not sports?” said Ronald Snell, school board president.

Ruffing said he was well aware of that and added that a half a million dollars spent to try to stop the project took a whole lot more money aware from other schools in the district.

Voting no were members Snell and Denise Johns. Voting yes were members Daniel Albert, Dr. Dorothy Mathers, Ruffing, Scott Konkle, Jennifer Marriott and Robert Logue.

In other business, the board unanimously approved a new policy regarding Naloxone.

Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is used to reverse the effects of narcotic drugs and often used to save lives in times of an overdose.

“It speaks about the authority of the state, that they are providing citizens the ability to help those who are struggling with the opioid epidemic or the heroin epidemic,” said Christina Bason, superintendent. “It defines what we call overdoeses … It also speaks about the delegation of responsibility as far as who will establish internal controls and what those controls will be.”

She said that a representative from Project Bald Eagle came to help educate the staff about Naloxone.

“We trained all of our staff during our in service time on the administration of Naloxone,” she said. “We did it at the board level as well so that everyone is aware. I have to be honest, I was not aware of why someone was using heroin … I thought it was just a drug. I really had no idea that it starts with many prescription pills.”

She said that the district will continue to train the staff on the drug.

“We will have the trainings for our employees,” she said.

Absent from the meeting was member Karen Wright.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Montoursville Area High School, 50 N. Arch St.

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