PARMA, Ohio — News 5 is back at Parma Senior High School after we received an email from a viewer who shared their concerns about the demolition process and certain items like furniture and books being left behind.
READ MORE: 'We hate to see it go:' Parma Senior High School now in demolition process
This led News 5’s Remi Murrey to reach out to Superintendent Dr. Charles Smialek.
“We've taken a lot of steps to make sure that any valuable or sentimental property had been removed prior to demolition,” said Parma City School District Superintendent Dr. Charles Smialek.
Steps that Smialek says have required a lot of involvement with the Parma Senior Alumni Association and Parma City School District Museum curators like Nancy Fedak.
“We did have to pick and choose what we could, and we hope we saved as much as we could and again, we rely on our alumni to help us out,” said Parma City School District Museum curator Nancy Fedak.
In an email sent to News 5, a viewer mentioned the destruction of the school, along with leftover furniture, yearbooks, and even memorial benches.
Smialek says there are things you’ll still notice in the rubble, which he says the district has deemed as obsolete. But if they got a call about something, Smialek says they looked into it.
“There was a bench that had been dedicated to a staff member; we went and got the bench,” said Smialek.
Along with rescuing items, Smialek says they hosted two different auctions for people like Ed Gareau to claim items.
“I actually picked up a hockey jersey,” said Parma Senior High School Alum Ed Gareau.
As a 1983 high school graduate, Gareau said he understands how it’s difficult for some people to say goodbye.
But he says he believes the district has done everything they could to save what’s left.
“I know that in the rec center, they have all the sporting records and stuff like that, that were on the boards are preserved up there. I think that people need to move on,” said Gareau.
There’s also the option to hold onto memories like Andrew and Aiden Brent.
“I’ve been up here almost every day since they’ve started tearing it down just documenting it, because someone needs to do it, otherwise it’ll be forgotten,” said Andrew Brent.
With a drone, Andrew and his son Aiden, a Parma Senior High School graduate, hope to capture enough pictures and videos to cherish in the building’s final days.
“Even as it goes, no matter what, I still enjoy it as a building and it’s still in my mind and I have tons of photos of it, so I can remember it as long as I want,” said Aiden Brent.
The building is expected to be grounded in the next two weeks.
But Smialek welcomes people to call their office if they have any questions on their preservation efforts.
