On September 29, 2018, the James A. Garfield class of 1968 celebrated their 50th class reunion with a gathering at Roby Lee’s Party Center, Newton Falls. There were 46 in attendance which included 27 classmates. A fun time was had remembering old times at Garfield High and catching up with friends not seen for many years. Attendees came from as far as California, South Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, and Columbus.
Judy Layer Florian read an article published by the Journal in 1969 regarding the Garfield School Victory Bell that currently rings for school spirt and victory at James A. Garfield High School. We realized there was nothing honoring our class for the resurrection of that bell, and so donations were taken to have a plaque in commemoration of the Class of 68’. That resurrection came to fruition when our class put on their caps and gowns for graduation and discussed the possibilities of doing something for our alma mater.
The original bell rang atop the Garrettsville School which was built in 1880’s. You could hear the bell ringing throughout town, signifying it was time to rise and shine for school. The bell would toll nine times and students would race to school before the final buzz of the tardy bell, which took place of the tenth bong. Then, one day the bell was silenced and no longer needed. The bell went into storage. After much discussion of moving the bell and receiving permission from the Board of Education the bell was taken down and stored in a garage while the bell tower at the football field was being designed by our classmate, John Layer who was an architectural design student. By fall construction on the bell tower was started and bricks from the old school building were used for the masonry work. Another classmate, Dennis Pochedly, along with several others, worked to put on the roof of cedar shake shingles. The bell is estimated to weigh more than a ton and once the structure was ready the bell was moved and placed in the tower. On September 27, 1969, Garfield beat Kent State University High School 39-0 and the bell rang for the first time — 39 times for the victory. To this day, the bell rings for Garfield’s winning soccer and football games.
Dennis Pochedly is currently in the process of having a plaque made in commemoration of the Class of 1968, our Class is proud to keep our legacy alive and to have been instrumental in bringing the bell back to life and to the school so it can continue to ring for victory and school spirit.
