By Pat Biancaniello
Certified smart, Dr. Susan A. Agruso, Superintendent of the Kings Park School District, presided over the renaming and dedication of the Kings Park School District’s transportation Center now known as the Joseph C. Merola Transportation Center.
The transportation center is not new and it is not fancy, but neither was Joe Merola. Joe was a plain spoken, common sense kind of guy who emphasized the practicality of the district having its own buses, of treating those who were transporting the district’s most precious cargo, its students, with respect and fairness. He looked out for those who were not “certified smart” as he was fond of saying. He served as Vice President of the district’s CSEA in the 70’s and 80’s where he promoted fair pay and health benefits for the school bus drivers.
The Joseph C. Merola transportation center is located on Lawrence Road. It is set back from the road, includes a parking lot for the district’s buses and a garage for the maintenance and fueling of the buses.
The ceremony was held at the garage on Friday, June 24th at 11:30am. Presided over by Dr. Agrusso with school board members Liz Barret, Marie Goldstein and Steve Weber in attendance. The audience was comprised of Joe’s sisters, Annie and Laura, his son Craig (the doctor), daughter in law Laura (also a doctor), his grandchildren, family members, friends, and colleagues. There were also comments from Marge Higgins, former President of CSEA.
(Video By King Pedlar)
Jack Hessel, who initiated the move to name the transportation center after Joe, in an emotional statement talked of a man who although not “certified smart”, was a very smart man who could converse about almost any topic from Italy to expounding the common sense reasons for the school district operating its own busing operation. He talked of a no nonsense man who was not intimidated by anyone. A man with a sense of humor who always had an anecdote and who could be counted on when you needed him.
2009 photo of Joe Merola (photo by King Pedlar)
Joe Merola passed away on November 8, 2010; he was an advocate for common sense solutions in all things. He was devoted to his family, friends, his community and his deli. “Joe was a man you could always count on,” said Dr. Agruso.
It seems fitting that the school district remembers Joe’s efforts by naming the transportation center after him.