Medina Towne School auctions contents

Posted 23 August 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Sue Cook – Over 500 desks were sold during the auction. Some still bore permanent marks from the students who used them.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – Auctioneer Lynn Hill led the sale of the contents of the Medina Towne Primary School today. Items included massive quantities of furniture, shop machinery and more.

Lynn Hill asks for bids during the auction.

Nearly 200 people, including families with children who had recently attended the school before its closure, came to the auction.

Marching band uniforms were also auctioned.

There were some oddities for sale, such as a record-playing juke box.

“It’s nice to see it go up for sale and help the school district,” said Justin Stilwell, who attended the school in his childhood. “There’s nothing in here I really miss, but it’s been a long time though so I hardly remember any of it. It’s nice to see everything going to help the school.”

Teacher’s desks were lined up on their sides in the hallways. The auction moved around the building taking place in the halls and classrooms.

Ronald Ettinger Jr. recalled that as kids they had painted handprints in the entrance of the school, but lamented that it has been covered over by another coat of paint. He said he remembers a lot of the old items up for sale.

“I really don’t know how I feel to tell you the truth,” he said.

Ettinger’s daughter, Emma, attended the school more recently. She was in 3rd grade during the school’s final year.

Some desks included names and dates. This one is marked on the underside with “Sleprock ’84” and “Zink ’86.”

Zach Shaffer was an Albion student, but his memories of the Medina Towne School are personal and strong.

“Even though I didn’t go here as a student, I spent so much time around kids from here and this place. I used to come here when I was a little kid. Whenever my dad had visitation on the weekends, he would always bring me down to this playground. I learned how to swing on a swing set here,” said Shaffer.

“It makes me sad that it has to go,” he continued. “It’s upsetting because there’s a lot of childhood memories here, especially considering we just sold the house I spent weekends with him in, too. My connection with this town is completely cut.”

Art easels of all shapes and sizes were available and some included former students’ names.

The proceeds of the sale will be used by the Medina school district and the vacant Towne School will remain under their ownership.