Hofkin agrees to make issue a discussion item at next meeting

            A proposal to rename Upper Perkiomen's football stadium received push back from one member of the school board's Facilities Committee. Chairperson Melanie Cunningham said she could not support a motion to honor Bill Keeny, who coached the Indians for 20 seasons.

            Cunningham – who expressed her opposition as a matter of precedent and said her decision was not personal – avoided casting her vote which would have prevented it from advancing to the full school board.

            "It feels like I am going to be between a rock and a hard place," she said. "My decision will be unpopular, no matter which way [I vote]."

            Instead, board President Raeann Hofkin announced it would be discussed during the next full board meeting. A no-vote by Cunningham, on a motion voiced by Peg Pennepacker, would have prevented the issue from advancing to the full board. Vice President Mike Elliot, the third member of the committee, did not participate.

            "I'll take you off the hot seat," said Hofkin, an ex-officio committee member, during the meeting broadcast on Zoom. "We should let the full board decide."

             Pennepacker made a motion to accept a request based on an application submitted March 30 by Dave Keeny to change the name of Indians Stadium to Bill Keeny Stadium. According to Hofkin, the Keeny family agreed to pay for the cost of a sign and a plaque.

           "If cost is an issue we'll find a way to raise the money," Pennepacker said.

             Hofkin expressed her support for the idea. She praised Keeny's contribution to the Upper Perkiomen Valley.

            "He's the only person I know who ever sparked a spontaneous parade down Main Street," she said. "There's a lot of support for putting his name for that stadium."

            Bill Keeny coached the Tribe's from 1960 to 1980, accumulating a record of 104-101-7. His teams captured two Bux-Mont League titles, including an outright crown in 1966. Relying on ingenuity and discipline, he converted the Indians from a league doormat into a perennial contender. 

            Cunningham described her opposition to the idea of renaming the stadium as making sure the district does "what the district needs to do." She expressed concern about the value of naming venues after people.

            "I'm not saying Bill Keeny was not great," the member said. "I feel that if we name this one thing, we'll name everything. I need to figure out what that does [for the district]."

            Melanie Cunningham also expressed concern over the district's liability issues related to the proposed sign and plaque. Stephen Cunningham, a board member, worried that those long-term care issues are not included in the policy. He argued that embracing any policy allowing the naming of any facilities "could get out of control pretty quickly."

            Dave Keeny, after thanking the committee for its consideration, told the members he based his proposal for a sign and plaque on the actions taken by Hatboro-Horsham High School to similarly honor N. Dennis Steinly. He said the issue is becoming "a little more complicated" than it needs to be.

            "I assure you that the family is strictly interested in working with the school district," said Dave Keeny, who added that he got an estimate from the Reed Sign Company in Pennsburg. "Money is not necessarily an issue."