Community rallying to rename Baldwin High School track in honor of late legislator Joseph Scannell

After Baldwin Board of Education President Mary Jo O’Hagan wrote in March that there were no plans to name or rename school facilities, Merrill Scannell is now mobilizing the community with a Change.org petition. She is appealing to O’Hagan to reconsider, and honor her late husband, former Nassau County Legislator Joseph Scannell, by naming the newly renovated high school track in his memory.

“I made a heartfelt request to the Baldwin School Board to name the new track at Baldwin High School after Joe Scannell, a request that was summarily denied,” the petition states. “This is a petition requesting your support to convince the School Board to reconsider their decision and approve the request to name the new track after Joe, a most distinguished alumni.”

In March, months before the track and infield were completed in time for June’s BHS graduation, Merrill Scannell wrote a letter to the Board of Education, requesting that trustees honor “a man who has made significant contributions to our school, our community, and our County.”

“Respectfully, while we understand your desire to honor a beloved member of the Baldwin community, we have no plans at present to name or rename any of the School District facilities,” O’Hagan wrote in a response to Scannell two weeks later.

The Change.org petition, created earlier this month and titled “Name the New Track at Baldwin High School for Joe Scannell,” has since collected more than 400 signatures. Its original goal was 30.

“It made us sad and disappointed,” Scannell recalled feeling, along with her children, about the decision. “We needed some time to process, because it was hard. Joe was a distinguished alumni, and I think he deserved this honor.”

“While the district appreciates Mr. Scannell and the desire on the part of his family to honor a beloved member of the Baldwin community, we have no plans to name or re-name any of the School District facilities,” a statement from the school district sent to the Herald on Aug. 26.

Joseph Scannell, who died on May 13, at age 59, of Huntington’s disease, was a former Baldwin High track and cross-country standout. After earning a law degree at St. John’s University, he began his professional career in the Nassau County district attorney’s office as an assistant, where he worked for nearly a decade. Elected to the Legislature in 1999, He represented the 5th District, which includes Baldwin, parts of Freeport and Rockville Centre.

He served seven terms before choosing not to seek re-election in 2013.

In high school, Scannell initially took part in gymnastics, but began competing in cross-country in 1979. He eventually became captain of the winter and spring track teams, and earned headlines by winning the individual title at the county cross-country championships in November 1979. A Newsday sports story was titled, “Baldwin’s ‘Joe Who’ Pulls Upset.”

Merrill, too — Merrill Sider at the time — competed in track and field, and they met on the track team, and soon started dating.

Joseph is honored at Baldwin’s Silver Lake Park, with a cherry tree that was planted in his memory in May 2023, and a section of Foxhurst Road, was renamed Joseph Scannell Way that same month.

Petition signees, such as Paige Sider, have added comments with their memories of Scannell.

“Joe Scannell consistently worked toward bettering the world around him in every aspect of his life,” Sider wrote. “In his time as a student and athlete at Baldwin High, he raised the bar for track accomplishments for his fellow students, and encouraged those to come to do the same. In his time working with the county, he took actions to improve both the lives of residents and the physical environment they lived in, consistently exceeding expectations and again, raising the bar.”

Merrill said she hoped the board would reconsider its decision not to rename the track, given the attention the petition has attracted.

“I think he deserves it,” she said. “I loved him, and I just thought it was an appropriate way to honor him.”