District to honor late educator
High school TV studio to be renamed after the ‘voice of Spring-Ford’
ROYERSFORD » After the unexpected passing of the man who was instrumental in building SpringFord’s television production brand, the school community has found a fitting tribute to his legacy.
Steve Bonetz died suddenly of natural causes at the age of 46 June 7, 2017, sending shock waves through the district. The husband and father of two was often referred to as the “voice of Spring-Ford” and played a pivotal role in organizing and producing the district’s Ram Country Television, or RCTV.
Now plans are in the works to honor Bonetz’s memory by renaming the high school TV studio after him this fall.
At the June 26 school boardmeeting, board President Joe Ciresi called Bonetz “Mr. Spring-Ford.”
“I couldn’t sit here to- night and look at the cameras and not think of Steve Bonetz,” he said, before formally proposing the name change. The six other boardmembers in attendance agreed with the idea.
Those who knew Bonetz said the Spring-Ford alumnus bled blue and gold.
“Steve was a proud Spring-Ford graduate and employee,” said Bonetz’s wife, Jennifer. “Seventeen years ago, when he was given the opportunity to work there, it was a dream come true.”
A 1990 graduate of the district, Bonetz played for the baseball and basketball teams. He then matriculated to Kutztown University and continued his baseball career playing for the Golden Bears before graduating with a degree in telecommunications. In 2005 he received his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Kutztown.
Prior to working at Spring-Ford, Steve worked at Channel 5 Berks County News as a sports reporter where he covered high school sports, the Reading Phillies, the Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, 76ers and Phillies.
After taking the job at Spring-Ford in 2000, Jennifer said her husband became an expert at balancing his work and home life considering the late-night board meetings, student events, special programs, concerts and athletic games he helped cover.
“He took pride in build- ing the TV program from scratch, RCTV was his passion,” she said. “He loved the studio, the new mobile production trailer, the shows and all the colleagues and students that he worked with. He practically lived at Spring-Ford!”
Bonetz’s passion for his work translated into recognition. He was a recipient of the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association Robert Buckanavage Citation Award. The citation is in recognition of exceptional time, effort and energy devoted to the association.
The award was definitely deserved, Jennifer said.
“He’d go in early, he’d stay late, and he’d work on weekends just to make sure a project was perfect,” she said. “He set high standards for himself and for the quality of work that RCTV produced. The studio was his second home; it is fitting for his memory to live on through the naming of it.”