Summit County court scoreboard sparks interest
A new feature occupying a prominent spot in a Summit County courtroom — right above the jury box — has sparked much interest.
The object of curiosity: an antique baseball scoreboard that shows balls, strikes and outs, as well as the home and away teams’ scores.
Summit County Judge Amy Corrigall Jones bought the scoreboard — with her own money — as part of a new probation program she’s overseeing called SCORR (Summit County Offender Recidivism Reduction.)
Jones, a former basketball player and coach, is a big sports fan and adopted a sports theme for the program, including the name and logo, which shows a basketball going into a hoop.
Susan Sweeney, the court’s assistant executive officer, saw the scoreboard for sale on the Facebook page for Urban and Loft, a warehouse in Canton that specializes in antiques and vintage items, and reached out to the owner.
“We were a little flabbergasted at first,” admitted Suzi Stepanovich, co-owner of the store that’s been open for just over a year.
Stepanovich, however, said she learned more about the new probation program and was pleased the sign could be part of it.
“It sounds like it’s going to be phenomenal,” she said.
Stepanovich and her husband bought the sign about 10 years ago at an estate sale in North Canton. She’s not sure, however, about its origin or age.
The sign is in excellent condition and still lights up. Stepanovich even made sure all the light bulbs were working before delivering it to the Summit County Courthouse in April.