It Must be Spring as Carol's Trees are Flowering
It's been more than a decade since Carol Kuhn Hartough left a Huntington School Board meeting and headed toward her home only to drive off the road and die in a one-car accident that stunned the school community.
A four-term trustee, Mrs. Hartough was a larger than life figure around the district. A lifelong resident, she used a lengthy list of confidential sources to keep her informed about what was going on in each building, often raising matters previously unknown to her colleagues.
The 64-year old was driving home from a meeting on March 19, 2001 when her car veered off Park Avenue, crossed the road and struck a tree on the east side of the street near Mill Road. Press reports stated that since there was relatively little damage to her vehicle, it was thought that Mrs. Hartough had suffered cardiac arrest before the crash.
District employees, fellow trustees and the community-at-large were shocked to hear the news. Flags were lowered to half-staff at each building. Her family and friends were devastated.
Mrs. Hartough regularly touched base with an extensive network of people to help keep her finger on the pulse of every aspect of district operations. She used this information to push for improvements in all areas.
"She was a fighter for the underdog – the little guy," then Huntington School Board President Robert T. Lee told a reporter the day after Mrs. Hartough's shocking death. At the time of her death, Mrs. Hartough held the distinction for winning the greatest number of votes in a single trustee election in district history.
Eunice Marchi, a close friend and fellow trustee, was deeply saddened by Mrs. Hartough's death. Mrs. Marchi led an effort to raise funds to purchase eight flowering trees, with one being planted at every building in the district. The trees were to serve as a living memorial to one of Huntington's most colorful figures.
"Carol was the most real person I ever met," Mrs. Marchi told the Huntington News shortly after Mrs. Hartough's passing. "She was a character and I don't think she can be replaced."
The trees are once again blooming this spring, jogging people's memories of the energetic trustee and her passionate service to the district and its students.
When the trees were planted in the fall of 2001, a special dedication ceremony was held at Washington School on Whitson Road. For many years prior to her election as a trustee, Mrs. Hartough was employed as a food service worker at the school and felt a deep connection with the Washington community.
The trees were ordered through Mohlenhoff's Nursery and planted by the district's buildings and grounds staff members. Small tablets were installed at the base of each tree, memorializing Mrs. Hartough as a "devoted school board member." Some of those tablets have been dislodged and are no longer are in place.
As the trees flower this spring, many students and staff pass them by without realizing their connection to a person rooted in Huntington's history. Some who do remember Mrs. Hartough see the trees and are reminded of the former trustee's wit and smile. Still others ask about the trees and are learn about Mrs. Hartough's story for the first time.