This past Wednesday, Heritage Accord received quite the shot in the arm. This came in the form of a check, for $10,000! This generous donation was given by the AMVETS. The ceremony was held at high noon, at the Newton Falls Community Center. Connie Smith Talcott was on hand to receive it on behalf of Heritage Accord, it was witnessed by Mayor Kenneth Kline, Ward 4 Councilman Christopher Granchie, NFACA Acting President Tom Colosimo, and select members of the press.
This donation will help HA with its mission. Heritage Accord is the group raising money to renovate and restore the Newton Falls Community Center, which will preserve a local, historically significant landmark. You might see the Pluck-a-Duck Fundraiser display on the corner of Broad and Center Street, or have seen them at the local festivals. You may have read about them in the Villager or even some larger papers. Now you may have seen them on 21WFMJ or 27WKBM. You may even plan on attending the fundraiser. You may be looking forward to the 80-year anniversary celebration coming up in January. If so, thank you! Your efforts and awareness contribute to HA’s mission.
The Community Center is actually a standing relic of history. It was completed in 1942 as part of the war effort. It was one of many USO buildings across the country, made to give the soldiers and war workers a place to socialize and relax. It is now one of 5 of this type left. It had been closed for many years, but is now open for select HA events. Thanks to the efforts of HA, our Community Center, nee USO, is on its way to being preserved for more generations.
If you are from a non-military family, you might not be familiar with AMVETS. Sure, you see the chapter on Broad Street, but do you know what the organization does?
AMVETS, short for American Veterans, is a Congressionally-charted veteran’s service organization. They represent as many as 20 million vets. They act as veteran advocates for any who have served honorably, including all branches of the military as well as the National Guard and the Reserves.
The AMVETS Mission Statement: To enhance and safeguard the entitlements for all American Veterans who have served honorably and to improve the quality of life for them, their families, and the communities where they live through leadership, advocacy and services.
They have many avenues to support their mission statement. They help to process veteran claims, have scholarships for veterans or ROTC members seeking higher education, honor vets both living and passed. They also have a Service Foundation, which is often involved in raising money for the benefit of the nation’s veterans.
The AMVETS were well represented this Wednesday. JP Brown was there. JP is a past National Commander. He not only knew the history of the building, but added that it served as a ‘command center’ in the aftermath of the infamous Tornado of 1985. When asked what JP stands for, he quickly replied, “Just Perfect.” Then Jan Brown, also Past Commander, just as quickly added, “John Patrick.” The patriotic couple are often referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Commander. Jan Brown is the first woman to be a Commander in the 75-year history of the AMVETS. She is also is the only Commander to serve two consecutive years.
Eric Sherer, Service Foundation President of the Department of Ohio, and also Past Commander, attended, too. Scherer served in the Army and the National Guard, retiring in 2007. Past Commander Scherer comes from a military family, his father served in WWII, and his brother in Viet Nam. He served as Commander for 2016 to 2017. He was then elected to Service Commander for the Department of Ohio and is serving his second term. Some of his duties include visiting posts in his area to represent the veterans and AMVETS, and attending ceremonies. He finds great personal satisfaction in his position.
Newton Falls own Councilman for Ward 4, Chris Granchie contacted the AMVETS on behalf of the Community Center, and made them aware of the work that Heritage Accord is doing. President Scherer presented the check to Connie Smith Talcott of Heritage Accord. He considers it an honor to be a part of helping HA to restore the Community Center.
Would you like to be part of this worthy effort to preserve history, too? Do you enjoy having fun? Then, we hope to see you at the Community Center on Sunday, November 7 from Noon to 3:00. This is the Pluck-A-Duck Fundraiser. There are baskets for a ticket auction, a live auction, and cash prizes from the Ducks. There is also live entertainment and burgers grilled by locally famous Big D. So, come on out to join HA, AMVETS, One Ohio Health and innumerable members of the community in support of the Newton Falls Community Center. Preserve history, while having a good time. It is the first day that the clocks are set back, so be sure to plan for that!
