Veterans council will honor Navarro, Molnar

Tickets are still available for the Saturday night event at ITAMS Post 3.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The United Veterans Council of Youngstown is honoring its Veteran of the Year and Citizen of the Year at the group’s 69th annual installation of officers Saturday.

The Veteran of the Year is Flor “Shorty” Navarro, president of the Stadium Auto Group, and the Citizen of the Year is Jim Molnar of Molnar’s Concessions.

Special recognition will be given to Nimrod “Gus” Guzman, who recently retired from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission. He has been active in veteran and civic affairs for many years and recently relocated to South Carolina.

The event is at ITAMS Post 3 at 113 S. Meridian Road.

Officers to be installed are commander, Ed Savel; senior vice commander, Bill Patek; junior vice commander, Stan Klingerman; adjutant, Dean McClain; treasurer, Jan Brown; and chaplain, Phil Shanks.

Navarro’s service to veterans includes establishing the annual Veterans Hispanic Appreciation Dinner in 2005, an event that focuses on the local Hispanic veteran population but includes all veterans. Navarro serves on the boards of the Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley, Hospice of the Valley, and OCCHA (Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana). He is involved with Prison Ministries, Mission of Love and Boardman Rotary and serves on the Presidents Council at Youngstown State University, where he established a scholarship fund for Hispanic students. He is a member of Santa Rosa de Lima Church. His wife of 40-plus years is Elba Lillian.

Molnar, known for his blue-and-yellow concession trailers at local fairs and events, was born on the city’s South Side in 1940 and as a boy worked at Idora Park making candy apples and french fries.

During the past 42 years, Molnar has offered his time, equipment, personnel, tables, chairs and tents to various organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Relay for Life teams, AMVETS, “Celebrating the Woman Veteran” event, annual Laying of the Roses, Mahoning Veterans Memorial and local churches.

He shares his life with his companion, Char; son, Jonathon; daughters Faith and Terry; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The doors open at 5 p.m. for the event, dinner is at 6, and the program is at 7.

For ticket information, contact Dean McClain at (330) 799-9565.