Legacy Awards bestowed

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SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR The 2013 Valley Legacy Awards were presented during a luncheon Oct. 3. The recipients are, left to right in the front, Marilyn Schmidt, Betty Jean Bahmer and Anna Mae Cuchna, Outstanding Seniors; and in the back, Kay Lavelle and David Mirkin, Outstanding Advocates for Seniors; and Daniel Mathey, Outstanding Senior.

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Apicella

Staff report

CANFIELD

On Oct. 3, seven people received the Valley Legacy Award at a luncheon at Avion on the Water. Shepherd of the Valley, the presenting sponsor, hosted, and 290 people attended the event.

Leslie Barrett, 21 WFMJ TV evening news co-anchor, served as the mistress of ceremonies. She, along with Don Kacmar, SOV executive director, presented a certificate of recognition to each nominee as his or her biography was read. Twenty-six people had been nominated.

In 2005, SOV launched the awards to recognize the service and sacrifices by or for senior citizens in the Mahoning Valley.

The 2013 Legacy Award recipients and brief biographies follow:

Salem’s Alma Apicella shows a deep commitment to her community, where she continually volunteers. Her involvement includes the YWCA, American Red Cross, Salem Community Hospital, Salem City Council and Salem Historical Society. She serves on the boards of Century House, Salem Visiting Nurse Association, Salem Rotary Foundation and Kent State University Salem. She is active in her church, St. Paul’s, and she is Salem Community Hospital’s 2013 Shining Star.

Betty Jean Bahmer of Warren and Anna Mae Cuchna of Niles volunteer for Niles Community Services, where they work on a number of programs, such as Toys for Tots and Christmas food drives. Both are active in their churches and are members of the Trumbull Retired Teachers Association. Both have received the Who’s Who Among Teachers Award.

Daniel Mathey of Warren has served the community for more than 40 years, proving to be an asset to Boy Scouts, National Packard Museum, Trumbull County Historical Society, First Flight Lunar Module and Trumbull Tourism Board. As a promoter of the arts, he is a docent at the John Stark Edwards House and Packard Museum, and he’s a member of the Warren Civic Music Association and Warren Philharmonic Orchestra.

Marilyn Schmidt of Canfield retired two years ago at 79, freeing her up to be a full-time volunteer. She has run Canfield Lions Mahoning County School Eye Screening for 15 years. Her deep involvement with her church includes volunteering for the St. Michael Saturday breakfasts at St. Vincent de Paul and serving as a Eucharistic minister at St. Elizabeth Health Center. She just began volunteering at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Kay Lavelle of Austintown is credited with developing the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Senior Services Unit, which trains senior citizens in crime prevention, search and rescue and other ways to handle emergencies. She established the Mahoning Senior Fair and has helped the Austintown Senior Center increase to more than 1,000 members.

David Mirkin of Liberty is the founding chairman of the Mahoning Senior Service Unit, serves on the senior fair steering committee and organized a committee for law enforcement to recognize red flags such as abuse or neglect of the elderly. A charter member of the Mahoning Adult Protective Network, Mirkin also serves as an executive member of Citizens for Mahoning County Seniors and on the Hospice of the Valley board.