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After 10 year hiatus, Austintown Growth Foundation inducts new members to Hall of Fame
By GRAIG GRAZIOSI
AUSTINTOWN
For the first time in 10 years, the Austintown Growth Foundation has inducted a new class into its hall of fame.
Andrew R. Frost Jr., Brad Gessner, James P. Johnson, Fred Owens, Gary Reel and Walter D. Terlecky were inducted into the Austintown Growth Foundation Hall of Fame.
Alongside the hall of fame inductees, the Image Awards – recognizing individuals and businesses the foundation believes have contributed to promoting a positive image of Austintown – were presented to Boak and Sons Inc, General Insurance and Upstairs Lounge.
The hall of fame, established in 1980 by Austintown Township trustees, was formed to recognize individuals who have continuously contributed to the township.
In 1987, the trustees and the Austintown board of education formed the Austintown Growth Foundation, establishing the Image Awards three years later.
Three individuals were inducted into the hall of fame every year between 1980 and 2006. Ken Carano, vice president of the foundation, attributed the hall of fame’s hiatus to the aging of the group.
“A lot of members were getting older and some had died, so we wanted to stop the hall of fame and take some time to rebuild the organization,” Carano said. “It only took about three years to refresh the organization, but we wanted to make sure when we brought the hall of fame back, we did it right.”
To account for the 10-year gap, six individuals were selected for induction rather than the group’s traditional three.
Andrew R. Frost Jr. was the Austintown fire chief for 46 years before retiring in 2012. He helped transform the all-volunteer firefighting force into a 24-hour operation with full-time employees. He also fought for safeguards in the building of the Interstate 80 bridge over the Meander Reservoir.
Brad Gessner is a lawyer who has served two terms on the township board of education and regularly volunteers with the Austintown Community Church and at various Austintown Fitch high-school events.
James P. Johnson, a township resident since 1948, served as a member of the Austintown Police Department, where he started the police-dog unit and reached the rank of lieutenant, which he had until his retirement in 2001. Johnson also built the replica of the Austintown Log House featured in holiday parades.
Fred Owens is a professor in the department of communications studies at Youngstown State University, during which time he’s been named a Distinguished Professor for excellence in teaching and community service.
Owens worked in commercial television as a director and producer during his career, including the two-time Emmy nominated “Homework Express,” a show aimed at helping middle-school and high-school students with their homework. The show was shot and produced by Owens’ students at YSU.
Gary Reel grew up in Austintown, and became a social studies teacher at Frank Ohl Middle School before he moved to Austintown Fitch High School to teach economics and honors history.
In 1999, Reel moved to the college of education at YSU to supervise student teachers.
Walter D. Terlecky, a township resident since 1947, started Walco Construction and spent much of his career building apartments and townhouses during the township’s population boom during the 1970s.
In future inductions, Carano said the number of inductees will return to three a year.