Edward W. Jackson was the recipient of the 2010 Senior Citizen of the Year Award. Mr. Jackson is very involved in his community through the following groups: Board Member of Parkway Senior Center also the chairperson for the Boards Diversity Committee and volunteer instructor for the center’s tennis and badminton programs. He is a regular journalist for Utica Phoenix as well as a frequent letter to the editor writer for the Observer Dispatch; serves on the Advisory Boards of both the Observer Dispatch and WKTV. He also lends his many talents to the following groups: Scoutmaster; Cub Den leader; Girl Scouts of America; African American Advisory Committee; Cornhill Development Commission as Finance Commissioner; NYS Certified Community Dispute Resolution Mediator; PTA member; Oneida County Branch NAACP served as secretary vice president, and newsletter editor; American Legion Post 229 member and commander; Leah Street Block Association founder  and captain; Big Brothers Mentor; Cornhill Community for Change Chairman of the Board; St. John’s Catholic Church Lector and Eucharistic Minister; and AmeriCorps Vista Community Organizer.

 

Fifty eight seniors were also honored at the banquet for their community services throughout Oneida County. Marge Anweiler, Annette Barber, Mary Jean Boris, Stanley Boris, Kathy Brown, Laura Brown, Carolyn Burney, Theresa Cackett, Johanna Carriero, Salvatore Carriero, Anna Rose Catello, Sister Marsha Chmielewski, Angela Cook, Joseph Curcio, Ann DiFabio, Patricia Douglas, Carmella Edwards, Charles Ernst, Arveda Faililng, Ruth Gilbert, Liz Gubbins, Pat Gubbins, Helen Handzel, Rev. Philip Hearn, Emmett A. House, Jr., Sandy Inman, Gene Korzec, Bertha Lawson, Eugene Penner, Ceil Lupinski, Chester Mandy, Loretta Mandry, Joseph Mazzatti, Jean McBride, Yolanda Mesagna, John Montrose, Marge Mortis, Evline Murad, Roddie Murad, Ressie Nesbitt, Bonny Niles, Selinda Ogrodnik, Patricia O’Toole, Janet Owens, Eda Pendorf, Milo Pennock, Dominick Pepe, Rose Rich, Stella Romas, Lucy Rondinelli, James Rondinelli, Eileen Spellman, Virginia Synkowski, Anne Urbanik, Angela Z. Vanderhoof, Gladys Young, Jeannette Williams, and Florence Wood.

 

2010 Outstanding Contribution by an Organization Award recipient was the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Oneida County (RSVP). The RSVP mission is to provide volunteer opportunities for people age 55 and over in a variety of settings throughout their communities. There are over 300 RSVP volunteers countywide supporting 70 non-profit organizations.

 

Seven organizations were also recognized for their community services: AARP Defensive Driving Volunteers Program; AARP Income Tax Assistance Volunteers; BOCES, New Hartford Teachers Association, Rome Rescue Mission, and the Utica College Gerontology Program.

 

The Office for the Aging would like to thank the sponsors for our May 20th event: Bentz & Amodio Funeral Service; Coriale Flowers; Fidelis Medical Advantage; Home Depot, Inc.; Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency; Parkway Drugs; and Pumpernickel Deli & Catering.

 

The Oneida County Office for the Aging/Continuing Care and the Oneida County Youth Bureau also acknowledged the youth volunteers and their organizations and schools for their hard work in the Intergenerational Youth Group Volunteers 2010. These young men and women volunteered on the weekend of April 24th and 25th to Spring Clean yards and lawns of 60 seniors throughout the county. This program was so successful that a similar event will be held in the fall. Honored were: Boy Scout Troop 14 – Washington Mills, Hamilton College HAVOC, Hamilton College Women’s Basketball Team, MVCC Habitat For Humanity, MVCC Phi Theta Kappa Society, MVCC Student Council, Notre Dame Boy’s Basketball Team, Oneida Youth, Inc., Proctor High School Key Club, Proctor High School Young Scholar Program, Proctor High School Youth Construction Initiative Program, Rome Free Academy Football Team, Slavic Pentecostal Youth Organization, Utica College Black Student Union, Utica College Physical Therapist Society, Utica Municipal Housing Authority-Teens and Dreams Program, Vernon Verona Sherrill High School Interact Club, and the YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley Teen Leaders Program. Special recognition was given to Deanna Ferro, Sarah Hainey, Brian Hartnett, Eric Otto, and Mary Powers.

 

BPOE Utica Lodge 33, East Utica Optimist Club, and Kiwanis Club of Utica were very generous sponsors to help with our Intergenerational 2010 Spring Clean Up Program. The Office for the Aging and the Oneida County Youth Bureau thanks them for their generosity.

 

The Office for the Aging would like to thank Presitge Services for a delicious dinner and the Staff of the Office for the Aging who catered to the needs of all attending during the event.