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Chautauqua County's HRSA Rural Commuity Opioid Response Program

John Lloyd of the Program Committee and Steve Kilburn, speaker

John Lloyd with Steve Kilburn, Grant Director for the HRSA Rural Community Opioid Response Program.

John Lloyd introduced today’s speaker, Steve Kilburn, who is the Grant Director for the Chautauqua County Rural Community Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Steve is a native of northwestern PA, resident of Busti, a Cornell graduate, and the Board Chair of UPMC WCA. He has a Doctorate of Divinity degree and is pastor at the Sherman Community Church.

Mr. Kilburn was presenting to us on behalf of the Grant. As the Grant Director, he works for the CC Dept. of Mental Hygiene.

The County received a three year, $1,000,000 grant to address the opioid crisis. This is an issue fraught with emotion, attitudes and opinions both from the legal and the treatment point of view. Notwithstanding the areas of controversy, it needs to be directly and strongly addressed.

First, there are some basic things that we as Rotarians and community leaders should know about addiction. It afflicts our population without regard to socio-economic status, or any other demographic. It is in all our interest to address this problem.

Mr. Kilburn addressed the actual term we use. Addiction is more accurately a “Substance Use Disorder” in the medical terminology. The grant specifically works to address Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Opioids include:

Pain medication- oxycodone, hydrocodone

Fentanyl, morphine, opium and other street drugs.

There are no statistics about the extent of OUD in the county, but the estimate is that there are about 1,500 people dealing with it.

There are so many consequences just from a public health point of view. Lives are impacted in so many ways, but the most quantifiable is the deaths by overdose. There has been a steady increase in deaths. The number peaked in 2017 with 30 known deaths. In 2018, the most recent year with available statistics, there were 20 deaths. This is great news. Unfortunately, it is not because the rate of OUD is decreasing. In all likelihood, the major reason is growing awareness of and availability of Narcan (Naloxone) nasal spray. It is definitely saving lives.

There are numbers that can be useful when developing a plan to address the crisis. 24 overdoses a month are reported in the County. Unfortunately, this is known to be a significant under-reporting of actual overdoses. If someone requests another Narcan kit to replace one that they have used, they are asked to fill out a form explaining why they used their kit. Most people report that they used it to treat an overdose, but did not report the overdose to the authorities (for example, by calling 911.)

Opioid use is a very significant problem in our county. Financial, legal, health and employment implications make it significant.

The federal grant is available nationwide for local consortiums to initiate and/or expand programs addressing the issue in 4 ways. Chautauqua County is working to strengthen each.

Prevention. Strengthen “Prevention Works”, formerly CASAC. Working with young people to develop a host of skills, using evidence-based programs that are shown to cause reduction in drug use. Chautauqua County students use drugs at a higher level than nationally and underrate the seriousness of drug use. Prevention Works is addressing this.
Treatment. There is a notable array of treatment options including out-patient counseling, inpatient treatment, long term housing during recovery, and medication (most effective). One setback is losing beds at Lakeshore hospital which is closing.
1. Methadone. Can only be distributed in a Federally approved clinic. There is no clinic in Chautauqua County. Only in Erie County, which isn’t realistic for the local population.
2. Buprenorphine. Physician must have training to prescribe. This is available in Chautauqua County. It controls cravings.
3. Vivitrol (Naltrexone) blocks the receptors in the brain.
Recovery. This requires long term “reorganizing” of life and life style. There is one group doing this in the County, the Mental Health Association.
Harm Reduction. This addresses the side effects of drug use, reducing the consequences of active drug use. One major way to do this is to provide those who are using with sterile needles. This reduces cases of hepatitis C and HIV. Evergreen Health provides these services.

In the big picture, Mr. Kilburn noted that Chautauqua County needs to improve the systems of care and improve the access to and awareness of these services.

Preparing for the future is difficult because the nature of substance use disorder is constantly morphing. Fentanyl use is increasing. It is more potent than heroin. Multi-drug overdoses are increasing, often with amphetamine as an ingredient.

Another very significant issue is the lack of professionals to address the crisis. The County needs to plan for training and attracting professionals to deal with the issues. Currently, there are positions that cannot be filled because there is not a large enough work force. So, the grant is working on this, as well as the following:

Expand Distribution of Narcan. It is easy to apply and there is no downside if it is administered to someone whose problem turns out to be non-opioid related.
Expand Peer Program of the Mental Health Dept. Ideally, whenever an overdose is reported through 911 a peer should be available from the MHD to reach out to the individual within 24 hours.
Improve referrals from doctors’ offices to clinics. Especially in pediatric offices-have someone in the office trained to identify people with SUD and to counsel the patient on assistance that is available.
Expand use of the treatment medications, including in emergency rooms. The chance of successfully getting people onto a treatment regimen is much higher if done immediately rather than after a day or two.
Job skill preparation. The Mental Health Association is working on this, funded by a separate grant.
Improved services in the county jail. This is a very susceptible population.
Workforce improvement.
Increase awareness throughout the County of the crisis and of resources available.

Question: First I’d like to commend the Office of Mental Hygiene. It has been doing amazing work. My question is about the proposed legalizing of marijuana. How will this impact our substance abuse issues? There are concerns, of course. People should carefully consider whether the sanctioned use of recreational drugs sends the right message.

Question: What will you be talking about 25 years from today? We have trouble anticipating even what will be happening in two years. The morphing of substance abuse issues, for example the increased presence of meth-amphetimine. Opioid use disorder should see continued improvement because of the resources being directed to it. Will there be the political will in the future when there is a “tolerable” level of substance abuse to keep the pressure on?

Question: Of all the addictive substances-are opioids most addictive? What has greatest negative impact? The greatest negative impact is tobacco. The most lethal is alcohol. Opioids are the most highly addictive. Mr. Kilburn emphasized this anecdotally, citing a doctor who was in treatment who said he knew “what his life had been missing” when he took his first dose of an opioid for treatment of a knee injury and was immediately dependent.

Eddie Sundquist - Mayor of Jamestown

Pictured (l to r): Chris Anderson, Mayor Eddie Sundquist, and Cheri Krull (we were unable to get a picture of Eddie at this week's meeting.)

John Lloyd introduced our speaker who already spoke to us when he was candidate for mayor and is a prospective member! Eddie Sundquist has been Mayor of Jamestown for 6 days and that includes the weekend!

As a reminder, Eddie graduated from JHS in 2007, and then pursued a political science degree at St. John Fisher College. He also attended University of Pennsylvania where he earned his Masters of Science degree in education before returning to Western New York and attending the University at Buffalo School of Law. He returned to Jamestown to practice law with Lewis & Lewis, P.C. before launching his successful run for Mayor in 2019.

Eddie noted that he expects to have a good relationship with the new city council and new council president, Tony Dolce.

He admitted to sitting down at the desk the 1^st day on the job, and wondering “What did I get myself into?” It was overwhelming. Many department heads had questions and issues for him to review.

He is happy to report that every day is easier. He feels a sense of hope in the people he meets with. The fresh leadership is attracting more people than ever to invest in the city.

The Mayor is always “on duty”. An example was Saturday night when he got a call from the fire chief. A building had collapsed and the perimeter needed to be made safe.

The burning question is how do we bring people together to deal with housing? Economic Development? Daily life? These issues will only be solved with input and support from everyone.

“Please call my office if you want to be a part!” the new mayor urges.

However, he is very impressed with the response he has seen from some city departments. A woman called to complain about a garbage issue. But she called back to thank him for help before he could even compose the e-mail to BPU.

The Mayor Sundquist says people should expect changes. For example, at tonight’s council work session they will be addressing ways that the government can be more transparent.

For example:

-online calendar regularly updated.

-livestream city council meetings

-post minutes and agendas.

Another place to expect changes is the Department of Development. It is looking for ways to be more proactive.

Looping back to the incident with the collapsed building, the Mayor will be meeting with fire department to develop a process for identifying problem homes before they are a threat of collapsing.

When he opened the floor for questions, the new Mayor was first complimented for his efforts reaching out to the community and responding to correspondence. Rotarians noted that the open meetings before he took office were a wonderful first step. There were 4 community conversations at the schools. They touched on topics from taxes, housing, and economic development. In general, they were very well attended although weather cut the attendance at the last two. Lots of new people attended.

One takeaway from these meetings was that there is a huge population of remote workers. The Mayor wants to start to address their needs.

The Community Conversations will continue at least once a year.

When asked “What do you think will be your most difficult thing to face”, the response was, dealing with taxes. The goal has to be to lower the tax rate which will be hard since 40% of property is tax exempt. Jamestown will need to find new models, seeing what other cities are doing to address the issue.

Question: What is the transition plan for the 1^st 12 months?

-transition team. Preparing the report for the next 4 years. It will be completed in March.

-keeping on key officials to help train the new appointees.

-meet with departments.

Question: How is the transition team gathering information?

The community conversations began it. They have a work plan listing who to talk to. Also canvassing what other cities are doing.

The new Mayor ended with a commitment to look into high speed internet to elevate Jamestown above other cities. He is a proponent of municipal fiber internet. Internet should be regulated as a utility and the City should take the lead. Funding is available to assist in this. This will help bring in businesses and improve the work environment for remote workers.

Imagine Jamestown

Pictured (l to r): Vice-President Kevin Sixbey, Crystal Surdyk, and President-Elect Joni Blackman

Kevin Sixbey introduced our speaker, Crystal Surdyk. Ms. Surdyk is the interim Director of Development for the City of Jamestown. She has a background in urban design planning and related tasks.

Imagine Jamestown Ideas Competition is an ongoing initiative of the Strategic Planning & Partnerships Commission. In each competition cycle, there will be different themes based on community and quality of life issues and challenges which need addressing.

The purpose of the competition is to engage, educate and empower the community to participate in a creative idea generating initiative that addresses real quality of life concerns. The Imagine Jamestown Ideas Competition will serve as a platform to begin a dialogue about issues that our city is facing and how collectively and collaboratively, we can develop solutions.

The focus of the 2020 Ideas Competition: Imagine Jamestown is designing sustainable, livable and remarkable neighborhoods in Jamestown, New York.

After a few initial meetings, the Strategic Planning & Partnerships Commission decided to find a project that would engage the entire community. Ms. Surdyk has been involved in a number of different competitions in the Buffalo area that are similar to Imagine Jamestown. She brought some experience to the process.

As the commission moved forward with ideas, it was decided to focus on the city’s housing issues such as addressing vacant lots, deteriorating housing, etc.

The City is comprised of dozens of diverse neighborhoods. There is a clear distinction between neighborhoods, however, and many struggle with an overabundance of distressed houses and buildings, many of which are rental properties that have been neglected for decades by absentee, unqualified, or financially strapped landlords who won’t or can’t reinvest in their properties.

Addressing abandoned properties and blight in the City’s neighborhoods through targeted demolition has been a top priority in the revitalization efforts that the City has spearheaded. The City has made significant efforts to acquire and demolish run-down homes in blighted areas creating opportunities for new development and/or infill housing to replace the substandard housing these demolitions eliminate.

The Imagine Jamestown Ideas Competition will challenge entrants to submit proposals that incorporate one or more of the following strategies as a viable solution for rebuilding strong neighborhoods:

Infill housing
Rehabilitation/retrofitting of existing housing stock
Repurposing of vacant parcels
Reuse of building(s) or site(s)
A combination of one or more of the above

The competition will have a judges panel as well. The awards celebration will be in May – date and time TBD. There will be prizes and everyone who enters will be recognized at the awards event. Imagine Jamestown is still looking for sponsorships to help cover the cost of the awards. If interested, please contact Ms. Surdyk.

Submissions for the competition are due on April 17 at 5pm. As a point of information, the Commission cannot guarantee that the winning submission will be implemented. But, the commission will work with the award winner to help implement their idea. This might include getting people connected to the right principles or even helping them look after getting funding for the project.

For more information on this exciting initiative, please visit their web site at https://www.imaginejamestownny.com/.

Rotary Club of Jamestown aids Tanzania school

David and Marissa Troxell and members of the Australian and Tanzanian Rotary Clubs pose with students at the Kaloleni Primary School in Tanzania.

Construction workers improve toilet facilities at the Kaloleni Primary School.

The Rotary Club of Jamestown has joined hands and funds with the Rotary Clubs of Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia and the United Republic of Tanzania as well as a local NGO named Team Vista which has been active in the area for several years to provide a sanitation project for a school in Tanzania.

The project involved work at the Kaloleni Primary school, in Moshi. Although situated at the foot of picturesque Mount Kilimanjaro, it is also located right next to the town dump site. The school does a good job of educating the poorest children in the area, but has some sanitation issues and some very dilapidated class rooms. There is no local money available. The project involves restoring toilet facilities, building a washroom area with sinks, repairing classroom floors and walls, and possibly adding electricity.

The overall budget for this work is slightly less than $10,000.

The Camberwell Club and the Rotary Club of Jamestown have each contributed $5,000. The Rotary Club of Moshi, has monitored construction, overseeing payment of accounts and interfaced directly with the local school administration and Team Vista. David and Marissa Troxell are representing the Rotary Club of Jamestown and as David said, ”Tanzania and east Africa is a very distant place to be sure. The opportunity to combine efforts with two other Rotary Clubs in this international project to alleviate suffering and encourage the process of educating these children is a project worthy of the Jamestown club’s best values.”

The Rotary Club of Jamestown thanks everyone who has contributed to their fund raising efforts over the past several years to make projects such as this come to fruition.

2019 Rotary Club of Jamestown Annual Meeting

Cheri Krull called the Annual Meeting to order at 1:01pm.

Joni Blackman confirmed the quorum.

Cheri Krull asked Joni Blackman to present the minutes from the last Annual Meeting.

Joni Blackman motioned that the reading of the minutes from the previous annual meeting be waived.

Greg Jones second the motion. No discussion. All in favor. Motion carried.

Joni Blackman and Cheri Krull co-chaired the Nominating Committee Meeting. The nominating committee communicated by email regarding potential board members. The communications were shared with the Rotary Board at the

November and December meetings. All nominations were accepted.

Nominations for Directors of the Rotary Club of Jamestown’s 2020-2021 Board:

Lisa Yaggie – 2021
Joni Blackman – 2021
Kevin Sixbey– 2021
Chris Anderson – 2022
John Healey – 2022
Lindsey Alday – 2023
Kathy Burch – 2023
Steve Sandberg – 2023
Doug Conroe – Sergeant at Arms

Joni Blackman moved to close the nominations and asked to cast a unanimous ballot to accept nominees as read. Sally Martinez motioned to accept the slate of nominees. Becky Robbins seconded. All in favor. Nominations approved.

Joni Blackman and Cheri Krull also co-chaired the Nominating Committee Meeting for the nominations of Officers. The nominating committee communicated by email regarding potential officers. The communications were shared with the

Rotary Board at the November and December meetings. All nominations were accepted.

Nominations for Officers of the Rotary Club of Jamestown’s 2020-2021 Board:

President – Joni Blackman
President- Elect – Kevin Sixbey
Vice-President – John Healey
Secretary – Lisa Goodell
Club Treasurer – Russ Webb
RCJCSF Treasurer – Christy Brecht
Past President – Cheri Krull

RCJSF board nominations will be announced in January after the committee has had the chance to reconvene.

Current RCJCSF Board Members:

Joni Blackman – Chair
Cheri Krull – 2020 (Ex Officio, Non-voting)
Sandy Hatfield – 2020
Susan Jones – 2020
Tim Edborg – 2020
Lisa Goodell – 2021, Secretary
Christy Brecht – 2021, Treasurer
Steve Sandberg – 2021
Joelle Washer – 2022
Katie Geise - 2022

Please contact Joni Blackman if interested in joining the RCJCSF Board.

Kevin Sixbey gave a short Vision Committee report – in 2019, most of our funding centered around international projects. In 2020, the Vision Committee will be concentrating on local projects.

Russ Webb gave a short financial report – on track with budget, expenses are a bit high but revenues are high as well. We are solvent! Yay!

Cheri Krull – Presidents Report – it has been an exciting Rotary year. I am energized by the club each and every week!

Lastly, in the spirit of the Holiday Season, Lucy Miller was presented with an appreciation gift. Thank you for all you do Lucy!

Cheri Krull adjourned the Annual Meeting at 1:17pm. Kathy Burch motioned to accept. Becky Robbins seconded. All in favor. Meeting adjourned.

Amy Rohler - United Way of Southern Chautauqua County

Posted by Chris Anderson on Nov 25, 2019

Pictured (l to r): Amy Rohler, Becky Robbins, Cheri Krull and Cynde Johnson

Becky Robbins introduced Amy Rohler – Rotarian and Executive Director of the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County. Amy has been the Executive Director for close to 2 years and has already made an impact on our community. Amy was previously the Executive Director at Community Helping Hands.

Amy began her presentation speaking about St. Susans. Bonnie Scott-Sleight was scheduled to be our speaker, but she fell ill and could not be with us today. Amy spent 8 years at the Gateway Center. St. Susan’s is open 365 days per year and is a challenging place to run because their revenue comes from grants and fundraisers. They truly are an important service provider in our community.

Before Amy started her presentation, she made sure to give special thanks to Cynde Johnson – Marketing and Resource Development Coordinator for the United Way who was in attendance to assist Amy with the presentation.

Amy mentioned that the Rotary presentation will be her 67th presentation for the United Way Campaign this year. Wow! The United Way funds a total of 30 programs. Each agency provides data every 6 months to the United Way which helps keep funders aware of the programs and where the allocation money is being spent.

The United Way is a big proponent of collective impact. They want everyone to be moving in the same direction and the same way. In fact, many Rotarians have been on the United Way board or on the allocations committee, so they are keenly aware of the collective impact of the organization.

There are very strategic decisions made about what gets funded. There are very hard decisions to make. United Way helps a lot of individuals in poverty but they also help working families. Examples include scholarships for 4H.

United Way believes 4H is a great leadership tool for kids who may become leaders of tomorrow. It ties back into the collective impact on the community. Working families may not need govt assistance, but need a small assist with getting back on track.

All of us can benefit from a United Way program or may know someone who has gotten help.

Amy also expanded on 211 – you can now call and text to this number to get help and supports. 211 connects you with local support services. A trained operator takes the phone call and connects the person to the needed supports. #1 call is about housing!

United Way is a “backbone agency.” Key to making change is people working together. The community must align resources and work together for a better community. This is the most valuable thing that United Way does.

The bulk of the United Way funding comes from a lot of people giving a little bit out of their paycheck at different businesses in the community. Sometimes the people who have struggled the most are the biggest donors. This community really steps up!

Amy then showed a video to the club that highlighted the UWAY. If you missed the meeting, you can view the video here:

https://youtu.be/QlkmmzYEr5w

Status of Jamestown Airport - Ron Almeter, Airport Manager

Posted by Ruth Lundin on Nov 24, 2019

Pictured (l to r): Ron Almeter, President Cheri Krull, and Dan Reininga

Hiroko Walters first introduced Dan Reininga, CEO of Lake Shore Savings Bank. She originally had approach Dan to talk about Lake Shore Savings Bank, but Dan, who has been a Rotarian since '97 in Dunkirk, suggested he instead use this opportunity to be informative to all concerned. He proposed he share his involvement in, and knowledge about, the Jamestown Airport. This is a topic where he is well versed, as Commissioner of Chautauqua County Airports.

Hiroko then introduced Ron Almeter, Manager of Airports & Parks for Chautauqua County, a position he has held since January 2017. Mr. Almeter has over 35 years of senior leadership and facilities management experience as he worked in various private, government and military operations, most recently as Base Engineer of the United States Army. He retired in 2016.

Ron focused his talk on the Jamestown airport. He noted that running the facility is straightforward, but managing the business perspectives is challenging. There have been significant setbacks trying to operate the Jamestown Airport as a business.

Both airports function as a part of the National Plan for Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). This is highly regulated. Jamestown was one of 20 commercial airports in New York State. It lost its commercial status when it lost passenger service. However, Jamestown is still registered as a commercial airport and is following the rules in hopes of being approved for commercial service again. In contrast, Dunkirk is a General Aviation field. The County acquired both airports from the cities.

There is a perception that the Federal government has lost interest in supporting Jamestown as a commercial airport. The Feds have questioned the viability of passenger service, even though the airport served 75,000 passengers a year in the 1980’s.

Jamestown has received $7,455,600 in Federal support and will receive $751,500 in 2020-2021. Some have proposed discontinuing commercial service. However, if this were to happen, there are 22 “grant assurances” the must be met or the grants must be repaid. Grants over the last 20 years, totaling about $30 million dollars, would have to be repaid.

Jamestown realized about $97,435 in income last year with over $685,000 in expense.

There are several possibilities for reversing the downward trend of revenues. On the Commercial Aviation front, Boutique Air has submitted proposals to the US Secretary of Transportation. Several businesses, including general aviation, flight schools, aviation repair, charter services and aerial applications are doing well. There is an airport in Hamburg that is closing and the flight school will probably move to Chautauqua County.

Essential Air Service

It would seem like passenger service is not feasible. However, there is a currently a proposal in front of the US Secretary of Transportation. They are proposing 30 round trips to Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The County and private sector subscribers have provided a $147,000 commitment. The proposal calls for ticket revenue of $1,123,469 with a $2,863,405 Federal subsidy. That’s $200 per passenger! This seems ludicrous until it is factored in that 45% comes from fees from overflight by foreign air carriers, not from taxes.

This service would be far superior to service in recent years. Boutique Airlines has an agreement with American Airlines, so passengers don’t have to re-check bags and also is a part of the National Commercial airline network which means that flights to Jamestown will be visible to air travelers when they plan, such as those who might wish to visit the National Comedy Center or Chautauqua.

The proposal has been submitted since September 2019. It is thought that the DOT is waiting to see how Boutique performs on its existing turnarounds. Right now it is open for public comment in the USDOT Docket Management System. Docket ID # DOT-OST-2003-14950-0131. We are all encouraged to comment on the proposal!

Please register your support. Click Here!

More on the airports and the potential new carrier for Jamestown

Submitted by Greg Jones

Our speaker today was Ron Almeter the manager of the county airports appointed in 2017. I am on the airport commission and have the pleasure of working with Ron. He is a Naval Academy graduate and we are very fortunate to have him as our airports manager!

I will touch on a few aspects that he did not have time to elaborate, mainly focused on our effort to return air service to Jamestown and how your favorable comments can really help make that happen. Did you realize that in the 1980’s we had 75,000 passengers using our airport yearly? Surely they have not all disappeared and I hope that reliable service will bring many back. A few bullet points.

Proposed commercial service and business case is premised on the following level of service:

30 Nonstop round trips (RT's) (18 PIT/12 BWI for 20 weeks)
24 RTs (12 RTs PIT/12 RTs BWI for 32 Weeks. Seasonally adjusted.
Boutique Air operates a modern fleet of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. The Pilatus PC-12 is a product of Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Recognized for its world-class engineering and safety ratings. The PC -12 carries 8 passenger, pressurized (flies above the weather), fast with a cruise speed of over 300 mph and comes with an enclosed lavatory.
Boutique has a code share with United and you can book your Jamestown segment on their website, you will get frequent flyer miles and your luggage will transfer.
Boutique has a interline agreement with American which allows you luggage to transfer to an American flight at either of our destination airports.
Ruling out weather, which can affect all air travel, Boutique’s flight completion rates are similar to the legacy carriers according to the data I could find. Boutique has to meet that performance and time will tell. However at the least it is much better then we experienced with our last carrier.

Favorable comments are important to regaining our service and if you would like to leave a comment you can do so by either of the two options below. They can be as simple as you are a leisure traveler and would appreciate local air service or if your business or occupation requires frequent air travel let them know this would be a big plus for you. When in click on, Comment Now and write your message.

Option One – Click Here

Option Two – Go to www.regulations.gov

In the search box copy and paste DOT-OST-2003-14950-0131.

Fran Sirianni - My Life in Football

Posted by Ruth Lundin on Nov 04, 2019

Pictured (l to r): Kevin Sixbey, Fran Sirianni, and Cheri Krull

Kevin Sixbey introduced the speaker, who is well known to many in the audience. Fran is from Kane, PA and received his BA from Clarion State College. He still holds the interception record there, with 15. After a brief stint with the Orlando Panthers, for most of his career Fran was at Southwestern where he taught and coached football and track. He also founded a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes there, because faith has always been an important influence in his life.

Fran does not consider himself an athlete. He was “nudged into it” at Clarion, and got to know the game of football.

He tells the story about being injured while playing with the Panthers. He decided to go home to visit family and Amy, who was to become his wife. His grandmother showed him an ad for a teacher at Southwestern. He applied, and the rest is history.

Fran is most proud of his sons.

Mike is the oldest. He has been coaching football for 20 years, most of it at Washington and Jefferson College. It was Mike who started the family tradition of attending Mount Union College. He and his mother, Amy attended a recruitment fair, and were very impressed by the woman promoting a Christian school in Mount Union, Ohio. Mike hadn’t intended to try out for the football team, but his father said it would be a good way to make friends. Mt. Union is division III school and Mt. Union is the best football team in the division. Its coach Larry Kehres is legendary both for his winning teams and for his philosophy. Upon graduation Mike became a Graduate Assistant at Mt. Union, and then went on to Washington and Jefferson.

Jay, the middle brother, is a teacher at Southwestern. He followed his brother to Mount Union where Mike convinced him to play football. Upon graduation, he went to Alfred University as assistant. However, when he heard about an opening at Maple Grove, he took it. The next year, he was hired by Southwestern, where he coached 10 years and won 2 state championships. Today, he is the head track coach, a position he took over when Fran retired.

Nick, the youngest son, also attended Mount Union. He had injuries and health issues, but still was the only son to play professionally, with the indoor football league for part of a year. He then spent 3 years at Mt. Union as assistance coach where he coached defensive backs. Then he coached 3 years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Nick has coached for the Kansas City Chiefs and also for the San Diego Chargers and is now Offensive Coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. He attributes much of his advancement to his work with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and with the network his brothers developed before him.

Fran is most proud of what has been provided to his sons through faith, family and football.