Concord Township honors Ron Terriaco, additional citizens past and present for bicentennial

Aug. 18—Retired Deputy Fire Chief Ron Terriaco has been named Concord Township's Bicentennial Citizen of the Year, while 18 additional awards were issued to citizens past and present at the township's 2022 Community Days celebration earlier in August.

According to Township Trustee Carl Dondorfer, the Bicentennial Committee was looking to award Bicentennial Citizen of the Year to a person who "has made significant contributions to the community over time."

Fellow Trustee Amy Lucci described Terriaco as a "genuine, wonderful human being" who would give the shirt off his back to someone in need.

Terriaco served in the township's fire department for 40 years before retiring on June 16.

He has been president of the Lake County Fire Chiefs' Association and a fire coordinator for the Lake County Emergency Management Agency. He has also served with local and regional organizations including the Northeast Ohio Fire Prevention Association, Northeast Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association and Lake County East End Fire Investigation Unit.

A township resolution passed on Aug. 3, recognizing Terriaco as Citizen of the Year, noted that he has been a member of the Ohio Attorney General's Office School Safety Task Force, an advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Everyone Goes Home Program, a chairperson for the foundation's Line of Duty Death Response Team and a representative for the foundation's Ohio Local Assistance State Team.

He added that he is "very active with, nationally and throughout the state, with firefighters who have died in the line of duty and helping support their families," escorting families to the Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland, every October.

In addition, he has been an instructor for Auburn Career Center.

"I always looked at it as duty above self," Terriaco said of his time as a firefighter, adding, "the most enjoyment I get out of the job is taking care of the other people."

According to Concord Township Recreation Director Debra Bechel-Esker, four additional township residents were recognized with Bicentennial Honoree Awards, while 14 citizens from the township's 200-year history were recognized as Bicentennial Legacy Citizen Honorees.

The four citizens recognized with Bicentennial Honoree Awards were Jean Bonchak, Tim Calvin, Shane Morrison and Ray Poyar. Bechel-Esker noted that these are individuals "whose continuous dedication to Concord Township and contributions (both big and small) have positively impacted our community."

Bonchak was recognized for her work as a freelance writer for the News-Herald, a member of the Concord Garden Club and a "champion of her family and of her community."

Calvin was a paint technician at the Home Depot, an officer for local community organizations and his church and a volunteer bell-ringer for the Salvation Army.

Morrison was 15 years old when, in 2020, he dived into Lake Erie to help rescue a man who was drowning, later receiving the Carnegie Hero Award.

Poyar operated a Painesville car business with his brother and donated to help build Concord Township's Poyar Family Pickleball Courts earlier this year. He passed away from cancer in June.

As for the Bicentennial Legacy Citizen Honorees, Bechel-Esker explained, "Legacy Citizens represent people in our history who have deep roots in Concord and have greatly contributed to the positive growth and development of our community over the past 200 years."

The 19th century honorees included Eber Howe, Walter Wellman, Hawley Drake, Thomas Jordan, Elga Pomeroy, Zenas Wilson and Daniel and Elizabeth Coit.

Howe was a local abolitionist, businessman, official and journalist who founded the Painesville Telegraph newspaper. Wellman built dirigible airships and was, according to Bechel-Esker, "the first person to attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air."

Drake wrote for the Painesville Telegraph, hosted a station on the Underground Railroad and served as a school superintendent, president of the Lake County Agricultural Society and owner of a chair factory and wool mill.

Jordan settled in the township in 1802 and is the namesake of Jordan Creek. Pomeroy was a teacher at the Old Stone Schoolhouse and a member of the Concord Garden Club.

Wilson was the township's first postmaster and donated the land for a cemetery, while the Coits donated the land for Town Hall.

Twentieth century honorees were Jay Adams and his family, Drs. George and Barney Crile, Ed Hozdik and his family and the Webster family.

Adams served in World War II, earned a Bronze Star for actions on D-Day and used a bulldozer to remove landmines from Omaha Beach, later volunteering in the township's fire department for 23 years. His experiences were referenced in the introduction to the book Voices of War.

George Crile helped found the Cleveland Clinic. Bechel-Esker noted that in 1906, he "completed the first successful direct blood transfusion." Barney Crile was a surgeon, researcher and poet.

Ed Hozdik taught at Concord Elementary School, while multiple members of the Webster family served in the township's fire department and elected offices.

Twenty-first century honorees were Adolph and Connie Luhta, Richard and Henrietta Terriaco and Bob and Rose Moore.

Both of the Luhtas are former pilots and were the owners of the Painesville Flying Service, located at the Concord Air Park. Adolph served as a B-29 crew chief while Connie was formerly president of Cleveland's International Women's Air and Space Museum and a Concord Township trustee for 29 years.

Richard Terriaco, Ron's father, is a woodworker, a U.S. Marine veteran who served in the Korean War and the township's former fire chief, while Henrietta volunteered with the "Fireflies" to support the township's fire department.

Bob Moore owned R.L. Moore Homes, Inc., and helped restore the township's Old Stone School, while Rose was a journalist and the publisher of the Concordian Newsletter. Both also served as township officials.

Finally, the Concord Garden Club was recognized "for their hard work and dedication to year-round beautification of Concord Township properties," Bechel-Esker added.