MONROE COUNTY — When their union brother got devastating health news, members of the IBEW Local 8 showed up.
Monroe County residents Rob Teznar, Marcus Nagley, Jake Myers, Donald Beard and Ben Tackett all received 2024 Labor/Union Hero Awards April 2, during the 23rd “Celebration of Everyday Heroes” ceremony at LaRoy’s Hall in LaSalle. Host the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties also presented several other local hero awards at the ceremony.
Last fall, Teznar, business agent for IBEW Local 8, got a call from the union member, a 33-year-old electrician from Newport, who had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He has a wife and children and learned he could no longer work.
“When the call came, Rob immediately planned and gathered volunteers with a goal in mind: help this young man stay in his home,” the nomination read.
Union members Meyers, Nagley, Beard and Tackett and others from Local 8 of Adrian signed up to help build a ramp.
“The ramp was a necessity,” Teznar told The Monroe News. “He’s looking to get permanent disability. He’s coming to grips with the fact that he may end up in a wheelchair. We’re preparing for the future.”
For two days just before Christmas, the volunteers built a ramp onto the man’s mobile home. Temperatures were extremely frigid.
“It wasn’t the best conditions, but we know how to prepare. We’ve paid our dues in that weather,” Teznar said. “We worked with Collin. He does ramps all the time. We supplied the labor.”
Collin Keehn is the local AFL-CIO community services/labor liaison. He’s also involved with Project Ramp. The local effort is a partnership program between the United Way Monroe/Lenawee County and the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council. Project Ramp began in 1989 and has provided 352 ramps to local residents.
“The materials come from Carter Lumber in Monroe. Carter Lumber has always been a huge supporter of Project Ramp, and I cannot thank them enough,” Keehn said. “The ramp that was built for the IBEW member was a wooden ramp, and Carter provides the material at a great discount.”
Keehn said organized labor often helps build local ramps.
“It worked out that the recipient of the ramp was a member of their local, but there are countless times that these members showed up to help and would have done so no matter who was next in line,” Keehn said.
The union electrician was thankful for the ramp.
“He’s grateful. He said it’s so much easier to get things in and out of the house,” Teznar said. “He’s doing well, as good as can be expected.”
IBEW Local 8 has about 2,000 members and serves Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties and about 13 counties in Ohio. Roy Grosswiler is the business manager. Bill Box is the assistant business manager.
Other Everyday Heroes award recipients
Several other Monroe County residents also were honored April 2 with hero awards.
Law Enforcement Hero: MCSO Sgt. Jason Miller
In October, a Monroe County Intermediate School District employee was arrested after a home invasion and hostage situation at the ISD facility. Miller, a 25-year Monroe County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, has been stationed at the MCISD for the last year.
“Sgt. Jason Miller was alerted by staff about a male subject acting erratic outside the ISD building. Miller located the subject, identified as an ISD employee, in a rear parking lot and engaged him in conversation. While speaking, however, the subject made movements and gestures that led Miller to believe he was armed. Miller alerted Monroe County Central Dispatch, prompting multiple units from across the county to converge on the area,” according to a Monroe News story.
Previous Coverage: Disturbance at Monroe ISD becomes hostage situation
“Due to this incident still working its way through the court system, we are reluctant to go into great detail. However, on this day, Sgt. Jason Miller took responsibility to protect the students and staff at the MCISD to the utmost importance,” said the nomination. “During a tense situation, Sgt. Miller demonstrated extraordinary courage and professionalism by swiftly intervening to ensure the safety of more than 400 individuals (staff, students and parents) at the MCISD. He quickly recognized the potential threat and used exceptional de-escalation skills to calmly redirect the individual off the MCISD campus.”
Community Heroes: Deb Staelgraeve and Tino Amaya
The Monroe business owners and community service partners held a humanitarian drive in the fall to benefit victims of North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene.
Previous Coverage: Donation truck in Monroe to collect supplies for Hurricane Helene victims
“They secured semi-trucks and asked the community to donate needed items. This included food, clothing, first aid supplies, personal hygiene items and household items, such as lighters, can openers and brooms,” said the nomination. “The community responded overwhelmingly, and over the course of several weeks, they collected and dispatched (several) semi-truck loads of needed items.”
The duo has hosted other fundraising drives and community events in previous years.
Community Hero: Bill Saul
“Bill Saul has been a loyal Monroe County supporter and volunteer for many years,” said his nomination.
Saul hosts three blood drives a year through Monroe Rotary Club; he rebuilt the Eby Log Cabin at the Monroe County Fairgrounds; and he helped design and build the pavilion at Loranger Square, the Little Brown Bear statue at Dorsch Memorial Branch, the President James Monroe statue at the Monroe County Courthouse and the Lotus Fountain at Loranger Square, said the nomination.
Youth Good Samaritan Hero: Tate Moran
Douglas Road Elementary School fourth grader designed T-shirts and sold them to raise hundreds of dollars for The House of Hutch, in honor of Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson, who was injured in a football game against the Dallas Cowboys.
All proceeds benefit Hutch’s Hero’s Foundation. Tate is the son of Mike and Kathy Moran.
Previous Coverage: Douglas Road Elementary School student sets new goal for ‘Heal Up Hutch’ T-shirts
Adult Good Samaritan Hero: James Abrams
On Jan. 18, 2024, Abrams, a dean at Jefferson High School, assisted Nedavia Fielder, a 17-year-old junior, who was choking.
Abrams was presented with an award from the American Red Cross for Extraordinary Personal Action at a school board meeting.
Previous coverage: ‘I’m thankful he was there’: Jefferson dean honored for saving choking student
Adult Good Samaritan Hero: Todd Spencer
Airport Community Schools and Trinity Lutheran School’s Todd Spencer, a gym and technology teacher, used the Heimlich maneuver on Polvilas (PJ) Telycenas, 10, an 8th grader at Monroe’s Trinity Lutheran School. PJ was choking on candy.
Previous Coverage: ‘We’re so very grateful and blessed he was there’
Medical Professional Heroes: Alina Guzzi and Luana Silva Costa
Both Monroe Community Ambulance paramedics, Guzzi and Costa responded to a woman in cardiac arrest.
“Their quick response and ability to act efficiently and perform the necessary treatments resulted in a positive outcome for their patient. Following the initial treatments with assistance from Monroe City Fire, the patient was awake, alert and talking by the time they arrived at the hospital,” said the nomination.
Local Military Hero: Sam Struth
Struth was nominated for “his exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication and profound impact on our local veterans and community,” said the nomination. “Sam’s tireless service in his roles as chairman of the Community Uplift Program (CUP), commander of AMVETS Post 1942 and a proud member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 137 has created a legacy of support, empowerment and compassion. His contributions to our veterans and their families are nothing extraordinary.”
Previous Coverage: CUP of support / New veterans’ group forms to help veterans, non-profits in Monroe County
“Sam has worked relentlessly to ensure that veterans in need have access to healthcare, housing support and critical resources. His tireless advocacy for veterans has, not only improved lives, but also fostered a community wide commitment to their care,” said the nomination.
More about the United Way’s Celebration of Everyday Heroes
“27 people were nominated this year,” said Deb Davenport, event chair. Davenport has been involved with the program since it began 23 years ago.
“We have 10 categories we award each year, but this year we did not have nominations for three of them,” she said. Not awarded were Animal Rescue Hero, Workplace Good Samaritan Hero and Fire Hero.
Five community members selected the winners.
Support local news: Subscribe for all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content.
“Each year the nomination committee determines the number of awards we give out. Sometimes they may give more than one in the same category or, if the nomination is not worthy of the award, they won’t honor the nomination,” Davenport said. “The only requirements were that the nominees must be residents of Monroe County, employed within Monroe County or the incidents must have taken place in Monroe County and the lifesaving acts/events must have occurred in 2024.”
Honorees are presented with engraved awards and certificates of honor from the United Way. All profits from the Everyday Heroes event are used locally for the services that the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties offers.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: United Way honors several of Monroe County’s 2024 ‘Everyday Heroes’
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
