BUCYRUS – The Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging has announce that Joe Armbruster has been selected as the 2020 Crawford County Outstanding Senior Citizen Award recipient.
He was honored on Friday, Aug. 21 on the front steps of the Bucyrus City Building.
“This is the 20th year the Area Agency has honored a volunteer from Crawford county,” said Teresa Cook, VP of Administrative Services. “As we all know COVID may have changed how we can get together but what hasn’t changed is the outstanding way individuals, groups and organizations are working together to support and take care of one another.”
“Today instead of gathering in the Area Agencies training room, we are together on the front steps of the Bucyrus City Building.”
When most have retired, Armbruster took on a huge project for the City of Bucyrus — a dilapidated theatre, in the middle of downtown Bucyrus had suffered terrible fire damage in the 1990’s and was left to decay.
His plan was to gain control of the theatre and restore it to its former art-deco glory. Armbruster was able to raise a considerable amount of money, but the damage to the property was more extensive than anticipated.
He turned to Mayor Roger Moore and State Senator Dave Burke to find an alternative for this important site for downtown Bucyrus and a plan began to create Schines Art Park.
The park was opened in 2017 thanks to the leadership of Joe Armbruster and a generous grant from the State of Ohio as well as local businesses. Schines Art Park is a jewel in large part to Armbruster’s “can-do” spirit.
Each year the Area Agency on Aging honors senior citizens who are making a difference in their communities and present a positive image of aging. There is one award recipient for each county in the Agency’s service area (Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland, Seneca, and Wyandot.)
Awardees are selected by the Agency based on the impact of their contributions and accomplishments within the community made after reaching age 60.
