Kenny Biacco Jr.

By KRISTI R. GARABRANDT

Staff Writer

Residents in Yellow Creek Township have their choice of two candidates for the position of trustee full-term and two candidates to select from for the position of trustee unexpired term.

The 1,342 registered voters in the township will have the option to elect Kenny Biacco Jr. of Hillcrest Road, Wellsville, or Glenn Frischkorn of state Route 39, Wellsville, as trustee full term. Dan Galeoti of Dan Smith Road, Wellsville, and Elmer J. McBane of Bill Smith Road, Wellsville, are running for the unexpired term.

Kenny Biacco Jr.

Biacco is a 1972 graduate of Wellsville High School and also attended the police academy in Canfield.

He has held positions at Crucible Steel, the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office and currently serves as trustee for Yellow Creek Township.

He is active in the community as a treasurer for the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Quaker Lodge 88, Salem, and is involved with the Make-a-Wish Program through the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office.

Biacco is single.

He has held public office before as a township trustee and has never lost an election for public office.

He has been appointed as the chairman of the Board for the Yellow Creek Township trustees, as a board member and Steering Committee member for the Columbiana County Township Assocation and to the Advisory Board Columbiana Health Department.

Biacco listed his qualifications for the position as his experience as trustee for 12 years and having the time to serve as trustee.

“I love working with people, especially the elderly.” Biacco said.

Biacco said he is seeking re-election because he loves what he has been able to accomplish over the past 12 years and wants to continue. He noted there is still more to accomplish.

He listed his accomplishment as a trustee as getting 18 grants awarded with two more pending, representing the township with four trips to Columbus and assisting in bringing Southfield Energy Powerplant to the township.

Biacco, who has never been convicted of a felony, said voters should elect him because he feels he has the experience integrity, accountability and dedication for the position.

He noted that he has an excellent relationship with county and state officials and is active with the township association.

Glenn Frischkorn

Frischkorn, of state Route 39, Wellsville, is seeking the full-term seat on the Yellow Creek Township Board of Trustees on the Nov. 7 ballot, running against incumbent Kenny Biacco Jr.

A graduate of Southern Local High School Class of 1972, Frischkorn took various courses to be proficient as trainer, becoming a certified 10- and 30-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) general industry trainer. He has also developed PowerPoint programs for job specific tasks, specialized high voltage maintenance, hydraulic training and welding.

Frischkorn was employed by Crucible Steel in Midland, Pa., starting as labor, becoming a journeyman millwright (mechanical maintenance) and journeyman motor inspector (electrical maintenance). He was later hired by J and L Steel to restart the melt shop in 1983, working there through different acquisitions. He retired from ATI-Allegheny Ludlum Stainless as an hourly trainer, with 38 years in the steel industry.

A former member of the Southern Local school board, Frischkorn was appointed in 1994 and then served for 13 years, being re-elected three times. During his time on the board, the district constructed a new K-12 campus.

“During (my time on the board), I learned that working together, a board could achieve more than we could dream,” he said. “It took a lot of time and dedication, as most projects require, to achieve our goal. We dedicated our new K-12 Southern Local Campus in 2004. We did this $14 million improvement without raising taxes. I served with, and learned from, many talented people while on this board. The most valuable lesson I learned while on this board is to not give up, just make your case and work harder to achieve your goals. And hire talented motivated people.”

Frischkorn said his qualifications for the office include his willingness to work with other to achieve a common goal and said he is running for the position to help address road maintenance.

“I have lived in this township my whole life,” he said. “These township roads are in poor condition, while other township roads are newly blacktopped. The trustees want to spend money on blacktop instead of chip and seal. The township got a sizable PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) from the new power plant and if managed properly would have improved more miles of road, instead of a few projects. When requested, the voters passed an additional levy to purchase new equipment for the maintenance of the roads, yet the roads are in need of mowing as the mower is often broken. Did (trustees) buy the proper equipment for the job? Is the mower being used correctly?

The employees are instructed to park the road grader on an incline as the front axle is broken and needs repaired. The current trustees seem like they like to spend our money on signs, lots of signs.”

Noting the need for new leadership, Frischkorn said he hopes to provide a different direction for the township.

“If you are satisfied with the direction that the township has been going, by all means vote for the incumbent,” he said. “I think we need a new direction. I do not live on a township road or in a housing sub-division, so paving my road (state Route 39) is not a township decision.

“I think that there are many things that can be improved for all township residents. I recently noticed that we have stop signs on driveways that are used for a single residence. These driveways are considered a township road, but are not used by anyone except for the residents. The rest of the township pays for the maintenance of their township road/driveway. Now how does this make sense? These are the old township roads that were never abandoned when they put in the state routes. There is a procedure to do this, and it is not difficult, but does take time and trustee effort. This would free up resources that can be better used for the township roads we all use. “Sometimes it just takes a fresh set of eyes and a willingness to get things done to get results. This will not happen right away, it takes time to change, but will never change if the same trustees are in charge.”

Frischkorn has been married to wife Susan for 44 years. They have two children, Heather and Eric, and two grandchildren, Emma and Chris.

The paper did not receive a response to candidate questionnaires from Galeoti and McBane for the unexpired term.

Kgarabrandt@mojonews.com