Community builders, mothers, and leaders “making it happen”
By Kathryn Ross, pictured is the dynamic Kim Toot
I’m happy, Saturday I held a recruitment meeting for the Wellsville 250th Anniversary Committee and I received several responses from women interested in helping out. While I will always welcome additional volunteers, including men, I’m happy with what I have now. A group of five women and two men decided that the date of Wellsville’s 250th Anniversary Celebration will be August 15th. Put it on your calendar now. Our next meeting is at 2 p.m. March 28th in the library.
Also, I was a little sad to learn about the death of Jim Graffrath. He was a good guy. He was always involved in the life of the community. I worked with him after the Pennysaver was folded into the Daily Reporter. He was very easy and fun to work with. My years with him were some of the best years of my career with the newspaper.
Are we ever going to stop seeing snow on the ground when we wake up or in the air at the end of the workday? I’m certainly as tired of it, as much as everyone else. But, wasn’t it terrific that the sun came out and the gray sky turned blue for the 4th Annual Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade? Just shows that the luck of the Irish is real. I wonder where the luck of the Italians is, since I’ve never noticed it.
I was a little sad at this year’s SSPDP because I have a neat T-shirt that reads, O’Italian. I like to wear it to the parade. This year it stayed in the drawer, and I wore my green hoodie.
It’s still Women’s History Month and I’ve been racking my brain to come up with the names of local women who have made an impact on Wellsville or the county. My lack of memory isn’t due to the lack of likely candidates; it has more to do with advancing age.
The first name that comes to my mind is, Kim Toot. After Betty Embser-Wattenberg left the command of the Office For the Aging in Belmont, Kim Toot took over. She made it fun while making sure the needs of the elderly were addressed. Kim introduced programs and events that would keep older people engaged and laughing. Kim makes a great Easter Bunny.
I remember her predicting once that when our generation moves into nursing homes and assisted living, those facilities are going to have to start serving pizza and subs.
She was right. Those facilities have included pizza and subs on their menus, I learned a couple of years ago during my brief stay for rehabilitation in a local nursing home.
Unfortunately, they have to learn how to make pizzas and subs first. Where I stayed, they would have done better to call out for delivery.
Kim’s work with the elderly didn’t stop when she retired from the OFA. It turned to more local projects. I don’t know if she is one of the founders, but I do know that she is very involved in Grace United Church’s Tuesday With Grace. I guess the programs are not specifically geared to older people, but that is who enjoys and attends them? The once-a-month on Tuesday programs usually feature subjects of interest to older people, programs about birds and wildlife, and art are intertwined with programs about nutrition, vaccines and health. The programs also feature information on local but wide-ranging events like the daytime total eclipse that was observed locally. Kim’s husband, astronomer Dave Toot who is actively involved with the Stull Observatory at Alfred University, gave a program on the eclipse. He explained what it was, the best way to see it and the best places to see it when it passed through this area.
Kim keeps the luncheons at Tuesday with Grace moving, entertaining and interesting and fun for all who attend.
Kim Toot is a great example of how women make things happen.
There have been many local women who have impacted the village and county. They are responsible for the building of libraries and hospitals and have kept many businesses growing and thriving. They have and are organizing movements for women’s suffrage and equal rights. Their daughters are following in their footsteps today and are also working to make better the lives of women, children, the elderly, teenagers and all of us.
The best thing we can do is answer their call when they ask for help.
Kathryn Ross is a lifelong Wellsville writer, journalist, community activist, and volunteer. If you’d like to be part of Wellsville’s America 250th Anniversary Celebration planned for August 15, email her anytime kathr_2002@yahoo.com
