Oil City native and well-known business owner Lou Kraft has been named the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce 2011 Citizen of the Year. Kraft will be presented with the award during the chamber’s annual dinner on Feb. 29 at Cross Creek Resort. (Photo by Jerry Sowden)Needing no prodding, Lou Kraft loves to share stories.

He is the consummate raconteur, skillfully telling tales laced with sharp wit and gentle humor.

The listener is invited in to the story by way of Lou’s quick smile and kind eyes.

Sometimes there is a life lesson to be learned in the story. Likely, there is a history plug about his native Oil City snuggled in the verbiage. Often, an anecdote is shared simply to recall the hilarity of a prank or practical joke.

Always the storyteller, the well-known Oil City business owner has become the story, courtesy of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce that has tapped Kraft as its 2011 Citizen of the Year.

The award is given to an individual who consistently shows leadership through extensive and diverse participation in volunteerism and service to community. It will be presented at the chamber’s annual dinner Feb. 29 at Cross Creek Resort.

“When I called to tell him he had been chosen, he said he would have ‘to think about it’ first,” said Susan Williams, executive director of the chamber. “That’s so like him — he never will take credit for anything wonderful that he does — and he said there are so many other deserving people.”

Self-effacing to a fault, Kraft chuckled and said he agreed to accept it after reading some excerpts from letters written “by people I think very highly of” who nominated him for the annual award.

‘Selflessness’

The comments speak to Kraft’s graciousness and style as well as his commitment to his community.

-“Lou’s quick wit, sense of dry humor and his vast knowledge of the history of individuals and businesses of this area is unbelievable and makes for a delightful time when you are with him.”

-“His good judgment, thoughtful consideration and selflessness have been valuable assets as he has served his community in so many ways.”

-“Lou is the type of person who you feel welcomed by and at ease around, regardless of whether you are an old friend or a new acquaintance.”

Considered a major behind-the-scenes player, in terms of expertise, time and money, Kraft declines to puff out a long list of community service projects in which he has played key roles and instead simply notes, “I don’t like to talk about that too much — all I do is try to help.”

But he believes in giving credit where credit is due.

A life-long member of Good Hope Lutheran Church, Kraft said, “I believe my faith in God has been of the utmost importance in my life for my good health and happiness.”

Still, those who nominated him for the award and anecdotal information offer some specific achievements.

Kraft has been an aggressive promoter of workforce excellence in the region and has strongly touted the need for skilled and educated employees. He has served 25 years on private-public boards that promote regional job training.

Of his service, Kraft simply says, “I’ve always been interested in the education of young people. That’s of much importance to me.”

Long a supporter of the Salvation Army, Kraft has been directly involved in construction projects, fundraising campaigns and more directed at building an emergency disaster garage, expansion of the Oil City Salvation Army facility and creation of a dental center.

Kraft is a history buff and that has prompted him to offer considerable support over the years to the Venango Museum in Oil City. He also serves on numerous other civic committees, something he says he “tries to stay off but I can’t say no.”

‘Concrete’ evidence

Aside from his personal offerings, Kraft has another legacy in town. His companies, Kraft Concrete Products Inc. and Louis Kraft Co. of Oil City, have paved, constructed, developed, designed and more all across the region. The work has ranged from the former Quaker State headquarters to the parking ramp, downtown Renaissance streetscapes, water and sewer line work, lot and street paving.

“My father started with a team of horses and a wagon and bought his first equipment in 1925,” Kraft said. “I just carried on the business.”

Kraft’s four grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Germany. He and his two sisters were born in Oil City.

“I always tell people I never could have had a finer mother and father, Louis W. and Marie F. Kraft, and sisters and sons,” Kraft said. “And growing up in Oil City was fantastic.”

Working summers at Oakwood Rose Gardens and later for his father, Kraft graduated in the Oil City High School in 1950 and stays in close touch with several of his classmates. He went to the University of Pittsburgh on a basketball scholarship and earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. He joined his father’s company while starting a six-year enlistment in the Army Reserves.

He puts a huge value on education, as evidenced by his sons, Dr. Louis W. Kraft II, and Dr. Jack C. Kraft, both physicians in California. His family also includes three grandchildren.

Lots of memories

For Kraft, the allure of staying in his hometown is based, in part, on memories.

“Oil City has had good times and bad times and I really don’t know where it’s going right now. But, I’ve always been optimistic. …But the good times we had were really something,” he said.

As a grin crossed his creased face, Kraft tells the story of playing on the famed Y-Travelers basketball team at the Oil City YMCA as a young adult in the 1950s and 1960s.

“I almost had to quit the team because of work. It was not because of the games but the bars we stopped in after the games,” he said, laughing.

That story segued into practical jokes played on and by Kraft and his contemporaries. There was a very large cow figurine that transitioned from in front of Kozy’s Karousel restaurant on North Seneca Street to someone’s front yard on the South Side. An outhouse also found its way to a friend’s lawn.

“The stories — there are a lot of them. All good, good people,” said Kraft, wearing a look that suggests the story-telling is about to begin anew.

Make you dinner reservation or sponsor the Annual Dinner – printed form

Make you reservation online

FLEX, or Future Leaders and Entrepreneurs Exchange, will gather food items through Feb. 3.

“This is an opportunity to assist the community beyond the typical holiday season,” said FLEX vice president Jodi Oakes.

Oakes said all non-perishable food items are needed, but especially canned vegetables.

Donations can be dropped off at the following collection points:

-City Hall, 21 Seneca St., Oil City

-Venango Area Chamber of Commerce, 41 Main St., Oil City

-Oil Region Alliance, 217 Elm St., Oil City

-The Commons at Franklin, 1340 Liberty St., Franklin

-Oil Region Realty, 1256 Liberty St., Franklin

-Oakes Chiropractic, 811 Grandview Road, Oil City

Originally published in The Derrick on December 21, 2011

The most notable changes planned are during Oil Heritage Festival, with the consolidation of events on Thursday and shorter hours planned for Sunday. Thursday events will begin in the afternoon and will be focused on the Southside Business district and Central Avenue Plaza, where the 2012 OHF Queen will be crowned.  Friday and Saturday schedules will look much the same as any recent year, with the 2 day Artisan and Fine Crafts Fair, the 5:00 pm parade on Saturday and evening concerts in Justus Park.  The Car Cruise will be held on Sunday, on Seneca Street and will end at 5:00 PM.  The annual OHF Fireworks display will be held on Saturday night, at the conclusion of the concert in Justus Park.

Community members, organizations and businesses are encouraged to be involved in the planning and volunteer efforts of the festivals.  Would you like to learn more about how you can help out or have input on these and other  community events?  Contact the Chamber to get involved!

Mark your calendars for Oil Heritage Festival 2012 – July 26-29

Rod Griffin of Specialty Fabrication & Powder Coating (from left), Valley Grove School District Superintendent Jeffrey Clark and Chris Reber, executive dean of Venango Campus, listen to the discussion at Tuesday’s roundtable. (By Sheila Boughner)Education, business and civic leaders gathered Tuesday morning to consider how they might work together on workforce development in Venango County.

The gathering of about 50 people at UPMC Seneca Place, organized by the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce, drew business owners, all the superintendents from Venango and Forest counties, county commissioners and candidates for the office, officials from Venango Technology Center, Venango Campus, UPMC and more. It was the first in what organizers intend to be a series of on-going discussions on the topic.

The program began with a video clip of Mike Rowe of the television show, “Dirty Jobs,” speaking to Congress about the importance of skilled labor and the need for a national public relations campaign aimed at reconnecting the country with those workers — such as plumbers, welders and construction workers — who “make civilized life possible.”

In his comments, Rowe pointed to the shortage of skilled labor, an issue that resonated with many who spoke during the roundtable discussion that followed.

Oil City School District Superintendent Joseph Carrico, who moderated the discussion, said he hears the same comments about a need for skilled workers in Venango County.

Pulling together

He pointed to some 9,215 students enrolled in Venango County schools, both public and private.

“Look at that potential workforce,” he said. “Look at the power we can bring to this sort of initiative . . . if we are all pulling in the same direction,” Carrico said.

“The Venango region should be a first choice, not a last choice,” he said.

Those present heard from many already involved on the workforce development front, including Colleen Stuart of the Venango Training and Development Center; Chris Reber, executive dean of Clarion University’s Venango Campus; and Lance Hummer of the Keystone Community Education Council.

Stuart noted a “disconnect” between the various efforts.

“We all do neat stuff, but we have to get together and say, ‘How does this all work together,’” she said. There was talk of compiling a list of those existing efforts and forming work groups on various topics.

Work ethic

In addition to focusing on the skills side of the equation, the conversation also touched on character traits necessary for a quality work force.

“How do we educate the parents?” Rod Griffin of Specialty Fabrication & Powder Coating asked. “Because for a good work force, you have to have morals and ethics.”

“It starts with a work ethic,” he added. “But if they don’t want to come to work . . .”

He pointed to those “who are waiting for their unemployment to run out before they look for a job.”

“They are taking it just because they don’t want to go back to work,” Griffin said.

Many agreed a work ethic is crucial.

“How do you motivate a person to get off the system to take an entry-level job, to say I want to be somebody, I want to earn my way and provide for my family?” asked businessman Gary Shaw, who pointed to the need for “blue collar pride.”

There was a general discussion of ways to inform students of job opportunities and career options and the need to reach children at a young age.

Cranberry school district Superintendent Maria Pappas pointed to a new program in her district aimed at helping children recognize their interests and talents early on.

“If they are doing what they love, they will have that work ethic,” Pappas said.

Changing the mindset

Nick Hoffman of the Regional Center for Workforce Investment in Meadville, one of the younger professionals at the table, noted that, “Every generation seems to think the kids aren’t all right.”

“Don’t get hung up on that,” he advised.

He suggested the kids will be all right “if we can just educate them about what opportunities are available, and get parents off the bandwagon that every kid needs to go to college.”

Those in the room agreed they are in rural western Pennsylvania by choice and on the need to help youngsters see the region a viable option for them as well.

“We need to send the message that it’s great to be in Venango County,” said Susan Williams of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of people think their kids need to leave here to be successful. We need to change that mindset.”

Kristin Amerdash, coordinator of Oil City’s Weed-and-Seed program, rolled out a slogan aimed at encouraging a new mindset: “What works? Positive attitudes, confidence, integrity.” The word “excuses” is crossed out. The slogan continues, “On the job, in school, at home, for life.”

“If you have those three things, a positive attitude, confidence and integrity, you are guaranteed to succeed,” she said after the meeting.

The Weed-and-Seed team has been working on the slogan over the past six months, and asking every group it met with to define work ethic, she said.

“We have been talking to businesses, schools and the community and it boiled down to those four items,” she said. “The plan is to find sponsorships that will enable us to get this slogan everywhere, on billboards, in schools, in restaurants, so it becomes a theme for Oil City and the region.”

Morrison Park was greeted with warm weather, a full range of activities and a turnout of thousands of people Saturday for the Cranberry Festival.

“You have to come early to get a good seat,” said Mamie Holben of Cooperstown.

Holben was tailgating behind a 1929 Ford Roadster with some other friends who were showcasing their cars for the festival’s car show. Some of the group’s cars included a 1967 Ford Faraway, a 1986 Chevy pickup truck and a 1971 Chevelle.

Pat (seated) and Art Tubbs of Youngsville show off their 1929 Ford roadster at the Cranberry Festival. The couple tailgated behind the Roadster with some local friends who also were showing cars.

Lisa Groner, festival chair, said the turnout for the car show was biggest festival organizers have ever seen with more than 170 antique and muscle cars and trucks, which came and went throughout the day. “I think we had a record turnout in cars,” Groner said.

In addition to the car show, the festival featured a variety of artisans and crafters who could be seen making their merchandise on site. Amy Leichliter of Franklin was busy making what she called her Applefest basket that she plans to sell at the upcoming Applefest festival in Franklin.

Amy Leichliter of Franklin is one of many artisans who showcased their wares at the Cranberry Festival. She was weaving a basket for another upcoming festival, Applefest.

“It ended up being a really nice day,” Leichliter said of the festival’s weather.

Jo Young of Oil City purchased some crystal hangings from Jean Schwab of Knox at the festival. The festival featured a variety of vendors selling arts and crafts.

Jean Schwab of Knox said she’s been to the Cranberry Festival in the past and plans to return. “I like Morrison Park. It’s a good sell,” Schwab said.

Beside the items that were for sale, a major draw to the Cranberry Festival is what isn’t for sale. The Kids Corner offers games and activities for children at no cost.

“It’s all free and with the economy it’s without a doubt the best value for a family,” Groner said.

Grayson Dumpe of Cleveland enjoys a can of soda and some festival food. Church groups and organizations had a variety of food available to people enjoying the festival.

The Kids Corner offered wood projects for children to construct with accompanying adults, temporary tattoos, temporary hair color, inflatable amusements, sidewalk chalk and a car they could paint however they chose.

Rick and Cathy Williams of Oil City took their grandson, Andrew Williams of Rocky Grove, to the festival and were impressed by the amount of children’s activities and said they’d return.

Children of all ages enjoyed the Redneck Backwoods Olympics. One such event included shoveling apples and hay into a wheelbarrow and racing that wheelbarrow between hay bails to the top of a hill. Once contestants got to the top of the hill they had to throw a horse saddle onto a barrel, hop on and give their best “Yee-haw.” Contestants had to race back down the hill and ring a cowbell. The person with the best time was the winner.

Because organizers estimated the attendance was between 5,000-7,000, they addressed parking issues by having parking police for the grounds at Morrison Park and having a shuttling system for any overflow parking. Additional parking was directed to Seneca United Methodist Church and Seneca Volunteer Fire Department.

The only thing in short supply at the the festival was scarecrows. Each year the festival features a scarecrow contest. In past years, the festivals has had many scarecrows, but this year there were only three.

Groner said she thinks “people were too busy” this year for the contest, but organizers aren’t giving up on the contest as it’s been successful in the past.

Groner said they hope the contest will grow to be a much anticipated tradition for the festival.

Overall, Groner said organizers are pleased with this year’s festival. “It’s very good. The weather was good.”

Rion Johnson of Oil City builds a tugboat with his mom, Cathie Johnson of Ohio. Children had fun building various wood projects. The Kids Corner is a major draw to the festival with all activities and items being free.

Still wondering what this is about?  Here’s a video to show you more…

By: Venango County Commissioner Vince Witherup as published in The Galena Signal

On Friday, March 25, 2011, the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce and the Future Lead­ers and Entrepreneurs Exchange (FLEX) joined together to recognize Ve­nango County’s “Young Professional of the Year”. This year’s recipient was, a very surprised, Renee Spence. Young people, like Renee and her col­leagues, are an integral part of our future eco­nomic growth.

Economic Develop­ment is the most impor­tant challenge that we face in Venango County. I have experienced the boom years when compa­nies like Pennzoil, Quaker State, United States Steel, Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company and others flourished in the County. They are gone. Our County population has dropped about 15% since I graduated from High School and the new U S Census predicts another 9% drop by 2030.

This trend can and must be reversed through aggressive economic de­velopment. We are blessed with smart, young entre­preneurs. We are blessed with hard working people with good work ethics. We are blessed with good water and abundant nat­ural resources, and we are blessed with a good geo­graphic location being half way between New York and Chicago.

Our first order of business should be to se­cure the existing compa­nies in our county. I know that this is not something that we can control but we must provide a busi­ness friendly environment and be attentive to their needs.

Second, we need to nurture home grown en­trepreneurs who will fol­low in the foot steps of people like Joe Joy, John Reib and other great en­trepreneurs of yesteryear. TO this end the Venango Chamber and FLEX are a critical part of this effort.

Third, we need to market our special as­sets to other compa­nies in other states and other countries and let them know that Venango County is a great place to locate. That takes a whole lot of work by a whole lot of people.

Too often in the past, it seems that our economic development agencies have tried to hit a home run by trying to go after big companies that need many employ­ees. I would much rather see 10 companies with 50 employees each than one company with 500 em­ployees. No one entity is solely responsible for a company’s decision to move here. It is the cul­mination of a lot of things ranging from the efforts of the various economic development agencies, local chambers, local gov­ernments, existing busi­nesses, and the attitude of the general public. There is no magic formula, just hard work and a belief that it can be done.

spring cleaning flyer 2011