By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
Two Manville residents who keep giving back to the community were named co-citizens of the year for 2010. Both have devoted many years of service and were recognized at the Borough Council’s annual reorganization meeting Sunday afternoon.
Scoutmaster of Troop 193 James Kelly and Cubmaster of Pack 193 Bruce Hixson were honored at the meeting by Mayor Lillian Zuza and the Borough Council. Mayor Zuza gave a brief speech about the gentlemen.
”I am pleased to speak about two fine citizens. One has been involved with the Scouting program for over 20 years and the second one for 15 years,” the mayor said.
”They continually give and give of their time. I have observed this over the last three years being mayor and attending Scout dinners and events as well as their attendance at the veteran’s services at the VFW.
”They were also very present during the flood last spring, helping at the VFW shelter,” the mayor said. “These two individuals work with our youth, molding them into our future leaders. The Eagle Scout program is incredible and so successful that I could never fully explain how impressed I am.
”It gives me great pleasure to name the 2010 Co-Citizens of the Year James Kelly and Bruce Hixson.” The mayor presented each of them with a plaque to commemorate the occasion.
”I also would like to offer my personal congratulations to Mr. Hixson and Mr. Kelly as co-citizens of the year. These two gentlemen have been quiet heroes for countless young men in our community for many, many years. It was an honor to see them recognized for their unselfish service, “ said newly elected Borough Council President Sherri Lynn.
Scoutmaster Kelly offered his appreciation for the award. “It was nice but it was more to the appearance that everyone else sees and it comes down to: Working with Scouts is not here to get you awards, it is to help young men become stronger and more adultlike,” Mr. Kelly said.
As a young boy, Mr. Kelly was a Scout for about five years. He became involved with the Scouts of Troop 193 when his son wanted to be a Scout.
”My son came home in first grade and said he wanted to be a scout and that was 20 some years ago now,” he said.
Now that his son has finished Scouting as an Eagle Scout, Mr. Kelly continues in the Scouting program as the Scoutmaster of Troop 193. When asked why he still is involved, Mr. Kelly joked about his son, saying, “He is not here anymore. Where is he? Did he sneak out again?” as he laughed.
But after he got serious again, Mr. Kelly said, “It is important, it is just important to the boys. It needs to be as much consistent parental involvement as we can get. It is very important for our families to allow us the time to do this,” he said.
”The second people to thank are the VFW. The brave men and women answered the call first of all and I thank them for that, and second of all they sponsor us, giving us the opportunity to meet in a place, time and money and without them, we would not be here. When it comes down to it, whenever the town is in trouble, the VFW is standing right there for them. I would like to thank the VFW for everything they do for us and the town,” Mr. Kelly said.
Mr. Hixson, too, apprecaited the award.
”I felt very honored and I thought it was very nice,” he said of the presentation. “One of the reasons I guess the mayor gave the award to Mr. Kelly and I was that we have no boys in the program but we still enjoy, and I do enjoy, working with the boys. They are still a lot of fun and when that stops, then I guess I will be out of Scouting. Until then, I am happy with what I am doing.”
Mr. Hixson has been involved in Troop 193 Scouting for about 15 years. His son was in the Cub pack and he was a Den leader. When his son decided to leave the Scouting program, he also stepped aside. He decided a few years ago to become involved again.
”I came back at Jim’s request,” Mr. Hixson said. That is why Mr. Hixson is still involved in Scouting. “It is fun watching them. Nicky Lazos is a prime example of that. He took his first aid and he used it. He saved one of his friend’s lives. When you see that, it makes you get all goose bumpy.”
For Mr. Hixson it is the “pleasure of watching the boys grow up. I have watched a friend of mine in Scouting and I have watched her three boys. I have the third one now. It is a matter of watching them grow up and mature into good people. I should say that we are doing a good job keeping the program alive and lots of boys are having fun. As long as they keep doing that, we will be all right.”
Mr. Kelly summed it up, saying, “I feel that I am giving back. I feel that I have a lot of good things in my life and this is a way even though I am not paying it forward, I am paying it back. It is just that good feeling that you get when a kid succeeds or that little nudge who grew up to be a great person in life. That is the true reward.”

