Dick Danielson

MT. JEWETT -- Dick Danielson has resigned as a member and president of a divisive Mt. Jewett Borough Council that recently has been laced with internal squabbles and name-calling.

"I recognize turmoil to continue to proliferate with little I can do to curtail it," Danielson said in his letter of resignation.

This is the second time Danielson has resigned from council and council president in the past 10 months. He resigned at the end of 2007. He returned to council in July to fill a vacancy on the seven-member board. He was again elected council president in September after Ben Bartlein resigned.

Danielson's resignation letter is dated Tuesday-- one day after a tumultuous council meeting in which Councilman Chuck Paar called for Councilwoman Kathy Martin to resign.

In his letter, Danielson said he has "a reasonably accurate understanding for the problems of council" and "made my mission" to meet with council members in at attempt to "bring unity once again."

"Membership has changed as ideas and personalities," Danielson said. " I made an effort and it fell short."

Danielson said he "sincerely thought I had been successful" in resolving the internal council conflicts. However, he recognized that his efforts did not work "when the unexpected manifested itself" at the Monday council meeting.

He hopes "council will eventually adjust to bring the necessary unity and ambitions to move forward again."

Danielson was appointed to council in 2004 and won election in 2006 to a four-year term. Danielson was a key in the creation of the Heritage Park at the site of the former Commercial Hotel in Mt. Jewett. He also promoted a comprehensive revitalization plan for the borough and helped develop the Mt. Jewett Citizens Action Committee.

Danielson last year made an unsuccessful bid for McKean County commissioner.

Danielson still serves on the Mt. Jewett Regional Sewer Authority.

He has been a member of the McKean County Industrial Development Council, the McKean County Solid Waste Authority and the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau.

Danielson is a 1955 graduate of Kane High School and a 1959 graduate of Clarion University.

He began his long career in education as a teacher at the Craftsburg, Vt. Academy in 1959. He returned to McKean County in 1961 as a teacher at the Smethport Area High School. He taught in Smethport for 20 years and also served on the instructional staff at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford from 1976-85.

Danielson coached basketball and cross country at Smethport High School and was honored as the Big 30 basketball coach-of-the-year in 1974. He coached basketball and baseball at Pitt-Bradford and also served as director of athletics. As basketball coach at Pitt-Bradford, he compiled a record of 176 wins and 85 losses and five times was honored as coach-of-the-year.

From 1985-87, Danielson served as director of athletics and educational recreation at Western New Mexico University. He served as assistant high school principal from 1987-90 in Lewiston, Idaho.

In 1991, Danielson returned to the area to serve as principal at St. Marys High School. He retired in 1996.

Danielson has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at both Pitt-Bradford as a basketball coach and at Clarion University as a basketball player. He is Clarion’s second all-time career scoring leader and scored a school record 38 points.

Danielson and his wife, Kitty reside at 124 W. Main St., Mt. Jewett. Danielson has five children. His daughters are Terri Dodge of Smethport, Lori Tritt of Fredericksburg, Va. and Debbie Thurlow of Manchester, Md. His sons are Dan of Virginia Beach, Va. and Nathan of Strasburg. He has 10 grandchildren.