RUMFORD  — Oxford Federal Credit Union held its 75th annual meeting at Mountain Valley High School’s Muskie Auditorium. Tony Koris and Becky Hall, incumbents, were elected to serve on the board of directors, each for a three-year term.

Randy Hotham, chairman of the board, and Mike Madore, vice chairman, announced the 2012 recipient of the Tony Poirier Volunteer Service Award, Theodore “Bitsy” Ionta.

Joseph Antonio (Tony) Poirier served Oxford Federal Credit Union for 45 years, including 43 as chairman of the board of directors. The award recognizes others who have continued his legacy.

Ionta was recognized for his commitment and dedication to the River Valley area. He has dedicated his life to mentoring, inspiring, teaching and coaching and is a part of Maine’s baseball history.

For over a decade, Ionta has taught baseball to youth at Harlow Park two to three mornings a week and he was recognized for his commitment to the sport by being inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

In 2012, he watched three of his past attendees as their team won the State Class C baseball championship. He can also be seen on the sidelines of most area high school athletic events keeping statistics for local sports reporter, Bob McPhee.

Ionta taught science in local schools for 33 years, retiring in the mid 1990s. After retirement, he took his enthusiasm for teaching science to local elementary schools as a weekly volunteer to present a hands-on science program, “Stupendous Science.”

He volunteers his time to the library programs during the summer to demonstrate science experiments. When he is not teaching science, he shares canoeing and kayaking with high school students.

After the annual meeting, prizes were distributed, and Mary Touchette won the grand prize of $750, which represented OFCU’s 75 years serving its members.

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