A citizen for the ages

All his life, James Scholl has kept a lookout for anything that could improve Holyoke and the lives of its residents. At 95, he has been a lifelong Holyoke resident and has always worked for its betterment, and it is fitting that he earned the Citizen of the Years community excellence award from Holyoke Chamber of Commerce for 2021.

“It was a very pleasant surprise,” he said of learning he had received the award in January. “I thought it was an honor.” He added that he thinks the chamber serves a great purpose in recognizing those that serve the community. “That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Scholl himself has been all about this community for his whole life. His nomination letter pointed out that he began working in his family business, then known as Scholl Oil & Implement Co., at a young age.

The company was started by his father, Jake, and Scholl did everything from working at the gas station to driving trucks hauling fuel to be sold locally. With tires being rationed during World War II, Scholl even brought tires from Denver.

Scholl said he also remembers fixing tires and performing other repairs in seventh and eighth grade after school and basketball practice. He said that like many other hardworking families at that time, it was a family tradition that he was expected to come by the business and find something to do to help.

Around 1950, as Jake was working toward retirement, Scholl began to manage the business and expand it from a gas station and local propane and fuel hauling.

Today, the business has more than 30 employees and about 20 trucks on the road at a given time, and it also includes a service center for tire repair and sales. His nomination letter noted that the company was also the first to bring cellphone and internet service to the community.

“We have had a number of businesses and opportunities over the years, things we see the community needs for services,” Scholl said. “Our main goal is to supply whatever business or services the community currently has a need for. We need to make this a good place to live and make it a place others want to come and live.”

Scholl has certainly done his part in remaining an active citizen. In addition to being active in First Baptist Church, over the years he has served 16 years on the hospital board, eight on the Sunset View board of directors and four on what was then known as the town council.

He was also on the Pinnacol board of directors, which oversees workers’ compensation for the state, and he attended meetings in Denver in that capacity.

Scholl helped the community in many other ways too. He is a pilot with over 5,000 hours of flying time. His nomination letter said, “One of his goals as a business owner was to be sure that the community of Holyoke had access to business and personal services, regardless of our location far from a metro area.”

In this pursuit, Scholl flew local business people to meetings around the Midwest, took people to funerals in different states and used his plane to help with other personal and business needs in the community. He even utilized his plane as an ad hoc ambulance before there was access to the current medical flight services in the area and carried patients in it.

Scholl also continues to play an active role in the company. He still goes to the office several times a week and participates in some of the business decision-making and discussions.

“We have had great support from the community,” he said, “and that has been a key to not just ours but other businesses’ success.”

He noted that people in Holyoke like to keep the storefronts open and create a place for families to work, live and serve their community. He added that good citizens keep their eyes open and fill the needs of their community.

He said very few cities of Holyoke’s size have four banking institutions that are active, and he was quick to shift attention to other Holyoke citizens who continue to work to make it the great place it is.

“I’m really proud of our community,” he said. “Good citizenry has helped our community reach the levels and goals we’ve reached.”

With a lifetime of exemplifying what it means to be a good citizen, this Citizen of the Years has without a doubt left a positive mark on Holyoke and the surrounding area and will continue to do so in the years to come.