Holmes Co. 4-H recognizes volunteers

WALNUT CREEK, Ohio – “4-H Volunteers Make Life Sweeter” was the theme for the 2004 Holmes County 4-H Volunteer Recognition banquet Oct. 14 in the Carlisle Village Inn at Walnut Creek.
Special awards were presented and honor clubs and tenured individuals were recognized.
Christopher Young, Holmes County engineer received the Friend of 4-H Award.
Fairgrounds. Kerry Taylor, fair board vice president, gave an update on the fairground project.
After the flooding that damaged the fair grounds in June of this year, Young volunteered equipment and engineering guidance at no cost to the fair board.
When the June rain was followed by rains in August, especially during the Holmes County Fair, Young sent crews and equipment to the fair grounds, along with many tons of limestone, barricades and signage.
In addition, he was personally on site for many hours to direct the operation.
“After the heavy rains on Friday, it was questionable whether the fair could continue,” fair board president Dale McKee said.
“Thanks to Young and his crew, and the donation of materials, we were able to bring the fair to a successful conclusion on Saturday.”
Young is also very involved as a member of the task force studying the relocation of the fairgrounds.
In addition to volunteering his time, he is providing engineering expertise to assist in the design of the infrastructure.
In accepting his award, Young said that he was “very impressed that there were many teens and children, armed with rakes and shovels, to lend a hand at the fairgrounds.”
Partners. The Bargain Hunter and Holmes County Journal were selected to receive the Partner in 4-H Award.
Graphic Publications, parent company of these newspapers, was founded in 1973 by Abe and Fran Mast in Berlin, Ohio, when they began publishing the Bargain Hunter, a free shopper newspaper that was distributed to 7,500 homes in Holmes County.
Graphic Publications and the Mast family focus on and support community events and activities and in this capacity they have become a valued “partner in 4-H”.
In addition to providing publicity for local 4-H club activities and county-wide events, they promote 4-H through a special tab each spring and provide exceptional coverage during the Holmes County Fair, with focus on the 4-H and FFA members and their projects.
The Masts are supporters of the annual fair livestock sale and for the first time this year, they produced the Holmes County Fair Book, donating profit after expenses to the Holmes County Senior Fair Board.
Alumni award. The 4-H Alumni Award was presented to Linda Frenette, a six-year member of the Killbuck Pattern Pals 4-H Club.
As a member, she did a lot of sewing and cooking but also enjoyed first aid, fishing, Ohio birds and other projects considered non-traditional for girls at the time.
Returning to Killbuck after a tour in the U.S. Marine Corps, Frenette began as an advisor with the Killbuck Kozy Crowd and later worked with the Killbuck Handy Helpers, serving a total of 25 years as a club advisor.
More awards. Special recognition was given to the late Richard Graven, longtime county commissioner.
His wife, Jane Graven, accepted the award on his behalf and spoke briefly about what the 4-H program meant to her husband.
Kathy Schlabach recognized the 2004 honor clubs. Each club is asked to complete a form sharing their activities and accomplishments. They receive points for meeting certain goals and awards for achieving them during the year.
Honor clubs. Clubs accumulating 90 points or more are recognized as honor clubs.
Clubs honored were Backyard Buddies, Big Sky, Classy Clovers, Classy Critters, Country Cousins, Doughty Valley, Green Acres, Killbuck Handy Helpers, Lakeville Lakers, and Nashville Jolly Farmers.
Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and Clover certificates were presented to the honor clubs with special activities in one of these areas.
Winners were Head-Killbuck Handy Helpers, first, and Doughty Valley, second; Heart-Classy Critters, first, Classy Clovers, second; Hands-Prairie Partners, first, Lakeville Lakers, second; Health-Berlin Busy Bees, first, Big Sky, second; Clover-Variegated Clovers, first, Amazing Graze, second.
Brittany Gnizak, 18, daughter of Joe and Mary Gnizak, secretary and news reporter for Amazing Graze 4-H Club, received the 2004 Holmes County 4-H Club secretary’s award for the second consecutive year.
Volunteerism. Volunteers who have served from five to 60 years were recognized, as follows: Eileen Wachtel, 60 years; Paul Boyd, 57 years; Sue Davenport, 30 years; Sue Britt, 25 years; Helen Breitenbucher and Hazel Taft, 20 years, and Jimm Eddy, 15 years.
Volunteers who served 10 years were Sherry Clinage, Sue Ann Henley, David Hostetler, Bob and Karen Hunter, David Kick, Darla Miller and Erma Schlabach.
Five-year volunteers were Mandy Breitenbucher, Cindy Funk, Jane Houin, Janel Kiner, Kathy Kocian, Paul Markel, Roger McClure, Michelle Still, and Karin Yoder.
Volunteer pins for two years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, 40 years and member pins for one, five and 10 years are donated by the Holmes County 4-H Committee.