Vinton County Relay For Life 2012
McARTHUR — Vinton County residents gathered together Saturday at the Vinton County Fairgrounds to participate in the 2012 Relay for Life and step their way toward a cure for cancer.
This year four teams participated in the event including Creating Cancers Answers, Deal Family Team, Vinton County Courthouse and the Relay Pageant. Each team filled with members whose lives have been touch in some way by cancer.
This year’s Relay Queen Cassie Perkins said she knew all too well the dangers of cancer. After recently losing a family member to cancer, she said she decided to participate in the Relay Pageant to help spread awareness.
“A lot of my family members have had cancer. I recently lost my grandpa and that’s what pushed me to do this,” Cassie said.
Cassie said she was surprised to have been selected as this year’s queen, but now that she is wearing the crown, she will work hard to spread the word and find ways to get others involved while continuing to honor the memory of her grandfather.
“I was so surprised. I just couldn’t believe it. It didn’t register for a moment,” Cassie said. “It’s an honor to be able to be here. …It’s going to be fun and a great experience. I plan to get really close to [my court] and just be the best queen that they can have.”
As always, with the crowing of a new queen, a former queen gives up her reign. This year it was Alexis Harper passing on her royalty.
“It’s a pleasure to pass it down to Cassie. She really wanted it and she was doing it for a good cause,” Alexis said. “I know she will represent Relay well.
Alexis said she will miss traveling with the young ladies on her court, representing Relay and the making the memories she made throughout the year.
She shared a word of advice for those who will now be representing the county for the year to come.
“No matter how hot it is or how freezing cold, always smile and wave and represent the Relay as best as you can and encourage people to come back to our Relay and support it,” Alexis said.
Other pageant winners were Tiny Miss Camdyn Ackley and her alternate Jessica Wells; Little Miss Taylar Spencer and her alternate Lakota Brey Mace; Junior Miss Kelsey Lynn Ward and her alternate Breanna McFadden; Teen Miss Shawna Stewart and her alternate Alexandria Wolfe; and Queen Cassie Perkins alternate Kiah Grant.
This year’s Cash For Cure winner was Nevaeh Danielle Moor, who collected $310.05. Altogether the Pageant participants collected $988.03.
Barb Deal of the Deal Family team said her team raised more than $1,000 for the event this year. She said her team has lost a lot of family members and feels it is always neccessary to be a part of the event. She said she would like to see more in the community become involved.
“I feel obligated to be here. I just don’t know why other people don’t come,” Deal said.
Deal said her team, made up of family members, became involved in 2001 and has tried to be a part since then to do their part to battle cancer.
Relay for Life Income Development Representative Terri Kangas said she is thankful for all of those who did come to participate.
“We are really excited with all of the support from all of the people who are participating,” Kangas said. “We hope to grow in participation and support within the next year. We would really like to have the entire county involved to support such a great cause.”
Kangas said people should remember just what that cause is.
“We want to remind everybody that we’re out here funding cancer research. We have to do what we can to make sure we find a cure for this,” Kangas said.
Energy companies look to lease land in area counties
Public Service Announcement from Rural Action
There is renewed interest by energy companies to lease property in Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Perry, Morgan, and Washington counties.
Claims are being made via newspaper and radio outlets that landowners could receive up to $5,700 per acre if they sign an oil and gas lease.
Landowners are encouraged to Look Before they Lease with any energy company. Landowners can call Susi at (740) 767-4938 for more information about a landowner toolkit that will help them understand important information that should be included in a lease. It is important to fully understand all information contained in any lease provided by an oil and gas producer, attorney, or 3rd party before signing.
Look Before You Lease has worked with an oil and gas law firm in Ohio to create a sample landowner friendly lease that can be used as a starting point to help understand terms and provisions included in oil and gas leases that should be included to help protect their families interests.
Landowners should not sign any lease without first working with a qualified oil and gas attorney and should understand all financial implications of entering into an oil and gas lease.
Visit www.lookbeforeyoulease.org for more information or call (740) 767-4938.
How well do you know Vinton County: Round 35
It’s time for a new weekly game. In case you missed it before, here’s how it works. We will post a picture on the site once a week of a location or item in Vinton County. All you have to do is identify the picture. Just put your guess in the comment section of the website, and the first person to correctly guess will win bragging rights.
If you think you know where photo was taken, guess away. The first right answer wins. However, everyone needs to remember that guesses on Facebook do not count. You have to guess in the comments section so that it is fair to everyone.
We will post the winner once we have one. Good luck!
Can you tell us where this photo was taken? Please answer in the comment section below.
This Week’s Contest winner
The correct answer for the Round 34 photo in our weekly contest was Old Route 50 in Harrison Township. We had some who were close and some who we weren’t sure on so we just thought we would post the correct answer and move on to our next contest photo. We want to thank everyone who offered guesses. We’ll post another photo soon so come back and show us who knows Vinton County more than anyone.
This photo was taken on Old Route 50
Eastwood to play at Country Music Festival in Logan
By Paul McManis
Commoner Journal staff writer
Local band Eastwood is selling tickets for its concert in Logan. The more tickets the band sells, the later in the evening it will perform. (Courtesy photo)
McARTHUR — Local country band Eastwood is seeking the support of the community and surrounding areas as it competes for an opportunity to open for McGuffey Lane and Easton Corbin.
Chris Bethel, Shawn Avery and Troy Howdyshell only have been playing together in public venues since September, but the members of the band Eastwood have made short work of building their name and gaining notoriety in the area.
Now, the band is working for the opportunity to play with bands that are well-known throughout the state and country.
Eastwood is selling tickets to the Country Music Festival, held May 26 at Kaeppners Woods in Logan. Eight acts are competing for the opportunity to perform directly before McGuffey Lane and Easton Corbin. The more tickets an act sells, the later in the afternoon it will perform.
Eastwood said it finds this to be an opportunity to continue to build the reputation it has been building since September.
Howdyshell, the band’s bass player, said the band has received very positive feedback since it began with its first performance in Logan, followed later by appearances at various Vinton County locations. The band’s first Vinton County performance was at the VFW in McArthur, and it also played at this year’s Vinton County Wild Turkey Festival. Howdyshell said the festival was by far the band’s largest act.
Howdyshell said the public responded to all of the band’s performances with positivity.
“It’s just been better than we ever expected. It’s almost overwhelming,” Howdyshell said. “When people come up after the show and tell us that they liked it, it kind of makes it worth it.”
Howdyshell said the band performs a number of songs, but it is some of their originals that attracts fans more than anything else. He said the original songs were written by the band’s guitarist, Bethel, who has only been playing guitar for about three years.
“I think the big thing that’s pulling people is Bethel. His writing, a lot of people like it,” Howdyshell said.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by messaging Eastwood’s Facebook page or by calling 740-649-6419.
Howdyshell said the band will be selling tickets Saturday at the Vinton County Relay for Life. Eastwood will perform some of its new songs later that night.
Tickets for the Country Music Festival are $30 if purchased at the gate. Other acts include Austin Hicks, Karla Perretta, Jared Bartow, the Lee Gantt Band, Charlie Tatman, Jack Lewis & 104 South Band and the Rockweiller Band.
According to Vinton County Sheriff Shawn Justice, deputies are searching for a suspect after a Thursday morning pursuit.
At about 2 a.m., deputies witnessed a vehicle run a red light in Hamden. After a pursuit, the driver fled the vehicle and ran into a wooded area on the north side of Hamden, according to Justice.
Deputies are looking for Joshua L. Coleman, 26, of Hamden, who is tall and thin with short blonde hair. Coleman is wanted for numerous felony warrants and new criminal charges that will be presented to the prosecuting attorney, according to Justice.
Visitors bureau announces photo contest winners
Submitted by the Vinton County Chamber of Commerce
"Iron Work Horse," by Ned Hall, was this year's Convention and Visitors Bureau photo contest winner. (Courtesy photo)
Vinton County is one of Ohio’s most beautiful places. That is why the Vinton County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau sponsors the Vinton County Beautiful Photography Contest every spring. The bureau aspires to recognize amateur photographers for their skills while gaining pictures that can be used in marketing the county for tourism. The hope is to have a selection of photos depicting local landmarks, events and people in a positive light. Photo contest entries can then be used to tell the story of a Vinton County vacation through the annual visitors’ guide, website and other forms of promotion.
This year, several different photographers entered pictures representing many natural scenes and wildlife. Vinton County Marketing Director Brandi Betts said that the categories were People in Action; Landscapes, Streetscapes and Landmarks of Vinton County; Historic Vinton County and Open.
She said the categories have changed some over the years to better encourage entries but the heart of the purpose behind the categories remains finding images that can be used for promoting the county.
This year’s grand prize winner was Vinton County resident Ned Hall, whose picture, “Iron Work Horse” caught the eye of the judges. This picture gives a glimpse of an important part of the county’s heritage and is also appealing to the eye, according to the judges. Hall received the grand prize of $250 for his wining picture. The prize was sponsored by WesBanco Bank.
Winners in the individual categories included:
People in Action
1. Critter Search by Janet E. Tyler
2. Biplane Walking by Cody Saylor
Landscapes, Streetscapes and Landmarks of Vinton County
1. Showin’ Off by Janet E. Tyler
2. Heron by Eugenia Mills
3. A Horse of Course by Julie Lecky
Open
1. Tree Swallow by Prem Balsom of Columbus
2. Tree Top Throne by Janet E. Tyler
Historic Vinton County
1. Iron Work Horse by Ned Hall
All of the winning photos can be viewed here.
The CVB plans to announce the 2013 contest categories and rules in the next few weeks. That information will be accessible on www.vintoncountytravel.com, where photos can be submitted electronically. Rules will also be available at the Vinton County Visitors’ Center, 104 W. Main St. in McArthur.
The contest has no residency requirement but it is open only to amateur photographers. Photographs must have been taken in Vinton County in the last three years. The Grand Prize winner is selected from the best photos from each of the categories. The Grand Prize winner typically receives a monetary prize. Want more information? Contact the Visitors’ Center at 596-5033 or at marketingdirector@vintoncounty.com.
Local singer inspires with story of cancer survival
Sara Richardson, 19, has beaten cancer and overcome a leg amputation. Now, the OU music therapy major has released a CD to help encourage others facing challenges. (Courtesy photo)
By Megan Exline
Commoner Journal staff writer
McARTHUR — A local artist who spent a large portion of her youth fighting cancer is now sharing her story of how she overcame the disease through her faith and a love for music.
Sara Richardson, of Albany, has sang at various churches throughout Vinton County. But music wasn’t always her first love.
When she was younger, she was interested in gymnastics.
But in 2003, at the age of 10, a tumor was found on Richardson’s femur, and she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, otherwise known as bone cancer.
Richardson underwent nine months of chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery on her femur, which prevented her from participating in gymnastics for a time.
“It is really interesting how, when your dreams are shattered, God gives you new dreams,” Richardson said. “So before cancer, my dream was to be a star gymnast, but that didn’t happen, so he gave me the gift of music.”
When treatment was over, the tumor was removed and found to be 100 percent dead.
In 2005, Richardson relapsed and had to go through chemotherapy and surgery again. Her chance of survival dropped to 50 percent. She said that because she’d already gone through it all before, she was discouraged to have to go through it again.
“I was 13-years-old at that point, so losing all of my hair was a little bit of a bigger deal,” Richardson said. “I learned a big lesson about outward beauty and what it means to be beautiful; that beauty is on the inside, not on the outside. I shouldn’t try to seek acceptance from people based on what I look like.”
When her treatment was over, the recovery process took less time than it had before.
In 2006, Richardson relapsed again. This time, the tumor was in her knee. Her chance of survival dropped to about 10 percent, and her doctor told her the best option was to amputate.
Her parents sought a second opinion from a doctor in Houston, Texas.
That doctor put Richardson on the same type of chemotherapy treatment that she had during her first bout with the disease. She said she thinks her body built up immunity to it, though, because the tumor spread to her hip.
“It became critical to amputate as soon as possible,” Richardson said.
She went back to Ohio for the amputation and was told that the amputation would limit her physical abilities. Because the doctors had to amputate at the hip, there was no stump left for a prosthesis. She said she realized then that her chances of survival weren’t good, and if she did survive, she would have to live with the amputation.
“So there was that to overcome, but God was very good to me in that time and taught me a lot of really important life lessons through my experience with cancer,” Richardson said.
She said these lessons included learning what true beauty is, learning to be patient and learning to trust God.
She said her fight with cancer was difficult for her parents, and they described it as a roller coaster, but she said normally when her mom was in a low emotional state, her dad would be in a high state, and vice versa.
“I’d say it was probably harder to see a loved one suffer than to actually go through it yourself,” Richardson said. “At the time, since I was young, I didn’t really understand fully the seriousness of cancer. To me it was a bunch of needles and being sick and being in the hospital. To my parents, it was, ‘We could lose her.’”
She said this led to some problems with their faith.
“For all of us, there were times of anger and confusion where we were obviously very upset with God, but in time we saw his mercy, his goodness and you know he loved us and kept putting people in our paths to encourage and support us when we were low,” Richardson said. “He didn’t just let this happen and walk away and leave us on our own.”
The day after her amputation, when turned on the TV, “Amazing Race” was on. An amputee named Sarah was in the competition and the program showed her running.
“It was just the most perfect timing because I was so discouraged and fearful of what my life would be like after such a major operation, and here she was just living life to the fullest,” Richardson said. “I was just determined that I wanted to be like that as well.”
Since then, Richardson has participated in many adaptive sports like skiing, rock-wall climbing, horseback riding, and kayaking.
But it was music that provided the most inspiration for her as she continued to follow that dream.
Richardson recently released a CD called “Living the Reward.” The idea for the CD originally came about while Richardson was still sick. She had used encouraging music to help her recover.
“A lot of the times when my pain was out of control or I was very depressed, I would turn to music as my form of therapy,” Richardson said.
Her parents saw a producer they knew and they started talking about having her do a recording. Originally, they weren’t sure how much longer Richardson would have to live, and they wanted a recording of her voice.
The recording took three and a half years to complete.
“Thankfully, they don’t see it now as something to remember me by, but something to be a blessing to all of the people that helped me when I was sick,” Richardson said.
The CD can be purchased here.
“I just want to give hope to anybody that I can that even when it feels like the world is crushing down on them, it is going to end. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and God is good and his love is never-ending,” Richardson said.
Richardson is now a 19-year-old freshman majoring in music therapy at Ohio University.
“I’m studying music therapy since music was so therapeutic to me. I just want to use music to bless people and share the gift of music with other people because it’s just been very powerful with me,” she said.
“Also, I’m very, very, very thrilled to say that I have been cancer free for five and a half years, so God has worked a miracle in my life for sure,” Richardson said.
She advises people who are currently fighting similar battles to keep a positive attitude and resist negativity.
“Don’t give up fighting, even when you’re given a bad statistic, it’s just a statistic. It’s just a number. Keep fighting, never give up and always have a positive attitude,” Richardson said.
The 2012 Relay For Life of Vinton County Royalty Pageant will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The age groups and title are: Tiny Miss, 4-6 years; Little Miss, 7-9 years; Junior Miss, 10-12 years; Teen Miss, 13-15 years; and Queen, 16-18 years. There also will be a ” Cash For A Cure” award, which will go to the contestant who raises the most money before the pageant.
The attire is anything that makes the contestants feel confident and beautiful. The cost is $10 per contestant.
There will be a brief meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Vinton County Fairgrounds, where all money that has been raised, entry fee and paper work needs to be turned in.
For information, contact Alexis Harper at 740-988-0673.
The Vinton County Relay for Life baby contest will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday. Registration will be from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. The contest is open to boys and girls ages 0-36 months. There is no theme, just semi-formal dress or church clothes. Entry fee is $5 per child.
All proceeds from both contest benefit the American Cancer Society.
Young turkey hunters take 23-, 21-pound turkeys
Josiah Sifford and Anthony Rose went turkey hunting on April 28 on private property. Josiah’s turkey weighed 23 pounds with a 10″ beard with 1 3/8″spurs and Anthony’s was 21 pounds, 9 1/8″ beard with 7/8′ spurs. This was Anthony’s first time turkey hunting.
