Members of the Vinton County Middle School work to make blankets for children in hospitals. (Photos by Paul McManis)
By Paul McManis
Commoner Journal staff writer
McARTHUR — The warm hearts of Vinton County Middle School children are helping warm bodies, as Academic Club students are working to make blankets for hospital patients.
The club’s latest project is donating blankets to Project Linus, a program that has nearly 400 chapters in the United States and has delivered more than 4 million blankets to help ill, traumatized and needy children receive security and warmth. The organization does this through the help of “blanketeers” (volunteers).
Project Linus uses Charles Schulz’ character Linus from the popular comic strip PEANUTS as a representative of its program. In the same way Linus held onto his blanket for security, the organization emphasizes providing blankets to children who need security.
Academic Club Adviser Sara Henneman said her daughter and niece have spent time in the hospital and received help from outside organizations like Project Linus to make their hospital stay a little more pleasant. She said the help they received sparked the idea to involve her students in helping patients.
Henneman said her students were more than happy to start making blankets for hospital patients.
“They were very excited. They worked very hard,” Henneman said. “I like the way they stepped in and helped each other. They worked really well together to get this done.”
In just one week, the club has provided nearly 40 blankets.
For the students, the project meant more to them than simply helping patients they may never know. To them, it was the same as helping those who they know who have experienced illness accompanied by a hospital stay.
Derick Jones said he was reminded of an elementary student in the county who had spent some time away from school because of her hospital stays due to a life-threatening illness. He said people like her is what made his contribution to the project more meaningful.
“It feels pretty good because we are helping these children,” Derick said. “They know people are over here are looking out for them and people are helping them.”
Shy Thompson said she also enjoyed working on the project and was glad to know children were receiving care at the hands of the students who worked together on the project.
“It feels good. It helps them know someone is there for them and if they need something, they can just kind of ask for it,” Shy said.
McARTHUR — The Vinton County Health Department will receive a $20,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention to help remove scrap tires from the area.
The health department is the project’s grantee, but it will also collaborate with the Jackson and Gallia County health departments. The grant will cover amnesty type drop-off locations in all three counties, starting in July.
Overall, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 passenger tire equivalents will be collected during this project.
The grants will fund different types of projects throughout the state, including manufacturing and processing, civil engineering and tire amnesty. Applicants were required to be an agency of the state, such as a municipality, state college or university, park district, township, county or solid waste management district. Businesses or non-profit organizations looking for funding must secure a sponsor to serve as the grant applicant.
The ODNR Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention is responsible for implementing statewide waste reduction, recycling, recycling market development and litter prevention programs. All Ohioans are encouraged to reduce waste, recycle materials and buy recycled-content products.
Emmett Joy and Jeff Griffiths work the United Way of Vinton County booth at the Wild Turkey Festival. United Way held a split-the-pot fundraiser during the festival. (File photo)
McARTHUR — The United Way of Vinton County distributed $18,000 in investments to local non-profit partners in April 2012 — an increase of $6,000 over 2011.
Applications were received from eight groups; seven received investments, according to UWVC Director Joy Dickerson.
“Our United Way Board had to make some hard decisions, not just about which groups to invest in, but also how much each partner would receive out of our limited funds,” Dickerson said.
A subcommittee of the board reviewed all of the applications and then made recommendations to the full board. The recommendations were ratified after much discussion at a meeting of the entire board.
“Every board member showed up for the investment meeting — it’s that important,” Dickerson said.
“The Red Cross and Big Brothers/Big Sisters are located in Athens, but they provide direct service to Vinton Countians,” Dickerson said.
She noted that the American Red Cross of Southeast Ohio provided assistance to many county residents following the heavy rains that fell in the area in the last two weeks, a reflection of United Way of Vinton County’s funding at work right here. The investment in Big Brothers/Big Sisters supports a student mentoring program that has been operating without funding for the past year.
“We’re so happy to assist that program. Mentoring helps the mentor as well as the person being mentored — everybody wins with mentoring,” Dickerson said.
The United Way of Vinton County continues to focus investment on the most basic needs of our community — food, clothing, shelter and safety.
“Our investments in the community were higher this year than in the past, but not as high as I wanted,” board member Linda Donahoe said. “I hope that as people learn more about the United Way of Vinton County, donations will increase and we can fund a wider range of activities.”
The recent Split-the-Pot fundraiser at the Wild Turkey Festival was an effort to increase people’s awareness of the United Way.
“We made a small sum from the split-the-pot, and the winner went home happy, but the most important thing was that we met and spoke with so many people about the role of the United Way of Vinton County in the community,” Donahoe said.
“Next year, I hope we can invite some people from the community to participate in making investment decisions,” she said. She added she would be glad to speak with anyone who has questions about the United Way of Vinton County and how it works. Contact her at by leaving a message at 740-596-9811 or by email at united_way_of_vinton_county@
PHOTOS: Vinton County Class of 2012 graduates
(Photo courtesy of McManis Photography)
McARTHUR — The Vinton County High School Class of 2012 graduated on May 11.
Photos of graduation can be viewed at McManis Photography’s website.
Students, including the top of the senior class, were honored on May 1 for their academic success.
Michelle McManaway’s fourth-grade class was the top fundraisers for the Pennies for Patients campaign, and got to turn Principal Rick Brooks into a human hotdog. (Photos by Paul McManis)
This year, West Elementary collected $3,106.25 during the Pennies for Patients Campaign.
Although the school missed its goal of $3,700 by just a few hundred dollars, the students were still excited about the amount they collected to help kids and their families fight childhood blood cancers, school librarian Rhonda Lambert said.
This year’s top collecting classroom is Michelle McManaway’s fourth-grade class. The class received a pizza party and was awarded the opportunity to participate in making Principal Rick Brooks into a human hotdog during the wrap-up assembly on May 10. Also during the assembly, school janitor Eddie Mullins kissed a pig. Mullins helped raise $136 for the campaign by agreeing to kiss the pig.
Since starting the Pennies for Patients Campaign in 2003, West Elementary has collected more than $18,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Benefit to be held for deceased mother, wife, sister
A benefit will be held on Saturday at McArthur Volunteer Fireman’s Hall for Michelle Colombini-Stiltner, who died unexpectedly last month of a blood clot. Colombini-Stiltner, 40, was the wife of Jerry Stiltner, an employee at the St. Francis Center, and a mother of two. Proceeds from the benefit will cover the cost of her headstone and other expenses. The benefit will include a Chinese auction, silent auction, raffles and concessions. The doors open at 2 p.m. and drawings will be held at 7. Donations can also be made by contacting Anita Colombini via Facebook.
Enjoy May flowers and whole grain flours program
OSU Extension — Vinton County News
A May flowers and whole grain flours program will be conducted at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Banquet Room of the Vinton County Community Building. The workshop will include tips to help you eat better and healthier meals this summer by including more whole grains. There will also be food samples, information about the new MyPlate meal planning guide, ideas for making your daily routine more fun and healthy, a free craft activity, and more. Everyone attending will receive a gift. This program is free, but pre-registration is requested to ensure that program supplies are available for all participants.
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Want to save money on food next year? Or do you just want to know for sure what’s in the foods you feed your family? Home food preservation is a great way to do both. To help you learn how to can foods safely, a free Home Canning Workshop, a program for beginners about canning and home food preservation, has been scheduled for 6 p.m. May 21 at the Vinton County Community Building. Pre-registration is required by May 18, as the program will be canceled if registration is low.
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OSU Extension – Vinton County and Vinton County Soil and Water Conservation District are offering a gardening packet to county residents free of charge. Packets contain information and fact sheets about preparing your soil, planting a garden for you and your family, managing pests and canning/ preserving the results of a successful growing season. Packet includes a vegetable plating calendar for Vinton County as well. Packets can be picked up at the Extension Office (740-596-5212) or the Soil and Water Office (740-596-5676.)
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Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program is offering free classes that include hands-on cooking for participants, food tastings and recipes. Open classes are offered at the OSU Extension Office; contact Patty for more details.
For more information on any of the above programs, contact the Extension office at 596-5212 or http://vinton.osu.edu
Caitlyn Owings helped the Vinton County High School girls' track team finish second in the Tri-Valley Conference-Ohio division with her fourth-place finish in the long jump and first-place finish in the high jump. (Photos by Megan Exline)
By Megan Exline
Commoner Journal staff writer
NELSONVILLE –The Vinton County High School girls’ and boys’ track teams finished second and third, respectively, in the Tri-Valley Conference-Ohio division at Thursday’s TVC track meet Thursday at Nelsonville-York High School.
The girls’ team finished fifth overall and the boys’ team finished sixth overall.
For the girls’ competition, finals were held in all events except discuss, high jump and 4×800-meter relay. Those events were held on Monday at Athens High School.
“We did pretty well today; we placed in every event that we had kids in, so I’m happy with that,” Coach Josh Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick said sophomores Heather Remy and Michala Wickline tied the school pole vaulting record of 7 feet. Rachel Brame first achieved that height in 2005, and Remy tied it for the first time last year.
The team has one senior, and Kirkpatrick said he looks forward to a strong team coming back next year.
“One senior, Josie Ward, was fifth in the hurdles,” he said. “She’ll be missed. She provided a lot of leadership and a lot of spirit to the team. We’ll miss her next year, and miss her points in the hurdles.”
Those who scored for the girls team were:
- Josie Ward, 100-meter hurdles, fifth place, four points
- Cassie McFadden, 100-meter dash, fifth place, four points
- 4×200-meter relay, sixth place, three points
- 4×100-meter relay team, second place, eight points
- Cassie Perkins, 400-meter dash, fourth place, five points
- Jennifer Case, 400-meter dash, sixth place, three points
- Lauren Mitchell , 300-meter hurdles, eighth place, one point
- Mya Faris, 800-meter run, sixth place, three points
- 4×400-meter relay team, third place, six points
- Caitlyn Owings, long jump, fourth place, five points
- Michala Wickline, pole vault, tied for third place, 5.5 points
- Heather Remy, pole vault, fifth place, four points
Those points were added to Caitlyn Owings’ 10 points from her first-place finish in the high jump and the 4×800-meter relay team’s four points for its fifth-place finish on Monday.
In the boys’ competition, finals were held in all events except the pole vault, shot put, long jump and 4×800-meter relay. Those events were held on Monday at Athens High School.
Coach Jon Lindner said that many athletes scored season bests. He said they have had a winning season with 33 wins and 19 losses coming into the TVC meet.
“We just kind of had one of those nights, to be honest,” Lindner said. “The good news is that the district meet is next week and we still have the opportunity to advance people to regionals and have a strong district performance both team-wise and for individuals.
“For several of our kids, the season is far from over,” he said.
Those who scored for the boys’ team were:
- Justin Hawk, 110-meter hurdles, third place, six points
- Curtis Lindner, 110-meter hurdles, fourth place, five points
- 4×200-meter relay team, sixth place, three points
- Max Ward, 1600-meter run, eighth place, one point
- 4×100-meter relay team, eighth place, one point
- Dylan Crisp, 400-meter dash, sixth place, three points
- Justin Hawk, 300-meter hurdles, seventh place, two points
- Curtis Lindner, 300-meter hurdles, eighth place, one point
- Jacob McManis, 800-meter run, fourth place, five points
- Justin Hawk, 200-meter dash, second place, eight points
- Brett Radabaugh, 3200-meter run, fourth place, five points
- Wazika Anderson, 3200-meter run, seventh place, two points
- 4×400-meter relay team, eighth place, one point
Those points were added to points scored Monday by: the 4×800-meter relay team, five points for its fourth-place finish; Adam Parkison, fourth place for five points in the pole vault; and Alex Parkison sixth place for three points in the pole vault.
For the full results or for more information concerning the Tri-Valley Conference track meet, visit the Baums Page Event.
Vinton County Relay for Life schedule of events
The Vinton County Relay for Life, planned for May 19-20, will include inflatable bounce houses, games, GoKart races, free gift drawings every hour and more. Campsites are available Friday and Saturday nights for $25 each night. Call Paul Creech for more information at 740-253-3246.
Saturday, May 19
11 a.m. DJ/PA Sound System on Stage — Jesse Reynolds
Noon Opening Ceremony/Opening Remarks *Terri Kangas
Color Guard presented by RCI Guard
National Anthem by David Stiffler
Motivational speech
12:30 p.m. Survivor and Care Giver Opening Lap
Song by David Stiffler, “I’m Gonna Love You Thru It”
1 p.m. Survivor Lunch Reception sponsored by WesBanco, Kroger & McArthur SuperValu
1:30 p.m. The Bates Sisters Southern Gospel
2 p.m. Borrowed Time Blue Grass Gospel Zach and Shelly Reynolds
Homemade Pie Bake Off — $5 entry fee
3 p.m. Vinton County Relay for Life Baby Contest, newborns through 3 years of age — $5 entry fee
4 p.m. Royalty Pageant Officiated by Alexis Harper
5 p.m. Corn Hole registration — $5 Single Entry Officiated by Jeff Bolen and Joel Bolen, call Jeff at 740-418-5793
6 p.m. Corn Hole Tournament Officiated by Jeff Bolen and Joel Bolen
7 p.m. 4 This Cause Contemporary Gospel Jesse Reynolds
8 p.m. 4 This Cause Contemporary Gospel Jesse Reynolds
9 p.m. Luminaria Ceremony presented by The Vinton County National Bank, songs by David Stiffler
10 p.m. Vinton County Belly Dancers — Whiplash
10:30 p.m. Eastwood, live country music band
11 p.m. Eastwood, live country music band
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Midnight Eastwood, live country music band
1 a.m. Rocking Reggie and Janice
2 a.m. Rocking Reggie and Janice
3 a.m. Rocking Reggie and Janice
6 a.m. Closing Ceremony Remarks by Terri Kangas
