Elisabeth Smith began work yesterday as the new 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator. Elisabeth is from Rush County in Indiana, a graduate of Butler University, and has spent the last few years teaching elementary students in Maryland. She has moved home to be closer to her family and to reclaim her Hoosier roots. We found out yesterday that Elisabeth was an active 4-H member in her county when she was young.
Miss Pulaski County and Miss Starke County are vying this week for honors at the Indiana State Fair. Stacy Gudas was the winner of the Pulaski County 4-H competition. Lauren Jernas became eligible to enter this competition by virtue of being part of the Starke County Royalty at the Starke County Fair.
When Gudas was named the Queen of the Pulaski County Fair, WKVI’s Ted Hayes caught up with her and asked her reaction to being named the Queen.
“As I was announced, of course I was shocked. You never know if you’re going to win or not, so I was really excited and I’m excited to represent Pulaski County,” said Gudas. “What got me interested in competing was when I was in third grade I got to dance with the Miss Pulaski contestants when I was in hip-hop, and that was a lot of fun. And we’ve always gone to watch it at the fair with my mom.”
Starke County does not have a “Queen” program, but Loren Jernas qualified by being named royalty at the Starke County Fair.
“I was chosen as one of the Starke County 4-H Royalty winners, so I decided to go down to state fair to do the pageant and have fun and meet a lot of different girls from all over the state,” said Jernas.
Jernas explained what the competition will entail.
“We have to do an interview, there’s a formal wear competition. There’s no swimsuit competition, there’s no time competition. There’s one day where we do the County Queen’s fashion show and we get to wear an outfit that we think looks good on us, and it’s not judged so we get to kinda show our personality and our outfits,” said Jernas.
The winner of the state fair queen pageant will be the official hostess for the 2012 fair.
Marilyn Wickert is retiring from the Starke County Extension Office, having served 16 years in the office. She also served two years in the 1970s where she served as the first full-time Youth Educator in the County.
Marilyn was asked what she enjoyed most while working at the Extension Office.
The Starke County Chamber of Commerce announces that this year’s Henry F. Schricker “Service before Self” Award winner is Marvin D. McLaughlin. McLaughlin is well-known to all citizens in Starke County.
Marvin McLaughlin is known to most of us in the County as the “Honorable Judge Marvin McLaughlin” for his many years of service on the Starke County Circuit Court bench.
When Marvin McLaughlin was sworn in as judge, then-retired Governor Schricker said a few words. McLaughlin said this about Henry Schricker.
“Back in the 1950s when he ran for Congress, I worked as a volunteer on his campaign at the Statehouse,” said McLaughlin. “He was a very interesting person and he was very interested in you as an individual and he was a very appreciative person.”
He is a winner of the Sagamore of the Wabash, having been presented the award at his retirement recognition event from the bench in 1992.
Among his proud achievements is having been a 4-H leader.
“For 15 years I was a 4-H leader,” said McLaughlin. “When we first came to the County, that’s when Purdue had changed, saying that the agriculture teachers could no longer be 4-H leaders. In North Judson, we didn’t have a 4-H club. The kids had to go somewhere else. I started the club from scratch.”
Congratulations to Marvin McLaughlin of North Judson who is this year’s Henry F. Schricker Award winner for 2010. He will be feted at a banquet in January at the Knox Community Center.
