Chamber Recognizes Outstanding High School Students

The Vinton County Chamber of Commerce held a reception Tuesday night to recognize the Chambers' 2011-12 Students of the Month. In front, from left are Michae Snavely, Myrriah Mace, Jenny Brooks and Briana Thompson. In back are Teresa Remy-Detty, Joey Batey, Sam Clemons, Cody Saylor, Jim Salyer and School Superintendent John Simmons.

The Vinton County Chamber of Commerce held a reception Tuesday night to recognize all 16 of the Chamber’s Students of the Month from the 2011-12 school year.  The Chamber honors two high school seniors every month during the school year.

This year’s honorees are:

September – Mace and Alex Eberts

October – Marcie Reedy and Brian Hivick

 November – Joey Batey and Gabby Thurston

December -  Curtis Lindner and Cody Saylor

January -  Cheyanna Johnson and Michea Snavely

February -  Joshua Travers and Lindsey Hashman

 March – Jenny Brooks and Sam Clemons

 April -  Kimberly Kazee and Briana Thompson

Each student receives a plaque, a $50 savings bond and the opportunity to apply for a scholarship.

The Chamber wanted to recognize the hard work and accomplishments of these young people who all balance their studies with extracurricular school activities, volunteer work and, in some cases, part time jobs.

Joining us that evening was Superintendent of Vinton County Schools John Simmons who spoke briefly on the qualities needed to be successful in life. He advised the students to find a special dream to strive toward and to remember that there is no shortcut to success – hard work, respect, leadership and simply outworking everyone else will take them far. He also reminded them that Vinton County graduates are first class leaders all over the world and that they can go anywhere and be anything they want to be.

We also had Teresa Remy-Detty speak on behalf of the entire Remy family.  The Student of the Month program and the accompanying Student of the Year program were renamed for our late board member and friend Linda L. Remy. Teresa spoke about some life lessons she believed her mother would want the students to learn.  Her advice was to always maintain balance in life – to find time for family, work, volunteerism and all the things they find important. She also said that some of the greatest advice that her mother gave was to always stop and ask whether you are doing the right thing.

The Chamber of Commerce benefited for several years from Linda’s kindness, generosity and unfailing drive to always do the right thing. Her unexpected death last year left a terrible void in the Chamber and she is still missed.

The Chamber thanks Teresa, Mr. Simmons, the students and their parents for spending the evening with the Chamber. Thanks also to Chef Mary Reynolds of Flutes and Peppercorns for going above and beyond the call of duty to provide delicious food to our guests.

The Chamber hopes that no matter where our students go in life they understand they can always come home again. Congratulations to our Students of the Month and to all 2012 graduates.

Do You Like Turkey Noodles? Eat With Us on May 2!

Support the Vinton County Chamber of Commerce and kick off the Vinton County Wild Turkey Festival a day early when the Chamber hosts a Turkey Noodle Dinner and judging for the Turkey Decorating Contest on Wednesday, May 2.

The Chamber is partnering with the people who know noodles best – the ladies of the McArthur BPW, who are famous for their noodle dinners.  The menu will include turkey noodle bowls, turkey sandwiches and desserts.

You can pick up food to go or you can stay and eat with us! While you are there, remember to check out the ceramic turkeys that are being decorated by businesses,  community groups and families in the area. These turkeys will be on display throughout the evening for you to enjoy and to vote for a favorite. The People’s Choice turkey will receive $150 cash. Turkeys will also be judged by a panel of judges who will award Grand Champion, second place, third place, and the best by a service organization. Winners will receive cash prizes. Some turkeys will also be available for purchase through a silent auction. The turkey that is sold for the most money in the auction will also receive a prize.

The Grand Champion turkey will be the model for a large turkey that will be placed along the street in downtown McArthur.

This project is made possible by the generous assistance of our sponsors Austin Powder Company, McDonalds of Wellston (coming soon to McArthur) and R&C Quick Stop. Thanks to these companies, the Chamber will give away $1,200 in cash prizes to the winning turkeys.

The ceramic turkeys are still available for purchase by emailing Brandi Betts at marketingdirector@vintoncounty.com or Trecia Kimes-Brown at kimesbrown@gmail.com. Turkeys must be turned in for judging at the Vinton County Community Building between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on May 2. The turkey costs $25 but there is no additional fee to enter the contest.

Why cook on May 2 when you can just eat with us? The noodle dinner will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Vinton County Community Building on May 2. Half of the dinner proceeds will benefit the Chamber and half will benefit the BPW.  For information,  email Betts or Kimes-Brown or call 596-5033.

Want to learn more about the turkey project? Read this recent blog post!

Have you decorated a turkey yet?

The Vinton County Chamber of Commerce is hunting for wild turkeys. Creatively decorated wild turkeys, that is!  The Chamber is holding a contest to find the best decorated turkey this spring and thanks to generous sponsorship from the Austin Powder Company, McDonalds of Wellston (soon to be McDonalds of McArthur) and R & C Quick Stop, the Chamber will be giving away $1,200 in prizes for the best entries!

The Chamber is currently selling the ceramic wild turkeys for individuals, businesses and organizations to decorate and return for judging. Turkeys can be embellished with any medium or embellished with any medium. Turkeys must be returned to the Vinton County Community Building on May 2 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.  They will be judged during an event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. featuring turkey noodles, turkey sandwiches and other food.

Anyone who wishes can donate their turkey back to the Chamber to be sold in a silent auction that evening. Throughout the evening, participants can bid on their favorite turkeys. The top five money earners will be kept on display for bidding during the turkey festival while the remaining turkeys will be sent home with the winning bidders. The artist of the turkey that earns the most money for the Chamber will receive a prize valued at $150. This award will be announced at the Wild Turkey Festival.

Thanks to the sponsors, $1,200 in prizes will be awarded to those artists who submit the best turkeys.   One turkey will be awarded Grand Champion and the winner will receive an award valued at $400. This turkey will become the design for a larger turkey to be placed on the streets of McArthur. Second place will receive an award valued at $250 and third place will receive an award valued at $150. People’s Choice will receive an award valued at $150 and the best turkey entered by a service organization will receive $100. Finally, the Top Money Earner will receive a prize valued at $150.

For information or to purchase your turkey, visit the Chamber Office at 104 W. Main St., McArthur or call 596-5033. You can also email marketingdirector@vintoncounty.com.

Customer Appreciation Day, School Fundraiser Planned at Yoder’s

Did you know that Vinton County has a small community of Amish residents?  There you will find Yoder’s Greenhouse, a perfectly wonderful place, home to beautiful and healthy plants and shrubs. Yoder’s belongs to both our Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce, the organizations responsible for this site.

I spoke with David Yoder the other day. He and wife Edna Fern are very excited about this new season and are busy getting ready to help you grow the best vegetables and make your yard beautiful!

If you are in the market for garden vegetables, they have a great variety including more than 25 varieties of tomatoes as well as  peppers, cabbage broccoli, seed potatoes and more. Mr. Yoder is especially excited about a new grafted tomato that he says will handle disease and temperature swings better than most.

They also have 175 really nice Boston Ferns, Sunpatiens, bedding plants, shrubs, roses, mulch and everything else you need to make your garden beautiful.

Be sure to mark your calendar for May 12 when they host the annual school fundraiser  and Yoder’s Greenhouse Customer Appreciation Day. On this day, there will be a benefit dinner for the school and Mr. Yoder said this chicken dinner will be absolutely delicious. In addition, there will be baked goods for sale and auction items. A drawing around 2 p.m. will provide two lucky winners $100 in free flowers from Yoder’s.

Yoder’s Greenhouse is located in Vinton County just a few minutes off Route 50 at 52702 Eagle Mills Rd., Londonderry, OH 45647. Call them at 887-2431 for information. Remember, they are closed on Sundays but are open most days from dawn until dusk.

Register now for the Countywide Yard Sale

Summer is just around the corner and that means it is time to register for the Chamber’s Countywide Yard Sale. You can turn the stuff filling up your closets, attic and basement into cash if you register for the Countywide Yard Sale set for Saturday, June 2.

The Chamber of Commerce is now collecting the locations of yard sales throughout the county that are scheduled for June 2. The Chamber will publish this list of yard sales in a booklet that will be available for distribution around the county about one week prior to the sale. The list will also be available on www.vintoncounty.com.

A yard sale listing in the booklet is free, but you must register with the Chamber of Commerce. Each listing will include the street address of the sale, a brief description of items for sale and sale hours if they are different than 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

This is also a wonderful opportunity for non-profit organizations and churches throughout the county to host yard and bake sales.

For more information on the Countywide Yard Sale, contact the Chamber Office at 596-5033 or at info@vintoncounty.com. You can also stop by the Chamber Office at 104 W. Main St. in McArthur.

All participating yard sales must be registered with the Chamber no later than May 24 to be included in the publicity.

Concert Will Beneft Victims of Violence

Do you enjoy good music? Would you like to help out a good cause? How would you like to spend just $8 to enjoy twelve hours worth of music?

You can do just that when Shepherd’s House hosts the first annual Band-ing Together for Peace in McArthur on April 21. They are raising money for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families.

Twelve hours of live music will literally include something for every taste. “From folk to rock, we literally will have something for everyone,” said Shepherd’s House Director Trisha Sands.

The line-up will include local and regional favorites including Joy Dickerson, Eastwood, Byrd and Charlie Manring, Avery Whittaker, The Blues Cowboys, Devils Gesture, the Snakebites, The Local Yocals, Pets or Meat and Junkyard Republic. The schedule represents folk, acoustic, blues, heavy metal, classic rock, pop rock and country music.

“We are dreaming of a day that violence, bullying, sexual assault and family terrorism is not tolerated by anyone who lives here,” Sands said. “We need to raise future generations in a place with compassion, understanding, love, peace and non- tolerance for violence. I realize domestic violence is very hard to understand. To be honest, most victims that live it, never really understand it themselves until they have been out of it, sought help and really looked back to see the complicated, methodical coercion of it.”

Funds raised will help to fulfill basic needs, emergency and safety needs of victims. Federal budget cuts have tightened budgets for shelters, leaving little or no money for gas cards, food vouchers, deposits to move into a safe home or other basic needs that enable victims to escape their abusers.

The Band-ing Together for Peace will be held beginning at 1:30 p.m. on April 21 at the VFW Post 5299 in McArthur. Admission for the entire day is just $8. There will be at least two 50/50 drawings, the raffle of an electric guitar with amp, a Chinese Auction and event t-shirts for sale. Sponsors include McDonalds of McArthur-Wellston-Jackson, Spring Street Sports, Jerry’s Do-It Center, Heroes Public House, Blue Eagle Music and Baker Trucking.

People of all ages to come out and enjoy the day of music with their friends and family.

For more information about Band-ing for Peace or about domestic violence issues in Vinton County, call Shepherd’s House at 596-9271.

Spring Wildflower Walk will be here soon!

The large white trillium was adopted as the official wildflower of Ohio in 1987. It is found in each of Ohio's 88 counties and can usually be spotted during Lake Hope's Wildflower Hike.

 

 

Do you have plans for next weekend? Why not book a cabin in the woods and spend a little time in our state parks and forests watching nature come to life?  Lake Hope State Park will host their Annual Wildflower Walk on April 21. This happens to be one of my favorite Lake Hope events because they take you off the beaten path to a peaceful area abundant with wildflowers. I’m guessing that most people have never been on this road and it’s a real treat to see this beautiful area of forest.

This 1.5 mile walk along Raccoon Creek allows visitors to get up close with a variety of wildflowers including Ohio’s official wildflower, the Large White Trillium. A Lake Hope State Park Naturalist will teach participants to identify the wildflowers and discusses folklore.

Want to participate? It’s completely free and you don’t need reservations! Just meet at the Hope Furnace with your vehicle at 1 p.m. You will caravan to another site for your hike. The hike lasts for approximately two hours. Want more information? Call the Nature Center at 740-596-3030.

Want to spend the weekend? Rent a cabin or a room with us! Just Click Here to make reservations.