Purdue News
Purdue NewsDecember 12, 1997
Karen Richey of Marshall County won the Senior Award in consumer and family sciences. Six years ago, Richey noted that cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, took the lives of many county residents. She started working with community leaders to develop heart-healthy strategies through a program called "The Heart Healthy Living Series." Well over half of participants said that, as a result of the program, they read more food labels, more often chose heart-healthy foods, increased their activity levels and cooked with less fat. All of them recommended the program to family and friends.
Brenda Hagedorn, Spencer County , won the Junior Award in consumer and family science. When food service establishments in her county scored low on inspections, Hagedorn worked with the local food sanitarian to produce a newsletter that described safe food handling practices. She mailed the "At Your Service" newsletter to 92 food service establishments in Spencer County. As a result, the food sanitation inspector reported an increased knowledge of safe food handling practices among 60 percent of newsletter recipients.
The Innovator Award in consumer and family sciences went to Carla Harner of Martin County . In 1994, when child abuse and neglect reach an all-time high in Martin County, Harner addressed the problem by bringing together the circuit court judge, probation officer, state agency representatives, mental health and social workers and the school at-risk coordinator. The group offered two parenting workshops each month, one for parents with young children and one for parents of pre-teens and teen-agers. (In the past, workshops were offered only in neighboring counties.) The courts have reported a decrease of Children in Need cases in Martin County. Also, when ordered by the court to attend parenting classes, approximately 85 percent more people follow through. Eighteen percent of parents participate voluntarily. Harner now also offers a monthly newsletter.
David Addison of Whitley County won the 1997 Bob Amick Award in 4-H and Youth Development. Addison noticed that many 4-H'ers in his county skipped going to college and often missed educational trips because they didn't have the money to go. Working with the Whitley County Community Foundation, the Whitley County Extension Office and the Whitley County 4-H Clubs Inc., Addison started an endowment fund. Community members donated livestock for an auction and, in 20 minutes, generated $20,000 for the endowment. The endowment, now at $22,000, helps students pay for post-secondary education and educational trips.
The Senior Award in 4-H and Youth Development went to Robert C. Van Koevering of Lagrange County . Van Koevering wanted to keep local youngsters out of trouble by offering summer activities in local communities. He worked with three public school districts, the park department, the community foundation, the youth council and the probation department to offer "We're Here," a three-day per week, six-week combination swimming program, town park recreational/educational program and a mini 4-H camp. More than 200 children participated the first year. The community plans to expand the program in the future.
Janet Allen, Shelby County , won the Career Award in 4-H and Youth Development. When mandatory recycling laws went into effect in Shelby County, Allen coordinated efforts to explain recycling to the community. Allen heard that a concerned 4-H junior leader had written a skit on recycling, so she helped junior leaders present it in all nine of the county's elementary schools. She worked with her solid waste district to distribute magnets and an informational handout at the end of each skit. After the presentations, recyclable material collection increased every month -- and the solid waste district officials asked junior leaders to repeat the performances the next year. Also, Shelby County's junior leader membership rose by more than a third.
The Agricultural Innovator Award in Agriculture went to Thomas E. Springstun of Scott County . After the Indiana state legislature mandated that all counties reduce landfill waste by 35 percent by the year 2000, people in Scottsburg, Austin and Scott County created a joint waste management program. As part of their efforts, Springstun formed and chaired a committee to explain composting and recycling to the public and to develop related educational materials. He also got a grant to purchase a used horse trailer, 55-gallon plastic drums and boxes for collection of recyclables. As a result, nonrecyclable local waste collection dropped 25 percent and collection of recyclables substantially increased.
The Senior Award in Agriculture went to Elkhart County's Jeff Burbrink. He worked with vocational agriculture teacher Phil Lindenman and a committee of local farmers to introduce area farmers to computers, the Internet and software for agriculture. Seventy farmers logged on to the World Wide Web in the Northwood High School computer lab and learned what it would take to set up computer systems in their own homes.
Marcia Werne won the Junior Award in community development. Werne pulled county citizens together in an effort to fight alcohol and substance abuse in Spencer County . Under her leadership, students formed a Students Against Dangerous Decisions (SADD) group. She brought young, repeat offenders together in a separate self-help group. Werne also helped coordinate programs through Project Lead and through the county's Local Coordinating Council for a Drug-Free Community.
The Innovator Award in community development went to James Peter. Dubois County needed a park, and Peter made it happen. He designed walkways and greenspace, and helped design and stock the lake. He worked with the contractor for the Dubois County Park Board and made sure the park was a pleasant, environmentally balanced addition to the community.
The Area 11 Agriculture and Natural Resources team won the 1997 Team Award for the creation and expansion of the Diagnostic Training Center. The center began as a one-day, one-county event meant to give crop producers and agribusiness representatives hands-on experience in identifying and treating crop problems. In 1996 the team expanded the program. Staff developed plots, coordinated demonstrations with specialists, taught, assisted with plot maintenance, promoted the program and procured funding. Now the program happens biannually and serves two states. In 1996 alone, program attendees made decisions affecting more than one million acres.
The County Staff Award was won by Wells County staff members Roger Sherer, Kimberly Asche and William Horan. They helped bring multipurpose facilities to a county that sorely needed a meeting place for youth programs, Extension educational programs, and civic and social functions. Working with a consulting firm, they set a goal of $750,000 and raised $1.2 million. Construction of the facility began this year.
Source: Floyd Branson, (765) 494-8490; e-mail, Floyd_Branson@ces.purdue.edu
Writer: Rebecca J. Goetz, (765) 494-0461; e-mail, rjg@aes.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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