Stars in the Park was memorable

On Aug. 15, a 12-year-old with talent beyond those years charmed an audience of hundreds, elevating his performance above 15 other worthy contenders to become the second grand prize winner of Stars in the Park.
Remember the name Gabe Bailey, because chances are you will read it in the paper, hear it over the radio or on television in not too many years.
On behalf of the Jay County Chamber of Commerce I wish to thank and acknowledge the people involved in this summer’s Stars in the Park, a talent competition featuring local talent, judged by local judges and an audience made up of friends and neighbors.
Some of us remember the movies from the 1940s starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland with the scene where a crisis comes up and they need to raise money. Judy Garland’s character says to Mickey’s, “Let’s put on a show.” Many of us as kids put on our own “shows” performing in our living rooms, dining rooms or even kitchens depending where our family audience was at the time. Working on Stars in the Park brought out the same kind of excitement and joy that each of us felt when we were kids doing the same thing.
The Chamber’s Stars in the Park committee — show director – Samantha Thomas; judges – Karen Meiring, Jan Rittenhouse, Patty Stahl, Dolphus Stephens, Amy Pearson and Cain Bilbrey; facilities – Toneta and Alan Bailey; concessions – Kathy Subler, Dee Marchal, Natalie McIntire, Deb VanSkyock, Vicki Tague and Kip VanSkyock; ticket sales – Gyneth Augsburger and Pat Jellison; balloting – Dean Sanders, Buzz Keck and Pam Rogers; sound production – Chuck Rohrer Audio; stage hands – Brooke Sanders, Kyle Sanders and Damian Hicks — were all instrumental in pulling off the five nights of great entertainment.
Quarterfinal and final sponsorships from Baird Freeman Funeral Home, Racster Jack & Associates, Patriot Sportswear, Raymond James Associates and Moser Motors of Portland, plus donations from Sonoco Protective Solutions, Pak-A-Sak, Clear Chiropractic and Locker’s Touch of Country Gifts allowed us to put together an outstanding production. Thank you to Ryan Myers and the city of Portland for maintaining and making improvements to the amphitheater at Hudson Family Park. Thank you to WPGW for its media sponsorship, publicity and marketing efforts. Thanks to the Commercial Review for coverage of each of the events.
The effort and manpower provided by Doug Tipton and the Jay County Robotics Team was the personification of “many hands make light work.” The talent and time given by emcees Sam Racster and Ron Freeman over the five evenings was professional, making a smooth and entertaining transition from one performer to the next.
Thank you to Team Indiana for being our special guests at the Stars in the Park finale. Their presence inspired many.
Our five special guest performers — The Green River Boys, Greg Muhlenkamp, The Frye Family Band, Ken Bantz and Holly Rittenhouse and Dillon Ford — entertained the audience during intermissions and while contestant balloting took place.
And thank you to the Stars in the Park contestants. Thank you for sharing your incredible talents. Thank you for having the courage to stand in front of an audience and give us your best. Thank you for establishing a standard of excellence for Stars in the Park that we hope to continue for years.
Finally, thank you to the community for embracing this event and being so very gracious to all of the contestants. Every contestant was welcomed with enthusiasm and properly acknowledged for their efforts adding to their desire to do well and entertain everyone. Truly the Stars in the Park audience made it much easier for every contestant to perform at a high level.
Stars in the Park is one of those special events that I will always remember as something that was worth the effort and a labor of love. I will remember the remarkable performances. I will remember the faces of each and every contestant, volunteer and audience member. And, I will remember all of it vividly the next time I hear “Let’s put on a show.”
John Boggs
Stars in the Park Committee chairman