Kids can try the bus before school

There are seats available for the Jay County Public Library’s Don’t Miss the Bus Program to be held Thursday, Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. at the library.

Any incoming kindergarten or first grader who will regularly ride the bus to school is invited to attend.

The program will review safety rules by Carol Lykins, a longtime bus driver for the Jay School Corporation. The children will then board the bus and take a trip to Bloomfield Elementary School, where kindergarten teacher Carolyn Scott will greet them and let them explore her classroom. She will read some stories and then take the kids to the playground (weather permitting). Children will return to the library at approximately noon.

Children and their parents or caregivers must register to attend. Children may ride alone, but parents are strongly urged to accompany them. Children not entering kindergarten or first grade will not be allowed to ride the bus even if accompianied by an adult.

Call the library at (260) 726-7890 to register.

GRANT CELEBRATION

The Geneva Public Library is inviting the public to help celebrate the grant received from the Libri Foundation tonight from 7-8 p.m. at the library.

There will be storytelling, games and refreshments in the children’s area to celebrate the grant which provided the library with 66 new hardback children’s books.

The Friends of the Geneva Public Library provided a match of $350 from fund raising events to go with the Libri Foundation’s grant.

APPOINTED

Diane Stevenson, executive director of the Heart Home Health and Hospice (formerly Hospice of Darke and Mercer Counties), is one of 18 people appointed by Governor Bob Taft, to the Ohio Compassionate Care Panel.

The new panel is charged with developing a public-private partnership to provide the most compassionate treatment for people with terminal illness or chronic, severe pain.

Each appointee will serve until March 2005.

GRADUATES

Several local residents and two former residents recently graduated from different schools.

Graduating from Ball State University, Muncie, were: Robert Banser, Dunkirk, associate degree in science; Tracie Louck, Dunkirk, bachelor of arts degree; Kathryn Gilbert, summa cum laude, Krista Muhlenkamp, cum laude, and Mary Reinhart, cum laude, all of Portland, all bachelor of arts degrees; Paul Sadler, Portland, bachelor of fine arts degree; Nicole Hosier, Portland, bachelor of science degree; John Caldwell, Pennville, bachelor of science degree; Robert Banser and Natasha Smith, both of Dunkirk, both bachelor of science degrees; Megan Campbell, cum laude, Andrea Hoffman and Karla Paxson, all of Bryant, all bachelor of science degrees; Ryan Clark and Trent Wright, summa cum laude, both of Redkey, both bachelor of science degrees; Erin Barber and Anne Crooks, both of Portland, master of arts degrees; and Lisa McCoy, Portland, master of arts in education degree.

Graduating from Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pa., was Eric Carpenter, grandson of Nellie Morrical, rural Portland. He was a former Jay County resident and while in school was an honor roll student, was on the ice hockey team, performed in the band, played club soccer, went to France with the French club and hosted a French foreign exchange student, was a member of the chess team and was involved in a Christ in Youth Conference and Christian Teen Conventions with his church youth group. He will attend James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va., and participate in the ROTC program.

Also graduating was former Jay County resident and granddaughter of Nellie Morrical, rural Portland, Jennifer Carpenter.

Jennifer graduated magna cum laude with honors in history from Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. She received a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in politics.

While at Wake Forest she belonged to the Golden Key International Honor Society, the marching and concert band. She worked at the campus book store, volunteered at the campus radio station and served as treasurer of Phi Alpha Theta, Epsilon-Sigma Chapter, the history honor society. She was also one of 15 students chosen to spend a semester studying at the Worrell House in London, England.

Jennifer worked as an intern at the National Archives and received the C. Chilton Pearson Research Prize in U.S. History, an award given to the top U.S. History student in her class.

Eric and Jennifer’s parents are John and Susan (Morrical) Carpenter, Boothwyn, Pa.[[In-content Ad]]