Fort Defiance volleyball raises money for breast cancer education
The girls on the Fort Defiance High School volleyball team organized and played a “pink game” against the girls from the Waynesboro High School volleyball team in October. The girls wore special pink jerseys that evening, and proceeds from the event were donated to the Augusta Health Cancer Center’s fund for breast cancer education. The girls raised a total of $500.
They presented the check to the Breast Navigator at Augusta Health, Meg Shrader, on Wednesday. Pictured, from left, are Meg Shrader, RN, CBCN, Breast Navigator at Augusta Health, and Lauren Mozingo and Janie Layne from the Fort Defiance High School volleyball team.
Fort Defiance wins state Envirothon
Members of the FDHS Envirothon team, from left to right: Marissa Lubkowski, Anna Shuttle, Lauren Tabor, Megan Wagner and Zack Gurkin.
Fort Defiance High School defeated 14 teams from throughout the Commonwealth to win Virginia’s Envirothon, a natural resources competition for high school students.
Having earlier won the regional title, Fort Defiance, coached by Brent Hull and Eric Stogdale, advanced to the 2011 state competition held May 22-23 at Camp Hanover in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As the new state champions, Fort Defiance travels to Canada to compete in the Canon National Envirothon from July 24-29. Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District sponsors the Fort Defiance team, comprised of students Alden Hough, Zack Gurkin, Anna Shuttle, Lauren Tabor, Marissa Lubkowski, and Megan Wagner.
Envirothon consists of five “in-the-field” test stations – soils, wildlife, aquatics, forestry and a current environmental issue – where teams answer questions in both written and hands-on formats. During an oral presentation, teams brief their solution to a current environmental issue before a panel of judges consisting of industry and natural resource professionals. This year’s issue “Salt & Fresh Water Estuaries” focused on Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts.
“The intense study required for this contest helps prepare students for college entrance exams, as well as possible careers in field associated with natural resources,” said Ed Overton, president of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. “These students are passionate, dedicated and bright and the Envirothon competition fosters their learning in a unique way that makes me confident in our next generation of decision makers in the environmental field.”
Envirothon is sponsored by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Virginia’s 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts with funding provided by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund, the Virginia Chapter of Soil and Water Conservation Society, the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Sovereign Paving Inc,, Virginia Credit Union and the Canon Envirothon.
Individuals interested in volunteering or learning more about starting an Envirothon team at your high school, 4-H, FFA, Ecology club or home school group, contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District or the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts at 804.559.0324.
Members of the FDHS Envirothon team, from left to right: Marissa Lubkowski, Anna Shuttle, Lauren Tabor, Megan Wagner and Zack Gurkin.
DCCU recognizes local scholarship winners
DuPont Community Credit Union recently announced the 20 scholarship winners at the 52nd Annual Membership Meeting. Since beginning the scholarship program over $172,000 has been awarded to high school seniors, and 180 seniors applied this year.
“We are very pleased to provide scholarships to this year’s 20 recipients,” said Everett J. Campbell, chairman of the DCCU Board of Directors. “Each winner receives a $1,000 award, and the Credit Union strongly believes that by assisting in furthering these students education it is a winning combination for both them and our community.”
Among the 2011 winners are: Michael Strickler, Buffalo Gap High School; Annie Shreckhise, Fort Defiance High School; Hope Kelliher, Robert E. Lee High School; Dalton Campbell, Riverheads High School; McKenzie Kirschnick, Stuarts Draft High School; Jonathan Isaacs, Waynesboro High School, and Jacqueline Kania, Wilson Memorial High School.
Rachel Whetzel, Broadway High School; Taylor Pumphrey, Central High School; Megan Berry, East Rockingham; Savanah Cary, Harrisonburg High School; Mark Gordon, Spotswood High School; Catherine Daugharty, Stonewall Jackson High School; Jenna Swanson, Strasburg High School, and Erica Estes, Turner Ashby High School.
Shasta Riley, Bath County High; Hayley Billingsley, Highland High School; Ethan Floyd, Parry McClure High School; Katie Frazier, Rockbridge High School, and Allison Acord, Out of Area Member.
To qualify for DCCU’s scholarship, a high school senior must submit an application and essay to the Credit Union. This year’s essay topic was: “Why receiving free money for college is important to my family and me.” The students are not required to be a member of the Credit Union or have interest in a financial career path. The Credit Union has scholarships available again after the start of the next academic year in 2012.
Local Girl Scout earns Gold Award
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Girl Scout Marissa Harris of Bridgewater wanted children in the community around North River Elementary School to have a safer choice at Halloween, so she orchestrated a hugely successful Boo Bash at the Sangersville Ruritan Club. Continue reading “Local Girl Scout earns Gold Award” »
Give Spitzer his due
Dale Spitzer will no longer be coaching football at Fort Defiance High School, bringing to a conclusion the absolute longest endgame in the history of high-school sports in the Shenandoah Valley.
It’s been so long that I have long since lost the year – I think it was 2003, though time has eroded the exact date from the memory banks – but I was there when it became apparent that Spitzer, whose teams have won all of three games the past two seasons, was on his way out the door. His Indians had just beaten a pretty good Turner Ashby team in a late-season game that was crucial to both teams’ playoff hopes – yes, for those who’ve only been following Fort football for the past couple of years, playoffs were something that were almost a birthright at the school, and for years and years at that – and a group of parents and Spitzer got into a now-infamous discussion of, and I’ll never forget this, playing time. Continue reading “Give Spitzer his due” »
