By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
At the request of the governor, counties throughout Ohio recognized their outstanding citizens in 1987. Most other counties ran out of people to recognize – but not Wood County, explained county Commissioner Doris Herringshaw during the annual Spirit of Wood County Awards ceremony on Sunday.
Seven citizens were recognized for their contributions to the county’s agriculture, law, government, education, religion, economic development and good citizenship.
Honored this year were Collette Dickey, Julie Danko, Philip Rudolph Sr., Reeve Kelsey, Father Mark Davis, Brad Gilbert and George Stossel.
Dickey was recognized for “Agricultural Leadership” for her 33 years as a director of the Wood County Agricultural Society. In that role, she influenced and motivated countless youth, said Bill Kale.
One of Dickey’s “shining achievements” was starting the tradition of the junior fair parade to kick off the county fair each year. That was “no small task,” Kale said. “Many hours were put in over the years.”
Dickey made it look simple to coordinate all the 4-H groups and the fair royalty contestants.
“All this work was unseen,” Kale said.
Dickey also started other initiatives, like food collections for local food pantries at the fair, and giving fresh looks for fair projects. In doing so, she strengthened the youth and agriculture in Wood County, Kale said.
In receiving her award, Dickey thanked her family and fair committees for support over the years.
“It has been my pleasure to serve for 33 years,” she said.
Kelsey was recognized for “Liberty through Law/Human Freedom,” for his two decades serving as Wood County Common Pleas Court judge. During that time, he handled more than 100 criminal trials, according to Judge Molly Mack, who now serves in the same courtroom.
“He was a thoughtful, fair and open-minded jurist,” Mack said of Kelsey, who ruled on all types of cases from murders to foreclosures.
“Judge Kelsey leaves behind a powerful legacy,” Mack said. “It is not easy to send people to prison, to separate families, to listen to victims” tell their agonizing experiences.
Kelsey was a “local boy,” who served in the military, and worked as an assistant to the Ohio Attorney General under Betty Montgomery. He served on Perrysburg City Council and as the city’s mayor, during which he worked to provide better access to the judicial system by overseeing the construction of a new municipal courthouse.
In accepting his award, Kelsey thanked Wood County citizens for allowing him to serve as judge for many years.
Gilbert was recognized with the “Self-Government Award” for his efforts as director of the Wood County Emergency Management Agency from 2006 to earlier this year.
Gilbert took the foundation of the previous EMA director and “built a skyscraper on it,” said Jeff Klein, who now serves as the county’s EMA director. The current facilities offered by the EMA “are second to none,” Klein said.
Gilbert excelled at bringing people together after incidents like tornadoes and other disasters. One of the best ways to judge emergency preparedness is the “resiliency” of an area, Klein said. That means how long it takes for a community to recover after a disaster.
That resiliency has improved, with Gilbert’s efforts.
“He had the ability to reach out to community organizations” and encourage local residents to prepare for disasters before they strike.
As EMA director, Gilbert served as head of the regional volunteer firefighting association, on the advisory board for Penta Career Center’s fire science program, and worked to put the Code Red emergency notification system in place.
In accepting his award, Gilbert thanked the county commissioners from 13 years ago who hired him for the job. “They took a chance on this country boy from Ottawa County,” he said.
He praised the teamwork of the county, saying “it really does take a village” to prepare for disasters. And he thanked Klein, who served as his assistant.
“I think together we did make a difference.”
And he shared the words of his father, who encouraged him to go into public service. “You won’t be rich, but you will have satisfaction,” he recalled his father saying.
Danko was recognized with the “Education for Civic Responsibility Award” for her work as a social studies and American government teacher at Otsego High School since 1986. Danko teaches civic responsibility by engaging her students in local, state and federal elections, and encouraging students to research candidates, said Dale David, of the Wood County Board of Elections.
Since 2008, David said he has worked with Danko, who provides students to help the board of elections with loading and unloading voting machines, and acting as runners for poll workers.
“Ms. Danko instills in them the sense of civic responsibility,” David said. “All I have to do is email her and say how many kids we need.”
In receiving her award, Danko thanked the board of elections for allowing her student volunteers to help.
“I tell my students all the time that democracy doesn’t just happen,” she said.
And this program allows the next generation to step up and take its place in the democratic process, Danko added.
Davis was recognized with the “Religion and Liberty Award” for his work as priest at St. Aloysius in Bowling Green. Tom Stalter said the 6-foot 7-inch priest with an “irreverent sense of humor” was a “breath of fresh air” at the church. His leadership, kindness, compassion and self-deprecating humor made his sermons memorable.
“You walk away remembering what he told you that day,” Stalter said.
Davis served people of all faiths with no judgment, he said. And he helped families through times like baptisms, weddings and funerals.
“He has a gift of understanding what the needs are at that moment,” Stalter said.
Davis also has a gift of communicating with children, he said.
“They flock to him for high-fives and hugs,” Stalter said. And at a time when many Catholic schools are struggling, St. Aloysius is thriving.
Davis also led the church in an effort to restore the historic beauty to the church, helping to raise $1.2 million. His service extended beyond the church, with work as the Bowling Green Police Division chaplain, and with the community ministerial association.
In accepting his award, Davis praised Wood County and Bowling Green for having well operated local governments, where people work to get along even if they disagree on issues.
“What a blessing,” he said. “What a great place.”
Rudolph was recognized with the “Industrial/Economic Development Award” for his efforts to get highways linked in Wood County. Marilyn Baker, who was a county commissioner at the time, talked about Rudolph’s work to get a much needed interchange with Interstate 75 and the Ohio Turnpike.
“He took a leadership position in getting two major highway interchanges built in Wood County,” Baker said. Prior to that, “They were built and sat there for about 15 years. You could see one from the other, but you couldn’t get there.”
“Anybody could see these highways needed to be connected,” Baker said.
So Rudolph convinced the county commissioners to pay for drawings of a proposed interchange. “In those years, we had no money. We were always short,” said said. But they found a way.
Rudolph continued to push at the state and federal level, making sure the I-75-turnpike project – plus a neighboring interchange at I-75 and Ohio 795 – wouldn’t stall out.
“That changed Wood County into the crossroads of the Midwest,” Baker said.
Since then, the county has seen the arrival of First Solar, Walgreens, Pilkington and soon Amazon – bringing thousands of jobs.
“It’s just amazing to me what one man accomplished,” she said.
Rudolph was unavailable to receive his award, but John Hrosko accepted in his place.
Stossel was recognized with the “Lyle R. Fletcher Good Citizenship Award” for his work with the Wood County Historical Society. Kelli Kling, director of the historical center and museum, pointed out the similarities between Stossel and the namesake of the award.
Fletcher helped in the creation of the historical society and was essential in the preservation of the center.
Stossel has served on the board, has volunteered at the site, has helped the financial committee, and has worked as a “barn bum” at the historical center.
Fletcher was a historian, steward of land, weather enthusiast, geologist and journalist – who wrote down any information he felt worthy of saving. Stossel can take that information, Kling said, and preserve it electronically.
Both men, she said, share a “passion for collecting information.”
Stossel also serves elsewhere, as a docent at the Great Lakes Museum and meal deliverer for the senior center, plus he helps with elections and Kiwanis.
In accepting his award, Stossel noted two of his worthy predecessors as Joan Gordon and Michael Sibbersen.
