Spirit of Wood County Awards to be presented Oct. 22

Wood County Courthouse

(Submitted by Wood County Commissioners’ Office)

On Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m., the public is invited as the county commissioners present the annual Spirit of Wood County Awards in the Alvin L. Perkins Atrium at the Wood County Courthouse Complex.

The 2017 award recipients include Bowling Green residents Barbara Rothrock, Industrial/Economic Development; Reverends Mary Jane and Gary Saunders, Religion and Liberty; Dan Van Vorhis, Liberty Through Law/Human Freedom; Tim Brown, Self-Government; and Gwen Andrix and Amy Holland, Lyle R. Fletcher Good Citizenship. Mary Kuhlman of Pemberville is the recipient of the Education for Civic Responsibility Award.  Also being recognized for Agricultural Leadership are the Leadership BG Ag Day Organizers, Gordon and Cathy Wenig, Paul Herringshaw, and Lesley Riker.

In celebration of the Bicentennial of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the Ohio Northwest Ordinance and U.S. Constitution Bicentennial Commission developed the Spirit of ‘87 Awards Program.  The awards were established to recognize and honor citizens at the local level whose daily actions embody the principles set forth in the Northwest Ordinance. Nominations were taken in six different categories directly related to the Ordinance.  Every Ohio community was able to participate in the program and local Spirit of ‘87 Award honorees qualified for statewide recognition.

In 1988 the Wood County Commissioners decided to continue with the awards to honor the service of Wood County citizens.  Although the names of some awards have changed over the years, the spirit of the awards is alive today.