Jr. Fair king, queen candidates listed

Van Wert County Junior Fair news

Five girls and three boys will be competing for the titles of Junior Fair king and queen during this year’s Van Wert County Fair. The new fair royalty will be crowned Wednesday, August 28, starting at 5:30 p.m., in the new Gospel Pavilion on the fairgrounds. This year’s king and queen candidates include the following:

QUEEN CANDIDATES

Leah Lichtensteiger

Leah Lichtensteiger, a senior at Crestview high School, is running for Van Wert County Junior Fair Queen. Leah is a four-year member of Crestview’s FFA and a ten year member of 4-H. She is currently on the Van Wert County Junior Fair Board, a Buckeye Ambassador, and volunteer with CARTEENS. After High School, Leah plans on attending The Ohio State University majoring in Veterinary Science with a minor in Business Management. In FFA, Leah has achieved her Greenhand Degree, Chapter Degree, and has completed her state degree. She has also been a teacher’s assistant for her chapter’s advisor for the past two years. FFA courses include Wheat, Soybeans, and Hay. Also in her spare time, she runs errands for her chapter advisor, and other schoolteachers. Leah represents her FFA chapter as a member of the Junior Fair Board, and serves on the Livestock, Media, and Awards committees. At tagging and weigh-ins, she helps with the prep and record keeping. While in 4-H, she has held the office of secretary, and is currently president of the Young Riders 4-H Club. Leah’s projects include goats, chickens, horses, turkeys, and rabbits.

She qualified for The Ohio State Fair with her horse in 2010 and 2012. In 2012, she placed in the top ten in the stakes race. Also in the Young Riders, she helped with the putting up of horse stalls for the past 5 years. With her horses, she shows on weekends competing in barrel racing and pole bending. During the Fair, Leah helps with exhibit preparation, Babyland set up and assembling monitors to watch the animals as well as clean up when the fair concludes.

Sarah Klinger

Sarah Klinger is the daughter of Bruce and Sandy Klinger, and granddaughter of Joyce Baer, and the late Paul H. Baer, George Klinger, and Chrystal Klinger. She is from Convoy, Ohio and attends Crestview High School, where she will be a senior this fall. Through 4-H, she is an eight-year member of Bunny Hoppers, and is currently secretary; a seven-year member of Ohio Challengers, and is currently the President; a three-year member of the Buckeye Ambassadors, and is currently secretary; a 2-year member of the Junior Fair Board, and is on the coronation committee, and is Chairmen of the Awards Committee, Rabbit and Turkey barn Superintendent, and is treasurer; and is a 3-year CARteens Junior Facilitator.

Over the course of her 4-H years, Sarah has taken rabbits to the county and state fairs and has raised them for nine years. She has also raised turkeys for eight years, and broilers. Other projects she has taken include cooking, vet science, leadership, and self-determined; and has also qualified several times to take her miscellaneous projects to compete at the State Fair.

Sarah has learned a great deal through her livestock projects and through participating in the Showmen of Showmen competition for five years, continually learning about different species.

In school, she has been a member of Model UN and high school chorus, and is a member of the honor roll, FCCLA (she is currently vice president), Writing Club, National Honor Society (she is currently secretary-treasurer); and Crestview’s Scholastic Bowl Team. She is also involved in the annual school musical.

Sarah has also received many awards for her hard work as a student at Crestview, including the Award of Excellence, which she has received every year for the past three years. Sarah is also a Junior Curator for the Van Wert County Historical Society, was a Buckeye Girls State delegate, and is also a member of First Baptist Church, where she is active in the church and youth group. Also at First Baptist she was given the opportunity to be a part of a seven-person team that went to Brazil for two weeks in July/August of 2010.

She enjoys reading and volunteering in the OSU Extension office in her free time. She also volunteers in her church and community. Sarah wishes to have the honor of being Junior Fair queen in order to be a role model for younger Junior Fair members, and desires to show them that with hard work and determination one can reach his or her goals. Sarah also wishes to give back to the Junior Fair has given her over the years, and have the opportunity to meet new people, learn more, and make life-long friends.

Meredith Arn

Meredith Arn, daughter of Rex and Patti Arn, is a senior at Van Wert High School. Her activities in school include BETA Club, Service Pack, French Club, Van Wert Swim Team, Van Wert Band, and being a Cougar Mentor. Activities outside of school include 4-H Bunny Hoppers, Van Wert County 4-H Camp Counselor, Dance at PSD Stars by Erin (formerly known as Pam’s School of Dance), teaching assistant at PSD Stars by Erin, and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Youth Group. Meredith was also chosen to be a sponsored delegate at Buckeye Girls State this past summer by Van Wert American Legion Auxiliary Unit 178. After high school, Meredith plans on attending college and study Pharmacy.

Macey Ashbaugh

Macey Ashbaugh, daughter of Rick and Dianna Ashbaugh, is a senior at Lincolnview High School, where she is involved in National Honor Society, Agents of Change, BETA Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, Spanish Club, golf, and softball. She is also a very active member in her FFA chapter, where she is the President, and has also received her State FFA degree this past spring. Macey is a member of the Leaders of the Future 4-H Club, and also attends First Baptist Church. She is also a member of the Van Wert County Junior fair Board, where she is continually busy helping with preparations for the upcoming county fair. Macey recently attended Buckeye Girls State as a representative of Lincolnview Local Schools. Macey also enjoys playing golf, softball, helping out if possible, and hanging with friends in her spare time.

Ashlynn Henderson

Ashlynn Henderson, daughter of Jeff and Pam Henderson, is a senior at Parkway High School. Her school activities include FFA, basketball, and softball. She is also a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, and the Willshire Wide Awake 4-H Club. Ashlynn also works at the Willshire Drive-In. At the Junior Fair, she has taken many 4-H projects, including chickens, turkeys, vet science, cooking, scrapbooking, beekeeping, and cake decorating. She is also a member of 4-H Ambassadors, Junior Fair Board, and 4-H Camp counselor. Becoming the Van Wert County Junior Fair queen is a great honor that Ashlynn is eager for and the duties that it will bring with the 2013 Van Wert County Fair.

KING CANDIDATES

Jacob Germann

Jacob Germann will be a senior at Crestview High School. He is very active in Knight Vision, FFA, National Honor Society, cross country, track, and being a class officer. He enjoys his horse and a wide array of other animals on the small farm where he lives. He is also very active in the church with outreach opportunities and worship team. Jacob works at Century Trading Company in Van Wert. After graduation from high school, he will attend college to pursue his love of animals with the goal of reaching doctorate work for exotic animals. Jacob is the son of Doug and Marcia Germann.

Daniel Joseph

Daniel Joseph, son of Kirby and Samantha Joseph, is running for Van Wert County Junior Fair king. He will be a senior at Crestview High School this fall where he is active in many clubs. He plays trumpet in the band and sings tenor in Knight Vision, which is the school’s show choir. Daniel has also been in all the last three school fall productions, but played in the backup band in Junior High. He is also active in a student government club, Model UN. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Van Wert where he helps with many worship services. Joseph is a member of the Ohio Challengers 4-H Club and the 4-H Exchange club. He has qualified and participated at the state level all 9 years that he has been a member of his club. He takes Food and Nutrition projects and also makes Black Inc. presentations each year. Recently, Daniel represented the Convoy American Legion Post 208 at the annual Buckeye Boys State held at Bowling Green State University. He was also chosen as a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band, where he will play the trumpet while marching and playing at the State Fair.

Logan Miller

Logan Miller, the son of Dennis and Melanie Miller, is a senior at Lincolnview High School. His school activities include basketball, golf, Science Club, Industrial Technology Club, and Student Council. Logan is very active in the 4-H community by helping with many events through his nine years in 4-H, such as being a camp counselor. He has also shown goats, swine, sheep, and rabbits at the Van Wert Fair.