CORTLAND, Ohio — The 58th Trumbull Soil and Water Conservation District annual awards banquet was held recently at the Garden Brook Banquet Center in Cortland.
County Planning Director Alan Knapp received the Bill Penn Memorial Award, which is the highest honor bestowed upon a citizen of Trumbull County for conservation.
“Knapp’s support of natural resources, recreation, and conservation activities over the years made him a well deserving recipient” said Mike Wilson, the district’s executive director.
The award is named after Bill Penn, who was the district conservationist from 1956 to 1981. Penn died shortly after his retirement and the district’s board of directors named the award after him in 1982.
Ambrose
David Ambrose of Warren received the Conservationist of the Year award.
Ambrose is chairman of the local Green Ohio program and he supports proper land use through his involvement on the board of the Trumbull County MetroParks, where he helped to develop the Western Reserve Greenway.
Stephanie Sferra received the Friend of the Land Award for working with the district as the director of the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau.
Project
A first-time award was presented to Darlene St. George, administrator of Howland Township; Bill Diciccio, president of the Mahoning River Consortium; and Trish Nuskievicz, assistant director of the Trumbull County Planning Department for their partnership in the Howland Boardwalk project.
The district awarded their efforts as the Conservation Project of the Year.
Other winners
The SWCD also handed out annual awards to those who made special efforts in natural resources over the past year in the following categories:
– Outstanding Conservation Educator — Margie Adair of LaBrae Middle School.
– Outstanding Conservation Forestry Award — John Detweiler and Donnie Schmucker of Trumbull County Hardwoods.
– Outstanding Conservation Farmer — Richard and Chad Thompson of Heritage Hill Farms.
– Outstanding Conservation Contractor/ Developer — Max Shifflet and John Taratine, engineers at the U.S. Air Reserve Base in Vienna.
– Dairy Production Award — Holly Lynn
The district gave a traveling plaque to Champion Middle School, the first place team from this year’s Junior High Envirothon.
The Trumbull Educators Association of Christian Home Schoolers earned recognition for placing fourth place out of 20 teams in this year’s Watershed Challenge, a junior envirothon competition hosted by the Trumbull Soil and Water Conservation District and the Penn Ohio Watershed.
Volunteers
The district also recognized the following volunteers: Andy Balas, Sandy Balas, Amber Brink, Tracie Campbell, Karen Clower, Jenna DePizzo, Pat Fuller, Riley Hardval, Audrey Hudak, Beth Kane, Mike Keriotis, Joan Kovach, Barry Lamer, Molly Lymen, Dan Parker, Steve Prebonick, David Riddell, Ada Sutter, Courtney Thornton, Lauren Thornton, Sandy Van Cleve, Shirley Walters, Jim Wilson, Maggie Woodard, David Wynkoop, Larry Wynkoop and Gary Zuga.
Glenn Smith of Cortland took first place in the banquet’s pie baking contest. He received a plate from Etchings Unlimited.
