BY ROBIN PHILLIPS Staff Correspondent KUTZTOWN - “It was fun,” Donald Reinert says with a sort of tired smile. The Kutztown vo-ag teacher and FFA advisor for the past 19 years, and also a member of the Kutztown Fair Board, tries to sum up the biggest project his FFA students ever attempted to date. “The frustrations were common, but the project was good,” Reinert adds. “Time was the pressure,” states Christine Williams, also a Kutz town Area Vo-Ag teacher and the other FFA advisor. What are these two dedicated FFA advisors referring to? As the week of the Kutztown Fair drew to a close, these two FFA advisors reflected back on the ac complishment of their students. The 45 FFA members of the Kutztown Chapter and their two advisors, designed and con structed a SO ft. by 80 ft. pole building to serve as a livestock and exhibition building at the Kutztown Fairgrounds. Materials were purchased by the Kutztown Fair Board and all planning and labor was completed by the students with the guidance of their advisors. Ninety percent of the work was done during school hours, and the bulk of the construction was completed in about five weeks. A total of 255 hours plus were spent on the project by the students, as they learned what was involved when constructing a building from the ground up. “It really started about two years ago,” Williams says about the idea for the building. “The FFA members brought it up at a meeting.” Because the tent that Venango BY NANCY KUNICK Staff Correspondent FRANKLIN Every record was broken at the ninth annual Livestock Market Sale at the Venango Co. Fair Thursday, August 16. The first record to the outdone was for the Grand Champion Market Lamb for the second year in a row, owned by April McQuiston, of Harrisville. The $6.25 per lb. paid by Exchange Bank of Franklin broke the 1983 record of $5.75. Reserve Champion Market Lamb sold for $4.00 per lb. to First National Bank of Franklin topping the 1962 price by 70 cents. The 130 lb. lamb was owned by Taylor Cotton of Utica. Phillips Arena was filled with hundreds of buyers and the April McQuiston, of Harrisviile, with her Venango County 4- H Grand Champion lamb and buyer representative of Ex change Bank in Franklin. FFA’ers construct pole building Among Kutztown FFA Chapter members who helped with construction of pole building are group shown between ad visors Christine Williams and Donald Reinert, including Tammy Miller, Daniel Rice, Andy Murphy, Stacey Meyers, Karen Rabenold and Naomi Herbert. was always used at the Kutztown Fairgrounds for additional livestock housing, was leveled by high winds and rain about four times in the last four years, the students wanted a new building. Due to a lack of funds, con struction had been turned down in 1982 by the Fair Board. The lack of sufficient housing in 1963, caused the annual fair to be somewhat divided as Holstein breeders were released early to allow the colored breed owners to exhibit their animals. The FFA members still sought a new building. In 1983 they presented their plan again to the Fair Board and this time received approval to begin construction of the much needed bam. sale sets new records seventy-four market animals sold well. Loyal buyers returned and new ones were warmly welcomed. Darrin Shaffer of Titusville claimed high honors with his Pair of Lambs, receiving $2.55 per lb. from Windy Hill Farm for the combined weight of 255 lbs., raising the previous high of $1.50 per lb. Reserve Pair of Lambs owned by Taylor Cotton garnered $2.00 per lb. from Ram’s Feeds of Wyatt sville for another new record. First National Bank purchased the Grand Champion Hog from Jody Metz of Utica. “Clover” weighed in at 235 and brought $6.80 per lb., slaughtering the 1983 record of $5.50. Reserve Hog claimed $5.25 per lb. from Mowry Meats for Cochranton 4-Her Joe Dailey, up 25 cents from 1963. The Market Steers concluded the The youth were excited and the project was eagerly anticipated. But, because of the weather, the fall of 1983 and the spring of 1984 would dampen the spirits of the FFA’ers as well as the land. Ground breaking was scheduled for October. An outside contractor was hired to prepare the site when the youth could not do it with the available fair equipment. The Kutztown Borough also assisted by digging the post holes. With the heavy rains however, work was increasingly delayed. Soon spring came and the project was barely started. Actual construction began at the end of March. Again, heavy rains caused delays. “We lost three sale but there were no exceptions. The champions again surpassed former prices. A 1235 lb. Sim mental/Hereford cross sold for $3.10 per lb. to Ro-Way Oil & Gas of Franklin making Champion owner Brian Cotton the new record holder by $1.05. The Reserve Champion steer owned by Tressa Shearer brought $2.10 per lb. by Cabot Oil & Gas of Meadville, 85 cents more than the prior record. It is increasingly evident that the Venango Co. Livestock Sale is getting bigger and better. Last year was the first for the 4-Hers to be limited in the number of projects they could sell. They are limited to two, but only one can be a steer. A highlight of this auction is a “resale” of certain animals. Several buyers last year donated back their purchases to be sold again with the second price to be used for a public announcement system. This year a total of seven animals were donated back for the money to go to the 4-H program in Venango County. Several of these were the Champions or Reserve Champions meaning sizable donations. Special appreciation was expressed to Exchange Bank (Grand Champion Lamb), First National Bank (Reserve Lamb Sc Grand Champion Hog), Cabot Oil Sc Gas (Reserve Steer), Harold Murray and Pennbank (lambs) and Fryburg Roller Mills (hog) for their generosity and support of the 4-H. Four auctioneers gave the 4-H use of their services and managed to keep the bidding lively. Sher man Allen, Fred Neff, Gary Shidemantle and Charlie Baker each had a voice in making this sale the best ever but the motto is “to make the best better” and we’ll see in 1985. Roof work was among final tasks of Kutztown FFA'ers who constructed pole building for livestock at Kutztown Fair. weeks because of rain,” Reinert says. “You never knew wbat to plan,” Williams adds. “Would you be in school because it rained that day or would you be working chi the building?” Through it all, students were involved in each step. Reinert laid out the size of the building and with the assistance of the mechanical drawing teacher, Harold Schaeffer, a student, Rory Schlenker, drew the building to scale. “We tried to duplicate the design of the existing buildings,” Reinert says. “It’s a multi-purpose building,” he adds, and the students made their suggestions. After the holes for the poles had Grand Champion market hog of Venango 4-H Fair is shown with Jody Metz, of Utica, and First National Bank representative. County are owner Brian Cotton, of R 2 Franklin, and buyer, Richard Way of Ro-Way Oil & Gas, of Franklin. been dug, heavy rains caused them to cave in. Here the students met with one of their first big challenges to stay at the project. They had to dig the holes out again by hand. “They just loved that job,” Reinert says with a smile. “They were ready to quit.” “We tried to teach each step as we went,” Reinert continues to explain. But, he adds, a big problem was that they had four classes and grades to teach and each one had only an hour at the construction site at a time before having to return to school. Williams cites the frustrations of teaching the same thing over and VENANGO COUNTY (Turn to Page A 33)
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