Two area 4-H members selected tops in county

Whitney Woods of Muskogee and Jason Stonebarger of Midway were named Muskogee County’s top two 4-H members at the group’s recent annual awards banquet.

Woods and Stonebarger were inducted into the county Hall of Fame for their accomplishments in their 4-H career in their project area, said David Adams, 4-H extension educator.

Wood’s 4-H project areas were goats and citizenship. While in 4-H, she has taken her goats to petting zoos, schools, Special Olympics, Farmers’ Market events and hosted sheep and goat workshops. She also organized the Operation Military Kids Backpack program. She has collected materials, organized volunteers, stuffed backpacks, and handed them out to almost 2,000 kids as a parent was being deployed.

She is the youngest person to have received the Patriotism Award and the Patrick Henry award from the National Guard.

Stonebarger’s 4-H project area is poultry. He started out with a few birds in a 10-foot x 10-foot dog pen and has expanded all over the backyard and now has a small barn in which to condition show birds. Stonebarger has specialized in Bantam Old English production and has been very successful in 4-H and open poultry shows on a state and national level. Stonebarger is a state project winner, county president and district song leader.

There were numerous other awards in a number of project areas handed out at the banquet, Adams said.

“4-H members received Gold, Silver, Bronze or Participation medals based on their level of involvement in their project area,” said Jay Parker, 4-H extension educator. “Members are scored on the number of speeches, workshops presented, people helped, new knowledge learned, and how active they were in the county and state 4-H programs.”

Three Friend of 4-H Awards were presented to adult volunteers for their dedication of hours and resources to Muskogee County 4-H programs: Donna Neal of Haskell, Donna Woods of Muskogee and Frank Bartholet of Keefeton.

The top eight 4-Hers are selected each year to the County’s Blue Award group. Of this group, five have won at the state level in their project area, two are district officers, two were selected to the State Blue Award Group, and two are state 4-H Ambassadors. 2009 Muskogee Blue Award Group members are: Amelia Sorenson, Jalie Neal, Brandon Miller, Chase Lowe, Jake Stonebarger, Whitney Woods, Christy Morris and Qualla Parman.

Others receiving awards at the banquet were:

• Justin Baker, Warner — peanut award.

• Christina Clovis, Midway — junior record book.

• Drake Crosby, Midway — electric award.

• Lucy Dieman, Fort Gibson — freshman achievement, Kansas City conference.

• Mark Dieman, Fort Gibson — junior recordbook and junior leadership.

• Dubai England, Muskogee — rabbit achievement, electric award, shooting sports.

• Brooklyn Herriman, Warner — first-year member, sheep achievement.

• Juleah Hollingshed, Midway — junior leadership and meat goat award.

• Linzie Hollingshed, Midway — meat goat award.

• Chase Lowe, Warner — leathercraft award, electric award, senior achievement, K-9 award, Denver Western Roundup.

• Tiger McElhaney, Midway — poultry award.

• Zadie McElhaney, Midway — dairy award.

• Blake Miller, Midway — livestock achievement and electric award.

• Brandon Miller, Midway — beef achievement, senior achievement.

• Christy Morris, Braggs — leadership achievement.

• Jalie Neal, Haskell — “I Dare You” award.

• Dusti Pardue, Haskell — rabbit achievement and clothing award.

• Sidney Pardue, Haskell — bread award, food and nutrition award, junior participation.

• Stoney “Jake” Pardue, Haskell — livestock achievement, livestock leadership, bread award, junior achievement.

• Kern Parman, Warner — photography award and Denver Western Roundup.

• Qualla Parman, Warner — leadership achievement.

• Drew Ragsdale, Muskogee — peanut award.

• Madalyn Rainwater, Haskell — first-year member.

• Tristen Roach, Warner — peanut award.

• Johnathan Robison, Braggs — freshman achievement.

• Kylee Scrapper, Warner — peanut award.

• Kaleb Simmons, Midway — junior swine achievement.

• Star Simmons, Midway — dairy award.

• Amelia Sorenson, Muskogee — bread award.

• Jake Stonebarger, Midway — “I Dare You” award, Kansas City conference.

• Julie Thornton, Hilldale — junior achievement, citizenship, shooting sports.

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