Mangel wins grange award
The Butler County Pomona Grange named
Richard Mangel of Butler the 2009 Granger of the Year.Mangel joined the grange more than 35 years ago and has held many offices in this subordinate grange and Pomona, including master, overseer, steward, gatekeeper and treasurer. He has worked on many degree teams and helped in hosting many state sessions in Butler.He is currently the Pennsylvania State Grange Gatekeeper.———Butler 4-H Club member
Richard Vaerewyck, 17, of West Deer, Allegheny County, traveled to two conventions in November.Vaerewyck is a member of the Bunni Bunch, a Butler 4-H club.Vaerewyck visited San Diego for the American Rabbit Breeders National Convention, where he competed in the national royalty contest and won the King title for the third consecutive year.To finance the trip, he transported and cared for more than 200 rabbits.Vaerewyck tested for a judge's license at the convention. If successful, he will be one of the youngest judges on record. The ARBA does not have a minimum age for judges, but they must complete five years of training, several tests and an apprenticeship.Vaerewyck also traveled to Atlanta for the 4-H National Congress. There, he interacted with 1,000 of the top 4-H members in the country during five days of workshops, tours, speakers and community service. He won the trip after applying and being selected by the Butler 4-H Extension Office.He is the son of Gerard and Mary Vaerewyck of West Deer.———
<B>Zach Belcastro</B>, formerly of Cranberry Township, will devote 10 months to AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), a national service program created to improve the environment, enhance education, increase public safety, address unmet human needs and assist with disaster relief.Belcastro is assigned to the North Central Region campus in Vinton, Iowa, with 150 other 18- to 24-year-old members.NCCC members arrived Oct. 14 and received intensive training for the first four weeks of the program. On Nov. 16, the 14 NCCC teams began serving on their first round of service projects.Teams are currently aiding disaster recovery efforts in Iowa, Louisiana and Alabama as a result of flooding and hurricanes; serving as cabin leaders to children in Michigan; constructing safe and affordable housing in Iowa; and restoring prairie, savanna and woodlands in Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin.NCCC members will return to Vinton on Wednesday before visiting their hometowns for a two-week winter break. NCCC members will return after the New Year to start their second service project.Belcastro is the son of Cynthia Peterson and David Belcastro. Belcastro attended Seneca Valley High School.———The Dec. 3 winners at the Butler Duplicate Bridge Club were:First: <B>Barbara Norante</B> and <B>Bob Freemon</B>Second: <B>Jean Purvis</B> and <B>Lorraine Sherwin.</B>
