NEIGHBORS
Dennis Fair of Mars was installed as Worshipful Master during the Butler Lodge 272, Free and Accepted Masons, 160th installation, the first public installation of a Worshipful Master.
Gerald Wetzel of Butler, the outgoing master of the lodge, administered the oath of office. Masonic Lodge officers have a tenure of one year.
Gerald Kaltenbach of Slippery Rock and Wetzel were recognized for recent achievements by Wayne Frankenstein of Zelienople, District Deputy Grand Master of the 26th Masonic District (Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties).
Kaltenbach received the Grand Master's Master Builder Award. To be eligible for the award, a Mason must complete instruction on mentoring and Masonic history and complete three volunteer Masonic activities.
Wetzel was honored for his exemplary leadership as president of the Masonic School of Instruction for the 26th Masonic District.
Members of three Masonic youth organizations attended the installation: Rainbow Girls, Job's Daughters and DeMolay. Butler is the only municipality in Pennsylvania that hosts all three Masonic youth organizations.
Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternity. There are nearly 1800 Masons in Butler County.
Sue Casker of Zelienople recently received the Zelienople Historical Society's Angel Award. Janet Rogan, historical society president, presented the award.Casker, a life member of the Zelienople Historical Society, serves on the ZHS board of trustees. She chairs the docents and tours committee. She also established a fund and committee to recreate town namesake Zélie Passavant's gardens at Passavant House.The Angel Award was established in 1992 to honor Joan Teichart, donor of the Buhl House to the society and well-known collector of angels. The award is made periodically to a person who has made a major contribution to the preservation or promotion of local history.
Realtor Lorraine DiDomenico, CRS, GRI, will serve as the 2014 president of the Butler County Association of Realtors. DiDomenico is a Realtor with Northwood Realty Services in Butler.She has held other leadership roles in the association and she was the Realtor of the Year in 1988 and 1996.For Pennsylvania, she is vice chairman of the Grievance Committee and a RPAC trustee. She also serves on several state committees.DiDomenico has been a Realtor for 28 years in Butler and Cranberry Township. DiDomenico also is president of the Dunbar Community Center in Butler.Other directors and officers of the organization for 2014 include Todd Schubert, Dennis Kearns, Daryl Mikolay, Arax Hovsepian, Gina Loebell, Kirsten Rossi, Julie Sebock, John Capers, Anne Westbrook, Jim Keffalas, Marcie Maher and Chuck Swidzinski.
