By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Everyone has a story to tell and numerous ones were shared Tuesday night at the annual State of the Vision at Pickwick Place.
Perhaps the biggest story to be shared from the State of the Vision is where the Partnership has come in the past year, and what they hope to see accomplished in the county in the future. Crawford Partnership Executive Director Gary Frankhouse spoke looked back as well as ahead.
“We are building on the Leader in Me program, which you will see today we have also added a Youth Leadership Council component at the high school level across all six districts. Those are two strong initiatives that we continue to grow.”
“Tonight in the presentation you will see we are moving forward with our quality of life initiative to build a recreational, event, community, complex, somewhere along 30,” Frankhouse added. “We have a preview video of that as well as some renderings of what that could look like, but that is in all probability of what could be.”
Frankhouse spoke of another initiative that wouldn’t be announced at the State of the Vision.
“There will be no mention of it tonight but we have an initiative that is a workforce computer based marketing of all the opportunities in the county coming as well,” Frankhouse reported.
Community Development Director Erin Stine gave the State of the Vision Address. In her address, Stine noted that the Crawford Success Center has so far been the biggest accomplishment of the 20/20 Vision program, and that the group is putting things in place to do better. Stine then gave a challenge to the community.
“I challenge us as a community on what to do next,” Stine said. “We got to be pioneers. We need to look into the next transitional project.”
The next project for the Crawford 20/20 Vision program was then shown on the monitors of Pickwick place. The project announced would be a recreation event and community center dubbed REC. Frankhouse spoke about the project to the crowd.
“This falls under the quality of life, and I believe it could improve the quality of life,” Frankhouse said.
Frankhouse explained to the crowd that he wanted to launch the project tonight because in the next two to three months 20/20 Vision will host town hall programs to engage in dialogue on what it could mean for the community.
“I want to use it to attract people to move to the community,” Frankhouse said of the project.
Frankhouse added that the 20/20 website would announce the meetings.
The Keynote speaker for the State of the Vision was Muriel Summers, principal at A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School. During her speech Summers noted that the evening was a testament of why she loves Ohio.
“You have heard that everyone has a story,” Summers said. “We all have one. Think about your story.”
Summers continued her speech by giving quotes and sharing stories that tied into those quotes.
“I was in rural Arkansas, and I asked who everyone’s favorite teacher was and everyone, with the exception of those who had moved there after school said. Mr. Parker,” Summers said. “I made it my mission to meet him before I left Arkansas. I had each of them explain to me what made Parker their favorite and story after story was about the impact one man had on a community.”
The event began with a presentation on the Leader in Me program presented by the Bucyrus, Galion, and Wynford Elementary Lighthouse teams. The kids opened their presentation with a poem about the Leader in Me program, then followed it up by discussing the seven habits taught in the Leader in Me Program. The elementary students finished their presentation with a song about the seven habits.
After the students’ presentation Frankhouse thanked former Wynford Superintendent Steve Mohr, and current Bucyrus Superintendent Kevin Kimmel for introducing the Leader in Me program into the county’s schools.
While predominately taught in the elementary, the Leader in Me program was expanded into the six county schools through the Crawford County Youth Leadership Council. Wynford Principal Jeff Holbrook, Bucyrus Principal Dr. Mark Burke, and Wynford student Kenzie Kent spoke about the Crawford County Youth Leadership Council.
Dinner was catered by Avita Health Systems with members of the Crawford County Youth Leadership Council serving. While dinner was being eaten, 20/20 Communications Director Michelle Failor shared an Action Team Slideshow which showcased the work that the action teams have done within the county.