WestChesterBuzz.com

Sue Kiesewetter reports

Just one second separated the top two finishers in Liberty Township’s 5K Run for Liberty.

Tyler Anderson edged out David Jaeger with a 18:56 time in the 3.1 mile race held July 4. Both 15-year-old winners are from the township.

They were among 207 runners and 51 walkers in the township’s annual Independence Day run.

Rounding out the top 10 male finishers in the run were: Jeffrey Lee, 14, third, with a 19:35 time; Shawn Lienhardt, 15, fourth, with a 19:50 time; Dennis Anthony, fifth, 38, Liberty Township, 19:55

Grady Stuckman, 14, Liberty Township, sixth, 20:18; Morgan Dallman, 38, seventh, 20:30; Jacob Skinner, 31, Liberty Township, eighth, 20:52; Bryant Kuhlman, 15, Liberty Township, ninth, 20:53; and Jim Corbitt, 33, Miamisburg, tenth, 20:54.

In the women’s division, Abbie Van Fossen, 15, of Monroe, placed first with a time of 19.47, which earned her a fourth place overall finish in the race.

Other women runners who finished in the top 10 overall were: Jill Peters, 47, second, 20:02; Susan Shepherd, 45, Glendale, third, 21:49; Courtney Kinman, 17, Cincinnati, fourth, 22:54; Karen Schuster, 22, fifth, 23:20

Dawn Downs, 46, sixth, 24:17; Erin Hamilton, 39, Liberty Township, seventh, 24:24; Jenny Cowdery, 43, Middletown, eighth, 24:52; Kathryn Yang, 43, Lebanon, ninth, 24:58; and Shannon McCrosby, 32, tenth, 25:02

In the walkers division, the top two spots went to men. Russell McMahon, 58, of Cincinnati, came in first with a 29.34 time. He was followed by James McGruder, 64, of West Chester Township, with a time of 32.02.

Rounding out the top five places in the men’s division were: Ethan Golias, 40, third, 40:42; David McMillan, 52, of Liberty Township, fourth, 43:19; and John Adams, 56, of Liberty Township, 47:27.

In the women’s division, Margie Massie, 41, of Cincinnati, came in first with a time of 33.39. That gave her a third place overall finish. Donna Sarky, 53, of Cincinnati, came in second, with a time of 34:13, earning her fourth place overall.

She was followed by Dawn Bittner, 33, of Cleves, third in the women’s division, 34:47, and fifth overall; Roberta Tanno, 54, of Cincinnati, 36:21, fourth in women’s and sixth overall; and Miriam Jackobs, 72, fifth in the women’s division with a time of 37.26 and seventh overall.

Full results can be found at sprunning.com/Liberty2012.html.

Posted in: Events, News, Recreational events |

Tags: Tags: 4th of July, Chris Worrell, Chris Worrell III, fourth of July, Independence Day, July 4 Liberty Township Ohio, July 4 West Chester Ohio, Lakota East, Stephanie Worrell

Sue Kiesewetter reports

The annual Race for Liberty 5K and a parade will highlight Liberty Township’s July 4 observance of Independence Day.

“It’s very much a family friendly parade. It’s a short route so kids can walk with their family,’’ said Caroline McKinney, the township’s public information officer and economic development director.

“There’s a good mix of community groups, small businesses and residents in the parade.”

Liberty Township will honor the late Chris Worrell and his wife, Stephanie, by having the couple Chirs – in memoriam – serve as grand marshal of the parade. Chris passed away unexpectedly earlier this year.

The morning begins with the 7 a.m. registration for the 8 a.m. race, which begins and ends at Lakota East High School, 6840 Lakota Lane. The 3.1 mile course for the run and walk has been certified by Steve Prescott with Prescott Racing.

Runners and walkers will meet at the stadium, head north around the freshman building, then back south around the Liberty Commons Shopping Center before returning back to the stadium.

Motorists should expect temporary road closures along Wyandot and Yankee Roads between 10-11 a.m.

Water will be available on the course. Fruit and water will be provided at the finish.

Cost of the race is $20 if registered online by July 1 or $25 race day. Register online at www.sprunning.com or mail check made out to Liberty Township Charitable Fund and mail to 5K Run for Liberty, c/o Steve Prescott, P.O. Box 454, Mason, OH 45040.

The top three finishers in each of 10 age divisions in the run will receive awards following the race. The top three walkers in each of five age divisions will also be recognized.

Units for the 27th annual parade will begin forming at 9 a.m., at Lakota East High School. The 1.6 mile parade leaves the high school parking lot at 10 a.m., proceeds down Wyandot Road to Yankee Road, ending at Liberty Park.

Those wishing to participate in the parade can register in advance or sign in at 9 a.m

Emergency vehicles and honor guards will lead the parade followed by the grand marshal, the Lakota East marching band, cars, trucks, motorized vehicles, bicyclists, non-motorized vehicles, walkers and fire trucks.

Trophies will be awarded for the three best float entries at the end of the parade. That’s also when Stephanie Worrell will receive a plaque for serving as grand marshal and the contributions she and Chris have made to the community.

Both Stephanie and Chris were active in the township, with Chris serving on the township’s board of zoning appeals and economic development committee, the West Chester/Liberty Chamber Alliance and as a board member for the Butler County United Way.

Stephanie served on the board of Wesley Community Service, Butler County United Way Youth Council and Women’s Leadership Council. A cancer survivor, she owns her own business and is the author of “The War in My Rack: How the Gift of Cancer Gave Me Peace.”

There will be no festival or activities following the parade.

For more information and to register for the parade, call 513-759-7500 or visit www.liberty-township.com.

Posted in: Events, News, Recreational events |

Tags: Tags: 4th of July, Chris Worrell, Chris Worrell III, fourth of July, Independence Day, July 4 Liberty Township Ohio, July 4 West Chester Ohio, Lakota East, Stephanie Worrell

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Community leader passes away – The West Chester and Liberty township communities grieved the loss A. Christian Worrell III, who was responsible for the Graydon Head Legal Counsel Butler/Warren Office and was a member of countless local committees. Worrell’s funeral took place last Tuesday afternoon.

T.C. Rogers. File photo.

My Furry Valentine to come back – The organizer for My Furry Valentine, a large pet adoption event that took place throughout Cincinnati, said that she expects to host another event next February. This past February, the main event was in West Chester. There have also been discussions to add another large pet adoption event in the summer or in the early fall.

Rogers keeps lead in commission vote – Political newcomer T.C. Rogers kept his edge over Courtney Combs as the Republican nominee for Butler County Commissioner last Tuesday when absentee and provisional ballots were counted. But the race is destined for an automatic recount by law because the margin is less than half of 1 percent. The recount is expected to take place this Monday.

West Chester playing role in Ohio’s economic development – The Atlanta-based magazine Site Selection awarded Ohio and Governor John Kasich first place in its annual Governor’s Cup rankings. The Governor’s Cup, which was announced in its March issue, ranks the 50 states according to their success in attracting capital investment projects. West Chester Township played a role in the state’s accomplishment.

Ezekiel "Zeke" Stepaniak. Photo provided.

The Cone opens for the season – A West Chester landmark and popular location in the summer, The Cone, officially opened for the season last Thursday with a surprise opening night. The seasonal destination is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday and from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Lakota community comes together after fatal wreck – Lakota West High School and others in the school community mourned the loss of one its students – junior Ezekiel “Zeke” Stepaniak – and prayed for the recovery of another student – sophomore Ashley Stacy. Throughout the week, students showed their support in many ways.

Office Depot donates $97,000 in supplies to Lakota – The Lakota school district announced that it received $97,000 worth of office supplies from Office Depot. According to school officials, Office Depot donated 79,000 items that included highlighters, pens, trash bags, paper towels, batteries, glue sticks and binders.

Posted in: Events, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Ashley Stacy, Butler County Board of Elections, Butler County commission race, Butler County Election 2012, Butler County United Way Board of Trustees, Chris Worrell, Chris Worrell III, Chris Worrell III obit, Chris Worrell obit, Christian Worrell III, Christian Worrell III obit, Chuck Furmon, Courtney Combs, Drews Mitchell, Ezekieal Stephaniak, Ezekieal Zeke Stepaniak, Graydon Head, Graydon Head Legal Counsel, Lakota West, Lakota West High School, Lakota West student death, Liberty Township election, My Furry Valentine Cincinnati, My Furry Valentine Northern Kentucky, My Furry Valentine West Chester, Office Depot, Office Depot donates to schools, Ohio election 2012, Pet Adoption Day, pet adoption West Chester, Site Selection, T.C. Rogers, The Cone, The Cone West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester election, West Chester jobs, West Chester McDonalds, Zeke Stepaniak

According to his friends in the community and in the legal field, A. Christian Worrell III never liked getting special attention.

Chris Worrell. Photo provided.

However, when someone affects everyone around him – special attention can be hard to avoid.

Worrell will again be in the minds of many of those closest to him, as a large gathering is expected to pay their respects during a public funeral at the Isaac M. Wise Center, 8329 Ridge Road, Amberley Village, at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

“He was very humble. He was someone who was always about other people and never about himself,” said Joe Hinson, CEO and president of the West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance. “He cared a lot about his family and also a lot about the organizations he was involved with. He was very passionate about those things.”

When Hinson urged Worrell to be featured or honored by the Chamber, the Graydon Head law firm partner would sigh. Instead of the deserved recognition, Worrell would much rather brag about his children – daughter Devon and son Benjamin.

“They (Worrell and Benjamin) were the best of buds,” Graydon Head attorney Robin Miller said. “When he would come home from college, everything else went by the wayside. That was his and Ben’s time.”

During Ben’s time, the two would go out shooting firearms, watch UFC fights and microbrew their own beer. Those were just a few of Worrell’s hobbies that also included the outdoors, motorcycles, skiing, teaching tae kwon do and collecting guitars.

On the other hand, when it wasn’t “Ben’s time,” Worrell and his wife, Stephanie, visited their daughter in Seattle. The couple recently bought second home in Washington State in order to be closer.

With co-workers and friends back in West Chester, he would share photos of their new Seattle home and boast about his daughter on being able to climb to the base camp at Mount Everest and after she was hired by Microsoft.

“Those who know Chris, you saw how much he loved his family,” Graydon Head attorney Scott Jones said. “He would always come into the office talking about his kids.

“With Stephanie, they had the type of relationship where if you were in the room with them for more than three minutes you could just how much they loved each other. For me, that was very inspiring to see how he was as a father and a husband.” (more…)

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County United Way Board of Trustees, Chris Worrell, Chris Worrell III, Chris Worrell III obit, Chris Worrell obit, Christian Worrell III, Christian Worrell III obit, Graydon Head, Graydon Head Legal Counsel, Liberty Township Board of Zoning Appeals, Liberty Township Joint Economic Development District, Partners In Prime, Richard La Jeunesse, Tom Prewitt, West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance Board, West Chester Township Park Committee

A. Christian Worrell III of Liberty Township was responsible for the Graydon Head Legal Counsel Butler/Warren Office and was a member of countless local committees, but was best known among his co-workers for always having a hobby.

Chris Worrell. Photo provided.

“Outside of the office, he always had a hobby whether that was riding motorcycles, skiing, teaching taekwondo or collecting guitars,” said Tom Prewitt, executive committee chair of Graydon Head.

Worrell also loved the outdoors, once spending a week on a glacier in Alaska and hiking the Himalayas in Nepal.

Just prior to passing away, Worrell was traveling to Seattle Wednesday to visit his daughter when he suffered a medical emergency inflight. Upon landing, he was unconscious and taken to the hospital where he died Thursday after recently turning 60 years old.

“This was a really tragic, sadden, unexpected loss,” Prewitt said.

“He has been a great part of our firm, our community and he will be missed dearly.”

In the community, Worrell was a leader and at one time was the chair of all of the following groups – Butler County United Way Board of Trustees, West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance Board, Liberty Township Joint Economic Development District, Liberty Township Board of Zoning Appeals, Partners in Prime and the West Chester Township Park Committee.

“He leaves a very long and wide shadow in the Butler and Warren area. We have seen that through everyone contacting us throughout the community,” said Richard La Jeunesse, partner at Graydon Head. “It has been touching.”

Word is quickly spreading about Worrell’s death in the community that he was so heavily involved in and many are expected to attend his funeral, which is open to the public, at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Isaac M. Wise Center, 8329 Ridge Road.

Worrell leaves behind his wife Stephanie, his son Benjamin, his daughter Devon and his son-in-law Noah, as well as a brother, a sister, numerous clients, co-workers and countless friends.

“He had a wonderful life to celebrate, many accomplishments and great relationships,” La Jeunesse said.

“He was a very adventuresome and wonderful individual, colleague and friend.”

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County United Way Board of Trustees, Chris Worrell, Chris Worrell III, Chris Worrell III obit, Chris Worrell obit, Christian Worrell III, Christian Worrell III obit, Graydon Head, Graydon Head Legal Counsel, Liberty Township Board of Zoning Appeals, Liberty Township Joint Economic Development District, Partners In Prime, Richard La Jeunesse, Tom Prewitt, West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance Board, West Chester Township Park Committee

Butler County Administrator Bruce Jewett will become the next President and CEO of the Butler County United Way, according to United Way Board Chair Chris Worrell. According to a press release from the United Way, Jewett emerged successfully from a rigorous four-month selection process that considered dozens of applicants from all over the country.

“We were committed to finding the very best fit for our needs, and we are confident that we have done just that,” Worrell said in the release. “Bruce has a stellar record of leadership and community service since his arrival in Butler County 13 years ago, including 10 years of service on the Butler County United Way Board. The board has full faith in his commitment to the organization’s vision, and in his ability to lead the organization in times that have become less certain for nonprofit service providers.”

Jewett, who will retire from public service prior to assuming his duties with United Way, looks forward to the new challenges.

“My whole career has been dedicated to marshalling the energies and resources of many for the benefit of those most in need,” Jewett said in the release. I look forward to continuing those efforts in the nonprofit world of community impact represented by the Butler County United Way. Our community has a long, strong tradition of supporting its families and children. It is my hope that we can continue to build upon that tradition.”

Prior to being appointed as Butler County Administrator in 2009, Jewett served as Director of Butler County Job and Family Services. In that capacity Jewett helped facilitate the creation of the Community Grant Consortium and the Center for Family Solutions in collaboration with Butler County United Way.

Former President and CEO of the Butler County United Way, Mauren Noe resigned from the position Feb. 4 after accepting the same position with the Heart of West Michigan United Way in Grand Rapids. In the interim, Jan Troutman served as the organization’s president.

To learn more about Butler County United Way, visit bc-unitedway.org.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: Bruce Jewett, Butler County United Way, Butler County United Way Board of Trustees, Chris Worrell, Heart of West Michigan United Way, Jan Troutman, Mauren Noe

The Butler County United Way Board of Trustees announced today that Maureen Noe is resigning as the President and CEO effective Feb. 4, 2011. According to a the press release, Noe’s resignation comes as she has accepted the President and CEO position with the Heart of West Michigan United Way in Grand Rapids.

“The Board is appreciative for the 10 years of dedicated service that Maureen has provided to United Way and the community,” board chair Chris Worrell stated in the release. “Her leadership has enabled us to broker relationships, leverage resources and connect services to our residents in a manner that brought significant results.”

Noe (pictured in center) has served as a leader for the Butler County United Way for more than 10 years. Some of the organization’s accomplishments under her leadership include partnering with local governments and non-profits to establish the Grant Consortium, which has brought over $14 million to Butler County agencies over the past seven years, and working with local school districts and non-profits to create Butler County School Success, which currently helps primary students in seven Butler County districts overcome non-cognitive barriers to learning.

“It has been an honor to serve the Butler County community in the capacity of Butler County United Way President and CEO,” Noe stated in the release. “I have gained an insightful appreciation for the exemplary commitment the board, volunteers, staff and community leaders have for United Way’s work. The achieved results are because of a group of caring individuals dedicated themselves to making Butler County the best place for us all to live and work.”

To learn more about Butler County United Way, visit bc-unitedway.org.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County School Success, Butler County United Way, Butler County United Way Board of Trustees, Chris Worrell, Grant Consortium, Heart of West Michigan United Way, Maureen Noe