The Morrow County Park District Board hosted a chili cookoff at Flying Squirrel Preserve near Fredericktown on Oct. 3, drawing nine AmeriCorps members and roughly 80 guests. Chester Arbor Gleaners sponsored the event, which included activities and music by Matt Aurigema; the group has hosted it for five years as a benefit for the park district, the Sentinel reported.
Mike Murphy won the Golden Ladle award for his buffalo chicken chili, one of 12 entries and his second win in as many years. Lisa Wilcox took the patriotic raffle, Michelle Montague the cutting board raffle and Kenton Kunze the photo contest. Mums went to Cari Jagger, Lisa Wilcox, Cate Link, Lynette Greene and Branch Wyatt.
According to group leader Evan Goncharenko, the AmeriCorps members are spending six weeks at the preserve on 38 projects that include trail clearing, lodge painting, bridge building and demolition of two buildings. Funding includes a grant obtained by the county and $10,000 from the Morrow County Development Authority for materials.
Board Chairman Tim Hilborn said the AmeriCorps NCCC grant is not monetary but provides member labor, with the district supplying lodging, and that the district worked for a couple of years to secure it. He credited Randi Spoon with helping obtain it. Members range in age from 18 to 24, trained in Colorado, receive a $250 stipend every two weeks and live at the preserve lodge; they come from states between Massachusetts and Vermont and California.
After finishing at the preserve, the group heads to West Virginia to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. The board also announced a sponsorship campaign for projects to repair, improve, protect and expand walking trails in Morrow County parks.