Free in Print • Free Online
The Early Bird and Bluebag Media Office
will be closed, Friday July 3, in observance of Independence Day. See adjusted deadlines on page 2.
THE EARLY BIRD NEWSPAPER S U N D A Y, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
Memorial services held for Mark Dotson CLINTON RANDALL
STAFF WRITER crandall@earlybirdpaper.com
GREENVILLE - Friends and family honored the life of Mark A. Dotson Wednesday morning in Greenville. Services were held at the First United Methodist Church with a funeral procession winding through
the city and ending at the Greenville Cemetery. Dotson had been with the Greenville Township Rescue for 38 years where he was the Assistant Chief when he passed away June 17 from complications from Diverticulitis. Members of various Darke County departments and agencies gathered to
honor their fallen brother during the memorial service. “Mark was my go to guy for more than 10 years. He was always willing to accept new responsibilities and challenges and was successful at overcoming those challenges,” Greenville Township Rescue Chief Steve Wenning told
Emergency personnel saluted their fallen brother during Wednesday’s memorial service for Mark A. Dotson in Greenville. (Clinton Randall photo)
The Early Bird. “He will be missed terribly! You cannot have a career in this field as long as he did, touch that many lives and not leave a void in the heart of the entire community,” Chief Wenning added. Before beginning his career with Greenville Township, Dotson was with the Union City Ohio Fire Department Service. He made many lifelong friends while with the department several years. “We hated to see him go,” said Doug Wright, who was Assistant Chief at UCOFD at the time. “He always gave 100 percent in everything he did. Greenville got a fantastic guy when they got Mark!” Wright went on to talk about how the department always got such great comments from Dotson’s service to the community. “He loved fire and EMS and it showed in how he treated people,” Wright continued. “The community has truly lost one of the best!” In addition to medical services, Dotson loved
Ladder engines hung the ceremonial American flag at Greenville’s traffic circle as the engine from Union City Ohio Fire Department gave Dotson’s ‘Final Ride’ Wednesday. (Clinton Randall photo)
to ride his yellow Honda Gold Wing that he named “Bumble Bee”. According to his obituary, Dotson also enjoyed playing golf with his friends as part of the Geezer’s Golf Group at Turtle Creek Golf Course and spending time with his
family. Log on to bluebagmedia.com to listen to Dotson’s ‘Final Call’ recording from the Darke County Dispatch Center that was aired across the county during Wednesday’s burial service.
Cora retires after 25 years, will be missed Poultry exhibitors Miss BOB ROBINSON can prepare for fair RYAN BERRY
MANAGING EDITOR editor@earlybirdpaper.com
GREENVILLE – Darke County Jr. Fair’s poultry exhibitors will not be left out at this year’s fair. Although the state has banned all poultry shows and exhibitions for the remainder of the year, the Junior and Senior Fair Boards, along with several committees continue to work on alternatives. A plan to allow exhibitors to present their projects for their fair premium has been approved, but some of the other shows are yet to be decided. According to Beth Martin, Jr. Fair coordinator, they are having a Jr. Fair Poultry meeting next week to discuss the issue further. Some of the possible “extra events” that will be discussed include a Skillathon, Avian Bowl (a question-type game), Showmanship with the possibility of using fake birds, and an egg display. Pictures of an exhibitor’s bird project will replace actual birds on the fairgrounds this year. In order to receive a $5 premium, exhibitors will display a poster in the Poultry Barn with 3-5 pictures and a paragraph about their project, feed tag, and concluding statement. They must also include their name, age and project type in the lower right corner. Their project must be raised to completion
and they will be judged by the judge that would have normally judged the poultry show. The exhibitor will take his/her poster to the judge and discuss the project. This show will take place on the day the show would normally have been held. If an exhibitor cannot be present for the judging portion they will not be eligible to sell their project at auction. The exhibitor must also attend a mandatory meeting on the first Friday of the fair. In order to sell and receive their premium, the exhibitor must do everything required to receive the $5 premium and complete Quality Assurance and their project book. They must also draw an auction number after the mandatory meeting. Exhibitors will take their poster through the sale ring on sale day. Exhibitors completing a General Project (no birds) for the $3 premium must have a poster on display in the Youth Building, club’s booth or in the poultry barn. They must also complete as much of the project book as possible. The maximum premium an exhibitor can receive is $15. They would need to complete a poster for all three classes in order to earn the premium. The exhibitor must have completed the project by raising the birds and doing a poster for each class in order to be eligible.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR brobinson@earlybirdpaper.com
GREENVILLE – “I will miss the patients,” said Cora Winston. She will be retiring from Wayne HealthCare after 25 years of service to the hospital. She smiled, then continued quietly… “I love the people who come in here as patients.” She recalled once at a grocery store… “This couple walked up to me and said, Cora, do you remember me? “That’s what makes it nice,” she said. She added she’s enjoyed working at Wayne HealthCare. “The people here are nice.” She remembered when she first started, said it was hard. “Then we got a new boss,” she said, smiling. “Lisa Garland. Now it’s easier getting our work done. She takes care of us.” While Cora will be retir-
Cora Winston (third from left) stands with her boss Lisa Garland (second from left) and her co-workers in Wayne HealthCare’s Environmental Services. She will be retiring after 25 years of service. (Bob Robinson photo)
ing from Wayne’s Environmental Services, she referred to her job as Housekeeping. “That’s what it was called when I came
Winston stands with Jeff Subler, Vice President of Support Services. Subler oversees the hospital’s Environmental Services. (Bob Robinson photo)
here,” she said. “Habits like that stick.” The soft-spoken lady acknowledged sometimes she gets mad… but “I hold it in.” Her co-workers disagreed, noting Miss Cora (that’s what they call her) “has this way of giving you ‘the look.’” They added sometimes they’ll get her finger. “Not the bad finger,” Cora said immediately, demonstrating. “The first finger.” “We give her a hard time,” they added, laughing… “But she knows how to give it back.” Are they going to miss her? “Well, yeah!!” They laughed again. “She’s the life of the party!” Her boss, Lisa Garland, said it was going to be emotional for her when Cora
left. “She’s been an exemplary employee who goes above and beyond her duties. She’s admired by coworkers – all departments – and her name is mentioned a lot by patients. “I just love her,” she said. “She’s the greatest of the great!” Cora’s plans? “I’m going to get my house back in order. Then I’m going to start visiting the kids.” She has six children (23 grandkids and six great-grandkids). Three kids are in Ohio, one in California, one in Las Vegas and one working for the government stationed in Japan. “I’m hoping to go to Japan next year,” she said. “I have two grandbabies I haven’t seen.”