Voice of Democracy Winners, others honored at New Philadelphia VFW

  • By Teri Stein
  • February 10, 2014
  • 400
                        
Summary: The Carl C. Stoller Post #1445 of the VFW in New Philadelphia presented their annual awards for the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy and awards to others who serve our community on Feb 6. And the winners are… Three seniors at Tuscarawas Central Catholic took the top awards in the Voice of Democracy contest at the Carl C. Stoller Post #1445 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in New Philadelphia. Margaret Mary Nguyen, the daughter of Louise and Duong Nguyen of Dover, took the top award in the Voice of Democracy competition and received numerous awards including $100 and a jacket embroidered with the Voice of Democracy logo. “Your generation will soon be given the responsibilities of caring for this country’s future. Wear this with honor and pride as you prepare for your role in America’s future,” said Norm Lanzer, who presented the jacket to Nguyen. The topic for the Voice of Democracy contest this year was: Why I’m optimistic about our nation’s future. “I’ve been blessed to live in the United States my entire life. When I look at my father and grandfather I am reminded of the great sacrifice the brave men and women made defending the country I am proud to call home,” said Nguyen in her presentation adding that her grandfather was a paratrooper during the Vietnam War. “Because of our nation’s ability to persevere through incredible odds, and the undying patriotism of today’s troops, our nation’s future is placed in the most qualified hands. And that, I believe is something to be optimistic about,” concluded Nguyen. Anna Thompson of Sherrodsville, daughter of Robert and Marcia Thompson, was named the runner-up in the competition and Olivia Thomakos, daughter of Steven and Elizabeth Thomakos of New Philadelphia, earned an honorable mention. Amanda Sharier, daughter of Thomas and Charlene Sharier of Baltic, who attended Garaway Middle School, won first place in the Patriots Pen competition. She also went on to win the district competition and placed 6th in the state for her essay. The theme for the competition was “What Patriotism Means to Me.” Sharier wrote about the many ways to be a patriot. “A peaceful patriot in our nation’s history is Martin Luther King Jr. He led many people in the civil rights movement to give African-Americans rights,” said Sharier in her presentation. “To be a patriot all you have to do is to be willing to help your country even if it means standing out from everyone else.” “Any man or woman or child can be a patriot. In the attacks on the twin towers in 2001 our nation was brought together through grief. We all found a way to help,” Sharier said. Sharier concluded her essay with the words “To be a patriot you have to be ready to stand to defend what is right. Anyone can have patriotism.” Runner-up was Danielle Serban, daughter of Daniel and Amy Serban of New Philadelphia, an eighth grader at Welty Middle School. All the winners in both competitions received a cash award and a $25 gift card among other prizes. A number of other awards were presented including the Community Service Award which was presented to Mrs. Wanda Schlafly, 87, of New Philadelphia for her long career teaching children. She recommended travel to other countries to learn about their cultures. “Travel is the best education you can give your kids because they learn to appreciate America,” said Schlafly who taught Speech and English classes in a number of area schools throughout her career. She recalled one summer in which she taught at a girl’s school in Africa. Schlafly also helps judge the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy competitions. Linus Kilchenman presented the Outstanding Police Officer of the Year award to Officer James Miller of the New Philadelphia Police Department who was recognized for his contributions in stopping a robbery in progress at the Circle K store on Tuscarawas Avenue in 2013 and the arrest of the suspect. Winning two awards, the Teacher of the Year and the Americanism award, was Cheryl Graham, a music teacher for the New Philadelphia Schools. Graham was unable to attend the presentation and her awards will be presented later at Central Elementary.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load