(Thursday, January 26) with judging in the Livestock Division beginning at 8 am
The Creative Arts and Education Division got things started earlier in the week with judging of entries. The exhibits opened to the public Wednesday afternoon, January 25.
Assisting with activities are this year’s Hill County Fair queen is Brittany Meeks of Bynum, Princess Faith Piveral of Covington and Duchess Elizabeth Charlton of Whitney.
The queen and her court will distribute ribbons and belt buckles during the judging of all livestock divisions and assist with the auctions, along with a host of other duties during the fair.
The lamb show will get things started this morning, followed by the market and breeding goat show at 9:30 am
The breeding and market hog show is slated to begin at 3 pm to wrap up the first day of judging.
The special kids’ events are slated for 7 pm in the show arena.
Trail to the Cross Cowboy Church in Hillsboro is sponsoring a calf scramble.
Age groups will be 8-10, 11-13 and 14 and up (still in high school). Prizes will be awarded in each of the three age divisions.
Following the calf scramble, the always popular egg toss will take place, and a three-legged race is planned.
Chickens and rabbits will move into place by 7:30 am Friday, January 27.
The chicken judging will start at 9 am with the rabbit show starting 30 minutes after the conclusion of the chickens.
The premiere steer show will take to the ring at 10 am, followed by the heifer show.
The “over-the-hill” showmanship contest, which is a fund raiser for the Cody Allen Scholarship Fund, will close out the day at the conclusion of the heifer show.
The creative arts and education auction will start at 6:30 pm in the Exhibits Building.
High-point winners in the various age divisions will be recognized prior to the auction, which will feature Best of Category, Reserve Best of Category and first-place winning items.
All youth participants must be present by 6 pm in order to sell items.
A bake sale will be conducted Thursday afternoon and Friday of all home-baked and canned entries that didn’t qualify for the Friday evening auction.
Creative arts and education exhibitors will be allowed to pick up their items at the completion of the auction Friday night or from 9 am to 11 am Saturday, January 28.
Final judging of this year’s fair takes place at 9 am Saturday when horses are on the grounds.
Champion and reserve-champion winners in each Livestock Division category receive belt buckles sponsored by local residents and businesses.
Buckles are also presented to top showmanship exhibitors in the lamb, goat, hog, steer, heifer and horse divisions.
Livestock and shop projects will be on the grounds throughout the fair. Categories include livestock equipment; farm machinery; farm, home and yard conveniences; farm-electrical projects; trailers; gates; and woodwork projects.
The premium auction of animals will get underway at 2 pm in the Exhibits Building as chickens, rabbits, lambs, goats, hogs and steers go on the auction block. Note the time change from 6 pm last year.
Only champion and reserve-champion animals will be led through the sale ring.
All during the fair, Hill County 4-H will be operating a concession stand in the Exhibits Building.
Hours of operation will be 8 am to 8 pm Thursday and Friday and 10 am until after the auction Saturday.
Proceeds from the concession stand go to pay for 4-H leadership camps, district- and state-registration fees and to club community-service activities.

Published January 27, 2012, 01:05 AM

Mitchell activities office plans night to commemorate Munsen
Mitchell boys’ basketball coach Gary Munsen will be recognized at the Kernels’ final regular-season home game on Feb. 14 at the Corn Palace, the school’s activities office announced Thursday.

By:

Sports staff , The Daily Republic

Did you know that consumers spend one out of every five minutes online using social media and blogs?

That number isn’t stagnant, either it’s growing and consumers are proving themselves to be very social buyers. A full 60 percent of people learn about a brand directly through social media when researching a product via three or more digital means.

Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook empower the customer, and enrich their shopping experience, but they also provide researchers with new tools and insights into consumer behaviour and buying patterns.

This infographic takes a closer look at how marketers are uncovering brand insights and driving sales in the digital era.

(Source: Telligent.)

Its a long old trek from Newcastle to Worthing, but its one Re-Take That are looking forward to as they bring their authentic tribute to one of pops greatest bands to the Pavilion Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 7.30pm.

Stepping into the Gary Barlow shoes is Paul Waite.

“In 2006 when the real Take That came back, we looked at the line-up that we had and we thought that we could do a good job. We started researching the current tributes, and we felt that there was nothing there in the market place that was strong enough to be an authentic tribute.

“So we started on the gruelling task of really researching the characters. We spent a long, long time learning the characters. We worked out that the most important thing was to really make sure that we made the characters recognisable and accessible to the audience. You really need to get the personalities.

“It was a case of studying the live DVDs but also looking at the stuff in Gary Barlow’s book. We just needed to go really in-depth for the characters. We sometimes do like a press conference (in character) and you have to react like the characters.

“You get asked to do all kinds of things. I was asked to judge an X-Factor type show. I had to study Gary Barlow’s one-liners that he comes up with on X-Factor. I had them all on my iPod. I had to pull them out for whoever was on stage.”

As for who became whom in the band, it all just slipped into place, Paul says: “The keyboard player resembled Howard. The guitarist resembled Jason. We didn’t even have to have the discussion. It was just taken as a given that people could be made up to look similar. Gary Barlow takes the lead in Take That. I was the leader of the band. I just fell into that role. We never once had the discussion ‘I want to be this character’ or ‘I want to be that character’.

“If I was to delve into Gary Barlow in the past, he would be like a dodgy dad in a disco, but he is a bit more trendy now. I have to work harder now that he is on X-Factor than when he was just in the band. I have to keep up with his hairstyle. My wife said to me ‘I am slightly worried that you are starting to take this just too seriously!’”

More details on www.retakethat.com.

OK, the presents have all been opened, the mess is nearly cleaned up, you still feel full from Christmas dinner, and the kids are bored.Luckily, the SouthCoast offers plenty of activities to keep them entertained when all the new toys lost their luster.

Christmastime favorites

Still havent gotten Christmas out of your system? Head on over to LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro. The 58th annual Festival of Lights display will run through Jan. 1. Illuminations will be from 5 to 9 pm daily. With some 350,000 lights illuminating more than 10 acres of land, the spectacular, inspiring event is visited by thousands each year. The nightly event is free to everyone. Donations are welcome and appreciated. Returning favorites include the Christmas trolley and hay rides available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. The Christmas Carousel is open Tuesdays through Sundays. Visit www.lasalette-shrine.org. Chances are, its still just as you remember it from when you were a child!

The Enchanted Village, the popular display that was housed at Jordan Marsh throughout the 1960s and 70s, is now on display at Jordans Furniture in Avon. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 11 am to 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm and Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm While youre there, check out the Polar Express 4-D Motion Odyssey Movie Ride. Melting snow will tickle your skin, and the vivid smells of rich hot chocolate will liven your ride on The Polar Express. Tickets are $6 for the 20-minute ride. Riders must be at least 40 inches tall. For additional information, call 1-866-8-JORDANS.

Edaville Railroads ever popular holiday Festival of Lights is still open for the season. The park will open at 4 pm and close at 9 pm Regular admission is $18 with children under 2years old free. Admission will cover the train ride around the park and unlimited use of all other rides as well. The Polar Express comes to life at Edaville to ring in the Christmas season. Inspired by the award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg and the hit movie starring Tom Hanks, The Polar Express will transport pajama-clad passengers to the North Pole. There Santa will board the train and greet the children, each receiving their own jingle bell just as in the story. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served by costumed staff while guests enjoy a live reading and carols. The Polar Express train will run on Dec. 24 and 31. The trains will leave at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm Admission to the Polar Express trains is $30 per person with children under two years old free. Reservations are recommended for these trains as they generally sell out. The Christmas Festival of Lights runs through Jan. 1 (Closed Christmas Day), weekdays 4 to 9 pm, weekends 2 to 9 pm Come enjoy the opening of a historic, famous attraction featuring over 7 million Christmas lights. Admission includes unlimited 20 minute train rides and 12 amusement rides. $18 adults and kids (Ages 2-64); $16 Seniors, under 2 are free! Call 855-EDAVILLE or visit www.edaville.com.

Name: Jesse Peterson

Hometown: Appleton

Employer: Retention supervisor for Charter Communications in Fond du Lac

Family: He has a daughter, Brynn. He is dating.

Extracurricular activities: Softball, Young Professionals of Fond du Lac and the YMCA.

Top honor/recognition: Winning a Champion of Distinction award, the highest award at Charter, for creating an internal software program.

Favorite thing about your career: Working with so many different people and applying my strengths to help others.

What do you do for fun? Hobbies? Working on his Camaro, target shooting and keeping collectibles.

Likes to travel to: Mexico and Las Vegas.

Advice for other young professionals: Stay sharp and focused. When you cant find a way, make a way.

Do you know a young professional who deserves recognition? Send nominations to Heather Stanek at (920) 907-7909 or hstanek@fdlreporter.com. Nominees do not need to be members of Young Professionals of Fond du Lac, but they should be between 18 and 40 years old and live or work in the Fond du Lac area.

To find out about networking with other young professionals, check out Young Professionals of Fond du Lac at www.ypfdl.org. The organization is a division of Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce.

WASHINGTON (SANA): With a long term strategic partnership with India, the US wants to support its ability to serve as an economic anchor in the Asia Pacific region where it is already driving economic development along with another giant China, a top US commander has said.

Commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard, said President Barack Obamas new defence strategy, unveiled this week, underlines the growing importance of the Asia Pacific region.

He said from the high growth driven by Asian tiger economies to the emergence of giants India and China, the region has continued to be a centre of immense activity.

At one point, it was, Asian tigers, and now we look at China and India and there are two Asian giants that are driving the economic developments in the region, Willard said delivering the keynote address at the Hawaii Military Partnership Conference.

He said the new Defence Strategic Review unveiled by President Obama stresses on building relationship with India, as the US increases its presence in the Asia-Pacific region where the US economic and security interests come across a mix of evolving challenges and opportunities.

With changing global dynamics, the US out of necessity aims to rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

The United States is also investing in a long-term strategic partnership with India to support its ability to serve as a regional economic anchor and provide for the security in the broader Indian Ocean region, he said.

Our relationships with Asian allies and key partners are critical to the future stability and growth of the region. We will emphasize our existing alliances, which provide a vital foundation for Asia-Pacific security.

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For two decades, American businesses have improved factories, offices, processes and supply chains, but the quest for efficiency never ends, so now its the employees turns.

Employers have stressed the need for soft skills in new hires for several years. Increasingly, they are looking to improve those skills in existing employees.

Those skills include conflict resolution, leadership, ability to work effectively within a group, willingness to do multiple jobs, an ability to innovate and communication.

Such training is not always instantly noticeable on the profit statement, which may be why its just coming into broader favor, but companies that have done it are pleased with the results.

RGL Specialty Services, a subsidiary of RGL Holdings, which also owns Leicht Transfer Storage and Checker Logistics, provided leadership classes last year for 70 of its more than 230 employees.

It adopted the servant leadership philosophy, which Festival Foods has employed for a dozen years.

Servant leadership is meeting the legitimate needs of others, said Nick Arlt, Festival marketing director. As a boss, you serve the people underneath you to be sure they have what they need to be effective. In turn, they will make you as effective as you can be. It turns the standard boss/subordinate paradigm upside down.

Steve Evans, president of Leicht Transfer, said 60 percent of the companys supervisors were new to leadership and had no appropriate training or experience.

Jeff Gyrion, general manager, said RGL was looking ahead as well.

We are really in a growth mode as an entire company and we want to guard against any voids in leadership, he said.

RGL enlisted Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to provide the training.

A wide range of industries are ramping up leadership and soft skills training, said Joan Turba, sales manager in Corporate Training and Economic Development at NWTC.

Typically, in the past, employees were promoted because of their technical skills, she said. Companies are just figuring out they need more than that. They need these soft skills to better manage and inspire their teams.

Capt. Michael Zarro of the Spotswood Police Department wears a special suit while training fellow officers in defensive tactics and restraint techniques. Zarro, who provides this kind of training throughout the world, says it is lacking in New Jersey. / CAPT. MICHAEL ZARRO

Everyone has hobbies, Jack Shpunt says. His just happens to be coaching.

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Having spent much of his later teenage years without a father, who died when Shpunt was 13-years-old, he was influenced by an uncle who worked as an athletic director and later pressed into helping raise his younger brothers, attending their games and eventually coaching their teams.

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More than 40 years later, Shpunts longtime devotion to youth sports recently was recognized by fellow coaches as well as the governor and state legislators, such as Rep. Chris Lyddy (D-106).

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I always say that a true leader should not necessarly be measured by what or how much a person is able to accomplish but rather what and how much one is able to help others accomplish, Lyddy said to Shpunt during a ceremony last week. If you look around the room tonight, this gym is filled with people that you have helped accomplish great things, not only on the court but off the court as well.

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While the 63-year-old coach was honored for his volunteerism in youth boys basketball, Shpunt also has longtime ties to youth football, and at one time or another coached Little League baseball, softball and lacrosse, a mix of sports that in and of itself makes him a prolific figure in a town that values sports.

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Everywhere you go, you see Jack, Nighthawks boys basketball coach John Quinn said.

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Shpunt has volunteered for so many years, he is not only known by so many children, but their fathers, and in at least one case, a grandfather who can claim him as their coach.

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Im on to my third generation, Shpunt said.

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But more than his contributions toward coaching teams to victory is his commitment to the town, according to First Selectman Pat Llodra, whose grown son was coached by Shpunt in Pop Warner football in 1975, which has convinced more than a family that its nicer in Newtown, an often-repeated town slogan.

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That experience was a very positive experience and it affirmed our decision as a family that Newtown is the kind of place that we want to stay, Llodra said. Its a good place to raise children and a good family oriented community – a lot of that is because the quality of experience that we had with Coach Shpunt.

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Quinn described Shpunt as a humanitarian who frequently attends charity benefits.

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With Jack, its never about Jack its always about the kids, Quinn said. I run a benefit tournament here for some families that need some help and the first guy there is always Jack and the last guy to leave is always Jack and the guy who spends the most money is always Jack.

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Shpunt was born in Flushing, NY but his mothers family has longtime ties to Newtown, at one point owning the Sandy Hook Hotel prior to it becoming the infamous site of a 1975 shootout considered one of the most violent episodes in the towns history. Shpunt said he, in fact, had been in the bar the day before the shootout.

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Shpunt also was in town for the Great Flood of 1955 when part of Sandy Hook Center, including the bridge on Church Hill Road, was submerged in water.

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Shpunt started coaching in Newtown in 1969 after one of his younger brothers – Shpunt is one of seven children – wanted to play in a new basketball league forming at St. Rose School. He said his mother urged him to get involved so that his brother would have a better chance on the team, though Shpunt said as a recent graduate of Western Connecticut State University, he also wanted to get involved in coaching.

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He loves sports and he loves teaching kids, his brother, Jim Shpunt, 61, said. To me, he would have been a great teacher if he had gone into that field.

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Jack Shpunt has inspired more than a few would-be coaches in his time.

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He started becoming a mentor to me because I really like how he handled the kids, said Kevin Kline, 52, also a longtime youth sports coach. His style is on the softer side of coaching kids. He never yells.

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As a soft-spoken coach, Shpunt used to lower his voice when talking to rambunctious football players as a technique to calm down the players and get their attention, Kline said.

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In all of the stuff that he does in youth sports, its always about putting a positive spin, Kline said.

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Shpunt said one of his proudest accomplishments in youth sports was to write a policy mandating equal playing time for children that would ensure no one would sit idly on the sidelines.

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It bothers me to see a kid not playing, he said. Thats something I learned over time…You want to keep them all playing.

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Jim Shpunt said he was happy to see his brother get recognized for his time as a coach and youth sports administrator. Such honors are typically showered on volunteers once they have left the scene. But sometimes, its nice to have the recognition while the person can still enjoy it, Shpunt said.

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Its about time it happened and its about time people are honored when they are still alive, he said.

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Shpunt, who works as a maintenace manager at a private tennis and swim facility in New Canaan called The Lake Club, never got married – though he was close one time – and doesnt have children of his own, though it doesnt feel that way, he said.

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I feel like I have many kids, Shpunt said.