Jul 20, 2016 4 min read

WIND RIDGE – The Jacktown Fair was packed Tuesday evening as the community turned out to honor its winning teams, scholarship winners and crown the new fair queen.

The Lady Pioneers got a standing ovation for their winning softball season that took them to the PIAA championship game, a first for any West Greene athletic team.

And before the Jacktown Fair Queen was announced, Mary Jane Kent, who is master of Harveys Aleppo Grange, awarded two grange scholarships and thanked fairgoers for doing their part by playing bingo at the fair.

The scholarships are paid for through the money made at bingo hall each year, she said.

“The more you play, the more we can give,” Kent said.

She presented checks for $500 to 2016 West Greene graduates Kaitlin Kreuzer of Sycamore and Laura Wise of Graysville. Their challenge was to write an essay about growing up in rural Greene County and describe their future plans. The scholarship is open to seniors who choose to go on to secondary education, either college, the military or specialized training, Kent explained.

“We want to encourage our children and help them get the education they need to become successful,” Kent said. “This is just one of our many grange community service projects.”

Cameras and smart phones were pointed in Wise’s direction while proud adults and the younger princesses formed a circle of admiration around the new 2016 Jacktown Fair queen after she received her crown from outgoing queen Marissa Rodes.

It was a crowning moment for someone who, according to her winning essay has “always been a girl who like a reason to be able to take a deep breath at the end of the night knowing I gave my 100 percent that day.” Wise will be attending Slippery Rock University to major in middle -school math.

“Math has personally always been my favorite subject and I know many of my peers have struggled with it. In deciding what I wanted to teach it was a pretty simple decision,” she wrote. “Nothing makes me happier than watching a child light up after they finally figure out the problem they’ve been working so hard on.”

Kreuzer, who will attend West Virginia University and plans to take courses to train service dogs, has dreams of someday owning her own bridal salon. She wrote in her essay she is looking forward to juggling schoolwork, dance, sports and a job at Sorelle Bridal Salon while taking classes.

“With the society of today, women are judged harshly on their appearance. I want to be able to help women hold their heads up high,” Kreuzer wrote in her essay. “A genuine smile is the greatest accessory a woman can have.”

Bingo for scholarships happens daily during fair week in the oldest hall at fairgrounds. Today is Senior Day at the fair, so the bingo hall will open at 2 p.m. Regular bingo hours are 5 to 10 p.m. through Saturday night.

Also Tuesday night, the Jacktown Fair announced the winners of the house decorating contest and the Jacktown Parade float contests.

The float by the Golden LivingCenter was awarded first place in the parade contest; the Greene County 4-H Market Goat Club placed second; Greene County 4-H Rabbit Club placed third; and Harveys Aleppo Grange placed fourth. The West Greene Bee Queens won first place in the mini-float contest; Erin Harbarger placed second and the Greene County 4-H Rabbit Club placed third.

In the house-decorating contest, Martha Lee Dinsmore placed first, Mary Jane Kent placed second and Renee Morris placed third.

The winners of several baking contests also were announced. Katie Lynn Eitner of Greensboro won the Pennsylvania Preferred Chocolate Cookie, Brownie or Bar Baking Contest; Heather Gapen of Greensboro won the Pennsylvania Preferred Chocolate Cake Baking Contest; Lewis Crouse of Sycamore won the Pennsylvania Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest; and Carrie Hawk of East Millsboro won the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest.

Staff writer Bob Niedbala contributed to this report.