OTTERBEIN PLANS FOOD OUTREACH PROGRAM – Hunger is a serious problem for some families in Franklin County, Ohio. Many school-age and college students also struggle with hunger. The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at Otterbein University is stepping up to make a difference for food-insecure youth and families in Franklin County. Otterbein will host an Outreach Program Food Packaging Event from 5-10 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Campus Center, 100 W. Home St. Members of the Otterbein community and the general public are invited to lend a hand.
This service event celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in conjunction with Otterbein’s 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, a free public lecture being held at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St. The speaker, author Debby Irving, invites the Otterbein community to unpack privilege in her message, and the CCE invites the Otterbein and Westerville communities to package macaroni and cheese dinners.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.1% of people in Franklin County live below the poverty level. Poverty often leads to food insecurity for area residents.
NEW FARM BUREAU OFFICIAL NAMED – Korre Boyer of Lucas has been named director of public policy for Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF). In his position, he will manage Ohio Farm Bureau’s public policy outreach team covering livestock, animal care, food policy, food safety and commodity issues.
Boyer’s most recent position was with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources where he served as manager of Malabar Farm State Park and Mohican State Park and oversaw the state parks’ wastewater treatment plants. Previously he was an OFBF organization director in Crawford, Marion, Morrow and Richland counties and a vocational ag teacher for the Lucas Local School District.
A 1999 graduate of Ohio State University, he has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education and was a member of the 1998 livestock judging team. He is a 13-year member of the Richland County Farm Bureau and a member of the county Cattlemen’s Association. He has a beef cattle operation in Ashland County, and he and his wife, Belinda, have three children.
WOOSTER PROFS TO COMBINE FOR HEIDELBERG PERFORMANCE – Two music professors from The College of Wooster will combine to present “A Night at the Opera” as Heidelberg University’s School of Music & Theatre kicks off its spring semester performance season on Jan. 22.
“A Night at the Opera” is comprised of five opera fantasies for violin and piano by composer Jean Baptiste Singlée.
Violinist Thomas Wood, who has taught at Wooster since 1991, will collaborate with pianist Brian Dysktra, who teaches part time in retirement after serving on Wooster’s faculty from 1969-2007, for the guest recital at 7 p.m. in Brenneman Music Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
Wood and Dykstra have collaborated in recital for more than 20 years. A strong supporter of music by contemporary composers, Wood’s work as a scholar of the violin music of Max Bruch has received international recognition. A performer throughout the United States and in Spain, he was trained at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Juilliard-trained Dykstra has been an active performer with two popular CD recordings, “Neo-Ragtime” and “Ragtime Classics,” and 145 piano compositions for children to his credit.
