Each year, 4-H members across the county design thank-you cards with the hope that their card will win the organization’s annual contest.

The creative young artists design, draw, color and word the cards, and the best of the best are picked.

This year’s three winners, senior division, Jillian Auble; junior division, Madeline Ott and intermediate division, Maria Stanviano, all had one thing in common — modesty.

The design of Jillian Auble, 17, of Wellington, shown with her cow, “Dude,”won in the senior division.

And this isn’t even Jillian’s first time sharing her artwork with the country.

The Kids and Kritters 4-Her has entered the thank-you card design contest twice and won both times.

Still, she says she’s not an artist.

“It’s just kind of something I do,” she said. “It’s fun.”

Between cheerleading, classes and working on her family’s small farm, there isn’t much time for drawing, the 17-year-old Wellington High School senior said.

Still, she’s excited her card will be sent out across the county.

“It’s cool,” she said.

Jillian, who has been in 4-H since she was 9 years old, is taking dairy cows to the fair this year.

Depending on where she goes to college, she hopes to stay with 4-H for the next two years. Jillian wants to go into the medical field, possibly as a respiratory therapist.

The design of Maria Stanziano, 12, of Elyria, won in the intermediate division. (Photo by Chuck Humel, The Chronicle-Telegram.)

Maria, 12, already was planning for a future career in art when she found out she had won the thank-you card design contest.

“I didn’t really expect that,” she said. “I love drawing. I’ve thought about going to college for art. I’m not sure for what exactly, but I would be an art major.”

Maria, who is in her first year with the Carlisle True 4-Her’s, says drawing is her preferred medium. She likes to make portraits of her friends, but she mostly lets her inspiration guide her.

“Whatever inspires me, that’s what I draw,” she said. But she isn’t ready to call herself an artist quite yet.

When she doesn’t have pad and paper in hand, the Midview Middle School student likes hanging out with her friends and skateboarding and she wouldn’t dare to draw on her board.

“It was expensive,” she said. “I don’t think my dad would like that.”

Madeline doesn’t want to be an artist when she grows up — she wants to dance.

But the 12-year-old Vermilion resident still loves to draw.

She entered the thank-you design contest last year, but this is her first win.

The design of Madeline Ott, 12, of Vermilion, won in the junior division. (Photo by Steve Manheim, The Chronicle-Telegram.)

“I was so excited,” she said. “No one told me I won and I found out from my adviser at our bake sale. It’s exciting that (the cards) are going to everyone. I think people are going to like it.”

Her humorous card depicts two sheep by a bale of hay making witty banter. But the home-schooled seventh-grader usually prefers drawing pigs, she says.

The Brownhelm Perfection and BB’s 4-H member also has sewing, cooking and rabbit projects for the fair.

Contact Christina Jolliffe at 329-7155 or ctnews@chroniclet.com.

GRAFTON — It doesn’t take long for anyone to see why Stella may steal the show as far as small animals are concerned at this year’s Lorain County Fair.

The pint-sized marsupial native to Australia definitely can elicit the wow factor. At least that is what 16-year-old Veronica Vena hopes when she unveils her sugar glider for the first time at this year’s fair.

“I’ve never taken her to the fair before and I don’t know how she will do, but I think she will do just fine,” she said. “I just thought this year I will step out of the comfort zone of what I usually do.”

Besides Stella, Veronica will show chickens and guinea fowl at the fair.

Veronica Vena, 16, of Grafton, poses with her sugar glider, Stella, at her home.

Veronica, a 10-year member of the North Ridgeville Ridge Kids 4-H Club, never intended to use Stella as a fair project when she got her three years ago.

The teen, a junior at Midview High School, remembers just wanting the sugar glider as a pet. It was a wish she had long before Stella showed up at the family home just in time for Veronica’s 13th birthday.

“I don’t know why, but I think they are so cute,” she said of sugar gliders in general. “Plus, there are kind of exotic, and I like exotic animals.”

Actually, Veronica said her entire family is so into animals that she believes the number they have is around 50. Family pets and animals include everything from cats and dogs to horses and chicken. The family even owns a peacock.

But it’s Stella who constantly steals Veronica’s heart.

“I really like it when she jumps and glides,” she said. “In Australia, sugar gliders can jump from tree to tree and just sort of glide to where they want to go.”

In Grafton, Stella’s home is a multi-level cage in Veronica’s room. Nocturnal by nature, she spends most of her days sleeping and can be heard roaming her cage at night, sometimes munching on fruit or cooked chicken that Veronica places in her bowl.

“She makes this sound that is kind of like teeth chattering and she can bark, too, but only occasionally,” Veronica said. “You really have to play with her at night because she doesn’t like the light.”

Taking Stella out in the daytime, which happen on a recent Wednesday, can quickly turn into a game of hide-and-seek.

From Veronica’s back, where Stella quickly scurried as soon as she got out of her cage, it’s just a quick leap to the dresser. From there, the small furry creature dashes up Veronica’s majorette uniform, behind some boxes and under her bed.

“I have to be very careful with her,” Veronica said. “She can get out very fast.”

That’s why when Veronica brings Stella to this year’s fair she will not be far away. The entire family will be camped out nearby to ensure all their animals are just a stone’s throw away.

“It’s just easier with the animals if we are right there,” she said. “Plus, it’s a lot of fun.”

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

WELLINGTON — One of the sweetest features at the Lorain County Fair is the Kids Fun Show.

If a child can walk and talk, he or she is probably big enough to win a ribbon, plaque and hat.

Youngsters up to — and including 8-year-olds — are eligible to enter. They just have to show up with a parent or caretaker between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Thursday at the Junior Fair Show Ring at Barn No. 9.

There is no registration fee, and no grades or premium money will be given.

Ken Pete, who supervises the Kids Fun Show, said it was created several decades ago to give the youngest children a part in the fair.

“They bring anything from flowers to snakes to a draft horse, a cookie, cow, rabbit, sheep or even their little brother or sister,” Pete said.

Young fairgoers can bring their favorite things to the Lorain County Fair on Thursday and answer questions from interested adults, including Tracey Dodsley, right.

The item or animal should be one the child is familiar with and can tell a judge about.

“Some of them won’t say a word and their mom’s talking for them,” Pete said.

Juanita Wright, fair secretary, said her daughter Tammy took bunnies one year and a horse another year.

Wright and Pete said it is good experience for youngsters to learn how to speak publicly, and the judges are very kind.
“They have people who are so good with the kids,” Wright said.

Every year, there is a special surprise or two, but Pete said nothing beat the time when a child brought a 5-foot-long slithering friend.

“The kid brought a freaking snake and dumped it out of his backpack — the crowd dispersed, and I held it,” Pete said with a laugh.

Nonplussed, the judge proceeded with questions such as “What does this snake eat?” Pete said.

The Kids Fun Show can be considered a precursor to 4-H, and the LaGrange Sodbusters 4-H group helps by making the plaques for the children, Pete said.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.