Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Mare 3 years old

1. Mike Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Mare 4 years and older

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Danny Wright Jr.
3. Danny Wright Jr.

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Grand/Reserve Champ Mare

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Danny Wright Jr.

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Stallion 4 yrs & older

1. Jim or Cathy McClaflin

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Grand/Reserve Champ Stallion

1. Jim or Cathy McClaflin

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Gelding 3 yrs & under

1. Susan M Harizal
2. Kathy Beal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Gelding 4 yrs & older

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Danny Wright Jr.
3. Danny Wright Jr.

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Grand/Reserve Champ Gelding

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Danny Wright Jr.

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Matched Pair

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Danny Wright Jr.
3. Kathy Beal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Best 3 Head

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Jim or Cathy McClaflin
3. Mike Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Grand Champion Haflinger

1. Jim or Cathy McClaflin

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Draft Pony Shwship-18 & under

1. Ken Turner
2. Mike Bowman
3. Ken Turner

Ponies & Draft Horses — Registered Haflingers — Adult Draft Pony Showmanship

1. Danny Wright Jr.
2. Jerry/Julie Knoble
3. Mike Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Mare 2 yrs old

1. John Leedom

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Mare 3 yrs old

1. Larry Kuchenrither

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Mare 4 yrs & older

1. Brian Myers
2. Brian Myers
3. Tim Liepold

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Grand & Reserve Champ Mare

1. Brian Myers
2. Brian Myers

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Stallion/Gelding 3 yrs old

1. Larry Kuchenrither
2. Larry Kuchenrither

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Stallion/Gelding 4 yrs & older

1. Melinda M. Ternes
2. Larry Kuchenrither
3. Tim Liepold

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Grand & Reserve Stallion/Geld

1. Melinda M. Ternes
2. Larry Kuchenrither

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Matched Pair

1. Larry Kuchenrither
2. Melinda M. Ternes
3. Tim Liepold

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Best 3 Head

1. Larry Kuchenrither
2. Tim Liepold

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Grand Champ Grade Draft Pony

1. Melinda M. Ternes

Ponies & Draft Horses — Grade Draft Ponies-58″ & under — Supreme Champion Draft Pony

1. Jim or Cathy McClaflin

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Mare & Current Foal

1. Lisa Hord
2. Lisa Hord
3. Leigha Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Mare & Current Foal

1. Jerry (JGM B. Myers
2. Sherry R. Hopkins

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Current Foal

1. Lisa Hord
2. Lisa Hord
3. Leigha Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Current Foal

1. Jerry (JGM B. Myers
2. Sherry R. Hopkins
3. Rick A. Scott

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Yearling Mare

1. Thunderhoof Belgians
2. Sherry R Hopkins
3. Abfall Belgians

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Mare 2 yr old

1. Tom Younglas
2. Lisa Hord

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Mare 2 yr old

1. Melinda M. Ternes

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Mare 3 yr old

1. Lisa Hord

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Mare 3 yr old

1. Jerry (JGM B. Myers
2. Sherry R. Hopkins
3. Ben Miller

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Mare 4 yr & older

1. Sherry R. Hopkins
2. Tom Younglas
3. Lisa Hord

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Mare 4 yr & older

1. Al Schafer
2. Al Schafer
3. Jerry (JGM B. Myers

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — C/S/Spt Mare 4 yr & older

1. Lee Hines
2. Lee Hines
3. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron G & R Champ Mare

1. Lisa Hord
2. Sherry R Hopkins

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian G & R Champ Mare

1. Al Schafer
2. Jerry (JGM B Myers

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — C/S/Spt G & R Champ Mare

1. Lee Hines
2. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Stallion Yrlg & 2 yr

1. Lisa Hord
2. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Stallion Yrlg & 2 yr

1. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses – Draft Horses – Belgian Stallion 3 yr & older

1. Ben Miller
2. David Will
3. Ben Miller

Ponies & Draft Horses – Draft Horses – C/S/Spt Stallion 3 yr & older

1. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron G & R Champ Stallion

1. Lisa Hord
2. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian G & R Champ Stallion

1. Linda Ewell
2. Ben Miller

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — C/S/Spt G & R Champ Stallion

1. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Gelding 3 yr & under

1. Linda Ewell
2. Linda Ewell
3. Cheryl Gott

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Gelding 3 yr & under

1. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Gelding 4 yr & older

1. Cheryl Gott
2. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Gelding 4 yr & older

1. Matt Hignett
2. Matt Hignett
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron G & R Champ Gelding

1. Cheryl Gott
2. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian G & R Champ Gelding

1. Matt Hignett
2. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Matched Pair

1. Linda Ewell
2. Lisa Hord
3. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Matched Pair

1. Melinda M. Ternes
2. Matt Hignett
3. Ben Miller

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — C/S/Spt Matched Pair

1. Lee Hines
2. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Percheron Best 3 Head

1. Lisa Hord
2. Linda Ewell

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Belgian Best 3 Head

1. Jerry (JGM B. Myers
2. Melinda M. Ternes
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — C/S/Spt Best 3 Head

1. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Grand Champion Percheron

1. Lisa Hord

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Grand Champion Belgian

1. Al Schafer

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Grand Champion C/S/Spotted

1. Lee Hines

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — Supreme Champion Draft Horse

1. Lisa Hord

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — All Breeds Jr. 14-18 mare/geld

1. Carrie Bowman
2. Linda Ewell
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — All Breeds: Jr. 9-13 w/adult

1. Ginny Myers
2. Richard Barton
3. Jerry/Julie Knoble

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — All Breeds: Pee-Wee 8 & under

1. Lee Hines
2. Richard Barton

Ponies & Draft Horses — Draft Horses — All Breeds: Adult Showmanship

1. Melinda M. Ternes
2. Al Schafer
3. Ben Miller

Ponies & Draft Horses — Showmanship — Pleasure & Fine — Showmanship 8 yrs & under

1. Ryan Shumaker
2. Trisha Young
3. June Stapp

Ponies & Draft Horses — Showmanship — Pleasure & Fine — Showmanship 9 – 14 yrs old

1. Tim Liepold
2. Barbara (JGM Slack
3. June Stapp

Ponies & Draft Horses — Showmanship — Pleasure & Fine — Showmanship 15 -18 yrs old

1. Norman Kovach
2. June Stapp
3. Julie Hill

Ponies & Draft Horses — Showmanship — Pleasure & Fine — Showmanship 19 years & older

1. Julie Hill
2. Denise Kennedy
3. Rich Reid

Ponies & Draft Horses — Fine Type 58 in & under — Mares all ages

1. Shirley Sanislow
2. John Barber
3. Ellen M. Kurz

Ponies & Draft Horses — Fine Type 58 in & under — Stallion/Geldings all ages

1. Shirley Sanislow
2. Julie Hill
3. Julie Hill

Ponies & Draft Horses — Fine Type 58 in & under — Current Foal

1. Shirley Sanislow
2. Tracey Dodsley

Ponies & Draft Horses — Fine Type 58 in & under — G & R Champion Fine Type

1. Shirley Sanislow
2. Shirley Sanislow

Ponies & Draft Horses — Pleasure Type — Mares all ages ovr 50 und 58

1. Marilyn Springborn
2. Melinda M. Ternes
3. Trisha Young

Ponies & Draft Horses — Pleasure Type — Stalln/Geld all ages 50″-58″

1. Larry Kuchenrither
2. Beth Norton

Ponies & Draft Horses — Pleasure Type — Mares all ages (50″ &under)

1. John Leedom
2. Diane Young
3. Carrie Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Pleasure Type — Stallion/Geld all ages 50″ und

1. Beth Norton
2. John Leedom
3. Connie Kennedy

Ponies & Draft Horses — Pleasure Type — G & R Champ Pleasure Type

1. Larry Kuchenrither
2. Beth Norton

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Pony Lead-in/ over 50-under 58

1. Rich Reid
2. Rich Reid
3. Julie Hill

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Fine-type Driving/ 58″ & under

1. Shirley Sanislow
2. Shirley Sanislow
3. Julie Hill

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Pleasure M/G saddle 50″-58″

1. Rich Reid
2. Rich Reid
3. Norman Kovach

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Pony Lead-in 50″ & under

1. June Stapp
2. Carrie Bowman
3. Carrie Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Pleasure-type Drive-58″& und

1. Tim Liepold
2. Barbara J Kantola
3. Larry Kuchenrither

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Walk-Trot Equitation 58&und

1. Larry Kuchenrither
2. Ellen M Kurz

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Trail under saddle

1. Cheryl Gott
2. Kathy Beal
3. Julie Hill

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Draft Pony Walk — Trot

1. Susan M Harizal
2. Larry Kuchenrither
3. Kathy Beal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Performance — Draft Horse Walk — Trot

1. Al Schafer
2. Cheryl Gott
3. Jennifer/Mik Wyatt

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Cart — Lady over 18

1. Jerry/Julie Knoble
2. David Will
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Pony Cart — over 18

1. Forrest Wright
2. Forrest Wright
3. Tim Liepold

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Cart — Men over 18

1. Al Schafer
2. Jerry (JGM B. Myers
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Cart — Show Harness

1. Al Schafer
2. Melinda M. Ternes
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Pony Cart — Show Harness

1. Forrest Wright
2. Larry Kuchenrither
3. Larry Kuchenrither

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Pony Cart — Jr Driver

1. Forrest Wright
2. Jack & Sons Bowman
3. Susan M. Harizal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Cart — Jr Driver

1. Al Schafer
2. Linda Ewell
3. Ginny Myers

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Pony Team — over 18

1. Forrest Wright
2. Forrest Wright

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Team — over 18

1. Linda Ewell
2. Richard Barton
3. Matt Hignett

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Team — Show Harness

1. Al Schafer

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Pony Team — Show Harness

1. Forrest Wright
2. Larry Kuchenrither
3. Jack & Sons Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Pony Team — Jr Driver

1. Forrest Wright
2. Jack & Sons Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches-Draft H & P — Draft Horse Team — Jr Driver

1. Al Schafer
2. Linda Ewell
3. Lloyd Mull

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches — Draft H & P — Farm Horse Cart

1. Cheryl Gott
2. Melinda M Ternes
3. Tom Younglas

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches — Draft H & P — Farm Pony Cart

1. Ken Turner
2. John Leedom
3. Kathy Beal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches — Draft H & P — Farm Horse Team

1. Michael Davis
2. Lloyd Mull
3. Cheryl Gott

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches — Draft H & P — Farm Pony Team

1. Melinda M. Ternes
2. Ken Turner
3. Jim or Cathy McClaflin

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches — Draft H & P — Obstacle Course Team

1. Jim or Cathy McClaflin
2. Cheryl Gott
3. Jim or Cathy McClaflin

Ponies & Draft Horses — Stalled Hitches — Draft H & P — Obstacle Course Cart

1. Jim or Cathy McClaflin
2. Jim or Cathy McClaflin
3. Cheryl Gott

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Showmanship — 12 & under

1. Sierra Bourdess
2. Brianna Krieg
3. Emily Krieg

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Showmanship — 13 – 18

1. Heather Kuepfer
2. Danielle Heffernan
3. Sage Bourdess

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Showmanship- over 18

1. Connie Kennedy
2. Denise Kennedy
3. Denise Kennedy

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Stallions 2years & under

1. Ellen M. Kurz
2. Julie Hill
3. Julie Hill

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Stallions 3years & over

1. Madison Van Zandt
2. Tracey Dodsley
3. Tracey Dodsley

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Spotted stallions all ages

1. Tracey Dodsley
2. Barbara (JGM Slack
3. Barbara (JGM Slack

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Solid Stallions all ages

1. Madison Van Zandt
2. Ellen M Kurz
3. Carrie Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Grand Champion Stallion

1. Madison Van Zandt
2. Tracey Dodsley

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Mare & Current Foal

1. John Leedom
2. John Leedom
3. John Leedom

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Mares 2 years & under

1. Lisa Anderson
2. John Matus
3. Ellen M. Kurz

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Mares 3 years & over

1. Connie Kennedy
2. Shelby Balint
3. Ken Turner

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Spotted Mares all ages

1. Connie Kennedy
2. Ellen M. Kurz
3. Jordyn Likes

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Solid Mares all ages

1. Shelby Balint
2. Ellen M Kurz
3. June Stapp

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Grand Champion Mare

1. Connie Kennedy
2. Shelby Balint

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Geldings 2 yrs & under

1. Kayla Huffman
2. Alicia Pickworth
3. Kathy Beal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Geldings 3yrs & over

1. T.N.K. Hales Farm
2. Denise Kennedy
3. Autumn Likes

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Spotted Gelding all ages

1. T.N.K. Hales Farm
2. Barbara (JGM Slack
3. Denise Kennedy

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Solid Gelding all ages

1. Rachel M Tipton
2. Connie Kennedy
3. Sage Bourdess

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Grand Champion Gelding

1. T.N.K. Hales Farm
2. Denise Kennedy

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Draft Type Halter noneligible

1. Elaine Dieterich
2. Kathy Beal
3. Kathy Beal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Mini Donkey & Mule Halter

1. Susan M. Harizal
2. Carrie Bowman
3. Carrie Bowman

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Supreme Champ Mini Horse

No premium

1. Connie Kennedy

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Cart — Ladies to Drive — over 18

1. Connie Kennedy
2. Denise Kennedy
3. Cathy Rhoades

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Draft type cart Man or Lady

1. Kathy Beal
2. Kathy Beal
3. Susan M. Harizal

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Cart — Men to Drive over 18

1. Brent Wells
2. Gail Hayden
3. John Leedom

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Cart — Driver 12 & under

1. Brent Wells
2. Amber Schaab
3. Brent Wells

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Cart — Driver 13-18

1. Heather Kuepfer
2. Cathy Rhoades
3. Red Davis

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Draft type team

1. John Matus
2. Kathy Beal
3. John Matus

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — In hand Jumping

1. Connie Kennedy
2. Danielle Heffernan
3. Shelby Pay

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — In hand trail

1. Heather Kuepfer
2. Sage Bourdess
3. Connie Kennedy

Ponies & Draft Horses — Miniature Horses — Lead-line

1. Autumn Likes
2. Brent Wells
3. Denise Kennedy

ELYRIA — After more than two years of impassioned speeches and detailed presentations, the long-awaited fire management study was supposed to finally stop friction between the city administration and Fire Department.

Yet Wednesday night saw more of the same as McGrath Consulting Group returned for a second public meeting, and this time its representatives were the ones on the defensive.

Dean Marks, president of the local firefighter’s union, has said that the 331-page report is full of contradictions, errors and misinformation. He came to the meeting armed with a 60-page rebuttal and peppered consultants Tim and Victoria McGrath with questions.

“I don’t know how much research went into this,” he said. “The overall mood of this audit is firefighters take too much time off and have a lucrative contract.”

The idea of the audit was to unveil the strengths and weaknesses of the department — “a playbook for the future,” Marks said. But instead it turned into a tool for negotiating a contract.

“Even in these trying times, safety cannot be compromised to save a buck.” Marks said.

Both McGraths defended their audit and called on the administration and Fire Department to move forward.
“I say this again,” said Tim McGrath, a firefighter before he because a consultant. “This is a book of opportunities. I understand what everyone is saying, but what I didn’t hear is someone asking, ‘What is the opportunity to move forward?’ I’m not that bright, but even I can see that every time I walk in this city there are fewer and fewer firefighters. What you are doing is not moving forward.”

Nonetheless, Marks not only called on McGrath to revise the report but also asked for a public apology from the consulting group and the city administration for releasing the flawed information that has tainted public perception of the Fire Department.

When the report was first made public, it was learned hours later that a possible error was contained in it. The error was the calculation of the average number of days an average firefighter works. The report first numbered the days at 57.69. It was later changed to 82.75, but by then members of the Fire Department said the damage had been done.

“Mr. McGrath, the last time you were here you said the public loves us and use that,” said now-retired firefighter Mark Horton. “Well, the public doesn’t love us anymore, and that’s because of the misinformation put out there.”

Council members were still ready to hear about what should happen next.

“What I want to see come out of this is the administration and Fire Department to put together an action plan for implementing recommendations from the audit,” said Councilman Mark Craig, I-4th Ward. “Council has to force joint cooperation.”

Likewise, Councilman Mike Lotko, D-at large, said it’s time Council demands the lines of communication between the two remain open.

Unlike his fellow council members, Councilman Kevin Brubaker, D-at large, said he is not ready to accept the audit as unflawed. Before the meeting he said he had 47 questions pertaining to the report.

“I’m just not convinced enough fact finding and research was done in the audit,” he said.

City leaders may not agree on many things in relation to the controversial study, but one thing emerged as common ground Wednesday.

Despite the detailed report calling into question Fire Chief Rich Benton’s capabilities to lead the department, city leaders said they support the new chief and believe he can use the in-depth audit to turn around the department.

Lotko was the first to speak out against the audit, which described Benton as a “nice individual who has little experience in dealing with the administrative, fiscal, political and public relations issues that is required of the position of fire chief.” He asked Victoria McGrath, principal partner in the group and a lead consultant, to quantify how she came to her conclusion.

“I know he lacks experience as a chief, but sometimes people with experience don’t make good chiefs,” he said.

Councilman Larry Tanner, D-1st Ward, echoed the sentiment.

“I don’t buy that, and I don’t see where you come off saying he is not ready,” he said. “Who knows that Fire Department and those men better than someone who has been there? What the audit should have said, but didn’t, is he needs to be left to be chief and do the job of chief. If he could be chief and deal with his men, everything — even negotiations — would go smoother.”

Victoria McGrath said she stands behind her assessment that Benton would need a mentor to guide him through rebuilding the department but has since softened her stance.

“The more I come here, the more I can acknowledge he is showing great leadership skills — he still can’t do it alone,” she said.

Others may not be ready to use the audit as a tool for change, but Benton said he is, to a degree.

So far, he has begun the process of transferring fire dispatching duties to the Lorain County 911 system, is working on a plan to bolster emergency medical service in the department by working with LifeCare, is moving the administrative offices from the Broad Street fire station to the Cedar Street fire station and is making training a bigger priority.

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

Jeannette Penman was dressed to the nines this afternoon in the front room of the Elyria Township home she shares with her daughter and son-in-law.

And nines were pretty much the theme of her big day today.

People around the world marked 9/9/09 — the last in a series of single-digit repeating days — in a variety of ways. Penman, though, said she planned to spend a quiet day with two more nines — it’s her 99th birthday.

Her plans include waiting for a call from her granddaughter and her husband, who live in France. She celebrated on Sunday with a small family get-together — dinner, ice cream and cake.

Her family plans to reserve the real party for 100, and it’s clear talking to Penman she’s got a few more birthdays to come.

“She’s very aware of things, still takes care of herself and helps my mother,” said granddaughter Debbie McFetridge, who lives in Ormand Beach, Fla. “She’s not one these that just sits there.”

Penman said she gets around well. She uses a cane and has a walker “just in case” but rarely uses it. She never had surgery till she was 85 and even still has her tonsils.

She’s been independent her whole life, she said. She learned to drive a car at age 12, and drove until she had that surgery 14 years ago.

She was the youngest of eight kids and has outlived all her siblings. She had two daughters, and lost one in 1947 when she was hit by a car at eight years old.

“It’s still tough,” said daughter Beverly Pandy. “You go on, but you never get over it.”

Penman has two granddaughters, six great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.

She was born in Norwalk and as a girl lived in Iowa — where her dad, a minister, went to serve a church — and has traveled quite a bit. She worked as a sales clerk in downtown Elyria and in medical records at Elyria Memorial Hospital.

Her secret to longevity?

She’s never smoked, she said, and she “takes a little glass of wine once in a while.”

She’s seen a lot of things come about in her lifetime, she said. She recalls growing up in Iowa without indoor plumbing, yet she celebrated 99 in the most modern of ways — on a Skype video chat with McFetridge and her family singing “Happy Birthday” from Florida.

And for 100 next year?

“There’ll be fireworks at that one,” laughed Pandy.

Elsewhere, 9/9/09 proved to be popular for Las Vegas wedding chapels.

Wedding officials in Sin City were preparing Wednesday for one of the busiest days of the year because of the quirky date.

Jessica Skrutvold of Las Vegas told the Associated Press she and her husband-to-be Chad Lyons were expecting nine guests for their 9 p.m. wedding, which coincidentally celebrates her favorite number.

“The easiest day for my poor memory to remember was 9-9-09, and we’ve been doing everything last minute ever since,” said the 31-year-old.

In Britain, where 999 is the emergency call number, the date has sparked a wedding rush, according to the BBC, and is predicted to be especially popular for emergency service workers.

Couples in China were even more eager to tie the knot. The Chinese word for “nine” sounds similar to the word for “forever.”

200 couples were married in a mass ceremony at the Thean Hou temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The movie “9,” a computer-animated fantasy about life after the apocalypse, has pegged its opening to 9/9/09 while restaurants dotted across the United States are offering special meal deals for $99 or, for recession-hit wallets, $9.09, Reuters reported.

Urlesque.com played off cats’ nine lives, issuing a call that 9/9/09 be “A Day Without Cats on the Internet” to protest the quantity of cute cat photos and videos online. “We can all agree that cats need a break,” the site’s editor said in a statement.

Only Japan wasn’t getting in on the fun.

In Japanese the word for nine is pronounced like the word for agony or torture and is considered very unlucky, second only to four, which sounds like death, Reuters reported.

Some Japanese hospitals don’t have these numbers as room numbers or even floor numbers and All Nippon Airways omits rows four, nine and 13 from its planes, according to travel websites.

Contact Rona Proudfoot at 329-7124 or rproudfoot@chroniclet.com.