Menu
Banner Graphic, Ella Marie Torr take Family Fun Day honors
The cloak-and-dagger affair that is surprising someone with the annual Spirit of the Fair award took on an extra dimension this week.
The challenge can be getting the recipient there without his or her knowledge of what’s happening.
That took on an extra dimension with two honorees this year, both of them used to be in on secrets that aren’t yet made public.
Yet the Putnam County Extension Homemakers were successful, coordinating with family members to get both Banner Graphic Editor Emeritus Eric Bernsee and Editor Jared Jernagan to Family Fun Day, where the veteran journalists were surprised not only their individual awards, but learning that the newspaper itself was the 2023 recipient of the honor.
There was also a challenge to make sure that Ella Marie Torr, recipient of the Edith and Noble Fry Memorial Award was in attendance, but that was also accomplished.
“Every year the Spirit of the Fair Award is given to a person or persons who help us out with promoting the adult open class department here at the fair,” Adult Open Class Supt. Jennifer Romalia said. “Sometimes they are right up front — sometimes they come from behind the scenes.”
Romalia then proceeded to introduce Bernsee, noting she became acquainted with him while swimming at Greencastle High School alongside Bernsee’s daughters in the 1990s, as well as her time in 4-H and in adult open class.
“This person can spin quite a yarn telling us stories about Hammerin’ Hank, election night news stories, even about bats in his belfrey,” she said.
Noting his Chicago roots, his knack for making “this county a better place through his way with words” and his penchant for iced teas, Dairy Castle flurries and Marvin’s GCBs, Romalia formally introduced Bernsee as the latest Spirit of the Fair winner about the time that he was surprised to find daughter Nicole and grandchildren Macy and Mack also in attendance.
Thinking he was there simply to cover Bernsee’s award, Jernagan was soon surprised as well, which Extension Homemakers President Kelly Robertson soon revealed.
“This has been one of the most memorable Spirit of the Fair awards that I have been a part of,” Robertson said. “I have been making new Facebook friends to send secret messages to network with family members of our recipients. I have made phone calls to cell phone numbers and saying, ‘I’m sorry, I have the wrong number,’ when the recipient answered instead of his wife.
“This guy is one of a kind,” Robertson continued. “I’d like to think he has learned from the best from Eric, and I know he has a strong commitment to publish and write stories about all the great things the Putnam County Extension Homemakers do here in the Adult Open Class and in our other endeavors.”
She finally revealed the second recipient with a prediction: “Just think, I bet we make the front page of the Banner Graphic for this one. Jared, come on up.”
Like Bernsee, Jernagan also had family in attendance, wife Nicole and children Miles and Hannah.
In Torr’s case, she is a longtime staple in the Adult Open Class and other Extension Homemaker events, but Robertson had to make sure on Wednesday.
She made some back-channel family contacts, but then heard some unwelcomed news from Torr herself on Saturday, when she said she didn’t think she was coming to Family Fun Day.
“Great help from the adult open class team to give her a job to do today so she would be here,” Robertson said.
Torr is a past president of Putnam County Extension Homemakers, has been committed to the adult open class program for years and “is good with numbers and check writing.”
Overwhelmed with the award and the number of family members in attendance, Torr had just a few words to say, “I have enjoyed coming into this building and doing the things I’ve done.”
