High Points of the Valley (Graphic Illustration)

* Summer camp season is upon us, and Mid-Ohio Valley (and beyond) youth are getting incredible experiences through programs such as Wood County 4-H Camping or Scouting BSA’s Camp Kootaga. In Wirt County, Camp Kootaga hosted hundreds of young people ready to have fun and learn valuable skills. At the Wood County grounds, 4-H campers took part in educational activities, arts and crafts and council circle around the campfire. It’s a chance for kids to hone their social abilities and meet people outside their normal circle of friends. That’s crucial in this era where it is more important than ever to seek out different perspectives and learn from them. And don’t worry, organizers made sure the kids stayed cool. “We have been encouraging everyone and making sure they have been drinking water,” said Camp Kootaga Program Director Colleen Sergent. “They are buying slushies and ice cream like there is no tomorrow.”

* During last month’s American Radio Relay League Field Day, participants had a little fun while also running an emergency preparedness exercise for a vital resource. “It is fun,” said Larry Dale of the Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub. “We experiment with the radios and make sure they are working. The real exercise is for us to be ready in the event of an emergency to use our skills and equipment to provide backup or sole communications.” In fact, members of the club made more than 545 contacts in the U.S. and Canada through the event, using radios, antennas and other equipment set up quickly and fueled by a gasoline-powered generator. “It doesn’t take long to realize how significant being prepared is,” Dale said. Indeed. Thank goodness there are folks right here in the Mid-Ohio Valley who DO realize it, and make sure they are.