Reading Council is honored

CHARLESTON - The Brooke County Reading Council and its co-presidents, Maryann Ehle and Sharon Cuomo, were presented several awards in recognition of their leadership in literacy education at the 43rd annual conference of the West Virginia Reading Association.

Ehle and Cuomo were awarded honor president status by the state association and the council was named an honor council by the International Reading Council for their efforts to promote reading to children and teens and their families.

A storyboard and tree depicting the council's various activities for the 2007-08 year also earned the pair and council a WVRA President's Award.

In addition to Ehle and Cuomo, the council's officers are: arla Bensie and Carolyn Forrester, co-vice presidents; Elaine Merriner, membership chairman; Shirley Cuomo, secretary; and Jenny K. Stucin, treasurer.

Ehle was awarded the association's Cynthia Lorentz-Cook grant, which will be used to continue Family Fun Nights held by the council at the Brooke County Public Library. Volunteers with the council and library read stories and lead children and their families in crafts, puppet shows and other activities during the programs, which are held once or twice each month.

Also involved in the programs are Mary Kay Wallace, the library's director; and Kim Harless, the library's educational programs coordinator.

In additon to the Family Fun Nights, the council holds a Spring Fling event, at which students of various ages are invited to share their writing at a meal hosted by the group; a membership tea and appreciation dinner to honor council representatives at local schools.

They are: Kim Rager, Sandy Baldauf, Robyn Heaton, Linda Miller, Debbie Rea, Carmela Sheposh, Patty Blanco and Marcia Schwertfeger.

As chairman of the WVRA citations and awards committee, Cuomo and fellow council member Linda Arbogast presented citations and awards at the conference's awards dinner.

Ehle also reported on various council projects, including a comprehensive annotated bibliography of Appalachian literature, which she shared with all WVRA members.