Fair Faces

We put out a tab on the week before the Fairfield County Fair each year. The reporters find individuals to talk about their past experiences with the fair or what new fun they are hoping to have. Then we are sent out to shoot portraits for each story. Here are a few from the week.

Tom Simmons, 77, and his daughter Linda Bozman, 55, ride in a cart behind Simmons' mules, Bell (right) and Nell. Simmons, has been involved with the Fairfield County Fair since the 1950's. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Cindy Jordan, (second from right) has encouraged her children's involvement with the Just Kidding 4-H Club in Sugar Grove. Siblings, Jacob, 10, (from left) Clarissa, 13, and Isaac, 12, will compete with chickens in this year's Fairfield County Fair. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Bonnie Stanley holds a frame with a story about her award winning lamb that she competed with in the Fairfield County Fair in 1955. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Nelson Trimmer, 87, of Millersport, has been attending the Fairfield County Fair every year of his life except while he was away from home, fighting for the United States in World War II. Trimmer is a member of the Lancaster Old Car Club, which operates the old time gas station display at the fair each year with antique gas pumps and other memorabilia. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

The Student Becomes the Teacher

Student teacher Lee Anne Schoonover picks a student from the sea of raised arms to answer a question during a language arts class at Tarhe Elementary School on Friday, September 23. Friday was Schoonover's first day leading a full day of classes on her own. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Lee Anne Schoonover walks among a sea of raised arms after asking a question of her sixth grade language arts class. The eager students wave their hands high over their heads to be picked to give the correct answer. Schoonover said this is the response that lets her know she is making a difference.
Schoonover, a student from Ohio University-Lancaster Campus, will soon complete her student teaching requirements at Tarhe Elementary School. Once she finishes her stint at Tarhe, Schoonover will have fulfilled all the requirements necessary for her Middle Childhood Education certification, enabling her to teach full time in the fourth through ninth grade levels.
“I used to coach youth sports when I was in high school,” Schoonover explained. “It was then that I discovered the excitement of being responsible for those I-get-it moments that children have when they learn something new.”
In addition to the jumpstart into education that she got as a coach, Schoonover said she was also led into teaching as part of the family business. Her father Jamie is a teacher for the Columbus Public School District and her mother Denise teaches in the Fairfield Union School District. Schoonover said that although her parents teach on opposite sides of the spectrum, as far as school size and attitudes are concerned, she has always seen similar dedication and love from her parents for their students.
Schoonover did not know what to expect when she arrived for her first day in front of a class, though she was surprised by the behavior of the students. “The students here come in ready and willing to learn,” Schoonover said.
On Friday, Schoonover spent her first day in front of the class unassisted by the student’s regular teacher, Amy Sines. As the school bells rang out, students filed in and out of her classroom and listened intently to Schoonover’s instruction. A growing since of confidence began to show in Schoonover’s demeanor as each hour passed.
It is not just the children that student teachers like Schoonover have to accustom themselves to. They also need to come in as peers to the veteran teaching staff. On her way back to her classroom after quickly eating her lunch and joking with the other educators in the Tarhe teacher’s lounge, Schoonover poured out praise for the faculty.
“The teachers here have been helpful in every way,” Schoonover said. She added that the sixth grade teachers, in particular, have taken her under their wing and helped her along. As her students play outside during an after-lunch recess, Schoonover makes a quick call to her boyfriend Brian Mason, who is out of town on business. After a quick catch up conversation she heads back to collect her children. Schoonover said she would like to stay in the fourth to sixth grade levels when she finds a job, but adds that she will take what she can get to get her foot in the door. Wherever she goes, Schoonover will take her newly gained experience to help a new set of students have those “I-get-it” moments. (Story Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Schoonover writes out notes on an overhead projector during a language arts class at Tarhe Elementary School on Friday, September 23. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Schoonover helps sixth grader Carey Gard, 12, with a problem during a language arts class at Tarhe Elementary School on Friday, September 23. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Sixth grade teacher Sabrina Zander (left) jokes with student teacher Lee Anne Schoonover while taking a hurried lunch break in the teacher's lounge at Tarhe Elementary School on Friday, September 23. In addition to gaining the respect and trust of the children in her class, interaction with the veteran teachers plays a major part of Schoonover's experience at Tarhe. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Schoonover takes advantage of a brief quiet moment while the students are at recess to call her boyfriend who is away on business. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Schoonover talks with sixth grader Mikaela Hansen, 11, while her class enjoys an after lunch recess period at Tarhe Elementary School on Friday, September 23. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Standing Alone

Officer Roger Humphries stands beside the "Pickerington Protector" statue in front of the Pickerington Police Department on Tuesday, September 27. Aside from the troopers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Humphries is the only African-American peace officer in Fairfield County. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

This was a last minute assignment about the lack of diversity in the Fairfield County law enforcement community. There was not time allotted to shoot Humphries in interaction with fellow officers so I shot him with the policeman statue outside of the department. I like the light but I don’t know if I really told a story with the photo.

Cross Country

Fairfield Union High School junior Aubrey Ruff trudges up an arduous hill while competing in the Division II Girls race at the Lancaster Invitational Saturday, September 24. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

A Little Something for the "COPS" Crowd

One of our reporters heard that the police were quietly trying to flush out a local who had warrants out in several central Ohio counties. When we heard a specific location for a sighting we took the reporter’s car out to the scene.

As we walked around near where the cops were, everyone started moving north quickly. When we caught up with the very swift officers they were putting Mr. Wilson in the back of a squad car. While he was there, I kept trying to get a shot with his face in it. He looked away every time I got in range and in focus. Finally I drifted back away from the cruiser. While a detective outside of the driver’s side of the car questioned him, I casually snuck up to the other side. I zone focused for where his head would be once I was at the side of the door. As soon as I got to the window and he heard the shutter, he blew up. What would have just been a crappy shot of the side of his face, ended up being a pretty good shot.
The response to this photo has been overwhelming. From the high school football game to Sunday at church, I have had an onslaught of comments. The most frequent question is, “What was he saying?” That’s okay but the question is usually followed up with, “That guy’s a lunatic!” (Or other likeminded comment).

William R. Wilson sits in the back of a police cruiser on Wednesday, September 28, after leading a gaggle of officers and detectives from the Lancaster Police Department on a downtown foot chase that ended in an alley between Mulberry and King Streets - one block away from the Lancaster High School Stanbery Fresman Campus. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Layers

A MedFlight helicopter lifts off from the scene while a trooper from the Ohio State Highway Patrol investigates a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of State Route 159 and Heigle Road Tuesday, September 20. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

High School Football

Canal Winchester's Elton Davis (29) is knocked out of bounds by Andy Mix, (20) of Liberty Union, just before the goal line in the first quarter of the Indian's game against the Lions Friday, September 9. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Canal Winchester's Jeromy Eddy (74) gets directions from assistant coach Scott Brinker during the Indian's game against the Lions Friday, September 9. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Fence Painting

Nothing fancy. I just liked the lines.

Lancaster Department of Transportation employee Terry Phillips sprays a coat of black paint on the brass gate at the entrance of the Forest Rose Cemetery Thursday, September 8. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)

Restocking

I found this lady when I was looking for one of my bi-weekly photo packages/stories. She was fairly hard to convince that her work was worthy of space in a newspaper.
The package was okay, and the story got the point across, but I really loved this one image.
This is just a quiet look at a nice woman who volunteers her time at our local library. It's nice when we can introduce people to our readers who are doing their part to help the community without screaming from the rooftops to get attention. Not that there is a problem with covering the Red Cross blood drives or Habitat for Humanity construction sites; it's just refreshing to cover those people who would never think to tell other people about the good deeds that they do.

Ruth Hood restocks and straightens shelves at Books & Such, the book store at the Lancaster branch of the Fairfield County District Library, on Friday, August 19. The Friends of the Fairfield County District Library recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of the store, which opened in August of 2000. (Copyright Ken Ritchie/Eagle-Gazette)