Several to be honored with Governor’s awards

By Samantha Pidde
Herald Staff Writer

November 17, 2008 10:39 am

— CLINTON — A number of Clinton County individuals and groups will be receiving the Governor’s Volunteer Award at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Tuesday.
Clinton County recipients of the award hail from Clinton, DeWitt, Camanche and Lost Nation. From Clinton, the Lincoln High School students and staff and Julie Allesee will be presented with the award. Lincoln High was nominated by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Allesee was nominated by the Iowa Department of Economic Development for her work as president of the Travel Federation of Iowa during the 2007 fiscal year. The Travel Federation of Iowa is a volunteer-based lobbying group for tourism throughout Iowa. Allesee said she is happy and honored to be receiving an award for her work on the board.
“I was just pleased to serve on the Travel Federation of Iowa board in support of the travel industry,” said Allesee.
Vickie Costello, of Camanche, said she also is honored to be receiving the Governor’s Volunteer Award. She was nominated by the Iowa Department of Education through the principal of Camanche Middle School for her volunteer work at the school. Costello has been volunteering her time for the past seven years, giving students clarinet lessons.
Retired teacher Susan Drury, of Lost Nation, is also nominated by the Iowa Department of Education for her volunteer work at the Midland Elementary School in Lost Nation. Drury has been working with sixth-graders in math teams.
As noted in a Clinton Herald story on Saturday, 15-year-old Joshua Willey, of DeWitt, will receive the award for raising more than $31,000 for the DeWitt CROP Hunger Walk during the past decade by himself. Willey first participated in the CROP walk at age 3.
The Governor’s Volunteer Award ceremony originally had been scheduled for June, but was postponed due to this year’s flood damage. The event will be held in the university’s fine arts center.