COUNTYWIDE : 6 Teen-Agers Named to 4-H All-Star Team

Six Ventura County youths have been named to the All-Star Team of the University of California 4-H Program of Ventura County.

Becky Albitre, 16, of Agoura; Jennifer Atkinson, 15, of Ventura; Thomas Bahrman, 17, of Santa Paula; Hattie Cobb, 16, of Camarillo, and Cathy Gieger, 16, and Sean Reichle, 17, both of Thousand Oaks, were selected for the team, the countywide group’s highest honor.

“They apply for All-Star by submitting records of their work in 4-H, then they go through individual interviews with a panel of judges and give a two- to three-minute speech,” said Laurie Vanoni, 4-H program assistant for Ventura County.

As All-Star Team members, the youths will mentor younger 4-H members, provide guidance in various 4-H programs throughout the county and attend leadership training seminars at UC Davis.

Atkinson will travel to Japan as an exchange student with a Japanese 4-H club, Vanoni said.

The Ventura County group, part of the University of California Cooperative Extension program, is parent organization to 27 4-H clubs in the county. About 760 youths and 350 adult volunteer leaders participate in the clubs.

The organization was established in California about 77 years ago largely to disseminate agricultural information. Vanoni said today’s 4-H projects can focus on virtually anything of interest to members.

“There are projects in computer science, conservation and ecology, veterinary science and arts and crafts,” Vanoni said. “We’ve had kids in Ventura County with marine biology and astronomy projects.”