The Lycoming County Commissioners met for their weekly meeting on Thursday, July 14th, at 10:00 a.m. The agenda was not much different than any other in the past number of years. It opened with the standard protocols of prayer, pledge of allegiance, approval of previous meeting minutes, etc.
At most of these meetings, there is a county employee or two who would receive some recognition or service awards, followed by the ‘business’ stuff — reports, action items, etc. The ‘big’ issue this particular day was the passage of a zoning ordinance related to solar facilities.
This had been in the works for several months, and Mark Hass, the Development Services Supervisor for the Lycoming County Zoning Hearing Board, gave an excellent review of the new amendment ordinance. After some brief comments from the commissioners, it passed quickly.
But before this action, something else happened. On the agenda were three individuals who were to be recognized. Generally, these recognition ceremonies are upbeat and affirming, often with colleagues of the person being recognized in attendance. Yet, this day’s recognition of three individuals was rather different. They spoke volumes about what makes Lycoming County someplace special.
The first was Jim Schriner, who was recognized for thirty years in the Adult Probation Department. Listening to his many accomplishments was absolutely awesome, especially in his commitment to school training for every school in the county. What made Schriner’s recognition so interesting was to note how highly praised he was by his superiors and yet teased so actively by his colleagues. (Losing one of his front teeth must have been one for the books.) When Schriner received his award and got the obligatory picture with the commissioners, he insisted that every single person in his department who were at the ceremony should also get in the picture with him. It was a classy act that affirmed what the others had been telling about him.
The second individual to be recognized was Wendy Hastings, who was retiring from the Office of Public Safety, arguably one of the most important components of county government. The 911 center, emergency management, and emergency medical services all fall under the direction of Jeff Hutchins, who became Director of Public Safety on February 23, 2020, just a couple of weeks before the COVID shutdown. Key people in the department, such as Wendy Hastings, kept the wheels running in the midst of the chaos that soon materialized.
Listening to the accolades that ‘Hutch’ recited about Hastings was pretty astounding. He walked through the number of activities that she has been responsible over the past decades, which covered everything imaginable from floods, hurricanes, and of course, pandemics. Three years of pressure like this would be more than most of us could put up; Wendy endured three decades of it! It is remarkable how hard these individuals work so we can rest peacefully and safely in our homes every night.
The third recognition was for a ten-year service award for Keely Hitchens from the Veterans Affairs office. Lycoming County’s VA office is arguably one of the best in the entire state of Pennsylvania. For years it has been recognized for the number of benefits it has been able to access for county veterans. Keely is a key aide to Mike McMunn, the department director. Given the lofty accolades placed upon the two previous honorees, it was hard to see how Keely Hitchens could stand out.
Yet as the presentation was made to Keely, the feature that was highlighted was not just her dedication to her job and others around her, but the incredible beauty of her personality. This lady has a character that causes others to brighten just by being around her. Commissioner Metzger summed it up when he described Keely as “a woman of her faith, and who lives the fruit of that faith every day. She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most helpful persons you will meet in your entire lifetime.” In the hundreds of presentations I have witnessed in the past decade, I never remember anyone more highly praised for their character.
Reflecting on these three faithful county employees, it demonstrates what makes Lycoming County so special. Doing a good job is certainly important, but when it is done with commitment, professionalism, dedication, and character, it becomes more than a job. This is serving in the sincerest meaning of the word.
Sometimes the most routine meeting can come alive with pride when the light gets to shine for just a moment on the individuals that work so diligently and faithfully for our benefit in Lycoming County government offices. They deserve all the recognition they can get.
