YELLOWSTONE COUNTY MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION

The YCMGA held a special event to award several of its participants certificates and accolades in recognition of their significant achievements in the past year. The event, held on a special Master Gardeners Night at the Mustangs in Bllings, was the kickoff of an annual ceremony to recognize the accomplishments of Yellowstone County Master Gardeners. The following members were the 2015 recipients:

-remarks by Amy Grandpree at the YCMGA Night at the Mustangs Event

Cory Glasser

Cory isn’t technically a Master Gardener, but you wouldn’t know it, as he’s a most active program supporter. He’s been most valuable in coordinating and developing the Yellowstone County Master Gardener Association web site with wife and Master Gardener Joann Glasser.

He’s spent some painstaking time with me….helping me to learn the ins and outs of a most difficult calendar syncing program….with lots of glitches!

You’ll see him assisting Joann with all kinds of projects, but most recently he’s been involved in the Metra Education Center and Greenhouse. He’s helped to get, just right, the layout of the up and coming children’s area, complete with a landscaping area of decorative stone….with lots of odd angles and figuring involved. Just the other day he was at the greenhouse site, working with Joann, helping to remove sod.

The certificate presented is a token of our appreciation for giving your time and talents so generously to our program, plus a bit of a treat for you and Joann at the Rib and Chop House.

Joann Glasser

Joann is a type of wonder woman. She comes equipped to do just about anything….and if she isn’t equipped, she’ll be shortly. She’s efficient at wielding most man tools, and seems to own most of them for our use. I was most impressed when we were putting up the square foot garden fence…as she had an arsenal of tools needed to get it done.

She’s been with our program since 2008 and has been most generous in sharing her abilities and lots of volunteer time, especially at the Metra. She’s now actively coordinating the children’s area at the Metra Education Center and Greenhouse….and it’s a big project.

She’s also graciously worked through the volunteer work program through ConocoPhillips to earn a $1000 grant towards our program, which literally kept it a float during a pretty lean time. She’s a great possibility thinker and doesn’t shy away from the work that follows...and often times its hard work.

She’s a great asset to our program and a great example of what one can do with woman muscle and know how. She’s also arrived at 600 volunteer hours and that means a $50 bonus check. Congratulations.

Mike Ervin

Mike Ervin, husband of Master Gardener Gloria Ervin, has graciously supported our program through not only volunteering his time, but using those volunteer hours through the ExxonMobil volunteer program to gain a total so far of $3500 grant funding toward our program. It’s these dollars that have mostly funded our newest Metra project, the Education Center and Greenhouse.

He’s been Corry Mordeaux's right hand man through most of the initial installation of this project, and is also a man of many skills and talents. This certificate and gift card to Rib and Chop house is a token of our appreciation for all you’ve done, and continue to do.

Corry Mordeaux

Corry has been with the Master Gardener Program since 2000 and he plugged in a good 50 volunteer hours a year. Then in 2012 his volunteer hours went to about 200 hours a year, dedicating his talents further to the needs of several projects….one of those being the pursuit of creating the Yellowstone County Master Gardener Association, where he dedicated much time and research developing the By Laws and getting our non-profit 501(c)(3) tax free status secured…a HUGE accomplishment.

He’s also our grant, go to man, and is our Friday afternoon Master Gardener class coordinator. This year he’s already gotten 220 hours in, and the reason is his support and dedication to the Metra Education Center and Greenhouse. Without his coordination and hard work….this project would not exist. He’s spent countless hours researching and planning out this project. He was brilliant in coordinating Mike’s volunteer services to not only help with installing the project, but also to utilize the ExxonMobil volunteer work program to mostly fund the project.

As a result, in 2014 he totaled 1200 volunteer hours and is qualified to receive the Mantle Clock Reward (only 3 given out so far!)…but then he’s plugged in 200 more hours this year, making a total of 1400 volunteer hours…so he is also the recipient of a nice new $125 check.

Corry is a joy to work with, is amazingly skilled in many areas, and I’m so proud to have him as a friend and co-worker towards the goals of the Master Gardener program. Congratulations.