web1_Jerry-Onuaguluchi-9-11-15.jpg

Deal on table for New York City man accused of forging checks in Kingston

web1_marcellus.jpg

The Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition to hold meeting to discuss planned pipelines

<p>DALLAS &#8212; Twelve-year-old Austin Bonavita muscled his 1,500-pound Holstein dairy cow to stay in line during the 4-H Cattle Show at the Luzerne County Fair Thursday.</p><p>Raylene, the 2-year-old black cow, over-shadowed Bonavita, but obeyed his commands. Her compliance was the result of hours of training and two years of being cared for by Bonavita.</p><p>Bonavita learned to train and groom his dairy cow through the Susquehanna County 4-H Club.</p><p>The 4-H is a program for children, between the ages of 8 and 18, that teaches leadership skills, responsibility and compassion. The program is a collaborative effort between the Cooperative Extension Systems that includes the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of USDA, land grant universities and county government.</p><p>This is the first year the fair&#8217;s cattle show was open to 4-H groups from other counties, said Amy Salansky, a member of the Yellow Rose 4-H Club of Luzerne County.</p><p>&#8220;We used to compete within our own county,&#8221; Salansky said</p><p>The reason for the limitation lift was due to the declining numbers of family farms, she said.</p><p>&#8220;There are only 10 family dairy farms in Luzerne County,&#8221; Salansky said.</p><p>Raylene was one of over 50 different breeds of cattle taken to the Luzerne County Fair in Dallas to participate in Thursday&#8217;s 4-H Dairy Cow competition.</p><p>Each contestant was washed, brushed and groomed until their hair looked like velvet. However, each breed had its own &#8220;style&#8221; for grooming.</p><p>&#8220;Dairy cows are typically shaved, except for the hair on the top of their back,&#8221; Bonavita said. &#8220;The hair on the top is often spiked up.&#8221;</p><p>Unable to reach the top of Raylene, Bonavita relies on help from his family to groom the cow.</p><p>Carl Hoyt, 11, of Shickshinny, blow-dries his cow, Luther. A 1-year-old Black Angus cow, Luther has longer hair than a dairy cow, requiring a different grooming technique.</p><p>&#8220;It took about two hours to wash and dry him,&#8221; Hoyt said. &#8220;He (Luther) does not like to have his head blown (dried).&#8221;</p><p>Training a cow to be led with a harness is no easy feat, Salansky said.</p><p>&#8220;It is a year-long process,&#8221; said Destiney Rabe, 14, of Tunkhannock, a 4-H member from Wyoming County. &#8220;You have to train them (the cows) to walk a certain way.&#8221;</p><p>Rabe has been involved in the 4-H program for eight years and had her 8-month-old black and white Holstein named Deport at the show.</p><p>&#8220;She&#8217;s a good cow,&#8221; Rabe said, watching Deport lay down. &#8220;She won Junior Champion at the Wyoming County Fair. I am excited about that.&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_4h01.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Austin Bonavita, 12, of Auburn, and Raylene, a 2-year-old Holstein Dairy cow, participate in the 4-H Livestock Show at the Luzerne County Fair in Dallas Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_4h01.jpg</photo0><caption0>Austin Bonavita, 12, of Auburn, and Raylene, a 2-year-old Holstein Dairy cow, participate in the 4-H Livestock Show at the Luzerne County Fair in Dallas Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_4h02.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">4-H member Amanda Ravert, of Swoyersville, displays her showmanship with Scooter, a Holstein bull, during the Luzerne County Fair&#8217;s Cattle Show Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_4h02.jpg</photo1><caption1>4-H member Amanda Ravert, of Swoyersville, displays her showmanship with Scooter, a Holstein bull, during the Luzerne County Fair&#8217;s Cattle Show Thursday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_4h03.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Carl Hoyt, 11, of Shickshinny, enjoys caring and training Luther, his Black Angus cow. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_4h03.jpg</photo2><caption2>Carl Hoyt, 11, of Shickshinny, enjoys caring and training Luther, his Black Angus cow. </caption2><photoCredit2>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

4-H members display training achievements at Luzerne County Fair Cattle Show