Charlie Hanford Valedictorian

Charlie Hanford is the Valedictorian of the Class of 2011 at the Town of Webb School. He has attended the Town of Webb School since kindergarten.

During his school career, he has participated in Student Council, National Honor Society, Key Club, Travel Club and Book Club.

In his senior year he was vice-president of Key Club and treasurer of both Travel Club and the National Honor Society. As a sophomore, he attended the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership program (HOBY).

He played French Horn in the school band and also the pit band for various musicals.

His favorite class is Ceramics, and he has made more than 30 “fantastic” pieces this year.

In his free time Charlie likes to read and go hiking. He has worked part-time at the Strand Theatre for four years and he was a Play School Counselor for the Town of Webb Summer Recreation Program for three years.

He volunteers his time every Monday during the summer helping the Old Forge Fire Department with their Bingo games.

In the fall he will attend Wilkes University’s Nesbitt School of Pharmacy in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

To prepare for pharmacy school, Charlie has had an internship this past year at the local Kinney Drug Store through the Educational Studies Career Opportunities (ESCO) program at school.

He said he is very excited about being able to live in a city when he attends college, after living in a small town his whole life. He said is ready to experience the new activities that a city has to offer.

He is the son of Chuck and Lisa Hanford of Old Forge. He has a sister, Chelsea graduated from the Town of Webb School in 2007.

Michael Branch

Salutatorian Michael Branch, Salutator-ian for the Class of 2011 at the Town of Webb School will attend Elmira College in the fall to major in International Studies and he hopes to study abroad during his third term, in either France or China.

After attending the Tufts University Summit Program in the French Alps last summer and learning, “why countries do what they do,” he realized that Interna-tional Relations was a field he wanted to pursue.

He was able to increase his global studies this year, by taking a Mandarin Chinese language course in the Distance Learning Room at school provided through New Hartford Central School.

He will be attending a Chinese Summer Camp for Mandarin in July. “It’s an immersive program,” he said.

He also traveled to Mexico this year with “The Lamp” program at Niccolls Church.

Michael has attended the Town of Webb School since his sophomore year after moving from New Jersey, and during the last three years he has has volunteered 139 hours of community service as a member of Key Club.

He is also a member of Travel Club and Varsity Club, and president of the National Honor Society.

He has played piano since the 5th grade, and he accompanies the Stage Band. When he has time, he likes to read. He also enjoys skiing. His school sports include track and field.

Michael was named Student of the Month for December by The Kiwanis Club of the Central Adirondacks, and he was cast as Big Jule In “Guys and Dolls,” the Vocal Music Department’s broadway musical presented in March.

Last winter he worked at Last Run Café at McCauley Mountain for Nick Bankert and will work at Adirondack Café this summer.

He is the son of Jody Branch of Old Forge and David Branch of Hackettstown, NJ. He has a brother Nick who is 12 and a sister Sarah, who is 15.

Courtney Holt

Co-Laureate Courtney Holt, Co-Laureate of the Town of Webb School’s Class of 2011 will attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva in the fall to major in Psychology and minor in Spanish.

“It was the only school I applied to,” she said. “The school is similar to Old Forge. It’s small and close knit.”

Although she doesn’t own a horse, she has been riding horses at Moose River Farm for seven years, and she hopes to ride competitively on the Riding Team in college.

Also a skier, she began skiing with the Polar Bear Ski Team in the fourth grade, and she has skied for the USSA Eastern Race Circuit.

Her other school sports have included Soccer, Softball, Track and Cross-Country Running.

She was a member of Key Club and Student Council, the secretary of Varsity Club, secretary of National Honor Society, and president of Big Sister’s Club.

As a member of the Travel Club in 10th grade, she visited Costa Rico.

“It was cool because I could communicate in Spanish with what I had learned through 10th grade, so I could actually communicate with people who didn’t know English,” she said.

She has played clarinet in the school band and also participated in the pit band for musical productions.

In March, Courtney was recognized as Student of the Month by the Kiwanis Club of the Central Adirondacks.

She plans to work full-time this summer at her parents’ restaurant, The Seventh Lake House, and part-time at Camp Gorman teaching horseback riding to campers.

She is the daughter of Jim and Chris Holt of Inlet. She has a sister, Lauren, who is in 10th grade at the Town of Webb School.

Ada Rannels

Co-Laureate Ada June Rannels is Co-Laureate for the Town of Webb School Class of 2011.

Her school sports have included Soccer, Cross-country Running, Track and Field and she played on the Girls Volleyball Team through her Junior year.

She’s a member of Varsity Club and she has served as vice-president for the Big Sister’s Club, vice-president of National Honor Society and president of Travel Club.

She played the trumpet in Band and Stage Band and she was a member of Chorus.

She also performed in the school’s musical productions of Damn Yankees, Grease and Guys and Dolls and she has danced in the Old Forge Ballet School’s Nutcracker at the Strand for the last several years.

During her junior year she was selected to represent the American Legion Auxiliary of Covey Pashley Post #893 at the Empire Girls State.

“I try to stay as busy as possible,” she said. “I think I get that from both my parents. My dad likes to stay busy and my mom is very outgoing. She likes to try different things. They taught me to always be open-minded to new things,” she said.

During the coming summer she plans to work at the Strand Theatre and possibly with her father, she said.

In the fall she will attend New York University in Greenwich Village in New York City as a liberal studies major. She may double major in Theatre and Law.

Ada said that attending the same school all these years has had a positive effect on her.

“I wouldn’t have had as many opportunities if I’d gone to a city school, but sometimes I wonder—what if I had gone to a big city school? At least I will have the chance to go to a city school now. So it’s the best of both worlds.”

She is the daughter of Norman and Betty Rannels and granddaughter of Ceil Buckley, all of Thendara.

She has a brother, Evan, and a sister Joy, who graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in May.