New VP, secretary for Monongah Christmas lights committee

Susan Sanders (left), Kim Kormaraus

Carolyn Tice has replaced Michelle “Shelly” Yankie as vice president of the Friends of Monongah Christmas Lights Committee or, as I like to call them, The Charge of the Lights Brigade (Tennyson fans know the analogy).

2002 North Marion grad Shelly had been swamped taking care of her mother, Mary Myers Yankie, who passed away in February, and her grandchildren and asked to be relieved of that heartwarming task.

Caroline Tice

Carolyn moved to Monongah a few years ago with husband Chuck Tice. They bought the McCombs house on Maní Avenue. They picked the best decorated house for Monongah at Christmas time.

Secretary Jane Bailey was replaced on the Lights committee by Kim Kormaraus, who has a masters degree in communication and used her teaching degree to sub in Monongah schools.

“She has some wonderful money-making ideas,” said Lights founder, inspiration and angel of Thomas Street Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971.

Kim is a graduate of East Fairmont High School, Fairmont State and Marshall. She is in a 14-year relationship with a significant other.

 

Her children are grown, Amy Herron from Monongah and Josh Korcsmaros from Beckley. She has three grandchildren, including one who is a student at Monongah Elementary. 

 

Kim is a retired college professor and former division chair at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

She took students to Montreal for annual speech and debate tournament trips. She was the debate coach at Fairmont State, director of forensics at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia and at WVU-Parkersburg.

Her loves quilting and woodworking. She is gearing up for spring craft show season.

 

Kim, like me, was friends with John Veasey, the late Fairmont Times editor and columnist. John was my primary contact when I wanted information about Monongah High alumni or Monongah to appear in the Fairmont Times. I tried unsuccessfully to hire John when I was #2 in command of the sports department at the Dayton Daily News in Ohio but he decided to stay in Fairmont, which he loved.

 

Kim met Susan Sanders when she participated in the Monongahfest craft show which lead to the Monongah Christmas lights association craft show. 

 

Susan’s leadership has brought 34 Christmas street lights to Monongah, which is an incredible achievement. It just lights up your heart to see them as it did when I visited my Church Street pearl-in-a-seashell light and toured the town’s other lights in December.