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Clintonville’s community hero

Lorge recognized for decades of volunteer service

Former Clintonville Police Chief Terry Lorge may have retired, but he remains tireless in his service to the citizens of the Clintonville area.

He was recently selected as the 2020 Community Hero by the Clintonville Area Foundation.

Lorge is a Bear Creek native and worked for the Clintonville Police Department from 1978 to 2016, rising from patrol officer to sergeant, then lieutenant and serving his final 21 years as the chief of police.

From 1980 to 1993, Lorge worked part time as an EMT with the Clintonville Area Ambulance Service, in addition to providing administrative leadership for the ambulance service. He served as director for nine of the 13 years.

In 1994, Lorge founded and then led the Clintonville chapter of Beat the Heat, an organization which has brought police together with local youth to work on automobile-related activities for more than 20 years.

He and other volunteers spent up to 300 hours annually working on this group.

In 2000, Lorge joined Dick Fletcher and Craig Hodne who thought out the first Spring Cruise Car Show, an annual event that continues today.

Together these activities constitute 40 years of continuous service to the community.

Museum volunteer

After retiring from the Clintonville Police Department, Lorge was asked to take on a volunteer position as director of the new FWD Seagrave Museum and Vehicles.

He readily accepted the challenge, and today he continues to lead its development for depicting a remarkable phase in Clintonville history that once had global impact.

His duties have included acquisition of FWD trucks for display, upgrading the new building in Clintonville’s industrial park, maintenance of the facility plus the Machine Shop Historic Museum on 11th Street.

Lorge also helps, when needed, as a tour guide for the museums.

This record of leadership in community service demonstrates regular donation of personal time across many years.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lorge will formally be presented the Community Heroes award at the 2021 autumn fundraising event of the Clintonville Area Foundation.

The Community Heroes award was established in 2011 by Clintonville native Dan Olk.

He did this to recognize and celebrate outstanding volunteer service that he believes enhances life for Clintonville area residents.

The award, which comes with $2,000 for the winner to donate to local charities, is supported through the Clintonville Area Foundation.

Lorge hopes to name the recipient(s) of the awards soon.

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