Chamber honors community members with awards
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Local legends Cotton Moore and Stan McClane were selected to receive the Soldotna Chamber Pioneer Award at annual banquet last week.
Friday night it was the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce’s turn to honor outstanding businesses and individuals of the community. As the gavel was officially passed from 2007 Chamber president Lisa Roberts, Key Bank, to incoming president Ryan Kapp, Edward Jones Investments, it was announced that once again this year the Chamber $1,000 Scholarships would be renewable for a second year, “That means that if a recipient stays in college for their second year they receive another $1,000 for that year as well,” said Sammy Cole, chairperson for the scholarship committee. Cole introduced this year’s scholarship winners as: Mallory Millay, Melissa Halama, Rosemary Houglum, Les Baker, Jacob Lucas Barkman, Taryn Bossert, and Kari Daly, “In 2002 a group of local community leaders in conjunction with the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce established a scholarship that carries Vera Horwarth’s name. Vera was a charter member of the Soldotna Chamber and an inspiration to everyone that knew her. The scholarship is awarded each year to graduating seniors. In accordance with Vera's history of helping the Soldotna Community, one of the criteria of the scholarship is an emphasis on community involvement. Each year Vera made a pie to sell at our fund raising auction, and it was always a crowd favorite. Since her death, a volunteer now makes the "Vera" pie in her honor, and that pie is auctioned off at the end of this evening’s event. To date, the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce Vera Howarth Memorial Scholarship has raised in excess of $30,000. It is our hope that this special scholarship will one day become a four year award. I am pleased to announce that the winners of the Vera Howarth scholarship for 2008 are Les Baker and Kari Daly,” said Cole.
Local legends Cotton Moore and Stan McClane were selected to receive the Soldotna Chamber Pioneer Award at annual banquet last week.
As the capacity crowd enjoyed a prime rib and shrimp banquet served at The Crossing, 2007 Chamber President, Lisa Roberts, introduced the individuals selected to receive this years honors. For his long time commitment to the Chamber, Dan Mortenson was given the Honorary Lifetime Member award, for their continued community service to youth, Norm and Barb Blakeley received the Devoted Service to Youth Award, VFW Post #10046 Chaplin Herb Stetler and former Soldotna City Councilwoman Jane Stein were chosen as Volunteers of the Year, KSRM Radio Group was selected to receive the Chamber Business of the Year award, General Manager Cherie Curry accepted the award on behalf of John Davis and the KSRM staff. Mortgage Loan specialist Aaron Swanson, of Residential Mortgage in Soldotna was honored with the Chamber’s Excellence in Profession Award and two Peninsula legends Cotton Moore and Stan McClane were selected for the Chamber’s prestigious Pioneer Award.
It has become tradition that the Chamber’s “Person of the Year” award is announced at the end of the annual gala, and this year after presenting the Volunteer of the Year award to Herb Stetler, Soldotna’s Mayor and favorite cheerleader David Carey had the tables turned on him and was brought forward as the 2007 Soldotna Chamber Person of the Year. “It was an awesome night and what was outstanding was to see all the other people who were honored, so many in this community and we have so many outstanding volunteers and pioneers like Cotton Moore and Stan McClane that it was just humbling to be selected with such a great group of individuals,” Carey told the Dispatch.
The awards this year was a custom artwork clock depicting the Soldotna Bridge, fireweed and Mt Redoubt, “We know there are so many caring and wonderful people in our community. At the annual awards banquet it is great to honor and recognize such great historical pioneers that help create our community all the way to the next generation of scholarship winners that are our future,” added Michelle Glaves, Soldotna Chamber of Commerce executive director.