NICE ? The venue changed, but the spirit remains the same. The 13th annual Stars of Lake County awards ceremony honors a myriad of people and businesses that contribute to the well-being and success of the county as a whole.
Recipients were awarded for recycling efforts, saving horses, assisting or being outstanding youth, promoting original ideas, keeping the arts vibrant, honoring agriculture and serving as a humanitarian.
In the past Stars of Lake County was held at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, now closed. The event went off without a hitch at Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino in Nice.
Master of Ceremonies Tom Lincoln opened the evening with a quote by Connecticut Legislator, Pauline R. Kezer: “When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel a sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing that you are working to make things better.”
The recipients of the 13th annual Lake County Stars awards were: Man of the Year, Tom Hewlett, DDS, Clearlake; Woman of the Year, Cheri Johnson, Hidden Valley Lake; Large Business, Lakeport Grocery Outlet, Lakeport; Small Business, A & B Collision, Inc., Clearlake; Youth Advocate Volunteer, Darren Brookshire, Hidden Valley Lake;
Youth Advocate Professional, Jill Hoeffer, Lakeport; Male Student of the Year, Benjamin Mullin, Lucerne; Female Student of the Year, Cylinda Neidenbach, Kelseyville; Agriculture Award, Renker Farms, Lakeport; Arts Award, Amateur, Bert Hutt, Lakeport; Volunteer of the Year, Denise Johnson, Kelseyville; Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award, Debra Rodrigue, Middletown; Senior of the Year, Jean Welch, Lakeport; Best Idea of the Year, Woody”s Caf?, Kelseyville; Organization, Volunteer, Lake County AARP Tax Preparers, Lake County; Organization, Nonprofit, Mt. Konocti Facilitation, Lake County; Lifetime Achievement, Mildred Pickersgill, Lakeport; New Business of the Year, LuLu”s Ice Cream & Desserts, Kelseyville; Environmental Award, Roberta Lyons, Lower Lake and Spirit of Lake County, Harry Graves, Clearlake.
Thematic music chosen by Tony Barthel introduced each recipient, sometimes funny and constantly appropriate for the award and the person receiving it. Some of the selections included “Thank You for Being a friend,” “Be True to your School,” “Teach Your Children Well,” “Green Acres” and “Taking Care of Business.” Lincoln suggested developing a category for most imaginative music selection.
Congressman Mike Thompson presented the awards.
Awards were received with gratitude and excitement.
Melissa Fulton, CEO of Lake County Chamber of Commerce, is credited for the success of the Stars of Lake County event. Fulton in turn, credits the communities, “Without the support of the sponsors, this event could not happen. These are people and businesses from all around the county,” she said. “The nominating committee is every resident of Lake County.”
Fulton said the event was able to maintain its continuity in large part due to the generosity of Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa CEO, Greg Bennett.
“He arranged for us to use the original star on center stage. We appreciate his generosity and consideration.”
A sense of community and jocularity made the event right at home in its new locale.
Joey Luiz of Shannon Ridge Winery stirred up the event, making the observation that there was no Lake County wine served. He said people should take that up with their congressman as he pointed to Thompson.
Lincoln suggested that presenter Kenny Parlet take on Billy Mays” former career, as Parlet was an enthusiastic speaker.
The ceremony was highlighted by a standing ovation for Harry Graves who received the Spirit of Lake County award.
Approximately 300 people attended the 13th annual event.
Mandy Feder can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 32.
