TODAY IS THE DEADLINE to nominate your local hero.
We are looking for people who make a difference in Clallam County — individuals who have made our communities a better place.
Soroptimist International of Port Angeles-Noon Club and Peninsula Daily News invite nominations for the 2011 Clallam County Community Service Award.
The award was created to recognize the dedication, sacrifice and accomplishments of local people who do extraordinary things for their neighbors, their community or the environment.
This is the 31th year for the award, begun by the PDN and now co-sponsored by the Soroptimist noon club.
Past winners of the Community Service Award have organized community efforts to clean up waterways, served as literacy tutors, raised money for the disabled, protected animals, organized food programs for the hungry, aided crime victims and their families, founded a cancer survivor support group, built a playground for special-needs children and were instrumental in the creation of teen activity centers.
How to nominate
■ Nominations should be made using the accompanying coupon and must be returned to the PDN by no later than 5 p.m. today, Monday, March 7.
■ A letter describing the merits and accomplishments of the person being nominated should be submitted with the coupon.
■ If possible, the nomination should include supporting documents, such as copies (not originals) of other awards, newspaper articles or letters of support.
■ Anyone who lives in Clallam County can be nominated.
Recipients of the Community Service Award in the past are not eligible for a 2011 award.
But those previously nominated, but not selected, for a Community Service Award are eligible for renomination.
A panel of judges will review the nominations and select one to seven persons to receive a Community Service Award at an evening reception in Port Angeles on Thursday, April 28.
Questions?
Please contact Brewer at 360-417-3500. Or e-mail him at john.brewer@peninsuladailynews.com.
2010 honorees
Last year, judges selected seven recipients from nominations made by individuals, clubs, churches, businesses and other organizations.
Receiving the 2010 award were:
■ Sue Nattinger and Coleman Byrnes (joint recipients), longtime hands-on, “no brag, just action” volunteers for Streamkeepers of Clallam County.
■ Dan Wilder Sr., Port Angeles auto dealer and countywide community volunteer, educational leader and philanthropist.
■ Roger Wheeler, a leader in youth baseball and basketball and the North Peninsula Building Association’s Future Builders program who has devoted countless hours of his own time to building parks and playgrounds.
■ Susan Hillgren, who has worked tirelessly with Clallam County’s at-risk youth for more than 12 years.
■ Don Stoneman who, at 79, volunteers thousands of hours of hard, physical labor to maintain and improve hiking trails in Clallam County.
■ Joe Borden, “Mr. Irrigation Festival,” Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce’s “go-to guy” and a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, attending funeral services and serving as a member of an honor guard for our fallen military heroes.
2009 recipients
Receiving the 2009 award:
■ Mikki Saunders, who retired in December 2008 after 22 years as the director of the Port Angeles Food Bank.
■ Kathryn Schreiner of Sequim, whose volunteer efforts stretch from being a tax counselor to devoting thousands of hours to Sequim Meals on Wheels, Boys and Girls Club, Puget Sound Blood Center and the Dungeness Valley Health and Wellness Clinic.
■ Jim Lunt of Port Angeles. For more than 25 years he has guided youth baseball as president of the all-volunteer North Olympic Baseball and Softball Leagues.
■ Chuck Hatten of Port Angeles, a leader of Healthy Families of Clallam County who is also active in several programs that mentor teens.
■ Tom Schaafsma of Sequim. An outstanding carpenter, he helped remodel the Gathering Hall at Olympic Theatre Arts, led the construction of the ADA ramp at the old Dungeness Schoolhouse and a bird-observation platform and worked on numerous other community projects.
He also has been an emergency relief worker in Honduras and Peru.
More honorees
Other past Community Service Award honorees:
■ 2008 — Harold Baar, Jacqueline Russell, Colleen Robinson, Virginia and Welden Clark of Sequim; Doc Reiss, Barbara Ann Townsend.
■ 2007 — Jim Pickett, Lambert “Bal” Balducci and Kathleen Balducci, Dick and Marie Goin, Orville Campbell.
■ 2006 — Steve Zenovic, Eleanor Tschimperle, Bryce Fish, John and Sue Miles, Steve Methner.
■ 2005 — Rose Crumb, Rev. Charles “Charlie” Mays, Liz Zenonian-Waud, Rev. Mel Wilson and his wife, Kathy; Gary Colley.
■ 2004 — John and Lelah Singhose; June Robinson, Roger Oakes, M.D.; Cheryl Bauman.
■ 2003 — Cody Sandell, John and Anne-Marie Summers, Edward Hopfner, M.D.; Patty Hannah.
■ 2002 — Denise Brennan, John Pope, John Reed, Cynthia Martin.
■ 2001-2000 — Phil and Deborah Morgan-Ellis, Sharon Fox, Kristin Prater Glenn, Cal Mogck, Manuela Velasquez.
■ 1999 — Bill Fatherson, Dorothy Skerbeck, S. Brooke Taylor.
■ 1998 — George Woodriff, Earl Gilson, Stuart Smith, Tom McCabe.
■ 1997-96 — Dave Robinson, Dennis Duncan, Jo Davies, Art Judd, Alberta Thompson.
■ 1995 — Mac Ruddell, Bonnie and Larry Hurd, Joyce McDaniel, Pat Soderlind, Harry Jackson.
■ 1994 — Steve Tharinger, Cindy Souders, Ray Gruver and Betty and Frank Wilkerson.
■ 1993 — Jessica Schreiber, Jim Jones, Betty Soderlind, Al Charles Jr.
■ 1992 — Helen Dawley, Lew Bartholmew, Chuck Maiden, Arlene Engel.
■ 1991 — Ginger Haberman, Tom Santos, Adabelle Square, Bob and Lois Blake, Lucile Levien.
From 1980 to 1990, one Clallam County Citizen of the Year was named.
Recipients were Gay Knutson, 1990; Joe Hawe, 1989; Sue Shane, 1988; Eloise Kailin, 1987; Maureen Williams, 1986; Leonard Beil, 1985; Barbara Kelso, 1984; Dorothy Hegg, 1983; Phyllis Hopfner, 1982; John Brady, 1981; Art Feiro, 1980.
