By DEBRA HAIGHT

Special to Leader Publications

 

BUCHANAN — As they do every year, members of the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce gathered Thursday night to honor the community’s best and brightest.

Awards were given out for the volunteer of the year, lifetime achievement and community spirit boosters, plus two more given to two people retiring this year from community organizations.

The annual meeting and dinner was held in the newly refurbished Orchard Hills Country Club with 100 people in attendance. The buffet meal was prepared by Chef Tim Carrigan and his staff. Orchard Hills general manager Bill Loux welcomed everyone on behalf of himself, Carrigan and event coordinator Melanie Hutchinson.

The Dale E. Florey Volunteer of the Year Awards went to Buchanan City Manager William Marx. This award honors the late Dale Florey and recognizes a man and woman each year who have volunteered their time to make the Buchanan community a better place to live. Other nominees were Ted Chase and Michael Baker.

Marx was recognized for his efforts to improve the community with the completion of several local projects and developing the idea for Thrill on the Hill, the city’s annual wintertime tubing festival. Esther Florey presented the award which is named for her late husband.

Two Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented with nominees Corbin Detgen and Doyle Vergon both receiving awards for their community service over the years.

“Corbin is the definition of a true volunteer,” chamber member Karol Behrle said. She noted that he is the president of the Buchanan Preservation Society and helps other organizations such as the Friends of Oak Ridge Cemetery, the Berrien County Genealogical Society, the Tin Shop Theatre, and Buchanan schools. He is a retired teacher.

Vergon is retired from Clark Equipment and is a past city commissioner, mayor and interim city manager. He has served on several local boards and volunteers at Pears Mill. He was active in recovering and restoring signs from early local businesses, which are now on display at the mill. He is a member of American Legion Post 51.

The last award of the evening was the Community Spirit Award. Nominees were the city of Buchanan’s Thrill on the Hill, the Buchanan Scarecrow Charities and the Buchanan-Galien Lions Club. The award went to the Lions Club.

The Buchanan-Galien Lions Club has served the community for more than 80 years. Some of the club’s 2014 activities included sponsoring and chartering the Leo Club, hosting the annual senior athlete and coaches night, performing eye screenings at the Faith and Family Day, awarding college scholarships, supporting Stuff-A-Bux and many other activities.

Two special awards were also presented, first to Alice Hopkins, who is retiring as the director of the Buchanan Area Senior Center and one also as a surprise to chamber board president Ted Chase. Chase is staying on the chamber board but is stepping down as president because of his new duties as the Galien Township fire chief.

Hopkins is retiring this month as the center director. Her most recent accomplishment has been overseeing the construction of the new senior center, the mortgage for which will be burned April 25 at the same time as her retirement.

“Tonight the Buchanan Area Senior Center board of directors, staff and patrons together with the Chamber and its many members would like to say thank you Alice Faye Hopkins and bravo for a job well done,” center assistant director Monroe LeMay said.

Chamber members also took time during the evening to look back at 2014 as well as forward to plans for 2015. The big news for the evening was the announcement of the new Buchanan app for smart phones and tablets.

Chase, Chamber Director Randy Hendrickson and app developer Keith Schaub demonstrated how the app will work. It includes information about area attractions, chamber members and the integrated chamber calendar and is scheduled to be available in the Google play store April 13. It will be in the Apple store April 23.

Hendrixson said Buchanan is one of only three communities in Michigan to have its own app. The project is a collaboration between the chamber and the city of Buchanan.

Chamber board members re-elected to new terms were Chase, Dorothy Mottl, Fran Terry, Karla Hurlbutt and Sarah Gault. New members elected were Ralph McDonald and Greg Schuman.