GENTRY — Ross Wilmoth and Dr. Robert Weaver were added to the list of lifetime achievement award recipients at Thursday’s Gentry Chamber of Commerce awards banquet.

More than 80 members and friends of the Gentry community filled the Wooden Spoon Restaurant for the special annual event.

Following a dinner highly spoken of by all, chamber executive director Bev Saunders and chamber board president Janie Parks distributed the awards.

Jessica Jech and Tammie Runyan received Chamber Service Awards for their service to the chamber and the community. Clara Garrett received the Volunteer of the Year Award for her volunteer service to the library, the chamber, her church and to theGentry Senior Activity Center.

Business Person of the Year Award was presented to Cam and Jane Klassen, owners of the Wooden Spoon Restaurant, for their business which is known throughout the region and draws many to Gentry. The Klassens were praised during the presentation for their clean and friendly restaurant and for the high moral principles and professional standards which govern their business practices.

Tired Iron of the Ozarks was selected as the Gentry community’s Organization of the Year because of the club’s shows and hours of volunteer service in chamber events. Receiving the award for the club were Johnny Burger and Glenn Smith.

The Bill and Delia Haak Family, chosen as the Benton County and Arkansas Farm Family of the Year, were honored as Gentry Citizens’of the Year at the chamber banquet Thursday.

The late Ross Wilmoth, who - together with his wife Freda and their children - started and operated the Wild Wilderness Drive-through Safari, was honored with a lifetime achievement award. The award was presented to Freda, who was surrounded by family members at the special ceremonies.

Also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award, though absent from the ceremonies, was Dr. Robert Weaver, for his years of service to the Gentry community as a physician and respected friend. Weaver came to Gentry in 1965 and served the community until his retirement last year.

State representative Jonathan Barnett spoke at the evening event and reminisced of his childhood years in Gentry.

Following is the narrative read by Bev Saunders, executive director of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, at the Gentry Awards Banquet on Thursday evening: Chamber Service

I have two special people to recognize for outstanding chamber service. The first award goes to a very special young lady who is currently serving as our Miss Gentry.

Jessica Jech has called me before each and every event we have had - offering to help. Jessica never gives me parameters about what she will or won’t do, but I will say, whatever the job is, she likes to wear her crown. She offers to help in anyway she can. She helped at the Fall Festival, the Freedom Festival and she helped us all afternoon and into the evening at the Christmas celebration. She did the same thing when she reigned as Miss Freedom Fest.

I appreciate her very much and I want her to know that, as well as how proud Gentry is of her.

The other special recognition goes to a business owner who supports the chamber, the school, the fire department and every civic group I know of. Tammie Runyan is the type of volunteer I would like to clone. No matter what the project is, Tammie is involved - 100 percent. She gives of her time and effort to make sure things happen, and if Tammie does it, you know it’s going to run smoothly.

Now everyone knows that when it comes to decorating, Tammie is thequeen. This year she did have to share the crown at the Fall Festival with Pioneer Patchworks. However, what people don’t know is that when Tammie was given the $100 prize check, she simply endorsed it back to the Chamber.

“I do this to be involved and make our town look good, not for the money,” she said.

This is just an example of the kind of person she is.

And, by the way, she makes good pizza, too. I received a call from some folks in Gravette right before the Christmas parade and they asked two questions “What time does the parade start?” and, “Is Pioneer Pizza still there on the corner?” Thank you, Tammie.

Volunteer of the Year

This year’s Volunteer of the Year is a sweet lady with a sweet smile. You might see her working as a volunteer each Tuesday at the library or you might see her playing cards and helping with chores at the new senior citizen center. On the Fourth of July, you might see her keeping an eye on the kids on the inflatables, selling arm bands, helping coordinate activities on the main stage or serving food and drinks. But one thing is for sure: You will see her and she will be there from early in the morning until the last firecracker pops. It’s the same thing at the Fall Festival, the Easter egg hunt and many other community activities. She is active in her church, where she is the choir director, and sheis a member of the Gentry City Council. She has served for many years on the boards of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce and the Gentry United Way.

We appreciate you, Clara Garrett, and we are proud to honor you as our 2010 Volunteer of the Year.

Business Persons of the Year

It’s fair to say that every person here tonight was excited to come to the Wooden Spoon because they knew the meal was going to be outstanding, and there would be homemade pie. It’s also fair to say that those are the same reasons people travel from all across northwest Arkansas to Gentry each and every day.

What makes this place even more special are the folks who own and manage it, Cam and Jane Klassen. They, with their employees, strive to make the Wooden Spoon the best, cleanest and friendliest place anywhere. As a community, we are so proud of this place and the Klassens. But even more than being good business folks, if you look up the word integrity, it says “the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.” The only thing I would change in this definition to describe the Klassens would be to change the part where it says “high moral principles or professional standards” to “high moral principles and professional standards.” To be continued in next week's issue.

News, Pages 1 on 03/03/2010