GENTRY — This year’s Gentry Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet is fast approaching and tickets to the annual event are now on sale at the Chamber office.

The banquet will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, at the new Wooden Spoon Restaurant in Gentry.

Rick Parker will speak at the event and share information on Gentry's history, the role the area played in the Civil War and the significance that history has on the Heritage Trail today.

Parker is a local historian who has researched and compiled area and Civil War history. He works for the Smithsonian Institute restoring historic artifacts.

Annual awards will be presented at the banquet for volunteer and community service. Nominations will be accepted until the end of this week. Community awards to be presented include Outstanding Business Person of the Year, Outstanding Citizen, Rookie of the Year, Silver Citizen Award and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Tickets are $20 each and seating is limited. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to make reservations as soon as possible.

For more information or tickets, contact Chamber director Bev Saunders at 212 East Main Street, P.O. Box 642, Gentry, at 736-2358, or at [email protected].

News, Pages 2 on 01/25/2012