Banquet

STANFORD — The Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce broke with tradition Tuesday night by not having a guest speaker emcee its annual banquet. Instead, the audience was treated to a “Glee”-like performance from some of the finalists in this year’s Lincoln County Idol competition. Other traditions remained intact. The pre-ceremony meal of ribeyes, cowboy beans and scalloped potatoes was served up by the Lincoln County Cattleman’s Association in the cafeteria of Lincoln County High School.

The 2011-2012 Winchester-Clark County Chamber of Commerce directors were recognized at the group’s annual banquet in May. Pictured from front row left are:  JoEllen Reed, Kathy Love, Susan Bishop (chairman), Mollye Raney, Dudley Taylor, Tammy Moberly, Danny Neely, Nick Comer, John Stocker, David Wills, Brad Harrison, Linda Bridgewater, John Rompf, John Austin, Bruce Manley, Frank Doyle and Ken Mozingo (chair elect). Not present: Keith Roberts (past chair), Kevin Welsh, Mark Whiteside, Mason Guy and Nevin Goebel.

HARRODSBURG — Mercer County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting and awards banquet Nov. 9 at Lions Park Community Center on Factory Street. The social starts at 6:30 p.m., and dinner will be at 7. Charles Duffy, plant manager of Corning Inc. in Harrodsburg, will speak. Seven community awards will be given, and an auction and door prizes are planned. Dress is business casual, and the meal will be catered by Betty Burchett. Tickets are $35 and must be purchased in advance.

Boyle County will honor its Class AAA state championship team with a banquet Sunday at 2 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. The public is invited. Boyle finished the season 15-0 and won a state-record fifth straight state championship Saturday when it beat Highlands 44-10.

Organizers are hoping for a lot of community support during tonight's Where Hope Begins banquet. The event, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the People Helping People building, is a fundraiser for Lifeline Connection and Teen Challenge, a network of support groups and non-residential addiction treatment programs, organizer Robert Gayheart said. The programs started in southeastern Kentucky, he said, and tonight's banquet is one of several around the eastern part of the state.

Local business leaders and community members will receive recognition for their hard work Thursday night at the 69th annual Chamber of Commerce awards banquet. "We're very excited. â?¦ It's a celebratory event. â?¦ We are celebrating our successes and achievements as a chamber and as a community," said new chamber president and CEO Karen Haley. The event will kick off at 6 p.m. with an hour of networking and mingling, followed by the banquet and awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Awards include Downtown Business Enhancement, Teacher of the Year, Distinguished Alumnus, Business and Industry of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

The 2007-08 Lincoln County High School Patriot and Lady Patriot basketball teams will officially close out the season Sunday afternoon during the annual awards banquet. The banquet will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the LCHS cafeteria. The 45th District, 12th Region champion Patriots and the 45th District champion Lady Patriots will be the special guests of honor for the event. The Patriots finished the season 27-6, capping off their play in the Boys' Sweet 16, while the Lady Pats were 24-7.

Mary Columbia, Sunday school director at First Baptist Church, 32 E. Lexington Ave., welcomed a gathering of 100 to the church's Sunday school banquet on Sunday evening, Aug. 23. Jim Davis, deacon chairman, said the table grace, after which a meal was served. Ken Mozingo grilled the barbecued chicken, and Joan Wise and her kitchen helpers and servers prepared the rest of the meal. Columbia recognized and presented gifts to three Sunday school teachers who have faithfully served for many years.

Clay Wills, longtime FFA teacher and adviser at George Rogers Clark High School, was recognized for his 32 years of service to the local chapter during the Clark County FFA awards banquet held Thursday evening in the school's auditorium. Bestowed upon Clay was the Honorary Chapter Farmer degree, the Emeritus Service Award and he was named a Kentucky Colonel by Gov. Steve Beshear. Other top award winners from the banquet included Samantha Anderson being named the Star Chapter Farmer, Logan Wilson named the Star in Placement and receiving the Dekalb award and Stefan Fink receiving the Star Greenhand award.

Tickets for the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce banquet Friday night at Centre College are sold out. If you have a confirmed reservation as of today, you may pick up your tickets (unless other arrangements have been made) at the chamber office through Thursday.

STANFORD - Lincoln County's Chamber of Commerce honored several lifetime Lincoln County residents and relatively recent transplants to the area with its annual banquet awards Tuesday night. Inter-County Energy Vice President Sheree Gilliam won the Citizen of the Year award for her longtime service to the county and area, serving in a variety of capacities for a large number of groups. A Lincoln County native, Gilliam has been involved in United Way campaigns; Relay for Life and March of Dimes events; Habitat for Humanity; Kiwanis; and Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

The Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce had its 94th annual awards banquet Friday at Danville County Club. It marked the third consecutive year the event was held “celebration” style, with music, dancing, networking and hors d'oeuvres. Members and guests used the evening to look back at 2012 and celebrate the accomplishments, said Paula Fowler, executive director of the Chamber. Fowler said the Chamber's young professionals group decided to alter what was traditionally a straightlaced affair, creating a more socially inviting and relaxed atmosphere.

The Winchester Sun won several top Kentucky Press Association awards Friday. The Kentucky Press Association held its 144th convention over the weekend at The Brown Hotel. As a part of the convention, KPA announced the winners of its Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers competition and also installed new officers. The Sun won first-place awards for best sports column, best sports feature story, best lifestyle page and best front page. Second-place awards included best general news story, best sports column, best headline, best spot news picture, best special section, best sports page/section and best lifestyle page.

It was a crowded floor for dinner at Jessamine Career and Technology Center on Monday night as 21 people of varying ages sat cross-legged and ate rice from their hands along with a meager cup of water. Those on the floor were the low class in Jessamine County FFA's first hunger banquet, an event that sought to paint a picture of world hunger while raising awareness about the problem. “We're trying to show how there are almost 2.5 billion people in the world who don't have food,” said FFA reporter Sarah Warren, who helped coordinate the event after participating in a similar activity at a global food conference last month.

About 125 people attended the Danville-Boyle County NAACP's 37th annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday to raise money for college scholarships and also learn more about the importance of voting. The  program, held at First Christian Church on East Lexington Street, began with a spirited rendition of “The Negro National Anthem” led by NAACP member Marcus Stallworth.  The diverse group seemed to appreciate the song, especially lyrics such as, “Sing a song, full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. Sing a song, full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won.” Danville Mayor Bernie Hunstad said during his brief speech that while he had not personally experienced the discrimination that so many minorities have lived through over the years, he felt proud to sing the song with community members.

Lincoln Manufacturing won Business of the Year and jack-of-all-trades Calvin Denham took home Citizen of the Year at Tuesday's annual Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce banquet. But one of the most emotional moments of the night came when Lincoln County High School Principal Tim Godbey was given the “Big Apple” award. Godbey helmed the high school during an audit by the state after the school was designated as underperforming. Principals of underperforming schools are rarely found capable by state audits, but Godbey was an exception to the rule.

Members of the George Rogers Clark football team were honored during the team's annual banquet recently.¿Clark standout Pokey Harris was presented the Joe Bordas award by Mallory Flynn and Mike Bordas. Team members honored were A.J. Springate, Wes Wattenberger, Darian Skinner, Sylan Mayes, Garrison Conn, Michael Thornberry, Brent Stephens, Matt Hisle, coach Paul Columbia, Reid Campbell, Connor Shoebrooks, Pokey Harris, Chase Austin and Tyler Creteau.

Nov. 21, 1986 Senior Clark County 4-H members receiving awards at Thursday's banquet were Scott Van Sickle, John Callebs, Melody Farris, Beverly Reed, Jack Whitaker, Hollie Harris, Stacie Turley, Amy Graybill, Billy Swope and Kevin Crump. 

HARRODSBURG - The 60th anniversary of an organization is usually something to crow about, but the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce barely even mentioned its founding in 1951 during its annual banquet Tuesday night. “The 60th anniversary of the chamber is a big deal,” President Leon Mayo said. “The reason we're not celebrating it tonight is that $550 million is a bigger deal.” The chamber usually gives out an award for Industry of the Year, but it skipped that honor this year because the category just wasn't big enough.