The calm AFTER the storm...

There has been a whirlwind of activity over the past month-and-a-half in Smithville.

The Citizen of the Year as announced at our annual awards banquet is Peggy Walicek. After hearing of all her contributions to this community, my reaction was the same as the committee that chose her -- "Are you sure she's never been named Citizen of the Year prior to now???" Congratulations to Mrs. Walicek!

Speaking of serving one's community, the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding FD's did a marvelous job of protecting dozens of homes and businesses from the fire that broke out on February 28, the same day as the Chamber Awards Banquet. Several members of the chamber were affected directly and indirectly by this tragic turn of events; some of those folks even showed up at the banquet despite their experiences that day. Although there was some talk of postponing the event, it was determined that the Chamber could respectfully host the event, although it was a bit subdued. The true spirit of Smithville shone through as banquet attendees, dressed in their "Sunday-finest", rolled up their sleeves at the conclusion of the banquet and set up the Recreation Center to house displaced fire victims. Thankfully, there was plenty of delicious food left over from the event to serve those people in need. Silver linings!

March saw the arrival of our annual biker rally, Thunder on the Colorado, on Friday the 20th through Sunday the 22nd. Bikers from across Texas convened at RiverBend Park to show off their rides, compete in games and contests, take part in a Fun Run, enjoy some live music, and consume massive amounts of food and beverage. This event continues to generate more interest year after year, and as we here at the Chamber continue to "fine-tune" it, we hope that it can eventually become the Texas-version of Sturgis! (We've got a way to go on that one, but it doesn't hurt to dream big!)

Next up....Smithville Jamboree!