Smithville to honor its own

The Annual Awards Banquet is fast approaching and the tension is mounting!

It has already been announced that Smithville Regional Hospital is being honored as Employer/Business of the Year for all they contribute to the both the wellness and the employment opportunities in this town. It's hard to find an event in Smithville that doesn't involve the hospital system in some shape or form. Sometimes they buy sponsorships, other times they provide first aid staff, or other times they serve up some of that tasty cuisine crafted by chef John Chabot from their bistro (it's not a "hospital cafeteria"...it's an "in-house bistro"!)

Likewise, the Lost Pines Artisans Alliance, our honoree for Organization of the Year, gives their all to every project they touch. From hosting First Saturday Art Shows to beautifying the skate park, from working with this community's youth to revitalizing the Mary Nichols Art Center, this group has accomplished more than they can probably even remember themselves! Not to worry, though -- we're happy to remind everyone at the Annual Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet exactly how valuable the LPAA is to all of us.

The buzz is certainly building around who will be named Smithville's Citizen of the Year. It's a blessing that we have so many deserving citizens in this town but it's a curse to have to choose just one! Everyone who nominated an individual put forth their best case and the committee had a tough task in their decision, and the winner is......well, you'll have to attend this year's banquet to find out, won't you? Sure, you can always pick up a copy of The Smithville Times to learn who was named, or you can even visit this blog after February 28th to learn the person's identity, but there's nothing quite like being there in person to see the face of the recipient when he or she learns that they've been honored by their friends and neighbors. Since the honoree has no idea that they were to be named, there is no prepared speech -- just genuine, unfiltered emotion. That's just the best, isn't it? That's what we love about Smithville!