By Bill Petzold
Editor
CARO — The stars were up bright and early Thursday morning in Caro for the 12th annual Tuscola County Stars Awards Breakfast at the Tuscola Technological Center, Cleaver Road in Caro.
About 150 people from around the county were on hand to honor those who make Tuscola County a better place to live.
Four awards are handed out: Individual Community Service, Business Community Service, Group Communty Service, and the Above and Beyond Award given to a person who exemplifies going out of their way to serve their community.
The 2014 Individual Community Service Award went to Caro’s Kathy Neuman. Neuman was honored for her help recruiting volunteers to help with community events, as well as her work with the Tuscola County Pumpkin Festival, serving as a board member, parade chairperson and secretary.
Neuman has served on the Caro Community Hospital Endowment Committee for many years, as well as the Exchange Club of Caro and has been a Sunday School teacher, bible school coordinator, youth leader and Board of Education member at St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Nominees for the award also included:
Caro’s Al and Connie Bahr for their work with Adopt-A-Highway cleanup projects;
Unionville American Legion Post Commander Ken Curry, for his work with veterans, driving them to doctor’s appointments and helping them deal with the VA, as well as serving as an Emergency Medical Technician;
Mary Findley, a volunteer tutor for the first and second-grade classes at Reese’s St. Elizabeth Area Catholic School who organized a Fall Fun Day event that raised more than $15,000 and provided iPads for every classroom;
Nancy Folk, a retired teacher who still serves Cass City as a mentor, driver, helper and shopper;
Andrew Green, who saved Juniata Baptist Chruch and Christian School $500,000 by donating his time to help with the construction of the church’s new gymnasium;
Jim Heiser, for outstanding leadership as a member of the Tuscola County United Way board since 1999;
Bob and Marlene Hunter of Kingston, honored for their volunteerism for Kingston, Mayville and Clifford autism events, veterans activites, local school projects and township events;
Mandy Knox, honored for more than 30 years of dedication to Caro youth girls basketball, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Caro Gleaner Arbor, Great Start Tuscola Imagination Library, 4-H, the Thumb Octagon Barn, Highland Pines School, Caro 150 snowmobile racing and Diamond Dwellers Baseball;
Steve Ley, Caro wrestling coach and mentor to generations of kids, honored helping kids make career choices, helping start the Kiwanis Club in Caro and organizing the annual Fly-In fundraiser;
Terry Murlick, a mainstay behind the scenes for Reese Rockets athletics and also their basketball announcer, a volunteer with the Reese Blumfield Fire Department, Gilford Conservation Club and Ducks Unlimited who also organizes holiday events for the military and takes wounded warriors on fishing trips;
Donald and Vera Pashby, a Millington couple honored for more than 35 years of dedication to Boy Scouts, they led the effort to build the Scout building in Arbela Township’s Latham Park and have received the Scouting district and council’s highest honors;
Judy Remar, a member of the Unionville American Legion who organizes events for the group, reorganized the Unionville Community Association to put up flag poles and keep things neat to reflect community pride and also volunteers for the farmers market, summer festival and auto show;
and Michael Urban, a Caro resident who for the past 26 years has organized a special dinner for senior citizens who have nowhere to go for Christmas Day, and makes sure each person receives their own wrapped gift.
This year’s Group Community Service Award went to the Kingston United Methodist Church, with Pastor Debi Brown accepting the award on the church’s behalf. The church has been a pillar of the Kingston community, and offers assistance to dozens of families in need. Members of the congregation volunteer to stuff backpacks with school supplies and treats for kids, offer scholarships to summer camp, help with international relief and missions efforts and serve their community in numerous ways.
Nominees for the group award also included:
Caro Roadhouse Museum Committee, honored for rescuing an original Caro building and preserving local history;
Living Word Worship Center, honored for teaching Cass City students how to manage money through the Cass City Financial Peace University, as well as for Pastor Mark Karwowski’s involvement in LEAD Tuscola;
Revive Cass City, a Cass City non-profit that sponsors a food pantry and resale shop for those in need;
and Women’s Life Caro No. 879 for their work with Relay for Life, The Fowler Center, Spoonfulls of Plenty, Gingerbread Village, Tuscola County Fair and Anka Veterans Housing.
The award for Business Community Service went to Caro’s POET Biorefining, for their efforts to instill a sense of community pride by encouraging employees to join civic organizations, donating to support community events including Special Olympics, Caro Snowfest, Boy Scouts, AYSO soccer and Christmas gifts and Coats for Kids for kids in need. The award was accepted by POET Caro plant GM Dave Gloer.
Nominees for the business award included:
Consumers Energy, honored for sponsorship of numerous local events and organizations;
Cook GM Superstore, honored for generous donations to a number of groups and events in Vassar, including Vassar Band Boosters, Riverfest, Rotary Club events, and numerous school events;
Hopp’s Lumber, honored for owner Larry Hopp’s willingness to donate to Juniata Baptist Church’s gymnasium project, Tuscola Technology Center’s construction technology program and being a contributor to events in the village of Mayville;
Millington Pizza and owner Mike Derscha for supporting Millington 4-H, Millington Old-Fashioned Days and the rodeo, Millington Community Center and Thanksgiving Turkey project, as well as numerous school functions and projects;
The Oven owners Ross and Linda Downing of Caro who help families in need and who provide employment to individuals with special needs;
Pizza Hut of Caro, honored for Louise Hodges and her staff’s commitment to the community, including their support of Relay for Life, Operation Graduation, Tuscola County Fair, Veterans Day Activities and numerous school events.
Manager Louise Hodges accepted a plaque in recognition of Pizza Hut’s nomination for the business award, but it wouldn’t be her final trip to the podium as she was named the recipient of this year’s Above and Beyond Award. Hodges has been part of the Caro community for more than 30 years, and is a member of LEAD Tuscola. She was honored for her efforts to promote community events and organizations, particularly through Tip Nights at Pizza Hut, as well as providing job opportunities for young people with special needs and free meals for veterans on Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend.
This year’s nominees for the Above and Beyond Award included:
• Lori Calery, Early On coach for the Tuscola ISD;
• Steve Erickson, executive director of the Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation;
• Doug Kramer, for his work organizing a mobile food pantry in Kingston, hosting children with special needs for a three-day event at his farm, and community volunteerism;
LaVern Rutkowski, a Cass City resident and member of the Knichgts of Columbus at St. Pancratious Catholic Church;
• Shirley Snyder, childcare and latchkey aide at St. Paul Lutheran Church
• Lee Starling, head coach of the Caro Tigersharks swim club
• Ronald Weipert, planner of many events for the Kingston community;
and Charles Woods, a disabled veteran and police officer who hosts hunts for people with disabilities.