Staff Reports

Local residents have until Jan. 14 to make nominations for the 2005 Greenville Advocate Citizen of the Year.

This is the second year that the Advocate has presented the award to a deserving Butler Countian.

The Advocate will announce the 2005 winner in its annual Horizons edition on Feb. 25.

The public can submit nominations in writing to the Advocate offices at Citizen of the Year, P.O. Box 507, Greenville, AL 363037 by Jan. 14 at 5 p.m.

The Advocate is seeking that special individual dedicated to making a better quality of life for residents of Butler County. The selection is based upon the degree to which the individual has made the county a better community in which to live, work and raise children.

The Advocate Citizen of the Year will be chosen based on the ballot process plus input from the staff of the Advocate and the Advocate’s Reader Advisory Committee, which was recently formed to advise the Advocate staff on design and content issues.

&uot;The Greenville Advocate is proud of its community and those individuals who work so diligently to make it a special place to live, work and raise a family,&uot; Managing Editor Jay Thomas said. &uot;Last year, we were able to introduce Butler County to Mark Gruenewald who shunned the honor, but humbly accepted the recognition.

That is what made him such a great person for the honor.&uot;

Also, there will be the top eight in the ballot process who will be profiled as Unsung Heroes.

Last year’s Unsung Heroes included Nonnie Hardin, James Lewis, Clara Hudson, Allen Stephenson, Ann Killough, Roberta Gamble, Willie Mae Robinson and Dexter McLendon.

&uot;It’s obvious to those that live in Butler County that we have some truly special people here,&uot; said Advocate publisher Dennis Palmer. &uot;While we often profile many special people in your newspaper who contribute greatly to the fine quality of life we have here, we’re looking for the public’s help to give us feedback on who they feel should be the Advocate’s Citizen of the Year.&uot;

Those honored in the Hall of Honor last year, which was made up of others receiving nominations for Citizen of the Year, were Jo Ann L. Fuller, Tom Braxton, Joyce Till, James Bush, Annette Brown, Suzy Shepherd, Barbara Clem, Frances Lowery, Nancy L. Zeigler, Joe Sanders, Jimmy Lawson, Mae Miller, Todd Henderson, Jimmie Jones, Charlene Mills, Dave Jordan, Steve Davison, Martha Bailey-Lawson, Diane Harris, Bertie Godwin, Gina B. Stephenson, Geraldine Faust, Carol Lee, Sable Parker, Ricky McLaney, Bishnoo Rampersad, Doris McInvale, Shirley Mixon, Vonnie Lawson, Nathaniel Foster, Barbara Holland, Kathy Black, Ada Lee Williams, Gloria Warren, Susan Till, Esselene Rowell, April McQueen, Dr. Kathy Murphy, Jere Turner, Carolyn Middleton, Jeddo Bell, Susan Murphy, Dr. Jean Thompson, Helen W. Wassick, Gene Hardin, Joan Reynolds, Sybil Parker, Wayne Jones, Ernie Jones, Bennie Payne, Nancy Idland, Keith Taylor, Mary Wallace, Billie Faulk, John Salter, Keith Taylor, Suzy Shepherd, Mary Ann Hamilton and the late Matthew Golden.

The following criteria are taken into consideration.

n Nominees must be residents of Butler County.

n Nominees must have given service to the community.

n Neither the nominee nor those making the nomination need to be employees of Greenville Newspapers, L.L.C.

n

Nominations may be submitted on a plain sheet of 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper that include nominee’s name, address, reason for nomination (in detail), and the name, address and telephone number of the person making the nomination. Nomination forms can be obtained from today’s Greenville Advocate.

N No nominations will be accepted over the telephone or by word of mouth.

For additional information, please call Thomas at 383-9302, ext. 136.