OBSERVER Photo by Jo Ward Front, left to right: Lucille Miller, Jamestown Community Service Award recipient; Bruce Erickson, Person of the Year Award recipient and Jean Dibble McCausland, Westfield-Barcelona Community Service Award recipient. Back, left to right: Todd Tranum; president and CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce; John Farrell, Dunkirk Community Service Award recipient on behalf of his late father; Sam Bova, Hanover Community Service Award recipient; Rusty Hardenburg and John Crandall of the Mayville Fire Department accepting the Mayville-Chautauqua Community Service Award on behalf of Bob and Joyce Mathews; Chris Anson and Hugh Graves of Lakeside Precision Inc., Economic Development Award recipient; Larry Fiorella, Fredonia Community Service Award recipient and Brian Bugaj, Board Chairman.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards banquet Thursday night honoring those who have dedicated their time and passion to their communities and the county as a whole. This year’s recipients have a lot to be proud of.

“They’re honoring me because I do a lot of volunteer work,” Lucille Miller, recipient of the Jamestown Community Service Award stated. “I’m a piano player. I go around to all the nursing homes and entertain them. In years past, I played a lot at Little Theater and in Jamestown High School musicals, 35-40 years now.”

“In business you try to remember the area that you do your business in,” Sam Bova, recipient of the Hanover Community Service Award supplied after 34 years of service as owner of Cabana Sams and the Beach Club in Sunset Bay. “You try to give a little bit back.”

Chase Anson and Hugh Graves were on hand to accept the Economic Development Award for their business, Lakeside Precision Inc. “We’ve been involved in some way with all the local industries, supporting them, keeping them running,” Anson said. “We did the winch at the Dunkirk Harbor recently. We’re honored, we’re a small business compared to many of the other businesses in the past.”

Bruce Erickson was honored with the Person of the Year Award for over 30 years of service to the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturer’s Association. According to several people there, the chamber wouldn’t be where it is now, if not for his years of dedication.

“I believe strongly in serving the community,” Erickson noted. “My privilege was to be able to work with some outstanding and tremendously dedicated people that are always working for the benefit of the county. We enjoy a quality of life here that is unmatched.”

“This is just a wonderful event to help recognize people from across Chautauqua County, it’s really a great opportunity to bring the whole county together in one place and celebrate achievement,” Todd Tranum, president and CEO of the Chamber stated. “Our community chambers throughout the county play a role in selecting the people from their communities and then we have a process through our Board of directors where we select the Economic Development Award and the Person of the Year Award. We’re just thrilled to be able to recognize great people, doing great things across the county.”