Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation board member John Chapman and Cox Communications were among the seven winners of the 2010 Wood River Valley Community Awards, announced Tuesday.
Each year, the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau and Hailey Chamber of Commerce pick seven residents and groups nominated by other community members to honor their work in improving the valley's quality of life. They will be honored at an Oscar night-themed reception at The Valley Club north of Hailey on April 30, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and costing $25 per person. Nichole Britt, office manager for the Sun Valley-Ketchum chamber, said reservations are required and can be made by calling her at 725-2103.
Citizen of the Year: John Chapman
Chapman, 73, has lived in the county his entire life and has served as a member of the Hailey Rotary Club for more than 40 years. He's a founding board member of Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation, a group planning an assisted-living facility near Hailey. The chambers said he was instrumental in commissioning studies showing the need for a senior-living community.
Youth Citizen of the Year: Juan Martinez
Martinez is a senior at Wood River High School and a mentor through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Martinez belongs to two school choirs and plays football, basketball and baseball. He's a member of the Teaching Academy at school, where he volunteers in an elementary school classroom during the school day.
Service Individual of the Year: Sue Noel
Sue Noel, 71, has lived in the Wood River Valley for 31 years, has been a Ketchum City Council member and also owned a travel agency. She has worked at Atkinsons' Market in Ketchum the past seven years as a customer service representative. The chambers said Noel loves the area and is eager to tell everyone coming up to her counter how great it is to be here.
Arts Advocate of the Year: Judith Smooke
Smooke was a board member for the Sun Valley Center for the Arts for nine years, has served on the advisory council for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony for the past five years, serves on the advisory council of the Wood River Arts Alliance, and even started an arts committee at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in Sun Valley.
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Environmental Advocate of the Year: Western Watersheds Project
This Hailey-based nonprofit organization has spent the past 17 years working to protect public lands and wildlife. The organization has grown from Idaho Watersheds Project and one man, Jon Marvel, to encompass 11 Western states, and works on more than 150 million acres of public land.
Business of the Year: Cox Communications
The chambers said Cox Communications was chosen because of its community-mindedness. The firm sponsors and volunteers for many of the valley's events, such as the Fourth of July parade in Hailey, Fourth on Fourth in Ketchum, Nightmare on Main Street, Cox Winter Concert Series, Rotary Duck Race, Camp Rainbow Gold, Trailing of the Sheep, Wagon Days, Company of Fools and Girls on the Run.
Nonprofit of the Year: Wood River YMCA
The YMCA in Ketchum serves about 4,500 active members of all ages, races and economic statuses, possible through its Open Doors program—consisting of a sliding-scale membership rate dependent on income—allowing thousands in the community to use the YMCA's facilities.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Sue Noel
John Chapman
