Letters to the Editor
Opinion
Published: February 12, 2010
In appreciation
To the Editor:
I would like to thank the Board of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce for selecting me as “Citizen of the Year”. In particular I want to express my appreciation to Nan Drake, Barbara Kroon, Maria Bombara and the very erudite Master of Ceremony, John Chamberlain. It was a great honor to be chosen and I appreciate it very much. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the Santa Paula Times for being the “Business of the Year” and to my former employer VCTC and the County of Ventura Farm Heritage Museum for the “Beautification Project of the Year”.
I was absolutely overwhelmed by the large number of friends in attendance at the luncheon and want to thank them all for attending the event. Unfortunately, I didn’t see everyone who was there or get a chance to talk with them, but I am so happy they could be there and share the day. Lastly, I want to thank Familia Diaz for the excellent lunch – not an easy task with a large crowd - and the kids from FFA who served. Santa Paula is the best!
Ginger Gherardi
Santa Paula
A special Thank You to all!
To the Editor:
I would like to personally thank a few people who helped make the Chamber of Commerce State of the City and Awards Luncheon a smashing success:
First of all, the Museum of Ventura County for graciously sharing the space at the Mill with the community. Museum Director Brian Weber was a truly patient and good host. The City of Santa Paula for the loan of event equipment and Gil Zamora for transporting it at a moment’s notice. The Rotary Club for the use of sound equipment and Mike Mobley for setting it up and breaking it down. Also, thank you Mike for your help with the lighting and for putting up with my nervous babbling. My detail-oriented colleague Ken Brookes for also putting up with my nervous babbling. Maria Sust-Bombara, who handed over her Citizen of the Year title at the luncheon, was instrumental in hammering out all the details and very helpful indeed. Do Right’s Plant Growers provided very lovely flowers, as always – thank you Diane Davis. Alex Flores and his team of high school FFA students did a stellar job of serving and cleaning up our luncheon. What great kids they are! Thanks to Sam Hishmeh and Domino’s Pizza for feeding the FFA students.
Which brings me to the food. Dan Diaz and Sandy Tovias of Familia Diaz went above and beyond the call of duty and served a delicious and visually lovely luncheon. Everyone was raving about it. Thank you Dan and Sandy, your talent and professionalism really shined.
Of course congratulations are in order for Ginger Gherardi, our newly reigning Citizen of the Year. Don and Debbie Johnson of the Santa Paula Times for taking the Business of the Year honors – you have true community spirit. The Museum of Ventura County and VCTC for the Depot Plaza, Beautification Project of the Year. Thank you to Mayor Jim Tovias for his State of the City presentation, it was excellent. To our other presenters, Past Mayor Ralph Fernandez and Mayor-Elect Fred Robinson, thank you for bringing decorum to the day. To all who attended, thank you for your interest in, and support of your community.
Barbara Kroon
Director of Membership Services
Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce
Little League
To the Editor:
I would like to thank Brian Wilson and all of the staff for publishing a sports section with Little League in it. I like seeing all of the scores. In fact I am going to be in Little League this year. Every year I can’t wait for Little League to start.
Charlie Coughlin, age 10
Santa Paula
Great day at the Mill
To the Editor:
What a great day it was at the Mill, as well as a good day and a very beautiful and wonderful day to have the annual Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce luncheon awards at the Mill. Everything was so good – the crowd was good, the speeches were good, and that included Mayor Jim Tovias’ speech of his state of the city, too.
And the food was good, too, the lunch that is, and that included Chicken Marsalis and the way the cooks cooked the food for the luncheon. My hat goes off to you, the cooks that is, for doing a very good job well done in cooking the food for the luncheon, as well as to the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce for putting on the luncheon. Hats off to you for a very good job well done for the luncheon.
As for the recipients who were the honorees - the person of the hour, the people of the hour and the group of the hour – my hat goes off to you. Hats off to you, Ginger Gherardi, for citizen of the year for her work in the community in the city of Santa Paula – for all the work she did to make us feel at the height of our growth and expansion; the Santa Paula Times for giving us good service and business to the community; and to the Depot Plaza, Ventura County Transportation Commission and Museum of Ventura County for Beautification Project of the Year.
I hope everyone had a very good time, and I hope that we do it again next year, too, because I had a wonderful time, just like everyone did. And I hope that we do it again next year, okay.
John Bravo
Santa Paula
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