Honored

My, what an honor! The Monticello News was named Business of the Year by the Monticello-Jasper County Chamber of Commerce (COC) at its annual meeting/dinner two weeks ago at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center.

We knew we were nominated, but the competition was tough. And, I have to admit, I thought we were deserving, but so were the other candidates. It was so exciting to hear Amy Scroggs and Amanda Proctor stand before the crowd and sing our praises, and talk about how we contribute to the community.

And, COC President Mandi Tanner outdid herself. I knew they invited family members for the Citizen of the Year, but I had no idea that they would do the same for Business of the Year. Imagine my surprise, when I looked up and saw both my daughters, with their husbands and daughters, standing there listening to the presentation.

Mind you, my youngest granddaughter was less than two weeks old at the time. (She’s a whole month this week!) And, Melody is usually in bed by the time they were giving the introductions. So, the last thing I was expecting was them. It made the night so much more special.

And, my children weren’t the only ones. My niece, Elizabeth, works here, so of course she was there, but so was her brother, Trevor, as were Susan’s children, Robyn and Jacob, brought by Susan’s mother and stepfather. In addition, Amanda Proctor and her husband, Wesley, were there, as were Jenny’s other friends, Maylon and Magen Wages. As if the people at the dinner weren’t enough, Mandi made sure that all that needed to be included were there. It sure makes a girl proud.

The COC dinner is typically held in January, but because of Covid concerns it was postponed until April, and not as many people were allowed to attend as we would have liked. Because of the postponement, Mandi ran information about each citizen and business of the year who was nominated to keep the public interested. I thought it was really neat, because it is truly an honor to be nominated, even if you don’t win.

I so appreciate our nominators for recognizing us, and for the judges at the COC choosing us to be the winner.

Amy Scroggs is a gift to this community! If you don’t know her, you’re missing out. She is our “go to” for anything school related, as well as for much in the community. And, if we hit a technical glitch, she doesn’t seem to mind at all trying to help us out.

Amanda Proctor is Jenny’s best friend, and serves as the 911 director in Morgan County. She recognizes the work that goes into the paper each week and the service we provide. She outlined that in the nomination.

We try to give back to the community every chance we get. We publicize so much, for free, and brag on our students every week. We have a small staff, and can’t be everywhere, but with the help of friends, associates and readers, we try to cover all the news of Jasper County. Some weeks there’s not much, and other weeks the pages of the paper won’t hold it all.

Of course, our main source of revenue is advertising, and those who use us will tell you it pays! I just wish more people/businesses would give us a try.

Right now we’re working on our senior section which honors all the 2021 spring graduates. We run everyone’s photo, and invite parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins to congratulate the students. We generally print extras so that every student gets a copy.

And, it’s just one of the many festivities we promote throughout the year. So, if you’re reading this. you already read the paper and know what a good resource it is. Tell a friend or neighbor, please!

Thank you to all those responsible for naming us Business of the Year.