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Welcome! Today is Thursday, September 9, 2010, the time is 5:31 EDT.
Lee Starnes is officially Haywood County’s Hometown Hero of the Year. And while this comes as no surprise to many in the community, when Starnes first heard the news, he couldn’t quite believe it. “What in the world?” he remembers thinking for a split second before giving a big grin and offering many words of appreciation to the small crowd around him. “Thank you,” he said. “It’s great to be among this group. I tell you that.” On Friday, July 23, Starnes was one of 12 Hometown Hero nominees honored at an award ceremony sponsored by The Mountaineer and Anderson Automotive Group
at Anderson’s local dealership. The gala was the culmination of a yearlong effort by the two companies to recognize those in the community who have made a difference. With his 25 years volunteering with Little League and his countless years with Rotary,
Folkmoot USA, Haywood Genealogy Society, Haywood Habitat for Humanity and Youth For Christ, Starnes more than fit the bill. At the party, he was modest about his accomplishments, however, and made sure to mention his fellow nominees often.
“It’s great to be a part of this, and it’s great to be in Haywood County, isn’t it?” he said.
The other nominees run the gamut from those deeply involved in non-profits to those who risked their lives to save others. They include Frank Brantley, Hugh Constance Sr., Martha Weathers Brown, Juanita Dixon, Perry Hines, Bryan Hickman, Fred Underwood, Michaela Blanton, Bud and Janice Liner, Richard Reeves and Justin Bacon.
This is the first year of the Hometown Heroes program, which is expected to continue far into the future. Each month between June 2009 and May 2010, each one of these heroes was nominated by a member of the community and was subsequently recognized by the Mountaineer in a story. After the year was up, the public was asked to vote on their favorite of the bunch. At the recent party, each hero was individually recognized with the plate off of which his or her Mountaineer story had been printed, complete with a frame and attached plaque.
Being the man of the hour, Starnes received a little something extra as well. As the official Hometown Hero, he was given the choice of either the use of an Anderson car for a year or $2,500. In the moments after his name was announced, Starnes was too busy being caught up in the moment to make a choice just yet.
“You get overwhelmed,” he said.
So many of his fellow nominees said they felt the same. Most, like Constance, never expected to be recognized like this. The longtime teacher and Western University Football Hall of Fame winner said he “was happy to be here” but insisted he hadn’t worked in the community for accolades, but because he felt he must.
“I was doing it because it was my duty,” he said.
When Dixon, who was recognized for her work with seniors and various local charities, told the surprising story of how she was nominated, she nearly began to cry. Originally, 10-year-old Mary Margaret Curley at her church had nominated her. When the girl found she was too young to make a nomination, “her little heart was just broken,” Dixon said. So, an adult member of their church made the nomination official.
“To make an impact on a child like that, that’s the greatest honor anyone can have,” Dixon said.
It’s high emotions like this that let Mountaineer publisher Jonathon Key and Anderson Automotive Group manager Tom Cosse know that the Hometown Heroes program really does make a difference in Haywood County.
“It’s something we felt we needed to support,” said Cosse, speaking on behalf of his company. “And I’m glad we did.”
Key added how impressed he is by his fellow Haywood County residents. He also emphasized that this is just the beginning of Haywood County Hometown Heroes.
“It’s phenomenal the caliber of people we have in the community,” he said. “We look forward to finding 12 more heroes in the future.”
Nominations for the second year of Haywood County Hometown Heros are currently being accepted at The Mountaineer and Anderson Automotive Group and will soon also soon be accepted on The Mountaineer’s revamped website, www.themountaineer.com.
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