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West Pasco Chamber Hands Out Awards At Annual Banquet
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Published: June 14, 2008
NEW PORT RICHEY - Local attorney Steve Booth, Dr. Rao Musunuru and Publix store manager Brian Singletary earned some of the top honors during the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce annual banquet Friday night.
Rotary Club of Trinity also took home the Outstanding Service Club Award, among many other awards handed out at the 64th annual banquet.
In addition, the Chamber of Commerce installed its new board of directors, led by attorney - and mayor of New Port Richey - Scott McPherson as chairman.
A 30-year Pasco resident, Booth got the Eminent Pioneer Acknowledgement Award, according to Joe Alpine, president of the Chamber.
A partner in the law firm of Booth and Cook, Booth has served 28 years on the West Pasco Little League board and has belonged to Rotary Club of New Port Richey for 17 years. He also has served organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, Pasco County Junior Achievement, Safety Town and Pasco Sheriff's Charities. He is chairman of the board for The Angelus while also working on the executive committee for the Charlie Daniels Celebrity Golf Classic, which benefits Angelus.
The Outstanding Community Service Award went to Singletary for 28 years of community service. He arranged contributions and volunteers from the Southgate Publix staff to benefit Gulf and Ridgewood high schools, Mittye P. Locke Elementary School, Elfers First Baptist Christian School, Seven Springs Middle School, Chasco Fiesta, Untied Way, March of Dimes and Special Olympics.
Musunuru, a cardiologist, got the Outstanding Citizen Award for his efforts to build up the heart institute at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point. The hospital had only 50 beds when he first moved to Hudson 27 years ago. He has reaped three national awards in the past five years from American Heart Association alone, among many others. He serves on the local boards of Pasco Hernando Community College, the heart association, CARES and many others.
The Outstanding Public Servant Award went to Capt. Edward Beckman of the Pasco Sheriff's Office. The 23-year veteran of the law enforcement agency helped organize the evacuation of 225 people at a Pasco jail annex before a tornado destroyed it Dec. 16, 2007. He is an adjunct instructor for 17 years at the Law Enforcement Academy at Pasco-Hernando Community College, co-chair for Leadership Pasco Criminal Justice Day and serves many other groups.
The Winner Awards went to Ridgewood High baseball coach Larry Beets and Ridgewood boys basketball coach Gary Anders, both of whom recently notched 500 career victories.
Among community organizations, the Trinity Rotary Club was honored as the top service club. The 10-year-old group with 60 members has supported Radio Disney reading programs at elementary schools, free children's books at area Laundromats, Habitat for Humanity home building projects and assisting on the home of Josh Cooley, a veteran injured in Iraq.
Youth and Family Alternatives earned the Outstanding Area Youth Organization Award for reaching some 175,000 children and families during its 38 years here. YFA sponsors programs such as substance abuse prevention, a RAP House shelter for runaways, family counseling and more.
Two groups got Special Recognition Awards: Hudson Teen Advisory Board for 12 years of service to the Hudson Regional Library; and the West Pasco Quilters Guild, which has donated some $200,000 to local charities the past 18 years.
Chasco Fiesta steering committee members who were honored were Pater Altman, Cami Austin, Sandy Brown, Chuck Grey, Ken Huber, Craig McCart, Roger Michels, Richard Ojeda and Shane Stambaugh.
McPherson leads the new Chamber of Commerce board, with Robin Michels as chairman-elect, Margie Pagano as first vice chair, Chris Dunning as second vice chair, Jamie Mick as secretary, Phil Chesnut as treasurer and Tom Kehoe as past chairman. Board members are Kelly Armstrong, Cami Austin, Tony Boula, Richard Bekesh, Doug Benjamin, Mary Crew, Candace Glewen, Frank Grey, Linda Hawkins, Bonnie Howard, Karen King, Karen MacDonald, Laura McFarland, Kathie Melanson, Bruce Mills, Evie Parks, David Parris, Jimmy Pritchard, Laurel Robinson and Luby Sidoff.
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