Dunlap is Citizen of the Year

DAYTON - Dayton na- tive and former Seneca ex- ecutive Duane Dunlap was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Dayton Chamber of Commerce last week at its 67th annual awards banquet. The Chamber also awarded courthouse maintenance supervisor Dave Finney as employee of the year, the Weinhard Hotel as Busi- ness of the Year and Dayton High senior Carlos Oribio as Youth Citizen of the Year.

Dunlap has been a long- time volunteer as a board member of the Dayton Historic Depot and has led the effort to develop a 30-year maintenance plan for the Depot. He also was one of the leaders in the effort to renovate the Boldman House Museum in Dayton. And he is currently working with the Blue Mountain Heritage Society to renovate the Smith Hollow School House in its new location downtown.

Finney is a popular face around the courthouse, who was described as a jack of all trades, positive and devoted to his job. Outside his job, he is active in the commu- nity, particularly coaching youth baseball. He and his wife, Jennifer, have opened their home to several foster children.

Shellie and Gary McLeod, owners of the Weinhard Ho- tel, were honored particular- ly for their innovative mar- keting efforts, teaming up with other downtown busi- nesses and for their "Murder Mystery Weekends." They provide retail space for local artists and open their lobby for daily coffee, community events and fundraisers.

Oribio, a Dayton High School senior, has been a passionate advocate for a healthy alcohol, tobacco and drug-free community through his involvement in the school's SHEO (Stu- dents Helping Each Other) Club. He has also been active in Youth in Government and other school organizations.

Thursday night's banquet also featured a presentation by the Dayton Develop- ment Task Force. Task Force board member Marcene Hendrickson gave a Power Point presentation showing the many projects the group has undertaken since it was formed in the early 1980s. These included creation of Flour Mill Park; renovation of Main Street, including a new concrete street surface and sidewalks, street trees and street furniture; and reno- vation of the Liberty Theater, a project that spun off from the Task Force.

Task Force board member Jennie Dickinson described some of the other important work that has been done to preserve and restore historic buildings downtown, includ- ing the historic depot, the Columbia County Courthouse, the Boldman House and the Smith Hollow School House.

Board member Bette Lou Crothers talked about the group's future efforts, par- ticularly a new fundraising program, in which businesses in Dayton, or throughout the state, can receive a 75% tax credit for donations made to the Task Force for their proj- ects downtown.