Karl Bender, right, owner of Three B’s Nursery, accepts an award at the chamber banquet. New chamber President Jenny Bream, right, credited Bender as being “someone whose good deeds have quietly gone unnoticed.” Apparently, some people did notice, as he was named the Citizen of the Year for 2006. World Photos by Lou Sennick

Bay Area Chamber of Commerce members, families, friends and people from the community gathered Saturday night to celebrate a successful year and to honor members and citizens for their achievements.

More than 200 people were in the Salmon Room at The Mill Casino-Hotel for the awards banquet, which was once again emceed by Greg Stevens, outgoing publisher of The World; and Tim Salisbury, chief financial officer at Bay Area Hospital.

During the evening, hosts of 2006 Chamber volunteers, committee members and board members were honored and officers and others who will be working together in 2007 were introduced.

Outgoing President Chris Christoffer of Sterling Savings Bank, passed a fork to 2007 Chamber President Jenny Bream, of Brian Bream Screw Machine; explaining that although Chamber Executive Director Katherine Hoppe had done an excellent job of arranging and choreographing the evening, no one had remembered to bring a gavel.

The focus of the evening was honoring Chamber members and others in the community “who volunteer and donate their time,” said Christoffer, who, before retiring his post presented the President's Award. This year, the award, which goes, Christoffer explained, “to the person who helped me the most during my tenure,” went to Dick Leshley, owner of Yellow Cab Taxi Co., in Coos Bay, and former Chamber president.

Bream and Christoffer also announced Chamber business members that had received 𔄜 Star Community and Customer Service Awards” for the fourth quarter of the year. Those honored included Cardinal Services and Three B's Nursery, in Coos Bay; and the UPS Store and Edward Jones in North Bend.

Greg Stevens, former Chamber president and outgoing publisher of The World, was named Volunteer of the Year; and Lori Capps and Lucinda DiNovo received the Chamber's “Positivity Awards.” All were described as “making a real difference. Our communities are better because of their work,” Bream said.

Barbara Gunnell, of Gunnell Insurance Inc. in Coos Bay, and the 2006 board secretary and chairwoman of this year's banquet, was named Chamber Member of the Year. Gunnell has served two terms on the board, five years on the executive board and seven years with the Chamber Ambassadors, and was instrumental “in bringing the 2008 Ambassadors Conference to the Bay Area.”

Reese Electric was named the Chamber's Business of the Year. The company, with locations in North Bend, Bandon, Florence and Gold Beach, was noted by Chamber President Elect Ken Croes, for serving 3,700 clients in 2004; 4,800 in 2005; and 6,300 clients in 2006.”

Employee Jon Eck accepted the award, saying, “I'm accepting for all of us because we all work as a team at Reese.”

Karl Bender, owner of Three B's Nursery, was named Citizen of the Year. He was lauded by Bream as “someone whose good deeds have quietly gone unnoticed.

“Every now and then,” Bream said, “you'll pick up the paper and catch his name buried somewhere in a story for donating his time, products or service to groups in need.”

Many groups in the area, she said, “have benefited from his kindness.”

Megan Hibner, long-distance running standout at North Bend High School, received the Steve Prefontaine Athletic Award from Bob Huggins, representing the Prefontaine Memorial Committee and Elfriede Prefontaine. Accepting the award for Hibner, currently a student at Oregon State University in Corvallis, were her parents, Nancy and Bogue Morgan.

- Editor Kathy Erickson can be reached by calling 269-1222, ext. 242; or by e-mailing her at

kerickson@theworldlink.com.