The 2011 Tonasket Founders Day Grand Marshals are Sarah Kaiser and her husband Dr. Walter Henze. Photo by Emily Hanson

TONASKET – The new officers of the Tonasket Chamber of Commerce were installed during the annual banquet on Thursday, Jan. 20.The 2011 officers are President Dale Crandall, Vice President Patrick Plumb, Treasurer Bill Nelson and Secretary Terri Orford. The Board of Directors for the year are past President Kari Alexander, Rob Nau, Julie Alley, Emily Hanson and Kay Behymer. During her President’s speech, Alexander announced that 2011 is the first year in a long time that the Tonasket Chamber of Commerce has a full slate of officers and a full board of directors.Nau announced Dr. Walter Henze and his wife, Sarah Kaiser, as the 2011 Grand Marshals.”This year’s Grand Marshals are two individuals who have been here for many years and contributed on a level we’ve seldom seen before,” he said during his announcement.The Community Cultural Center was then presented the 2010 “Organization of the Year” award by Alley.”This organization has been working especially hard these last few years and are true home town heroes,” she said. “It started as a group of friends with a vision who worked thousands of hours to bring their dream about.”CCC Executive Director River Jones said she certainly did not expect this honor, which was presented to her in the recently finished back room of the CCC.”The vision was to turn the CCC into a place for families and the community to turn it into a place for culture and the arts. This place is yours, too. What we do here is pretty much anything and everything we can possibly do. We’re a community building and we’re available to the community, if anyone wants to ‘plug in’ and plan an event, they’re welcome. Each person who comes and joins the group increases our flexibility. We also rent the building.”Chamber Member Jean Ramsey then presented the 2010 Business of the Year award to Upper Valley Disposal and owner Bob Pellegrini.”Upper Valley Disposal is so deserving of this award,” she said. “We have one event which is so looked forward to and attended that without them, the Fall Clean-Up could not be possible.”The final award of the evening, the 2010 Citizen of the Year award, was presented by past recipient Herb Wandler to Anita Asmussen, the advisor of the Associated Student Body at Tonasket High School.”This year’s recipient always works behind the scenes and helps out at the school,” Wandler said.”There are a lot of people in this community who do a lot and I’m just very honored and very humbled,” Asmussen said.Crandall ended the awards portion of the evening with his first speech as the new president.”The previous officers of the last two years have really helped launch the Chamber when the others up and down the valley are struggling,” Crandall said. “I think we can hit 100 members this year, I really do. And when you have that many businesses working together it creates a synergy among the businesses in town.”Between the silent auction and the live auction with auctioneer Jerry Asmussen, the Chamber raised $2,020 from the bids of the 70 guests in attendance for the evening.