Chamber Of Commerce To Award Community Members

Businesses, high school students and others community members will be honored Wednesday evening by the Wheaton and Kensington Chamber of Commerce during its annual awards banquet at .

The chamber awards those who have made a difference in the area whether through helping others through community service or daily work life.

Brookside Gardens will be honored this year as the 2012 Tribute awardee. Managed by the county's parks department, the landscaped garden has been a destination in Wheaton Regional Park since 1969. 

Award recipients for the the Police District 2 Public Safety Award and the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad Public Safety Award have yet to be named.

Yet, several others were named to receive the following awards:

• The Mid-County Citizen's Advisory Board Citizen of the Year Award: Susan
  Johnson, President of the Layhill South Civic Association
• Mid-County Citizen's Advisory Board Civic Association of the Year Award:
  Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP)
• The Police District 4 Public Safety Award: The police officers who patrol the Central Business District, including Sgt. Adam Currie, Off. Jonathan Anspach, Off. Melvin Avelar, Off. Ian Hamilton, Off. Michael Hartman, Off. Dan Manzo, Off. Hugo Salazar and officers of the Gang South unit: Off. Bruce Beardsley, Off. Dylan Morris, Off. Brandon Pellecchia, Off. Troy Tippet and Detective Charles Hoetzel, of the Takoma Park Police Department.
• The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department Public Safety Award: Fire Chief James P. Stanton
• Einstein High School Teacher of the Year: Paula Pero
• Einstein High School ESOL Student of the Year: Duy Nguyen
• Einstein High School Community Service Student of the Year: Donald Bushman
• Kennedy High School Teacher of the Year: Cheryl Burwel
• Kennedy High School ESOL Student of the Year:  Lissy Velez
• Kennedy High School Community Service Student of the Year:  Thao Tran
• Wheaton High School Teacher of the Year: Annabelle Jaffe
• Wheaton High School ESOL Student of the Year: Ilse Jonguitud Hernandez
• Wheaton High School Community Service Student of the Year: Leanne Yuen
• The Chamber Member of the Year Award: Kathleen Guinan
• The Chamber Business of the Year Award: Fitzgerald Wheaton Auto Mall
• The Outstanding Chamber Service Award: Kristen Wright
• The Non-Profit of the Year Award: Meals on Wheels Wheaton

The banquet will be held from

For more information, contact chamber administrator Vicky Surles at 301-949-0080 or email wkchamber@wkchamber.org.