Here are the Chamber's annual award winners:

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR - Karen Guzniczak has been the queen of Stroll the Streets since she started it seven years ago and nursed it along until it has become THE signature event for our town and THE place to be on Friday nights in the summer. We're known far and wide for this amazingly fun event that puts bands, balloon artists and even mimes on every street corner. Karen and her husband Ray own Country Now & Then/Up the Lazy River. She serves on the Boyne Area Chamber Board and the Main Street Promotions Committee.

COMMUNITY PRIDE AWARD - The Boyne City Area Veterans Memorial Committee is the honoree for piecing together donated labor, materials and cash to build an awe-inspiring Veterans Memorial in Veterans Memorial Park. With its flags, monuments and beautiful landscaping, it is a wonderful tribute to the many local residents who have served or given their lives for our nation through the years. Former Sheriff George Lasater organized the committee, which includes representatives of the American Legion, VFW, Eagles and Masonic Lodge.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR - Tony Williams. Despite the slow economy, 2009 was a good year for starting new businesses in Boyne City, and the Boyne Area Chamber presented their Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Tony Williams of Freshwater Studio. Tony and his partners totally transformed the former Gambles building, which had been vacant for more than 30 years on South Lake Street, and opened a beautiful gallery. This impressive building is leading the resurgence of South Lake Street, which now even has its own name, “SOBO.” Freshwater also sometimes doubles as a musical venue, hosting monthly concerts through the winter.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR - The "Creating Entrepreneurial Communities" program makes a point of encouraging young entrepreneurs, and so the Boyne Chamber wanted to start this new award. This one is a slam dunk, because who would have thought that a 22-year-old "kid" who can barely buy a drink at the Sportsman would start a local newspaper and produce it almost single-handedly, week after week after week. But that's what Boyne City native Chris Faulknor has done with the Boyne City Gazette. Chris is one of the hardest working people in town, and he's setting a great example for young and old people alike.

SALLY ROSELLI BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD - One of the comments on a Chamber survey looking for award nominations was that Glen Catt deserves the award "for getting through the Boyne bureaucracy and bringing jobs and new life to downtown Boyne." Another nomination said Glen deserves the award "for believing and investing in Boyne City in an extremely turbulent and uncertain time when many of us have hunkered down to wait out the storm." During the worst economic year in 70 years, our honoree committed to investing $12 million in our downtown.