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by Sue Watson
Leader of the Year
Bill Kinkade (left) presents the Marshall County Leader of the Year
Award, sponsored by the Byhalia Area Chamber of Commerce, to Bob Carrington. |
Chamber
hands out awards
By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer The Byhalia Area Chamber of Commerce
celebrated its successful year at the elegant galleries of BardenStone.
Taking the coveted Leader of the Year award was Bob Carrington, a long-time
member of the board of aldermen and the chamber.
His nominating letter was read by mayor
Phil Malone.
A modest Carrington was very moved by
the recognition of the impact of his leadership in the community for
giving a lifetime of service.
“I appreciate this, the chamber
giving me this award,” he said. “I am a Byhalian and I plan
on dying here in Byhalia. I’m going to be buried on that hill.
“We worked very hard. A lot
of people come up to me and say, y’all got it going on down there
in Byhalia. We’ve all worked together and we’ve pulled together
and that’s what it is all about.”
 | Board Member of the Year
Sarah Sawyer presents the award to Mary Peebles. |
Carrington related a favorite anecdote
he tells about chamber executive director Sarah Sawyer – “I
tell Sarah she doesn’t know how to politic. And she doesn’t.
I took her to Memphis to a fund-raiser for Trent Lott and I said, this
is how you have to do it.
“That guy raised $50,000
in one night and that’s what we have to do in Byhalia.”
Sawyer remarked: “I’ll never
be a politician.” The Board Member of the Year award went
to Mary Peebles, administrator of the Trinity Mission Health and Rehab
of Great Oaks. The Customer Service Award was given to the Holly Springs
Tourism Bureau.
In recapping the importance of service
to the chamber and the community, Sawyer said, “People tend to
think things and events just happen. They don’t, because it takes
a lot of planning, delegating, volunteers and resources to make things
happen. I feel like this year there are going to be challenges in all
aspects of the chamber, knowing the mission to improve the Byhalia area
and Marshall County.
“We have to work harder because
our businesses are having to work harder.”
Faye Woods encouraged everyone to become
involved in the Byhalia Arts Council.
“We are all very excited
about the new Byhalia Arts Council,” she said. “We have
a full schedule for the coming year and are starting with a relationship
with the Byhalia High School. We are accepting members now.”
 | Customer Service Award
Ralph Howard, Suzann Williams and Stephanie McKinney, with the Holly
Springs Tourism Bureau, accept the award. |
December 3, the second annual Byhalia
Christmas Tree Lighting and Christmas Parade will be held. To enter
the parade, call 662-838-2135. Festivities start at 6:30 p.m.
Chamber president Pam Thomas shared her
love for the community at the luncheon.
“Sarah said I’m a blessing
to her, but I want you to know Byhalia is a blessing to me,” Thomas
said.
From Texas before moving to Byhalia to
work with WESCO Distribution Center, Thomas said her husband promised
her if she would come to Byhalia and stay two years, and she didn’t
like it, they could move back to Texas.
“I haven’t been back
to Texas in five years,” she said.Photo by Sue Watson
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