Congratulations to award winners

Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2004 Community Awards. The awards were handed out Friday afternoon at a luncheon at the Carson Nugget sponsored by the Nevada Appeal and Carson Access Television. It's the fifth year we've had the honor of hosting this event.

This year's winners are:

Educator of the year - Billie Jo Hogan

Student of the year - Cristian Espinoza

Artist of the year - Pat Josten

Athlete of the year - Will Bowman

Boss of the year - Dr. John Bower

Employee of the year - Dee Johnson

Citizen of the year - Delsye Mills

Organization of the year - Carson City Symphony

Special recognition - Luke Schober

These are people who represent the best our community has to offer. They embody the commitment, spirit and fraternity that make us proud to be their friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Each year when we begin asking for nominees for the awards, we know we will receive names of people we already recognize and admire. We also know there will be nominees with whom we're unfamiliar, and there's a flash of inspiration as we discover more and more people in various walks of life who are routinely doing extraordinary work. Believe us, it's difficult to pick just a few every year for the awards.

For a newspaper such as the Nevada Appeal, with help from Carson Access Television, there is a responsibility to be involved with the people and organizations who define our communities. Like many others in town, the Appeal joins its share of fund-raisers and charity events.

But it is not enough to always stand on the sidelines and cover the news; we also must participate and, sometimes, lead.The Community Awards is our biggest opportunity to say thank-you to some special residents and recognize the qualities they represent