Vote for Citizen of the Year
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Von Hinton Shooting the Breeze with Von

Maxine Moore Shooting the Breeze with Maxine

Jimmy Swain Shooting the Breeze with Jimmy

Finalists for Citizen of Year Award announced

The three final nominees for the Chamber of Commerce annual citizen of the year contest were announced this week. They are James (Jimmy) Swain, Maxine Moore and Von Hinton. Based on nomination forms presented:

* Nominee Von Hinton was called a "pastor at large" in his nomination. While a volunteer with the Good Samaritan Center, and an active member of the Optimist Club and DAV, Hinton was nominated for his constant work visiting nursing-home patients, the sick and shut-ins. "He will drive all over the county when he hears of a family in need," said his nominator, the Rev. Jimmy Lewis of the Jasper First Baptist Church. Hinton was also praised for his work as chaplain at Piedmont Mountainside Hospital.

* Nominee Maxine Moore, a lifelong resident of Jasper, has supported the community through her business Moore Furniture Company since 1961. Moore was instrumental in helping organize the Jasper Merchants Association and has been an active member of the organization working on their yearly Christmas parade. She has also been active in the monthly cruise-in car show. In addition to the Jasper Merchants, Moore has been a member of the Hospital Auxiliary, the Downtown Development Authority, the Lions Club, has served two terms on the Chamber of Commerce Board; has served one term on the Hospital Authority Board, and was a member of the Jaycettes.
Her nominator, Moore Furniture Company employee David Gibson, wrote, "Maxine has a huge heart and loves Pickens County. She is an anchor of stability for so many people in the community."

* Nominee Jimmy Swain has been a tireless volunteer for the Chamber of Commerce the past three years. He has also served with the Pickens Republican Party and is a member of the Jasper First Baptist Church choir. Swain is the chairman of the Chamber Ambassadors and a member of the Pickens County Republican Executive Committee. He has also volunteered with the Marble Festival and July 4th parade committees. Swain was nominated by Bill Horton, his employer at the UPS Store in Jasper.

Voting for the final three will run from now until September 24th. Votes can be made online at the chamber's website, www.pickenschamber.com/, www.KnowPickens.com and www.pickensprogress.com.
Votes will only be accepted on paper ballots at the Chamber Building on Stegall Street in Lee Newton Park.

There will be a banquet to honor all three nominees on September 23rd, the day before the final day of voting. The winner is to be announced the first week of October and will be recognized during the annual Marble Festival parade. To honor the winner, their portrait will be painted and placed with other winner portraits and bronze busts in the Chamber Building. The likeness of the winner will be unveiled at the November Chamber Breakfast.

Sponsors for this year's event are ETC Communications, Bojangles and Pisconeri Studio.

by Dan Pool ~ Pickens Progress