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Community Stars will be out tonight

Ten Trumbull County residents will be honored this evening as the latest in an elite group of Community Stars being recognized for the incredible level of service and volunteerism they bring to our community.

The Tribune Chronicle and Trumbull 100 will again co-sponsor this evening’s banquet and awards ceremony in honor of these local folks who consistently find ways to make our town a better place to live and work.

Since the program originated in 2002, the Tribune has received hundreds of nominations, and each year we are humbled by the amazing community service these folks exhibit.

This year’s Stars were selected last month by committee from among dozens of local nominees. We offer our appreciation to those who took the time to send us a nomination, and especially to all the very deserving nominees. As always, this year’s selection process was a challenge because so many nominees are worthy of honor for the love and dedication they offer their community.

This year’s class of Community Stars include:

l D’Andre Bowers of Warren, who helped create Warren Neighborhood Initiative, an organization that works to clean up and improve Warren’s downtown and parks;

l William Casey of Liberty, who helped create and fund through donations the Adopt-A-Home program, which rehabs local homes;

l Amanda Colbert of Warren, who is committed to community improvement by serving as a board member of Team Sanders Inc., and volunteering at Make-A-Difference Day, the Buddy Walk, 100 Turkey Giveaway and Home for Christmas, and much more;

l Shirley Frazier of Braceville, who has logged more than 600 volunteer hours at St. Joe’s at the Mall, and also runs the food pantry at Grace United Methodist Church in Warren;

l William H. Gore of Cortland, who serves as a member of the American Legion Post 540 in Cortland at four to 10 military funerals per week. He also is chaplain for the Warren chapter of a Vietnam veterans organization, is president of his church council and is chairman of the American Legion Post’s effort to send local youth to Boys State;

l Elliot Heckman of Warren, who has made it his mission to repair and donate bicycles to needy youth. Since 2015, he estimates he has repaired about 300 bikes;

l Lou Lepro of Warren, who volunteers nearly every day at St. Vincent De Paul Society dining hall. He also is involved in the Historic Perkins Homestead Neighborhood Association’s Rose Garden;

l James McFarland of Warren, whose volunteerism has included involvement through the years in the Warren Jaycees, Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County, Community Council at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Trumbull County Historical Society, the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library board of trustees and Kent State University at Trumbull advisory board;

l Dr. Farid Naffah of Bazetta, who has offered his time and his home for many years to raise funds to help pay for prescription medications and other expenses for the needy; and

l James Shuttic of Warren, who, through his role as an artist and board member at the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County, has created opportunities for healing through art therapy.

This year’s Community Stars will be saluted by their friends, family, nominators and others — like Tribune readers — at tonight’s evening’s banquet. Their stories are being told again in a special full-color magazine inserted in Wednesday’s Tribune Chronicle.

Congratulations to them all.

And remember, it’s never too early to begin thinking about who might be a good nominee for next year’s event.

editorial@tribtoday.com

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