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Abe Awards

The Vandalia Chamber of Commerce broke from tradition this year in honoring two individuals for their service to the community.

While the chamber traditionally honors one chamber member and one non-member, this year it chose to present an Abe Award to two of its members.
At its annual banquet last Thursday night, the chamber honored downtown merchant Donelle Conaway and Vandalia Superintendent of Schools Rich Well.
Chamber Treasurer Pat Click, a fellow downtown merchant, presented an Abe Award to Conaway, noting that she moved from Mt. Vernon to Vandalia as a result of her grandfather being employed at Vandalia Correctional Center.
Click said that after working at a local bakery and restaurant, Conaway joined the staff of Bo-K Florist. In 1982, Conaway and Phyllis Schaal started Something Special Florist.
Twenty-two years later, Click said, Conaway purchased the former home of Cuppy’s Pharmacy at the southwest corner of Fourth and Gallatin streets, and moved her business to that location a year later.
Click said that Conaway was a founding member of the Women of the Moose, the founder of the Downtown Merchants Association and a member of the Vandalia Tourism Commission.
“Her true passion has become the downtown Christmas event (Olde Tyme Christmas),” Click said. “She always makes sure that every child who comes in to see Santa Claus gets something.
“She’s a huge part of that event,” he said.
“She has spunk, she is dependable, she does what she says she will do, and she had an incredible work ethic.”
In accepting the award, Conaway was brief, thanking others for what she has been able to accomplish.
“I try to put everything I can in it, whatever it is, and I thank everyone who as supported me,” Conaway said.
Chamber Secretary Joe Schaal presented an Abe Award to Well, noting that the award recipient is well known in the community as a teacher, coach, principal and, now, as the school district’s superintendent.
Schaal noted Well’s work in trying to provide the best educational opportunities for students in the district, which has included leading the Chromebook program through which all high school students receive a laptop for use in their classes.
Schaal said that Well’s work outside the educational realm has consisted of spearheading summer basketball shoot-outs. Over the course of last summer, Schaal said, 60 teams came to Vandalia, where they aided the local economy by using local restaurants, gas stations and hotels.
He said that when he told Well about the Abe Award, Well said, “’I do my job.’
“He doesn’t feel that he deserves it,” Schaal said, noting that Well’s contributions to local youth includes coaching third- and fourth-graders, his involvement in the startup of the Field of Dreams committee that has made improvements to local baseball and softball fields, and coaching the American Legion baseball team.
Schaal said that Well leads a men’s group and Bible study at First Methodist Church, and that he was involved in the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle.
“He is very active and very involved in the community,” Schaal said.
In accepting the award, Well said that he was “humbled by this, especially with the people who won this in the past.
“What I do are things that help kids, and you guys have helped us to do that,” Well said.
He said that contrary to the beliefs of some residents, Vandalia has a lot going for it.
“There are a lot of naysayers, but we’ve got a ton of people doing good stuff in this community,” Well said.
Last Thursday’s banquet also included an address by Todd Stapleton, who has agreed to serve a second consecutive term as the chamber president. Stapleton moved up from vice president last year after John Ashdown left Vandalia for a YMCA position in Nevada.
In his address, Stapleton emphasized the need of chamber members to work together to improve the community, and encouraged members to get others involved in the organization.
The banquet also included a brief address by Vandalia Mayor Rick Gottman.
In addition to Stapleton, Click and Schaal, the chamber officers for 2016 include Kelly Washburn, vice president, and Brock Brannon, vice president.
 

Donelle Conaway

Rich Well

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