Shirley Grieve has been selected as the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 Citizen of the Year. This annual award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the community over several years through their caring and concern. Living in Mason for 38 years, her activities and memberships include Capital Area Community Services Mason Food Bank and Walk for Warmth, Kiwanis Club of Mason Golden K, Mason Optimist Club, St. James Catholic Church, Mason/Holt Eagles, and the County Seat Old Car Club. The Ingham County Community News awarded her the Agnes Corner Volunteer of the Year Award in 2004. That award was named after the very first MACC Citizen of the Year.

However, her fundraising for Angel House, a Mason shelter for children coming from troubled domestic situations, is what she calls her "pride and joy." In 2006, she raised more than $50,000 for Angel House. "Shirley represents the very best in our community when it comes to volunteerism, sacrifice, and commitment," says Jim Paparella, executive director of Angel House’s parent agency Child & Family Services. He says that she never seeks attention for her good deeds — yet it always seems to come her direction. "She's attached at the hip to the Angel House project," he says. "She's an angel herself."

Shirley Grieve, a mother of six, can relate to the children at Angel House. Since they come from broken homes, "I feel sorry for them, really," Grieve says. Through the shelter, the Angel House staff also assesses the children's home lives. In fact, it was at a Christmas fundraiser for Angel House at the Ingham County Fairgrounds last December that she learned she was named "Citizen of the Year." She acknowledges that she is not the only dedicated volunteer in town. However, her moneymaking events for Angel House, such as the annual County Seat Car Show and spaghetti dinners at the Mason A&W, have served the children's shelter well. "I just love doing fundraisers," Grieve says.

Margaret Cottrill of Mason High School has been selected as the recipient of the Mason Area Chamber’s 2008 Excellence in Education award. This award recognizes an educator who best exemplifies the qualities that inspire students to learn and value education. Since 1991, she has taught French and Spanish at the Mason High School and Mason Middle School. Although traveling between the two schools cuts a bit into her preparation time, Margaret Cottrill says she enjoys her dual role. "I don't mind because I really like the middle school," she says, "and it's a really nice atmosphere."

Before coming to Mason, she had a long and well-traveled education career. She taught French to elementary students in Canada, then switched to teaching Spanish to grade school kids in Texas (by then she had earned teaching certificates in both languages). Her next move was educating middle school kids in Spanish in California. We’re glad to have her settle in Mason.

She is actively involved in the Michigan World Language Association, a group that holds a conference that takes place in Lansing every October. It's this event, which brings together more than 1,000 language teachers from throughout the state to discuss their subjects, that has helped her bring the language — and cultures — of France and Spain into Mason classrooms. At the Lansing conference, educators take part in one- to three-hour sessions on topics such as vocabulary, verbs and even how to run a French club. She will serve as President of that organization in 2010.

Mason High School Principal Lance Delbridge has high regard for the latest chamber education award winner. He says that "Margaret is a joy to work with and is always willing to do whatever it takes to make life better for students, staff, and the Mason community." She does a tremendous job of reaching all students regardless of their age level or ability level. "She's just a phenomenal teacher," he says. "She just invests so much in her kids." He says that she injects comedy routines, singing, guitar playing and funny games into her classes, which make learning all that much more fun for the students.

Wolverine Engineers & Surveyors has worked with numerous municipalities and private clients in Michigan since 1919. They serve as engineer for numerous local governmental units and additionally provide engineering, surveying, planning and design services to commercial clients, municipalities, drain commissioners, private developers and others on a project-by-project basis.

The focus of Wolverine Engineers and Surveyors' staff is on providing for the needs of communities throughout lower Michigan. With their diverse background, their staff has been assisting communities in planning and designing infrastructure and utilities.

Cathy Groce of Cathy E. Groce Appraisals has been selected to receive the 2008 MACC President’s Award. This award recognizes the contributions made by an individual to the Mason Area Chamber’s goals over the past year. A local real estate appraiser for many years, she also manages the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce’s Arabian Horse Show each year. She calls the Chamber show, which takes place in June at the Ingham County Fairgrounds, a "Class A" operation that includes breeding and performance classes. The show is sanctioned by the International Arabian Horse Association and the U.S. Equestrian Federation. People and horses participate to earn points for regional and national competitions.

Currently a self-employed appraiser and contract assessor, she moved to the vicinity in 1997 from the Goodrich/Grand Blanc area to take a city assessor position in Mason. She also was a horse owner who knew of Mason's reputation as a good "horse" community. "That's one of the things that prompted me to move over here," she explains. Right away, Cathy Groce took over as manager of the annual horse show, which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year. She hires a show committee and officials and oversees the show's operation.

Because of the struggling economy and the fact that horse ownership is an expensive hobby, she says that participation in the show has dropped from 250 in her first year to about 170 now. Still, the show manages to make money, with the 2007 show’s $30,000 budget netting a $6,000 surplus — an amount that greatly exceeded Chamber income projections. Both of the Chamber’s major fundraisers (the horse show and the car raffle) raise funds to operate our visitor's center, to do other "Hometown USA" community events (such as our parades, concerts, celebrations, etc.), and they fund our limited community identity promotional activities. When those events do well, the Chamber can invest more back into the community.

Cathy Groce has a lot of respect for the Arabian breed, which she notes is the oldest horse breed. "They say Arabians are in every breed of horse." More than likely, it's that love of the breed that has helped her make the annual MACC Arabian Horse Show one of the top moneymakers for the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce.

In May of 1944, Post 148 and the Jean R. Anderson V.F.W. Post 7309 gathered enough money to start construction of a Veteran’s Memorial which now stands at the southwest corner of the Court House lawn. The Legion members hold important community ceremonies there for Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Pearl Harbor Day. A recent renovation of this and other memorials helps to make the Ingham County Courthouse square the "center of the Mason area community." In addition, Post 148 supports other activities financially, including Boys and Girls State, Student Trooper Program, and Flags for Classrooms. They also make annual contributions to the various Veterans’ hospitals in the state.

The post invites all members of the Mason community to join them in the display of our National Flag on federal holidays. The post uses this program as a way to raise funds for youth, veterans’ community, and post-oriented programs and to raise awareness to display the flag properly. Legion members place a flag and flagpole (weather permitting, since it is improper to display the flag during inclement weather) in front of many local businesses and homes. A yearly agreement is subject to renewal in November of each year.

Colleen Briggs of Dart Bank has been selected for a MACC 2008 Special Recognition award in appreciation for her leadership and active assistance in supporting so many community events and activities for many groups over the past several years in the Mason area. A lender at the bank, Colleen Briggs has been the driving force behind the Mason Cares Day held each September 11 since 2002 to honor local first responders. However, the list of her other community activities is long and varied.

Mason Fire Chief Kerry Minshall says the Mason Cares program wouldn't be as successful as it has been if it weren't for Colleen Briggs, who he said devotes much of her personal time to the cause. "It's a wonderful program," he says. "She's the instrument to make it happen."

In her 29th year at Dart Bank, she is entrenched in Mason life in many ways. Currently an adult choir member at the Eden United Brethren Church, she assists with their Angel Choir and Girls Ensemble. Colleen Briggs teaches Junior Church and has assisted with Vacation Bible School. She is a member of the ECHO (Eden Church Helping Others) team. Yet she is a humble about her activities at Eden, at least when it comes to her vocal contributions. "I just sing in the choir, no solos," she says, laughing. "Just a supporting character."

A part of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event for many years, she helped to lead it a couple of those years. For many years she also led the in-house campaign at Dart Bank for United Way. She has participated in other walks and fundraising for Alzheimer’s, March of Dimes, Angel House, Mason Promise Scholarship, Toys for Tots, the local food bank, Old Newsboys, and the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce. "I would just like to see people get involved," she says. Colleen Briggs already sees that happening. "When something comes up, the word gets out, and people respond and take care of it," she explains. To her, helping out could mean simply walking a lap at Relay for Life, washing a truck during Mason Cares Day or donating clothes to a food bank. "If more people did just a little bit, that'd be great," she says.