Teens honored by Kiwanis for leadership, community service

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Ten teens and a 10-year-old were awarded the Thomas J. Majhan Teen Leaders Award by the Port Townsend Kiwanis Club for their service in 2015.

The recipients were honored at a ceremony and reception attended by families, nominators and elected officials. The keynote speaker for the 13th annual ceremony was Keith Harper, Jefferson County Superior Court judge and a longtime colleague of the late Judge Thomas J. Majhan, in whose name the awards are presented.

The 2015 recipients are:

Katie Bailey of Quilcene, daughter of Lorie and Scott Bailey; nominated by Gary Stebbins and Joni Crowell of the Quilcene School District.

Reilly Berkshire of Port Townsend, daughter of Julie Knott and Paul Berkshire; nominated by Bill Kush, retired director of the Jefferson County Family YMCA.

Lane Dotson of Port Ludlow, son of Leanne and Darrin Dotson; nominated by Amy Crandall, AIC Photography.

Olivia Ejde of Chimacum, daughter of Maggie and Chris Ejde; nominated by Linda Kostenbader, East Jefferson Rotary Interact Club.

Samuel Meier of Port Townsend, son of Karmen Meier and Eveleen Muehlethaler; nominated by Cher West-Allbright, Jefferson County Soccer Club.

Noah Morningstar of Port Townsend, son of Christina Whipple and David Philips; nominated by Denise Winter, Key City Public Theatre.

Deidra Morris of Nordland, daughter of Lori and Bliss Morris; nominated by Alysia Yingling, East Jefferson Little League.

Patrick Morton of Port Townsend, son of Catherine Morton; nominated by Lois Sherwood and Kim Hammers, Port Townsend Rotary Interact Club.

Jack Pickard of Port Townsend, son of Janet Clemont and Jeff Pickard; nominated by Shirley Moss, Port Townsend Food Bank.

David Su’a of Port Townsend, son of Fia Kay Su’a; nominated by Rene Olson, Port Townsend High School teacher, and Brian Kienle, Olympic Peninsula Young Life.

In addition, a special award was presented this year to 10-year-old Lynelle Gudrun Welch, daughter of Laura and Ben Welch of Port Townsend, who was nominated by Shirley Moss for her three years of volunteering at the food bank. There were special circumstances with the nomination and, because Lynelle is moving from the area soon, the Kiwanis committee decided to honor her during the awards ceremony this year.

The families, nominators and awards presenters were all on hand for the awards ceremony, during which each teen received their award and a gift, as well as a donation to the organization of their choice in their name.

Nine elected officials and community leaders were invited to read the nominations and present the awards to the teens: Rose Ann Carroll, Jefferson County auditor; Jeff Chapman, Jefferson County assessor; Juelie Dalzell, retired Jefferson County prosecuting attorney; Bob Gray, Port Townsend City Council member; Ed Hauser, Port Townsend Elks Lodge 317 exalted ruler; Jill Landes, Jefferson County District Court judge; Whitney Meissner, Chimacum High School principal; Stacie Prada, Jefferson County treasurer; and Deborah Stinson, City of Port Townsend mayor.

“Each year, I’m just so impressed with all the community service work being performed in our communities by our local youth,” said Melanie Bozak, a Kiwanis member who created the awards program. “And, having the nominators and community leaders there to read the nominations and present the awards provides a significant and meaningful ceremony for the teens to feel very special and honored for all the work they have done for their communities.”

In addition to Bozak, the 2015 Teen Leaders Awards committee members include Louise Raymond, Dave Crozier, Marge Helander, Anne Metcalfe, and Ed and Barb Zinser.

The Teen Leaders Awards program was started in 2004 to honor local teens for outstanding leadership and community service excellence for the previous year. Teens are nominated by organizations and members of the public.

Teens annually selected for the award must be residents of Jefferson County between the ages of 14 and 18 and nominated by a community member for a combination of outstanding leadership and community service excellence.