Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Mosler Scheduled To Speak At Banquet

Plans are being finalized for the annual Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Banquet.

Once again, one of the highlights of the banquet, scheduled for Tuesday, April 6, will be the naming of the Citizen of the Year.

Nominations for this prestigious honor are being taken at this time. Mary Godwin, executive director of the Chamber, said the rules for nominating the Citizen of the Year require the nominee to be a resident of the county. Additionally, the person making the submission must give reasons their nominee should be so honored.

A panel will judge the nominations based on the following criteria: outstanding service to family, city, county, state, national affairs, church, fraternal, recreational and industrial and education oriented services.

The selection committee, Godwin said, will judge the content of the letters submitted, not the number of letters or signatures.

The deadline for nominating someone for Citizen of the Year is March 11. Nominations should be mailed to: Citizen of the Year c/o Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 307 116 East Second, Prescott, AR 71857-0307.

This year's banquet theme will have a tropical flavor "Aloha: Our Paradise Island". Godwin said those attending will be greeted by the 1998-99 Nevada County royalty and be given Hawaiian leis.

The servers will be appropriately dressed in grass skirts.

The third annual Chamber auction will be held at the banquet. One of the top items to be auctioned off will be a football autographed by the 1998 Arkansas Razorbacks.

This year's featured speaker will be KATV's Daybreak weatherman Matt Mosler.

Mosler, a California native, headed south for his college education, earning a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Alabama.

Upon graduation he was a general assignment reporter and substitute weatherman for WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Two years later, Mosler moved to Jackson, Mississippi where he became co-host, weather anchor and assistant producer for "A Mississippi Morning." He was also a weather anchor for Newscenter at Sunrise and Newscenter at Noon.

He spent four years in Mississippi before packing up and heading to Austin, Texas and KXAN. There, Mosler was the host and weather anchor for News 36 Firstcast.

During his career, Mosler has amassed a variety of awards. These include a best feature award in 1990 from the Mississippi Associated Press Association, and the Alabama APA award for investigative reporting and specialized reporting in 1988.

Mosler is a frequent speaker and entertainer across Arkansas. He traveled two years with a gospel quartet and has sung for two governors.

Mosler, his wife, Camille, and three children, Travis, Madison and Rebecca, live in Sherwood.

Those attending the Chamber banquet will get to hear Mosler's vocal talent as he is scheduled to sing.

However, there will be plenty more in store for the banquet attendees.

Along with the naming of the Citizen of the Year, each of the county's school districts will be naming their Teacher of the Year.

The Nevada County Farm Family of the Year, James and Kay Nelson of Bluff City, will be recognized at the banquet as well.

One of the newest, yet most coveted, awards is the Treasure of Gold Award. This will be the fourth year this honor will be bestowed on a local resident. The Treasure of Gold Award is presented to residents who have dedicated their lives to improving Prescott and Nevada County.

The first recipient was Horace McKenzie in 1995. Next to get the award was John Teeter, followed by Frances Thrasher and, last year's recipient, Maurice McLelland.

Other entertainment scheduled for the banquet will be the Sounds of Praise sextet.

The master of ceremonies for the banquet this year will be Chad Cornelius, Chamber president.

Tickets are on sale now and are available at the Bank of Prescott, the Branch Bank of Delight, at the Chamber or from any member of the Chamber board of directors. Tickets will be $15 each, with the banquet starting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 6.

But, the banquet is not the only project the Chamber is involved with. Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. the Chamber will host its first seminar of 1999.

This seminar will be on managing financial stress, with Candace Cariere', with the Extension Service, the speaker.

The seminar will be held in the St. Michael's Health Center Community Room.

There is no cost to attend and the public is invited as the seminar will focus on employer, employee and individual financial stress.