Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce
honors citizen and businessperson

The Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce and the community at large will award the 2002 citizen, businessperson and civic beautification awards on Friday, January 31 at the Plantation Party House. The awards dinner will include entertainment by the music department from the Spencerport High School. Local organizations that have achieved milestones for their dedication of service to the community will also be recognized. This award ceremony celebrates local citizens and businesses dedicated to helping the community.

Judy Cole will receive the Clyde W. Carter Citizen of the Year Award posthumously for her lifelong involvement in church, civic and charitable organizations. Cole died of cancer in March 2002. Her loved ones and community members who know that her dedication earned her this prestigious award will celebrate her devotion as a wonderful mother of seven, grandmother, neighbor and community volunteer.

A nomination made by Linda Harrington of Spencerport indicated how Mrs. Cole reached out to so many during her lifetime. "There was always laughter or humor in her words, no matter what the situation," wrote Mrs. Harrington.

Another nomination from Charles and Colette Colby included a list of a dozen organizations with which Cole had volunteered. They stated that "Any one of these activities alone could qualify her receiving this award."

Cole was very involved in the Ogden Baptist Church, having been treasurer and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary, according to Ruth Allen, past president of the ladies’ auxiliary. Speaking from her heart, Ruth Allen said that Judy Cole was "always willing to help in any way; she lived her faith and her passing left a big hole in the hearts of many." She was active in Sunday school and originated many programs in the church, including having church members make a square for a quilt designed for the church, which resulted into two quilts that now hang over the sanctuary.

Judy Cole volunteered her time with many organizations such as the Spencerport School District as a voting inspector, secretary of the Ogden Republican Committee, and usher for the Rochester Broadway Theater League. Her many crafty talents enabled her to knit hats and scarves for mariners through the Seaman’s Church Institute.

Maureen Granger worked side by side with Cole in the Spencerport Cartons for Christmas program, where many local churches prepare gifts and perishable items for local families at Christmas. Cole organized and coordinated personal data around recipient need and family size.

"Judy was a wonderful person with a big heart. We missed her dearly this year," Granger stated. "She was always there, like a rock, and was a very calming influence on the volunteers. She devoted almost twenty years to this project, always making time for it at such a busy time of year."

Mike D’Angelo, Jr., owner of Energy-Wise Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, has been chosen to receive the Business Person of the Year Award. D’Angelo has previously won the Employer of the Year award from the Rochester/Monroe County Private Industry Council. Providing work experience to vocational students while hiring some of the graduates earned him this reward.

D’Angelo started in the business with his father, Mike D’Angelo, Sr., in 1986. He then opened his own business on West Ridge Road after the heating and air conditioning department in his father's business grew too large. Each year, D’Angelo worked with at least one student through the WE-MO-CO Job Training Partnership Act program. He has also previously done substitute teaching at WE-MO-CO, and has been a mentor for many of those students.

Ginny Swarthout, owner of the Unique Shop in Spencerport, nominated D’Angelo for his devotion to the students of WE-MO-CO and the community. "I am always pleased to see a business person active in the community. It shows that they care about the community," Swarthout said. "His experience is a bonus for the students he works with." D’Angelo is currently working on a master’s degree in business administration.

The Whittier Party House will receive the Civic Beautification Award. Owned by the Romagnolo family, who also own the Pinewood Country Club in Spencerport, the Whittier Party House is managed by Kris Roholff, one of the Romagnolo children. The nomination simply stated that it was an "excellent rehab of a formally distressed structure".

A number of local organizations which have achieved milestones will be recognized at the awards ceremony. Colby Homestead Farms will be honored for 200 years in the community, the Ogden Farmers’ Library for 185 years, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church for 135 years, LaMont Awards and Apparel for 30 years, and the Unique Shop for 20 years of business.

Tickets are available for the award ceremony at the Ogden Community Center, Cardinal Lawn and Landscape, The Unique Shop, Village of Spencerport offices, The Ogden Farmers’ Library, and Westside News. Ticket price is $20 per person.

For information, call Keith Ryan at 352-3411 extension 125.