Who should be honored?

Readers have until Jan. 12, next Monday, to send in their nominations for the annual volunteer of the year honor to be decided by community poll.

The initiative will choose a worthy volunteer to be honored as an example of selfless service to others. Any community member who has not been given the honor before is eligible.

Many people give of their time and talents throughout the year to help one or many members of the community, whether through unsung efforts to help a neighbor or in much publicized widespread efforts to tackle a bigger problem.

Readers have until 5 p.m. Jan. 12, 2015 to nominate a volunteer to honor by:

• writing a letter to Volunteer of Year, P.O. Box 150 Grand Coulee, WA, 99133,

• sending an email to star@grandcoulee.com with the subject Volunteer of the Year, or

• posting to The Star’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GrandCouleeStar.

Please include your contact information (not for publication).

We’ll publish your comments and letters in print and online and post nominations in an online poll on Jan. 14.

Readers can make their preference known through that poll or by dropping off or mailing a signed slip of paper with their preferred honoree written on it by Jan. 21.

The honoree will be announced Jan. 28.

List of past

Volunteer of the Year honorees

1985 Marian Kessler

1986 Ken Hoke

1987 Elmer Rauch

1988 Gail Allen

1989 Orvile Scharbach

1990 Nancy Armstrong-Montes

1991 Betty Roller

1992 Sid Saunders

1993 Rod Hartman

1994 Charlie Long

1995 Cathy Schrader

1996 Barbara Meyer

1997 Jerry Bainard

1998 Rodney Bise

1999 Del Ostenberg

2000 Ben Alling

2001 Bob Mueller

2002 Jerry Beierman

2003 Birdie Hensley

2004 None

2005 Chick Jackson

2006 Felix Marcolin

2007 Kathy Baty

2008 Darlene Morava

2009 Diane Canady

2010 Caroll Clune

2011 Jeanne Moon

2012 Eloise Bowman

2013 Jerry Birdwell