GREENFIELD — Citizens of the Year. They epitomize what it means to serve one’s community. They believe that belonging comes from contributing. They think beyond themselves.
“Everyone’s got something to offer,” said last year’s Greenfield Recorder Citizen of the Year, Patricia “Pat” Thayer of Ashfield.
Now, the Recorder is once again seeking nominations for its 44th Citizen of the Year, an honor given annually to a person who has made significant contributions to the life and community of Franklin County. The deadline for nominations is fast approaching.
The tradition celebrates those who have shown a deep commitment to community and public service. While many past Citizens of the Year have been recognized for a lifetime of achievement, the honor is open to anyone — prominent or not — whose work or volunteerism is deserving of recognition. Nominations must be received by Monday, Nov. 16.
“For the past 43 years, the Recorder has named a Franklin County neighbor its Citizen of the Year. Each of them was a leader driven to improve the community with their good work and desire to leave this region a little better than they found it,” Recorder Publisher Shawn Palmer said. “With your help, we continue to seek out these selfless leaders and shine a light on their good work. If you know someone who deserves recognition for their contributions, please nominate them today. Perhaps they will be the 44th Greenfield Recorder Citizen of the Year.”
The Recorder selects the Citizen of the Year through nominations submitted by its readers. A committee consisting of the Recorder’s editorial board, members of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and the previous year’s Citizen of the Year reviews the nominations. The newspaper’s editorial board makes the final decision.
Thayer was chosen as the Recorder’s Citizen of the Year for her longtime volunteer work at the Hilltown Churches Food Pantry in Ashfield, where she served as the pantry board president, as well as president of Highland Ambulance, for many years.
In 2024, Russell Deane of Bernardston received the honor. Deane was recognized for his lifelong commitment to Bernardston and Franklin County, helping found the Bernardston Kiwanis Club, his longtime membership at the United Church of Bernardston, and serving as a charter member of The United Arc in Turners Falls, among many other roles.
In 2023, the Recorder honored Ben Clark, a fourth-generation member of Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield. Clark was recognized for his contributions to Deerfield and Franklin County, including his advocacy on behalf of the agricultural community and support of local food systems, his service as a volunteer firefighter and saving a woman’s life during torrential rainstorms in July 2023.
Previous honorees were Kirsten Levitt (2022); Carolyn Shores Ness (2021); and Susan Samoriski (2020); Robert “Robbie” Cohn (2019); David Chichester (2018) and Robert Pura (2017).
How to nominate
Nominations can be submitted online at recorder.com. Look for an online nomination form at the top of the Recorder’s homepage. Provide as much detail about why someone deserves to be Citizen of the Year and include your name, address, phone number and email, and the same information for the person you are nominating.
An advertisement is running regularly in the Recorder as a reminder. Nominees who weren’t chosen in the past can be considered with a new nomination this year.