Gratiot chamber honors top citizens
People from four local communities recognized during revamped program
The Gratiot Area Chamber of Commerce honored the top citizens from four local communities Thursday evening during a revamped awards program.
The event, now called a “Community Celebration,” was held at the Central Michigan Youth for Christ complex in Alma that recognized James Durham with the Breckenridge Distinguished Service Award; Carolyn Studley as the Alma Order of the Tartan Award winner; Dr. David Freestone as the Ithaca Person of the Year; and Linda Bader as the Spirit of St. Louis recipient.
BRECKENRIDGE
Durham recently retired as the Breckenridge police chief. He joined the department in 1990 as a reserve officer and was hired full-time in 1992 and became chief in 2010.
During his career he also served with Breckenridge Wheeler Fire and Rescue as a firefighter and EMT.
In addition, Durham has worked part-time with the Shepherd Police Department, Saginaw Township Police Department and Richland Township Police Department.
He and his wife Mary now operate their 40-acre ranch near Reed City where they raise horses, goats and donkeys and offer riding lessons, breeding and boarding.
ALMA
Studley is a longtime local educator teaching at Alma Public Schools for 25 years before serving as principal of both the Luce Road Early Childhood Learning Center and Alma Middle School for 13 years.
Since her retirement she has been the director of summer STEM camps at Alma College where she coordinates sessions for sixth through 12th grade students to further their science, math and engineering skills.
Studley has also served on the boards of several area nonprofit organizations, including Child Advocacy, the United Way of Gratiot and Isabella Counties and Gratiot County Hope House.
In addition, she volunteers at the Royal Family Kids Camp as a placement coordinator, the food pantry at the First Presbyterian Church in Alma, and as a youth advisor with the Gratiot County Community Foundation and Gratiot-isabella College Access Network, and serves as co-chair of the annual Alma College Arts United that raises money for the United Way.
ITHACA
Dr. Freestone earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and attended medical school at the University of Michigan before completing his residency at a hospital in Albany, NY.
After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force, he traveled to six of the seven continents and spent 500 days traveling across the United States prior to beginning his career with Midmichigan Health and settling down in Gratiot County to raise his family, including son Caleb and daughter Amelia.
Freestone has served as co-project manager for building the playscape at Woodland Park and provides physicals for Ithaca High School student-athletes and serves as the team doctor for football and other sports.
He’s also passionate about preserving and protecting the environment. Several acres of his property has been set aside through the Conservation Restoration Project to support native plants and wildlife habitat.
Over the past 20 years Freestone and his family have also planted more than 4,800 trees on their property west of town.
ST. LOUIS
Bader, a native of Sandusky, moved to Gratiot County in 1989. She was a programmer and analyst for Alma Products Co. for 10 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom to raise her three children and run her own website design business, which she did for 12 years.
In 2011, she purchased her first residential rental property starting another business venture that she still operates today.
In 2015, Bader began researching area farmers markets as an outlet for the extra produce she had grown in her garden and noticed that St. Louis did not have one.
With the support from city leaders she became a certified market manager through training held by the Michigan Farmers Market Association and helped establish the St. Louis farmers market in 2016.
During the pandemic Bader was able to adapt and provide a safe place for vendors, volunteers and customers to come together to buy and sell healthy food. She also partnered with Mymichigan Health to bring the Prescription for Health program, which provides nutrition education and free produce, to the market.
In addition, Bader is a member of the Gratiot Collaborative Council, Live Well Gratiot and the MIFMA board of directors, where she has served as president since 2020. She is also a volunteer with the Gratiot Community Garden, which provides free produce to local residents.