The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - The Dayton Chamber of Commerce's 66th annual Chamber Awards Ban- quet will honor a local business, employee, citizen and youth from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Running T Ranch.

The banquet will feature an address by George Sharp, the executive director of the Olym- pia, Tumwater, Lacey visitor's bureau, Dayton Chamber of Commerce Director Brad Mc- Masters said.

"(Sharp is) very charismatic and very energetic," McMasters said. "Anyone could learn from him."

Awards for business of the year, citizen of the year, em- ployee of the year and youth of the year will be presented at the banquet. Last year's winners were Dayton Tractor for business of the year, Abby Ann Fletcher and Elaine Hudson for citizens of the year, George Haderlie for employee of the year and Colleen Delp for youth of the year, ac- cording to the chamber website.

Chamber Assistant Linze Purcell said 69 ballots had been sent into the chamber as of Monday. Twenty-five tables will be decorated by chamber member businesses around the color palette from the chamber's new website, lime green, sky blue and pale orange. McMasters said the theme of the night will be Dayton's new city slogan, "Expect the Unexpected" and there will be some new and unusual things at the event to match the theme.