Clerk of Court named
‘Citizen of the Year’ at the Chamber banquet

By Carrie A. Mizell

The 2010 recipient of the J. Min Ayers Lifetime Achievement Award accepted his award Thursday night clad in a tuxedo. Though he is a direct descendant of Daniel Boone, Jim Troke favored a black top hat over a coonskin cap at the Gilchrist County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Banquet.
Clearly surprised to be named the award recipient, Troke, who was acting as emcee for the event, quietly thanked his wife Jean and three children for their love and support, as well as the community.

Local attorney Ted Burt presented the J. Min Ayers
Lifetime Achievement Award to Jim Troke.

Though the Pennsylvania native has traveled the world, his son, Todd, said the best thing that ever happened to his father was moving to Gilchrist County in 1973 as a Florida Power district manager.
“Gilchrist County has brought out the best in my dad,” Todd Troke stated.
While accepting the award, Troke recalled his first week in Trenton fondly and said that J. Min Ayers’ wife, Mary, was working at Florida Power when he arrived in town. Mary promptly sent him down the street to the Gilchrist County Journal, so that the newspaper’s editor, J. Min, could take his picture as being new in town and print it in the newspaper.
“There weren’t any new people in town back then, so it was a big deal!” Troke recalled.
Since settling down in Gilchrist County, Troke has been actively involved in the community, from being a charter member of the Gilchrist County Recreation Authority to driving a school bus to and from athletic events. Children have been his passion.
As a cancer survivor, the 73-year-old has also been very involved with the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life each year.
The 2010 Citizen of the Year has also been a passionate supporter of the Relay For Life. Gilchrist County Clerk of Court Joe Gilliam accepted the Citizen of the Year plaque from his close friend, Randy Durden.

2010 Citizen of the Year Joe Gilliam is shown with his son,
Brian and daughter-in-law, Marissa.

In presenting the award, Durden said that award criteria stated that the citizen should make a significant contribution to the community through service, volunteerism, and diplomacy, while striving to make Gilchrist County a better place to live.
“I don’t know of anyone better!” Durden said.
As a county commissioner, Durden said Gilliam gives great advice to the commission as a whole, and is a great boss to the staff in the Clerk’s Office. Durden also said that Gilliam is a great husband, father, grandfather and friend.
“He does things for people and doesn’t expect anything in return,” Durden said.
After accepting the award, Gilliam said that every year he is asked to sit on the nominating committee for the Citizen of the Year Award; only this year he was not asked to do so, and he couldn’t figure out why until Durden presented the award to him.
“If you look at the list of past winners of the Citizen of the Year award, you see people who have dedicated their lives to this county,” Gilliam said. “I am privileged to be one of them.”
In presenting the Commercial Business of the Year Award, pharmacist Marty Griffith said that his boss, Best Drugs owner Larry Diaz, only made $7.38 on his first day of business.
Diaz was persuaded by D. Ray Harrison, Jr. to open a pharmacy on Trenton’s Main Street in April 1978, after he opened Best Drugs in Newberry in 1971. The first drug store was only 400 square feet and located in what was Frank Grant’s real estate office.
“His (Diaz’s) idea was simple,” Griffith explained. “He said that if the community supported him, then he would support the community.”
Over the years, Best Drugs has worked hand in hand with Trenton Medical Center, while supporting local schools and sports programs.
Known by his employees to be a sharp businessman, as well as a caring person, Diaz’s philosophy is “Just do what is right.”
In accepting the award, Diaz said, “I haven’t been in the store in five years, so if anyone deserves the honor it’s those people that work for me.”
While presenting the Waccasassa Volunteer Fire Department Senior Food Pantry the 2010 Outstanding Civic Organization of the Year Award, Norm Conti explained that the group of dedicated volunteers now provides food to 300 local families each month.
After recognizing a need in the community for water, food and ice after three hurricanes swept through the area in 2004, Rick Weder began delivering goods to families in need.
The City of Trenton offered Weder space behind the Water and Sewer Department Office to store food items and set up a food pantry with regular hours.
Over the years, the food pantry has grown tremendously as volunteers have put in long hours seeing that the needs of struggling families are met at distribution sites in both Trenton and Bell.
“Thank you to all the businesses that support us; you are always willing to help us so we can help the community,” Weder said. “Thank you on behalf of all the volunteers.”
Throughout the evening a plethora of door prizes was given away to lucky ticket holders. Prizes ranged from gift certificates to grocery stores and florists to cash and home décor items. For the first time in its history, the Chamber banquet has offered live door prizes including a hamster, fish and a bird.
The Chamber’s new Gilchrist Guide was also debuted at the banquet. Copies of the guide are now available to the public and can be picked up at the Chamber office, which is located at 220 S. Main Street, Trenton. The guides have also been distributed to local businesses, including the Gilchrist County Journal.