Davis Funeral Home won in the small category (1-10 employees), ClayTex won in the medium category (11-49 employees), Ferguson-Veresh Inc. won in the large category (50-plus employees), and the Wichita County Area Community Foundation in the non-profit category.

Accepting the trophies were Doyle Davis of Davis Funeral Home, Jack Ellis of ClayTex Trophies, John Ferguson of Ferguson-Veresh, and Teresa Craves of Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation.

Other nominees in the small business category were Schenk, Schenk & Haines, Texas Carpet Outlet, and Wichita Telephone. The other nominees in the medium category were Dutton Funeral Home, H&R Block, Texoma Community Credit Union, and WL Plastics. In the large business category, the other nominees were KAUZ, and State National Bank. Early Head Start was the other nominee in the nonprofit category. The trophies winners  were selected by an independent panel of judges.

“The winners deserve our praise and recognition for consistently fulfilling their obligation to the marketplace to do what is right and what is fair.” said Monica Horton, president of the BBB here. “Ethical business practices are a win-win for everyone. These companies and organizations ensure that our country’s marketplace remains fair and honorable for all Americans. By awarding them the 2012 Torch Award for Marketplace Excellence, we are demonstrating to the community that adhering to Better Business Bureau ethical standards is the hallmark of successful, competitive companies and organizations.”
Master of ceremonies Robert Forrester, who is currently teaching Strategic Management at Midwestern State University and part owner of Four Stars Auto Ranch, said, “I am always impressed with the caliber of the businesses that submit their applications …and by the effort they go to for their business and customers.”

Obviously aware of the admirably consistent trophies winning of the DRFA (last year it also garnered the prestigious Lathrop K. Leishman trophy for its “A Stroll Down Memory Lane; two years prior, it bagged the Founders’ Trophy for its “Jewels of the Pacific” entry, and the Founders’ Trophy last year for “Broadway’s Golden Age”), Bob Eubanks of KTLA-TV which has been covering the event for several years commented to his announcing partner, Stephanie Edwards: “Downey always comes through, doesn’t it?”

Indeed, it does, and when asked how the association was able to win four consecutive trophies, Roberts, who is the current DRFA president as well as its longtime float construction chairman, replied, tongue-in-cheek: “Luck?”

It was apparent he was playing the modesty card. When he discerned that this reporter wanted a more logical explanation than that, Roberts said: “We are always trying to do our best. We want to make sure we deliver for the city, make the community proud. Finishing the float on time is satisfaction enough. Winning a trophy, should it happen, is really icing on the cake.”

Check-in and registration will be on Tournament Day from 7-10 a.m. at the Parksley Farmers’ Market in the Parksley Town Square. Families are welcome, however registration forms must be completed and signed in entirety by an adult entering the Tournament.

The first 50 anglers to register will receive a tournament T-shirt and all entrants will have a chance to win door prizes such as rod & reel combos. All fish must be presented for weigh-in by 4 p.m. Following weigh-in, participants are welcome to a picnic, Praise Band music, and a message from Pastor Melody Tanner, followed by the awarding of trophies and prizes.

For more information or a tournament rules or registration form, please go to www.gbgm-umc.org/guilford/, search “Loaves & Fishes” Tournament on Facebook, or call Pastor Melody Tanner at 757-665-7279.

Held in conjunction with the Borough of Broxbourne Open Day, the show at Bishops’ College in Churchgate, Cheshunt, attracted around 130 flower, fruit and vegetable exhibits. Show manager Henry Mills said entries were slightly down on previous years, due mainly to the difficult growing conditions – a cold winter followed by drought in the spring.

The trophies and awards were presented by society president Cllr Lyn White (Con, Hoddesdon North). Other top awards went to Mavis Mold who won the Broxbourne Cup for the best craft exhibit and Janice Seibert, who took the Jim Swannell Trophy for the best floral art display. Harry Radden won the John Grimes Cup for the best entry in the fruit section, while Valerie Miles took the Martin Cup for the best pot plant entry.

“This year’s winners were outstanding examples of local entrepreneurial spirit backed by the resources of our national platform. Their performance was so convincing that we picked four winners instead of our traditional two,” said Mike Molinini, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Airgas, Inc. “I’m proud to name Dickson, Hempstead Highway, Midland and Palmdale as this year’s top branches.”

This is the seventh year Airgas has recognized its top large and small branches for the Airgas Branch of the Year awards. The honor is based on customer service, financial performance and safety performance. Large branches are characterized as having more than six employees, while small branches have six or fewer.

As Airgas National Branch of the Year winners, the four branches will soon display National Branch of the Year trophies, constructed from size 125 cylinders donated by Taylor-Wharton, which have been powder-coated platinum and mounted on a welded aluminum base. Like hockey’s Stanley Cup, the trophies carry engraved bands with the winners’ names and are passed along each year to the next winners.

The winning branches will also fly a “2011 National Branch of the Year” banner, and associates will receive silver “Branch of the Year” rings to commemorate the honor. The 24 Regional Branch of the Year winners, two in each of Airgas’ 12 regional companies, also fly a similar banner and display a size 80 cylinder, powder-coated gold trophy.

So far there has been some great awards and trophies given out along with some really good live acts.

Here are some of the highlights that have happened thus far.

Live acts:

• Justin Beber
• Usher
• Avett Brothers

Awards and trophies highlights thus far this evening:

• Best Rock Album: Muze
• Best Pop Album: Lady Gaga

Glass plaques have become a very popular corporate award. With the impression option in the glass plaques, companies can engrave the workforce name and the modified message for each and every worker that is awarded. Ideal corporate award like glass plaques take the affair to altogether next level by generating positive waves into the company. This will certainly enhance worker morale and company’s productivity as well.

It is always important, especially in today’s economy, to acknowledge deserving hard workers. Companies that are short staffed and have workers toiling extra hours should be sure to reward employees with achievement trophies & awards to show that they are not going unnoticed in these tough times.

If you are going to get corporate awards for numerous people then it is better to opt for acrylic trophies & awards. While these aren’t exactly glass, they still appear to be classy and appropriate for the work setting. You can select from various shapes and sizes. Some classic shapes include squares, rectangles, but if you are feeling a bit more daring, shoot for the house, Number 1, or truck figures. These acrylic awards also offer a classic look with a dash of fun to make a worker smile. Another feature of these awards are that they can be engraved to put a worker’s name, title, or even an inside joke on them. Engraved awards give it that extra personal touch.

Crystal awards are offered in similar selections as the acrylic awards except produce an even more beautiful vision because of the colors that are created and emitted when hit with light. These delicate awards can be used as a desk decoration or if necessary, as a paperweight. In addition to the classic geometric forms, there are brilliantly shaped crystal eagles, diamonds, flames, and star awards. To take it one more step up you can honor that special someone with crystal vases and crystal cups– crystal awards that say “you matter.”

Employee awards and recognition awards are the best way to show your appreciation. With the various shapes, sizes and engraving choices, you will be sure to find one perfect for your award recipient.

Daisy Creek, Quady North and Cliff Creek took best-of-show honors. Brandborg was the only winery to win two gold medals. Five wineries earned four medals each: Crater Lake Cellars, Misty Oaks, Plaisance Ranch, RoxyAnn and Schmidt Family Vineyards. Winning three medals each were Abacela, Bridgeview, Carpenter Hill, Del Rio and Slagle Creek.

And something different this year was the participation of 12 new wineries, seven of which earned silver medals.

Judging, held in mid-August, was a prelude to the Aug. 28 main event at Del Rio Vineyards & Winery near Gold Hill. It was a festive evening of wine, food, silent auction and entertainment. With more than 50 wineries pouring multiple wines, one had to be selective. I focused on the top medalists.

* Daisy Creek 2009 Triple Play ($18), best-of-show white, is an elegant blend of roussanne, marsanne and viognier. I’d tasted it earlier in the summer and was not surprised that it won.
* Quady North 2008 Cabernet Franc ($35), best-of-show red, seemed distinctive, earthy and tangy.
* Cliff Creek 2008 Tribute ($34) earned best-of-show honors among dessert wines, a new category this year. It’s made of syrah plus a little brandy. I found it certainly different — not overpoweringly sweet.

Next were the other 10 gold medalists: Abacela 2008 Garnacha ($22), a delicious, different red; Brandborg 2008 Riesling ($16), pleasantly dry; Brandborg 2007 Pinot Noir ($30), another good one from the Elkton winery; Crater Lake 2009 Viognier ($15), fruity yet subtle; Del Rio 2008 Reserve Petite Sirah ($48), rich and delicious; Misty Oaks 2008 Viper Trail Malbec ($30), pleasingly lighter than many; Pebblestone 2009 Viognier ($19), full of flavor; RoxyAnn 2007 Tempranillo ($30), rich and flavorful; Troon 2008 Reserve Zinfandel ($60), expensive but special; and Velocity 2006 Malbec ($25), yet another notable red.

One of the newcomers was Hellgate Cellars of Grants Pass. Its 2008 Pinot Blanc ($15) and 2008 Gewurztraminer ($13) both won silver awards. These are two varietals not made by a lot of local wineries and both are of high quality. I preferred the gewurztraminer.

Another wine of interest was Vino Da Tavola (under $25), an earthy house red made by Rosella’s for Pomodori Ristorante of Medford. It blends cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec.

Tennis Trophies

To check out the standings, facts, figures, and competitors, go to the ATP Tennis Trophy website.