Debra Manley receives a hug after she is announced as Bowling Green's outstanding female citizen of the year. (Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune)

John Newlove and Debra Manley are Bowling Green's Outstanding Citizens for 2010.
The awards, first made in 1957, were presented during Saturday night's Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Dinner Dance.
With the theme of "A Centennial Celebration of Community and Education" the event also helped mark the 100th anniversary of Bowling Green State University. Members of the Bowling Green Commercial Club, the predecessor of the Chamber of Commerce, lobbied for the city to be the chosen as the site of a normal college 100 years ago that has grown into BGSU.
Also Saturday night, Melanie Stretchbery received the Athena Award and John Fawcett the first Honorary Athena (Zeus) Award, both emblematic of supporting and helping women reach their potential in the community.

Newlove has been a BG businessman and civic leader for more than three decades. He founded John Newlove Realty.
Manley is co-owner of Hertitage Corner Health Care Campus and is also involved in numerous civic groups and causes.
Stretchberry is superintendent of the Wood County Board of Development Disabilities. She is active with local, regional and state organizations.
Fawcett is municipal administrator of Bowling Green.
"I'm humble enough to not know if I deserve it or not," Newlove, said, adding "but I'll take it." He noted that many people had helped him be successful over the years. Newlove also introduced his family and said he was proud of all of them all.
Manley said she was fortunate "to have a lot of wonderful people around me." She also introduced her family.
Stretchbery said she was a first-generation college student in her family. "I came to BGSU. It changed my life. It saved my life." She said Wood Lane was a good place to work, and Bowling Green " a most wonderful place to raise a family."
The Athena Award, developed by the East Lansing, Mich., Chamber of Commerce, has been awarded in Bowling Green since 1986.
BGSU President Carol Cartwright noted that 2010 marks a century of great partnership with the city. She noted that each has gotten on the other's nerves over the years but learned the art of give and take. "In the end, we were just meant to be together. This is the strongest university-city relationship I have seen," she said.
Immediate chamber past president Bob Scholl said that if had to choose a place to ride out an economic downturn, the past year had convinced him that Bowling Green would be the place to ride it out.
BG Chamber President Doris Herringshaw said Bowling Green has distinguished itself as a center of education. "The surrounding area looks to Bowling Green and the university to be leaders to help determine the things they need to do."

Larry Weiss, of the BGSU Centennial Committee, provided an overview of the selection of Bowling Green for the new normal school 100 years ago. BG Mayor John Quinn also provided a history lesson tying the Commercial Club to the promotion of the city for the school.

Entertainment was provided by the Hee Bee BGs.

Front page caption: Melanie Stretchbery, recipient of the 2010 ATHENA Award, comments after receiving the award as her family looks on.

John Newlove