Members of the Alliance Chamber of Commerce are encouraged to fill out their ballots for awards that will be presented at the annual banquet set for January 31 at the Westside Events Center.

The deadline to fill out the ballots is this Monday, January 14. The ballots were inserted in the January newsletter or are available from the Box Butte Central office at 305 Box Butte.

Award Nominees include Kevin Howard, Craig Barthel and the Alliance Rifle Club for the Friend of Tourism Award.

Small Business Person or Business of the Year nominees are Murphy’s Dog Grooming, the Alliance Theater and Dr. Cork Taylor who was the chairman of last summer’s Mission of Mercy dental project.

The Large Business of the Year nominees are K-Mart, Parker Hannifin and the Alliance Public Schools, which was just completed its first full year of operating the Alliance Performing Arts Center.

And the Chamber’s Lifetime Service Award nominees are Harold Johnson, the longtime owner of Nebraska Total Office, Dr. Robert Stout, DVM, of the Alliance Animal Clinic, and Charles and Ellen Lierk, owners of Thiele Gifts and More.

The banquet’s guest speaker will be Nebraskaland Days Director David Fudge of North Platte. Fudge is a former KCOW news man who lived in Alliance from 1995 to 1999. He will outline the positive changes he has seen in Alliance over the past 15 years and also highlight upcoming Nebraskaland Days activities.

Local musician Shane Keane will also provide entertainment.

Other awards to be presented include the Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Farm and Ranch Family of the Year.

Banquet tickets are $25 and can be ordered by contact the Alliance Chamber at 762-1520.