Chester Chamber names its Citizens of the Year
<span>CHESTER -- With a speech and a short impersonation, Mike and Debbie Brooks made an impression at the Chester Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner on Friday at Chester Country Club.</span>
<span>The husband and wife pair, who co-own Spinach Can Collectibles and are experts in all things Popeye, were named as the chamber's Citizens of the Year for 2015.</span>
<span>"In short, this individual and her husband didn't just move to Chester and open a business, they became committed citizens who truly care about our community," said presenter Gwendy Garner. "The recipient of Chester's 2015 Citizen of the Year Award may well know this community better than many of the rest of us, because they care enough to do so."</span>
<span>A local landmark, Spinach Can Collectibles has been an anchor on Chester Square for years, offering Popeye-themed merchandise as a store/museum with items on display dating back to 1931.</span>
<span>Debbie Brooks shared a story of a visit from actor Bill Paxton.</span>
<span>"We had a visit from Bill Paxton, from the movie 'Twister,'" she said. "What's this guy doing in Chester? They were following the path the (tri-state) tornado took in the (19)20s through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana just to get out of Hollywood.</span>
<span>"But he knew all about Chester and that's what was really weird. But I got his autograph and all that and you never know who's going to walk through that door."</span>
<span>Debbie Brooks also talked about how she and her husband, also a Popeye fan, began dating as teenagers and moved to Chester, opening their business inside the city's historic 1875 Opera House - where Popeye creator Elzie C. Segar once worked as a projectionist.</span>
<span>"It's weird how this was all meant to be," Brooks said. "It's like pieces of the puzzle and all, but we love it here."</span>
<span>Garner expressed a little about what makes the pair highly valued in Chester.</span>
<span>"Many people of all walks of life who live in Chester stop off at this person's business on a daily or weekly basis just to 'shoot the breeze' or to get a piece of valuable information," she said. "Do you know a mechanic? Do you know an electrician? Plumber? Handyman? House painter? She'll have the info for you.</span>
<span>"Have you seen so and so today? I need to talk to them. She may very well be able to locate that individual for you."</span>
<span>Mike Brooks, in true Popeye style, thanked those in attendance by mimicking the voice of the famous character.</span>
<span>"Well blow me down and slam me down a hatch, thanks everyone for the award!" he said.</span>
<span>Debbie Brooks also expressed her thanks for the award.</span>
<span>"I want to thank the chamber for the award," Debbie Brooks said. "I never had an inkling or anything about being Citizen of the Year. I just do it for the fun of it.</span>
<span>"I love meeting people. We've had people from 70-something countries, all 50 states, so you never know who's gonna walk through the door."</span>
<span>Also during the dinner, the chamber presented its scholarship to recent Chester High School graduate Rachel Clendenin. Clendenin, the daughter of Troy and Connie Clendenin, will be attending Southern Illinois University - Carbondale in the fall majoring in radiologic science and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).</span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-02d2b0a7-142e-a2a3-0c9a-66f2356b73ae"><span>"I just want to thank you guys for giving me this award," Clendenin said. "I really appreciate it."</span><span><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span>Entertainment for the evening was provided by Bill Forness & One More Round, a Johnny Cash tribute band. Reids' Harvest House provided the meal.</span></span>