By: Aimee Bingham Osinski
anbingham@gmail.com
On Thursday, Oct. 7, the Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual dinner celebrating members and the community. The dinner was held at Chelas, which provided a delicious buffet-style spread for attendees.
Chamber President Quaila Pant spoke and discussed upcoming events by the chamber. She also encouraged everyone to visit the newly redesigned chamber website. She explained that the chamber exists for the community and that it’s tried to be a backbone for businesses.
Adrian, the owner of Chelas spoke. He thanked the chamber for opting to hold the event at his restaurant. He discussed how difficult the last year was and how grateful he is for the chamber and the community.
Chris Jones, of The Dexter Creamery, was honored for the contribution it made to the community during such a difficult year. The creamery helped ensure Dexter residents could obtain items that were difficult to get during the pandemic. The creamery also provided lunches and ice cream for the community during the pandemic.
Lisa Teahen, of Aubrees, also was honored. She started as a GM when Aubrees opened and is now an owner. She was honored for all the work she does for the community which includes working on Ice fest, fundraising for the schools, and blankets for vets.
Superintendent of Dexter Schools Chris Timmis was presented with a service award.
Paul Cousins was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Cousins moved to Dexter in 1963 when Paul accepted a position as a teacher in Dexter schools. He founded the first Teachers Union in Dexter and immediately got involved when he saw things that needed change.
When Cousins thought there were not enough dining options in Dexter, he started Cousins Heritage Inn. In the early 1990s, Cousins was elected to the Dexter City Council. Cousins could not be honored without recognizing Pat Cousins, a force behind the new library. Pat Cousin’s memory and work live on through the library.
The Cousins family has changed Dexter for the better and the community is grateful to both Paul and Pat for their hard work and willingness to get involved.
Naughty Boy Ice Cream provided dessert. It was a wonderful night, honoring great members of the community.
Check out the new Chamber of Commerce website HERE
