Meridian Mayor Robert Simison recently presented the 2022 Meridian Stars Awards recognizing Meridian residents and businesses that demonstrate a commitment to preserving, maintaining, and improving the quality of life and safety in the neighborhoods and the wider community. Award recipients are nominated by a community member and selected by Mayor Simison. Here is a list of the 2022 recipients (see City Scene in this issue for award photos:)
YOUTH OF THE YEAR
Jordyn Equals is a very kind, active, and involved member of the teen center at the Meridian Boys & Girls Club. As a member of that Club, she has contributed art to art galleries and has served as the president of the Keystone Club, which provides leadership development opportunities for teens. Jordyn recently earned her Boys & Girls Club Press Credentials, which means that she is able to act as an official photographer at any of the Club’s special events. As a youth leader, Jordyn has displayed a high level of kindness and compassion.
SENIOR OF THE YEAR
Iris Dawson is someone who goes above and beyond to keep her neighbors safe. For the past 18 years, Iris has personally led the charge to ensure that each of the 56 homes in her over-55 subdivision receives an annual smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sweep. She contacts each homeowner herself and puts together a map to help the Meridian Fire Department efficiently visit each home. Iris helps remind them to purchase batteries for their alarms, and purchases and replaces them herself if a neighbor isn’t able to do it on their own. On top of all that, she regularly helps her neighbors stay fit and healthy by visiting them.
NEIGHBOR OF THE YEAR
Terry and Jerry Russell are a couple who truly put into practice kindness and hospitality. When a neighbor was ill, these two delivered delicious home-cooked meals and took care of her groceries. When a neighbor’s husband had knee surgery, these two mowed the neighbor’s lawn and helped keep the property well-maintained. When an elderly neighbor needed a ride to the doctor, they immediately volunteered to drive him there and wait to bring him home after his procedure. In the winter, they are the first to help shovel snow off their neighbors’ driveways.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Stor-Mor Sheds has been a great community partner with the Meridian Police Department and specifically with the Department’s K9 Unit for many years. Their property provides great opportunities for the K9 unit to train in an indoor and outdoor environment, which helps keep police handlers’ and K9’s skills sharp and operating at a high level. This amazing partnership makes a real difference in keeping our community safe and our officers safe in the course of their duties. On top of that, this business was a generous donor of raffle prize items for a recent K9 Unit fundraiser.
MAYOR’S STAR OF THE YEAR
September Frogley is someone who has transformed personal tragedy into a movement of compassion that has spread throughout not just our community, but the entire state and beyond. After losing her brother, this individual founded Connection is the Cure based on the belief that community connection can educate and offer support for our mental health and addictions. This group’s first event was a concert held in January 2022 at the Idaho Center, and it attracted more than 10,000 attendees from the area. Since then, September has overseen care package projects, chaired a mental wellness event for 700 youth from her church, and has created a second concert in Mesa, Arizona, with a third coming up in January 2023 at the Idaho Center.
To learn more about Meridian Stars and how to nominate a resident or business for 2023 Meridian Stars, visit MeridianCity.org.
