GLENVILLE - The 2012 Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner, celebrated at Riverstone Manor Friday night, honored business, agricultural and professional luminaries from the area as the chamber looked forward to the future with the possible merger of the chamber with the Fulton County Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
When the Edward L. Wilkinson Industry of the Year Award was presented to Walter Porath of the Raindancer Steak Parlour, Porath said he was especially glad to have won the award named for the attorney who helped him purchase the property where the Raindancer now stands.
He first ran Top Notch Tavern in Galway with his late wife, Doreen. Then in February 1980, they opened the Raindancer Steak Parlour in Amsterdam.
When Interim President Peter Capobianco introduced the Herbert T. Singer Community Service Award honorees, he mentioned that when he first came to the area in 1980, Singer was his neighbor, as well as a neighbor to Dr. Mo and Taiyebeh Ghazi-Moghadam. The last four years, Dr. Ghazi has been a member of the team that has earned St. Mary's Hospital a five-star rating for quality outcomes in prostate surgery.
The Young Professional Award was presented to Giovanni Virgiglio, a fourth-year principal at St. Mary's Institute.
He was hired at 26 years old, making him the youngest principal in the Albany Diocese.
Robert Wojturski of Natural Bridge Farm on Route 67, north of Amsterdam, received the Agricultural Award.
Wojturski, his wife, Patricia and daughter Susan have carried on a business originally started by his father. Today, the Natural Bridge Farm is a thriving business.
The Barbara V. Spraker Tourism Award was presented to Manfred & Susan Phemister of the Amsterdam Castle.
The Phemisters were nominated for the economic effect they have in Montgomery County, bringing more than $100,000 to the area yearly.
The Thomas B. Constantino Entrepreneurial Award was presented to James Stevens of the Rockton House in Amsterdam.
In 1993, he started working as a cook at Tony's Tavern. In 1999, he bought the restaurant portion of Tony's Tavern, renaming it Tony's Pizzeria. In 2010, he bought the remaining portion of the business, which included the bar and the building, renaming it The Rockton House.
Fulton-Montgomery-Schoharie Workforce Solutions System of Montgomery County 2011 Business Partner of the Year Award went to the Keymark Corporation.
The company is under the operation of three generations of the Keller family.
