Jeff Harris named Citizen of the Year

Staff Report

Key Peninsula Citizen of the Year Jeff Harris and his wife, Marcia, enjoy the standing applause during last month’s Key Peninsula Lions annual event. Photo by Hugh McMillan, KP News

Longtime Key Peninsula resident Jeff Harris was recognized as the Citizen of the Year at the end of March. Harrison was selected by the sponsoring Key Peninsula Lions from 18 people nominated by the community.

“The Key Peninsula is a great community,” Harris said in accepting his award. “All you have to do is find one of the many organizations in the community and be involved.”

Washington Corrections Center for Women Superintendent Jane Parnell, the keynote speaker, shared information about the programs that are in place at the prison to help the offenders successfully reenter the community. The prison currently houses 917 women ages 18 to 93 and has 738 registered volunteers who contributed 14,000 hours of service last year.

“Because of volunteers, we have programs to address the issues that have brought (the offenders) there,” she said.

The banquet included live music by local group Rusty Roots. Congressman Derek Kilmer led a group of half-dozen state and county officials in serving the dinner to the attendees.