January 31, 2000

Lair, managing editor of the Times-Courier and Journal Gazette, was added to a stellar list of 53 past winners, whom master of ceremonies Joe Dively called the "best of the best" in terms of community involvement.

A large crowd gathered in the Grand Ballroom at Eastern Illinois University for the chamber's annual dinner, which celebrated the organization's 80th year of service with the theme "Remembering the Past, Trusting in the Future."

"This is really an honor," Lair said. "I've attended these dinners for more than 20 years and have always admired the people who are recipients of this award."

Two of Lair's current and former bosses, Bill Hamel and. Betty Boyer, are past recipients: Hamel received the Mattoon chamber's "Civic. Award" in 1999, and Boyer was honored as Charleston's "Outstanding Citizen of the Year" in 1981.

"I feel very honored to be' put in the same category as those two," Lair said.

The common threads of the three have been their involvement with newspapers and their involvement in their communities.

"Journalists are experts at nothing," Lair said. "But you have to be interested in a lot of things. I've tried to take that. approach in the community."

In his editorial role, he regularly writes columns that show his support for the community and its activities, Dively said.

His actions speak louder than his written words," Dively said, beginning a long list of Lair's community involvement.

Lair, who teaches journalism at EIU, has served with a variety of community organizations, including the chamnber's board of directors; the Charleston Tourism Advisory Board; the "Looking for Lincoln" committee; the Charleston Rotary Club, including his related post as out bound coordinator for the Central State Organization of Rotary exchange; the Southern Illinois Editorial Association; United Way of Eastern Coles County; the Tarble Arts Center; CASA; and the Fourth of July Committee; and at Wesley United Methodist Church.