Adrienne Stevens honored with Irwin Award

A former babysitter of the grandsons of James Irwin has been named the 40th recipient of the prestigious annual community service award named in his honor. Adrienne Stevens last night told the nearly 300 people gathered for the 88th Annual Awards Dinner and Membership Meeting of the Greater Laconia/Weirs Beach Chamber of Commerce she was humbled and very honored to have her name added to a trophy that already contains the name of so many great citizens.

"This doesn't belong to me," she said. "It belongs to all of you."

Among those standing to applaud the director of Southern New Hampshire University's Laconia Center at The Conference Center at Lake Opechee Inn and Spa were a numer of past recipients, including Ed Chertok (1978), Peter Karagianis (1986), Paul Normandin (1992), Peter and Alida Milham (1994), Rod Dyer (1999), Armand Bolduc (2002) and Greg Dickinson (2005).

In introducing Stevens as the newest honoree, Dickinson called upon his audience to "never forget the impact of Jim Irwin. . .leader, pioneer and entrepreneur. . .and never lose sight of his belief in community involvement.

Today his name is most commonly associated with Irwin Marina, which he founded in 1919, but earlier generations remember Jim Irwin for Irwin's Winnipesaukee Gardens at The Weirs, where couples danced to the music of the big bands from the 1920s until the 1960s. Along with the marina and ballroom, Irwin also ran a brokerage office, helped start a radio station founded an American Legion post, campaigned for Alf Landon in 1936, made a movie with Admiral Byrd and salvaged a hull from the ice of Lake Champlain to replace the burnt M/S Mount Washington.

Irwin is said to have devoted much of his boundless energy and spirit to enlivening and enriching the Lakes Region and individuals and organizations who have contributed to the progress of the community by showing the initiative, leadership, generosity and dedication that distinguished his life have been chosen as recipients of the award.

Dickinson said that Stevens — a person who "makes things happen" — was most deserving of the honor. For 30 years, he said, she has been working in our community in many different circles — from business to education, from social to civic groups — without being someone who seeks out accolades or really seeks out recognition for her work.

Stevens worked as a teacher in both Laconia and Gilford before going work in the early 1980s as associate director for the adult learning center at what was then known as New Hampshire College. She has also been involved with the Altrusa Clubs of Laconia and Meredith, the Lakes Region Management Club, Leadership Lakes Region, the Belknap County Economic Development Council, the Meredith Chamber of Commerce, the NH Community Technical College-Laconia, Plymouth State College and served two terms as president of the Laconia/Weirs Beach Chamber.

In 1979, Stevens received the Lakes Region Citizenship Award from the local community college and she also received a Plymouth State University Alumni Achievement Award in 1983. She was the Chamber's Ambassador of the Year in 2003.

Dickinson quoted recently retired community college vice-president Don Morrissey as saying that Stevens was a true friend of that institution — "The collaborative spirit existing between our two institutions could be a role model for other institutions to follow and its is this way because Adrienne Stevens made it happen."

Several members of Jim Irwin's immediate family were on hand for the dinner, including his son Jack and grandons John and Bill. "I baby-sat for 'Johnny' and 'Billy' when they were little ones," Stevens said. "It is a wonderful family."

A moment of silence was observed for Max Wakeman, the 1982 recipient of the Irwin Award. A former president of Laconia Peoples Bank and long-time Belknap County Treasurer, Wakeman died in Venice, Florida on Jan. 26.