East Gull Lake resident Bruce Buxton was named the 2016 Citizen of the Year Thursday at The Center in Brainerd.
Buxton received nomination letters from several people and organizations, including Widseth Smith and Nolting, Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development, East Gull Lake City Administrator Stew Mills, Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Central Lakes College Theatre Department, The Center and Buxton's wife Kathy Buxton.
The Center and several of Buxton's friends had to lie to get Buxton to Brainerd's senior center for the award. Buxton, who has been on The Center board for nine years and was overseeing the roof project, thought he was coming to the senior center to meet with the city building inspector on the roof project. Instead, he was named Citizen of the Year.
"So I'm not going on the roof?" Buxton asked when he was given the award in the dining/commons room in front of the senior center doughnut volunteer crew and others in attendance. "So you all lied about getting me here? And you (looking at his wife) lied about getting doughnuts?"
Read more about what Buxton had to say about the award and his volunteerism in the community for the past four decades in Friday's Dispatch and tonight online at www.brainerddispatch.com .
