Terry Schend, Kevin Keim honored by Chamber

Vicke Schend, right, cries while holding the North Star Award honoring her late husband, Terry Schend, while Havre Area Chamber of Commerce second Vice President Debbie Callahan reacts at the Chamber's 103rd Annual Meeting Wednesday afternoon in the Duck Inn's Olympic Room. Former Chamber board officers Terry Schend and Kevin Keim were both honored with the North Star Award during the meeting for being instrumental in the creation of Town Square. Terry Schend died in January 2011 of pancreatic cancer and Keim died in October 2006 of Lou Gehrig's disease.

It's never too late to appreciate important work, as the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce showed at its 103rd Annual Meeting with the posthumous presentation of the 2012 North Star Award to Terry Schend and Kevin Keim.

Emotions had to be held back as the committee that selected the recipients of the community service award explained the decision to commemorate the men for their work on setting up Town Square, which turns 10 years old this year.

In the past decade, the square has been the center of many Chamber activities, from Saturday Market and the Sounds on the Square concert series in the summer to the Christmas tree lighting in the winter.

Chamber Executive Director Debbie Vandeberg said that the square would not have been possible without them, from Keim's help in securing the lease for use of the property to Schend's help in organization and construction of the park as it exists today.

"The committee felt this was a good time to honor them, " Vandeberg said, adding that the award may have been specifically for Town Square, but both did so much more.

"Their list of community service is second to none. "

Both men have died since the park opened in 2002, Keim from Lou Gehrig's disease in 2006 and Schend just less than a year ago from pancreatic cancer.

Keim's wife Cindy was not present at the luncheon.

Shend's wife Vicke wanted to share a few thoughts on her husband's legacy.

"He believed in promoting Havre, however he could, " Schend said. "One feature he thought important was that Havre be visually appealing. That's why the Town Square was so important to him. In his eyes, an empty lot or a parking lot in the center of town didn't show enough community pride. He wanted visitors to know this is a warm and welcoming city.

"On behalf of our family, I thank the Town Square Committee for remembering Terry and his contribution. "