Larry McDowell named the 2008 Community Service Award winner by the Daily Dunklin Democrat

Friday, March 28, 2008
Jack Rollins

Bud Hunt, the publisher of the Daily Dunklin Democrat, presents a check to the newspaper's 2008 Community Service Award winner Larry McDowell. The check will be presented to the Circle of Friends at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in McDowell's behalf. Staff photo by Jack Rollins
[Click to enlarge]

Larry McDowell was honored Thursday as the recipient of the Daily Dunklin Democrat's 19th Annual Community Service Award.

Publisher Bud Hunt awarded the honor to McDowell at a small ceremony at the newspaper's office.

"Our community could not do nearly what it does without volunteers. Our readers nominated Larry for his contributions in several different areas of the community.

"He is an outstanding example of the generosity and kindness that shows itself daily in our part of the world. We're glad to recognize Larry with our 2008 Community Service Award," Hunt said.

According to one who nominated McDowell, "Larry is retired and makes time to help the community by serving the community. Larry is always busy even though he is retired.

"He serves on the City Council, the police committee, and the Relay for Life Committee. He volunteers for the hospital, for the Pemiscot County Special School District, and for the Slicer Street Church of Christ."

In honor of McDowell's service to the community, the newspaper made a contribution on his behalf to the Circle of Friends at the Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center.

McDowell moved to Kennett in 1982, he said, from Northeast Arkansas. He worked as a meat cutter for Gowans Foods and for Wallace and Owens.

He said he was a meat cutter for 41 years. For 13 of those years he was at Kennett with Gowans; for 11 of those years he was with Wallace and Owens.

McDowell expressed pleasure with having the opportunity to help various organizations in town. He can be seen transporting patients inside the hospital from their rooms and ER to the x-ray department. He can be seen cooking at Slicer Street Church of Christ. He can be seen driving patients to Paragould, Ark. for cardiac rehab. He can be seen being a chaperone on field trips for children of the Special School District in Pemiscot County.

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My family and the McDowell family all moved to Kennett in 1982. At first I was mystified why lovely Donna would have married Larry. He maintained that it was because of his "striking good looks," but for years I've known that is was because of his huge, benevolent heart. A more deserving recepient could not have been found. Congrats, big guy!

-- Posted by Sky Pilot 82 on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 5:29 PM

I like Larry as a person, but if he keeps supporting the Wilson expansion, he apparently isn't running for this award next year, because that isn't doing ANYTHING for the Community except harming it. He needs to remember just because you go to the same church as someone, doesn't mean you need to back them in everything they do, especially when it isn't for the good of the community as a whole.

-- Posted by My Own Person on Mon, Mar 31, 2008, at 10:07 PM