This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Local Chamber to Honor 45 Year Old Hellertown/Lower Saucon Auto Shop

H/LS Chamber to honor 45 Year Old Csenscsits Auto, Saucon Valley Senior Student Isaac Martin - accompanied by Keynote Speaker Rob Vaughn, Channel 69 News Reporter.

Downtown Hellertown’s Csencsits Auto Service has been chosen to receive the Community Recognition Award at the 90th Annual Banquet of the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce (HLSC), partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. A special presentation of the Phyllis M. Schnaible Merit Scholarship Award will also be made to an outstanding graduating senior from Saucon Valley. The evening will close with remarks by Keynote Speaker Rob Vaughn – Channel 69 News reporter.

Join the HLSC for a celebration on Friday, May 18, 2012 at the Meadows, Chalet Room. The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. for cocktails, followed by dinner and awards at 6:30 p.m.

Community Recognition Award – Csencsits Auto Service

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Every year, the Board chooses a business or volunteer to honor that is widely recognized as a contributor to the quality of life in the community. This year’s honoree is Csencsits Auto Service, in its 45th year servicing cars in the Hellertown/Lower Saucon community.

Ed Csencsits opened up Csencsits Auto Service in August of 1967, at 1381 Main Street in downtown Hellertown, at the intersection with Wilson Avenue; his son Chris joined the company in 1985 and has taken over the reigns with his father’s retirement. Services still include inspections, tire replacements, oil changes, and general repair work. Csencsits’ success has been guided by years of honesty and good service – a tradition that holds strong with the 2nd generation of ownership.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Chris is an ASE (Auto Service Excellence) Master Tech, achieved by passing formal tests on 8 different criteria of auto and truck repairs. Little known fact: Chris also has a 3 year Associates Degree in Applied Science from Northampton Community College.

Both Ed and Chris are part of the Hellertown/Lower Saucon community - residing in Lower Saucon Township. In addition to Chris, Ed has a daughter Kim and four grandchildren: Dave (age 11) and Ty (age 9) are Chris’s sons.

In his free time, Ed still enjoys riding his bicycle. Chris follows sports closely - especially wrestling, lacrosse, and football. As a matter of fact, he is a strong supporter of Saucon Valley Wrestling.

Csencsits Auto is the ideal example of America’s hometown, family-owned business. They have been Chamber members for years, supporting fellow small business peers with respect. Several years of membership plaques still hang on the wall as proof.

Ed and Chris have been role models for small business owners in the community when it comes to professional integrity, fair prices, and customer service. The waiting area wall is adorned with letters, thank you cards, and community recognitions of their support. Csencsits is even known for trouble-shooting via the phone – a quick fix to get the car safely to the garage for repair. Their customers are treated like family with service comparable to the kind you would get from a father or a brother.

Keynote Speaker Rob Vaughn, Channel 69 News

Channel 69 News reporter Rob Vaughn will be this year’s keynote speaker, and will close out the evening. Vaughn has won numerous awards in journalism and has even been nominated for Emmy awards in the News Anchor category for the Philadelphia region. Currently, he anchors the evening editions of the news with Wendy Davis. Vaughn has also worked in radio news and has narrated TV documentaries on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and A & E. In addition, he is a writer on the topics of faith, family, and culture.

Vaughn’s speaking topic will be relayed in the near future, at a later date.

Phyllis M. Schnaible Merit Scholarship Award

We will be presenting the annual Phyllis M. Schnaible Merit Scholarship Award to college-bound Saucon Valley Senior, Isaac Martin.

Isaac has been on the school’s basketball, soccer, and track teams for four years; he is a mentor to the youth and respected by his peers. Isaac is President of the Student Government Association and a member of the National Honor Society; both affiliations have given him opportunities to help plan and run events that extend outside the school and into the community.

Isaac played drums for 5 years in his church’s jazz band and is also a summer youth camp counselor for 4 years now. Isaac was elected to a youth Council represented by numerous churches in the diocese. He considers it a privilege to have had the opportunity to assist neighborhoods in New Orleans that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Employment at the Melting Pot restaurant demonstrates his dependability and ability to interact well with others. Isaac will be attending Hope College, in Michigan.

The Merit Award is dedicated in memory of Phyllis M. Schnaible. Phyllis was a board member of the chamber and an active part of the award committee. For eleven years, she served as Executive Director of the Saucon Valley Community Center where she managed ‘FORE and AFT’ programs which encouraged youths to make constructive use of their time while bridging the gap for working families whose children would otherwise be unsupervised.

 

To register for this event please contact Mary Himmelberger: maryh@lehighvalleychamber.org or 610-739-1520. Fifty dollar registration includes your dinner choice of Prime Rib, Haddock Bella Vista, or Chicken Marsala.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?