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Well known Ithacans Ellie and Monte May were honored by the Ithaca-Cayuga Rotary Club with its 2006 Distinguished Community Service Award at a dinner Tuesday evening (Oct 31) at the Country Club of Ithaca. Both of the Mays have been involved in a wide variety of community service activities over the years. They are probably best known as the saviors of the Stewart Park merry-go-round, having purchased it in mid-1980 and fixed it up and run it until they sold it to the City five years ago.

Monte is the retired owner of Wheaton Heating and Air Conditioning. He served on the Town of Ithaca Planning Board for 15 years, half as its chair. Among his many accomplishments during that time was the negotiation of an agreement with the City to have one fire department cover both communities and another to swap land with the City to bring the Youth Bureau inside the city limits and provide a site for the Chamber of Commerce building. He also is involved with the Sciencenter’s Einstein’s Attic and is an avid collector of steam engines.

A retired nurse/teacher, Ellie has worked with Lifelong as an income tax counselor for the elderly as well as a Medicare health insurance counselor. Currently she serves as chair of the County Health Department Visiting Nurse Advisory Board.

When their children were growing up and involved in 4-H, the parents followed along. Ellie was a Swine Leader and Monte chaired the 4-H Fair Committee and helped raise money to retire the Kiwanis Hall mortgage and to build the 4-H barn. Since their retirements, the Mays have devoted much of their energy to the Friends of the Library Book Sale. Ellie is a past president of the organization and Monte is its current president.

In a citation presented to the Mays at the Rotary dinner, the couple was recognized for the “commitment, leadership, and vast contributions” made to the Ithaca community. The award concluded, “…may you bask in the warmth of the appreciation so many have for all the two of you have done for us.”

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