WINONA LAKE - Winona Lake resident Jennifer Ortega has been recognized for her service to Winona Lake.
Ortega received the Bill Reneker Community Service Award Friday night during the 11th annual Winona Lake Community Dinner at the Winona Lake Senior Center.
Approximately 120 Winona Lake residents and town officials gathered for the dinner.
The award remembers Reneker, a former Winona Lake councilman, who died in 1993.
The recipient is chosen by the Winona Lake Town Council with approval by Reneker's widow, Judy Reneker-Burd.
The award is given annually to an individual who works toward the betterment of the community and gives back. The recipient is chosen based on service in the previous year.
In 2008, Deb Wilcoxson and Mary Louise Miller received the award.
During Friday night's dinner, Reneker-Burd said Ortega has been involved with capturing the beauty of Winona Lake through her artwork.
"She has used this experience and passion to create beautiful and moving expressions of our town through the commemorative July 4 posters that many of us have in our homes," Reneker-Burd said.
Ortega also developed the Heritage Trail brochure and was instrumental in organizing the art sculptures that sit along the Greenway. She finished a brochure highlighting the Timeline of Liberty monument that sits in front of the Winona Lake town hall, and designed the garden in front of the Timeline of Liberty. She has provided private art lessons to area children and adults.
Also during the dinner, Winona Lake Town Coordinator Craig Allebach presented home improvement awards.Awards went to Bruce Shaffner, 413 Auditorium Blvd.; Art and Cookie Gakstatter, 1208 W. Canal St.; Mark and Sharon Cole, 1301 Sunday Lane; Herbert and Samantha Teeter, 1004 W. Canal St.; and Chad and Janene Hudson, 1605 Park Ave.
Entertainment was provided by Wagon Wheel Theatre's December holiday show cast for "Sound of Music".
