Fremont Hall of Fame Rescheduled to July 31, 2020

The 13^th annual Fremont Hall of Fame induction ceremony will honor three citizens whose civic commitment has greatly enriched the Fremont and Custer County communities.

Due to the CONVID-19 health guidelines, the Pueblo Community College Foundation has rescheduled the 2020 Fremont Hall of Fame to The Friday, July 31.

Kathy Herrin, Beth Katchmar, and David McCallister will be inducted on July 31 at a formal induction ceremony that will take place at the Abbey Event Center, 2951 East Highway 50. The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m.

The event is a fundraiser for the Pueblo Community College Foundation. Proceeds benefit the foundation and its efforts to provide scholarships for Fremont and Custer County students who attend PCC’s Fremont campus.

Since arriving in Canon City in 1982, Kathy Herrin has touched hundreds of lives across her careers in law enforcement, victims’ assistance, and probation work as well as her volunteerism in the 4-H and theatre communities. Herrin has always displayed a passion for her work, giving back to the community, and engaging others in projects that benefit Canon City and Fremont County.

Townspeople know her in many roles from her days as an announcer and radio journalist at KRLN to her many years with the Canon City Police Department working in crime prevention, crisis negotiation, victim assistance, and field training for new officers. She has written several melodramas as fundraising events for the Fremont Civic Theatre and Fremont County Crimestoppers and given countless hours directing, producing, and acting in productions for both Fremont Civic Theatre and the Rialto Players. For more than two decades, she has presented programs on probation, historical topics, and her love of donkeys and mules for the PCC Spring senior citizen mini-College.

She established the Neighborhood Watch program in Canon City and Fremont County as well as the Canon City Police Department’s Citizen Academy and a Kids & Cops program between the police department and local schools.

Retired Canon City Police Office and Fremont Sheriff’s Officer Jerry Alexander sums up Herrin’s willingness to stop what she’s doing to give others a hand when she doesn’t have time to spare.

“Kathy has earned the respect of this community,” Alexander said, “and it is her work ethic and ability to get things done and get along with anyone that keeps the community asking her to do or be a part of projects.”

Beth Katchmar has been a donor, advocate, and supporter of Fremont County since moving to Canon City 15 years ago. Her hard work is best exemplified by her successful businesses Pizza Madness and Beyond Madness Catering, through which she employs Canon City residents, regardless of age, conditions, or past mistakes. Through her business, she has demonstrated unprecedented support for the community, particularly local non-profits, first responders, law enforcement, schools, and those in need.

“Beth conducts her businesses as a classic example of how to make a business an integral part and catalyst for growth and vitality of our community and its economy,” said Judy Lohnes, executive director of the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments.

Katchmar is an avid proponent of bringing visitors to the region, a leader and cheerleader for the downtown business community, and an active participant in the Canon City Chamber and Fremont County Tourism Council. She has played a major role in many organizations, including chairing the Royal Gorge Whitewater Committee, which brought the Whitewater Park and the town’s most successful event, the whitewater festival, to the area. She is a supporter of the Blossom pageant, the Fremont Exceptional Women project as well as the arts, including the Canon City High School (CCHS) Band, CCHS Encore, and the Fremont Center for the Arts as well as academic, athletic, technical and extracurricular programs at area schools. Currently, she is sponsoring the Gargoyles, a local men’s under 19 whitewater rafting team that will represent the USA in the International Competition in China this summer.

She was named the 2011 Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Royal Gorge Association of Realtors, the 2011 Elks Citizen of the Year, and was the recipient of the 2019 Fremont Exceptional Women Cara Fisher Award.

“She is a true giver,” said Larry Oddo, owner and CEO of the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey,” with a genuine interest in improving people’s lives, whether as an employer or as a volunteer for the many organizations with which she is involved.”

Fremont County’s development has always been a priority of David McCallister, who began his career at age 19 as owner of Dave’s General Store in Penrose and went on to develop eight Kwik Stop stores in Penrose, Florence and Canon City. While others were contemplating how to capture the new prison’s traffic, McCallister took the risk with his convenience store business, persevered, and thrived thanks to his knowledge of the business, personality, and common sense attitude.

McCallister has been involved personally or through his company in many community activities and organizations, including Upper Arkansas Valley Bambino League, Fremont County 4-H, Canon City and Penrose Recreation Districts, and all three county chambers of commerce.

“We may see lots of entrepreneurs among us, but if there was ever an individual who started with a small dream and built big, it was Dave McCallister,” said nominator Ed Norden.

He dedicated much of his business efforts to youth sports and other youth activities in Florence, Penrose, and Canon City. Over the past 20 years, McCallister has donated more than $200,000 in college scholarships to Canon City and Florence high school students, many of whom used them at Pueblo Community College. He helped Florence and Canon City high school athletic departments raise in excess of $400,000 through the Kwik Stop discount cards, and was a major contributor to the construction of the PCC Fremont Campus and hosted many golf tournaments with proceeds benefitting PCC scholarships.

“He understood his role in the county as an economic source of support for many worthwhile endeavors without any expectations for personal reward,“ said Retired School Superintendent John Merriam. “Local youth organizations and school programs in the county have prospered tremendously from his generosity.”

Sponsorships are available and range from $150 to $1,000. Tickets for the event are $50/person. For reservations and information, call the PCC Foundation at 719-544-0677.

The Fremont Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to honor individuals, living or deceased, whose extraordinary efforts in education, business, arts and humanities, philanthropy, government, law, science and technology, and health and human services have contributed to the betterment of Fremont and Custer counties. Since its inception, 35 outstanding community leaders have been inducted and are featured on a Wall of Fame in PCC’s Fremont Campus.

Anyone may nominate a person for induction; recipients are selected by a panel of community members.