Carol Van Steeter named Monticello Citizen of the Year

Carol Van Steeter, a longtime community volunteer, is the 2014 Monticello Citizen of the Year.
Van Steeter was presented with the award by Mayor Tim Young at the Monticello High School holiday music concert.
Young noted the accomplishments of Van Steeter and the positive impact she has had on Monticello.
Carol is highly involved in the appearance of Monticello, having served several years on the Parks and Beautification Committee and now serving as chairman of the committee.
She has been a push behind the large flower pots that line Main and Center streets and which are filled with gorgeous flowers throughout the summer. Those pots have to be put in place, planted and cared for each year, and Carol is credited with helping to coordinate that effort.
Van Steeter was also instrumental in getting everything in place to display student art work on the banners that line Main and Center streets.
She encouraged Monticello High School to have an art project around the theme of “Life in San Juan County”, then wrote grants, contacted vendors and found individual donors to fund the printing of the banners and purchasing the brackets to display them.
Dozens of banners were placed throughout the city during the summer of 2014, creating an “art gallery” that extended for several miles.
Carol has certainly put her talent in the arts to good use, making the city a more beautiful place to live and for visitors as well.
Van Steeter has offered her services to help “decorate” the new St. Josephs Catholic Church. Local residents are watching the church progress closely and are anxious to see how the church will be finished.
One resident asked, “It will be very interesting for all of us to see just exactly what that means. Will the interior show her touch or will it be in the landscaping? Or both?”
Van Steeter accepted the award before a grateful community, who gave a standing ovation in response to the announcement.
When asked if she had something she would like to say, Carol said, “I am not usually one at a loss for words,” before quickly adding a simple, “Thanks.”
The Citizen of the Year award is presented each December to a resident for their service to the community. R.L Wilcox was the most recent recipient.
Staff writer Roma Young contributed to this story.