Since I was old enough to remember, I have used Glen
Johnson’s auto shop in Beaumont,
Texas, as my neighborhood spot
for oil changes, tire repairs and general car tune-ups.
I always marveled at his 1/8-mile sprint car and the trophies
he has won through years of wrench turning, when they weren’t running the shop.
Sitting on the back wall of Johnson’s checkout room,
surrounded by photos of hotrods and dragsters, was a small picture frame that
read “Beaumont Enterprise
Reader’s Choice Award for Best Oil Change.”
I never understood what a reader’s choice award meant back
then, but now I have come to learn that is what the community finds to be the
best in town. It is not what the editors or writers think – it is what the
people want.
At neighborsgo,
the Neighbors Choice Awards are a way for your hometowns to talk about what is
the best in your community. It is a way to give that special appreciation for
that cozy restaurant on the corner. It is a way to let the good ol’ boys at the
barbershop know they give the best straight razor shave. It is your voice.
Now through April 24, you can vote on your favorite hometown
spots at neighborsgo.com/vote.
Voting is simple, and with a few clicks of the mouse, you can give your special
shout-outs to the best of your hometown.
Right now, Garland
residents have been slow on the uptake of casting their votes online, and we
want the community’s participation. Local businesses can get in on the action,
too – after all, what looks better than a plaque in the office letting you know
you are the hometown favorite?
Neighborsgo stresses pride in its
communities, so the Neighbors Choice Awards give each town a chance to voice
its favorites and give a little more pride.
We hope to hear all about your picks in the coming weeks and
look forward to your future submissions to neighborsgo.
Until then, I think I might check up on ol’ Glen Johnson
back in Beaumont
and see if he might be taking the Chevy out to the track any time soon.
Marcus Murphree is the
Garland/Wylie/Sachse
neighborsgo editor and can be reached
at 469-330-5692.
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