Sarah Goodrich wasn't the only shining star in this year's list of nominees; she had plenty of company, as the list that follows makes clear.
2012 T-J Star nominees-and the reasons why they were nominated-were:
• Pam Foland, Schoharie town clerk, for her dedication to saving the town records and rebuilding the town hall post-Irene.
• Carol Coltrain, "Once a TJ Star, always a TJ Star."
• Matthew Avitabile, Middleburgh mayor, "Always helpful and doing a great job!"
• Georgia VanDyke, president of the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce and chair of SALT's Unmet Needs Committee, for her work helping people recover from Irene.
• Paulette Danforth and Carol McGuire, for founding the Butterfly Café to help feed the homeless.
• Josh DeBartola, for his tireless energy and compassion, "an inspiration."
• Gary Bywater, "He has a big heart for this community. He's always out improving the face of downtown."
• Janice Peters, for initiating SCHOOL (Schoharie County Home of Ongoing Learning) through SUNY Cobleskill.
• Ginny Schaum, for jumpstarting the Schoharie County Barn Quilt Trail.
• Sarah Goodrich and Sherri Meyer-Veen, for SALT and Schoharie Recovery.
• Schoharie County Soil and Water Conservation District, for "Going above and beyond" to get local farmers help after Irene. "Even before they knew whether there would be help, they were reaching out to farmers. That's a rare thing to see-especially from a government agency. They helped get $850,000 for our farmers..."
• Lisa Zaccaglini and Mike Shuster, for "leading the charge against fracking. They got it started in Sharon and now the rest of the county is paying attention."
•Cheri Stevens, for her work for Marathon for a Better Life, the Hot Pots Kitchen Band, local theater, and the ARC.
• Misty Wayman, for her non-stop work on Hurricane Irene relief and other community activities.
• Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, the Fabulous Beekman Boys, for bringing "enthusiasm, fun and positive attention to Schoharie County," for "making us proud," and for proving that sometimes, nice guys do finish first.
• Bill Cherry, "As county treasurer, he has kept the county on a sound fiscal path. As budget officer, he has kept tax rates from escalating...In the aftermath of Irene and Lee, and even losing his own home, he is leading the recovery..."
• Sharon Springs Central School's iPad Project, for putting today's technology to use in a small school setting.
• Susan McGiver, for years of community involvement and not giving up on her business or employees after Irene.
• Suzanne Mczoff, for her work helping grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.
• Adele Morrissey, and her pug, Araxi, for their volunteer efforts helping flood victims at the Care for New York warehouse at Guilford Mills
• Gail Bender and Joe and Betsy Bernocco, for giving unselfishly of themselves for a total of 90 years as Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Services volunteers.
"As anyone who has ever needed an ambulance can attest, a smiling face and a reassuring hand are often the first step in the road to recovery."
• Maggie Mattice, "A wonderful RN at Cobleskill Hospital. Her deep sense of compassion, intelligence, calm head, and amazing sense of humor have touched many people."
• Karin Stevenson, "She is a great person. She helps everyone in her community."