APTOS — The Aptos Chamber has chosen its people of the year and no one was surprised, except those who won the honors.

The winners were:

"I’m really honored and I think that Joseph Hemingway was a great choice," he said. "He was mine. It’s an honor to be together on this. We’re inspired to serve our community."

Smith has been with Aptos Fire for years. When he’s not leading his department in putting out fires and community safety programs, he’s helping beautify Aptos by being an active member on the Aptos Chamber Community Enhancement Committee. He’s credited with the demolition of the Terrible Herbst gas station in Aptos Village, as well as the cleanup and restoration of the Seabreeze Bar at Rio del Mar Beach.

Hemingway graduated at the top of his class from the Santa Clara Criminal Justice Training Center and heads up the Aptos Sheriff’s Service Center. He also helps coordinate security during special events, such as the Fourth of July Parade and the Monte Foundation Fireworks Fund-raiser, and is active in the search for a location for a skateboard park.

Golesh has been an activist since 1984, when she found out she had learning disabilities. She led the fight to allow community college students with learning disabilities to waive or substitute required courses that are not pertinent to graduation. Nowadays she’s helping fund-raising efforts to buy a three-acre strip of land from a hotelier and make it a community park.

I’m really very honored and pleased to receive this Woman of the Year award," she said. "And I think that if everybody lit one little candle, that it would make such a difference in this world. It doesn’t take one particular talent or one particular degree, it’s just the willingness to put yourself out there and try to make a difference."

Second Harvest Food Bank is being honored for its effort to end childhood hunger locally, by distributing food to 19,400 children each month and by advocating for improvements to child nutrition programs, such as those for summer lunches and school breakfast and after-school snack programs.

Café Rio won the Business of the Year award for helping keep the Esplanade clean and by supporting local schools.

And the Aptos Little League All-Stars will be recognized for presenting Aptos to the world by going to the Little League World Series.

Last year’s chamber honorees were Jim LaTorre, Man of the Year; Teresa Thomae, Woman of the Year; Bittersweet Bistro, Business of the Year; and Cabrillo Stage, Organization of the Year.

All the winners will be honored at a$75 per person dinner on Oct. 26 at Seascape Resort.

Contact Ramona Turner at rturner@santa-cruz.com.