Village of Lake George names 2018 Citizen of the Year

Business owner and long-time Lake George volunteer firefighter William “Bill” Manion was named Citizen of the Year by Village of Lake George officials. Mayor Robert Blais awarded Manion with a plaque Friday evening at the Village holiday party, which was held at the Backstreet BBQ and Taproom. The annual award recognizes a citizen that has contributed to the Lake George community.   

Manion and his wife Emily have operated Molly Malone’s Irish Gifts on Canada Street for nearly 20 years. When presenting the award, Mayor Blais noted that the Manions keep their business open year-round, for which Village leaders are thankful. The Manions have also operated vacation cottages in the Village and a Route 9 pub.  Bill and Emily have five children. Their daughter, Judy Gearwar, heads the Village of Lake George Beautification Department and is the creative talent behind the Village’s public gardens.

Bill Manion has also contributed to the Lake George Community as a volunteer firefighter. “It’s a labor of love,” Manion says of his tenure as a smoke eater, which, between several years with a New Jersey Fire Department and the Lake George Fire Company, spans 51 years.  Manion says he has a son that is now a firefighter in New Jersey, evidence that “smoke gets in the blood.”

Past recipients of the Lake George Village Citizen of the Year award are Helen Horn, Charles Hawley, Patricia Dow and Robert McKinney.

Featured photo: Lake George Village Citizen of the Year Bill Manion poses with his wife Emily at the Backstreet BBQ and Taproom Friday, Dec.7, 2018.