This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

CVB Announces People's Choice, Other Awards

Along with a weekend of art and entertainment, Bartow County's favorite restaurant, shop and attraction were named.

Posted Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 8:09 pm ET|Updated Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 8:40 pm ET

presented this weekend during the Arts Festival at Rose Lawn, three sets of awards.

Following more than a month of online voting, the 2011 People's Choice winners are:

Best Restaurant—Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse in Euharlee;
Best Shoppe— in downtown Cartersville; and
Best Attraction—, which has received the most visitors of any paid-admission attraction in the county.

, Spring Place Pottery and Artists Gallery, and the came in second place, respectively, for the categories listed above.

CVB also presented its Hospitality Heroes Awards. The following were honored for their contributions to the local tourism industry:

government and the municipalities of Cartersville, Adairsville, Kingston, Euharlee, Emerson and White received the Bentley Award for Economic Development through Tourism for their commitment of SPLOST to the creation and development of the new .

Jean Belew, founder of the Bartow County Genealogical Society and former officer of the Cultural Arts Alliance, was honored with the Kordecki Award for Contribution to the Arts. The late Don Kordecki, namesake for this award, was instrumental in choosing Belew as an honoree in 2010.

Sam Shah, owner of the and Conference Center in Cartersville received the 2011 Hotelier of the Year award, chosen by a panel of Georgia Tourism professional from across Georgia.

Monique Vidoli, a member of the Cartersville Grand Gardeners, received the Distinguished Volunteer of the Year award for her weekly devotion to the care of the living plants throughout the .

Juried Artist Awards at the 36th Annual Arts Festival at Rose Lawn were:

Best of Show—Terri Paulk, Cartersville, Walk With Hymn wooden staffs;
First Place Fine Arts—Kyle and Katie Pace, Alcoa, TN, jewelry;
First Place Heritage Crafts—Jack Anderson, Marietta, hand-carved wooden bowls;
Second Place Fine Arts—Lynette Hinman, Charlotte, N.C., Drawings with Rose Petals;
Second Place Heritage Crafts—Rhonda and Steve Walker, Crossville, AL, birdhouses;
Third Place Fine Arts—Eva Marie Burns, Cartersville, mixed-media paintings; and
Third Place Heritage Crafts—Joe Lawson, Ballground, woodturning.