By SUSAN PARK

The Fremont Chamber of Commerce held its annual Christmas party on Dec. 13 at Sweet Designs Candy Factory, an event that drew more than 60 people, including Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and his wife Pam.

At the party, the Chamber handed out several awards for various ³stupendous² deeds of community service.

The award winners included the Big Bertha Award, which went to Susan McCloskey, principal of BF Day Elementary School, for her outstanding efforts as an advocate for kids programs and education. The Big Bertha Award is named after Bertha Landes, the only woman mayor of Seattle who served in the 1920s.

The Jim Daly ³Press On Regardless² Award went to Jim Neidigh, who retired Dec. 1 from his post as executive director of History House. The Daly award is bestowed on individuals in the community who demonstrate perseverance and an ability to overcome obstacles. The late Jim Daly was the Fremont Chamberıs first president and the longtime owner of Dalyıs Home Decorating and Improvement Center in Fremont. His daughter, Robin Daly, who took over her familyıs business in 1999 after her fatherıs death, was the first-ever recipient of the award this past year.

Neidigh, who is currently honeymooning with his new bride, was not on hand to receive the award. The award will be kept in his honor at History House for this coming year. Other award winners included:

The Dino Wrangler Award went to Mike Osterfeld, an employee of Fremont Dock Co., for ³subduing the (topiary) dinosaurs at the foot of Phinney Avenue N. and the Lake Washington Ship Canal.² In November he organized a Fremont Rotary volunteer work party to help with planting and retrofitting the topiary dinosaur sculptures, as well as performing other work needed to secure a neighborhood matching fund from the City.

The Best Extravaganza of the Year Award went to Charlotte Buchanan, owner of the now defunct Glamorama store, for her ³Center of the Universe End of the Millennium Party² held Dec. 31, 1999 at the Quadrant Lake Union Center.

The Starsky & Hutch Award for ³being the best cops in Seattle² was presented to the North Precinct police station.

In related news, George Heideman has been reelected to serve a second consecutive one-year-term as president of the Fremont Chamber . Heideman, a Fremont architect who has his own firm, was one of the 25 founding members of the Fremont Chamber in 1983. For more information, contact the Fremont Chamber at 206-632-1500.