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© St. Petersburg Times, published December 12, 2001
SAINT LEO -- Town commissioners honored one of their own this week, naming Brother Gabriel Estes, a former commissioner, as Citizen of the Year for 2000.
Commissioners had labored since the spring to select a suitable candidate, finally choosing Estes on Tuesday night for his past service to the town and his ongoing work with counseling and support groups in the area.
Estes, 46, is a monk at the nearby Saint Leo Abbey and served on the Town Commission from 1997-1999.
He said he was taken by surprise Tuesday night when he was summoned to Town Hall for the presentation of the award.
"I kept thinking, 'Why do they want me,' " he said. "There was no warning."