Two longtime Oxford residents, whose efforts over several years came to fruition in 2012, have been named Citizens of the Year for 2012.

The Citizen of the Year program, which honors community service, began more than 60 years ago by the late Avis Cullen, then the editor and publisher of The Oxford Press. The newspaper has partnered with the Oxford Kiwanis Club for many years to recognize the efforts by individuals to make Oxford a better place in which to live.

Cal Conrad is honored for his efforts to protect and preserve the historic Fryman Farm on Four Mile Creek. Bernadette Unger has been a leader in the years-long planning for the opening of an organic cooperative food store in Oxford, and in 2012, The Miami Oxford Organic Network opened a store in Tollgate Mall.

One nomination for Conrad came from his daughter, Kirsten Conrad Buhls, who moved from Oxford in the late 1970s. She said she has followed changes in Oxford from a distance since then but noted one thing has not changed.

“During this time I have seen and heard from Oxford residents about the ways that Cal has cared for the land around Oxford, how he has served the community with his work on the Three Valley Conservation Trust and the love that he holds for the people of this community and this part of the world,” Buhls said.

She noted that her father has already been honored as a Citizen of the Years, in recognition of service as mayor and member of council, but said the Year honor is appropriate for 2012 because of his preservation efforts during 2012.

“This year we should honor him for his vision and leadership in the protection and acquisition of the historic Fryman Farm to provide green space and a scenic entrance to Oxford alongside Four Mile Creek,” Buhls said. “In this work he rallied support from more than 150 private donors, to raise over $300,000 to protect this streamside property that includes the only covered bridge in the county, a 200-year-old mill race, nearly one mile of riparian water line and 100 acres of land.”

She said he used his lifetime of local government and financial planning experience to wend his way through the intricate arrangements required with private, public and government entities over 18 months to bring the project to success.

“With the success of this endeavor he has ensured that Oxford residents will enjoy this beautiful undeveloped green space in perpetuity,” Buhls said, noting that the effort will protect water quality of the stream and the Greater Miami River watershed.

The effort continues a family tradition of service to the community, she said.

“I am so proud that my father’s work to preserve this green space has added to the legacy of environmental stewardship and beauty that his father, Art Conrad, who was also honored as a Citizen of the Years, gave to Oxford and Miami University in his lifetime,” Buhls said. “In seeing this work to completion, Cal has given a gift of love to Oxford in a way that no one has ever done before.

Unger has maintained a dream of an organic cooperative store in Oxford for many years and was part of slowly building a network of people with the same vision over the years. They formed the Miami Oxford Organic Network for that purpose and built toward the store’s opening Oct. 31, 2011.

The opening was not the end of the story. In many ways, it was the beginning.

“All of us who shop at MOON and own shares of MOON have been and are a part of the store’s first year,” said former Oxford Mayor Prue Dana. “This first year has not been easy, as adjustments in products, employees and management have been made to create a very special store that meets the needs of the Oxford community.”

Dana pointed to Unger’s hard work over the past year as the cooperative effort grew and morphed into the new Tollgate Mall location.

“Bernadette is an ideal coach and teacher. She has helped us all learn to shop, promote and support the store which sells the best food in the community,” Dana said.

Beside MOON, Unger was involved in the Affordable Housing Study of the League of Women Voters of Oxford in the past year, using her professional training to bear on the analysis of the issue.