扎克·波特，《桑福德先驱报

桑福德——在全明星赛中打四分卫?

吉米·勒夫做到了.

获得久负盛名的长叶松勋章, one of the highest honors North Carolina can bestow on a civilian?

吉米·勒夫做到了.

Earning a law degree, working on literal life-or-death cases, serving on the N.C. Legislature and working tirelessly to better Sanford and Lee County through it all?

吉米·勒夫绝对做到了.

说到桑福德, 没有太多的爱, one of two of The Sanford Herald's 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award winners, 还没做.

“这是我一生的家,“爱, 现在是各种地方组织的律师, 包括李县教育委员会, the 中央卡罗莱纳社区学院 Board of Trustees and the Sanford Alcohol Beverage Control Board, 谈到桑福德. “这是我一直想住的地方."

And apart from his time at UNC-Chapel Hill earning his undergraduate and law degrees and a year working with Judge J. 华莱士·温伯恩，前最高法院首席大法官.C. Supreme Court, the now 81-year-old 爱 has called Sanford home.

“我认识吉米快20年了,京东方副董事长Mark Akinosho表示, one of a number of people who nominated 爱 for the recognition. "When we moved to Sanford, Jimmy was the one who did the closing on our house. 我对他印象深刻. We didn't know too many people; we hadn't even moved in then. He was just the nicest guy, and he was telling us this was a good place to live."

Akinosho said after he and his family moved, they began to see 爱 everywhere. Among the numerous organizations to which 爱 previously has pledged his time and effort are the Rotary Club of Sanford, 第一浸信会, 桑福德地区商会, 桑福德市议会, the Broadway Town Council and the Lee County Wildlife Club.

"Basically, I just try to participate,“爱 said of his service. “它能让你保持年轻——至少我希望如此."

And while Sanford and Lee County have been at the heart of all of 爱's doings, some of his most dedicated efforts to improve his hometown took place in Raleigh, where he served for 14 years as Lee County's representative in the N.C. 1967-1977年和2007-2011年担任众议院议员.

“我一直对政治很感兴趣，”洛夫说. " ... Back then, the legislature was made up primarily of lawyers. ... I primarily supported public education, which I think is the most important thing the state does. 我一直对此很感兴趣."

英国央行主席林恩·史密斯, who also nominated 爱 for the Lifetime Achievement Award, said that 爱's passion for public education permeated all of his work.

"I have to start by saying he's absolutely a man of integrity and character,史密斯说. "You can always depend on Jimmy 爱 to do the right thing. ... 他确实为我们的教育委员会做了这些. And when he was in the legislature, he was always available. 我没给他打过电话，他也没接. 他就是那种人. He wants to make our town and our county a better place to live, 他会不惜一切代价去做."

澳门黄金城赌城 President Bud Marchant agreed that education is a big priority for 爱.

“我认为这是他的爱好之一,马尚说, "making sure the education you can get here locally is the best it can possibly be."

而一辈子合法, political and civic service would be more than enough for some people, 爱 also can brag -- though he wouldn't -- of several notable athletic achievements as well.

In 1953, he played quarterback during the fifth annual East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro, and he attended UNC on scholarships for both football and baseball.

"Athletics was one of my primary interests growing up,“爱 said. "I was able to play on a good football team, able to play on a state championship baseball team."

爱, 当地运动队的狂热粉丝, said he roots for both Lee County High School and Southern Lee High School, 但是当他们互相玩的时候, 他的心属于李县.

“那是我上学的地方，”他说. "But I root for both of them to have good, successful athletic teams, and I think they have."

Athletic, legal and political recognitions aside, former Lt. 政府. 丹尼斯柳条, who also provided 爱 with a nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award, said many of 爱's greatest contributions to Sanford have flown under the radar.

"I practiced law with him or 15 years," Wicker said of 爱. "And there were multiple times Jimmy would help people with getting their children admitted to college, securing them a job or recommending someone for a position of trust. 在很多场合, people would come to his office asking him for legal help when he knew they could not afford to engage him, and he would nevertheless take their cases without compensation."

When he's not busy advising the BOE and the 澳门黄金城赌城 Board of Trustees on legal matters, 爱 often can be found indulging his passions as a sportsman.

"I've been quail hunting for 40-50 years,“爱 said, "and fishing too."

史密斯说，爱情钓鱼的形象在他心目中是标志性的.

"我对吉米最美好的回忆之一是, 当他不忙的时候, he's standing on the end of a pier at the beach fishing by himself,史密斯说. "We all have to have a getaway, and I can just imagine Jimmy 爱 on his pier fishing by himself. 他就是这样充电的.

"He was telling me once about the fish he caught; he ended up catching quite a few fish. 我问他:‘你对他们做了什么?' and he said that he gave them away (to someone on the pier). 这就是吉米·爱. 他就是这样的人."