Nominees sought for awards
Jan. 9, 2012 by Ray Finger on StarGazette.com
Historic preservation is not an abstract thing but is about the very essence of who we are and who we want to be in the world, says Kaye Newbury, president of Historic Elmira.
To that end, Historic Elmira is seeking nominations for its fourth annual preservation awards that will be presented in March. The nomination deadline is Feb. 10.
Nominations are sought in two categories: the Advocate Award, which celebrates the work of those who value and demonstrate advocate historical heritage through active involvement; and the Project Award, which recognizes historic preservation work in the city that contributes to the beauty and value of the community.
"It's a natural that we would want to recognize those people who are putting in the time and energy that leads to something that makes our whole community better," Newbury said.
"When somebody is an advocate for historic preservation, it's not just for a physical building, physical space. It's for being advocates for the people of the community and its history," she said.
"History's not the past. History is an ongoing experience, and when somebody brings part of the past forward and allows all of us to see it and enjoy it and have questions about it, I think that contributes to our overall sense of who we are and certainly adds more cohesion to the sense of community."
The way neighborhoods look can affect the way people think and feel about where they live, work and play, said Kevin McInerny, who with his wife, Eileen, received the Project Award in 2009 for their restoration work on West Water Street, Walnut Street and West Gray Street.
A good example of that impact is some recently painted row houses that are part a group on the south side of West Clinton Street between Columbia and Davis streets, he said.
"It just changed the appearance of the whole block," McInerny said. "It does have a huge effect on what people think of an area, in my view." Conversely, houses that are run down and allowed to remain that way bring down the perception of an entire neighborhood, he said.
Newbury noted that contributions to the city's identity have been made by people from all walks of life.
"As a community, it's important to keep in mind who we have been and honor that and to move forward with that as part of who we are," she said.
How to nominate:
To nominate a project or advocate for an award, download the nomination form here, fill it out completely and submit it, with supporting documentation, to Kaye Newbury at Historic Elmira Inc., P.O. Box 252, Elmira, NY 14902. Incomplete nomination forms will not be considered
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