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2005 Greenway and Community Trail Award Winners |
The 2005 New York Greenway and Community Trail Awards were presented in conjunction with Parks & Trails New York 's two-day statewide trails and greenway conference, entitled Healthy Trails, Healthy Communities. The awards recognize the leadership, creativity, and donations of time, talent, and materials behind many of New York 's trails. Volunteer Service Award Peter Henry of Macedon was selected for the Volunteer Service Award in recognition of his strong leadership and exemplary and significant contributions to planning, construction, maintenance, and promotion of trails in the Town of Macedon. Healthy Trails, Healthy People Award David Wright of Victor received the Healthy Trails, Healthy People Award for improving universal access to trails, involvement of persons with disabilities in trails planning Public Leadership Award Sue A. Poelvoorde, Natural Resources Planner in the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Finger Lakes Region was selected for the Public Leadership Award to recognize her significant and sustained contributions in support of planning, design, construction, Corporate Partnership Award Teri Barr and Hudson Valley Outfitters of Outside the Box Award The Bronx River Alliance was selected for the Outside the Box Award because of the multiple and unique partnerships, creative programming, and significant resources that the organization has assembled to develop and promote the Bronx River Greenway in New York City. When complete the Bronx River Greenway will be an eight-mile bicycle pedestrian trail, built on upgraded pathways within existing parks and underutilized riverfront land that provides access to a reclaimed Bronx River.
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It was 1992, at a time when the trails movement was just beginning, when Peter Henry first formed a Trails Committee in the Town of Macedon in Wayne County. In the ensuing 13 years, Pete has contributed countless hours to leading a dedicated group of volunteers that has worked with town officials and private landowners to develop, maintain, and promote trails and Erie Canal resources within the town. Under Pete's leadership there have been many accomplishments: 
in the Town of Victor , commitment to promotion of trail use for persons of all ages and abilities. According to the members of Victor Hiking Trails, Inc., “Dave Wright's consideration of trails accessibility goes beyond acknowledgement that compliance is a good idea. He goes to the next level making sure that potential users with disabilities are involved early in the planning process.” Under Dave's leadership, Victor Hiking Trails has been working closely with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to include information in Braille for interpretive signs within Fishers Park, Eagle Scouts have built bridges to facilitate trail accessibility, and trail use is actively promoted within the town in conjunction with local businesses, the town parks and recreation department, and the Victor Local Development Corporation. 
management, promotion, and public involvement for the Catharine Valley Trail, a 15-mile multi-use trail between Watkins Glen and Horseheads. When the Finger Lakes Region State Parks agreed to own, build, and maintain the Catharine Valley Trail, it was Sue Poelvoorde who took on the challenge of this complex project. With persistence, great attention to detail, and a high level of enthusiasm, Sue led the efforts to negotiate with landowners for property acquisition, work with a consultant to develop a trail master plan, and coordinate with local governments and state agencies to establish land-use agreements and undertake trail design and construction. Sue also put together ribbon cutting ceremonies to promote public awareness of the trail, developed several promotional and educational brochures, edited and designed the quarterly Catharine Valley Trail Newsletter, and created interpretive panels highlighting the trail's natural and cultural “stories.” 
Cold Spring received the Corporate Partnership Award for their contributions to the promotion and development of the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail. According to Carmella A. Mantello, Executive Director of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, “Teri supports the development and use of both the Greenway's water and land trail programs and is renowned for her charity in her community. Teri donated the services of two guides and a transport van for the entire inaugural Great Hudson River Paddle in 2001. She has continued to support the Great Hudson River Paddle in all subsequent years by donating kayaks, breakfast at the Cold Spring stop, and gifts for paddlers. For the past three years she has made her entire rental fleet available for a roundtrip paddle between the Village of Cold Spring and Little Stony Point. Hudson Valley Outfitters has also hosted a series of talks promoting trails and regional non-profit groups from its second store in Beacon and has donated funds to update the Hudson River Water Trail Association guidebook.” 
The Bronx River Alliance, a unique partnership whose 70-plus members include community-based organizations, local businesses, public agencies, schools, and institutions, has been instrumental in the Greenway's planning design, and implementation and has secured more than $90 million in City, State, and Federal funding for the Greenway and River restoration. In making the nomination, Joan Byron of the Sustainability and Environmental Justice Initiative commented on the importance of the Alliance 's efforts, “The creation of new waterfront parks in the South Bronx is among the Greenway's most important benefits. The Bronx River Greenway will be a unique resource for recreation, transportation, economic development, and spiritual and ecological renewal. It will connect communities with the River, with each other, and with the larger City and region, and create opportunities for local entrepreneurship and living-wage jobs for local residents.”