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UDC Announces Honorees for 32nd Annual River Valley Awards
Awards Ceremony reservation 2020
Photo by David Hulse: Distinguished Service Award recipient Harold G. Roeder, Jr. , 2019 UDC Chairperson
NARROWSBURG – The Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) will honor those who have enhanced the quality of life or protected the resources of the Upper Delaware River Valley at its 32nd Annual Awards Ceremony on Sunday, August 30.
The UDC will determine and announce by mid-July whether the public banquet at Central House Family Resort in Beach Lake, PA can proceed.
The Honorable Jonathan Fritz (Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 111th District) will serve as the keynote speaker.
The UDC will honor the following recipients:
Distinguished Service Award – Harold G. Roeder, Jr., for his contributions to the Upper Delaware Council as the Town of Delaware, NY Representative since 1997, a three-time UDC chairperson including earning the Oaken Gavel Award for 2019, and river valley advocacy.
Robin M. Daniels Memorial Lifesaving Awards (2) – National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Interpretive Rangers Paddy McCarthy and the late Tim Freeman, for a July 5, 2019 boater rescue at Mongaup Rapids; and James Moss, Johnny Smith, Andy Moss (Equinunk Volunteer Fire Company) and Jeff Dexter (Damascus Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps), for a July 6, 2019 river rescue upstream of the Kellams, NY-Stalker, PA Bridge.
Advocacy Award – Pennsylvania Representatives Jonathan Fritz (111th District) and Michael Peifer (139th District), and Senator Lisa Baker (20th District), for securing a first-ever $100,000 Pennsylvania grant investment through the Department of Community and Economic Development in 2019 for the Upper Delaware Council and its five PA member townships.
Partnership Award – Dr. Heather Galbraith, Carrie Blakeslee, Jeff Cole, and Barbara White, for their work at the USGS Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory partnering with the National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River for over two decades to advance numerous scientific research projects.
Cultural Achievement Awards (2) – Big Eddy Film Festival, directed by Tina Spangler from the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, for the 8th annual event in 2019 featuring the premiere of the “Narrowsburg” documentary; and the Wayne County Historical Society’s 1888 Spencer Tractor Restoration, accomplished over three years by the volunteer team of Fred Murray, Rich Robbins, Frank Ward, Rod Warner, Steve Weber, and Kim Erickson.
Community Service Award – Nancy Furdock of Hancock, NY, for promoting regional tourism, economic development, arts appreciation, and cultural understanding.
Recreation Achievement Awards (2) – Dan Plummer, the guiding force behind the Friends of the Upper Delaware River, Inc. from 2006 to 2019; and Bill Streeter, director of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center in Milford, PA since 1987.
Volunteer Award – Star Hesse of Lava, NY for her active outreach on behalf of Town of Tusten residents, senior citizens, the environment, and community beautification efforts.
Special Recognition Awards (2) – Carla Hauser Hahn of Callicoon, NY, upon her 2019 retirement as National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Management Assistant after 39 years of government service; and John Ogozalek of French Woods, NY, for his advocacy to mark the Highest Elevation Point along the NYS Route 97 Upper Delaware Scenic Byway and substance abuse addiction education work through The Kingfisher Project.
Reservations at $28 per person will be due by August 21 for the August 30 ceremony at the resort located at 81 Milanville Road in Beach Lake.
A reception with a cash bar begins at 3 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner featuring prime rib, baked salmon, and parmesan chicken and all the trimmings at 4 p.m. Representative Fritz will deliver the keynote address at approximately 5 p.m.
A downloadable reservation form is available at www.upperdelawarecouncil.org or contact the UDC at P.O. Box 192, 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY 12764; phone (845) 252-3022; e-mail info@upperdelawarecouncil.org.
