The Willamette Heritage Center Announces 2011 Heritage Awards

(Salem, Oregon) - The Willamette Heritage Center announced the recipients of its 2011 Heritage Awards at its Annual Heritage Awards Ceremony on April 28. The awards recognize leaders and organizations who have significantly contributed to the Salem community’s cultural heritage. The following is a list of the awards and their recipients.

2011 David Duniway Historian Award Recipient: Virginia Green. This award is named for the Marion County Historical Society president and Mission Mill Museum Association founding member David Duniway, recognizes distinguished and long-term contributions by an individual or organization to the public understanding and appreciation of the cultural history of the community and the Willamette Valley through teaching, writing, research, or historic preservation. Virginia Green is being honored for her development of SHINE - the Salem Heritage Network website (http://salem-heritage-network.blogspot.com), an immensely valuable historical resource of chronological articles about the community. SHINE articles featured on the website are also published weekly by the Statesman Journal. Virginia is also recognized for her tireless advocating of preservation causes, her fighting for heritage groups, her development of wonderful historic walking tours, and her founding membership of the WHC Heritage Club.

2011 Heritage Education Award Recipient: Dr. M. Lee Pelton. This award recognizes programs, projects and other endeavors which have provided high quality, history-focused educational opportunities to area residents for any age group or a wide range of age groups. Dr. M. Lee Pelton, President of Willamette University, has provided leadership and raised the awareness of Salem's culturally diverse heritage and history by: honoring and celebrating Martin Luther King Holiday at Willamette University, supporting the growth of the University’s Social Pow Wow, forging a partnership with Salem Multicultural Institute, honoring WWII Japanese American internees from Willamette, strengthening the capacity of the archives department at Willamette University’s Library, and exercising unwavering support for Hallie Ford Museum, which features a significant cultural heritage collection of Oregonian Native American artifacts. Dr. Pelton has also partnered with other community leaders and employers to find ways to foster economic growth by infusing energy and vitality into Salem's historic downtown business core. He has also established four academic centers of excellence: the Center for Ancient Studies and Archaeology, the Center for Asian Studies, the Center for the Study of Democracy, Religion, and Law, and the Center for Sustainable Communities. Dr. Pelton also puts an emphasis on service--Willamette students deliver more than 60,000 hours of volunteer service a year in the Salem community.

2011 Heritage Enterprise Award Recipient: The Statesman Journal. This award recognizes a business enterprise which has made significant long-term contribution to the economy and quality of life of the community. This year, WHC has chosen to honor the Statesman Journal for its recognition of the importance of preserving heritage and culture as a central part of a community’s health; and for its regularly published historical articles, which include Virginia Green's SHINE series, the Oregon Heritage section, and other articles about cultural treasures in Salem. The WHC is extremely grateful that The Statesman Journal is an active, valuable and supporting member of the community and outstanding reporting partner of our local community's history. Accepting the award was President and Publisher Steve Silberman and Head Editor Bill Church.

2011 Heritage Center Service Award Recipient: Adele Egan. This award recognizes meritorious efforts by individuals, groups or organizations in support of the WHC's mission and vision. The WHC has chosen to honor Adele Egan for her on-going support of history education and the preservation of area history. Adele has been a true and dear friend of the WHC. She has regularly volunteered in the WHC archives; and continuously and generously supported education programs such as the WHC’s School Outreach, archival projects, publications, professional development of our staff, and the introduction of technology in the research library. She has worked tirelessly to preserve the history of the Brooks area and maintenance of the Brooks Historical Society, including writing newsletter articles about the history of the area.

2011 Distinguished Board Service Award Recipient: Bill Mainwaring. This award recognizes the exemplary service of Board members and longtime committee members who go significantly beyond the expected requests of commitment. Bill Mainwaring has served on the Mission Mill Museum Board as an officer for two different time periods (1993-1999 and 2006-2010). He has been instrumental in guiding the WHC merger, serving as the treasurer, inspiring the WHC to curate the award-winning Facing Statehood exhibition, and providing donation assistance for new programs.

2011 George Strozut Award for Preservation Recipient: Friends of Bush Garden. This award recognizes people and groups who have made significant contributions to preservation of local heritage. Friends of Bush Gardens is honored for their restoration of the Bush Conservatory. Built in 1882, it is the second oldest such structure in the West and is one of the collection of structures that comprise the Bush farmstead. It is listed with Bush House on the National Register of Historic Places and is an integral to the Bush family’s story and their lifestyle. To save and restore the structure's unique heritage, the organization raised $222,000. Accepting the award were Founders Gretchen Hall Carnaby and Leslie Coleman Zeigen; and joining them was Salem Art Association Executive Director Sandra Burnett.

2011 WHC Volunteer of the Year Award Recipient: Christopher Hackett. This award is presented to an individual or group who demonstrates an additional willingness to assist the WHC and who makes a significant benefit to the Museum through the contribution of their time and skills. This year's recipient is Christopher Hackett, who currently serves as a WHC Board member. Christopher's woodworking and carpentry skills have been invaluable in refurbishing the research library and completing numerous woodworking projects for WHC's 14 historic buildings on its five-acre site.