[Heritage] Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards Announced

[Heritage Info]

Individuals, organizations and projects that have made outstanding contributions to preserving Oregon heritage over time have received 2009 Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards.

Oregon First Lady Mary Oberst helped present the awards during the recent Northwest History and Heritage Extravaganza in Portland. Oregon Heritage Commission coordinator Kyle Jansson said the award recipients were judged on their abilities to produce the most from available resources and skills. The recipients are:

-- Lord and Schryver Conservancy, Salem, for preserving and interpreting the legacy of landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver.

-- City of Echo, for preserving and developing the heritage and history of Echo and the surrounding area.

-- Oregon Civil War Graves Registration Project, for identifying, inventorying and marking the graves of Civil War veterans in Oregon. The project is led by Baker Camp #6 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

-- Owl Ridge Trails Project, for a multi-disciplinary effort increasing knowledge and understanding of the prehistory and history of the South Santiam and Blue River headwaters.  In addition to the primary work of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, other contributors to the project included Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project Inc., Northwest Maps Co., the US Forest Service's Sweet Home Ranger District, Cascade Timber Consulting, Phoenix Reforestation, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

-- Roger Brandt, Cave Junction, for multi-faceted efforts to educate, promote and raise public awareness about history and heritage in southwest Oregon.

-- Charlene Brown, Willamina, for her tireless efforts in the founding, development and operation of the Willamina Museum of Local History.

-- Reeve and Lynn Hennion, Buncom, for preserving, promoting and advocating for the history and heritage of Buncom and southern Oregon.

-- Dirk Siedlecki, Eagle Point, for leadership in the preservation and development of historic cemeteries, including the Jacksonville Cemetery.

The Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards are a project of the Heritage Programs Division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which includes the Oregon Heritage Commission. Commission chair George Kramer said the awards are intended to draw public attention to important heritage efforts in Oregon and to raise the quality of heritage-oriented activities. More information about the awards is posted at www.oregonheritage.org.