Comments on: Upper Housy Heritage Area Passes http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/ What's Going On Here? Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:14:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Janet Manko http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/#comment-578 Janet Manko Sat, 30 Sep 2006 02:07:41 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/#comment-578 Congratulations to all of you who have worked so hard for so many years - since the late 1990s, as Tom Shachtman notes. Didn't know the Seymours were the impetus - kudos to them for it, this was a great idea that's finally become a reality. It's refreshing to know that our legislators can come together and agree on a project, making a bipartisan effort lead to the passing of a bill that will so clearly benefit an entire region. We'll all look forward to seeing the results as the years go by. And, the Heritage Walks, which are coming up, will take on a whole new meaning of celebration this year! Congratulations to all of you who have worked so hard for so many years - since the late 1990s, as Tom Shachtman notes. Didn’t know the Seymours were the impetus - kudos to them for it, this was a great idea that’s finally become a reality. It’s refreshing to know that our legislators can come together and agree on a project, making a bipartisan effort lead to the passing of a bill that will so clearly benefit an entire region. We’ll all look forward to seeing the results as the years go by. And, the Heritage Walks, which are coming up, will take on a whole new meaning of celebration this year!

]]> By: Judy Jacobs http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/#comment-577 Judy Jacobs Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:48:04 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/#comment-577 Hooray!!! On behalf of the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society, I want to say a big thank you to all who helped bring this about. I have personally seen how hard Ron & Ed have worked on this venture, and I thank them for all they have done. All of us will benefit in this area from this designation. Hooray!!! On behalf of the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society, I want to say a big thank you to all who helped bring this about. I have personally seen how hard Ron & Ed have worked on this venture, and I thank them for all they have done. All of us will benefit in this area from this designation.

]]> By: Tom Shachtman http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/#comment-576 Tom Shachtman Fri, 29 Sep 2006 23:20:40 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/09/29/upper-housy-heritage-area-passes/#comment-576 Let me preface these comments by saying that I'm the secretary of the UHVNHA board, and have been working for it, with Ron Jones, Ed Kirby, Ward Belcher and others from our area, since its inception. This is a very big and important step for the Northwest Corner, and the adjoining areas of Massachusetts; by having this designation, we will be able to bring some millions of dollars in federal funds to assist local historical societies, natural resources organizations, and other non-profits, for years to come. Another important thing for people to know is how hard our elected representatives have worked for this, especially Nancy Johnson and Joe Lieberman. The bills in House and Senate were sponsored, respectively, by the Berkshire rep, a fairly liberal Democrat, and by Mrs. Johnson, a fairly conservative Republican, and by all four senators from the two states, all of whom are Democrats, which made passage by the Republican-controlled Congress anything but easy. We should also not forget, at this time, that the impetus for the UHVNHA came from initial work done by Mike and Gabriel Seymour in the late 1990s. Since then, the UHVNHA has been operating in the public interest, putting together annual walks, festivals, courses for teachers, and a spectacular African-American Heritage Trail. We hope, with designation and what will follow,to do still more, and we invite everyone's participation. Let me preface these comments by saying that I’m the secretary of the UHVNHA board, and have been working for it, with Ron Jones, Ed Kirby, Ward Belcher and others from our area, since its inception. This is a very big and important step for the Northwest Corner, and the adjoining areas of Massachusetts; by having this designation, we will be able to bring some millions of dollars in federal funds to assist local historical societies, natural resources organizations, and other non-profits, for years to come.

Another important thing for people to know is how hard our elected representatives have worked for this, especially Nancy Johnson and Joe Lieberman. The bills in House and Senate were sponsored, respectively, by the Berkshire rep, a fairly liberal Democrat, and by Mrs. Johnson, a fairly conservative Republican, and by all four senators from the two states, all of whom are Democrats, which made passage by the Republican-controlled Congress anything but easy.

We should also not forget, at this time, that the impetus for the UHVNHA came from initial work done by Mike and Gabriel Seymour in the late 1990s.

Since then, the UHVNHA has been operating in the public interest, putting together annual walks, festivals, courses for teachers, and a spectacular African-American Heritage Trail. We hope, with designation and what will follow,to do still more, and we invite everyone’s participation.

]]>