FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Press
Contact:
October 28, 2005 Leighton Powell/Scenic Virginia
Office
Phone: 804.282.5522
Cell Phone: 804.363.9453
GOVERNOR CAPTURES SCENIC ORGANIZATION’S
TOP AWARD
Other
winners recognized from around the state
Richmond, Va. Governor Mark R. Warner’s support
of the successful effort to bring the National Scenic Byways program to
Virginia has earned him Scenic Virginia’s highest honor for the year. The
statewide nonprofit organization will recognize Virginia’s top elected official
as its Scenic Hero at their 2005 Scenic Awards program on Tuesday in
Richmond.
“This was an easy decision for our Awards Selection
Committee,” says Scenic Virginia president Eugenia Anderson-Ellis. “The America’s Byways™ program was
established in 1996, but this is the first time Virginia has been included. Because
of Governor Warner, Virginia now has four new National Scenic Byways in the
Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and
Colonial Parkway. Governor Warner understands the value of the Byways program
to the Commonwealth’s tourism, and he provided support at every level of his
administration. We are delighted to present him with this honor.”
The other 2005 winners are as follows:
Best Preservation of a Scenic Viewshed: The Clarkton Bridge Alliance for
rallying a coalition to save the historic Clarkton Bridge spanning the Scenic
Staunton River between Charlotte and Halifax counties, and for celebrating its
importance as a regional resource for heritage tourism, nature tourism, and
outdoor recreation.
Honorable Mention: Save Our Gateway in
Front Royal, Virginia for their successful opposition to the location of a
Wal-Mart on the south fork of the Shenandoah River.
Best Preservation of a Scenic River Corridor: The RappFLOW project for
developing a county-wide watershed management plan for the people, land and
streams of the Upper Thornton River in Rappahannock County, and for subscribing
to the belief that “where there is health, there is beauty.”
Honorable Mention: The Grassroots Conservancy, Marion Civitan Club, and Town
of Marion for the Marion Riverwalk Project.
Most Creative Scenic
Improvement: The Friends of the Rockfish Watershed and the
Lynchburg VDOT District for for the two-mile restoration of the South Fork of
the Rockfish River in Nelson County that enhances the beauty of the Rockfish
Valley as seen from several Virginia Byways, and that has made the river a candidate for Virginia’s Scenic River
designation.
Best Local Anti-Litter
Practices: The Keep Henrico Beautiful Committee for its “Because
We Care” program, which recruits dedicated citizens to be proactive about
litter in order to make Henrico County’s roads, parks, schools and communities
a more beautiful place to live, work and play.
Honorable Mention: Giles County for its School
Anti-Litter program.
Best Implementation of VDOT Tree-Trimming Policy: The Staunton VDOT District in
recognition of its efforts to enhance the Avenue of Trees entrance into the
Village of Brownsburg, a National- and State-Registered Historic District,
along Route 252 in the Walkers Creek Magisterial District of Rockbridge County.
Scenic Virginia’s 2005 Scenic Awards program will take
place on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 at noon at the Kent-Valentine House in
Richmond. The public is invited. Tickets are $30.
Established in 1998, Scenic Virginia is a statewide
private nonprofit whose mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the scenic
beauty and community character of the Commonwealth. To obtain high-resolution photographs
of the award-winning, please contact Executive Director Leighton Powell at
804.363.9453 or email@scenicvirginia.org.
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