By Matt Youngfrau
FERNDALE — March 25, 2003 – The third annual Sullivan Renaissance beautification effort officially kicked off Thursday night as 31 grants were awarded.
Now, the hard work begins as the communities work in earnest on their projects.
“There are a lot of strong groups this year,” commented Sullivan Renaissance founder Sandra Gerry. “This will be a great year.”
“This is the greatest night,” Denise Frangipane remarked. “You all have a lot of hopes and expectations. I commend the effort you’re about to take.”
The program is divided into three categories – A, B, and C.
Category A is for single-element projects like welcome signs, small gardens, or sign replacements. Prizes for category A are $3,000, $1,500, and $1,000.
Category B is for projects with more than one element, such as park enhancement, landscaping a building, roadside beautification, and facade renovation. Prizes for category B are $7,000, $5,000, and $3,000.
Category C is for multi-element projects such as corridor improvement, extensive main street beautification, park creation, and property reclamation. Prizes for Category C are $20,000, $10,000, and $7,500.
There are 11 Category A Projects, 14 Category B Projects, and 6 Category C Projects – a grand total of 31 projects.
Two other special programs were highlighted at the event. The first was the Golden Feather Award, a $50,000 grant secured by New York State Assemblyman Jake Gunther. The grant will be awarded to the community that demonstrates outstanding work in planning, development, maintenance, and community involvement. It is open to all projects, as long as they have participated in one of the previous two years. However, whomever wins this prize cannot win any other in the same contest year.
“In the last two years, there have been significant changes in the community,” stated Annelise Gerry, referencing the $50,000 grant. “It has been through dedication, and we have seen positive results.”
Another prize will be awarded in conjunction with the Sullivan County Community College Foundation. Two $15,000 scholarships will be handed out to two Sullivan County residents who are working on a Renaissance project and are full-time college students for the 2003-2004 year.
“For those who love beautification, this is an opportunity for higher education,” Arlen Siegel said. “It is open to anyone involved in any project in Sullivan County. Just document what you do.”
The grants were then awarded to representatives of each group. The first-round grants are a $1,000 apiece.
Projects must be completed by August 4. Judging Weekend is from August 8-10. August 8 is the binder presentation. On August 9, the judges will visit the projects. August 10 is the Awards Ceremony.