Historic Saratoga-Washington Partnership Unveils Stewardship Plan
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tracey Clothier
PHONE: (518) 587-8100
E-MAIL: TClothier@thelagroup.com
Historic Saratoga-Washington on the Hudson Partnership Announces Draft Stewardship Plan Public Meetings
Ft. Edward, NY: The public is invited to public meetings in which Board Members of ‘Historic Saratoga-Washington on the Hudson Partnership' and consultants from The L.A. Group will unveil the Draft Stewardship Plan for communities along the upper Hudson River. The draft plan is available on-line at http://upperhudsonpartnership.org
The meetings will take place as follows:
Thursday, May 20th at 7:00pm in Roger's Island Visitor Center (off Route 197)
Monday, May 24th at 10:00am in Saratoga Town Hall (Route 4/Spring Street)
Serving the communities abutting the upper Hudson River from Ft. Edward south to Waterford, the Stewardship plan addresses land conservation issues, recreation and heritage tourism opportunities in a fashion that draws upon the strength of the communities working together rather than by themselves.
Historic Saratoga-Washington on the Hudson Partnership Chairman Tom Richardson says, "The Stewardship Plan will allow us to efficiently coordinate and better support many community improvement projects in the towns and villages we serve. For the past three years, representatives from the towns and villages have worked diligently on this draft plan and it is going to allow us all to do great things for our communities."
For more information about the plan or public hearing call Tracey Clothier at 587.8100.
Erie Canalway Event Sponsorships Announced Thirteen local events and four Corridor-wide events to benefit in 2010
Erie Canalway News Release
For Immediate Release, 4/23/10
Contact: Jean Mackay, Director of Communications and Outreach
518-237-7000, ext 222
jean_mackay@partner.nps.gov
WATERFORD, NY - The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission announced today thirteen local events and festivals in the National Heritage Corridor that are receiving event sponsorships in the amount of $500. In addition, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission is a major sponsor of several Corridor-wide events, including: Canalway Trail Celebration, June 6; Cycling the Erie Canal, July 11-18; Canal Splash, August 7-9; 2010 World Canals Conference in Rochester, September 19-24.
"Cultural, heritage and recreational events deliver significant tourism and economic benefits to communities," said Joseph Callahan, Erie Canalway Commission Chair. "Making an investment in events is good for residents, visitors, and event sponsors."
Festival and event-related visitors generate more than $209 million each year in direct sales revenues in the Erie Canalway, according to a 2007 Economic Impact Study conducted by the New York State Canal Corporation. The number reported for attending festivals and events more than doubled from 873,000 in 2002 to 2 million in 2007.
The New York State Canal System is slated to open for the season on May 1.
2010 Event and Festival Sponsorship Recipients listed in event date order
24th Annual Waterford-RiverSpark Canal Festival, Village of Waterford, 5/8/10
Grand Celebration--Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct, Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus, 5/22/10
Hudson Crossing Triathlon, Hudson Crossing Park, Schuylerville, 6/13/10
RiverFest, City of Watervliet, 6/19/10
Canal Fest: 25th Anniversary of Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango, 6/20/10
Music on the Erie, Newark Waterfront, Newark, Sundays starting 7/4/10 through 8/29, plus September 25
Canal Days 2010, Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Hunter, 7/10/10 - 7/11/10
Canastota's Bicentennial Celebration, Canastota Canal Town Museum, Canastota, 7/22/10
Pirates of the Erie Canal Weekend, Village of Palmyra, 8/7/10 - 8/8/10
23rd Annual Little Falls Canal Celebration, Little Falls, 8/9/10 - 8/15/10
Waterfront Museum & Waterford Tugboat Round-up, Village of Waterford, 9/10/10 - 9/12/10
Matilda Joslyn Gage Home Grand Opening-Underground Railroad Exhibit, Fayetteville, 10/8/10
Connect the Canal Communities, multiple dates and locations in the Western Erie Canal State heritathroughout the season
For more information, visit www.eriecanalway.org
Saratoga National Historical Park Selected for the America the Beautiful Quarters Program
Stillwater, NY -- Saratoga National Historical Park will be featured on a quarter-dollar produced by the U.S. Mint in 2015. Saratoga is number 30 of 56 quarters to be issued as announced in the America the Beautiful Quarters program. Approximately every ten weeks, starting in April of 2010, a new quarter depicting a national park or other federally preserved areas will be released.
Superintendent's Joe Finan says, "Saratoga National Historical Park is honored to represent the State of New York in this important initiative by the U.S. Mint. The image submitted for consideration is the Sword Surrender Scene, a painting by 18th century artist John Trumbull which is one of only four scenes in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda depicting the birth of our nation. The selection of this scene is particularly exciting, as the actual site where British General Burgoyne surrendered his sword to American General Horatio Gates in 1777, was just recently acquired through a collaboration of park partners including Open Space Institute, "Saratoga-Washington-on-the-Hudson Partnership" and New York State.
Established in 1938, Saratoga National Historical Park preserves the battlefield known as the "turning point" of America's Revolution. The battles are recognized by historians as one of fifteen most important battles in world history, as Saratoga made possible American democracy which resulted in changes felt throughout the world to this day.
Congress authorized the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 to celebrate the nation's legacy of conservation. The legislation recalls noteworthy steps in the nation's preservation movement and quotes Theodore Roosevelt who said that nothing short of defending this country in wartime "compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendents than it is for us."
The legislation directs the Mint to strike and issue 56 circulating quarter-dollars with reverse (tails side) designs showcasing a national park or other national site in each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. The quarters will be issued sequentially each year, in the order in which the featured area was first established as a national park or site.
The coins will feature 48 National Park Service areas, two U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges, and six U.S. Forest Service sites. The Mint worked in consultation with each jurisdiction's governor or chief executive as well as Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to select the sites. The list was also approved by Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner.
In addition to the coins for circulation, the Mint will produce collectable items including proof sets, silver proof sets, a five ounce silver bullion coin, coin bags, and coin rolls for each quarter. For more information about the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, please visit http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/NSQuartersProgram/index.cfm.
5th Annual Hudson Crossing Festival
The 2009 Festival, a Quadricentennial event, will feature the Day Peckinpaugh, an historic 259' canal motorship on her Legacy Voyage and the Working on Water Tour ~ celebrating 400 years of maritime history. Historic vessels such as the Lois McClure, the Golden Re'Al, the Urger, and the HMS Dark and Stormy, will be open to the public during the Festival.
Highlights of the Festival, sponsored in-part by a grant from the Hudson River Improvement Fund of the Hudson River Foundation, will include: Native American folklore, live music, horse-drawn wagon rides, and an array of children's activities. Great (local) food, and dozens of exhibitors will fill out an exciting day.
An exhibitors packet can be downloaded here.
Annual Report
I wanted to reach out to each and every one of you to thank you for all of your hard work regarding the Partnership and to let you know that there will be no meeting in the month of July. However, there will be a Partnership meeting August 17th, at 10:00 am in the Town of Saratoga Town Hall meeting room. The agenda for that meeting, along with the minutes from the June 29th meeting will be posted on the website.
At the annual meeting held June 29th, a copy of the Draft Annual Report was distributed. If you did not receive one, it can be downloaded here. However, if you are like me and do not use a computer, please let Devin Lander know at 455-4805 and he will send you one via mail. It is our hope that you take a look at the document and bring comments to the August meeting so that we can make changes to the report and finalize it.
Also, Nelson Ronsvalle has suggested that a working group be created to consider any and all grant opportunities that may exist for the Partnership. I think this is a great idea and would ask you all to keep your eyes and ears open for any grant funding opportunities that might make sense for the Partnership. If you find one, please contact Nelson Ronsvalle at 371-7410 ex. 2888.
Thanks again for all of your work and I look forward to seeing you all August 17th.
~ Tom Richardson, Chair
Press Conference
June 9, 2009
I would like to personally invite all of you to a press conference announcing the first allocation of Partnership project funding. The event will be held at the Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center at 11:00 am Friday, June 26th. Joining us will be the founders of the Partnership, State Senator Roy McDonald and Assemblymen Steve Englebright and Jack McEneny.
We have also invited several other State dignitaries who will be in attendance if their schedules permit. Hopefully, as many members of the Partnership will be in attendance as possible to show our support and solidarity as we move forward.
Please feel free to contact Jim Thompson in Senator McDonald's office with any questions at 455-2381, or Devin Lander in Assemblyman Englebright's office at 455-4805.
Thanks and see you there!
Sincerely,
Tom Richardson, Chair