[Heritage] Five Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards to be Presented

[Heritage Info]

Individuals, organizations and projects that have made outstanding
contributions to preserving Oregon heritage over time will receive 2010
Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards next month. You are invited to attend
the awards presentation.

Oregon First Lady Mary Oberst will help present the awards during an
Oregon Heritage Regional Roundup April 9 in Oregon City. Oregon Heritage
Commission coordinator Kyle Jansson said the award recipients are
considered model individuals, projects and organizations. They were
judged on their abilities to produce the most from available resources
and skills. The recipients are:

-- “In Pursuit of a Dream,” a documentary and educational project
of the Oregon-California Trails Association that is exemplary of
immersive experiential learning about Oregon history.

--  Marlene McDonald, for her enduring contributions and commitment to
Philomath and Benton County history.

--  “Oregon Century 1.5,”  a year-long series created by Ron Brown
and KDRV-TV of Medford and Klamath Falls that educates and entertains
Oregonians about their history during the state’s sesquicentennial
year.

--  Pacific Railroad Preservation Association, a nonprofit Portland
organization that for the past 30 years has promoted Oregon railroad
history and restored historic train equipment and facilities.

--  Union Street Railroad Bridge Project, which preserved a 1912 bridge
over the Willamette River at Salem and converted the span to the
transportation of bicycles and pedestrians.

The awards presentation includes both information about each of the
award winners, as well as snippets of Oregon history.

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
says the awards are intended to draw public attention to important
heritage efforts in Oregon and to raise the quality of heritage-oriented
activities. 

Tickets for the April 9 awards presentation are available by completing
and submitting the form at
http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/OHC/docs/2010Registrationfill.pdf