2017 “Do 6” Award winners

These individuals, organizations, businesses and corporations exemplify the mission of the PA Route 6 Alliance to protect, preserve and enhance the scenic, cultural, historical and recreational resources of Pennsylvania’s northern tier.

HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP AWARD –  Presented to a group, person or organization that has demonstrated excellence in historic preservation, cultural preservation, interpretation, and/or education through cross-corridor thinking and interagency cooperation.

LOCAL HISTORY PAST-PORT, Thomas H. Kennedy Local History Roundtable, Wayne County, PA: The  “Local History Past-Port”, is a guide showcasing and directing people  to historical societies, museums, and historical sites in Wayne,  Lackawanna, and Pike Counties. The booklet offers a page on 15 museums  and sites, with a description, location, hours of operation, contact  information, and a photograph. Users are encouraged to visit each site  to get a “Past-Port” stamp. Collect all stamps and users receive a free  gift. The purpose of this project was to raise awareness of the rich and  diverse local heritage and history that helped form the region. The  Local History Past-Port is a project of the Thomas H. Kennedy Local  History Roundtable, chaired by James Asselstine. The publication was  designed and created by Joan Gillner, Executive Director of the  Dorflinger Glass Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.

HERITAGE TOURISM AWARD – Presented to a business or a project that furthers economic and tourism development while respecting the heritage and cultural resources of the Route 6 Corridor.

DOWNTOWN EDINBORO ART & MUSIC FEST, Edinboro, PA: Now  entering its 14th year, the Downtown Edinboro Art and Music Festival is  a four-day, free art and music festival that is staged at Goodell  Gardens and Homestead and other community performance venues in  Edinboro. The Festival includes a juried art show, craft show, that  focus on music, active wellness, and children’s activities. The Festival  averages 8,400 attendees a year, drawing audiences from Erie County and  the region. In recent years, the Festival has hosted a number of  nationally acclaimed artists and local musicians who not only perform  but often lead workshops. Jim Donovan of Rusted Root, Rachel Eddy who  recently released her album “Hand on the Plow,” Scott Pearson, a PA  State Fiddle Champion and Warren mandolin champion, and Keith McManus,  an extraordinary fiddle and banjo player as well as an accomplished  Appalachian story-teller. The Festival is held annually, on the third  weekend in May.

ARTISAN OF THE YEAR –  Presented to an artist or artisan group that exemplifies the goals of the PA Route 6 Artisan Trail program showing regional thinking and cooperation while promoting the arts along the corridor.

WYOMING COUNTY CULTURAL CENTER AT THE DIETRICH THEATER, Tunkhannock, PA: Originally  built in 1936, the theater house went dark in the 80’s. A visionary  group of Tunkhannock residents lead the monumental effort to reopen and  re-imagine the space. Today, the Dietrich Theater shows countless  blockbuster, foreign, independent and classic films. The Theater also  presents an amazing list of cultural events including four film  festivals annually, live theater, concerts and workshops. The William  Norris Earnshaw Gallery features the paintings, drawings, photography,  hand-craft jewelry, ceramics, sculptures and other works of regional and  nationally known artists. Numerous art and cultural classes are offered  in the Dorothy G. Sheldon Art Studio. One recent weekend offered health  seminars, a puppet show and open-mike night in addition to gallery  events and movies.

HERITAGE LEADERSHIP AWARD –  Presented to a person(s), business or organization for meaningful contributions and/or through partnerships, by enriching our communities through landscape initiatives or historic preservation.

CHIP HARRISON, D.C.N.R., Galeton, PA: In  his role as manager of several state parks, Chip Harrison has been a  great supporter and promoter of regional efforts. With two of the  biggest state park attractions on the PA Route 6 Corridor, Chip has been  actively involved with the development of PA Route 6 and the PA Wilds  on the local level.

It  was Chip who first noticed astronomers camping out at Cherry Springs  State Park almost two decades ago and brought it to the attention of the  PA Route 6 staff and the PA Tourism Office. Along with his staff and  volunteers, Chip has developed a first rate astronomy program. Since  then the programs at the park have attracted both domestic and  international visitors.

Chip  has worked with staff at PA Route 6 and the local convention and  visitor bureaus to continuously improve the customer service and  amenities at the parks in Potter and Tioga Counties from the rebuilding  of the dam at Lyman Run State Park to the master site plan being  developed for Denton Hill State Park.

HERITAGE COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR –  Presented to the designated Heritage Community, who are embracing their Heritage Tourism Work plans and implementing worthwhile projects, and showing impacts and results.

THE CITY OF WARREN: Since completing their Heritage Community Work Plan in 2012, the city of Warren has embraced its designation and  fully committed to implementing the recommendations within the plan. A  major element in their plan was connecting to the surrounding outdoor  recreation. With the Allegheny River being named the 2017 River of the  Year, the City is working towards building access, completing a floating  dock and extending trails to the its waterways. The Walkable Warren  program connects residents and visitors to the city’s downtown and  trails by encouraging users to learn more about the history, culture and  architecture while enjoying a healthy activity. After a few years of  providing educational sessions on downtown development, the City moved  ahead with a Strategic Plan for the downtown commercial district. The  City has also posted banner highlighting their involvement in both the  PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor and the PA Wilds. New gateway signage will  be installed this year. Warren is taking major strides to becoming a  must-stop destination along the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Presented to a person or agency who exemplifies outstanding leadership and advances our mission through heritage development.

HELENE NAWROCKI, POTTER COUNTY EDUCATION COUNCIL & BEAR MOUNTAIN HERBS, Potter County, PA: One  of the original members of the PA Route 6 Steering Committee, Helene  Nawrocki has been involved with the development of PA Route 6 Management  Action Plans and Marketing Plans since the beginning. Since 2009,  Helene has served as the Committee Chairman for the Education and  Outreach Committee. As a professional nurse educator and former  Executive Director of the Potter County Education Council, Helene  describes her role as “nursing the health of the community”, whether  it’s Potter County or the whole PA Route 6 Corridor. In the past, she  has facilitated brainstorming sessions for the marketing partners, led  discussions at Route 6 regional meetings, and provided valuable  insights. Helene has been active in several regional development  projects. Currently semi-retired, she is advising the Potter County  Artisan Center and helping to train future leaders while tending to her  own herbal business.