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17 Hudson River Valley Greenway Grants Announced

This morning at Albany City Hall, The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and the Hudson River Valley Greenway announced 17 grants to cultural and historic organizations throughout the Hudson Valley.

More than $60,000 was awarded to the organizations in support of a variety of educational and interpretative programs that will showcase history and contribute to the heritage tourism economy throughout the Hudson Valley. Officials say the grants will also ensure that the cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River are recognized and protected.

Mark Castiglione is acting director of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.    "This year's grant program really focused on ways to introduce new audiences to historic sites and to increase diversity as storytelling, so I think the grants that we see today really help to do that."

Grants include $4,000 to the Albany Institute for the printing of the Capital Region 50 Objects book, $3,000 to the Dorsky Museum in New Paltz for a pilot project to create a visual art exhibition drawn from the assemblage of Hudson Valley Visual Arts Collections Consortium, and $4,000 to the Putnam History Museum in Cold Spring for an exhibition of authors Anna and Susan Warner and their lives at Constitution Island.  Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan:  "It might seem like small dollars, $5,000 here, $3,500 there but it really helps them to be able to do programming and get the word out about what we have in these incredible gems here in the Hudson Valley."

$5,000 goes to the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, to design six instructional developmentally appropriate programs for students in grades 4 through 12 to increase knowledge about local Underground Railroad History.  Mary Liz Stewart is executive director and co-founder of the project:    "This particular grant as well is of very significant value to us because as the Stephen and Harriet Myers residence is both a Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Site and a partner site in the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, both of those organizations provide funding, or make available for teachers funding, that they can access to bring their students to the Stephen and Harriet Myers residence."

Priority was given to fund projects that featured a designated Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Heritage Site.  Congressman Paul Tonko says the overall benefit is creating “a stronger sense of destination.”   "There's a lot of storytelling that is connecting one community, one neighborhood, to another."

“The Hudson Valley is rich in history and natural beauty,” said Congresswoman Nita  Lowey. “As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have fought for National Heritage Area grants that enhance tourism and support our local economy.  In 2015, nearly $500,000 in federal funding to the Hudson River Valley Heritage Area was leveraged by public and private sources to produce an economic impact of $584 million, supporting 6,530 jobs. I will work to ensure that National Heritage Areas continue serving our local community.”    The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Program was established by Congress in 1996. It’s funded through the Department of the Interior. 

The 2016 Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Heritage Development Grants awards are detailed below:

§  $4,000 to Albany Institute for the printing of the Capital Region in 50 Objects Book that will feature images and information of all objects featured in the exhibition.

§  $2,500 to Friends of Fort Crailo for the temporary exhibit “African Culture in the Dutch Atlantic World” that will travel to museums, university galleries, and public spaces.

§  $3,500 to Historic Cherry Hill for their series of seven programs at five historic sites that will highlight the Capital Region's agricultural roots and continuing ties to the landscape.

§  $4,000 to Friends of Schuyler Mansion for a digital library that will engage visitors in the process of choosing décor for the mansion’s Best Parlor.

§  $5,000 to Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc. to design six instructional developmentally appropriate programs for students in grades 4-12 that will increase knowledge about local Underground Railroad history.

§  $2,500 to Thomas Cole National Historic Site to promote the opening of Thomas Cole’s New Studio—the only building that Cole designed and built.

§  $5,000 to Friends of Clermont to expand a garden project that teaches students where their food comes from, community, agriculture, and healthy eating.

§  $1,400 to North East Historical Society for a walking tour brochure that will capture Millerton’s historic significance.

§  $3,000 to Dorsky Museum for a pilot project to create an online visual art exhibition drawn from the collections of Hudson Valley Visual Arts Collections Consortium.

§  $5,000 to Historic Huguenot Street to establish fresh and exciting tours and programs to engage and educate audiences about Historic Huguenot Street.

§  $5,000 to Dutchess Tourism to fund a Great Estates pass to encourage tourists to visit several of the major historic sites in the Dutchess County region.

§  $2,000 to Hudson Highlands Land Trust to create a map/brochure that will increase awareness of the 2016 Take-A-Hike Program, a guided hike series that educates participants about the natural, cultural, scenic, and historic resources of the Hudson Highlands region.

§  $4,000 to Putnam History Museum for an exhibition of authors Anna and Susan Warner and their lives at Constitution Island.

§  $3,115 to Friends of Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park for the production, purchase, and installation of five bilingual interpretive signs as a part of a History Trail.

§  $3,000 to Friends of Old Croton Aqueduct for interpretive graphic panels at the visitor house and education center, offering insights into topics such as maintaining clean city water and environmental stewardship.

§  $4,000 to Untermyer Gardens Conservancy for interpretive signage that will enhance the visitor’s experience of the garden and its history.

§  $4,000 to Friends of Philipse Manor Hall for an exhibit focusing on the immigration history of Yonkers, including photos, graphics, media players, a lecture series, and signage.

Visit www.hudsonrivervalley.comfor information on the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

Visitwww.hudsongreenway.ny.gov for information on the Hudson River Valley Greenway.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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