French Creek will be focus of Greenways awards event

Posted By: VenangoExtra.com August 13, 2022

From staff reports

The annual Greenways awards ceremony will be held Friday at Franklin’s Riverfront Park.

The free event will begin at 3 p.m. beneath a tent canopy.

The Greenways awards are presented by the Council on Greenways and Trails, which serves Venango, Clarion and Crawford counties.

Recipients are selected from among the individuals, groups and businesses nominated by CGT members and others in the three-county area; the awards recognize significant achievements during the previous five years. Titusville Community Development Agencies is sponsoring the overall program and ceremony for 2022.

Brenda Costa, executive director of French Creek Valley Conservancy, will present a brief program about the natural resources of French Creek watershed, which has been designated by the commonwealth as the Pennsylvania 2022 River of the Year. FCVC is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

The James E. Holden Greenways Volunteer of the Year Award is being given to Jessica Hilburn of Titusville. Hilburn has designed and maintains websites for several trail organizations in the Titusville area, as well as helping operate numerous free educational activities to introduce youths and adults to the Queen City Trail and its amenities.

Co-sponsoring the volunteer award this year are the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Holden family. The award’s namesake, the late Jim Holden, was a co-founder of numerous trail and greenways organizations, including the Council on Greenways and Trails.

Cochranton Borough is the recipient of the Thomas J. Allen Greenways Partner of the Year Award in honor of this municipality’s ongoing stewardship and maintenance of Lions Park, Cochranton Fairgrounds, Cochranton Landing along French Creek and the Bicycle/Walking Loop Trail, which connects these outdoor recreational facilities. These properties are available for free year-round public use; many partner organizations conduct events and activities there.

The Franklin Industrial and Commercial Development Authority sponsors this award, which encourages partnerships and is named in honor of its late executive director.

Lander’s General Store in Lucinda and its owner, Randy Lander, will receive the Richard M. Garrard Greenways Neighbors of the Year Award.

The store and its owner were chosen for the award based on their active support and assistance to multiple trail organizations in their vicinity and the region, especially Rail 66 Country Trail and the Clarion County Trails Association.

This award is sponsored by friends of the Council on Greenways and Trails; its namesake served as a mayor of his beloved Foxburg community.

Refreshments will be available during the awards program. Reservations are not needed.

For more details about the overall programs of the Council on Greenways and Trails, visit www.nwpagreenways.org.

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