Keep Rockland Beautiful Awards 2007Kaitlin Dinet, Pearl River High School, Beautification Award Judy Kesselman, Rockland Community College, Education Award Paul Kilgallen, Blue Sky Landscaping, Adopt-a-Road Award Catherine Konner Sculpture Park, RoCA, Public Art Award Jiby Rajan, Spring Valley Grace Assembly of God Church, Cleanup Award Rockland County Sheriff Department, Enforcement Award Doug Smith, HSBC Bank, Business Sponsor Award
Beautification Award Kaitlin Dinet Pearl River, NY 10965 Kaitlin is a role model for other young people interested contributing their talents and energy to helping others and the community. She showed leadership and creativity in developing and re-dedicating the Pearl River High School September 11th Memorial Garden. Her high spirit, idealism and persistence are inspiring and contagious. We commend her for her achievements – the world is a better place because of Kaitlin!
Adopt-a-Road AwardPaul Kilgallen Blue Sky Landscaping Valley Cottage, NY 10989
We are honoring Paul because of his outstanding involvement in the Adopt-a-Highway programs here in Rockland County. These programs seek to improve quality of life and safety while saving tax dollars, by involving local businesses in roadside cleanups and beautification projects. In particular, Blue Sky Landscaping’s beautification project at the gateway to New City on Germonds Rd and S. Little Tor Rd truly sets a new standard for road adoptions. With Paul’s help, the Clarkstown Adopt-a-Spot program is off to a great start! We commend Paul for his achievements – the world is a more beautiful place because of Paul!
Environmental Education AwardJudy Kesselman Suffern, NY 10901
Judy’s involvement in environmental education in Rockland County spans three decades and knits together three pre-eminent institutions: Rockland Community College, the Tiorati Nature Workshop and Bank Street College. Through her work for these three organizations, she has trained hundreds of future teachers in environmental education techniques. Her belief that environmental education is not only about science, but also about developing in students a sense of place, community and responsibility, is as timely as ever it was. We commend Judy for her accomplishments – the next generation will make wiser environmental choices because of Judy!
Enforcement AwardJim Kralik, Rockland County Sheriff John Gentillo, Community Service Program Sheriff Dept New City, NY 10956
The Sheriff Dept has contributed mightily to beautifying Rockland over the past year, through the continued operation of the Community Service program and the initiation of the “Dear Litterbug” warning letter program. The Community Service program gives non-violent offenders the chance to serve the community by cleaning roads and working for non-profit organizations. Officer John Gentillo has done an outstanding job of coordinating with local government and non-profit organizations to maximize the impact of his prisoners, especially in the case of the abandoned cemeteries they have been cleaning up in Clarkstown this year. The Litter Hotline run by KRB took a quantum leap forward in its service to Rocklanders when the Sheriff Department agreed to help send warning letters to the owners of vehicles seen littering on Rockland’s roads. Such services exist in thirteen states, and help to raise awareness, educate “litterbugs,” and raise the morale of cleanup volunteers and civic minded people who are so frustrated with litter. We hope to see this program, which exists in Putnam County as well, go statewide sometime soon.
Cleanup AwardJiby Rajan Valley Cottage, NY 10989
Jiby leads a particularly strong and enthusiastic cleanup crew out of the Spring Valley Grace Assembly of God Church. These energetic young people, dressed in their trademark bright red t-shirts, have really made an impression on their neighbors in Spring Valley, where Jiby has led several cleanups in recent years. Jiby’s group also offers a free summer bible camp program, and goes on “missions” to feed the homeless in NYC and help people in Africa. Her high spirit, idealism and persistence are inspiring and contagious. We commend her for her achievements – the world is a cleaner place because of Jiby!
Public Art AwardCatherine Konner Sculpture Park at the Rockand Center for the Arts 27 S. Greenbush Rd. West Nyack, NY 10994
The Catherine Konner Sculpture Park at the Rockland Center for the Arts is a remarkable achievement by all involved, including artists, curators, trail clearing crews from Summit School and Americorps, the Rockland County Parks Department and no doubt others as well. We celebrate the role RoCA has played in developing a public sculpture garden that connects to Buttermilk Falls, truly a hidden treasure of our County park system. Not only does the project increase public access to the arts, but it literally connects the worlds of art, nature and conservation in a new way, and in a way that surely inspires guests both artistically and environmentally. We commend RoCA for its leadership and creativity in bringing art to the people and the land.
Business Sponsor AwardDoug Smith District Executive for the Mid-Hudson Region HSBC Bank USA, N.A. 17 S. Broadway Nyack, NY 10960
We are honoring Doug Smith because under his leadership HSBC Bank has made a great investment in Keep Rockland Beautiful’s environmental education program for schools, including the Earth B.E.A.T. program, which coordinates school-wide environmental events for the younger grades, and the Rockland PLUS program, which trains high school students in principles of sustainable land use planning. Doug and his staff, especially Sara Tucker, identified KRB’ s Earth B.E.A.T. program as matching the priorities of your bank’s green initiative, and as having already established a track record of successful school events. Your company’s grant is giving us an unprecedented opportunity to grow a promising program and serve the needs of teachers, students and PTA volunteers. We thank you for your generosity and vision!
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Beautification Award
Adopt-a-Road Award
Public Art Award
Cleanup Award
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