The story below appears in today’s Charleston Gazette.

By Jim Balow
The Charleston Gazette

Haddad Riverfront Park, with its new canopies and Schoenbaum Stage, was among a dozen projects, groups and individuals honored Thursday by the Charleston Area Alliance at its fourth annual We Love Our Community Awards program.

Haddad Park won the Best Development Award, for a project that redefined itself by reusing a former building or site for a new sustainable use.

“We can all remember evenings watching the sunset, and afternoons baking in the heat at the park,” said Larry Groce, the director of FestivAll and emcee of the program. “In fact, we found we couldn’t use it for FestivAll.”

The sun-shading canopies, along with other improvements at the park, were first envisioned by Sasaki Associates, the Boston consulting firm the city of Charleston hired in the mid-2000s to come up with a plan for redeveloping the Kanawha riverfront.

But GAI Consultants, the firm that oversaw the final design and construction, came up with some extra twists, like the new entrance to the amphitheater.

A $2.4 million federal earmark from the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., covered most of the cost for the multimillion-dollar project, with help from the Schoenbaum and Haddad foundations, the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority and the city.

Bill Turner and Mark Miller of Pison Development won the Outstanding Preservation Award for their efforts in saving the Loewenstein<co > Building on Capitol Street.

Located at the corner of Brawley Walkway in the heart of the historic district, the building sometimes is referred to as the Ellen’s Ice Cream building. Turner and Miller kept their popular first-floor tenant while spending upwards of $2 million to convert the upper four floors of the former Fife Street Apartments into luxury lofts.

During Thursday’s ceremony in the fourth-floor lodge room of the Masonic Temple building at the corner of Hale and Virginia streets, each honoree received an award in the form of a jigsaw puzzle piece depicting their project, organization or portrait. They placed those pieces into a frame, so that, by the end of the presentations, the puzzle was complete.

Later, people attending the program trouped over to the corner of Quarrier and Dickinson streets, dodging rush-hour traffic, where an 8- by 12-foot banner of artist Rob Cleland’s puzzle was unveiled on the side of the city parking building. The mural will remain there until next year, program organizer Susie Salisbury said. (more…)

This St. Patrick’s Day, the Charleston Area Alliance toasted 12 organizations, businesses and individuals for making the region a better place in which to live, work and play.

The Alliance and title sponsor City National Bank hosted the fourth annual We Love Our Community awards program, recognizing the best of the Kanawha Valley.

“We love shining a spotlight on the best of Charleston,” said Susie Salisbury, the Alliance’s vice president of community development. “Creating the future is not only about building a more vibrant community and prosperous economy – it’s also about recognizing the assets we already have. As we saw during the awards program, we have no shortage of positivity.”

Local artist Rob Cleland literally crafted the awards “piece by piece.” Each award is a puzzle piece, on while is a painted image of the recipient. The pieces fit together to create a visualization of the region’s integrity.

While the winners could take the pieces home, a drop-cloth recreation of the overall image now hangs above Hale Street following a presentation that punctuated the We Love Our Community ceremony.

Larry Groce, artistic director for “Mountain Stage,” hosted the event, joining a group of “street musicians” who performed throughout the event.

“In the evening’s recipients, we see a vision of what our community is all about – progress, hard work and a shared sense of pride,” said Alliance President and CEO Matt Ballard. “We are honored to recognize those making a true difference.”

The 2011 recipients:

Kanawha Heritage Award

Heritage is “the rights or possessions handed down from ancestors, traditions.”  We honor a business or organization that keeps the heritage of our valley alive. 

Winner:  Galperin Jewelry, Bob Shay – owner

Servant Leader Award
Honoring a public servant for outstanding leadership in the Kanawha Valley community. 

Winner:  St. Albans Mayor Dick Callaway

Community Celebration Award
Celebration is “a festive occasion.”  This award honors an outstanding community event that celebrates a neighborhood, area or region. 

Winner:  Smoke on the Water Chili Cookoff

Best Development Award
Development means “expansion, growth, gain.”  This award honors a project that redefines itself by reusing a former building or site for a new, sustainable use. 

Winner:  Haddad Riverfront Park, City of Charleston

Best Re-development Award
An existing structure, given new life through redesign and refurbishment. 

Winner:  Kent Carper Justice & Public Safety Building, Kanawha County Commission

James R. Thomas Outstanding Volunteer Award
Volunteer means “to give freely of your time.”  This award recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions to the Charleston Area Alliance and their programs/projects that impact community development in the Kanawha Valley.

Winner:  H. Joseph Jones

Youth Volunteer Award
Outstanding community involvement/project by someone 18 years of age or younger. 

Winner:  Emma Busse, Charleston Catholic High School

Arts to the Max Award – Individual
Individual means “unique, special.”  This award honors an individual who has contributed time/money/expertise etc to taking “Arts to the Max” in our community. 

Winner:  Nina Denton Pasinetti

Jeff Miller Sustainable Development Award
Sustain means “to keep in existence; maintain or prolong.”  The award honors and individual, an organization or a project that maintains the basis of sustainable development. 

Winner:  Hospice Care WV Administration Building

Outstanding Preservation Award
Preservation means “protection from injury, harm or destruction and to keep alive and intact.”   This award honors a project that has exemplified the meaning of preserving our past for our future. 

Winner: Lowenstein Building, NewPort One – owner, Pison Development – developer

 Arts to the Max Award – Organization
Organization means “an association or a group of people working together for a common purpose.”  This award is to honor an organization that takes “Arts to the Max” in our community. 

Winner:  Appalachian Children’s Chorus

Do The Charleston Award
Someone who goes above and beyond in making Charleston a better place to live, work and play.  

Winner:  L. Newton Thomas

The story below appears in today’s Charleston Gazette.

Galperin Jewelry and its operator, Bob Shay, will be among nearly a dozen businesses, individuals and organizations to be honored Thursday at the fourth annual We Love Our Community awards program.

The Quarrier Street icon, founded more than 100 years ago by Hyman Galperin, grandfather of Shay’s wife, will receive the Kanawha Heritage Award. The Charleston Area Alliance has presented previous heritage awards to Merrill Photo Supply (2010), The Peanut Shoppe (2009) and the West Virginia Power baseball club (2008).

The Alliance revived the community awards program three years ago as part of that group’s mission to “create the future by building a vibrant community and prosperous economy,” said Susie Salisbury, vice president of community development. The awards used to be given by the Charleston Renaissance Corp., one of three groups that merged to form the Alliance.

“It celebrates the vision of our people, places and culture,” Salisbury said.

Other awards will honor preservation, development and redevelopment, community celebration, arts, and volunteers.

Artist Rob Cleland is creating the individual awards, “which ‘piece by piece’ will create a visualization of the region’s integrity,” according to a news release.

The awards program will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday on the fourth floor of the Masonic Temple building, 107 Hale St. The public is invited.

L. Newton Thomas exemplifies going above and beyond to make Charleston a better place to live, work and play. He has been a long-time volunteer with several organizations, including United Way, CAMC, the Benedum Foundation, Vision Shared and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and more recently took the lead in securing resources to construct a health clinic in the new West Side Elementary School.

That’s why Thomas will receive the ”Do the Charleston” Award March 17 during the We Love Our Community Awards, which also will recognize 11 other organizations, businesses and individuals.

The Charleston Area Alliance will host the fourth annual event, presented by title sponsor City National Bank, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at 107 Hale St.

“It celebrates the vision of our people, places and culture,” said Susie Salisbury, the Alliance’s vice president of community development. “The Charleston Area Alliance’s mission is helping create the future by building a vibrant community and prosperous economy, and part of that is featuring the best of what the region has to offer.”

The program includes awards for several categories, including Outstanding Preservation, Best Development, Best Re-Development, Community Celebration, Arts to the Max, Jeff Miller Sustainable Development, James R. Thomas Outstanding Volunteer, “Do the Charleston,” Youth Volunteer, Kanawha Heritage and Servant Leader.

Local artist Rob Cleland is working to create the awards, which “piece by piece” will create a visualization of the region’s integrity.

“We want the final product to be a surprise, so we aren’t going into much detail about Cleland’s creation until the presentation,” Salisbury explained. “But we know it will be a source of pride for the Kanawha Valley.”

The program is free to attend.

Contact Salisbury at SSalisbury@CharlestonAreaAlliance.org for more information.

Redefining space along the Kanawha River has long been a goal for the Charleston community. So in 2004, hundreds of citizens participated in a design charrette to offer a vision for the riverfront.

The City of Charleston acquired the necessary funding from the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority, the Schoenbaum Family Foundation and the Haddad Family Foundation to fund the first phase of that vision.

That’s why the City will receive the Best Development Award March 17 during the We Love Our Community Awards, which also will recognize 11 other organizations, businesses and individuals.

The Charleston Area Alliance will host the fourth annual event, presented by title sponsor City National Bank, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at 107 Hale St.

“It celebrates the vision of our people, places and culture,” said Susie Salisbury, the Alliance’s vice president of community development. “The Charleston Area Alliance’s mission is helping create the future by building a vibrant community and prosperous economy, and part of that is featuring the best of what the region has to offer.”

The program includes awards for several categories, including Outstanding Preservation, Best Development, Best Re-Development, Community Celebration, Arts to the Max, Jeff Miller Sustainable Development, James R. Thomas Outstanding Volunteer, “Do the Charleston,” Youth Volunteer, Kanawha Heritage and Servant Leader.

Local artist Rob Cleland is working to create the awards, which “piece by piece” will create a visualization of the region’s integrity.

“We want the final product to be a surprise, so we aren’t going into much detail about Cleland’s creation until the presentation,” Salisbury explained. “But we know it will be a source of pride for the Kanawha Valley.”

The program is free to attend.

Contact Salisbury at SSalisbury@CharlestonAreaAlliance.org for more information.

More than 106 years ago, Russian emigrant and watchmaker Hyman Galperin opened a jewelry store in Charleston, and today, Bob Shay, son-in-law to Hyman’s son, continues to operate Galperin Jewelry on Charleston’s Lee Street.

Galperin has become a downtown staple and is helping keep alive Charleston’s rich traditions.

That’s why Galperin will receive the Kanawha Heritage Award March 17 during the We Love Our Community Awards, which also will recognize 11 other organizations, businesses and individuals.

The Charleston Area Alliance will host the fourth annual event, presented by title sponsor City National Bank, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at 107 Hale St.

“It celebrates the vision of our people, places and culture,” said Susie Salisbury, the Alliance’s vice president of community development. “The Charleston Area Alliance’s mission is helping create the future by building a vibrant community and prosperous economy, and part of that is featuring the best of what the region has to offer.”

The program includes awards for several categories, including Outstanding Preservation, Best Development, Best Re-Development, Community Celebration, Arts to the Max, Jeff Miller Sustainable Development, James R. Thomas Outstanding Volunteer, “Do the Charleston,” Youth Volunteer and Servant Leader.

Local artist Rob Cleland is working to create the awards, which “piece by piece” will create a visualization of the region’s integrity.

“We want the final product to be a surprise, so we aren’t going into much detail about Cleland’s creation until the presentation,” Salisbury explained. “But we know it will be a source of pride for the Kanawha Valley.”

The program is free to attend.

Contact Salisbury at SSalisbury@CharlestonAreaAlliance.org for more information.