CRITICAL LINK AWARD NOMINEES FOR 2005

(Asheville, NC) Each year the RiverLink Board of Directors recognized people, institutions, government agencies, elected officials and/or others who have been CRITICAL LINKS, in efforts to make the French Broad River watershed an even better place to work, live and play. This year we are especially proud to recognize our legislative delegation (for flood relief funds), Becky and Ben Lewis (donation of the funds for the John B. Lewis Soccer fields), John and Shirley Berdie, (15 years of volunteerism with RiverLink) and Art Streppa, Lee Towery, Jeff Laibson, and Nancy Reynolds (for donating conservation easement along Azalea Road for a greenway). Executive Director of RiverLink, Karen Cragnolin said, “Our community is so blessed to have so many wonderful people who donate their wealth, wisdom and work towards making this community and region and the watershed such a great place to live, work and play.”

RiverLink will honor the Critical Link Award winners at a ceremony scheduled for Thursday January 19th staring at 5:30 pm at RiverLink’s Warehouse Studios. This event to honor our new Critical Links is being underwritten by the Grove Park Inn and Resort and the public is invited to attend to help us celebrate their contributions.

WNC Legislative Delegation The tragic floods of September 2004 destroyed homes, lives and businesses. Our WNC delegation pleaded our cause in Raleigh and obtained the unanimous support of both the NC House and Senate for flood relief programs for WNC. The bipartisan non-stop effort resulted in WNC gaining funds that may have otherwise not been available. The leadership, hands-on expertise and sheer determination of our WNC delegation made it possible for many of the people and businesses impacted by the flood to begin to put their lives together again. The delegation has been tireless in its efforts to address not only the immediate problems associated with flooding but has provided funding and programs to address many of the root causes of future flooding. Each of our delegation members are Critical Links in the future of our rivers as places to work, live and play.

Becky and Ben Lewis – Becky and Ben Lewis, founders of the Lewis Family Foundation, have funded the four new soccer fields at Azalea Park in honor of their son John B. Lewis, who loved soccer and died in a tragic automobile accident. The soccer complex, which is home to the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association, is a premier facility in WNC. The concentration of these soccer fields will enable the AB Youth Soccer Association to host tournament throughout the year generating an anticipated $1.1 million dollar economic impact per year for the local economy. Use of the floodplain for athletic fields, and use of artificial turf that does not require fertilizers is a river friendly activity that both protects the river and reduces the costs of maintenance for the fields. These fields help attract attention, resources and eager soccer players to the river – and provide a Critical Link in making our rivers great places to work, live and play.

Art Streppa, Nancy Richards, Kathryn and Jeff Laibson and Lee Towery – all live on Azalea Road, and watch the Swannanoa River as it passes by their homes. Each of these property owners have agreed to provide conservation easements over their river property, on both sides of the river, for a total of 1,500 ft. Their collective properties are adjacent to the eastern boundary of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The acquisition of these properties is part of an overall plan to provide linkages to via greenways along the Swannanoa River from Black Mountain , through Warren Wilson College and tie in with RiverLink’s Wilma Dykeman RiverWay, the Mountains to the Sea Trail the Azalea Park and the Asheville Greenway system. This is another Critical Link helping to bring people, attention and resources to the French Broad River‘s watershed. 

Shirley and John Berdie have been non-stop RiverLink volunteers for over 10 years. John and Shirley are a powerful team, working at the RiverLink Bele Chere Booth, helping in the offices with bulk mailings. Shirley was one of the very first volunteers trained by RiverLink to give guided tours of the historic Asheville riverfront district. Their volunteer contributions of time, energy, and expertise make them Critical Links in RiverLink’s efforts to revitalize the watershed as special places where everyone can live, work and play.

Past recipients of the Critical Link award include Ginny Hunneke, Sally Rhoades, Southern Waterways, Progress Energy, Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, Al Kopf, Jane Mathews, Bob Bowles, George Keller, Kate Mathews, Walt Damtoft, Margie Maxwell, Marge Turcot, Rob Pew, Bruce Stahle, Marylyn and Jim Seyler, Peggy and Jim Brazell, Don Funderudd, Eliza Hill, United Way, Doug Wilson, Ed Metz among a host of other heroes who make our work possible.

RiverLink has three awards programs --- Critical Links to recognize people who go above and beyond what is expected ---- RiverWise Awards for river conservation efforts and ---- RiverBusiness which is cosponsored by Asheville SCORE to recognize businesses that are helping to make the river into a vibrant new economy.

RiverLink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its watershed as a destination where everyone can live, work and play. For more information about RiverLink visit our website at www.riverlink.org or call us at 828-252-8474, ext 110.

Karen Cragnolin
Executive Director
Get RiverLinked
P.O. Box 15488
Asheville, NC 28813-0488
tel: 828-252-8474, ext 110
fax; 828-253-6846
www.riverlink.org