Nominations for the 2017 Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards Program are now being accepted. Applications can be found online through the Oregon Heritage website www.oregonheritage.org or by contacting Oregon Heritage Coordinator Todd Mayberry at Todd.Mayberry@oregon.gov or (503) 986-0696. The postmark deadline for submitting nominations is January 27, 2017. The Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations for outstanding efforts on behalf of Oregon heritage, drawing public attention to these efforts, and raising the quality of heritage-oriented activities. Nominations are encouraged for organizations and projects of all sizes and heritage purposes and for volunteers and professionals from all heritage sectors. “The award recipients represent the extraordinary efforts to preserve Oregon’s heritage,” said Todd Mayberry, coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. “They also serve as models for others on how to develop new ideas, approaches, and innovations.” Last year’s recipients included: — University of Oregon Libraries Oregon Digital Newspaper project, for its cooperative ground-breaking efforts to create the project and increase public access to important historic documents. — Oregon Archaeology Society, in recognition of its decades of work education the public about archaeology, preserving cultural resources, and advancing archaeological knowledge. — Sally Donovan, for her dedication and outstanding work on behalf of Oregon’s heritage resources which included Oregon Coast lighthouses, historic districts, public buildings, residences, irrigation canals, wooden flumes, and pioneer cemeteries. Awards will be presented on April 26 at the Oregon Heritage Summit in Newberg by Oregon Heritage, part of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The announcement for 2017 awardees will be made in early April 2017. Tickets for the awards presentation will be made available this coming spring.
