ALBANY -- The Board of Regents and the New York State Archives have selected Ulster County to receive the 2003 William H. Kelly Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Local Government Archival Program Development.
The award will be presented to Ulster County Clerk Albert Spada, Deputy County Clerk Laurie Hancock, and County Archivist Kenneth Gray at a luncheon ceremony at the State Education Building in Albany on November 13, 2003. The award is named for William H. Kelly, the former Mayor of Asharoken in Suffolk County, who has been a tireless champion for strengthening local government archival and records management programs.
The award commends Ulster County for a comprehensive archival program with characteristics that few local governments in New York can match: strong administrative and budgetary support, effective public relations, exhibitions and educational outreach, and a full-time archivist.
The award also recognizes the county's financial commitment to the program.
While it has obtained fifteen grants from the State Archives, it has also invested
nearly two million dollars to improve its records facility and supports a full-time
staff of twelve with an annual budget of $640,000.
Previous recipients of this annual award include Chautauqua County (2000), Oswego
County (2001), and Genesee County (2002).
The annual Archives Awards program recognizes outstanding efforts in archives and records management work in New York State by a broad range of individuals and organizations. A complete list of this year's award recipients follows:
William Hoyt Advocacy Award
Thomas G. Clingan, Albany County Clerk
Program Excellence in a Historical Records Repository
Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery
William H. Kelly Award for Excellence in Local Government Archival Program
Development
Ulster County
Cheryl Steinbach Award for Excellence in Local Government Records Management
Niagara County
Excellence in State Agency Archival Program Development
Binghamton University
Debra E. Bernhardt Award for Excellence in Documenting New York's History
Consumer/Expatient/Survivor Oral History Project
Regents Award of Distinction for Student Research
Ludlum Elementary School, Hempstead School District
Laura and Robert Chodos Award for Excellence in Student Research Using Historical
Records, Grades 4-5
Kamisha Anderson, Izeele Riojas, Charisse Strong, Derrick Brown, Luchen Thomas,
Kiarivel Peralta, DeQuan Mitchell, Peter Collins, Stephanie Custillo, Norma
Rivera, Davine Nichols
Joshua Rivera, Gabriel Devoe, fifth graders at P.S. 197 M, Manhattan.
Teacher: Joan Weisberger.
Laura and Robert Chodos Award for Excellence in Student Research Using Historical
Records, Grades 6-8
Daniel Mann, 8th grader at Felix Festa Middle School, Clarkstown School District.
Teachers: Barbara Kalmar and Laura Padilla
Laura and Robert Chodos Award for Excellence in Student Research Using Historical
Records, Grades 9-12
Laura Caccavo, 9th grader at Clarkstown High School North
Teachers: Penelope Macias and Christina Teresa Vickery
Bruce W. Dearstyne Educator Award for Excellence in the Use of Local Government
Records
Larry Slanovich, Yorkshire-Pioneer School District, Yorkshire, New York