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EMHR Is Active Community Player
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9/5/2002 9:19:00 AM
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TOWANDA - State Heritage Park Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) has become an increasingly active regional resource though the efforts of Executive Director Robert Veleker and his staff, Pam Wright and Anne Leone.
EMHR has funneled approximately two million dollars into the region through Pennsylvania Heritage Park Program grants and projects in the past five years since its formation in 1998.
Veleker communicates frequently with commissioners from Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties, which comprise the Heritage Park, and each county has a commissioner on the EMHR board.
Veleker has been very active throughout the Endless Mountains Region, making community presentations to Senior Citizens, Kiwanis and other groups, visiting municipal government officials and potential project partners from many community non-profit organizations.
He has represented EMHR's interests in committee discussions on county room tax issues, and will be meeting with commissioners in each of the four counties during the next few weeks to discuss funding opportunities.
Veleker works closely with current and prospective project partners, looking for creative ways to accomplish their needs, even suggesting other funding options if their project doesn't meet EMHR criteria.
At a board meeting of the Home Textile Tool Museum in Orwell, he answered questions about their EMHR funded docent training program and explained what the organization needs to do in order to draw down funds awarded last year. Veleker also met with Tom Owens, new site Administrator for French Azilum, another project partner. He has been working with Northern Tier Cultural Alliance to facilitate that organization's agricultural conference planned for August 2003.
Veleker gave a presentation explaining EMHR's mission and the Heritage Park Program at a seminar on historic preservation hosted by Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission in Montrose. He and Leone manned an informational booth at the Forksville Folk Festival displaying literature, maps and other regional information.
Wright and Leone attended a workshop called "How to Plan a Festival or Other Special Event" sponsored by Pennsylvania Downtown Center and the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs in Wilkes-Barre. Their goal was offer better support for project partners or other interested organizations planning community events.
Special events and festivals are an effective method of attracting people to downtown areas, cultural institutions and retail markets. The cooperative effort required to plan, host and present these activities fosters positive community spirit and builds trust, all of which fits right in to EMHR's regional goals.
Veleker attended many pivotal meetings throughout the region over the past few months, including two hosted by Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, others composed of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources stakeholders, and a meeting concerning Bradford County's Comprehensive Plan project.
EMHR is organized around an agricultural theme. The staff, board and membership work hard to maintain and enhance the unique rural character and culture of the Endless Mountains. Membership is open to non-profit organizations, businesses, industry, organizations and individuals throughout the region.
More information is available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
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