Five local heroes chosen to be honored with Paragon Awards
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NORTHAMPTON - Four Paragon Awards will be presented to five individuals who all work in unique ways to serve their community. The awards, along with a list of honorable mentions, were announced this week by the Paragon Partnership.
The Kimball Howes Award for a lifetime of volunteer leadership will go to Richard W. Ahart of Southampton. For decades Ahart, now 83, has worked on projects to benefit his own community and help those in need. During the height of the Khmer Rouge genocide against Cambodians 25 years ago, Ahart led the effort at Christ United Methodist Church to take in and care for refugees from that country. He was active as a volunteer with the Interfaith Cot Shelter from its start and serves on the Southampton Historical Commission. He and his wife Virginia, retired as a teacher from Hampshire Regional, had the Southampton town report dedicated to them in 2005 to honor their ongoing work in their hometown.
In submitting the nomination, Ahart's daughter, Roxanne Pin, described her father as "one humble man who has quietly dedicated his whole life to community service through outreach programs, civic service and the promotion of social justice."
The awards are presented annually by the Paragon partnership, a community collaboration founded by the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Daily Hampshire Gazette and the United Way of Hampshire County to recognize and promote volunteerism. The partnership collaborates with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), which links older citizens with volunteer opportunities, and ACT Community Service Center, a program that coordinates volunteer activities in Hampshire and Franklin counties.
Also receiving awards this year are:
· Pat Ononibaku of Amherst is a mother of five, restaurant owner and founder of Multicultural Families of the Amherst Area, which works with families who have children with developmental disabilities. For 15 years Ononibaku has been an active founder, leader and participant in diversity and social justice programs in the community and the public schools.
· Bill and Sally Venman of Amherst will receive the Community Enrichment Award, which is given to groups and individuals who make an exceptional contribution to the cultural life of the region. Thirty-five years ago the Venmans started Valley Light Opera in Amherst and have been the heart and soul of the organization ever since. The VLO performances of Gilbert and Sullivan and other comic opera productions have entertained thousands and engaged hundreds more in the work of community theater.
· Lena Sclove, a senior at Amherst Regional High School, will receive this year's Outstanding Youth Award. Sclove has been a volunteer for several years at the Safe Passage domestic violence abuse shelter. Drawing on her own writing skills and a workshop she took, Sclove now leads two writing workshops each week at the shelter, one for women who live there and one for their children.
The Paragon Partnership this year announced honorable mentions in each category, to better recognize and celebrate the range of volunteer work being done locally.
John Ebbets, CEO of United Way of Hampshire County, said the honorable mention designation "reflects the difficult choices facing the selection committee. We're overwhelmed by how much good work volunteers are performing in our communities. Honorable mention is a small way of extending Paragon Award recognition when there are so many people to celebrate."
Receiving honorable mention were:
· Howes Award: Janet Dahlberg, music director of First Churches and for 35 years the volunteer coordinator of a decisional training program working with inmates at the Hampshire County House of Correction. Michael Flynn, founder and leader of the Florence Civic and Business Association, and a volunteer and organizer for numerous events, programs and parades in Florence and Northampton.
· Coolidge Award: Margaret "Peggy" Roberts of Amherst, long active on town boards and committees, including 25 years on the Amherst Redevelopment Authority.
· Community Enrichment Award: Priscilla Ross, founder and director of the Florence Community Band. The Northampton Center of the Arts, for 25 years a major contributor to the cultural life of the region.
· Outstanding Youth Award: Daniel Dietz of Northampton, who has used his skills with a yo-yo to raise more than $20,000 for the Smile Train, which provides free surgery for children worldwide born with cleft lip and palate. Simone Caron-Vera, active as a participant and organizer of benefits for the American Cancer Society and a volunteer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
The four recipients were selected from more than 55 nominations submitted from the community. All nominees will be recognized at the award reception April 15 at 4:30 p.m. at the Marriott Courtyard in Hadley.
The following served on the selection committee: Megan Barber, director of RSVP of Hampshire County; Bob Persing, president of the Hilltown CDC; Bob White, Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross; Carl Erickson and Emily Norman, past Paragon Award recipients; Sharon Sulikowski, branch manager of PeoplesBank, Hadley, Stan Moulton, Gazette sports editor; Sonja Larson, director of campaign and community investment for the United Way of Hampshire County.
Reservations for this year's Paragon Awards reception can be made with the United Way of Hampshire County by calling 584-3962 or sending an email message to events@unitedwayhampshirecounty.org.
Underwriting for the awards and the program is provided by Florence Savings Bank, Easthampton Savings Bank, PeoplesBank, Smith College and the Hampshire Hospitality group.
The Paragon Award program was started in 2004. Previous winners of the awards are:
· Lifetime of volunteer activity: Kay Sheehan of Florence, Ralph Levy Jr. of Northampton, Doris Holden of Amherst, Yvonne Freccero of Northampton, Carl Erickson of Northampton.
· Public service: Stasia Charron of Easthampton, Kathleen Anderson, of Amherst, Robert Mahar of Florence, Eleanor Jones of Northampton, Russell Carrier of Northampton.
· Community enrichment: Bob Cilman of Northampton, Steve J. Stoia, of Belchertown, Martin Wohl of Northampton, Steve Strimer of Florence, Veterans Education Project of Amherst.
· Outstanding youth: Robert Reynolds of Southampton, Kurtis Mckemmie of Hadley, Abbe Hamilton of South Hadley, Shirin Hakim of Amherst, Emily Norman of Amherst
