asheville, RiverLink Announces Critical Link Award Winners for 2008

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RiverLink Announces Critical Link Award Winners for 2008

Each year, the RiverLink Board of Directors honors non-staff, non-board member volunteers who have been instrumental in assisting RiverLink to fulfill its mission of revitalizing the economic and environmental quality of the river as a destination where everyone can live, work and play. During its over 20 year existence, RiverLink has worked with thousands of volunteers and has honored over 500 citizens of the watershed as "Critical Links."

This year, the RiverLink board is pleased to a honor the following Critical Links:

Sean Jinx Pace and Mark Guilbeau' - two of the Riverfront Artists associated with the Flood Fine Arts Studios who have spearheaded the recycling and reuse of materials at 1151/2 to 119 Riverside Drive. The "Blue Buildings" as RiverLink likes to call them, were purchased by RiverLink in September 2007 as the last "missing link" in the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay implementation effort between 12 Bones Restaurant and the Smith Bridge. Sean and Mark have gathered friends and family members to work every Sunday at dismantling the buildings and reusing the old materials including wood, metal and brick to erect new artist studio space in the River Artist District and elsewhere. The goal is to recycle 85% of all the materials and to keep it out of the landfill while proving opportunities for other artists to have more and better work and studio space in the river district. Once the buildings are completely dismantled says RiverLink Executive Director, Karen Cragnolin, "we will start to place a permanent sculpture exhibit on this land. It will be part of the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay as well as a wonderful welcome to Asheville and the urban riverfront and signature destination for everyone to enjoy."
SweetWater Brewery - has raised over $8,000 for RiverLink with its "I Gave of My Liver to Save the River" campaign last summer. We are gearing up to do it again this summer and hope to involve even more local eateries, restaurants and pubs to sell fish, t-shirts and other memorabilia in support of RiverLink's efforts to save the French Broad as a drinking water source and premier recreational destination so everyone can enjoy it.
Becky and Ben Lewis - Playing soccer in Buncombe County became much more convenient when Becky and Ben Lewis donated the funds to the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association to build a series of soccer fields on Azalea Road. Now the AB Youth Soccer Association can and does host soccer tournaments from all across the southeast region as well as provide wonderful playing fields for both youth and adult soccer fans. The John B' Lewis Soccer complex is named in honor of John and Becky's son who was killed in a tragic traffic accident and was an avid soccer player.
Ted Prosser - Ted Prosser started out life training to be a landscape architect. He eventually became a very successful real estate developer and one of the very early pioneers in Asheville's downtown successful redevelopment. Ted never lost his love for the land or his respect for the environment as a developer. He served for 6 years on the RiverLink Board of Directors as Chair of our Redevelopment Committee, advising RiverLink as it negotiated with a variety of developers about how best to resurrect the historic Cotton Mill as a mixed-use, mixed-income development with subsidized artist work-live space. Ted has agreed to stay on the Development Committee despite no longer being on our board to assist RiverLink with the redevelopment of the riverfront.
Patsy Keever - Patsy served for 12 years as a Buncombe County Commissioner and retired from the Buncombe County School System as a teacher after 30 years of service. She also served for two years as Chair of the RiverLink Annual Fund Drive, and brought her energy, focus and "can do" spirit to the team of volunteers who helped RiverLink make its annual fund goal the past two years, despite a very tough economy. According to Karen Cragnolin, Executive Director of RiverLink, "Patsy as a leader of our annual fund drive gave everyone hope. She wouldn't let us fail. That is the sign of a great leader. She also has agreed to stay on the committee and push all of us to make our goal again this year."

In the past, RiverLink has honored, among others, the following people and organizations: D. H. Griffin Salvage Company; Cynthia Barcklow; Ginny Hunneke; Sally Rhoades; Bob Shepherd; Carolina Power & Light Company; The Biltmore Company; Harrin Sand Company; 48 members of the Asheville Parks & Recreation Department; NC Wildlife Resources Commission; Walt Damtoft; Bob Bowles; TVA; Marylyn Seyler; The Asheville Motor Speedway; Al Kopf; Dick Meehan; Mathews & Glazer Architects; DENR- Adopt-a-Trail; Steve Zarnowski; NationsBank; Ann Vasilik; Buncombe County Commissioners; Wilma Dykeman; The Janirve Foundation; The Clean Water Management Trust Fund; Judith Cheney; Jayne Van Laurel; The Asheville Garden Club and Robert Clarke; River District Artists; Roger Wheelock; John Teeter; Marge & Jake Michel at the Richmond Hill Inn; Marianna Lennon and Lynette and Richard Sills; Pigeon River Fund; Bill Habermeyer, Jr.; Lloyd Sigman; Doug Wilson; Ed Metz; Sally Rhoades; Clyde Savings Bank; Bob Bowles; Walter Damtoft; Kate Mathews and others.

RiverLink is a regional grass roots non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its watershed as a destination where everyone can work, live and play. For more information about how you can become involved, donate or volunteer or to receive our monthly email newsletter visit our website at www.riverlink.org for more info.

(Image provided by RiverLink.)