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Health & Fitness

Help Honor Local History Heroes

The Hayward Area Historical Society wants YOUR help nominating locals for the 2012 History Awards

The Hayward Area Historical Society will celebrate the 13th Annual History Awards in the spring of 2012.

At the event, we will honor businesses, organizations and individuals that have made a difference in the areas of historic preservation, education and community service.  

We are looking for feedback from the community to choose this year’s award recipients. As a local resident, you may know someone who has owned and operated a business for over 50 years qualifying them for a Historic Business Award.

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Perhaps your neighbor owns a 100-year-old house and has made an effort to enhance the historical features of the house; he or she would be eligible for a Historic Preservation Award.  

Here are the categories and requirements for each of the awards:

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Historic Preservation Award

This award will recognize the best work in protecting and/or preserving historic property in the Hayward area, including Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Mt. Eden, Cherryland, Ashland and connected unincorporated areas (Hayward area).

Private and commercial properties will be considered that are at least 50-years-old and have undergone exterior and/or interior preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive use, landscape restoration, or sympathetic additions.

Key award elements include:

1. Intention of owners or property managers to preserve historic property.

2. Structure(s) has significant historical connection to the Hayward area’s development, and/or a historic episode, and/or exemplifies architectural design of a significant era or type.

3. Excellence in the preservation and/or restoration of an historic structure while maintaining the historical integrity of the exterior and/or the interior space.

4. Excellence in the preservation of the original character of the building, grounds, and/or outbuildings.

Historic Business Award

This award will recognize a currently operating business whose longevity has contributed to maintaining the community’s historic character, and/or has demonstrated a commitment to the community’s ongoing commercial or civic stability, and/or has a significant historical connection to the Hayward area’s development, and/or a historic episode, including Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Mt. Eden, Cherryland, Ashland and connected unincorporated areas (Hayward area). Businesses must be at least 50-years-old.

Historic Organization Award

This award will recognize a currently operating group that has made significant contributions to maintaining the history and/or historic character of our communities, either through the preservation of a building, the creation of incentives for preservation, or work in recording the history; or a group that has made a significant impact on the history of our communities due to their longevity and/or activities, including Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Mt. Eden, Cherryland, Ashland and connected unincorporated areas (Hayward area).

Educator of the Year Award

This award will recognize an Educator, regardless of school location, for outstanding use of HAHS education resources and/or dedication and innovation in the teaching of history in the Hayward area, including Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Mt. Eden, Cherryland, Ashland and connected unincorporated areas (Hayward area).

John Sandoval Award

This award will recognize an individual or institution for extraordinary service to, and support of, the preservation and promotion of Hayward area history; including, but not limited to, making significant contributions to the field of history, historic preservation in the Hayward area, or to the education of children, adults and HAHS visitors. Winners must be a resident of the Hayward area, including Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Mt. Eden, Cherryland, Ashland and connected unincorporated areas (Hayward area) and their contribution(s) judged to have had a lasting impact.

We need your submissions by November 1st, 2011. The Hayward Area Historical Society Board of Directors will then vote on the nominees to determine the winners. Award recipients will be announced early next year with the award ceremony held in April.

If you have any further questions, please call Alison at (510) 581-0223 or email her at alison@haywardareahistory.org.

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