|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A local man, Gene Haugh, has been recognized for his contributions to
the development of Downtown South Boston. Haugh was honored for his
volunteer work as he was presented with the John Marlles Commitment
Award during the 23rd Virginia Downtown Development Association's
(VDDA) Annual Conference which was held in Lynchburg October 3-5.
John Marlles' commitment to downtown revitalization represents
exceeding excellence and Gene's commitment is unparalleled, said a VDDA
spokesman.
Haugh is a Destination Downtown South Boston (DDSB) board member and
chair of its Design Committee. He is always taking time out of his busy
day to plant and hang flower baskets downtown, work with a local artist
to place art sculptures downtown or work with the Town to light the old
tower on Town Hall or find the best way to replace the aging brick in
the sidewalks of Downtown.
With his carpentry knowledge, he is also the one who helps to make the
crowd "ooh and ah" over the DDSB floats in the annual Christmas
Parades.
Adding to the development of the Downtown area, Haugh has also been
instrumental in the success of the Prizery project, a successful, $7
million redevelopment of a tobacco warehouse. In the beginning of the
project, the committee couldn't even screw in light bulbs without
enlisting Haugh's volunteer services to bring a ladder and help. He was
there through the entire project serving on the Building and Grounds
Committee. He always came up with creative ideas, such as re-using the
historic old beams in the warehouse as pedestals to exhibit items.
Dane Skelton, pastor of Faith Community Church wrote in nominating
Haugh for the award, "Everywhere you look in South Boston, you can see
evidence of Gene Haugh's volunteerism. If you've seen a play, you've
seen his set design skills. If you've been to an art show, you've seen
his work in setting up the displays. If you've taken a pottery class at
the Art Center, you've worked on a table he built for the class and
this list of contributions to this community is endless."
And Skelton continues, "Perhaps the most lasting is his work with
Tri-River Habitat for Humanity. Without Gene Haugh's leadership and
hard work Tri-River Habitat for Humanity would be a ministry in name
only. He's been the lead carpenter of Habitat Houses since 1999. You
can count on this, if you see a Habitat Home in Halifax County, it's
probably there because Gene Haugh got it done."
The theme of this year's VDDA conference was entitled "Tackling Your
Downtown's Biggest Challenges" and it addressed tough issues facing
many Virginia localities, such as negotiating with the railroads,
eminent domain, big box retail in downtown communities, utility options
in streetscapes, brownfield and building contamination issues and
solutions.
The conference also featured keynote speaker Coach Bobby Ross who
shared stories from his football and coaching career and techniques
necessary to become a winner when tackling any challenge. The awards
dinner was held to recognize and encourage excellence in downtown
revitalization throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The event was sponsored by Hurt & Proffitt, Wiley & Wilson, Inc., the
City of Lynchburg, Lynch's Landing, Appalachian Power, the Town of
Leesburg Economic Development, the Craddock Terry Hotel and Event
Center and the Holiday Inn Select along with the organization's
corporate sponsors, ECS Mid-Atlantic, Virginia Main Street and Old
Dominion Electric Cooperative.
Haugh was the only individual to receive the award throughout the
entire Commonwealth of Virginia.