Chris Treadway: Richmond to honor historic preservation standouts
By Chris Treadway
Contra Costa Times
Posted:   05/10/2013 05:44:56 PM PDT
Updated:   05/11/2013 11:27:59 PM PDT

A distinguished group of recipients make up the class of 2013 who will be honored at Richmond's annual Historic Preservation Awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. May 17 in the City Council Chambers 440 Civic Center Plaza.
Front and center are Orton Development Inc. and architect Marcy Wong, who will be recognized for the rehabilitation of the former oil house at the historic Ford Point building that is now the visitors center for the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.
The project was also recently recognized by the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the visitors center is an added attraction next to the Craneway Pavilion, open daily with free admission.
Downstairs at the visitors is a screening room where a rotation of films are shown. One of the films, "Home Front Heroes," is also singled out for a preservation award, which will go to the National Park Service and video producer Signature Communications.
Another award will be given for an oral history of Alvarado Park compiled for the East Bay Regional Park District by oral historian Susan Imboden.
The park, once a favored place for outings and concerts in the first half of the 20th century, as well as home to a sanitarium and Depression-era walls built by the Works Progress Administration, is now part of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.
Local zydeco musician Andre Thierry, a longtime favorite performer at community events and a Grammy nominee this year, will be honored for preserving Creole traditions and music in Richmond.
Lois Boyle, a familiar name for her 30 years leading the Richmond Museum of History and her dedication to bringing the historic ship SS Red Oak Victory home to the city and seeing to its restoration, will be honored for her years of service preserving local history.
Nancy Strauch and Bruce Brubaker will be recognized for their work on restoring access to Boat Ramp Street, which for decades was the lone public boat launch site in the city. It was closed and fenced off when a new boat ramp opened at Marina Bay in 1982, but Strauch and Brubaker led efforts that resulted in its reopening in 2008.
A separate award at the event is the National Park Service Home Front Award, which will go to former councilwoman Donna Powers "for establishing the Rosie the Riveter Memorial, which was a catalyst for the creation of Rosie the Riveter/World War II
Home Front National Historical Park.
The ceremony will be followed by an outdoor reception in the Richmond Civic Center Plaza, catered by the Contra Costa College Culinary Department.