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Newburyport: Earth Day Awards given for 'environmental stewardship'

By Stephen Tait
Staff Writer
Published: April 23, 2008

NEWBURYPORT — In a culmination of a weekend-long celebration of environmental awareness, a group of city leaders handed out the first Earth Day Awards during a small but upbeat event last night.

Mayor John Moak, representing the city, along with the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and the Seacoast Energy and Environmental Design Coalition awarded five individuals or groups with "environmental stewardship" awards.

The winners included the city's Tree Committee, specifically its tree-planting program; Hall and Moskow, the owners of the Tannery and other properties; SEED and its founders; Kay Halloran, the city's former recycling coordinator; and the Newburyport High School Environmental Club.

Each received plaques that were, of course, made of recycled material, including soy beans and newspaper.

"It is important for Newburyport to acknowledge people who are working, in some cases for decades, behind the scenes to green our city," Heidi Spinella, a Earth Day event organizer, said as winner David Hall approached. "David Hall, for instance, has been working for decades, and no one has acknowledged his effort."

Local environmental officials say Newburyporters can expect the awards to grow.

Spinella said in addition to acknowledging the environmental work of locals, the aim of the awards is also to increase awareness and participation in "green" activities by tapping into people's natural competitive nature.

"People love competition," she said. "(The more publicity the awards receive) the more people will want to be acknowledged for their efforts. So we hope it grows. We hope it grows exponentially."

Hugh Kelleher, chairman of the Tree Committee, accepted one of the awards. His group was acknowledged for its efforts, especially for its tree-planting initiative in the city, which the committee earns funding for largely through grants and help from local groups.

In the past five years, Kelleher said the group has planted at least 500 trees. Just this last weekend, the committee planted 175 trees on city property in Newburyport. That includes 75 trees planted on High Street, the city's main corridor.

"Everybody loves trees," he said. "Everybody is motivated to help out in a project like this."

Mark Guay and Liss Campbell, co-founders of SEED, were lauded for making Newburyport "a green place to work, live and play." SEED consists of a network of local residents who promote "green" living through many avenues.

"I think this is just the beginning," Guay said.

Hall, who is known for his environmentally friendly home shops in the Tannery, was acknowledged, among other things, for his green practices — such as the solar panels he utilizes. Hall took a moment to thank big oil corporations for the help in "piquing the people's interest" in conserving energy now that fuel costs so much.

Halloran did not attend the event, and the High School Environmental Club also did not attend, since school is on vacation this week.

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