BEACH LAKE, PA — The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) will honor those who have enhanced the quality of life or protected the resources of the Upper Delaware River Valley at its 36th annual awards ceremony on Sunday, September 22, at Central House Family Resort in Beach Lake, PA.

The UDC will honor the following recipients:

Distinguished Service Award

John Conway of Barryville, NY, for his Upper Delaware River Valley historical expertise, programs, publications, guided walks, bus tours, and collegiate instruction; contributions as co-founder and president of The Delaware Company; and role as the longest-serving Sullivan County Historian for 31 years.

Partnership Award

Long Eddy Fishing Access Site Improvements, honoring the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Town of Fremont, Sullivan County, National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, and Delaware Highlands Conservancy, for completing this long-planned upgrade.

Community Service Award

Tess McBeath of Hortonville, NY, for benefiting the Town of Delaware during her 26-year tenure as town clerk, annually battling against litter, securing funds for town improvements, and helping local non-profit organizations in the fields of youth, families, health care, and veterans. 

Volunteer Award

Jane Luchsinger of Narrowsburg, NY, for donating her time and talents to the Town of Tusten as a citizen deputy supervisor, Conservation Advisory Council chair, and grants administrator; as well as to the Narrowsburg Chamber of Commerce, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Western Sullivan Public Library, Tusten Social, Growing Older Together, Tusten Repair Café, Beautification Committee, and more.

Cultural Achievement Award

Professor Paul C. King of Yankee Lake, NY, and the New York City College of Technology, as the pre-eminent John A. Roebling scholar, historian, author, consultant, and lecturer on Roebling’s Delaware Aqueduct and early 19th-century technical innovations, both regionally and nationally.

Recreation Achievement Award

Paddle for Pride by the TriVersity Pride Center of Milford, PA, for organizing a first annual Upper Delaware River raft trip from Staircase Rapids Access, NY, to Matamoras, PA, on July 27 with inclusive and advance educational programming by the National Park Service for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies.

Special Recognition Award

Meg McGuire of Port Jervis, NY, founder of the independent online watershed news source Delaware Currents and producer of “A Flight Along the Delaware River: Our History, Our Watershed.”

Special Recognition Award

Ian Pammer of Bethel, NY, for the 12-year-old’s exceptional volunteerism at Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg, presentation abilities, and “revolutionary” initiatives.

Special Recognition Award

Beverly Sterner of Milanville, PA, for creating and moderating the Upper Delaware Community Network since 1999 as a valued online resource to share news, events, and recommendations.

Special Recognition Award

Lisa Glover of Honesdale, PA, for researching, making, and donating to the UDC a “Big Eddy Narrows” map poster displaying the Delaware River’s deepest and narrowest point.

Oaken Gavel Award

Aaron Robinson, Shohola Township, PA, representative, for his 2023 UDC leadership as the organization’s chair.