Clarkstown Town Historian Among Honorees at Rockland County Historical Society Gala

The Rockland County Historical Society held its Golden Anniversary Gala March 29 at the View on the Hudson in Piermont.

As members and friends celebrated its 50 years, the Society presented several awards. Here are the formal descriptions from the RCHS website:

• Living Landmark Award—Bob Baird. Bob retired from The Journal News in 2012, after almost forty years as managing editor, executive editor, and local columnist. Under his leadership, the paper was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and twice won the Associated Press Managing Editors Association national public service award, something no other newspaper had done at the time. He is a member of the Rockland Sports Hall of Fame committee, helping to honor outstanding sports figures and teams and preserve Rockland’s rich sports history, and was among a group of volunteers who organized Challenger Little League in Rockland County in 1993 to allow children with disabilities to enjoy baseball in a safe, supportive setting.

• Lifetime Service Award—Catherine Quinn Oswald and Gerald Oswald. As Rockland residents, Cathy and Gerry have made substantial contributions to both the Historical Society and the County for more than 35 years. Most of Cathy’s career as an environmental engineer for the County of Rockland has centered on identifying water and land-related contamination and working to solve the problem. As a volunteer, Cathy has served on the HSRC’s Board of Trustees and now chairs the committee that organizes bus trips and walks that encourage interest in local history and the community. Gerry has enjoyed more than forty years of work in collegiate athletics. At St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, he introduced NCAA Division II status in 2000. Not only do his student athletes maintain high grades, but they excel in service to the community, winning the East Coast Conference medal for Community Service five years in a row.
  

• Golden Anniversary Awards—Founding Charter Members of the HSRC, including Robert Knight, Catherine Dodge, and Ruth Zehner.

PHOTO: Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack congratulates Town Historian Bob Knight for receiving the Golden Anniversary Award as a founding charter member of the Rockland County Historical Society at their annual gala. Also there to celebrate was Councilwoman Shirley Lasker, Councilwoman Stephanie Hausner and Sheriff Lou Falco/courtesy Clarkstown Town Supervisor’s Office