For Immediate Release

Contact: Christina Robertson-Gardiner, Associate Planner
Community Development Divison
(503)496-1564
crobertson@orcity.org

"This Place Matters!" Celebrate May 2009 Preservation Month

Oregon City, Oregon (April 21, 2009) – Citizens in Oregon City, Oregon will join thousands of individuals across the country to celebrate National Preservation Month this May. “This Place Matters!" is the theme of the month-long celebration sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, to fund raising events, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, in 2005, the National Trust for Historic Preservation extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states and enable more Americans to become involved in the growing preservation movement.

Here in Oregon City Preservation Month 2009 will be observed by:

• Awarding the Ruth McBride Powers Preservation Award at the May 6, 2009 City Commission Meeting.
• Collecting This Place Matters photos and stories from the Oregon City community that will be presented in various public venues throughout the year and on the city’s website.
• Downtown Oregon City is doing its part to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Oregon statehood and Preservation Month on May 12th. Event coordinators with Main Street Oregon City have set an ambitious goal of cleaning 150 downtown storefront windows during a two-hour time period from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 12th to honor Oregon’s 150th year of statehood in a uniquely downtown way.

Learn more about National Preservation Month at www.PreservationNation.org/PreservationMonth.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.