6/15/02 - City Receives Top Honors – Municipality
News Release
City Receives Top Honors – Municipality of Anchorage Wins 2002 All-America City Award
On June 15, 2002, the National Civic League awarded the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, the distinction of being named an All-America City at the 53rd Annual All-America City Awards ceremony in Kansas City, Mo. The Municipality of Anchorage is one of 10 cities to receive the award for 2002. The All-America City Award, a 53-year-old program of the National Civic League recognizing civic excellence, annually honors 10 communities that best exemplify the spirit of grassroots citizen involvement and cross-sector, collaborative problem solving. Since the program began in 1949, more than 4,000 communities have competed and nearly 500 communities have been named All-America Cities. The award for 2002 carries a special distinction for the Municipality of Anchorage as it marks the fourth time the city has earned this special recognition. The city previously won in 1956, 1965 and 1984. To add further prestige Anchorage is now one of only seven cities to have won the award four or more times.
Delegations comprised of government officials, neighborhood activists, business leaders and volunteers from each of the 30 All-America City finalist communities traveled to Kansas City, Mo., to compete in hearings before a 10-member All-America City Jury. The live presentations were based on information contained within an extensive written application, which was submitted by cities from all over the United States and reviewed by the jury panel as part of the initial phase of the contest. The panel used the written application to select the 30 finalist cities.
“The All-America City award recognizes the outstanding partnerships that exist within Anchorage, and the continual commitment of our community to make the Municipality of Anchorage a place that people are proud to call home, said Mayor George Wuerch.
“The programs presented emphasize the efforts by the Municipality of Anchorage citizens, volunteers and city government to work together to problem solve, identify issues and provide economic development that meets the needs of our city.
The 10 All-America Cities for the year 2002 are: Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska; City of Fountain, Colo.; City of Elgin, Ill.; City of Roswell, N.M.; Region of Tuscaloosa-Northport, Ala.; Buffalo-Niagara Region, N.Y.; Town of Huntington, N.Y.; City of Weslaco, Texas; City of Hampton, Va.; City of Everett, Wash.
“These All-America Cities symbolize the backbone of our nation – the ability of citizens, government, businesses and nonprofit organizations to come together, effectively address their local issues, and produce tangible results,” said Christopher T. Gates, president of the National Civic League. “The accomplishments of these 10 All-America Cities serve as an inspiration to communities across the U.S. that are facing similar challenges.”
The Municipality of Anchorage was recognized in part for three projects that exemplify collaborative problem solving and serve as models for communities across the country:
Challenge/Project 1: Dispelling the myth that Anchorage is a cold, dark place including: community activism in the civic infrastructure, community participation in winter activies, non-profit support and high level of volunteerism. The project selected to support this effort was the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games.
Challenge/Project 2: Anchorage Youth Court, which promotes youth involvement in the judicial system by providing a courtroom for misdemeanor juvenile defenders to be judged, prosecuted and adjudicated by their peers. Anchorage Youth Court is one of the leading programs of its kind in the nation.
Challenge/Project 3: Bridge Builders, a grassroots community effort to build racial harmony, respect, understanding and unity among the diverse cultures living in Anchorage. Community members from the Municipality of Anchorage who participated in the presentation in Kansas City, Mo., include: Mayor George Wuerch, former Mayor, Rick Mystrom, Nance Larsen, Heather Handyside, Matthew Nicolai, Eliana Nicolai, Phillip Blanchett, Cathryn Posey, Talakai Finau, and Elsa Sargento. The live presentation was moving and powerful, while addressing head-on issues the Municipality of Anchorage faces as a community. It touched on peaks and valleys from city’s history, the efforts of people to work toward the greater good in an often difficult climate, and the underlying spirit of community that is prevalent among residents and uniquely Anchorage. Live music from Pamyua added an element of energy and mystique to the heartfelt words of the presenters, the drumming later referred to by audience members as “the heartbeat of the city.” Additional members of the Municipality of Anchorage delegation include Assembly members Dick Traini and Fay Von Gemingen, Rose Traini, Captain Thomas Nelson, Jim Posey, Brenda Wuerch, and Jewel Jones.
This year’s AAC Finalists developed programs that address current national issues including crime, education, poverty, cultural diversity, and the environment. The complete list of 2002 All-America City Finalists included: Fairhope, Ala.; Clayton, Mo.; Tuscaloosa-Northport Region, Ala.; Neosho, Mo.; Vestavia Hills, Ala.; Union, N.J.; Anchorage, Alaska; Roswell, N.M.; Sunnyvale, Calif.; Buffalo-Niagara Region, N.Y.; Boulder, Colo.; Huntington, N.Y.; Fountain, Colo.; Mohawk Valley Region, N.Y.; New Haven, Conn.; Wilson, N.C.; Lakeland Fla.; Clarksville, Tenn.; Miami Beach, Fla.; Beaumont, Texas; Elgin, Ill.; Weslaco, Texas; Skokie, Ill.; Bedford, Va.; Hammond, Ind.; Hampton, Va.; Wichita, Kan.; Everett, Wash.; Holyoke, Mass.; and Casper, Wyo. The National Civic League is a 108-year-old non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing, research, and the All-America City Award. The National Civic League is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, call 303-571-4343 or visit www.ncl.org.
Nance Larsen, (907) 257-2310 nlarsen@anchorage.net
