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NEWS
RELEASE U..
department of the interior
national
park service
CONVENTION
DAYS
HONORING WOMEN IN THE BIRTHPLACE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS
JULY 19-21, 2001
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
MARY GRATTON, CHAIRMAN
315-252-4771
e-mail: Mary Gratton
SENECA
FALLS - The village that is the birthplace of women's rights will honor
the past and look to the future during the 22nd annual Convention Days,
July 19-21.
The four-day celebration kicks off Thursday, July 19, when the 15th annual
Community Service Award will be presented to Greg Cotterill and Deborah
R. Barbieri. The ceremony will be at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Area Visitors
Center.
Both are long-time members of the Convention Days committee. Cotterill
is a past president, and Barbieri was vice president for the 150th anniversary
of the first women's rights convention observance, Celebrate '98. They
have been called "the Alpha and Omega of Convention Days."
The event attracted thousands of people to Seneca Falls In the 80's and
early 90s when he was president, Cotterill said. Then, as now, the events
included activities for kids, panel discussions and seminars on the history
of women's rights, a look at the future of women, and "a plain old
party that was lots of fun."
The highlight was an appearance by Nik and the Nice Guys, which attracted
10,000 people to the Saturday night street dance on Fall Street. Geraldine
Ferraro and Maureen Reagan were featured speakers. Peggy Haines and the
Lowdown Alligator Jazz Band and the Burns Sisters were musical guests.
The National Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremonies were held on Convention
Days weekend, drawing honorees such as Sally Ride, who "came and
stood in the street where everyone could see her for free."
Cotterill said he joined the committee because he believes is a good event
for the community. "It's tied in with our history, and is held at
a time when there are not a lot of festivals going on."
Barbieri, he said, "was always there to help out." He praised
her willingness to serve on the planning committee, which met once or
twice a month to plan the event. "It's a long, difficult process,"he
said. "I give a lot of credit to those people who are still plugging
away."
This year's Convention Days committee includes: Mary Gratton, president;
Greg Lazzaro, first vice president; Catherine Li, second vice president;
Fran Barbieri, treasurer; Kay Weed of the Mary Baker Eddy Exhibit and
Josie Fernandez, Superintendent of Women's Rights National Historical
Park; Aaron Liddell, Francis Caraccilo, Diana Smith and Doris Wolf.
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