By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
This fall, the Town of Nelson and the Erieville-Nelson Heritage Society (ENHS) announced Denise Earl of Erieville as the recipient of the 2019 Norman Odell Citizen of the Year award.
Established in 1996, the award is given annually to a Nelson resident who has made outstanding contributions to the town through his or her volunteer work.
A dedicated public servant, Earl helps organize the monthly senior luncheons in Erieville; serves on the cemetery board; and is an active member of the ENHS — serving as the organization’s first treasurer.
In the past, she headed a group aimed at beautifying the town by planting flowers and shrubs. The committee’s work is visible each spring on the corner of Tuscarora Road by the cemetery.
Earl also volunteered at The Key Consignment Shop in Cazenovia for 35 years.
Long before the release of the current ENHS publication, “Hills and Hollows,” Earl started a town newsletter, as well as a website celebrating the goings-on in the town.
Earl accepted her award on Nov. 3 at a town/society-sponsored reception at the Erieville Fire Hall.
“To receive an award for something that you are just drawn to do seems a bit over the top, but if it can focus [attention] on being a force for good in one’s community and get folks together to chat and celebrate where they live, [it] is good,” Earl said. “So I smile and am humbled by my being recognized in this way, but mostly [I am grateful] to have my family, four now middle aged adults, who grew up here, and [to have] this divergent mix of local people gather together . . .”
During the reception, Assemblyman John Salka also presented Earl with a citation on behalf of the New York State Assembly.
“I first met Denise when I took office as supervisor in Nelson in 2010,” said Nelson Town Supervisor Roger Bradstreet. “She was a dedicated town council member, committed to making correct decisions and improving our community. She played a significant role in the 2011 revision of our Land Use Regulations — a role aside from her council position. She is one of a few ‘go to’ people when town decisions relate to Erieville. She’s still a voice to the community, volunteering when asked. We have not had an Erieville presence on our Nelson Town Board since Denise, and while she’s not running, I would welcome her back, for sure.”
According to ENHS member Marge Lyon, the Citizen of the Year award is named in honor of Norman Odell, a longtime Nelson resident who served on the planning board, as Nelson historian and as a volunteer fireman. His widow, Helen Odell, was named citizen of the year in 2008.
Each year, the award program solicits nominations from town residents throughout the month of August and early September.
The nominations are submitted to the town office or to a member of ENHS. Each submission is accompanied by a brief bio of the nominee, including information about their volunteer contributions to the area.
A committee, consisting of a non-voting chairman and three voting members — a Nelson Town Board member, an ENHS representative, and a Town of Nelson citizen — meets late in September to determine the most deserving nominee.
The recipient receives an award plaque and has their name added to a plaque hanging in the town hall.
Originally from downstate, about 15 miles outside of New York City, Earl and her late husband, Geoff, moved to Erieville in Sept. 1975.
Prior to settling down on “a piece of land in the country,” the couple lived in Pennsylvania, the Albany area, Jamesville and East Syracuse.
“We did not know anyone [when we moved here], but at some point I found that the area had a food co-op,” Earl said. “Once a month a truck would deliver a variety of ‘natural’ foodstuffs to the firehouse and a group of local people would portion it out to those who had previously ordered . . . It was a popular activity both as a way to buy good food at a cheaper price than could be had at the grocery store, but better yet, it was a great gathering of local people both young and old . . . From there I just got involved in other activities that enlivened and celebrated life in our little community. So, helping out just becomes a way of life, like an extension of one’s home.”
Formed in 1984, ENHS is dedicated to discovering, collecting and preserving historical records and other data relating to the Erieville and Nelson area, and to making the information available to the public.
To learn more about ENHS, visit facebook.com/ErievilleNelsonHeritageSociety/.
