Community Spirit Shines at BACC Dinner

By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director

All three of Thursday’s Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce award recipients could have won the Community and Spirit Award because they all exemplify what it means to work for something you believe in, and to make Bradford a better place.

Steve Cavallaro received the actual Community and Spirit Award for his work to restore and revitalize the Willow Dale Duck Pond. The Tin Ceiling Gift Shoppe received the Exemplary Business Award. Madeline Miles received the Directors Award for her tireless efforts in activities throughout the area.

In accepting his award, Cavallaro thanked the many people who donated time, money and talent to help make his dream come true.

He singled out Howard Fesenmyer who, Cavallaro said, does every day for the community what he did for the duck pond. He also thanked Russ Safran, who donated the pavilion and bridge in memory of his wife, Kristin, who died in the crash of Flight 3407 in Clarence Center in 2009.

On a lighter note, Cavallaro joked that no good deed goes unpunished.

“I have become the keeper of the ducks,” he said, explaining that he gets frequent phone calls from people concerned about the birds. He said at 9:30 at night people will call and say, “Steve, the ducks are on the other side of the road.”

“Well,” he said, “I can’t have a crossing guard out there all the time.”

Cavallaro also thanked his family for putting up with him, and said his father sometimes asked him why he gets involved in these things.

“When I see the little kids at the pond – that’s why I got involved with it.”

Tin Ceiling owner Nancy Graham could not attend the dinner so her husband, Mark, accepted for her.

"Good evening, my name is Mr. Nancy Graham,” he said after taking the podium to accept the award.

He thanked the store’s employees and customers, as well as the community.

In introducing Graham, chamber president Susan Hughes said, “Nancy and Mark Graham have invested in the Bradford community, and especially in Main Street, through their business. They demonstrate what entrepreneurs can accomplish through hard work and smart business sense, with creative ideas.”

As for Miles, comments from her nomination sum up why she received the award.

“Madeline is a truly inspirational community member. To be in her company inspires you to be more than you are – more kind, more giving, more gracious. Madeline enjoys life to the fullest, contributes her abilities to help others and is a true inspiration to us all.”

Chamber Executive Director Ron Orris said he was pleased to present Miles with the award because “I happen to be a soldier in Madeline’s Army. And, I know there are a lot of soldiers here tonight who have helped Madeline with her many projects.”

One of her projects is raising money for the Bradford Area Public Library, an endeavor she took over from her mother, Virginia Loveland Miles, who initiated the library’s first endowment fund.

“She understood that a source of money such as an endowment … was the only thing that could preserve the public library. Today that fund, with the help of many other contributors, has grown considerably and the interest on it now provides 20 percent of the operating expenses for the library,” she said.

“My mother’s gift has now initiated a new library dream, and that dream is to make it a 6 million dollar fund,” Miles said, as the crowd broke into applause. “In today’s economy, that should ensure the library’s independence."

" … And if there’s anyone who would care to contribute," she continued with a smile, "I’m here, ready to accept.”

She and Orris also displayed the Zippo lighter package that is being auctioned off for the Derby Gala, one of only two library fundraisers.

“We want to raise a ton of money,” Orris said.

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