Last night the American Textile History Museum honored the Lowell National Historical Park and Superintendent Michael Creasey with the 2009 ATHM Community Service Award. The award notes that they “truly demonstrate the ideals of community and service… their spirit of collaboration has had a tremendous and positive impact on our museum and our entire community’s cultural foundation… they are very much deserving of this award.”

Superintendent was gracious and funny in his acceptance remarks as he proudly called Lowell a “city of collaboration… the city with a soul.” Currently a Loeb Fellow at Harvard - he had just returned from Tennessee where at the request of the new NPS Director he did a presentation about Lowell to the 2nd Century Committee who are charged with charting the course for the next 100 years of the National Park Service. Lowell was  one of five Parks they visited in the process. Bottom line according to Creasey - the parks of the recent Ken Burns documentary “…America’s Best Idea” are the history of the Parks while the future of the Parks is Lowell.”

In addition to the Trustees and staff of the ATHM and many of the NHPS staff, gala goers included representatives of many of the Park’s partners: Deb Belanger from the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Karen Frederick and Bill Lipchitz from CTI, Pauline Golec and Dick Cohan from the Lowell Festival Foundation, newly re-elected City Councillor Jim Milinazzo and his wife Anabel, Carol Cowan and Molly Sheehy from Middlesex Community College, Jacquie Moloney from UMass Lowell, Paul Marion, Martha Mayo and “yours truly” from the Lowell Heritage Partership, LZ Nunn from COOL, Jim Wilde from the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership and those from the business community - George and Carol Duncan, City Councilor-elect Franky Descoteaux, Steve Joncas, Nancy Donohue, Atty. Paul Sheehy, Atty. Paul Schor, Brian Martin representing Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (who stayed in D.C. for the historic healthcare vote scheduled for this morning) and many, many more.

One of the highlights of the evening was a “skit”  telling the story of Lowell and the LNHP. Kudos to writer/producer Marcia Cassidy and the talented performers. The audience particiated in the Lowell story-telling by singing a song based on a Woody Guthrie classic:

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND

Adapted from Words and Music by Woody Guthrie

Chorus:This land is your land, this land is my land

From mills of textile to parks of history

From rivers flowing to streets of cobblestone

This land is made for you and me.

 Verse: As I went strolling through the Visitor’s CenterI saw the story of a revolution

Water power transformed a country

This land was made for you and me.

Verse: I’ve toured this city on boats and trolleys

Through the sparkling waters of canals and rivers

And all around me a voice was sounding

This land was made for you and me.

Verse: The sun cam shining s I was viewing

Museums wondrous and art inspiring

Diversity’s beauty, a voice came singing

This land was made for you and me.
Verse: All come join us in this festival city

Summer music and the big folk party

Voices lifted in perfect harmony

This land was made for you and me..

Verse: From Boott to Tsongas, Kerouac and Mogan

Lowell’s a story that keeps on tellin’

History’s livin’ all around us

This Park was made for you and me.

Congratulations to the Lowell National Historical Park, Superintendent Michael Creasey, Deputy Superintendent Peter Aucella and the over one hundred staffers for the award and for their commitment to the community.