Bay Village citizen, project of the year announced
Barb Harrell was named Bay Village citizen of the year for her work with the Village Food Project and Field of Dreams. Photo courtesy of Terry Schordock, Studio South.
Barbara Harrell has been selected as the Bay Village citizen of the year for 2012, and the renovation of BAYarts' Fuller House has been selected the project of the year.
Both will be honored at a reception to be held Sunday, March 4, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fuller House. The event is sponsored by the Bay Village Community Council, whose members made the selections.
Harrell was selected for her service to the community as a director of the Village Food Project.
In 2009 and 2010, Harrell started, planned and implemented the Village Food Project, which provides healthy in-home meals to Bay Village families in a cancer crisis. She has rallied high schoolers, school administrators, adult cooks, shoppers and drivers to make this program a reality.
“Her vision and unique ability to pull many local volunteers together in common fashion for such a worthy cause is exemplary,” according to one nomination. “She recruited volunteers, raised donations, brought young and old Villagers together, and made the Village Food Project a city-wide, non-denominational success story.”
Harrell also served as chairperson of the “Field of Dreams,” to install, improve and modernize the high school athletic facilities. Under her leadership, the group raised more than $1,000,000.
“It’s very humbling and an honor to be chosen as citizen of the year,” Harrell said. “There are so many people that do such wonderful things in this community. It’s a joy to volunteer in Bay Village and to work with such wonderful people.”
The Irene Fuller House, dating from the late 1800s, was moved to the Baycrafters campus in 1984. “For more than 25 years, the Baycrafters’ and BAYarts’ boards have maintained the building, investing in a new roof and paint and using the house mostly for storage, with the dream of one day having enough money to restore the grand old Victorian lady into an active and vibrant gathering place for arts lovers throughout the area,” one nomination noted.
The long-awaited restoration began in 2010, due to generous gifts from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, the Cleveland Metroparks and Maple Leaf Landscaping. Design Group Architects and J.Q. Adams Construction teamed up to tackle the renovation. Many local businesses donated products and area organizations such as the Kiwanis Club helped restore parts of the building. Completed in spring 2011, the structure offers a new gallery, teaching space, outdoor patio, wrap-around porch and offices.
“The Irene Fuller House is our gift to the city and to all of the artists,” BAYarts Executive Director Nancy Heaton said.