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>> GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S MY PLEASURE AS THE MAYOR
[City Commission Award Ceremony ]
TO CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION TO ORDER.THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC AND FRANKLY JOYOUS AND WONDERFUL EVENT TO RECOGNIZE AND TO HONOR AND TO THANK ONE OF OUR OWN, WHO'S BEEN SUCH AN INSTRUMENTAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND SO THAT'S OUR PURPOSE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
I'M GOING TO GO TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO OUR PURPOSE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
THEN I'M GOING TO ASK VICE MAYOR, SYKES CLIMB TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM AND SHE'S GOING TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE VARIOUS SPECIFIC OF AWARD THAT WE ARE PRESENTING THIS AFTERNOON.
THEN FINALLY, I'M GOING TO ASK COMMISSIONER JOHN VALDES TO COME FORWARD AND TO SPECIFICALLY RECOGNIZE OUR HONOREE.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO ASK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TO COME FORWARD AS WELL AS OUR HONOREE, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO EXTEND THE PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR TO OUR HONOREE, AND SO THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO IN.
LET ME BACK UP JUST ONE SECOND.
THERE'S SO MANY DISTINGUISHED VISITORS HERE AND GUEST AND FOLKS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY OTHER THAN PERHAPS THE BISHOP HIMSELF THAT CAN COMMAND A WHOLE ROW OF NUNS.
BUT THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH ARE HERE IN FORCE AND OF COURSE, THE WOMAN'S EXCHANGE.
MARGO'S FAMILY AND HER SON AND GRANDCHILDREN, AS WELL AS HER BROTHER AND SISTER.
OF COURSE, SOME OF US HERE WERE PRIVILEGED TO KNOW HER DAD AND HER MOM WHO WERE JUST WONDERFUL FOLKS TO KNOW AND TO HAVE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR FORMER MAYOR, GREG BAKER WHO IS HERE WITH US AS WELL.
SO GREG, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
IN A CITY KNOWN FOR ITS HISTORY, IT'S ONLY FITTING THAT THE CITY COMMISSION WOULD WANT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PRESERVATION OF THAT HISTORY AND WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SHARING OUR STORY WITH OTHERS.
IN OCTOBER OF 2013, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY COMMISSION SET OUT TO DO WHEN UNANIMOUSLY CREATED THE ADELAIDE SANCHEZ AWARD FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, EDUCATION, AND INTERPRETATION.
THIS AWARD IS INTENDED TO NOT ONLY RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS, BUT IN SOME CASES ORGANIZATIONS FOR THESE ACHIEVEMENTS.
BUT ALSO REMEMBER ONE REMARKABLE WOMAN, MS. SANCHEZ, WHO WANTED TO SEE THE UNIQUE NATURE OF ST. AUGUSTINE PRESERVED.
THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS TO THE AWARD, BUT NOT NECESSARILY TO AWARD RECIPIENTS.
ONE COMPONENT IS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION.
THE OTHER IS FOR HISTORIC EDUCATION INTERPRETATION.
MS. MARCO COX POPE IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LADDER FOR HISTORIC EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION, AND SO THAT WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE HOW SIGNIFICANT THIS AWARD IS, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECALL PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE AWARD AND MARGO SO THAT YOU WILL FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE INDEED IN GOOD COMPANY.
THE FIRST RECIPIENT WAS TO SHEILA GREENLEAF FOR HER WORK AND PRESERVING THE 110 YEAR OLD ALBERT LEWIS TROUGH.
ALSO THAT FIRST YEAR, PHILIP MCDANIEL AND RYAN DECHER WERE RECOGNIZED FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION FOR THEIR WORK IN RESTORING THE ICE PLANT.
IN 2016, THE ST. AUGUSTINE GARRISON AND ORGANIZATION RECEIVED THE AWARD FOR ITS LIVING HISTORY PROGRAMS FOR HISTORIC EDUCATION INTERPRETATION, AND THE WOMAN'S EXCHANGE OF ST. AUGUSTINE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION FOR ITS CARE AND PRESERVATION OF THE PENA-PECK HOUSE.
IN 2017, THEN CITY COMMISSIONER NOW VICE MAYOR, NANCY SYKES CLIMB WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HER STEADFAST ADVOCACY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
IN 2018, DOLORES AND ALAN LASINGER AND THE LASINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION RECEIVED THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION AWARD FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF A BROAD RANGE OF PRESERVATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT ST. AUGUSTINE.
TWO AWARDS WERE PRESENTED IN 2019.
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THE HISTORIC EDUCATION INTERPRETATION AWARD TO MR. DAVID NOLAN FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY AND UNWAVERING ADVOCACY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION AWARD TO MR. LESS THOMAS FOR HIS DEEP COMMITMENT AND TIRELESS LABOR ENSURING THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC ST. AUGUSTINE.UNFORTUNATELY, OUR AWARD CYCLES WERE INTERRUPTED IN 2020 AND 2021, AND NOW OF COURSE, WE ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER IN 2022 TO RECOGNIZE MARGO.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE VICE MAYOR NANCY SYKES CLIMB TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR WARDS NAMESAKE. VICE MAYOR.
>> THANK YOU. IT'S SO NICE TO SEE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL, SHINING FACES IN SUPPORTING MARGO TODAY.
ADELAIDE SANCHEZ WAS A NATIVE OF ST. AUGUSTINE, AND SHE WORKED AT THE ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD FROM 1930 THROUGH 1943 AS A REPORTER, FEATURES WRITER, SOCIETY EDITOR, AND ASSOCIATED PRESS CORRESPONDENT.
BUT IN 1943, SHE LEFT HER HOMETOWN TO JOIN THE STAFF OF THE MIAMI HERALD, WHERE FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS SHE COVERED MANY OF MIAMI'S BIGGEST SOCIETY EVENTS AS THE ASSISTANT WOMEN'S EDITOR.
IN 1973, SHE RETIRED FROM THE MIAMI HERALD AND RETURN TO ST. AUGUSTINE, BUT KEPT WRITING.
SHE WROTE NEWSLETTERS FOR THE FLAGLER HOSPITAL AUXILIARY AND TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
SHE ALSO WROTE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM FOR CROSS AND SWORD.
UPON HER DEATH IN 1994, IN ACCORDANCE WITH HER WISHES, HER HOME ON MARINE STREET WAS GIVEN TO THE HISTORIC ST.
AUGUSTINE PRESERVATION BOARD AND WHEN THAT BOARD WAS ABOLISHED, THE PROPERTY WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY.
AGAIN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH HER WISHES, WHEN THE HOME WAS SOLD, THE PROCEEDS FROM THAT SALE WERE TO BE HELD IN TRUST TO SUPPORT HISTORIC PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, EDUCATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF ST.
AUGUSTINE HISTORY AND THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO IT.
THE ADELAIDE SANCHEZ AWARD CAME TO BE, ADELAIDE SANCHEZ HAD A GREAT APPRECIATION AND LOVE FOR CITIES HISTORIC RESOURCES.
HER DESIRE WAS TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO WORKED SO DILIGENTLY TO PRESERVE OUR HISTORIC RESOURCES AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES HER A FINE EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO TRULY WALKED THE WALK.
TODAY, WE COME TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE ONE SUCH INDIVIDUALS WHOSE DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT IS BEYOND COMPARE.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER, JOHN VALDES TO COME FORWARD TO INTRODUCE OUR GUEST OF HONOR.
>> THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. THANK ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND HONOR SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON. YOU CAN FILL A HOUSE.
I CAN SAY THAT FOR YOU, MARGO.
[LAUGHTER]. IT'S SO PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO MARGO POPE THE ADELAIDE SANCHEZ AWARD FOR HISTORIC EDUCATION INTERPRETATION.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU KNOW MARGO AND YOU MAYBE HAVE GROWN UP WITH MARGO, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT YOU, WHICH I'VE HAD READING THIS AND TELL THE CROWD A BIT MORE ABOUT YOU AS WELL.
MARGO'S PARENTS CAME TO ST. AUGUSTINE IN 1946 FROM EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II.
MARGO'S FATHER, EDWARD RED COX, WAS A MEMBER OF THE ST. AUGUSTINE'S SAINTS BASEBALL CLUB, WHICH I FIND FASCINATING AND YOUR MOM WAS A RED CROSS SOCIAL WORKER.
I GREW UP IN FLORIDA AND WE GREW UP WITH A BASEBALL AROUND US, SO THAT STRUCK A CHORD WITH ME.
ANYWAY, MARGO AND ALYN WERE MARRIED IN 1971.
THEY HAVE ONE SON, NED AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE ACCOUNTED FOR OUT HERE.
MARGO ATTENDED ST. JOHN'S JUNIOR COLLEGE IN 1968 AND RECEIVED HER ASSOCIATE ARTS DEGREE AND THEN WENT ON TO STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, GRADUATING IN 1970 WITH A BACHELOR'S OF SCIENCE IN JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATIONS.
WE'RE THE SAME AGE. THAT'S THE SAME TIME I WENT TO SCHOOL AS WELL.
AFTER GRADUATION, MARGO BEGAN HER CAREER WITH A FLORIDA TIMES-UNION AND JACKSONVILLE WHERE SHE WORKED FOR 18 YEARS.
IN 1988, MARGO WAS RECRUITED BY THE ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD, THEIR LOSS, OUR GAIN, AND THEY ASKED HER TO BE THE MANAGING EDITOR.
SHE LEFT THE TIMES-UNION AND WORK FULL-TIME FOR THE RECORD UNTIL HER RETIREMENT IN 2012, AND I QUESTIONED THAT RETIREMENT.
AMONG THE MANY DUTIES THAT THE RECORD, MARGO WAS A LOCAL COLUMNIST, HELD SEVERAL EDITOR POSITIONS INCLUDING FEATURES EDITOR,
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SPECIAL PROJECTS, AND EDITORIAL PAGE AND I IMAGINE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT JUST KEPT THE DOORS OPEN.A FEW YEARS AFTER RETIREMENT IN 2014, MARGO RETURNED TO THE RECORD AS A SPECIAL PROJECTS WRITER, WHERE SHE CONTINUES WRITING TODAY AND YOU MAY KNOW A COLUMN, POPE'S VIEW, WHICH I ENJOY READING IMMENSELY, SPECIAL FEATURES COLUMN COVERING IMPORTANT LOCAL ISSUES AND CURRENT EVENTS.
WHILE JOURNALISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN MARGO'S CAREER, SHE HAD AND HAS OTHER PASSIONS.
ARGUABLY, THE GREATEST BEING THE PRESERVATION AND PRESENTATION OF THE HISTORIC PENA-PECK HOUSE.
THE WORK OF LIMITED USE EXCHANGE, AND THE TEXT TO OUR SCALE OF ST. AUGUSTINE.
MARGO HAS SPENT DECADES PROTECTING AND WORKING TO LENGTHEN THE LIFE FOR THE PENA-PECK HOUSE.
NOT ONLY FOCUSING ON THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE, BUT ALSO SHOWCASING ITS RESIDENTS.
AS PART OF PREPARING FOR THE CITIES 450TH CELEBRATION, SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL WITH THE COMMITTEE THAT CREATED THE VISITOR'S ORIENTATION CENTER AT THAT PENA-PECK HOUSE.
SHE HAS ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF THE WOMAN'S EXCHANGE OF ST. AUGUSTINE FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.
SHE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THAT ORGANIZATION, IS CURRENTLY THE CHAIR OF THE HISTORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF THE PENA-PECK HOUSE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT MARGO'S WORK AND HER CONTRIBUTIONS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE WOMAN'S EXCHANGE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THE SAME AWARD ADELAIDE SANCHEZ AWARD IN 2016.
MARGO WAS ALSO ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMAN'S EXCHANGES AND THEN WAS THE FIRST LOCAL MEMBER TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION.
SINCE 2001, MARGO HAS WORKED WITH THE TEXTILE GUILD OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.
SHE PARTICIPATED IN THE SAINT AUGUSTINE TAPESTRY, WHICH WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF AVILES SPAIN, OUR SISTER CITY IN 2003, AND THEN WORKED ON IN FOR 50TH TAPESTRY IN 2015 AS WELL.
SHE IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST, AND RECIPIENT OF THE 2014 SAINT JOHN'S CULTURAL COUNCIL DR.
GAIL PFLASTER ROWITA AWARD RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE ARTS.
MARGO WAS ON THE BOARD AND SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE SAINT AUGUSTINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
OF COURSE I PROBABLY COULD GO ON FOR QUITE A WHILE HERE, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, MARGO'S IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN IMMEASURABLE, BUT PERHAPS IN HONORING HER TODAY, WE CAN RECOGNIZE HER EFFORTS AND KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO HISTORIC EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION IN SAINT AUGUSTINE.
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE IS APPRECIATED AND WE CELEBRATE YOU TODAY.
WITH THAT, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD AND ACCEPT THE ADELAIDE SANCHEZ AWARD.
>> ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU AND WE HOPE THAT IT WILL GRACE YOUR HOME AND THE HOMES OF YOUR CHILDREN AND ANCESTORS IN THE FUTURE AND PERHAPS THEIR DESCENDANTS. [LAUGHTER].
>> WITH ALL THE OTHER STAFF [LAUGHTER] AND WE'RE JUST PROUD OF YOU, SO THANKFUL.
BUT I THINK AS MUCH AS ANYTHING, WE'RE JUST [INAUDIBLE] THIS IS HEAVY AND WE MAY SERIOUSLY [LAUGHTER], BUT LET'S TAKE A PICTURE, ARE YOU READY?
>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS HERE?
THEY'RE THERE IN MY PURSE. THANK YOU.
I WAS BLOWN AWAY WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS.
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I REALLY I'M STILL IN A LOT OF SHOCK BECAUSE AS I WAS SAYING WHEN I CAME IN AND I'VE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE RECENTLY, I'M NOT USED TO BEING AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM OTHER THAN BADGERING SOME OF THESE WONDERFUL OFFICIALS WITH PERSISTENT QUESTIONS, THEY ARE A LOT OF THEM IN AROUND HERE AND I'M LOOKING AT SOME THAT PROBABLY THINK, WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO WITH THAT COMMENT FROM ME? [LAUGHTER] SURPRISE. BUT I AM MORE PLEASED THAT WHAT I HAVE DONE AS A WRITER HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE.I'M ALWAYS AMAZED WHEN PEOPLE CONTACT ME ABOUT SOMETHING THEY FOUND ON THE INTERNET THAT I WROTE, WANTING TO KNOW MORE AND WHERE MY RESEARCH COMES FROM AND I DO MY JOB TELLING THEM WHERE MY RESEARCH COMES FROM.
I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE IDEA THAT NEWSPAPERS, REPORTERS, EDITORS PROTECT THE FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY.
BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, AND I DO IT TOO, WHERE DO I GO TO BEGIN THE STORY? I'M OVER AT THE RESEARCH LIBRARY GOING THROUGH EVERY IMAGINABLE CLIP THEY HAVE.
MEGHAN IS HERE AND I KNOW SHE CAN ATTEST TO THAT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT, I WAS LIVING OVER THERE MORE THAN I AM NOW IN BOTH BUILDINGS.
I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYMORE, BUT I JUST HOPE THAT AS YOU CONTINUE YOUR OWN SUPPORT FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THIS CITY, THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT EACH ONE OF YOU MAKES.
WHATEVER YOU DO, WHETHER YOU CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY, YOU VOLUNTEER, IT ALL MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN PRESERVING THE HISTORIC RECORD OF THIS WONDERFUL PROUD CITY, AMERICA'S OLDEST.
>> YOU HAVE TO WALK IT OUT FOR HER [LAUGHTER].
I HAVE ONE MORE ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE.
WE WILL BE HAVING A RECEPTION AT THE PENA-PECK HOUSE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS EVENT.
I THINK THIS EVENT IS ABOUT DONE.
>> BEFORE WE ADJOURN, IT'S ONLY APPROPRIATE THAT WE RECOGNIZE MARGO'S HUSBAND, ALYN.
ALYN POPE HAS LOVED AND SUPPORTED MARGO FOR ALL THOSE MANY YEARS.
WELL, ALYN, WE APPRECIATE YOU SHARING HER WITH US.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND WE'RE JUST DELIGHTED YOU'RE HERE.
THANK YOU MARGO, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
[APPLAUSE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.