The work of area volunteers and unsung heroes was honored Wednesday during the New Bern Sun Journal’s 52 Faces of Community Recognition Drive-Thru Celebration at Union Point Park.
Now in its fourth year, the event spotlights those individuals featured in the paper’s weekly 52 Faces of Community feature, which focuses on those who have made a positive difference in the community.
Antoinette Boskey-Chadwick was also chosen as this year’s recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service. The award honors “Outstanding Americans who are making a difference.”
She will represent Craven County this summer at the national Jefferson Awards event this summer. Past Jefferson Award winners include Tharesa Lee, Ben Watford, and Patti Peebles.
The New Bern Redevelopment Commission has reached a milestone in Phase I of its housing program, with plans to build seven to nine new houses and rehab at least one existing property.
It centers in a section called “The Avenues,” west of Craven Terrace and bordered by Broad, Miller and Cedar streets.
The commission, armed with a 20-year redevelopment plan passed last spring, has worked since then at buying and rehabilitating structures for rentals to create a revenue stream for future housing.
Building new homes is now in the plan.
Jeff Ruggieri, director of Development Service for the city of New Bern, said it initially calls for building the free-standing homes along an area of 1st Avenue.