The New Hope group wanted to recognize innovation and leadership in the borough.
By: Linda Seida
NEW HOPE The Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce has established three new awards to recognize innovation and leadership.
The chamber bestowed the President’s Award on the New Hope Eagle Fire Company for the flood-related assistance its members gave the community this year.
The Service Award was given to chamber Vice President Frank Policare of Penn Wealth Planning in Union Square for establishing a free trolley service in the borough.
The Community Award went to Robin Larsen, executive director of New Hope Arts Inc., for opening the new New Hope Arts Center at Stockton and Bridge streets.
The awards were presented Dec. 13 during the chamber’s annual holiday party held at Hotel du Village.
Chamber President Connie Gering said the awards will become an annual event.
"This is a new chamber of commerce; we started from scratch two years ago," Ms. Gering said. "We feel it’s very important to recognize people for their hard work. This is the kind of thing we want to see in New Hope; things that are done in a positive manner."
The trolley brought to life by Mr. Policare is an example of one of those positive things.
"He just took the ball and made it happen," Ms. Gering said.
Mr. Policare said, "It wasn’t a new idea. People talked about it for a long time."
He worked on it "on and off for three years," he said. He was a "one-man crew, but that was my fault. I wanted to get it done."
Mr. Policare sold all of the advertising to pay for the free trolley runs that make getting from one end of town to the other a little easier for tourists and shoppers. He said it encourages them to venture farther from their parking spots and try out shops they might not otherwise. The trolley will run through Christmas then go on hiatus until March.
The organization also presented recognition awards to Daniel Brooks for New Hope Celebrates; Lonn Braender, Maria D’Ambrosio and Sharon Flanagan for the New Hope Arts and Crafts Festival; Michael Gardner, known as "Pumpkin," for the High Heeled Race; Brian Hanck for Second Saturdays; and the New Hope Borough Council.
Mr. Brooks runs a bed-and-breakfast inn, the Wishing Well Guest House on Old York Road. He’s also responsible for establishing New Hope Celebrates, a celebration of gay pride.
"I’m very honored to be a recipient," Mr. Brooks said. "I think it’s great New Hope Celebrates has gained so much recognition."
Mr. Brooks spends half the year in New York. Three years ago, people there used to tell him they didn’t realize New Hope was still "a beacon of diversity and acceptance," he said.
New Hope Celebrates, now entering its fourth year, "underscores what was already there, but was starting to get lost," he said.
Not only does the event bring thousands of visitors to the borough each year, it also raises money for three charities, the Human Rights Campaign, FACT (Fighting AIDS Continuously Together) of Bucks County and Planned Parenthood’s Rainbow Room of Bucks County for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens.
The event raised $75,000 last year. This year, the goal is $100,000. After just a week of preparation for the May 18-20 event, $15,000 had been pledged, Mr. Brooks said.
About 120 people showed up for the campaign’s kickoff held recently at the Triumph Brewing Company in Union Square. Half of them were borough retailers, Mr. Brooks estimated.
Not everyone who attended is a member of the gay community.
"When you see that many people from every walk of life, big wigs and no wigs, everybody was there for the same reason: a celebration of the fact the town is so accepting," Mr. Brooks said.

