Grass Valley Mayor and longtime community leader Howard Levine has been selected as recipient of the 29th Annual Col. William H. “Bill” Lambert Award, which is presented each year as part of Nevada City’s Constitution Day Celebration.
The prestigious Lambert Award is presented by the Famous Marching Presidents of Nevada City to recognize outstanding contributions to our community. The award is named in honor of the late Col. William H. Lambert, founder of Nevada City’s annual Constitution Day Parade.
Levine, an artist, was elected to the Grass Valley City Council in 2012 and his now midway through a two-year term as mayor. He previously served 10 years on the Grass Valley Planning Commission, 13 years as director of the Grass Valley Downtown Association and five years on the Grass Valley School Board.
He runs the Swan Levine House on South Church Street, a bed and breakfast inn he opened in 1975 with his late wife, Peggy. In addition, the couple previously owned and operated the Holbrooke Hotel.
“Howard Levine’s first steps in Nevada County were those of a community activist,” said fellow artist and Nevada City Mayor David Parker, founder of the Famous Marching Presidents.
“Howard’s community involvement has continued ever since, for almost five decades at the highest level. The Famous Marching Presidents of Nevada City California are proud to honor Howard Levine with the Col. William H. “Bill” Lambert Award for outstanding community service.”
The Marching Presidents announce the award each year on the eve of the annual Constitution Day Parade, in which they participate. This year’s 52nd annual parade rolls down Broad Street beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018.
Levine is no stranger to the Famous Marching Presidents. He was the group’s first Ronald Reagan in 1988, portraying the 40th president for several years. He later portrayed William Howard Taft (27th President) and currently serves as 21st President Chester A. Arthur.
He said he is honored to receive the Lambert Award. “The Marching Presidents are such a unique and colorful part of what has been created here in Nevada County,” he said. “For me this is really a special honor.”
Levine will be among the Marching Presidents in Sunday’s parade and will accept the award at the group’s post-parade banquet at Miners Foundry.
Past Lambert Award recipients are retired city manager Beryl P. Robinson Jr., former mayor and city clerk Cathy Wilcox-Barnes, longtime parade organizers George and Pat Harper, former mayor Pat Dyer, the late real estate broker Jim Mackey, local writer Dave Carter, Chamber of Commerce executive manager Cathy Whittlesey, former mayor Steve Cottrell, businessman Bob Buhlis, retired Nevada County general services director Dennis Cassella, John Christensen, a leader of community efforts to establish the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum; cartoonist R.L. “Crabman” Crabb, business owners Lee and Susan Thurston, retired Nevada City public works director Verne Taylor, the late historian Edwin Tyson, the late folksinger/activist U Utah Phillips, former city engineer Bill Falconi, Marching Presidents organizer Patti Foster, retired school administrator Karen Chizek, musician Mikail Graham, retired county librarian Madelyn Helling, local builder Gary Tintle, former mayors Paul Matson and Reinette Senum, Nevada City Film Festival Director Jesse Locks, Nevada City musician and producer Paul Emery and homeless advocates Joanna Robinson and Cindy Maple. Marching Presidents founder David Parker was honored with the group’s 20th anniversary award.
The Marching Presidents is a fun-loving and educational group that portrays all 45 U.S. Presidents with reverence, good humor and varying degrees of historical accuracy. For reliable information on U.S. Presidents, see www.americanpresident.org.