Neighborhood award finalist

Once again Long Beach is being recognized by Neighborhoods USA, a national nonprofit group that the works to strengthen and promote neighborhood groups.

Long Beach and its many neighborhood associations have been consistent placers in the national competition. This is the 12th time in nine years a Long Beach neighborhood group has been recognized. Last year, We Love Long Beach was a finalist In 2008, the North Long Beach Community Action Group won the first Grand Prize for the city. 

This year, the Willmore City Heritage Association has been named as one of 11 finalists in the NUSA 2010 Neighborhood of the Year competition.

WCHA's project, "Willmore's School House on the Move" was entered in the Physical Revitalization - Single Neighborhood category. The historic home was moved, fixed up and later sold with the help of the Willmore group. It earned its Schoolhouse nickname for its former site where Cesar Chavez School was built.

The Schoolhouse was the first of five historic turn-of-the-century homes slated for demolition in the West Gateway area of Long Beach that have since been relocated to Willmore City.

First, second and third place winners will be selected in each of three categories, physical revitalization, social revitalization and muti-neighborhood partnerships, after presentations are heard by the NUSA panel of judges at the 2010 conference in Little Rock, Ark. Winners in each category, as well as an overall Grand Prize neighborhood will be announced Friday, May 28.

Cheryl Perry, the former president of Willmore Heritage will make the presentation.

NLB's Community Action Group was named Neighborhood of the Year in 2008 for its NLB History Project, which identified historic and cultural resources in the community.