Historic Hudson Valley feted Joseph Cotter and his National RE/sources on Wednesday, June 18, at Washington Irving's Sunnyside. More than 300 guests attended the Hudson Valley Hero Gala, which was co-chaired by John T. Cooney, Jr., HHV Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Hegarty, John R. Peckham, HHV board member Mark F. Rockefeller, and Lawrence D. Stewart.

Among those who braved the threat of thunder and the raining of both cats and dogs were, top photo from left, HHV President Waddell Stillman, County Executive Andy Spano, and the guest of honor, Joseph Cotter. Bottom left photo shows Janet Langsam, president of the Westchester Arts Council, along with Brenda Spano. And at right are, from left, Natalie Derby and Claire Hallock.

Each year, Historic Hudson Valley honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the preservation and conservation of the Hudson Valley. Tonight, at a gala event at Washington Irving's Sunnyside, the organization is bestowing its Hudson Valley Hero award on Joseph Cotter, President of National RE/sources, which was established in 1996 as the first institutionally funded Brownfields developer. HHV is saluting Mr. Cotter and NRE for working closely with civic organizations along the Hudson, where it owns more than one-and-a-half miles of shoreline, making it the largest private owner of riverfront land.

Under Mr. Cotter's leadership, NRE has transformed outmoded industrial sites to vibrant use, employing "green" practices that respect both the environment and the character of Hudson River communities. The company has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for environmental stewardship, including the use of sustainable materials and siting near public transportation.

Congrats to Mr. Cotter and the entire team at NRE!

Ladies of Liberty: The Women who Shaped our Nation is the latest book by noted political correspondent and author Cokie Roberts. It's a companion volume to Founding Mothers, in which the author pays homage to the women whose patriotism and sacrifice helped create a new nation.

Much to HVBLogger's delight, the newly published book features Louise Livingston (1782-1860) on the front and back cover. Louise was the cosmopolitan and well-traveled widow of Edward Livingston. She and her daughter Coralie Livingston Barton used Montgomery Place, Historic Hudson Valley's Dutchess County jewel, as a summer home and remade its architecture and landscape over a forty-year period. They transformed the site into a handsome, self-sufficient estate.

(Cokie also writes about Rebecca Gratz, who has links with Washington Irving. He gets a couple of mentions, too.)

In 2007, Cokie Roberts worked with Kate Johnson, curator of Historic Hudson Valley, and Catalina Hannan, librarian of Historic Hudson Valley, on the project that would become Ladies of Liberty. The author offers warm thanks to both of them in her Acknowledgements. Bravo to Kate and Cat!

If you want to learn more about the book click here.

Don't know of Cokie Roberts? Oh, come on. Yes you do! Among other career highlights, she is a political commentator for ABC News and a senior news analyst for National Public Radio. From 1996 to 2002, she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program, This Week.