At their annual meeting last week, the Athens-Clarke County Heritage Foundation awarded the new edition of PORTRAIT OF HISTORIC ATHENS AND CLARKE COUNTY their 2009 Outstanding Publications and Programs award, which honors publications in the field of preservation that possess a high degree of graphic design integrity and/or wide use or impact. 
A reception and book signing featuring the author, Frances Taliaferro Thomas, will launch the book on Tuesday, June 30, at the Taylor-Grady House (634 Prince Avenue in Athens). The reception begins at 5:30; presentation and signing will follow at 6:15. The event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP to 706-353-1801 by Wednesday, June 24 if you plan to attend as space is limited.In PORTRAIT, originally published in 1992, Thomas brings her deep interest, commitment and experience writing about historic preservation to a study of her own town: Athens, Georgia. A founding member of the Athens Historic Preservation Commission, Thomas has created a guide to historic Athens that takes into account people, environment and economics as a framework for understanding the richness and significance of Athens’s built environment. Now in paper, the new edition features color photographs and a new chapter exploring developments in Athens in the last two decades.
Tune in to WUGA (91.7/97.9 FM or online) for news director Mary Kay Mitchell’s interview with Thomas, which will air Monday, June 29 at 4:06 pm.
