Her Place in History: Terrie Cwik Receives Outstanding Citizen Award from SHPOA
SHPOA President Frank Byrne with Outstanding Citizen honoree Terrie Cwik.
Terrie Cwik has devoted more than a decade to presenting history in Stone Harbor. Now she’s made some.
The Stone Harbor Museum president received a coveted honor in September when the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association named her its Outstanding Citizen. In doing so, the SHPOA, which serves as an important bridge between borough officials and homeowners, recognized its perfect link.
The longtime Stone Harbor resident not only connects the group as a current homeowner but can add a rich historical perspective. Her award coincides with a banner year for the museum, which more than doubled in size and tripled its visitations by moving to the spacious quarters at 9410 Second Ave. The museum gained a prominent location and became a full-fledged selling point for the borough.
Cwik also moved into some good company.
“I think this is a very illustrious group of people,” she says, referring to past award recipients. “I would only hope this will motivate some other people to do something for the town, as in ‘If Terrie Cwik can do it, I can do it.’ There is a lot to be done here and there are many talented people in Stone Harbor.”
Cwik heads an operation that highlights videos of the beach and boardwalk, along with historic storms. There are displays of the Bird Sanctuary and the trains that brought the earliest visitors to Stone Harbor. The expanded museum has 50,000 artifacts, as well as oral histories from Stone Harbor’s early days.
Cwik has her own Stone Harbor history. A native of Johnstown, Pa., she first came here as a young bride in 1953, became a homeowner in 1963 and a full-time resident in 1984.
“This is an absolutely wonderful place to be,” she says. “When you go off the island for an evening and you are coming back, you see so much serenity, no crime, it’s almost a utopia, a Camelot sort of place. There are very few places that exist like this anymore.”
One of Cwik’s missions is to preserve it. The newer facility near the heart of town figures to be a magnet for foot traffic.
“We are so happy with this location. The former cottage was not insulated and the heating and air-conditioning expenses alone were exorbitant. Because of the conditions [moisture, humidity], it wasn’t good for the artifacts we collected. In the old place, we couldn’t get the whole board into the meeting,” she says with a laugh.
“We have ample space now for presentations, for lectures and for outside groups in the museum that we weren’t able to have before. It is becoming more important for towns to emphasize their museums and historical societies -- not only as a treasure, but as a place that contains documents and artifacts to educate the community.”
The museum’s winter hours usually are 10am-2pm weekdays. Calling ahead to set up an appointment is recommended.
Frank Byrne, the past president of the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association, respects Cwik’s tireless, unselfish nature.
“Terrie devotes a lot of energy and time for Stone Harbor,” Byrne says. “I have so much admiration for what she has done for the borough. She is a role model for all of us who like to give a little back to the community. In fact, she gives a lot back. Terrie is a gracious lady. She is one of the many people that make Stone Harbor the great community that it is.”
Cwik has made the most of her transplanted roots. She was married 53 years before her husband John passed away 10 years ago, and has three children and three grandchildren. Terrie has been a trustee for the SHPOA, a Red Cross volunteer, a participant in the Holy Redeemer Hospice Program, a eucharistic minister and an organizer of the Prayers and Squares program, which promotes prayer through the use of quilts.
Amid the activities, Cwik fashions a quick, dry wit. She calls herself part of “the post-adolescence club” without revealing her age and jokes about her presidency for the nonprofit museum.
“I’ve been doing this for something like 12 or 13 years,” she says, laughing. “Maybe it’s time for someone to impeach me.”
Sorry, Terrie, there wouldn’t be enough votes. Or even a second.
“There’s no quick way to talk about Terrie Cwik,” says Bruce Tell, the museum director. “Terrie is the person who has the voice of reason, the glue that holds it all together. She is the final word on everything. Terrie is smart as can be and a super nice person, one of the nicest people I have ever met. I just told her that I have been here three years and the best thing about it is working for her.”
The award bears out his statement.
