BUCKS COUNTY, PA - The Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, Inc. (BCCVB) hosted a one-year anniversary celebration and dedication of the Bucks County Visitor Center on Oct. 16 at the Bucks County Visitor Center at 3207 Street Road in Bensalem.

The unveiling of several dedication plaques by Mike Etzrodt, BCCVB Board President, highlighted the day. There was also a check presentation from PECO Energy honoring the donation of funds for the Visitor Center’s sign on Street Road.

A dedication plaque was engraved with the names of the members of the BCCVB’s Board of Directors, the names of the Bensalem Township officials, the Bucks County Commissioners as well as the groundbreaking, opening and dedication dates. It was dedicated to them as well as key construction and design partners to show appreciation of their involvement in the Visitor Center’s construction. The center’s main gallery will now be known as Carlin-Hutton Hall. It was named in honor of the contributions of William J. Carlin, Esq., and posthumously in honor of Ann Hawkes Hutton, Esq., two of Bucks County’s leading citizens. The Visitor Center’s movie theater will now be known as the DiGirolamo Theater to honor the contributions of Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, a key figure in bringing the Visitor Center to Bensalem Township.

The program of speakers included members of the BCCVB Board of Directors, the Bucks County Commissioners and other distinguished guests. The BCCVB also unveiled a new tour product at the event, a winery and farm market driving tour which is now available on the BCCVB’s website.

The Bucks County Visitor Center is located at 3207 Street Road in Bensalem. It is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is home to the offices of the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau and the Bucks County Transportation Management Authority. It also has meeting space, a gift shop and an art gallery. The Visitor Center is easily accessible from Interstate 95, US Route 1 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Brief biographical information of those honored:

WILLIAM J. CARLIN, ESQ.
Admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1952 and the US Circuit Court of Appeals, the third Circuit and US District Court (Eastern District of Pennsylvania) in 1957, William J. Carlin, Esq., has been one of Bucks County’s leading citizens for nearly 50 years. Mr. Carlin held the position of Bucks County District Attorney from 1964-1965. As the solicitor of the Bristol Township Water Authority, the Municipal Sewer Authority of Lower Makefield Township and the Bucks County Industrial Development Corporation and Authority, he has been involved in real estate, municipal, zoning, land use and transactional law in Bucks County for nearly 40 years. Mr. Carlin is currently a member of Begley, Carlin and Mandio LLP in Langhorne. He was a key figure in helping the BCCVB obtain the land on which the Visitor Center stands.

ANN HAWKES HUTTON, ESQ.
Prior to her death in March of 2003, Mrs. Hutton was the founder of the Bucks County Historical Tourist Commission and remains an honorary chairperson of the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau. She was the founder and chairperson of the Board of the Washington Crossing Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the character of George Washington and provides scholarships to outstanding students with a commitment to government service. She was a past chairperson and trustee of Historic Fallsington, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the colonial village in Falls Township. Mrs. Hutton was a trustee of PAWS Farm Nature Center of Mt. Laurel, N.J., a past president of the Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania, president of the Historical Foundation of Pennsylvania, and Commissioner of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, as appointed by Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

JOSEPH DiGIROLAMO
A lifelong Bucks County resident, Joseph DiGirolamo is currently in his third successive term as the mayor of Bensalem Township. He is a founding member of the Bensalem Economic Development Corporation, which facilitates the development of new businesses and provides additional employment opportunities for Bensalem residents. He has served on the Bucks County Land Preservation Board and participated in the movement to preserve Bucks County’s heritage of open space and natural beauty. He is a founding member and primary sponsor of “Kids at Work and “Holiday Happiness.” The former was created to provide jobs for disadvantaged youths and the latter was formed to distribute food and toys to needy families during the holiday season. The mayor founded DiGirolamo Farms, a multi-faceted agribusiness and market center, which employed more than 70 people. The Bucks County representative to the Board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Mayor DiGirolamo was a key figure in bringing the Bucks County Visitor Center to Bensalem.