Nevada City mayor a candidate for Nau’s ‘Grant for Change’

Photo by Bob Lickter Reinette Senum was all smiles after being sworn as the mayor of Nevada City. Now, she's competing for a $10,000 grant that would help her continue her work on sustainable practices.

Nau, a clothing retailer that promotes sustainable practices, is offering the grant for the first time. It is also letting the public pick five of the 10 finalists for the award. Senum, who has 705 votes, is in fifth place. Votes will be counted through Monday, Aug. 31.

Nevada City Mayor Reinette Senum has been nominated for a nationwide grant called "Nau’s Grants for Change." She is one of 294 nominees in the running for a $10,000 grant that will recognize an individual who is committed to positive change in their community.

  Nau, a clothing retailer that promotes sustainable practices, is offering the grant for the first time. It is also letting the public pick five of the 10 finalists for the award. Senum, who has 705 votes, is in fifth place. Votes will be counted through Monday, Aug. 31.

  The top vote-getter is a 56-year-old grandmother who is raising money for a treatment center by running marathons around the world. She has 924 votes.

  Senum was the top vote-getter in the June 2008 City Council election and was sworn in as mayor for a one-year term earlier this year. She is the director of the non-profit Power-Up NC, which seeks alternative energy solutions for the area. She is one of the founding members of APPLE, or the Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy.

  Senum was a driving force behind the Nevada City Farmers Market, which is held from May to October on Union Street in downtown Nevada City. More recently, she organized the Community Congress that was instrumental in getting a $40,000 grant for the Center for Sustainable Living on Commercial Street in downtown Nevada City.

  Nau’s Web site for the contest has pictures and brief biographies on all 294 nominees. If you would like to vote, you need to visit https://www.nau.com/collective/grant-for-change/?viewall=true and sign on, which takes just a moment. Voters can also choose from one to five stars as a way to weigh their votes. If you don’t want to search all the nominees to find Senum’s picture, just visit  https://www.nau.com/collective/grant-for-change/reinette-senum-678.html.share.

  If you need help voting or want more information, you can contact Reinette by e-mailing Reinettesenum@mac.com