ANAHEIM, Calif. – It’s Lewiston’s year.

City backers, municipal staff and local volunteers claimed the title of All-America City for Lewiston on Friday night, winning in an award ceremony at the Anaheim Marriott. Lewiston was one of 10 cities to win official All-America City status at the National Civic League-sponsored contest.

“My head is just spinning right now,” said Dottie Perham-Whittier, Lewiston’s community relations coordinator. Lewiston was the ninth of 10 winners named at Friday’s ceremony, and she said delegates were nervous.

“I think we pretty much just leaped up on that stage,” she said. “One of the judges looked at me and said, ‘Aren’t you glad you came back?’ “

Judges selected Lewiston after hearing a presentation Thursday talking about the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council, the Lots to Garden program, and tax preparation for low-income residents.

“We felt really good about it. We really did,” Perham-Whittier said.

They were competing against 21 other cities from around the country, including Dubuque, Iowa, Hollywood, Fla., and Laredo, Texas.

This is the second year Lewiston has been in the running for the award. They attended the contest in 2006, but were never called to the stage.

Four Maine cities have won the honor: Portland in 1950, South Portland in 1964, Presque Isle in 1966 and Auburn in 1967.

Three other Maine cities have been named finalists, but have not made the final list. They are Gardiner in 1957, Kittery in 1968 and Augusta in 1988.

The National Civic League, which created the award, said it demonstrates national recognition for hard work and civic pride. The group typically awards 10 cities each year. The league claims each city gets a public relations boost with the status, resulting in more tourism and new business investment.

Lewiston’s delegates were optimistic before the award ceremony.

“We think we nailed our presentation,” Perham-Whittier said. “The judges repeatedly thanked us for coming back again. They commented on the youth council and really seemed to remember a lot about us.”

After last year, Deputy City Manager Phil Nadeau and his team crafted a punchier, shorter application that focused more on community accomplishments and less on the work from City Hall.

The youth council’s most recent effort, the “U Booze, U Looze” campaign, aimed at curbing underage drinking took center stage at the Anaheim contest. UBUL pins and logos were prominent parts of the city’s booth at a civic fair Thursday.

“We had teens coming up to the booth trying to find out more and more about it,” Perham-Whittier said. “That’s one of the things the youth council wanted to do – take the program across the country and market it. It couldn’t have worked out better.”

Waiting

Mayor Larry Gilbert spent part of Thursday visiting with Anaheim’s chief of police and learning about the city’s community policing efforts. That city spearheaded a Volunteers In Policing program that uses residents to handle some everyday tasks. He saw a presentation on the program at a conference last year and thinks it could be adapted for use in Lewiston.

“Not just in policing, but in other city departments,” Gilbert said. “It’s possible we could have volunteers do some basic tasks in other parts of the city – like answering phones in City Hall.”

Lewiston’s delegates spent Friday before the award ceremony relaxing and attending civic discussions. Gilbert and Councilor Norm Rousseau were invited to a roundtable discussion with elected officials from nominee cities. Lewiston Youth Advisory Council members Tim Stretton and Ashley Morgan organized a roundtable discussion of youth attending the contest to discuss what they could do in the future.

“We’ve learned a lot,” Perham-Whittier said. “The communities here all have so much pride in their homes and in what they’re doing, you can’t help but share it.”

Gilbert said he plans to stay in California visiting with family and friends, and will return to Maine on Monday. Before moving to Maine in 1969, Gilbert grew up in a community just north of Anaheim.

The rest of Maine’s delegates are scheduled to arrive at Portland International Jetport about 6:40 p.m. today. They’ll take a charter bus and should arrive at the Colisee about 8 p.m.