COLUMBUS, Ohio – After months of anxious waiting, winners of the prestigious 2011 America in Bloom national awards program were announced at the annual awards held in Washington, D.C. on October 8. Westfield was judged on eight criteria: tidiness, community involvement, environmental awareness, heritage, urban forestry, landscape, floral displays, and turf and ground covers across three sectors: municipal, residential and commercial. Specially trained judges visited towns of similar populations and spent two days touring the town, meeting municipal officials, residents and volunteers. Westfield received a four bloom rating with special recognition for its efforts in environmental awareness. The judges, Melanie Menachem-Riggs and Billy Butterfield, noted that the Westfield Memorial Library’s installation of a solar panel system makes it a leader in environmental awareness. Registrations for the 2012 national awards program can be submitted until February 28, 2012.
America in Bloom is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting nationwide beautification programs and personal and community involvement through the use of flowers, plants, trees and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements. America in Bloom provides educational programs, resources and the challenge of a friendly competition between participating communities across the country. For more information, visit americainbloom.org.
For the last three years of competition, Westfield in Bloom efforts were co-led by Sherry Cronin, Executive Director of Downtown Westfield Corporation and David Williams of Williams Nursery. For more information about Westfield in Bloom, visit www.westfieldinbloom.com.
