St. Charles, Warrenville spruce up for America in Bloom competition
After months of planting, tidying up and landscaping, St. Charles and Warrenville are awaiting the arrival of national judges this month to rank their beautification efforts on a national scale.
Representatives from the America in Bloom organization will visit St. Charles on Monday and Tuesday and then Warrenville the following week.
The nonprofit group promotes nationwide beautification through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants, trees and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements, according to its website.
This will be Warrenville's fourth time competing for an award, but St. Charles is new to the game.
"We have been talking about it for a couple years now and we finally decided it was time to stop talking," said Diane Cullen, a member of the St. Charles steering committee. "It's time to do it."
Each suburb is evaluated in six categories: community involvement, floral displays, landscapes, urban forestry, environmental efforts, heritage preservation and overall impression. The ultimate prize is being named the winner of one's population category.
St. Charles is competing in the category for towns with populations of between 30,000 and 40,000 against Saratoga, California; Santa Paula, California; and Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Warrenville is squaring off against Marrietta, Ohio; Woodhaven, Michigan; and Holliston, Massachusetts, in the 12,500 to 16,000 population category.
Warrenville has never won the award but did receive special mentions for environmental awareness.
"There's no question about our environmental initiative. We have an Environmental Advisory Commission that has been educating people through a newsletter and a writer who educates on gardens and green living," said Dorothy Deer, Warrenville in Bloom president. "This year we're providing speakers with more information that relates to their (America in Bloom's) criteria."
America in Bloom officials say they intend for their awards program to be more than just a beauty pageant. It should bring residents together who might not normally work collaboratively on common goals.
It also can often act as a catalyst for positive momentum to do more to improve municipalities and increase civic pride, they say.
In addition, there can be some economic benefits in the forms of improving property values and bolstering tourism, according to the group's website.
Officials in both St. Charles and Warrenville say they've already observed some positives stemming from their participation.
"It's been so positive to see people working together. I've got people from the city, residents, people involved in horticulture and nature and they're all coming together to work on this program," Cullen said. "Even if we aren't recognized with an award, we are certainly going to feel good when this is over."
Deer said Warrenville's past participation in the contest has spurred interest in improving the city. It also has encouraged businesses to incorporate plants indigenous to Illinois into their landscaping.
Both cities were required to create community profiles to enter the competition, which highlighted assets pertaining to each category, and to pay an entrance fee. Any community can be judged, but being named a winner is much more difficult.
Those who do place first in their respective category are invited to participate in the international version of the competition via the Communities in Bloom program in Canada. A symposium and awards program will be held Sept. 24 through 26 in Holland, Michigan, a community that has won its population category the past four years.
St. Charles and Warrenville officials are optimistic about their chances and may be some of the few in the suburbs grateful for the rainy summer, because it has kept plants green and growing.
"We feel blessed that our community has so many opportunities to show the judges," Cullen said. "They're going to be busy."