Warrenville officials hope to be certified as pretty city

The flowers have been planted. The neighborhood lawns have been manicured.

Now all Warrenville city leaders hope is for the bragging rights that come with being certified as one of America's prettiest cities by America in Bloom.

"They've been just wonderful, gracious hosts," said Darlene Blake, a judge for the national group.

Blake and fellow judge Norm Kleber are in town as part of Warrenville's second foray into AIB's national competition, which pits similar-sized communities against each other.

Cities are assessed on their floral displays, environmental awareness, landscaping, tidiness, heritage preservation and community involvement.

The winner gets bragging rights which organizers claim fosters community spirit and pride in the appearance of their town.

"This competition adds such a key dimension to the town," said Connie Weiner, a local businesswoman who owns Minuteman Press. "The effort makes the town so cozy and beautiful."

This year Warrenville is competing against five other towns, including Greenfield, Wis., and Bemidji, Minn.

To prepare, the city's local AIB group surrounded city signs with prairie plantings, hung flower baskets over the Warrenville Road bridge and got a local Girl Scout troop to plant a butterfly garden along the stretch of the Illinois Prairie Path that goes through town.

"This is a wonderful volunteer initiative," Warrenville Mayor David Brummel said. "The community only stands to gain from their efforts."

Blake and Kleber spent Monday evening meeting community leaders during a reception held at Cerny Park. The pair spent the day touring neighborhoods and area businesses as part of their evaluation, a task they'll repeat today.

Blake praised the local volunteer group in charge of organizing the submission for their efforts, and credited the town for its part in the ongoing cleanup of Kress Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River.

"You can tell everyone here is working so hard to make this town better," she said.

If it does come out on top, Warrenville will join a growing list of area communities that have won America in Bloom in their category, including Hoffman Estates, Batavia, Glen Ellyn and Naperville.

Winners will be announced in October. For more information about America in Bloom, visit www.americainbloom.org.