The 2006 Beautification Award Winners were:
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Leadership Award
Katherine Price
Katherine Price was tired of looking at a vacant lot on the corner of N. Saginaw and Austin streets. The lot was covered with broken glass, trash, weeds, litter and uneven and cracked asphalt. She was able to bring together 13 local block clubs and organizations as well as other volunteers to turn the lot into a park that has brought pride back to the neighborhood. |
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Leadership Award
Claudia Mach
Claudia Mach is the chair of the Beautification Committee of the College Cultural Neighborhood Association. After completing her MSU Master Gardener certification and the Applewood Initiative for Gardening and Community certification program, she applied what she learned in her neighborhood. She overhauled the corner of E. Court and Commonwealth into a beautiful garden, involving many volunteers and establishing a regular maintenance plan. She also established a community garden at Cedar Street. |
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Governmental Award
City of Grand Blanc
The award winning project was at Rust Park in the City of Grand Blanc. Ten children’s gardens were built and are accessible to handicapped children. A garden was planted at the entrance to the park and a butterfly garden was also established. An Eagle Scout made and donated 3 park benches and the troops assisted with garden construction. The City of Grand Blanc provided fencing, a walking path, stone, soil and a sprinkler system. This community wide effort provides a park for all the residents of Grand Blanc. |
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Organizational Award
Youth Karate-Ka Association
The Youth Karate-Ka Association at King’s Karate are required to participate in a community service project as a part of their training. This year students and their parents volunteered to remove and continue to remove graffiti throughout the Beecher Business District on N. Saginaw between Carpenter Rd and I-475. The owners and organizers of the project believe that, “Strong kids build strong communities.” |
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Organizational Award
Youth Empowerment Solutions
Young people ages 12 – 15 involved in the Youth Empowerment for Solutions program spent the summer on 4 major outdoor improvement projects. Sites included Rosa Parks Peace Park, Serenity Park, Clara Hilborn Park and the Peace Mural on Carpenter Road. Their efforts have enhanced the areas around these parks and have improved the visual landscape of these communities. |
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Beautification Award
Friends of the Flint River Trail
This group made huge strides to improve the Flint River Bike Trail. A fairly isolated portion of the trail on West Boulevard Drive has been the home of illegal dumping for years. A group of 5 men installed 47 steel I-beams and nearly 500 feet of cable to prevent illegal dumping and it is working. This job required hard physical labor and a deep commitment to make and keep the trail beautiful. |
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Beautification Award
Mike Keeler
Mike Keeler replaced 32 parkway trees where trees have died. Calling his efforts the “Urban Re-Leaf” program, he secured funds from local homeowners to purchase the trees, prepped the sites, purchased, transported and planted the trees. The end result is a neighborhood with beautiful tree lined streets that add to the value and ambience of the neighborhood. |
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Neighborhood Award
College Cultural Neighborhood Association
The College Cultural Neighborhood Association has recently seen a revitalization in their neighborhood volunteer efforts. They have been very successful in beautification efforts along E. Court Street and take pride in the way every home looks in the neighborhood. They have many volunteers who work on beautification projects and proactively work to take care of their neighborhood. |
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Neighborhood Award
Metawanenee Hills Neighborhood Association
The Metawanenee Hills Neighborhood Association has had major success in beautifying the gateways into their neighborhood north of downtown Flint on Welch between M.L. King and Dupont. An extensive overhaul of trash, debris and unwanted vegetation took volunteers and residents 3 days to accomplish. Walkways were established, perennials were planted and benches and flower containers were placed throughout the area. Their work has continued as they were successful in getting an eyesore gas station demolished on the corner of M.L. King and Welch and now have plans to improve that lot. |
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Tall Oak Award
Steve Heddy
Business owner Steve Heddy has partnered with hundreds of individuals, block clubs, neighborhood associations and other organizations to beautify Genesee County. He worked for many years with Operation Brush-Up, painting hundreds of low income homes throughout the city that desperately needed a fresh coat of paint. This resulted in increased homeowner pride and improvements in the way the neighborhoods looked. More recently he has been actively covering graffiti around the city. He provides his own materials and labor and works with almost any group that contacts him about a graffiti problem. (Rumor has it that he is going to become involved in a larger graffiti program next year). |
