(This article, reprinted with permission, featuring the City of Bexley, appeared in Bexley News on March 12, 2008)  4/20/08

Committee sows ideas for project

Bexley will try to involve schools and businesses in its effort to become a winner in the America in Bloom project.

By SARA JOHNSON

The thought of planting flowers in hopes of Bexley becoming the next America in Bloom city might be a good antidote for those with "cabin fever."

For the first time, Bexley will join other cities throughout the nation to participate in America in Bloom, a program in which municipalities are judged on their forestry and flowers, among other things, in eight categories. Those at the top will be praised at the national annual awards ceremony slated for October in Columbus, where the program is headquartered.

The program is designed to encourage participating cities to create gardens or a display of flowers that increase the area's standard of living.

Bexley formed an America in Bloom Committee, with nine members, at the end of February and the group held its first meeting Friday, March 7.

Each committee member has a specific focus in creating an awareness of the city-wide project.

Although it is a national project, committee members are setting up local contests between residents in the zones of north, middle and south Bexley, said Bruce Langner, co-chairman of the committee. Contest winners can take either first or second place, and the committee is trying to figure out a prize for the top contestants.

Mark Moore, who has been the city's superintendent for the parks department, has wanted Bexley to be involved with some sort of garden contest since he started his job 14 years ago, he said. He serves as committee co-chairman. Considering this year marks Bexley's centennial, it seemed like the right time for the project.

"This is finally an opportunity with the centennial and everything that we have accomplished over the last 14 years. I think we could really pull it off and make it an annual event," Moore said.

Serious discussion of joining in the project took place last year.

"When Mark and I kicked it around, we thought, 'We do so much already, especially the city with all the plantings and everything that we do,' that we thought, why not expand it a little bit and get the residents involved? There's so many beautiful gardens that people have around the city," Langner said.

Two judges from the America in Bloom program will stay in Bexley for about a week, most likely in June or July, to evaluate what the city has done for the project. Evaluation criteria include: tidiness effort, environmental effort, community involvement, heritage, urban forestry, landscaped areas, floral displays and turf and ground cover areas.

"One of the good things they do is they critique; so the judges don't just judge you with how well you've done, but they critique you as well, so they'll come up with recommendations on things that we could do continually to keep this effort going," Langner said.

The committee plans to reach out to various Bexley schools, asking them to either plant flowers or hold art contests to create flowers that could be put in the windows of local businesses as previous America in Bloom participants have done, Langner said.

Committee members are also looking to get Capital University involved in some way.

In addition, the committee is hoping to get local businesses in on the project. Giuseppe's Ritrovo Restaurant and Rusty Bucket have been known to have floral decorations outside of their businesses.

Another prospective local contest could have residents competing for having the largest or oldest tree in the city.

Flowers are advised to be those of primary colors as a way to unify participants with the centennial. By the end of next week, the committee hopes to have a list of flower recommendations up on the city's Web site, bexley.org.

Residents who want to participate are encouraged to register. Langner said residents will most likely be able to pick up a registration packet at City Hall or to complete the registration online.

"It's something that we have been doing all along. Now it's just a matter of pulling it all together and being recognized for a lot of effort and taking some community pride," Moore said.

For more information call Moore at 614-559-4325.

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