OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and Council on Monday doled out the Beautification Committee’s annual Beauty Spot awards to various deserving residents and property owners.
Each year, the Ocean City Beautification Committee sponsors the awards to recognize the efforts of property owners who contribute to the town’s aesthetics through the exceptional maintenance of their homes, condos and businesses. By planting trees, shrubs, flowers, ornamental grasses and other decorative items, the award winners help beautify not only their own property, but the town as well.
The Beautification Committee accepts nominations for the awards through mid-summer. Committee members then review the nominated properties and utilize a rating system to assign points to the eventual winners. In years past, committee members would drive around the resort seeking properties for the annual awards, but the eventual winners now come through the nomination process from their neighbors and other members of the community.
The awards are based on a number of factors that contribute to the property as a whole. The judging is based on such factors as the percentage of flowers and ground cover and the percentage of trees, shrubs, grasses and creative landscaping. In some cases, efforts to disguise unattractive areas of a property, such as a dumpster, for example, are recognized.
On Monday, Beautification Committee Chair Donna Greenwood, with the help of Mayor Rick Meehan, presented the annual Beauty Spot awards to the winners in various categories. Greenwood said the annual awards represent a fraction of what the committee does throughout the year.
“The Beauty Spots are just one of the things we do in Ocean City,” she said. “Some of our newest projects have included decorating the firehouses and the dedication of the Donna Abbott Garden at the convention center. She was here for many, many years. We also come in and decorate City Hall for the holidays every December.”
Meehan thanked Greenwood and the committee members for their diligence in keeping the town looking good.
“I just want to thank the committee,” he said. “We see so many people in here getting awards tonight. It goes to show just how much everybody cares about Ocean City and keeping it such a beautiful place to live.”
On Monday, eight winners were announced in the residential category including the Ciriles, the Nocks, the Fishers, the Woodards, the Taylors, the McLaughlins, the Milociks and the Kaufmans. Four condominiums earned Beauty Spot awards including the Virginian, the Bay Princess, Seal Beach and a property on the Boardwalk at 24th Street.
In the restaurant category, awards went to Blue Fish, Papi’s Tacos and Malia’s Café. In the hotel-motel category, Beauty Spot awards went to the Days Inn, Castle in the Sand and Hyatt Place. In the commercial category, awards went to 85 N’ Sunny and Coastal Resort. In the retail category, Beauty Spot awards went to Sunsations on 9th Street, and Sunglass City, also on 9th Street.
In the Boardwalk category, awards went to Shenanigan’s, Davinci’s by the Sea and Franco’s Pizza. Special awards that didn’t fit neatly into any of the categories included the Montego Bay Civic Association, Believe in Tomorrow and residents who beautified the dune crossing at 121st Street.
