Cityscape Announces its Third Annual Beautification Award Winners

Neighborhood group leaders accept awards

The Third Annual Youngstown CityScape Beautification Award winners were recently announced and CityScape officials say the recipients are very deserving of the distinction.

CityScape selected the Northeast Homeowners and Concerned Citizens Association, Glenda House of Cassius Block watch and Della Hughey of Somebody’s Watching You Block Watch as the lucky recipients of the 2009 awards. The winners were chosen for their continued dedication to ongoing beautification in Youngstown.

Sharon Letson, Executive Director of Youngstown CityScape, said it’s important to recognize and encourage people to beautify Youngstown and its surrounding communities. The city’s appearance, Letson said, is a reflection of its constituents. By beautifying the community, residents raise the bar and create awareness of neighborhood connections, which can lead to further projects.

“These awards are about the effort, the work, and the pride that each one of these winners displays with the care and determination of what is usually an ongoing project,” said Letson.

Hughey, a member of Somebody’s Watching You Block Watch, said she was taken by surprise when notified of the award because she has just been “doing what comes naturally.” She shared Letson’s opinions on the city’s appearance being a reflection of its residents.

“I like gardening and I’m proud of my yard,” said Hughey. “When you take pride in something, you should take care of it. Not only is this my yard, this is my neighborhood so it’s my responsibility to help my neighborhood look inviting and beautiful. It shows that people care."

Northeast Homeowners and Concerned Citizens Association also wanted to show that people care by creating beautification projects on vacant lots and areas consumed by blight on the East Side. Currently, the Association partners with the youth of the area through its summer program to maintain and beautify four sites on the East Side

.

House, another award recipient, said she thinks the awards are wonderful, but would like to see more people involved. Like her, she said, there are other lifelong Youngstown residents “with no intentions of leaving” that she would like to see take steps toward beautifying their yards in effort to continue generating community pride.

“When you look around our community there are so many people creating beautiful landscaping projects. I’d like to see more nominees with hundreds of awards,” said House.

Click here to return to the Winter 2010 Valley Voice