October 11, 2016 – The City of Midland received national recognition for its beautification efforts last weekend at the 2016 America in Bloom (AIB) Symposium and Awards in Arroyo Grande, California.
AIB judges awarded Midland first place in the 30,000 – 50,000 population category during the annual awards ceremony on Saturday, October 8. Midland was also nominated for Best Use of Local Bloom Committee Logo for its “Get Your Bloom On” design for the 2016 program. In total, 39 cities and towns across America participated in this year’s Symposium.
Judges visit each participating city, ranking them by population size in the following areas: environmental efforts, landscaped areas, urban forestry, floral displays, community involvement, heritage preservation, and overall impression. Following its visit in July 2016, the AIB judges’ panel awarded Midland a “5-out-of-5” bloom rating and gave a special mention for community involvement.
“This is an incredibly exciting win for our committee and, more importantly, our community,” says Midland Mayor Maureen Donker. “Receiving national recognition for our beautification efforts is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our committee and our residents. I am very proud to have shown the entire country how Midland ‘gets our bloom on’.”
Members of the Midland America in Bloom Committee include Gina Pederson, Carl Coons, Amy Tolton, Abbey Claerhout, and Nancy Wells.
The America in Bloom program promotes national beautification efforts through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants, trees and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements.
For more information on the City of Midland’s beautification program, please visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/beautification.