America in Bloom: Looking forward to the New Year, new projects
December 21, 2011
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
America in Bloom (AIB) is looking forward to the New Year and new projects to beautify Santa Paula, those attending the December Good Morning Santa Paula learned.
The Chamber of Commerce-sponsored breakfast meeting was held at Glen Taven Inn - Enzo’s.
“I’m very proud and you as citizens should also be very proud that this organization exists” after, AIB Vice President Gary Nasalroad said, Dianne and Dudley Davis - owners of Do Right’s Plant Nursery - approached him and Cathy Barringer about AIB. The Davises are “wonderful benefactors to the city” through several Main Street beautification projects - including hanging flower baskets and planters - they had taken in with the Chamber.
When Dianne Davis proposed that Santa Paula form a local chapter of the national AIB organization in about May 2010, “I said I would love to get involved... I love gardening,” and he was impressed with AIB’s annual city-to-city competitions. Now the AIB Board of Directors meets monthly; the group is a sanctioned nonprofit that has a wide social media presence advocating its mission, “simply, how we can improve improve the looks of our city” and what projects should be tackled.
Nasalroad said the group expanded from its initial focus of beautification to working with the cash strapped city to identify more ambitious and work heavy projects. “We set out to identify where we first wanted to concentrate our efforts,” and focused on main traffic corridors and historical quarters.
America in Bloom started tackling various projects - ranging from flowers at Fire Station 2 to beautification of Teague Park. They totally renovated the Isbell Middle School crossing area and spruced up palm tree wells.
A group of AIB members known as the Weed Wanglers also cleaned Fagain Park, which, Nasalroad said, “I didn’t even know was a park!” The city provided refuse bins for weeds, but with the rains the problems grew back: “We wanted to apply pesticide,” but regulations governing such work on public property “are a nightmare.”
The most visible AIB project is the hanging flower baskets: “Our goal is to have baskets hung on Main Street from 7th to 11th streets,” a recognized historic corridor.
Beautification does come with a cost, and Nasalroad said an analysis revealed about $13,000 in annual expenses based on present needs. “We have a lot more projects to take on,” and although AIB accepts donations, “we can’t live on that... we’re working with the city” to establish dedication signage for each planter. The cost to dedicate a planter to a person or organization will be $250, plus $100 a year thereafter for maintenance.
A proven successful fundraiser is the annual Giant Plant Sale that will be held March 31 at Faulkner Farm/UC Hansen Trust, where several area flower growers and seed providers donate thousands of plants.
“The Bike Trail is going to be a magnificent improvement to our city,” and Nasalroad said AIB is now studying upkeep issues that will be required after the contractor’s three-month maintenance obligation ends and until the city is on firmer financial footing. He added the Chamber will be encouraging beautification efforts by again recognizing the Yard of the Month and offering a $75 prize, helped by Heritage Hardware and AIB.
What AIB has done is “Just fabulous,” said Assistant to the City Manager Elisabeth Amador, who thanked AIB on behalf of the city and council.
