Many positive comments from Communities in Bloom judges
By Bill Rea

Pam Romeril was showing Communities in Bloom judges some of the work she's been doing at Pine Farm Orchards. See pages 8 and 9 for more photos.

King Township is a nice place, and there are two more people who learned that last week.

Communities in Bloom judges David Urquhart from Fredericton and Edgar Toop from the Edmonton area spent the early part of the week exploring the township, and they told those attending at reception in Pottageville last Wednesday night that they were very impressed with what they had seen.

"We're very pleased with what we've seen," Urquhart told the audience.

Although there have been lots of positive comments, there is no word on what King's score will be. That will be announced at a conference in September in Brandon, Manitoba. "Hopefully, we'll win the prize," Mayor Margaret Black declared.

Last year, King received four out of a possible five blooms and 986.75 out of a possible 1,000 points. Urquhart arrived in the area early last Tuesday afternoon, and spent part of the day touring a few facilities, as well as delivering at brief talk on tree care at Laskay Hall. Toop got in later in the day, and they spent all of last Wednesday on the road, visiting such sites as Pine Farm Orchards, Zander Sod on Highway 9, Muck Crops Research Station near Ansnorveldt, the King Township Museum, Nobleton Sport Park, the new gazebo in Nobleton, the cemetery in Lloydtown and the Dufferin Marsh.

The King T-shirt fashion show provided plenty of laughs last Wednesday night, as models came up with a lot of creativity. Schomberg Fair Ambassador Jennifer Atkinson was in her T-shirt, along with a "14carrot" necklace and a "knife" pleated skirt, while Lynda Rogers, who coordinated the Communities in Bloom effort, adopted a Jackie Kennedy look, complete with a "pillbox" hat.

Black was enthused with the way the way things went.

"I must say it's been an amazing couple of days," she remarked, paying tribute to the committee that organized the effort, as well as Township staff who pitched in.

"What a beautiful, beautiful municipality we have here," she declared.

The committee was headed by Nobleton resident Lynda Rogers and consisted of Councillors Steve Pellegrini and Peter Grandilli, Joan Jackaman, Jeff Laidlaw, Judy Craig, Peter King, Cathy Webster, Brian Chung, Ed Sikkema, Bert Duclos and Patty Fleetwood, along with Catherine Purcell, Laura Campbell, Kyle Brett and Scott Donald from the Township.

Claus Zander of Zander Sod on Highway 9 was describing some of the company's products to Councillor Jack Rupke and judges Edgar Toop and David Urquhart.

Rogers, who's been heading up the local Communities in Bloom effort for the last

Continued from page 1 couple of years, came in for special praise, but she said the credit needed to be spread around.

"I'm only a figurehead," she remarked, pointing out many in the community had dirt under their finger nails and sweat after all the work they had put in. "No matter what our score is, we have won."

This was the first time both judges had been in King. Toop said they had been on the road about a month, with more stops coming

There are 11 other municipalities across the country competing in King's population class (10,001 to 20,000).

Mary Asselstine or the Dufferin Marsh Committee was showing Communities in Bloom judges David Urquhart and Edgar Toop some of the things that have been accomplished there.

"You have a lot of tough competition," Toop told the audience in Pottageville. "I can tell you you're right up there, near the top if not at the top."

"It's very humbling to be a judge," Urquhart added. "We come in here for a day and you've worked all year."

He also said that things can become a little blurred after judging a number of communities, pointing out one tends to forget the flowers.

"You don't forget the people," he remarked. "People is what makes things work."

Toop, a former professor of horticulture at the University of Alberta, later commented on how impressed he was with such a coordinated effort in such a large area with several individual communities. "It's amazing how the township has come together," he remarked.

"Everyone is working together," he added. "The mayor and council is on board with the Communities in Bloom committee."

"This is really what Communities in Bloom is all about; getting people to work together to develop civic pride in a community," he observed.

Kettleby area residents Anna and Frank Talenti were presented with the Mayor's Award by Mayor Margaret Black in the Fabulous Fronts contest last Wednesday night. Winners in other categories were Rene Bindi (residential one-acre), Don and Colleen McCutcheon (residential one to three acres), Pieter and Ann Thoenes (residential three or more acres), Wendover Stables (rural entrance), Black Forest Nursery (commercial curb), St. Mary Catholic School (public building) and Holden Street in Nobleton (neighbourhood).

In terms of what can be done to improve things, Toop said the people on the tour had pointed out suggestions made by last year's judges and what steps had been taken to act on them.

He also said more prominent signs at the gates of communities would be helpful in letting people know where they are. The new signs that have been installed at places like Snowball, Ansnorveldt and Schomberg are moves in the right direction.

Urquhart, retired parks and trees superintendent for the City of Fredericton, said King's strong points were quickly apparent to him. They included a strong volunteer base, along with a commitment to the environment. "You're very conscious of the natural environment," he remarked, adding he was also impressed with efforts to preserve heritage.

"I don't think there's anything I would call really weak here," he added.

"Every city's nice," Urquhart observed. "Every city has its own qualities and I find everybody's proud of where they live. That's the way it should be."

Rogers was delighted with the effort and the impression the Township made on the judges.

"I think we had a fabulous showing," she declared." Our best ever effort." "We did everything

right," she added, "and the judges seemed to think we had a very strong showing."

She also had a list of items which were outlined to the judges as demonstrations of improvement from last year, including improved gateway markings, work of Arts Society King (ASK), expanded recycling,

Kingfest Music Celebration, to cooperation between the stewardship committee, Township and Toronto and region conservation authority at Cold Creek, expanded displays at the museum, the Music at the Museum concert series, etc.

"I think we've done very well," she declared.