Community asked to clean for and engage in AiB

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PORTSMOUTH- Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom (MSPiB) is delighted to announce that the organization is once again partnering with America in Bloom (AiB) in 2023 to provide the City of Portsmouth with a community evaluation and a chance to compete with communities across the country as judges eye the health of the community and its development.

AiB is a nation-wide institution specializing in city revitalization and beautification. Their community evaluation helps cities to identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as to implement a functional strategy for economic development and civic vitality.

AiB was first invited to judge the City of Portsmouth in 2014 and judges recently returned in the summer of 2022. The evaluation is, in part, a celebration of Portsmouth’s accomplishments.

The Main Street Portsmouth group has heavily shifted itself in the direction of supporting America in Bloom, having rebranded and put an emphasis on planning around the previous year’s evaluation. Additionally, the group welcomed AiB Executive Director Laura Kunkle to Portsmouth as a speaker at its annual Celebrate Portsmouth Dinner and Auction, where she inspired the creation of the new Fourth Ward Garden through her message.

In 2022, Portsmouth won three national AiB awards. Sue Burke won the 2022 Dwight Lund Community Champion Award for her volunteer efforts in downtown beautification. Portsmouth Murals, Inc., was the runner-up for the country’s Best Public Art Program of 2022. The Candyland Children’s Museum was awarded America’s Coolest Place for Kids in 2022.

The 2022 AiB community evaluation gave the City of Portsmouth recommendations on how to create a welcoming environment downtown. MSPiB was able to fundraise for recommended projects such as new flowerbeds under the Portsmouth Floodwall Murals signs. MSPIB also worked in conjunction with the Portsmouth Beautification Society and Sean Boldman American Family Insurance to add new flowerbeds to the corners of Tracy Park, resulting in an improved entrance into downtown Portsmouth.

The group also added a new garden in the devil’s strip, on the corner of Front and Court Streets last year, after a recommendation came from their advisors to make the area less sterile.

MSPiB is looking forward to hosting AiB Judges in Portsmouth from July 16-19. The Judges will meet with city officials, business owners, and civic leaders.

Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom Executive Director Emily Uldrich has yet to experience the judging portion of AiB, but is excited to get to work.

“I am really excited, because I was able to participate as a community member last year, when the judges visited the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, but it will be fun to travel around with them and meet other community members and experience the full program.”

Uldrich is optimistic about the judges visit this year.

“I think we have taken a lot of the recommendations that were put froth in the 2022 evaluation, so it will be interesting to see how they respond to those and what recommendations they will have for us moving forward.”

The Judges have never visited the area, so MSPiB is looking to make a good first impression with the city. Downtown business owners are reminded to clean up their store fronts, pull weeds, wash windows, and put our best foot forward as a community.

The 2023 AiB community evaluation will be a reflection of the year’s accomplishments as Portsmouth continues to grow and thrive.

“Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom is excited to bring back America in Bloom for yet another year of assessment and tours. We always try to show off the best of the best when it comes to area attractions, community leaders, and our public spaces,” MSPiB President Sue Burke said. “They gave us a lot of great feedback last year and we’ve since worked on addressing some of their statements and I think they’ve be proud of our accomplishments in only 8 months. I know we are. We’ve had a lot of volunteers pouring everything into our work lately. In the meantime, we just appreciate all business owners and property owners to clean up their spaces, stores, homes, and the like to show off our community at its best.”

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved

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