The Hampton Clean City Commission is pleased to announce the 2015 Clean City Award winners: HCCC Beautification Committee Members, Beta Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Bluebird Gap Farm, Rebecca Corcoran, Hampton Grows, Hampton Master Gardeners, Cody Jackson, Cheryl Johnson, Rev. Darnell Lang, Langley Air Force Base Summer School Spruce Up Project Volunteers, Betty Lawrence, and Phoebus High School Recycling Team.
The Clean City Awards recognize those citizens, organizations, and workplaces that go well beyond the average enthusiasm that is common among clean city advocates in Hampton. They give their whole hearts to making Hampton a cleaner and greener city.
The awards were presented by Mayor George Wallace and Councilwoman Teresa Schmidt.
Beautification Committee Members: Members judge for the YARDS Contest rain or shine once a month during the season, and then started the tree tours efforts this year. Special mention goes to Marie Smith, who totaled all the judges’ scores, got the driving directions for judging days, and sent reminders; Loye Spencer, who called the YARDS contestants to set the appointment for judging; Shirley Boyd, who contacted donors for winner gift certificates, called the Yard of the Month winners set up sign and certificate deliveries. Marty Tennille nominated yards to be judged. Megan Tierney drove the van for the first part of the judging season. Tina Chrismon, Nancy Williams, Lana Brin, Debbie Muire, Diane Peters, Melinda Webb, Ronda Williams, Terry Elias, Linda Cline contributed significantly to this monthly program.
Beta Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.: The chapter has maintained three Adopt-A-Spot sites continually since they first began participating in the program in June 2014. During this time they conducted 73 cleanups with the help of 201 volunteers, giving 475 hours, and picking up 280 bags of trash and 32,316 cigarette ends. Under Lt. Col. Good's leadership, litter has consistently decreased in all three locations and there has been an increase in litter awareness among Hampton University's student body. The spots these students adopted are Settlers Landing Road, College Place and & College Place Court, and East Queen Street.
Bluebird Gap Farm: Bluebird Gap Farm has undertaken many revitalization projects under new management recently. With a new parking lot and a new commitment to customers, Bluebird Gap has increased its attendance and community presence by providing a clean and safe city park for all to enjoy. Bluebird Gap Farm also encourages citizen participation in showcasing agriculture, educating about local trees, and providing beautification and cleanup services for the park.
Rebecca Corcoran: A member of the Hampton Waterways Restoration Project, Rebecca has chaired the regular waterways cleanups and has been a long-standing and active member of the group since its beginning.
Hampton Grows: Hampton Grows refurbished a greenhouse at Hampton High School, replanted the garden boxes at the Hampton History Museum, and assisted students at the Spratley Gifted Center with growing herbs and vegetables. To learn more about the group, visit their web site at hamptongrows.org.
Hampton Master Gardeners: The scope of the Hampton Master Gardeners work impacts every aspect of our local environment. They manage the arboretum at Blue Bird Gap Farm, hold activities for children, participate in Blue Bird Gap Farm special events, run a help desk for Hampton citizens with horticultural questions, have a tree steward program, have a speakers program, set up exhibits at numerous events, hold monthly horticultural programs for VA Medical Center and Northampton Convalescent Center residents and patients, hold classes on vegetable gardening for the community, provide assistance to community gardens, and participate in the HCCC YARDS contest. The Master Gardeners train new Master Gardener applicants, hold brown bag seminars at the National Institute of Aerospace, hold fall and spring plant sales at Blue Bird Gap Farm, maintain an educational website, and distribute educational materials.
Cody Jackson: Cody Jackson is an elementary school student who participates in the monthly roving cleanups of the Buckroe Improvement League with his mother Tijuana Jackson. Cody's enthusiasm and hard work at the cleanups are very helpful to our group and a great example for other young people.
Cheryl Johnson: Cheryl has participated in almost every Community Cleanup since the program began. She has also volunteered for a variety of HCCC special projects. She’s an enthusiastic cleanup volunteer and calls to check on cleanups if our notices are late getting out. Her activity has benefited the entire city.
Rev. Darnell Lang: Darnell Lang has been diligent and persistent in maintaining the landscaping of the 18-acre Pleasant Shade Cemetery, an abandoned cemetery discovered in April 2011. Rev. Lang volunteers his time and effort from March through October to keep the site cleared of high grass. This short description doesn’t even begin to highlight the monumental effort he has undertaken.
Langley Air Force Base Summer School Spruce Up Project Volunteers: Thanks to Landon Favors, Scott Sutton, and Kristi Tellier, teams from Langley Air Force Base provided beautification and cleanup services to about a dozen schools this summer. The volunteers contributed hundreds of hours of volunteer time to make Hampton schools welcoming for incoming students.
Betty Lawrence: Betty Lawrence picks up trash along the street, sprays weeds in sidewalks and streets, and removes weeds on the curb throughout the neighborhood. Betty has been keeping Hampton Shores clean and beautiful for more than a decade, and her efforts are greatly appreciated by her neighbors and the rest of us.
Phoebus High School Recycling Team: The students who are part of a recycling team of eight are special needs students. Every fall and spring they team up with a partner organization to pick up trash around the school grounds. Inside, they team up to collect recyclables on a weekly basic from all participating teachers/staff. All Phoebus teachers, staff, students, and surrounding community benefited from the students’ recycling. They are enthusiastic recyclers who have rejuvenated Phoebus High School’s recycling program with their dedication.
For more information about the Hampton Clean City Commission’s Clean City Awards, contact hccc@hampton.gov or call 727-1130.