Photo Gallery: City of Grosse Pointe 2011 Beautification Awards

The Beautification Commission named 11 residential winners for 2011, three businesses and gave special recognition to a block for their work to improve their properties.

The nine-member board is responsible for planting flowers, maintaining them and recommending appropriate greenery to the City of Grosse Pointe for public areas. They also select properties that have made noticeable efforts to beautify or otherwise improve the passersby view of it.

Nominations are accepted through the city's website and the board reviews and ultimately makes the decision.

The 2011 winners including the following residential properties:

• 1 Cameron Place, Thomas and Sharon Shumaker
• 10 Dodge Place, William and Mary Ann Blake
• 606 Lakeland, Frances Twiddy
• 410 Lakeland, Craig and Karen White
• 601 Lincoln, Arthur and Rebecca I'Reilly
• 10 Rathbone, Michael and Mary Farley Trust
• 889 Rivard, Frank and Tina Lagrou
• 379 St. Clair, C.J. Ruffing/K. Moore Trust
• 4 Stratford Place, Brian and Elizabeth Connors
• 673 University Place, Todd and Amy Webster
• 250 Washington, Gail and Lois Warden

The 2011 Commercial or Business Property winners include:

• 468 Cadieux Road,
• 383 Fisher Road,
• 18050 Mack Ave.,

Additionally, the board gave special recognition to the Sycamore Lane Homeowners Association for their efforts along one block. The improvements made to several of the properties were noticeable and worth recognition despite not having an official award for a neighborhood or block, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Julie Arthurs said.

As a result of that block's unified efforts, the Commission is starting an annual award for the most beautified block, Arthurs said. Officially, next year will be the first year for the block award, she said.