Spring Valley to participate in ‘America in Bloom’ in effort to stimulate tourism, economic development

The streets of Spring Valley soon may be getting just a little greener and just a little busier.

The Spring Valley City Council has approved its participation in the program America in Bloom as a means to not only beautify the city but also stimulate its tourism and economic development. The city will work alongside Grow Spring Valley in the venture.

Mayor Melanie Malooley-Thompson brought the program to the council’s attention Monday with the help of Reed Wilson. Wilson, for 10 years before 2019 the director of economic development for Ottawa, brought the program to that city for a seven-year period, during which it won a national championship in its population category.

Wilson was the featured speaker at a Grow Spring Valley meeting last Tuesday and shared his experiences within the program and what he believes it could do for Spring Valley.

“It can be very beneficial to a community,” Wilson said. “It’s not just a downtown project, it’s a communitywide project. … If an entire community is serious about it and is looking to achieve the full value of the process, there’s no real downside to being a part of this.

“Working together is the key. A city can’t do it by itself without the volunteers, and the volunteers don’t have the resources to make it happen. … It will be what you make of it together.”

Such cooperation through the program enhances the city aesthetically, and it also has benefits in community, business and educational involvement.

“We all think collectively that it’s a fantastic program,” Grow Spring Valley President Sarah Kinkin said. “The benefits to the city, I think, are going to be just astronomical. … The key is for Grow and the city – and for all of us – to work together.

“We have a core group of volunteers and others who come and go as they can, but as soon as we posted this, we’ve heard from all these people who have never had direct contact with Grow Spring Valley but are interested in that program and want to participate. That’s fantastic.”

The cost of participation for a city of Spring Valley’s size is minimal at $1,500. It begins when two judges – usually experts on botanical and entrepreneurial matters – spend two days in the community. They observe and evaluate a variety of aspects, allowing the community to put its best foot forward, and ultimately issue a score indicating whether they see certain aspects as an asset or a detriment to the city’s overall appearance.

The seven categories that the judges will score are:

• Community vitality – Policies, programs and outdoor activities that lead to a vibrant community and a sense of well-being.
• Floral impact – Flowering annuals and topiaries, perennials, bulbs, tropical plants and colorful foliage on display for season-round interest.
• Landscaped areas: Plants and related programs for leadership, design, installation and maintenance of landscaping, turf and ground covers.
• Urban forestry: Trees and related programs for the leadership, management, design, installation and maintenance on both public and private lands.
• Environmental initiatives: Environmental leadership, policies, plans and programs for resource conservation, pollution control, recycling and reuse, and alternative-fueled vehicles.
• Celebrating heritage: Recognition, designation, commemoration and celebration of historical, cultural, natural, agricultural and industrial resources.
• Overall impression: Adequate and effective amenities provided in good condition make a community welcoming and beautiful.

Along with the scores, the judges will offer a way that the community can improve that number and make the city more attractive to visitors and businesses.

“It sounds like a great program, something we needed to consider,” Thompson said. “I think we are doing some of these things within our community right now, but this is a way for the city to come together not only through ourselves but through volunteers and other organizations throughout the community.

“As Mr. Wilson emphasized, it is super important that anyone taking on a project like this works together.”