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Fairfield Beautification Commission honors top volunteers of 2025
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Beautification Commission held its Second Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Nov. 14, recognizing those who have done the most to enhance the city’s appearance.
The organization handed out three awards at its first ceremony in 2024, but this year the board felt that three awards was not nearly enough, and more than doubled it to recognize seven individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to turn Fairfield into the jewel of Southeast Iowa.
Deborah Williamson, the commission’s chair and also the master of ceremonies that night at the Fairfield Golf & Country Club, entertained the hundred or so people in attendance with her detailed slideshow of the group’s past activities and a deep dive into each award winner.
The award recipients for 2025 were:
Rose of the Year Award
The commission bestowed 10 Rose Awards to property owners in 2025, and one of those recipients was chosen as the Rose of the Year Award, and that went to Aaron and Melanny Hirshberg for renovating the historic home at 107 W. Washington Ave., just south of the business Green Building Supply. The Hirshbergs live there, and they’ve turned the carriage house into an Airbnb.
“I toured the building with Deb Dowd, and I couldn’t contain myself,” Williamson told The Union. “I kept saying, ‘oh my gosh’ at every little detail, and listening to the Hirshbergs describe it, they are truly experts.”
Organization of the Year
Williamson said one of the pleasant surprises of 2025 was how many businesses and civic groups reached out to the commission asking to volunteer, a marked difference from the prior year when the commission had to go hunting for volunteers. One group especially stood out, and that was the business Cambridge Investment Research, volunteering at the commission’s major events such as the Spring Clean-up as well as volunteering on separate occasions at least three times.
Sponsor of the Year
The Sponsor of the Year Award went to Ron Haines, a member of the Fairfield Park and Recreation Foundation, for securing funds toward a gator and water pump for the downtown. Williamson said the park and rec department could not devote any more time to watering baskets, but thanks to Haines’ work through the foundation, they were able to find money for those donations. The commission was able to find volunteers to water every day of the week so the city was not burdened with that responsibility.
Artist of the Year
Several artists have contributed their artistic talents toward commission projects such as decorating the vacant storefronts downtown. The person who took home Artist of the Year was Karla Christensen, who created mosaics in Heritage Alley north of Central Park, and handled all the fundraising for it, finding sponsors to cover each of the $350 mosaics.
Weed Team Volunteer of the Year
Bob Ferguson, now a commission board member, leads a team of volunteers who spray weeds with a non-toxic substance and dig them up all throughout a nine-block section of the downtown. This year’s Weed Team Volunteer of the Year went to Mike Carr, for going above and beyond in cleaning the garden nodes around the square and sprucing up Central Park.
Youth Volunteer of the Year
The Youth Volunteer of the Year Award went to Leo Melvin, who could be seen with his mother Theresa Rachele riding on a gator early in the morning to water hanging baskets with a wand and pick up trash.
“This cute little kid did that all summer long, and that’s why he received Youth Volunteer of the Year,” Williamson said.
Volunteer of the Year
A unanimous decision by the commission, the Volunteer of the Year Award went to Chaz Alley, a member of the Weed Team.
“He’s brilliant, generous, competent and all these amazing things,” Williamson said. “Bob Ferguson befriended Chaz and they became best buddies, working even after dark.”
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
