Fairfield Park and Rec Foundation gives $10,000 to Beautification Commission

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Beautification Commission received a lovely Valentine’s Day gift from the Fairfield Park and Rec Foundation.

The foundation donated $10,000 to the commission, which will go toward expanding the self-watering hanging flower baskets and flower pots in the downtown. Commission chairperson Deborah Williamson said a couple of people played a special role in the fundraising effort that went into this check, which was presented to the commission last week.

“Chuck Espy and Ron Haines are legends in their support of the community,” Williamson said. “Chuck was aware that the Beautification Commission struggled to water flowers in a variety of locations, and that Fairfield Park and Rec was at capacity in being able to expand the hanging baskets. We’re limited in terms of the sprinkler system downtown.”

Williamson told Espy that she wanted to add 10-20 hanging baskets, and he told her to think bigger, to go for 30. She said the check will pay for 30 more self-watering hanging baskets in the downtown, and 10 self-watering pots in the Central Park picnic platforms on brick pavers.

“It’s going to feel like a lovely backyard patio,” Williamson said. “It’s really going to be stunning.”

The new hanging baskets and pots is just the latest development in a string of developments for the Fairfield Beautification Commission. The commission has been extremely active in recent years, and has just expanded its Rose Award to honor not just residences but also Excellence in Window Displays and Excellence in Historic Preservation. Williamson said the commission hopes to be able to give out one Rose Award per week.

“This came out of the downtown assessment report, which said we needed to do a better job of how we use our windows,” Williamson said. “It dovetails with what Main Street Iowa will bring to the square in terms of access to funds.”

Another new development is that the Fairfield Public Library has agreed to give storage space to the commission for its tools and supplies.

“Everybody who volunteers for the Beautification Commission runs around with potting soil and tools, and it gets messy,” Williamson said. “They’re letting us use the shed at the library. It was built within the building with an access door from the outside. We’ll be able to keep batteries for our cordless tools and charge them because it has power.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com