Dianne and Dick Craig won a Catch the Beauty award this year from the Chillicothe Shademakers beautification committee for the gardens like this one around their house on Sunnyside Street. The Craigs, who maintain about eight flower gardens around their home, won the all-around beauty award. (Photo by Maria Geiger)

It wasn’t quite like winning the Publisher’s Clearing House, but Chillicothe residents Patty Ciolek and Dianne Craig were both surprised but thrilled to be among a small group of residents and businesses who won “Catch the Beauty” awards recently from the city’s beautification committee.

“This is the 25th year for the contest,” said Trish Westerman-Connor, a city alderman and chairman of the all-volunteer city beautification committee known as the Shademakers.

Winners in seven categories were honored at a Chillicothe City Council meeting last month.

The winners and their categories include Ciolek, residential; Dick and Dianne Craig, all-around beauty; Rich Lucas of Galena Road Gravel, commercial; Bonnie Bridgeman, landscape; Amanda Odewalt of Odie’s, Second Street entryway; Deanna Ginn, hidden treasure; and Molly Stryock, investment property.

“We take nominations and then we go around and peruse the yards to encourage civic pride and beauty,” Westerman-Connor said, adding that the Catch the Beauty awards began a few years after the Shademakers group was first formed nearly 30 years ago.

“Let’s just say we saw a need for outdoor improvement and wanted to address that issue by encouraging those that were doing the right thing,” added Westerman-Connor, who’s been involved with the committee since it began. “The awards bring attention and give other people ideas for what they can do at their homes or businesses.”

Both Dianne Craig and Patty Ciolek expressed shocked at being chosen because they didn’t think their gardens were special enough, but the committee lauded the variety, color and attention to detail in their yards.

“(Ciolek’s) gardens are so pretty and so detailed,” Westerman-Connor said of the residence on Prairie Springs Drive. “She has a color scheme, and she even special ordered a purple garden hose out of a catalog to put on the side of her house that has purple flowers.”

Winners of the 25th annual Catch the Beauty awards from the Chillicothe Shademakers beautification committee are (from left) Rich Lucas of Galena Road Gravel, commercial; Bonnie Bridgeman, landscape; Dianne Craig, all-around beauty; Patty Ciolek, residential; Amanda Odewalk of Odie’s, Second Street entryway; and Deanna Ginn, hidden treasure. Not pictured is Molly Stryock, investment property. Each received a photo book or collage and an engraved rock for their gardens. (Photo by Maria Geiger)

Westerman-Connor also praised Craig’s house on Sunnyside Street as being amazing from every angle. “She has fountains, a pond, a pergola. She has something beautiful everywhere you look,” she said.

“Gardening is therapy for me,” Craig noted. “I was really pleased and happy to have someone notice it and appreciate it.”

Craig said she started gardening about 30 years ago after a bad storm took down a tree on their property. “We had to have the tree taken away, and I decided to spruce things up,” she said. “I started with just one garden, and now I have eight different flower gardens. People say it’s peaceful.”

The Craigs’ gardens feature ornamental grasses and a multitude of flowers, including hydrangeas, day lilies, wisteria, hostas and roses, among many others.

“I have some from my folks’ cabin that I dug up years ago,” Craig said. “One side of the yard has my dad’s wild snapdragons, and I think of him every time I see them.”

Ciolek, who moved to Chillicothe from Nauvoo about four years ago, said she adds new things to her garden every year. This year her yard features purple clematis, reddish-pink Knockout roses, purple geraniums, salvia and hostas, among others.

“I had heard about the Catch the Beauty awards, but I never thought I would win one,” she said. “I think it’s a good thing for the community. Somebody’s noticing your hard work and maybe others will see it and think: Gee, I could do that, too. It’s a win-win for the tow

A new category added this year was the Second Street entryway won by Odie’s restaurant owner Amanda Odewalt. “Eight thousand people drive by Chillicothe on Fourth Street and many don’t even know we have a charming downtown district on Second Street,” Westerman-Connor said. “So we’re always trying to promote that area, and Odie’s is a new business that opened up that’s just absolutely beautiful and very visually appealing.”

This backyard garden at the home of Ralph and Deanna Ginn in Chillicothe helped them win the Shademakers beautification committee’s Catch the Beauty award in the hidden treasure category this year. Seven residents and businesses were chosen for the 25th annual awards. (Photo by Maria Geiger)

The winners in all seven categories received an engraved rock to display in their gardens and a collage or booklet of photos featuring their yards taken by Shademakers committee member Maria Geiger.

In addition to the Catch the Beauty awards, the Shademakers plant and maintain downtown flower boxes, take care of the Eagle Landing/riverfront area, maintain the Walnut Street median and oversee regular citywide cleanups.

For the spring and fall cleanups, the Shademakers are offering 200 vouchers to city residents that will allow them to dispose of large waste items for free through Wigand Disposal. Vouchers are available at city hall for the fall program, which begins this week and runs through Oct. 5.

The Shademakers will also host an electronic recycling event in the spring with help from the IVC high school leadership class. At this year’s recycling event, the committee gave two trees or flower seeds to all participants.

The IVC leadership class also helps the Shademakers with other projects designed to spruce up the town. “They’ve helped plant areas in our parks and paint fire hydrants,” Westerman-Connor said, adding that the committee also receives help from Eagle scouts, church groups and the Crossword Café youth center.

Chillicothe residents can help fund Shademakers projects by rounding up their monthly water bill to the nearest dollar.

Westerman-Connor said the mayor-appointed committee is always looking for new members, who serve two-year terms.

“Our number one challenge is having active members who are available and able to help out,” she said.

For more information about the Shademakers or the fall cleanup, call Trish Westerman-Connor at 309-274-2937 or 309-339-8159 or email her at mtmm@mchsi.com.

— Shademakers help encourage Chillicothe improvement, pride —