SR in Bloom project recognized for efforts
Slippery Rock won in the contest of blooms.
Regina Greenwald, a leader of the Slippery Rock in Bloom project, said the announcement was made last week.
“It took us eight years since we first started,” Greenwald said. “We've never won before.”
Greenwald said she remembers inviting the national organization, America in Bloom, during their first year. The national members told Slippery Rock organizers it would take at least five years before catching on and gaining significant community support.
“I had people stopping me this past week asking, 'When are we going to hear? When are we going to hear?'” Greenwald said. “Now people know what it's about.”
In 2013, Greenwald remembers the borough's rating being 3 of 10 stars in the competition's 3,000 to 5,000 population category. This year Slippery Rock received 7 out of 10 stars.
Greenwald said a lot goes into the voting and rating process beyond the blooming of flowers. She said sustainability, urban forestry and water management are factors, too.
Greenwald said during her time as president of the borough council, she coordinated an effort to receive Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification. Slippery Rock Borough is listed as a Certified Silver Community.
Greenwald said America in Bloom and Sustainable Pennsylvania shared requirements in their processes.
“We spent four years working on that, and then we got the Sustainable PA recognition last year,” she said. “That gave us a better idea of what they were looking for.”
Greenwald said Slippery Rock University also played a factor in the rating. She said when the judges from the national organization visited in August, university officials gave a power point presentation about the community working together and gave the judges a tour of the campus.
“A big piece of what made it work really well is how closely tied Slippery Rock is with the university,” she said.
Greenwald said outreach programs like the summer feeding program for children show the judges the community's heart.
“All of those things are pieces that affected their overall score,” she said.
Greenwald said most importantly the time and effort put in by volunteers can't be understated. She estimates the cash value equivalent of the hours worked by volunteers is about $30,000 per year, she said.
“The volunteers we get from the university and the community is absolutely critical to all of this working,” Greenwald said. “They just do a truly wonderful job. You can't say enough about the difference they make.”
One piece of advice offered by America in Bloom coordinators was to get the borough more involved with the project, Greenwald said.
As of now, the project is primarily run through the Slippery Rock Rotary.
Greenwald said in the next few meetings she plans to ask the borough to take on more responsibility with the project. She said it also could help fulfill goals of the council and Mayor Jondavid Longo, who have said they want to entice more businesses to locate in their community.
“It all goes hand-in-hand, and we all have our little piece, and we've just got to put all the pieces together into a nice puzzle,” Greenwald said.
