The Covington Neighborhood Collaborative decided at its October meeting to proceed for a second year as the primary sponsor of the Covington Beautification Awards, a program that had been created in 1989 by the Friends of Covington, an organization that disbanded in December 2021.
Neighborhood representatives who are members of the Collaborative board seemed to be in agreement that the awards program was a resounding success when it recognized 24 business and residential property owners for making substantial improvements to the exteriors of a like number of homes and business structures in 15 neighborhoods.
“It’s clear that the event was a success and provided plenty of positive support for people all over the city who do everything that they can to make their neighborhoods and the city as a whole a more attractive place to live and do business,” said Bill Wells, who chairs the Collaborative, a community organization that represents the interests of the city’s 18 neighborhoods. “Although it takes a lot of work and money to organize the program, it’s clear to me that this organization will come back as the primary sponsor for a second year next fall.”
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, who made brief remarks and presented the awards to the winners at the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Devou Park, has made it clear that he considers the annual awards one of the city’s most important and significant efforts to make the city a better place to live and work.
The primary strength of the Beautification Awards program is that it recognizes and supports the work and investments that have been made by everyday home and business owners whose positive contributions to the city are routinely overlooked, Meyer said at the Sept. 14 awards event.
Winners of the 2023 beautification awards and their neighborhoods were:
Austinburg: Barbara Weisbrod, 402 Delmar; Cornerstone Apostolic Church, Rev. Fred Turner, 1726 Scott.
Central Business District: Richs Proper Food & Drink, Bill and Morgan Whitlow, 701 Madison.
Eastside: Kelli Dillon, 1224 Scott; Bean Haus Bakery, Tim Eversole, 1316 Greenup.
Historic Licking Riverside: Scot and Constance Kopp, 624-26 Garrard; Kathleen Comisar, 225 East Second.
Latonia: Kellie and Dennis Hamilton, 214 East 36th .
Levassor Park: James Reynolds and John Messmer, 10 Levassor.
Lewisburg: Nancy and Dave Brossart, 618 West 12th.
MainStrasse: Cedar Restaurant, Jeremy Faeth, 701 Main; Joe and Andrea Stevie, 824 Greer.
Monte Casino: Doug and Bonnie Matherly, 725 Monte.
Mutter Gottes: Jayme Porkolab, 514 Craig; Michael Foellger, 515 Russell.
Old Seminary Square: Carole Carter, 1123 Banklick; Greg and Beverly Paeth, 1031 Russell.
Peaselburg: St. Augustine Church, Very Reverend Daniel Schomaker, 413 W. 19th; Gary and Jae Bishop, 809 Highland.
South Covington: Janet Samples, 229 Tando.
Wallace Woods: Tom and Sara Covert, 2213 Eastern; Jay and Kate Smith, 408 Wallace.
Westside: Joan Morris, 222 Berry; Fritz Kuhlmann, 1232 Fisk.
The Covington Neighborhood Collaborative meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Center for Great Neighborhoods, 321 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. All meetings are open to the public.