Countless hours of planting, mowing, weeding, painting and repairing paid off for six residences and three businesses in the Village of Oxford.
From a pool of 61 nominations, the Oxford Beautification Commission last week announced the winners of its 12th Annual Beautification Awards program.
The nine winners were selected by the commission for the properties? aesthetic contributions toward improving the village’s overall appearance.
Beautification Commission Chairman Joe Bullen said the purpose of the awards program is for neighbors to ‘encourage? neighbors by example when it comes to maintaining, enhancing and beautifying their properties.
The winning residences are:
n 20 Dennison St. ? Ronald and Waunita Baril
n 86 Dayton St. ? Linda and Carrie Bartnik
n 48 Dennison St. ? Tim and Jean Davidson
n 415 Lakes Edge Drive ? Robert and Pat Halleck
n 33 Spring Lake Drive ? Elliott and Ann Hammond
n 918 Baypointe Drive ? Marlene Taube
The winning businesses are:
n Achatz Homemade Pie Company ? 40 N. Washington St.
n Village Manor Apartments ? 75 Pontiac St.
n Bossardet Chapel Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors ? 39 W. Burdick St.
‘Well, I’m honored,? said Linda Bartnik, a 28-year Oxford resident who lives at 86 Dayton St. with her daughter Carrie Bartnik.
‘It’s very nice. It’s very unexpected,? said Carrie of the award.
Carrie said she and her mother work ‘all weekend? in their yard.
‘We love where we live and we take pride in our house,? Carrie said. ‘We do it for ourselves. We live on a dead-end, it’s not for anyone else.?
‘Wonderful? is the word Brenda Stroh, resident manager of Village Manor Apartments, used to describe her feelings about the beautification honor.
All new shrubs, trees, flowers, signage, sod and a fresh coat of paint have made Village Manor ‘a pretty place to come home to,? according to Stroh, who’s been the resident manager there for 10? years.
The goal is to make the apartment complex aesthetically pleasing to not only existing and potential renters, but to the facility’s surrounding homeowner neighbors, Stroh said.
This is Village Manor’s second Beautification Award. The first was in 1995.
Kevin Lynch, funeral director and manager of the Bossardet Chapel, is proud of the Beautification Award because it reflects the hard-work his family and staff are putting into the property’s landscaping and upkeep.
‘It’s especially great because we’re doing all the property maintenance ourselves,? Lynch said.
Lynch said the funeral home’s attractive outward appearance is product of the Lynch family philosophy, which states that ‘cemeteries and funeral homes should have the best maintained properties in town? because it ‘says something about the care (clients will) receive? and they are ‘reflective of the community.?
Tim Davidson, owner of 48 Dennison St., said he’s ‘very honored? and ‘certainly flattered? by the award, especially considering his home is the home he grew up in.
He and his wife, Jean, bought it about 15 years ago.
‘We enjoy it. It’s unique. We try to keep it up,? Davidson said. ‘We take pride in our house.
Ronald Baril, owner of 20 Dennison St. since 1983, said he was ‘thrilled? when he found out he won a beautification award.
Baril said he works on his house ‘just about every minute? he can. He said he enjoys ‘the historical value? of the homes in the village (his was built around 1877) and being part of the ‘preservation of our history.?
Baril’s wife, Waunita, said she’s ‘really happy? about the award and ‘really thrilled for? her husband ‘because he’s been working on it every summer for years.?
‘I’m more the gardener and he works more on the house,? Waunita said.
‘She and I can’t wait until summer comes so we can be outside instead of inside,? Baril said.
All the Beautification Award winners will be presented professional photographs of their respective homes and businesses (courtesy of Johnston Photography) mounted on plaques at a special awards ceremony to be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 5.

Please check out all of the Beautification Award winners in the Photo Gallery section of the Oxford Leader webpage.