COUNTY RECEIVES AWARD OF MERIT FOR GARDEN

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Macomb County received a 2005 Award of Merit on Sept. 15 from the Mount Clemens Beautification Advisory Commission for a stunning redesign of the garden planter in front of the Administration Building. The county’s project was one of 19 entries in the Public and Commercial category of the commission’s Yard of the Year Awards. Polly Helzer, manager of Purchasing, Lynn Arnott-Bryks, director of Facilities & Operations, Randy Heins, maintenance superviser for F&O, and Diane Connell, operations supervisor for F&O, were the Macomb County employees in charge of the project. The county’s planter at Cass and North Gratiot avenues in downtown Mount Clemens features Red Lace-Leaf Japanese maples, Korean boxwoods, Green Mountain boxwoods, Dwarf Tigertail Spruce, Moonshadow Euonymus, Emerald Green arborvitae, Green Arrow Nootka Cyprus, Purple Wave petunias, Patriot hostas, Elijah Blue Fescue, and two types of floribunda roses: Betty Prior and Nearly Wild. Helzer, a lifelong Mount Clemens resident who has worked for Macomb County for 41 years, capped off the evening by winning the Hall of Fame Award for the garden at her home on 93 Canfield Drive. Hers was chosen the best from among six grand finalists culled from 72 entries in the Northwest Area of Mount Clemens.