Mayor’s Civic Pride Awards honor those who ‘keep Jackson beautiful’

JACKSON, Tenn. — Local businesses, homes and people were recognized Tuesday in north Jackson for efforts in keeping Jackson beautiful.

“Obviously they are one cut above or they wouldn’t have been selected to win the award,” Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist said.

Mayor Gist presented the 2018 Mayor’s Civic Pride awards at the Jackson Country Club.

See a full list of those who were honored here.

“This is a once-a-year ceremony,” Gist said. “We have the Mayor’s Civic Pride Awards where we honor and really reward those residences or businesses or commercial establishments who do a great job in landscaping and keeping the landscaping up year round.”

According to the Keep Jackson Beautiful Commission, the awards were established in 1990 as an effort to congratulate and publicly acknowledge businesses and individuals making a positive contribution to the environment and community for visual excellence, as well as inspiring others in Jackson.

Jodi Jacobs, director of Keep Jackson Beautiful, says nominations are taken from the community at the end of April and early May.

“And then the master gardeners go out beginning of May end of June and judge,” Jacobs said.

Once all of the nominations are received, judges tabulate the highest scores.

“They are judged on the appearance of their house, the yard, just overall, not just their landscaping,” Jacobs said.

“It proves that we are usually right at the forefront of things that are happening,” Gist said. “We are usually the ‘first in, last out’ and we try and make a difference when we get in there and work together.”

The 2018 Mayor’s Civic Pride Awards are co-sponsored by the Keep Jackson Beautiful Commission as well as Waste Management of Jackson.