At an award ceremony Wednesday at Art Kelsey Memorial Park in downtown Warren, the winners of the City of Warren Street Landscape Committee 2021 Civic Beautification Awards were recognized. Pictured (from left) are: Committee Member Mary Conarro, Committee Member Sherry Johnson, residential award winner Susan Klebacha, residential award winner Mary Ellen Swartz, and Committee Chairman Josie Gerardi.

It was all about the curb appeal.

The City of Warren Street Landscape Committee presented its 2021 Civic Beautification Awards to residential and commercial properties in the city.

“We look to see where something catches your eye… something that has curb appeal,” Committee Chairman Josie Gerardi said.

Committee members hope the awards, and the behavior they reward, will encourage more people to spend some effort on beautification. “Someone sees that and thinks, ‘I could do that,'” Gerardi said.

The residential recipients were:

¯ Gary and Mary Ellen Swartz;

¯ Robert and Susan Klebacha; and

¯ Stephen Mascaro.

The commercial awards went to:

¯ Grace United Methodist Church (non-profit award); and

¯ NFG No. 2 Federal Credit Union (business award).

“You should be very proud,” Gerardi said. “It means you are up there in the City of Warren in terms of civic beautification.”

Presenting the awards Wednesday at Art Kelsey Memorial Park on Liberty Street were Gerardi and fellow committee members Mary Conarro and Sherry Johnson.