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Neighborhood associations select yard-of-the month winners to boost appearance and pride in areas.

07/15/2000

By Louise Applebome / The Dallas Morning News

Kathleen Lynch likes to snoop around her neighbors' yards. But they don't seem to mind.

If she's sufficiently impressed, Ms. Lynch might recommend their homes for a yard-of-the-month award.

"They look for a yard with pizazz," Ms. Lynch said about the selection committee of the Ridgewood Park Neighborhood Association in East Dallas. And if the committee members find neglected yards, they turn them in to the city, said Ms. Lynch, who is the association's president and a self-proclaimed "yard-aholic."

The Ridgewood Park Neighborhood Association is one of many that has monthly contests to reward residents for improving their areas. The associations' beautification committees usually are responsible for making the yard-of-the-month selections, notifying the winners and planting a sign in the front yard.

"I think they contribute to the sense of community in the neighborhood," said Catherine Horsey, executive director of Preservation Dallas, which promotes efforts to maintain neighborhoods.

In Ridgewood Park, it took Mart and Linda Higginbotham more than 20 years to earn yard-of-the-month honors.

"We were just thrilled to death," Mrs. Higginbotham said about winning the award this spring.

She also confessed that, until recently, they had an ordinary yard, not one deserving recognition. But, last October, the Higginbothams hired a landscape designer to transform their home. The landscaping was changed, a backyard deck was added and two ponds, which a stream connected, were part of the update.

"The end product paid off," she said.

Clean South Dallas' yard-of-the-month program, which is 15 years old, in the Fair Park area attracts a lot of interest, group leader Kathlyn Gilliam said.

Unlike many neighborhood contests that select only from area homes, Clean South Dallas recognizes one business, home, religious building, park and school monthly. Each recipient gets a sign on its front lawn. Clean South Dallas requires individuals to apply or be nominated for the honor.

"The contest is part of our overall goal to reduce litter and get the general public involved in the cleanup effort," Ms. Gilliam said.

The Wynnewood North Neighborhood Association in Oak Cliff has a young program, started less than a year ago by Dean Rose, an association vice president. He likes the program because it's so low maintenance.

"It's a gimme," he said.

In his neighborhood of 300-plus homes, the idea was well-received at an association meeting, and now a sign goes in the winning lawn each month, along with a newsletter announcement.