A West Mansfield couple’s pride in their home and the charity of a longtime nonprofit organization got a nod from the village Tuesday afternoon.
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West Mansfield residents Jeff and Diana McCall stand outside their 202 N. Main St. home that was awarded the village’s new Beautification Award on Tuesday. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | REUBEN MEES) |
In an ongoing effort to restore community pride in the village of about 700 people, first-term Mayor Kim Kerns started a recognition program that features a Beautification Award and a Volunteer of the Year award.
While neither homeowners Jeff and Diana McCall nor Give & Take operators Stacy Carpenter and Joyce Mathys said they were expecting to be honored for their efforts, they said the token of appreciation and the $100 cash prizes were a welcome pat on the back.
“This isn’t just an investment in our house; it’s an investment in our town,” Mr. McCall said. “We love this town and take pride in it.”
The couple’s beautification project at their 202 N. Main St. home began last summer as a simple sprucing up, but grew as they discovered the charm of their home, the couple said.
“We were power washing it when a piece of siding fell off,” Mrs. McCall said. “That’s what made us decide to do something bigger.”
A change to a dark red siding required a new door and the new door meant a new color scheme for the miniature well decoration that sits in the flower beds, Mr. McCall said.
While they were at it, the unruly bushes that were protruding three to four feet from the front of the home needed to come out and were replaced with azaleas to add color in the spring and burning bushes for their autumn appeal.
“We started with the siding and just kept going,” he said.
The project included adding a geothermal heating and cooling system in the rear of the home and removing about 14 stumps.
“When people drive by and say it’s looking good to keep up the good work, it makes you feel proud,” Mr. McCall said.
Mayor Kerns said residents Brent and Mindy Moore were a close second and an honorable mention.
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Stacy Carpenter, right, and her mother, Joyce Mathys, left, who operate the Give & Take thrift store and food pantry, received the West Mansfield’s Volunteer of the Year award from Mayor Kim Kerns, center. |
The Volunteer of the Year recognition went to two women who dedicate their days to making sure residents in need have ample access to clothing and food.
Stacy and Charles Carpenter and Stacy’s mother Joyce Mathys have been running the Give & Take thrift store and food pantry since February 2007 — a venture that began as an outreach of the West Mansfield United Methodist Church in 2002 and moved to its current location at 115 S. Main St. in 2003.
Read complete story in Wednesday’s Examiner.
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