HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Judges from the Communities in Bloom International Challenge competition will be in Holland Monday and Tuesday July 24 and 25th.
This is Holland’s first entry in this international competition after a number of success over the past six years in the America in Bloom contest.
Judges Bob Ivison of London, England and Bob Lewis from Ottawa, Ontario will be touring the Tulip City evaluating Holland on tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, landscaped area and other aspects of urban beautification. The cities in the competition include Bruges, Belgium, Coquitlam, BC and Wood Buffalo, Alberta in the “Large Communities” category and will be will be given written evaluations and be awarded for its efforts during a symposium in Ottawa in mid-September.
Sally Laukitis of the Holland Area Visitors Bureau says some of her staff will be escorting the judges around.
“I hope that particulary for the judges from Ottawa, that we go back to some of the history of Holland during World War II when the Dutch Royal family was in exile up in Canada and came down and stayed at the The Warm Friend hotel. That’s just always an interesting tidbit.”
The international competition involves winners from different national programs, including Communities in Bloom (Canada), Britain in Bloom,, America in Bloom, Tidy Towns of Ireland, Japan in Bloom and more.
