Many of us dream of having a perfectly manicured lawn, one that rivals even the most famous of golf courses, but in reality it comes down to the reality that we don't have the time to create such a wonderfully green masterpiece.
Still, there are plenty of beautiful lawns to behold right here on base, and to reward the time and effort spent creating such gorgeous greens, Boyer Hill Military Housing holds a Yard of the Month as well as a Yard of the Year contest.
This year's Yard of the Year contest was held on Oct. 14 at the Boyer Hill main office, right next to the school playground.
As each Yard of the Month winner arrived, Linda Mooney, a purchasing agent for Boyer Hill and one of the two people in charge of the Yard of the Month and Year program, instructed them to place a name card in the basket that the Yard of the Year winner would be drawn from.
"We have 18 total Yard of the Month winners this year," Mooney said. Multiple winners, each from a different housing area, were selected each month. "We usually have more, but due to the construction this year we weren't able to judge anyone from the 'E' area."
This year's Yard of the Year winner was to receive $500, Mooney said. There are also gift cards for everyone from various companies around the area, she added.
To decide which yard wins the Yard of the Month title, Mooney's co-worker, Mike Glauser, heads out to each housing area and judges yards on neatness, grass quality, and edging.
They don't look for flowers or decorations, Mooney added. "It's just judged on neatness."
For Tech. Sgt. Patrick Bergeron, a line officer in the 368th Recruiting Squadron, there was one lawncare name that helped keep his yard looking great year-round.
"Scotts," Bergeron stated. "And just keeping up with it," he added.
For next year's contenders, Bergeron offered up this advice: "Edging is everything."
As the last of the families sat down with their sandwiches and Halloween treats, Mark Pace, the co-president of Boyer Hill Military Housing, took the stage.
"Thanks for taking such good care of your yards," Pace said.
As the room quieted down, Pace held up the bucket of names as Glouser pulled the winner out. "Keith Kehle!" Pace announced.
"No way!" shouted Kehle, a Staff Sergeant from the 75th Force Support Squadron, as he stood to receive his prize. His wife and two children cheered excitedly as they were awarded the $500 and Yard of the Year title.
"It's great," Kehle said as he described being this year's winner. I would say it was well-deserved, but at the same time everyone else has helped so much, he added.
When asked what inspired them to keep their yard looking so beautiful, Kehle's wife, Wendy, answered, "We enjoy doing our yard work because it's a reflection of who we are as a person," she said.
In that case, these beautiful yards definitely reflect the beautiful people who make up the on-base housing community.
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