“From that moment on, Nave became a driving force in shaping the city’s beautification efforts, leading with passion, creativity and a deep sense of civic pride,” city officials said.
“It’s been the highlight of my life,” Nave told the News-Sun. “It’s been a very rewarding experience. I’ve met so many wonderful people. I wouldn’t have learned about my community and the streets and everything if I wouldn’t have participated in something like this.”
During the ceremony, Springfield City Commissioner Tracey Tackett presented a proclamation and unveiled a commemorative sign that will be installed in Nave’s honor, “recognizing a legacy of dedication that has helped make Springfield cleaner, greener and more welcoming for generations of residents.”
“For six decades, Marianne has inspired others to take pride in Springfield,” Tackett said. “Her commitment has not only beautified our incredible city but strengthened the spirit of volunteerism that continues to define this community.”
Nave said the program is strictly about recognizing people and their yards for how well-kept they are.
“It’s just a recognition of people who like beauty and take care of their yards. That benefits their own homes, their neighborhood and eventually the area they live in and the entire city as a whole,” she said.
The committee’s mission is to make neighborhoods and the city more beautiful, which Nave said spreads like “happy news.”
“Frankly, I see the difference than when we started to what it is now. It’s still not perfect but so many more people are taking care of their properties, interest in their properties, pride in their property, and when they take pride, they keep it up,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see ... It’s something that spreads and goes from one neighbor to the next and suddenly the whole neighborhood.”
Responding to a White House request from Johnson, Springfield City Commissioners created the Community Beautification Committee in 1965 to carry out various programs to enhance the natural beauty of the city.
Nave said nothing particularly inspired her to take part in the Community Beautification Committee but that she was asked by the then city manager. Her family, including her parents and grandparents, also kept their yards well-kept, she said.
She spoke about a time when she was in the former city hall outside the city manager’s office after she wrote a letter to the city about saving George Rogers Clark Park. When the city manager came out, he told her she was a good letter writer and asked if she would be interested in serving on the beautification committee.
“I said, ‘Yes, I would be,’ because my parents ... Mom was very proud of what she did with her yard, and I wanted to have my yard nice, too. It’s something that came through family more than anything else ... I was raised to that,” Nave said.
About five people were named to the committee, with Nave being chairperson. Nave also sketched a design in high school that she said everyone liked, which is now used for the shield award.
The name was chosen by the original city Community Beautification Committee appointees, as well as the design for the shield plaques, which were presented to the first year winners of the annual home beautification contest.
The Community Beautification Committee has always been sponsored by city of Springfield and members are all city commission appointed, Nave said.
Nave said she will be chair of the Community Beautification Committee until early next year until the election of officers. She plans to still be on the committee next year, but not the chair of it, because of her age and health.
The Community Beautification Committee has recognized 2,859 different homes with a first-year shield plaque, with many of the homes receiving numeral awards, over 417 different non-entry properties such as office buildings, businesses, industry and churches, as well as numerous people and civic groups who have assisted with beautification programs or carried out their own projects.
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