Awards of Excellence 2022
Keep Sedona Beautiful (KSB) presented its Awards of Excellence 2022, recognizing businesses, organizations and individuals whose activities have contributed significantly to our community.
From left to right: John Chorlton from Verde Valley School, Jerry Checchia, Annie Glickstein, and Jerry Piepiora from Friends of the Forest, Jean-Christophe Buillet from A Sunset Chateau, Monique and Richard Sidy, and Laurie Altringer from Science Vortex. Javier and Amy Franco of Layla’s Bakery-Café could not attend.
These awards were presented in a welcomed public ceremony on April 20, 2022 at the KSB Pushmataha Building. The event was attended by 45 members of the community.
Each Award of Excellence recipient was presented with a beautiful metallic print from photographs, donated by professional photographer Mike Koopsen, for their outstanding achievements.
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Sustainable Landscape was given to Richard and Monique Sidy from the Village of Oak Creek.
The home they moved in to in 1982 was essentially barren land, which they have transformed into an environmentally friendly oasis. Their landscaping includes self-propagating plants and vegetation. Multiple vegetable gardens are flanked by fruit trees, and they use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Organic food waste is composted in barrels and used throughout the yard. In addition, their lifestyle is a model for sustainable living. Everything coming into the Sidy’s house is used or recycled. They have no garbage pick-up service. Roof rainwater travels through downspouts and collects on the property in swales and dry washes, and the humus soil soaks up excess water. Long before sustainability or xeriscape were common words, Monique and Richard were developing their land and home with these concepts in mind.
Layla’s Bakery – Cafe received the award for Sustainability.
Layla’s Bakery-Café was presented an Award of Excellence for Sustainability by KSB Executive Vice-President Carla Williams. She noted that the bakery minimizes waste in several ways: their streamlined menu results in much less food waste, some leftover pastries become bread pudding and the remaining extra pastries are donated to staff working at the emergency room, police station, and a daycare. Layla’s also makes it easier for customers to be more sustainable. Take-out orders come in paper wrappers for sandwiches, a compostable container for salad, and an unlined paper bag for pastries. Avocado-pit straws are available on request and Layla’s sells reusable metal straws.
Jean-Christophe Buillet accepted the award for Sustainability for A Sunset Chateau.
This award-winning Bed and Breakfast is entirely powered by solar panels. They’ve upgraded all their HVAC units to 20+ Seer ceiling-mounted electric mini-splits, made sure new refrigerators and wine coolers had climate-friendly refrigerants and have a small electric truck which gets charged by their solar panels. The salt water pool and hot tub reduces need for chemicals. No chemicals are used in landscaping and they pull weeds by hand. Mattresses in the guest rooms are made with foam certified not to have “TRIS” flame retardants or formaldehyde.
The Friends of the Forest Graffiti Removal Team received the award of Excellence for Community Service.
The volunteers of the Graffiti Removal Team are tasked with continually removing, remediating, and camouflaging the paint, scratches and rock stacks left behind by users of our public lands. Without this never-ending work, our beautiful red rocks would unfortunately become covered with graffiti. Ms. Williams noted that “the team also educates tourists and residents on the importance of protecting our red rocks because the best way to keep our landscape graffiti-free is to prevent it in the first place.”
Science Vortex received the Award of Excellence for Education on Sustainability.
Sustainability is integrated into both the curriculum and the operations. The center’s purchases and materials are prioritized based on sustainability impacts, seeking used items when possible, shopping locally and minimizing the use of plastic learning materials. The center accepts donations of reusable items such as recycled materials for engineering projects, educational games/toys, and craft supplies.
Verde Valley School received theAward of Excellence for Sustainability.
One of the programs they’re most proud of is farm-to-table. They grow much of their own produce for both staff students. Some produce is sold to local restaurants, and the proceeds used to help donate food to those in need. Food waste and horse manure is composted, which nourishes the farm. In addition, they have a system, both in their kitchen and outside, for efficient recycling, including cleaning, separation, processing and pickup that is used by all members of the community. John Chorlton accepted the award on behalf of Verde Valley School.