In June, Ashton awarded 94-years-young Donna Griffel with the first ever “Ashton Yard of the Month Award.” The city will continue awarding the honor through September. 

Ashton's Meredith Dexter, 94, was awarded the "Yard of the Month" for his efforts in maintaining his yard.

In June, Ashton awarded 94-years-young Donna Griffel with the first ever “Ashton Yard of the Month Award.” The city will continue awarding the honor through September. 

Ashton's Meredith Dexter, 94, was awarded the "Yard of the Month" for his efforts in maintaining his yard.

As Ashton Mayor Tom Mattingly drove through Malad recently, he noticed the city had awarded various residents with a “Yard of the Month” that they placed on their lawns.

Mattingly later had Ashton’s clerk, Cathy Stegelmeier, call the Malad city clerk for information on their yard of the month contest.

“We went from there,” Mattingly said.

“We thought, ‘That would be a nice thing for the city to do a ‘Yard of the Month’,” Stegelmeier said.

In June, the city awarded 94-years-young Donna Griffel with the first ever “Ashton Yard of the Month Award.” Griffel wasn’t available for comment.

This month the city will honor Navy veteran Meredith Dexter, who is also 94, for his efforts with his yard.

“Somebody made a bad decision there,” Dexter joked. “The mayor come over and talked to me a minute.”

Dexter especially likes to raise geraniums and marigolds, as they’re so pretty and easy to take care of, he said.

Honored to receive the award, Dexter said he was amazed the city chose his yard.

“I was kind of surprised. I didn’t think my yard was that good,” he said.

Each recipient of the award receives a certificate and a sign they can place in their front yard. The city will award additional “Yard of the Month” winners in August and September.

Mattingly says that each month, he and Ashton workers travel through Ashton looking for a noteworthy yard to honor.

“All of us are driving around looking,” he said. “Then we all put our names in the hat and take a look at what’s been nominated. (I’ll say) ‘That’s the one I didn’t see.’ I’ll go look at it, and then we go from there.”

Next year, the city may award winners with plants to add to their gardens, Mattingly said.

“We’ll give them flowers they can transplant,” he said.

For more information on the new award, call the city at 208-652-3987.

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