FREEHOLD – The winners of the Freehold Borough Human Relations Committee’s 2019 Beautification Contest have been recognized for their efforts to improve the exterior of their properties.
Named by committee members as the winner of the first place prize was Lori Annetta.
Anthony Postiglione and Jeannine Grillo were selected as the winners of the second place prize.
Zach and Chelsea Patberg were selected as the winners of the third place prize.
The Freehold Medical Arts Building, Park Avenue, was selected as the winner in the commercial division.
The winners were recognized at a Borough Council meeting on June 17. The contest was sponsored by Home Depot, Freehold Township; 618 Restaurant, Freehold Township; and Elite Taxi Service, Freehold Borough.
According to the contest rules, projects could consist of activities such as repairs to a structure, landscaping, property cleanup and/or painting the property’s exterior, and had to have been started and completed between January 2018 and May 31, 2019.
Entries were judged on the contrast of before and after photos, the overall look of the completed project, the improved curb appeal of a property upon completion, and, for commercial properties, enhancement of the overall appearance to the business district.
Annetta restored the original structure to a cottage-style home to include the addition of a front porch. She repainted the house, garage and shutters, and landscaped the property.
The Human Relations Committee determined she restored the property beyond its “original charm.”
Annetta dedicated more than 1,500 hours to the project, which cost $47,500. For her efforts, she received a Dyna-Glo gas grill from Home Depot.
Postiglione and Grillo repainted their home and garage, which had peeling lead-based paint.
The committee found they “dramatically” improved the exterior. A total of 60 hours was spent on the project, which cost $10,000. Postiglione and Grillo received a $100 gift certificate to 618 Restaurant.
The Patbergs replaced a boarded up attic window facing the street with a hand-crafted stained glass window designed and created by the owners’ father. The project took 20 hours to complete and cost $250.
Committee members said the improvement brightened the entire facade. For their efforts, the Patbergs received a $50 gift certificate to the Cheesecake Factory, courtesy of Elite Taxi Service.
The Freehold Medical Arts Building (also known as the Freehold Family Health Center) was created in a vacant building on Park Avenue which was formerly a supermarket. The $3.5 million project took 13,000 hours to complete.
According to a press release, CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold Township, partnered with the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, VNACJ Community Health Center and Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School through the Family Medicine Residency Program at CentraState to create a new Federally Qualified Health Center accessible to all members of the community.
A certificate of appreciation acknowledged all partners: Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of Visiting Nurse Association Health Group; John Gribbin, CEO of CentraState Healthcare System; Dr. Maria Ciminelli, director of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Family Medical Residency at CentraState; and Sal Cannizzaro, vice president of construction at SFC Enterprises.
Certificates of honorable mention were presented to the Maietta family and to Ashish and Meghna Gajjar.
“The Freehold Borough Human Relations Committee would like to extend its sincere thanks to all the contestants in this year’s contest,” said Gianna Dell’Omo, vice chair of the committee.
“Taking pride in your home is the finest compliment any resident can give to the borough. When we take pride in our home, we take pride in our town. Congratulations to this year’s winners. Our sincere thanks to Home Depot, 618 Restaurant and Elite Taxi Service for their generous prize donations,” Dell’Omo said.